Effect of midazolam on reducing awareness during surgery

Background and aims: Intra operative awareness is one of the unpleasant complications of anesthesia. This complication must be decreased because of psychological and physiological consequences. This study was aimed aims to determine the effect of midazolam on reducing intra-operative awareness during general anesthesia. Methods: This double-blind clinical trial study was conducted on 154 patients candidate for elective surgery, 15-45 years old, in class I or II of American Society of Anesthesiologists )ASA), with mean surgery duration of an hour, no hearing problem, history of neurological illness, or taking effective medications in psychological and neurological terms were assigned randomly into two groups: intervention group receiving intravenous midazolam (2.5 mg/l), for general anesthesia 15 minutes prior to operation, and control group. Necessity to increase depth of anesthesia or sedative use and post operative symptom was analyzed. Data were analyzed using SPSS and K2. Results: The symptoms of intraoperative awareness including lacrimation, requiring additional analgesia, and increased depth of anesthesia as well as post operative symptoms in terms of comfortable feeling in recovery were significantly lower in the intervention group compared to the control. Conclusion: Regarding the findings of the present study midazolam used as a premedication is effective on reducing the complications resulted from awareness during general anesthesia

Review on feverfew, a valuable medicinal plant

Background and Aims: Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) is a valuable medicinal plant from Asteraceae family with various pharmacological and therapeutic properties. In this article we reviewed the various aspects of feverfew including botanical characteristics, cultivation and production and medicinal and clinical uses.Material and Methods: Google Scholar, PubMed, EBSCO, Directory of open access journals (DOAJ), EMBASE, and Web of Science were searched using the keywords feverfew and parthenolide. Results: The essential oil of feverfew is frequently used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Parthenolide is the most important active component of feverfew that is used for the treatment of a wide variety of diseases such as fever, migraine headache, and rheumatoid arthritis.Conclusion:  Feverfew has several positive clinical uses and has the potential to be considered as a new drug for the treatment of some diseases

Comparative ontogenetic survey of the essential oil composition in Origanum vulgare L., and Origanum majorana L

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influences of the different harvest stages on the value and components of the essential oil (EO) of wild oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) and European marjoram (Origanum majorana L.). Two species were collected during five stages of vegetative and reproductive growth period with four replications. The content of EO in the dried aerial parts was determined by hydro-distillation of herbs, and its constituents determined by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The analysis showed that the amount of EO in O. majorana was more than O. vulgare. The highest EO content for both species were obtained in the full flowering stage. 78 and 39 components were identified in the EO of O. vulgare and O. majorana, respectively. The main components were germacrene D, (trans)caryophyllene, terpinene-4-ol, and a-terpinene in the EO of O. vulgare, and terpinene-4-ol, y-terpinene, a-terpinene, and a-terpineol in the EO of O. majorana. In general, sesquiterpene compounds had maximum amounts in the EO of O. vulgare in five stages of growth, especially in the beginning of flowering stage. In contrast, monoterpene compounds had maximum value in the EO of O. majorana in the full flowering stage

A novel TECTA mutation causes ARNSHL

Objective Autosomal recessive nonsyndromic hearing loss (ARNSHL) is a genetically heterogeneous sensorineural disorder. Alpha-tectorin, which is encoded by the TECTA gene, is a non-collagenous component of the tectorial membrane in the inner ear defect of which leads to moderate to severe hearing loss (HL). Methods 25 unrelated Iranian multiplex ARNSHL families, negative for GJB2 mutations, were recruited in this study. Clinical inspections including audiometric and otologic examinations ruled out syndromic forms. Genetic linkage analysis was performed using six short tandem repeat markers closely linked to DFNB21. Haplotype and LOD score analysis were used to confirm possible linkage. All coding exons of TECTA were subject to DNA sequencing in the linked family. Results A novel homozygous variant (c.734G > A) was found in exon 5 of the TECTA gene in one family leading to a nonsense mutation (p.W245×). It co-segregated with HL in the family. This variant was not detected in 50 controls. All affected individuals in the family had moderate to severe HL. It full filled the criteria of a pathogenic variant. Conclusion Our data confirms the phenotype-directed genotyping for DFNB21 deafness against the typical profound HL phenotype seen in the most families segregating ARNSHL. We recommend mutation screening of TECTA in ARNSHL families segregating moderate to severe HL phenotyp

Ultra-sensitive electrochemical sensing of acetaminophen and codeine in biological fluids using CuO/CuFe2O4 nanoparticles as a novel electrocatalyst

Copper ferrite−copper oxide (CuO-CuFe2O4) nanoparticles as a semiconductor composite with p–n junction were synthesized by co-precipitation reaction. Then, a novel CuO-CuFe2O4 carbon paste modified electrode was fabricated which displays an effectual electrocatalytic response to the oxidation of acetaminophen (AC) and codeine (CO). A linear range of 0.01–1.5 μmol L−1 and 0.06–10.0 μmol L−1 with the detection limits of 0.007 μmol L−1 and 0.01 μmol L−1 were achieved for AC and CO, respectively. The practical usage of the proposed sensor revealed reasonable results for quantification of AC and CO in biological fluids. Keywords: Acetaminophen, Codeine, Copper ferrite/copper oxide nanoparticles, Electrochemical sensin

Ultrasound application for the decontamination of roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) seeds: Influence on fungal inhibition and seed quality

Seed decay is a major problem caused by pathogens that adversely affect seed yield and quality in agricultural production. Herein, the effect of 28 KHz ultrasound treatment for 20, 40 and 60 min and 1.5% sodium hypochlorite solution for 20 min was assessed for the decontamination of roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) seeds. In addition, seed germination indices, seedling growth traits, total phenolic content and the activity of defense-related enzymes, viz. peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase and malondialdehyde were measured in the treated seeds. An isolate of Fusarium solani was obtained from roselle seeds and identified as the causal agent of roselle seed rot based on morphological and molecular characteristics. After six days of seed storage, the microbial infection caused the highest seed rot in the control seeds on the average of 56.67%, whereas ultrasound treatment for 60 min could remarkably reduce the seed decay by 3.33%. At the end of seed storage, the fungal load showed the highest (7.72 Log CFU ml−1) and lowest (6.99 Log CFU ml−1) rates in the control and ultrasound treatment for 60 min, respectively. Total phenolic content was significantly increased in ultrasound treatment for 60 min compared to control and sodium hypochlorite treatments. Moreover, the activity of peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase was noticeably improved in ultrasound treatment for 60 min. Furthermore, ultrasound treatment did not show any adverse effects on seed germination indices and seedling growth traits of the roselle plants. Overall, ultrasound treatment for 60 min could effectively decrease roselle seed decay and the fungal load without changing seed and seedling quality

Integrated co-expression analysis of regulatory elements (miRNA, lncRNA, and TFs) in bovine monocytes induced by Str. uberis

Abstract Non-coding RNAs, including long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs), together with transcription factors, are critical pre-, co-, and post-transcriptional regulators. In addition to their criteria as ideal biomarkers, they have great potential in disease prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment of complex diseases. Investigation of regulatory mechanisms in the context of bovine mastitis, as most common and economic disease in the dairy industry, to identify elements influencing the expression of candidate genes as key regulators of the mammary immune response is not yet fully understood. Transcriptome profiles (50 RNA-Seq and 50 miRNA-Seq samples) of bovine monocytes induced by Str. uberis were used for co-expression module detection and preservation analysis using the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) approach. Assigned mi-, lnc-, and m-modules used to construct the integrated regulatory networks and miRNA-lncRNA-mRNA regulatory sub-networks. Remarkably, we have identified 18 miRNAs, five lncRNAs, and seven TFs as key regulators of str. uberis-induced mastitis. Most of the genes introduced here, mainly involved in immune response, inflammation, and apoptosis, were new to mastitis. These findings may help to further elucidate the underlying mechanisms of bovine mastitis, and the discovered genes may serve as signatures for early diagnosis and treatment of the disease