Suitable coating material for microencapsulation of spray-dried fish oil

This study was conducted to screen the most suitable coating material for the production of microencapsulated fish oil powder using ternary blends of maltodextrin (15, 25 % w/w), Arabic gum (2.5, 7.5 % w/w), and methylcellulose (0.5, 1.5 % w/w). The physical properties of fish oil emulsion and encapsulated powders were evaluated. Arabic gum (5 % w/w) showed the most significant (p < 0.05) effect on the surface mean diameter of the droplets in the emulsion. Maltodextrin had the most significant (p < 0.05) effect on the centrifuge stability of the emulsion and the amount of surface oil of the powder at 15 and 20 % (w/w) respectively, whereas methylcellulose (0.5 % w/w) had the most significant (p < 0.05) effect on the width distribution of the droplets in the emulsion. The total optimal area leading to the formation of coating material with desirable physical properties was expected to be obtained by the combination of 16 % (w/w) maltodextrin, 6.5 % (w/w) Arabic gum, and 0.88 % (w/w) methylcellulose respectively

Effect of Educational Intervention on Resource Usage in University Newcomers

Aims: Investigating the situation of the utilization of the library sources indicates that the students are not familiar with the utilization of the sources and do not have enough skills in source searching. Based on the conducted studies, presenting training courses to make the students familiar with searching the library sources considerably enhance their abilities to utilize the sources. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of academic intervention on the freshmen students&rsquo; utilization of the library sources.&nbsp; Instrument & Methods: In the cross-sectional study, Medical, Midwifery, and Nursing students (n=200) of Babol University of Medical Sciences enrolled in 2013 were studied at the 1st semester of 2013-14 academic year. Based on the former presence at the library familiarity workshops at the university entrance, the students were divided into two groups including &ldquo;case group&rdquo; (n=136) and &ldquo;control group&rdquo; (n=64). Data was collected, using a researcher-made form. In addition, book loan number during a year and number of the delayed days in returning the books were considered as indices to investigate the students&rsquo; performance. Data was analyzed in SPSS 18 software using Chi-square and Independent T tests.&nbsp;&nbsp; Findings: Of 4865 book loan cases, 26.0&plusmn;22.2 and 17.9&plusmn;18.8 books were averagely borrowed by the trained students (case group) and control group, respectively (p<0.05). Mean delayed time in &ldquo;case group&rdquo; (151.2&plusmn;171.7 days) was more than the mean time in &ldquo;control group&rdquo; (122.0&plusmn;136.5 days; p<0.05). Conclusion: Conducting library familiarity training courses at the university entrance for the students positively and significantly affects the utilization of the scientific sources

A Study on Musculoskeletal Disorders and Personal and Occupational Risk Factors among Surgeons

Background and purpose: Surgery is a high risk profession owing to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Fine and precise operations cause surgeons to adopt prolonged fixed posture. As there is limited information in this region, the purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of MSDs and personal and occupational risk factors among surgeons in Babol (a northern city in Iran). Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 45 surgeons during 2011 using a questionnaire in three parts including: Demographic and occupational data, Nordic standardized musculoskeletal disorders questionnaire (NMQ), and Body Discomfort Assessment technique. The working posture during operation was assessed by Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistical indexes and chi- square test, and a p<0.05 was considered as significant. Results: According to the data, the mean of work experience was 19.9&plusmn;6 years, and the mean of work hours was 54.2&plusmn;14 (ranged 20-80 hours per week). Ninety five percent of surgeons reported experiencing one or more MSDs symptoms during the previous year. Neck pain (66.7%) and low back pain (LBP) (51%) was the more frequent reported complaint. The results showed a significant statistical difference between LBP with weekly regular exercise and work experience. Conclusion: The results indicate that MSDs are the common problems among the surgeons and they are at risk because of their personal and occupational conditions. So, ergonomics interventions in order to prevent MSDs are recommended

Suitable coating material for microencapsulation of spray-dried fish oil

This study was conducted to screen the most suitable coating material for the production of microencapsulated fish oil powder using ternary blends of maltodextrin (15, 25% w/w), Arabic gum (2.5, 7.5% w/w), and methylcellulose (0.5, 1.5 % w/w). The physical properties of fish oil emulsion and encapsulated powders were evaluated. Arabic gum (5% w/w) showed the most significant (p<0.05) effect on the surface mean diameter of the droplets in the emulsion. Maltodextrin had the most significant (p<0.05) effect on the centrifuge stability of the emulsion and the amount of surface oil of the powder at 15 and 20 % (w/w) respectively, whereas methylcellulose (0.5%w/w) had the most significant (p<0.05) effect on the width distribution of the droplets in the emulsion. The total optimal area leading to the formation of coating material with desirable physical properties was expected to be obtained by the combination of 16 % (w/w) maltodextrin, 6.5 % (w/w)Arabic gum, and 0.88 % (w/w) methylcellulose respectively

Assessment of ergonomics risk factors influencing incidence of musculoskeletal disorders among office workers

Background: High prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders have been reported by office workers due to the nature of their work. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in a group of office workers and also to determine the ergonomics risk factors affecting these disorders. &nbsp; Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, performed among 174 office workers in Kerman city, Iran. Data collection tools included demographic and organization information form, the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questinnaire (NMQ), and the Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA) method. The gathered data were analyzed by SPSS software version 16 using descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and logistic regression. &nbsp; Findings: The prevalence of symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the past 12 months was reported 60.4 percent. What is more, significant associations were observed between job tenure and hours a day using computer with MSDs (P-value<0.05). In this sense, with &nbsp;one unit increase in job tenure (years) and duration of computer use (hours per day), the probability of incidence of MSDs gone up 17.2 percent and 15.8 percent, respectively. Based on the statistical chi-square test, a significant relationship was reported between the incidence of MSDs and Rapid Office Strain Assessment method (P-value<0.05). &nbsp; Conclution: According to results, ROSA assessment method is an efficient tool in the classification and identification of factors affecting the incidence of MSDs among office workers. Performing corrective measures in the dangerous work stations (the second level identified by ROSA technique), reducing the duration of computer use per day, and doing regular sport activities can be noted in order to decrease the prevalence of MSDs in the study group (office workers)

Ovarian hormones prevent methamphetamine-induced anxiety-related behaviors and neuronal damage in ovariectomized rats

Methamphetamine (METH) may cause long�lasting neurotoxic effects and cognitive impairment. On the other hand, the ovarian hormones estrogen and progesterone have neuroprotective effects. In the current study, we aimed to examine the effects of estrogen and progesterone on anxiety�like behavior and neuronal damage in METH�exposed ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Three weeks after ovariectomy, the animals received estrogen (1 mg/kg, i.p.), or progesterone (8 mg/kg, i.p.), or estrogen plus progesterone (with the same doses), or vehicle during 7 consecutive days (days 22�28). On day 28, OVX rats were exposed to a single�day METH regimen (6 mg/kg, four s.c. Injections, with 2 h interval) 30 min after the hormone treatment. The next day (on day 29), the animals were assessed for anxiety�related behaviors using the open field and elevated plus�maze tasks. The animals were then sacrificed and brain water content, cell apoptosis and expression of IL-1β were evaluated. The findings showed that treatment with estrogen or progesterone alone in METH�exposed rats significantly improved hyperthermia, anxiety�like behavior, neuronal damage, and inflammation in the CA1 area. Also, treatment with estrogen plus progesterone improved hyperthermia and brain edema. Taken together, the findings suggest that treatment with ovarian hormones can partially prevent hyperthermia and anxiety�related behaviors induced by METH in OVX rats, which could be accompanied by their neuroprotective effects in the hippocampus. © 202

Evaluation of the efficacy of sofosbuvir plus daclatasvir in combination with ribavirin for hospitalized COVID-19 patients with moderate disease compared with standard care: a single-centre, randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: New therapeutic options are urgently needed to tackle the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Repurposing existing pharmaceuticals provides an immediate treatment opportunity. We assessed the efficacy of sofosbuvir and daclatasvir with ribavirin for treating patients with COVID-19. METHODS: This was a single-centre, randomized controlled trial in adults with moderate COVID-19 admitted to the Ghaem Shahr Razi Hospital in Mazandaran Province, Iran. Patients were randomly assigned to 400 mg sofosbuvir, 60 mg daclatasvir and 1200 mg ribavirin (intervention group) or to standard care (control group). The primary endpoint of this study was length of hospital stay. This study is registered by IRCT.ir under the ID: IRCT20200328046886N1. RESULTS: Between 20 March 2020 and 8 April 2020, 48 patients were recruited; 24 patients were randomly assigned to the intervention group and 24 to the control group. The median duration of hospital stay was 6 days in both groups (P = 0.398). The number of ICU admissions in the sofosbuvir/daclatasvir/ribavirin group was not significantly lower than the control group (0 versus 4, P = 0.109). There was no difference in the number of deaths between the groups (0 versus 3, P = 0.234). The cumulative incidence of recovery was higher in the sofosbuvir/daclatasvir/ribavirin arm (Gray's P = 0.033). CONCLUSIONS: This randomized trial was too small to make definitive conclusions. There were trends in favour of the sofosbuvir/daclatasvir/ribavirin arm for recovery and lower death rates. However, there was an imbalance in the baseline characteristics between the arms. Larger randomized trials should be conducted to investigate this treatment further