Prevalence of chromosomal aberrations in couples with recurrent miscarriages in the city of Mashhad, Iran: a cross-sectional study

Background: Recurrent miscarriage is defined as two or more recurrent spontaneous miscarriages. Several causes have been suggested, among which, chromosomal abnormalities in couples is considered to have a role in this regard. However, its significance varies among different populations. The present study was carried out to evaluate the prevalence of chromosomal aberrations in couples with recurrent miscarriages in the city of Mashhad.Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was performed on patient records at Medical Genetics Clinic of Imam Reza hospital in Mashhad (north-east of Iran) between 2003 and 2006.Results: Of 151 records of recurrent miscarriages, 59 couples had undergone Karyotyping testing. Among those who had Karyotyping results, only one (1.7%) had chromosomal abnormality. The observed abnormality was associated with chromosome 9 inversion. The prevalence of consanguineous marriage among these couples was 59.0%.Conclusion: In our study, unlike similar studies in other countries, the prevalence of chromosomal abnormalities was much lower. This could be interpreted either due to laboratory errors in our clinic or the real reduction in the association of chromosomal abnormalities with recurrent miscarriages in our population. Regarding our data, it seems that, at least among our population, costly Karyotyping testing is not necessary to predict further miscarriages or it could be limited to fewer cases having other associated factors

Connectivity index in neutrosophic trees and the algorithm to find its maximum spanning

In this paper, we first define the Neutrosophic tree using the concept of the strong cycle. We then define a strong spanning Neutrosophic tree. In the following, we propose an algorithm for detecting the maximum spanning tree in Neutrosophic graphs. Next, we discuss the Connectivity index and related theorems for Neutrosophic trees

Development and optimization of the new ultrasonic-infrared-vacuum dryer in drying Kelussia odoratissima and its comparison with conventional methods

Among the post-harvest processing of medicinal plants, drying is an important and influential process. Given the numerous applications of medicinal plants, especially Kelussia odoratissima, in the food and pharmaceutical industries, the aim of this study was to compare the effects of the ultrasound-infrared radiation-vacuum method with conventional drying methods on the drying time, the total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and antioxidant activity of K. odoratissima. ANOVA result showed that the effects of drying methods, drying temperature and their interaction effect on phenolic, flavonoid and antioxidant content were significant at 1% probability level. In the ultrasound-IR-vacuum method, by increasing temperature from 40 °C to 80 °C, the TFC increased by 35%. The highest antioxidant capacity was obtained for dry shade treatment, followed by dry sun treatment and three temperatures, i.e., 40 °C, 60 °C and 80 °C, in the combined method. The proposed optimal temperatures for the hot air, IR, and ultrasonic drying, were 63 °C, 66 °C and 71 °C, respectivel

Seroprevalence of Toxocara infection among healthy individuals referred to the medical center laboratories in Tehran City, Capital of Iran

Background: Toxocarosis is a zoonotic disease with worldwide distribution. Humans’ infection occurred by incidental ingestion of eggs shed in feces of dogs or cats. Studies on general population are rare in Iran. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated seroprevalence, and risk factors associated with toxocariasis among the healthy individuals in Tehran, capital if Iran.Materials and Methods: In total, 374 sera samples were investigated for the presence of anti-Toxocara IgG. We applied ELISA as screening test using available commercial kit. In addition, demographic data were obtained from participant’s questionnaires. Data analysis was performed using SPSS16.Results: The overall seroprevalence of toxocariasis was found 5.6% (21/374). Regarding the socio-demographic variables, age (P<0.001) and eating unwashed vegetables (P=0.049) were significantly associated to toxocariasis in univariate analysis. In the logistic regression analysis, only age (P<0.001) was identified as potential risk factor associated with Toxocara infection.Conclusion: This study revealed that seroprevalence of toxocariasis is relatively low in the healthy individuals in Tehran. We suggest carrying out further studies in the different part of Iran and investigate on the prevalence of toxocariasis in high-risk groups such as asthma, hyper-eosinophilic, epilepsy, rheumatism and schizophrenia patients

The effect of atmospheric pressure cold plasma on the inactivation of Escherichia coli in sour cherry juice and its qualitative properties

One of the nonthermal methods is the atmospheric pressure cold plasma (APCP). In this study, the effect of cold plasma on the reduction of Escherichia coli bacteria and qualitative properties of sour cherry juice, including total phenolic content (TPC), total anthocyanin content (TAC), and vitamin C, were investigated. Independent variables included plasma exposure time (1, 5, and 9 min), applied field intensity (25, 37.5, and 50 kV/cm), feeding gas oxygen content (0%, 0.5%, and 1%), and sample depth (0.5, 1, and 1.5 cm). The results show that increased oxygen content in argon has the greatest effect on the reduction of bacteria, and plasma exposure decreased 6 logarithmic periods of E. coli bacteria in sour cherry juice. Optimization results showed when all bacteria were eliminated by plasma, TPC remained unchanged, and TAC and vitamin C decreased by 4% and 21%, respectively, while thermal methods increased TPC by 23% and decreased TAC and vitamin C by 26% and 77%, respectively. These results indicate that, compared with conventional thermal methods, sour cherry juice pasteurization using APCP has little effect on the juice qualitative properties, and this method can serve as a suitable alternative to conventional thermal methods. Keywords:cold plasma; Escherichia coli; nonthermal method; response surface method; sour cherry juic

The Putative Role of Factor V Leiden and Prothrombin Mutations in Pregnancy Complications

Context: Thrombophilia is an inherited or acquired predisposition in developing thrombosis. The two common thrombophilia polymorphisms are factor V Leiden (FVL) and factor II/ prothrombin G20210A (PT) gene mutations which can contribute to negative pregnancy outcomes such as miscarriage, in-vitro fertilization (IVF) failure, preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), placental abruption, stillbirth, and pregnancy-associated venous thromboembolism. This review study sought to describe the effects of FVL and PT mutations on pregnancy complications. Evidence Acquisition: In this review study, a comprehensive search was performed on Iranian and international databases including MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Sciences, Proquest and Google Scholar for articles published during 1996-2018. Out of 220 reviewed articles, 80 papers were ultimately selected.Results: According to these 80 selected papers, the possible relations of PT and FVL with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) have been widely evaluated. Several studies indicated higher risk of recurrent early miscarriages, implantation failure and fetal loss after IVF among women with FVL and PT mutations.Conclusion: Observational studies have suggested the benefits of screening patients for thrombophilic polymorphisms in identification of women with higher risk of developing thromboembolic events and other related pregnancy complications. Based on such screening programs, prophylactic therapy can be limited to a selected group of women who truly need it. 

Retinoic Acid Decorated Albumin-Chitosan Nanoparticles for Targeted Delivery of Doxorubicin Hydrochloride in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Retinoic acid (R) grafted chitosan (C) copolymers with different degree of substitution of retinoic acid on the chitosan were synthesized. Retinoic acid targeted chitosan-albumin nanoparticles were prepared for targeted delivery of doxorubicin in hepatocellular carcinoma by coacervation method. Physical properties of nanoparticles including particle size, zeta potential, drug loading efficiency, and drug release profiles were studied. TEM micrographs were taken to see the morphology of nanoparticles. The cytotoxicity of doxorubicin-loaded nanoparticles was studied on HepG2 cells using MTT assay and their cellular uptake by fluorescence microscopy. FTIR and 1HNMR spectra confirmed successful production of RC conjugate which was used in production of the targeted RC-albumin nanoparticles. IC50 of drug loaded in these nanoparticles reduced to half and one-third compared to nontargeted nanoparticles and free drug, respectively

Online) An Open Access

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of eight weeks endurance training on Apelin receptor gene expression in adipose tissue of old male rats.In order to conduct the study, 12 male rats were randomly divided into control and experimental groups for 20 weeks. The rats in the experimental group practiced on the treadmill for 8 weeks, 5 days a week with an intensity of 20 meters per minute (equivalent to 75 to 80 % of maximum oxygen uptake) for 60 minutes. After 8 weeks practicing, and 72 hours after the last practice session, adipose tissue samples were collected. Then, REALTIME PCR method was applied to identify the definite variables. Data analysis was conducted based on independence t-test in a significant level (p<0.05). The findings of this study revealed that Apelin receptor gene expression levels in the experimental group in compare to the control group indicated a significant increase after eight weeks endurance training (p<0.00). Increasing Apelin receptor mRNA in rats may possibly regulate the adipose tissue and increase unpaired protein expression to determine its role in energy metabolism