Impairment of sperm efficiency in mice following short-term nano-titanium dioxide exposure: An experimental study

Background: Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) are widely used in many compounds. Recent evidence has displayed some cytotoxic effects of TiO2NPs on male reproduction. Objective: The effects of TiO2NP administration on sperm parameters and chromatin and seminiferous histopathology of male mice were investigated. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 32 NMRI male mice (35 ± 3 gr, 8-12-week-old) were divided into four groups (n = 8/each): treated groups were fed orally with 2.5 (group I), 5 (group II) and 10 (group III) mg/kg/day TiO2NPs for 40 days and the control group received phosphate buffered saline. Sperm parameters, DNA integrity and chromatin quality were assessed using chromomycin A3, aniline blue, toluidine blue staining and TUNEL. Hematoxylin eosin staining was performed to measure spermatogenic cells and the total diameter of seminiferous tubules. Also, sex hormone and malondyaldehyde levels were measured. Results: Abnormal sperm tails rose in group III (28.87 ± 4.91) in comparison with the control group (12.75 ± 3.95). However, chromomycin A3 staining and TUNEL showed higher levels in group III in comparison with the control group, whereas aniline blue and toluidine blue staining showed no differences. A significantly lower spermatogenesis index and lumen parameters were observed in group III. Leydig cell numbers, cellular diameters and the area of the seminiferous tubules were lower in the treated groups. The testosterone level was also lower in these groups and the percentage of malondyaldehyde in the seminal fluid was higher. Conclusion: Exact mechanisms of TiO2NPs are not clear; however, cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of TiO2NPs may relate to oxidative stress. Given their widespread use, TiO2NPs should be a public health focus of attention. Key words: Titanium dioxide, Spermatogenesis, Histology, Mouse, Chromatin, TUNEL

Application of artificial intelligence techniques for automated detection of myocardial infarction: A review

Myocardial infarction (MI) results in heart muscle injury due to receiving insufficient blood flow. MI is the most common cause of mortality in middle-aged and elderly individuals around the world. To diagnose MI, clinicians need to interpret electrocardiography (ECG) signals, which requires expertise and is subject to observer bias. Artificial intelligence-based methods can be utilized to screen for or diagnose MI automatically using ECG signals. In this work, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of artificial intelligence-based approaches for MI detection based on ECG as well as other biophysical signals, including machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) models. The performance of traditional ML methods relies on handcrafted features and manual selection of ECG signals, whereas DL models can automate these tasks. The review observed that deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) yielded excellent classification performance for MI diagnosis, which explains why they have become prevalent in recent years. To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive survey of artificial intelligence techniques employed for MI diagnosis using ECG and other biophysical signals.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figure

The standard dose versus double dose of N-acetylcysteine to prevent contrast-induced nephropathy; a randomized controlled clinical trial

Background: Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is one of the possible complications in angiography, which its prevention is important. N-acetylcysteine is one of the compounds that has recently been more investigated regarding its effect on CI-AKI. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of standard dose and twice-thestandard of N-acetyl cysteine on prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy. Patients and Methods: In a clinical trial, 154 individuals who were referred for angiography and had glomerular filtration rate (GFR) ≤60 mL/min, enrolled in and randomly divided into two groups. Group A received the usual dose of N-acetyl cysteine and group B received twice the standard. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, and GFR values were measured and recorded at intervals before, 24, 48 and 72 hours after angiography. Other required laboratory parameters were also measured and recorded. Results: The results of this study indicated that the effect of double dose in males and females is not different. It also has a reverse effect on renal function in older patients. Its effect did not differ in diabetic patients compared to non-diabetic patients. N-acetyl cysteine in dose of twice the standard has not any effect on renal function in patients with hyperlipidemia, hypertension, myocardial infarction, pulmonary edema as well as smoker patients. In patients with congestive heart failure (CHF), N-acetyl cysteine in dose of twice the standard had a positive effect on renal function compared with those who did not have CHF. An interesting point in our study was the negative effect of N-acetyl cysteine in dose of twice-the-standard on renal function in patients with lower hemoglobin and hematocrit levels. Conclusions: Our study showed that an increase in the dose of N-acetyl cysteine is not effective in preventing contrast-induced nephropathy and improving renal function. Of course, in some groups, such as those with CHF, a positive effect was detected. Additionally, in some groups including patients with lower hematocrit and hemoglobin, an increase in dose is associated with a negative effect on renal function