Finding differential splice junctions in RNA-Seq data as transcriptional biomarkers for prostate cancer

Alternative RNA splicing is a naturally occurring phenomenon that has been associated with different types of cancer. Detecting splice junctions in the genome of an organism is the key to the study of alternative splicing. RNA-Seq as a high-throughput sequencing technology has recently opened new horizons on the studying of various fields of transcriptomics, such as gene expression, chimeric events and alternative splicing. In this research, we study prostate cancer from the viewpoint of splicing events as the second most common cancer in North America. We have proposed a method for differentially detecting splice junctions, and in a broader sense splice variants, from RNA-Seq data. We have designed a 2-D peak finding algorithm to combine and remove the dubious junctions across different samples of our population. A scoring mechanism is used to select junctions as features for prediction of cancer RNA-Seq data belonging to patients diagnosed with prostate cancer against benign samples. These junctions could be proposed as potential biomarkers for prostate cancer. We have employed support vector machines which proved to be highly successful in prediction of prostate cancer

Experimental and analytical study on the behavior of steel plate shear walls with box-shaped columns under cyclic loading

Steel plate shear walls are lateral load resisting systems consisting of vertical steel plate infills connected to the surrounding beams and columns. One of the parameters affecting the behavior of steel plate shear wall system under lateral load is characteristic of surrounding members. Since there are lots of experimental and analytical studies on steel plate shear walls with I-shaped surrounding members, this research is an experimental study carried out on a one-third scale steel plate shear wall system with box-shaped columns along with further analytical studies. The objectives were to calculate the stiffness, strength and energy dissipation capacity of the specimen and compare them with a very similar system constructed with I-shaped columns. Cyclic loading protocol of ATC-24 was used for test. Obtained experimental results showed a good conformity between box and I-shaped specimens. It is shown that the system can provide good initial stiffness and high ultimate capacity and remain intact under seismic effects. Some analytical studies on failure modes of system with box-shaped columns were also conducted using finite-element software confirming that the columns bottom connections and their flange buckling at that point are one of the most common modes of failure and a triangular reinforcing plate at that point can improve columns connection behavior effectively

Fully integrated cmos phase shifter/vco for mimo/ism application

A fully integrated CMOS 0 – 900 phase shifter in 0.18um TSMC technology is presented. With the increasing use of wireless systems in GHz range, there is high demand for integrated phase shifters in phased arrays and MIMO on chip systems. Integrated phase shifters have quite a high number of integrated inductors which consume a lot of area and introduce a huge amount of loss which make them impractical for on chip applications. Also tuning the phase shift is another concern which seems difficult with use of passive elements for integrated applications. This work is presents a new method for implementing phase shifters using only active CMOS elements which dramatically reduce the occupied area and make the tuning feasible. Also a fully integrated millimeter-wave VCO is implemented using the same technology. This VCO can be part of a 24 GHz frequency synthesizer for 24 GHz ISM band transceivers. The 24 GHz ISM band is the unlicensed band and available for commercial communication and automotive radar use, which is becoming attractive for high bandwidth data rate

Use of lipophilic and hydrophilic polymers in production of sustained release zinc sulfate tablets

Background and aims: Zinc sulfate administered to correct zinc deficiency. Its oral administration has shown serious digestive side effects and sometimes it has led to the lack of use it. The main aim of the present study was to use lipophilic and hydrophilic polymers in production of sustained release zinc sulfate tabletsover an extended period of time. Methods: Sustained release (SR) zinc sulfate tablets were prepared using either lipophilic-based matrix or hydrophilic matrix system or natural polymers by either hot-fusion (HF) granulation or direct compression (DC) method. Physical and chemical features of provided SR tablets including hardness, friability, and weight variation, disintegration time, swelling index, content uniformity and drug release behavior were evaluated. The drug concentration was assayed by an atomic absorption spectrophotometer at 213.8 nm. Results: Most of the prepared formulations showed acceptable physicochemical properties. Among 30 formulations, SR tablets with lipophilic matrix-based showed more predictable release profiles compared to tablets prepared based on hydrophilic or natural matrixes. Tablets containing carnauba wax showed slower release while tablets with hydrogenated castor oil represented faster release profile. A few lipophilic matrix tablets containing zinc sulfate (110 mg), beeswax (or carnauba wax) and Avicel (or Emcompress) were selected as the optimum formulations showing release profiles based on USP criteria for lipophilic-based SR tablets. The mean dissolution time (MDT) and dissolution efficiency (DE8%) of selected formulations were 1.69-1.95 hr and 69.3-71.8%, respectively. Tablet hardness and granule size had no effects on release rate. The drug release kinetic followed Higuchi model. Conclusion: Lipophilic based SR tablets of zinc sulfate is suggested as an alternative for capsule or syrup of the drug whichhave digestive side effects

Efficacy of Plaque Control by Tooth Brushing with and without Different Dentifrices: A Clinical Trial

Objective: Microbial plaque is among the main etiologies of periodontal disease, and tooth brushing with toothpaste is the most commonly used method of plaque control. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of tooth brushing with and without three different dentifrices.Methods: Thirty dental students were randomly selected to participate in this clinical trial and were asked to refrain from any plaque control measure for 24 hours. Candidates were then randomly assigned to one of the three groups of tooth brushing with Pooneh whitening toothpaste, Crest 3D White, Sensodyne Original and tooth brushing without toothpaste. Subjects were asked to brush their teeth for two minutes using the Bass technique. Plaque index was calculated before and after the intervention. This process was repeated until all subjects experienced all the understudy interventional protocols (tooth brushing with three different toothpastes and without toothpaste). Data were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA and paired t-test.Results: No statistically significant difference was noted in the efficacy of plaque control by tooth brushing with Crest 3D White and Sensodyne Original and tooth brushing without toothpaste; however, significant differences were noted in this respect between Pooneh toothpaste and the remaining three tooth brushing protocols (p≤0.001).Conclusion: Tooth brushing without toothpaste may have a plaque control efficacy equal or even higher than that of tooth brushing with toothpaste

HIV-Related Stigma Among Healthcare Providers in Different Healthcare Settings: A Cross-Sectional Study in Kerman, Iran

Background: Stigmatizing attitudes among healthcare providers are an important barrier to accessing services among people living with HIV (PLHIV). This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the status and correlates of HIV-related stigma among healthcare providers in Kerman, Iran.Methods: Using a validated and pilot-tested stigma scale questionnaire, we measured HIV-related stigma among 400 healthcare providers recruited from three teaching hospitals (n = 363), private sectors (n = 28), and the only voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) center (n = 9) in Kerman city. Data were gathered using self-administered questionnaires at participants’ workplace during Fall 2016. To examine the correlates of stigmatizing attitudes, we constructed bivariable and multivariable linear regression models. Results: The mean ± standard deviation (SD) of stigma score was 25.95 ± 7.20 out of the possible 50, with higher scores reflecting more stigmatizing attitudes. Paramedics, nurses’ aides, and housekeeping staff had the highest, and VCT personnel had the lowest average stigma scores, respectively. Multivariable regression analyses showed that prior experience of working with PLHIV (β = -2.48; P = .03), exposure to HIV-related educational courses (β = -2.03; P = .02), and <10 years of work experience (β = -2.70; P < .001) were associated with lower stigma scores.Conclusion: Our findings highlight the need for health managers to provide training opportunities for healthcare providers, including programs that focus on improving HIV-related knowledge for healthcare providers. Enforcing policies that aim to reduce HIV-related stigma and discrimination among healthcare providers in Iran are urgently needed

A Comparative Analysis of Clinical Characteristics and Laboratory Findings of COVID-19 between Intensive Care Unit and Non-Intensive Care Unit Pediatric Patients: A Multicenter, Retrospective, Observational Study from Iranian Network for Research in Viral

Introduction: To date, little is known about the clinical features of pediatric COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs).&nbsp;Objective: Herein, we aimed to describe the differences in demographic characteristics, laboratory findings, clinical presentations, and outcomes of Iranian pediatric COVID-19 patients admitted to ICU versus those in non-ICU settings.&nbsp;Methods: This multicenter investigation involved 15 general and pediatrics hospitals and included cases with confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection based on positive real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) admitted to these centers between March and May 2020, during the initial peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran.&nbsp;Results: Overall, 166 patients were included, 61 (36.7%) of whom required ICU admission. The highest number of admitted cases to ICU were in the age group of 1–5 years old. Malignancy and heart diseases were the most frequent underlying conditions. Dyspnea was the major symptom for ICU-admitted patients. There were significant decreases in PH, HCO3 and base excess, as well as increases in creatinine, creatine phosphokinase (CPK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and potassium levels between ICU-admitted and non-ICU patients. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), shock, and acute cardiac injury were the most common features among ICU-admitted patients. The mortality rate in the ICU-admitted patients was substantially higher than non-ICU cases (45.9% vs. 1.9%, respectively; p&lt;0.001).&nbsp;Conclusions: Underlying diseases were the major risk factors for the increased ICU admissions and mortality rates in pediatric COVID-19 patients. There were few paraclinical parameters that could differentiate between pediatrics in terms of prognosis and serious outcomes of COVID-19. Healthcare providers should consider children as a high-risk group, especially those with underlying medical conditions