The prevalence of allergic reaction in acute complications of injection of packed red blood cell in patients hospitalized in Sina Hospital, Kamyaran City, Iran, during the years 2014-2018

BACKGROUND: Acute complications are among the most common complications in blood transfusion reactions and one of the leading causes of death. The reduction in acute complications as well as blood safety and health of patients should be considered. The aim of this short report study is to determine the prevalence of allergic reactions in acute complications of packed red blood cell (RBC) injections in patients hospitalized in Sina Hospital, Kamyaran City, Iran, from 2014 to 2018.METHODS: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study with the statistical population including all patients who required blood transfusion in Sina hospital in Kamyaran City since 2014 to 2018. The standard checklist called "A form of reporting unwanted complications after blood transfusions and its related products" was used in this study. Data were entered into the SPSS statistical software. Descriptive statistics were analyzed as mean and standard deviation (SD) and analytical results were analyzed using Fisher's exact test.RESULTS: In this study, the prevalence of transfusion complications during this period was 0.016. 5 (29%) and 12 (71%) of the patients were men and women, respectively. The most common sign of blood transfusion included restlessness and tachycardia. The most common acute complication of blood transfusions was allergic reaction (47%). Based on the Fisher's exact test, a statistically significant relationship was found between the blood group, sex, and history of injection with the diagnosis of transfusion (P < 0.001).CONCLUSION: Registering the complications of blood transfusion is always a concern and important for the blood transfusion organization. In this study, it was found that the most common acute complication of blood transfusions was allergic reactions (8 out of 17)

Physiological and biochemical responses of basil (Ocimum basilicum) seedlings to different concentrations of zinc

Zinc (Zn 2+ ) is one of the essential micronutrient elements for plant growth. In the present study, effect of different concentrations of zinc on some physiological and biochemical properties of basil (Ocimum basilicum) was investigated. Basil seedlings were exposed to six zinc (ZnSO 4 ) levels (0, 50, 100, 200, 400, and 800 mg/L) in 3 days’ intervals for a period of 30 days. The root and shoot growth, leaf number and area, photosynthetic pigments content, total soluble sugars and proteins, phenolic compounds, antioxidant power and mineral elements contents including zinc and potassium were significantly increased in effect of zinc levels up to 200 mg/L. Inversely, ferrous and calcium contents was drastically decreased concomitant with increasing zinc concentration but magnesium content remained unchanged. Our results indicated a dual role of zinc with optimum concentration of 200 mg/L, and a decrease in the root and shoot growth, pigment and phenolic contents under and over optimum concentration, whereas sugars and protein accumulation were occurred concomitantly with increasing zinc in the medium. However, the decrease of these parameters at the highest zinc concentration did not reach the level of control plants, which means that this species has a high resistance against zinc metal stress and because of the relative accumulation of zinc in polluted areas may has an important role for human nutrition. In general, the results point to important role of zinc in maintaining and protecting of basil seedlings against radical oxygen species

Cellular uptake and anti-tumor activity of gemcitabine conjugated with new amphiphilic cell penetrating peptides

Gemcitabine (Gem) is used as a single agent or in combination with other anticancer agents to treat many types of solid tumors. However, it has many limitations such as a short plasma half-life, dose-limiting toxicities and drug resistance. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are short peptides which may deliver a large variety of cargo mole- cules into the cancerous cells. The current study was designed to evaluate the antiproliferative activity of gemcita- bine chemically conjugated to CPPs. The peptides were synthesized using solid phase synthesis procedure. The uptake efficiency of CPPs into cells was examined by flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy. The synthesized peptides were chemically conjugated to Gem and the in vitro cytotoxicity of conjugates was tested by MTT assay on A594 cell line. According to the obtained results, cellular uptake was increased with increasing the concentra- tion of CPPs. On the other hand the coupling of Gem with peptides containing block sequence of arginine (R5W3R4) and some alternating sequences (i.e. [RW]6 and [RW]3) exhibited improved antitumor activity of the drug. The findings in this study support the advantages of using cell-penetrating peptides for improving intracellular delivery of Gem into tumor as well as its activity

Spironolactone loaded nanostructured lipid carrier gel for effective treatment of mild and moderate acne vulgaris: a randomized, double-blind, prospective trial

Spironolactone (SP) known as an anti-androgen drug, has been proven to be effective in treatment of acne. The quest to minimize the unnecessary systemic side effects associated with the oral drug administration of spironolactone, has led to a growing interest of loading SP on lipid nanoparticles to deliver the drug in a topical formulation. The aim of the current investigation was to prepare and compare the performance of SP loaded nanostructured lipid carrier (SP-NLC) and SP alcoholic gels (SP-ALC) on two groups of respective patient populations, group A and group B in the treatment of mild to moderate acne vulgaris. The results showed that SPNLCs were spherical in shape with an average diameter of ~240 nm. The polydispersity index (PI) and zeta potential of these nanoparticles were 0.286 and -21.4 respectively. The gels showed non-Newtonian independent pseudoplastic and shear thinning behavior. The SP-NLCs was not toxic to fibroblast cell strains at the 24 and 48 h periods. Results showed that the mean number of total lesions (37.66 ± 9.27) and non-inflammatory lesions (29.26 ± 7.99) in group A significantly decreased to 20.31 ± 6.58 (p<0.05) and to 13.95 ± 5.22 (p<0.05) respectively. A similar pattern was observed for group B where the mean number of total lesions and non-inflammatory lesions reduced from 33.73 ± 9.40 to 19.13 ± 5.53 (p<0.05) and from 25.65±8.12 to 13.45 ± 4.48 (p<0.05) respectively. The total lesion count (TLC) was significantly decreased from 37.16 ± 9.28 to 19.63 ± 6.36 (for group A; p<0.071) and 32.60 ± 9.32 to 18.33 ± 5.55 (for group B; p<0.05) respectively. After treatment with SP-NLC for 8 weeks, the water content of the skin significantly (p<0.05) increased from 37.44 ± 8.85 to 45.69 ± 19.34 instrumental units. Therefore, the SP-NLC gel may help in controlling acne vulgaris with skin care benefits

Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundDisorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditions in 2015 and 2016, but these analyses did not include neurodevelopmental disorders, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, or a subset of cases of congenital, neonatal, and infectious conditions that cause neurological damage. Here, we estimate nervous system health loss caused by 37 unique conditions and their associated risk factors globally, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2021.MethodsWe estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), by age and sex in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2021. We included morbidity and deaths due to neurological conditions, for which health loss is directly due to damage to the CNS or peripheral nervous system. We also isolated neurological health loss from conditions for which nervous system morbidity is a consequence, but not the primary feature, including a subset of congenital conditions (ie, chromosomal anomalies and congenital birth defects), neonatal conditions (ie, jaundice, preterm birth, and sepsis), infectious diseases (ie, COVID-19, cystic echinococcosis, malaria, syphilis, and Zika virus disease), and diabetic neuropathy. By conducting a sequela-level analysis of the health outcomes for these conditions, only cases where nervous system damage occurred were included, and YLDs were recalculated to isolate the non-fatal burden directly attributable to nervous system health loss. A comorbidity correction was used to calculate total prevalence of all conditions that affect the nervous system combined.FindingsGlobally, the 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were collectively ranked as the leading group cause of DALYs in 2021 (443 million, 95% UI 378–521), affecting 3·40 billion (3·20–3·62) individuals (43·1%, 40·5–45·9 of the global population); global DALY counts attributed to these conditions increased by 18·2% (8·7–26·7) between 1990 and 2021. Age-standardised rates of deaths per 100 000 people attributed to these conditions decreased from 1990 to 2021 by 33·6% (27·6–38·8), and age-standardised rates of DALYs attributed to these conditions decreased by 27·0% (21·5–32·4). Age-standardised prevalence was almost stable, with a change of 1·5% (0·7–2·4). The ten conditions with the highest age-standardised DALYs in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancer.InterpretationAs the leading cause of overall disease burden in the world, with increasing global DALY counts, effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies for disorders affecting the nervous system are needed

Otostegia persica (Lamiaceae): A review on its ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, and pharmacology

Abstract Objective: The current study summarizes the updated information concerning the ethnopharmacology, Phytochemistry, and pharmacology of Otostegia persica Boiss. (Lamiaceae), an endemic medicinal plant in south and southeast of Iran. Materials and Methods: Information was collected through bibliographic investigation from scientific journals, books, theses, reports, and electronic search (databases SCOPUS, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Science Direct). Moreover, documentation from unpublished resources and ethnobotanical surveys has been used. The present review covers the literature available from 2003 to 2013. Results: In traditional systems of medicine, this plant is reputed for treating diabetes, arthritis, gastric discomfort, headache, rheumatism, sedative activities, regulating blood pressure, and hyperlipidemia. Phytochemical screening of active components and mineral element evaluation of this species have been reported. Several types of diterpenoids and flavonols including morin, kaempferol, and quercetin are identified from the plant. Most of the pharmacological activity of this plant resides in its flavonoid fraction which causes antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Various pharmacological studies on O. persica show antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-aphid, and hepatoprotective activities. Conclusion: Being an endemic plant of Iran, this species is an important medicinal herb which can be used for various purposes. This review might be helpful for scientists and researchers to find new chemical entities responsible for its claimed traditional uses and discover new lead compounds for diseases mentioned

Physiological and biochemical responses of Hibiscus sabdariffa to drought stress in the presence of salicylic acid

Abstract Salicylic acid (SA) is one of the important signal molecules, which modulates plant responses to environmental stress. In the present work, impact of exogenous SA on some physiological and biochemical traits of Hibiscus sabdariffa in response to drought stress was studied. Hibiscus sabdariffa seedlings were exposed to six drought levels (0, -0.05, -0.1, -0.5, -0.75, and 1 MPa) with two SA concentrations (0 and 500 µM) in 5 days intervals up to 20 days in a factorial design. During drought stress period, the root and shoot growth, relative water content, pigments content, non-reducing sugar and starch content was significantly decreased. SA treatment cause prevention of the growth reduction and improvement of relative water content. Protein concentration was roughly unchanged during drought stress with SA, while, reducing sugars accumulates and non-reducing sugars and starch significantly decreases. The results show that exogenous SA application on leaves during drought stress can ameliorate detrimental effects of stress through reducing water loss and accumulating reducing sugars, which cause preserving turgor pressure of the cells

Petrogenesis of the gold bearing Zarrin granite

Zarrin granite intrusion is located in the Central Iran, to west of Chapedoni and Posht-e-Badam faults. It consists of three separate outcrops situated at the northern end of a long mountain range, which is comprised of Mesozoic rocks. Lithologically the intrusion contains granites as well as, gneisses (?) and aplites. Petrographic and geochemical evidence strongly suggest that they are cogenetic. High aluminum contents and other characteristics of these rocks, as well as petrographic evidence, indicate that the granite is ″S-type″. Moreover, on the basis of geochemical evidence it is suggested that this granite intrusion may be classified as a Post-Orogenic Granite (POG) and Within Plate Granite (WPG). It is also suggested that the intrusion occurred in a relatively quiet period of the final stage of an orogeny.Lamprophyric dykes cutting Zarrin granite have similar orientations and are parallel to the major faults zone. It appears that their genesis is related to the deep faults, which extend down to the upper mantle. Due to the activities of these faults, the upper mantle melted and consequently caused, the crustal rocks melt at a higher level earlier than expected, and formed granite magma which moved upward along these faults. Gold mineralization occurred in the north eastern part of the intrusion. The mineralization is most frequent, where lamprophyric dykes are greater in number. It appears that hydrothermal fluids, which developed after lamprophyre intrusion, has leached the gold present in dykes and emplaced it in the surrounding rocks

Optimization, Characterization, and Investigation of Antibacterial Activity of Gold Nanoparticles Biosynthesized by Aqueous Extract of Seidlitzia rosmarinus

Background and Objectives: The advantages of biological methods are Low cost, non-toxicity, production of high purity nanoparticles, low time-consuming, and completeness reation time. In the present study, biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles using aqueous extract of Seidlitzia rosmarinus and thier antimicrobial activity, were investigated. Methods: In this study, after preparing the extract, 2 ml of it was added to 4 ml of HAuCl4.3H2O with concentration of 1mM, and the color of solution immediately changed to purple. The parameters affecting the synthesis of nanoparticles [such as pH of reaction medium, extract volume, concentration of gold (III) salt, temperature, and reaction time], were assessed and optimized using UV-vis spectrophotometry. A transmission electron microscope (TEM) was used to characterize the nanoparticles. The antibacterial activity of nanoparticles against four species of pathogenic bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella typhimurium), were assessed by agar well diffusion method. Results: Gold nanoparticles showed the maximum absorbance at 544 nm. It was found that the nanoparticles have spherical shape and their average size was 10-18 nm. Also, the results of antibacterial activities showed that the synthesizied nanoparticles had relatively high antibacterial activity. Conclusion: In the current study, the aqueous extract of Seidlitzia rosmarinus due to its seccondary components and antioxidant activity, has high potential in reduction of gold metal ions as well as synthesis and stabilization of gold nanoparticles, and these synthesized gold nanoparticles were also relatively high antibactrial activity

Solid Lipid Nanoparticles as Efficient Drug and Gene Delivery Systems: Recent Breakthroughs

In recent years, nanomaterials have been widely applied as advanced drug and gene delivery nanosystems. Among them, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) have attracted great attention as colloidal drug delivery systems for incorporating hydrophilic or lipophilic drugs and various macromolecules as well as proteins and nucleic acids. Therefore, SLNs offer great promise for controlled and site specific drug and gene delivery. This article includes general information about SLN structures and properties, production procedures, characterization. In addition, recent progress on development of drug and gene delivery systems using SLNs was reviewed