Comparison of sperm PAWP and chromatin status between normozospermic and ab-normozoospermic men

Background and aims: Sperm postacrosomal WW binding protein (PAWP) was expressed during spermiogenesis and recently introduced as one of sperm factors involved in oocyte activation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare sperm PAWP and chromatin status between individuals with normal (normozospermia) and abnormal (ab-normozoospermia) sperm parameters. Results: Significant differences were observed in sperm parameters such as sperm concentration, motility, morphology between men with normozospermia and ab-normozoospermia. Mean percentage of sperm PAWP was significantly lower in ab-normozoospermic men compared to normozospermic men. In addition, mean percentage of spermatozoa with DNA damage and protamine deficiency were significantly higher in ab-normozoospermic men compared to normozospermic men. In addition, significant associations were observed between percentages of sperm PAWP with sperm parameters. Conclusion: The results of the current study show that in men with ab-normozoospermia, sperm functional tests such as DNA damage, protamine deficiency, and also percentage of sperm factor (PAWP) related to oocyte activation were in range of abnormality. Therefore, assessment of these tests can be efficient in the decision of treatment in infertile men

The role of phospholipase Czeta in male fertility as an oocyte activation factor

زمینه و هدف: در پستانداران، اسپرم پس از ورود به تخمک به هنگام لقاح، یک آبشار سیگنالی را که شامل نوسانات در غلظت کلیسم آزاد سیتوپلاسمی تخمک است، ایجاد می‌کند. هدف از انجام این مطالعه مروری، بررسی نقش پروتئین PLCζ به عنوان یک فاکتور فعال کننده تخمکی و سپس نقش آن در نمونه اسپرم مردان بارور و نابارور می‌باشد. روش بررسی: در این مقاله مروری، 51 مقاله مرتبط با پروتئین PLCζ با استفاده از کلمات کلیدی اسپرم، فعال‌سازی تخمک، فسفولیپاز C زتا، ناباروری و شکست لقاح در فاصله سال های 2013-2002، از طریق پایگاه اینترنتی PubMed جمع آوری گردید. یافته ها: از سال 2002 که پروتئین فسفولیپاز C زتا شناسایی شد، پیشرفت های زیادی در دانش محققین در زمینه این پروتئین در هر دو سطح علمی و کلینیکی به وجود آمده است. به طور قابل توجهی، در برخی از بیماران القای فعال‌سازی تخمک پس از انجام ICSI با شکست مواجه شده و نابارور باقی می‌مانند؛ بنابراین، مشخص شده است که پروتئین فسفولیپاز C زتا نقش مهمی در فعال سازی تخمک انسان دارد و در نتیجه هر گونه اختلال ژنتیکی، مولکولی یا بیوشیمیایی این پروتئین موجب نقص در فعال سازی تخمک می گردد. نتیجه گیری: فاکتور فسفولیپاز C زتا می تواند در تکنیک های ART به عنوان یک عامل درمانی جدید در تخمک های دچار نقص در فعال سازی یا به عنوان یک بیومارکر پیشگویی کننده یا تشخیصی در توانایی فعال سازی تخمک نمونه ها، مورد استفاده قرار گیرد

میزان رضایتمندی گیرندگان خدمت از مراکز مدیریت حوادث و فوریت های پزشکی شهرهای یزد و بیرجند؛ یک مطالعه مقطعی

Introduction: The satisfaction rate of patients is a valuable tool for evaluating the quality of providing health care and gives important data regarding the expectations of patients and the degree to which they are being met. Considering the importance emergency medical service (EMS) centers in providing proper care, this study was carried out aiming to evaluate the satisfaction rate of those receiving services from EMS centers of Yazd and Birjand. Methods: The present cross-sectional study was carried out on 150 of EMS recipients registered on the list of EMS centers of Yazd and Birjand in 2012. Systematic sampling was used and required data were gathered using the standard questionnaire of satisfaction for EMS center recipients that consisted of 2 parts; demographic data and 16 questions regarding satisfaction of recipients. Data were analyzed using SPSS 18 and descriptive tests. Results: 150 participants were studied (56.7% male). The most common reason for calling was trauma due to motor vehicle accidents (32%) in Yazd and weakness and nervous system diseases (18%) in Birjand. 10% of the participants in Yazd province had low satisfaction, 39% had intermediate, and 51% had high satisfaction. In Birjand satisfaction rate was intermediate in 16% and high in 84% of those studied in Birjand. The highest satisfaction rate in Yazd was regarding cooperation of emergencies center with the patient and their manners in facing them. The lowest satisfaction rate belonged to following the condition of the patient until the arrival of ambulance and the waiting time for ambulance arrival. In Birjand, the lowest satisfaction rate belonged to the quality and existence of equipment in the emergency team. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that satisfaction level of EMS recipients in Yazd and Birjand was intermediate. The lowest satisfaction rate belonged to following the condition of the patient until the arrival of ambulance and the waiting time for ambulance arrival in Yazd, and the quality of equipment in Birjand. مقدمه: میزان رضايتمندي بيماران ابزار سنجش مهمي براي ارزیابی كيفيت ارائه خدمات بهداشتي درماني است و اطلاعات مهمي راجع به انتظارات بيماران و ميزان برآورده شدن آنها فراهم مي كند. با توجه به اهمیت و جایگاه مهم مراکز مدیریت حوادث و فوریت های پزشکی و ارائه موثر خدمات از سوی آنها، این مطالعه با هدف بررسی میزان رضایتمندی گیرندگان خدمات از مرکز مدیریت حوادث و فوریت های پزشکی در شهرستان های یزد و بیرجند انجام پذیرفته است. روش کار: مطالعه مقطعی حاضر در سال 1391 بر روی 150 نفر از گیرندگان خدمت موجود در لیست مرکز مدیریت حوادث و فوریت های پزشکی شهر های بیرجند و یزد انجام پذیرفت. نمونه گیری به صورت سیستماتیک و اطلاعات مورد نیاز توسط پرسشنامه استاندارد رضایتمندی گیرندگان خدمات از مرکز مدیریت حوادث و فوریت های پزشکی که شامل دو قسمت؛ مشخصات دموگرافیک و 16 سؤال مربوط به رضایتمندی گیرندگان خدمت بود، جمع آوری گردید. داده ها با استفاده از نرم افزار SPSS 18 و آزمون های توصیفی مورد تجزیه و تحلیل قرار گرفتند. يافته ها: 150 نفر مورد مطالعه قرار گرفتند (7/56 درصد مرد). شایعترین دلیل برقراری تماس در شهر یزد، ترومای ناشی از تصادفات رانندگی (32درصد) و در شهر بیرجند ضعف و بیحالی و بیماری عصبی (18درصد) بود. 10 درصد از پاسخگویان در استان یزد رضایتمندی کم، 39 درصد رضایتمندی متوسط و 51 درصد رضایتمندی مطلوبی داشتند. به همین ترتیب 16 درصد از پاسخگویان در شهر بیرجند رضایتمندی متوسط و 84 درصد رضایتمندی مطلوب داشتند. بالاترین میزان رضایتمندی در استان یزد از همکاری مرکز فوریت ها با بیمار و رفتار پرسنل با بیمار بود. همچنین کمترین میزان رضایتمندی نیز متعلق به پیگیری وضعیت بیمار تا رسیدن آمبولانس و زمان انتظار بیمار تا رسیدن آمبولانس بود. در شهر بیرجند نیز کمترین میزان رضایتمندی مربوط به کیفیت امکانات و تجهیزات تیم اورژانس بود. نتيجه گيری: نتایج حاصل از این مطالعه نشان داد که میزان رضایتمندی گیرندگان خدمات از مراکز مدیریت حوادث و فوریت های پزشکی، در شهر یزد و بیرجند در سطح متوسطی بوده است. کمترین میزان رضایتمندی از خدمات مرکز مدیریت حوادث و فوریت های پزشکی در شهر یزد مربوط به حیطه پیگیری وضعیت بیمار تا رسیدن اورژانس و نیز زمان انتظار بیمار تا رسیدن آمبولانس و در شهر بیرجند مربوط به کیفیت امکانات و تجهیزات بود

Known pathophysiological mechanisms in the incidence of varicoceles

زمینه و هدف: واریکوسل به اتساع و پیچش غیر طبیعی وریدهای اسپرماتیک در بیضه اطلاق می شود و از جمله شایع ترین علت قابل درمان در مردان نابارور می باشد. در افراد مبتلا به واریکوسل عملکرد بیضه به طور پیشرونده آسیب می بیند، اما مکانیسم های دقیق درگیر در شروع و توسعه اختلال در بیضه این افراد، کاملاً شناخته شده نیستند، لذا هدف این مطالعه مروری آن است که مکانیسم های پاتو فیزیولوژی شناخته شده در بروز واریکوسل مورد بررسی قرار گیرد. روش بررسی: مقالات جستجو شده در پایگاه های اطلاعاتی مختلف مانند Science Direct، PubMed و Scopus و پایگاه های مرتبط با مقالات ISI در بین سال های 2015-1983 بررسی شد. یافته ها: واریکوسل در اغلب موارد با اسپرماتوژنز غیر طبیعی، افزایش دمای بیضه و استرس اکسیداتیو ارتباط دارد. این شرایط باعث کاهش کیفیت مایع منی و باروری می گردد. نتیجه گیری: عمل جراحی واریکوسلکتومی میکروسرجیکال به دلیل ایجاد عوارض کم تر و همچنین میزان عود کم تر نسبت به سایر روش ها، رویکرد پیشنهادی اغلب ارولوژیست ها است

The effects of trans-theoretical model and fear of dental care on dental cleaning behavior among students

Background: Fear of dental care prevents dental cleaning behavior and increases the prevalence of dental caries. This study was conducted to determine the effect of Trans-Theoretical Model constructs and fear of dental care on the dental cleaning behavior of students. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in Sanandaj City, Iran, in 2017. Using multi-stage sampling, 1,344 male and female students were included in the study. They completed a self-report questionnaire, including demographic information, Trans-Theoretical Model constructs and fear of dental care. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 22.0). Results: A total of 1,344 male and female students with a mean age of 15.22±2.64 years participated in the study; from the perspective of students, dental caries (88.4%) was the most frequent illness and tongue inflammation (0.6%) was the least frequent disease. Overall, 32.9% of the students used no tools for cleaning their teeth. Fear of dental care and perceived barriers were reduced significantly during the stages of dental cleaning behavior (p<0.05) and perceived self-efficacy and perceived benefits were significantly increased (p<0.001). The odds of dental cleaning behavior increased with self-efficacy (OR=1.34, 95%CI=1.22-1.48, p<0.05), and decreased with fear of dental care (OR=0.90, 95%CI=0.80-0.98, p<0.01). Conclusion: The findings showed dental cleaning behavior among students was at a low level and various factors such as perceived self-efficacy, benefits and barriers and fear of dental care influenced its performance

A Reversed-phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) method for bio-analysis of Methotrexate

Methotrexate (MTX) is a chemotherapeutic agent used in treatment of many disorders including autoimmune diseases and cancers. The availability of a reliable analysis method for drug assay in biological fluids of interest  is  a  prerequisite  for  all  pharmacokinetic  studies  in  humans  or  animal  models. Considering the complex matrices of the biological specimens as well as the low concentrations of the majority of the drugs in biological fluids, the development of an available while sensitive method for the bioanalytical studies is often a challenging issue.For drug assay in aqueous, plasma, animal brain and liver tissue environments in a concentration range of 25-600 ng/ml, a reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) was developed.System suitability tests were indicating a method with acceptable analytic separation efficiency and peak shape proving method’s selectivity. Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) determined to be 10 ng/ml and 25ng/ml, which reflect method sensitivity. Regression analysis showed a linear correlation between area under curve (AUC) of peaks and corresponding MTX concentrations. The within-day and between-day precision and accuracy was both in acceptable ranges. Recovery index of method for median concentration (200 ng/ml) is also about 74%.The developed method was accorded to the acceptable criteria of analytical method validation. The sensitivity of the method in all the tested matrices made the method suitable in terms of detection and quantitation of low concentration samples throughout the study. Also, the assay method had fairly short run-time and lacks any significant interference. </p

Effects of assisted oocyte activation with calcium- ionophore and strontium chloride on in vitro ICSI outcomes

Objective(s): Failed fertilization after intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is mainly attributed to failed oocyte activation and can be overcome by artificial oocyte activation (AOA). The present study aims to compare in vitro outcomes of ICSI following two different assisted oocyte activation chemical procedures (SrCl2 and Ionomycin) in sibling oocytes of ICSI candidates.Materials and Methods: From March 2015 until February 2016, 105 infertile men with 99–100% abnormal sperm morphology, irrespective of sperm motility, concentration, or origin (semen or testicular) were included in this study. Out of these, 66 couples accepted to be included in the study group (Ionomycin/ SrCl2) and 39 couples requested routine AOA procedure (Ionomycin) as external control group. Primary outcomes of this study (fertilization, embryo quality, and post-implantation development) were compared between these groups.Results: Significantly higher oocyte activation (67.90±3.6% vs. 51.16±3.6%, P=0.004) and fertilization (65.23±3.63% vs. 49.65±3.63%, P=0.008) rates were observed in sibling oocytes treated with Ionomycin in comparison to the SrCl2 sibling group. Percentage of top quality embryos was insignificantly higher in SrCl2 groups compared to the Ionomycin group (29.90±4.27 vs. 20.65±4.05%, P=0.26).Conclusion: Ionomycin may be superior to SrCl2 for inducing oocyte activation. However, SrCl2 may be a more efficient means to support the development of better quality embryos following ICSI

The global burden of cancer attributable to risk factors, 2010-19 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Understanding the magnitude of cancer burden attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial for development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies. We analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 to inform cancer control planning efforts globally. Methods The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate cancer burden attributable to behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risk factors. A total of 82 risk-outcome pairs were included on the basis of the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Estimated cancer deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 2019 and change in these measures between 2010 and 2019 are presented. Findings Globally, in 2019, the risk factors included in this analysis accounted for 4.45 million (95% uncertainty interval 4.01-4.94) deaths and 105 million (95.0-116) DALYs for both sexes combined, representing 44.4% (41.3-48.4) of all cancer deaths and 42.0% (39.1-45.6) of all DALYs. There were 2.88 million (2.60-3.18) risk-attributable cancer deaths in males (50.6% [47.8-54.1] of all male cancer deaths) and 1.58 million (1.36-1.84) risk-attributable cancer deaths in females (36.3% [32.5-41.3] of all female cancer deaths). The leading risk factors at the most detailed level globally for risk-attributable cancer deaths and DALYs in 2019 for both sexes combined were smoking, followed by alcohol use and high BMI. Risk-attributable cancer burden varied by world region and Socio-demographic Index (SDI), with smoking, unsafe sex, and alcohol use being the three leading risk factors for risk-attributable cancer DALYs in low SDI locations in 2019, whereas DALYs in high SDI locations mirrored the top three global risk factor rankings. From 2010 to 2019, global risk-attributable cancer deaths increased by 20.4% (12.6-28.4) and DALYs by 16.8% (8.8-25.0), with the greatest percentage increase in metabolic risks (34.7% [27.9-42.8] and 33.3% [25.8-42.0]). Interpretation The leading risk factors contributing to global cancer burden in 2019 were behavioural, whereas metabolic risk factors saw the largest increases between 2010 and 2019. Reducing exposure to these modifiable risk factors would decrease cancer mortality and DALY rates worldwide, and policies should be tailored appropriately to local cancer risk factor burden. Copyright (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.Peer reviewe

Chemically Engineered Immune Cell-Derived Microrobots and Biomimetic Nanoparticles : Emerging Biodiagnostic and Therapeutic Tools

Over the past decades, considerable attention has been dedicated to the exploitation of diverse immune cells as therapeutic and/or diagnostic cell-based microrobots for hard-to-treat disorders. To date, a plethora of therapeutics based on alive immune cells, surface-engineered immune cells, immunocytes' cell membranes, leukocyte-derived extracellular vesicles or exosomes, and artificial immune cells have been investigated and a few have been introduced into the market. These systems take advantage of the unique characteristics and functions of immune cells, including their presence in circulating blood and various tissues, complex crosstalk properties, high affinity to different self and foreign markers, unique potential of their on-demand navigation and activity, production of a variety of chemokines/cytokines, as well as being cytotoxic in particular conditions. Here, the latest progress in the development of engineered therapeutics and diagnostics inspired by immune cells to ameliorate cancer, inflammatory conditions, autoimmune diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular complications, and infectious diseases is reviewed, and finally, the perspective for their clinical application is delineated.Peer reviewe

Recipients Satisfaction of Emergency Medical Service Centers of Yazd and Birjand; a Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: The satisfaction rate of patients is a valuable tool for evaluating the quality of providing health care and gives important data regarding the expectations of patients and the degree to which they are being met. Considering the importance emergency medical service (EMS) centers in providing proper care, this study was carried out aiming to evaluate the satisfaction rate of those receiving services from EMS centers of Yazd and Birjand. Methods: The present cross-sectional study was carried out on 150 of EMS recipients registered on the list of EMS centers of Yazd and Birjand in 2012. Systematic sampling was used and required data were gathered using the standard questionnaire of satisfaction for EMS center recipients that consisted of 2 parts; demographic data and 16 questions regarding satisfaction of recipients. Data were analyzed using SPSS 18 and descriptive tests. Results: 150 participants were studied (56.7% male). The most common reason for calling was trauma due to motor vehicle accidents (32%) in Yazd and weakness and nervous system diseases (18%) in Birjand. 10% of the participants in Yazd province had low satisfaction, 39% had intermediate, and 51% had high satisfaction. In Birjand satisfaction rate was intermediate in 16% and high in 84% of those studied in Birjand. The highest satisfaction rate in Yazd was regarding cooperation of emergencies center with the patient and their manners in facing them. The lowest satisfaction rate belonged to following the condition of the patient until the arrival of ambulance and the waiting time for ambulance arrival. In Birjand, the lowest satisfaction rate belonged to the quality and existence of equipment in the emergency team. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that satisfaction level of EMS recipients in Yazd and Birjand was intermediate. The lowest satisfaction rate belonged to following the condition of the patient until the arrival of ambulance and the waiting time for ambulance arrival in Yazd, and the quality of equipment in Birjand