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Gills of catfish Silurus glanis (300g weight) of Mahabad Dam were examined for structural attributes in 2004. Immediately after catch, gills were removed and placed in Bouin and Glutaraldehyde for structural and microscopic examinations. For classical histological assessment, samples were stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin and examined under light microscope. For electron microscopy, cuts 90 nanometers each were prepared and stainted with Uranyl Acetate and Lead Citrate, covered with silver, examined and photographed. We found the gill cells being composed of ionocyte a,b, accessory, mucous, pillar and mosaiccells. The ionocytes were located at the base of the gill rakers and intra-raker spaces. Thesestructural attributes of ionocyte cells demonstrate their active role in osmotic regulation of catfish.

Totally implantable venous access devices (TIVAD) or implantable catheter ports are devices which can be implanted subcutaneously. They enable prolonged and repeated access to the vascular system, into the peritoneal cavity or intravertebral space. This device is particularly useful for repeated medical injection, for blood sampling or transfusion of blood and blood derivatives and for total parenteral nutrition (TPN). Although many patients benefit from the insertion of TIVAD without any secondary effects, any surgical implantation can nevertheless lead to complications. ‎In this study, we investigated the advantages and disadvantages of TIVAD catheter in pediatric age group. A total of 94 cases, 2 to 14 years old, were included in our study. We implanted TIVAD in these patients for chemotherapy in 83 cases (88.29%), for prolonged TPN in 6 cases (6.38%), for corticosteroid and antibiotic therapy after ‎Kasai operation in 2 cases (2.12%), for intermittent IV therapy in 2 cases (2.12%) and for need to partial parenteral nutrition in 1 case (1.06%). Out of 94 cases, 14 cases (15%) had some kind of complications and 80 cases (85%) had no complication. There was no mortality. Most patients and their parents (82 cases, 87.23%) were satisfied from TIVAD. ‎It seems that TIVAD can be a useful device for many chronic patients who need an IV access for multiple injections.

Recombinant human interferon α-2b is an FDA-approved drug for monotherapy or in combination therapy with other drugs for hepatitis and cancers. It belongs to a family of homologous proteins involved in antiviral, antiproliferative, and immunoregulatory processes. A different expression system has been used for overexpression of this protein. Escherichia coli expression system is a highly characterized host and various expression settings have been developed based on its properties. However, finding the best conditions for the overexpression of recombinant human interferon α-2b remains to be addressed. In this study, the expression of synthetic human interferon α-2b gene in Escherichia coli was greatly improved by adjusting the expression condition. In this regard, a recombinant gene was designed and codon optimized for the periplasmic expression of this protein. Then, gene subcloning was employed to insert the synthesized gene into the pET22b expression vector. Thereafter, the response surface methodology was employed to design 20 experiments to find out the optimum points for isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside concentration, post-induction period, and the cell density of induction (OD600). The expression fluctuations were assessed by using the real-time polymerase chain reaction method. Our results indicated that the synthetic human interferon α-2b gene was successfully codon optimized and subcloned into the expression vector. The realtime polymerase chain reaction results revealed that the optimum levels of the selected parameters are 0.27 mM for isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside concentration, 7.98 H for the post-induction period, and 3.93 for cell density (OD600). These optimized conditions led to a 3.5-fold increase in the rhIFNα2b expression, which is highly promising for large scale rhIFNα2b overexpression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During recent decades, hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) ahs been introduced to fractionate or purify especially polar solutes such as peptides and proteins while reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) is also a common strategy. RPLC is also a common dimension in multidimensional chromatography. In this study, the potential of HILIC vs RPLC chromatography was compared for proteome mapping of human peripheral blood mononuclear cell extract. In HILIC a silica-based stationary phase and for RPLC a C18 column were applied. Then separated proteins were eluted to an ion trap mass spectrometry system. Our results showed that the HILIC leads to more proteins being identified in comparison to RPLC. Among the total 181 identified proteins, 56 and 38 proteins were fractionated specifically by HILIC and RPLC, respectively. In order to demonstrate this, the physicochemical properties of identified proteins such as polarity and hydrophobicity were considered. This analysis indicated that polarity may play a major role in the HILIC separation of proteins vs RPLC. Using gene ontology enrichment analysis, it was also observed that differences in physicochemical properties conform to the cellular compartment and biological features. Finally, this study highlighted the potential of HILIC and the great orthogonality of RPLC in gel-free proteomic studies. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The high burden of injuries in Iran necessitates the establishment of a comprehensive trauma care system. The purpose of this paper is to describe the current status of trauma system regarding the components and function.Methods: The current status of trauma system in all components of a trauma system was described through expert panels and semi-structured interviews with trauma specialists and policy makers.Results: Currently, various organizations are involved in prevention, management and rehabilitation of injuries, but an integrative system approach to trauma is rather deficient. There has been ongoing progress in areas of public education through media, traffic regulation reinforcement, hospital care and prehospital services. Meanwhile, there are gaps regarding financing, legislations and education of high risk groups. The issues on education and training standards of the front line medical team and continuing education and evaluation are yet to be addressed. Trauma registry has been piloted in some provinces, but as it needs the well-developed infrastructure (regarding staff, maintenance, financial resources), it is not yet established in our system of trauma care.Conclusions: It seems that one of the problems with trauma care in Iran is lack of coordination among trauma system organizations. Although the clinical management of trauma patients has improved in our country in the recent decade, decreasing the burden of injuries necessitates an organized approach to prevention and management of trauma in the context of a trauma system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Influenza is a contagious respiratory infectious disease out breaking in cold seasons of the year. The outbreak of the new influenza A (H1N1) virus in 2009 involved large populations of the world with considerable mortality. Hemagglutinin (HA) molecule, the main surface glycoprotein of the influenza virus, is one of the key factors for serological diagnostic kits and vaccine development. Thus establishment of HA gene bank of the circulating influenza viruses is essential in gaining quick access to large amounts of protein. Materials and Methods: The first step in providing such a bank is detection and isolation of HA full genome and its subunits by using specific primers and cloning them in proper vectors. For this purpose, using standard virus genome (A/New Caledonia/20/99(H1N1)) cultured on MDCK cell, HA coding gene was proliferated by RT-PCR using specific primers. Results: Isolation and cloning of the HA gene was verified by RT-PCR, enzyme digestion and determining nucleotide synonymy. Through the use of specific cloning primers, different HA gene constructs were propagated for expression of the gene in insect cells and E.coli bacteria. Conclusion: The results indicated the complete compatibility of the extracted HA gene with the influenza (A/New Caledonia/20/99(H1N1)) hemagglutinin. It makes it possible to use the gene as a source of cloning in a variety of eukaryotic and prokaryotic expression systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and the purpose of the study: Heat Shock Protein 90 (Hsp90) is typically the most abundant chaperone in the eukaryotic cell cytoplasm, and its expression is essential for loading immunogenic peptides onto major histocompatibility complex molecules for presentation to T-cells. Therefore, it may act as a good candidate as an adjuvant molecule in vaccine technology. Methods: Initially the human Hsp90β gene was cloned into the heat inducible expression vector pGP1-2 and then the recombinant protein was isolated by ion exchange chromatography. After intradermal injection of confirmed purified band of protein to rabbits and isolation of the serum IgG antibody, for its affinity purification, the rabbit's purified Hsp90 specific IgG was coupled to the cyanogen bromide-activated Sepharose 4B. Results: The recovery of the purified protein of interest by affinity chromatography was 50%. Conclusion: This research enabled purification of human heat shock protein by a laboratory prepared column chromatography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Black disease, also known as visceral leishmaniasis (VL), is a parasitic illness caused by various Leishmania species. The risk of morbidity and mortality increases with delayed diagnosis and treatment. Early VL diagnosis and fast appropriate treatment are critical issues in endemic areas., Methods: This study was a retrospective cross-sectional study to investigate the diagnostic and therapeutic course of patients admitted with the diagnosis of VL in the Children's Medical Center (CMC) Hospital, Tehran, Iran. All cases of VL in patients under the age of 18 hospitalized between the years 2012 to 2022 were enrolled., Results: Twenty-seven patients were enrolled with an average age of 28.13 months with the majority of females (51.8%). Common clinical signs were fever (96.2%) and splenomegaly (92.59%). However, lymphadenopathy was rare. The largest number of patients was from Tehran Province, followed by Ardabil, Khuzestan, Gilan, and Alborz provinces. The most common hematological abnormalities were anemia (85.1%) and thrombocytopenia (44.4%). In accordance with the treatment strategy, liposomal amphotericin B and amphotericin B deoxycholate were given to 11 and 5 patients, respectively. Eleven of them received glucantime. The average length of hospitalization for liposomal amphotericin B was 15.36 ± 12.49 days. In comparison with glucantime (18.38 ±10.26 days) and amphotericin B deoxycholate (20.20± 6.18 days), liposomal amphotericin B group hospitalization was shorter than others were., Conclusion: VL should be included in the differential diagnosis of any child who presents with fever, splenomegaly, and anemia. Concerning the treatment strategy in this study, liposomal amphotericin B had more efficiency and shorter hospitalization duration., (Copyright©2024 Khodabandeh et al. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

Background: One of the challenging risk factors for severe COVID-19 infection is obesity and high body mass index (BMI). In this study we assessed the association between BMI and outcomes of hospitalized pediatric patients with COVID-19 in Iran., Method: This retrospective cross-sectional study was performed in the biggest referral pediatric hospital in Tehran from March 7 to August 17, 2020. All hospitalized children ≺18 years of age with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 were included in the study. We evaluated the association of BMI with COVID-19 outcomes (death, severity of clinical course, oxygen therapy, intensive care unit [ICU] admission, ventilator requirement). The secondary objectives were investigating the association of gender, underlying comorbidity, and patient age with COVID-19 outcomes. The limits for obesity, overweight, and underweight were set at BMI >95 percentile, 85≤ BMI ≤ 95, and BMI<5 percentile, respectively., Results: In total, 189 confirmed pediatric cases of COVID-19 (0.1-17 years) with a mean age of 6.4 ± 4.7 years were included. Overall, 18.5% of the patients were obese and 33% were underweight. We found that BMI had no significant relation with COVID outcomes in pediatric cases but after subgrouping the participants, underlying comorbidities and lower BMI in previously ill children were independently associated with a poor clinical outcome of COVID-19. In addition, the previously ill children with higher BMI percentiles were at a relatively lower risk of ICU admission (95% CI: 0.971-0.998, OR: 0.98, p = 0.025) and better clinical course of COVID-19 (95% CI: 0.970-0.996, OR: 0.98, p = 0.009). The BMI percentile had a statistically significant direct relationship with age (Spearman correlation coefficient= 0.26, p<0.001). When we separated the children with underlying comorbidity, the BMI percentile was significantly lower (p<0.001) in comparison to the previously healthy children., Conclusion: Based on our results, obesity is not related to COVID-19 outcomes in pediatric patients, but after controlling for confounding effects, underweight in children with underlying comorbidities was more likely to be associated with a poor prognosis of COVID-19., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2023 French Society of Pediatrics. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Cockroaches are known as mechanical vectors of some pathogens that can infect humans. The present study aims to rapidly identify Periplaneta americana fungal pathogens from sewer systems of public hospitals in Esfahan using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. A total of 55 P. americana cockroaches were randomly collected by direct trapping from sewer systems of seven hospitals and screened for fungal infectious agents using standard morphological methods and the PCR sequencing. From the American cockroach, we isolated 62 yeasts and 31 molds from the surface, hemocoel, and digestive tract of P. americana. Based on DNA sequence comparisons and other taxonomic characteristics, they were identified as more than four species of yeast and four species of mold. Yeast species including Pichia kudriavzevii, Candida glabrata, Pichia kluyveri, and Candida viswanathii, and molds such as Aspergillus niger, Penicillium italicum, Mucor plumbeus, and Rhizopus oryzae were isolated repeatedly from the surface, hemocoel, and digestive tract of P. americana. Our results show that the use of a combination of morphological, molecular techniques, and phylogenetic analysis can lead to the identification of pathogenic fungal agents in American cockroaches and also knowledge of fungal pathogens-arthropod host relationships.

Livestock blood is a protein-rich waste byproduct produced during meat production processes in slaughterhouses. Its utilization through conversion into value-added products is an intriguing management strategy. In this study, bovine blood was used to obtain the protein hydrolysate for use as a peptone for microbial growth medium. Lyophilized bovine blood was heat treated to make it susceptible to enzymic hydrolysis, and then enzymatically treated with trypsin (bovine pancreas protease) to produce protein hydrolysate. Physico-chemical features were determined for protein hydrolysate and compared to commercial Merck peptone from meat. Amino acid compositions of bovine blood and commercial peptones were subjected to multivariate analysis based on Euclidean similarity matrix using software PAST. Strains of Staphylococcus aureus 25,923, Pseudomonas aeruginosa 27,853, Staphylococcus aureus 6538 P, Enterococcus faecalis 11,700, Escherichia coli 8739, Klebsiella pneumoniae 13,883, Salmonella typhimurium 14,028 and Listeria monocytogenes 13,932 were used as test microbial strains. Growth of bacteria in culture media based on the peptone from bovine protein hydrolysate was compared to that in corresponding reference media based on commercial peptone. The results of these growth tests were comparable. Growth data were depicted and statistically analyzed using R packages ggplot2 and growthcurver, respectively, providing data fitting a standard form of logistic equation.

One novel indigenous halotolerant, Pseudomonas sp, with high potential for bisphenol A (BPA) biodegradation was isolated from an outlet of petrochemical wastewater in Iran. The optimal temperature and pH for degradation of BPA by this strain were 30 °C and 7, respectively. This strain was able to decrease COD (chemical oxygen demand) of basal salt medium containing 300 mg L -1 BPA as sole carbon source and 40 g L -1 NaCl from 655.2 to 109.2 mg L -1 (about 83% decrease) after 36 h. The bacterium degraded 56.3 (19%), 202.43 (67%), 288.86 (96%) and 300 mg L -1 (100%) BPA in basal salt medium containing 300 mg L -1 BPA and 40 g L -1 NaCl within 12, 18, 24 and 36 h, respectively. In addition, this strain could degrade phenol (100 mg L -1 ) and BPA (300 mg L -1 ) in salty petrochemical wastewater within 24 h, completely. In batch fermentation of petrochemical wastewater using this strain higher growth and phenol (100 mg L -1 ), BPA (372 mg L -1 ) removal within 6 h were achieved. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis revealed several intermediates during the BPA degradation process. These intermediates were identified as 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-hydroxyacetophenone, 4-hydroxyphenylacetate, M -hydroxymandelic acid, 2-phenylpropane-1,2-diol, 2-phenyl-2-propanol and lactic acid. The possible BPA-biodegradation pathway based on the identified metabolites and in agreement with recorded pathway in KEGG database was proposed. Preliminary 16S rDNA sequence analysis and subsequent genetically characterization through comprehensive genomic analysis identified the strain as Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes strain YKJ., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Aim: The main assessment of this study is to analyze the efficiency of ultrasound-guided dextrose prolotherapy against corticosteroid injections for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. Materials & methods:  A total of 54 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome were included. Patients who were assigned into the prolotherapy group were injected with 5cc 5% dextrose water under ultrasound guidance. Patients in the corticosteroid group received ultrasound-guided 1 ml triamcinolone 40 mg/ml injection. Results: The inter-group analysis revealed that dextrose prolotherapy has a similar efficacy as corticosteroid for improving pain intensity, functional limitation in daily life, electrophysiologic parameters and ultrasonographic outcomes. No remarkable difference was found between the two treatments until 3 months of follow-up. Conclusion: Dextrose 5% has similar efficacy as triamcinolone for improving pain intensity, functional limitation in daily life, electrophysiologic parameters and ultrasonographic outcomes.

Background: Pancreatic cancer (PC) is among the deadliest cancers of the gastrointestinal tract worldwide and a growing global health concern., Aim: This study was aimed to evaluate the survival rate and prognostic factors of survival in patients with PC., Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, the records of 556 patients with PC registered in the hospital cancer registration system from September 2007 to September 2020 were evaluated. In this regard, demographic data, tumor characteristics, received treatments, and patients' final status were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier and Cox's regression were used for univariate and multivariate analyses, respectively., Results: The 5-year survival rate was found to be 4.3%. The median survival time was 12.4 ± 6.6 months. Univariate analysis showed that age, BMI (kg/m 2 ), blood transfusions, differentiation, tumor stage, tumor size, number of involved lymph nodes, lymph node ratio (LNR), and type of treatment received were significantly associated with patient survival (p < .05). Multivariate Cox regression indicated that the age ≥60 years [Hazard Ratio (HR) = 1.25, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.03-1.49], BMI <18 (kg/m 2 ; HR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.13-2.14), poor differentiation (HR = 2.12, 95% CI = 1.75-2.49), tumor size >2.5 cm (HR = 4.61, 95% CI = 3.30-6.78), metastasis presence (HR = 1.97, 95% CI = 1.49-2.60), more than two involved lymph nodes (HR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.31-1.77), LNR <0.2 (HR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.36-0.77), and adjuvant therapy with surgery and chemotherapy (HR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.28-0.61) are the most important prognostic factors of survival in patients with PC (p < .05)., Conclusions: This study showed that the survival rate of patients with pancreatic cancer varies based on the characteristics of the tumor and the type of treatment received., (© 2021 The Authors. Cancer Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection can cause HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM). In this study, we evaluated the levels of serum iron, ferritin, copper, and ceruloplasmin, and their correlations with HTLV-1 proviral load (PVL) and standard indices of HAM severity. In total, 114 subjects were recruited in this cross sectional study in Qaem Hospital, Mashhad, Iran between 2017 and 2018, including 36 HAM and 32 asymptomatic cases (ACs) and 46 healthy people (HSs). The clinical examination and evaluation of serum levels of biochemical factors and proviral load were performed. The PVL in HAM and ACs were 1835.49 ± 382.81 and 280.97 ± 67.41 copies/10 4 PBMCs, which statistically differed. Significant differences were also observed in plasma levels of iron, copper, and ceruloplasmin, among the three groups, while ferritin level was not considerably different. For HAM severity, the mean Osame motor disability scale (OMDS) and overactive bladder-validated-8-questionnaire (OABV-8) scores were 4.97 ± 0.38 and 15.75 ± 0.83, respectively, that had no significant correlations with the biochemical variables. Even though the studied elements in HAM group did not affect the severity of the disease, the levels of copper and ceruloplasmin might be determinants of the development and progression of HAM, as they are shown to play role in progression of other neurological diseases., (© 2021. Journal of NeuroVirology, Inc.)

Purpose: Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is one of the most common causes of chronic musculoskeletal pain. The transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a non-expensive, safe, feasible modality, used recently for the treatment of MPS with promising but limited results. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of acupuncture-like TENS (AL-TENS) vs conventional TENS (C-TENS) in the treatment of active myofascial trigger points., Methods: This randomized controlled trial study was carried out with 60 consecutive patients with active trapezius trigger points referred to Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic. Participants randomly assigned to receive AL-TENS, C-TENS or sham TENS (S-TENS). The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Pressure Pain Thresholds (PPTs), and neck range of motion (ROM) were measured at baseline, after the first treatment sessions, after the final treatment session, and 3 months after the end of the last treatment session. Patients function was evaluated by Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) at baseline, after the final treatment sessions, and 3 months after the end of intervention., Results: The interaction effect of time and group was significantly different when evaluating VAS (df = 4.65, F = 2.50, p = 0.038) and DASH (df = 2.63, F = 7.25, p < 0.001) in favor of active groups, as well as neck total lateral bending in favor of AL-TENS group compared other two groups (df = 4.16, F = 5.23, p = 0.001). Both VAS and DASH improved significantly at all follow-ups in AL-TENS and C-TENS groups. Of note, significant immediate improvement in all outcomes was observed only with AL-TENS., Conclusions: According to the present study, both AL-TENS and C-TENS were superior to placebo in pain reduction and functional improvement. Although both TENS techniques have similar efficiency on pain reduction, functional and pain perception improvement, the AL-TENS was the superior approach when evaluating neck lateral bending ROM., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Identifying the cardiac changes could help design measures to recover the cardiovascular system and lessen the mortality and morbidity rate. Accordingly, this cross-sectional study was performed to evaluate the echocardiography indices which are indicators of the cardiac alterations of the children with COVID19 infection. Methods: This study was performed as a cross-sectional study evaluating echocardiography indices in children infected with COVID19. Fifteen children, known cases of the COVID19, and 14 healthy children were enrolled. Evaluated parameters include left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricle end-diastolic diameter (LVED), mitral valve Sa (MV Sa), Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), and laboratory parameters. Results: The participants' mean age and weight were 62.8 (±48.0) months and 19.95 (±15.67) kg, respectively. None of the laboratory and echocardiography parameters differed between males and females, between patients with and without positive past medical history, between the patients with and without respiratory tract symptoms, and between patients with and without GI tract symptoms (P.0.05). Patients had significantly higher TAPSE ( p = 0.027), although MV Sa ( p = 0.01) was significantly higher among healthy children. LV EF ( p = 0.425) and LVED diameter ( p = 0.603) were not different significantly. None of the patients had pericardial effusion, pleural effusion, and cardiac tamponade. Conclusion: The heart can be involved during the disease course in children, even at the level of echocardiography indices. This could contribute to a worse prognosis, higher morbidity, and mortality rate, especially in patients with overt myocardial involvement. Non-classic indicators, including LVEF, may not be conclusive for cardiac involvement in non-symptomatic patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Mamishi, Zeinaloo, Haji Esmaeil Memar, Khodabandeh, Mirzaaghayan, Abdolsalehi, Eshaghi, Gorji, Ghamari and Aghaei Moghadam.)