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Abstract Introduction Morphological and morphometric features of the teeth are of interest to various clinical and academic dental and medical fields including prosthodontics, orthodontics, anatomy and anthropology, pathology, archeology, and forensic dentistry. These have been more or less researched in the case of the permanent dentition. However when it comes to the primary dentition, the literature is scarce and controversial. No study worldwide exists on the cutoff points (thresholds) for sex identification; no study exists on metric or nonmetric traits of deciduous teeth in Iranians. Hence, the aim of the study was to assess both the metric and nonmetric traits of primary molars, as well as their cut-off points for sex identification. Methods In this epidemiological cross-sectional study, pretreatment casts of 110 children (51 boys and 59 girls) aged 6 to 12 years were collected. Maxillary and mandibular first and second primary molars were evaluated regarding their metric traits (mesiodistal and buccolingual widths) and 9 nonmetric traits (Accessory cusp on the upper D, Accessory cusp on the lower D, Fifth cusp on the upper E, Carabelli’s cusp on the upper E, Protostylid on the lower E, Fifth cusp on the lower E, Sixth cusp on the lower E, Tuberculum intermedium [metaconulid] on the lower E, and Deflecting wrinkle on the lower E). ROC curves were used to identify cut-off points for sex determination as well as the usefulness of metric measurements for this purpose. Data were analyzed using independent-samples and paired-samples t-tests, McNemar, Fisher, and chi-square tests, plus Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients (α = 0.05). Results All the primary molars’ coronal dimensions (both mesiodistal and buccolingual) were extremely useful for sex identification (ROC curves, all P values ≤ 0.0000099). Especially, the mandibular primary molars (areas under ROC curves [AUCs] between 85.6 and 90.4%, P values ≤ 0.0000006) were more useful than the maxillary ones (AUCs between 80.4 and 83.1%, P values ≤ 0. 0000099). In the mandible, the first primary molar (maximum AUC = 90.4%) was better than the second molar (maximum AUC = 86.0%). The optimum thresholds for sex determination were reported. Sex dimorphism was significant in buccolingual and mesiodistal crown widths of all the primary molars (all P values ≤ 0.000132), but it was seen only in the case of 2 nonmetric traits: Deflecting wrinkle (P = 0.001) and Tuberculum intermedium (metaconulid, P = 0.029) on the lower Es, taking into account the unilateral and bilateral cases. The occurrence of nonmetric traits was symmetrical between the right and left sides (all P values ≥ 0.250). All mesiodistal and two buccolingual molar measurements were as well symmetrical (P > 0.1); however, two buccolingual measurements were asymmetrical: in the case of the maxillary E (P = 0.0002) and mandibular D (P = 0.019). There were three weak-to-moderate correlations between the nonmetric traits of the mandibular second molars (Spearman correlations between 22.7 and 37.5%, P values ≤ 0.045). Up to 6 concurrent nonmetric traits were observed in the sample, with 53.6% of the sample showing at least 2 concurrent nonmetric traits at the same time, without any sex dimorphism (P = 0.658). Conclusion Sex dimorphism exists considerably in primary molars’ sizes, but it is not as prevalent in their nonmetric traits or abnormalities. Primary molars’ crown sizes are useful for sex identification; we calculated optimum cut-off points for this purpose, for the first time.

Purpose: Among all known human coronaviruses, some viruses (e.g., SARS-CoV-2) cause severe pneumonia or even death. With the regard to its spread and the importance of its rapid identification/treatment, and because pAbs are relatively cheap, able to bind to more sites on antigens and even neutralize them, this study was done for the production and purification of anti-SARS-CoV-2 polyclonal antibodies (pAb) in rats. Methods: Viral antigen purification was performed by PEG/NaCl precipitation. The efficiency of the sucrose cushion method was also investigated to produce a purer antigen. Immunization was done and antibody purification was performed by ammonium sulfate precipitation (33%), dialysis, and ion-exchange chromatography. Western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were performed to verify the antibody specificity. All data were analyzed by SPSS software. Results: The results showed that the amount of concentrated virus increased with the increase of PEG concentration. Moreover, the sucrose cushion method increased its purity. Besides, induction of immune response in rats for pAb production with high titers was reached via these antigens and ELISA/western blot results indicated a suitable antibody-antigen interaction. Additionally, it was shown that ion-exchange chromatography could be a suitable technique for IgG purification. Conclusion: Herein, we presented a simple and cheap method for the purification of whole viral particles with relatively high quality. The results verified that these antigens could elicit a good immune response in the rat. The obtained pAbs showed a good specificity toward SARS-CoV-2 antigens. Accordingly, this study proposes a promising method for viral vaccine development.

Background: The use of Spirulina platensis has been expanded in various fields. The main goal of this research is to optimize the growth conditions of this microalgae to reduce costs and increase the benefits of its mass production in seawater. It is also feasible to lessen environmental pollution by producing more spirulina by discovering the best growing conditions for it through the enrichment of Persian Gulf water. Methods: First, the growth conditions of Spirulina platensis were optimized based on three factors: temperature, light, and pH. The temperature factor included four treatments, the light factor included four treatments, and the PH factor included five treatments. Also, Spirulina platensis microalgae were cultured in optimal growth conditions in Persian Gulf water, seawater enriched with 5% Zarrouk, 10% Zarrouk, with urea, and pure Zarrouk culture medium. Findings: The best temperature range for the growth of Spirulina platensis was 27–32 degrees Celsius. Also, the best growth was achieved in 16 hours of light and 8 hours of darkness; for the PH factor, the most appropriate value was determined between 10.72 and 11.47. Also, in the cultivation of Spirulina platensis, optimal conditions for the growth of Spirulina microalgae were obtained in the medium of Zarrouk, urea, 10% Zarrouk, 5% Zarrouk, and seawater, respectively. Conclusion: Therefore, the growth of Spirulina platensis in Persian Gulf water is slow and shows little performance, and by enriching this water with the mentioned factors, the microalgae enter the logarithmic phase faster and show better performance.

Background: Hand-foot syndrome (HFS) is a prevalent skin reaction to cytotoxic systemic therapy, mainly Capecitabine. The present study aimed to determine etiologies of HFS in addition to its prevention in colorectal cancer patients with Capecitabine-containing chemotherapy regimen. Method: In this randomized double-blinded study, we recruited 66 eligible patients. The first 33 patients received 25 mg captopril twice daily, while the other 33 were given two placebo tablets. Results: All the patients were assessable for safety and efficacy. Captopril demonstrated a favorable safety profile. The participants in the two groups did not have any significant differences in terms of the median age and the level of hemoglobin (P = 0.45, P = 0.06, respectively). However, the CEA tumor marker was significantly higher in those with HFS (P < 0.05). The incidence of HFS in men and women were 8 (18.6%) and 3 (13%) cases, respectively, and the patients’ sex did not affect the incidence of this syndrome (P = 0.73). Furthermore, according to the stage of colorectal cancer, the difference between the two groups was significant (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, there were no significant differences concerning the grade of colorectal cancer (P = 0.2). Conclusion: The results herein revealed that administration of captopril in colorectal cancer patients with Capecitabine-containing chemotherapy regimen reduced the symptoms and incidence of HFS. On the other hand, CEA tumor marker and the stage of colorectal cancer were in correlation with incidence of HFS.

We present MUSTACHE, a new method for multi-scale detection of chromatin loops from Hi-C and Micro-C contact maps. MUSTACHE employs scale-space theory, a technical advance in computer vision, to detect blob-shaped objects in contact maps. MUSTACHE is scalable to kilobase-resolution maps and reports loops that are highly consistent between replicates and between Hi-C and Micro-C datasets. Compared to other loop callers, such as HiCCUPS and SIP, MUSTACHE recovers a higher number of published ChIA-PET and HiChIP loops as well as loops linking promoters to regulatory elements. Overall, MUSTACHE enables an efficient and comprehensive analysis of chromatin loops. Available at: https://github.com/ay-lab/mustache .

We present M ustache , a new method for multi-scale detection of chromatin loops from Hi-C and Micro-C contact maps. M ustache employs scale-space theory, a technical advance in computer vision, to detect blob-shaped objects in a multi-scale representation of chromatin contact maps parametrized by the size of the smoothing kernel. When applied to high-resolution Hi-C and Micro-C data, M ustache detects loops at a wide range of genomic distances, identifying potential structural and regulatory interactions that are supported by independent conformation capture experiments as well as by known correlates of loop formation such as CTCF binding, enhancers and promoters. Unlike the commonly used HiCCUPS tool, M ustache runs on general-purpose CPUs and it is very time efficient with a runtime of only a few minutes per chromosome for 5kb-resolution human genome contact maps. Extensive experimental results show that M ustache reports two to three times the number of HiCCUPS loops, which are reproducible across replicates. It also recovers a larger proportion of published ChIA-PET and HiChIP loops than HiCCUPS. A comparative analysis of M ustache ’s experimental results on Hi-C and Micro-C data confirms strong agreement between the two datasets with Micro-C providing better power for loop detection. Overall, our experimental results show that M ustache enables a more efficient and comprehensive analysis of the chromatin looping from high-resolution Hi-C and Micro-C datasets. M ustache is freely available at https://github.com/ay-lab/mustache .

Background & purpose: The remediation of heavy metal manganese from industrial wastewaters has always been a challenging issue for environmental experts. It has been found that different species of microalgae, including Spirulina platensis, can be used in industrial wastewater treatment to remove heavy metals. The main goal of this research is to reduce or remove the heavy metal manganese from the industrial wastewaters of factories by microalgae Spirulina platensis. Materials& Methods: In this research, 8 types of industrial wastewaters were collected from different factories and after the algae reached the logarithmic phase, they were mixed with industrial wastewaters. Then, the concentration of manganese metal, the amount of metal absorption and the percentage of microalgae cleaning efficiency were determined by atomic absorption measurement. Also, cutting enzymes were designed for nucleotide sequencing of α-phycocyanin subunit gene from Spirulina microalgae. Then Clonewin software was used to confirm the primers and the target fragment was placed in the expression vector. Findings: The results of atomic absorption evaluation showed that after exposure of spirulina to industrial wastewater for one hour, a significant decrease in the volume of the heavy metal manganese occurred. Also, the result of the α-phycocyanin subunit gene sequence showed 100% homology with the α-phycocyanin subunit gene sequence in the gene bank. Conclusion: Therefore, Spirulina platensis has the ability to absorb manganese metal in industrial wastewaters from factories, and different expression vectors can be used for homogenization and expression of alpha subunit genes.

Introduction: Actinomycetes are filamentous and gram-positive bacteria living as free-living, saprophyte, and sometimes in symbiosis with plants. These bacteria could be isolated from all ecosystems including soil, water, marine sediments and especially hot waters. Marine actinobacteria are known as the producers of a vast range of secondary metabolites. Any actinobacterial strain has the genetic potential for the production of 10-20 of the secondary metabolites. About 23000 antibiotic types were discovered from microorganisms which according to the estimations, about 10000 types have been isolated from actinobacteria. The secondary metabolites produced by marine actinobacteria have an extensive range of biological activities such as antibacterial, antifungal, anti-cancer, cytotoxic, cytostatic, ant-inflammatory, anti-parasite, anti-malaria, antiviral, anti-oxidant and anti-angiogenesis, etc.Materials and Methods: In the present study, water and sediment samples from the Persian Gulf at the Bushehr Atomic Energy Beach were collected for Actinobacteria isolation. For the cultivation of these samples, 7 culture medium types were used. For the identification of the gathered isolates, morphological properties, biochemical tests, and molecular studies (e.g. PCR) were investigated.Results: Twenty-four isolates of Actinobacteria were isolated from water and sediment samples of the Persian Gulf coast. Eighteen of the isolates have antibacterial activities. Seventy-five persent of the isolates were antibiotic producers and 95% of the gathered substances from these 18 strains had an antibacterial effect against gram-positive bacteria and 60% against gram-negative bacteria. Also, 60% of these substances were effective against both bacteria groups.Discussion and Conclusion: The abundance of marine actinobacteria in new sources of the Persian Gulf and the extension of this sea’s coat indicates the potential capability of this source for investigation in the scope of attaining new antibiotics.

Introduction: One of the most important complications faced by cancer patients is chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis (CIOM). In addition, the role of orally used zinc sulfate in its prevention and treatment is still a controversial issue and the results in this regard have not been conclusive. Objectives: Evaluation the effect of zinc sulfate supplement on prevention of CIOM in breast cancer patients treated with adriamycin and cyclophosphamide was the aim of this study. Patients and Methods: The current double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on 87 patients with breast cancer. Consumption of two oral zinc sulfate tablets and two placebo tablets with food was prescribed in the case (44 patients) and control (43 patients) groups, respectively. During the 4 cycles of chemotherapy, the incidence and severity of CIOM, the onset time of mucositis from the start of chemotherapy, the severity of pain, and the severity of dry mouth were recorded. In addition, the patients’ quality of life was recorded using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30). Results: Findings revealed that the severity of CIOM in the first, second, and third sessions with the values of 1.22±1.01, 1.18±0.97 and 1.02±0.79, respectively, was significantly lower in the case group than the control group with the values of 1.91±0.89, 1.80±0.92, and 1.67±0.85, respectively (P0.05). Conclusion: Oral zinc sulfate had a significant role in reduction of the incidence and severity of CIOM, the severity of dry mouth, and the severity of pain in the initial sessions of chemotherapy. However, no significant difference was in postponing the incidence of CIOM and the quality of life of patients in the case group. Trial Registration: This trial protocol was approved by the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (identifier: IRCT20150304021338N2; https://irct.ir/trial/51105, ethical code# IR.MUI.MED. REC.1399.277).

Abstract Background Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is a major cause of urinary tract infection (UTI); however, treatment of UTI has been challenging due to increased antimicrobial resistance (AMR). One of the most important types of AMR is carbapenem resistance (CR). CR bacteria are known as an important threat to global public health today. Class B metallo-beta-lactamases (MBLs) are one of the major factors for resistance against carbapenems. We aimed to investigate the characteristics of UPEC isolates producing MBL. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2018 to December 2019 in Ahvaz; Iran. UPEC isolates were identified by biochemical and molecular methods. Metallo-beta-lactamase-producing isolates were detected using modified carbapenem inactivation method (mCIM) and EDTA-CIM (eCIM) tests. MBL genes, phylogenetic group, and virulence genes profile of carbapenem resistant isolates were determined. Conjugation assay and plasmid profiling were conducted to evaluate the ability of transferring of CR to other E. coli isolates. Clonal similarity of isolates were assessed using Enterobacterial intergenic repetitive element sequence (ERIC)-PCR. Results Among 406 UPEC isolates, 12 (2.95%) carbapenem-resistant were detected of which 11 were phenotypically MBL-producing strains. Four isolates were resistant to all investigated antimicrobial agents and were considered possible pandrug-resistant (PDR). bla NDM, bla OXA-48, bla IMP-1, and bla IMP-2 genes were found in 9, 5, 1, and 1 isolates, respectively. Among 30 virulence genes investigated, the traT, fyuA followed by fimH, and iutA with the frequency of 8 (66.7%), 8 (66.7%), 7 (58.3%), and 7 (58.3%) were the most identified genes, respectively. Siderophore production was the main virulence trait among carbapenem-resistant UPEC isolates. Except for two, all other isolates showed weak to moderate virulence index. In all recovered isolates, CR was readily transmitted via plasmids to other isolates during conjugation experiments. Conclusion MBL and carbapenemase genes, especially bla NDM and bla OXA-48 are spreading rapidly among bacteria, which can be a threat to global public health. Therefore monitoring the emergence and dissemination of new AMR is necessary to continuously refine guidelines for empiric antimicrobial therapy. Understanding the mechanisms of resistance and virulence in this group of bacteria can play an effective role in providing new therapeutic methods.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia in adults and its prevalence is growing rapidly. It has been shown that AF is associated with increased risk of heart failure, ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, and mortality. Hence, there is growing interest among researchers in seeking preventive and therapeutic interventions regarding AF. In recent decades, it has been suggested that statins may decrease the incidence of AF and may also decrease its recurrence after cardioversion and catheter ablation. These effects are thought to be mediated by different mechanisms such as modulating inflammation, altering the properties of transmembrane ion channels, interfering with activation of matrix metalloproteinases, and acting on endothelial function. In this article, we review and update current knowledge about the role of statins in primary and secondary prevention of AF in general and specific populations. Resumo: A fibrilação auricular (FA) é a arritmia mais comum em adultos e a sua prevalência está a crescer rapidamente. Foi demonstrado que a FA está associada a um risco acrescido de insuficiência cardíaca, acidente vascular cerebral isquémico e hemorrágico e mortalidade. Assim, há um interesse crescente entre os investigadores na procura de intervenções preventivas e terapêuticas em relação à FA. Nas últimas décadas, tem sido sugerido que as estatinas podem diminuir a incidência de FA e também diminuir a sua recorrência após a cardioversão e ablação do cateter. Pensa-se que estes efeitos são mediados por diferentes mecanismos, tais como a modulação da inflamação, a alteração das propriedades dos canais de iões transmembrana, a interferência com a ativação das metaloproteinases matriciais e a atuação sobre a função endotelial. Neste artigo, revemos e atualizamos os conhecimentos atuais sobre o papel das estatinas na prevenção primária e secundária da FA em populações gerais e específicas.

Background: Despite the high prevalence of acute radiation dermatitis (ARD) in breast radiation treatment, data about its prevention is inconsistent. We conducted the present research to investigate whether the use of topical corticosteroids with different potencies or moisturizing cream could prevent ARD. Method: In this double-blind randomized trial, 120 patients, who had undergone breast conserving surgery for breast cancer, were randomly assigned to use Mometasone 0.1% cream or hydrocortisone 1% cream or moisturizing base cream from the first day of radiotherapy throughout the entire course. CTCAE v. 4 scale was utilized to score the grade of ARD. The outcomes were analysed with relevant statistical methods. Results: 105 subjects were analysed. Mometasone delayed the incidence of grade 1 ARD in a week. However, no differences were observed among the groups concerning the incidence of the maximum ARD grade (χ2 (6, N= 104)=8.12, P=0.2). Moreover, the timing of the maximum ARD was not significantly different among the groups (χ2 (4, N =84) = 2.87, P=0.58). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the application of corticosteroid creams (hydrocortisone 1% or Mometasone 0.1%) does not result into a significant difference concerning the timing and incidence of ARD occurrence when compared with daily skin care and use of emollient.

Opioids have the highest rate of illicit drug consumption after cannabis worldwide. Opium, after tobacco, is still the most commonly abused substance in the Middle East. In addition to the ease of availability, one reason for the high consumption of opium in Asian countries might be a traditional belief among Eastern people and even medical staff that opium may have ameliorating effects on cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) as well as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Over the last decade, many studies have been performed on humans and animals to evaluate the interplay between opium consumption and stable coronary artery disease, acute coronary syndromes, and atherosclerosis. In this review, we conclude that opium consumption should be considered a risk factor for CVDs. Healthy individuals, as well as cardiac and diabetic patients, should be informed and educated about the hazardous effects of opium consumption on cardiovascular and other chronic diseases.

Abstract We present Mustache, a new method for multi-scale detection of chromatin loops from Hi-C and Micro-C contact maps. Mustache employs scale-space theory, a technical advance in computer vision, to detect blob-shaped objects in contact maps. Mustache is scalable to kilobase-resolution maps and reports loops that are highly consistent between replicates and between Hi-C and Micro-C datasets. Compared to other loop callers, such as HiCCUPS and SIP, Mustache recovers a higher number of published ChIA-PET and HiChIP loops as well as loops linking promoters to regulatory elements. Overall, Mustache enables an efficient and comprehensive analysis of chromatin loops. Available at: https://github.com/ay-lab/mustache .

Objective(s): The enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) has been one of the most intriguing emerging bacterial pathogens in children that occur both in developing countries and the industrial world. Although various phenotypic and genotypic based protocols have been suggested for diagnosis of EAEC, they are not conclusive or practical to be used in most clinical laboratories. Materials and Methods: In this study, we analyzed and compared 36 typical EAEC strains (aggR-positive) by various genotypic and phenotypic methods.Results: Briefly, pCVD432 was detected in all of isolates along with aggR, then it was followed by other virulence genes including app, astA, aggA, and pet genes in 32 (88.8%), 21 (58.3%), 9 (25%), and 2 (5.5%) isolates, respectively. Biofilm was formed by 34 (94.4%) isolates, while only 26 (72.2%) isolates showed an aggregative adherence pattern to HEp-2 cells. Conclusion: The genetic and phenotypic features of EAEC were highly inconsistent, which may have considerable diagnostic implications. The variations in the virulence genes, phenotypic characteristics, and genetic profiles among the EAEC isolates again emphasized the genetic heterogeneity of this emerging pathotype. Biofilm formation may be an important phenotypic virulence property of this pathotype, especially in strains with the aggR-pCVD432-aap-astA profile.

Background: Considering the prevalence of cetuximab-induced rashes in colorectal cancer patients and its impact on patient's quality of life and treatment, this study aimed at investigating the effect of topical vitamin K1 on the treatment of skin rashes in metastatic colorectal cancer patients treated with cetuximab. Materials and Methods: This randomized, controlled, triple-blind, clinical trial was conducted on 49 metastatic colorectal cancer patients who were candidates for cetuximab treatment and referred to Omid Hospital in Isfahan during 2021–2022. Vitamin K1 cream with a concentration of 0.1% in the intervention group (n = 25) and placebo cream in the control group (n = 24) were prescribed twice a day (in the morning and before bedtime) for eight weeks. The rash grade was recorded based on common terminology criteria for adverse events-4 (CTCAE-4) criteria before the intervention and in the fourth and eighth weeks during the intervention. Results: During the intervention, skin rash grades in the fourth and eighth weeks with the means of 1.00 ± 0.64 and 0.84 ± 0.55, respectively, were significantly lower in the intervention group, as compared with the control group with the means of 1.42 ± 0.65 and 1.25 ± 0.68, respectively (P value < 0.05). Moreover, the severity of skin rashes decreased significantly in the intervention group over time during eight weeks (P value < 0.05); however, its decrease was not significant in the control group (P value > 0.05). Conclusion: Topical vitamin K1 cream had a significant effect on reducing the severity of cetuximab-induced skin rashes over eight weeks of treatment.

Background: Due to their high amount of carbohydrate and enough moisture, cereals are a good environment for the growth of toxigenic fungi. Because of the carcinogenicity and mutagenicity of mycotoxins, preventing them from entering the food chain is essential. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the amount and type of contaminated imported cereals and rice produced in Khuzestan province Materials & Methods: In October and November 2015, a total of 50 random samples of rice was collected from paddy fields. Aspergillus were identified based on available diagnostic criteria and PCR. The amount and type of aflatoxin in rice samples and mycotoxins in imported cereals (winter 2015 to autumn 2016) were evaluated by HPLC Result: Based on one sample t-test and comparing the mean of mycotoxins contaminating cereals in different seasons with national maximum standard, the amount of mycotoxins in barley and wheat were within the standard range but %8.4 of corn was higher than the permitted level (ppb5). Analysis of aflatoxins in rice also showed that 16 samples were contaminated with aflatoxin B1. Aspergillus flavus was the major pollutant (%42.1) isolated from rice. Conclusion: Aspergillus flavus is the major producer of aflatoxin B1 in domestic rice. Examination of imported cereals also showed high rates of fungal growth and production of secondary metabolites, possibly due to inadequate storage conditions, high temperature and humidity. Therefore, it is recommended to strengthen the monitoring tools in the processing and storage of rice and cereals.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of captopril added to standard chemotherapy regimen containing capecitabine in the prevention of hand and foot syndrome in patients with colorectal cancer. Methods: In a clinical trial study, 66 patients with colorectal cancer under chemotherapy with capecitabine-containing regimens were distributed in two groups of 33. The first group received 50 mg of captopril daily and the control group, placebo with a similar dose from one week before commencement of chemotherapy to the end of third course of treatment. Patients in two groups were evaluated for the onset of hand and foot syndrome three and six weeks after starting chemotherapy, and four weeks after the end of third course of chemotherapy. Findings: At the end of our study, 2 patients (6.1%) in the intervention group and 8 patients (24.2%) in the control group suffered from hand and foot syndrome (P = 0.039). Six weeks after the start of treatment, the prevalence of hand and foot syndrome in intervention and control groups was 3 (9.1%) and 5 (15.2%) (P = 0.45), and 2 (6.1%) and 8 (24.2%) cases four weeks after the completion of the three courses of chemotherapy, respectively (P = 0.039). Conclusion: Administration of captopril in patients undergoing chemotherapy with capecitabine-containing regimen reduced symptoms of hand and foot syndrome four weeks after the completion of the three courses of chemotherapy. According to the similarity of the pathogenesis of hand and foot syndrome with other vascular disorders, administration of captopril seems to reduce the symptoms of hand and foot syndrome.

Introduction: Staphylococcus aureus is among the primary cause of hospitals and community-acquired infections. The emergence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains has resulted in the treatment failure of the infections caused by these bacteria. Hence, regional data on antibiotic resistance of S. aureus strains is necessary to adopt appropriate treatment regimens. This study aims to identify the diversities and their frequencies among MRSA isolates by molecular analysis of four genes. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 100 S. aureus isolates from patients hospitalized in two hospitals of Ahvaz, Iran were collected and identified. The MRSA isolates were identified by phenotypic method and amplification of the mecA gene. The diversity of MRSA isolates was investigated by amplification of the coa, spa, aroA, and gap genes followed by RFLP analysis using the AluI, HindIII, TaqI and RsaI restriction enzymes. Results: In this study, we identified 50 MRSA isolates. Based on the analysis of coa gene, 8 types, spa gene 5 types and 17 subtypes, coa gene with AluI 13 types, and spa with HindIII 13 types were identified. Also, the RFLP analysis of gap gene with AluI revealed 3 types, and of aroA gene with TaqI and RsaI, 3 types and 2 subtypes, respectively. Conclusion: Our PCR-RFLP analysis revealed that diversities are present among MRSA isolates originated from clinical samples and showed that this method is simple, reproducible, and cost-effective.

Introduction: α-Naphthol is a two-ring aromatic hydrocarbon that is a toxic compound for all organisms in different ecosystems. Bioremediation technology for remediating PAH-contaminated sites has been proposed to be an efficient, economical and versatile alternative compared with physicochemical methods. Materials and Methods: In this study, the basal salt medium was prepared and then α-Naphthol was added with the concentration of 100ppm. α-Naphthol was a sole source of carbon for the growth of bacteria. Eventually, the medium was inoculated with the soil samples collected from polluted region and incubated for six weeks. Bacteria were isolated using double-layer BSM-agar containing the α-naphthol concentration of 200ppm. The degradation rate of α-naphthol and the other PAHs were determined using HPLC and the effective isolate was finally identified using biochemical and ‏molecular methods. Results: In this study, two isolates (N1 and N2) were isolated that were able to utilize α-Naphthol as a sole source of carbon. The isolate N1 could degrade α-naph‏thol by 80.5%. Moreover, it was effectively able to degrade the other PAHs than the isolate N2, therefore, it was selected as an efficient isolate. The isolate N1 was identified as Psuedomonas putida UW4 with respect to its 16S rDNA sequence and using biochemical tests. Discussion and conclusion: The isolate N1 could degrade α-naph‏thol by 80.5% from BSM medium at 30° C, pH 7.0 and the α-naph‏thol concentration of 100ppm in fifteen days of incub‏a‏tion. According to the results, the isolate N1 can remove a large amount of the α-naph‏thol from BSM medium under the mentioned conditions and it is possible that under a similar situation the isolate N1 can remove a large amount of α-naph‏thol.

Background: Metastatic prostate cancer is one of the most important cancers among men worldwide. Androgen ablation therapy can be used in treatment of these patients; however, most will progress to metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer. In this regard, docetaxel has been approved to treat metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer in the United States. In this study, we aimed to investigate the results of this treatment modality in metastatic prostate cancer patients from Iran. Methods:We evaluated PSA response and bone pain relief in 18 metastatic prostate cancer patients who underwent treatment with docetaxel at a dose of 75 mg/m2 intravenously on the first day of treatment. The treatment was repeated every three weeks (6 cycles) along with 10 mg of prednisolone. Results: Of 18 patients, 39% had >50% decline in PSA levels.There were 16% of the patients with a PSA decline of approximately 30% to 50% of the pre-treatment levels. In addition, 29% of the patients had progressive PSA levels during chemotherapy. Among them, 55% had significant pain relief. Conclusion: This research showed the effectiveness of docetaxel to decrease PSA levels in metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer patients from Iran. Docetaxel was also valuable in alleviation of pain in these patients. However, prospective studies should validate this approach.

مقدمه: الکترون‌درمانی، مزیت افت سریع دوز در عمق بعد از نقطه‌ی 80 درصد منحنی دوز- عمق دارد. شکل منحصر به فرد منحنی‌های ایزودوز پرتو الکترون و انحنای سطح قفسه‌ی سینه، الکترون‌درمانی این ناحیه را پیچیده می‌سازد. بولوس ماده‌ای است که شکل‌دهی به پوشش دوز را میسر می‌سازد و ناهمواری‌های سطوح را جبران می‌کند. با توجه به در دسترس نبودن وسیع روش‌های درمان انطباقی الکترون‌درمانی، این مطالعه با هدف ارایه‌ی پیشنهادهایی در بهینه‌سازی روش‌های سنتی (غیر انطباقی) الکترون‌درمانی قفسه‌ی سینه‌ی ‌ناهموار با استفاده از بولوس و انرژی‌های مختلف الکترون انجام شد. روش‌ها: پرتودرمانی 10 بیمار ماستکتومی شده که ضایعات سطحی جراحی به صورت ناهمواری با حداقل 1 سانتی‌متر اختلاف سطح داشتند، بدون بولوس یا با بولوس 5، 10 و 15 میلی‌متری و مقادیر انرژی‌ 9، 12، 15 و 18 مگا الکترون ولت طراحی شد. دوز سطح، دوز متوسط حجم درمان، ریه و قلب بیماران با استفاده از سیستم طراحی درمان محاسبه و با روش‌های آماری تحلیل شد. یافته‌ها: ترکیب میزان انرژی بالا و بولوس ضخیم، خطر کاهش دوز متوسط حجم درمان را کاهش داد. با استفاده از الکترون 9 همراه با بولوس دوز کافی به حجم درمان نمی‌رسید. در اغلب حالت‌های درمان، افزایش دوز دریافتی ریه با مقادیر انرژی بالاتر و ضخامت کمتر بولوس، از نظر آماری معنی‌دار بود (01/0 > P). نتیجه‌گیری: دقت در انتخاب ضخامت بولوس در درمان با میزان انرژی کمتر الکترون اهمیت دارد. یافته‌های این مطالعه پیشنهاد می‌دهد که در سطوح ناهموار، استفاده از انرژی‌های بالاتر الکترون و استفاده از بولوس‌های ضخیم، در حجم درمان بیماران ماستکتومی شده با سطوح ناهموار، پوشش دوز بهتری فراهم می‌کند.

Introduction: Selenium is an element with antioxidant activities that plays roles in thyroid hormone homeostasis, immunity and also fertility. Nevertheless, selenium toxicity (selenosis) causes problems for humans such as abnormalities of the nervous system, gastrointestinal problems and hair loss. Thus, this study was performed with the aim of bacterial biosorbent isolation in order to remove selenium contaminant from wastewater. Materials and methods: In this research, at first using modified Luria- Bertani agar (mLBA) medium with certain concentration of sodium selenate salt, isolation of bacterial isolates was done from three collected wastewater and sludge samples from Khouzestan industrial factories. After determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), the sorption capacity and the percentage of metal removal efficiency (%RE) were investigated by atomic absorption spectrophotometer using metabolically active and inactive samples belonging to an efficient isolate. Identification was performed by morphological, biochemical and molecular methods. Results: Among 73 attained bacterial isolates at the first stage, 8 selenate oxyanion resistant isolates were gathered. Among these, AMS1-S8 isolate with MIC= 600­mM and MBC= 1200­mM were selected for more studies. Attained results in sorption mechanism determination stage showed that the sorption capacity in metabolically active sample is more than the inactive samples. Based on the identification results, it is revealed that this isolate belongs to the Enterobacter genus. This isolate is deposited as accession JQ965667 in the GeneBank database. Discussion and conclusion: The results showed that active biomass of selected isolate, have most sorption capacity and %RE and among the other isolates, have high partial resistance against selenate. Therefore, it can be a relatively ideal option for the bioremediation of polluted environments.

Delivering radiotherapy to the postmastectomy chest wall can be achieved using matched electron fields. Surgical defects of the chest wall change the dose distribution of electrons. In this study, the improvement of dose homogeneity using simple, nonconformal techniques of thermoplastic bolus application on a defect is evaluated. The proposed phantom design improves the capability of film dosimetry for obtaining dose profiles of a patient's anatomical condition. A modeled electron field of a patient with a postmastectomy inward surgical defect was planned. High energy electrons were delivered to the phantom in various settings, including no bolus, a bolus that filled the inward defect (PB0), a uniform thickness bolus of 5 mm (PB1), and two 5 mm boluses (PB2). A reduction of mean doses at the base of the defect was observed by any bolus application. PB0 increased the dose at central parts of the defect, reduced hot areas at the base of steep edges, and reduced dose to the lung and heart. Thermoplastic boluses that compensate a defect (PB0) increased the homogeneity of dose in a fixed depth from the surface; adversely, PB2 increased the dose heterogeneity. This study shows that it is practical to investigate dose homogeneity profiles inside a target volume for various techniques of electron therapy.

The aim of the present study was to develop an Antigen Capture ELISA (AC-ELISA) for the diagnosis of avian influenza virus infections. For this purpose, the nucleoprotein (NP) of the virus was captured by a monoclonal antibody (D'C4) and then detected using a rabbit polyclonal antibody. The developed AC-ELISA did not show cross-reaction with other viral and bacterial pathogens of poultry, while it was able to detect H9 serotype of avian influenza virus as well as H1 and H3 types of human influenza viruses. The sensitivity of this AC-ELISA for the detection of an H9 avian influenza virus strain H9N2 (A/Chicken/Iran/AH-1/06) was 10 times greater than a hemagglutination assay and was comparable with the sensitivity of the RT-PCR method. Furthermore, this method could recognize the influenza virus in tracheal swabs of experimentally infected chickens following 3-5 days post-infection. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that the developed AC-ELISA is able to detect H9, H1, and H3 influenza virus serotypes and is sufficiently sensitive and specific for the detection of infections caused by H9 serotype but, its applicability, sensitivity, and specificity for the detection of other serotypes of the virus remain to be determined. Key words: influenza virus A; nucleoprotein; monoclonal antibody; antigen capture ELISA RAZVOJ IN PREIZKUS NOVE METODE ELISA Z UJETJEM PROTITELES ZA ODKRIVANJE VIRUSA INFLUENCE A Namen raziskave je bil razvoj nove metode elisa z ujetjem protiteles za lažje diagnosticiranje okužbe z virusom ptičje influence. Nukleoprotein (NP) virusa smo najprej vezali z monoklonskimi protitelesi D’C4 in nato kompleks nukleoproteina in monoklonskega protitelesa označili s kunčjimi poliklonskimi protitelesi. Ta metoda ni kazala nobene navzkrižne (napačne) reakcije z drugimi virusi ali bakterijami ptičjega porekla, z njo pa smo lahko zaznali prisotnost virusa ptičje influence serotipa H9, pa tudi viruse človeške influence seroptipov H1 in H3. Občutljivost te metode za določanje linije H9N2 (A/Chicken/Iran/AH-1/106) virusa H9 je bila desetkrat višja v primerjavi z metodo hemaglutinacije in je bila primerljiva z občutljivostjo metode RT PCR. Z njo smo virus lahko določili v sapničnih izpirkih že 3 do 5 dni po okužbi poskusno okuženih piščancev. Iz pridobljenih rezultatov sklepamo, da nanovo razvita metoda elisa z ujetjem protiteles lahko zazna serotype H9, H1 in H3 virusa influence pri piščancih in ljudeh. Dokazali smo, da je metoda zanesljiva in zelo občutljiva za zaznavanje okužb s serotipom H9, uporabnost te nove metode za zaznavanje okužb z drugimi serotipi virusov influence pa bomo morali še dokazati. Ključne besede: influenca virus A; nulleoprotein; monoklonska protitelesa; elisa z ujetjem protiteles

The rotavirus is one of the major factors of inducing the acute gastroenteritis infection in children under 5 years of age. The laboratory diagnosis is progress and bringing it under control as well as avoiding its diffusion. The purpose of the present study was to determine the performance of enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Latex agglutination (LA) tests against reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for evaluating the children’s acute gastroenteritis by rotavirus. One hundred feces specimens were collected from February to May 2014 and analyzed by LA, ELISA and RT-PCR. In this study, the positive results for rotavirus detected by ELISA, LA and RT-PCR were 37, 43 and 27%, respectively. In addition, the result showed that the sensitivity and specificity of ELISA and LA were 74 and 85%, respectively, when compared to RT-PCR. For laboratory detection of Rotavirus infection, RT-PCR has the highest sensitivity and specificity but because of the high costs, ELISA and LA based kits with good performance, as shown by this study, can be preferred for the routine use.

BACKGROUND: We performed this study to evaluate the possible synergism between hypertension and other conventional risk factors of coronary artery disease (CAD) on an angiographic severity of coronary atherosclerosis. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 10502 consecutive patients who underwent coronary angiography in the cardiac catheterization laboratory of Tehran Heart Center Hospital (Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran), and their conventional risk factors including male gender, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, smoking, and family history of premature CAD were recorded. The severity of coronary atherosclerosis evaluated by calculation of Gensini score. Results: All aforementioned conventional risk factors of CAD were independently associated with severity of CAD. Multivariate linear regression analysis demonstrated that hypertension had synergistic effect with male gender [Excess Gensini’s score: 5.93, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.72-9.15, P < 0.001] and also with diabetes mellitus (Excess Gensini’s score: 3.99, 95% CI: 0.30-7.69, P = 0.034) on severity of CAD. No interaction was observed between hypertension and smoking, dyslipidemia and also with a family history of CAD. CONCLUSION: Hypertension has a synergistic effect with diabetes mellitus and male gender on the severity of CAD. These findings imply that more effective screening and treatment strategies should be considered for early diagnosis and tight control of hypertension in male and diabetic people for prevention of advanced CAD.

Efforts to enhance oil recovery through wettability alteration by nanoparticles have been attracted in recent years. However, many basic questions have been ambiguous up until now. Nanoparticles penetrate into pore volume of porous media, stick on the core surface, and by creating homogeneous water-wet area, cause to alter wettability. This work introduces the new concept of adding ZnO nanoparticles by an experimental work on wettability alteration and oil recovery through spontaneous imbibition mechanism. Laboratory tests were conducted in two experimental steps on four cylindrical core samples (three sandstones and one carbonate) taken from a real Iranian heavy oil reservoir in Amott cell. In the first step, the core samples were saturated by crude oil. Next, the core samples were flooded with nanoparticles and saturated by crude oil for about two weeks. Then, the core samples were immersed in distilled water and the amount of recovery was monitored during 30 days for both steps. The experimental results showed that oil recovery for three sandstone cores changed from 20.74, 4.3, and 3.5% of original oil in place (OOIP) in the absence of nanoparticles to 36.2, 17.57, and 20.68% of OOIP when nanoparticles were added respectively. Moreover, for the carbonate core, the recovery changed from zero to 8.89% of OOIP by adding nanoparticles. By the investigation of relative permeability curves, it was found that by adding ZnO nanoparticles, the crossover-point of curves shifted to the right for both sandstone and carbonate cores, which meant wettability was altered to water- wet. This study, for the first time, illustrated the remarkable role of ZnO nanoparticles in wettability alteration toward more water-wet for both sandstone and carbonate cores and enhancing oil recovery.

Clinical Practice for Radiation Therapy in Breast Cancer

Many cellular damages either in normal or cancerous tissues are the outcome of molecular events affected by ionizing radiation. T-cells are the most important among immune system agents and are used for biological radiation dose measurement in recommended standard methods. The herbs with immune modulating properties may be useful to reduce the risk of the damages and subsequently the diseases. The T-cells as the most important immune cells being targeted for biological dosimetry of radiation. This study proposes a flowcytometric-method based on fluorescein isothiocyanate- and propidium iodide (PI)-labeled annexin-V to assess apoptosis in blood T-cells after irradiation in both presence and absence of fenugreek extract. T-cells peripheral blood lymphocyte isolated from blood samples of healthy individuals with no irradiated job background. The media of cultured cells was irradiated 1-h after the fenugreek extract was added. The number of apoptotic cells was assessed by annexin-V protocol and multicolor flowcytometry. An obvious variation in apoptotic cells number was observed in presence of fenugreek extract (>80%). The results suggest that fenugreek extract can potentiate the radiation induced apoptosis or radiation toxicity in blood T-cells (P < 0.05).

The cancer of oral cavity is related to lesions of mucous membrane of tongue and gum that can be treated with radiation therapy. A lateral photon field can be used to treat this kind of tumor, which has a side-effect on normal tissue in the opposite side of the oral cavity. In this study the dosimetric effect of the various shields in oral cavity is evaluated. In this study, a special phantom similar to the structure of oral cavity with capability of film dosimetry was designed and constructed. The various shield slabs were made of five materials: Lead, Plexiglas, Acrylic resin, Silicon and Plaster. For irradiation, Cobalt 60 (60Co) and 6 MV photon beams were used. The film dosimetry before and after the shield was performed using GAFCHROMIC EBT2 films. The film before the shield measures the magnitude of backscattering radiation from the shield. The prescribed dose was 150 cGy. Results showed that 3 cm of the lead in both energies had the maximum absorption of radiation. The absorbed dose to opposite side of shield for 6 MV photon beams and 60Co were 21 and 32 cGy, respectively. The minimum attenuation on radiation was observed in silicon shield for which the dose of opposite side were 116 and 147 cGy for 6 MV and 60Co respectively. The maximum backscattered dose was measured 177 cGy and 219 cGy using 3 cm thickness of lead, which was quite considerable. The minimum backscattering where for acrylic resin 101 and 118 cGy for 6 MV and cobalt. In this study, it was concluded that the amount of backscattering for 3 cm Lead shield is quite considerable and increases the dose significantly. A composite layer of shield with 1-2 cm lead and 1 cm acrylic resin can have the protective effect and low backscattering radiation at the same time.

Background: Radiotherapy is frequently used in treatment approaches of pelvic malignancies. Nevertheless, it has some known systemic effects on blood cells and the immune system that possibly results in their susceptibility to infection. Probiotics are live microbial food ingredients that provide a health advantage to the consumer. Honey has prebiotic properties. The aim of this clinical trial was to investigate probable effects of probiotic or probiotics plus honey on blood cell counts and serum IgA levels in patients receiving pelvic radiotherapy. Materials and Methods: Sixty-seven adult patients with pelvic cancer were enrolled. Patients were randomized to receive either: (1) Probiotic capsules (including: Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium longum, and Streptococcus thermophiles) (n = 22), (2) probiotic capsules plus honey (n = 21) or (3) placebo capsules (n = 24) all for 6 weeks. Blood and serum samples were collected for one week before radiotherapy and 24-72 h after the end of radiotherapy. Results: White blood cells (WBC), red blood cells (RBC), platelet counts, and serum IgA level were not significantly changed in patients taking probiotic (alone or plus honey) during pelvic radiotherapy. The mean decrease in RBC count was 0.52, 0.18, and 0.23 × 10 6 cells/μL, WBC count was 2.3, 1.21, and 1.34 × 10 3 cells/μL and platelet count was, 57.6, 53.3, and 66.35 × 10 3 cells/μL for the probiotic, probiotic plus honey, and placebo groups, respectively. The mean decrease of serum IgA was 22.53, 29.94, and 40.73 mg/dL for the probiotic, probiotic plus honey, and placebo groups, respectively. Conclusion: The observed nonsignificant effect of probiotics may be in favor of local effects of this product in the gut rather than systemic effects, however, as a trend toward a benefit was indicated, further studies are necessary in order to extract effects of probiotics or probiotic plus honey on hematologic and immunologic parameters in patients receiving pelvic radiotherapy.

Background: In events such as a nuclear explosion or leakage of radioactive material from nuclear power dungeons or other events in nuclear medicine departments in hospitals, many people accidentally receive an unspecified amount of ionizing radiation. First step to treat is evaluation of radiation dose received by the victims. In such situation and in radiotherapy program, dosimetry is used for evaluation of treatment planning. Some measurable biological indexes used for evaluation of dose of radiation. Some measurable biological indexes can be used in biological dosimetry to measure the radiation dose and estimate the radiation effect. Methods: In this study, the test for biological dosimetry based on apoptosis induced by gamma radiation in peripheral blood T-lymphocytes was performed in 16 volunteers. The blood lymphocytes were isolated and cultured in RPMI (Roswell Park Memorial Institute) 1640 medium and then, were placed in 5% CO2 atmosphere at 37°C. Then, the samples were prepared from the culture medium and radiated with different doses of gamma radiation. Sample transferred to incubator again to measure their apoptosis. Radiation-induced apoptosis in the cell population was measured by flow cytometry using Annexin V + fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and prodidium iodide (PI) stains. Findings: Radiation induced apoptosis was measureable with enough precision. But measured apoptosis depended on delay time after irradiation and protocole of flow cytometry. Conclusion: The results of this study show that it is possible to use radiation for measuring apoptosis as a biological dosimeter in a short time after radiation exposure in the events such as a nuclear explosion or leakage of radioactive material.

Introduction : Many microorganisms like fungi , bacteria and yeasts, have a natural ability to produce vitamins included vitamin B2 or riboflavin. In this regard, the present study was performed to isolation and screening for riboflavin producing yeasts from various sources of soil, leaf and fruit s. Materials and method s: samples of leaf , soil and fruits were prepared for the presence of yeasts and by its ability to produce riboflavin . After purification and enrichment of samples , in order to assay riboflavin production, spectrometry , thin layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography were used . Finally, the best selected isolate was identified using conventional morphological , biochemical and molecular techniques . Results : In this study , 26 yeast strains were isolated from environmental samples, that 6 isolates showed the ability to produce riboflavin . Identification results of the best selected isolate by biochemical and phenotypic characteristics revealed that this isolate is related to Clavispora lusitaniae and considering isolation of it from nectarine, has named it Clavispora lusitaniae strain N3 (Gene accession no: JQ586258 ). Discussion and conclusion : Although only one of the six producing strains was studied and identified , observation of ability to produce among 23% of strains showed necessity for further investigation. And according to the result of absence of viewing report about production by investigated strain, it can be said that Iran has potentiality for isolation of yeasts and is capable of producing riboflavin.

Islamic Venture capital is one of the new methods of Islamic finance which despite gaining approval of many professionals about its special advantages and efficiency, it has not been adequately considered by Islamic finance experts. Hence, most studies conducted so far have only introduced Mudharabah and Musharakah for financing in the process of Islamic venture capital while it is possible to use some other structures in this process. In fact, this study describes the structures and patterns that comply with sharia used in Islamic venture capital industry and also describes the performance of them in the Islamic venture capital companies. The results, obtained with descriptive analysis method, and from library resources, documentary analysis, and research and development, indicate that in addition to Mudharabah and Musharakah contracts, some contracts such as Musharakah Mutanaqisah, Ijarah Mawsufah Fi Al Dhimmah, Ijarah Wa Iqtina and Wakalah-Ijarah Mawsufah Fi Al Dhimmah can also be used in the process of Islamic venture capital.