Performance Evaluation of Medical Records Departments by Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) Approach in the Selected Hospitals in Isfahan

Medical Records Department (MRD) is an important unit for evaluating and planning of care services. The goal of this study is evaluating the performance of the Medical Records Departments (MRDs) of the selected hospitals in Isfahan, Iran by using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). This was an analytic of cross-sectional study that was done in spring 2008 in Isfahan, Iran. The statistical population consisted of MRDs of Alzahra, Kashani and Khorshid Hospitals in Isfahan. Data were collected by forms and through brainstorm technique. To analyze and perform AHP, Expert Choice software was used by researchers. Results were showed archiving unit has received the largest importance weight with respect to information management. However, on customer aspect admission unit has received the largest weight. Ordering weights of Medical Records Departments’ Alzahra, Kashani and Khorshid Hospitals in Isfahan were with 0.394, 0.342 and 0.264 respectively. It is useful for managers to allocate and prioritize resources according to AHP technique for ranking at the Medical Records Departments.     

SB‐334867, an orexin receptor 1 antagonist,decreased seizure and anxiety in pentylenetetrazol‐kindled rats

Convulsive seizures are due to abnormal synchronous and repetitive neuronal discharges in the central nervous system (CNS). Finding new therapeutics to overcome the side effects of the current drug therapies and to increase their effectiveness is ongoing. Orexin‐A and orexin‐B are brain neuropeptides originating from postero‐lateral hypothalamic neurons. Studies show that orexins, through activation of OX1 and OX2 receptors, have excitatory effects in the CNS. Accordingly, this study was designed to evaluate the effect of OX1 receptor antagonist (SB‐334867) on seizure‐ and anxiety‐related behaviors of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)‐kindled rats. Kindling was induced by repeated intraperitoneal (IP) injections of PTZ (32 mg/kg) with two‐day intervals for 24 days in male Wistar rats. Three groups received intracerebroventricular (ICV) injections of SB‐334867 (2.5, 5, and 10 μg/rat) before PTZ injections. Two control groups received vehicle (2 μL/rat, ICV) and valproate (26 μg/rat, ICV) before PTZ injections. An extra group of control animals received saline both ICV and IP. Seizure‐related behaviors were monitored for 30 min following PTZ administration. The anxiety‐like behaviors were also assessed using elevated plus‐maze in the first and last days of the study. The results revealed that ICV injection of SB‐334867, mainly at the dose of 10 μg/rat, decreased the median of seizure stages, prolonged the latency and reduced the duration of different seizure stages, and reversed the PTZ‐induced anxiety‐like behaviors. Based on the presented results, it is suggested that pharmacological blockade of the OX1 receptor is a potential target in the treatment of seizure and concomitant anxiety disorders.     

Targeting versus tinkering: Explaining why the clinic is frustrated with molecular mapping of disease mechanisms

We argue that our common diseases should not necessarily be taken as a sign of physiological error. Regulatory networks developed by evolutionary forces to support reproductive fitness happen to include disease as a side-effect. For example, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases are secondary to a strong defence against infections. An evolutionary perspective can help us understand why many drugs targeted to single molecules or linear signaling pathways fail in clinical trials. We present the hypothesis that a tinkering research strategy, as compared with the prevailing reductionist approach, may be more likely to help us find the tools needed to interfere optimally with disease-generating networks. One application of the hypothesis can be to analyze how manipulation with diet and gut microbial flora influences multiple sclerosis patients, rather than to first map in detail the molecular disease mechanism and then develop targeting drugs.     

Aflatoxin B1 effects on ovarian follicular growth and atresia in the rat

For this investigation, 28 female healthy adult Wistar rats were selected. The animals were divided into four groups (n?=?7 per group): control, test group 1, test group 2 and test group 3. Each rat in test groups 1, 2 and 3, received 0.8 ppm, 1.6 ppm and 3.2 ppm aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), respectively, via gavage for a period of 25 days. The control group received distilled water only. All tissue specimens were processed for routine paraffin embedding and serial cross-sections cut at 5–7 μm and stained with haematoxylin–eosin. Both histomorphologic and histomorphometric analysis was performed under light microscopy. An increase in the concentration of AFB1 resulted in a reduction in the population of healthy primordial, primary, secondary and tertiary follicles. The greatest reduction was in seen in group 3 (with 3.2 ppm AFB1/day). In all test groups, due to an increase in AFB1 concentration, in both the right and left ovaries, all types of atretic follicles, including primordial, primary, secondary, and tertiary atretic follicles were significantly increased (P?<?0.01). In conclusion, AFB1 is toxic for all type of ovarian follicles, including non-growing and growing follicles and exerts an atretogenic effect on all types of ovarian follicles. The atretogenic effect of AFB1 is dose dependant. Due to its toxic effects (gametotoxicity), the resting pool of ovarian follicles (primordial follicles) decreases significantly. The ovulatory follicular population either decreases or is completely depleted.     

A review of key challenges of electrospun scaffolds for tissue‐engineering applications

Tissue engineering holds great promise to develop functional constructs resembling the structural organization of native tissues to improve or replace biological functions, with the ultimate goal of avoiding organ transplantation. In tissue engineering, cells are often seeded into artificial structures capable of supporting three‐dimensional (3D) tissue formation. An optimal scaffold for tissue‐engineering applications should mimic the mechanical and functional properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of those tissues to be regenerated. Amongst the various scaffolding techniques, electrospinning is an outstanding one which is capable of producing non‐woven fibrous structures with dimensional constituents similar to those of ECM fibres. In recent years, electrospinning has gained widespread interest as a potential tissue‐engineering scaffolding technique and has been discussed in detail in many studies. So why this review? Apart from their clear advantages and extensive use, electrospun scaffolds encounter some practical limitations, such as scarce cell infiltration and inadequate mechanical strength for load‐bearing applications. A number of solutions have been offered by different research groups to overcome the above‐mentioned limitations. In this review, we provide an overview of the limitations of electrospinning as a tissue‐engineered scaffolding technique, with emphasis on possible resolutions of those issues. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Need for Lateral Piriform Rim Augmentation in Patients with Unilateral Cleft Lip/Palate During Alveolar Cleft Bone Grafting

Background

Alveolar bone grafting in unilateral cleft lip/palate (CLP) patients can improve nasal symmetry and facial esthetic. In some cases lateral piriform hypoplasia cannot be compensated by soft tissue thickness of the face, necessitating onlay bone grafting. This study was designed to estimate the proportion of patients among unilateral CLP patients requiring this procedure.

Materials and Methods

In a retrospective study, unilateral CLP patients with severe paranasal deficiency, who were managed by paranasal augmentation with cortico-cancellous bone graft during the alveolar cleft bone grafting, were included.

Results

From 85 unilateral CLP patients treated from 2005 to 2011 in the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, fourteen patients were treated with lateral piriform augmentation technique. Mean age of the patients at the time of operation was 16 ± 4.8 years. Follow-up period was 2–6 years.

Conclusion

Concomitant alveolar bone grafting and lateral piriform augmentation is needed at least in 16.5 % of unilateral CLP patients.