Increased expression of PD-1 in CD8 + CD3 + T cells correlates with EBV viral load in MS patients

Journal of NeuroVirology - Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the common autoimmune diseases. The exact etiology of MS is still unclear, but recent studies have shown the possibility of infectious...     

An open-label phase 1 clinical trial of the allogeneic side population adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells in SMA type 1 patients

Neurological Sciences - Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder of alpha motor neurons of spinal cord associated with progressive muscle weakness and...     

Hospital-acquired infections in a tertiary hospital in Iran before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Wiener Medizinische Wochenschrift - Infection prevention protocols are the accepted standard to control nosocomial infections. These protective measures intensified after the coronavirus 2019...     

Clinical outcome with half-dose depot triptorelin is the same as reduced-dose daily buserelin in a long protocol of controlled ovarian stimulation for ICSI/embryo transfer: a randomized double-blind clinical trial (NCT00461916)

BACKGROUND: Traditional doses of depot GnRH agonist may be excessive for ovarian stimulation. We compared half-dose depot triptorelin (Group I) with reduced-dose daily buserelin (Group II) in a long protocol ICSI/embryo transfer through a double-blind randomized clinical trial. METHODS: Controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) was started by a pretreatment with oral contraceptives for 21 days. Then, 182 patients were randomized into two groups of 91. Group I received 1.87 mg triptorelin depot i.m. followed by daily s.c. injections of saline. Group II (reduced-dose protocol) received a bolus injection of i.m. saline followed by daily s.c. injections of 0.5 mg buserelin, which was then reduced to 0.25 mg at the start of human menopausal gonadotrophin stimulation. When transvaginal ultrasound showed at least two follicles of 16-20 mm diameter, HCG was given and ICSI was performed 40-42 h later. RESULTS: No significant differences were seen in the mean (SD) number of follicles at HCG administration, as our primary outcome [10.3 (4.4) in Group I versus 11.1 (4.2) in Group II, P = 0.180, mean difference = 0.86, 95% confidence interval 0.39-2.11]. The other early results of COS, clinical and ongoing pregnancy rates, or early pregnancy loss were also not significantly different between the groups. Group I endured longer stimulation period [11.2 (1.8) days versus 10.6 (1.9), P = 0.030]. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical outcomes were not significantly different between Group I and Group II.     

Fabrication of hybrid scaffold based on hydroxyapatite-biodegradable nanofibers incorporated with liposomal formulation of BMP-2 peptide for bone tissue engineering

In the present study, we fabricated an efficient, simple biomimetic scaffold to stimulate osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Electrospun poly L-lactic acid nanofibers were employed to mimic the nanofibrillar structure of bone proteins and coated with hydroxyapatite nanoparticles to simulate bone minerals. Thereafter, we regulated the release pattern of BMP-2 peptide through covalent attachment of an optimized liposomal formulation to the scaffold. The fabricated platform provided a sustained release profile of BMP-2 peptide up to 21?days while supporting cellular attachment and proliferation without cytotoxicity. In-vitro results confirmed the superiority of the scaffold containing liposomes through enhancement of growth and differentiation of MSCs. Ectopic bone formation model exhibited significant localized initiation of bone formation of liposome incorporated scaffold. Consequently, these findings demonstrated that our designed platform with modified release properties of BMP-2 peptide considerably promoted osteogenic differentiation of MSCs making it a unique candidate for bone regeneration therapeutics.     

Evaluation of the antibacterial activity of new root canal sealers

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the antimicrobial effect of AH-26, RealSeal (RS), and GuttaFlow after 24 hours and after one week. METHODOLOGY: All sealers were prepared according to the manufacturers' directions immediately before testing. The microorganisms used in this assay included Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus mutans, which were prepared from isolated species in the microbiology laboratory. The antimicrobial effects of each sealer were determined by measuring the diameter of the zone of inhibition in millimeters after incubation at 37 degrees C for 24 hours and for seven days in a humid atmosphere. Each test was repeated three times. RESULTS: In the 24-hour samples, as well as in seven-day samples, the antibacterial activity of AH-26 was significantly greater than two other materials tested against both bacteria (p < 0.05). The antibacterial activities of RS and GuttaFlow against Staphylococcus aureus were not significantly different from each other (p > 0.05) in 24-hour as well as seven-day samples, but RS had significantly greater effect against Streptococcus mutans than GuttaFlow (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The products studied exhibited some variable antibacterial properties. In 24 hours, as well as in seven days, the AH-26 exerted the greatest activity against both organisms tested.     

Association of toxicochemical and microbiological quality of bottled mineral water in Birjand city,Iran

Water is one of the pivotal, both in natural ecosystems and human development. Inadequate and unsafe water is still one of the major challenges in most developing countries. Due to the growing trends of bottled water (BW) consumption in Iran, especially in dry regions, regular monitoring of the quality of bottled mineral water is necessary. Therefore, this cross-sectional study was carried out to evaluate the chemical and microbiological quality of bottled mineral water which was sold in the markets of Birjand city, Iran in 2015. Samples were selected randomly from 12 most popular brands of national BW in autumn and winter. Then, 12 most popular brands were selected for analysis. Finally, parameters including total hardness, levels of calcium, magnesium, pH, bicarbonate, sulfate, alkalinity, residual chlorine and total and fecal coliforms were examined for each brand. The results of the present study revealed that most of the chemical and microbiological parameters of BW in Birjand city were lower than maximum contaminant levels which are set by Iranian mineral water quality standards and WHO guidelines. Furthermore, total and fecal coliforms were within the standards. Overall, the results of this study revealed that the health status of the bottled mineral water which is sold in the markets of Birjand city was good. But, regular monitoring of the above mentioned parameters would be helpful to improve the water quality and to provide good portable water for the dwellers and very effective to enhance public health on citizens.