Incidence of pressure ulcers in intensive care units and direct costs of treatment: Evidence from Iran

Background and objective

Pressure ulcer (PU) is one of the important and frequent complications of hospitalization, associated with high treatment costs. The present study was conducted to determine the incidence of PU and its direct treatment costs for patients in intensive care unit (ICU) in Iran.

Evaluation of wound contraction and epithelialization after subcutaneous administration of Theranekron® in cows

Ten bulls (age 7 months, weight 302 ± 15 kg) were used in this study. After sterile preparation of skin, a full thickness wound (20 × 20 mm) was created in each bull. The bulls were randomly assigned into two groups: group 1 received 6 ml Theranekron subcutaneously and group 2 penicillin banzatine 10,000 IU/kg IM. These doses were repeated 6 days after initial wounding. At days 0, 3, 6, 10 and 14, digital photographs were taken from the wounds to calculate wound contraction and epithelialization using geometry. Chi-square test was performed for statistical analysis using SPSS 9 for Windows. There was no significant differences in wound contraction between trial groups (P > 0.05) but a statistical difference was seen in epithelialization between groups (P < 0.05). Epithelialization is one of the most important factors in wound healing. According to the results of the present study, Theranekron can significantly stimulate epithelialization in full thickness wounds in cows during the first 14 days of healing.     

Schistosomal hepatic fibrosis and the interferon gamma receptor: a linkage analysis using single-nucleotide polymorphic markers

A minority of individuals infected with the parasite Schistosoma mansoni develops hepatic fibrosis. HLA studies in Egypt and a candidate gene search in a Sudanese population indicate that the host's genetics contribute to disease susceptibility. In an Egyptian community, 32.7% of individuals 11 years and older had significant fibrosis by WHO ultrasound criteria. Linkage to 10 candidate genes was tested using 89 affected sibling pairs from 40 pedigrees in this community. The candidates included genes that initiate fibrosis, participate in collagen synthesis, or control collagen degradation. Two to four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped per locus, and 188 individuals were genotyped at 48 markers. Model-free modified Haseman-Elston analysis identified linkage to a SNP in the interferon gamma receptor locus (P=0.000001). There was also weak evidence for linkage to the interleukin 13-4 region and tissue growth factor beta 1.     

An experimental comparison of detector performance for direct and indirect digital radiography systems

Current flat-panel detectors either directly convert x-ray energy to electronic charge or use indirect conversion with an intermediate optical process. The purpose of this work was to compare direct and indirect detectors in terms of their modulation transfer function (MTF), noise power spectrum (NPS), and detective quantum efficiency (DQE). Measurements were made on three flat-panel detectors, Hologic Direct-Ray DR-1000 (DRC), GE Revolution XQ/i (XQ/i), and Philips Digital Diagnost (DiDi) using the IEC-defined RQA5 (approximately 74 kVp, 21 mm Al) and RQA9 (approximately 120 kVp, 40 mm Al) radiographic techniques. The presampled MTFs of the systems were measured using an edge method [Samei et al., Med. Phys. 25, 102 (1998)]. The NPS of the systems were determined for a range of exposure levels by two-dimensional (2D) Fourier analysis of uniformly exposed radiographs [Flynn and Samei, Med. Phys. 26, 1612 (1999)]. The DQEs were assessed from the measured MTF, NPS, exposure, and estimated ideal signal-to-noise ratios. For the direct system, the MTF was found to be significantly higher than that for the indirect systems and very close to an ideal function associated with the detector pixel size. The NPS for the direct system was found to be constant in relation to frequency. For the XQ/i and DRC systems, the DQE results reflected expected differences based on the absorption efficiency of the different detector materials. Using RQA5, the measured DQE values in the diagonal (and axial) direction(s) at spatial frequencies of 0.15 mm(-1) and 2.5 mm(-1) were 64% (64%) and 20% (15%) for the XQ/i system, and 38% (38%) and 20% (20%) for the DRC, respectively. The DQE results of the DiDi system were difficult to interpret due to additional preprocessing steps in that system.     

A genetic and clinical study of individuals with nonsyndromic retinopathy consequent upon sequence variants in HGSNAT,the gene associated with Sanfilippo C mucopolysaccharidosis

Pathogenic variants in the gene HGSNAT (heparan‐α‐glucosaminide N‐acetyltransferase) have been reported to underlie two distinct recessive conditions, depending on the specific genotype, mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIC (MPSIIIC)—a severe childhood‐onset lysosomal storage disorder, and adult‐onset nonsyndromic retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Here we describe the largest cohort to‐date of HGSNAT‐associated nonsyndromic RP patients, and describe their retinal phenotype, leukocyte enzymatic activity, and likely pathogenic genotypes. We identified biallelic HGSNAT variants in 17 individuals (15 families) as the likely cause of their RP. None showed any other symptoms of MPSIIIC. All had a mild but significant reduction of HGSNAT enzyme activity in leukocytes. The retinal condition was generally of late‐onset, showing progressive degeneration of a concentric area of paramacular retina, with preservation but reduced electroretinogram responses. Symptoms, electrophysiology, and imaging suggest the rod photoreceptor to be the cell initially compromised. HGSNAT enzymatic testing was useful in resolving diagnostic dilemmas in compatible patients. We identified seven novel sequence variants [p.(Arg239Cys); p.(Ser296Leu); p.(Phe428Cys); p.(Gly248Ala); p.(Gly418Arg), c.1543‐2A>C; c.1708delA], three of which were considered to be retina‐disease‐specific alleles. The most prevalent retina‐disease‐specific allele p.(Ala615Thr) was observed heterozygously or homozygously in 8 and 5 individuals respectively (7 and 4 families). Two siblings in one family, while identical for the HGSNAT locus, but discordant for retinal disease, suggest the influence of trans‐acting genetic or environmental modifying factors.     

Internet Access and Nutritional Intake: Evidence from Rural China

Over the past 4 decades, China has experienced a nutritional transition and has developed the largest population of internet users. In this study, we evaluated the impacts of internet access on the nutritional intake in Chinese rural residents. An IV-Probit-based propensity score matching method was used to determine the impact of internet access on nutritional intake. The data were collected from 10,042 rural households in six Chinese provinces. The results reveal that rural residents with internet access have significantly higher energy, protein, and fat intake than those without. Chinese rural residents with internet access consumed 1.35% (28.62 kcal), 5.02% (2.61 g), and 4.33% (3.30 g) more energy, protein, and fat, respectively. There was heterogeneity in regard to the intake of energy, protein, and fat among those in different income groups. Moreover, non-staple food consumption is the main channel through which internet access affects nutritional intake. The results demonstrate that the local population uses the internet to improve their nutritional status. Further studies are required to investigate the impact of internet use on food consumed away from home and micronutrient intake.     

Synthesis of Geopolymer from a Novel Aluminosilicate-Based Natural Soil Precursor Using Electric Oven Curing for Improved Mechanical Strength

Natural soil (NS)-based geopolymers (GPs) have shown promise as environmentally friendly construction materials. The production of ordinary Portland cement is known to release significant amounts of greenhouse gas (CO₂) into the atmosphere. The main objective of this work is to synthesize a geopolymer (GP) from an uncommon aluminosilicate-based NS and a sodium silicate (SS) activating solution that would not only minimize the emission of harmful gases, but also offer improved mechanical strength. Samples of different compositions were produced by varying the wt.% of NS from 50% to 80% and adding a balancing amount of SS solution. The drying and curing of the samples were carried out in an electric oven at specific temperatures. The degree of geopolymerization in the samples was measured by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and microstructural analysis was performed using a scanning electron microscope. Mechanical tests were conducted to evaluate the range of compressive strength values of the prepared GP samples. A minimum compressive strength of 10.93 MPa at a maximum porosity of 37.56% was observed in a sample with an NS to SS ratio of 1:1; while a ratio of 3:1 led to the maximum compressive strength of 26.39 MPa and the minimum porosity of 24.60%. The maximum strength (26.39 MPa) was found to be more than the reported strength values for similar systems. Moreover, an improvement in strength by a factor of three has been observed relative to previously developed NS-based GPs. It may be inferred from the findings that for the given NS, with almost 90% aluminosilicate content, the extent of geopolymerization increases significantly with its increasing proportions, yielding better mechanical strength.     

Effect of surfactant concentration on the evaporation-driven deposition of carbon nanotubes: from coffee-ring effect to strain sensing

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as electrically conductive materials are of great importance in the fabrication of flexible electronic devices and wearable sensors. In this regard, the evaporation-driven self-assembly of CNTs has attracted increasing attention. CNT-based applications are mostly concerned with the alignment of CNTs and the density of CNT films. In the present work, we focus on the latter by trying to achieve an optimal evaporation-driven deposition with the densest CNT ring. Although surfactants are used for effective dispersion and colloidal stabilization of CNTs in the aqueous phase, their excessive usage induces Marangoni eddies in the evaporating sessile droplets, leading to poor ring depositions. Thus, there is an optimum surfactant concentration that contributes to CNTs deagglomeration and results in the densest ring-like deposition with relatively high thickness. We report that this optimum concentration for sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as a surfactant can be approximately considered as much as the concentration of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as the colloidal nanoparticles. Optimal depositions show the lowest electrical resistances for each CNT concentration, making them suitable for electronic applications. We also propose the multiple depositions method in which a new droplet is printed after the complete evaporation of the previous droplet. This method can lead to denser rings with a higher conductivity using lower concentrations of CNTs. Lastly, we fabricate strain sensors based on the optimal evaporation-driven deposition of CNTs which show higher gauge factors than the commercial strain gauges, corroborating the applicability of our method.

Our discovery reveals the existence of an optimum SDS/CNT concentration ratio to achieve the highest conductivity of ring deposition for strain sensing.     

Inhibitory potential of nitrogen,oxygen and sulfur containing heterocyclic scaffolds against acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase

Heterocycles are the key structures in organic chemistry owing to their immense applications in the biological, chemical, and pharmaceutical fields. Heterocyclic compounds perform various noteworthy functions in nature, medication, innovation etc. Most frequently, pure nitrogen heterocycles or various positional combinations of nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur atoms in five or six-membered rings can be found. Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) enzymes is a popular strategy for the management of numerous mental diseases. In this context, cholinesterase inhibitors are utilized to relieve the symptoms of neurological illnesses like dementia and Alzheimer''s disease (AD). The present review focuses on various heterocyclic scaffolds and their role in designing and developing new potential AChE and BChE inhibitors to treat AD. Moreover, a detailed structure–activity relationship (SAR) has been established for the future discovery of novel drugs for the treatment of AD. Most of the heterocyclic motifs have been used in the design of new potent cholinesterase inhibitors. In this regard, this review is an endeavor to summarize the biological and chemical studies over the past decade (2010–2022) describing the pursuit of new N, O and S containing heterocycles which can offer a rich supply of promising AChE and BChE inhibitory activities.

The present review focuses on various heterocyclic scaffolds and their role in designing and developing new potential AChE and BChE inhibitors to treat AD.     

Decades of Genetic Research on Soybean mosaic virus Resistance in Soybean

This review summarizes the history and current state of the known genetic basis for soybean resistance to Soybean mosaic virus (SMV), and examines how the integration of molecular markers has been utilized in breeding for crop improvement. SVM causes yield loss and seed quality reduction in soybean based on the SMV strain and the host genotype. Understanding the molecular underpinnings of SMV–soybean interactions and the genes conferring resistance to SMV has been a focus of intense research interest for decades. Soybean reactions are classified into three main responses: resistant, necrotic, or susceptible. Significant progress has been achieved that has greatly increased the understanding of soybean germplasm diversity, differential reactions to SMV strains, genotype–strain interactions, genes/alleles conferring specific reactions, and interactions among resistance genes and alleles. Many studies that aimed to uncover the physical position of resistance genes have been published in recent decades, collectively proposing different candidate genes. The studies on SMV resistance loci revealed that the resistance genes are mainly distributed on three chromosomes. Resistance has been pyramided in various combinations for durable resistance to SMV strains. The causative genes are still elusive despite early successes in identifying resistance alleles in soybean; however, a gene at the Rsv4 locus has been well validated.