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Along with the extensive range of exotic nanoparticle (NPs) applications, investigation of magnetic NPs (MNPs) in vitro has ushered modern antibacterial studies into an increasingly attractive research area. A great number of microorganisms exist in the size scales from nanometre to micrometre regions. The enormous potential of engineered MNPs in therapeutic procedures against various drug-resistant bacteria has declined the menace of fatal bacterial infections. Many biocompatible MNPs have been introduced that possess remarkable impacts on various bacterial strains. Conventional synthesis methods such as co-precipitation or hydrothermal techniques have been widely adopted in the production of MNPs. The MNPs for antibacterial applications are mainly required to be superparamagnetic, recyclable and biocompatible. To implement novel strategies in developing new generation antimicrobial magnetic nanomaterials, it is essential to obtain a comprehensive preview of recent achievements in synthesis, proposed antibacterial mechanisms and characterisation techniques of these nanomaterials. This review highlights notable aspects of antibacterial activity in engineered MNPs and nanocomposites including their particle properties (size, shape and saturation magnetisation), antibacterial mechanisms, synthesis methods, testing methods, surface modifications and minimum inhibitory concentrations.

In the present study, the various properties of pectin extracted using microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) from eggplant peel and eggplant calyx (as food processing wastes of eggplant) were compared with each other. The eggplant peel pectin (EPP) exhibited higher extraction yield (29.17%) than eggplant calyx pectin (ECP; 18.36%). Both of EPP and ECP were high in methoxyl and rich in galacturonic acid. HPLC analysis showed that EPP was high in HG (homogalacturonan) (58.6%), while ECP was high in RG-I (rhamnogalacturonan-I) (44.9%). Also, higher phenolic contents were observed for EPP in comparing with ECP. Approximately in all of the functionalities (WHC (water holding capacity) and OHC (oil holding capacity), emulsifying and foaming properties, and antioxidant activity), EPP showed higher value rather than ECP. 1 H NMR (hydrogen-1 nuclear magnetic resonance), FT-IR (Fourier transform-infrared) and XRD (x-ray diffraction) spectra confirmed the presence of high methylated crystalline pectin in both EPP and ECP., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A magnetic nanocomposite adsorbent based on cress seed mucilage (CSM) was synthesized for removing methylene blue (MB) cationic dye from aqueous solutions. These adsorbent nanoparticles were prepared by in situ formation of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MIONs) coupled with CSM mucilage and benefited from the advantages of both CSM and MIONs. The CSM-MIONs adsorbent exhibited a great dye adsorption capacity along with a strong magnetic character. The effect of various experimental parameters were studied on the adsorption performance of CSM-MIONs including pH, ionic strength, initial dye concentration, contact time and temperature. The adsorbent nanoparticles were characterized by FTIR, FESEM, XRD, DLS, and VSM techniques. Thermodynamic analysis indicated that the studied dye adsorption process has a spontaneous and exothermic nature. The equilibrium adsorption data were in agreement with the Langmuir kinetic model (R 2  > 0.99) and described by the pseudo-second-order Langmuir equation (R 2  > 0.98). It was revealed that intraparticle diffusion is not the only rate controlling factor. The CSM-MIONs adsorbents could be well regenerated using an acid solution, and showed high adsorption capability even after five desorption-adsorption cycles. The obtained results showed that the CSM-MIONs can potentially be used as a high-performance low cost adsorbent in wastewater treatment., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To measure orbital dimension of patients with exorbitism and defining criteria for its diagnosis., Methods: Twelve patients with non-syndromic exorbitism (NSE) were compared with 24 control samples by means of computed tomography scan (CT-scan) findings. The proptosis severity, lateral wall length, medial wall length, optic nerve straight length, lateral wall angle, ethmoidal sinus surface area, mid-interorbital distance, anterior interorbital distance, external orbital distance, inter-pupillary distance, and lateral wall curve cord were evaluated in order to define a criterion for NSE., Results: Among eleven compared radiological parameters between the study and control groups, five parameters including lateral orbital wall angle ( P  = 0.02), mid-interorbital distance ( P  = 0.007), anterior inter-orbital distance ( P  < 0.001), inter-pupillary distance ( P  = 0.01), and proptosis severity ( P  < 0.001) were found to be significantly different between the study groups. Therefore, NSE could be diagnosed with lateral wall angle greater than 41.74°, mid-interorbital distance more than 31.84 mm, and anterior interorbital distance more than 25.90 mm, with a sensitivity of 91% and specificity of 71%., Conclusions: Using lateral wall angle, mid-interorbital distance, and anterior interorbital distance, we defined the criterion for diagnosis of NSE. Moreover, by focusing on parameters which play a role in developing exorbitism, we can determine the best approach for improvement of aesthetic and functional features of this condition., (© 2019 Iranian Society of Ophthalmology. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.)

Objective : The aim of this study was to assess the effect of providing massage (tactile and kinesthetic stimulation) on behavioural responses for preterm infants. Background : These infants have immature central nervous systems. Sleep-wake states during infancy have been shown to reflect severity of disease developments, and the nervous system and brain maturation. Methods : This study is a quasi-experimental study with before and after design conducted on 45 preterm infants who were admitted in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The subjects received massage 15 min per day for 5 days using field massage technique. Behavioural responses were measured by behavioural state, motor activity and behavioural distress. Data were obtained 10 min before and 10 min after the providing massage period. Results : An increase was observed in sleep state score after providing massage. And also, the awake, fidgeting and motor activity scores reduced after providing massage. No significant change was seen in the total behavioural distress. Conclusion : The findings suggest that providing field massage had soothing and calming effect on preterm infants and could be beneficial in nursing intervention. Nurses working in neonatal intensive care unit need to be educated on how to performing the massage on preterm infants. Abbreviation: NICU: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Background: Regarding the antimonial-resistant of Leishmania spp., understanding of related mechanism is necessary. One of the most important involved molecules is aquaglyceropin1 (AQP1). The aim of this study was molecular analysis of AQP1 gene from antimonial-resistant clinical isolates and its expression., Methods: Overall, 150 patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis referring to the reference laboratories of Yazd and Varzaneh,, located 105km southeast of Isfahan and 240km away from Yazd, were assessed from Jun 2015 to Dec 2017. After sampling, staining was done and evaluated for Leishman by microscope. Samples were collected in RNAlater solution for gene expression analysis in non-healing isolates. DNA extraction was performed from each slide with Leishman body. All patients with L . major isolates detected by ITS1-PCR-RFLP were followed for finding the resistant isolates, consequence of molecular characterization of AQP1 using PCR-RFLP. Gene expression of AQP1 from all resistant isolates was assessed in comparison with the one in a sensitive isolate. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS. The significance level was considered ≤0.05., Results: Five isolates were detected as antimonial resistant. Molecular detection and identification were appeared that all were L. major . The molecular characterization of AQP1 showed G562A mutation. Gene expression of AQP1 in resistant isolates showed 1.67 fold higher than the sensitive isolate., Conclusion: We reported a new point mutation of G562A in AQP1 gene involved in molecular mechanism in resistant isolates., (Copyright© Iranian Society of Medical Entomology & Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-np) on initiation adhesion and agglutinin-like sequence (ALS) 1 and ALS3 gene expression, which is the first cell surface protein known to be, required for biofilm formation in 125 Candida albicans (C. albicans) from urinary tract infections (UTIs)., Methods: In this descriptive-analytic study, Candida UTIs was cultured from 280 women admitted in hospital Sayad Shirazi, in Northeastern Iran in the 2018 year. 125 (44.62%) of C. albicans strains were identified by phenotypic and genotypic methods. Susceptibility testing C. albicans strains were determined by the disk diffusion method. ZnO-np with 20-40 nm diameters were prepared, there were confirmed by the X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope methods., Results: 115 susceptible C. albicans and 10 fluconazole-resistant C. albicans strain from UTIs were exposed to sub-minimum inhibitory concentration (Sub-MIC) of ZnO-np (range 0.02-18.1 μg/ml). Expression of the ALS1 and ALS3 genes which are affected by adhesion was evaluated by real-time PCR. One-way ANOVA test statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 16.0. The MIC range of ZnO-np was 0.05-296 µg/ml. Sub-MIC concentration ZnO-np initial adhesion inhibition, and significantly reduced ALS1 and ALS3 gene expression was observed in all strains (P < 0.05). The finding indicated that ZnO-np is effective in reduction of ALS1 and ALS3 expression in fluconazole-resistant strains., Conclusions: Therefore, ZnO-np could be a candidate in the elimination of biofilm C. albicans strains from UTIs in medicine, particularly in medical instruments.

In this work, a Box-Behnken design (BBD) with three variables (ultrasound power, irradiation time and pH) in three levels was applied for pectin extraction optimization. The optimization process showed that the maximum extraction yield was 28.07 ± 0.67% in ultrasound power of 150 W, irradiation time of 10 min and pH of 1.5 (as optimum conditions). In these conditions, ash, moisture and protein contents of SOPP were 1.89 ± 0.51, 8.81 ± 0.68 and 1.45 ± 0.23%, respectively. HPLC analysis indicated that 65.3% of the extracted pectin was galacturonic acid and approximately 72% of total neutral sugars was galactose. The optimized pectin had a total phenolic content of 39.95 ± 3.13 mg gallic acid equivalents/g pectin, the surface tension of 46.56 ± 0.23 and 42.14 ± 0.61 mN/m in concentrations of 0.1 and 0.5%w/v, water holding capacity and oil holding capacity of 3.10 ± 0.12 and 1.32 ± 0.21 g water or oil/g pectin with a suitable emulsifying and antioxidant properties. In addition, SOPP with degree of esterification of 6.77 ± 0.43% was classified as low methoxyl pectin, which confirmed by FTIR and 1 H NMR analysis., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a major disease in many parts of the world. Since no vaccine has been developed, treatment is the best way to control it. In most areas, antimonial resistance whose mechanisms have not been completely understood has been reported. The main aim of this study is gene expression assessing of J - binging protein 1 and J - binding protein 2 in clinical Leishmania major isolates. The patients with CL from central and north Iran were considered for this study. The samples were transferred in RNAlater solution and stored in - 20 °C. RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis were performed. The gene expression analysis was done with SYBR Green real-time PCR using ∆∆CT. Written informed consent forms were filled out by patients, and then, information forms were filled out based on the Helsinki Declaration. Statistical analysis was done with SPSS (16.0; SPSS Inc, Chicago) using independent t test, Shapiro-Wilk, and Pearson's and Spearman's rank correlation coefficients. P  ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. The gene expression of JBP1 and JBP2 had no relation with sex and age. The JBP1 gene expression was high in sensitive isolates obtained from north of the country. The JBP2 gene expression was significant in sensitive and no response-antimonial isolates from the north, but no significant differences were detected in sensitive and resistant isolates from central Iran. Differential gene expression of JBP1 and JBP2 in various clinical resistances isolates in different geographical areas shows multifactorial ways of developing resistance in different isolates., Competing Interests: Compliance with ethical standardsThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

The present study was tested how Oncorhynchus mykiss can respond to dietary supplementations of autochthonous probiotics, including Lactobacillus delbrukei subsp. bulgaricus and Lactobacillus acidophilus and Citrobacter farmeri by measuring different parameters. To address that, 300 fish weighing 19.08-32.9 g were fed by probiotics-enriched diets, containing 5 × 10 7  CFU g -1 for 60 days. Our results indicated that probiotics, especially L. acidophilus and L. bulgaricus are involved in enhancing the growth performance of this species as compared with the control group. Blood profile (Hemoglobin and Hematocrit) showed significant (P < 0.05) increases in probiotic fed groups compared with the control. Serum lysozyme and complement activities were higher in probiotic-fed fish while similar changes were not observed in the case of bactericidal activity and Nitroblue Tetrazolium (NBT) reduction. Better colonization of lactic acid bacteria in fish intestine was observed following L. acidophilus and L. bulgaricus administrations (P < 0.001). Digestive enzyme activities of intestine, including amylase, trypsin, lipase and alkaline phosphatase were elevated either significant or insignificant while protease activity did not act the same. All probiotic treatments led to mild or strong (P < 0.001) up-regulation of cytokine and growth gene expressions of intestine in comparison with the control group. Higher in vitro antagonist activities of L. acidophilus and L. bulgaricus against the Lactococcus garvieae were coincident with in vivo challenge test. The relative percentage of survival (RPS) was obtained 63.71 and 51.56 for L. bulgaricus and L. acidophilus, respectively, which were higher in those treated fish as compared to control fish. Our results may suggest that the probiotics, applied here, can promote growth performance by improving digestive enzyme activity, gut micro flora and growth gene expression. Up-regulation of immune regulatory proteins may increase the non-specific immune responses and bacterial resistance in this species as well., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The present study investigated biodegradation and removal of Reactive Red 198 (RR198) dye from aqueous environments using a new bacterial consortium isolated from textile wastewater sludge on laboratory scale via batch study. Two bacterial species, Enterococcus faecalis (EF) and Klebsiella variicola (KV), were identified after isolation, through biochemical assays, Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. To determine their ability to biodegrade RR198 dye, physicochemical parameters, including bacterial concentration, time, pH, and temperature, were tested; the results showed that the best conditions included a bacterial concentration of 3.5 mL × 10 5 cells/mL and incubation time of 72 h. Under such conditions, the removal efficiency of RR198 dye at an initial concentration of 10-25 mg/L was more than 98%; however, for concentrations of 50, 75, and 100 mg/L, removal efficiency was reduced to 55.62%, 25.82%, and 15.42%, respectively (p = 0.005). The highest removal efficiency occurred at pH 8.0, reaching 99.26% after 72 h of incubation. With increasing the incubation temperature from 25 °C to 37 °C, removal efficiency increased from 71.71 to 99.26% after 72 h of incubation, and increasing the temperature from 37 to 45 °C, the removal efficiency was reduced (p ≤ 0.001). Therefore, the EF-KV bacterial consortium can be used for efficient removal of RR198 dye from textile effluent.

Purpose: To assess the correlation of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (PRNFL) thickness with visual recovery in compressive optic neuropathy (CON) in patients with thyroid eye disease (TED)., Methods: Twenty-three eyes of 13 consecutive patients with TED-related CON were prospectively recruited. Assessment of PRNFL by means of spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), visual field (VF) parameters, color vision, and visual acuity in logMAR were compared before and 6 months after decompression surgery in the operated eye for each patient, which in ten cases included both eyes. Decompression surgery was performed as medial and inferior wall decompression sparing the orbital strut by the same surgeon., Results: There was a significant correlation between the preoperative PRNFL average thickness and postoperative improvement in visual acuity among all patients ( P  = 0.048). This correlation was found to be significant in clinically non-edematous optic neuropathy cases ( P  = 0.023) but not in edematous optic neuropathy ( P  = 0.23). There was significant correlation between PRNFL thickness and improvement of postoperative mean deviation (MD) and pattern standard deviation (PSD) parameters in VF studies and in color vision scores ( P  = 0.005, P  = 0.02, P  = 0.01, respectively). Average PRNFL thickness and quadrantal PRNFL were all significantly reduced after decompression surgery in all of the cases ( P  = 0.024)., Conclusions: PRNFL thickness measured by SD-OCT is correlated with visual recovery after decompression surgery in TED-related CON. In eyes with severe VF defect (MD worse than -10 dB), the ones with higher preoperative PRNFL thicknesses (>65 μm) had more improvement in MD compared with those with thin PRNFL measures (<60 μm).

Background: Avian Influenza disease annually entails a significant economic loss to the poultry industry around the world. Influenza virus is a polymorphic virus of the orthomyxoviridae family (single-stranded RNA genome), and nucleoprotein (NP) is the structural and internal protein of the virus. The aim of the work was to purify nucleoprotein for further investigations with a simple, low-cost, fast and practical method. Methods: In this study, H9N2 influenza virus was isolated in specific pathogen-free embryonated chicken eggs by allantoically inoculating 103 to 105 egg-infective doses (EID50) for 9 to 11 days, purified by 10% (W/V) polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000 with a sucrose gradient of 60% to 30%. The influenza virus proteins were collected and prepared as fractions by preparative electrophoresis. Finally, the purified NP was subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western blot procedures. Results: The protein analysis with SDS-PAGE and silver nitrate staining indicated that the desired samples contained purified nucleoprotein and lacked other viral proteins. The results of the investigation of lyophilized fractions containing nucleoprotein on the SDS-PAGE revealed the absence of viral RNA in nucleoprotein and its high purity. Conclusion: According to this study, purified nucleoprotein can be used to produce nucleoprotein vaccines, as well as to study structural, molecular and diagnostic and therapeutic materials.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) is one of the main classes of acid-producing organisms in the food industry, and they play a vital part in many food and feed fermentations. We isolated and performed molecular identification of LAB from raw camel's milk and assessed their protective effects against pathogenicity induced by Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Fourteen samples of camel's milk were obtained from several districts under aseptic conditions. Bacteria isolation was performed by plating the samples on selective media. Isolates were identified by amplification of the 16S ribosomal RNA by PCR and sequencing. A total of 32 isolates were randomly picked, eight of which were analysed in this study. On the basis of phenotypic and genotypic methods, isolated LAB was included Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillus plantarum, Weissella paramesenteroides and Weissella confuse. Antagonistic activity of isolated LAB against two pathogenic bacteria showed that they had more inhibitory activity against S. aureus subsp. aureus PTCC 1431 than E. coli ATCC 25922. This study discovered that raw camel's milk obtained from three districts of Kerman province contain LAB bacteria that have antagonistic properties on S. aureus.

Background and Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of zinc oxide nanoparticle (ZnO-np) solution in the surface catheter on C. albicans adhesion and biofilm formation., Materials and Methods: Out of 260 isolates from urinary catheter, 133 were determined as C. albicans by common phenotypic and genotyping methods. ZnO nanoparticles with 30 nm were made by the sol-gel method, which was confirmed by XRD (X-ray diffraction) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) methods. Candidal adhesion and biofilm assays were performed on catheter surfaces for 2 and 48 hours, respectively. The effect of sub-MIC (minimum inhibitory concentrations) and MIC concentrations of ZnO-np on biofilm formation was evaluated after 24 hours using Crystal violet (CV), colony-forming unit (CFU), and SEM., Results: Out of 133 C. albicans isolates, 20 (15%) fluconazole-resistant and 113 (85%) susceptible isolates were determined by the disk diffusion method. Results showed that both isolates adhered to biofilm formation on the catheter surfaces. A significantly (P< 0.05) higher number of CFUs was evident in fluconazole-resistant biofilms compared to those formed by susceptible isolates. ZnO-np reduced biofilm biomass and CFUs of dual isolate biofilms (P< 0.05). ZnO nanoparticles had a significantly (P< 0.05) greater effect on reducing fluconazole-resistant C. albicans biofilm biomass compared to susceptible isolates., Conclusion: Zno-np exhibits inhibitory effects on biofilms of both isolates. These findings provide an important advantage of ZnO that may be useful in the treatment of catheter-related urinary tract infection.

The aim of this data is comparison of achieved data from salt iodine measurement by titration method with using sodium thiosulfate in presence of lugol׳s reagent and commercial spot- kit. Titration measurement was carried out in two different laboratories using standard samples. 437 samples including 20 commercial brands were collected throughout Iran. The iodine contents of the samples were measured by both the titration method and two most frequently used spot-kit brands in Iran. There is no significant differences between the results obtained from the two brands of spot-kits (ICC = 0.797). The kits sensitivity for determination of negative samples was high (more than 0.9) but by increasing the iodine concentration up to 15 ppm, the kits' sensitivity was decreased. These findings indicate that the titration method is necessary for quantitative purposes, especially for concentrations higher than 30 ppm. However, spot-kits are suitable for qualitative and semi-quantitative measurements.

Background: Plasma glycosaminoglycan (GAG) measurements, when aggregated into diagnostic scores, accurately distinguish metastatic clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) from healthy samples and correlate with prognosis. However, it is unknown if GAG scores can detect RCC in earlier stages or if they correlate with prognosis after surgery., Objective: To explore the sensitivity and specificity of plasma GAGs for detection of early-stage RCC and prediction of recurrence and death after RCC surgery., Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a retrospective case-control study consisting of a consecutive series of 175 RCC patients surgically treated between May 2011 and February 2014 and 19 healthy controls., Outcome Measurements and Statistical Analysis: Plasma GAGs in preoperative and postoperative RCC and healthy samples were measured using capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence in a single blinded laboratory. A discovery set was first analyzed to update the historical GAG score. The sensitivity of the new GAG score for RCC detection versus healthy subjects was validated using the remaining samples. The correlation of the new GAG score to histopathologic variables, overall survival, and recurrence-free survival was evaluated using nonparametric and log-rank tests and multivariable Cox regression analyses., Results and Limitations: The RCC cohort included 94 stage I, 58 stage II-III, and 22 stage IV cases. In the first discovery set (n=67), the new GAG score distinguished RCC from healthy samples with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.999. In the validation set (n=108), the GAG score achieved an AUC of 0.991, with 93.5% sensitivity. GAG scores were elevated in RCC compared to healthy samples, irrespective of and uncorrelated to stage, grade, histology, age, or gender. The total chondroitin sulfate concentration was an independent prognostic factor for both overall and recurrence-free survival (hazard ratios 1.51 and 1.25) with high concordance when combined with variables available at pathologic diagnosis (C-index 0.926 and 0.849) or preoperatively (C-index 0.846 and 0.736). Limitations of the study include its retrospective nature and moderate variability in GAG laboratory measurements., Conclusions: Plasma GAGs are highly sensitive diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in surgically treated RCC independent of stage, grade, or histology. Prospective validation studies on GAG scores for early detection, prediction, and surveillance for RCC recurrence are thus warranted., Patient Summary: In this study, we examined if a new molecular blood test can detect renal cell carcinoma in the early stages and predict if the cancer might relapse after surgery. The trial is registered on ClinicalTrial.gov as NCT03471897., (Copyright © 2018 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

It was found that using chelating agents increases the efficiency of heavy metal extraction, however, they may have negative effects on soil ecosystem quality. A pot experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications in order to evaluate the effect of EDTA and Olive Husk Extract (OHE) on some chemical and biological properties of the Pb-contaminated soil. The experimental treatments included EDTA (2 g Na 2 EDTA salt per kg soil), OHE (2 g TDS of OHE per kg soil) and control (without the chelating agent). The results revealed that the EDTA and OHE treatments increased the Pb availability by 17.7% and 5.5% in comparison to the control treatment, respectively. Although EDTA was more effective in increasing the Pb availability but decreased the soil biological quality index (SBQI). The EDTA treatment significantly decreased the dehydrogenase (DH) activity and germination index (GI). The OHE application significantly increased the available-P, available-K, total N and organic carbon content by 339.92%, 40.79%, 20.9%, and 29.7% compared with control treatment, respectively. Furthermore, OHE considerably increased SBQI from 18.96 to 53.48. Compared to the control treatment higher values of soil respiration activity, DH activity, and carbon availability index (CAI) were observed in OHE treatment.

Desalination and softening of sea, brackish, and ground water are becoming increasingly important solutions to overcome water shortage challenges. Various technologies have been developed for salt removal from water resources including multi-stage flash, multi-effect distillation, ion exchange, reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, electrodialysis, as well as adsorption. Recently, removal of solutes by adsorption onto selective adsorbents has shown promising perspectives. Different types of adsorbents such as zeolites, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), activated carbons, graphenes, magnetic adsorbents, and low-cost adsorbents (natural materials, industrial by-products and wastes, bio-sorbents, and biopolymer) have been synthesized and examined for salt removal from aqueous solutions. It is obvious from literature that the existing adsorbents have good potentials for desalination and water softening. Besides, nano-adsorbents have desirable surface area and adsorption capacity, though are not found at economically viable prices and still have challenges in recovery and reuse. On the other hand, natural and modified adsorbents seem to be efficient alternatives for this application compared to other types of adsorbents due to their availability and low cost. Some novel adsorbents are also emerging. Generally, there are a few issues such as low selectivity and adsorption capacity, process efficiency, complexity in preparation or synthesis, and problems associated to recovery and reuse that require considerable improvements in research and process development. Moreover, large-scale applications of sorbents and their practical utility need to be evaluated for possible commercialization and scale up., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this study, the effect of acidic extraction conditions (time of 30-90 min, temperature of 75-95 °C and pH of 1.5-3) on the yield and degree of esterification (DE) of citron peel pectin was investigated applying Box-Behnken design. The highest production yield of pectin (28.31 ± 0.11%) was achieved at extraction time of 90 min, temperature of 95 °C and pH of 1.5, as optimal extraction conditions, which was close to the predicted value (29.87%). Under optimum extraction conditions, the DE and the emulsifying activity were 51.33 and 46.2%, respectively. In addition, the emulsions were 93.9 and 93.5 stable at 4 °C, 93.7 and 93.1 at 23 °C after 1 and 30 days, respectively. The determination of flow behavior showed that the pectin solutions had a Newtonian behavior at low concentrations (< 1.0% w/v), while this behavior was changed to pseudoplastic with increasing concentration.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of orbital vector and other biometric parameters (i.e. axial globe length, axial globe projection) on the development of involutional entropion or ectropion., Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 167 eyes from 132 patients were included. Of these eyes, 128 had involutional entropion and 39 had involutional ectropion, all of lower lids. The axial globe projection was measured using Hertel exophthalmometry; axial globe length was assessed by A-mode ultrasound; and orbital vector was determined clinically. Patient-specific categorical variables and continuous variables were compared using the chi-square test and the two-sided t test, respectively. Correlations were derived using the Pearson correlation., Results: The percentage of females was 59% and 33.3% in the entropion group and in the ectropion group, respectively. A significant association was found between the gender and type of eyelid malposition (p = 0.015). Exophthalmometry reading was greater in the ectropion group than in the entropion group (17.7 ± 2.5 versus 10.8 ± 3.7 mm, respectively; p < 0.001). There was no significant correlation between axial globe length and exophthalmometry reading. Positive orbital vectors were observed in 87.5% of eyelids with involutional entropion. Negative orbital vectors were observed in 92.3% of eyelids with involutional ectropion (p < 0.001). Patients with negative orbital vectors showed greater axial globe projection than patients with positive orbital vectors (18.0 ± 2.1 versus 10.6 ± 3.5 mm, respectively; p < 0.001)., Conclusions: There is an association between orbital vector measurement and involutional entropion and ectropion. Measuring the orbital vector may help predict the development of these lid malpositions.

In this study, the effect of aqueous extraction conditions (temperature of 70-90°C, time of 60-180min, and liquid/solid ratio (LSR) of 20-40v/w) on the yield and degree of esterification (DE) of Citrus medica peel pectin was studied using a Box-Behnken design. The highest production yield of pectin (21.85±0.35%) was obtained at temperature of 90°C, extraction time of 180min and LSR of 40v/w as optimum extraction conditions which was close to the predicted value (24.13%). In these extraction conditions, the DE and the emulsifying activity were 77.2 and 46.5%, respectively. Also, the emulsions were 90.30 and 90% stable at 4°C, and 83.87 and 83.50% at 25°C after 1 and 30days, respectively. The determination of flow behavior showed that the pectin solutions had a Newtonian behavior at low concentrations (0.1, 0.5 and 1.0%w/v), while in higher concentration (2.0%w/v), the pseudoplastic flow behavior became dominant., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In the past, some efforts have been made for measuring natural radioactivity and evaluating public exposure to natural radiation in certain areas of Iran especially in well-known High Level Natural Radiation Areas (HLNRA) in Ramsar and Mahallat. However, the information on radionuclide concentrations, and, consequently, terrestrial radiation exposure for many other areas are not available. There was therefore a need for a systematic and nation-wide survey. For this purpose, 979 soil samples from 31 provinces were collected. The activity concentrations of 40 K, 226 Ra and 232 Th were measured by HPGe detector. The average activity concentrations for Iran were found to be 457.7 Bq/kg for 40 K, 24.3 Bq/kg for 226 Ra and 25.8 Bq/kg for 232 Th. Results were compared with previous regional or provincial surveys. The population-weighted average outdoor and indoor annual effective dose due to external exposure to terrestrial sources of radiation are 0.06 mSv and 0.33 mSv, respectively. It was shown that there is a significant correlation between the activity concentrations of 232 Th and 40 K in soil. In addition, the results of chi square tests show normal and lognormal distributions cannot be considered for the frequency distributions of activity concentration of 232 Th and 226 Ra while 40 K has a normal distribution., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The placenta plays a major role in the development of fetal growth restriction, which affects 10% of pregnancies and contributes to chronic adult disease risk. We have reported that female rats born small develop cardiometabolic dysfunction only during pregnancy. The physiological tests performed during pregnancy induced a maternal stress response as indicated by increased maternal corticosterone concentrations. This stress effected placental growth compared to females who were unhandled during pregnancy. Maternal stress and growth restriction independently program F2 offspring metabolic dysfunction. This study investigated the effects of maternal stress and growth restriction on placental and fetal metabolic parameters that may contribute to F2 offspring metabolic disease. Maternal growth restriction reduced F2 fetal weight whilst maternal stress reduced placental weight. Stressed mothers had reduced insulin and increased glucose concentrations, changes that were reflected in the fetus. Fetal β-cell number was reduced by maternal growth restriction, but was increased by stress exposure. Maternal growth restriction reduced placental Slc2a1, Igf2, Slc38a2 and Nr3c1 gene expression. Maternal stress decreased the expression of Slc2a1, Igf2, Slc38a2, Nr3c1, Slc2a3, Slc2a4, Nr3c2, Hsd11b2, Crhr1 and Ogt. Maternal birth weight effects on fetal weight were likely due to changes in placental nutrient transporter and Igf2 expression. On the contrary, maternal stress induced a systemic effect by altering maternal metabolic parameters, placental gene expression and fetal glucose and insulin concentrations. This study highlights the importance of informing pregnant women on effective ways to cope with stress during pregnancy to prevent adverse long-term disease outcomes in their children., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this paper, the influence of pH (0.5-2.5), temperature (50-90°C), extraction time (30-150min) and liquid/solid ratio (10-50v/w) on the acidic extraction yield and degree of esterification (DE) of pistachio green hull pectin were studied by using central composite design. The results indicated that the yield and DE of pectin ranged from 7.31 to 19.02% and 26.00 to 53.01%, respectively. The optimization of pectin extraction condition showed that the optimal condition was pH of 0.5, temperature of 90°C, time of 30min and liquid/solid ratio of 50 v/w. In this condition, the experimental yield (22.1±0.5%) was fine accord among predicted yield (23.42%). Also, under the optimal extraction condition, the galacturonic acid content of pectin was about 65%. The FTIR spectrum showed that the pectin extracted under optimal condition is rich from polygalacturonic acid., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Ramsar, a city of Iran located on the coast of the Caspian Sea, has been considered to be enormously important due to its high natural radioactivity levels. People living in High Level Natural Radiation Areas (HLNRAs) have been exposed by several sources, one of which could be foodstuff. However, many studies have been carried out to measure the environmental radioactivity in Ramsar, but no survey has been conducted in all stapled consumed foods yet. This study was dedicated to determine 226 Ra activity concentration in the daily diets of Ramsar residents as a probable exposure., Methods: Approximately 70 different market samples were collected during the four seasons based on the daily consumption patterns of residents which have the highest consumption and their availability in the seasons. All samples, after washing, drying and pretreatment, were analyzed for 226 Ra radionuclide determination by α-spectrometry., Results: The mean radioactivity concentration of 226 Ra ranged between 7 ± 1 mBq Kg -1 wet weight in meat, and 318 ± 118 mBq Kg -1 for tea dry leaves. The 226 Ra activity concentrations in collected samples varied from below the minimum detectable activity up to 530 ± 30 mBq Kg -1 . To compare the results with United Nations Scientific Committee on Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) reference values, the 226 Ra activity concentrations concluded from the results appear to be higher in milk, chicken and eggs and less in grain products, vegetables, fruits and fish products. These results indicate that no significant 226 Ra contamination is present in market foodstuffs and provide reference values for the foodstuffs in Ramsar., Conclusions: Of the total daily dietary 226 Ra exposure from market consuming foodstuffs for adults in Ramsar, the largest percentage was from wheat. The residents consuming wheat and manufacturing wheat products such as bread, pasta, porridge, crackers, biscuits, pancakes, pies, pastries, cakes, cookies, muffins, rolls, doughnuts, breakfast cereals and so on may receive an elevated dose in the diet. In conclusion, with regards to presence of 226 Ra in foodstuffs it is necessary to monitor regularly the activity of 226 Ra in foodstuffs including market and local foods.

Purpose: To present the qualitative and quantitative ultrasonographic findings of lower eyelid compartments in patients with chronic thyroid associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) compared to normal subjects., Methods: In a prospective study, dynamic and static ultrasonographic investigation, applying high resolution (15 MHz) ultrasound was performed to assess the lower eyelid, in 15 TAO patients that were in chronic phase and 10 normal subjects. The thickness and echogenisity of dermis, orbicular oculi muscle, lower eyelid retractor muscle, lower eyelid fat pads, and their qualitative relationships during vertical excursion of the globe were evaluated in static and dynamic investigation. Correlation of ultrasonic and clinical findings was evaluated., Results: The mean age of the patients was 41.82 ± 7.4 years, and the controls were age-matched (mean age, 42.8 ± 5.6 years). Mean proptosis of the involved eyes was 3.3 mm, and mean lower lid retraction was 2.4 mm in chronic TAO group. Pattern of fat motion was blocky in chronic TAO patients compared to normal jelly motion of the fat in normal cases. In analyzing the range of motion, the difference was significant in the motion of both superficial and deep fat pockets between the two groups ( P  < 0.001). Limitation of fat motion correlated both with proptosis and lower eyelid retraction (Pearson correlation coefficient = -0.77 vs -0.43, P  < 0.001). Fibrotic changes of lower lid fat pads appear in the tissue around the septum on observation. Considering the ultrasound findings, a new staging method is proposed in this study that starts with the appearance of echodense points, getting worse in fine bands, progresses to thick bands and ends in cord formation in the lower lid fat pocket that determines total fibrosis., Conclusion: Development of a series of static and dynamic changes in ultrasound is related to the clinical findings in chronic phase of TAO. The limitation of motion and fibrotic changes of lower eyelid fat pads were more detectable in cases with a more severe proptosis and lower lid retraction. It is considered that ultrasound findings can be a representative of the severity of involvement in the chronic phase of the TAO.

In this study, acidic extraction (citric acid) was used for the extraction of pectin from melon peel. A central composite design (CCD) was applied to study the effect of temperature (35-95°C), time (40-200min), pH (1-3) and solvent to sample ratio (10-50v/w) on the yield and degree of esterification (DE). The results showed that the yield and DE ranged from 2.87 to 28.98% and 1.33-29.33%, respectively. Also, the highest extraction yield (29.48±1.7%) was obtained under optimal conditions (pH of 1, temperature of 95°C and ratio of 10v/w after 200min). The protein, ash, carbohydrate and galacturonic acid content of pectin obtained under optimal conditions were about 1.5, 3.5, 10 and 48%, respectively. Rheological experiments determined that melon peel pectin dispersions behaved as a weak gel at concentrations of 1%w/v. The emulsifying activity was 35% and also, the emulsion stability was higher at 4°C than at 23°C., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Among High Level Natural Radiation Areas (HLNRAs) all over the world, the northern coastal city of Ramsar has been considered enormously important. Many studies have measured environmental radioactivity in Ramsar, however, no survey has been undertaken to measure concentrations in the diets of residents. This study determined the 226 Ra activity concentration in the daily diet of people of Ramsar. The samples were chosen from both normal and high level natural radiation areas and based on the daily consumption patterns of residents. About 150 different samples, which all are local and have the highest consumption, were collected during the four seasons. In these samples, after washing and drying and pretreatment, the radionuclide was determined by α-spectrometry. The mean radioactivity concentration of 226 Ra ranged between 5 ± 1 mBq kg -1 wet weight (chino and meat) to 725 ± 480 mBq kg -1 for tea dry leaves. The 226 Ra activity concentrations compared with the reference values of UNSCEAR appear to be higher in leafy vegetables, milk and meat product. Of the total daily dietary 226 Ra exposure for adults in Ramsar, the largest percentage was from eggs. The residents consuming eggs from household chickens may receive an elevated dose in the diet., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.joco.2016.01.004.].

In this study, the central composite design for four variables in five levels was applied to determine the effects of pH (0.5-2.5), temperature (50-90°C), heating time (30-150min) and liquid/solid ratio (10-50v/w) on the yield and degree of esterification (DE) of carrot pomace pectin. The results showed that the pectin yield ranged from 5.0 to 15.2% and also, this pectin is classified as low methoxyl pectin (DE of 22.1-51.8%). The pH of 1.3, temperature of 90°C, time of 79.8min and liquid/solid ratio of 23.3v/w were determined as optimal conditions with a maximum yield of 15.6±0.5%, which was close to the predicted values (16.0%). Under the optimal extraction conditions, the galacturonic acid content and emulsifying activity were 75.5 and 60.3% respectively; moreover, the emulsions had a high stability at two different storage temperatures (4 and 23°C). Furthermore, carrot pectin solutions exhibited viscous and pseudoplastic behavior at 1% w/v., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objectives: Secreted Aspartyl Proteinase (SAP) is one of the main virulence factors in the pathogenesis of Candida. This enzyme is encoded by a family of at least ten genes. Among these genes, the role of SAP1-3 in mucosal infections is evident. This study aimed to investigate the expression of SAP1-3 genes of Candida albicans isolates after treatment with Echinophora platyloba extract, carvacrol and caspofungin drug., Materials and Methods: Vaginal samples of 68 women with suspected vaginitis were obtained and cultured. Canida albicans species were identified using phenotypic and genotyping methods. Spectrophotometry was used to investigate the presence of SAP protein in the vaginal samples, and SDS-PAGE was used to confirm its protein composition. Real-time PCR was performed to ascertain the effects of subinhibitory concentrations of Echinophora platyloba extract, carvacrol and caspofungin on the expression of SAP1-3 genes before and after treatment., Results: C. albicans was found as the abundant species (59.6%), and different amounts of SAP were present in all vaginal samples, which were higher than Candida krusei strain. The protein composition of SAP in C. albicans samples was estimated with the approximate molecular weight of 45 kDa. mRNA levels of total SAP in FLU-resistant isolates (P=0.01) were more than those of FLU-susceptible isolates (P=0.07). The findings indicated that carvacrol is effective in reduction of SAP1-3 expression with a particular effect against FLU-resistant isolates., Conclusion: Carvacrol contains an essential oil (carvacrol); therefore, it can be considered as an alternative effective antifungal compound.

Aim: To investigate the clinical outcomes of different intubation techniques in the cases of failed primary probing., Methods: This retrospective study was performed on 338 patients with the diagnosis of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction with age 1-4y that had failed primary probing. Intubation was performed under light sedation in operating room and the stent was left 3mo in place. Clinical outcome was investigated 3mo after tube removal., Results: Bicanalicular intubation method had higher complete and relative success rates compared to monocanalicular intubation ( P =0.00). In addition, Monoka intubation had better outcomes compared to Masterka technique ( P =0.046). No difference was found between genders but the higher the age, the better the outcomes with bicanalicular technique rather than monocanalicular., Conclusion: Overall success rate of bicanalicular intubation is superior to monocanalicular technique especially in older ages. Also, based upon our clinical outcomes, Masterka intubation is not recommended in cases of failed probing.

Purpose: To introduce a new modification of transposition flap technique for reconstruction of the medial canthal region., Methods: This prospective study included 58 patients with the full thickness involvement of both upper and lower lid in the medial canthal area. Reconstruction of posterior lamella was performed by utilizing periosteal flaps and tarsoconjunctival grafts, and anterior lamellar reconstruction was performed using transposition of multiple full-thickness skin flaps, a modified form of rhomboid flap technique. Post-surgical outcomes, advantages, and drawbacks of this technique are discussed., Results: Between 2010 and 2014, 58 patients with basal cell carcinoma (BCC), proven by histopathologic study, underwent medial canthal reconstruction. The mean age was 72.8 ± 8.3 years. In 30 patients, the lacrimal apparatus was excised, and periosteal flaps or tarsoconjunctival grafts were prepared to reconstruct the posterior lamella. Anterior lamellar reconstruction was performed in all patients, and the mean number of transposition flaps was 3.63 in addition to the blepharoplasty flap. Patients were followed for 24 months. None of the patients developed flap necrosis or other intraoperative and postoperative complications, with acceptable aesthetic and functional outcomes., Conclusion: Full-thickness reconstruction of the medial canthal area by utilizing periosteal flaps and modified transposition flap technique all in one session can be considered an alternative method in medial canthal reconstruction, with acceptable functional and aesthetic outcomes.

In this study, the efficiency of Moringa stenopetala seed extract was compared with alum and M. stenopetala-alum hybrid coagulant to remove Direct Red 23 azo dye from textile wastewater. The effects of parameters such as pH, coagulant dose, type of salt used for the extraction of coagulant and initial dye concentration on dye removal efficiency were investigated. Moreover, the existing functional groups on the structure of M. stenopetala coagulant (MSC) were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and the morphology of sludge produced by MSC, alum, and hybrid coagulant was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. Ninhydrin test was also used to determine the quantity of primary amines in the MSC and Moringa oleifera coagulant (MOC). According to the results, with increasing the coagulant dose and decreasing the initial dye concentration, dye removal efficiency has increased. The maximum dye removal of 98.5, 98.2, and 98.3 % were obtained by using 240, 120, and 80 mg/L MSC, alum and hybrid coagulant at pH 7, respectively. The results also showed MSC was much more effective than MOC for dye removal. The volume of sludge produced by MSC was one fourth and half of those produced by alum and hybrid coagulant, respectively. Based on the results, hybrid coagulant was the most efficient coagulant for direct dye removal from colored wastewater.

Introduction: Dorsal nasal irregularity is a complication of rhinoplasty surgery, mostly seen in patients with thin skin. Acellular dermis (CenoDerm) and homologous fascia lata covering the nasal bone cartilage structure have been used to achieve a smooth surface. In this study, we aimed to investigate clinical outcomes using these two materials., Materials and Methods: After a standard rhinoplasty procedure, a layer of the acellular dermis or homologous fascia lata was placed in the pocket of the dorsum. Patients were evaluated for clinical outcomes at 3, 6, and 12 months after the procedure., Results: Forty-two of 68 patients completed the follow-up period. Patient satisfaction was higher in the homologous fascia lata group. Similarly, nasal dorsum inspection and palpation results were better in the homologous fascia lata group compared with the CenoDerm group but was significant in palpation (P=0.00). There was no complete absorption in the homologous fascia lata group 6 months after surgery (P= 0.04 vs. CenoDerm) but no significant difference was observed at 12 months., Conclusion: Homologous fascia lata is better than acellular dermis in preventing dorsal nasal irregularity after rhinoplasty in thin-skinned patients.

Background and Objectives: Macrolide, lincosamide and streptogramin type B (MLSB) antibiotics are important in the treatment of Staphylococcus aureus infections and existence of isolates with ability to resist against MLSB antibiotics is worrisome., Materials and Methods: In this cross sectional study, 101 S. aureus isolates were collected from patients of five selected hospitals in Tehran over a period of five months. Disk diffusion tests and differentiation between constitutive and inducible resistances were carried out by D-test. The presence of mecA, msrA, ermA and ermC genes were detected using PCR or multiplex PCR., Results: Out of 101 S. aureus isolates, 58 (57.4%) were methicillin resistant and 57 (56.4%) expressed resistance to erythromycin. The prevalence of constitutive MLSB (cMLSB), inducible MLSB (iMLSB) and MS (Negative) phenotype in all erythromycin resistant isolates were 71.9, 26.3 and 1.7%, respectively. Out of all the erythromycin resistant isolates, 57.8% harbored both ermA and ermC genes which possessed constitutive resistance. 8.7% of the isolates contained ermA gene alone which possessed inducible resistance with D phenotype and 5.2% of isolates just contained ermC gene which had inducible resistance with D + phenotype. msrA gene was detected in 3.5% of the erythromycin resistant S. aureus isolates with constitutive resistance. None of the genes were detected among MS phenotypes., Conclusion: In this study, most of S. aureus isolates carried both ermA and ermC genes and there was a significant relationship ( P value ≤ 0.05) between different resistance phenotypes and erm genes.

Microwave assisted extraction technique was used to extract pectin from sour orange peel. Box-Behnken design was used to study the effect of irradiation time, microwave power and pH on the yield and degree of esterification (DE) of pectin. The results showed that the optimum conditions for the highest yield of pectin (29.1%) were obtained at pH of 1.50, microwave power of 700W, and irradiation time of 3min. DE values of pectin ranged from 1.7% to 37.5%, indicating that the obtained pectin was low in methoxyl. Under optimal conditions, the galacturonic acid content and emulsifying activity were 71.0±0.8% and 40.7%, respectively. In addition, the emulsion stability value ranged from 72.1% to 83.4%. Viscosity measurement revealed that the solutions of pectin at low concentrations showed nearly Newtonian flow behavior, and as the concentration increased, pseudoplastic flow became dominant., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate visual results, comfort of use, safety, and efficacy of mini scleral contact lenses in optical management in patients with traumatic aphakia and severe concomitant irido-corneal injury., Methods: In a case series, eight eyes with post traumatic aphakia and severe concomitant irido-corneal injury that were evaluated at the Contact Lens Clinic of Farabi Eye Hospital, Tehran, Iran for contact lens fitting and could not be corrected with conventional corneal RGP contact lenses were fitted with miniscleral contact lenses. Uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best spectacle corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), and BCVA (Best corrected visual acuity) with miniscleral lens were recorded. Slit lamp examination, comfortable daily wearing time, and any contact lens-related complication were documented in each follow-up visit., Results: The mean UCVA and BSCVA of the cases was >2.7 and 0.41 LogMAR, respectively (BSCVA could not be assessed in one case due to severe corneal irregularity). The mean final BCVA with the miniscleral lens was 0.05 LogMAR (range from 0.4 to -0.04 LogMAR). The mean follow-up period was 14.6 months. The mean comfortable daily wearing time (CDWT) was 11.6 h, ranging from 8 to 16 h. The only contact lens-related complication was mild redness and irritation that was observed in 2 patients during the follow-up visits. All patients were comfortable with handling these lenses., Conclusion: Miniscleral contact lenses can be considered a safe and effective option in aphakia patients with concurrent corneal scarring secondary to ocular injury for whom surgical intervention would be complicated.

Introduction: Topiramate, a sulfa-derivative monosaccharide, is an antiepileptic drug which is administered in the control of migraine. It is reported to cause various ocular side effects such as visual field defect and myopic shift. To investigate the alterations in refractive error, properties of the cornea and changes in the anterior chamber in patients that receive Topiramate for migraine control., Materials and Methods: This is a hospital-based, non-interventional, observational study that is conducted at Imam Hossein Hospital, affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Department of Neurology, in collaboration with the department of Ophthalmology. Thirty three consecutive patients with the diagnosis of migraine that were candidate for Topiramate therapy were recruited. Patients with history of ocular trauma or surgery, keratoconus, glaucoma, congenital ocular malformations and any history of unexplained visual loss were excluded. After thorough ophthalmic examination, all the patients underwent central corneal thickness (CCT) measurement, and Pentacam imaging (Scheimpflug camera) at the baseline. Various parameters were extracted and used for analysis. Anterior chamber volume (ACV), anterior chamber depth (ACD), and anterior chamber angle (ACA) measurement was performed. These measurements were repeated on day 30(th) and 90(th) after the initiation of Topiramate therapy. According to the normality tests, parameters with normal distribution were analysed using the repeated measures test and the remaining parameters (with non-normal distribution) were analysed using the non-parametric k-sample test. A p-value< 0.05 was considered statistically significant, according to Bonferroni post hoc correction., Results: There were 66 eyes of 33 patients under the diagnosis of migrainous headache, that Topiramate was initiated for headache control, included in the study. The mean value of refractive error had a statistically significant myopic change, from -0.23 diopters (D) at the baseline to -0.61 D at the 90(th) day of follow-up period (p-value < 0.001). Mean CCT was 531.43 μm at the baseline and increased to 534.72 μm at the 30(th) day, and 537.51 μm at the 90(th) day after the administration of Topiramate (p-value=0.001). Mean value of other parameters, ACV, ACD, and ACA, did not reveal statistically significant change., Conclusion: Myopic shift and gradually increasing CCT in the patients after Topiramate administration should be considered before any refractive surgery. We found no gradual change in the anterior chamber and angle parameters in our patients in the 90 days of follow up. More studies with a longer duration of follow-up are needed to elucidate dose-dependent ocular manifestations.

Purpose: To investigate the medical profiles of patients referred to Iran Lens Clinic with myopic/myope-astigmatic refractive errors., Methods: Medical records of 182 patients (364 eyes) with myopic/myope-astigmatic refractive errors that underwent orthokeratology contact lens wear and fulfilled a 6-month period of follow-up were recruited. Efficacy and safety of these contact lenses in improving the visual acuity and correction of the refractive errors were investigated. Time needed to achieve final targeted visual acuity and association of various factors in this time course and level of acuity were investigated. Complications related to these lenses that were recorded in the medical profiles were studied., Results: In manifest refraction, the amount of spherical equivalent and myopia decreased significantly after orthokeratology contact lens wear (P < 0.001). A significant negative association was found between amount of mean baseline spherical equivalent and final achieved mean uncorrected visual acuity (P < 0.001). None of the parameters of age, gender, and keratometric findings influenced the outcomes significantly (P > 0.1)., Conclusion: Patients with myopic refractive error lower than -5.0 Diopters achieved higher final visual acuities rather than patients with higher amounts of myopic refractive errors.

Sour orange peel, a by-product of the fruit juice industry, was used as a source of pectin. The effects of temperature (75-95°C), time (30-90 min), and liquid-solid ratio (20-40, v/w) were investigated on yield, methoxylation degree (DE), and galacturonic acid content using a Box-Behnken design and response surface methodology. The highest extraction yield (17.95 ± 0.3%) was obtained at temperature of 95°C, time of 90 min, and liquid-solid ratio of 25 (v/w). The DE values for the pectin ranged from 17% to 30.5%, indicating that the pectin was low in methoxyle. The emulsifying activity of pectin extracted under optimal conditions was 45%. The emulsions were 86.6% stable at 4°C and 71.4% at 23°C after 30 days of storage. The pectin exhibited Newtonian flow at low concentrations (≤ 1.0%, w/v); as the concentration increased, pseudoplastic flow became dominant., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of this study was to assess the preventive effects of L-carnitine (LC) against DNA damage induced by diazinon (DZN) in rat blood lymphocytes. Animals were concurrently administered intraperitoneally with DZN in proper solvent (20 mg/kg body weight (b.w.)) and LC at three different doses (50, 100, and 150 mg/kg b.w.) for 30 consecutive days. The positive control group received DZN at the same dose without LC. Twenty-four hour after last injection, 0.5 ml blood of each rat was received and cultured in culture medium for 44 h. The lymphocyte cultures were mitogenically stimulated with cytochalasin B for the evaluation of the number of micronuclei (MNs) in cytokinesis-blocked binucleated cells. Incubation of lymphocytes with DZN induced additional genotoxicity and was shown by increase in MNs frequency in rat lymphocytes. LC at all doses had a protective effect and significantly reduced the MNs frequency in cultured lymphocytes (p < 0.0001-p < 0.05). The maximum effect was observed at 150 mg/kg that reduced the frequency of MN from 12.78 ± 0.24% for DZN group to 5.61 ± 0.17%. Our study revealed that LC has a potent antigenotoxic effect against DZN-induced toxicity in rats, which may be due to the scavenging of free radicals and increased antioxidant status. Since LC is a natural compound and is being safe, it is recommended as a daily supplement for body defense against side effects induced by chemical hazardous agents., (© The Author(s) 2013.)

Purpose: To report the results of bupivacaine injection into the orbicularis oculi muscle to treat lagophthalmos in patients with long-standing Bell palsy., Methods: In this prospective interventional case series, bupivacaine, 5 ml of a 0.750% solution, was injected into the preseptal and pretarsal area of the orbicularis oculi in each of 10 patients with idiopathic peripheral facial nerve palsy. The measures of vertical eyelid apertures during open and closed eyes were made before the procedure and 1, 3, and 6 months after injection., Results: A total of 10 eyes including 2 men and 8 women with an average age of 43 years (26-64 years) were studied. The mean amount of lagophthalmos before injection and after 6 months of follow up were 3.9 mm and 2.3 mm, respectively (p = 0.01)). The mean amount of corneal exposure before injection and after 6 months of follow up was 1.05 mm and 0.25 mm, respectively (p < 0.01). The mean scleral show in open eyes before injection and after 6 months of follow up were 1.20 mm and 0.75 mm, respectively (p = 0.08). The mean scleral show in closed eyes before injection and after 6 months of follow up were 1.95 mm and 1.15 mm, respectively (p = 0.01). All the patients reported significant decrease in epiphora., Conclusion: Bupivacaine injection in the paretic orbicularis oculi muscle improves eyelid closure and lagophthalmos and epiphora.

Background and Aim: Ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) is among the most serious complications of myocardial infarction which doubles the late mortality; mainly treated by undersizing ring annuloplasty. To find some preoperative echocardiographic indices that predict immediate failure of mitral valve annuloplasty (MVA), we designed the present study with more focusing on some novel parameters., Method: Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) indices of consecutive patients referred with 3+ or 4+ IMR were registered 24 hours before surgery. Thirty days later, a second TTE was performed. According to the results, the patients were categorized as the "successful" group (with 1+ or less mitral regurgitation) and the "unsuccessful" group (with 2+ or higher MR). Preoperative TTE indices were compared among the two groups using suitable statistical tests., Results: Of the total of 126 cases, 68 had successful and 58 had unsuccessful MVA. Statistically significant differences were found between the two groups for left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (P = 0.007), left ventricular end systolic volume (LVESV) (P = 0.044), and basal-interpapillary muscle distance (IPMD) diastolic-to-systolic ratio (DSR) (P = 0.008). Receiver Operating Characteristic analysis demonstrated 37.5%, 3.85 cm(3) , and 1.25, as the best cutoff points for LVEF (P = 0.03, sensitivity: 81%, specificity: 69%), LVESV (P = 0.023, sensitivity: 83%, specificity: 57%), and basal-IPMD DSR (P = 0.001, sensitivity: 100%, specificity: 95%), respectively., Conclusion: Among all TTE indices, LVEF, LVESV, and basal-IPMD DSR were helpful to differentiate between the successful and unsuccessful MVA results. We believe the basal-IPMD DSR as a novel index could be targeted in the future studies., (© 2015, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Respiratory viral infection is the main cause of exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in all age groups. The present study aimed to find out the association between viral infection in exacerbated and stable patients with COPD as well as evaluating the frequency of respiratory viruses in the Iranian exacerbated patients., Methods: The study included 170 patients as the sample group with acute exacerbations and a control group consisting of 96 stable patients over a period of 3 years. Reverse transcription- nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-nested PCR) and nested PCR methods were used to diagnose the presence of 16 respiratory viruses., Results: Viral infection was detected in 81 (47.6%) exacerbations and 24 (25%) stable patients (p < 0.05). Adenovirus was more frequent among the exacerbated patients than the stable patients (p < 0.05). Furthermore, influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, and enterovirus turned out to be the most common viruses in both groups. Moreover, respiratory viral co-infection has a possible role in exacerbation, severity, and longer hospitalization. Muscle pain and fever were found as significant symptoms in the infected patients with exacerbations., Conclusions: The current study investigated the probable roles of the respiratory viruses, and dual infections during acute exacerbations of COPD. Since climate-dependent respiratory viral incidence patterns in Iran are often dissimilar, preparing a comprehensive global model of respiratory infections with seasonal details in different geographical zones might decrease the morbidity and mortality rate in exacerbations of COPD.

Background: Many nurses have reported experiencing high levels of occupational stress in their work environment. Stress, as an outcome of stressful workplaces and tasks, affects nursing behavior in hospital wards. The objectives of this research were to determine the prevalence of occupational stress and mental health problems in nurses in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Shahid Mohammadi Hospital in Bandar Abbas in 2013 and to determine the relationship between occupational stress and mental health., Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2013 on all of the nurses working in ICU at Shahid Mohammadi Hospital located in Bandar Abbas, Iran. Seventy-two nurses were selected as the population for this study, and all of them were female. Two questionnaires were used in this study, i.e., General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) for assessing mental health and an occupational stress test for assessing job stress. Furthermore, the relationship between occupational stress and mental health was examined. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), independent samples t-test, and Pearson's product-moment correlation test were used to analyze the data., Results: High and moderate levels of occupational stress were experienced by 83.9% and 10.7% of ICU nurses, respectively. The prevalence of mental disorders, somatic symptoms, anxiety, social dysfunction, and depression were 58.9, 60.7, 62.5, 71.4, and 10.7%, respectively. The findings of the independent samples t-test showed that somatic symptoms had significant relationships with age and working experience (p = 0.01). According to the independent samples t-test, there were no significant differences between somatic symptoms and working different shifts (p > 0.05)., Conclusions: There was a high prevalence of occupational stress among ICU nurses. There was a significant relationship between occupational stress and mental health. Future interventions are needed to codify a comprehensive health program in this field to reduce occupational stress and enhance nurses' levels of mental health.

Background: Orbital and periorbital presentation is rare for malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors. These tumors are poorly defined spindle cell neoplasms of peripheral nerves and have not been reported to develop in the lacrimal gland to date., Aim: To report a rare presentation of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor in the orbital cavity., Case Report: A 65-year-old man was admitted with the chief complaint of prominent right eye. His symptoms began 16 months prior to his admission. He had obvious limited ocular motion in upgaze and lateral gaze directions, as well as diplopia in all directions. He underwent imaging studies, and an iso-dense mass lesion in the lacrimal gland was revealed in orbital CT scan. In the MRI, there was a well-defined iso-intense mass lesion in T1-weighted images that was hyperintense in T2-weighted images and was enhanced with Gadolinium. Excisional biopsy revealed epithelioid and spindle cells with hyperchromatic rather than pleomorphic nuclei. Immunohistochemistry confirmed the presence of positive markers consistent with malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor., Conclusion: Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor should be considered in the differential diagnosis of lacrimal gland tumors. Imaging studies may be helpful but tissue biopsy should be performed for accurate diagnosis. Complete excision of the mass lesion and adjunctive chemotherapy and radiotherapy should be considered in these cases.