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Objective: Doxorubicin (DOX) treatment has been reported to increase the risk of serious toxicity in testis, therefore the aim of the present study was to investigate the antioxidant effects of training and Crocin on doxorubicin-induced testicular toxicity in rats. Materials and methods: ⊆ max ) 5 day/w. Also, groups 2 to 7 administered 2 mg/kg/w DOX intraperitoneal. The testes were removed and glutathione peroxidase (GP X ), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and protein carbonyl (PC) were analyzed using ELISA methods, one-way analysis of variance along with Bonferroni's post hoc test were used for analysis in SPSS (P≤0.05). Results: The results of the present study showed that doxorubicin induced oxidative stress in testicular tissue by decreasing the level of GPX and TAC and increasing PC level (P≤0.05); TAC and GPX improved in all groups except groups 2 and 5, respectively, and their increase in the group 7 was significantly higher compared to other groups (P≤0.05). Increased PC levels were significantly reduced in the groups 5, 6 and 7. Conclusion: The increase in antioxidant levels in the concurrent Crocin and training group seems to be dose-dependent, but the oxidative stress in both Crocin and training groups of 10 and 50 mg/kg/d is associated with a decrease, but its modulation in the Crocin consumption group alone depends on the dose., (Copyright © 2021 Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

Co-MOF-based zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIF-67) with various morphologies were prepared via an innovative way under distinct reaction conditions. By changing the reaction conditions, including the cobalt source, solvent, time, temperature, and linking agent to the cobalt ions, the morphological evolution of Co-MOF-based ZIF-67 was investigated. The Co-MOF-based ZIF-67 was applied as an adsorbent fiber in the solid-phase microextraction (SPME) technique for extracting a herbicide, namely molinate (as a test compound), in aqueous samples. For recognizing the molinate molecules, drift tube ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) was employed as a sensitive, rapid, and simple detection technique. Two essential parameters, namely extraction temperature and extraction time, influenced the extraction efficiency, and these parameters were also analyzed and optimized. The linear dynamic range (LDR) and the determination coefficient were found to be 0.5-20.0 μg L -1 and 0.9990, respectively. In this regard, the limit of quantification (LOQ) and the detection limit (LOD) were calculated and found to be 0.5 μg L -1 and 0.15 μg L -1 , respectively. Finally, the effect of the adsorbent with different morphologies on the extraction efficiency was compared., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

The use of deep neural networks (DNNs) in plant phenotyping has recently received considerable attention. By using DNNs, valuable insights into plant traits can be readily achieved. While these networks have made considerable advances in plant phenotyping, the results are processed too slowly to allow for real-time decision-making. Therefore, being able to perform plant phenotyping computations in real-time has become a critical part of precision agriculture and agricultural informatics. In this work, we utilize state-of-the-art object detection networks to accurately detect, count, and localize plant leaves in real-time. Our work includes the creation of an annotated dataset of Arabidopsis plants captured using Cannon Rebel XS camera. These images and annotations have been complied and made publicly available. This dataset is then fed into a Tiny-YOLOv3 network for training. The Tiny-YOLOv3 network is then able to converge and accurately perform real-time localization and counting of the leaves. We also create a simple robotics platform based on an Android phone and iRobot create2 to demonstrate the real-time capabilities of the network in the greenhouse. Additionally, a performance comparison is conducted between Tiny-YOLOv3 and Faster R-CNN. Unlike Tiny-YOLOv3, which is a single network that does localization and identification in a single pass, the Faster R-CNN network requires two steps to do localization and identification. While with Tiny-YOLOv3, inference time, F1 Score, and false positive rate (FPR) are improved compared to Faster R-CNN, other measures such as difference in count (DiC) and AP are worsened. Specifically, for our implementation of Tiny-YOLOv3, the inference time is under 0.01 s, the F1 Score is over 0.94, and the FPR is around 24%. Last, transfer learning using Tiny-YOLOv3 to detect larger leaves on a model trained only on smaller leaves is implemented. The main contributions of the paper are in creating dataset (shared with the research community), as well as the trained Tiny-YOLOv3 network for leaf localization and counting.

The purpose of this study was to examine the nitrate adsorption by cobalt ferrite (CFO) nanoparticles. The adsorbent was synthesized by co-precipitation method and its structure was characterized using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and vibrating-sample magnetometry. In batch adsorption studies, the effects of various parameters like pH (3-11), adsorbent dose (0.2-0.8 g/L), contact time (5-120 min), initial nitrate concentration (50-200 mg/L), and temperature (283-313 K) on the adsorption process were examined. The results of this study indicated that the maximum adsorption capacity was 107.8 mg/g (optimum condition pH = 3, adsorbent dosage: 0.2 g/L, nitrate concentration: 200 mg/L, contact time: 20 min and temperature: 313 K). The adsorption isotherm had a proper match with Langmuir (R 2 = 0.99) and Freundlich (R 2 = 0.99) models. The adsorption of nitrate by CFO followed pseudo-second-order kinetics. The results of the thermodynamics of the nitrate adsorption process by CFO showed that all the values of Gibbs free energy change, enthalpy change and entropy change were positive. Therefore, this process was endothermic and non-spontaneous.

Background: Immune checkpoint blockade that downregulates T cell evasion for effective immunity has provided a renewed interest in therapeutic cancer vaccines., Methods: Utilizing murine lung cancer models, we determined: tumor burden, TIL cytolysis, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, RNA Sequencing, CD4 T cells, CD8 T cells, CXCL9 chemokine, and CXCL10 chemokine neutralization to evaluate the efficacy of Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) blockade combined with chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 21-dendritic cell tumor antigen (CCL21-DC tumor Ag) vaccine., Results: Anti-PD1 combined with CCL21-DC tumor Ag vaccine eradicated 75% of 12-day established tumors (150 mm 3 ) that was enhanced to 90% by administering CCL21-DC tumor Ag vaccine prior to combined therapy. The effect of combined therapy was blocked by CD4, CD8, CXCL9, and CXCL10 neutralizing antibodies., Conclusion: PD-1 blockade therapy plus CCL21-DC tumor Ag vaccine could be beneficial to lung cancer patients.

Background: The use of wide-awake, local-anesthetic, no-tourniquet (WALANT) surgical techniques is increasingly common, and patients commonly ask whether they may drive home following these procedures. The impact of a numb hand and bulky dressing on driving fitness is unknown, and there is no literature to guide surgeons when counseling these patients. Thus, the primary objective of the present study was to determine driving fitness following a modeled-WALANT procedure., Methods: Twelve right-handed individuals (6 male and 6 female) with an average age of 50 years (range, 38 to 64 years) were enrolled. An instrumented vehicle was used to obtain driving kinematic and behavioral data, thus allowing for a multidimensional assessment of driving fitness. Participants first performed a drive to establish baseline kinematic metrics. The route included both public streets and a closed course. Several driving tasks were assessed, including reverse parking, parallel parking, and perpendicular parking. The total course length was 18 miles (29 kilometers) and took 45 to 55 minutes to complete. After the first drive, 10 mL of 1% lidocaine was injected in the volar aspect of the right wrist and another 10 mL was injected into the right carpal tunnel to model the anesthetic used for a WALANT carpal tunnel release, and a bulky soft dressing was applied. The modeled-WALANT drive included an identical route and tasks, in addition to a surprise event to evaluate emergency responsiveness. Driving metrics were analyzed for noninferiority of the modeled-WALANT state to baseline driving., Results: The modeled-WALANT state showed noninferiority to baseline driving on all 11 analyzed dimensions of driving behavior compared with the control drives. In the modeled-WALANT state, participants drove more conservatively, braked harder, and steered more smoothly. All participants safely performed the 3 parking tasks and emergency response maneuver. Driving fitness in the modeled-WALANT state was noninferior to driving fitness in the preoperative drive., Conclusions: A modeled-WALANT state has no clinically relevant negative impact on driving fitness, and thus surgeons should not discourage patients from driving home after unilateral WALANT surgical hand procedures., Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Aims: Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) is a validated surrogate marker of atherosclerosis. Dickkopf-1 (Dkk-1) and sclerostin modulate wingless signaling, which is involved in atherosclerosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether 12 weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) would improve cIMT and serum Dkk-1 and sclerostin levels in patients with type 2 diabetes., Methods: Seventy-four sedentary patients with type 2 diabetes were randomly divided into HIIT and control groups. The HIIT group intervention was 6 intervals (4 min) at 85%-90% HR max separated by 3 min at 45%-50% HR max in 3 sessions/week for 12 weeks. Before and after the intervention, cIMT, artery diameter and wall/lm ratio were recorded with high-resolution ultrasound. Serum sclerostin and Dkk-1 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)., Results: cIMT decreased significantly in the HIIT group (0.83 ± 0.17 baseline, 0.71 ± 0.14 follow-up) compared to the control group (0.84 ± 0.20 baseline, 0.85 ± 0.19 follow-up) (P < .05). Dkk-1 and sclerostin decreased significantly after 12 weeks of HIIT (P < .01). In addition, VO 2peak was increased in the HIIT group than the control group (by 6.2 mL/kg/min) (P < .05). There was a positive correlation between percent changes in cIMT and percent changes in Dkk-1 and sclerostin (both P < .01). Additionally, there were a negative correlation between percent changes VO2peak and cIMT (r = - 0.740, P = .003), Dkk-1 (r = - 0.844, P < .001) and sclerostin (r = - 0.575, P = .001) in HIIT group., Conclusion: Our results indicate that HIIT decreases cIMT, serum levels of Dkk-1 and sclerostin and improves VO 2peak in patients with type 2 diabetes., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The effect of the external electromagnetic radiation on the human brain has been investigated by the numerical calculation of the frequency-dependent complex permittivity. Using the Hodgkin-Huxley neuron model, an analytical method for the calculation of the electromagnetic power absorption in the brain neurons is proposed based on the complex permittivity of neuron membranes. The effect of the human head is considered through the calculation of forward and backward travelling electromagnetic waves. The modified time-dependent Hodgkin-Huxley equations have been used to obtain the reflectivity and transmissivity of the external stimulus at the membrane of the cell. The amount of absorbed energy by the human head is presented in the form of the electromagnetic absorption rate.

Pulses are an affordable source of proteins, starch, lipids, minerals and high value nutritional sources. This study was conducted to evaluate relationship between protein functional properties and their preparation methods. Therefore, the functional properties of Grass pea protein concentrates (GPPC) prepared using isoelectric precipitation (IE), salt extraction (SE) and ultrafiltration-diafiltration methods (UF/D) were determined. The GPP processed by those three precipitation methods contained all of the amino acids which aspartic acid and glutamic acid were dominate amino acids followed by arginine and leucine. However, methionine and tryptophan were limited amino acids. Water binding capacity was in following order: UF/D-GPPC > SE-GPPC > IE-GPPC. Meanwhile, highest value of oil binding capacity belonged to UF/D-GPPC. GPPC prepared using UF/D method had highest solubility. In term of interfacial tension, it was revealed that the interfacial tension of all isolates did not significantly reduced ( P  > 0/05). Net negative zeta potential with values was observed which IE-GPPC had highest surface charge followed by UF/D-GPPC and SE-GPPC, respectively. In terms of surface hydrophobicity, it was altered in the following order: IE-GPPC > SE-GPPC > UF/D-GPPC. It was observed that foaming capacity ranged between 85.06 and 89.78% and foaming stability ranged between 77.34 and 84.35%. Emulsifying capacity, emulsifying activity index and emulsifying stability index ranged between 105.06-109.78%, 31.09-36.29 m 2 /g and 12.90-18.86 min respectively. Evaluation of least gelling concentration showed that UF/D-GPPC were capable to form firm gel at low concentration (10% W/V). The functional properties of proteins are influenced by their extraction technique and can be achieve maximum functional characteristics by selecting appropriate extraction method. The results indicated the technological potential of GPP for health-promoting food formulations., (© Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (India) 2019.)

To present a case of recurrent gross hematuria after transurethral resection of the prostate that was refractory to endoscopic and open hemostatic interventions at the bladder neck and prostatic fossa. After performing angiographic evaluation of the pelvic vessels and finding the pseudoaneurysm, percutaneous embolization of arterial supply of the pseudoaneurysm was done. The location and type of lesion were successfully determined by angiography and controlled by angio-embolization of the internal pudendal artery. It seems that angiography can be helpful in the diagnosis and management of refractory bleeding after prostatectomy.

Background and Aims: The risk of pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) in patients with exacerbated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (e-COPD) is higher than in non-COPD states. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and the parameters that are critical for finding the incidence of PTE in patients with e-COPD., Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 68 consecutive patients with the e-COPD, referred to the Pulmonary Disease Department at the Shariati Hospital in Tehran between 2013 and 2014. In addition to collecting data on the history of disease and physical examination, arterial blood sampling, spirometry, electrocardiography and echocardiography were performed for all patients. All patients underwent the computed the tomography pulmonary angiography (CT-PA) as a method of choice for diagnosing PTE., Results: Out of 68 cases (7.4%), five were had CT angiography findings suggesting PTE. These patients were all male and had a higher mean age (79 vs. 65 years), lower mean systolic blood pressure (88.36 vs. 118.33 mmHg), and a higher mean heart rate (133.12 vs 90.33 beats/min), compared to e-COPD patients without PTE. Arterial blood gas analysis in patients with PTE demonstrated a lower HC03 (2.33 vs. 9.44 mEq/l) and PC02 (44.35 vs. 51.43 mmHg) levels. The mean LVEF was lower in patients with PTE (34.14 ±4.49% vs. 46.94 ± 8.27%)., Conclusion: The prevalence of PTE in our series of patients with e-COPD was 7.4%. According to the study results, male gender, advanced age, hypotension, tachycardia, and respiratory alkalosis are factors indicating possible PTE among patients with e-COPD.

The antioxidant/antimicrobial capacity and physical properties of potato starch dispersions enriched with polysorbate-thymol micelle were investigated. Results showed that potato starch have radical scavenging and antibacterial activities only in the presence of polysorbate-thymol but with lower level than polysorbate-thymol alone. The decrease in the antioxidant and antibacterial activities may be attributed to the encapsulation of thymol in the starch chain. Polysorbate-thymol caused a decrease in the particle size and viscosity and an increase in the zeta potential of the starch dispersions. Futhermore, polysorbate-thymol leads to a decrease in the tensile strength, rigidity and swelling, and an increase in the flexibility, solubility and water vapour permeability of the starch films. Atomic force microscopy revealed polysorbate-thymol micelles in the film matrix enclosed by polysaccharide crystal. Scanning electron microscope analysis indicated that polysorbate-thymol caused a coarse film microstructure with the distributed crack in the film matrix. Based on the results, the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of the starch-polysorbate-thymol make starch film suitable for food packaging and preservation., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Culturing atrial cells leads to a loss in their ability to be externally paced at physiological rates and to maintain their shape. We aim to develop a culture method that sustains the shape of atrial cells along with their biophysical and bioenergetic properties in response to physiological pacing. We hypothesize that adding 2,3-Butanedione 2-monoxime (BDM), which inhibits contraction during the culture period, will preserve these biophysical and bioenergetic properties. Rabbit atrial cells were maintained in culture for 24 h in a medium enriched with a myofilament contraction inhibitor, BDM. The morphology and volume of the cells, including their ability to contract in response to 1-3 Hz electrical pacing, was maintained at the same level as fresh cells. Importantly, the cells could be successfully infected with a GFP adenovirus. Action potentials, Ca 2+ transients, and local Ca 2+ spark parameters were similar in the cultured and in fresh cells. Finally, these cultured cells' flavoprotein autofluorescence was maintained at a constant level in response to electrical pacing, a response similar to that of fresh cells. Thus, eliminating contraction during the culture period preserves the bioelectric, biophysical and bioenergetic properties of rabbit atrial myocytes. This method therefore has the potential to further improve our understanding of energetic and biochemical regulation in the atria.

Local Ca 2+ spark releases are essential to the Ca 2+ cycling process. Thus, they play an important role in ventricular and atrial cell contraction, as well as in sinoatrial cell automaticity. Characterizing their properties in healthy cells from different regions in the heart can reveal the basic biophysical differences among these regions. We designed a semi-automatic Matlab Graphical User Interface (called Sparkalyzer) to characterize parameters of Ca 2+ spark release from any major cardiac tissue, as recorded in line-scan mode with a confocal laser-scanning microscope. We validated the algorithm on experimental images from rabbit sinoatrial, atrial, and ventricular cells loaded with Fluo-4 AM. The program characterizes general image parameters of Ca 2+ transients and sparks: spark duration, which indicates for how long the spark provides Ca 2+ to the closed intracellular mechanisms (typical value: 25±1, 23±1, 26±1ms for sinoatrial, atrial, and ventricular cells, respectively); spark amplitude, which indicates the amount of Ca 2+ released by a single spark (1.6±0.1, 1.6±0.2, 1.4±0.1F/F 0 for sinoatrial, atrial, and ventricular cells, respectively); spark length, which is the length of the Ca 2+ wavelets fired out of a row of ryanodine receptors (5±0.1, 5±0.2, 3.4±0.3μm for sinoatrial, atrial, or ventricular cells, respectively) and number of sparks (0.14±0.02, 0.025±0.01, 0.02±0.01 for 1μm in 1s for sinoatrial, atrial, and ventricular cells, respectively). This method is reliable for Ca 2+ spark analysis of sinoatrial, atrial, or ventricular cells. Moreover, by examining the average value of Ca 2+ spark characteristics and their scattering around the mean, atrial, ventricular and sinoatrial cells can be differentiated., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Congenital heart disease (CHD) refers to complex abnormalities that affect the structure or function of the heart due to embryonic defects. There is little accurate statistical data about prevalence, incidence and frequency in many developing countries such as Iran. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of CHD in patients who were referred to the Department of Pediatric Cardiology in a large single-center in Southwestern of Iran., Methods: This is a retrospective, cross-sectional study. Patients with various cardiac malformations were each investigated separately. A check list was used to collect information. It was comprised of three parts; demographic characteristics, Patient's birth details and maternal data., Results: The frequency of ventricular septal defect (VSD), atrial septal defect (ASD) and tetralogy of fallot (TOF) were 125 (28.47%), 48 (10.93%) and 41(9.3%) respectively. Family history was reported in 26(11.1%) cases. Down syndrome, skeletal anomaly and hematological anomaly were the most common co-anomalies. Parental consanguinity was 48.7%., Conclusions: Present study showed that VSD was the most common CHD subtype followed by family history, familial marriage, extra cardiac anomalies (ECAs), birth weight, and maternal concomitant disease. But there was a controversial relationship between birth order and drug history in CHD.

Background: Tissue damage caused by surgical procedures nearly always results in pain. The effective management of postoperative pain remains a challenge because of its influence on the surgical outcome and its critical role in early mobilization and functionality. Recent research on postoperative pain management supports a treatment approach known as "multimodal analgesia," which comprises the use of more than one method or modality of pain control and management., Objectives: In the present study, we compared the effects of diclofenac suppository and intravenous (IV) acetaminophen combined with IV patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) for pain management after laminectomy surgery., Patients and Methods: Our randomized, double-blinded controlled trial during 2013 at Besat hospital in Hamadan, Iran, included 102 ASA I-II patients aged 18 to 65 years who were candidates for laminectomy surgery. The patients were randomly assigned to receive the diclofenac suppository (100 mg) (n = 51) or IV acetaminophen (1 g in 100 mL normal saline) (n = 51) 10 minutes before completing surgery and 12 hours after the operation., Results: The patients' characteristics were the same in both study groups. The patients' satisfaction levels were higher among those who received diclofenac when compared with the acetaminophen group, especially at the time points of 6 and 12 h after surgery. The consumed narcotic using the PCA pump within 24 h of surgery in the diclofenac group was significantly lower than that of the acetaminophen group (735.70 ± 59.61 µg vs. 819.70 ± 80.02 µg; P < 0.001)., Conclusions: The use of diclofenac suppository combined with IV PCA results in reduced narcotic usage and a higher level of patient satisfaction compared to the use of IV acetaminophen combined with IV PCA.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of opium tincture versus methadone syrup in the management of acute withdrawal syndrome in opium dependent patients during the detoxification period. In this double-blind randomized controlled study, a total of 74 adult male raw opium dependent patients were treated with opium tincture or methadone syrup 2 times daily for 5 consecutive days. Detoxification was initiated by tapered dose reductions to reach abstinence. At the end of the 10th day, the medications were discontinued. The Objective Opioid Withdrawal Scale was used to assess withdrawal symptoms every day. Significant decreases on the Objective Opioid Withdrawal Scale were found for both treatment methods during the study period (p < .0001). However, there was no significant difference between groups on the total Objective Opioid Withdrawal Scale, and adverse effects existed. Opium tincture can be considered as a potential substitute for methadone syrup for suppression of raw opium withdrawal symptoms, with minimal adverse effects.

Background: Hemoptysis is the expectorating of blood from the tracheobronchial tree or pulmonary parenchyma. There is conflicting information about usefulness of radiography, MDCT, and bronchoscopy for investigating site and cause of the bleeding in patients with hemoptysis. The present study attempted to evaluated efficacy of these methods for identifying hemoptysis' cause and etiology on 40 patients with the disease., Methods: A total of 40 patients with Hemoptysis who were referred to Golestan and Emam Khomeini hospitals were evaluated. Complete history of symptoms, volume and duration of Hemoptysis and demographic information were documented. Radiography, MDCT, and bronchoscopy were performed on all patients in order to investigate the site and cause of the bleeding., Results: Results showed MDCT had higher efficacy in identifying bleeding site than radiography, while efficacy of radiography and bronchoscopy or efficacy of MDCT and bronchoscopy weren't significantly different. In addition, sensitivity of MDCT (60%) for detecting cause of the bleeding was higher than that of radiography (25%) and bronchoscopy (32.5%)., Conclusion: The present study suggests MDCT as a suitable method in screening patients with hemoptysis, because it managed to detect site and causes of bleeding more efficiently than other methods. Additionally, we concluded that MDCT is an appropriate technique for diagnosing malignancies that cause hemoptysis in patients.

An immune tolerant tumor microenvironment promotes immune evasion of lung cancer. Agents that antagonize immune tolerance will thus aid the fight against this devastating disease. Members of the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) family modulate the magnitude, duration and phenotype of immune responsiveness to antigens. Among these, GITR expressed on immune cells functions as a key regulator in inflammatory and immune responses. Here, we evaluate the GITR agonistic antibody (DTA-1) as a mono-therapy and in combination with therapeutic vaccination in murine lung cancer models. We found that DTA-1 treatment of tumor-bearing mice increased: (i) the frequency and activation of intratumoral natural killer (NK) cells and T lymphocytes, (ii) the antigen presenting cell (APC) activity in the tumor, and (iii) systemic T-cell specific tumor cell cytolysis. DTA-1 treatment enhanced tumor cell apoptosis as quantified by cleaved caspase-3 staining in the tumors. DTA-1 treatment increased expression of IFNγ, TNFα and IL-12 but reduced IL-10 levels in tumors. Furthermore, increased anti-angiogenic chemokines corresponding with decreased pro-angiogenic chemokine levels correlated with reduced expression of the endothelial cell marker Meca 32 in the tumors of DTA-1 treated mice. In accordance, there was reduced tumor growth (8-fold by weight) in the DTA-1 treatment group. NK cell depletion markedly inhibited the antitumor response elicited by DTA-1. DTA-1 combined with therapeutic vaccination caused tumor rejection in 38% of mice and a 20-fold reduction in tumor burden in the remaining mice relative to control. Mice that rejected tumors following therapy developed immunological memory against subsequent re-challenge. Our data demonstrates GITR agonist antibody activated NK cell and T lymphocyte activity, and enhanced therapeutic vaccination responses against lung cancer.

Background: The present data show a global increase in the rate of cardiovascular disease. Cardiac CT angiography has developed as a fast and non-invasive cardiac imaging modality following the introduction of multi-slice computed tomogaraphy., Objectives: The aim of this study was to measure the radiation dose to the thyroid and pelvis regions in patients undergoing cardiac CT angiography using the Care Dose 4D method of 64-slice scanner., Patients and Methods: Eighty-one patients (41 males and 40 females) who were diagnosed with suspected coronary artery disease and were referred to Golestan Hospital, Imaging Department were recruited. Inclusion criteria were based on the protocol of multi-slice CT coronary angiography. The radiation dose to the thyroid and pelvis regions was measured using thermo luminescent dosimeters (TLDs)., Results: The mean radiation dose to the thyroid in male and female subjects was 0.32 mSv and 0.41 mSv, respectively (P = 0.032) (total mean, 0.36 mSv). The mean radiation dose to the pelvis in male and female subjects was 81 μSv and 112 μSv, respectively (P = 0.026) (total mean, 96.5 μSv)., Conclusions: The total mean radiation dose to the thyroid and gonads was 0.36 mSv, and 96.5 μSv, respectively for the subjects. These values were high for one organ in a single study. Gender can affect the radiation dose to the thyroid and gonads. This can be attributed to the anatomical characteristic differences of the male and female subjects.

Background: Cervical cancer is the third most common gynecological cancer and a widespread malignancy in women, accounting for a large proportion of the cancer burden in developing countries. We compared accuracy of MRI staging with clinical staging and also concordance between the two methods for newly diagnosed patients with cervical cancer, using clinical staging as the reference., Materials and Methods: This prospective study was conducted on 27 newly diagnosed patients with cervical cancer from Imam Khomeini hospital from June 2012 to Feb 2014. New cases of cervical cancer with positive PAP test were staged separately with a clinical exam based on the FIGO system by a gynecologist, oncologist and also with MRI by an expert radiologist. Then we compared the predicted stage for each patient with the two methods., Results: Based on clinical staging 9 patients (33%) were observed at stage 1. MRI staging was in coordination with clinical staging in eight of them and for one patient MRI accorded stage 2B (88% concordance)., Conclusions: MRI is a reliable noninvasive method with high accuracy for cervical cancer staging. Also presently it is easily obtainable, so we recommend using this technique along with clinical examination for staging cervical cancer patients. We also recommend to radiologists and residents of radiology to get experience with this method of staging.

Background: It is noted that oral contraceptive pills increase the risk of abnormal Pap smear but results have been inconsistent across the populations., Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the association between oral contraceptive pill (OCP) consumption and abnormal Pap smear in women who referred to Shahid Sadoughi and Madar hospitals in Yazd., Materials and Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study was carried out and a database of all Pap smear reports from 2009-2011 at Cytopathology Department of Shahid Sadoughi and Madar hospitals in Yazd, Iran was reviewed. A total number of 1286 women with history of OCP consumption were selected as the case group and 1218 women applying other contraceptive methods were selected as control group for evaluation. Both case and control groups were matched by age, parity and socioeconomic status. All of the women in this study maintained a single partner as their husband and none of them were considered as smokers. The duration of OCP use was at least 5 years., Results: Abnormal Pap smear results were observed in 0.4% of cases and 0.2% of controls. There was no significant association between OCP consumption and abnormal Pap smear (p=0.727)., Conclusion: Our findings did not show any specific association between OCP consumption and abnormal Pap smear results. In addition, the number of abnormal Pap smears in women who consumed OCP was lower than that of western countries. More prospective studies are required.

A separation technique which has recently received a sharp increase in research activities is "ion flotation". This technique has four important advantages for treating wastewaters: low energy consumption, small space requirements, small volume of sludge and acting selectively. The present study aims to optimize parameters of ion flotation for cadmium removal in simulated wastewater at laboratory scale. It was obtained on the reaction between Cd(2+) and sodium dodecylesulfate (SDS) collector followed by flotation with ethanol as frother. Test solution was prepared by combining the required amount of cadmium ion, SDS and necessary frother or sodium sulfate solution. All experiments were carried out in a flotation column at laboratory temperature (27°C), adjusted pH = 4 and 120 minutes. The different parameters (namely: flow rate, cadmium, SDS and frother concentrations and ionic strength) influencing the flotation process were examined. The best removal efficiency obtained at a collector-metal ratio of 3:1 in 60 min with flow rate of 150 mL/min was 84%. The maximum cadmium removal was 92.1% where ethanol was introduced at a concentration 0.4% to flotation column with above conditions. The obtained results were promising, as both cadmium and collector were effectively removed from wastewater. Hence, the application of ion flotation for metal ions removal from effluents seems to be efficient.

Paraquat is a contact and non-selective herbicide which is used for controlling a wide range of terrestrial weeds and aquatic plants. A long-term contact with this xenobiotic can potentially lead to injuries in fishes as live non-target organisms. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the effect of sub-lethal toxicity of paraquat on the pathology of gill, liver, and spleen tissues in gourami fish (Trichogaster trichopterus). In this study, sub-lethal concentration is determined based on lethal concentration (LC50 : 7.16±0.69, 4.46±0.43, 2.19±0.27 and 1.41±0.17 mg/l of paraquat within 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours, respectively). The experiment was done with four varied concentrations of paraquat (0.0, 0.07, 0.15, and 0.3 mg/l equal 0.0%, 5%, 10% and 20% of nominal value of 96 h LC50) during 3 weeks. The exposed fish displayed erratic swimming and became lethargic. The changes in gills were characterized by hypertrophy, epithelial, epithelium increase of gill filament, edema and secondary gill lamella. The liver showed hypotrophy of liver cells, cloudy swelling and formation of cytoplasmic vacuoles in the liver tissue of fish treated with 0.15 and 0.3 mg/l concentrations of paraquat. Disorder in the ellipsoid cell and hemosiderin accumulation in melano-macrophage centers was observed in the spleen tissue of fish exposed to 0.15 and 0.3 mg/l of paraquat.

Coronary anomalies are easily detected on ECG gated multi-detector CT which has shown to be superior to conventional angiography is demonstrating their origin and course. We present an unusual case of posterior descending artery arising as the continuation of the left anterior descending artery (LAD) in the presence of a diminutive right coronary artery (RCA). The LAD crossed over the apex and continued its course to the base of the heart in the posterior interventricular groove as PDA. The RCA, although normal in origin, was diminutive and terminated on the lateral wall of the right ventricle. This anomaly has been rarely reported and the previous cases have all been conventional angiographic findings., (Copyright © 2011 Australasian Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)