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Objectives: This study aims to comprehensively assess the therapeutic potential of clove extract in mitigating testicular damage and preserving male reproductive function under hypoxic conditions in male rats. Materials and Methods: We randomly divided 24 male rats into three groups: a hypoxia group that just received normal saline, a hypoxia + clove extract (4 mg/kg) group, and a sham operation group without treatment. After eight weeks, the serum level of oxidative stress parameters was examined, and the testicle histopathological examination, such as seminiferous tubule diameters and epithelium thickness, was assessed. Results: The serum malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration was significantly enhanced in the hypoxic group, and the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) declined (P < 0.05). The diameters and thickness of the seminiferous tubule were diminished notably (P < 0.05). Johnson's score decreased in the hypoxic group. Treatment with clove extract also led to improvements in this parameter. Conclusions: Our study provides compelling evidence for the therapeutic potential of clove extract in mitigating testicular injury associated with varicocele-induced testicular hypoxia in male rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Klotho allele status is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and hypertension. Objectives: To determine if serum klotho level was lower among diabetic and hypertensive patients compared to control group. Patients and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 90 participants. Thirty pure diabetic patients and 30 participants with pure hypertension were compared with the healthy control group. Multiple logistic regressions were used to examine the association between serum klotho and diabetes and hypertension. We also tested the cut off point of serum klotho to predict hypertension and diabetes by using ROC (receiver operating characteristic) curve. Results: The level of serum klotho was significantly lower in diabetic and hypertensive patients. Participants with higher klotho were less likely to have diabetes and hypertension [OR: 0.48, 95% CI (0.22-0.81)] even after adjustment for covariates. ROC curve for diabetes and hypertension indicated 0.8 area under the curve which was statistically significant. Conclusion: This study found that serum klotho was associated with lower odds of diabetes and hypertension. Further longitudinal studies are necessary to confirm this finding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: As chief prescribers, physicians could have a key role in rational drug use. Core prescribing indicators of all physicians have been evaluated in the Islamic Republic of Iran for several years, but no study has assessed the effects of academic status of doctors on their prescribing behaviors. We aimed to compare prescribing indicators of two groups of academic and non-academic specialist physicians working in Urmia, Iran., Methods: In this cross-sectional study, prescribing indicators of the total number of 37 academic and 104 non-academic specialist physicians in six medical specialties (infectious diseases, psychiatry, otorhinolaryngology, gynecology, pediatrics and general surgery) were studied during 2012 using Rx-analyzer, a dedicated computer application. A set of five quality indicators was used based on the World Health Organization and International Network for Rational Use of Drugs recommendations., Findings: Totally, 709,771 medications in 269,660 prescriptions were studied. For academic and non-academic specialist physicians, the average number of medications per prescription was 2.26 and 2.65, respectively. Similarly, patients' encounters with injectable pharmaceuticals were 17.37% and 26.76%, respectively. The corresponding figures for antimicrobial agents were 33.12% and 45.46%, respectively. The average costs of every prescription were 6.53 and 3.30 United States Dollar for academic and non-academic specialist physicians, respectively. All the above-mentioned differences were statistically significant., Conclusion: Better prescribing patterns were observed in academic specialist physicians. However, they prescribed medications that were more expensive, while the reason was not investigated in this study. Further studies may reveal the exact causes of these differences.

Objective: This study determined environmental pH changes after root canal dressing using 3 types of commercial calcium hydroxide pastes., Methods: Thirty-two extracted single-rooted human premolars with 1 straight root canal were selected. Standard cavities were prepared on root surfaces. All root surfaces, excluding the cavities, were covered with nail polish. Root canals were prepared using the Easy RaCe rotary system. The teeth were randomly divided into 3 experimental groups filled with calcium hydroxide pastes: (Group 1) Sure-Paste, (Group 2) Meta-Paste, and (Group 3) Multi-Cal. The control group had 2 samples. Teeth were then placed in 10 mL of normal saline. Environmental pH values were measured at 1 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 1 week. Statistical evaluations of the results were performed via the ANOVA and Tukey tests., Results: Results demonstrated that groups 3 and 1 showed a significant statistical difference (P<.001) with the pH being greater in group 3. There was no significant difference between groups 2 and 3 (P>.05). Intracanal placement of Multi-Cal compared with that of Sure-Paste and Meta-Paste resulted in a higher pH in simulated root resorption defects., Conclusion: In cases, like apexification, that need longer pH changes and higher disinfecting qualities, it might be better to use Multi-Cal, and for short-time use as disinfectant medicament Multi-Cal and Meta-Paste are equally effective.