Discrimination of normal and cancerous human skin tissues based on laser-induced spectral shift fluorescence microscopy.

A homemade spectral shift fluorescence microscope (SSFM) is coupled with a spectrometer to record the spectral images of specimens based on the emission wavelength. Here a reliable diagnosis of neoplasia is achieved according to the spectral fluorescence properties of ex-vivo skin tissues after rhodamine6G (Rd6G) staining. It is shown that certain spectral shifts occur for nonmelanoma/melanoma lesions against normal/benign nevus, leading to spectral micrographs. In fact, there is a strong correlation between the emission wavelength and the sort of skin lesions, mainly due to the Rd6G interaction with the mitochondria of cancerous cells. The normal tissues generally enjoy a significant red shift regarding the laser line (37 nm). Conversely, plenty of fluorophores are conjugated to unhealthy cells giving rise to a relative blue shift i.e., typically SCC (6 nm), BCC (14 nm), and melanoma (19 nm) against healthy tissues. In other words, the redshift takes place with respect to the excitation wavelength i.e., melanoma (18 nm), BCC (23 nm), and SCC (31 nm) with respect to the laser line. Consequently, three data sets are available in the form of micrographs, addressing pixel-by-pixel signal intensity, emission wavelength, and fluorophore concentration of specimens for prompt diagnosis.

Synthesis and Cytotoxicity Assessment of Gold-coated Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles.

INTRODUCTION: One class of magnetic nanoparticles is magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MIONs) which has been widely offered due to of their many advantages. Owing to the extensive application of MIONs in biomedicine, before they can be used in vivo, their cytotoxicity have to be investigated. Therefore, there is an urgent need for understanding the potential risks associated with MIONs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Firstly, gold-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles (GMNP) were synthesized. The size, structure and spectroscopic properties of the nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and UV-Visible spectrophotometer, respectively. Cytotoxicity of nanoparticles was studied with different concentrations ranging from 10 µg/mL up to 400 µg/mL and for different incubation times (12 hours and 24 hours) on MCF-7 and HFFF-PI6. Cytotoxicity study was performed by MTT assay. RESULTS: XRD pattern confirmed the structure of GMNPs and TEM image shows that GMNPs are under 50 nm. For MCF-7 and HFFF-PI6 cells, at concentration of 300 and 400 µg/mL, Fe3O4 nanoparticles are toxic, respectively. Moreover, for both cells, cell viability for GMNPs is higher than %80, therefore, up to 400 µg/mL they are not toxic. Results show that for both cells, Fe3O4 nanoparticles have higher cytotoxicity than GMNPs. CONCLUSION: This finding suggests that gold coating reduces the toxic effects of uncoated Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Less toxicity of GMNP may be attributed to controlled release from Fe2+ ions in intracellular space. Moreover, cell toxicity increased with raise in dose (concentration) and incubation time.

Effects of preoperative administration of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) on postoperative nausea and vomiting after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

One of the most common postoperative problems is nausea and vomiting. Although using some anesthetic materials has been considered as the mainstay of this phenomenon, the exact factors are not known. Because of several morbidities associated with postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), its prevention and treatment has been a challenge for physicians, so several drugs have been recommended for this purpose. Based on the documented antiemetic specificity of ginger, we evaluated and compared the effects of preoperative administration of ginger on PONV with ondansetron administration as the standard medication. The participants included 100 patients with cholelitiasis who were candidate for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Patients were divided into two groups: group A comprised 50 patients who received 500 mg oral ginger 1 h before surgery, and group B included 50 patients who received 4 mg intravenous ondansetron before completion of surgery. Antiemetic efficacy was assessed by visual analogue scale scores of nausea intensity at 0, 4, 8, 16, and 24 h after surgery and frequency of vomiting during the evaluation period. Although multifactor analysis showed that nausea severity was significantly lower in the ginger group, the data indicated that except 16 h after operation, the differences between two groups in the frequency of vomiting was not significant. In conclusion, though complementary studies are needed to have a strong suggestion, based on this study, we recommend administration of oral ginger 1 h before operation to control the severity of PONV in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Apoptosis and cell cycle regulatory effects of adenosine by modulation of GLI-1 and ERK1/2 pathways in CD44+ and CD24- breast cancer stem cells.

OBJECTIVES: Breast cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small population of tumour cells with the ability of self-renewal and resistance to chemotherapy. Targeting CSCs is a promising strategy for treatment of cancer. A recent study demonstrated that adenosine receptor agonists inhibit glioblastoma CSCs proliferation. At present, the effect of adenosine on breast CSCs has not been reported. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the effect of adenosine and its signalling pathways in breast CSCs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Anti-proliferative effect of adenosine on breast CSCs was evaluated by mammosphere formation and MTS assay. The effect of adenosine on cell cycle progression was examined using flow cytometry. Detection of apoptosis was conducted by Annexin V-FITC. The expression levels of cell cycle and apoptosis regulatory proteins as well as ERK1/2, and GLI-1 were measured by Western blot. RESULTS: Adenosine reduced CSCs population and mammosphere formation in breast CSCs. Adenosine induced G1 cell cycle arrest in breast CSCs in conjunction with a marked down-regulation of cyclin D1 and CDK4. Adenosine also induced apoptosis by regulation of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, mitochondrial membrane potential depletion and activation of caspase-6. Moreover, adenosine inhibited ERK1/2 phosphorylation and GLI-1 protein expression. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicated that adenosine induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis through inhibition of GLI-1 and ERK1/2 pathways in breast CSCs.

Molecular expression of adenosine receptors in OVCAR-3, Caov-4 and SKOV-3 human ovarian cancer cell lines.

Adenosine receptors (A1, A2a, A2b and A3) have several physiological and pathological roles in cancer cell lines. The present study was carried out to evaluate the mRNA and protein expression profile and functional role of adenosine receptors in OVCAR-3, Caov-4 and SKOV-3 ovarian cancer cell lines. The levels of mRNA and protein expression of A1, A2a, A2b and A3 adenosine receptors in the ovarian cancer cell lines were measured by Real-time PCR and western blotting. The functional roles of adenosine receptors were investigated through measurement of cAMP levels after agonist treatment. The mRNA and protein of all adenosine receptors subtypes were expressed in the ovarian cancer cell lines. Our findings demonstrated that A2b and A3 had the most mRNA and protein expression. Moreover, cAMP assay confirmed the functional role of A2b and A3 adenosine receptors. This findings demonstrated that A2b and A3 subtypes are most important adenosine receptors in humn ovarian cancer cell lines. This information provide a strong possibility into the relationship of A2b and A3 adenosine receptor and ovarian cancer.

Comparison of anger management, anxiety and perceived stress in patients with cancer and Coronary Heart Disease (CHD).

The present study was conducted with the aim of studying the comparison of anger management, anxiety and perceived stress in patients with cancer and Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). The two groups of subjects consisted of patients with cancer (n = 120) and patients with CHD (n = 118) who were selected by using a convenience sampling method and by the employment of Spielberger's State-Trait Anger Expression, Costello and Camry Depression and Anxiety scale and Perceived Stress Scale of Cohen, Kamarak and Mermelstein. In order to analyze the data, after the calculation of descriptive statistics and correlation coefficients, MONOVA was employed to test the hypotheses. The findings indicated that patients with CHD regulate the excitement by externalizing anger and patients with cancer control this excitement by internalizing anger. Moreover, stress and depression in patients with CHD were greater than in patients with cancer. The findings were explained by the employment of the theoretical patterns of the mediating role of personality and regulation of excitement in stress and illness.

Predicting the level of job satisfaction based on hardiness and its components among nurses with tension headache.

Nurses are the most significant part of human resources in a sanitary and health system. Job satisfaction results in the enhancement of organizational productivity, employee commitment to the organization and ensuring his/ her physical and mental health. The present research was conducted with the aim of predicting the level of job satisfaction based on hardiness and its components among the nurses with tension headache. The research method was correlational. The population consisted of all the nurses with tension headache who referred to the relevant specialists in Tehran. The sample size consisted of 50 individuals who were chosen by using the convenience sampling method and were measured and investigated by using the research tools of "Job Satisfaction Test" of Davis, Lofkvist and Weiss and "Personal Views Survey" of Kobasa. The data analysis was carried out by using the Pearson Correlation Coefficient and the Regression Analysis. The research findings demonstrated that the correlation coefficient obtained for "hardiness", "job satisfaction" was 0.506, and this coefficient was significant at the 0.01 level. Moreover, it was specified that the sense of commitment and challenge were stronger predictors for job satisfaction of nurses with tension headache among the components of hardiness, and, about 16% of the variance of "job satisfaction" could be explained by the two components (sense of commitment and challenge).

Comparison of depression level and identity styles between students in Allameh University and Islamic Seminary.

This research was conducted to compare the depression level and the identity styles between students in Allameh University and Islamic Seminary in Tehran city. The research method was the ex post facto or causal-comparative kind. In this research, all the students of Allameh University and Islamic Seminary were chosen as the research population. Among the statistical population, by using the convenience sampling method, a sample consisting of 100 male students was chosen (50-50 from both universities). Afterwards, the Identity Styles Inventory (ISI-6G) and the Beck Depression Inventory (21 questions) were employed in order to collect the data. By using ANOVA and systematic regression, the collected data were analyzed. The findings of the research indicated that the average values of the normative component (p-value = 0.03) and the depression level (p-value = 0.000) of seminary's students were higher compared to the ones specific for the Allameh's students. Among the various identity styles, commitment style could totally predict 16% of depression variable changes of Allameh's students. Moreover, information and normative styles could totally predict 19% of the depression variable changes of the seminary's students.

Effect of teaching stress management skills on self-esteem and behavioral adjustment in people with somatomotor disabilities.

Objective: Psychological interventions for enhancing mental health in those with somatomotor-physical disabilities are vital. The existing research aimed to examine the effect of teaching stress management skills on self-esteem and behavioral adjustment in individuals with somatomotor-physical disabilities. Methodology: The method of the survey was semi-experimental with a pre-test post-test design and a control group. Hence, in Tehran, 40 girls with somatomotor-physical disabilities were selected by using convenience sampling, and they were divided into two groups: control and experiment. Both groups were tested by using a demography questionnaire, Rozenberg's self-esteem scale, and a behavioral adjustment questionnaire. Afterwards, the test group received lessons on stress management within ten sessions, but the control group received no interventions. Then both groups were post-tested, and the collected data were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics methods through SPSS software. Findings: Findings showed that teaching stress management skills significantly increased self-esteem and behavioral adjustment in girls with somatomotor-physical disabilities (p < 0.001). Conclusion: According to the study, it could be concluded that teaching stress management skills is an effective way to help endangered individuals such as girls who have somatomotor-physical disabilities because it is highly efficient especially when it is performed in groups, it is cheap, and acceptable by different people.

Effectiveness of behavioral-cognitive group therapy on depression, anxiety, and stress of patients with coronary heart disease.

Objective. An appropriate psychological intervention to promote the level of mental health of patients with a coronary heart has a great importance. The existing investigation aimed to study the effectiveness of the behavioral-cognitive group therapy on depression, anxiety, and stress of patients with coronary heart disease. Methodology. The current study was quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest that used a control group. Hence, 30 of the patients with coronary heart disease in Shahid Rajaee heart center in Tehran chose to use the convenience sampling method and were put in an experimental group and a control group. Both groups were pretested by using a demographic questionnaire, and scale of depression, anxiety, and stress DASS-42. Afterwards, the experimental group was trained for eight sessions of cognitive-behavioral club therapy and the control society gained no intervention. Later, both groups were post-tested, and the acquired information were analyzed by using inferential and descriptive statistical methods accompanied by SPSS 21 software. Findings. The results indicated that the cognitive-behavioral group therapy training significantly reduced depression, anxiety, and stress in patients with coronary heart disease. Conclusion. What should be understood from this study is that the cognitive-behavioral group therapy training had a great positive impact on the decrease of depression, anxiety, and tension in patients with coronary heart disease, since it had an economic cost and a great acceptability by the cases, especially when it was performed in a group.

Analytical Investigation of Elastic Thin-Walled Cylinder and Truncated Cone Shell Intersection Under Internal Pressure.

An elastic solution of cylinder-truncated cone shell intersection under internal pressure is presented. The edge solution theory that has been used in this study takes bending moments and shearing forces into account in the thin-walled shell of revolution element. The general solution of the cone equations is based on power series method. The effect of cone apex angle on the stress distribution in conical and cylindrical parts of structure is investigated. In addition, the effect of the intersection and boundary locations on the circumferential and longitudinal stresses is evaluated and it is shown that how quantitatively they are essential.

Fetal macrosomia: risk factors, maternal, and perinatal outcome.

BACKGROUND: Macrosomia is defined as birth-weight over 4,000 g irrespective of gestational age and affects 3-15% of all pregnancies. Aim The present study aimed to determine the relationship between mother's characteristics and macrosomic births and also compare macrosomic and normal newborns regarding the maternal and offspring complications of diabetes during pregnancy. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In this case control study, among the 420 consecutive births occurring in public and private hospitals of Shiraz, Iran from October 2006 to March 2007, the data of 32 macrosomic and 128 normal newborns were analyzed using t-test and chi square in bivariate and logistic regression in multivariate model. RESULTS: The mean (SD) of neonate weight, height, and head size was 3323.4 (709), 48.95 (3.2), and 34.9 (1.8), respectively. Regression analysis showed that gestational diabetes (Odds Ratio (OR): 11.9, Confidence Interval (CI): 4.6-30.3), preeclampsia in the pregnancy period due to diabetes (OR: 3.81, CI: 1.1-13.2), and macrosomic birth history (OR: 3.3, CI: 1.04-10.4) were the main predictors of macrosomia. Moreover, macrosomia increased neonate hypoglycemia (OR: 4.7, CI: 1.4-15.8) and section delivery (OR: 4.1, CI: 1.27-13.1). CONCLUSION: Gestational diabetes, preeclampsia due to diabetes, and history of macrosomic birth were the main predictors of macrosomia. Moreover, macrosomia increased some delivery complications for both mothers and newborns.

Transient and permanent hypoparathyroidism following thyroidectomy.

AIM: This study was designed to identify the risk factors of transient and permanent hypoparathyroidism in patients undergoing thyroidectomy. We also studied the duration of transient hypoparathyroidism following thyroid surgery. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted on 163 consecutive patients undergoing thyroidectomy. Serum Levels of calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH) were determined the day before surgery and then on the 1st and 10th postoperative day to determine the postoperative course of serum PTH and calcium. Patients were followed for six months after surgery. RESULTS: The incidence of transient and permanent hypoparathyroidism was 8.6% and 0%, respectively. Among all of variables, only the extent of surgery had a significant relationship with postoperative hypoparathyroidism (P=0.010). PTH measurement at 10th day postoperatively became normal, except in one patient in whom it continued to be low until two months. CONCLUSION: The extent of surgery is the leading cause of postoperative hypoparathyroidism, though, in most of the patients this is a transient complication and PTH level revert to normal within 10 days after surgery.

Inhibition of phosphodiestrase 9 induces cGMP accumulation and apoptosis in human breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468.

OBJECTIVES: Phosphodiesterase 9 (PDE9) is a major isoform of phosphodiesterase hydrolysing cGMP and plays a key role in proliferation of cells, their differentiation and apoptosis, via intracellular cGMP signalling. The study described here was designed to investigate expression, activity and apoptotic effect of PDE9 on human breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Activity and expression of PDE9 were examined using colorimetric cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase assay and real-time RT-PCR methods respectively; cGMP concentration was also measured. MTT viability test, annexin V-FITC staining, Hoechst 33258 staining and caspase3 activity assay were used to detect apoptosis. RESULTS: Treatment of both cell lines with BAY 73-6691 lead to reduction in PDE9 mRNA expression, PDE9 cGMP-hydrolytic activity and elevation of the intracellular cGMP response. BAY 73-6691 significantly reduced cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner and caused marked increase in apoptosis through caspase3 activation. CONCLUSION: Our results revealed that BAY 73-6691 induced apoptosis in these breast cancer cell lines through the cGMP pathway. These data suggest that BAY 73-6691 could be utilized as an agent in treatment of breast cancer.

Multivariate analysis of morphological variation in accessions of Aegilops crassa from Iran.

Principal component and cluster analyses were used to evaluate the pattern of morphological variation in 122 accessions of Aegilops crassa for 14 quantitative characters. With the principal component analysis, the first five principal components with eigenvalues more than 1 contributed 69.5% of the variability amongst accessions, whereas PC6 to PC14 were less than unity. Plant height, stem diameter, spike length and number of spikelets per spike were the most important characters in the first principal component. The germplasm was grouped into five clusters using cluster analysis. Although each cluster had some specific characteristics of its own, but clusters were not clearly separated when plotted by the first two principal components. Mahalanobis distances (D2) determined that plant height, stem diameter, spike length, number of spikelets per spike, node width, seed length, seed width and flowering date characters as the most important characters in differentiating the accessions. The morphological variation of Aegilops crassa accessions obtained in this study provides useful information for the future collection and makes these genetic resources more accessible to breeders.