Evaluation of Photobiomodulation on myocardial function of patients with advanced ischemic cardiomyopathy, A case series.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure is a growing cardiovascular disease burden with high mortality rates, primarily attributed to myocardial ischemia. Previous studies have shown promising effects of Photobiomodulation in heart failure treatment. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of Photobiomodulation on myocardial function of patients with advanced ischemic heart failure. METHOD: A non-randomized case series study involving 10 advanced heart failure patients was conducted. Patients received 15 sessions of transcutaneous and intravenous Photobiomodulation therapy using low-level red (658 nm) and infrared lasers (810 nm). All participants were evaluated by six-minute walk tests, dyspnea function classes, and echocardiography. 3 months after the sessions, the mentioned tests were reevaluated RESULT: The study included ten cardiomyopathic patients, 90 % male and the mean age was 63.20±6.01 years. The six-minute walk test change and shortness of breath function class change has 0.852 (p-value=0.006) correlation and the correlation between the Six-minute walk test change and the Systolic ejection fraction rate change, was 0.73 (p-value=0.025). CONCLUSION: Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that interventions in cardiomyopathic patients have shown promising improvements in certain cardiac function parameters. Specifically, the significant enhancement in the six-minute walk test post-intervention (p = 0.013) suggests a positive impact on functional capacity. Although the increase in systolic ejection fraction rate was not statistically significant (p = 0.197), the correlations identified provide valuable insights into the interplay between variables such as shortness of breath function class and the six-minute walk test. These findings underscore the complexity of managing cardiomyopathy and highlight the importance of further research to elucidate the relationships between different clinical parameters and patient outcomes in this population.

Photobiomodulation's potential as a non-invasive therapy for alzheimer's disease and minimal cognitive impairment: A 12-week investigation.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's Disease (AD), undergoing a faster increase in occurrence than any other type of dementia, lacks a curative remedy despite advanced discoveries. To explore the realm of non-pharmacologic therapies, our study evaluates the 12-week impact of non-invasive Photobiomodulation (PBM) on cognitive and psychological aspects in individuals with AD and minimal cognitive impairment (MCI). The urgency of exploring innovative interventions is underscored by the rising occurrence of AD, particularly in regions with aging populations like Iran. METHOD: 13 patients (6 case patients and 7 control patients) participated in the study. Sham treatment was administered to seven individuals, while another six received PBM treatment over 12 weeks, with daily at-home LED (810 nm wavelength) device usage lasting 20 min. Initially, the patient and their caregiver participated in two hospital sessions to acquaint them with the device's operation. RESULTS: The mean reduction of Hamilton's anxiety questionnaire score was 3.33±6.08 in the intervention group and 2.00±3.46 in the control group (p-value=0.836). The mean score reduction of the Hamilton depression questionnaire was 3.16±3.86 in the intervention group and 4.85±6.20 in the control group (p-value=0.836). The mean score of the DAD questionnaire in the intervention group before the study was 25.50±13.13 and after the intervention was 29.83±12.12 (p-value=0.084) and in the control group it was 29.71±8.19 and after the study was 29±0.972 (p-value = 0.526). The mean changes in the DAD questionnaire score in the intervention group increased by 4.33±4.92 and decreased by 0.71±2.81 in the control group (p-value=0.041). CONCLUSION: In general, PBM appears to hold promise as a potentially safe method for enhancing the cognitive, functional, and psychological status of individuals with Alzheimer's disease, though further research with larger sample size and cautious interpretation are warranted.

Laser Diode - GaAlAs Acupuncture in the Treatment of Central Obesity: a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: : Obesity is a global health challenge. Traditional approaches, including increased physical activity, dietary interventions, and medical therapy, often yield limited success, propelling some patients toward costly and invasive procedures like bariatric surgery. Laser acupuncture has been suggested as a complementary therapeutic approach to overcome this challenge. The present study investigated the effectiveness of laser acupuncture treatment in weight loss and abdominal subcutaneous fat reduction. Methods: : A randomized, blinded, sham-controlled clinical trial was conducted, with 30 subjects each in the intervention and control groups. Patients in the intervention group underwent 12 sessions of laser acupuncture treatment within a month (three sessions/week), whereas those in the control group received sham laser treatment on identical acupoints. The patients were instructed not to alter their physical activity levels or dietary regimens. All parameters were evaluated before and after the treatment. Results: : Significant reductions in weight, body mass index, and waist circumference were noted in both intervention and control groups. Further analysis revealed a more significant decrease in the laser acupuncture group. Abdominal sonography revealed a marked decrease in periumbilical fat thickness in the intervention group. Conversely, laboratory evaluations showed no significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion: : Laser acupuncture is an effective method for weight loss in patients with periumbilical abdominal fat. The observed impact on subcutaneous fat suggests its potential as a non-invasive intervention for individuals seeking weight management alternatives. Further research is warranted to validate these findings and explore the underlying mechanisms of laser acupuncture in adipose tissue modulation.

The Clinical Effects of Laser Acupuncture on Hospitalized Patients With Severe COVID-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Introduction: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was extended to the entire population in China and around the world, and its mortality rate was about 3.4%. The impact of laser therapy on chronic respiratory diseases has been shown in previous studies. This study was aimed at examining the effects of laser acupuncture (LA) on patients with severe COVID-19. Methods: In the present study, 60 patients with a positive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test were assigned to the intervention and control groups (30 patients in each group). The intervention group was treated with LA, that is, laser light with low energy on acupuncture points, once a day for five consecutive days. Results: The participants' mean age in the intervention and control groups was 48.96±12.65 and 53.16±12.28 respectively; 70% of the patients were male and 30% of them were female. IL6 had a significant reduction in the intervention group (P value=0.038) in comparison with the control group (P value=0.535). Furthermore, the mean admission time in the control group was significantly higher than that in the intervention group (P value=0.047). However, the mortality rate in the intervention group was zero, but three patients in the control group died. Conclusion: Our study showed that LA can be used as supportive therapy for routine treatment in patients with severe COVID-19. Moreover, due to LA safety and it's low cost, it could be recommended as an adjuvant to conventional therapy in patients interested in treating their disease with such a method.

Polarimetric imaging-based cancer bladder tissue's detection: A comparative study of bulk and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples.

The polarimetry imaging technique as a promising technique for pathological diagnosis provides a handy tool for identifying and discriminating cancerous tissues. In this paper, the optical polarization properties of bulk bladder tissues without any further processing and Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) blocks of bladder tissues have been measured. The images of the Muller matrix for both normal and cancerous samples have been obtained and for quantitative analysis and to provide a more precise comparison, two methods have been applied; the Mueller matrix polar decomposition (MMPD), and the Mueller matrix transformation (MMT). The results have shown that some of the extracted parameters from these methods can be used to identify the microstructural differentiations between normal and cancerous tissues. The results revealed a good accord between the obtained optical parameters for bulk and FFPE bladder tissues. By measuring the polarimetric properties of the tissue right after resection, and also in the early stages of pathology (FFPE tissues), this method can be applied in vivo to perform an optical biopsy; Furthermore, this method has the potential to significantly shortens the duration of pathological diagnosis. The approach seems remarkable, simple, precise, and economical compared to the existing techniques for the detection of cancerous samples.

Intravesical Gemcitabine versus Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin for the Treatment of Intermediate-Risk Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: The most common adjuvant therapy known for non-invasive muscle bladder cancer (NMIBC) is intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG). Intravesical chemotherapy drugs like gemcitabine can also be used post-TURBT, which is considered as a good alternative for BCG, or can be used as a second-line treatment. Due to the common side effects of BCG, the use of chemotherapy drugs as intravesical treatments is currently increasing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 117 intermediate-risk NMIBC cases were included in this study. All the patients underwent TURBT surgery and received 1 gr intravesical gemcitabine immediately after performing the surgery. The patients were then divided into two groups, either receiving intravesical gemcitabine or intravesical BCG weekly for 6 weeks. The patients were followed up with cystoscopy. RESULTS: Most patients were men who had smoking risk factors. The youngest patient was 36 years old and the oldest one was 88 years old. The rate of side effects in the group receiving gemcitabine (13.6%) was much lower than the group receiving BCG (44.8%). (P-value = 0.016). The recurrence rate during a one year period was lower in the group consisting of patients receiving gemcitabine compared to the group receiving BCG (19 patients vs. 23 patients) (p-value = 0.401) Conclusion: The efficacy of intravesical gemcitabine and intravesical BCG was almost equal in the treatment of intermediate-risk NMIBCs. The adverse effects of gemcitabine were found to be significantly lower than BCG. Due to causing fewer complications, gemcitabine can be known as a good alternative, especially among elderly patients with comorbidities.

Role of Cultured Skin Fibroblasts in Regenerative Dermatology.

The skin, as the largest organ, covers the entire outer part of the body, and since this organ is directly exposed to microbial, thermal, mechanical and chemical damage, it may be destroyed by factors such as acute trauma, chronic wounds or even surgical interventions. Cell therapy is one of the most important procedures to treat skin lesions. Fibroblasts are cells that are responsible for the synthesis of collagen, elastin, and the organization of extracellular matrix (ECM) components and have many vital functions in wound healing processes. Today, cultured autologous fibroblasts are used to treat wrinkles, scars, wounds and subcutaneous atrophy. The results of many studies have shown that fibroblasts can be effective and beneficial in the treatment of skin lesions. On the other hand, skin substitutes are used as a regenerative model to improve and regenerate the skin. The use of these alternatives, restorative medicine and therapeutic cells such as fibroblasts has tremendous potential in the treatment of skin diseases and can be a new window for the treatment of diseases with no definitive treatment. NO LEVEL ASSIGNED: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each submission to which Evidence-Based Medicine rankings are applicable. This excludes Review Articles, Book Reviews, and manuscripts that concern Basic Science, Animal Studies, Cadaver Studies, and Experimental Studies. For a full description ofthese Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Introducing critical common dysregulated proteins in esophageal, gastric, and intestinal cancers.

Aim: The current study aimed to determine the common dysregulated proteins between esophageal, gastric, and intestinal cancers. Background: Though there are several documents about the role of AKT1 in promoting of esophageal, gastric, and intestinal cancers, there is not enough evidence about the dominant role of AKT1 relative to the other oncogene genes in the promotion of the three studied cancer types. Methods: One hundred proteins related to each of esophageal, gastric, or intestinal cancer were retrieved from the STRING database and interacted by Cytoscape software v 3.2.7. 2 to create the correlated interactomes. The network was analyzed by the "NetworkAnalyzer" application of Cytoscape to find the centrality parameters of the nodes. Results of network analysis and action map assessment were used to determine the common critical proteins between the three studied cancers. Results: One hundred proteins were extracted for each of the studied cancers. Among 42 common dysregulated proteins, 36 individuals were selected through network analysis and were screened through action map assessment. Eighteen proteins were introduced as the important common proteins. Finally, AKT1 was a candidate for the crucial dysregulated proteins common in the three analyzed diseases. Conclusion: The findings indicate that AKT1, relative to the other oncogene genes, is a suitable candidate to be evaluated in patients as a prediagnostic tool to reduce endoscopy and colonoscopy rates.

A Large Primary Retroperitoneal Synovial Sarcoma: A Case Report of a Huge Malignant Tumor.

Synovial Sarcoma (SS) is a rare soft-tissue malignancy. Only about 15% of SS originates from the retroperitoneum. Retroperitoneal SS (RSS) is usually diagnosed incidentally due to the anatomy of the retroperitoneum. The most common complaints of patients are abdominal and low back pain. Other common symptoms of RSS are palpable abdominal mass, weight loss, and anemia. In this study, we will describe a 29-year-old white Asian man with a diagnosis of RSS after radical nephrectomy. He was admitted to the Urology Department of Shohada-e Tajrish hospital, Tehran, Iran in March 2019. The distinguishing feature of this case is the size of the mass, which has never been reported so much for retroperitoneal synovial sarcoma. Radiologic imaging showed a huge retroperitoneal mass originating from the kidney. Based on the pathologic features and immunohistochemistry (IHC) study, the diagnosis was consistent with synovial sarcoma. Accurate diagnosis of RSS is usually based on the pathological findings. Therefore, in case of doubt, a biopsy can be employed. Surgical resection of the tumor and lymph nodes dissection is the main and most important part of the treatment. Aggressive resection with free margin is recommended. The role of adjuvant and neoadjuvant chemotherapy in RSS is not certain to date, but it is recommended according to the patient's condition.

Assessment of cancer prevention effect of exercise.

There are many documents about benefits of exercise on human health. However, evidences indicate to positive effect of exercise on disease prevention, understanding of many aspects of this mechanism need more investigations. Determination of critical genes which effect human health.GSE156249 including 12 gene expression profiles of healthy individual biopsy from vastus lateralis muscle before and after 12-week combined exercise training intervention were extracted from gene expression omnibus (GEO) database. The significant DEGs were included in interactome unit by Cytoscape software and STRING database. The network was analyzed to find the central nodes subnetwork clusters. The nodes of prominent cluster were assessed via gene ontology by using ClueGO. Number of 8 significant DEGs and 100 first neighbors analyzed via network analysis. The network includes 2 clusters and COL3A1, BGN, and LOX were determined as central DEGs. The critical DEGs were involved in cancer prevention process.

Effective Combination Therapy with Human Amniotic Membrane Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Low-Level Laser Therapy in Wound Healing in Animal Models.

Introduction: Many studies have recognized the importance of new methods in wound healing. This study aims to investigate the healing effects of allograft extra embryonic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with and without low-level diode laser irradiation when grafted into full-thickness skin defects in diabetic animal models. Methods: In this experimental study, in order to make the rats diabetic, we used an intra-peritoneal injection of streptozotocin. Human amniotic membrane derived mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs) were irradiated with a low-level diode laser. Two full-thickness excisions were made on the backs of the rats. Next, the rats were divided into the following groups: group 1: low-level laser (LLL) irradiated hAMSCs and group 2: hAMSCs alone transplanted into skin wound. Histopathologic, ultrasound and elasticity evaluations were performed 7, 14 and 21 days after grafting. Results: In the evaluated rats, epithelial formation was on day 7 and increased until day 14. On days 7, 14 and 21, the percentage of epithelial formation in the irradiated cell group was significantly higher than that in the cell group, so that, on day 21, the epithelium in this group completely covered the wound surface while in the control group the wound surface was still not completely covered. In terms of angiogenesis, on day 7, the irradiated cells were significantly lower than the cells. Also, the formation of collagen in the cellular hydrogel group could confirm the effectiveness of amniotic MSCs in collagen production and thus accelerate the wound healing process. In comparison with hAMSCs alone, irradiated hAMSCs increased the thickness and elasticity of the skin. Conclusion: Low-power laser along with MSCs can be effective in improving chronic wound condition in the animal model.

The effect of cisplatin-low-level laser therapy on cell viability and death of LNCaP prostate cancer cell line.

Prostate cancer, as a common male cancer, is a serious threat to men's health. In spite of extreme developments for increasing survival rate, there are still limitations about common treatment options such as surgical procedures, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. We hypothesized that combination of two treatments would bring better clinical outcomes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of conjugated cisplatin and low-level laser treatment (LLLT) on the viability of LNCaP prostate cancer cell line. LNCaP cells were harvested in DMEM containing 10% FBS and 1% antibiotic. Confluent cells were treated with different concentrations of cisplatin and different wavelengths of low-level laser (LLL) alone and in combination. The relative IC50 and cell viability was evaluated using MTT assay. Analysis of lipid peroxidation rate was performed using lipid peroxidation assay kit. LDH activity was also carried out on the treated and control cells using LDH cytotoxicity assay kit. Our results showed that combination of cisplatin and LLLT could effectively decrease cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity as well as LNCaP cell viability. Cisplatin-LLLT combination led to a significant increase in the MDA content as the product of membrane lipid peroxidation. Analyzing the LDH activity under the effect of cisplatin-LLL combined treatment showed a remarkable increase in the enzyme activity. We conclude that applying the cisplatin-LLL combination therapy is promising as an effective anti-cancer treatment. This novel combination has a potential to attenuate adverse side effects of earlier monotherapy strategies.

A trend of Medical Negligence in Laser Therapy in the Capital City: A Nine-Year Survey.

Introduction: The purpose of the present study is to investigate the common causes of injuries, claims, and decisions related to laser therapy medical malpractice during a nine-year survey. Methods: The legal documents in the Coroner's Office of Forensic Medicine were investigated in a national database from 2012 to 2020 in Tehran, Iran. The frequency and nature of the cases, including the year of litigation, the location and certificate of the provider, the injury sustained, and the cause of legal action and judgment were collected. Results: Three hundred and eighty-three cases related to injury from laser therapy were registered in the coroner's Office of Forensic Medicine during the study period. The incidence of litigation related to laser surgery showed an increasing trend, with a peak occurrence in 2020. Laser hair removal was the most common (51.2%) litigated procedure. General practice operators (48%) recorded the highest rate of laser-related medical complaints. Lack of skill was the most common reason for failure. Among 383 cases with public decisions, 62.4% of them were fault liability in paid judgment. Conclusion: Medical claims related to laser application are increasing. However, as it is clear, the growth of laser technology and the increasing demand for lasers in medical science require more surveillance to avoid probable injuries and improve patient safety, especially surveillance of the physicians who work outside the scope of their specialty.

The Trends of Urolithiasis Therapeutic Interventions over the Last 20 Years: A Bibliographic Study.

Introduction: The clinical and economic burden of kidney stones is a challenge for the healthcare system. There is a limited bibliometric project exploring the literature trends on 'urolithiasis' and its related management. Methods: A systematic review was conducted to discover the related abstracts regarding each specific issue, investigated year by year from May 2000 to May 2020 (20 years). To make an effective comparison, the statistics resulting from every single study were allocated to two 10-year periods: period 1 (2000 to 2010) and period 2 (2010 to 2020). In this study, we included all English language articles, all non-English articles with English abstracts, and studies in which interventions were used for stone removal, including laser technology. Also, we excluded the studies without a published abstract, an intervention or a laser, animal and in vitro studies, and case reports. Results: These articles are about ureteroscopy (URS) (n=10360, 33.45%), percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCN) (n =10790, 34.84%) and extra-corporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) (n=9846, 31.76%). When evaluating the two time periods, there were 9912 studies available in period one, which increased by ×2.12 times (112.71% rise) to 21084 studies in period two (P = 0.001). The increase was 133%, 103.51%, and 70.4% for URS, PCN, and SWL respectively. A total of 855 studies on Laser application via URS were published on PubMed over a 20-year period. There was an increasing trend toward using laser application via URS over the study period. Also, there were 230 articles published in period one, which increased by nearly 2.71 times (rise of 171.73%) to 625 papers in period two (P < 0.001). There was an increasing trend toward using laser application via PCN; 126 papers were published in period one, which increased by nearly 3.05 times (rise of 205.5%) to 385 papers in period two (P = 0.002). Conclusion: The minimal invasive interventions for stone removal, including URS and PCN, increased dramatically in the last decade, and the use of lasers in stone treatment increased significantly in the last decade.

Evaluation of Biological Activity of Different Wavelengths of Low-Level Laser Therapy on the Cancer Prostate Cell Line Compared With Cisplatin.

Introduction: Cancer is one of the most important problems in the world. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been emerged as a new approach, having both stimulation and inhibition effects on cellular function. The goal of this study was to analyze and compare the different concentrations of cisplatin and wavelengths of laser therapy on the LnCap cell lines. Methods: LnCap cells were cultured and treated with different concentrations of cisplatin (0.1, 0.4, 0.8, 1.2 and 2 µg/mL for 24 hours) and wavelengths of laser therapy (610, 630 and 810 nm) (0.45 J/cm2) separately. The viability of cells was examined by MTT assay and IC50 was also calculated. Furthermore, a combination of cisplatin IC50 (24 hours) and different wavelengths of the laser was examined. Results: The results of this study showed that 2 µg/mL of cisplatin has the most significant reduction effect on the cell viability of the LnCap cell line. Cisplatin decreased the viability of cells in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, IC50 of cisplatin was 1.24 µg/mL. On the other hand, LLLT with wavelengths of 610, 630 and 810 nm did not show notable biological effects on cell viability. Conclusion: As known, cisplatin has the capability to reduce the viability of LnCap cell lines. However, LLLT cannot be a remarkable option for the treatment of prostate cancer. Therefore, although laser therapy showed praiseful therapeutic activity against some cancer cell lines, in this study the results indicated that defined laser wavelengths had no inhibitory effects against the prostate cancer cell line.

Platelet and Haemostasis are the Main Targets in Severe Cases of COVID-19 Infection; a System Biology Study.

INTRODUCTION: Many proteomics-based and bioinformatics-based efforts are made to detect the molecular mechanism of COVID-19 infection. Identification of the main protein targets and pathways of severe cases of COVID-19 infection is the aim of this study. METHODS: Published differentially expressed proteins were screened and the significant proteins were investigated via protein-protein interaction network using Cytoscape software V. 3.7.2 and STRING database. The studied proteins were assessed via action map analysis to determine the relationship between individual proteins using CluePedia. The related biological terms were investigated using ClueGO and the terms were clustered and discussed. RESULTS: Among the 35 queried proteins, six of them (FGA, FGB, FGG, and FGl1 plus TLN1 and THBS1) were identified as critical proteins. A total of 38 biological terms, clustered in 4 groups, were introduced as the affected terms. "Platelet degranulation" and "hereditary factor I deficiency disease" were introduced as the main class of the terms disturbed by COVID-19 virus. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that platelet damage and disturbed haemostasis could be the main targets in severe cases of coronavirus infection. It is vital to follow patients' condition by examining the introduced critical differentially expressed proteins (DEPs).

Fibrinogen Dysregulation is a Prominent Process in Fatal Conditions of COVID-19 Infection; a Proteomic Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Molecular pathophysiology of COVID-19 is not completely known. Expression changes in patients' plasma proteins have revealed new information about the disease. Introducing the key targeted plasma protein in fatal conditions of COVID-19 infection is the aim of this study. METHODS: Significant differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the plasma of cases with a fatal condition of COVID-19 were extracted from an original article. These proteins were included in a network via STRING database along with 100 first neighbor proteins to determine central nodes of the network for analyzing. RESULTS: Queried and added proteins were included in a scale free network. Three hub nodes were identified as critical target proteins. The top queried hub proteins were chains of fibrinogen; Fibrinogen Alpha chain (FGA), Fibrinogen gamma chain (FGG), and Fibrinogen beta chain (FGB), which are related to the coagulation process. CONCLUSIONS: It seems that fibrinogen dysregulation has a deep impact on the fatality of COVID-19 infection.

Intravaginal Pulsed Contractile Radiofrequency for Stress Urinary Incontinence Treatment; A Safety Study.

Introduction: Radiofrequency (RF)-based stress urinary incontinence (SUI) treatment, which has quickly attracted attention, is administered in an office setting. This pilot-safety study assessed the efficacy of transvaginal RF treatment in the quality of life (QOL) and frequency of incontinence episodes in women with SUI. Methods: Twenty-eight women suffering from SUI were treated with an intravaginal quadric applicator while a grounding pad was attached in front of their pubes. The first phase is thermic, which will heat up the vaginal wall up to 40°C for 10 minutes. The second step is contraction to stimulate an aerobic exercise of pelvic floor muscles for 20 minutes (pulsed contractile RF at 20-40 watts and 1000-300 kHz with a modulation of 1 to 300 Hz for muscle exercise). It was scheduled for one session per week for 3 sessions. Patients had follow-up visits before and 1, 6 and 12 months following the treatment for one-day voiding diary, Persian version of urinary incontinence QOL questionnaire (I-QOL), Q-tip test, 24 hours-pad test and daily incontinence episodes' number. Results: The patients' mean age, duration of incontinence and median vesical leak point pressure were 41.6±9.6 years, 5.48±6.84 years and 140 cm H2 O respectively. Significant changes were observed in the mean I-QOL total score and the pad test. Also, a notable reduction was observed in the number of daily leakage episodes and the Q-tip test at any follow-up visit (P=0.001). Conclusion: Preliminary results suggest that transvaginal RF is a convenient method of SUI treatment. Significant changes were observed in the mean I-QOL total score and the pad test. Also, a notable reduction was observed in the number of daily leakage episodes.

Characterization of an Enzyme-Catalyzed Crosslinkable Hydrogel as a Wound Dressing in Skin Tissue Engineering.

Introduction: Wound healing can have a very important impact on the patients' quality of life. For its treatment, wound dressings have vital and effective uses. Indeed, the use of a proper wound dressing can improve the healing process and duration. Recently, wound dressings with unique properties have been prepared using natural hydrogels. In addition to the general wound characteristics, new generations of wound dressings, such as those lasting longer on the wound, can have specific properties such as transferring allogeneic cells to enhance the healing effect and speed up the healing process. The present study aimed to prepare a gelatin-based hydrogel and to characterize it for therapeutic purposes. Methods: In this experimental-laboratory study, a gelatin hydrogel was made using a microbial transglutaminase (mTG) enzyme. The prepared hydrogel was evaluated in terms of appearance, physical, and chemical properties. To investigate the biological properties of the hydrogel, cells were cultured on it and the toxicity of the hydrogel for the cells was investigated. The location of the cells on the hydrogel was imaged via an electron microscope. The absorption and reflectance characteristics of the hydrogel were recorded by optical spectroscopy. Data were collected and statistical analysis was performed. Results: The results showed that the mTG gelatin hydrogel had a uniform pore size and good physical, chemical, and mechanical properties for use in wound healing. Cell experiments showed evident cell proliferation and high viability. The results also revealed that the cells grew vigorously and adhered tightly to the hydrogel. Conclusion: The preparation of a gelatin hydrogel under GMP conditions can be considered in the healing of diabetic wounds and burns.

The Effect of Laser Acupuncture on Semen Parameters in Infertile Men With Oligospermia: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Introduction: Currently, infertility is a main concern, and it is estimated that 15% of couples are considered infertile. Conventional therapies such as vitamins, antioxidants and supplements have been used widely, but they may not be sufficiently effective. This study evaluated the effect of laser acupuncture on semen parameters in infertile patients with oligospermia. Methods: This study is a clinical trial with a double-blind control group. 35 patients in the intervention group underwent laser acupuncture twice a week for consecutive 5-weeks. In the control group, sham laser acupuncture was performed. The two groups were compared in terms of semen parameters including semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm motility and sperm morphology as the primary outcome. The secondary outcome was a successful pregnancy rate. After data collection, statistical analysis was performed with SPSS version 20. Results: The mean age of all patients was 27.46±2.88 years; in the intervention group, their age was 27.82±2.6 years, and in the control group, it was 27.11±2.96 years, and there was no significant difference (P=0.396). During the study, 4 patients (5.4%) reported adverse effects; three patients in the control group complained of mild weakness and itching, and one patient in the intervention group reported dizziness. The volume of semen and sperm morphology did not differ significantly in both control and intervention groups (P ˃ 0.05), while sperm motility and sperm concentration had a significant difference (P=0.0001). Conclusion: Laser acupuncture as a non-invasive procedure is effective in improving sperm mobility and concentration in infertile patients with oligospermia. Due to the surface contact of the laser probe with the skin and the lack of need to insert needles in the skin, laser acupuncture is more convenient and better tolerated by patients.