Multiple risk factors are introduced for Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Recent studies have suggested a possible correlation between vitamin D deficiency and an increase risk of MS. This study was ...therefore undertaken to compare vitamin D levels in new cases of MS and their relatives as healthy controls. Seventy five new diagnosed MS patients and 100 matched healthy controls among their relatives were enrolled in this study. Two groups were matched for gender, age, season in which serum level of vitamin D was checked and region and diet. Serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D was measured, recorded and analyzed. Seventy five patients (57 female and 18 male) and 100 healthy subjects (75 female and 25 male) were enrolled in this study. The mean serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D in case and control groups were 11.31 and 17.9 ng/ml, respectively (P=0.003). Compared to the healthy subject, serum levels of vitamin D were significantly lower in patients with MS. This difference was only significant in women. Observed difference of vitamin D levels of both groups were significant in summer. This study continues to support the role of vitamin D deficiency in MS.
Possible mechanisms of Alzheimer Disease (AD) such as inflammation and oxidative stresses in the brain led us to investigate potential AD therapeutics of
an herbal extract, with possible role as an ...anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant agent. Among different genes which had important role in Sporadic AD (SAD), three genes including
and
have shown significant statistical diversity in the brains of Alzheimer patients.
These genes were chosen to be investigated for neuroprotective effects of the extract by comparing the expression level in the hippocampus of Sporadic AD (SAD) rat model using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in the treated and untreated groups. In addition, therapeutic effects at the behavioral, learning and memory level by Morris Water Maze (MWM) test were investigated.
The results represented significant decreased expression in
and
genes in the SAD rat's model treated with the herbal extract compared to the Streptozotocin-induced (STZ-induced) rats. Furthermore, no significant changes were seen in swimming distance and time for finding the hidden platform in the herbal-treated compared to the STZ-induced group. In memory level, no significant changes were observed among treated and untreated groups.
It seems that the herbal extract may have significant effect on Alzheimer-related gene expression changes but not on clinical levels.
Background
The goal of this work is to compare the visual and anatomical (central macular thickness; CMT) outcomes of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injections relative to sham treatment in eyes with ...acute (less than 3 months in duration) branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).
Methods
In a double-masked randomized clinical trial (RCT), patients with acute BRVO were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: IVB (two injections of 1.25 mg IVB 6 weeks apart) or sham treatment. Primary outcome measures included changes in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and CMT in optical coherence tomography (OCT) during follow-up (FU) examinations. Any complications secondary to injections were considered secondary outcomes. FU results after 6 and 12 weeks are reported.
Results
Eighty-one eyes (43 OD) of 81 patients (47 females) were enrolled in the study. Forty-two patients were enrolled in the IVB group, and 39 patients were enrolled in the sham group. Visual acuity and CMT improved in the IVB group after week 6 (two Snellen lines and 262 μm, respectively) and week 12 (three Snellen lines and 287 μm, respectively). After week 6, visual improvements in the IVB group were significantly increased relative to that of the sham group. However, visual improvements at week 12 were not significantly different between the two groups (1.5 Snellen lines visual improvement in the sham group at week 12).
Conclusions
In acute BRVO, two IVB injections resulted in significant improvement of vision and CMT at 6 weeks relative to the sham group. However, the visual improvements in the IVB group were not significantly different from those in the sham group at 12 weeks. IVB injections accelerate an initial improvement of visual acuity but do not have any significant effects on vision after 12 weeks.
In this work, two newly prepared Brønsted-acidic ionic liquids, MPyrrSO
3
HCl (IL
1
) and MMorSO
3
HCl (IL
2
), were efficiently used as catalysts for the synthesis of amidoalkyl naphthols through ...the one-pot, three-component reaction of β-naphthol, aryl aldehydes, and acetamide under neat conditions. High activity of the catalysts, excellent yields, short reaction times, simple procedure with an easy work-up, and the absence of any volatile and hazardous organic solvents are some advantages of the present methodology. Moreover, the catalysts are simply prepared and can be recovered conveniently and reused such that considerable catalytic activity can still be achieved after the fifth run.
Background: For many people who work in the nursing profession, a large part of their work involves emotional (psychological) and physical stress. The work environment of psychiatric hospitals ...imposes a high level of stress to staff due to dealing with patients with psychiatric disorders. Moreover, there is a negative attitude in the society towards patients with mental disorders and mental hospitals. Therefore, it is possible that psychiatric hospital nurses suffer more problems. In this study, workload and burnout have been investigated as two important factors affecting health among nurses working in a psychiatric hospital.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total sample of 82 nurses working in Iran psychiatric hospital was included and participated in the survey. Demographic information questionnaire, Maslach burnout questionnaire and NASA-TLX index were used for data collection.
Results: The depersonalization subscale had the highest score in the burnout variable and the mental stress subscale had the highest score in the workload variable. The results of this study showed that there is a significant and positive relationship between workload and emotional fatigue as well as workload and depersonalization and also no correlation was found between workload and individual performance.
Conclusion: This study shows that workload, emotional fatigue and depersonalization have positive correlation. In addition, the mental stress subscale had the highest score in the workload variable. Further attention to workload and burnout of the nurses in psychiatric hospitals is suggested and future large and multi-center studies on the topic are necessary.
Multiple risk factors are introduced for Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Recent studies have suggested a possible correlation between vitamin D deficiency and an increase risk of MS. This study was ...therefore undertaken to compare vitamin D levels in new cases of MS and their relatives as healthy controls. Seventy five new diagnosed MS patients and 100 matched healthy controls among their relatives were enrolled in this study. Two groups were matched for gender, age, season in which serum level of vitamin D was checked and region and diet. Serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D was measured, recorded and analyzed. Seventy five patients (57 female and 18 male) and 100 healthy subjects (75 female and 25 male) were enrolled in this study. The mean serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D in case and control groups were 11.31 and 17.9 ng/ml, respectively (P=0.003). Compared to the healthy subject, serum levels of vitamin D were significantly lower in patients with MS. This difference was only significant in women. Observed difference of vitamin D levels of both groups were significant in summer. This study continues to support the role of vitamin D deficiency in MS.
IntroductionSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection mostly involves pediatrics lesser than adults; however, the multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children is shown to be the ...following condition in children infected with SARS-CoV-2, even asymptomatic ones. To date, there is few evidence of the association of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children with acute neurological symptoms. Case presentationsThis case series was recorded demographic, clinical, laboratory, radiographic and EEG data of patients with the multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children who diagnosed simultaneously with acute neurological symptoms. Children with the multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children and evidence of central nervous system involvements participated in the study. Data are reported as median (interquartile ranges) for quantitative data without normal distributions. The present study was conducted at the children's referral hospital of Isfahan province, Iran between March 1, 2020, and December 28, 2021. Simultaneous diagnosis of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children and acute neurological symptoms was made in 12 children. The median age of patients was 4.5 years (10-144 months). The most common symptoms were seizures (58%). Cerebrospinal fluid analysis showed that only one patient had pleocytosis. In addition, one patient had a low glucose level. Finally, 11 patients were discharged in good condition and one patient died after full recovery from acute neurological symptoms due to her underlying disease. ConclusionAccording to our series and other studies, children with MIS-C may present signs and symptoms of acute neurological symptoms. Although its pathophysiology is unclear, studies showed that immunomodulatory agents, i.e., intravenous immunoglobulins and corticosteroids, provide a relatively good prognosis.
Bezoars are collections of indigestible foreign material found in the gastrointestinal tract. Phytobezoars are the most common among the types of bezoars. Treatment of phytobezoars is categorized ...into four types: chemical dissolution, endoscopic removal, adjuvant prokinetics, and surgery. Complications from phytobezoars can include gastric outlet obstruction (GOO), ileus, ulcerations, gastrointestinal bleeding, and perforation. Herein, we present an 86-year-old woman with refractory postprandial vomiting. Then, exploratory laparotomy was performed and the diagnosis was gastric phytobezoar. Phytobezoars-induced GOO is rare and its diagnosis is still a challenge.
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