Probabilistic Return-on-Investment Analysis of Single-Family Versus Open-Bay Rooms in Neonatal Intensive Care Units-Synthesis and Evaluation of Early Evidence on Nosocomial Infections, Length of Stay, and Direct Cost of Care.

Background:: There is increasing evidence that the physical environment of neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), including single-family rooms (SFRs) versus open-bay rooms (OPBYs), has tangible effects on vulnerable patients. The objective of this study was to illustrate the financial implications of SFR versus OPBY units by synthesizing and evaluating the evidence regarding the benefits and costs of each unit from a hospital perspective.

Methods:: We assumed a hypothetical NICU with 40 beds in OPBY rooms, to be replaced with a new NICU with 32 SFRs and 8 OPBYs.

Antifungal Activity and Aflatoxin Degradation of and Against Toxigenic .

Food and feedstuff contamination with aflatoxins (AFTs) is a serious health problem for humans and animals, especially in developing countries. The present study evaluated antifungal activities of two lactic acid bacteria (LAB against growth and aflatoxin production of toxigenic . The mycelial growth inhibition rate of PTCC 5286 was investigated in the presence of PTCC 1644 and PTCC 1744 by the pour plate method.

The effect of cryopreservation on anti-cancer activity of human amniotic membrane.

Human amniotic membrane (AM) is an appropriate candidate for treatment of cancer due to special properties, such as inhibition of angiogenesis and secretion of pro-apoptotic factors. This research was designed to evaluate the impact of cryopreservation on cancer cell death induction and anti-angiogenic properties of the AM. Cancer cells were treated with fresh and cryopreserved amniotic condition medium during 24 h and cancer cell viability was determined by MTT assay.

Accessory atlantoaxial ligament avulsion fracture of the axis: Are there any clinical implications?

Injuries to the craniocervical support structures are frequently observed in neurotrauma cases. Stability of this region is of vital importance. Literature has mainly focused on three major ligaments of the craniocervical junction: The tectorial membrane, the transverse ligament, and the alar ligaments.

Design and construction of multifunctional hyperbranched polymers coated magnetite nanoparticles for both targeting magnetic resonance imaging and cancer therapy.

Magnetic drug targeting is a drug delivery strategy that can be used to improve the therapeutic efficiency on tumor cells and reduce the side effects on normal cells and tissues. The aim in this study is designing a novel multifunctional drug delivery system based on superparamagnetic nanoparticles for cancer therapy. Magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized by coprecipitation of iron oxide followed by coating with poly citric acid (PCA) dendritic macromolecules via bulk polymerization strategy.

Identification of a RAI1-associated disease network through integration of exome sequencing, transcriptomics, and 3D genomics.

Background: Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS) is a developmental disability/multiple congenital anomaly disorder resulting from haploinsufficiency of RAI1. It is characterized by distinctive facial features, brachydactyly, sleep disturbances, and stereotypic behaviors.

Methods: We investigated a cohort of 15 individuals with a clinical suspicion of SMS who showed neither deletion in the SMS critical region nor damaging variants in RAI1 using whole exome sequencing.

Updates in Rhea - an expert curated resource of biochemical reactions.

Rhea (http://www.rhea-db.org) is a comprehensive and non-redundant resource of expert-curated biochemical reactions designed for the functional annotation of enzymes and the description of metabolic networks.

Boolean regulatory network reconstruction using literature based knowledge with a genetic algorithm optimization method.

Background: Prior knowledge networks (PKNs) provide a framework for the development of computational biological models, including Boolean models of regulatory networks which are the focus of this work. PKNs are created by a painstaking process of literature curation, and generally describe all relevant regulatory interactions identified using a variety of experimental conditions and systems, such as specific cell types or tissues. Certain of these regulatory interactions may not occur in all biological contexts of interest, and their presence may dramatically change the dynamical behaviour of the resulting computational model, hindering the elucidation of the underlying mechanisms and reducing the usefulness of model predictions.

Quantitative Determination of Aflatoxin by High Performance Liquid Chromatography in Wheat Silos in Golestan Province, North of Iran.

Background: Aflatoxins are the most common mycotoxins that contaminate crops. They are produced by fungi such as Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. Wheat (Tricitumaestivum) is one of the most important staple foods used in Iran, and the environmental conditions in the north of Iran are favorable to fungal growth.

A new method for depth of interaction determination in PET detectors.

A new method for obtaining depth of interaction (DOI) information in PET detectors is presented in this study, based on sharing and redirection of scintillation light among multiple detectors, together with attenuation of light over the length of the crystals. The aim is to obtain continuous DOI encoding with single side readout, and at the same time without the need for one-to-one coupling between scintillators and detectors, allowing the development of a PET scanner with good spatial, energy and timing resolutions while keeping the complexity of the system low. A prototype module has been produced and characterized to test the proposed method, coupling a LYSO scintillator matrix to a commercial SiPMs array.

Different Light Transmittance of Placental and Reflected Regions of Human Amniotic Membrane That Could Be Crucial for Corneal Tissue Engineering.

Purpose: Because of long-term incorporation of amniotic membrane (AM) into corneal stroma after transplantation as a scaffold for stem cell delivery, the variation in haziness is a major factor that influences visual quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate probable sources of transparency variation in fresh and freeze-dried AM and compare the obtained results with transparency of rabbit corneas.

Methods: Amnions were extracted from placental and reflected regions of placentas from elective Cesarean sections.

Induction of apoptosis, stimulation of cell-cycle arrest and inhibition of angiogenesis make human amnion-derived cells promising sources for cell therapy of cancer.

Amniotic membrane (AM), the nearest layer of fetal membranes to the fetus, contains two types of cells with unique characteristics that make them excellent candidates for clinical applications. Amniotic epithelial and mesenchymal cells have low immunogenicity, anti-inflammation, anti-fibrosis and anti-bacterial properties and no ethical issues. Although amniotic cells have stem cell properties and express transcription factors specific for pluripotent stem cells, they are not tumorigenic after transplantation.

Spectroscopic Studies on the Characterization of a Persian Playing Card.

This paper presents the results of our investigations on a playing card preserved at The Mūzih-i Āynih va Rushanāī in Yazd, Iran. Conducting micro X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (μ-XRF), micro-Raman spectroscopy (μ-Raman), infrared reflectography (IRR), ultraviolet fluorescence photography, radiography, and optical microscopy, various paints applied on the playing card were identified. According to our analytical studies, red, green, blue, black, and gold-like metallic paints were identified to be a red monoazo pigment (β-naphthol PR 53:1), chrome green, artificial ultramarine blue, carbon black, and brass powder (Dutch metal powder), respectively, dating the playing card to 1895 onward based on the manufacturing date of the red monoazo pigment.

Exposure of Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus) to cadmium results in biochemical, histological and transcriptional alterations.

Sturgeon is one of the endangered families of fish in the Caspian Sea region, where there is up to 80% of their global caching. Unfortunately, in recent years, increase of pollutants has been resulted in their total population reduction. Due to their benthic nature, sturgeons are at great risk of exposing to contaminants such as cadmium.

Do cost savings from reductions in nosocomial infections justify additional costs of single-bed rooms in intensive care units? A simulation case study.

Purpose: Evidence shows that single-patient rooms can play an important role in preventing cross-transmission and reducing nosocomial infections in intensive care units (ICUs). This case study investigated whether cost savings from reductions in nosocomial infections justify the additional construction and operation costs of single-bed rooms in ICUs.

Materials And Methods: We conducted deterministic and probabilistic return-on-investment analyses of converting the space occupied by open-bay rooms to single-bed rooms in an exemplary ICU.

Outcome of isolated fetal choroid plexus cyst detected in prenatal sonography among infertile patients referred to Royan Institute: A 3-year study.

Background: Several studies have assessed the correlation of fetal choroid plexus cyst (CPC) and the risk of congenital anomalies, but few ones have discussed isolated CPC (with no other abnormal sonographic finding).

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the outcome of isolated fetal choroid plexus cyst and to specify its clinical significance.

Materials And Methods: This cross sectional study was carried out at Royan Institute in Tehran, Iran, between April 2009 and December 2012.

The effects of cryopreservation on angiogenesis modulation activity of human amniotic membrane.

Amniotic membrane (AM), as the innermost layer of placenta, has side dependent effects on the angiogenesis. Cryopreservation is a necessary process to avoid the challenging problems of fresh tissues; a procedure which makes the AM ready-to-use. Since the cryopreservation can influence the AM characteristics for experimental and clinical purposes, in this study the effects of cryopreservation were evaluated on angiogenesis modulation activity of the AM compared to fresh tissues in an animal model.

Production of bioactive wheat puroindoline proteins in Nicotiana benthamiana using a virus-based transient expression system.

The emergence of antibiotic resistant pathogenic strains of bacteria has necessitated the development of novel antimicrobial agents. The puroindoline A and B (PINA and PINB) proteins of wheat, well-known for their roles in determining the important phenotype of grain texture, are also antimicrobial, making them attractive as natural bio-control agents. However, the biochemical basis of PIN functionality remains unclear due to limitations in expressing them at the required yield and purity and lack of accurate tertiary structure.

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles: Advantages of the yeast model.

Background And Purpose: Microorganism-based synthesis of nanostructures has recently been noted as a green method for the sustainable development of nanotechnology. Nowadays, there have been numerous studies on the emerging resistant pathogenic bacteria and fungal isolates, the probable inability of bacteria and fungi to develop resistance against silver nanoparticles' (SNPs) antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and, particularly antibacterial activities. In this study, we aim to use the yeast model for synthesis of SNPs and to investigate its antifungal activity against some isolates of .

An Extended, Boolean Model of the Septation Initiation Network in S.Pombe Provides Insights into Its Regulation.

Cytokinesis in fission yeast is controlled by the Septation Initiation Network (SIN), a protein kinase signaling network using the spindle pole body as scaffold. In order to describe the qualitative behavior of the system and predict unknown mutant behaviors we decided to adopt a Boolean modeling approach. In this paper, we report the construction of an extended, Boolean model of the SIN, comprising most SIN components and regulators as individual, experimentally testable nodes.

Huge familial colloid cyst of the third ventricle: An extraordinary presentation.

Background: Since the use of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, colloid cysts (CCs) are discovered more frequently and subsequently their true incidence exceeds the numbers previously estimated. In 1986, the first familial case was reported in two identical twin brothers. To date, a total of 17 of these cases have been reported, all differing in the pattern of affected family members.

Blood compatibility of human amniotic membrane compared with heparin-coated ePTFE for vascular tissue engineering.

Amniotic membrane (AM), a placenta-derived natural biomaterial, has several characteristics which make it a potential substitute for blood vessels. However, there are no reports on the effects of the AM on blood components. The aim of this study was to evaluate the blood compatibility of the epithelial and mesenchymal surfaces of the amnion for potential use in vascular tissue engineering.

Image Restoration Using Gaussian Mixture Models With Spatially Constrained Patch Clustering.

In this paper, we address the problem of recovering degraded images using multivariate Gaussian mixture model (GMM) as a prior. The GMM framework in our method for image restoration is based on the assumption that the accumulation of similar patches in a neighborhood are derived from a multivariate Gaussian probability distribution with a specific covariance and mean. Previous methods of image restoration with GMM have not considered spatial (geometric) distance between patches in clustering.