Eosinophil count and clinical outcome in patients with acute exacerbation of Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Introduction: We examined the association of blood eosinophil counts at the time of AECOPD hospitalization with the risk of ICU admission as well as the hospital lengths of stay and mortality.

Methods: In the current retrospective study, the association between blood eosinophil counts in COPD patients at the time of AECOPD hospitalization and the risk of subsequent ICU admission as well as mortality was assessed. The chi-squared test and t-test were used to compare categorical and continuous variables.

Development of a Thermoresponsive Core-Shell Hydrogel for Sequential Delivery of Antibiotics and Growth Factors in Regenerative Endodontics.

Background: Regenerative endodontics requires an innovative delivery system to release antibiotics/growth factors in a sequential trend. This study focuses on developing/characterizing a thermoresponsive core-shell hydrogel designed for targeted drug delivery in endodontics.

Methods: The core-shell chitosan-alginate microparticles were prepared by electrospraying to deliver bone morphogenic protein-2 for 14 days and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) for 7-14 days.

Development of silk fibroin/collagen film containing GI-20 peptide-loaded PLGA nanoparticles against corneal herpes simplex virus-1.

Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) is the primary cause of infectious blindness. Despite impressive therapeutic outcomes of conventional treatments, HSV-1 drug resistance can be easily developed. Thus, more constructive strategies should be implemented.

Application of machine learning in breast cancer survival prediction using a multimethod approach.

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers with an increasing trend in both incidence and mortality rates in Iran. Survival analysis is a pivotal measure in setting appropriate care plans.  To the best of our knowledge, this study is pioneering in Iran, introducing a multi-method approach using a Deep Neural Network (DNN) and 11 conventional machine learning (ML) methods to predict the 5 year survival of women with breast cancer.

Biomedical applications of peptide-gold nanoarchitectonics.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have become a focus of interest in biomedicine due to their unique properties. By attaching peptides to these nanoparticles (NPs), they can be utilized for a wide range of applications. Peptides, which are short chains of amino acids, can be customized for specific molecular interactions, making them ideal for delivering AuNPs to particular cells or tissues.

Incorporation of montmorillonite into microfluidics-generated chitosan microfibers enhances neuron-like PC12 cells for application in neural tissue engineering.

The complexity in structure and function of the nervous system, as well as its slow rate of regeneration, makes it more difficult to treat it compared to other tissues. Neural tissue engineering aims to create an appropriate environment for nerve cell proliferation and differentiation. Fibrous scaffolds with suitable morphology and topography and better mimicry of the extracellular matrix have been promising for the alignment and migration of neural cells.

A doxycycline-loaded microfiber of poly-metformin/PCL for eradicating melanoma stem cells.

Nowadays, electrospun fibrous mats are used as drug delivery systems for loading of potential drugs in order to kill cancer cells. In the study, a skin patch for treating melanoma cancer after surgery was made using polycaprolactone and polymetformin microfibers that were loaded with doxycycline (PolyMet/PCL@DOX), an anti-cancer stem cell agent. The morphology, structure, mechanical characteristics, swelling, and porosity of the electrospun microfibers were examined.

Fabrication of a Controlled-Release Core-Shell Floating Tablet of Ketamine Hydrochloride Using a 3D Printing Technique for Management of Refractory Depressions and Chronic Pain.

In this study, a novel floating, controlled-release and core-shell oral tablet of ketamine hydrochloride (HCl) was produced using a dual extrusion by 3D printing method. A mixture of Soluplus and Eudragit RS-PO was extruded by a hot-melt extrusion (HME) nozzle at 150-160 °C to fabricate the tablet shell, while a second nozzle known as a pressure-assisted syringe (PAS) extruded the etamine HCl in carboxymethyl cellulose gel at room temperature (25 °C) inside the shell. The resulting tablets were optimized based on the United States pharmacopeia standards (USP) for solid dosage forms.

Evaluating the therapeutic effects of isotretinoin on patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): A controlled open-label clinical trial.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still a global health issue with no certain treatment option. So far, various treatments have been suggested among which one can mention isotretinoin. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential of this medication as a side treatment for COVID-19.

Mental Health Care Utilization and its Barriers among Iranian Breast Cancer Survivors: A Cross-sectional Study.

Background: Depression and anxiety are common comorbidities complicating the care of breast cancer patients, but many patients do not receive the needed care. We aimed to assess utilization of mental health care and its barriers in breast cancer survivors.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 311 patients with breast cancer, in Iran, November 2021 to March 2022.

Effects of flaxseed supplementation on weight loss, lipid profiles, glucose, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in patients with coronary artery disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of flaxseed supplementation on weight loss, lipid profiles, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and glucose levels in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). A systematic search was performed using various online databases, including Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library, to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) until June 2023. To evaluate heterogeneity among the selected studies, the Q-test and I statistics were employed.

Is single point HbA1c a reliable predictor for death in severe COVID-19?

Introduction: The severity of COVID-19 infection is affected by several risk factors such as Diabetes Mellitus (DM). The current study aimed to determine the effect of single-point HbA1c on the severity and mortality of hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among hospitalized moderate and severe COVID-19 patients in Baharloo Hospital in Iran between December 23 and February 23rd, 2021.

Fabrication of Bacterial Cellulose/Chitosan-MIL-100(Fe) Composite for Adsorptive Removal of Dacarbazine.

In this research, a polymeric composite based on a chitosan/bacterial cellulose (CS/BC) matrix filled with MIL-100(Fe) particles was prepared to solve the recyclability of issue MIL-100(Fe) particles and utilized as an efficient adsorbent for removing dacarbazine (DTIC) from wastewater. The adsorption capacity of the composite (CS/BC-MIL) was higher than both MIL-100(Fe) and the CS/BC polymeric matrix. The adsorption performance of the fabricated composite was evaluated through kinetics and isotherm studies.

Designing a minimum data set for the information management system (registry) of spinal canal stenosis: An applied-descriptive study.

Background And Aims: Spinal canal stenosis is one of the most common vertebral column diseases, which can lead to disability. Developing a registry system can help in research on the prevention and effective treatment of it. This study designs a minimum data set (MDS) as the first step in creating a registry system for spinal canal stenosis.

Nanoarchitectonics of doxycycline-loaded vitamin E-D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate micelles for ovarian cancer stem cell treatment.

This study aim to develop doxycycline within the D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate micelle platform as an anticancer stem cell agent. The optimized nanomicelle formulation was prepared using the solvent casting method and evaluated through physicochemical and biological characterization. Nanomicelles exhibited mean particle sizes of 14.

Cu-vitamin B3 donut-like MOFs incorporated into TEMPO-oxidized bacterial cellulose nanofibers for wound healing.

In this study, a novel multifunctional nanocomposite wound dressing was developed, consisting of TEMPO-oxidized bacterial cellulose (TOBC) nanofibers functionalized with donut-like copper-based metal-organic frameworks (CuVB3 MOFs). These CuVB3 MOFs were constructed using copper nodes linked by vitamin B3 molecules, resulting in a copper nicotinate crystal structure as confirmed by X-ray diffraction. Electron microscopy confirmed the presence of donut-like microstructures with uniform element distribution in the synthesized MOFs.

Facile fabrication of an extended-release tablet of Ticagrelor using three dimensional printing technology.

The objective of the study was to fabricate tailored extended-release tablets of blood thinner Ticagrelor as once-daily dosing using additive manufacturing for better compliance in heart failure therapy. The solid work design of the tablet was printed using hot melt extrusion (HME) based 3D printing by optimized mixture of Eudragit RS-100, plasticizer and drug for producing extrudable and printable filaments. FTIR and TGA results showed no covalent interaction among ingredients and no decomposition during HME process, respectively.

3D printed pH-responsive tablets containing N-acetylglucosamine-loaded methylcellulose hydrogel for colon drug delivery applications.

The pH-responsive drug release approach in combination with three-dimensional (3D) printing for colon-specific oral drug administration can address the limitations of current treatments such as orally administered solid tablets. Such existing treatments fail to effectively deliver the right drug dosage to the colon. In order to achieve targeted drug release profiles, this work aimed at designing and producing 3D printed tablet shells using Eudragit® FS100 and polylactic acid (PLA) where the core was filled with 100 µl of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc)-loaded methyl cellulose (MC) hydrogel.

Economic burden of breast cancer: a case of Southern Iran.

Background: Breast cancer is one of the main causes of death from cancer around the world, imposing a significant economic burden on the families and healthcare system. The present study aimed at determining the economic burden of breast cancer in the patients referred to the medical centers in Fars province in southern Iran in 2021.

Methods: This cross-sectional study is a partial economic evaluation and a cost-of-illness study with a bottom-up and prevalence-based approach, conducted in Fars province in southern Iran in 2021 from the societal perspective.

Anti-inflammation-based treatment of atherosclerosis using Gliclazide-loaded biomimetic nanoghosts.

In the study, a biomimetic platform for anti-inflammatory-based treatment of atherosclerotic plaque was developed. Gliclazide (GL) as an anti-inflammasome agent was encapsulated in PLGA nanoparticles (NP), which were coated by monocyte membrane using an extrusion procedure. The size and zeta potential of the nanoghost (NG) changed to 292 and - 10 nm from 189.

Additive Manufacturing of an Extended-Release Tablet of Tacrolimus.

An extended-release tablet of tacrolimus as once-daily dosing was fabricated using 3D printing technology. It was developed by combining two 3D-printing methods in parallel. Indeed, an optimized mixture of PVA, sorbitol, and magnesium stearate as a shell compartment was printed through a hot-melt extrusion (HME) nozzle while an HPMC gel mixture of the drug in the core compartment was printed by a pressure-assisted micro-syringe (PAM).

Design and Fabrication of a High Performance Microfluidic Chip for Blood Plasma Separation: Modelling and Prediction of System Behaviour via CFD Method.

This paper presents a single-step microfluidic system designed for passive separation of human fresh blood plasma using direct capillary forces. Our microfluidic system is composed of a cylindrical well between upper and lower channel pairs produced by soft photolithography. The microchip was fabricated based on hydrophobicity differences upon suitable cylindrical surfaces using gravitational and capillary forces and lateral migration of plasma and red blood cells.