Jundishapur Scientific Medical Journal
Year:2023 | Volume:21 | Issue:6|Papers Count:12

Background and Objectives Despite many studies on the new Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there is still a rate of disease mortality, which has made researchers to focus more on finding successful antiviral drugs. In this regard, small molecule inhibitors have been suggested for their higher safety, lower toxicity, and cost-effectiveness. In this study, we applied virtual screening and docking analysis to identify the prospective inhibitors of 3CL protease and ACE-2 receptors Subjects and Methods In this study, 1, 600 natural compounds were assessed by virtual screening. The ligands with a high affinity to bind to active site residues of target proteins were identified using the glide docking method and then were included in the induced-fit docking analysis in Schrö, dinger-Maestro software. Results The found compounds such as Theaflavin and Delphinidin had a high affinity to bind to the receptors. They had higher binding energy and a potent inhibitory effect compared to common drugs such as chloroquine. Conclusion The introduced natural compounds can be used to suppress COVID-19. The results may help develop new drugs or formulations to combat COVID-19,however, clinical trials are needed to examine the potential of these small molecules alone or in combination with other medical procedures.

Background and Objectives In recent years, flavonoids such as quercetin have been considered as new anticancer drugs. The mechanisms of action of quercetin include cell cycle arrest, inhabitation of cell proliferation, and induction of apoptosis. This study aims to reduce quercetin’, s side effects by increasing MCF-7 breast cancer cells’,sensitivity to this drug and facilitating the cytotoxic effects of quercetin at lower concentrations. Subjects and Methods In this study, the MTT assay was used to determine the concentration that reduced the cell viability by 50% (i. e. lethal concentration 50 or LC50). Then, the expression of the DNA fragmentation factor-45 (DFF45) and some genes in the apoptosis pathway (caspase3, p53, BAX, BCL-2, AIF), the autophagy pathway (LC3, ATG5, Beclin, DRAM) and the AKT/mTOR pathway (AKT1, mTOR, and PTEN), in cells treated with siRNA, quercetin, and quercetin+siRNA using the real-time PCR. Results According to the results of MTT assay, the LC50 value for quercetin was determined 220 μ, M. The results indicated the initiation of cell death through autophagy pathways. The combined treatment (quercetin+siRNA) increased the mechanism of cancer cell death more than the quercetin treatment alone. Conclusion One of the regulating pathways of apoptosis is forcing the inhibitory effect of DFF45 on DFF40/CAD nuclease. Down regulation of DFF45, along with quercetin administration, can lead to induction of breast cancer cell death which can be a novel technique for the treatment of breast cancer.

Background and Objectives The use of stem cells for skin wound healing is still facing serious challenges. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) spray in histologically improving skin wounds in male diabetic rats. Subjects and Methods In this experimental study, mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from adipose tissue and cultured and characterized by evaluating the expression of specific CD markers. Microbial contamination in samples was assessed before treatment. Then, 18 male Wistar rats were divided into control and treatment groups. Diabetes was induced by a single injection of streptozotocin. Then, wounds with a diameter of 0. 8 cm were created in the back of the rats. The ADSCs were sprayed on the wound area in the treatment group. Wound healing was assessed on days 7, 14, and 21 after treatment using visual observation and histopathological examination. The data were analyzed using ANOVA. Results Wound closure was accelerated on days 7, 14 and 21 in the treatment group compared to the control group. Histological examination showed that the skin thickness, angiogenesis, and epithelialization were higher in the treatment group on days 7, 14, and 21 compared to the control group. Conclusion The spray of ADSCs on the wound area can accelerate the healing process and can be used for skin wound repair.

Background and Objectives Empathy plays a social role in interpersonal relationships, including interactions between doctors and patients. This study aims to investigate the level of empathy in students Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (AJUMS) and its relationship with age, sex, and religiosity. Subjects and Methods In this cross-sectional descriptive study, participants were 361 AJUMS students, who were selected using a convenience sampling method in 2020. Jefferson scale of empathy and Glock & Stark religiosity scale were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using an independent t-test, Pearson correlation test, and linear regression. Results The mean total empathy score of students was 106. 42±, 14. 82, and their mean total religiosity score was 57. 04±, 14. 19. A statistically significant relationship was observed only between empathy and the emotions dimension of religiosity (r=0. 125, P=0. 018). No significant relationship was observed between empathy and the total score of religiosity and its other dimensions. The mean empathy score in female students was significantly higher than in male students (109. 15 vs. 103. 02, P˂, 0. 001). Regression analysis results showed that the emotions dimension of religiosity, age, and sex were able to predict the level of empathy in students. Conclusion The empathy in AJUMS students is at a relatively favorable level, and has a positive significant correlation with the emotions dimension of religiosity in them. It is recommended to develop plans to strengthen the empathy of medical students and include an educational course in their curriculum so that they be able to improve the mental and spiritual health of patients.

Background and Objectives Since there is no localized questionnaire to examine the factors affecting the online health information-seeking behaviors of students and their health beliefs in Iran, the present study aims to design a questionnaire for this purpose and assess its validity and factor structure. Subjects and Methods The study population consists of all students from public and private universities in Ahvaz, Iran, in 2018 (n=46054). Using Cochran’, s formula, the sample size was determined to be 600. The instrument used in the present study was a questionnaire designed based on the questionnaires used by Mou et al. and Deng et al. Face validity, construct validity, and reliability (using Cronbach’, s α,coefficient) of the questionnaire were evaluated. Data analysis was performed in SPSS and LISREL applications. Results By performing explanatory factor analysis, ten factors were extracted: Trust in quality and efficiency, search intention, internet self-efficacy, perceived cognitive values, perceived severity, perceived anxiety, perceived sensitivity, perceived barriers, personal health beliefs, and perceived social values. The tenfactor structure was confirmed using the confirmatory factor analysis. Examination of the standardized coefficients in the obtained model showed that almost all factor loadings had acceptable values. Conclusion The designed questionaire is a valid and reliable tool for assessing the health informationseeking behaviors of university students in Iran.

Background and Objectives The Coronavirus anxiety scale (CAS) is a widely used tool with high diagnostic power. No study has examined the construct validity of this scale in Iran. As a result, the aim of this research is to investigate the internal structure of the Corona anxiety scale in Iranian society Subjects and Methods This is a descriptive-analytical study that was conducted in 2020. The study population consists of all adults living in Isfahan, Iran, of whom 409 (342 women and 67 men) were selected using a convenience sampling method and completed the Persian CAS prepared online and sent on social media applications. To determine the construct validity, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used in AMOS and SPSS softwares. Results The results of EFA showed the single-factor structure of the Persian CAS. The results of CFA showed that this scale had good construct validity and fit. This scale also had a high internal consistency (Cronbach’, s α, =0. 859) Conclusion The Persian CAS has good construct validity and can be used to assess COVID-19-related anxiety in the Iranian population.

Background and Objectives Corneal transplantation is one of the most common eye surgeries and the most common and successful tissue transplantation in the world. This study aims to determine the frequency and causes of different types of corneal transplantation surgeries in patients referred to the ophthalmology ward of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ahvaz, Iran. Subjects and Methods This descriptive study was performed on the records of patients who underwent corneal transplantation in Ahvaz, Iran. The information including age, sex, cause of transplantation, sex and age of the donor, the need for re-transplantation, reason for re-transplantation, laterality of cornea, and the type of surgery were extracted. Results The mean age of recipients was 50. 93 years and included 491(49. 3%) males and 505(50. 7%) females. It was reported that 51. 7% of surgeries were related to the right eye and 47. 9% to the left eye. Pseudophakic bullous keratopathy (PBK) was the most common cause of corneal transplantation. Most patients underwent corneal transplantation by penetrating keratoplasty (PK) and Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) methods. Conclusion The prevalence of PBK, compared to previous studies in Iran, is high in Ahvaz, which may be due to significant increase in rate of phacoemulsification surgery. The PK and DSAEK methods are common surgeries for corneal transplantation diseases such as PBK. Further studies are recommended to evaluate underlying diseases and re-transplantation rates based on the surgical techniques in transplant recipients.

Background and Objectives Prostate cancer is the most common type of malignant cancer among men and is known as one of the leading causes of cancer mortality in men. The difficulty of diagnostic procedures such as tumor biopsy has made new diagnostic methods, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to be one of the research priorities for prostate cancer in recent years. The aim of this study is to develop an automated system capable of accurately diagnosing prostate cancer from MRI images. Subjects and Methods In this applied descriptive study, a four-step method was used for diagnosing prostate cancer with MRI technique. In the first step, the effect of noise was reduced by using the discrete two-dimensional wavelet transform and histogram equalization. In the second step, the blackhole optimization algorithm was used for the segmentation of the input image based on the multilevel threshold technique. In this way, the tumor suspicious areas can be identified on the image. In the third step, the features of each target area were extracted. In the final step, a combination of three machine learning algorithms, including artificial neural network, decision tree, and support vector machine, was used to diagnose prostate cancer. The effectiveness of the proposed method was evaluated from various aspects and its performance was compared with other machine learning models. Results The proposed method had an accuracy of 99%, sensitivity of 0. 98, precision and specificity of 1 in diagnosing prostate cancer with MRI method. Conclusion The proposed ensemble method using a combination of image processing, optimization, and machine learning techniques, has higher accuracy compared to other machine learning models.

Background and Objectives Stuttering, due to different reactions of stutterers in different ages, needs age-specific treatment. Considering the lack of study on the effect of the Camperdown program on treatment of stuttering in adolescents in Iran, the present study aims to investigate the effect of the Camperdown program on the stuttering severity of Kurdish-speaking adolescents with stuttering in Iran. Subjects and Methods This is a single-subject study with an A-B-A design which was conducted on 4 Kurdish-speaking adolescents with stuttering. The pre-test assessments were first done. Then, they received 40 sessions of intervention using the Camperdown program. The measures were was the percentage of stuttered syllables, the 9-point severity rating scale, and the speech naturalness scale (NAT). The data were analyzed based on visual analysis and descriptive statistics. Results The intervention was effective in reducing the stuttering severity of all four subjects (percentage of non-overlapping data=100%) and the scores of NAT scale in subjects after intervention was significantly different from their pre-intervention scores. Conclusion The Camperdown program is effective in reducing the stuttering severity of Kurdish-speaking adolescents with stuttering.

Background and Objectives Abnormal growth of brain cells can lead to the formation of tumor cell masses and disruption of normal brain functions, including sensory-motor functions. The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) and nanocurcumin supplementation on sensorimotor disorders in rats with brain tumors. Subjects and Methods In this study, 35 healthy male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 7 groups of 5, including baseline control (BC), 4-week control (4wC), baseline tumor control (BT), 4-week tumor control (4wT), tumor exercise (TE), tumor nanocurcumin (TN), tumor exercise+nanocurcumin (TEN). One week after the injection of cancer cells in the frontal cortex and performing a 6-parameter behavioral test (Garcia scale), the rats in the TEN and TN groups received nanocurcumin supplement by gavage at a dose of 80 mg/kg (28 days, 5 days a week). Then, the rats in the TE and TEN groups performed the MICT on a treadmill for 4 weeks, at a speed of 18 m/min, 3 days a week, each for 25-40 minutes. Finally, the rats were sacrificed and data were collected and analyzed. Results The MICT plus nanocurcumin supplementation significantly reduced tumor volume in the TEN group (P≤, 0. 05). It also led to a significant increase in the behavioral test score in the groups TE, TN and TEN compared to the 4wT group. Conclusion It seems that the combination of MICT with nanocurcumin supplementation can be used as a complementary method along with other methods to reduce brain tumor volume and improve sensory-motor functions.

Background and Objectives Type 1 diabetes (T1D), which is generally known as insulin-dependent diabetes, is caused by insulin deficiency due to the destruction of pancreatic beta cells of the immune system and usually occurs in the early stages of life. The aim of this study was to investigate cognitive disorders caused by type 1 diabetes. Subjects and Methods In this review study, the studies on functional and cognitive complications of T1D were searched in Google Scholar and PubMed databases using the keywords type 1 diabetes, cognitive function, hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, physical activity, nutrition, and glycemic control. Results The findings indicated the possibility of cognitive complications in people with T1D in all ages, and the severity and risk of these complications are related to aging and the presence of diabetic complications such as hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia in the long term. Conclusion It is recommended to use cognitive-behavioral interventions, improve nutrition and physical activity, and use blood sugar monitoring and control, along with drug treatment, to prevent or improve cognitive complications in T1D patients.

Background and Objectives This study aims to investigate the therapeutic effects and side effects of intraarticular (IA) and intra-peritoneal (IP) injections of corticosteroids on temporomandibular joint (TMJ) inflammation Subjects and Methods This is a review study that was conducted on related studies published from 1990 to 2022 which were searched in Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, SID, Magiran and IranMedex using the keywords “, temporomandibular joint”, , “, intra-articular injection”, , “, corticosteroid”, , “, adverse effects”, , “, juvenile arthritis”, , “, osteoarthritis”, , “,Juvenile idiopathic arthritis”, , ”, degenerative joint disorders”, , and “, temporomandibular joint disorders”, . Results A total of 13 studies met the inclusion criteria. Two studies were related to IP injection, 8 related to IA injection, two studies compared the effect of IA and IP drug injection, and one study investigated the TMJ arthrocentesis and IP drug injection. In 4 studies, the aim was to compare the effectivness of corticosteroids and hyaluronic acid in improving temporomandibular disorders. Nine studies found that the use of corticosteroids is beneficial for the treatment of TMJ inflammation, and 7 studies reported complications such as condylar resorption. Conclusion Since the use of corticosteroids in treatment of TMJ disorders is not without complications, there is a need to conduct extensive studies on various drugs with anti-inflammatory effects and lowest side effects to replace them with corticosteroids.