Journal of Advanced Medical Sciences and Applied Technologies
Volume:2 Issue: 1, Mar 2016

Silver has been known and used as a potent antimicrobial and wound healing agent since ancient time. Silver compounds have had other ancient applications through which Greeks, Romans and Egyptians had used silver compounds as food and water preservative. Silver and silver-based antimicrobials were put away after the discovery of antibiotics. Meanwhile, with almost a century application of antibiotics, resistant microbial strains appeared and antibiotics are going to become less and less effective. Fortunately, our traditional weapon against microorganisms reemerged in a novel form to reclaim again. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are well-known as potent and novel antimicrobial agents. AgNPs would disturb microbial growth through inhibiting the absorption of phosphate, collapsing the proton motive force, forming complexes with DNA, enzyme inactivation, as well as inhibition of glucose oxidation. Its follows attacking the respiratory chain, changing the permeability and potential of the cell membrane, and inducing bacteria into a viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state and eventually killing them.

Wake-Promoting Agents (WPAs) such as amphetamine-like stimulants or modafinil, armodafinil, methyl phenidate, caffeine and nicotine reinforce the level of vigilance through an stimulated release of neurotransmitters implicated in the arousal threshold maintenance, hence shift the drive from the sleep-promoting to  wake-promoting system. The modulatory effects of WPAs on cortical activation pathways give rise to enhanced vigilance. For example, cholinergic neurons of the basal forebrain and the adenosine receptors on these neurons are agonized and antagonized by nicotine and caffeine, respectively. Caffeine similarly antagonizes adenosine receptors on the GABAergic neurons and intensifies the inhibitory drive in preoptic/anterior hypothalamus which involve in sleep induction. Modafinil however exerts its wake-promoting effects through stimulating the tuberomammillary nucleus and the hypocretinergic neurons which activate the ascending reticular activating system. Although many neutransmitter systems such as dopamine are thought to be involved upon the effects of WPAs, the empirical evidence to explain the exact mechanisms need to gain strength.

Semelil is an herbal-based compound which is used for the treatment of chronic wounds, especially diabetic foot ulcers. On the other hand, Electrospun nanofibers have many characteristics such as mimicking extracellular matrix structure, efficiency as bacterial barrier, appropriate water vapor transmission rate, and provision of adequate gaseous exchange which make them ideal candidates for wound-healing application. The aim of this study was to incorporate Semelil in electrospun nanofibers to benefit both the advantages of Semelil and electrospun nanofibers for the treatment of wounds. To this aim, the blend solution of chitosan, polyethylene oxide (PEO) and the herbal extract were electrospun and chitosan-based nanofibers loaded with the herbal extract were fabricated. The as-spun fibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The swelling ratio and drug release behavior of the electrospun fibers were also studied. Uniform and bead-free nanofibrous mats loaded with 10-50 Wt. %extract were successfully fabricated. The FTIR spectrum indicated that the chemical nature of chitosan was not changed in the process of electrospinning. TGA analysis confirm both polymers and extract in electrospun mats. The extract loaded mats showed a high swelling ratio and a burst release of extract after 1h incubation in PBS. Mats with lower amount of drug exhibited graduate increase in the cumulative release of drug after initial burst release.

The present study investigated the possible involvement of the nucleus accumbens’ (NAc) nitric oxide system in nicotine's reversal effect upon ethanol-induced amnesia. The hypothesis was tested through ethanol state-dependent memory assessment in adult male Wistar rats. Bilateral chronic cannulae were implanted in the NAc and the animals were trained in a step-through type inhibitory avoidance memory task.  The step-through latency was examined 24 h after animals’ training. The pre-training or pre-test intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of ethanol (0.9 g/kg) decreased the step-through latency, indicating an amnesic effect of the drug. Meanwhile, the pre-test administration of ethanol (0.6 and 0.9 g/kg) could reverse the pre-training ethanol (0.9 g/kg)-induced amnesia, suggesting a state-dependent effect. Similar to ethanol, the pre-test intra-NAc microinjection of nicotine (0.25 and 0.5 µg/rat) alone or nicotine (0.1, 0.25 and 0.5 µg/mouse, intra-NAc) in combination with an ineffective dose of ethanol (0.3 g/kg) could significantly reverse the (pre-training) ethanol-induced memory impairment. The ethanol (0.9 g/kg)-induced amnesia was similarly prevented following the pre-test intra-NAc administration of a nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, L-NAME (0.4 and 0.8 µg/rat). Of note, the co-administration of L-NAME (0.04 and 0.08 µg/rat, intra-NAc) with an ineffective dose of nicotine (0.1 µg/rat, intra- NAc) could significantly potentiate the memory-improving effect of nicotine on ethanol-induced amnesia and resembled the effects of pre-test administration of a higher dose of nicotine. Furthermore, while the pre-test intra-NAc injection of L-NAME impaired the memory retrieval by itself, the pre-test intra-NAc administration of L-arginine, a nitric oxide precursor (0.3 and 0.6 µg/rat, intra-NAc), did not exert any effect either alone or in combination with an effective dose of nicotine (0.5 µg/rat, intra-NAc)  on pre-training ethanol-induced memory impairment. Our findings indicated a possible role of the nucleus accumbens’ nitric oxide system in the improving effects of nicotine on ethanol-induced amnesia and the related state-dependent learning.

Unmanaged gasses emitted from the landfills can lead to various environmental and health problems for the resident of such regions. Despite various studies conducted on prediction of emission rates of gaseous pollutant in landfills, no study in currently being conducted on the emission rates of carbon dioxide, methane, and non-methane organic compounds from the Marvdasht landfills. In the first steps of this study the required information were gathered first and then the necessary prediction calculations were handled by the LandGEM software. The study results suggest that  the within the years of 2003 and 2031, the generation rates of carbon dioxide, methane and non-methane organic compounds will respectively be equal to 14×1011, 4667×107 and 3.89×105 tons. Among the aforementioned gasses, in case of converting the methane energy capacity into the electrical energy, a total income of 1489 billion rials is achievable from the Marvdasht landfill within a course of 27 years of operation. However, it should be noted that no investigation was conducted on the initial and operation costs in this study. In this study, by calculating all of the required information for the design and construction of a biogas collection and extraction system in the landfill of Marvdasht, the necessary means for the appliance of such plan has been provided.

Glioblastoma is considered as the most aggressive type of gliomas. Its invasive character involves adjacent tissues and hinders the treatment procedure. Although surgical resection followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy have been the standard therapeutic protocol, the incompetency of detection methods to delineate the exact tumor margins results in recurrence of the tumor. NKCC1 (Sodium-Potassium-Chloride Cotransporter) is a transmembrane channel, which overexpress in pathological conditions like glioma and helps the tumor cells to change their shape for easier migration. Such a channel can play the role of a specific marker for infiltrating tumor cells and using a paired moiety against this transporter may possibly improve the precision of detection methods including Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) contrast agents like SPNs (Superparamagnetic nanoparticles). Bumetanide, under the trade name of Bumex, is a diuretic drug that can block NKCC1. It has been demonstrated that in in-vivo context, bumetanide have the potency to decrease the migration of glioma cells. We have hypothesized that bumetanide can pair with NKCC1 and accumulate around the glioma cells. Hence, it seems that MRI contrast agents loaded with bumex on their surface can be proposed for more accurate tumor margins detection whilst providing additional therapeutic effects. The proposed theranostic nanostructure may further be improved and tested both in-vitro and in-vivo to prove its applicability.

Our knowledge about subjective tinnitus physiopathology has improved in the last decades, while information to understand the main mechanisms that transform a neutral phantom sound to tinnitus distress appear to be inadequate. The current review presents evidence from several studies using neuroimaging, electrophysiology and brain lesion techniques aiming at hypothesizing a new realistic multimodality tinnitus framework which can better explain the structural and functional brain connectivity in different stages of tinnitus development. Further to the present work, a full review of the entire literature should be prompted to discuss evidence to more comprehensively investigate the relationship between structural and functional connectivity of tinnitus. Progresses in such framework will shed lights to the tinnitus neurofunctional model and further evidence-based treatment modalities.

Given the unmet needs in cancer treatment, extensive research and development has evolved to offer therapies for cancers to extend survival and minimize side effects. Immunotherapy, an approach to harness normal immune cells against cancers not only today’s breakthrough but in fact the future of oncology therapeutics. Taking into consideration the recent approvals for new lines of therapy including anti-programmed-death-1 or programmed-death-1 ligand (PD-1/PD-L1) monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of Malignant Melanoma (MM) and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), local strategies need to be established following the field experts’ concurrence. Expert input forums are among the key approaches to define locally-adapted clinical-pathways with regard to the novel treatments. To this end, a panel of Iranian medical oncology experts reviewed the available evidence, taking into consideration recent practice guidelines with regard to the treatment of MM and NSCLC in order to draw an agreed-upon approach highlighting the position of immunotherapy in their current practice. Having addressed the key questions and considering the possible limitations and challenges, the panel could reach an agreed position. This report highlights the discussions with regards to the role of immunotherapy in MM and NSCLC during the immune-oncology clinical forum (IOCF) comprising an Iranian panel of experts.