A. Kiani, F. Rahimi, Siamak Afaghi, Marjan Mehrparvar, S. Tavana, Mohammad Varharam, A. Abedini
{"title":"The association of serum creatine phosphokinase levels with severity of lung involvement and hypoxia in patients with COVID-19","authors":"A. Kiani, F. Rahimi, Siamak Afaghi, Marjan Mehrparvar, S. Tavana, Mohammad Varharam, A. Abedini","doi":"10.4103/bbrj.bbrj_193_22","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/bbrj.bbrj_193_22","url":null,"abstract":"Background: An increase in the serum levels of creatine phosphokinase (CPK) could be associated with an unfavorable clinical outcome in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients; however, detailed information on this association is scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate upon admission CPK serum level and its relationship with the degree of involvement in chest computed tomography (CT) scans and hypoxia in patients with COVID-19. Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted on 191 COVID-19 patients who were referred to a major respiratory referral center in Tehran, Iran, in 2019. CPK serum level, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, temperature, and severity of lung involvement (based on lung CT scan) were measured. The severity of lung involvement in cuts of CT imaging was reported with a score between 1 and 4. The descriptive and relational statistics were conducted using Pearson's correlation coefficient and one-way analysis of variance. Results: The average age of the patients was 55.22 ± 15.39 years, and the male was predominant in gender (65.4%). There was a statistically significant relationship between CPK serum level and the severity of lung involvement in patients with COVID-19 (P = 0.04). Furthermore, a significant and reverse correlation was observed between CPK serum level and oxygen saturation in the patients (r = –0.160, P = 0.04). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that COVID-19 patients with elevated CPK levels upon admission are prone to more severe lung involvement, worsening oxygenation, and respiratory failure. Hence, considering the initial critical care strategies for such patients could be of the essence.","PeriodicalId":36500,"journal":{"name":"Biomedical and Biotechnology Research Journal","volume":"6 1","pages":"443 - 447"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43653944","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Designing a circular coil of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation at frequencies of 0.5 and 1 Hz using CST studio suite software and comparison of results with theoretical calculations","authors":"H. Tavakoli, Arsalan Heidarpanah","doi":"10.4103/bbrj.bbrj_174_22","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/bbrj.bbrj_174_22","url":null,"abstract":"Context: Since the 1990s, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been used as a noninvasive method to diagnose and manage the treatment of many neurological disorders. The circular coil is one of the most common coils in rTMS devices. This study presents the design documentation of a circular coil for use in the rTMS device and examines the consistency of the magnetic field intensity (H) and the magnetic flux density (B) obtained from the simulation of its use with the theoretical values. Aims: This study aimed to design a rTMS circular coil at frequencies of 0.5 and 1 Hz using CST Studio Suite software and compare the intensity of the B- and H-fields with theoretical calculations. Materials and Methods: After designing a circular coil, we measured B and H by simulation with CST Studio Suite software and compared the results with theoretical calculations. Results: The magnetic field intensity and the magnetic flux density obtained from the circular coil simulation we designed had an acceptable consistency with the theoretical values. Conclusions: The B- and H-field intensity whether on the body or in the air, or on the antenna, is fairishly consistent with theoretical calculations.","PeriodicalId":36500,"journal":{"name":"Biomedical and Biotechnology Research Journal","volume":"6 1","pages":"382 - 386"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44863928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Phytochemical and pharmacological profile review of Bryophyllum pinnatum","authors":"P. Selvakumar","doi":"10.4103/bbrj.bbrj_126_22","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/bbrj.bbrj_126_22","url":null,"abstract":"Herbs are plants grown for their medicinal, flavoring, or aromatic properties. Herbal treatments are safe and efficient for treating a wide range of ailments. Western medicine, or allopathy, is primarily reliant on medicinal plants for some of its constituents. Herbal plants are the traditional and widely used type of medication, according to research. Until the last century, most remedies were made by hand, either from plants or animals. Synthetic pharmaceuticals are becoming increasingly popular, whereas natural drugs are showing promise in treating various disorders. A perennial plant thrives in India's wet and hot regions, like Bengal. It has 25 genera and 450 species. Succulent perennials have hollow stems, four-angled leaves, and numerous branches. The leaves are 10–20 cm elongated and decussate. A long petiole surrounds the three- to seven-foliate top leaf. They are dark green and scalloped with red ribbons. 30-35 cm long, 2–4 cm petioles, 6–8 X 3-5.5 cm blades, with latent buds that can develop into healthy plantlets with an acute tip. Rooting vegetative buds are on the leaves. This aromatic plant has been used for groups to heal many ailments. These studies look at the plant's acute toxicity, antiulcer effectiveness, and pharmacognostic properties. The plant's macrostructure varied. Microscopic examination discovered lignified walls in the root and stem bark. Phytochemical examination can identify plant metabolites. Leaves, stems, and roots had more physiologically lively constituents than the other three plant sections. Although more research is required to identify the molecules and their potential health effects, these substances must be extracted and evaluated for future application. This study's findings support Bryophyllum pinnatum medicinal potentials. B. pinnatum roots, stems, and leaves contain bioactive compounds worth investigating. This could help B. pinnatum-based pharmaceuticals.","PeriodicalId":36500,"journal":{"name":"Biomedical and Biotechnology Research Journal","volume":"6 1","pages":"295 - 301"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49570847","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Pretargeting articulation for improving the deliverance of injected dose to the tumor: An evaluation of In vivo study for enhanced tumor uptake","authors":"P. Garg","doi":"10.4103/bbrj.bbrj_149_22","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/bbrj.bbrj_149_22","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Radiobioconjugate targeting using monoclonal antibodies linked to a high-energy radionuclide is a promising approach for treating metastatic cancer. The central problem of radiobioconjugate targeting is the small fraction of radiobioconjugate localized in the tumor. Pretargeting based on avidin–biotin approach has been recommended to maximize tumor targeting. The current study was conceded with an aim to assess a selective targeting strategy for the site-specific deliverance of an injected radioactive dose to the tumor cells. Methods: Two labeling protocols were tested and evaluated, both for the direct and indirect radiolabeling of antibodies with radionuclide technetium. A comparative evaluation of biodistribution studies relating to the deposition of injected dose in different organs was carried out in tumor-bearing nude mice both for a direct single-step and indirect multistep pretargeting approach. Results: High concentration of the injected dose was accounted in the nontarget organs and blood for a direct targeting mode, as compared to indirect multistep pretargeting with high tumor uptake. Better tumor visibility and high tumor/nontumor ratio were observed at 24 h and 48 h. However, a considerable deposition of radioactivity in the organs such as liver, spleen, kidney, and lungs as a nonspecific, reticuloendothelial system uptake was observed as a cause of concern and the use of certain blocking agents were explored, effective for reducing the same. Conclusions: The study demonstrates a successful targeting efficiency of the radiolabeled bioconjugate for technetium (Tc-99m), through a multistep pretargeting approach, and the same can be applied for other related therapy radionuclides also.","PeriodicalId":36500,"journal":{"name":"Biomedical and Biotechnology Research Journal","volume":"6 1","pages":"387 - 393"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45382362","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Baby crying analyzing and solution using matlab graphical user interface; interdisciplinary collaboration between engineering and nursing","authors":"E. Yilmaz, Serap Ozdemir","doi":"10.4103/bbrj.bbrj_173_22","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/bbrj.bbrj_173_22","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Babies can express all their needs (such as hunger, pain, tiredness, discomfort, and so on) to their parents with crying behavior that being able to predict these behaviors of babies correctly parents is extremely important for the comfort of babies. In recent years, analyzing the baby crying sound and interpreting it in line with the needs has been developing as an important process in the estimation of baby needs. Methods: Analyzing the spectra of the baby crying sound over time and amplitude period creates a significant knowledge base on the prediction of baby needs. Within the scope of this study, a new method has been developed for the development of various technical analyzes of a sample baby crying sound using the MATLAB program. Results: With this method, the energy fluctuations in the sample baby crying sound were analyzed, and the changes in the crying process were examined through the baby crying process. Conclusions: As a result, thanks to the analysis data obtained within the scope of this study, it is aimed to provide data to autonomous controlled baby care units that can be manufactured in future studies.","PeriodicalId":36500,"journal":{"name":"Biomedical and Biotechnology Research Journal","volume":"6 1","pages":"410 - 415"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46114603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Characterization of small colony variants of Klebsiella pneumoniae: Correlation with antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation","authors":"Dania Hassan, Michael Magaogao, A. Hossain","doi":"10.4103/bbrj.bbrj_154_22","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/bbrj.bbrj_154_22","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Small colony variants (SCVs) of bacterial pathogens are smaller, slow-growing variants which often pose a challenge to the clinical microbiologist in their identification and characterization. SCVs are receiving much attention in recent years due to their association with several types of chronic infections. In this study, we aimed to develop a suitable culture media for high frequency generation and stable maintenance of SCV of Klebsiella pneumoniae. We also intended to compare different phenotypic characteristics such as growth, antibiotic resistance pattern, and biofilm-forming potential of SCVs with the original parental strain. Methods: We used Mueller–Hinton agar containing the extract of clove (Syzygium aromaticum) for the generation of SCV. Antibiotic sensitivity was determined using disk diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration determinations using microdilution method. Biofilm formation was assessed using crystal violet dye binding assay. Results: Mueller–Hinton agar (MHA) containing clove (Syzygium aromaticum) extract (10% volume/volume; MHA-C10) supported generation of SCV from K. pneumoniae at high frequency. SCVs were smaller in colony size and grew slowly in comparison to the wild-type original strain. In addition, SCVs exhibited increased resistance to aminoglycoside group of antibiotics (gentamicin and kanamycin). Crystal violet dye binding spectrophotometric method showed increased biofilm formation potential by SCVs in comparison to their parental counterparts. Conclusions: The findings of this study show that MHA-C10 can be used as a bacterial culture media for the formation of SCV by K. pneumoniae. SCVs, thus, generated on MHS-C10 exhibited typical characteristics of SCVs.","PeriodicalId":36500,"journal":{"name":"Biomedical and Biotechnology Research Journal","volume":"6 1","pages":"438 - 442"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44687919","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Immunocytochemical expression of AE1/AE3 and cytokeratin 20 in the urinary cells of cigarette smokers in South-West Nigeria","authors":"A. Ajileye, F. Akinbo","doi":"10.4103/bbrj.bbrj_95_22","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/bbrj.bbrj_95_22","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Cigarette smoking has been identified as the most important risk factor for some cancers and the second leading risk factor for death in the world. This study was conducted to evaluate the immunocytochemical expression of AE1/AE3 and cytokeratin 20 (CK20) in the urinary cells of cigarette smokers in South-West, Nigeria. Methods: Urine samples were collected from 250 cigarette smokers and 200 noncigarette smokers in South-West, Nigeria. A questionnaire was administered to subjects before specimen collection. About 10 ml of urine samples were collected from every subject into a clean sterile universal bottle, thereafter transferred into a clean test tube and spun with a cytocentrifuge for the use of staining with immunocytochemical biomarkers (AE1/AE3 and CK20). Results: Immunocytochemical staining carried out on the urine smears of cigarette smokers revealed that 2.8% of the samples expressed AE1/AE3, while 1.1% expressed CK20. None of the urinary smears of nonsmokers expressed AE1/AE3 and CK20. Furthermore, being cigarette smokers did not strongly influence the expression of AE1/AE3 and CK20 in the urine of cigarette smokers. Conclusion: Based on the outcome of this study, cigarette smoking has been seen to be one of the leading causes of renal diseases and one of the major causes of cancer among cigarette smokers.","PeriodicalId":36500,"journal":{"name":"Biomedical and Biotechnology Research Journal","volume":"6 1","pages":"394 - 399"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46424424","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aiman Juan, Keana Palma, M. Suarez, L. Herrera-Ong
{"title":"Immunoinformatics-based identification of highly conserved cytotoxic T-cell epitopes in polyprotein pp220 of african swine fever virus","authors":"Aiman Juan, Keana Palma, M. Suarez, L. Herrera-Ong","doi":"10.4103/bbrj.bbrj_79_22","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/bbrj.bbrj_79_22","url":null,"abstract":"Background: High mortality rate of pigs peaked in 2020 due to the re-emergence of a deadly African swine fever virus (ASFV) which has led to transcontinental outbreaks in Europe, reportedly from 2014 to 2019, and in Asia and the Pacific from 2018–2020. Given the huge socioeconomic consequences of the disease, vaccines that will prime the immunity of swine against this pathogen is a dire necessity. Methods: In silico identification and characterization of highly conserved cytotoxic T-cell (CD8+) epitopes derived from one of its structural proteins, pp220, were analyzed. Protein sequences of pp220 were retrieved and clustered to obtain highly conserved sequences. Cross-reactive epitopes were filtered out, and the remaining epitopes were docked with swine leukocyte antigen-1*0401 (SLA-1*0401). Furthermore, the epitope stability was determined by comparing binding energy, dissociation constant, and eigenvalues of the epitopes with the values of positive control, influenza-epitope complex. Results: This study showed that 20 highly conserved epitopes promiscuously bind to two or more SLAs and 9 of which epitopes (ALDLSLIGF, QIYKTLLEY, FLNKSTQAY, IADAINQEF, IINPSITEY, AINTFMYYY, SLYPTQFDY, RSNPGSFYW, and RLDRKHILM) that were validated exhibit potential immunogenicity based on the acceptable binding energy, dissociation constant, and eigenvalues. Conclusion: This study has identified epitopes that show high conservancy, reducing the chance of epitope immune evasion. It is anticipated that the identified epitopes must be further evaluated as a potential immunotherapeutic agent in developing an epitope-based vaccine against ASFV.","PeriodicalId":36500,"journal":{"name":"Biomedical and Biotechnology Research Journal","volume":"6 1","pages":"319 - 325"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41345041","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Pseudomonas Aeruginosa a tenacious uropathogen: Increasing challenges and few solutions","authors":"F. Al-Khikani, Aalae Ayit","doi":"10.4103/bbrj.bbrj_256_21","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/bbrj.bbrj_256_21","url":null,"abstract":"No population in the world can be cleared from urinary tract infections (UTIs) that considered the most common bacterial infection globally, every year more than 150 million people suffering from acute or chronic UTI caused by various bacteria. It is among the most frequent health care-associated diseases. In patients with UTI, Pseudomonas aeruginosa deserves special attention since it can affect patients with serious underlying conditions. P. aeruginosa is a multidrug-resistant pathogen causing numerous chronic infections including urinary tract disorders. Infection caused by this organism is difficult to treat because of the presence of its innate resistance to many antibiotics and its ability to acquire further resistance mechanism to multiple classes of antibiotics, including beta-lactams, aminoglycosides, and fluoroquinolones; thus, the treatment option for these drug resistance pseudomonas are very limited. P. aeruginosa-induced UTIs continue to be linked with substantial mortality and morbidity. This adverse consequence is owing to our failure to create effective disease-prevention treatment methods, which is related to a lack of knowledge of resistance mechanisms. This study alerts researchers to the need to better understand the mechanisms of resistance in P. aeruginosa-caused UTIs to develop viable treatment options. The microbiological perspectives, virulence factors, epidemiology, mechanisms beyond antibiotic resistance, and antimicrobial sensitivity of P. aeruginosa in UTI are discussed in this review as well as future strategies to build basic information and clear vision to other researchers for more studies regarding this tenacious bacterium.","PeriodicalId":36500,"journal":{"name":"Biomedical and Biotechnology Research Journal","volume":"6 1","pages":"311 - 318"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46020803","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Pharmacoeconomic aspects of pharmaceutical ethics","authors":"Huk Ruslanivna, Bespalova Yaroslavivna","doi":"10.4103/bbrj.bbrj_115_22","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/bbrj.bbrj_115_22","url":null,"abstract":"Nowadays, ethical standards of marketing, pricing, and safety strategies conducted by pharmaceutical manufacturers have declined significantly, which raises the question of health-care quality. The company's main objective has become to maximize profit and it is often done by unethical and deceptive marketing, implementation of direct-to-consumer ads, and educational meetings with a promotional character. One of the modern health-care areas, which aims to solve the ethical issues of the drug market, is pharmacoeconomics. The goal of pharmacoeconomics is not only the economic evaluation of various medical programs and pharmacological drugs but also the development of recommendations for the most efficient use of health resources and determining the right pricing and reimbursement strategy. Moreover, the use of the formulary system, which is the functioning tool of the evidence-based medicine (EBM), aims to provide an access to a wide range of certified and high-quality medicines that are recognized on the world market. Generics are considered a great substitutional option to the “ordinary” drugs due to their affordable price as the cost of prescription drugs in the world continues to be a source of concern. Another tool for providing affordable drug's prices is the reimbursement system, which offers a range of essential medicines at the reduced cost and can be product, disease, population, or consumption specific.","PeriodicalId":36500,"journal":{"name":"Biomedical and Biotechnology Research Journal","volume":"6 1","pages":"302 - 310"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44667807","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}