Iran National Science Foundation Research Articles

Association of folate and vitamin B12 deficiency with vasovagal syncope: a case-control study

Abstract Background Studies demonstrated an association between vitamin B12 deficiency and vasovagal syncope (VVS) in pediatric patients. Moreover, some evidence suggested a pathophysiological role of plasma catecholamines elevation in VVS, which can arise from folate or vitamin B12 deficiency in terms of biochemical pathways. Purpose We aimed to evaluate the association of folate and vitamin B12 deficiency with VVS in adults. Methods In this case-control study, adult patients (18–70 years of age) with the diagnosis of VVS based on history and physical examination (2018 ESC guidelines) who underwent a head-up tilt test (HUTT) were included as the case group. The control group comprised age- and sex-matched individuals who participated in a population-based cohort study. The most important exclusion criteria were taking vitamin B12 or folate supplements, carbamazepine and phenobarbital, and a history of bariatric surgeries. Plasma levels of vitamin B12, folate, homocysteine, and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), a possible confounder, were measured by Abbott Diagnostics chemiluminescence kits. We compared categorical variables and continuous variables by Chi-square and t-test, respectively. Logistic regression models were employed for adjusting for possible confounders, including age, sex, and TSH. Results From February 2020 to February 2021, we screened 157 patients with VVS, of whom 44 patients were included. After matching for age and sex, 44 healthy individuals without a history of syncope were examined as the control group. The mean age was 37.9 years in both groups, with 23 women (52.3%) in each group. Baseline characteristics were comparable across the study groups. There were no significant differences between serum levels of vitamin B12, folate, homocysteine, and TSH, as well as the prevalence of deficiency of folate and vitamin B12 between case and control groups (Table 1), even after adjusting for confounding variables. Serum levels of vitamin B12 were remarkably lower in patients with a lifetime syncopal episodes of ≥3 compared to patients with <3 lifetime attacks (Table 2, P=0.042). This correlation remained statistically significant after adjusting for possible confounders, including age, sex, and TSH by the logistic regression model (P=0.032). Conclusions In this study, we found that there is no significant difference between the prevalence of folate and vitamin B12 deficiency and serum levels of these vitamins in adult patients with VVS and healthy individuals; however, serum vitamin B12 was significantly lower in patients with recurrent VVS compared to patients with a lower burden of syncopal episodes. Future studies with larger sample sizes are recommended in the recurrent VVS subgroup. Therapeutic implications of these findings should be investigated in randomized-controlled trials. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Foundation. Main funding source(s): Iran National Science Foundation Table 1Table 2

Acceptability of a Mobile App-Based Intervention Program for Choosing Mode of Delivery Among Pregnant Women

Background & Aim: Maternal health and pregnancy outcomes are vitally important areas of each country's healthcare system. This study sought to investigate the acceptability of a mobile app-based intervention program for choosing the mode of delivery among pregnant women. Method: The Mobile App-Based Program focused on facilitating choosing mode of delivery based on information, motivation, and behavior theory among pregnant women in Tehran, Iran. A retrospective post-intervention study was carried out. We used qualitative semi-structured interviews to explore the experiences of women participating in the Mobile App-Based Program and investigate the intervention's acceptability. Thirty pregnant women participated in this study. Result : A total of 76.6 percent of the users assessed the application as usable. Three central themes have emerged from women’s experiences of Easy Birth Application using qualitative findings; (1) specific features of the App (images, text, colors…), (2) advantages (distance learning method, reliability, and credibility, user friendly and comfortability, time-saving, interactive,….), and (3) disadvantages (fear of mobile radiation on fetus, poor internet connection, and limited audience) regarding using of this kind of interventions. Conclusion: Implementing interventions via the mobile application could be accepted by pregnant women during their pregnancy; it also eased women's knowledge and behavior precisely during a new-emerged pandemic. Funding: This study has been financially supported by the Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) and the Iran National Science Foundation (INSF). Declaration of Interest: None to declare. Ethical Approval: This study was approved by the Tehran University and Medical of science ((Ethics code: IR.TUMS.SPH.REC-1397-130).

Multi-layer structures including zigzag sculptured thin films for corrosion protection of AISI 304 stainless steel* *Project supported by the Funds from the University of Mohaghegh Ardabili and University of Tehran and the Iran National Science Foundation (INSF) and the Centre of Excellence for Physics of Structure and Microscopic Properties of Matter, Department of Physics, University of Tehran.

To increase corrosion resistance of the sample, its electrical impedance must be increased. Due to the fact that electrical impedance depends on elements such as electrical resistance, capacitance, and inductance, by increasing the electrical resistance, reducing the capacitance and inductance, electrical impedance and corrosion resistance can be increased. Based on the fact that these elements depend on the type of material and the geometry of the material, multilayer structures with different geometries are proposed. For this purpose, conventional multilayer thin films, multilayer thin film including zigzag structure (zigzag 1) and multilayer thin film including double zigzag structure (zigzag 2) of manganese nitride are considered to protect AISI 304 stainless steel against corrosion in salt solution. These multilayer coatings including zigzag structures are prepared by alternately using the conventional deposition of thin film and glancing angle deposition method. After deposition, the samples are placed in a furnace under nitrogen flux for nitriding. The cross sections of the structures are observed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Atomic force microscope (AFM) is used to make surface analyses of the samples. The results show that the multilayer thin films including zigzag structures have smaller grains than conventional multilayer thin films, and the zigzag 2 structure has the smaller grain than the other two samples, which is attributed to the effect of shadowing and porosity on the oblique angle deposition method. Crystallography structures of the samples are studied by using x-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern and the results show that nitride phase formation in zigzag 2 structure is better than that in zigzag 1 structure and conventional multilayer thin film. To investigate the corrosion resistances of the structures, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization tests are performed. The results reveal that the multilayer thin films with zigzag structures have better corrosion protection than the conventional multilayer thin films, and the zigzag structure 2 has the smallest corrosion current and the highest corrosion resistance. The electrical impedances of the samples are investigated by simulating equivalent circuits. The high corrosion resistance of zigzag 2 structure as compared with conventional multilayer structure and zigzag 1 structure, is attributed to the high electrical impedance of the structure due to its small capacitance and high electrical resistance. Finally, the surfaces of corroded samples are observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM).

Corrigendum

Journal of MicroscopyVolume 273, Issue 3 p. 210-210 ErratumFree Access Corrigendum This article corrects the following: EBSD investigation of Al/(Al13Fe4+Al2O3) nanocomposites fabricated by mechanical milling and friction stir processing GHASEM AZIMI-ROEEN, SEYED FARSHID KASHANI-BOZORG, MARTIN NOSKO, LUBOMIR OROVCIK, Volume 270Issue 1Journal of Microscopy pages: 3-16 First Published online: October 9, 2017 First published: 12 February 2019 https://doi.org/10.1111/jmi.12780AboutSectionsPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat The authors of ‘EBSD investigation of Al/(Al13Fe4+Al2O3) nanocomposites fabricated by mechanical milling and friction stir processing’ would like to correct the following error in their paper: The phrase “…, Iran National Science Foundation (under the project No. 94004765),…” was omitted from the Acknowledgement section. The correct Acknowledgement section should read as below: Partial financial support by Center of Excellence for Surface Engineering and Corrosion Protection of Industries, University of Tehran, Iran National Science Foundation (under the project No. 94004765), Slovak Academy of Sciences (Institute of Materials & Machine Mechanics, Slovak Foundation VEGA grant 2/0158/16, and by grant APVV-14-0936), and Iran Nanotechnology Initiative Council are gratefully acknowledged. Reference Azimi-Roeen, G., Kashani-Bozorg, S.F., Nosko, M. & Orovcik, L. (2018) EBSD investigation of Al/(Al13Fe4+Al2O3) nanocomposites fabricated by mechanical milling and friction stir processing. J. Microsc. 270(2), 3– 16. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmi.12642. Volume273, Issue3March 2019Pages 210-210 ReferencesRelatedInformation

Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Can Ameliorate Airway Remodelling and Improve Oxidative Stress: An Open Label and Randomized Clinical Trial Study on Sulfur Mustard Exposed Patients

Background: Lung is a primary target for sulfur mustard (SM) toxicity. Here, we investigated the potential efficacy and safety of adipose derived mesenchymal stem cell (AdMSC) on respiratory quality, lung regeneration, oxidative stress, and airway remodelling in patients with mustard lung. Methods: In this clinical trial study, 10 patients received 100x106 cells every 20 days for 4 injections over 8 weeks. The pulmonary function tests (PFT), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Assessment Test (CAT), Borg Scale Dyspnea Assessment (BSDA), and 6 Minute Walk Test (6MWT) were evaluated. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) were measured in the sputum of all samples. Changes in expression of metallothionein 3 (MT3), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and lacto peroxidase (LPO), as well as matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP2), matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9), transforming growth factor-b1 (TGF-b), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), metallopeptidase inhibitor 1 (TIMP1), and metallopeptidase inhibitor 2 (TIMP2) were assessed using real-time PCR. Clara cell protein 16 (CC16) and Mucin-1 protein (KL-6) were measured in the sputum all samples as biomarkers of lung injury using enzyme immunoassay method. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02749448). Findings: Spirometry test results were slightly improved after each injection. A gradual improvement was observed in the mean of 6MWT scores. CASA-Q and VAS scores were increased, while means of CAT and Borg-Score were decreased. A significant improvement was found for the mean of KL-6 (p=0.022) and CC16 (p=0.005) levels. Sputum levels of TAC and GSH had a tendency to be higher after each injection, while MDA content was decreased. An improvement was observed for antioxidants genes, especially for GSR, MT3 and LPO, compared to the baseline. A gradual upregulation was found for VEGF and TGF-β expression after MSCs therapy. MSCs caused a balance between MMP9/TIMP1 and MMP2/TIMP2 ratio. The MMP2/TIMP2 ratio was decreased from 4.9 on baseline to 0.71 on day 180 (p<0.001), while the MMP9/TIMP1 ratio was declined from 16.35 on baseline to 0.64 on day 180 (p<0.001). Interpretation: The findings suggest that MSCs therapy can be safely used for improvement of lung injury and regeneration in these patients without any adverse effects. Trial Registration Number: This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02749448). Funding: Iran National Science Foundation and Veterans Foundation. Declaration of Interest: The authors confirm that there are no conflicts of interest. Ethical Approval: The ethics review board of the Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences (Cod: IR.BMSU.REC.1393.32) approved this survey and all patients signed an informed consent letter before the study.

МЕЖДУНАРОДНЫЙ КРУГЛЫЙ СТОЛ «БУДУЩЕЕ КАСПИЯ. НАУЧНЫЕ ПРОЕКТЫ И ИССЛЕДОВАНИЯ»

International Round Table “The Future of the Caspian Sea. Scientific projects and research”was held on 28-29 November 2018 at P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology RAS (Moscow). The event was organized by P.P. Shirshov the Institute of Oceanology RAS, the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR) and the Iran National Science Foundation (INSF). Scientists of the Caspian states presented 32 reports on various areas of research of the Caspian Sea.

Suppression of transforming growth factor β signaling promotes ground state pluripotency from single blastomeres.

Can transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) inhibition promote ground state pluripotency of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) from single blastomeres (SBs) of cleavage embryos in different mouse stains? Small molecule suppression of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) and TGFβ signaling (designated as R2i) can enhance the generation of mouse ESCs from SBs of different cleavage stage embryos compared with the dual suppression of ERK1/2 and glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3), designated as 2i, regardless of the strain of mouce. It is known that chemical inhibition of TGFβ promotes ground state pluripotency in the generation and sustenance of naïve ES cells from mouse blastocysts compared with the well-known 2i condition. However, the positive effect of this inhibition on mouse ESCs from early embryonic SBs remains obscure. We used 155 cleavage-stage mouse embryos to optimize the culture conditions for blastocyst development. Then, to assess the effects of R2i and 2i on ESC generation from SBs, we cultured isolated SBs in 2i and R2i for 10 days. SBs were replated under the same conditions to produce ESCs. In total, 46 embryos and 321 SBs from two- to eight-cell stages were recovered from NMRI and BALB/c mouse strains and used in this study. Blastomeres from 2- to 8-cell stage mouse embryos were dispersed and individually seeded into a 96-well plates that included mitotically inactivated feeder cells. ESCs were generated in B27N2 defined medium supplemented with R2i or 2i. Randomly selected ESC lines, generated from SBs of each stage, were assessed for pluripotency and germ-line transmission. We demonstrated that dual inhibition of ERK1/2 and TGFβ (R2i) enhanced efficient blastocyst development and efficient establishment of ESCs from SB of 2- to 8-cell stage mouse embryos compared with the dual inhibition of ERK1/2 and GSK3 (2i) regardless of the embryonic stage and strain of mice. The proportions of SBs that produced ESC were 50-60 versus 20-30%. This study was done with mouse embryos, it is not known whether these findings are transferable to humans. These findings resulted in an increased efficiency of ESC generation from one biopsied blastomere for autogeneic or allogeneic matched pluripotent cells without the need to destroy viable embryos. The results also provided information about the developmental capacity of early embryonic blastomeres. This study was funded by grants provided from Royan Institute, the Iranian Council of Stem Cell Research and Technology and the Iran National Science Foundation. The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.