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Problems pertaining to food safety: any qualitative study in a farming supply chain business throughout Iran.
Special attention is given to the unique structures for optical anticounterfeiting techniques and their optical aspects for encryption. Finally, emerging research directions and current challenges in optical encryption technologies using structural color materials is presented. © 2020 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.Photodynamic therapy (PDT), as an emerging clinical approach, has been exploited for the treatment of various diseases including cancer for several years. Excitation light and molecular oxygen are the key parameters that restrict the efficacy of PDT due to the restricted penetration depth of light and the hypoxic microenvironment of tumors, which will lead to ineffective therapeutic response. In recent years, a number of studies were focused on tackling these challenges and showed great potential in improving the efficacy of PDT to some degree. Herein, we summarize the advancements in newly developed PDT strategies based on diverse nanocomposites, especially in the aspects of the types of light source and the ways to supply oxygen. Finally, new challenges and possible opportunities for further research are also discussed. © 2020 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.OBJECTIVE Fatigue is a common and disabling symptom amongst people with multiple sclerosis, however it has not been compared across the central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory diseases associated with aquaporin-4 (AQP4) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibodies (Ab). We explored the factors associated with fatigue within and across the two diseases, and compared fatigue levels between them. METHODS We performed a cross-sectional study of 90 AQP4-Ab and 44 MOG-Ab patients. Fatigue was assessed using the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS). Clinical, demographic, and psychometric (anxiety, depression, pain) data were used as independent variables. Multivariable linear regression was used to identify significant independent variables associated with fatigue within and across the two diseases. RESULTS Within AQP4-Ab patients, age (P = 0.002), disease duration (P = 0.004), number of clinical attacks (P = 0.001), disability (P = 0.007), pain interference (P less then 0.001), anxiety (P = 0.026), and depression (P less then 0.001) were significant independent variables. Interestingly, disease duration had a negative association with fatigue (P = 0.004). Within MOG-Ab patients, pain interference score (P less then 0.001) and anxiety (P = 0.001) were significant independent variables. Although fatigue was worse in AQP4-Ab patients compared to MOG-Ab patients (P = 0.008) in all patients as well as in those who ever had transverse myelitis (P = 0.023), this was driven by the differences in age, disability and pain interference rather than antibody subtype itself. INTERPRETATION Multiple factors, but not the antibody specificity, appear to contribute to fatigue in antibody positive CNS inflammatory diseases. A multifaceted treatment approach is needed to better manage the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial aspects of fatigue in these patients. © 2020 The Authors. Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc on behalf of American Neurological Association.BACKGROUND According to experimental studies, mesh implants may reduce in size up to 50.8% during their integration into soft tissues. Selleckchem C646 This results in impaired mobility of the anterior abdominal wall and hernia recurrences, as well as affects patients' quality of life. Due to unsatisfactory radiographic contrast of polymeric mesh implants, changes in their size can be rarely confirmed using imaging methods. Medical devices made of metal alloys have the best radiographic contrast. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the radiographic contrast of mesh implants made of titanium filaments and to determine the sizes and locations of the implants after the anterior abdominal wall hernia repair. MATERIALS & METHODS The study included 40 patients with inguinal, umbilical, and postoperative ventral hernias. Surgical hernia repair was performed using a mash implant made of titanium filaments, "titanium silk". Multislice spiral computed tomography (MSCT) was performed on Days 3 and 90 after surgery, followed by an assessment of the size and location of the mesh implant. RESULTS 90 days after the anterior abdominal wall hernia repair, the locations of the titanium silk mesh implants in the tissues corresponded to their intraoperative setting. There were no statistically significant changes in the sizes of mesh implants on Day 90, compared with Day 3. CONCLUSION The titanium silk mesh implants have satisfactory radiographic contrast, which allows imaging of their location and size in the tissues using MSCT and comprehensive evaluation of hernia repair outcomes using instrumental methods of examination. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and usually fatal lung disease that lacking effective interventions. It is well known that aberrant activation of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1) frequently promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in IPF. Metastasis-associated gene 1 (MTA1) has identified as an oncogene in several human tumours, and aberrant MTA1 expression has been related to the EMT regulation. However, its expression and function in IPF remain largely unexplored. Using a combination of in vitro and in vivo studies, we found that MTA1 was significantly up-regulated in bleomycin-induced fibrosis rats and TGF-β1-treated alveolar type Ⅱ epithelial (RLE-6TN) cells. Overexpression of MTA1 induced EMT of RLE-6TN cells, as well as facilitates cell proliferation and migration. In contrast, knockdown of MTA1 reversed TGF-β1-induced EMT of RLE-6TN cells. The pro-fibrotic action of MTA1 was mediated by increasing Snail expression through up-regulating Snail promoter activity. Moreover, inhibition of MTA1 effectively attenuated bleomycin-induced fibrosis in rats. Additionally, we preliminarily found astragaloside IV (ASV), which was previously validated having inhibitory effects on TGF-β1-induced EMT, could inhibit MTA1 expression in TGF-β1-treated RLE-6TN cells. These findings highlight the role of MTA1 in TGF-β1-mediated EMT that offer novel strategies for the prevention and treatment of IPF. © 2020 The Authors. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine published by Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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