Romanian Journal of Military Medicine Issue No.4 / 2021, Vol. CXXIV, November

Edition number: 4 | Volume: CXXIV | Month: November | Year: 2021

In-silico evaluation of the potential of a viral protein (Apoptin) as an anticancer agent

As a significant immunosuppressive virus, chicken anemia virus (CAV) is common among natural poultry hosts and newborn chickens. It contains a tiny single-stranded negative circular DNA genome, encoding three proteins vp1, vp2, and vp3. Apoptin, encoded by the vp3 gene of the CAV virus, is a small protein whose subcellular localization appears to be crucial for tumor-selective activity. Residing in the cytoplasm of normal cells, it translocates into the nucleus in cancerous cells. Apoptin has attracted much attention because of causes specific death in transformed and cancer cells and has toxic effects on cancer cells. In-silico analysis of apoptin revealed the unknown structural and functional features. Physicochemical features and sequence analysis and secondary structure prediction were also conducted using Expasy server tools. Furthermore, the global structure of apoptin was modeled using the I-TASSER server and antigenic features were obtained via the application of the IEBD web tools. The results of in-silico analysis indicated that this protein had a stable structure, was a suitable choice for therapeutic goals, capable of acting as a good anti-cancer agent.

Introducing two effective techniques for the detection of adenovirus respiratory infection in human sample

Recently, respiratory viral infections have witnessed substantial diagnostic evolution, with the advent of emergent pathogenic agents and the improvement of new diagnostic approaches. Acute viral respiratory infection (ARVI) commonly causes illness and fatality, particularly in pediatric patients. Adenovirus has the highest prevalence in upper and lower respiratory tract infections (RTIs) amongst respiratory pathogens of importance. The purpose of this research was to introduce two effective techniques for the detection of adenovirus respiratory infection in Human samples, cell culture, and real-time PCR. Samples from patients aged less than ten years were obtained from Baqiyatallah (as) Hospital and cultured on HEK cells after preparation. After observing the cytopathic effects of the virus, a molecular test (Real-time PCR) with the help of specific primers was done on samples taken from the cell culture. Both assays detected viruses in clinical samples, and results of cell culture and real-time PCR confirmed infection with adenovirus in samples. According to our findings, simultaneous use of tests (cell culture and PCR) based test real-time PCR is a somewhat reliable method for detecting adenovirus in clinical specimens.

The medical and social importance of mental and behavior disorders among military personnel in peacetime and warfare

Introduction. The considerable numbers of servicemen who have applied for psychiatric help and who have been discharged for mental health from the Armed Forces of Ukraine testify the need to revise the whole system of providing psychiatric, psychomedical, and social aid to servicemen in warfare. Purpose. To identify medical and social aspects of mental and behavioral disorders among servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in peacetime and warfare for justification the developing and implementing the system of psychomedical care in Ukrainian Defense Forces with NATO standards adaptation. Methods. A retrospective analysis of statistical data on the level, structure, dynamics of the overall incidence rate of mental disorders as well as hospitalized morbidity among the military personnel of Ukrainian Armed Forces and health status dismissal based on long-term observation data (2008-2017) as well as comparison of indicators of the period 2008-2013 and 2014-2017 based on official statistical reporting has been performed. The statistical processing of the sample results was carried out using descriptive statistics and analysis of alternative characteristics. Results. It was discovered that in the structure of the total incidence of mental disorders among the military personnel of Ukrainian Armed Forces on class F (ICD-10) for the period of 2014-2017 years there was a significant redistribution of all categories of military personnel in comparison with 2008-2013 (among officers as well as contract servicemen, the overall incidence rate of mental disorders decreased dependably). The proportion of disorders of adult personality and behavior with other syndromes (F50-F99) significantly increased due to a significant decrease of neurotic, stress-related, and somatoform complaints cases. Conclusions. The overall incidence rate of mental disorders, as well as hospitalized morbidity within the structure of overall incidence rate of diseases in 2008-2017 for officers and contract servicemen, significantly increased with peak values in 2015 (p≤0.001) with further decreasing in 2016-2017 years, but among conscripts - remained unchanged. It has been established that starting from 2014, the indicators of discharges among officers have tended to increase with the maximum rates in 2015 (compared to 2013 by 7 times higher) and contract servicemen in 2016 (compared to 2013 by 5.3 times higher) with a further decrease. The identified features of mental health disorder in servicemen and their consequences according to long-term observation (both in peacetime and in warfare) are the keys to the development and implementation of the proposed psychomedical care system in defense forces readapted to NATO standards.

Military psychological distress-virtues model

Background and Aim: Military personnel, parallel to appropriate personality traits to the military environment, need virtues and character strengths(CS) that contain values appropriate to the environment. We designed a model that examines the impact of comprehensive virtues and CS in reducing psychological distress. Methods: The present study is an SEM study. The sample community is an available example of 410 persons of military men in Tehran. We used a demographic information questionnaire, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10), and Virtues Inventory in Action (VIA-120). Results: findings showed virtues and CS of wisdom, justice, humanity, and transcendence (except for spirituality) are significantly related to psychological distress. With increasing CS, psychological distress in employees decreased, but with increasing virtues, psychological distress in employees increased. The virtues and CS of temperance and courage were not significantly associated with psychological distress. Conclusions: According to the results of this study, military services should pay more attention to the virtues and CS effective in reducing staff distress and strengthening these traits in them.

The outcome of Covid-19 in patients receiving biologics for the treatment of psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease, with multisystemic implications and genetic predisposition, characterized by the development of erythematous, scaling plaques on the skin. Management of moderate to severe psoriasis vulgaris may involve a biological treatment that suppresses the immune system. Because of this, the patients with psoriasis on an immunosuppressive treatment are theoretically at an increased risk of infections, including SARS-CoV- 2 infection. SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) is responsible for the current pandemic. In Romania, COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 19) was first reported on February 26, 2020, by confirming the first patient with SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR method. COVID-19 progression was divided into three phases: early infection, pulmonary phase, and hyperinflammatory phase. Although the inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines by biologic therapy is detrimental in the viral phase, it seems to be beneficial in the hyperinflammatory phase, by protecting the patients with psoriasis in progressing towards extra-pulmonary manifestations and death. Analyzing the evolution of the 8 cases of patients from our dermatology department – Colentina Clinical Hospital, with generalized psoriasis vulgaris on biologic immunosuppressive treatment and SARS-CoV-2 infection, we observed that they did not develop a more severe form of COVID-19 than the general population. Patients on biologic immunosuppressive treatment are more susceptible to the development of infections, including by SARS-CoV-2, but it was found that the biologic therapy can protect against a more severe type of COVID-19.

Study on the chest radiographic results in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis referred to Zabol Tuberculosis Center: A descriptive study

Introduction and Purpose: Tuberculosis is the most common cause of death from infectious diseases in the world. This study aimed to evaluate the findings of chest radiography in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis referred to the Zabol tuberculosis center. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 101 patients with positive tuberculosis from January to December 2020. Data were collected using an information form and finally analyzed by SPSS software version 22. Results: In this study, 101 patients were studied, of which 71 were female and 30 were male, and the mean age of patients was 62.68±13.61 years. The frequency of turbidity in patients with smear grades 1, 2, and 3 was 71.4%, 78.5%, and 76.5%, respectively. The frequency of cavitation in patients with grades 1, 2, and 3 was 11.5%, 28.5%, and 52.9%, respectively. The frequency of nodular view in patients with grades 1, 2, and 3 was 18.6, 42.8, and 35.3%, respectively. Conclusion: In general, the results of this study showed that with increasing smear grading, the frequency of cavitation cases increases significantly and the frequency of reticulonodular view cases decreases significantly.

Survey of the patients’ satisfaction with services provided in an Iranian Naval Hospital in 2019: A cross-sectional study

Background and Aim: All hospital services are carried out to serve the patient, which is the main axis in the hospital. Patient satisfaction can be indicative of the right performance service delivery and is considered a reliable source for evaluating the quality of health care. The present study was conducted to evaluate the satisfaction rate of discharged patients in a Navy hospital. Methods: The descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 220 discharged patients selected by convenience sampling in a Navy hospital during 2019. The data gathering tool was the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire designed by Amerioon in 2009 and its validity and reliability were confirmed in 2016. The questionnaire assessed patient satisfaction in two healthcare sections with 21 questions and three dimensions of hygiene, nursing and physician services, and non- health care with 27 questions and six dimensions of acceptance, staff attitudes, nutrition, welfare, facilities, religious issues, and refines evaluation. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 18. Results: The patient satisfaction in the medical and non-medical wards was 88.1% and 86.57% respectively. Satisfaction in the medical and non-medical wards was excellent at all dimensions. There was a significant relationship between satisfaction with the cause of referral, and level of education (P 0.05). Conclusion: Considering the high level of patients 'satisfaction in medical and non-medical services, patient satisfaction in medical services was slightly higher than that of non-medical services, this highlights the need for independent research in this area and the actions taken by hospital managers to improve satisfaction in these sectors. It is also suggested to consider patient satisfaction as part of the discharge process in all hospitals

Comparison of the effect of intravenous ketamine and midazolam as a premedication in children undergoing cochlear implantation at the time of separation from parents

Background and aim: Preoperative anxiety and fear of separation from parents are some of the most important preoperative problems for children with deaf muteness. Here, the effect of intravenous administration of ketamine and midazolam was compared on sedation in children who candidates for choral cochlear implantation at the time of separation from parents. Patients and methods: This double-blind, prospective clinical study was performed on 74 children with deaf-muteness before cochlear implantation. Patients were randomly divided into two groups, midazolam (0.1 mg /kg) and ketamine (1 mg/kg). The sedation anxiety score scale (SASS) form was filled in to assess the anxiety and sedation status for each child. The children's relaxation score from recovery was assessed by the PACU sedation score scale (PACUSSS). Results: The average of the children's anxiety score after the injection of both drugs during the separation from their parents was 3, and there was no significant difference in the mean of SASS between the two groups (p>0.05). The mean PACU sedation score scale in both ketamine and midazolam groups was 1.08 ± 0.89 and 1.32 ± 1.01, respectively (p = 0.27). The mean of extubation and recovery times in the ketamine group were 10.44 ± 4.47 and 30.27 ± 6.87, respectively, while the mean extubation and recovery times in the midazolam group were 11.83 ± 3.33 and 29.81 ± 6.31 minutes, respectively. Conclusion: Both ketamine and midazolam caused equal sedation scores in children with deaf muteness at the time of separating from their parents.

The impact of website quality on customer loyalty with the intermediate role of social capital: A case study of the Bamilo website

The main objective of this study is to investigate the impact of Bamillo website quality on customer loyalty through the mediating role of social capital. This research is applied in terms of purpose and it is a field study in terms of data collection. The population of the study included all users of the Bamilo website who had at least one purchase order from this site. Accordingly, 384 people were selected through available sampling. The instrument used in the research was the standard questionnaire of China et al. (2016), which confirmed the validity and reliability of the questionnaire. Structural equation modeling with the partial least squares method was used to analyze the data. The results showed that the quality of information on-site information quality on cognitive capital was rejected and its impact on structural capital was confirmed. The quality of the site system on cognitive capital is also rejected and its impact on structural capital is confirmed. On the other hand, the quality of site services has an impact on cognitive capital and structural capital. Also, cognitive capital and communication capital affect communication capital, and cognitive capital and communication capital affect customer loyalty. However, the impact of the capitalist mediation mediated the relationship between information quality and system quality with customer loyalty. Cognitive capital also mediates the relationship between service quality and customer loyalty, and structural capital mediates the relationship between information quality and customer loyalty. On the other hand, the mediating role of structural capital in the relationship between system quality and customer loyalty was confirmed and structural capital mediated the relationship between service quality and customer loyalty.

Treatment persistence of biologics in psoriatic disease

Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory disease that significantly affects a patient’s quality of life. Several systemic complications can influence disease progression and response to treatment. Biological therapy is considered the most effective therapeutic option in treating moderate to severe forms of psoriasis. The success of therapy may depend on its persistence, also known as drug survival. The dermatologist needs to be aware of comorbidities and factors that influence the persistence or discontinuation of biological treatment to make appropriate treatment decisions. We have identified several studies on the persistence of biologic therapy or drug survival in patients with psoriasis and summarized some of the most important issues known to date. In several recently published studies, the survival of ustekinumab is better than TNF‐α inhibitors but lower than ixekizumab. Notably, the studies were performed on a limited number of patients and follow-up time. Moreover, secukinumab appears to have a shorter drug survival than other biological agents, especially in patients with biological experience. A real indicator of therapeutic success could be a high quality of life. Female gender and obesity have been consistently highlighted among the predictors of treatment discontinuation, while psoriatic arthritis could be a predictor of persistence and maintenance of biological therapy. We are currently aiming to improve the therapy for patients treated with biological agents to reduce the pressure on the national public health system.