Candida non albicans with a High Amphotericin B Resistance Pattern Causing Candidemia among Cancer Patients

Kalantar, Enayatollah,Assadi, Mojan,Pormazaheri, Helen,Hatami, Shiva,Barari, Maryam Agha,Asgari, Esfandiar,Mahmoudi, Elaheh,Kabir, Kourosh,Marashi, Seyed Mahmoud Amin Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.24

Background: Many scientists have reported Candida species to be of great concern because of the high frequency that they colonize and infect human hosts, particularly cancer patients. Moreover, in the last decades Candida species have developed resistance to many antifungal agents. Based on this, we aimed to identify and determine the prevalence of Candida spp from blood culture bottles among cancer patients and their antifungal resistance pattern. Materials and Methods: From the blood culture bottles isolation and identification of the Candida spp were performed by conventional microbiological techniques. The in vitro antibiotic resistance pattern of the isolates was determined by CLSI guidelines. Genomic DNA was isolated and amplified. Each gene was separated by agar gel electrophoresis. Results: Identification of Candida spp was based on the presence of yeast cells in direct examination, culture and DNA extraction. Of the 68 blood samples collected during the study period (April 2013 to October 2013), five (7.35%) were positive for the presence of Candida spp, 2 (40%) of which were identified as Candida albicans and 3 (60%) were Candida non-albicans. Conclusions: High resistance to amphotricin B was observed among all the Candida non-albicans isolates. Regular investigations into antifungal resistance will help us to get an updated knowledge about their antibiotic resistance pattern which may help the physician in selecting the antibiotics for empirical therapy.

Numerical Investigation of the Pressure-Time Method, Head loss in Developed and Developing Flows

Mehrdad Kalantar Neyestanaki,Georgiana Dunca,Pontus Jonsson,Michel J. Cervantes 한국유체기계학회 2023 International journal of fluid machinery and syste Vol.16 No.4

Hydraulic efficiency is a crucial parameter in estimating the performance of hydraulic turbines. However, the flow rate makes such estimation challenging. Several methods have been developed over the years to measure the flow rate. The pressure-time method is an accurate and inexpensive alternative for flow rate estimation, based on transforming momentum into pressure during the deceleration of a liquid mass. The flow rate is obtained by integrating the differential pressure and the pressure loss history between two cross-sections. In the present work, three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses are performed to investigate in detail the influence of the head loss due to friction over the method accuracy when applied in developing flows. One important novelty of the CFD analyses is the use of the immersed solid method for the valve movement modeling for studying the pressure-time method, which is less expensive and more stable than the dynamic mesh method applied in previous CFD studies. The losses are investigated with the assumptions of constant, quasi-steady and unsteady friction factors and compared with detailed data obtained from CFD simulation. The calculated flow rate is not found to be precisely related to the initial pressure drop based on quasi-steady and unsteady friction factors in developing flows. Therefore, a friction factor correction coefficient is proposed and implemented, decreasing the error. The numerical results are validated with experimental data and compared with the dynamic mesh method.

Comparison Between Vanadium and Niobium Effects on the Mechanical Properties of Intercritically Heat Treated Microalloyed Cast Steels

Morteza Kalantar,Hamidreza Najafi,M. Reza Afshar 대한금속·재료학회 2019 METALS AND MATERIALS International Vol.25 No.1

In this study, a comparison between V- and Nb-containing low-carbon microalloyed cast steels has been made in terms ofstrength and impact energy after intercritical heat treatment (IHT). After austenitizing at 950 °C and quenching in water,the alloys were intercritically heated at 760, 800 or 840 °C followed by quenching and tempering at 620 °C. In comparisonwith conventional heat treatment, IHT increased the impact energies at the expense of some reduction in the strength dueto the dual ferritic/martensitic microstructure. However, the impact energy of the alloy containing only V, especially afterintercritical heating at 760 and 800 °C, was higher than that of the Nb-containing samples. The improvement in the impactenergy required an optimum amount of coarse carbonitride precipitates. While, the impact fracture surface of the alloy V wascomposed of dimples indicating ductile fracture, cleavage facets in the fracture surface of Nb-containing samples indicatedbrittle fracture.

Nutcracker syndrome in children: review of symptom, diagnosis, and treatment

Diana S. Kalantar,Se Jin Park,Jae Il Shin 대한소아신장학회 2023 Childhood kidney diseases Vol.27 No.2

Renal nutcracker syndrome (NCS) is the entrapment of the left renal vein between the abdominal aorta and superior mesenteric artery. Although uncommon in pediatric patients, early diagnosis is crucial to avoid potential severe complications, such as anemia or renal vein thrombosis. NCS presents a variety of symptoms, most commonly including “Triade’s symptoms”–hematuria, proteinuria, and flank pain. Diagnosis and treatment include invasive and noninvasive management, although due to a lack of pediatric clinical studies, management is widely variable. Conservative diagnosis and treatment are recommended as a firstline option for pediatric patients; however, invasive surgical treatment may be recommended based on symptom severity. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of NCS in children to better understand the widely variable incidence, occurrence, and management from early on to allow for early-onset management.

Serum uric acid and mortality risk among maintenance hemodialysis patients

허인경,최수정,Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh 대한신장학회 2017 Kidney Research and Clinical Practice Vol.36 No.4

Our understanding of the role of serum uric acid in the general population has changed since the 1950s [1]. Hyperuricemia was originally considered to be a consequence of renal insufficiency and associated with a variety of cardiovascular diseases, and several studies suggested that hyperuricemia can cause hypertension, renal insufficiency and metabolic syndrome. However, the role of serum uric acid remains unclear in the maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patient population.

Effect of calcium hydroxide on inflammatory root resorption and ankylosis in replanted teeth compared with other intracanal materials: a review

Jahromi, Maryam Zare,Kalantar Motamedi, Mahmood Reza The Korean Academy of Conservative Dentistry 2019 Restorative Dentistry & Endodontics Vol.44 No.3

Calcium hydroxide (CH) is the gold-standard intracanal dressing for teeth subjected to traumatic avulsion. A common complication after the replantation of avulsed teeth is root resorption (RR). The current review was conducted to compare the effect of CH with that of other intracanal medications and filling materials on inflammatory RR and replacement RR (ankylosis) in replanted teeth. The PubMed and Scopus databases were searched through June 2018 using specific keywords related to the title of the present article. The materials that were compared to CH were in 2 categories: 1) mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and endodontic sealers as permanent filling materials for single-visit treatment, and 2) Ledermix, bisphosphonates, acetazolamide, indomethacin, gallium nitrate, and enamel matrix-derived protein (Emdogain) as intracanal medicaments for multiple-visit management of avulsed teeth prior to the final obturation. MTA can be used as a single-visit root filling material; however, there are limited data on its efficacy due to a lack of clinical trials. Ledermix and acetazolamide were comparable to CH in reducing RR. Emdogain seems to be an interesting material, but the data supporting its use as an intracanal medication remain very limited. The conclusions drawn in this study were limited by the insufficiency of clinical trials.

How important is dietary management in chronic kidney disease progression? A role for low protein diets

( Gang-jee Ko ),( Kamyar Kalantar-zadeh ) 대한내과학회 2021 The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine Vol.36 No.4

High dietary protein intake may lead to increased intraglomerular pressure and glomerular hyperfiltration, which in the long-term can lead to de novo or aggravating preexisting chronic kidney disease (CKD). Hence, a low protein diet (LPD, 0.6 to 0.8 g/kg/day) is recommended for the management of CKD. There are evidences that dietary protein restriction mitigate progression of CKD and retard the initiation of dialysis or facilitate incremental dialysis. LPD is also helpful to control metabolic derangements in CKD such as metabolic acidosis and hyperphosphatemia. Recently, a growing body of evidence has emerged on the benefits of plant-dominant low-protein diet (PLADO), which composed of > 50% plant-based sources. PLADO is considered to be helpful for relieving uremic burden and metabolic complications in CKD compared to animal protein dominant consumption. It may also lead to favorable alterations in the gut microbiome, which can modulate uremic toxin generation along with reducing cardiovascular risk. Alleviation of constipation in PLADO may minimize the risk of hyperkalemia. A balanced and individualized dietary approach for good adherence to LPD utilizing various plant-based sources as patients’ preference should be elaborated for the optimal care in CKD. Periodic nutritional assessment under supervision of trained dietitians should be warranted to avoid protein-energy wasting.

Effect of calcium hydroxide on inflammatory root resorption and ankylosis in replanted teeth compared with other intracanal materials: a review

Maryam Zare Jahromi,Mahmood Reza Kalantar Motamedi 대한치과보존학회 2019 Restorative Dentistry & Endodontics Vol.44 No.3

Calcium hydroxide (CH) is the gold-standard intracanal dressing for teeth subjected to traumatic avulsion. A common complication after the replantation of avulsed teeth is root resorption (RR). The current review was conducted to compare the effect of CH with that of other intracanal medications and filling materials on inflammatory RR and replacement RR (ankylosis) in replanted teeth. The PubMed and Scopus databases were searched through June 2018 using specific keywords related to the title of the present article. The materials that were compared to CH were in 2 categories: 1) mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and endodontic sealers as permanent filling materials for single-visit treatment, and 2) Ledermix, bisphosphonates, acetazolamide, indomethacin, gallium nitrate, and enamel matrix-derived protein (Emdogain) as intracanal medicaments for multiple-visit management of avulsed teeth prior to the final obturation. MTA can be used as a single-visit root filling material; however, there are limited data on its efficacy due to a lack of clinical trials. Ledermix and acetazolamide were comparable to CH in reducing RR. Emdogain seems to be an interesting material, but the data supporting its use as an intracanal medication remain very limited. The conclusions drawn in this study were limited by the insufficiency of clinical trials.

Reanalysis of discarded blastocysts for autosomal aneuploidy after sex selection in cleavage-stage embryos

Ebrahimian, Neda,Montazeri, Fatemeh,Sadeghi, Mohammad Reza,Kalantar, Seyed Mehdi,Gilany, Kambiz,Khalili, Mohannad Ali The Korean Society for Reproductive Medicine 2020 Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine Vol.47 No.4

Objective: The goal of the present study was to investigate the rate of chromosomal aneuploidies in surplus embryos after sex determination at the cleavage stage. Then, the same chromosomal aneuploidies were evaluated in blastocysts after extended culture. Methods: Sixty-eight surplus embryos were biopsied at the cleavage stage and incubated for an additional 3 days to allow them to reach the blastocyst stage. The embryos were reanalyzed via fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to examine eight chromosomes (13, 15, 16, 18, 21, 22, X, and Y) in both cleavage-stage embryos and blastocysts. Results: Although the total abnormality rate was lower in blastocysts (32.35%) than in cleavage-stage embryos (45.58%), the difference was not significant (p=0.113). However, when we restricted the analysis to autosomal abnormalities, we observed a significant difference in the abnormality rate between the cleavage-stage embryos (44.11%) and the blastocysts (17.64%, p=0.008). A higher rate of sex chromosomal abnormalities was also observed in cleavage-stage embryos (29.4%) than in blastocysts (14.70%, p=0.038). Conclusion: The data indicated that embryo biopsy should be conducted at the blastocyst stage rather than the cleavage stage. The results also emphasized that examination of common chromosomal aneuploidies apart from sex selection cycles can be conducted in the blastocyst stage with the FISH method.

Haplotype Analysis of BRCA1 Gene D17S855 and D17S1322 Markers in Iranian Familial Breast Cancer Patients

Miresmaeili, Sayed Mohsen,Tamandani, Dor Mohammad Kordi,Kalantar, Seyed Mehdi,Moshtaghiun, Seyed Mohammad Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.7

Background: Breast cancer molecular analysis by linkage analysis has the advantage of facilitating early diagnosis in asymptomatic genetic carriers, with a view to the preventive follow-up of these subjects and genetic counseling. The aim of this study was to evaluate BRCA1 gene D17S855 and D17S1322 markers in breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods: A series of 85 BC patients and 85 unrelated healthy women were recruited for haplotype analysis performed using two short tandem repeat markers located within the BRCA1 gene locus. Each marker was amplified with PCR genomic DNA from each individual and fluorescently end-labeled primers. Results: Both D17S855 and D17S1322 markers included 12 kinds of alleles. Results indicate that most of the BC patients shared two common 121-150 (11.2%, RR=1.56 and p=0.02) and 121-146 (5.6%, RR=1.9 and p=0.02) haplotypes. Conclusions: Our results should be helpful to understand the haplotype phase in the BRCA1 gene and establish a genetic screening strategy in the Iranian population.