The present study introduces a superparamagnetic nanocomposite, Fe–Si–In, as a T2 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent with a core of iron oxide nanoparticles and a nonporous silica inner shell/carboxymethyl inulin outer shell. Due to its core/shell properties, the structure characterization, biocompatibility, and performance in MRI, as well as its potential as a drug delivery system, were thoroughly evaluated. The results have shown that the synthesized nanocomposite possesses excellent biocompatibility and acceptable magnetization (M s = 20 emu g–1). It also has the potential to be a nanocarrier for drug delivery purposes, as evidenced by the results of curcumin administration studies. The developed nanocomposite has shown excellent performance in MRI, while the in vitro relaxivity measurements reveal a stronger T2 relaxivity (r 2 = 223.2 ms) compared to the commercial samples available in the market. Furthermore, the in vivo MRI studies demonstrate an excellent contrast between injured livers and normal ones in rats which again upholds the high performance of Fe–Si–In in MRI diagnostics.

Objective: The detection of pulmonary embolism in emergency department requires an urgent therapeutic and diagnostic attention. This study was performed to determine the accuracy and efficacy of ultrasound in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. Methods: In this study, 110 patients who referred to the emergency department with traumatic embolism symptoms were enrolled. All the patients underwent computed tomography (CT) angiography. Patients were divided into positive and negative outcomes according to the results of transthoracic ultrasonography and CT angiography. Results: In this study, 110 patients were enrolled, of whom 52 (47.3%) were male and 58 (52.7%) were female. Among the patients, 100 (90.9%) patients presented with dyspnea, whereas the frequency of pleural pain was 27% (24.5%). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for ultrasound were 45.67%, 77.41%, 88.09%, and 35.29%, respectively. The positive outcomes from CT scan were significantly associated with gender, p = 0.005. The gender and transthoracic ultrasonography outcomes were also significantly correlated, p = 0.019, and the outcomes of ultrasound were significantly different from those of CT scan, p = 0.008. Conclusion:Transthoracic ultrasonography may be used to diagnose pulmonary embolism as a technique in the emergency department, especially in patients who are unable to move due to the severity of the disease. However, further comparative studies are required in this aspect.

Background: The prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) varies in different geographical regions and has dramatically increased in Iran. Revealing the high prevalence rate draws the attention of policymakers and helps them allocate necessary resources. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of MS in Zanjan province of Iran. Methods: We included all registered residents of Zanjan province with MS on the prevalence day (July 31, 2019). All cases met the McDonald criteria. All registered cases in Zanjan MS society were identified as index cases. Data regarding patient's national code, gender, age, age at the first symptom onset, city of residence, marital status, education level, occupation, ethnicity, family history of MS and the time span between symptom's onset and disease diagnosis were recorded. Results: We identified 758 patients, 551 of whom (72.7%) were female. The mean age at the first symptom onset was 28.9 ±8.7 years old. The crude prevalence was 71.6 per 100,000 population (95% CI 66.6–76.9). The disease was most prevalent in Zanjan city (100.5 per 100,000). The gender-specific prevalence per 100,000 population was 105.4 for women (95% CI: 96.8–114.6) and 38.7 for men (95% CI: 33.6–44.1), with female to male ratio of 2.6. The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) was calculated as expected/observed for both men and women as 2.3 (207/88.2) (551/234.1). Conclusions: Our data confirm that the MS prevalence rate is high in Zanjan province of Iran.

Adhesive Capsulitis (AC) is a self-limiting disease of the shoulder joint characterized by progressive painful restriction of the shoulder's motion. This study aimed to search the findings on AC in non-contrast MRI. Although AC is a clinical diagnosis, imaging can provide helpful data for earlier diagnosis and treatment. It seems that some findings are specific and sensitive for accurate diagnosis and staging of AC such as coracohumeral ligament thickening, joint capsule edema, and rotator interval infiltration. Non-contrast MRI can provide an abundance of information on AC and help clinicians make a more definitive diagnosis, stage the disease, and choose better treatment plans.

10.30699/jambs.30.139.177 Background & Objective: Screening and timely diagnosis of positive individuals is one of the important issues in controlling pandemic of Covid-19. Early and timely diagnosis of asymptomatic individuals, contact tracking, disconnection of Covid-19 transmission chain through early detection of patients and decreasing R0 were the main objectives of the current study. Materials & Methods: The Covid-19 outpatient sampling detection project started in Zanjan province on March 26, 2020 and samples were taken from people suspected of having Corona Virus and people in contact with these patients.Results: All 31,937 cases (48% male, 52% female) who had referred to Comprehensive Health Care Centers until May 16, 2020, were selected. A considerable percentage of incidences were observed in Zanjan and Khodabandeh cities. 20% of the examined samples had positive results. A substantial incidence was found in the age group of over 70 -year-old. Following implementation of the outpatient screening project, R0 fell below 1 in the province. Conclusion:Prior to the implementation of Covid-19 laboratorial outpatient screening project, the value of R0 was 1.4 in Zanjan province. However, this value fell below 1, after implementation of the laboratorial outpatient screening indicating that the principal way to effectively control Covid -19 is to detect positive cases and manage them.