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Background: Pericoronitis, an inflammation near wisdom teeth, often occurs when they are partially emerged, especially in the lower jaw. Commonly, the gingiva partially envelops the tooth. Treatments vary from gingival surgery to extraction. This study assessed the efficacy of a mouthwash with Chlorhexidine, Benzydamine, Nanosilver, Amoxicillin, and Metronidazole for pain reduction and enhancement of maximum mouth opening in acute pericoronitis cases. Materials and methods: In this randomized controlled clinical trial conducted at the Gorgan Dental Faculty, 48 pericoronitis patients were randomized into two groups. The control group used a 0.12% chlorhexidine mouthwash, while the case group used a mouthwash containing Chlorhexidine, Benzydamine, Nanosilver, Amoxicillin, and Metronidazole. The study recorded Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores for 7 days, and Maximum mouth opening (MMO) was measured at the start and after 7 days. The analysis was performed using SPSS v20. Results: In this study, we compared the effects of a combined mouthwash with those of a chlorhexidine mouthwash on pericoronitis in 48 patients, with an average age of 21.56 years. No significant difference in pain reduction was observed between the groups; however, both groups exhibited decreased pain and improved MMO post-treatment. The gender distribution was balanced across both groups. Conclusion: The results indicate that both chlorhexidine mouthwash and combined mouthwash significantly improved maximum mouth opening. Nonetheless, there were no notable differences in efficacy between the two groups. These findings suggest that these mouthwashes may be beneficial for oral hygiene, warranting further in-depth research. Trial registration: Registered on 12/03/2023, registration number IRCT20230104057046N1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Notwithstanding the encouraging results of previous studies reporting on the efficiency of deep learning (DL) in COVID‐19 prognostication, clinical adoption of the developed methodology still needs to be improved. To overcome this limitation, we set out to predict the prognosis of a large multi‐institutional cohort of patients with COVID‐19 using a DL‐based model. Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the performance of deep privacy‐preserving federated learning (DPFL) in predicting COVID‐19 outcomes using chest CT images. Methods: After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 3055 patients from 19 centers, including 1599 alive and 1456 deceased, were enrolled in this study. Data from all centers were split (randomly with stratification respective to each center and class) into a training/validation set (70%/10%) and a hold‐out test set (20%). For the DL model, feature extraction was performed on 2D slices, and averaging was performed at the final layer to construct a 3D model for each scan. The DensNet model was used for feature extraction. The model was developed using centralized and FL approaches. For FL, we employed DPFL approaches. Membership inference attack was also evaluated in the FL strategy. For model evaluation, different metrics were reported in the hold‐out test sets. In addition, models trained in two scenarios, centralized and FL, were compared using the DeLong test for statistical differences. Results: The centralized model achieved an accuracy of 0.76, while the DPFL model had an accuracy of 0.75. Both the centralized and DPFL models achieved a specificity of 0.77. The centralized model achieved a sensitivity of 0.74, while the DPFL model had a sensitivity of 0.73. A mean AUC of 0.82 and 0.81 with 95% confidence intervals of (95% CI: 0.79–0.85) and (95% CI: 0.77–0.84) were achieved by the centralized model and the DPFL model, respectively. The DeLong test did not prove statistically significant differences between the two models (p‐value = 0.98). The AUC values for the inference attacks fluctuate between 0.49 and 0.51, with an average of 0.50 ± 0.003 and 95% CI for the mean AUC of 0.500 to 0.501. Conclusion: The performance of the proposed model was comparable to centralized models while operating on large and heterogeneous multi‐institutional datasets. In addition, the model was resistant to inference attacks, ensuring the privacy of shared data during the training process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Candida, a common oral microbiota, can cause opportunistic fungal infections. With rising Candida infections and limited effective antifungals, new treatments are needed. This study investigates carvacrol essential oil's effect on oral candidiasis, alone and with nystatin, compared to nystatin alone. Materials and methods: In this study, oral samples were collected from dental clinic patients, especially denture users. The presence of Candida was confirmed and cultured from these samples. Candidiasis was detected by observing Candida colonies. Drug sensitivity was tested on 100 positive samples. The minimum concentration of inhibition and lethality of each isolate was evaluated using nystatin and carvacrol. The results were compared using two-way analysis of variance. Finally, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of nystatin and carvacrol was calculated individually and in combination. Results: The present study found that Candida albicans and non-albicans species were equally prevalent. Carvacrol showed significant biological activity against all Candida species, with an average MTT of 50.01%. The average MIC value of carvacrol was 24.96 µg/ml, indicating its potential to inhibit Candida growth. The mean Minimum Fungicidal Concentration (MFC) value of carvacrol was 23.48 µg/ml, suggesting its effectiveness in killing the fungi. Conclusion: The study's findings reveal that the MIC of carvacrol was significantly lower than that of nystatin and the combination of nystatin and carvacrol. This suggests that carvacrol holds potential as an effective herbal remedy for candidiasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is essential to constantly review the risk factors and treatment outcomes of tuberculosis (TB). This study evaluated some important risk factors of TB over five years. Methods: Between 2013 and 2018, all available information and possible risk factors related to TB patients were analyzed from the TB registry program of the health district of Gorgan, Iran. Results: Among 349 TB patients, 194 (55.59%) were males and 167 (47.85%) had at least a comorbidity. The death rate was higher in the age group more than 65 years (p < 0.001), the low-educated group (P = 0.012), and patients with underlying diseases, especially diabetes (p < 0.001). In total, univariate and multivariate statistical analyzes showed that having comorbidity (OR = 4.34; 95% CI 1.49 - 13.49), as well as, being jobless (OR = 3.07; 95% CI 1.19 - 8.59) were the main factors influencing the adverse events. Conclusion: According to the study, aging, underlying diseases, and cultural poverty include a higher share of the main risk factors for active TB and/or treatment outcomes. By considering these risk factors and training the medical staff continually, we can reduce the time of TB diagnosis, and prevent it from spreading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To derive and validate an effective machine learning and radiomics‐based model to differentiate COVID‐19 pneumonia from other lung diseases using a large multi‐centric dataset. In this retrospective study, we collected 19 private and five public datasets of chest CT images, accumulating to 26 307 images (15 148 COVID‐19; 9657 other lung diseases including non‐COVID‐19 pneumonia, lung cancer, pulmonary embolism; 1502 normal cases). We tested 96 machine learning‐based models by cross‐combining four feature selectors (FSs) and eight dimensionality reduction techniques with eight classifiers. We trained and evaluated our models using three different strategies: #1, the whole dataset (15 148 COVID‐19 and 11 159 other); #2, a new dataset after excluding healthy individuals and COVID‐19 patients who did not have RT‐PCR results (12 419 COVID‐19 and 8278 other); and #3 only non‐COVID‐19 pneumonia patients and a random sample of COVID‐19 patients (3000 COVID‐19 and 2582 others) to provide balanced classes. The best models were chosen by one‐standard‐deviation rule in 10‐fold cross‐validation and evaluated on the hold out test sets for reporting. In strategy#1, Relief FS combined with random forest (RF) classifier resulted in the highest performance (accuracy = 0.96, AUC = 0.99, sensitivity = 0.98, specificity = 0.94, PPV = 0.96, and NPV = 0.96). In strategy#2, Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE) FS and RF classifier combination resulted in the highest performance (accuracy = 0.97, AUC = 0.99, sensitivity = 0.98, specificity = 0.95, PPV = 0.96, NPV = 0.98). Finally, in strategy #3, the ANOVA FS and RF classifier combination resulted in the highest performance (accuracy = 0.94, AUC =0.98, sensitivity = 0.96, specificity = 0.93, PPV = 0.93, NPV = 0.96). Lung radiomic features combined with machine learning algorithms can enable the effective diagnosis of COVID‐19 pneumonia in CT images without the use of additional tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Previous studies suggest a link between high-sensitive cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) levels and coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the nature of this relationship is disputed. To address this, we conducted a study to gather and assess evidence on the association between hs-cTn and CAD prediction. Data sources: Studies were systematically searched and collected from four databases and different types of gray literature to cover all available evidence. After the screening, the selected articles' quality and risk of bias assessment were evaluated. Synthesis method: Meta-analysis calculated std. mean difference on the extracted data. Furthermore, heterogeneity, sensitivity, subgroups, and publication bias analyses were assessed. Results: Twenty-two studies were included in this systematic review, with a total of 844 cases and 2101 control people. The results of the meta-analysis on nine studies showed a significant and positive association between hs-cTn levels and CAD (pooled std. mean difference = 0.44; 95% confidence interval = 0.14–0.73; p < 0.003), with no publication bias (p = 0.9170). Among subgroups, std. mean differences were notably different only when the data were stratified by region or risk of bias; however, subgroup analysis could not determine the source of heterogeneity. Conclusions: Available prospective studies indicate a strong association of hs-cTn with the risk of CAD and significant improvements in CAD prediction. Further investigations in both molecular and clinical fields with proper methodology and more detailed information are needed to discover more evidence and underlying mechanisms to clear the interactive aspects of hs-cTn level in CAD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paranormal believers' thinking is frequently biased by intuitive beliefs. Lack of inhibition of these tempting beliefs is considered a key element in paranormal believers' thinking. However, the brain activity related to inhibitory control in paranormal believers is poorly understood. We examined EEG activities at resting state in alpha, beta, and gamma bands with inhibitory control in paranormal believers and skeptics. The present study shows that paranormal belief is related to the reduced power of the alpha, beta, and gamma frequency bands, and reduced inhibitory control. This study may contribute to understanding the differences between believers and skeptics in brain activity related to inhibitory control in paranormal believers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cognitive control plays a role in human behavior and mental processes and affects paranormal beliefs. This study aims to investigate the role of cognitive control in paranormal beliefs using the go/no-go task. Methods: A total of 92 people were selected based on low, middle, and high scores in the revised paranormal belief scale (R-PBS) and assigned to 3 groups. The groups included 30 severe paranormal believers (13 females with a mean age of 25.3 years), 31 mild paranormal believers (14 females with a mean age of 26.4 years), and 31 skeptics (16 females with a mean age of 25.8 years). All participants were tested on the go/no-go task. A multivariate analysis of variance was conducted with the given groups (severe paranormal believers, mild paranormal believers, and skeptics) as the independent variable and the go/no-go subscales scores as dependent variables. Results: The findings showed a significant difference between the mean scores in errors of go (F(2, 89)=7.20, P=0.01), errors of no-go (F(2, 89)=11.81, P=0.01), and reaction time (F(2, 89)=21.46, P=0.01) between the groups. Conclusion: The severe and mild paranormal believers had lower accuracy and slower reaction times than the skeptics group. Therefore, severe paranormal believers and mild paranormal believers had a weakness in all go/no-go subscale scores. This finding suggests that paranormal beliefs may be related to poor cognitive control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paranormal believers' thinking is frequently biased by intuitive beliefs. Lack of inhibition of these tempting beliefs is considered a key element in paranormal believers' thinking. However, the brain activity related to inhibitory control in paranormal believers is poorly understood. We examined EEG activities at resting state in alpha, beta, and gamma bands with inhibitory control in paranormal believers and skeptics. The present study shows that paranormal belief is related to the reduced power of the alpha, beta, and gamma frequency bands, and reduced inhibitory control. This study may contribute to understanding the differences between believers and skeptics in brain activity related to inhibitory control in paranormal believers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Previous studies suggest a link between high-sensitive cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) levels and coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the nature of this relationship is disputed. To address this, we conducted a study to gather and assess evidence on the association between hs-cTn and CAD prediction. Data sources: Studies were systematically searched and collected from four databases and different types of gray literature to cover all available evidence. After the screening, the selected articles' quality and risk of bias assessment were evaluated. Synthesis method: Meta-analysis calculated std. mean difference on the extracted data. Furthermore, heterogeneity, sensitivity, subgroups, and publication bias analyses were assessed. Results: Twenty-two studies were included in this systematic review, with a total of 844 cases and 2101 control people. The results of the meta-analysis on nine studies showed a significant and positive association between hs-cTn levels and CAD (pooled std. mean difference =0.44; 95% confidence interval =0.14--0.73; p < 0.003), with no publication bias (p=0.9170). Among subgroups, std. mean differences were notably different only when the data were stratified by region or risk of bias; however, subgroup analysis could not determine the source of heterogeneity. Conclusions: Available prospective studies indicate a strong association of hs-cTn with the risk of CAD and significant improvements in CAD prediction. Further investigations in both molecular and clinical fields with proper methodology and more detailed information are needed to discover more evidence and underlying mechanisms to clear the interactive aspects of hs-cTn level in CAD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the most common endocrine diseases that weakens the immune system. Candida albicans, is part of the natural oral flora and increases in cases of compromised immune systems. The exact cause of the increased prevalence of candidiasis in patients with T2DM is still unclear. The study aimed to correlate serum interleukin 10 (IL-10) and interferon-gamma cytokines (IFN-γ) with oral candidiasis in T2DM. Methods: In this case–control study, 81 patients with T2DM and 41 non-diabetic individuals aged 30 to 70 years participated. Demographic information, a Blood sample (for blood glucose and cytokine tests), and an oral cotton swab sample from each individual were obtained. The samples were then incubated in a Sabroud dextrose agar medium. Colony growth was calculated and the type of yeast species in individuals with oral candidiasis was identified by culture in CHROMagar Candida medium. IL-10 and IFN-γ were measured by ELISA kit and the data were analyzed using SPSS-18. Results: An overall of 122 participants comprised 73.77% females and 26.22% males. An increase in interleukin-10 by 40% and a decrease in IFN-γ by 6% can increase oral candidiasis prevalence among diabetic patients. Candida albicans was the most prevalent Candida species (spp.) in the diabetic and non-diabetic groups. The presence of oral candidiasis was not associated with HbA1c or FBS levels in both groups. Conclusion: In the diabetic population, an increase in IL-10 or a decrease in IFN-γ may be associated with an increased risk of oral candidiasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent types of cancer in Iranian women and the second cause of death in women worldwide. Gene mutations are the key determinants of the disease; therefore, the genetic study of this disease is of paramount importance. One of the genetic evaluation methods of this disease is microarray technology, which allows the examination of the simultaneous expression of thousands of genes. Clustering is the method for analyzing high-dimension data, which we used in the present research for collecting similar genes in separated clusters. Method: A descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was carried out to evaluate unsupervised learning models of gene expression analysis and five bi-clustering methods (including PLAID (PL), Fabia, Bimax, Cheng & Church (CC), and Xmotif) were compared. For this purpose, we obtained the microarray gene expression data for lapatinib-resistant breast cancer cell lines from previously published research. The enrichment efficacy of the clusters was evaluated with gene ontology, and the results of these five models were compared with the Jaccard index, variance stability, least-square error, and goodness of fit indices. Furthermore, the results of the best model were assessed for building a genes sets network with Bayesian networks. Results: After preprocessing, clustering was performed on the data with the dimension (4710 x 18) of the genes. Four models, except for CC, successfully found bi-clusters in the data set. The data evaluation revealed that the results of the models were almost the same, but the PL model performed better than the others, finding 11 bi-clusters; this model was used to build the network of gene sets. Conclusion: According to the results, the PL method was suitable for clustering the data. Accordingly, it could be recommended for data analysis. In addition, the gene sets network formed on gene expression data was incompetent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Providing lonely older adults with informal home care services is important to improving their health and quality of life. The study aims to evaluate the feasibility of design, implementation and evaluation of an informal home care support intervention program (HoSIP) for community-dwelling lonely older adults in Gorgan, Iran. Method/design: This feasibility study is a mixed-method with a concurrent nested design. Lonely older adults will be enrolled as the HoSIP intervention group and will receive 12-weeks of informal home care service by peer supporters. The purpose of this feasibility study is to determine the recruitment capability and resulting sample characteristics, data collection procedure and outcome measures, the acceptability and suitability of the intervention and study procedures, the resource and ability to manage the study and intervention, and preliminary evaluation of participant response to intervention. Primary outcomes including participant feelings of loneliness, quality of life, general health, social network, social support, and self-care ability, will be assessed at baseline and post-intervention for the intervention and control groups. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted immediately after the intervention using content qualitative approach to describe participants' experiences with HoSIP. Discussion: Through this study we will examine the feasibility of delivering informal home care services to community-dwelling lonely older adults in a developing country through employing a concurrent nested mixed-method design. Trial registration: IRCT20190503043455N [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Celiac disease (CD) is a genetically determined autoimmune disease triggered by gluten consumption. Patients with these conditions have intraepithelial lymphocytosis, crypt hyperplasia, and severe intestinal atrophy. Gluten elimination is the only way to reduce this chronic inflammation. The diagnosis of CD is usually made by analyzing anti-tTG, anti-DGP, or EMA serological tests, and it is confirmed by biopsy of the duodenum. In people with CD, xerostomia or dry mouth is a common complication. This condition causes the salivary glands to malfunction and, in turn, may result in oral plaque and periodontal disease. By comparing salivary and serum levels of tissue transglutaminase IgA (tTG-IgA), this study aims to suggest a non-invasive method for diagnosis of CD. Furthermore, the present study evaluates the severity of xerostomia symptoms in people with CD.Methods: In this case-control study, participants were patients referred to the internal ward of Sayyad Shirazi hospital. The control group was selected from healthy people who attended Gorgan Dental College. In this study, an analysis of serum was performed following consent from patients. This was followed by a salivary test, and the results of both tests were compared. The Xerostomia Inventory questionnaire was also used to determine the severity of xerostomia. As part of this study, examination of factors such as total protein concentration of saliva, albumin concentration, amylase level, pH, sodium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and interleukin (6, 18, and 21) were conducted.Results: A total of 78 people were studied (aged 15 to 68), 26 were male (33.3%) and 52 were female (66.7%). In comparisons of the serum and saliva of people with and without CD, the level of amylase was higher in the latter group. The average levels of IL-6، IL-18 ،IL-21, and salivary and serum tTG were higher in people with CD. Additionally, CD patients were more likely to develop xerostomia.Conclusion: Study findings showed that CD can reduce certain salivary enzymes and elements, as well as increase inflammatory cytokines, salivary, and serum tTG. The management of dry mouth should also be recommended for celiac disease patients in order to prevent its complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Paranormal beliefs are defined as believing in extrasensory perception, precognition, witchcraft, and telekinesis, magical thinking, psychokinesis, superstitions. Previous studies corroborate that executive brain functions underpin paranormal beliefs. To test causal hypotheses, neurophysiological studies of brain activity are required. Method: A sample of 20 students (10 females, age: 22.50 ± 4.07 years) were included for the current study. The absolute power of resting-state EEG in intrahemispheric and interhemispheric coherence was analyzed with eyes opened. The paranormal beliefs were determined based on the total score of the Revised Paranormal Belief Scale (RPBS). Result: The results of this study demonstrated that there was a significant negative relationship between paranormal beliefs and EEG resting state in alpha band activity in the frontal lobe (left hemisphere), EEG coherence of alpha and beta1, beta2, and gamma band activities in the frontal lobe (right hemisphere) and coherence of alpha and beta1, beta2 and gamma band activities between frontal regions (two hemispheres). In addition, the results showed that coherence of alpha, alpha1, beta, and beta2 band activities between frontal lobe (right hemispheres) and EEG coherence of delta, alpha1, and band activities in the frontal lobe (two hemispheres) predicted paranormal beliefs. Conclusion: This study confirms connecting executive brain functions to paranormal beliefs, and determines that frontal brain functioning may contribute to paranormal beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Modifying gut dysbiosis has achieved great success in managing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and also T2DM affected the gut microbial composition. Objectives: To determine the research trend of scientific publications on the relationship between gut microbiota and T2DM through a bibliometric and descriptive approach. Method: We included originals and reviews related to both topics of gut microbiota and T2DM through searching in Scopus up to 31 December 2019 and then characterized their bibliometric profiles including the number of publications, citations, institutions, journals, countries, and the collaboration network of authors, countries, terms and keywords. Moreover, we performed a descriptive evaluation of the clinical trials based on their intervention type and its influence on gut dysbiosis. Results: We achieved 877 articles (436 originals and 441 reviews) according to our inclusion criteria. The annual publications were constantly increased over time and reached 220 publications in 2019. Out of 436 original articles, 231 animal studies and 174 human studies were found. The majority of human studies were clinical trials (n = 77) investigating the influence of drugs (n = 21), regimens (n = 21), pre/pro/symbiotic (n = 19), surgeries (n = 15), or both drug and regimen (n = 1) on gut dysbiosis. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and metformin were assessed the most in these trials. Obesity side by side T2DM has been assessed in this area of literature based on term and keyword analyses showing their possible similar pathways mediated by gut microbiota. Conclusion: The exponentially growing documents on gut microbiota and T2DM had been published during the last decade and revealed gut microbiota alteration mediated antidiabetic effect of many interventions. Thus, we suggest other researchers to consider this pathway in efficacy assessment of therapeutic modalities and to find the optimal composition of gut microbiota that guarantees healthy insulin sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Considering the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), we aimed to report the clinical features of 427 patients with COVID-19 and the outcomes after one-month admission to major teaching hospitals in the northeast of Iran. Materials and Methods: Data of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 from 20 February 2020 to 20 April 2020 was analyzed using the R software. The cases and their outcomes were monitored up to one month following their admission. Results: Among 427 patients with a median age of 53 years (50.8% male), 81 (19%) were directly admitted to the ICU ward, and 68 (16%) died during the study. The mean (SD) lengths of hospital stay were significantly higher in the non-survivors (6 (9) days) than survivors (4 (5) days) (P = 0.018). Ventilation need was reported in 67.6% of the non-survivors and 0.8% of the survivors (P < 0.001). Cough (72.8%), fever (69.3%), and dyspnea (64.0%) were the most common symptoms. There were more comorbidities in the severe cases (73.5%) and non-survivor (77.5%). Liver and kidney damage were significantly more common in non-survivors. Ninety percent of the patients had at least one abnormal chest CT scan finding, including crazy paving and consolidation patterns (27.1%), followed by the ground-glass opacity (24.7%). Conclusion: Results showed that the patients’ age, underlying comorbidities, levels of SpO2, and laboratory findings at the time of admission may predict the progress of the disease and can be considered mortality-related factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lymphadenitis is the most common complication following BCG vaccination observed in 0.1% to1% of children. Objectives: The presence of immunodeficiency can increase the probability of lymphadenitis or contribute to its exacerbation, so the early detection of immunodeficiency in those developing lymphadenitis can help prevent its many catastrophic complications. Methods: This study was performed on patients referred to Taleghani Hospital of Gorgan city in 1396. Forty children with lymphadenitis and 40 healthy children entered the study. Serum samples were taken to measure white blood cell counts and the antibodies, including IgE, IgG, IgM, and IgA. Purified protein derivative (PPD) test was done in both groups. Results: In this study, there were 40 patients with lymphadenitis, of whom 24 were boys (60%), and 16 were girls (40%), and in the control group were 22 boys (55%) and 18 girls (45%). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Lymphadenitis was ipsilateral to the vaccine injection site in all 40 cases, and it was in the anterior axillary region in 82%. Abscess at the lymphadenitis site occurred in 25% of cases. The mean size of induration following PPD in the lymphadenitis group was larger than the control group (5.86 mm and 3.04 mm, respectively) (P = 0.004). There were five patients (12.5%) under one year of age with lymphopenia (lymphocyte count 3,000 >), but no lymphopenia was observed in the control group. The mean average IgA and IgM levels were different between the case and control groups (P = 0.001), (P = 0.016), respectively. There was no statistical difference in IgG and IgE levels between both groups (P = 0.92 and P = 0.762, respectively). Conclusions: This study shows that the size of indurations following PPD injection is higher in those with post-vaccination lymphadenitis. Although the probability of a primary immunodeficiency disorder in the cases of our study was low considering the normal immunoglobulin levels and CBC report, further studies with a larger sample size and more specific investigations, such as flow cytometry and specific antibody response, are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) genotyping provides valuable information related to the origin and the evolution of the isolates. This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) technique for lineages identification of M. tuberculosis and compare it with mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units–variable number of tandem repeats (MIRU–VNTR) method. The lineages of 162 clinically isolates were evaluated using six pair primers by Multiplex-PCR based on SNPs. Among 162 isolates, 70 (43.2%) isolates were lineage 4, following that 62 (38.3%) and 22 (13.6%) isolates were lineage 3 and 2, respectively. The method could not type 8 (4.9%) isolates. Moreover, we could identify 71 out of 79 unknown isolates resulted from the MIRU–VNTR method. The results showed that the SNP typing method has the potential to determine the lineages of M. tuberculosis as a rapid laboratory screening test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The incidence of colorectal cancer is increasing in the northeast of Iran. Colorectal polyps are among the proposed risk factors noted, especially in the elder population. This study was designed to study the diagnosed cases of intestinal polyps detected from 2011 to 2016 in the northeast of Iran. METHODS The population consisted of symptomatic candidates referred to the colonoscopy center in Gorgan city. Based on the available colonoscopy and pathology reports, 1706 cases were enrolled after the exclusion of cases without sufficient data. RESULTS Among 1709 (55.5% males and 44.5% females) cases, 1405 cases with 1912 polyps were detected. Among them, 345 (25%) aged less than 50 years. Tubular adenoma (N = 826, 43.2%) and hyperplastic polyps (N = 519, 27.1%) were the top two histological findings. Out of 1405 patients with polyps, 660 (39.6%) polyps were detected in proximal colon (15.6% in proximal and 24% in both proximal and distal). Malignancies were detected in 13.2% (0.8% malignant polyps and 12.4% malignant masses). CONCLUSION A considerable number of colorectal adenomas in proximal colon and in patients younger than 50 years old, suggesting to schedule colorectal cancer screening from at least 10 years younger and continuing colonoscopy up to the proximal area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Some Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) can occasionally infect the human population and cause infections having symptoms similar to tuberculosis (TB). This study tried to provide updated data about the frequency and diversity of NTM species. Materials and Methods: Suspicious samples of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) with both positive results in Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining and Löwenstein-Jensen medium culturing were evaluated during January 2016 and December 2018 in Gorgan, Iran. After determination of MTB isolates by the growth rate, pigmentation status, the niacin test, and the insertion sequence 6110 (IS6110) PCR assay, other unknown isolates (presumably NTM) were detected by the 16S rDNA sequencing method and drawing the phylogenetic tree. Based on the patients’ demographic information, their risk factors were also assessed. Results: Among 226 culture-positive samples, obtained from 2994 individuals with suspected symptoms of TB, the analyses found 12 (5.3%) NTM and three Mycobacterium caprae isolates. Mycobacterium simiae (6/12) was the most prevalent NTM species. The average nucleotide similarity value was 98.2% ± 3.7. In comparison to patients with MTB (211 confirmed cases), other mycobacterium infections were more common in patients over 65 years old (Odd ratio (95% convenience interval): 2.96 (0.69 - 12.59), P = 0.14). Conclusion: Although the NTM species has a small portion in TB suspected patients, their prevalence has increased, mainly in elderly patients. Moreover, M. simiae was the most prevalent NTM species in our region. Therefore, identification of common species in each region is recommended and clinicians should pay more attention to them in each region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Tuberculosis (TB) is a dangerous and fatal infection. Phospholipid genes can be involved in the pathogenesis of this disease. The aims of this study were evaluation of the plcD gene prevalence and polymorphisms in some clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the position of IS6110 element in this gene. Methods: This study was conducted on 250 clinical M. tuberculosis isolates. The frequency and polymorphism of the plcD gene were detected by PCR-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP). As well as, the ability and place of the IS6110 element to insert into the plcD gene were evaluated. Results: The plcD gene was present in 88 (35.2%) isolates. Among them, 73 cases (82.95%) had a normal PCR product without the IS6110 element, and the size of PCR products of plcD was 2837 bp in other positive cases, which indicated the presence of the IS6110 element. Surprisingly, the plcD gene was absent in all Beijing isolates. Conclusions: Based on the data, the plcD gene is one of the normal sites for the insertion of the IS6110 element. In addition, these findings indicated that the role of plcD in the pathogenesis of TB may be covered by other plc genes, as this gene was deleted in all Beijing isolates studied in this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a major threat to all humans. Objectives: To assess the association between the patients' clinical and laboratory records, CT findings, and epidemiological features of COVID-19 with the severity of the disease. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective case-control study conducted on the medical records of confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia patients on admission, we investigated the CT manifestations and clinical and laboratory risk factors for progression to severe COVID-19 pneumonia. The medical records and radiological CT features of confirmed COVID-19 patients were reviewed in one public hospital and one respiratory clinic in Qom, Iran, from August 1 to September 30,2020. Results: Of 236 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 62 were infected with moderate to severe COVID-19 and required hospital admission, and 174 were followed-up on an outpatient basis. A significant difference was found in the mean age of the outpatient and hospitalized groups. The incidence of bilateral lung involvement, consolidations, linear opacities, crazy-paving pattern, air bronchogram, and number of lobes involved were significantly higher in the hospitalized group compared to the outpatient group. However, the crazy-paving pattern was only significantly associated with an oxygen saturation (SpO2) level < 90% and, coughing. Our findings indicated that the crazy-paving pattern was significantly associated with the inflammatory phase. The presence of this pattern on admission, SpO2 < 90%, older age, and diabetes were independent risk factors for progression to severe COVID-19. Conclusion: The crazy-paving pattern can predict the severity of COVID-19, which is of great importance in the management and follow-up of COVID-19 pneumonia patients. Clinical factors, such as aging, male gender, and diabetes, may be risk factors for the crazy-paving pattern. Severe cough is the most important clinical sign related to this pattern, along with an SpO2 < 90%, which is an important sign of COVID-19 severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Based on some previous observational studies, there is a theory that suggests a potential relationship between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) colonization and celiac disease (CeD); however, the type of this relationship is still controversial. Therefore, we aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore all related primary studies to find any possible association between CeD and human H. pylori colonization. Data sources: Studies were systematically searched and collected from four databases and different types of gray literature to cover all available evidence. After screening, the quality and risk of bias assessment of the selected articles were evaluated. Synthesis methods: Meta-analysis calculated pooled odds ratio (OR) on the extracted data. Furthermore, heterogeneity, sensitivity, subgroups, and publication bias analyses were assessed. Results: Twenty-six studies were included in this systematic review, with a total of 6001 cases and 135512 control people. The results of meta-analysis on 26 studies showed a significant and negative association between H. pylori colonization and CeD (pooled OR = 0.56; 95% CI = 0.45–0.70; P < 0.001), with no publication bias (P = 0.825). The L'Abbé plots also showed a trend of having more H. pylori colonization in the control group. Among subgroups, ORs were notably different only when the data were stratified by continents or risk of bias; however, subgroup analysis could not determine the source of heterogeneity. Conclusions: According to the meta-analysis, this negative association might imply a mild protective role of H. pylori against celiac disease. Although this negative association is not strong, it is statistically significant and should be further considered. Further investigations in both molecular and clinic fields with proper methodology and more detailed information are needed to discover more evidence and underlying mechanisms to clear the interactive aspects of H. pylori colonization in CeD patients. Systematic review registration number (PROSPERO): CRD42020167730 https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=167730. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Elderly population is rising due to advancement of health care, medical services, and increasing life expectancy. World Health Organization (WHO) has initiated a global project to define "age-friendly city for improving the elderly's quality of life". Objectives: The purpose of the study was to determine the age-friendly cities characteristics from the elderly's point of view in Gorgan, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2019 on elderly people who referred to the health centers of Gorgan, Iran. 160 eligible elderly people were recruited through multi-stage random sampling. The viewpoint of participants about the characteristics of Gorgan in the four age-friendly city indicators; urban and outdoor buildings, transport and transportation systems, information and communication services, and social support and health services was compared with the standard of WHO. Data were collected using the age-friendly city questionnaire and analyzed in SPSS-18 using Chi-square and one-sample t-tests. Results: From the elderly viewpoint, the mean score of 4 indicators; urban buildings and outdoor (58.50 ± 31.2), Transport and transportation system (43.3 ± 82.00), access to Information communication services (46.75 ± 15.1) and the level of access to social support and health services (81.43 ± 21.10). Considering age-friendly city indicators, the characteristics of Gorgan City were significantly lower than the WHO recommended standard (P < 0.001). The "Information and Communication" and "buildings and outdoor space" indicators had the highest and lowest differences from the standard, respectively. Conclusion: According to the present results it is recommended that managers and policymakers of urban planning and healthcare providers in their programs consider the elderly viewpoint to improve the urban characteristics as an age-friendly city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the repeatability of radiomic features in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of glioblastoma (GBM) tumors with respect to test–retest, different image registration approaches and inhomogeneity bias field correction. Methods: We analyzed MR images of 17 GBM patients including T1‐ and T2‐weighted images (performed within the same imaging unit on two consecutive days). For image segmentation, we used a comprehensive segmentation approach including entire tumor, active area of tumor, necrotic regions in T1‐weighted images, and edema regions in T2‐weighted images (test studies only; registration to retest studies is discussed next). Analysis included N3, N4 as well as no bias correction performed on raw MR images. We evaluated 20 image registration approaches, generated by cross‐combination of four transformation and five cost function methods. In total, 714 images (17 patients × 2 images × ((4 transformations × 5 cost functions) + 1 test image) and 2856 segmentations (714 images × 4 segmentations) were prepared for feature extraction. Various radiomic features were extracted, including the use of preprocessing filters, specifically wavelet (WAV) and Laplacian of Gaussian (LOG), as well as discretization into fixed bin width and fixed bin count (16, 32, 64, 128, and 256), Exponential, Gradient, Logarithm, Square and Square Root scales. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated to assess the repeatability of MRI radiomic features (high repeatability defined as ICC ≥ 95%). Results: In our ICC results, we observed high repeatability (ICC ≥ 95%) with respect to image preprocessing, different image registration algorithms, and test–retest analysis, for example: RLNU and GLNU from GLRLM, GLNU and DNU from GLDM, Coarseness and Busyness from NGTDM, GLNU and ZP from GLSZM, and Energy and RMS from first order. Highest fraction (percent) of repeatable features was observed, among registration techniques, for the method Full Affine transformation with 12 degrees of freedom using Mutual Information cost function (mean 32.4%), and among image processing methods, for the method Laplacian of Gaussian (LOG) with Sigma (2.5–4.5 mm) (mean 78.9%). The trends were relatively consistent for N4, N3, or no bias correction. Conclusion: Our results showed varying performances in repeatability of MR radiomic features for GBM tumors due to test–retest and image registration. The findings have implications for appropriate usage in diagnostic and predictive models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: There is growing evidence that exercise modalities have considerable effects on Parkinson's disease (PD). This trial aimed to provide a more detailed viewpoint of short-term and long-term treadmill training (TT) effects on some motor and non-motor features of PD. Methods: In this prospective, randomized, single-blind clinical trial, 20 mild to moderate PD patients, admitted in Rasoul-e-Akram hospital in Tehran, Iran, were randomly allocated in case (11) and control (9) groups. Treadmill intervention was performed at moderate intensity with 60% of heart rate reserved (HRR) in two 30-min sessions/week for a duration of 10 weeks. Both the groups were evaluated for three times; at the baseline, 2 months later and then 2 months after the second evaluation. We assigned the Timed Up and Go test (TUG), 6-min walk test (6MW), and the SF-8 healthy questionnaire, for assessment of balance, functional capacity, and Quality of life (QoL), respectively. Results: Balance and functional capacity were significantly improved in the case group after the intervention (TUG p-value: 0.003, 6MW p-value: 0.003). Moreover, the long-term analysis revealed significant results as well (TUG p-value: 0.001, 6MW p-value: 0.004). Mental condition's scores of SF-8 in cases were not statistically different in short-term follow-up (F/U). However, analysis illustrated p-value: 0.016 for long-term assessment. The intervention induced significant changes in physical condition's scores in both of the F/Us (PC p-value: 0.013). Conclusions: This study provides evidence that a TT of mild to moderate intensity has significant and persistent benefits for the balance, functional capacity, and QoL in PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Correction to: I Scientific Reports i https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-30457-7, published online 24 February 2023 The original version of this Article contained errors in Table 1. In column "t, SP 2 sp " the superscript symbols, indicating whether the Independent sample t-test or the Chi-square test was used, were incorrect. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: Brain lateralization is associated with human behavior. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the effects of brain lateralization on the scores of paranormal beliefs. Methods: The study population included 180 students of Sanandaj universities, Sanandaj City, Iran who were selected with convenience sampling method (100 left-brained males, 6 left-brained females, 56 both left- and right-brained males and 22 both left- and right-brained females). The research tools were the paranormal belief scale developed by Blackmore (1994), as well as the brain lateralization questionnaire (1985). Results: The obtained findings suggested a significant difference between the left-brain and right-brained people in terms of paranormal beliefs. A significant difference was also found between the left-brained males and both left- and right-brained females in terms of paranormal beliefs. Conclusion: The paranormal beliefs of the left-brained cases were different from both left- and right-brained subjects, which can be seen between the left-brained males and both left- and right-brained females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To determine whether it is possible to predict intravenous thrombolytic therapy (IVT) outcome after 3 months in acute ischemic stroke patients who are candidate to receive recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA), before rt-PA administration based on their risk factors and some available laboratory results. Methods: We enrolled 118 ischemic stroke patients who were treated with standard dose of Alteplase in our hospital. Baseline characteristics, door-to-needle time (DTN), onset-totreatment time (OTT), the National Institute Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), systolic and diastolic blood pressure on admission, history of diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, coronary artery disease (CAD), previous ischemic stroke, atrial fibrillation (AF), laboratory results were retrospectively collected. The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was recorded after 3 months of admission and patients were divided into good (mRS? 2) and poor (mRS>2) outcome groups. Chi-square test and t-test were used for categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Predictors for outcome after 3 months were studied by multivariable logistic regression. Results: Good outcome was seen in 60 (51%) patients and poor outcome was seen in 58 (49%) patients. Significant predictors for outcome at 3 months according to multivariable regression analysis were NIHSS score (odds ratio [OR], 0.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.498-0.750; p<0.001), SBP (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.925-0.991; P=0.01), AF (OR, 0.09; 95% CI, 0.013- 0.708; P=0.02), CAD (OR, 17.08; 95% CI, 0.013-0.708; p=0.003). Conclusion: Higher NIHSS score, higher SBP on admission, AF and history of CAD could be the independent predictors of outcome after IVT in acute ischemic stroke patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Many studies show that words learned early in life are read more easily than the ones learned later and are less vulnerable to brain damage. Methods: the first part of the current study, 25 primary school students in the 5th grade read the word groups learned initially during a previous grade. The words used in the experiments were 327 Farsi monosyllable words matched on the other factors involved in Farsi word naming. Results: The analysis of covariance (the consistency and frequency as covariates) showed that words learned in earlier grades were read more easily than the ones learned later, showing the known effect of the Age of Acquisition (AoA). In the second part of the study, it was tried to simulate AoA in word naming by a neural network model developed earlier based on connectionist approach. While previous studies used random patterns, in the current study words from primary school books were used. Likewise, words learned early by the model were read better than words learned later. However, there was a failure in replicating previous simulation of AoA in English reading by an algorithm called Quick prop for Farsi. In addition, the model was lesioned by removing some hidden units to see its effect on word reading. As a result, words learned earlier were less vulnerable to damage compared with the ones learned later. Conclusion: The findings showed that words learned earlier, compared to those learned later, were read better and were less vulnerable to damage. These effects are explained by considering the nature of learning in neural networks trained by error back-propagation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The current study aimed to elucidate the role of preparatory cognitive control in decision making and its neural correlates using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). To this effect, by employing a series of new cognitive tasks, we assessed the role of preparatory cognitive control in monetary (risky) decision making. Methods: The participants had to decide between a risky and a safe gamble based on their chance of winning (high or low). In the 2-phase gambling task (similar to Cambridge gambling task), the chance and the gamble were presented at the same time (i.e. in a single phase), but in a new 3-phase gambling task, the chance is presented before the gamble. The tasks ended with a feedback phase. Results: In the 3-phase task, holding the chance in memory to guide their decision enabled the participants to have more control on their risk taking behaviors as shown by activation in a network of brain areas involved in the control and conflict, including dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex (dACC), indexed by faster reaction times and better performance in the gambling task, and the temporal lobe, which has a role in holding contextual information. Discussion: Holding information in memory to guide decision presumably enables the participants to have more control on their risk taking behaviors. The conflict and uncertainty resulting from this risky decision was indexed by the activation of dACC, known to be activated in conflict and cognitive control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat transfer enhancement during melting in a 2-D cylindrical annulus through dispersion of nanoparticle is investigated numerically. Paraffin-based nanofluid containing various volume fractions of Cu is applied. The governing equations are solved on a non-uniform O type mesh using a pressure-based finite volume method with an enthalpy porosity technique to trace the solid and liquid interface. The effects of nanoparticle dispersion into pure fluid as well as the influences of some significant parameters, namely, nanoparticle volume fraction and natural convection on the fluid flow and heat transfer features are studied. The results are presented in terms of streamlines, isotherms, temperatures and velocity profiles and dimensionless heat flux. It is found that the suspended nanoparticles give rise to the higher thermal conductivity as compared to the pure fluid and consequently the heat transfer is enhanced. In addition, the heat transfer rate and the melting time increases and decreases, respectively, as the volume fraction of nanoparticle increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]