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The issue of implementing nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) on mechanical systems evolving on special orthogonal group (SO(3)) is taken into consideration in the first place. Necessary conditions of optimality are extracted based on Lie group variational integrators, leading to a two-point boundary value problem (TPBVP) which is solved using sensitivity derivatives and indirect shooting methods. Fast Newton-like methods referred to as fast solvers which are commonly used to solve the TPBVP are established based on the repetition of a nonlinear process. The numerical schemes employed to alleviate the computation burden consist of eliminating some constraint-related but non-essential terms in the trend of sensitivity derivatives calculation and for solving the TPBVP equations. As another claim, assuming that a first attempt to resolve the NMPC problem is accessible, the problem subjected to some changes in its initial conditions (due to some re-planning schemes) can be resolved cost-effectively based on it. Instead of solving the whole optimization process from the scratch, the optimal control inputs and states of the system are updated based on the neighboring extremal (NE) method. For this purpose, two approaches are considered: applying NE method on the first solution that leads to a neighboring optimal solution, or assisting this latter by updating the NMPC-related optimization using exact TPBVP equations at some predefined intermediate steps. It is shown through an example that the first method is not accurate enough due to error accumulations. In contrast, the second method preserves the accuracy while reducing the computation time significantly.

Background: Medical assistants spend numerous hours of their day in the work environment, which may influence their performance. Empathy with the patients has a significant impact on the treatment process. This study was conducted among residents of different medical disciplines to determine self-efficacy in inter professional collaboration and empathy in dealing with the patients. Methods: This was a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study on all medical residents at Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences. Data was collected via the following questionnaires: demographic (including age, gender, marital status, year of study, and specialty), Jefferson’s scale of empathy, self-efficacy, and Hagemeier’s interring professional collaboration. Results: Of the 162 questionnaires distributed, 135 were received (response rate = 83.33%). The mean age and work experience were 31.42 ± 4.56 and 2.70 ± 4.18 years, respectively. Self-efficacy scores in inter professional cooperation and teamwork was at a good level and empathy scores were at a moderate level. There was a significant relationship between marital status and self-efficacy (p = 0.03). Empathy was related to medical residents’ level of interest in their field (p = 0.019). There was no gender difference in empathy (p = 0.77) and self-efficacy scores (p = 0.36). However, males had higher inter professional communication scores compared to females (p = 0.001). Psychiatric residents had the highest and orthopedic residents had the lowest scores in empathy with the patients, empathic patient care, and emotional separation. Conclusion: This study showed that medical residents had an acceptable level of self-efficacy and empathy, which differed among medical fields. Similar studies should be conducted to therefore assemble an educational program for medical residents to increase empathic patient care and achieve inter professional cooperation goals.

Background Vaginal birth management is vital to midwifery education and practice in which midwives are most likely to be directly involved. This situation requires strong cognitive, technical, communicational, and teamwork skills. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of normal vaginal birth simulation training before formal clinical education on the clinical skills of midwifery students compared with routine clinical education. Methods This quasi-experimental study was conducted at the Shoushtar Faculty of Medical Sciences from September 2018 to August 2021. Sixty-one midwifery students participated in the intervention group (n = 31) and in the control group (n = 30). The intervention group participated in the simulation-based training before entering the formal clinical education courses. The control group received no simulation-based training before their formal clinical education. The clinical skills of these students for performing normal vaginal birth in the real field were evaluated by observational examination in the three years (fourth, fifth, and sixth semesters). Data were analyzed by descriptive (mean, SD, and percentage) and inferential statistics (independent t-test and chi-square). A P-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results The mean score of midwives’ skills in the control group was (28.10 ± 3.42) and in the intervention group, it was (31.15 ± 4.30). The difference in the skill score between the groups was statistically significant (3.40 ± 0.68). The results showed that in the intervention group, 29 students (93.93%) were evaluated from a good to an excellent level, while only ten students (32.71%) in the control group achieved a good level, and others (n = 30) were evaluated at a low level (p Conclusion The results of the present study indicated that the simulation situation for critical skills, such as vaginal birth skills, was significantly more effective than workplace-based learning situations.

In this paper, a novel zonal machine learning (ML) approach for Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) turbulence modeling based on the divide-and-conquer technique is introduced. This approach involves partitioning the flow domain into regions of flow physics called zones, training one ML model in each zone, then validating and testing them on their respective zones. The approach was demonstrated with the tensor basis neural network (TBNN) and another neural net called the turbulent kinetic energy neural network (TKENN). These were used to predict Reynolds stress anisotropy and turbulent kinetic energy, respectively, in test cases of flow over a solid block, which contain regions of different flow physics including separated flows. The results show that the combined predictions given by the zonal TBNNs and TKENNs were significantly more accurate than their corresponding standard non-zonal models. Most notably, shear anisotropy component in the test cases was predicted at least 20% and 55% more accurately on average by the zonal TBNNs compared to the non-zonal TBNN and RANS, respectively. The Reynolds stress constructed with the zonal predictions was also found to be at least 23% more accurate than those obtained with the non-zonal approach and 30% more accurate than the Reynolds stress predicted by RANS on average. These improvements were attributed to the shape of the zones enabling the zonal models to become highly locally optimized at predicting the output.

We aimed to assess the effect of continuing interprofessional education on collaborative self-efficacy, attitude toward the team, and interprofessional learning in workplace-based learning situations. This was a quasi-experimental study conducted in two educational hospitals. Two hundred and ten participants including nursing and medicine from general medicine, internal medicine, and emergency medicine, entered the study and were categorized in the census's intervention group (

The HeartMate III (HMIII) has improved the survival rate of patients with LVAD to over 50% at five years. Despite this, some patients with continuous flow LVAD develop significant aortic regurgitation (AR) which is associated with adverse outcomes. The optimal surgical positioning of the outflow graft (OG) in the ascending aorta (AA) for minimising the risk of developing AR has not yet been investigated.

Background: Biolaser is an emerging technology, which has attracted the attention of many surgeons and specialists in different medical fields. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of ultrasound-guided biolaser radiation versus ozone therapy in reducing chronic pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis during a three-month follow-up. Patients and Methods: Sixty patients referring to pain clinic of Shohadaye-Tajrish and Akhtar hospitals in 2017, were included in this randomized single-blind clinical trial study. According to a randomized table of numbers, in Biolaser group (n = 30): 10 mL of normal saline + 5 mL of lidocaine 1% + BioLaser + Physical Therapy and in the Ozone group (n = 30), received 10 mL Ozone (30 mic/mL) plus 5 mL lidocaine 1% + BioLaser placebo + Physical Therapy received. The patients were evaluated for pain using visual analog scale (VAS) and knee function with Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) questioner. The patients were followed up 4 & 12 weeks and reviewed at weeks 12 after the injection by an observer who was unaware of the groups (IRCT20111121008146N15). Results: Comparison of the mean age (56.8 ± 8.5 years in the biolaser group vs. 51.5 ± 5.4 years in the ozone therapy group; P = 0.721) and body mass index (31.1 ± 3.4 kg/m2 in the biolaser group vs. 30.5 ± 2.6 kg/m2 in the ozone therapy group; P = 0.214) did not indicate any significant differences between the two groups. The pain severity decreased significantly at different times in the biolaser and ozone therapy groups (P = 0.018). The knee pressure sensitivity score was 1.3 ± 0.5 in the biolaser group and 1.6 ± 0.4 in the ozone therapy group at 12 weeks post-treatment (P = 0.037). The knee circumference was also 35.6 ± 3.0 cm in the biolaser group and 39.7 ± 3.9 cm in the ozone therapy group at 12 weeks post-treatment (P = 0.032). The KOOS performance score was 46.9 ± 9.4 in the biolaser group and 49.3 ± 7.9 in the ozone therapy group (P = 0.187). Besides, the KOOS quality of life score was 10 ± 1.3 in the biolaser group and 10.4 ± 1.5 in the ozone therapy group (P = 0.586). Conclusion: Biolaser therapy under ultrasound guidance was found to be a safe, non-invasive, and effective method, which could improve chronic pain in knee osteoarthritis during a three-month follow-up.

Background: Cancer disease is considered one of the basic health problems in the world, which threatens the health of human life. It causes numerous personal, family and social damages in physical, psychological, and social dimensions. Objectives: The present study aimed at investigating health literacy and cognitive dysfunction on the quality of life of cancer survivors to make better decisions for the daily functioning, quality of life, and work capacity of cancer survivors so that their lives can be spent with more peace and less stress. Methods: With a descriptive correlational design, 350 cancer survivors of the Cancer Research Center of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (Shohaday Tajrish Hospital) from September to November 2021, who had been treated for at least one year, volunteered online and in person. In this study, a Cognitive Failure Questionnaire, Cancer Health Literacy Test, and the Quality of Life of Adults Surviving Cancer were used. Results: Pearson correlation showed a negative relationship between cognitive dysfunction and quality of life; so, path analysis showed that 25% of the quality of life is explained by cognitive dysfunction, but cancer health literacy was not correlated with the quality of life of cancer survivors. Conclusions: According to the findings, the optimization of cognitive functions after treatment was emphasized to increase the quality of life of cancer survivors.

International audience; BackgroundMicrobeam radiation therapy (MRT) is a treatment modality based on spatial fractionation of synchrotron generated x-rays into parallel, high dose, microbeams of a few microns width. MRT is still an under-development radiosurgery technique for which, promising preclinical results on brain tumors and epilepsy encourages its clinical transfer.PurposeA safe clinical transfer of MRT needs a specific treatment planning system (TPS) that provides accurate dose calculations in human patients, taking into account the MRT beams properties (high dose gradients, spatial fractionation, polarization effects). So far, the most advanced MRT treatment planning system, based on a hybrid dose calculation algorithm, is limited to a macroscopic rendering of the dose and does not account for the complex dose distribution inherent to MRT if delivered as conformal irradiations with multiple incidences. For overcoming these limitations, a multi-scale full Monte-Carlo calculation engine called penMRT has been developed and benchmarked against two general purpose Monte Carlo codes: penmain based on PENELOPE and Gate based on Geant4.MethodsPenMRT, is based on the PENELOPE (2018) Monte Carlo (MC) code, modified to take into account the voxelized geometry of the patients (CT-scans) and offering an adaptive micrometric dose calculation grid independent to the CT size, location and orientation. The implementation of the dynamic memory allocation in penMRT, makes the simulations feasible within a huge number of dose scoring bins. The possibility of using a source replication approach to simulate arrays of microbeams, and the parallelization using OpenMPI have been added to penMRT in order to increase the calculation speed for clinical usages. This engine can be implemented in a TPS as a dose calculation core.ResultsThe performance tests highlight the reliability of penMRT to be used for complex irradiation conditions in MRT. The benchmarking against a standard PENELOPE code did not show any significant difference for calculations in centimetric beams, for a single microbeam and for a microbeam array. The comparisons between penMRT and Gate as an independent MC code did not show any difference in the beam paths, whereas in valley regions, relative differences between the two codes rank from 1 to 7.5% which are probably due to the differences in physics lists that are used in these two codes. The reliability of the source replication approach has also been tested and validated with an underestimation of no more than 0.6% in low dose areas.ConclusionsGood agreements (a relative difference between 0 to 8%) were found when comparing calculated peak to valley dose ratio (PVDR) values using penMRT, for irradiations with a full microbeam array, with calculated values in the literature. The high-resolution calculated dose maps obtained with penMRT are used to extract differential and cumulative dose-volume histograms (DVHs) and analyze treatment plans with much finer metrics regarding the irradiation complexity. To our knowledge, these are the first high-resolution dose maps and associated DVHs ever obtained for cross-fired microbeams irradiation, which is bringing a significant added value to the field of treatment planning in spatially fractionated radiation therapy.

Background Cancer-associated angiogenesis is a fundamental process in tumor growth and metastasis. A variety of signaling regulators and pathways contribute to establish neovascularization, among them as small endogenous non-coding RNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs) play prominent dual regulatory function in breast cancer (BC) angiogenesis. Aim This review aims at describing the current state-of-the-art in BC angiogenesis-mediated by angioregulatory miRNAs, and an overview of miRNAs dysregulation association with the anti-angiogenic response in addition to potential clinical application of miRNAs-based therapeutics. Key scientific concepts Angioregulatory miRNA–target gene interaction is not only involved in sprouting vessels of breast tumors but also, trans-differentiation of BC cells to endothelial cells (ECs) in a process termed vasculogenic mimicry. Using canonical and non-canonical angiogenesis pathways, the tumor cell employs the oncogenic characteristics such as miRNAs dysregulation to increase survival, proliferation, oxygen and nutrient supply, and treatment resistance. Angioregulatory miRNAs in BC cells and their microenvironment have therapeutic potential in cancer treatment. Although, miRNAs dysregulation can serve as tumor biomarker nevertheless, due to the association of miRNAs dysregulation with anti-angiogenic resistant phenotype, clinical benefits of anti-angiogenic therapy might be challenging in BC. Hence, unveiling the molecular mechanism underlying angioregulatory miRNAs sparked a booming interest in finding new treatment strategies such as miRNA-based therapies in BC.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have been proposed as a wholly organic architecture sharing high crystallinity, porosity, and tuneability. Moreover, they exhibit highly stable structures against harsh chemical environments, including boiling water, strong acids and bases, and oxidation and reduction conditions, making them good candidates for extreme conditions. For the first time, a porous COF structure based on terephthalaldehyde and melamine was synthesized and employed as a novel nanocontainer for hosting corrosion inhibitors to provide a coating with superior active/passive anti-corrosion properties. In this study, the multi-walled carbon nanotube was utilized as a platform for growing COF (

Education managers can facilitate the improvement of university management by involving faculty members. They have an important role to play in directing the process of change in educational systems. Managers can drive educational innovation and improvement of developmental programs of universities by creating a motivational atmosphere. Education managers are the most important driving factor in managing the mainstream of education and are effective in motivating faculty members to improve their performance and the educational system. This includes the monitoring of sensitivity of educational activities and the complex protocols of universities, made necessary to meet the expectations, monitor the managers in managerial systems, and evaluate the performance of managers and provide feedback to them. Therefore, it can be said that evaluation in universities is a strategic action and managers of the educational system in the educational leadership process need to recognize their strengths and weaknesses and plan based on the results of evaluation. It is necessary to consider development of management skills, Planning to monitor, provide feedback to improve their performance in educational systems. In Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, the evaluation of educational managers was designed and implemented based on a multi-source feedback approach. At Shahid Sadoughi University Evaluation of managers is designed from the view of different stakeholders, including senior managers at the faculty level, as well as the educational teachers and leaders, including faculty members. Evaluation was done in two areas of professional behavior and managerial behavior. Feedback on the results will be sent to the educational managers as performance evaluation report.

Purpose Due to the importance of public health and economics, cardiovascular disease has become one of the most important debates and challenges for scientists. However, few studies have been done to address this challenge. The main objective of this document is to provide an optimal model to improve the performance of the left ventricular assist device and reduce costs. In this way, in the present study, the experimental and numerical procedures were developed to analyze the effects of the geometrical features and operational parameters on the performance of a centrifugal blood pump (CBP). Methods In order to achieve this aim, first, experimental tests were carried out to study the influence of the working fluid temperature and the rotational speed on the CBP. Subsequently, the performance of the CBP was assessed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and comparison was made against the experimental data. In addition, the influence of mounting an inducer on the overall performance of CBP was also investigated. Results Good agreement between the CFD and the data was obtained. The CFD results showed that increasing the fluid temperature and rotational speed leads to an increase in the hydraulic efficiency, pressure difference, and power. In addition, the reduction of the pressure difference and hydraulic efficiency with increasing the surface roughness was observed. While mounting an inducer on the pump did not significantly impact its overall performance, the highest value of the wall shear stress dropped moderately on the impeller and, therefore, unveiled the possibility of improving the performance of such designs.

Background: Remdesivir is effective against SARS-Cov-2 with little evidence of its adverse effect on the cardiac system. The aim of the present study is investigating the incidence of bradycardia in COVID-19 patients treated with Remdesivir.Methods: This prospective longitudinal study was conducted in a tertiary center on COVID-19 patients for Remdesivir therapy. The objectives were to investigate the incidence of sinus bradycardia, and also the association between their demographics, underlying diseases, and the disease severity with developing bradycardia in COVID-19 patients treated with Remdesivir.Results: Of 177 patients, 44% were male. The mean (±standard deviation) age of patients was 49.79 ± 15.16 years old. Also, 33% were hospitalized due to more severe symptoms. Oxygen support was required for all hospitalized subjects. A total of 40% of the patients had comorbidities, with the most common comorbidity being hypertension. The overall incidence of bradycardia (heart rate50 mg/L, O2 saturationConclusion: As sinus bradycardia is a prevalent adverse cardiac effect of Remdesivir, it is recommended that all COVID-19 patients receiving Remdesivir, be evaluated for heart rate based on examination; and in the case of bradyarrhythmia, cardiac monitoring should be performed during administration to prevent adverse drug reactions.

Introduction The Educational Scholar Program (ESP) is a creative method to focus on the quality of education and the scholarship of education. This paper critically investigated how educational educators perceived the Educational Scholar Program. Method The ESP was developed according to the project-based learning method. An interdisciplinary strategy was used by participating educators from different schools, including nursing, medicine, public health, dentistry, and pharmacy. (n = 27). Semi-structured interviews explored the experiences of the participants in the ESP. A conventional content analysis approach introduced by Graneheim and Lundman was used for data analysis. Results A theme of “a developmental pathway toward leadership for educational change” was explored into four categories: “Motivated for educational change,” “collaborative learning through the application of knowledge,” “tensions of change agent,” and “a perceived responsibility of a change agent.” Conclusion The participants perceived the ESP as a platform for improving leadership capabilities for educational change through the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). Using the ESP as a faculty development program to train educational leadership for change is suggested.

Since thrombosis occurrence among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients is a critical complication, this study aimed to describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19-associated pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE). This case series of 39 venous thromboembolism (VTE) patients represents clinical characteristics, laboratory data, imaging data, and outcomes. The mean age of the patients was 55 ± 15 years. Moreover, 25 patients (64.10%) were male. The most frequent COVID-19 clinical presentations were dyspnea and cough in 22 (56.41%) and 19 (48.71%) patients, respectively. Additionally, the most frequent PTE clinical presentations were palpitation and anxiety in 28 (71.79%) and dyspnea in 24 (61.53%) patients. Additionally, eight patients (20.51%) showed deep vein thrombosis in color Doppler ultrasound. The mean measures of D-dimer, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein were 3680 ng/mL, 53 mm/hour, and 44 mg/L, respectively. Supplemental oxygen and a ventilator were required in 29 (74.35%) and 2 (5.12%) patients, respectively. One patient died from PTE complications, and others improved without any complications. The VTE is a potentially life-threatening complication that frequently occurs in patients with COVID-19. Therapeutic doses of anticoagulants, extended thromboprophylaxis, meticulous assessments, follow-up, and high clinical suspicion to the early detection of PTE are necessary in this regard.

Sustainable transportation and electrified transportation have gained traction in recent years. Gallium Nitride High Electron Mobility Transistors (GaN HEMTs) enable higher efficiency, higher power density, and smaller passive components resulting in lighter, smaller and more efficient electrical systems as opposed to conventional Silicon (Si) based devices. This thesis investigates the detailed benefits of using GaN devices in transportation electrification applications. The material properties of GaN including the applications of GaN HEMTs at different switch ratings are presented. The challenges currently facing the transportation industry are introduced, and possible solutions are presented. A detailed review of the use of GaN in the Electric Vehicle (EV) powertrain is discussed. The implementation of GaN devices in aircraft, ships, rail vehicles, and heavy-duty vehicles is briefly covered. Future trends of GaN devices in terms of cost, voltage level, gate driver design, thermal management and packaging are investigated. With the aim towards lighter and more efficient electrical systems in future aircraft, design of DC/DC converters with high efficiency, power density and improved thermal management becomes necessary. The detailed design of isolated bidirectional DC/DC converters for more electric aircraft (MEA) is investigated. Use of wide bandgap (WBG) devices to enhance system efficiency is considered. The control strategy of the discussed configurations are verified in the PLECS simulation environment. Dual active bridge (DAB), input-series output-parallel (ISOP), neutral point clamped (NPC) and active neutral point clamped (ANPC) converters are considered to exploit benefits offered by WBG devices for MEA. A comparison is performed in terms of efficiency, thermal management, power density and electromagnetic interference (EMI). An optimized modulation scheme for a DC/DC converter operating at various voltage and power levels is proposed. The proposed control strategy maximizes power transmission efficiency between the high voltage DC (HVDC) link and the low voltage (LV) bus, on the aircraft. The optimization algorithm is developed for a Gallium Nitride (GaN)-Silicon (Si) based DAB converter. GaN is considered for minimizing the switching losses on the HVDC bus, and maximizing efficiency. The dual phase shift (DPS) and extended phase shift (EPS) modulation techniques are optimized using Genetic Algorithm (GA). The proposed algorithm generates optimal phase shift angles at minimum backflow power (BFP) and peak current. A 3 kW GaN-Si DAB converter prototype is designed, and the analysis is experimentally validated. Thesis Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Supplementary Material 1

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in the world with high mortality, hence, understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in the tumor progression are important for CRC diagnosis and treatment. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key gene expression regulators that can function as tumor suppressors or oncogenes in tumor cells, and modulate angiogenesis as a critical process in tumor metastasis. MiR-1290 has been demonstrated as an onco-miRNA in various types of cancer, however, the role of miR-1290 in CRC is not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the oncogenic and angiogenic potential of miR-1290 in CRC. Methods: Lenti-miR-1290 was transduced into HCT116, SW480, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). By bioinformatics analysis, we identified thrombospondin 1 (THBS1) as a novel predicted target for miR-1290. Quantitative real-time PCR, western blotting, and luciferase reporter assay were used to demonstrate suppression of miR-1290 target genes including THBS1, Dickkopf Wnt signaling pathway inhibitor 3 (DKK3), and suppressor of cancer cell invasion (SCAI) in HCT116 and HUVECs. Cell cycle analysis, proliferation, migration and, tube formation were determined by flow cytometry, MTT, wound healing, and tube formation assays, respectively. Results: MiR-1290 significantly decreased the expression of THBS1, DKK3, and SCAI. We demonstrated that miR-1290 enhanced proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis partially through suppression of THBS1, DKK3, and SCAI in CRC. Conclusion: These results suggest a novel function of miR-1290 which may contribute to tumorigenesis and angiogenesis in CRC.

Background Accumulating evidence indicates that vitamin D deficiency has been increased globally over the last two decades. However, the majority of these studies are concerned with cities and there is scant information regarding the prevalence of vitamin D in rural areas. The main aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its associated risk factors among the rural population in Bushehr province which shares the longest border with the Persian Gulf. Methods The rural inhabitants of more than 25 years old from three mountainous, plain, and seashore areas of Bushehr province were selected through a stratified multi-cluster random sampling method. After obtaining the participants’ demographic and anthropometric data and their past medical history, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] was measured using ELISA. Results A total of 1806 (means ±SD, 46± 14years old) rural subjects (35 % males and 65 % females) participated in this study. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, insufficiency, and sufficiency were 28 %, 50 %, and 22 %, respectively. The deficiency of vitamin D in women was higher than in men (OR=1.27, 95 % CI: 1.05 to 1.54, P=0.04). There was a positive significant correlation between age and serum vitamin D levels. Men with vitamin D deficiency had higher BMI (P=0.008); this association was not observed among women (P=0.7). There was no significant difference between the food item’s consumption frequencies, and vitamin D status (P>0.05). The mountainous, and plain areas had the highest and lowest vitamin D levels, respectively. Conclusions Although, Bushehr province is located in a sunny part of Iran, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was high among its rural population. The shift of their lifestyle patterns and rapid industrialization in these rural areas may be responsible. Therefore, the enrichment of dietary sources with vitamin D and the use of vitamin D supplements are recommended to tackle the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the rural population of the northern part of the Persian Gulf.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has had destructive influences on social and economic systems as well as many aspects of human life. In this study, we aimed to estimate the economic effects of COVID-19 at the individual and societal levels during a fiscal year. This cost of illness analysis was used to estimate the economic burden of COVID-19 in Iran. Data of the COVID-19 patients referred to the hospitals affiliated to Bushehr University of Medical Sciences in 2021 were collected through the Hospital Information System (HIS). The study methodology was based upon the human capital approach and bottom-up technique. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in 9711 confirmed hospital cases and 717 deaths in Bushehr province during the study period. The direct and indirect costs were estimated to be $1446.06 and $3081.44 per patient. The economic burden for the province and country was estimated to be $43.97 and $2680.88 million. The results showed that the economic burden of this disease particularly premature death costs is remarkably high. Therefore, in order to increase the resiliency of the health system and the stability in service delivery, preventive-oriented strategies have to be more seriously considered by policymakers.

Introduction: Clerkship in field is one of the important educational programs in the field of laboratory sciences and providing opportunities for students to learn in clerkship, improved the quality of health services. The aim of this study was to design a structured microbiology clerkship program from the perspective of case based discussion method among laboratory science students. Methods: This was a single-group intervention study. The participants were from the field of laboratory sciences who participated in clerkship courses (99 participats). Educational intervention based on case-based discussion was designed as a formative evaluation method. Learners' performance was evaluated using a checklist in the stationary test and the students’ satisfaction was evaluated using a questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential tests. Results: The students' learning scores after the intervention were in desirable level. The highest learning score related to blood culture evaluation was 8.04±1.54 and the lowest score related to wound culture evaluation was 6.26±1.78. There was no significant difference between the satisfaction scores of the course and the performance evaluation scores of students according to academic year. But the performance of senior year students was significantly better and the students’ satisfaction scores were significantly high and at a good level. Conclusion: Using the discussion-based teaching method in the clerkship course increased the students' learning and this method can be effective in increasing the skills and learning of the trainees in the field. It is suggested the case based discussion was used in the instructional design of clerkship courses.

The rapid increase in urbanisation and population growth living in urban areas leads to major problems including increased rates of air pollution and global warming. Assessing the impact of buildings on wind flow, air temperature and pollution dispersion on people at the pedestrian level is, therefore, of crucial importance for urban design. In this study, the effect of different forms of urban vegetation including green roofs, green walls and trees on velocity, air temperature and air quality is assessed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for a selected area of the East Village. This study indicates that adding a building increases air temperature, pollution concentration and velocity at the pedestrian level. A parametric analysis is conducted to assess the impact of various key parameters on air temperature, pollution and velocity at the pedestrian level. The variables under consideration include wind speed, ranging from 4–8 m/s at a reference height of 10 m, and vegetation cooling intensity, ranging from 250–500 W·m−3. Three scenarios are tested in which the streets have no bottom heating, 2 °C bottom heating and 10 °C bottom heating. Pollution is simulated as a form of passive scalar with an emission rate of 100 ppb s−1, considering NO2 as the pollutant. In all cases, vegetation is found to reduce air velocity, pollutant concentration and temperature. However, the presence of vegetation in various forms alters the pattern of pollution dispersion differently. More specifically, the results indicate that planting trees (e.g., birch trees) close to the edge of buildings can decrease the air temperature by up to 2–3 °C at the pedestrian level. Increasing the cooling intensity of the vegetation from 250 to 500 W·m−3 results in significantly lower air temperature, whereas lower wind speeds result in a higher concentration of pollutants at the pedestrian level. A combination of green walls and trees is found to be the most effective strategy to improve the thermal environment and air quality.

High loading capacity and smart release of inhibitors are the first and foremost characteristics of nanocontainers, which play a pivotal role in metal active corrosion protection. The present work explores the development of novel protective nanocontainers based on recently emerged covalent organic frameworks (COFs). These highly porous frameworks with large surface area, outstanding thermomechanical properties, low density, and ease of functionalization are used as nanocontainers. On the other hand, molybdenum disulfide (MoS

Abstract. Wound healing consists of a series of highly orderly overlapping processes characterized by hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. Prolongation or interruption in each phase can lead to delayed wound healing or a non-healing chronic wound. Vitamin A is a crucial nutrient that is most beneficial for the health of the skin. The present study was undertaken to determine the effect of vitamin A on regeneration, angiogenesis, and inflammation characteristics in an in vitro model system during wound healing. For this purpose, mouse skin normal fibroblast (L929), human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC), and monocyte/macrophage-like cell line (RAW 264.7) were considered to evaluate proliferation, angiogenesis, and anti-inflammatory responses, respectively. Vitamin A (0.1–5 μM) increased cellular proliferation of L929 and HUVEC (p

Introduction: Nano drug delivery is a broad field of research on the development of novel nano- carrier systems for effective therapeutic delivery of drugs. Here, an anticancer drug, cisplatin (CDDP) conjugated Gold Nanoparticles (GNPs) via L-Lysine (Lys) linker. Methods: The produced nanodrug (GNPs-Lys-CDDP) was characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Zeta potentials and electron force microscopy. The cytotoxic efficacy of the GNPs-Lys-CDDP against human breast cancer cells (SKBR3) and normal cells (MCF- 10A) was evaluatedby MTT assay. Cell apoptosis and morphology changes were assessed by flowcytometery and Acridine Orange/Ethidium Bromide (AO/EtBr) staining, respectively. Results: It was found that the GNPs-Lys-CDDP with a size of 85 nm and negatively charged with a zeta-potential of about -25 mV could be taken up by tumor cells. A marked change in the UV spectrum of GNPs-Lys-CDDP compare to GNPs showed a strong absorption shift in the 525 nm region. The LD 50 of GNPs-Lys-CDDP against SKBR3 (1 μg.mL -1), was found to be 8 times lower than that of naked CDDP against SKBR3 (8 μg.mL -1). The nanocomplex GNPs-Lys-CDDP also significantly increased the apoptosis of SKBR3 with the lowest cytotoxic effects on normal cells. Discussion: This work indicates that GNPs effectively could decrease the lethal dose of CDDP to 87%. Hence, GNPs modified by Lys, could be a good nano-carrier for chemotherapeutic drugs.

Background and objective Optogenetics has opened new insights into biomedical research with the ability to manipulate and control cellular activity using light in combination with genetically engineered photosensitive proteins. By stimulating with light, this method provides high spatiotemporal and high specificity resolution, which is in contrast to conventional pharmacological or electrical stimulation. Optogenetics was initially introduced to control neural activities but was gradually extended to other biomedical fields. Study design In this paper, firstly, we summarize the current optogenetic tools stimulated by different light sources, including lasers, light-emitting diodes, and laser diodes. Second, we outline the variety of biomedical applications of optogenetics not only for neuronal circuits but also for various kinds of cells and tissues from cardiomyocytes to ganglion cells. Furthermore, we highlight the potential of this technique for treating neurological disorders, cardiac arrhythmia, visual impairment, hearing loss, and urinary bladder diseases as well as clarify the mechanisms underlying cancer progression and control of stem cell differentiation. Conclusion We sought to summarize the various types of promising applications of optogenetics to treat a broad spectrum of disorders. It is conceivable to expect that optogenetics profits a growing number of patients suffering from a range of different diseases in the near future.

Professionalism has been recognized as an essential component of inter-professional collaboration (IPC), and hence this study aimed at exploring elements of inter-professional professionalism (IPP) affecting IPC among surgery teams. This qualitative study had been conducted from 2019 to 2021. Fifteen participants in surgery teams including surgeons, anesthesia nursing, and surgical technology nursing at hospitals of Shahid Sadoughi University were contributed to this study. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed through inductive content analysis, an approach introduced by Lundman and Graneheim. Data analysis process included the following: (i) Developing verbatim transcription of interview, (ii) Extracting semantic units and classifying them under the top compact unit, (iii) Summarizing and classifying the compact units and selecting appropriate labels for them, and (iv) Sorting subcategories according to their similarities and differences. Two hundreds and forty-two codes, five sub-categories, two categories, and a theme entitled "reciprocal accountability in IPP” were extracted. The barrier category was named “weakness in accountability to team-based values" and the facilitator category was called "responsibility of maintaining empathetic relationship within the IP team". Development of IPP and professional values (e.g., altruism, empathetic communication, and accountability to individual’s and team’s roles) can facilitate collaborative processes among different professions.

Fragestellung: Ziel dieser Studie war es, den Einfluss der medialen open wedge Osteotomie der proximalen Tibia auf die Patellakinematik mithilfe einer optischen Computernavigation zu quantifizieren, da postoperativ nicht selten Schmerzen im vorderen Kniebereich auftreten und der Grund noch weitgehend [zum vollständigen Text gelangen Sie über die oben angegebene URL]

Fragestellung: Intramedulläre Ausrichtinstrumente werden zur Positionierung von Schnittblöcken für die distale Femurresektion verwendet. In der vorliegenden Studie wurde die intraoperative sagittale Schnittblockausrichtung bei Verwendung eines intramedullären Ausrichtungssystems [zum vollständigen Text gelangen Sie über die oben angegebene URL]