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Background. Many studies have been performed to prevent nausea and vomiting after surgery with different drugs alone or in combination, but no definite answer has been given yet. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of an intranasal dose of dexamethasone on the prevention of nausea and vomiting after hysterectomy. Methods. In this clinical trial study, 70 patients undergone hysterectomy were randomly distributed into two groups of 35, and immediately after intubation, in the intervention group 0.5 ml of dexamethasone in each nostril (total 4mg) and in the control group 0.5 ml of distilled water was dripped in each nasal passage. Patients in the two groups were evaluated and compared during recovery and at 2, 12, and 24 hours after entering the ward for the incidence and severity of postoperative nausea and vomiting and receiving anti-emetic medication. Results. The incidence of nausea and vomiting in recovery and ward was not significantly different between the two groups so that 3 patients in the distilled water group and 1 patient in the dexamethasone group experienced nausea in recovery (9.7% and 3.2%, respectively). The incidence of vomiting in recovery was 3 cases, all 3 cases (9.7%) were distilled water group. The severity of nausea in recovery (P= 0.55), in the second hour of admission (P= 0.12), in the next 12 hours (P= 0.19), and 24 hours later (P= 0.46) was not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion. Intranasal dexamethasone (4 mg) is associated with an insignificant reduction in the incidence of PONV in post-hysterectomy pain. Practical Implications. Intranasal dexamethasone administration is a safe and effective method and can be associated with reduced incidence of nausea and vomiting and pain after hysterectomy.

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic validity of Ultrasonography in women with Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) with or without pelvic prolapse.Method: In this cross-sectional study, women with SUI were enrolled. The first group consisted of 25 patients with vaginal anterior wall prolapse, and the other group included 18 patients without vaginal anterior wall prolapse. After Systemic and genital examinations, the patients underwent the coughing test and Valsalva maneuver. The urinary leakage was examined during coughing. All the patients with positive coughing test underwent transprineal ultrasound. The posterior uretherovesical angle (β angel) as well as the bladder neck funneling were evaluated and recorded at both resting and during Valsalva.Results: In the patients with prolapse, the mean values of β angel were 121.0±25.9 and 137.7±24.5 degrees at the rest and during the Valsalva respectively. In the patients without prolapse, the means of β angel were 124.2 and 142.5 degrees at the rest and during the Valsalva respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of β angel were higher in patients with prolapse. During the Valsalva, β angel >120° and Bladder neck funneling showed higher PPV and NPV in the patients with prolapse than patients without prolapse. At the rest; however, β angel >120° delivered higher PPV and NPV in the patients without prolapse group. At the rest, β angel > 114° rendered the sensitivity and specificity of 80% and 55% respectively. During the Valsalva, β angel >129° revealed the sensitivity and specificity of 80% and 45% respectively.Conclusion: It seems that ultrasound is not appropriate enough to be an alternative diagnostic tool for urodynamic test in detecting SUI.

Four-dimensional (4 D) printing is a novel emerging technology, which can be defined as the ability of 3 D printed materials to change their form and functions. The term 'time' is added to 3 D printing as the fourth dimension, in which materials can respond to a stimulus after finishing the manufacturing process. 4 D printing provides more versatility in terms of size, shape, and structure after printing the construct. Complex material programmability, multi-material printing, and precise structure design are the essential requirements of 4 D printing systems. The utilization of stimuli-responsive polymers has increasingly taken the place of cell traction force-dependent methods and manual folding, offering a more advanced technique to affect a construct's adjusted shape transformation. The present review highlights the concept of 4 D printing and the responsive bioinks used in 4 D printing, such as water-responsive, pH-responsive, thermo-responsive, and light-responsive materials used in tissue regeneration. Cell traction force methods are described as well. Finally, this paper aims to introduce the limitations and future trends of 4 D printing in biomedical applications based on selected key references from the last decade.

Introduction & Objectives: This article studies the determinants of death risk among coronavirus infected patients in Ahvaz. In this regard, we have studied, analyzed and explained the effect of social, economic and demographic variables including age, gender, marital status, income, occupation, education, place of residence, etc. on the risk of death among coronavirus infected patients. Methods: This study was a survey and used a researcher-made questionnaire to collect information. The statistical population is all coronavirus infected patients in the period of march 2020 to September 2021. We used logistic regression with odds ratio report to analyze the data and tested all hypotheses at 95% confidence level. Findings: The results show that the risk of death due to coronavirus infection is very unequal among socio-economic groups and in terms of various variables, so that the risk of death in terms of job variable is higher among business men, drivers, employees and farmers in compared to other occupational groups. People aged 61 to 75 are 68.3 times more likely to die than ones under 30. Married people are 2.49 times more likely to die than single ones.

Background Gastrointestinal cancers (GICs) continue to dominate in terms of both incidence and mortality worldwide. Due to the absence of efficient and accurate prognostic biomarkers, the prognosis and treatment outcomes of many GICs are poor. Identifying biomarkers to predict individual clinical outcomes efficiently is a fundamental challenge in clinical oncology. Although several biomarkers have been continually discovered, their predictive accuracy is relatively modest, and their therapeutic use is restricted. In light of this, the discovery of reliable biomarkers for predicting prognosis and outcome in GIC is urgently required. Methods We evaluated the HPA dataset and identified NPC2 and ITGAV as probable poor predictive genes for these cancers. In addition, we used the GEPIA2, cBioPortal, UALCAN, LinkedOmics, STRING, Enrichr, TISDB, TIMER2.0, hTFTarget, miRTarBase, circBank, and DGIdb databases to conduct a comprehensive and systematic analysis of the NPC2 and ITGAV genes. Result Our results found high expression levels of NPC2 and ITGAV in most GICs. The aforementioned gene expressions were linked to several clinicopathological characteristics of GICs as well as poorer prognosis in LIHC and STAD. The most common alteration type of NPC2 was amplification, and for ITGAV was deep deletion. Significant promotor hypermethylation was also seen in NPC2 and ITGAV in PAAD and COAD, respectively. For the immunologic significance, NPC2 and ITGAV were positively correlated with the abundance of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and macrophages. Furthermore, various immuno-modulators showed strong correlations with the expression of these genes. There were currently ten small molecule drugs targeting ITGAV. Conclusion Consequently, our bioinformatics analysis showed that NPC2 and ITGAV might be used as potential biomarkers to determine the prognosis of various GICs and are also related to immune infiltration.

This paper aims to investigate the preparation and characterisation of the alginate nanoparticles (NPs) as antigen delivery system loaded by diphtheria toxoid (DT). For this purpose, both the loading capacity (LC) and Loading efficiency (LE) of the alginate NPs burdened by DT are evaluated. Moreover, the effects of different concentrations of sodium alginate and calcium chloride on the NPs physicochemical characteristics are surveyed in addition to other physical conditions such as homogenization time and rate. To do so, the NPs are characterised using particle size and distribution, zeta potential, scanning electron microscopy, encapsulation efficiency, in vitro release study and FT-IR spectroscopy. Subsequently, the effects of homogenization time and rate on the NPs are assessed. At the meantime, the NPs LC and efficiency in several DT concentrations are estimated. The average size of the NPs was 400.7 and 276.6 nm for unloaded and DT loaded, respectively. According to the obtained results, the zeta potential of the blank and DT loaded NPs are estimated as -23.7 mV and -21.2 mV, respectively. Whereas, the LC and LE were80% and90%, in that order. Furthermore, 95% of the releasing DT loaded NPs occurs at 140 h in the sustained mode without any bursting release. It can be concluded that the features of NPs such as morphology and particle size are strongly depended on the calcium chloride, sodium alginate concentrations and physicochemical conditions in the NPs formation process. In addition, appropriate concentrations of the sodium alginate and calcium ions would lead to obtaining the desirable NPs formation associated with the advantageous LE, LC (over 80%) and sustained in vitro release profile. Ultimately, the proposed NPs can be employed in vaccine formulation for the targeted delivery, controlled and slow antigen release associated with the improved antigen stability.

Background Colorectal cancers are derived from intestinal polyps. Normally, alterations in cell adhesion genes expression cause deviation from the normal cell cycle, leading to cancer development, progression, and invasion. The present study aimed to investigate the elusive expression pattern of CDC42, TAGLN, and GSN genes in patients with high and low-risk polyp samples, and also colorectal cancer patients and their adjacent normal tissues.Materials and methods In upcoming study, 40 biopsy samples from Taleghani Hospital (Tehran, Iran) were collected, consisting of 20 colon polyps and 20 paired adjacent normal tissues. The expression of the nominated genes CDC42, TAGLN, and GSN was analyzed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) and relative quantification was determined using the 2-ΔΔCt method. ROC curve analysis was performed to compare high-risk and low-risk polyps for the investigated genes. The expression of adhesion molecule genes was also evaluated using TCGA data and the correlation between adhesion molecule gene expression and immunophenotype was analyzed. The role of mi-RNAs and lncRNAs in overexpression of adhesion molecule genes was studied. Lastly, GO and KEGG were performed to identify pathways related to adhesion molecule gene expression in healthy, normal adjacent, and COAD tissues.Results The results showed that the expression patterns of these genes were significantly elevated in high-risk adenomas compared to low-risk polyps and normal tissues and were associated with various clinicopathological characteristics. The estimated AUC for CDC42, TAGLN, and GSN were 0.87, 0.77, and 0.80, respectively. The study also analyzed COAD cancer patient data and found that the selected gene expression in cancer patients was significantly reduced compared to high-risk polyps and healthy tissues. Survival analysis showed that while the expression level of the GSN gene had no significant relationship with survival rate, the expression of CDC42 and TAGLN genes did have a meaningful relationship, but with opposite effects, suggesting the potential use of these genes as diagnostic or prognostic markers for colorectal cancer.Conclusion The present study's findings suggest that the expression pattern of CDC42, TAGLN, and GSN genes was significantly increased during the transformation of normal tissue to polyp lesions, indicating their potential as prognostic biomarkers for colorectal polyp development. Further

Upper gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, including esophageal, gastric, liver, and pancreatic cancers, are a major medical and economic burden worldwide. Despite significant advances in radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted treatments for upper GI cancers in the past decade, a high recurrence rate and poor prognosis are still challenging in upper GI cancer management. This trouble is rooted in the current diagnosis methods and the lack of adequate and reliable diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers. The diagnosis of almost every disease of the upper GI tract still depends on invasive investigations such as endoscopy of the upper GI tract, manometry of the stomach and esophagus, or radiography. Although cancer was considered a single disease in the organ of origin in the past, today, it is accepted that cancer is a heterogeneous disease assuming the same organ of origin. Therefore, to conduct precision/personalized medicine, it seems necessary to have suitable biomarkers to make an accurate diagnosis, appropriate patient classification, prognosis assessment, and drug response in cancers. Systems biology and multi-omics research are strategies adopted to provide genetic and molecular biomarkers in cancer. Toward studying complex biological processes, multi-omics data analysis provides an opportunity to gain a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of cancer development and progression. Multi-omics approaches are new frameworks that integrate omics datasets, including genome, epigenome, transcriptome, proteome, metabolome, and metagenome, on the same set of samples to understand cancer's molecular and clinical characteristics better. Therefore, in this review, we focus on the integrated multi-omics studies conducted on esophageal, gastric, liver, and pancreatic cancers and discuss the results regarding diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, as well as biomarkers that determine the response to treatment.

The pressing demand for a creative method to effectively model human drug responses in preclinical research has prompted the advancement of organ-on-a-chip (OoC) systems.

Background and Objectives:Nosocomial infections, especially in intensive care units as well as increased mortality and costs associated with them are considered as one of the major health problems in the communities so that successful control of them requires awareness on their problems in the hospitals and a precise planning. This study was conducted to "provide a model for prevention and control of nosocomial infections in intensive care units". Methods and Materials: This qualitative study was conducted through purposeful sampling strategy on 21 healthcare providers selected via purposive sampling from various medical subgroups, including: anesthesiologist, nurse manager, supervisors, faculty members, head nurses, and hospital managers. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews and conventional content analysis method was used for data analysis. In the second phase, a comparative study of the situation of our country and targeted countries was conducted and in the third phase a practical model is designed. Results:The results of qualitative content analysis using conventional approach in the field of staff's experiment regarding the model of prevention and control of nosocomial infections in intensive care units, revealed 3 main themes: "barriers (human factors, environmental factors, personal factors and complexity)", "facilitating factors (organizational, external and internal stimuli) ", and "concepts of the model (effectiveness of infection control training process in ICU, the systematic nature of the process of infection control, public hospital management, resource management and organizational leadership)". After a comparative study, the applied model of control and prevention of nosocomial infection in the ICU was designed with seven models, including standards (caring-curing and structural), monitoring and supervision, education and training, logistic resources, modern technologies, translation and knowledge transfer and evidence-based practice. Conclusion:Identifying the barriers and facilitating factors of nosocomial infection control and the use of especial measures in ICU promote the patient's safety and enhance the quality of care. Prevention of these infections requires a comprehensive and integrated controlling program. This model can be applied to resolve existing gaps and cause maximum integrity between the concepts.

Objective: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Human Herpes virus 6 (HHV-6) are believed to involve in multiple sclerosis (MS) pathogenesis. Natural killer (NK) and CD8+ T cells have essential roles in handling viral infections and their phenotypic and functional properties may be influenced following exposure to viral infections. Here, we investigated the association of NK and CD8+ T cells subpopulations frequency with EBV and HHV-6 viral load in MS patients. Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, EBV and HHV-6 viral load were evaluated in plasma of newly diagnosed relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients at relapse phase (n=23), who were not on disease-modifying therapy (DMT), and sex- and age-matched healthy controls (n=19) using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The frequency of NK and CD8+ T cells subsets were assessed by CD27, CD28, CD45RO, CD56, and CD57 markers using flow cytometry. Results: Despite the increased level of EBV viral load in RRMS patients compared to the control group, there was no statistically significant difference in EBV and HHV-6 copy numbers between the studied groups. In addition, a significant decrease was observed in the percentages of CD56bright CD57- and CD56dim CD57+ CD8low CD45RO- NK cells in RRMS patients in comparison to healthy controls. Analysis of CD8+ T cell subsets showed a substantially high proportion of CD27+ CD28+ CD45RO+ CD57- CD8hi T cells in patients at relapse phase compared to controls. The frequency of NK and T cells subtypes was not associated with EBV and HHV6 plasma viral loads. Conclusion: These findings further highlight the variation of NK and CD8+ T cells subsets frequency in clinically active RRMS patients. Since the composition of cells was not associated with EBV and HHV-6 viral load, perhaps other viral infections may be involved in altered NK and CD8+ T cells subpopulation. Larger cohort studies are needed to confirm these results.

Background: Long intergenic non-coding RNA 460 (LINC00460) as a potential oncogene and Annexin A2 (ANXA2) as a promoter in different cancer progression processes was considered. A significant relationship between the LINC00460 and ANXA2 has been recently discovered in colorectal cancer (CRC). Therefore, defining molecular biomarkers accompanied by lesion histopathologic features can be a suggestive prognostic biomarker in precancerous polyps. This study aimed to investigate the elusive expression pattern of ANXA2 and LINC00460 in polyps. Materials and methods: The construction of the co-expression and correlation network of LINC00460 and ANXA2 was plotted. LINC00460 and ANXA2expression in 40 colon polyps was quantified by reverse transcription-real-time polymerase chain reaction. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was designed for distinguishing the high-risk precancerous lesion from low-risk. Further, bioinformatics analysis was applied to find the shared MicroRNA-Interaction-Targets (MITs) between ANXA2 and LINC00460, and the associated pathways. Results: ANXA2 has a high co-expression rank with LINC00460 in the lncHUB database. Overexpression of ANXA2 and LINC00460 was distinguished in advanced adenoma polyps compared to the adjacent normal samples. The estimated AUC for ANXA2 and LINC00460 was 0.88-0.85 with 93%-90% sensitivity and 81%-70% specificity. In addition, eight MITs were shared between ANXA2 and LINC00460. Enrichment analysis detected several GO terms and pathways, including HIF-1α associated with cancer development. Conclusion: In conclusion, the expression of the ANXA2 and LINC00460 were significantly elevated in pre-cancerous polyps, especially in high-risk adenomas. Collectively, ANXA2 and LINC00460 may be administered as potential prognostic biomarkers in patients with a precancerous large intestine lesion as an alarming issue.

In the recent decades, economic, social and cultural changes have increased the presence of women in the urban environment. This issue causes attention to women’s security and its determinants increase between researchers. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the role of environmental variables in women's security in urban space. The study is a survey-case study, cross-sectional and extensive research. The statistical society was 15-40 years old women of Sabzevar and the sample size was estimated based on Cochran's formula 366 which in the final questionnaire, 408 samples were collected and analyzed. The study area included 22 statistical districts of five urban textures (central, middle, informal, planned and peripheral). According to the research results, sense of place and perceptional density were two environmental variables that directly affected women's sense of security. land use mix, readability, and Duration of residence indirectly affected women's sense of security through the mediator of sense of place and environmental disorder was the only variable that affected women's sense of security, both directly and indirectly. Population density was the only variable that had no direct or indirect effect on women's sense of security. The results of stepwise regression and path analysis showed that sense of place alone explains 12.5% of women's sense of security. With the addition of the variables of perceptional density, environmental disorder and readability, the rate of explanation of the variance of the dependent variable increases by 20.7%. Reducing gender blindness in decision-making can help increase women's sense of security.

The Article Abstract is not available.

CD4+ T cells are known as a noteworthy potential modulator of inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS). In the current study, we investigated the transcriptome profile of CD4+ T cells in patients with relapsing–remitting MS (RRMS) at the relapse phase. We performed RNA sequencing of CD4+ T cells isolated from four relapsing–remitting MS (RRMS) patients at the relapse phase and four age- and sex-matched healthy controls. The edgeR statistical method was employed to determine differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Gene set enrichment analysis was subsequently performed. Applying a physical interaction network, genes with higher degrees were selected as hub genes. A total of 1278 and 1034 genes were defined at significantly higher or lower levels, respectively, in CD4+ T cells of RRMS patients at the relapse phase as compared with healthy controls. The top up- and downregulated genes were JAML and KDM3A. The detected DEGs were remarkable on chromosomes 1 and 2, respectively. The DEGs were mainly enriched in the pathways “regulation of transcription, DNA-templated,” “regulation of B cell receptor signaling pathway,” “protein phosphorylation,” “epidermal growth factor receptor signaling pathway,” and “positive regulation of neurogenesis.” Moreover, 16 KEGG pathways mostly associated with the immune system and viral infections were enriched. In the constructed physical interaction networks, UBA52 and TP53 were shown to be the most highly ranked hub genes among upregulated and downregulated genes, respectively. By applying global transcriptome profiling of CD4+ T cells, we deciphered the involvement of several novel genes and pathways in MS pathogenesis. The present results must be confirmed by in vivo and in vitro studies.

The prevalence of familial multiple sclerosis (FMS) is increasing worldwide which endorses the heritability of the disease. Given that many genome variations are ethnicity-specific and consanguineous marriage could affect genetic diseases, hereditary disease gene analysis among FMS patients from Iran, a country with high rates of parental consanguinity, could be highly effective in finding mutations underlying disease pathogenesis. To examine rare genetic mutations, we selected three Iranian FMS cases with ≥3 MS patients in more than one generation and performed whole exome sequencing. We identified a homozygous rare missense variant in POLD2 (p. Arg141Cys; rs372336011). Molecular dynamics analysis showed reduced polar dehydration energy and conformational changes in POLD2 mutant. Further, we found a heterozygote rare missense variant in NBFP1 (p. Gly487Asp; rs778806175). Our study revealed the possible role of novel rare variants in FMS. Molecular dynamic simulation provided the initial evidence of the structural changes behind POLD2 mutant.

Extracting high-yield, high-quality DNA from plant samples is challenging due to the presence of the cell wall, pigments, and some secondary metabolites. The main CTAB method, two of its modified protocols (beta-mercaptoethanol or ammonium acetate were eliminated), the modified Murray and Thompson method, and the Gene All kit were statistically compared based on the quantity and quality of the total DNA (tDNA) extracted from fresh and dried leaves of three medicinal herbs P. harmala, T. ramosissima, and P. reptans. The suitability of the tDNAs for molecular studies was evaluated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the fragments of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) in nuclear DNA and the trnL-F region in chloroplast DNA. Some significant differences were found between the tDNAs extracted by five extraction methods. With the exception of P. harmala, where the PCR of both the ITS fragments and the trnL-F region worked successfully in all DNA samples, but only the ITS fragments, not the chloroplast trnL-F region, were amplified in the DNA samples of T. ramosissima and P. reptans. The chloroplast trnL-F region was amplified only in DNA samples extracted from fresh and dried leaves of the three studied herbs using the commercial kit. Gene All kit, the main CTAB method, and its modified protocols were the less time-consuming protocols that yielded DNA suitable for downstream PCR vis-a-vis the modified Murray and Thompson method.

Recently, nanotechnology is involved in various fields of science, of which medicine is one of the most obvious. The use of nanoparticles in the process of treating and diagnosing diseases has created a novel way of therapeutic strategies with effective mechanisms of action. Also, due to the remarkable progress of personalized medicine, the effort is to reduce the side effects of treatment paths as much as possible and to provide targeted treatments. Therefore, the targeted delivery of drugs is important in different diseases, especially in patients who receive combined drugs, because the delivery of different drug structures requires different systems so that there is no change in the drug and its effectiveness. Niosomes are polymeric nanoparticles that show favorable characteristics in drug delivery. In addition to biocompatibility and high absorption, these nanoparticles also provide the possibility of reducing the drug dosage and targeting the release of drugs, as well as the delivery of both hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs by Niosome vesicles. Since various factors such as components, preparation, and optimization methods are effective in the size and formation of niosomal structures, in this review, the characteristics related to niosome vesicles were first examined and then the in silico tools for designing, prediction, and optimization were explained. Finally, anticancer drugs delivered by niosomes were compared and discussed to be a suitable model for designing therapeutic strategies. In this research, it has been tried to examine all the aspects required for drug delivery engineering using niosomes and finally, by presenting clinical examples of the use of these nanocarriers in cancer, its clinical characteristics were also expressed.

Background and Objectives: Fusarium species are known to be one of the common causes of keratitis. This study was conducted to identify Fusarium spp. causing keratitis and to investigate their genetic diversity using TEF1 and RPB2 gene sequences. Materials and Methods: Twenty-four clinical isolates of Fusarium were isolated from the patient with keratitis. Phylogenet- ic analysis of two-locus of the 24 clinical isolates and three reference strains was carried out using the maximum parsimony and RAxML methods. Results: Based on gene sequences of the 24 clinical isolates, 17, 4, and 3 isolates were identified as Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC), Fusarium fujikuroi species complex (FFSC), and Fusarium oxysporum, respectively. FFSC include F. pro- liferatum (n=1), F. globosum (n=1), F. verticillioides (n=1), and F. brevicatenulatum (n=1), respectively. Conclusion: Given that sequence of a sole gene can be challenging and on the other hand, due to the high resistance to anti- fungal drugs, identification of Fusarium species is of substantial significance. In this study, by designing a novel set of primers for the RPB2 area and using TEF1 primer, we were able to differentiate 24 Fusarium spp. isolated from patients with keratitis.

BackgroundAlthough previous studies observed the relationship between individual dietary supplements and enhancing body resistance against viruses, few studies have been conducted regarding the role of different supplements in treatment of COVID-19. This article aims to determine the association of recent and long-term supplement consumption on the biochemical indices and impatient duration among patients with COVID-19.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study on 300 adult men and women with COVID-19, recent and long-term supplement intakes were investigated by using a questionnaire. In addition, lifestyle was also assessed in aspects of fruits and vegetable consumption, physical activity, sleeping duration, fluid intake, and smoking status. Furthermore, the laboratory and paraclinical parameters were obtained from medical records. The relationship between supplement intake with the length of hospitalization and clinical laboratory tests was investigated by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).ResultsThose patients with supplement intake in the last 2 months had a significantly lower amount of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (31.31 ± 13.87 vs. 37.57 ± 19.77 mg/dL, P: 0.002) and higher serum 25(OH)D (28.13 ± 14.09 vs. 23.81 ± 13.55 ng/mL, P: 0.03). Subjects with long-term supplement intake had a significantly lower invasive oxygen support (0.00 vs 5.10 %, P: 0.05), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (498.11 ± 221.43 vs. 576.21 ± 239.84 U/L, P: 0.02), fewer days of fever (0.49 ± 3.54 vs. 2.64 ± 9.21, P: 0.02), and higher serum 25(OH)D (31.03 ± 13.20 vs. 22.29± 13.42 ng/mL, P < 0.001). The length of hospital stay was practically the same between groups who received and did not receive supplementation during the 2 months prior to hospitalization (6.36 ± 3.32 vs. 6.71 ± 4.33 days, P: 0.004). Similarly, people who took supplements during the past year had practically similar hospitalization lengths (6.29 ± 4.13 vs. 6.74 ± 3.55 days, P: 0.004).ConclusionIn conclusion, although practically the length of hospital stay was the same in both groups of supplement consumers and others, immune-boosting supplements were associated with improved several laboratory indices. However, due to the cross-sectional nature of our study, further longitudinal studies seem to be essential.

Background Given that in Iran women are more at risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) than men, the aim of the present study was to investigate the consumption of dairy products in relation to Framingham risk Score (FRS) and cardiovascular risk factors in women. Methods 371 women aged 18 to 50 years were recruited in this cross-sectional study. A validated and reliable food frequency questionnaire was used to measure diet. A 10-year odds of developing CVD between participants was predicted using FRS. Results Higher intake of total dairy, low-fat and high-fat dairy products was associated with higher FRS, but receiving each dairy, in particular, had nothing to do with FRS. Doogh consumption was directly associated with fasting blood sugar (FBS) (Odds ratio (OR): 14.11, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.97, 101.03; P = 0.999). Also intake of high-fat dairy was directly correlated with serum levels of triglyceride (TAG) (OR: 4.47, 95% CI: 1.75, 11.43; P = 0.999). However, no correlation was observed between dairy products and other CVD risk factors. Conclusions Overall, consumption of doogh and high-fat dairy products was correlated with greater serum levels of FBS and TAG, respectively. Intake of total dairy, low-fat and high-fat dairy products was also associated with higher FRS. Future studies are needed to elucidate the link between dairy consumption and risk factors of CVD to characterize gender differences.

The safety, inherent immunogenicity, stability, and low-cost production of bacteriophages make them an ideal platform for vaccine development. Most vaccination strategies against COVID-19 have targeted the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 to generate neutralizing antibodies. P1, a truncated RBD-derived spike protein, has been shown to induce virus-neutralizing antibodies in preclinical studies. In this study, we first investigated whether recombinant phages displaying P1 on the M13 major protein could immunize mice against COVID-19, and second, whether inoculation with 50 µg of purified P1 in addition to the recombinant phages would stimulate the immune systems of the animals. The results showed that the mice that received recombinant phages were immunized against the phage particles, but did not have anti-P1 IgG. In contrast, compared with the negative control, the group that received a combination of P1 protein and recombinant phage was immunized against the P1 protein. In both groups, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells appeared in the lung tissue. These results suggest that the number of antigens on the phage body plays a crucial role in stimulating the immune system against the bacteriophage, although it is immunogenic enough to function as a phage vaccine.

Background Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disease without a specific cause. Inflammation in these patients can disturb the oxidants/antioxidants balance and results in oxidative stress that plays a destructive role. This study aimed to evaluate the gene expression of sod1, sod2, cat, nrf2 and gp91phox in CD patients before and after Azathioprine (Aza) consumption. Method Peripheral bloodmononuclear cells (PBMCs) were separated from CD patients (n= 15, mean age = 33.6 ± 1.8) before and after treatment with Aza and healthy controls (n= 15, mean age = 31.5 ± 1.2). The expression levels of sod1, sod2, cat, nrf2 and gp91phox were measured in byusing real-time qRT-PCR technique. Result The expression levels of gp91phox (P-value

Mental health and obesity have a bilateral relationship with each other. No study has been done on the association between mental health and the ENRF9.3 index so far. Therefore, for the first time, the present study investigated the relationship between the ENRF9.3 index and mental health in overweight and obese women.In the current cross-sectional study, 124 overweight and obese women were selected. Food intakes in the last year were collected with 147 items semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Then, the ENRF9.3 index score was calculated for all individuals. Mental health was assessed with 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) questionnaire.In the present study, the total DASS score was marginally significant (P = 0.05), however, after the adjustment, it became insignificant (P 0.05). After adjusting confounders stress also became significant (P = 0.04). No significant relationship was observed between depression and anxiety, even after adjustment (P 0.05).The present study showed that a nutritious diet is not associated with overall mental health score, among subgroups of the DASS total score. The relationship was seen only for the stress subgroup.Level III: Evidence obtained from cohort or case-control analytic studies.

Drug resistance is one of the major challenges to skin fungal infections, especially in tropical and subtropical infections caused by dermatophytes. This study aimed to determine the antifungal susceptibility of clinically dermatophytes and evaluate point mutations in terbinafine-resistant isolates. A total number of 123 clinical dermatophyte isolates in eight species were evaluated in terms of sensitivity to seven major antifungals. Furthermore, the point mutation in squalene epoxidase (SQLE) gene responsible for terbinafine resistance was studied. The dermatophytes species were identified by morphological characteristics and confirmed by the ITS sequencing. Also, the phylogenetic tree was drawn using the RAxML analyses for 123 dermatophytes isolates. A new XXIX genotype was also found in 4 Trichophyton mentagrophytes isolates. Based on the results obtained, terbinafine was the most effective antifungal drug followed by itraconazole and voriconazole. Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton tonsurans were the most susceptible species (MIC50 = 0.01, 0.09 μg/ml), and T. mentagrophytes was the most resistant species (MIC50 = 0.125 μg/ml) to terbinafine. Of the 123 dermatophytes isolates, six isolates showed reduced susceptibility to terbinafine, and only Trichophyton indotineae had a mutation in SQLE gene as a Phe397Leu substitution. Overall, the antifungal susceptibility test is necessary for managing dermatophytosis. These results help physicians to control the course of the disease and provide further insights to select effective drugs for patients with dermatophytosis, especially in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, where dermatophytosis is still a public health problem.

Background Admittedly, little is known about the epidemiological signatures of familial multiple sclerosis (FMS) in different geographical regions of Iran. Objective To determine the epidemiology and the risk of FMS incidence in several provinces of Iran with a different ethnic population including, Fars, Tehran, Isfahan (Persians), and Mazandaran (Mazanis), Kermanshah (Kurds), and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari (Lors). Methods This cross-sectional registry-based study was performed on nationwide MS registry of Iran (NMSRI) data collected from 2018 to 2021. This system, registers baseline characteristics, clinical presentations and symptoms, diagnostic and treatments at regional and national levels. Results A total of 9200 patients including, 7003 (76.1%) female and 2197 (23.9%) male, were participated. About 19% of patients reported a family history of MS; the order from highest to lowest FMS prevalence was as follows: Fars (26.5%), Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari (21.1%), Tehran (20.5%), Isfahan (20.3%), Mazandaran (18.0%), and Kermanshah (12.5%). Of all FMS cases, 74.7% (1308 cases) were female and 25.3% (442 cases) were male. FMS occurrence was much more common in females than males (P-value = 0.001). Further, the mean age at onset was 30 years among FMS cases. A substantially higher probability of relapsing-remitting MS and secondary-progressive MS was found among FMS cases than sporadic MS (SMS) (P_value = 0.001). There was no significant difference in Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores between FMS and SMS. The majority of FMS cases were observed among first-degree relatives, with the highest rate in siblings. There was a significant association between MS risk and positive familial history in both maternal and paternal aunt/uncle (P_value = 0.043 and P_value = 0.019, respectively). Multiple sclerosis occurrence among offspring of females was higher than males (P_value = 0.027). Conclusions In summary, our findings imply a noteworthy upward trend of FMS in Iran, even more than the global prevalence, which suggests a unique Atlas of FMS prevalence in this multi-ethnic population. Despite the highest rate of FMS within Persian and Lor ethnicities, no statistically significant difference was observed among the provinces.

Purpose: The present study was performed to examine whether caspofungin-coated gold nanoparticles (CAS-AuNPs) may offer the right platform for sensitivity induction in resistant isolates. Methods: A total of 58 archived Candida species were enrolled in the research. The identification of Candida spp. was performed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and HWP1 gene amplification approaches. The conjugated CAS-AuNPs were synthesized and then characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Zetasizer system to determine their morphology, size, and charge. Furthermore, the efficacy was assessed based on the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute M60. Finally, the interaction of CAS-AuNPs with Candida element was evaluated via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results: According to the TEM results, the synthesized CAS-AuNPs had a spherical shape with an average size of 20 nm. The Zeta potential of CAS-AuNPs was -38.2 mV. Statistical analyses showed that CAS-AuNPs could significantly reduce the minimum inhibitory concentration against C. albicans (P=0.0005) and non-albicans Candida (NAC) species (P

The purpose of present research was to investigate the components of social responsibility in Nahj al-Balagha and its conformation with the content of social studies textbook in second grade school. The research method in this study was quantitative and qualitative content analysis. In the first part the categories were extracted from Nahjul-Balagha. Then, based on the calculated components, the content analysis of the social studies book was done with a quantitative approach in a deductive way. The samples were selected in a purposeful way until they reached a category saturation.The components derived from Nahj al-Balaghah (including 13 components and 25 sub-components) are: kindness to animals, protection of natural and human environment, kindness and kindness to people, altruism, submission, fairness, central task, support, preaching , Social adjustment, cooperation and cooperation, social order and social participation. The statistical population was the social studies textbooks of the second elementary (fourth, fifth and sixth-grade schools).In the second step, these components were introduced to the second grade elementary social studies textbook. As a result of quantitative analysis of the content of this book. In the meantime, the fifth grade has more components. The findings show that the amount of attention to different components in the book is different, all the components extracted from Nahj al-Balaghah are reflected in the textbook of social studies.Based on the research results

The aim of this study was to identify the minimal essential co-expression and physical interaction networks involved in the development of cognition impairment in human mid and late life. We searched the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database to extract the validated human genes annotated (until March 2020) for five major disorders of pathophysiological overlap and sequential chronological occurrence in human, including multiple sclerosis, type 2 diabetes mellitus, Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, and Lewy body dementia. Gene co-expression and physical interaction networks were subsequently constructed for the overlapping genes across the selected disorders. Remarkably, each of the gene co-expression and physical interaction networks consisted of single clusters (P = 0.0005 and P = 1 × 10−16, respectively). APP was the major hub in the integrated and tissue-specific co-expression networks, whereas insulin was the major hub in the physical interaction network. Several other hubs were identified across the identified networks, including TNF, VEGFA, GAPDH, and NOTCH1. We propose the minimal co-expression and physical interaction networks and their single clustering in the development of cognition impairment in human mid and late life. This is a pilot study, warranting identification of more risk genes, using additional validated databases in the future.

In order to investigate the biofilm creating bacteria in drinking water of Ahvaz, Iran, 4 different types of frequently used kitchen dishes (made up of plastic, glass, zinc, and teflon) were used for storage of drinking water under the same conditions at room temperature (25 °C) in triplicate order. After the formation of the slime layer, microbiological tests were performed. Results showed that after 3 days, the biofilm layer was created. The biofilm creating bacteria of studied water belonged to both the gram-negative and gram-positive groups and were identified as follows: Staphylococcus aureus, Eschershia coli, Salmonella typhimorium, Entrobacter aerogenes, and Shigella sp. Results showed that the plastic dishes had the highest rate of bacterial growth and E. coli with 65 % of the growth was the most abundant bacteria of the investigated biofilm. It could be concluded that even in purified drinking water there were bacteria with the ability to create biofilm which needs more attention to purification processes and water storage in consideration with the quality of the dishes.

With the development of novel treatments for autoimmune disorders, it has become a popular research focus which mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the capacity to counteract with autoimmune diseases progression. One of the underlying mechanisms behind their activities is the release of extracellular vesicles especially exosomes. MSC-derived exosomes are hypoimmunogenic nanocarriers which contain numerous immunoregulatory factors and similar to other exosomes, are able to pass through boundaries like the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Accumulating evidence provided by animal studies has demonstrated that MSC-derived exosomes, as a novel therapy, can re-induce self-tolerance, without subsequent complications reported for other treatments. Therefore, therapeutic applications of MSC-derived exosomes are contributing to core advances in the field of autoimmune diseases. Here, we briefly describe the biological characteristics of MSC-derived exosomes and review the experimentally verified outcomes for autoimmune disease therapy purposes., Graphical Abstract. Mesenchymal exosomes have been newly used to address impaired immune responses in some animal models of autoimmune diseases. Clinical experiments demonstrated that these vesicles successfully recover immune balance of autoreactive cells. The current picture highlights the main beneficial outcomes achieved from in vivo evaluation of MSC-derived exosomes in the mouse models.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent stem cells that have multilinear differentiation and self-renewal abilities. These cells are immune-privileged as they express no or low level of class-II major histocompatibility complex (MHC-II) and other costimulatory molecules. Having neuroprotective and regenerative properties, MSCs can be used to ameliorate several intractable neurodegenerative disorders by affecting both innate and adaptive immune systems. Several manipulations like pretreating MSCs with different conditions or agents, and using molecules derived from MSCs or genetically manipulating them, are the common and practical ways that can be used to strengthen MSCs survival and potency. Improved MSCs can have significantly enhanced impacts on diseases compared to MSCs not manipulated. In this review, we describe some of the most important manipulations that have been exerted on MSCs to improve their therapeutic functions and their applications in ameliorating three prevalent neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease.

Background Physical restraint is widely used in intensive care units to ensure patient safety, manage agitated patients, and prevent the removal of medical equipment connected to them. However, physical restraint use is a major healthcare challenge worldwide. Aim This study aimed to explore nurses' experiences of the challenges of physical restraint use in intensive care units. Methods This qualitative study was conducted in 2018–2019. Twenty critical care nurses were purposively recruited from the intensive care units of four hospitals in Tehran, Iran. Data were collected via in-depth semi-structured interviews, concurrently analyzed via Graneheim and Lundman's conventional content analysis approach, and managed via MAXQDA software (v. 10.0). Findings Three main themes were identified (i) organizational barriers to effective physical restraint use (lack of quality educations for nurses about physical restraint use, lack of standard guidelines for physical restraint use, lack of standard physical restraint equipment), (ii) ignoring patients' wholeness (their health and rights), and (iii) distress over physical restraint use (emotional and mental distress, moral conflict, and inability to find an appropriate alternative for physical restraint). Conclusion Critical care nurses face different organizational, ethical, and emotional challenges in using physical restraint. Healthcare managers and authorities can reduce these challenges by developing standard evidence-based guidelines, equipping hospital wards with standard equipment, implementing in-service educational programs, supervising nurses' practice, and empowering them for finding and using alternatives to physical restraint. Nurses can also reduce these challenges through careful patient assessment, using appropriate alternatives to physical restraint, and consulting with their expert colleagues.

BACKGROUND Azole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus is an emerging problem and reported from all continents. As triazole antifungals are the mainstay of therapy in the management of invasive aspergillosis, azole-resistant A fumigatus has become a major medical concern and with complicated clinical management. OBJECTIVE Screening of environmental presence of azole-resistant A fumigatus in Iran. METHODS Compost from Northern Iran, collected between 2017 and 2018, was screened for the presence of azole-resistant A fumigatus with azole-containing agar. Phenotypic MICs were obtained from selected, molecularly confirmed isolates. cyp51A gene sequencing and genotyping of azole-resistant isolates were done. RESULTS Among 300 compost samples, three A fumigatus isolates had high voriconazole MICs (≥16 mg/L) and harboured the TR46 /Y121F/T289A mutation in the cyp51A gene. Microsatellite typing of these isolates showed that two strains had the same allele across all nine examined microsatellite loci and were genotypically related to Indian azole-resistant strains. The other isolate had a different genotype. CONCLUSION This is the first report of A fumigatus with TR46 /Y121F/T289A mutation from the region. Monitoring and surveillance of antifungal susceptibility of clinical A fumigatus is warranted in Iran and elsewhere in the region.

Regenerative medicine offers the potential to repair or substitute defective tissues by constructing active tissues to address the scarcity and demands for transplantation. The method of forming 3D constructs made up of biomaterials, cells, and biomolecules is called bioprinting. Bioprinting of stem cells provides the ability to reliably recreate tissues, organs, and microenvironments to be used in regenerative medicine. 3D bioprinting is a technique that uses several biomaterials and cells to tailor a structure with clinically relevant geometries and sizes. This technique's promise is demonstrated by 3D bioprinted tissues, including skin, bone, cartilage, and cardiovascular, corneal, hepatic, and adipose tissues. Several bioprinting methods have been combined with stem cells to effectively produce tissue models, including adult stem cells, embryonic stem cells (ESCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and differentiation techniques. In this review, technological challenges of printed stem cells using prevalent naturally derived bioinks (e.g., carbohydrate polymers and protein-based polymers, peptides, and decellularized extracellular matrix), recent advancements, leading companies, and clinical trials in the field of 3D bioprinting are delineated.

Drug resistance is one of the major challenges to skin fungal infections, especially in tropical and subtropical infections caused by dermatophytes. This study aimed to determine the antifungal susceptibility of clinically dermatophytes and evaluate point mutations in terbinafine-resistant isolates. A total number of 123 clinical dermatophyte isolates in eight species were evaluated in terms of sensitivity to seven major antifungals. Furthermore, the point mutation in squalene epoxidase (

Background. Nowadays, dental treatment under general anesthesia is accepted as a treatment method in children in which other common methods do not allow to achieve acceptable results. The benefits of general anesthesia in pediatric dental treatment are that the treatment is completed in one session, the person is relieved of pain, and most importantly, the child does not need to cooperate. However, it is important to determine the exact dental reasons for children under general anesthesia. Objective. In this study, the cause of dental treatment under general anesthesia in children was examined from the perspective of specialists, assistants, and parents of children under general anesthesia. Methods. In this descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study, participants were selected from among the parents of children under general anesthesia for dental treatment and pediatric dentists and assistants in a purposeful manner. After the items were prepared by the professors, the prepared checklist was read to the people. After completing the checklist, the data were entered into SPSS software version 20 and analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency determination, mean, and statistical rests. Results. According to the consensus of parents and experts, the main reasons for general anesthesia for children to perform their dental operations were: young age, lack of cooperation during previous dental treatment, a large number of dental treatments, systemic disease of the child, unwillingness of parents to perform behavioral control procedures, higher quality work under anesthesia, mental and physical behavioral problems, and reduced number of treatment sessions. Conclusion. Therefore, reasons such as young age, lack of cooperation, and a large number of dentist’s work are among the most important factors that lead to the decision to perform general anesthesia in children. In light of this decision, the consequences and disadvantages/advantages of this method are important and therefore more research should be done on this issue.