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Mosquitoes have always played an important role in transmitting a wide range of viral and parasitic diseases to humans and animals. Given that so far there has been no study on the fauna, distribution and characteristics of mosquito habitats in Qir and Karzin County, we decided to investigate these unknown data in this important tropical area in south of Iran for the first time. Adult mosquitoes were collected by hand-catch and total catch methods from indoor and outdoor places in Qir and Karzin Counties from four different geographical regions during the activity seasons of mosquitoes in 2017-18. Also, larvae were collected from aquatic habitats using WHO recommended standard dipper. Collected mosquitoes were identified using valid taxonomic keys. A total of 1884 specimens of Culicidae mosquitoes (1103 adults and 781 larvae) were collected from twenty-one sampling areas during the mosquito activity seasons in Qir and Karzin County. Totally 11 species in 3 genera (7 Culex, 3 Anopheles and 1 Culiseta species) were identified. The dominant larva was Cx. laticinctus with a total number of 227 (29%), and Cx. sinaiticus with 407 specimens (36.9%) which was the most frequent adult mosquito. Most larval habitats in this area were sunny and almost without vegetation breeding sites with temporary, turbid and stagnant water. In this region, compared to the area of the County, there was considerable species diversity for mosquitoes. This phenomenon is very important from an ecological and health point of view. Due to the existence of some important vectors of arthropod-borne diseases in this region, the health system should be alert and continuous and accurate monitoring of these vectors should be included in the routine vector-borne diseases control program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Removal of Reactive Black 5 (RB5) from aqueous solutions was carried by the sorption process in the presence and in the absence of ultrasound. Sorption of the dye on the solid phase was investigated in a series of batch sorption experiments to determine the influence of different parameters such as contact time, amount of sorbent and concentration of pollutant on the removal efficiency of RB5 with and without ultrasound. The experimental data were fitted properly to the Freundlich model and the isotherm constants were 28.2 and 7.4 for k f and 0.13 and 0.38 for 1/n in the presence and in the absence of ultrasound (20kHz) respectively. The data were analyzed with different sorption kinetic models and were better fitted with a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Two ultrasonic generators at 20 and 500kHz were used for sonication of the system. This investigation also reveals that RB5 can be removed by higher frequency apparatus (500kHz) without sorbent in about 60min sonication. The rate of removal was higher at the higher frequency than at the lower one. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The sorption of methylene blue as a basic dye onto cellulosic materials such as waste newspaper was examined kinetically in the presence of ultrasound (sono-sorption) and in its absence (conventional method). The effects of various experimental parameters such as the amount of sorbent, type of cellulosic sorbents, initial dye concentration, temperature, and contact time have been investigated using a batch sorption technique. The information obtained can be used for treating effluents from the dye industry which deals with this kind of dye. The results show that as the amount of sorbent is increased, the dye removal in conventional method increases accordingly. In case of sono-sorption, it was stopped at specific amount of sorbent. More than 98% removal of the dye could be achieved in a very short period of time of sonication with respect to the conventional method. This behavior is related to the cavitation process which facilitates the removal of dye from aqueous solution. The method mentioned could be employed as a low cost alternative to the commercial activated carbon currently used in wastewater treatment for the removal of dyes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Dysregulation of key transcription factors involved in hepatic energy metabolism, such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1α) and liver X receptor alpha (LXRα), has been observed in T2DM. The present study aims to investigate the effects of aerobic training and vitamin D supplementation on liver enzyme levels and the levels of PGC-1α and LXRα proteins in hepatocytes, in a rat model of T2DM. The study involved 56 male Wistar rats, divided into two groups: one was non-diabetic and acted as a control group (n = 8), and the other had induced diabetes (n = 48). The diabetic rats were then split into six subgroups: two groups received high or moderate doses of vitamin D and aerobic training (D + AT + HD and D + AT + MD); two groups received high or moderate doses of vitamin D alone (D + HD and D + MD); one group underwent aerobic training with vehicle (sesame oil; D + AT + oil), and one group was a diabetic control receiving only sesame oil (oil-receiving). The D + AT + HD and D + HD groups received 10,000 IU of vitamin D, while the D + AT + MD and D + MD groups received 5000 IU of vitamin D once a week by injection. The D + AT + oil group and the sham group received sesame oil. After eight weeks of treatment, body weight, BMI, food intake, serum insulin, glucose, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, ALT, AST, and visceral fat were measured. The levels of PGC-1α and LXRα proteins in the liver was assessed by western blotting. Statistical analysis was performed using the paired t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the Tukey post hoc test at a significance level of P < 0.05. Body weight, food intake, and BMI decreased significantly in the D + AT + HD, D + AT + MD, D + AT + oil, D + HD, and D + MD groups with the highest reduction being observed in body weight and BMI in the D + AT + HD group. The D + AT + HD group exhibited the lowest levels of insulin, glucose, and HOMA-IR while the D + C group exhibited the highest levels among the diabetic groups. The D + AT + HD and D + AT + MD groups had lower levels of ALT and AST enzymes compared to the other groups with no significant difference between D + AT + HD and D + AT + MD. D + AT + HD (p = 0.001), D + AT + MD (p = 0.001), D + HD (p = 0.023), D + MD (p = 0.029), and D + AT + oil (p = 0.011) upregulated LXRα compared to D + C. Among these groups, D + AT + HD exhibited a more profound upregulation of LXRα than D + AT + MD, D + AT + oil, D + HD, and D + MD (p = 0.005; p = 0.002, p = 0.001, and p = 0.001, respectively). Similarly, D + AT + HD showed a more notable upregulation of PGC-1α compared to D + AT + oil, D + HD, and D + MD (p = 0.002; p = 0.001, and p = 0.001, respectively). Pearson correlation tests showed significant and negative correlations between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin levels and both visceral fat (r = - 0.365; p = 0.005) and HOMA-IR (r = - 0.118; p = 0.009); while positive and significant correlations between the liver-to-bodyweight ratio with both ALT and AST enzymes and also between QUICKI levels with LXRα (r = 0.578; p = 0.001) and PGC-1α (r = 0.628; p = 0.001). Combined administration of aerobic training and vitamin D supplementation potentially improves liver enzymes in type-2 diabetic rats that were simultaneous with upregulating the levels of PGC-1α and LXRα proteins in hepatocytes. These improvements were more significant when combining exercise with high-dose vitamin D supplementation. This study highlights the potential of this combination therapy as a new diabetes treatment strategy., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on individual health and fitness routines globally. Resistance training, in particular, has become increasingly popular among men and women looking to maintain or improve their physical fitness during the pandemic. However, using Anabolic Steroids (AS) for performance enhancement in resistance training has known adverse effects. Thus, this study aimed to explore the prevalence of AS use among men and women resistance training practitioners after the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 3,603 resistance training practitioners (1,855 men and 1,748 women) in various geographical locations impacted by COVID-19. The participants were asked to complete self-administered questionnaires, which included questions regarding demographic information, training habits, and current or prior usage of AS. The data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software and the chi-square method, with a significance level of (P < 0.05)., Results: A total of 3603 men and women resistance training practitioners completed the survey. In the study, 53.05% of men and 41.99% of women used anabolic and androgenic steroids. Of those men who used steroids, 29.47% used Testosterone, while 31.20% of women used Winstrol. Additionally, 50.30% of men used steroids via injection, while 49.05% of women used them orally. According to the study, 49.99% of the participants had 6 to 12 months of experience with resistance training, and 64.25% of them underwent three training sessions per week. The analysis using the χ2 test did not reveal any significant difference between men and women in terms of duration of bodybuilding, frequency per week, and engagement in other activities., Conclusion: This study shows that a significant proportion of men and women resistance training practitioners used AS, particularly among young adults with limited training experience. Thus, there is a need for targeted education and awareness campaigns to address the hazards of AS use and promote healthy training habits during the COVID-19 pandemic., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Although the effect of Vitamin D Supplementation (Vit D) on several chronic diseases has been well conceded, its role in diabetes remains ambiguous. The present study investigated the interactive effects of Aerobic Training (AT) and different Vit D doses on Protein Kinase B (Akt), Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxylase (PEPCK), and Glucose-6-Phosphatase (G6Pase) protein expressions in hepatocytes of type-2 diabetic rats., Methods: Fifty-six male Wistar rats were divided into 2 groups SHAM (non-diabetic control; n = 8), and diabetic (n = 48). Then, diabetic rats were divided into six groups: AT with high doses of Vit D (D + AT + HD), AT with moderate doses of Vit D (D + AT + MD), high doses of Vit D (D + HD), moderate doses of Vit D (D + MD), AT receiving vehicle (sesame oil; D + AT + oil), and control (oil-receiving). D + AT + HD and D + HD groups received 10,000 IU of Vit D; while D + AT + MD and D + MD groups receive 5000 IU of Vit D once a week by injection; D + AT + oil and SHAM groups received sesame oil. Diabetes was induced via intraperitoneal (IP) injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg body weight). After 2 months of intervention, serum insulin, glucose, and visceral fat were measured; protein expressions of Akt, PEPCK, and G6Pase were assessed by western blotting. The paired t-test, one-way analysis of variance (One-Way ANOVA), and the Tukey post hoc test were used at the signification level of P < 0.05., Results: Our data indicate that the diabeticization of rats increased the level of insulin, glucose, and PEPCK and G6Pase protein expressions and decreased the expression of the Akt (P < 0.05 for all variables). Combined AT and moderate or high Vit D significantly reduced body weight (P = 0.001; P = 0.001), body mass index (P = 0.001; P = 0.002), food intake (P = 0.001; P = 0.001) comparing the pre-test with the post-test, respectively. Also, AT and either high or moderate Vit D alone therapies lead to the improvement of the metabolic state, however, their combination had a more significant effect on the treatment of type 2 diabetes., Conclusions: Findings from the present study suggested that combined Vit D supplementation and AT successfully improve liver function and attenuate insulin resistance via upregulating Akt and downregulating PEPCK and G6Pase expressions, compared with monotherapy., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The lockdown and social distancing caused by Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may have changed Physical Activity Level (PAL), eating behavior, and health habits due to long-term confinement worldwide., Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the PAL, eating behavior, Quality of Life (QoL), General Health (GH), and mood states during COVID-19 confinement in a large sample of Iraqi adults., Methods: 3738 healthy adults (age 18-70 years) residing in Halabjeh, Iraq answered the online questionnaires including the short form of international physical activity, GH, three-factor eating (TFEQ-R18), and a short form of the profile of mood states (POMS-SF) questionnaires. Data analysis was done by Chi-square, and Spearman's correlation using SPSS statistical software at a significant level of (P < 0.05)., Results: The results showed unfavorable PAL, eating behavior, QoL, GH, and mood states in the total population. Low PAL was observed in 69.96% of the men and 75.99% of the women; only 3.60% of the men and 0.77% of the women had a high PAL. There was a significantly positive relationship between low PAL and the incidence of COVID-19 both in men and women (P = 0.801; r = 0.001; and P = 0.682; r = 0.011), respectively; While a significant negative relationship was observed between the moderate and high PAL and the incidence of COVID-19 in men (P = 0.011; r=-0.682 and P = 0.027, r=-0.589), and women (P = 0.001; r=-0.796 and P = 0.018, r=-0.623). No significant relationships were observed between PAL and eating behavior (men: P = 0.086; r = 0.256 and women: P = 0.365, r=-0.121); While, the results show significant positive relationships between PAL with QoL in men (P = 0.012; r = 0.623) and women (P = = 0.001; r = 0.837). based on the results, significant negative relationships between PAL with GH and mood state scores were observed in both men (P = 0.001; r=-0.837 and P = 0.001, r=-0.786) and women (P = 0.010; r=-0.652 and P = 0.001, r=-0.745), respectively., Conclusions: The Iraqi adult population showed low PAL, GH, QoL, and mood state during COVID-19 which might be due to the confinement. Also, the significant relationships between low PAL with GH, and mood state recommends physical activity as a valuable health optimizing factor during the COVID-19 pandemic., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objective:  The aim of the present systematic review meta-analysis is to assess the effect of olfactory stimulation on reducing dysmenorrhea. METHODS:  Systematic search was conducted in several databases, such as PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Scopus, to identify relevant research up to October 26, 2019. The identified studies were evaluated based on a modified Jadad scale. The intervention involves aromatherapy alone or in combination with essential oils. There was no restriction for the control group such as a placebo group or other common treatments. The Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Version 2 (Bio stat, Englewood, NJ, USA) was used for meta-analysis. Cochran's Q and I2 tests were utilized., Results:  The findings of our meta-analysis, which contained 13 trials (15 data), showed that dysmenorrhea decreased significantly in the group receiving aromatherapy with herbal compared with the control group (standardized mean difference [SMD] = -0.795; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.922 to- 0.667; 17 trials O < 0.001); heterogeneity; I2 = 19.47%; p  = 0.236). In addition, four studies with insufficient data were not included in our meta-analysis. The results of all studies suggested that aromatherapy with herbal medicine group compared with control group is effective., Conclusion:  Aromatherapy with herbal medicine decreased dysmenorrhea. This treatment was particularly effective when aroma oil was combined with massage or when a mixture of aroma oil was used for the treatment of dysmenorrhea., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflict of interests to declare., (Federação Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).)

Objective: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and insufficient vitamin D levels are globally increasing phenomena which are correlated with cognitive impairment. This study investigated the interactive effect of aerobic training with vitamin D supplementation on memory deficit in rats with metabolic syndrome induced by ovariectomy. Methods: A total of forty Wistar rats weighing 240-255 gr were randomly matched on their body weight and divided into ovariectomy (OVX, n  = 32) and sham-operated (SHAM; n  = 8) groups. OV group was then divided into vitamin D supplementation (OVX + Vit D; 10000 IU/kg/week, for 8 weeks, n  = 8), aerobic training (OVX + AT; n  = 8), aerobic training and vitamin D supplementation (OVX + AT + Vit D; 10000 IU/kg/week, for 8 weeks, n  = 8), and vehicle control group receiving sesame oil (OVX + Ses Oil; n  = 8). After the end of intervention, passive avoidance learning and memory were assessed in step through passive avoidance paradigm. Obtained data were analyzed by ANOVA and post hoc Tukey test. Results: After 8 weeks of aerobic training and vitamin D supplementation, step through dark compartment latency (STL) was significantly higher and total time spent in that compartment (TSD) was lower in OVX + AT + Vit D compared to the other counterpart groups. Conclusion: Vitamin D supplementation combined with 8-week aerobic training alleviates cognitive impairment metabolic syndrome induced by ovariectomy.

There is a complex association among genetic, metabolic, and environmental factors in determining the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS). The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the association between the dietary intake of iron, copper, zinc, manganese, selenium, and iodine (assessed by 24 recall) with vascular endothelial growth factor variants (rs6921438, rs4416670, rs6993770, and rs10738760), on the risk of MetS. Two-hundred and forty-eight individuals with MetS and 100 individuals without MetS were recruited. The dietary intake and the daily average of energy and nutrient intake were obtained by a questionnaire and quantified using Diet Plan 6 software. DNA was extracted from EDTA anticoagulated whole blood. The SNPs were assessed using using a Sequenom iPLEX Gold assay. Data analysis was undertaken using the Student t test, χ2 test and logistic regression using SPSS 11.5 software. There was a significant association between low dietary iron intake and rs6993770 (β = .10, P < .05), and a low dietary zinc and a high manganese intake with rs6921438 in relation to the presence of MetS (β = -.17, P < .05, β = -.30, P < .05, respectively). Our data showed the association of rs6993770 with iron intake and rs6921438 with zinc and manganese intake, indicating further investigation in a larger population to evaluate their values., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Inflammasomes are intracellular complexes involved in the innate immunity that convert proIL-1β and proIL-18 to mature forms and initiate pyroptosis via cleaving procaspase-1. The most well-known inflammasome is NLRP3. Several studies have indicated a decisive and important role of NLRP3 inflammasome, IL-1β, IL-18, and pyroptosis in atherosclerosis. Modern hypotheses introduce atherosclerosis as an inflammatory/lipid-based disease and NLRP3 inflammasome has been considered as a link between lipid metabolism and inflammation because crystalline cholesterol and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) (two abundant components in atherosclerotic plaques) activate NLRP3 inflammasome. In addition, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and lysosome rupture, which are implicated in inflammasome activation, have been discussed as important events in atherosclerosis. In spite of these clues, some studies have reported that NLRP3 inflammasome has no significant effect in atherogenesis. Our review reveals that some molecules such as JNK-1 and ASK-1 (upstream regulators of inflammasome activation) can reduce atherosclerosis through inducing apoptosis in macrophages. Notably, NLRP3 inflammasome can also cause apoptosis in macrophages, suggesting that NLRP3 inflammasome may mediate JNK-induced apoptosis, and the apoptotic function of NLRP3 inflammasome may be a reason for the conflicting results reported. The present review shows that the role of NLRP3 in atherogenesis can be significant. Here, the molecular pathways of NLRP3 inflammasome activation and the implications of this activation in atherosclerosis are explained., (© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Atherosclerosis is a progressive and multifactorial disease which occurs under the influence of various risk factors including endothelial dysfunction (ED), oxidative stress, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation. In contract to the initial hypotheses on the usefulness of vitamin E supplementation for cardiovascular disease prevention, large outcome trials showed consumption of vitamin E has no obvious effect on cardiovascular disease and, in some cases, it may even increase the rate of mortality. This seemingly unexpected finding may be due to the opposite effects of vitamin E compounds. Vitamin E is a group of compounds which have different and even opposing effects, yet in most of the studies, the exact consumed component of vitamin E is not determined. It appears that the combined consumption of gamma-tocopherol, vitamin C, D, and tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) may be extremely effective in both preventing atherogenesis and suppressing plaque development. In this regard, one of main issues is effect of vitamins E and D deficiency on microRNAs network in atherosclerosis. Various studies have indicated that miRNAs have key roles in atherosclerosis pathogenesis. The deficiency of vitamins E and D could provide a deregulation for miRNAs network and these events could lead to progression of atherosclerosis. Here, we highlighted a variety of mechanisms involve in the progression of atherosclerosis and effects of vitamins D and E on these mechanisms. Moreover, we summarized miRNAs involve in atherosclerosis and their regulation by vitamins E and D deficiency. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 2968-2976, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., (© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

A modified PVC-membrane electrode with tetra-butylammonium bromide - Clinoptilolite nano-particles (TBA-NCP) showed good Nernstian slope (29.9±0.6 mV per decade of oxalate concentration) in concentration range of 3.1×10(-7)-8.3×10(-1) mol L(-1) with a detection limit of 1.5×10(-7) mol L(-1). The best performance was obtained with a membrane composition of 31.5% PVC, 62.5% DOP and 6% TBA-NCP in the temperature range of 20-35 °C and the pH range of 4-9. The fast response time and good reproducibility over a period of 3 months are other characteristics of the sensor. The proposed electrode was successfully used as an indicator electrode in titration of oxalate ions with CaCl2 solution. The proposed electrode was also used in direct potentiometric determination of oxalate in many real samples such as: mushroom, black and green tea, spinach and beet., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Eating breakfast is crucial for adolescents to be healthy. It also improves students' capacity of learning and doing school homework. Although healthy habits such as eating breakfast, weight control, and regular sleep increase the lifespan in adults, the effects of healthy habits on school-age children have not been studied much. The present study aimed at investigating the impact of an educational program based on Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) on eating breakfast among middle school students., Materials and Methods: This interventional study was conducted on sixth-grade students in Qom City during the academic year 2012-2013. First, 97 students were randomly assigned to the experimental group and 97 other students were assigned to the control group. Then, a questionnaire was developed on eating breakfast by the researchers according to the TPB. A pilot study was conducted to assess the reliability of the questionnaire. To assess the validity of the questionnaire, advice by a panel of experts was sought. To carry out a pre-test, both groups answered the questions. After analyzing the pre-test results, the required content was developed for the experimental group. Educational methods included delivering speech, discussion groups, pamphlets, and posters. The required educationalcontent was provided for students during five sessions and for parents in one session. To determine the effect of educational intervention, a post-test study was carried out 2 months after the intervention. Collected data were analyzed using independent t-test, χ,([2]) and repeated measures., Results: In the experimental group, 36.7% of students were eating breakfast at least in a day of a week, before educational intervention. After implementation of the educational program, only 32.7% of them were continuing their past habit. There was a significant difference between themean scores of attitudes, perceived behavioral control, intention, and practice of eating breakfast in the experimental and control groups (P < 0.05), while there was no significant difference between the mean scores of subjective norms after implementing the educational program in both groups (P < 0.26)., Conclusion: Using the TPB improved students' intentions and behavior of eating breakfast. Thus, it seems necessary to consider all effective environmental factors on the subjective norms in the education of healthy eating behaviors or improving breakfast-eating practice among students.

Characterization of a human lung cancer cell line is reported. This cell line was established from a patient referred to Nemazi Hospital of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences with a diagnosis of poorly differentiated carcinoma. Sterile sample from peritoneal effusion was taken and immediately cultured in RPMI-1640 medium containing 20% FBS, at 37 degrees C with 5% CO2. This cell line has been in continuous culture for more than one year and has been named as Mehr-80. Several features of the cell line were investigated, including growth characteristics, electron microscopic features, cloning efficiency in soft agar, expression of various antigenic markers, chromosomal and DNA analysis. On the basis of morphological and immunohistochemical analysis of Mehr-80, it is possible to conclude that this cell line is characterized by features similar to those reported for large cell carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation (LCCND). This cell line will be a valuable in vitro tool for further studies on lung cancers.