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Copolymerization of ethylene and 1-octene was carried out using a Ziegler-Natta catalyst and the optimization of copolymerization conditions was studied. The optimum polymerization activity was obtained at 60 °C and [Al]:[Ti] molar ratio of 143:1. It was observed that the increase in the comonomer ratio in the feedstock influenced the physical properties of the final copolymer obtained. The results showed a range of crystallinity (Xc) from 68.5% to 34.8% and a range of melting temperature (Tm) from 140 °C to 129 °C for the synthesized copolymers. The viscosity average molecular weight (M̅v) of the polymers decreased as the polymerization temperature increased, however, by increasing the monomer pressure, the M̅v of the polymers and the catalyst activity increased. Polymer nanocomposites containing graphene and multi-walled carbon nanotubes with different particle sizes were prepared under the optimum copolymerization conditions. The addition of graphene and multi-walled carbon nanotubes decreased the activity of the catalyst. However, the thermal stability, and crystallinity of the polymers were found to be increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family Carangidae is widely distributed in the Atlantic, Indian and pacific Oceans. Two morphologically similar species, Trachurus indicus and Decapterus maruadsi, were collected and recognized from the Gulf of Suez. The two species have no distinct differences morphologically. Microsatellite DNA markers revealed that the populations of the two species represented distinct genetic divergence. This genetic diversity study showed that the populations of the two species are not related to each other. Overall, this study reveals high genetic diversity of T. indicus and D. maruadsi populations. Further studies on the genetic structure of these two species, are needed not only to understand the evolutionary history of the species, but also to improve the knowledge-based fishery management programs of this important biological resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Traditionally, diagnosis of the agents of infectious diseases is based on conventional or phenotypic methods. Due to the lack of growth of some infectious agents, these methods are very difficult or impossible for diagnosis of some bacteria. The advent of molecular techniques has more or less influences on the detection of microbial infections. This article addresses the advantages and disadvantages of diagnostic molecular and conventional methods in detecting pathogenic microorganisms. Traditional diagnostic methods such as phenotypic, chemical and serologic characteristics are still used for detection of infectious diseases. In addition to diagnosing the bacterial agents, varient molecular methods may also detect virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance genes at a higher rate, sensitivity and accuracy. It seems that the advanced molecular methods can reduce diagnosis time, mortality rate and costs of laboratory diagnosis, and shorten the duration of hospitalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Studies in the health sciences is comprised of observational and intervention. A major part of health sciences research has been allocated to the observational studies. Designing and doing studies based on scientific guidelines that include the entire process, leads to studies validation and also results can be generalized to the community. Thus, for standardizing the scientific and observational studies, a statement entitled "Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology" (STROBE) was presented. The purpose of drafting a STROBE statement, is making recommendations to clarify the design, methods, and findings of observational studies and is not requiring researchers to follow a particular methodology. In other words, the purpose of the STROBE statement is better "reporting" of observational studies and not better "doing". According to the importance of designing and scientific reporting of observational articles, this study was performed for presentation of the STROBE statement, history, goals, and weaknesses for Persian speaking readers. Materials and Methods: To verify the STROBE statement, STROBE website and published articles on the evaluation of STROBE effectiveness and related articles were studied. Results: The results of this study showed the lack of adequate use of STROBE statement in the articles published after the presentation of this statement. Conclusion: Knowledge of the scientific standards for reporting research in Iran to enhance the academic standing and the quality of research, leads to improved academic standing of the Iranian specialists in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

P. Mederly [7] characterized the modular pseudocomplemented semilattices in terms of triples. We show that a similar result is possible for the class of quasi-modular pseudocomplemented semilattices, which is an extension of the class of modular pseudocomplemented semilattices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal is the property of World Health Organization and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Nanoparticles of Ni0.92Ca0.08Fe2O4 ferrite was prepared by the citrate precursor method. The effect of sintering temperature and sintering time on the structural, magnetic, and thermal properties of the prepared samples were investigated by using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and photoacoustic (PA) technique, respectively. The grain size of the sintered samples estimated from the XRD and the TEM results inform that the increase in the particle size is more announced by increasing the sintering temperature than increasing the sintering time. The unexpected decrease of the saturation magnetization of the sintered samples is ascribed to the dominant effect of the cation distribution which is affected by the sintering process. The cation distribution of the present samples was obtained from the analysis of the magnetization measurements and XRD data. The increase of measured density and the decrease of porosity of the sintered samples as a result of the grain growth have the obvious effect of increasing their thermal diffusivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal is the property of World Health Organization and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Hospital library Websites are now becoming a commonly implemented means of providing access to health information to a diverse group of patrons. Hospital libraries must design their Websites to effectively serve patrons' information needs. Usability testing is a validated method of evaluating a library's Website design. Usability testing enables the opportunity to observe and evaluate real-world Website navigation. Usability testing provides a challenge for many hospital librarians. Hierarchical Goal Decomposition (HGD) provides a means to leverage a user's knowledge base or augment a deficit of knowledge to achieve a fruitful experience at the hospital's Website. This paper documents the use of HGD to analyze Genetic Home Reference, a resource available through the National Library of Medicine. Through this work, this paper provides guidelines for individual hospital librarians to utilize HGD to inform Website design for a hospital or hospital library Website. Although labor-intensive, HGD can provide information of a high degree of granularity with a smaller sample size that delivers high quality information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: The article offers a current perspective on medical informatics and health sciences librarianship. NARRATIVE: The authors: (1) discuss how definitions of medical informatics have changed in relation to health sciences librarianship and the broader domain of information science; (2) compare the missions of health sciences librarianship and health sciences informatics, reviewing the characteristics of both disciplines; (3) propose a new definition of health sciences informatics; (4) consider the research agendas of both disciplines and the possibility that they have merged; and (5) conclude with some comments about actions and roles for health sciences librarians to flourish in the biomedical information environment of today and tomorrow. SUMMARY: Boundaries are disappearing between the sources and types of and uses for health information managed by informaticians and librarians. Definitions of the professional domains of each have been impacted by these changes in information. Evolving definitions reflect the increasingly overlapping research agendas of both disciplines. Professionals in these disciplines are increasingly functioning collaboratively as 'boundary spanners,' incorporating human factors that unite technology with health care delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) significantly affects both the quality of life related to health and non-health aspects. This study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Lupus_PRO questionnaire, version 1.7. The questionnaire serves as a specific self-report outcome scale for assessing the treatment outcomes of Lupus disease., Methods: The Lupus_PRO questionnaire, version 1.7, was translated into Persian using the standard forward-backward method. After being completed by 218 patients with Lupus, the psychometric properties of the instrument were examined. The Convergent and Discriminant Validity of the scale were assessed using Average Variance Extracted and Cross Loadings, respectively. The construct validity of the questionnaire was also evaluated through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Cronbach's alpha was calculated to assess the reliability of the questionnaire dimensions., Findings: Out of the 218 patients with lupus who participated in the current study, 13 (6%) were male, and 205 (94%) were female. The mean (SD) age of participants was 40.29 (10.94) years. The Average Variance Extracted (AVE) for HRQOL and Non-HRQOL constructs, except for the Coping and Cognition dimension, was greater than 0.50, indicating satisfactory convergent validity. The interdimensional correlation coefficient (Discriminant Validity) for each dimension with other questionnaire dimensions was less than 0.10, indicating that the questionnaire has good convergent and discriminant validity. Additionally, the results of the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) indicated that the questionnaire was a suitable fit. In terms of reliability, Cronbach's alpha for the various questionnaire dimensions ranged from 0.51 to 0.91, indicating good internal consistency., Conclusion: The Persian version of the Lupus_PRO questionnaire, version 1.7, demonstrates acceptable validity and reliability in the Iranian population. This instrument can effectively measure various aspects of the quality of life in patients with lupus., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Introduction: With rapid elevation in population, urbanization and industrialization, the environment is exposed to uncontrolled discharge of effluents filled with broad-spectrum toxicity, persistence and long-distance transmission anthropogenic compounds, among them heavy metals. That put our ecosystem on the verge or at a stake of drastic ecological deterioration, which eventually adversely influence on public health. Therefore, this study employed marine fungal strain Rhodotorula sp. MZ312369 for Zn 2+ and Cr 6+ remediation using the promising calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) bioprecipitation technique, for the first time., Results: Initially, Plackett-Burman design followed by central composite design were applied to optimize carbonic anhydrase enzyme (CA), which succeeded in enhancing its activity to 154 U/mL with 1.8-fold increase comparing to the basal conditions. The potentiality of our biofactory in remediating Zn 2+ (50 ppm) and Cr 6+ (400 ppm) was monitored through dynamic study of several parameters including microbial count, CA activity, CaCO 3 weight, pH fluctuation, changing the soluble concentrations of Ca 2+ along with Zn 2+ and Cr 6+ . The results revealed that 9.23 × 10 7  ± 2.1 × 10 6 CFU/mL and 10.88 × 10 7  ± 2.5 × 10 6 CFU/mL of cells exhibited their maximum CA activity by 124.84 ± 1.24 and 140 ± 2.5 U/mL at 132 h for Zn 2+ and Cr 6+ , respectively. Simultaneously, with pH increase to 9.5 ± 0.2, a complete removal for both metals was observed at 168 h; Ca 2+ removal percentages recorded 78.99% and 85.06% for Zn 2+ and Cr 6+ remediating experiments, respectively. Further, the identity, elemental composition, functional structure and morphology of bioremediated precipitates were also examined via mineralogical analysis. EDX pattern showed the typical signals of C, O and Ca accompanying with Zn 2+ and Cr 6+ peaks. SEM micrographs depicted spindle, spherical and cubic shape bioliths with size range of 1.3 ± 0.5-23.7 ± 3.1 µm. Meanwhile, XRD difractigrams unveiled the prevalence of vaterite phase in remediated samples. Besides, FTIR profiles emphasized the presence of vaterite spectral peaks along with metals wavenumbers., Conclusion: CA enzyme mediated Zn 2+ and Cr 6+ immobilization and encapsulation inside potent vaterite trap through microbial biomineralization process, which deemed as surrogate ecofriendly solution to mitigate heavy metals toxicity and restrict their mobility in soil and wastewater., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Matrix-degrading enzymes are promising non-biocidal adjuncts to dental biofilm control and caries prevention. By disrupting the biofilm matrix structure, enzymes may prevent biofilm formation or disperse established biofilms without compromising the microbial homeostasis in the mouth. This study reviewed whether treatment with mutanase and/or dextranase inhibits cariogenic biofilm growth and/or removes cariogenic biofilms in vitro . An electronic search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane, and LIVIVO databases. Manual searches were performed to identify additional records. Studies that quantitatively measured the effect of mutanase and/or dextranase on the inhibition/removal of in vitro cariogenic biofilms were considered eligible for inclusion. Out of 809 screened records, 34 articles investigating the effect of dextranase (n = 23), mutanase (n = 10), and/or combined enzyme treatment (n = 7) were included in the review. The overall risk of bias of the included studies was moderate. Most investigations used simple biofilm models based on one or few bacterial species and employed treatment times ≥30 min. The current evidence suggests that mutanase and dextranase, applied as single or combined treatment, are able to both inhibit and remove in vitro cariogenic biofilms. The pooled data indicate that enzymes are more effective for biofilm inhibition than removal, and an overall higher effect of mutanase compared to dextranase was observed., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disorder characterised by skin fibrosis leading to skin tightening and disfigurement. However, there is no definite treatment for SSc and its skin complications. Fractional carbon dioxide laser has been widely used for different cutaneous pathologies. This study aims to evaluate the benefits of CO2 laser resurfacing on microstomia and peri-oral rhytids in systemic sclerosis patients., Method and Patients: 33 systemic sclerosis patients were enrolled. Four sessions of CO2 laser treatment were performed at an interval of four weeks. Patients were evaluated monthly. The interincisal distance (IID) measurement was used to evaluate maximal mouth opening capacity, and the mouth handicap in systemic sclerosis (MHISS) scale was used to assess the improvement after treatment., Results: All of the participants were female with a mean age of 47.46 and a standard deviation of 7.11. The mean disease duration was 12.35. The mean total core of the MHISS scale was 25.24, and the mean IID was 48.11 millimetres before the treatment with CO2 laser. The MHISS score decreased, and patient satisfaction increased after treatment. However, observed differences in the results of IID were not statistically significant., Conclusion: In conclusion, it seems that the fractional carbon dioxide laser is effective in the improvement of perioral rhytids, patient satisfaction based on the MHISS score, and mouth disability in SSc patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2024 The Mediterranean Journal of Rheumatology (MJR).)

Background: Scleredema adultorum of Buschke is a rare disease characterized by firm and non-pitting edema of the skin. The condition is rare with unknown etiology. Diagnosis is made on the basis of clinical findings and skin biopsy., Case Presentation: Here, we describe a 14-year-old Iranian girl presenting with non-pitting edema and woody thickening of the skin that progressed within a month. She was evaluated for possible underlying malignancy or connective tissue disorders, which were excluded by multiple laboratory workups. She underwent a skin biopsy which confirmed the diagnosis of scleredema, and she was successfully treated with intravenous immunoglobulin and mycophenolate mofetil., Conclusion: While scleredema adultorum of Buschke is a rare disease with no definite treatment, our effort through this report was to highlight the possible benefits of treatment by intravenous immunoglobulin and mycophenolate mofetil., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Silymarin is known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. We investigated these effects on serum levels of CTRP3, Anti-CCP, and hs-CRP in individuals with Rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study, 42 individuals with RA were recruited and their serum specimens were collected, serum levels of hs-CRP, AntiCCP antibodies, and CTRP3 were measured using ELISA. DNA was extracted and investigated for the existence of possible new mutations in the gene encoding CTRP3 using the PCR technique; the desired fragments were then amplified and sequenced. Another blood sample was collected from the case group after taking livergol for three months (3 doses of 140 mg/day) and the tests were repeated. Anti-CCP Abs levels in the postintervention responding group decreased compared to preintervention (p<0.001) while in the non-responding group, the levels increased after the intervention compared to the levels before the intervention (p=0.019). Additionally, CTRP3 levels in the responding group increased postintervention (p=0.003), however, in the non-responding group the levels decreased postintervention when compared to preintervention (p=0.02). The responding group had significantly lower levels of hs-CRP when compared to that of preintervention (p=0.005) whereas the non-responding group had significantly higher levels of postintervention (p<0.001). Moreover, the results of sequencings of exon 6 on CTRP3 gene showed the presence of mutations in exon 6 (position 215:C>T, 338:G>A, 359:A>C, and 153:T>C). Silymarin could be used as an adjuvant in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Background: There has been a dearth of research into the benefits of water-based workouts for ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients., Objective: This study aimed to compare the effect of Aqua Stretch and Aqua Pilates in improving quality of life (QOL), function, and pain in AS patients., Methods: This study was conducted on 40 patients, who were randomly assigned to the Aqua Pilates, Aqua Stretch, and control groups. The experimental groups attended interventions for six-week. QOL, pain intensity, function, and fatigue were measured before and after treatments., Results: Except for the chest expanding, all variables in the Aqua Stretch group changed significantly after six weeks (p< 0.05). QOL (p= 0.002), 6MWT (p= 0.016), and Schober flexion (p= 0.011) showed changes, while BASDAI (p= 0.0001), VAS (p= 0.0001), fatigue (p= 0.0001), and Schober extension (p= 0.028) showed significant decreases. Except for chest expansion and Schober extension, which did not alter significantly after six-week of Aqua Pilates (p> 0.05), all other variables did. There was an increasing trend in 6MWT and Schober flexion (p= 0.021) and a decreasing trend in BASDAI (p= 0.002), VAS (p= 0.0001) and fatigue (p= 0.002). Except for QOL (p= 0.016), no statistically significant differences were found between the groups., Conclusion: All variables had a significant change after six-week Aqua Stretch, except for the chest expanding. Chest expanding and Schober extension were the variables which had no significant change after six-week Aqua Pilates. With the exception of QOL, no statistically significant differences were found between the groups. Aqua Stretch had the greatest effect on the VAS, as measured by the minimum clinically relevant differences (MCID). Moreover, in Aqua Stretch alone, there was a notable impact on fatigue, QOL, and the BASDAI.

Gout, characterized by elevated uric acid levels, is a common inflammatory joint disease associated with pain, joint swelling, and bone erosion. Existing treatments for gout often result in undesirable side effects, highlighting the need for new, safe, and cost-effective anti-gout drugs. Natural products, including medicinal plants and phytochemicals, have gained attention as potential sources of anti-gout compounds. In this review, we examined articles from 2000 to 2020 using PubMed and Google Scholar, focusing on the effectiveness of medicinal plants and phyto-chemicals in managing gout. Our findings identified 14 plants and nine phytochemicals with anti-gout properties. Notably, Teucrium polium, Prunus avium, Smilax riparia, Rhus coriaria, Foenic-ulum vulgare, Allium cepa, Camellia japonica , and Helianthus annuus exhibited the highest xa-thine oxidase inhibitory activity, attributed to their unique natural bioactive compounds such as phenolics, tannins, coumarins, terpenoids, and alkaloids. Herbal plants and their phytochemicals have demonstrated promising effects in reducing serum urate and inhibiting xanthine. This review aims to report recent studies on plants/phytochemicals derived from herbs beneficial in gout and their different mechanisms., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Purpose: SYVN1 is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident E3 ubiquitin ligase that has an essential function along with SEL1L in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the changes in the expression of peripheral blood ncRNAs and SYVN1-SEL1L affected by DMARDs treatment., Methods: Twenty-five newly diagnosed RA patients were randomly assigned to receive conventional DMARDs (csDMARDs) and methylprednisolone for six months. The peripheral blood gene expression of SYVN1 and SEL1L and possible regulatory axes, NEAT1, miR-125a-5p, and miR-19b-3p, were evaluated before and after qRT-PCR. We also compared differences between the patients and healthy controls (HCs), and statistical analyses were performed to determine the correlation between ncRNAs with SYVN1-SEL1L and the clinical parameters of RA., Results: Expression of NEAT1 (P = 0.0001), miR-19b-3p (P = 0.007), miR-125a-5p (P = 0.005), and SYVN1 (P = 0.036) was significantly increased in newly diagnosed patients compared to HCs; also, miR-125a-5p, miR-19b-3p, and SYVN1 were significantly overexpressed after treatment (P = 0.001, P = 0.001, and P = 0.005, respectively). NEAT1 was positively correlated with SYVN1, and miR-125a-5p had a negative correlation with anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides. The ROC curve analysis showed the potential role of selected ncRNAs in RA pathogenesis., Conclusion: The results indicate the ineffectiveness of the csDMARDs in reducing SYVN1 expression. The difference in expression of ncRNAs might be useful markers for monitoring disease activity and determining therapeutic responses in RA patients. Key Points • The expression of NEAT1 is significantly upregulated in RA patients compared to HC subjects. • miR-19b-3p, miR-125a-5p, and SYVN1 are significantly upregulated in RA patients compared to HC subjects. • The expression of miR-19b-3p and miR-125a-5p is significantly increased in RA patients after treatment with DMARDs and methylprednisolone. • NEAT1 is positively correlated with SYVN1., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR).)

Background: Metabolic dysregulation and excessive inflammation are implicated in the pathogenesis of the highly infectious disease of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by a newly emerging coronavirus (i.e., severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2; SARS-CoV-2). The adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), an energy sensor regulating the metabolic pathways in diverse cells, exerts a regulatory role in the immune system. This study aims to examine the mRNA expression level of AMPK and the plasma levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-10 cytokines in patients with different grades of COVID-19., Methods: Peripheral blood was collected from 60 patients with COVID-19 (Moderate, severe, and critical). The plasma levels of IL-6 and IL-10 were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the mRNA expression level of AMPK was determined using real-time PCR., Results: The results showed that the plasma levels of IL-6 increased significantly in critical and severe patients compared to moderate cases of COVID-19 (P < 0.001). Moreover, IL-10 plasma concentrations were significantly higher in critical and severe cases than in moderate cases of COVID-19 (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). Also, the gene expression of AMPK was meaningfully enhanced in critical patients relative to moderate and severe cases of COVID-19, in order (P < 0.001 and P < 0.01, respectively). There was a positive association between AMPK gene expression and plasma levels of IL-6 and IL-10 (P = 0.006, r = 0.348, P = 0.028, r = 0.283, respectively)., Conclusion: Increasing AMPK gene expression is likely a necessary effort of the immune system to inhibit inflammation in critical COVID-19. However, this effort seems to be inadequate, probably due to factors that induce inflammation, like erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and IL-6., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Objectives: The significance of T helper 17 (Th17) cells in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has recently been demonstrated in many studies. Retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor γt (RORγt) is a transcription factor that is specifically involved in the generation of Th17 cells. Besides, the chemokine receptor CCR6, the receptor for CCL20, is characteristically expressed by these cells. Considering the pivotal roles of Th17 cells in RA pathogenesis, in this study, we assessed the gene expression of CCR6 and RORγt in the peripheral blood leukocytes of new case RA patients. Also, we evaluated their association with anticyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies and disease activity., Methods: Forty-five new case RA patients and 45 healthy persons have been recruited in this investigation. The gene expression of CCR6 and RORγt was evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and anti-CCP antibodies plasma levels were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Disease activity was measured according to the disease activity score-28 (DAS-28) formula., Results: The gene expression of CCR6 and RORγt increased remarkably in new case RA patients compared to healthy controls (p < .05 and p < .01, respectively). Moreover, there was a positive correlation between RORγt gene expression and parameters, including gene expression of CCR6 (p = .001, r = .461), plasma levels of CCL20 (p = .0009, r = .477), ESR (p = .004, r = .419), DAS-28 (p = .006, r = .402), anti-CCP (p = .019, r = .346), and RF (p = .001, r = .451). Also, CCR6 gene expression was positively associated with the DAS-28 (p = .037, r = .310), plasma levels of anti-CCP (p = .037, r = .312), and ESR (p = .029, r = .327)., Conclusion: Increased gene expression of CCR6 and RORγt in peripheral blood leukocytes of new case RA patients may contribute to the exacerbation and pathogenesis of RA., (© 2023 The Authors. Immunity, Inflammation and Disease published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are the most prevalent non-dental origin orofacial pain conditions affecting the temporomandibular joints (TMJs) and/or orofacial muscles. Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) is a conservative way to improve function and reduce symptoms in TMD patients. This systematic review was conducted to update evidence about the effects of PBMT on pain intensity, TMJ movements, electromyography (EMG) activity, pressure pain threshold (PPT), and TMJ sound in patients with TMDs. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in Web of Science, PubMed/Medline, and Scopus databases using appropriate keywords and specific strategies from January 2000 to September 2022. Data extraction was done based on the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Results: A total of 40 studies were included. All included studies except one provided information on pain intensity; 27 studies showed a reduction in pain intensity in PBMT groups compared to control groups. Seven out of 15 studies, which reported maximum mouth opening (MMO), showed a greater MMO in PBMT groups than in placebo groups. In addition, the figures for passive maximum mouth opening (PMMO) and active maximum mouth opening (AMMO) in all the studies reporting PMMO and AMMO were higher in PBMT groups. In eight out of ten studies, lateral movement (LM) was greater in PBMT groups. Moreover, in three studies out of four, protrusive movement (PM) was reported to be greater in the PBMT group. Four out of nine studies showed a greater PPT in the PBMT group. Reduced TMJ sounds in the PBMT group were reported in two out of five studies. In addition, in most studies, no difference in EMG activity was detected between the two groups. Conclusion: This updated systematic review showed the promising effects of PBMT on the alleviation of pain and improvement in MMO. Using the infrared diode laser with a wavelength ranging between 780-980 nm, an energy density of<100 J/ cm 2 , and an output power of≤500 mW for at least six sessions of treatment seems to be a promising option for treating mentioned TMDs signs and symptoms based on the previously reported findings., Competing Interests: None., (Copyright © 2023 J Lasers Med Sci.)

Introduction: Fecal incontinence (FI) is caused by external anal sphincter injury. Vitamin E is a potential strategy for anal sphincter muscle repair via its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic, and protective properties against myocyte loss. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the water-soluble form of vitamin E efficacy in repairing anal sphincter muscle defects in rabbits., Methods: Twenty-one male rabbits were equally assigned to the intact (without any intervention), control (sphincterotomy), and Trolox (sphincterotomy + Trolox administration) groups. Ninety days after sphincterotomy, the resting and squeeze pressures were evaluated by manometry, and the number of motor units in the sphincterotomy site was calculated by electromyography. Also, the amount of muscle and collagen in the injury site was investigated by Mallory's trichrome staining., Results: Ninety days after the intervention, the resting and squeeze pressures in the intact and Trolox groups were significantly higher than in the control group (P = 0.001). Moreover, the total collagen percentage of the sphincterotomy site was significantly lower in the Trolox group than in the control group (P = 0.002), and the total muscle percentage was significantly higher in the Trolox group compared to the control group (P = 0.001). Also, the motor unit number was higher in the Trolox group than in the control group (P = 0.001)., Conclusion: Trolox administration in the rabbit sphincterotomy model can decrease the amount of collagen and increase muscle, leading to improved anal sphincter electromyography and manometry results. Therefore, Trolox is a potential treatment strategy for FI., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Autoantibodies (AABs) play a critical role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases (AIDs) and serve as a diagnostic and prognostic tool in assessing these complex disorders. Viral infections have long been recognized as a principal environmental factor affecting the production of AABs and the development of autoimmunity. COVID-19 has primarily been considered a hyperinflammatory syndrome triggered by a cytokine storm. In the following, the role of maladaptive B cell response and AABs became more apparent in COVID-19 pathogenesis. The current review will primarily focus on the role of extrafollicular B cell response, Toll-like receptor-7 (TLR-7) activation, and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) formation in the development of AABs following SARS-CoV-2 infection. In the following, this review will clarify how these AABs dysregulate immune response to SARS-CoV-2 by disrupting cytokine function and triggering neutrophil hyper-reactivity. Finally, the pathologic effects of these AABs will be further described in COVID-19 associate clinical manifestations, including venous and arterial thrombosis, a multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and recently described post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) or long-COVID., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background & Objective: There is no consensus on the prevalence of salivary gland tumors (SGTs) in Iran. Thus, we systematically reviewed the literature about the prevalence of SGTs in Iran and applied the last world health organization (WHO) classification., Methods: The systematic literature search was performed in EMBASE, Scopus, PubMed MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Scientific Information Database (SID), and Magiran; we searched for "salivary gland," "tumor," "prevalence," and "Iran" until 1 March 2021. The studies included were written in the English and Farsi languages. The weighted mean prevalence of SGTs was calculated as prevalence (%) * (N/the sum of all N). We used the unpaired Two-sample T-test to compare the weighted means., Results: A total of 17 studies, including 2870 patients, were selected for the data synthesis. The weighted mean prevalence of benign and malignant tumors was 66% (95% CI: 59-73) and 34% (95% CI: 27-41), respectively. The patients' mean age was reported in 10 out of the 17 studies. The weighted mean age of the patients was 40 (95% CI: 37-42) and 49 (95% CI: 43-55) years for benign and malignant tumors, respectively ( P =0.01). Pleomorphic adenoma (PA), followed by Warthin's tumor (WT), was the most prevalent benign tumor. Moreover, the most common malignant tumors were mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) and adenoid cystic carcinoma (AdCC)., Conclusion: More than one-third of SGTs in Iran were malignant, which is higher than the reports from Middle Eastern countries. Information about risk factors and the burden of SGTs in Iran is insufficient. Thus, further well-designed longitudinal studies are warranted., Competing Interests: There are no conflicting interests.

Background: The application of herbal and/or chemical antimicrobial mouthwashes in addition to the mechanical methods of bacteria removal helps reduce the periopathogens and thus increase the periodontal tissues' health. The present study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial effect of Thymex (TMX) syrup on three periodontal facultative anaerobes in vitro and compare it with 0.2% chlorhexidine (CHX) mouthwash., Methods: In this in vitro experiment, the disc diffusion method was used to measure the inhibitory halo diameter (IhD) of Enterobacter cloacae , Actinomyces viscosus , and Eikenella corrodens . The paper discs containing TMX and CHX were placed on Mueller-Hinton agar media and cultured with the mentioned bacteria. Moreover, a blank disc containing distilled water was used as a control. From each of the three bacterial species, five samples were taken, and after 18 hours of storage in the incubator, the IhDs were measured in millimeters. A one-way ANOVA test and an independent sample t -test were used to compare the mean differences of IhDs between groups. The significance level was considered to be 0.05., Results: The IhDs ranged between 6.2-8.8 mm and 12.3-34 mm for TMX and CHX, respectively. CHX showed a more inhibitory effect on all three species of bacteria compared to TMX mouthwash ( P < 0.001)., Conclusions: Despite the inhibitory effect of TMX on bacterial growth, CHX showed significantly more antibacterial activity than TMX against three studied bacterial species., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Mohammad Mahdi Yaghooti Khorasani et al.)

Background and Objectives: Few studies have considered potential benefits of probiotic bacteria and their derivatives on human and animal health. Nisin is an antimicrobial agent that is produced by lactobacilli and served as a preservative in foods. This study aims to investigate whether nisin suppresses or decreases the genes involved in the pathogenicity of methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA and MRSA)., Materials and Methods: MSSA and MRSA strains were cultured at the ¼, ½, and 1 × minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of nisin. Next, RNA extraction was performed at the mid-exponential stage of growth, and cDNA was synthesized. The expression of virulence factors was measured by qPCR, and the data were analyzed by the ΔΔCt formula., Results: Depending on the incubation times and the Lactobacillus species, the MIC of nisin on MRSA and MSSA observed in 800 and 1600 mg/l, respectively. The qPCR assay showed the expression level of the sea, agrA, and spa genes decreased and the level of the sae gene increased at the sub-MIC of nisin, and no antagonism was observed. Concerning MRSA, the maximum downregulation rate was observed in the sea gene (up to 5.9 folds) while in MSSA, the maximum downregulation rate was noticed in the agrA gene (up to 10 folds)., Conclusion: Due to the high inhibitory effect of the sub-MIC of nisin on the expression of virulence factor genes in MRSA and MSSA, this compound could potentially reduce the virulence of S. aureus., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

Background: Aqua Pilates and Aqua Stretch exercises are different and new methods for the rehabilitation of musculoskeletal disorders. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Aqua Stretch and Aqua Pilates interventions in the treatment of pain, function, and posture of the spine in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients., Methods: Forty patients participated in this study who were randomly allocated into Aqua Stretch, aqua Pilates, and control. The experimental groups received four 60-min training sessions each week for six weeks. However, the control group had only its routine drug treatment (NSAIDs & Anti TNF). Pain with Visual Analog Scale (VAS), function with Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) and 40-m walking test (MWT), quality of life with ankylosing spondylitis quality of life (ASQoL), and posture of the spine with the Spinal Mouse were evaluated. Evaluations were performed before and after the interventions. Repeated measure ANOVA was employed to determine the main and interaction effects., Results: Aqua Stretch and Aqua Pilates had a significant effect on pain (Aqua-Pilates: P = 0.0001; Aqua-Stretch: P = 0.0001), BASFI (Aqua-Pilates: P = 0.01; Aqua-Stretch: P = 0.02), 40-MWT (Aqua-Pilates: P = 0.006; Aqua-Stretch: P = 0.0001) and ASQoL (Aqua-Pilates: P = 0.01; Aqua-Stretch: P = 0.001), spinal range of motion (ROM) (Aqua-Pilates: P = 0.0001; Aqua-Stretch: P = 0.0001) at a similar ratio. However, the control group did not present any improvement in these factors (P > 0.05). Moreover, the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) revealed that the Aqua Stretch group performed better than the Aqua Pilates group in terms of VAS, ASQOL, and 40-MWT factors., Conclusions: Aqua Stretch and Aqua Pilates had statistically the same effect on improving pain, function, quality of life, and spinal ROM, while MCID results revealed that the Aqua Stretch group performed better than the Aqua Pilates in terms of VAS-ASQOL-40-MWT. Trial registration It is notable that local ethics committee approval was obtained (IR.KUMS.REC.1399.1137), and the study was registered in Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT; IRCT20190426043377N3; registered on 22/05/2021, https://fa.irct.ir/user/trial/56058/view ) and patient recruitments were started on 06/07/2021., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease with chronic inflammation characterized by joint damage and even extra-articular involvement. In this study, the gene expression levels of MALAT1, H19 and their possible downstream microRNAs, miR-199a-5p, miR-1-3p, and the predicted targets of these miRNAs, HSPA5 and MMD, were examined., Methods: Twenty-five newly diagnosed RA patients and 25 healthy individuals were included. For six months, patients were treated with conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and Methylprednisolone (mPRED). Blood samples were obtained from healthy controls and patients (before and after treatment). After RNA extraction, the RT-qPCR technique was used to evaluate the expression level of the studied genes., Results: Data showed that the expression level of MALAT1, H19, miR-199a-5p, and miR-1-3p was significantly higher in the newly diagnosed patients with RA than the healthy subjects, but the increase in the expression level of HSPA5 and MMD genes in the new cases was not significant compared to healthy controls. After treatment, except for the expression level of lncRNAs, the expression level of miRNAs, HSPA5, and MMD significantly increased. Based on ROC curve analysis of MALAT1, H19, miR-199a-5p and miR-1-3p have a high ability to identify patients from healthy individuals (AUC = 0.986, AUC = 0.995, AUC = 0.855, AUC = 0.675, respectively)., Conclusion: MALAT1 and H19 may be candidates as potential biomarkers for the discrimination between RA patients and controls. DMARDs plus mPRED therapy do not have a desirable effect on reducing inflammatory responses and ER stress., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)