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In the present study, 18 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) compounds were measured in marine sediments collected from 49 offshore stations in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman in 2019. After the last oceanographic cruise in 2006, no study has been performed on the offshore sediments of this region, and this is the first study on the PCBs in this area. The total amount of PCB compounds in the sediment samples ranged from 74.38 ng kg -1 (near Abu Musa Island) to 1212.98 ng kg -1 (near Siri and Kish Island). The maximum and minimum values of the individual detected PCB compounds were 175.88 ng kg -1 (PCB52) and 2.09 ng kg -1 (PCB156), respectively. The levels of total PCBs detected in sediments were lower than the Canadian interim sediment quality guideline value of 21500 ng kg -1 for marine sediments. The sedimentary mass inventories for Σ 18 PCBs were 0.6 and 0.2 mt for the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, respectively., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with cardiometabolic changes, and menopause exacerbates these conditions, leading to a greater risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER), which mediates the rapid effects of estrogen, has beneficial cardiac effects in both T2DM and menopause, but its mechanism of action is not well understood., Objectives: This study aimed to determine whether G1 as a selective GPER-agonist has beneficial effects on cardiac lipid metabolism in ovariectomized rats with T2DM., Methods: Female Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups (n = 7 in each group): Sham-control (Sh-Ctl), T2DM, ovariectomized-T2DM (OVX-T2DM), OVX-T2DM-G1 (GPER-agonist), and OVX-T2DM-vehicle (OVX-T2DM-Veh). After stabilization of T2DM, G1 (200 μg/Kg) was administrated for 6 weeks. Then, the levels of free fatty acids (FFAs), CD36, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα), and lipid accumulation in the cardiac tissue were determined., Results: Compared with the Sh-Ctl group, cardiac FFAs (P < 0.001), CD36 (P < 0.05), and lipid accumulation (P < 0.001) increased, and cardiac PPARα (P < 0.01) decreased in T2DM animals; ovariectomy intensified these changes. Also, cardiac FFAs, PPARα, and lipid accumulation (P < 0.05) significantly decreased in the OVX-T2DM-G1 group compared to the OVX-T2DM-Veh group. However, cardiac CD36 levels did not change., Conclusions: G1 as a selective GPER-agonist affects lipid metabolism in T2DM animals. It also plays a vital role in improving cardiac metabolism during postmenopausal diabetic conditions., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022, International Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism.)

Background: Diabetic cardiometabolic disorders are characterized by significant changes in cardiac metabolism and are increased in postmenopausal women, which emphasize the role of 17 β -estradiol (E2). Despite this, there are few safe and effective pharmacological treatments for these disorders. The role of G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPR30), which mediates the non-genomic effects of E2, is mostly unexplored., Methods: In this study, we used ovariectomy (menopausal model) and type 2 diabetic (T2D) rats' models to evaluate the preclinical action of G-1 (GPR30 agonist) against cardiometabolic disorders. T2D was induced by a high-fat diet and a low dose of streptozotocin. G-1 was administrated for six weeks after the establishment of T2D., Results: We found that G-1 counteracts the effects of T2D and ovariectomy by increasing the body weight, reducing fasting blood sugar, heart weight, and heart weight to body weight ratio. Also, both ovariectomy and T2D led to decreases in the cardiac protein levels of hexokinase 2 (HK2) and GLUT4, while G-1-treated female rats reversed these changes and only increased HK2 protein level. In addition, T2D and ovariectomy increased glucose and glycogen content in the heart, but G-1 treatment significantly reduced them., Conclusions: In conclusion, our work demonstrates that G-1 as a selective GPR30 agonist is a viable therapeutic approach against T2D and cardiometabolic diseases in multiple preclinical female models., (© 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.)

Objective: Our aim was to determine the accuracy of 3-dimensional reconstructed models of teeth compared with the natural teeth by using 4 different 3-dimensional printers., Study Design: This in vitro study was carried out using 2 intact, dry adult human mandibles, which were scanned with cone beam computed tomography. Premolars were selected for this study. Dimensional differences between natural teeth and the printed models were evaluated directly by using volumetric differences and indirectly through optical scanning. Analysis of variance, Pearson correlation, and Bland Altman plots were applied for statistical analysis., Results: Volumetric measurements from natural teeth and fabricated models, either by the direct method (the Archimedes principle) or by the indirect method (optical scanning), showed no statistical differences. The mean volume difference ranged between 3.1 mm(3) (0.7%) and 4.4 mm(3) (1.9%) for the direct measurement, and between -1.3 mm(3) (-0.6%) and 11.9 mm(3) (+5.9%) for the optical scan. A surface part comparison analysis showed that 90% of the values revealed a distance deviation within the interval 0 to 0.25 mm., Conclusions: Current results showed a high accuracy of all printed models of teeth compared with natural teeth. This outcome opens perspectives for clinical use of cost-effective 3-dimensional printed teeth for surgical procedures, such as tooth autotransplantation., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Optimum viewing conditions facilitate identification of radiographic details and decrease the need for retakes, patients' costs and radiation dose. This study sought to evaluate the effects of different viewing conditions on radiographic interpretation., Materials and Methods: This diagnostic study was performed by evaluating radiograph of a 7mm-thick aluminum block, in which 10 holes with 2mm diameters were randomly drilled with depths ranging from 0.05 mm to 0.50mm. The radiograph was viewed by four oral radiologists independently under four viewing conditions, including a white light viewing light box in a lit room, yellow light viewing light box in a lit room, white light viewing light box in a dark room and yellow light viewing light box in a dark room. Number of circular shadows observed on the film was recorded. The data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA., Results: The mean number of detected circular shadows was 6.75, 7.5, 7.25 and 7.75 in white light viewing light box in a lit room, white light viewing light box in a dark room, yellow light viewing light box in a lit room and yellow light viewing light box in a dark room, respectively. Although the surrounding illumination had statistically significant effect on the radiographic details (P≤0.03), the light color of the viewing light box had no significant effect on visibility of the radiographic details., Conclusion: White and yellow light of the viewing light box had no significant effect on visibility of the radiographic details but more information was obtained in a dark room.