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Meningitis and meningoencephalitis, as inflammatory diseases of the brain parenchyma, are serious events reported sporadically after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination. However, there is a lack of systematic reviews consolidating these reported cases. By using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science databases. All case reports and series discussing the emergence of meningitis and meningoencephalitis after COVID-19 vaccination were included and evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool. Out of 967 records, 27 studies with 31 patients were eventually included. The most commonly reported symptoms were headaches and fever. About one-third of the patients exhibited positive meningeal signs. Most of the findings in the computed tomography scans and magnetic resonance images revealed no significant changes or enhancement in the leptomeninges. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis dominantly suggested aseptic meningitis, and about 80.6% of the patients experienced a full recovery. After a detailed review of the reported cases, further research is needed to establish a definitive correlation between meningitis and COVID-19 vaccination on a larger scale.

The effect of Silybum marianum seed extract (SMSE), added freely or in co-encapsulated with L. plantarum (MT, ZH593), on cell survivability, physicochemical and textural parameters in synbiotic cheeses for 60 days at 4 °C were studied. Incorporated cheeses with free, single encapsulated, and co-encapsulated probiotic + SMSE experimented a reduction of 3.19, 1.23, and 0.76 log CFU/mL for the cell survivability and their antioxidant activity reached 15.19, 16.26, and 31.73%, respectively, at the end of the storage. Decrease in hardness, cohesiveness, and springiness of the cheese containing free probiotic + SMSE upon compression during storage revealed proteolysis pattern and pH development being the most effective agents while whey percentage and moisture loss were the most effective agents in the rest of the cheeses. Overall, microcapsules containing L. plantarum and SMSE propose an easy and efficient delivery vehicle for the transition of bio-compounds into cheese as a novel synbiotic food., 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. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Low BMD is a common problem in major thalassaemia patient, but the use of DXA in chronic disease children with smaller bones, has some problems. Utilizing bone mineral apparent density (BMAD) helps in preventing this obstacle. Testing the usefulness of this method in resolving the effects of bone size on BMD by comparing the BMD and BMAD of our thalassemics with results of our healthy ones, is our goal., Methods: Sample size was 110 cases with mean age of 9.6 ± 4.3 y/o and contained 73 males. Gauge of BMDs done by dual x-ray absorptiometry. Then BMAD was calculated. We did comparison of BMDs and BMADs results of thalassemic children with results of healthy Iranian pediatrics., Results: Mean of femoral BMD and BMAD, spinal BMD and BMAD was 0.579±0.134 g/cm2, 0.162±0.096 g/cm3, 0.563±0.118 g/cm2 and 0.107±0.015, respectively. When results of 9-18 patients compared with BMDs and BMADs of normal children, BMD of femur and BMD and BMAD of spine of patients found significantly lower (P-values, 0.003, <0.001, <0.001, respectively). BMAD of femur of patients was not significantly different from normals., Conclusion: When bone mineral density of femur modifies by bone mineral apparent density formula, the remarkable difference between BMD of patients and normals; vanishes. Utilizing bone mineral apparent density helps in interpretation of femoral dual X-ray absorptiometry at least in thalassemic patients. As the results of vertebrae, after modification by calculating BMAD, remains significantly different, we cannot bring forward BMAD for mentioned aim in the spine of thalassemics., Competing Interests: All authors have no conflicts of interest., (© The Author(s).)

Over the past few decades, the demand for high-quality food has increased steadily. Therefore, it is essential to develop innovative technologies that effectively reduce microbial load while minimizing any negative effect on the quality of spices. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of a self-designed non-contact induction heating system using contaminated cumin seeds. The non-contact induction heating decontamination process was performed at different temperatures of 115, 135 and 155°C and durations (45, 60 and 75 s) through continuous process (screw conveyor) in Pyrex cylinder chamber. Various parameters including microbial load, color characteristics, essential oil content, surface morphology, sample temperature, and energy consumption were analyzed as dependent variables in the study. The results showed that the treatment combination (155°C - 60 s) reduced the aerobic plate count from 6.21 to 2.97 CFU/g. Mold, yeast and coliforms in the treatment combination (155°C-45 s) were also reduced by 3.26 and 3.6 CFU/g, respectively. The total color difference of the samples increased due to the degradation and alteration of pigments at high temperatures. However, no statistically significant disparity in essential oil content was observed between the treatment groups and the control group. The quantities of essential oil components in the cumin seeds were determined to align with the ISO standard, with the primary constituents identified as follows: Terpinen-7-al γ (38.98%), Cumin aldehyde (20.75%), γ-Terpinene (18.81%), β-Pinene (13.66%), and p-Cymene (6.2%). In summary, non-contact induction heating system shows promise as an effective technology for surface decontamination of spices. The acquired findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the impact of the induction heating process on both the microbial contamination levels and the quality attributes of cumin seeds. This scientific knowledge serves as a foundational framework for the prospective adoption and integration of this technology on a larger industrial scale., 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: Beta-thalassemia major patients frequently have endocrinopathies. We tried to determine relation between demographic and transfusion factor and endocrinopathies., Methods: Major beta-thalassemia patients (n=114 cases), 3-38 yr of age, entered this study. Female to male ratio was 51/63. Children (less than 20 yr) formed 57% of participants. Information about bone mineral density (BMD) and hormonal and biochemistry blood evaluation including fasting blood sugar (FBS), ferritin, triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone (males), and estradiol (females) entered data sheet., Results: Sex and ferritin level showed no significant correlation with above disorders. Age significantly correlated to short stature, diabetes, low BMD at femur and neck ( P , 0.031, 0.008, 0.009 and <0.001, respectively) . The risk of short stature had increased in 12 yr and older patients 7.71 times than younger patients ( P = 0.008). The risk of diabetes had increased in 35 yr and older patients 26.25 times than younger patients ( P = 0.03). The risk of Z-score ≤ -2 in femoral region has increased in 19 yr and older patients 5.84 times than younger patients ( P = 0.002). The risk of Z-score ≤ -2 in spinal region has increased in 14 yr and older patients 17 times than younger patients ( P = 0.007)., Conclusion: The main factor related with endocrinopathies was age. The correlation between age and short stature, diabetes and low BMD was positive. Therefore, we recommend early monitoring of thalassemia patients (in their late childhood and early teenage) for these complications., (Copyright© 2024 Mohajeri-Tehrani et al. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

Background: Pregnant women's knowledge about labor analgesia and the acceptance rate of this method are still undesirable in developing countries., Objectives: This study aimed to examine pregnant women's knowledge, attitude, and acceptance of painless labor., Methods: The present observational study was conducted in a referral university hospital in Northern Iran from September 2022 to April 2023. Eligible women were interviewed; the data were analyzed in SPSS v. 22 and expressed in numbers and percentages. A P-value < 0.05 was considered significant., Results: The data from 369 eligible women with an average age of 30.39 ± 5.42 years were analyzed. Of these women, 7.6% had minimal information about labor analgesia, and 92.4% declared they were almost aware of the procedure. Only 6 women (1.8%) believed that the anesthesiologists were responsible for performing labor analgesia, while 218 (63.9%) considered it the duty of obstetricians-gynecologists. Besides, 294 women (86.2%) requested this method, and 259 (76%) were ready to pay for it. Moreover, 166(48.7%) had no fear of the procedure. Nonpharmacologic methods were the first choice for 164 (48.1%), while Entonox was the last choice for 26 (7.6%). A significant association was observed between maternal level of education and willingness to pay for painless delivery (P = 0.006), knowledge of who performs it (P = 0.015), requesting a painless delivery (P = 0.0001), options related to the preferred method for painless delivery (P = 0.001), and being ready to pay for a painless delivery service (P = 0.0001)., Conclusions: Despite the poor maternal knowledge regarding the process of painless labor, the majority of the women requested the method and were ready to pay for it. These promising findings encourage the application of practical strategies to remove barriers., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023, Hosseinzadeh et al.)

Background: Depression is more common in diabetic patients, with a 1.5-fold increased risk of death.Melissa officinalis (M. officinalis) have anti-diabetic and anti-depression activities. The study aimed to determine the efficacy of M. officinalis extract on depression, anxiety, and sleep quality in patients with type 2 diabetes with depressive symptoms., Methods: In this double-blind clinical trial, 60 volunteer patients (age range 20-65 years) with type 2 diabetes mellitus with symptoms of depression were randomized into the intervention (received 700 mg/day hydroalcoholic extract; n = 30) or control group (received 700 mg/day toasted flour; n = 30). Dietary intake, physical activity, anthropometric indices, FBS (Fasting blood sugar), hs-CRP(High-sensitivity C-reactiveprotein), depression, anxiety, and sleep quality were determined at the beginning and end of the study. Depression and anxiety were assessed by Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), respectively; sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)., Results: Sixty participants received M. officinalis extract or placebo, of which 44 patients completed the 12-week double-blind clinical trial. After 12-week the mean change of depression and anxiety scores were statistically significant between the two groups (p < 0.001 and p = 0.04, respectively), but no significant differences were observed in FBS, hs-CRP, anthropometric indices, sleep quality, and blood pressure.In the intervention group, there was a significant decrease in depression and anxiety severity(p < 0.001 and p = 0.01, respectively) at the end of the study compared to the baseline., Trial Registration: All protocols in this study were followed in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration (1989 revision). Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Iran University of Medical Sciences Ethics committee (IR.IUMS.FMD.REC 1396.9413468004; research.iums.ac.ir). The study was registered at the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT201709239472N16); Registration date: 09/10/2017., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

After the first reporting of the index case of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2-associated disease at the end of December 2019, the virus spread quickly throughout the world, prompting the WHO on 11 March 2020 to declare the disease a global pandemic. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, raises concerns for all people, mainly for susceptible population. People with pre-existing diseases, especially individuals with autoimmune disorders, are more at the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection because of compromised immune system due to frequent use of immunosuppressive drugs and steroids. Patients with autoimmune diseases and their physicians have concerns about these patients' healthcare, since they are at a higher risk for COVID-19 infection, may show severe complications of COVID-19, and may experience probable flares of their pre-existing disease. Even though there have been several studies discussing the relation between COVID-19 and various types of autoimmune diseases, it cannot be ascertained that all patients with autoimmune diseases experience more severe complications of COVID-19 and have more hospitalization or mortality rate. The situation depends on each patient's condition, such as the type and the severity of the underlying autoimmune disease and the kind of treatment they receive. In the present review, we have discussed the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on patients with different autoimmune diseases and their relative concerns about their treatments. As a result, we have reviewed further considerations that should be taken into account for these patients during the pandemic or when they are infected with COVID-19., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objectives: Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) is a bone densitometry method that is less expensive and more portable than DXA. It is also noninvasive. QUS parameters include speed of sound (SOS), broad band ultrasound attenuation (BUA), and stiffness index (SI). This study defined normal values of QUS parameters in Iranian men and women., Methods: QUS of heels measured in 258 Iranian men and women, aged 20-76 y/o. They were participants of Iranian Multicenter Osteoporosis study (IMOS), selected by randomized sampling. QUS device was an Achilles+ (GE-Lunar) device., Results: Percentiles of SI (2.5%, 50%, and 97.5%) determined. We found a good agreement between the Iranian reference values and western reference (used by device) value in defining normal and osteoporotic people (κ = 0.875)., Conclusion: Results from this study suggest that QUS of the heel may be a good method for diagnosis of low bone mass in different regions., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Tehran University of Medical Sciences 2022, Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is the most prevalent form of symptomatic primary humoral immunodeficiencies characterized by failure in the final differentiation of B lymphocytes. The majority of CVID cases have no identified genetic defect, and epigenetic alteration could be involved in the pathogenesis of CVID. Hence, we aimed to evaluate the expression of hsa-miR-125b-5p -and, B lymphocyte-induced maturation protein-1(BLIMP-1) and interferon regulatory protein-4 (IRF-4) in a group of CVID patients with no definitive genetic diagnosis in comparison with healthy individuals. Ten CVID patients (all known genes excluded) and 10 age and sex-matched healthy controls participated in the study. B lymphocytes were isolated and expression of miR-125b-5p, IRF4, and BLIMP1 were evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Moreover, B cell subsets were analyzed by flow cytometry. The results showed that the relative expression of miR-125b-5p in CVID patients was increased while it was decreased for the BLIMP1 and IRF4 transcription factors compared with the healthy controls. Although a reduction was observed in switched and non-switched memory B cells among all high-miR patients, these subsets were decreased in patients with normal miR expression (71.0% and 85.0%, respectively). Our results suggest that overexpression of miR-125b-5p affects the terminal differentiation of B cells in a selected group of CVID patients by downregulating the BLIMP-1 gene and more intensively for the IRF-4 gene expressions.