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AimsAcute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) is the most common type of acute leukemia in adults. Despite numerous treatment strategies including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, a large number of patients do not respond to treatment and experience relapse. The main problem of these patients is the development of resistance to anti-cancer drugs. Therefore, any endeavor to reduce drug resistance in these patients is of high priority. In general, several mechanisms such as changes in drug metabolic pathways, drug inactivation, drug target alterations and reduced drug accumulation in the cells contribute to drug resistance of cancer cells. In this context, evidence suggests that exosomes could reduce drug resistance by removing drugs from their parent cells. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects of exosome release inhibition on the resistance of U937 cells to PEGylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD).Main MethodsIn order to find a suitable ABCG2 (ATP-binding cassette sub-family G member 2) transporter substrate, virtual screening was performed among a list of drugs used in leukemia and PLD was selected. U937 cells were treated with PLD with/without co-treatment with the exosome release inhibitor, GW4869. Released exosomes within different study groups were isolated and characterized to determine the differences between groups. Doxorubicin presence in the isolated exosomes was also measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to confirm drug export through the exosomes. Finally, the effect of exosome inhibition on the cytotoxicity of PLD on U937 cells was determined using different cytotoxicity assays including the standard lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay and the flow cytometric analysis of apoptotic and non-apoptotic cell death.Key FindingsGW4869 treatment caused a significant decrease in the exosome release of U937 cells compared to the untreated cells, as evidenced by the reduction of the protein content of the isolated exosomes (P

Background Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that damages hair follicles and follicular melanocytes can be involved in the autoimmune process. Therefore, similar to vitiligo, there may be a relationship between sensorineural hearing loss and alopecia areata. Aims/objectives This study aimed to investigate potential hearing impairments in patients with alopecia areata. Methods A total of 42 subjects with alopecia areata and 42 healthy individuals enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The hearing was evaluated by vestibular evoked myogenic potential, otoacoustic emission and pure tone audiometry tests in the patients and control subjects. Results A normal otoacoustic emission was reported in 59.5% and 100% of subjects with alopecia areata and the controls, respectively (P = 0.02). Higher speech recognition thresholds (P = 0.02) and speech discrimination scores were reported more in subjects with alopecia areata than in controls (P < 0.001); however, the most comfortable level of speech was not significantly different between the groups (P = 0.06). The greatest increase in the hearing threshold was recorded at a frequency of 8000 Hz, while at frequencies of 500 and 1000 Hz, the patients and controls did not significantly differ (P > 0.05). About 6 (14.3%) and 2 (4.8%) of patients with unilateral and bilateral involvement, respectively, demonstrated no vestibular evoked myogenic potential response in the alopecia areata group. The patients and controls did not significantly differ in terms of amplitudes of the vestibular evoked myogenic potential test (P = 0.097). Limitation Small sample size and qualitative measurement of otoacoustic emission were limitations of our study. Conclusion Hearing loss was more common in alopecia areata patients than in healthy individuals. Follicular melanocytes may be involved in the alopecia areata inflammatory process, and destroying melanocytes may impact hearing function in the inner ear. However, there was no significant relationship between the duration and severity of alopecia areata and hearing loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore the relationship between syntactic and lexical complexity and also the relationship between different aspects of lexical complexity. To this end, speech monologs of 35 Iranian high-intermediate learners of English on three different tasks (i.e. argumentation, description, and narration) were analyzed for correlations between one measure of syntactic complexity (mean number of clauses per Analysis of Speech Unit) and two measures of lexical complexity (diversity and sophistication). Spearman’s rho was used to calculate correlations between the average scores for syntactic and lexical complexity obtained from the three tasks and also for each of the three tasks individually. The results showed that the average scores for lexical diversity and lexical sophistication correlated positively, but the correlation was found only for the narration task. Also, the average scores for syntactic complexity did not correlate significantly with any of the average scores for the two measures of lexical complexity. However, the pattern of results differed across the three tasks. In the argumentation task, syntactic complexity correlated significantly only with lexical diversity. Syntactic complexity did not correlate significantly with any of the two measures of lexical complexity in the description task. In the case of the narrative task, there was a significant correlation between syntactic complexity and both measures of lexical complexity. The results are discussed in light of Levelt’s (1989) speaking model

Background: To define a series of variable that separates international hospitals from other ones is the main aim of this study. Materials and Methods: After choosing some countries in the worldwide, two hospitals, which were the leaders on international patients’ admissions, were selected for investigating their main indicators according to world health organization framework for demonstrating performance assessment to attract patients from the universe. Results: Under the first performance assessment dimension clinical effectiveness and safety, in chosen hospitals of Australia as Malaysia found (4), New Zealand (9), India (7) and Iran (1) indicator (s). The production efficiency and staff orientation dimensions concluded no difference in terms of quantity and type of indicators via countries. Next aspect as patient centeredness was consisted of 4 indicators in Australia, New Zealand (2), India (6) and Iran (5). Eventually, eight indicators asset from Australia, New Zealand (2), India (6) and Iran (6) for responsive governance. Conclusion: Although the variables of international hospital’s performance assessment were the same with others, these should be more highlighted for attracting worldwide patients and strongly recommends the international authority for quality assurance.

Cucumber is a sensitive vegetable to low temperatures. Grafting vegetables on different rootstocks can decrease the harmful effects of environmental stresses, including low-temperature stress. An experiment was performed to evaluate grafting cucumbers on different rootstocks at low temperatures. Cucumber growth and yield and photosynthesis traits were examined. Treatments were the optimum temperature (25±2°C), and cold temperature (15±3°C, Ts), and rootstocks, were Momordica charantia (Rmo), Cucurbita maxima (Rma), non-grafted (Rn) and self- grafted (Rs) with 4 replications. Shoot fresh and dry weight, chlorophyll, RWC, transpiration, decreased with temperature stress. The number of female flowers, electrolyte leakage, photosynthesis, stomatal conductance increased with Ts. First fruit emergence per plant, N, P, K, Mg concentration decreased with Ts stress. Transpiration, female flower, RWC, and stomata conductance, N, P, K, Ca, and phenol increased in Rma and Rmo. Mg was at the highest concentration in Rma and Na in Rn. All in all, using Rmo as well as Rma is recommended for rootstock as it causes more reproductive growth.

In this paper, we use a numerical method for solving the nonlinear Black–Scholes partial differential equation of the European option under transaction costs, which is based on the nonstandard discretization of the spatial derivatives. The proposed scheme, in addition to the unconditional positivity, is stable, consistent, and monotone. In order to illustrate the efficiency of the new method, numerical results have been performed by four models.

In this paper, we evaluate and discuss different numerical methods to solve the Black–Scholes equation, including the θ-method, the mixed method, the Richardson method, the Du Fort and Frankel method, and the MADE (modified alternating directional explicit) method. These methods produce numerical drawbacks such as spurious oscillations and negative values in the solution when the volatility is much smaller than the interest rate. The MADE method sacrifices accuracy to obtain stability for the numerical solution of the Black–Scholes equation. In the present work, we improve the MADE scheme by using non-standard finite difference discretization techniques in which we use a non-local approximation for the reaction term (we call it the MMADE method). We will discuss the sufficient conditions to be positive of the new scheme. Also, we show that the proposed method is free of spurious oscillations even in the presence of discontinuous initial conditions. To demonstrate how efficient the new scheme is, some numerical experiments are performed at the end.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma is a tumor that mainly arises from salivary glands and is present rarely in airways with nonspecific symptoms. Diagnosis based on bronchial washing cytology is rarely reported because this tumor is usually lined by normal mucosa. A 35-year-old woman was referred to our center as a case of unresponsive asthma and hemoptysis for the past year. CT scan showed tracheal mass. Bronchoscopy was done followed by bronchial washing cytology and biopsy. Cytology smears revealed sheets and three-dimensional clusters of small cells, and some of them arranged around hyaline mucoid globules. Cell block and biopsy showed classic pathological findings of adenoid cystic carcinoma. Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the airways can be manifested with nonspecific symptoms and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of airway diseases and asthma. This tumor is rarely seen in the bronchial washing specimen. Characteristic cytological findings and using cell block preparation differentiate adenoid cystic carcinoma from other tumors.

Background & Objectives: Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are medically considered as one of the most important species of insects in terms of disease transmission to human beings; hence, they can be vectors of remarkable diseases such as malaria, West Nile, dengue fever, yellow fever, and filariasis. This study aimed to determine the species diversity and larval habitat characteristics of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in Golestan Province in 2016. Materials & Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, larval habitats of mosquitoes were investigated in 14 counties of Golestan Province. Samples were collected by a standard ladle used for entomology. The collected larvae in lactophenol solution were transferred to a medical entomology laboratory in Gonbad-e Qabus County, and then microscopic slides were prepared. Mosquitoes species were identified based on their morphologic attributes and authentic identification keys. Larval habitat characteristics were studied in terms of the habitat type (permanent or temporary), water conditions (clear or turbid, stagnant or running), vegetation (with or without vegetation), sunlight exposure (full or partial exposure), and others. Data was analyzed using IBM SPSS software version 18. Results: On the basis of analysis, 2891 third and fourth instars larvae, 4 genera (Anopheles, Culex, Culiseta, and Ochlerotatus), and 9 species (Anopheles superpictus, Culex mimiticus, Culex perexiguus, Culex pipiens, Culex pusillus, Culex theileri, Culex tritaeniohynchus, Culiseta longiareolata, Ochlerotatus caspius) of mosquitoes were detected, with the Culex pipiens being recognized as the dominant species of this family in Golestan Province. Conclusion: Due to the high species diversity of Culicidae in Golestan Province, further studies are of essence to investigate the ecology of medically important species such as Culex pipiens, Culex tritaeniorhynchus, and Anopheles superpicts, which are the vectors of many diseases in Golestan province.

Hypothesis: In controlled polymerization methods, atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) is one of the most successful methods for the polymerization of various monomers with the controlled pattern. Effect of some important parameters on kinetics of methyl methacrylate polymerization was investigated using 1H NMR and GPC techniques.Methods: In this work, tridentate ligand bis(2-dodecylsulfanyl-ethyl)-amine (SNS) and the Cu(I)Br catalyst of this ligand were synthesized. The ligand and corresponding catalyst were characterized using 1H NMR, UV-Vis and FTIR techniques. ATRP of methyl methacrylate was investigated in bulk state using the SNS/Cu(I)Br and ethyl-2-bromo-2-methyl propionate as initiator in different conditions. The polymerization kinetic was studied by 1H NMR and gravimetric techniques. The kinetic curves of Ln([M]0/[M]t) versus time were plotted and the kpapp was obtained from the curves. The effect of temperature on the kinetics was studied by on-line 1H NMR spectroscopy (75 and 90°C). The effect of the monomer to initiator ratio (500:1, 600:1, 700:1) was investigated at 90°C. In order to confirm the effect of other variables (temperature, catalyst and monomer concentration) on polymerization kinetics, we employed gravimetric method.Finding: The linear correlation of Ln([M]0/[M]t) versus time and narrow molecular weight distribution (~1.2) revealed that the polymerization reaction process was according to the controlled/“living” radical polymerization. With increasing the temperature, the polymerization rate also increased, and the temperature of 90°C was used as the optimum in subsequent studies. The kinetic plots revealed that in bulk state due to the role of monomer as solvent, the polymerization rate decreased with increasing the monomer content, and subsequently reducing the concentration of the initiator. The effect of the ligand to Cu(I)Br ratio (1:1, 1.5:1, 2:1) on the polymerization kinetic was studied and the results showed increased polymerization rate due to the greater solubility of the catalyst at high ligand concentration.

Objective: Studies have demonstrated that carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) increases the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in many tissues including the kidney, heart, lung, brain, and liver. The major aim of the present study was to evaluate the protective activity of Tanacetum parthenium extract (TPE) in renal tissues of CCl4-intoxicated rats. Materials and Methods: Animals were divided into seven groups of six rats. Group 1 was the control group that was not treated with CCl4. The rats in the other groups were intraperitoneally injected with CCl4 (1.5 ml/kg, 1:1 in olive oil) on day 14. Rats in the groups bTPE40, bTPE80, and bTPE120 were gavaged with 40, 80, and 120 mg/kg of TPE, respectively for 14 constitutive days on a daily basis, before CCl4 administration. Rats in groups aTPE80 and aTPE120 were gavaged with 80 and 120 mg/kg of TPE, respectively, 2, 6, 24 and 48 hr after receiving CCl4. Blood samples were collected at the end of the 16th day through an intracardiac puncture and then serums were separated. Results: CCl4 increased urea, creatinine, uric acid and creatinine: albumin (C/A) ratio level in serum and decreased total antioxidant and antioxidant enzymes (SOD and GPx) when compared to the control group (p

Background and purpose: The paraoxonase 2 is one of the paraoxonase family enzymes, which, unlike the paraoxonase 1 and 3, is an intracellular antioxidant system expressed in many cells. Andrographophyllide is a plant that has recently received attention and is used in many fields due to different properties, including antioxidant property. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of andrographolide on paraoxonase 2 expression. Materials and methods: In this study, 18 Wistar rats were divided into three groups, including a control group (receiving physiologic serum) and two experimental groups that received 3.5 mg/kg andrographolide and 7 mg/kg andrographolide. Real-time PCR was performed to evaluate the expression of paraoxonase 2. Results: Compared to the control group, andrographolide at 3.5 and 7 mg/kg body weight reduced the liver expression of paraoxonase 2. The rate of expression of paraoxonase 2 was somewhat similar in both doses. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, for the first time, current study showed that injection of andrographolide extract at 3.5 and 7mg/kg body weight of male rats reduced the expression of liver paraoxonase 2.

Introduction: Quality of water used in spray tanks can affect herbicide efficacy, especially acidic herbicides such as 2,4-D. Water is the primary carrier for herbicide applications and it usually makes up over 99% of the spray solution. Considering that, it should be no surprise that the chemistry of water added to the spray tank greatly impacts herbicide effectiveness. Some ions such as calcium and magnesium cations that dissolve into the water, creating various levels of hardness in the water supply. 2,4-D is weak acid herbicide that can be influenced by hard water cations or foliar fertilizers. It has shown reduced activity when applied in water containing calcium and magnesium cations. Hence considering the quality of the water tank sprayer especially hardness helps optimize the efficacy of herbicides. Thus this research was conducted to determine the effect of different salts to 2,4-D on kochia and redroot pigweed as indicator weed species. Material and Methods: Greenhouse experiments were conducted during 2014 at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad to determine the effect of sodium bicarbonate, calcium carbonate, magnesium chloride and calcium chloride in 500 ppm and deionized water as the control on the efficacy of 2,4-D in three doses including 135, 270 and 540 g. a.i. ha-1 (SL 72%) with and without ammonium sulfate (AMS) ( 2% w/v). Kochia and Redroot pigweed were planted after breaking dormancy in plastic pots. Herbicide was applied using a backpack sprayer calibrated to deliver 290 L ha−1 at 200 kPa with flat-fan nozzles (Tee Jet 8002 flat-fan spray nozzles). Spray solutions were thoroughly agitated each time a new solution was prepared and immediately prior to application to bring herbicide into solution. Living plants were recorded 3 weeks after herbicide treatment irrespective of the timing of application. In addition to survival, the above-ground dry weight of Kochia and redroot pigweed in each pot was determined 3 weeks after the optimum timing of herbicide application. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with 3 replications. Data were subjected to ANOVA for a factorial treatment arrangement using Minitab ver.17. Means of significant main effects and interactions were separated using Fisher’s Protected LSD test at p≤0.05. Results and Discussion: Results of ANOVA showed that all factors included 2,4-D doses, type of salt and AMS application had significant effects on survival and dry matter of Kochia and redroot pigweed three weeks after treatment. In this experiment, 2,4-D toxicity to Kochia and redroot pigweed was antagonized by salts available in the spray carrier. Reducing in 2,4-D efficacy for Kochia control in the presence of salts such as calcium, magnesium and sodium by Nalewaja and Matysiak (1993b) was reported. In Kochia, sodium bicarbonate was more antagonistic than the others. But there is no difference between inhibitory effects of all salts in redroot pigweed. Mueller et al. (2006) reported that calcium and magnesium concentrations greater than 250 ppm antagonized glyphosate activity on the weeds such as broadleaf signalgrass, pitted morningglory, Palmer amaranth and yellow nutsedge. Nalewaja and Matysiak (1991) showed that the glyphosate toxicity to wheat was antagonized by sodium, calcium, and magnesium. In addition, results indicate that antagonism of salts on 2,4-D efficacy can be overcome by AMS in both two species, Kochia and redroot pigweed. Shahverdiet al. (2009) showed that the activity of the weak acid herbicides such as glyphosate, chlopyralid, 2,4-D increased with the addition of ammonium sulfate to the spray solution. Also, Roskampet al. (2013) showed that the activity of the 2,4-D and dicamba increased with the addition of ammonium sulfate to the spray solution for control of redroot pigweed, grass horse and lambsquarter. Results of interaction effects between 2,4-D dose and type of salt show that by increasing herbicide dose antagonism effects of cations were decreased. According to our results application of ammonium sulfate in on hard water increased the efficacy of 2,4-D four times in Kochia and more than four times in redroot pigweed. Conclusion: The efficacy of 2,4-D on Kochia and redroot pigweed was affected by salt type in the spray carrier. Type of salts was different between two species, in Kochia, sodium bicarbonate had more negative effects and in redroot pigweed each four salts had similar effects. Numerous studies have shown that cations can influence herbicide efficacy depending weed species. Also our results showed that control of Kochia and redroot pigweed increased when AMS was added to 2,4-D in spray solutions. AMS has been considered important to herbicide enhancement or to overcoming herbicide antagonism by salts in spray carrier, AMS also enhance 2,4-D phytotoxicity in the absence of antagonistic salts that this confirm previous reports. It was concluded that weed species responded differently to the inhibitory effects of different cations in spray solution and AMS application, thus making a simple recommendation for all conditions is difficult.

This study aims to investigate the wellbeing of Iranian English as Foreign Language (EFL) teachers across their career stages in terms of teaching experience. In this regard, the study categorized teachers into three groups based on their experience: novice, experienced, and highly experienced. Using a quantitative and cross-sectional survey design, this study employed a validated scale to measure psychological wellbeing, positive perception about self and life, goal setting and time management, and positive relationships among teachers. Using a convenience sampling procedure, 182 teachers participated in the study, representing varying age ranges, teaching experience, and employment status. The data was collected through an online survey within a month and underwent descriptive and inferential statistical analyses using SPSS software. The results revealed significant differences in the wellbeing of language teachers across experience groups. More specifically, novice teachers scored lower in various wellbeing dimensions than experienced and highly experienced teachers. These findings emphasize the importance of considering career stages when investigating teachers' professional wellbeing. The findings also contribute to a deeper understanding of the relationship between teaching experience and wellbeing, with implications for supporting the EFL teachers' wellbeing and informing educational policies and practices. The study results are discussed, and the related implications are provided for running professional development courses to enhance teachers' wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Because migraine is a common headache, finding ways to approach it better would be useful. So, studying the relation of dimensions of general health and personality types and pain severity in patients with migraine will be useful for fulfilling this aim. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the number of patients with migraine headache studied in this study was 170. The checklists used in this study were migraine disability assessment (MIDAS), visual analog scale (VAS), Neuroticism-Extraversion-Openness (NEO FFI), and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). Results: The average scores of general health dimensions in migraine sufferers with aura were higher than in migraine patients without aura. But this difference was significant only in the index of physical symptoms (P=0.02). There was a negative correlation between pain intensity and general health dimensions but it was not statistically significan. A positive correlation was observed between headache intensity and extroversion, which was significant (r=0.18 and P=0.01). The score of physical symptoms increases significantly with the increase of disability severity (P=0.007). Conclusion: According to the results, the severity of migraine disability, general health dimensions, and personality types in patients with and without Aura was not different. Also, general health dimensions and personality types were not associated with pain intensity and the severity of migraine disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We undertook a comprehensive, systematic review of observational studies to estimate respective seroprevalences of latent and acute Toxoplasma gondii infections in HIV+ people at the global, regional and country levels; related seroprevalence to socio-economic variables and CD4+ cell counts; and assessed temporal changes in prevalence and risk factors for this group. We systematically searched international databases for seroepidemiological surveys between 1 January 1980 and 31 July 2020. We used a random effects model to calculate pooled seroprevalences with 95% confidence intervals (CI), and estimated the numbers of HIV+ people inferred to harbour latent and acute T. gondii infections (LT or AT). We grouped seroprevalence data according to the geographic regions defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) and conducted subgroup and meta-regression analyses of the data. Of a total of 4024 studies identified, 150 and 65 of them met the inclusion criteria for LT and AT in HIV+ people, respectively. The overall, pooled seroprevalences of LT and AT were 37.4% (95% CI, 33.4–41.4) and 1.3% (95% CI, 0.9–1.8%), equating to ~14.2 and 0.5 million HIV+ people, respectively. Most HIV+ people with T. gondii infections originated from Africa, and the highest seroprevalences were in low-income countries with low human development indices. Significant risk factors for toxoplasmosis in HIV+ patients included the consumption of raw/undercooked meat, frequent contact with soil, a low CD4+ T lymphocyte number (T. gondii infection in HIV+ people in underprivileged regions of the world, such as parts of Africa, calls for preventative action. Programs that include routine serological monitoring, counselling, care, animal control and/or prophylactic treatment measures are needed to prevent severe toxoplasmosis from developing in people living with HIV infection. Our study highlights the potential importance of parasite chemoprophylaxis in resource-poor settings, particularly in low-income countries.