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Abstract Background Avian influenza type A viruses (AIV) can infect a broad range of hosts including human and birds, making them an important viral pathogen with zoonotic potential. Ducks are a known reservoir for many avian viruses including the AIV. Objectives To sequence the entire genome of duck‐derived H3N2 and ran comprehensive phylogenetic analysis on them to study their origin. Methods In this study, 962 cloacal swabs were collected from domestic ducks at several live poultry markets (LPMs) of Gilan, Mazandaran and Golestan provinces of Iran in the year 2017. Results Preliminary assays such as haemagglutination inhibition assay (HI), Neuraminidase Inhibition assay(NI) and RT‐qPCR suggested that 0.5% of the birds were infected by H3 low pathogenic influenza viruses (LPAI). Three isolates were selected for whole genome sequencing. The cleavage site of the HA genes showed a PEKQTR/GLF motif, an indicator of LPAI. Furthermore, BLAST and phylogenetic analyses of the HA gene showed high homology to the Eurasian lineage of H3N8 AIV (95.5%–97.1% to several European and East Asian isolates). However, the NA genes showed high homology (at most 96.5–96.9%) to those belonging to AIV N2 subtype. Furthermore, internal genes showed high homology (96%–98%) to a variety of duck‐origin subtypes and glycoprotein combinations, which were different for each segment. This showed a complex reassortment between different subtypes. Discussion This report is the first whole genome sequencing and complete characterisation of H3N2 AIV from Iran. Conclusion Such surveillance should continue to study the evolution and possible emergence of viruses with pandemic potential.

Emotion regulation as well as the hormone oxytocin are among the factors affecting couple interaction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of emotion-focused couple therapy on emotion regulation and plasma levels of blood oxytocin hormones. The research method was quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The study population consisted of couples in Tehran in 1397 who were randomly selected by calling 15 couples in cyberspace and randomly assigned to two groups of control (7 couples) and experimental (8 couples). In addition the emotion difficulty questionnaire (Gertz and Roemer, 2004) and the marital conflict questionnaire (Barati and Sanaei, 2000), ELISA laboratory analysis was used to measure plasma oxytocin levels to collect data. The experimental group underwent emotion-focused couple therapy for 12 sessions, while the control group did not receive any intervention. In addition to descriptive statistics, analysis of covariance and Benferoni pair comparison were used to analyze the data. The results showed that emotion-focused couple therapy improves couples' emotion regulation scores in the components of non-acceptance of emotional response, limited access to emotional regulation strategies and lack of emotional clarity (P0/05). The results also showed that emotion-focused couple therapy has a significant effect on reducing the plasma oxytocin level of couples (P

Avian Influenza Viruses (AIV) are the causative agents of Avian Influenza (AI), which is a contagious and zoonotic disease in birds. Among birds, wild waterfowls and ducks are the primary and natural reservoirs of low pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAI). This study aimed to identify and differentiate between two AIV subtypes (i.e., hemagglutinin and neuraminidase from domestic ducks by hemagglutinin inhibition (HI) and neuraminidase inhibition (NI) assays. To this end, 962 cloacal swabs were collected from domestic ducks being sold at different Iranian Live Bird Markets in Gilan, Mazandaran, and Golestan provinces, located at the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. The samples were inoculated in 10-day-old embryonated specific pathogen-free chicken eggs, and subsequently, harvested allantoic fluids were subjected to agar gel immunodiffusion, HI, and NI assays. In total, five positive samples, including two H4N2 and three H3N2 AIV subtypes were identified. Isolation of H4N2 and H3N2 viruses has never been reported from Iranian domestic ducks previously. This finding further suggests the diversity of LPAI viruses in Iranian ducks and also shows that the HI and NI assays are highly efficient in determining AIV subtypes.

View on Scopus In this study the biodiversity and relative abundance of Collembola was evaluated in two different ecosystems, citrus field and forest in Mazandaran province, Iran. Samples were carried out during 2016 and 2017. In each site, soil was sampled by a collecting core from 5×5 cm in surface area and a depth of 10 cm. Species richness, biodiversity and the indices of similarity were calculated. The results of T-Test showed that in two years (2016 and 2017), the values of Shannon-Wiener diversity and Simpson species diversity index were significantly different between sampling areas (Pvalue

This study focuses on the synthesis and characterization of SiO2–CaO–P2O5–Na2O nanofiber bioglass (BG) tablets using cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) as a template and starch binders. Three types of tablets are prepared: sago starch binder tablets, xanthan gum binder tablets, and dry press tablets (used as a control). The tablets are investigated for their physicochemical structure, mechanical properties, in‐vivo bioactivity, and antibacterial efficiency using various characterization techniques such as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), XRD, ICP, etc. The results indicate the formation of a hydroxyapatite (HA) layer on the surface of the tablets after immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 28 days, demonstrating their bioactivity. FESEM analysis reveals the formation of HA crystals with different morphologies, including oval‐shaped crystals in sago tablets and needle‐like crystals in xanthan tablets. The binder tablets exhibit higher Ca/P ratios compared to the press‐dried tablets. Among the binder tablets, sago starch tablets show superior mechanical properties. Additionally, the binder tablets display efficient antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria. These findings highlight their potential as promising candidates for bone tissue engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Glioma grading transformed in World Health Organization (WHO) 2021 CNS tumor classification, integrating molecular markers. However, the impact of this change on radiomics‐based machine learning (ML) classifiers remains unexplored. Purpose: To assess the performance of ML in classifying glioma tumor grades based on various WHO criteria. Study Type: Retrospective. Subjects: A neuropathologist regraded gliomas of 237 patients into WHO 2016 and 2021 from 2007 criteria. Field Strength/Sequence: Multicentric 0.5 to 3 Tesla; pre‐ and post‐contrast T1‐weighted, T2‐weighted, and fluid‐attenuated inversion recovery. Assessment: Radiomic features were selected using random forest‐recursive feature elimination. The synthetic minority over‐sampling technique (SMOTE) was implemented for data augmentation. Stratified 10‐fold cross‐validation with and without SMOTE was used to evaluate 11 classifiers for 3‐grade (2, 3, and 4; WHO 2016 and 2021) and 2‐grade (low and high grade; WHO 2007 and 2021) classification. Additionally, we developed the models on data randomly divided into training and test sets (mixed‐data analysis), or data divided based on the centers (independent‐data analysis). Statistical Tests: We assessed ML classifiers using sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Top performances were compared with a t‐test and categorical data with the chi‐square test using a significance level of P < 0.05. Results: In the mixed‐data analysis, Stacking Classifier without SMOTE achieved the highest accuracy (0.86) and AUC (0.92) in 3‐grade WHO 2021 grouping. The results of WHO 2021 were significantly better than WHO 2016 (P‐value<0.0001). In the 2‐grade analysis, ML achieved 1.00 in all metrics. In the independent‐data analysis, ML classifiers showed strong discrimination between grade 2 and 4, despite lower performance metrics than the mixed analysis. Data Conclusion: ML algorithms performed better in glioma tumor grading based on WHO 2021 criteria. Nonetheless, the clinical use of ML classifiers needs further investigation. Level of Evidence: 3 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most important steps to improve the quality of life of street-connected children is to gain experiences and assess their needs, with the children themselves being the best source for this information. Therefore, this research aims to identify the experiences and needs of street children using their own insights. The research methodology employed in this study was qualitative, utilizing thematic analysis and semi-in-depth interviews. Maximum variation purposive sampling was employed to capture a range of experiences among street-connected children. Following data collection and analysis, four main themes emerged: 'The street as an entry into a new world', 'The street as a place for experience and love', 'The street as a place for survival', and 'The street as a place for pain and suffering'. This study uncovers the complex realities of street-connected children, revealing the factors driving them onto the streets and challenging misconceptions. Despite facing profound challenges, these children demonstrate resilience and aspirations for a better future. The study underscores the importance of supportive environments, education, healthcare, and inclusive policymaking to address the systemic factors perpetuating their vulnerability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Retirement resources are considered one of the key determinants of well‐being and coping with the challenging situations of retirement courses. Therefore, due to the lack of a valid questionnaire for research and practice at the national level as well as international comparisons, this study was conducted to translate the original retirement resources inventory into Persian and assess the validity and reliability of the Persian version. Materials and Methods. The research employed a cross‐sectional descriptive methodological approach, beginning with translating the questionnaire into Persian. Psychometric properties were evaluated through face, content, construct validity, and reliability tests. 335 participants were involved in assessing construct validity, while 30 participants contributed to the internal consistency test, and 20 took part in the test‐retest reliability test. Data analysis was performed using SPSS Version 26 and AMOS 24 software. Results. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) revealed eight components with eigenvalues greater than 1, accounting for 46.68% of the variance, with no questions being removed. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) indicated that all items had a factor loading above 0.3, resulting in a final model with 35 items and eight factors, supported by fit indices (χ2/df = 1.95, TLI: 0.87, IFI = 0.88, RMSEA = 0.05, GFI: 0.85). Reliability measures showed Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranging from 0.71 to 0.83 and an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.93. Conclusion. The study concludes that the Persian version of the RRI, encompassing 35 items across eight dimensions, is a valid and reliable tool for the Iranian retiree population. This validated inventory can be utilized in future national and international studies, particularly experimental ones, to develop well‐being and retirement adjustment programs, thereby aiding in understanding and supporting Iranian retirees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Allergic asthma has a considerable burden on the quality of life. A significant portion of moderate-to-severe allergic asthma patients need omalizumab, an anti-immunoglobulin-E monoclonal antibody, as an add-on therapy. In this phase III clinical trial P043 (Zerafil®, CinnaGen, Iran) efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity were compared with Xolair® (the originator omalizumab). The primary outcome was the rate of protocol-defined asthma exacerbations. Methods: Exacerbation rates, Asthma Control Test (ACT) results, spirometry measurements, immunogenicity, and safety were evaluated. Each subject received either medication with a dose ranging from 150 to 375 mg based on pre-treatment serum total IgE level (IU/mL) and body weight (kg) every two or four weeks for a duration of 28 weeks. Results: Exacerbation rates were 0.150 (CI: 0.079-0.220) in the P043 group, and 0.190 (CI: 0.110-0.270) in the omalizumab group (per-protocol). The least squares mean differences of predicted Forced Expiratory Volume in the First second (FEV1) were -2.51% (CI: -7.17-2.15, P=0.29) and -3.87% (CI: -8.79-1.04, P=0.12), pre- and post-bronchodilator use. The mean ± SD of ACT scores at the screening and the last visit were 10.62 ± 2.93 and 20.93 ± 4.26 in P043 and 11.09 ± 2.75 and 20.46 ± 5.11 in the omalizumab group. A total of 288 adverse events were reported for the 256 enrolled participants. Among all, "dyspnea" and "headache" were the most reported ones. The overall incidence of adverse events (P=0.62) and serious adverse events (P=0.07) had no significant differences between the two groups. None of the samples were positive for anti-drug antibodies. Conclusion: P043 was equivalent to omalizumab in the management of asthma in reduction of exacerbations. There was no significant difference in other efficacy and safety parameters. Clinical trial registration: www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05813470) and www.IRCT.ir (IRCT20150303021315N20). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nested linear coding is a widely used technique in wireless communication systems for improving both security and reliability. Some parameters, such as the relative generalized Hamming weight and the relative dimension/length profile, can be used to characterize the performance of nested linear codes. In addition, the rank properties of generator and parity-check matrices can also precisely characterize their security performance. Despite this, finding optimal nested linear secrecy codes remains a challenge in the finite-blocklength regime, often requiring brute-force search methods. This paper investigates the properties of nested linear codes, introduces a new representation of the relative generalized Hamming weight, and proposes a novel method for finding the best nested linear secrecy code for the binary erasure wiretap channel by working from the worst nested linear secrecy code in the dual space. We demonstrate that our algorithm significantly outperforms the brute-force technique in terms of speed and efficiency.

Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are one the most common infections in the world. Among them, anogenital warts and gonorrhea infections are a significant group of STIs. We conducted this research to evaluate the prevalence of anogenital warts and gonorrhea infection and their related aspects in Iran. Still, it has a lot to know about its prevalence, trends, and risk factors. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1064 patients voluntarily referred from a marriage counseling center to the physicians in our center to evaluate STIs were enrolled in this study. All participants completed a data collection form about their sex, age, lifetime number of sexual partners, high-risk behaviors, and history of prior gonorrhea infection. They were also evaluated for anogenital warts by physical examination. The data were analyzed by SPSS 24 with Chi-square test, independent t-test, and logistic regression analysis. P-value Results: The number of participants with current anogenital warts was 9.2% (11.9% in men and 3.5% in women). 1.1% of the participants had a documented prior gonorrhea infection, and all of these cases were men. After logistic regression analysis, there was a significant relationship between anogenital warts and gonorrhea infection and male gender (P=0.03). Also, there was a meaningful relationship between these diseases and the higher number of lifetime sexual partners (P=0.001). Conclusions: Male sex and having more lifetime sexual partners are the risk factors for getting anogenital warts and gonorrhea infection.

Background: Raising children with Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) is a stressful experience that may influence the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) of parents of children with SLD. Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of locus of control in the relationship of parenting stress and spiritual well-being with HRQOL in parents of children with SLD. Materials & Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. The study population comprised all parents of children with SLD in 2020-21, among whom 174 parents were selected through convenience sampling. The research instruments included the SF-36 Questionnaire, Parenting Stress Index, the Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire, and the Locus of Control Scale. The proposed model was evaluated using path analysis. Results: there was a significant relationship between spiritual well-being and HRQOL, locus of control and HRQOL, parenting stress and locus of control, and between spiritual well-being and locus of control (P

Background: Asthma essentially represents a chronic inflammatory disease that manifests as a lifelong condition with different severity throughout the life of patients with asthma. Pomegranate holds three times the antioxidant activity compared to other polyphenol-rich food sources like green tea, which may positively impact asthma.Aim of the study: This research aimed to investigate the pomegranate supplementation influences clinical symptoms, eosinophil, basophil, and neutrophil counts in patients with allergic asthma.Materials and Methods: Participants (n = 64) suffering from mild to moderate allergic asthma were randomly divided into two groups: The control group received placebo capsules and the intervention group received 250 mg pomegranate extract capsules twice a day (for 8 weeks). To analyze the data, we used SPSS software (version 22). The significance level of p-value was considered less than 0.05.Results: The findings showed that the pomegranate extract improved patients’ clinical symptoms like daily breath shortness, nocturnal breath shortness, and limitation of asthma-related activity in the intervention group compared to the control group. Furthermore, eosinophil, basophil, and neutrophil counts were significantly decreased in the intervention group. Also, by comparing the two groups, the levels of change in neutrophils and eosinophils were statistically significant.Conclusion: It appears that the pomegranate extract can ameliorate some clinical symptoms and reduce neutrophils, basophils, and eosinophils in allergic asthma patients.Clinical Trial Registration:https://www.irct.ir/trial/45612; identifier: IRCT20200205046384N1.

Flaviviruses are arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) that have been recently considered among the significant public health problems in defined geographical regions. In this line, there have been vaccines approved for some flaviviruses including dengue virus (DENV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), yellow fever virus (YFV), and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), although the efficiency of such vaccines thought to be questionable. Surprisingly, there are no effective vaccine for many other hazardous flaviviruses, including West Nile and Zika viruses. Furthermore, in spite of approved vaccines for some flaviviruses, for example DENV, alternative prophylactic vaccines seem to be still needed for the protection of a broader population, and it originates from the unsatisfying safety, and the efficacy of vaccines that have been introduced. Thus, adenovirus vector-based vaccine candidates are suggested to be effective, safe, and reliable. Interestingly, recent widespread use of adenovirus vector-based vaccines for the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the importance and feasibility of their widespread application. In this review, the applicability of adenovirus vector-based vaccines, as promising approaches to harness the diseases caused by Flaviviruses, is discussed.

The primary immune responses to CoV-19 are inter-individual variability against this virus. Studies on the neuro-immune system demonstrate that interactions in these communication pathways can be a reason for several psychiatric disorders and immune-mediated diseases. Stress-related behaviors are significant in the psycho-immune interactions, and even stress-related factors such as socioeconomic status can also play a vital role in these interactions. A literature review on the topic was carried out, and 150 articles were included. Catecholamine and glucocorticoids are stress neurohormones. Noradrenaline as signaling molecules, through macrophages, can be an essential stimulus for cytokine secretion. Glucocorticoids, by both pro-and anti-inflammatory roles in specific conditions, can inhibit the elevation of the inflammatory response by inhibiting the pro-inflammatory macrophage activation and also enhance the anti-inflammatory activity in monocyte/macrophage populations the further eliminate. Stress with this flawed amplification feedback system can disrupt immune homeostasis (cytokine storm) in the patient with COVID-19. This investigation showed that there is a strong link between psycho-neuroendocrine-immune axis organizations against respiratory viral infections during the COVID-19 epidemic. The stress cascade must be responsible for meeting the body's hemostatic challenges in the necessary physiological and metabolic interactions. The motivation of the stress system leads to behavioral/physical variations that are strangely consistent in their qualitative presentation. These variations must be generally adaptive and increase the chances of the individual's survival. In coronavirus respiratory disease, identifying people with acute/chronic psychosocial stress is of particular importance for providing prompt care as soon as possible, as scheduling intervention appears to be an essential factor in reducing stress and hospitalization rate in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Background: There is no definitive treatment for COVID-19. Hemoperfusion and plasmapheresis have only been studied in a few cases of COVID-19. In this study, plasmapheresis-hemoperfusion and current treatment for COVID-19 patients were compared for mortality. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 103 patients with COVID-19 underwent hemoperfusion, plasmapheresis, and conventional medical treatment in educational hospitals in Ahvaz, Iran. A census method was used to include the patients in the study. The data from the hospital file were used to complete a checklist containing demographic information, clinical findings, and paraclinical findings for all patients. Results: There was not a statistically significant difference (P-value = 0.051) between the plasmapheresis group (78.8%), the hemoperfusion group (71.9%), and the current treatment group (52.6%) in mortality rates. Hemoperfusion had a median survival time of 18.9 days, plasmapheresis had a median survival time of 16.9 days, and current treatment had a median survival time of 13.5 days. In terms of patient survival time, there was no significant difference (P-value = 0.181). Multiple regression results showed that death rates in the hemoperfusion (P = 0.393) and plasmapheresis (P = 0.073) groups were not statistically different from those in the current treatment group. Conclusion: As a result of this study, there were no differences between the treatment groups in regard to death rates or patient survival times.