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Introduction: Conventional fractionation (CF) and hypofractionation (HF) are two radiotherapy methods against cancer, which are applied in medicine. Understanding the efficacy and molecular mechanism of the two methods implies more investigations. In the present study, proteomic findings about the mentioned methods relative to the controls were analyzed via network analysis.Methods: The significant differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) of prostate cancer (PCa) cell line DU145 in response to CF and HF radiation therapy versus controls were extracted from the literature. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were constructed via the STRING database via Cytoscape software. The networks were analyzed by "NetworkAnalyzer" to determine hub DEPs.Results: 126 and 63 significant DEPs were identified for treated DU145 with CF and HF radiation respectively. The PPI networks were constructed by the queried DEPs plus 100 first neighbors. ALB, CD44, THBS1, EPCAM, F2, KRT19, and MCAM were highlighted as common hubs. VTM, OCLN, HSPB1, FLNA, AHSG, and SERPINC1 appeared as the discriminator hub between the studied cells.Conclusion: 70% of the hubs were common between CF and HF conditions, and they induced radio-resistance activity in the survived cells. Six central proteins which discriminate the function of the two groups of the irradiated cells were introduced. On the basis of these findings, it seems that DU145-CF cells, relative to the DU145-UF cells, are more radio-resistant.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are subpopulation of cells which have been demonstrated in a variety of cancer models and involved in cancer initiation, progression, and development. Indeed, CSCs which seem to form a small percentage of tumor cells, display resembling characteristics to natural stem cells such as self-renewal, survival, differentiation, proliferation, and quiescence. Moreover, they have some characteristics that eventually can demonstrate the heterogeneity of cancer cells and tumor progression. On the other hand, another aspect of CSCs that has been recognized as a central concern facing cancer patients is resistance to mainstays of cancer treatment such as chemotherapy and radiation. Owing to these details and the stated stemness capabilities, these immature progenitors of cancerous cells can constantly persist after different therapies and cause tumor regrowth or metastasis. Further, in both normal development and malignancy, cellular metabolism and stemness are intricately linked and CSCs dominant metabolic phenotype changes across tumor entities, patients, and tumor subclones. Hence, CSCs can be determined as one of the factors that correlate to the failure of common therapeutic approaches in cancer treatment. In this context, researchers are searching out new alternative or complementary therapies such as targeted methods to fight against cancer. Molecular docking is one of the computational modeling methods that has a new promise in cancer cell targeting through drug designing and discovering programs. In a simple definition, molecular docking methods are used to determine the metabolic interaction between two molecules and find the best orientation of a ligand to its molecular target with minimal free energy in the formation of a stable complex. As a comprehensive approach, this computational drug design method can be thought more cost-effective and time-saving compare to other conventional methods in cancer treatment. In addition, increasing productivity and quality in pharmaceutical research can be another advantage of this molecular modeling method. Therefore, in recent years, it can be concluded that molecular docking can be considered as one of the novel strategies at the forefront of the cancer battle via targeting cancer stem cell metabolic processes.

Objectives: Traditional breast cancer treatments have challenges including inefficiency, multidrug resistance, severe side effects, and targeting non-specifically. The development of alternative treatment strategies has attracted a great deal of interest. Using the amniotic membrane has become a promising and convenient new approach for cancer therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-cancer ability of conditioned medium extracted from the human amniotic membrane (hAM-CM) on breast cancer cells. Methods: Conditioned medium was collected after 48 h incubation of hAM in epithelial up manner. MTT, cell cycle, apoptosis, colony formation, and sphere assays were used to determine the impact of hAM-CM on breast cancer cell lines. The effects of hAM-CM on the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells were determined using scratch wound healing and transwell assays, respectively. Results: Based on the results, cell viability was significantly decreased by hAM-CM in a dose-dependent manner. The hAM-CM remarkably induced apoptosis and necrosis of cancer cells. Moreover, cell migration and invasion potential of cancer cells decreased after the hAM-CM treatment. Further, both the number of colonies and their morphologies were affected by the treatment. In the treated group, a significant decrease in the number of colonies along with an obvious change in their morphologies from holoclone shape to a dominant paracolone structure was observed. Conclusion: Our results indicate that the conditioned medium derived from the human amniotic membrane able to inhibit proliferation and metastasis of tumor cells and can be considered a natural and valuable candidate for breast cancer therapy.

The present study aimed to introduce a possible biomarker to differentiate between severe and fatal conditions of COVID-19.The COVID-19 pandemic, appearing as a complicated health problem, has changed the lifestyle of people in recent years. Clinical findings indicate mild, severe, and fatal conditions of this disease. Prediction of disease severity is a significant point in managing COVID-19 infection.In this study, 195 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that discriminate between fatal and severe conditions in patients were extracted from the literature and screened to determine the significant ones. The significant DEGs plus the 90 first neighbors added from the STRING database were included in the interactome using Cytoscape software v 3.7.2. The central nodes of the analyzed network were identified and assessed.Ten significant DEGs were candidates for assessment, of which 9 were recognized by the STRING database. IL6, ALB, TNF, CRP, INS, MPO, C3, CXCL8, TTR, and TLR4 were determined as central nodes; IL6, CRP, and TTR were highlighted as the critical genes related to the severity of COVID-19 infection.CRP was identified as the best possible biomarker with levels related to the severity and fatality of COVID-19 infection.

The current study aimed to assess and compare colon cancer dysregulated genes from the GEO and STRING databases.Colorectal cancer is known as the third most common kind of cancer and the second most important reason for global cancer-related mortality rates. There have been many studies on the molecular mechanism of colon cancer.From the STRING database, 100 differentially expressed proteins related to colon cancers were retrieved and analyzed by network analysis. The central nodes of the network were assessed by gene ontology. The findings were compared with a GSE from GEO.Based on data from the STRING database, TP53, EGFR, HRAS, MYC, AKT1, GAPDH, KRAS, ERBB2, PTEN, and VEGFA were identified as central genes. The central nodes were not included in the significant DEGs of the analyzed GSE.A combination of different database sources in system biology investigations provides useful information about the studied diseases.

In this study, feasibility of a new wind power generation system for urban application in Hormozgan Province of Iran is investigated. The wind turbine system in this study is a novel, aesthetically pleasing, noiseless, pollution-free, potentially cost-effective, and high efficiency design called tree-shaped wind turbine (TSWT). Techno-economic evaluation is performed on eight urban areas in the province using the software HOMER. Multi-criteria decision making approaches are used to prioritize the areas in terms of the best location for installing such a new system. The results of techno-economic analysis examining a wind power system consisting of 25 TSWTs show that the most electricity production would occur for Jask city which is 529,450 kWh/yr. Also, the least amount of electricity which is 339,275 kWh/yr belongs to Bandar Abbas. Considering the most important criteria including electricity production, levelized cost of electricity, population, land price, environmental impact, and frequency of natural disasters, data envelopment analysis, and the fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution are employed to rank the cities. The results are validated by two different methods. Finally, it is suggested that Sirik is the best location for using the aforementioned wind turbine.

The goal of this work is to investigate the effect of incorporating organoclays on the cross-link structure, morphology, and thermomechanical properties of cross-linked organoclay/polyvinyl chloride grafted with styrene and maleic anhydride (PVC- g-(St-MA)) copolymer nanocomposites (CPN). Cloisite30B (C30B) and Cloisite15A (C15A) organoclays were used for the preparation of cross-linked PVC- g-(St-MA) nanocomposites by the solution mixing route. The nanoclay content in nanocomposites varied from 0.2 wt% to 1 wt%. The chemical structure and interaction between PVC- g-(St-MA) cross-linked segments and nanoclays were studied by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) peaks deconvolution method. FTIR spectroscopy suggested the lowest extent of hydrogen bonding interaction for C30B containing sample, which decreased with clay content increment. The morphology of nanocomposites was studied by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy methods. Morphological observation revealed a near to the exfoliation state for organoclays in PVC- g-(St-MA) nanocomposite containing 1 wt% C30B. However, C15A/PVC- g-(St-MA) nanocomposite (C15A-CPN) exhibited partially intercalated and agglomerated morphology. Differential scanning calorimetry examination was conducted to measure the glass transition temperature ( Tg) of the segments. At the same clay content, the Tg of the C30B containing nanocomposites were higher than that of C15A samples. The mechanical properties of these nanocomposites were also investigated. As a consequence, C30B-CPN showed improved mechanical properties compared to C15A-CPN and cross-linked PVC- g-(St-MA) samples.

This study seeks to provide a new method by proposing three hybrid algorithms. The proposed algorithms include genetic neural network hybrid algorithm, simulated annealing neural network hybrid algorithm, and shuffled frog-leaping neural network hybrid algorithm. The efficiency and reliability of the presented hybrid algorithms in prediction of wind speed behavior were evaluated using meteorological data of the city of Abadeh for a 10-year period from 2005 to 2015. The forecasting horizon is monthly for this study. The study parameters consisted of TMAX, TMIN, VP, RHMIN, RHMAX, WIND SPEED, PRECIPITATION, and SUNSHINE HOURS. These eight parameters are used as the inputs, and one parameter (ET) is used as the output. Research findings show that the shuffled frog-leaping neural network hybrid algorithm providing a root mean square error value of 0.0761 and reliability of 0.91 is more suitable than other hybrid algorithms for prediction of wind speed behavior in the study area.

Introduction: Laser therapy is known as an efficient approach in dermatology surgery. CO2 laser therapy is a gold standard treatment in skin surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the interferons change after CO2 laser surgery Methods: Significant differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) of arm skin after 7 days of treatment by the CO2 laser relative to the controls are downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and are included in the protein-protein interaction network via a STRING database (an application of Cytoscape software). The central DEGs were identified and enriched via gene ontology by using Clue GO software. Results: A network including 78 DEGs and 100 neighbors was constructed and STAT1, MX1, ISG15, OAS1, IFIT1, IRF8, OASL, OAS2, and RSAD2 as hubs and STAT1, PTPRC, MX1, IRF8, ISG15, IL6, RORC, SAMSN1, and IFIT1 as bottlenecks were introduced. The cytokine-mediated signaling pathway, interferon gamma signaling, hepatitis C, interferon alpha/beta signaling, and the type I interferon signaling pathway were identified as 5 clusters of biological terms which are related to the central nodes. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the cytokine-mediated signaling pathway is the major pathway that is dysregulated after laser application in the treated skin.

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the techno-economic feasibility of wind power potential for a tribal region located in Gachsaran in the South-West of Iran. Design/methodology/approach Techno-economic feasibility study and analysis of data were conducted by HOMER v2.68 software. Simulations and calculations were performed for 10 kW turbines, 8 Trojan L16P batteries, 12 kW converter and 12 kW generator. To anticipate the pay back period (PBP) or the time required to reach profitability, an engineering economic method named net equivalent uniform annual was applied. Findings The power plant construction cost, including the initial cost, installing, replacing and project operating costs for useful life of 20 years was equal to $40970. The net income of the project for each year was $8538 and the calculations were carried out using interest rate of 18%. Results indicated that PBP was 13 years which is lower than 20 years useful life of the turbine. Therefore, it is economically feasible to use this type of turbine for the nominated region. Originality/value There has not been conducted a research regarding remote areas in Iran; therefore, this study aims at closing this research gap. Moreover, this method could be used for any remote areas in any other developing country.

Due to acute problems caused by fossil fuels that threaten the environment, conducting research on other types of energy carriers that are clean and renewable is of great importance. Since in the past few years hydrogen has been introduced as the future fuel, the aim of this study is to evaluate wind and solar energy potentials in prone areas of Iran by the Weibull distribution function (WDF) and the Angstrom-Prescott (AP) equation for hydrogen production. To this end, the meteorological data of solar radiation and wind speed recorded at 10 m height in the time interval of 3 h in a five-year period have been used. The findings indicate that Manjil and Zahedan with yearly wind and solar energy densities of 6004 (kWh/m2) and 2247 (kWh/m2), respectively, have the greatest amount of energy among the other cities. After examining three different types of commercial wind turbines and photovoltaic (PV) systems, it becomes clear that by utilizing one set of Gamesa G47 turbine, 91 kg/d of hydrogen, which provides energy for 91 car/week, can be produced in Manjil and will save about 1347 L of gasoline in the week. Besides, by installing one thousand sets of X21-345 PV systems in Zahedan, 20 kg/d of hydrogen, enough for 20 cars per week, can be generated and 296 L of gasoline can be saved. Finally, the RETScreen software is used to calculate the annual CO2 emission reduction after replacing gasoline with the produced hydrogen.

Chitosan is a cationic natural polymer which has been widely used in various areas. Present study focused on the preparation of the chitosan nanoparticles (NPs) throughout ionic gelation method and using tripolyphosphate (TPP), as non-toxic polyanion counter-ions. Chitosan NPs solutions were prepared by mixing of the 10 mL chitosan solutions, with different concentrations (1, 2 and 3 mg/mL), and different amounts of the TPP (4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 mL) at 35 °C. Physico-chemical characteristics of prepared chitosan NPs solutions were evaluated using FT-IR, DLS, TEM and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Achieved results indicated that optimum conditions to prepare opalescent chitosan NPs suspension achieved by using 10 mL of chitosan solution (3 mg/mL) and 14 mL TPP. The provided chitosan NPs at these conditions had highest turbidity (0.317 a.u.) and zeta potential (+15.9 mV) values. The formed spherical chitosan NPs in the solution had minimum mean particle size of 20 nm. Antibacterial activities analysis against both Gram positive and negative bacteria strains indicated that the formed chitosan NPs had higher bactericidal effects as compared to the chitosan solution. Obtained results also revealed that both chitosan solution (3 mg/mL) and its prepared NPs had strong fungicidal activity against Aspergillus flavus.

Introduction: Application of laser in medicine and cosmetic purposes has raised grossly in recent years. There are contradictory finding about its side effects. In this research critical differentially expressed proteins after irradiation erbium:yttrium–aluminum–garnet (Er:YAG) laser on skin are investigated. Methods: Proteome data including 31 proteins were obtained from a proteomics investigation of laser irradiation, Er:YAG on female mouse skin that are published by Pan et al. The query proteins and 100 related ones were included in the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. The central nodes were determined and all of nodes were included in action maps. Expression, activation, inhibition, binding, and reaction were considered in action plan. Results: Numbers of 16 proteins were recognized by STRING database and were included in the network. Except PHRF1, the other 15 query proteins were included in the main connected component of the constructed network. Ten central nodes of the network and ten numbers of top query proteins based on degree value were identified as central proteins of the network. All nodes of the network analyzed via action maps and the important acted nodes were determined as RPSA, GAPDH, TPT1, DCTN2, HSPB1, and PDIA3. Conclusion; Two balanced processes including cancer promotion and cancer prevention were after irradiation were identified.

Introduction Migraine is a severe kind of headache with the chance hereditary of 50%. Molecular studies can promote understanding of migraine pathophysiology. One of which is bioinformatics approach that could provide additional information related to the identified biomarkers. Methods In this research, migraine genes are studies in terms of interaction pattern to introduce important individuals. Through STRING database Plug-in in Cytoscape, candidate genes for migraine were retrieved and analyzed by related applications. Based on centrality and action types (expression, activation, and inhibition) genes were screened. Results Numbers of 33 central genes including seven hub-bottlenecks were identified which 70% of central genes were involved in expression action with each other. Activation was dominate action relative to inhibition between the central genes. Conclusion The finding indicates that insulin is the most important gene relative to migraine. It seems regulation of metabolism play critical role in control of migraine.

Background One of the causes of maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity is pregnancy-induced hypertension, the most common form of which is preeclampsia that causes many complications for mother and fetus. Objective The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and preeclampsia in Iran. Materials and Methods Using valid keywords in the SID database, PubMed, Scopus, data obtained from all the articles, which were reviewed in Iran between 2000 and 2016, were combined using the meta-analysis method (random-effects model) and analyzed using STATA version 11.1. Results A total number of 5,946 samples were enrolled in 16 studies with the mean BMI values of 25.13, 27.42, and 26.33 kg /m 2 in the healthy, mild, and severe preeclamptic groups, respectively. Conclusion The results of this study revealed that there is a significant relationship between BMI and the risk of preeclampsia, so it can be said that BMI may be one of the ways to diagnose preeclampsia.

The objective of this study was to perform a sensitivity analysis on the factors affecting wind site localization. A case study is selected based on 13 cities in the province of Fars in Iran which is equally applicable in any other wind sites. Then, the cities are ranked using the dual form of the data envelopment analysis model. Next, six criteria are adopted including wind conditions, population, Available Land condition, distance to distribution networks, rate of natural disasters, and the cost of land. In the sensitivity analysis of each criterion, first, the criterion under analysis is omitted from the model, and then the dual model is applied again to obtain a new ranking. Evaluating the results of the ranking for 13 studied cities indicate that the city of Shiraz is just sensitive to the population criterion and fell 11 places in the ranking by omitting this criterion. But the city is insensitive to any other criteria.

Purpose In hot and dry climates, air conditioning accounts for a large portion of total energy consumption; therefore, this paper aims to investigate the impact of sol-air temperature and ground temperature on the loss of cooling energy in hot and dry regions of Iran. Design/methodology/approach In line with this objective, the values of sol-air temperature along different directions and ground temperature at different depths were assessed with respect to climatic data of Yazd City. The impact of sol-air temperature and ground temperature on the rate of heat loss was investigated. So, energy loss of the walls aligned to four primary directions was calculated. This process was repeated for a 36 m2 building with three different shape factors. All analyses were conducted for the period from May to September, during which buildings need to be cooled by air conditioners. Findings Numerical analyses conducted for hot and dry climate show that sol-air temperature leads to a 41-17 per cent increase in the wall’s energy loss compared with ambient temperature. Meanwhile, building the wall below the surface leads to a significant reduction in energy loss. For example, building the wall 400 cm below the surface leads to about 74.8-79.2 per cent energy saving compared with above ground design. The results also show that increasing the direct contact between soil and building envelope decreases the energy loss, so energy loss of a building that is built 400 cm below the surface is 53.7-55.3 per cent lower than that of a building built above the surface. Originality/value The impact of sol-air temperature and ground temperature on the cooling energy loss of a building in hot and dry climate was investigated. Numerical analysis shows that solar radiation increases heat loss from building envelope. Soil temperature fluctuations decrease with depth. Heat loss from building envelope in an underground building is lower than that from building envelope in a building built above the ground. Three different shape factors showed that sol-air temperature has the maximum impact on square-shaped plan and minimal impact on buildings with east-west orientation.

Silica aerogel nanoparticles have various applications due to their unique properties such as low thermal conductivity, high specific surface area as well as low density. However, due to low mechanical properties of pure silica aerogel, its composite with other materials is used as thermal insulators. In this work, hydrophobic silica aerogel was synthesized using sol-gel as well as solvent substitution methods, and calcined at 200, 300, 400 and 500 °C. In order to improve the mechanical properties, nanocomposites of hydrophobic silica aerogel and polyurethane with 0.5, 1, 3 and 5 wt% of nanoparticle content were prepared. Nanocomposite foams of polyurethane/silica aerogel were prepared with two separate methods: mixing silica aerogel in polyol and mixing those in diisocyanate. Cyclopentane was used as foaming agent. Results of FESEM, BET and water contact angle analysis showed that silica aerogel nanoparticles possess high specific surface area. Furthermore, the calcined particles at 500 °C showed hydrophilic properties. Optical microscopy Images showed that the sample containing 1 wt% of nanoparticles has the lowest cell diameter, highest cell density and narrower cell size distribution due to higher cell nucleation and homogeneity. Moreover, with the increase in nanoparticle content, the cell size distribution was broadened and cell density decreased. Results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis confirmed that lower contents of hydrophilic nanoparticles in both mixing media leads to more homogeneous and uniform cell microstructure. Results of compression tests showed that in samples with lower cell size and homogenous cell microstructure, the resistance against compression increased and the mechanical properties improved, this was clearly evident in nanocomposite foam containing 1 wt% of silica aerogel.

There has been a great concern about shortage of potable water in many countries as well as Iran, because of the dramatic low rainfall during past few decades almost in all over the Iran. There is a great concern for implementing renewable desalination systems as it seems to be the only clean and environmental friendly source to the traditional fossil fuel powered systems. This study sought to simultaneously assess the reliability of electricity and cost in off grid photovoltaic systems for a photovoltaic reverse osmosis desalination system in 9 districts of Bushehr Province in Iran. Solar data used in this study contains indices of “Clearness Index” and “Daily Solar Radiation” over a period of 16 years from 2000 to 2016. HOMER and Excel were used for technical-economic feasibility of the proposed systems. For this study, a new model of BWRO-2S-130/75 desalination system is tested and proposed. The results indicate that the proposed photovoltaic systems are technically and economically feasible. It was also found that the reliability of off grid photovoltaic system using fuzzy time function provided better results than using the simple method. The results of the evaluation of proposed photovoltaic systems by HOMER software shows that annual electricity production for Delvar and Deylam port are 72,336 and 47,915 kWh respectively which is promising. Also, maximum of 228 m3 and a minimum of 148 m3/day of potable water can be produced with cost of 1.96 to 3.02 $/m2 for Delvar and Deylam port respectively. Results indicate that using the proposed system of desalination would be economically feasible for Delvar, since the predicted water cost is cheaper compared to existing water price of $2.5. The new model of BWRO-2S-130/75 desalination can meet the water demand of the selected city.

Wind power potential by itself is not a good indicator of the suitability of a region for wind power generation for different purposes. Economic attractiveness is a better indicator in this regard as it stimulates the involvement of private businesses in this sector. Naturally, the shorter is the payback period or the time required to reach profitability, the more attractive will be the project. Considering the high wind energy potential of some regions of Iran, this study evaluates the wind energy available for generating electricity as well as hydrogen by industrial and agricultural sectors in four cities of Ardebil province, namely Ardebil, Khalkhal, Namin, and Meshkinshahr, and then conducts an econometric analysis accordingly. Wind power potentials are evaluated using the energy pattern factor and Weibull distribution function based on 5-year meteorological data of the studied regions. Economic evaluations are performed based on the present worth of incomes and costs, which are estimated for two models of wind turbines with 3.5 and 100 KW rated power. Results indicate that the cities of Namin and Ardebil with wind power densities of respectively 261.68 and 258.99 W/m2 have the best condition. The economic analysis conducted for turbines shows that for Ardebil, installation of the 3.5 KW and 100 KW turbines will have a payback period of 13 and 5 years, respectively. For Khalkhal, Namin, and Meshkinshahr, the only feasible option is installation of the 100 KW turbine, which would result in a payback period of respectively 10.2, 6.1 and 8.7 years. Then it is investigated how much hydrogen can be gained if these private sectors invest in producing hydrogen using nominated wind turbines.

Cerebellar ataxias (CA) include a range of neurodegenerative disorders hallmarked by deterioration of the cerebellum. Cell replacement therapy (CRT) offers a potential remedy for the diseases associated with the central nervous system (CNS). This study was designed to assess the neurorestorative/protective effects of dental pulp stem cell (DPSC) implantation on a rat model of CA induced by 3-acetylpyridine (3-AP) as a neurotoxin. To begin, human DPSCs were extracted, cultured and phenotypically characterized. Then, experimental ataxia was induced in 20 male adult rats by a single injection of 3-AP and bilateral DPSC transplantation was performed 3 days after 3-AP administration, followed by stereological analysis of cerebellar layers along with assessment of motor skills and inflammatory response. The findings showed that transplantation of DPSCs in a 3-AP model of ataxia ameliorated motor coordination and muscle activity, increased cerebellar volumes of molecular and granular layers plus white matter, reduced the levels of inflammatory cytokines and thwarted the degeneration of Purkinje cells against 3-AP toxicity. Taken together, human DPSCs could be considered as a suitable candidate for CRT-based therapies with a specific focus on CA.

OBJECTIVE AND BACKGROUND Methamphetamine (Meth) is one of the most important central nervous system (CNS) stimulant abuse drugs that cause long-term or permanent damage to different regions of the brain, particularly hippocampus, by neuronal apoptosis and inflammation. In this study, we evaluated Nod-like Receptor Protein 3(NLRP3) and Nod-like Receptor Protein1 (NLRP1) Inflammasome Activation in the Hippocampal Region of postmortem Meth Chronic User. METHODS Molecular and histological analyses were conducted on the brain of 14 non-addicted and 11 Meth users separately. The expression level of NLRP1, NLRP3 was measured using western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC) techniques. Histopathological assessment was performed with stereological Cell Counting of hippocampal cells stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H et E). Moreover, Tunel staining was carried out in order to detect any kind of DNA damage. RESULTS Based on our findings using western blotting and immunohistochemistry assay, overexpression of NLRP1 and NLRP3 proteins in the hippocampal region of Meth addicts was observed. The stereological analysis in the hippocampus of the human brain revealed increased neurodegeneration. Furthermore, the increased rate of apoptosis and cell death were significant and confirmed by Tunel assay in the hippocampus of Meth groups. CONCLUSION Chronic Meth abuse could result in increases of NLRP1 and NLRP3 and induction of inflammation and apoptosis in the hippocampus in Meth groups (Tab. 1, Fig. 9, Ref. 40).

Introduction: The purpose of the present study is to investigate the common causes of injuries, claims, and decisions related to laser therapy medical malpractice during a nine-year survey. Methods: The legal documents in the Coroner’s Office of Forensic Medicine were investigated in a national database from 2012 to 2020 in Tehran, Iran. The frequency and nature of the cases, including the year of litigation, the location and certificate of the provider, the injury sustained, and the cause of legal action and judgment were collected. Results: Three hundred and eighty-three cases related to injury from laser therapy were registered in the coroner’s Office of Forensic Medicine during the study period. The incidence of litigation related to laser surgery showed an increasing trend, with a peak occurrence in 2020. Laser hair removal was the most common (51.2%) litigated procedure. General practice operators (48%) recorded the highest rate of laser-related medical complaints. Lack of skill was the most common reason for failure. Among 383 cases with public decisions, 62.4% of them were fault liability in paid judgment. Conclusion: Medical claims related to laser application are increasing. However, as it is clear, the growth of laser technology and the increasing demand for lasers in medical science require more surveillance to avoid probable injuries and improve patient safety, especially surveillance of the physicians who work outside the scope of their specialty.

Leishmania is a neglected protozoan parasite which creates some problems for public health with different clinical infections in different countries around. Due to the lack of an effective drug without side effects and the emergence drug resistance, there is an urgent need to introduce the novel drug targets and new drugs and vaccines to control leishmaniasis during recent years, metabolomics and other ‘‘Omics” platforms has become an important approach to comprehensive knowledge of the Leishmania parasites biology. The study of metabolite profiles can open the insights for discovering novel therapeutic targets in this infection in both of the parasites and human host. In addition, specifying the metabolomics profile changes among promastigotes, amastigotes and during metacyclogenesis can pay the way for achieving parasite survival parameters and the host-parasite interaction. The previous studies in this field have been extracted from the databases, literature and their detailed major concepts. The present review highlights the role of metabolomics approach in the field of Leishmania research. Also, several important metabolite signatures introduced in various aspect of leishmania parasite such as drug resistance and parasite biology which would be useful in the field of biomarker and drug discovery process. Finally, metabolomics plays a potential role in introducing metabolic pathways related to Leishmania parasite and its treatment design.Keywords: Omics, System biology, Metabolomics, Leishmania, Parasite, Leishmaniasis, Biomarker

The objective of this study is to socially and economically investigate installation of wind turbines in Iran in order to produce hydrogen using its electricity. Due to adequate condition of wind blow in Manjil, Zabol, and Ardebil, these cities were chosen as the case studies and sample society. To scrutinize the acceptance of wind power among the sample members, first, data was gathered through questionnaires and analyzed by Partial Least Squares (PLS) approach to Structural Equations Modeling (SEM). The results showed that the first hypothesis (H1), positive effect of financial condition of households on wind power acceptance, was rejected with the coefficient of 1.184. On the other hand, the second hypothesis (H2) was approved with a meaningful coefficient of 3.159, that is, the social awareness of wind energy has a positive effect on its acceptance as an electricity generating source. Costs and Incomes Chart was utilized to estimate the payback period of investing in the wind power site project. Five wind turbines with different nominal capacities were tested and the results showed that the payback period for Manjil is shorter than that of others’ in a way that for turbines with 5, 30, 50, 60 and 100 kW nominal capacity is 3.1, 2.4, 2.3, 1.9, 2.6 years respectively. Finally, Hummer H25.0–60 KW wind turbine was selected due to its payback time which was less than other turbines to estimate the amount of hydrogen produced. The results showed that with installing one set of this turbine in Manjil, Zabol, and Ardebil 7.12, 5.82 and 5.72 ton hydrogen per year will be produced, respectively.

Introduction: There are many documents about the significant role of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in different processes such as regenerator medicine and bone formation. The aim of this study is to assess the role of LLLT in blood hemostasis in rats via bioinformatic investigation.Methods: The differentially expressed plasma proteins of treated rats via LLLT from the literature and the added 50 first neighbors were investigated via network analysis to find the critical dysregulated proteins and biological processes by using Cytoscape software, the STRING database, and ClueGO.Results: A scale-free network including 55 nodes was constructed from queried and added first neighbor proteins. Fibrinogen gamma, fibrinogen alpha, and plasminogen were highlighted as the central genes of the analyzed network. Fibrinolysis was determined as the main group of biological processes that were affected by LLLT.Conclusion: Findings indicate that LLLT affects blood hemostasis which is an important point inapproving the therapeutic application of LLLT and also preventing its possible complication. DOI: 10.34172/jlms.2021.59

Introduction: Gamma radiation is accompanied by prominent biological effects and damages. Cell proliferation and tumorigenesis are highlighted as the main resulted effects of gamma radiation on cultured cells. This study aims to assess the dysregulated mode of gene function after gamma radiation in human Jurkat cells. Methods: Six gene expression profiles from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were analyzed by GEO2R to find the significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) via gamma radiation. Action map analysis was applied to screen the query DEGs. Results: Among 108 study genes, 20 critical DEGs including AURKA, AURKB, BORA, CCNB1, CCNB2, CCNF, CDC20, CDCA8, CENPA, CENPE, CENPF, KIF18A, KIF20A, KIF23, BUB1, DLGAP5, ECT2, PLK1, SGO2, and TPX2 were introduced as down-regulated genes by the gamma ray. Conclusion: Activators of the introduced critical genes may be the cell protector against gamma radiation.

Background: Although the application of ultraviolet B (UVB) in phototherapy of human skin is a common therapeutic method, it is known as a risk factor for skin cancer. This study aims to assess the role of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) to find the critical one that is mainly responsible for skin protection against UVB radiation. Methods: The gene expression profiles of irradiated mice by UVB that issued skin protection against exposure are extracted from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and analyzed by GEO2R. The significant DEGs are assessed via gene ontology (GO) analysis and the critical individuals are investigated via action mapping. Results: Thirty-eight significant DEGs that provide skin resistance against UVB irradiation were determined. Among the query DEGs, 26 individuals were related to 43 biological terms. Flt4, F3, Tspan6, Cblb, and Itgb6 were highlighted as the critical DEGs to promote skin protection against UVB irradiation. Conclusion: The finding indicates that Flt4 is the key DEG that is mainly responsible for protecting skin from UVB exposure.

Introduction: Currently, the COVID-19 pandemic is an important health challenge worldwide. Due to the cytokine storm, the mortality rate in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is high, but until now no therapy for these patients was approved. The aim of this review was to discuss the possible anti-inflammatory effect of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) on ARSD patients and present the potential role of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in the improvement of respiratory symptoms associated with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Methods: Studies about PBMT in inflammation and ARSD patients were examined. A primary search with reviewing English-language citations between 2005 and 2020 using the keywords COVID-19, ADRS, cytokine storm, low-level laser therapy, anti-inflammatory, and photobiomodulation was performed. The initial search yielded 818 articles; however, 60 articles were selected and discussed in the present study. Results: The results of the selected studies showed the usefulness of PBMT in the treatment of inflammation and ARSD in patients with COVID-19 infection. This therapy is non-invasive and safe to modulate the immune responses in ARSD patients. Conclusion: PBMT can potentially reduce the viral load and bacterial super-infections in patients with COVID-19 infection and control the inflammatory response. Therefore, the use of PBMT could be an efficient strategy for preventing severe and critical illness in SARS-COV2 infection.

Introduction: Laser therapy has attracted experts’ attention in medical sciences. Many benefits of laser therapy are presented besides some complications. The present study, it is tried to present a new perspective of laser therapy in the various fields of medicine.Methods: Laser therapy-related articles which are combined with regenerative medicine, cosmetic, dentistry, neurodegenerative diseases, kidney, bone fracture, and vaginal function in the English language were searched through the google scholar search engine in the range of 2000-2021. After title screening, the abstracts were evaluated to access the full texts.Results: Basic concepts and various kinds of lasers that are applied in medicine were explained. Applications of laser therapy in various fields of medicine such as pain reduction, wound healing, regenerative medicine, dentistry, and several other body organs were highlighted and some complications were pointed.Conclusion: High potential of laser therapy for application in medicine implies a reconsideration of the laser properties and also styles of laser applications to improve the treatment and prevention of its side effects. DOI:10.34172/jlms.2021.42

The search for disease-related targets and studying drug-protein and protein-protein interactions are central issues that would accelerate the clinical approval of a drug. Also, by developing an accurate method in this regard, time and resource consumption will significantly decrease. The low efficiency of some drugs in humans is a grave issue leading to a low rate of FDA approval after spending billions of dollars and decades of research. Several strategies and methods have been expanded to fill this gap, such as drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS), stability of proteins from rates of oxidation (SPROX), cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), and finally, thermal proteome profiling (TPP). The TPP is based on the combination of CETSA and quantitative mass spectrometry. Among recently introduced proteomics technologies, TPP demonstrates the ability to offer detailed proteomic profiles for the large-scale analysis of protein-ligand interactions, including endogenous ligands and proteins like cofactors and metabolites. TPP facilitates the identification of the markers governing drug efficacy and toxicity and provides an unbiased measure for estimating the rate of drug-target engagement. At a glance at TPP steps, after protein extraction, the molecule is exposed to different temperatures and drug concentrations. After discarding solubilized and stabilized proteins, the protein’s identity is investigated by mass spectrometry analysis. As a result of the protein’s structural stabilization after binding to its substrate, TTP helps to accurately identify target proteins with high throughput. In this study, we aimed to introduce the basics of this method and review most recent studies on this technique.

A static VAR compensator (SVC) is a critical component for reactive power compensation in electric arc furnaces (EAFs) that is used to relieve the flicker impacts and maintain the voltage level. A weak voltage profile can not only reduce the power-quality services, but can also result in system instability in severe cases. The cybersecurity of EAFs is becoming a significant concern due to their cyber-physical structure. The reliance of SVC controllers on reactive power measurement and network communications has resulted in a cyber-vulnerability point for unauthorized access to the EAF, which can affect its normal operation. This paper addresses concerns about cyber attacks on EAFs, which can cause network communication issues in measurement data for SVCs. Three significant and different types of cyber attacks that are launched on SVC controllers—a replay attack, delay attack, and false data injection attack (FDIA)—were simulated and investigated. In order to stop the activities of cyber attacks, a secured anomaly detection model (ADM) based on a prediction interval is proposed. The proposed model is dependent on a support vector regression and a new smooth cost function for constructing the optimal and symmetrical intervals. A modified algorithm based on teaching–learning-based optimization was developed to adapt the ADM’s parameters during training. The simulation’s outcomes on a genuine dataset showed the strong capability of the proposed model against cyber attacks in EAFs.

The aim of this study is to investigate the economic prospects of producing electricity and hydrogen using wind energy under different scenarios. For this, the most essential criteria to investors including Levelized Cost of Wind-generated Electricity (LCOWE), Levelized Cost of Wind-based Hydrogen (LCOWH), payback period, and rate of return are examined. Technical and environmental impacts are factored into the LCOWE formulation to obtain comprehensive insight. Owing to the uncertain nature of future, five degradation rates concerned with wind turbine performance and five likely rates as to the future value of money are investigated under the scenarios of I) utilizing wind electricity to replace fuel oil electricity, II) to replace natural gas electricity and III) without considering environmental penalties. The results indicate that LCOWE would be in the range of 0.0325–0.0755 $/kWh, while the corresponding LCOWH being in the range of 1.375–1.59 $/kg. Moreover, payback period of the related LCOWE and LCOWH would be in the range of 2.55–9.48 yr during the lifetime of wind power plant and 3.91–8.41 yr during that of hydrogen production system, respectively. The corresponding rate of return pertinent to the above-mentioned ones would be respectively in the range of 14.15–23.54% and of 9.87–21.55%.

Studying aging, as a physiological process that can cause various pathological phenotypes, has attracted lots of attention due to its increasing burden and prevalence. Therefore, understanding its mechanism to find novel therapeutic alternatives for age-related disorders such as neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases is essential. Stem cell senescence plays an important role in aging. In the context of the underlying pathways, mitochondrial dysfunction, epigenetic and genetic alterations, and other mechanisms have been studied and as a consequence, several rejuvenation strategies targeting these mechanisms like pharmaceutical interventions, genetic modification, and cellular reprogramming have been proposed. On the other hand, since stem cells have great potential for disease modeling, they have been useful for representing aging and its associated disorders. Accordingly, the main mechanisms of senescence in stem cells and promising ways of rejuvenation, along with some examples of stem cell models for aging are introduced and discussed. This review aims to prepare a comprehensive summary of the findings by focusing on the most recent ones to shine a light on this area of research.

Background: Males are more likely to die from COVID-19 than females. In addition, the mortality rate among positive and suspected COVID-19 patients were reported in many literatures. The aim of this study is to evaluate the sex differential effect in the COVID-19 mortality by different age groups and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results. Methods: in a multicenter cross-sectional study from 55 hospitals in Tehran, Iran, patients were categorized as the positive, negative and suspected cases. Age group, sex and hospital wards were also assessed in analysis. Results: A total of 25481 cases (14791 males) were included in the study with the mortality rate of 12.0%. The mortality rate in positive, negative and suspected cases were 20.55%, 9.97% and 7.31%, respectively. Although the mortality in negative test group was considerable, sex was not associated with the death rate in this group. Using Cox regression model, sex had a significant effect on the hazard of death due to COVID-19 in adults and senior patients having positive and suspected PCR test results. However, sex was not found as significant factor for mortality in patients with negative PCR test occurring to different age groups. Conclusion: Regardless of other risk factors, we found that sex differential effect in COVID-19 mortality varies significantly in different age groups; therefore, appropriate strategies should be designed to protect adult and senior men from this deadly infectious disease. Furthermore, owing to the considerable death rate of COVID-19 patients with negative test results, new policies should be launched increase the accuracy of diagnosis tests.

Naringenin is a natural compound with potential anti-cancer effects against several cancer types. Also, its precise molecular mechanisms regarding tumor growth suppression has not been completely elucidated. In the current study the apoptosis-inducing and anti-proliferative effects of Naringenin together with cyclophosphamide were studied in breast cancer cells and the participation of JAK2/STAT3 pathway was investigated. In this regard, MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells were cultured and hence, treated with different concentrations of Naringenin. Apoptosis was measured via flowcytometric analysis of annexin V binding and cell viability was assessed via MTT assay. Protein and gene expression were investigated via Western blotting and real-time PCR, respectively. The function of caspase enzymes were also assessed. The results exhibited that Naringenin triggered apoptosis and markedly decreased cell viability. Furthermore its coadministration with cyclophosphamide improved its anti-tumor properties. Moreover, Naringenin up-regulated the expression of BAX while decreased the expression of Bcl-2. Caspases 3 and 9 were activated by Naringenin, an influence, which was augmented via cyclophosphamide. Docking studies revealed an interaction between Naringenin and STAT3 that was confirmed via attenuation of STAT3 phosphorylation subsequent to treating the cells with Naringenin. Furthermore, Naringenin exhibited the capacity to suppress the function of IL-6 in modulating apoptosis-associated genes expression. Overall, these results indicated that a Naringenin- cyclophosphamide combination impairs proliferation signaling and induces apoptosis to a greater extent than either compound alone and can serve as a potent chemotherapeutic regimen for breast cancer treatment.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2, a novel betacoronavirus, has caused the global outbreak of a contagious infection named coronavirus disease-2019. Severely ill subjects have shown higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Cytokine storm is the term that can be used for a systemic inflammation leading to the production of inflammatory cytokines and activation of immune cells. In coronavirus disease-2019 infection, a cytokine storm contributes to the mortality rate of the disease and can lead to multiple-organ dysfunction syndrome through auto-destructive responses of systemic inflammation. Direct effects of the severe acute respiratory syndrome associated with infection as well as hyperinflammatory reactions are in association with disease complications. Besides acute respiratory distress syndrome, functional impairments of the cardiovascular system, central nervous system, kidneys, liver, and several others can be mentioned as the possible consequences. In addition to the current therapeutic approaches for coronavirus disease-2019, which are mostly supportive, stem cell-based therapies have shown the capacity for controlling the inflammation and attenuating the cytokine storm. Therefore, after a brief review of novel coronavirus characteristics, this review aims to explain the effects of coronavirus disease-2019 cytokine storm on different organs of the human body. The roles of stem cell-based therapies on attenuating cytokine release syndrome are also stated.

Cancer is a leading cause of death in both developed and developing countries, and because of population growth and aging, it is a growing medical burden worldwide. With robust development in medicine, the use of stem cells has opened new treatment modalities in cancer therapy. In adult stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are showing rising promise in cancer treatment due to their unique properties. Among different sources of MSCs, human amniotic fluid/membrane is an attractive and suitable reservoir. There are conflicting opinions about the role of human amniotic membrane/fluid mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCS/hAFMSCs) in cancer, as some studies demonstrating the anticancer effects of these cells and others suggesting their progressive effects on cancer. This review focuses on recent findings about the role of hAMSCs/hAFMSCs in cancer treatment and summarizes the suppressing as well as promoting effects of these cells on cancer progression and underling mechanisms.