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BACKGROUND: Mother-to-child transmission is the primary cause of HIV cases among children. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) plays a critical role in preventing mother-to-child transmission and reducing HIV progression, morbidity, and mortality among mothers. However, after more than two decades of ART during pregnancy, the comparative effectiveness and safety of ART medications during pregnancy are unclear, and existing evidence is contradictory. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of different ART regimens among pregnant women living with HIV at preconception or during pregnancy. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science. We included randomized trials that enrolled pregnant women living with HIV and randomized them to receive ART for at least four weeks. Pairs of reviewers independently completed screening for eligible studies, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Our outcomes of interest included low birth weight, stillbirth, preterm birth, mother-to-child transmission of HIV, neonatal death, and congenital anomalies. Network meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects frequentist model, and the certainty of evidence was evaluated using the GRADE approach. RESULTS: We found 14 eligible randomized trials enrolling 9,561 pregnant women. The median duration of ART uptake ranged from 6.0 to 17.4 weeks. No treatment was statistically better than a placebo in reducing the rate of neonatal mortality, stillbirth, congenital defects, preterm birth, or low birth weight deliveries. Compared to placebo, zidovudine (ZDV)/lamivudine (3TC) and ZDV monotherapy likely reduce mother-to-child transmission (odds ratio (OR): 0.13; 95% CI: 0.05 to 0.31, high-certainty; and OR: 0.50; 95% CI: 0.33 to 0.74, moderate-certainty). Moderate-certainty evidence suggested that ZDV/3TC was associated with decreased odds of stillbirth (OR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.09 to 2.60). CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis provides high- to moderate-certainty evidence that ZDV/3TC and ZDV are more effective in reducing the odds of mother-to-child transmission, with ZDV/3TC also demonstrating decreased odds of stillbirth. Notably, our findings suggest an elevated odds of stillbirth and preterm birth associated with all other ART regimens.

Ensuring the correct operation of electrical equipment in tandem is a critical engineering concern, particularly when addressing the issue of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). In satellite systems, EMC considerations must be addressed from the initial design phases, as methods such as shielding or the addition of suitable filters are not always feasible or optimal. This article examines the necessity of shielding the LVDS (Low-Voltage Differential Signaling) bus cabling of the satellite's camera, which is located on the satellite's exterior. The study begins with the simulation of the LVDS bus cabling to assess the need for shielding, and the results are subsequently validated through electromagnetic compatibility testing. The research findings indicate that, while shielding the LVDS bus cable of the camera can improve protection by a factor of ten thousand in the worst-case scenario during Radiated Emission (RE) and Radiated Susceptibility (RS) tests, the low level of interference radiation in RE (approximately E7–8 V/m or E4/1–11 A/m) and the small amplitude of the interference signal in RS (approximately 0.001 V) suggest that shielding is not necessary. Shielding would only increase the satellite's mass and complicate the connection without significant benefits. It is evident from this study that simulating Conducted Emission (CE) and Conducted Susceptibility (CS) tests in subsequent design phases is essential to ensure comprehensive EMC assessment.

Background. Primary hypogammaglobulinemia disorders are a group of heterogeneous immunodeficiency syndromes with an increased susceptibility to pulmonary complications. Methods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the extent of lung abnormalities in primary hypogammaglobulinaemic patients by high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scan and pulmonary function test (PFT). HRCT and PFT were performed in 22 Iranian patients with primary hypogammaglobulinemia. Results. Pathological bronchial findings were observed in thirteen patients: three patients showed only peribronchial thickening and the remaining ten patients suffered from both bronchiectasis and peribronchial wall thickening. Mild type of bronchiectasis and peribronchial wall thickening were the most common type, predominantly observed in the right middle and both right and left lower lobe segments of lungs. Although bullae were not found, emphysema, air-trapping, and collapse/consolidation were observed in two patients. Bronchial involvement was mostly limited to 1 up to 5 bronchopulmonary segments; only one HRCT indicated bronchial involvement in more than nine bronchopulmonary segments. Pathological bronchial findings mostly observed in the proximal bronchi; meanwhile the involvement of the distal bronchi was less common. Decreasing FEV1 and FVC were observed in 65% and 55% of patients, respectively. There was a significant correlation between the HRCT score and the predicted values by PFT. The delay of diagnosis in patients with bronchiectasis was significantly higher than those without bronchiectasis. Conclusions. It seems that the majority of hypogammaglobulinaemic patients suffer from the mild type of bronchiectasis, which is mostly observed in the proximal bronchi of the lower lobe segments. The delay of diagnosis plays an important role in the occurrence of this complication in these patients.

Background. Brain stroke is the second most common cause of death and the first cause of disability in Iran. Most stroke-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. This epidemiological study was conducted due to insufficient studies and generally with a small sample size in the country, aiming at identifying the main risk factors for stroke in East Azarbaijan province. Methods. This cross-sectional study was performed using data gathered from 5430 patients with a definite diagnosis of brain stroke registered in the Tabriz Stroke Registration System (TSR) between February 2015 and June 2021 in the referral hospitals of East Azerbaijan. Analyses were performed using STATA software (version 17). Descriptive statistics were calculated, and a chi-square test was run. It is worth mentioning that any was considered statistically significant. Results. The epidemiological profile of the main risk factors was presented in the framework of clinical trials and findings, clinical risk factors, and behavioral risk factors associated with brain stroke. The mean age of the patients was 69.52±15.72 years; 47.15% were female and 52.85% were male. The most common risk factors include: having high blood pressure (67.81%), snoring (32.06%), diabetes mellitus (22.23%), familial history of stroke (18.78%), ischemic heart disease (17.55%), aspiration pneumonia (15.32%), smoking (13.65%), atrial fibrillation (10.15%), and hyperlipidemia (8.42%). Ischemic brain stroke (68.20%) was more common than hemorrhagic brain stroke (31.80%). Smoking was significantly higher in men than women. The prevalence of hypertension, atrial fibrillation (P=0.001), and hyperlipidemia was significantly higher in women than men. There was a direct and significant relationship between atrial fibrillation and age and female gender (P=0.001). Conclusion. The main risk factors for brain stroke include high blood pressure, snoring, diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, aspiration pneumonia, smoking, atrial fibrillation, and hyperlipidemia, respectively. Hypertension is the most common risk factor among patients, so screening for asymptomatic cases is recommended. Educating people about common clinical manifestations can help expedite their early referral and treatment.

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a heterogeneous heritable disease characterized by arrest in B cell differentiation. An association between CVID and two HLA haplotypes, haplotype I (HLA-A1, HLA-B8, HLA-DR3) and haplotype II (HLA-A29, HLA-B44, HLADR7)has been previously documented. In the present study, we have attempted to find an association between susceptibility to CVID and HLA class I and II antigens in Iranian population. Seventeen Iranian patients with CVID (mean age 17, range 3-28 years; 12 male and 5 female), including two couples of brothers and 100 healthy controls were studied. All subjects were typed for HLA class 1, and 12 patients and all controls were typed for HLA class II, using microdroplet lymphocytotoxicity technique. Out of 12 CVID patients typed for HLA-DR and DQ specificities, five patients presented DR-1, which showed an increased frequency in patient (41.6% vs. 12% in controls), and 3 presented DQ-2, which also showed an increased frequency (25% vs. 4% in controls), both of which reached statistical significance (P = 0.018 and P = 0.026, respectively). HLA-DR10 was present in 2 patients (16.6%), which was markedly more frequent compared to controls, but this difference was not significant statistically. Our results suggest that HLA-DR1 and DQ-2 may contribute to susceptibility to CVID. We did not find any significant association between HLA-A1, B8 and DR3 that has been previously reported to be associated with CVID.

The prevalence of food allergy is different in various nations. The identification of the most common food allergens is a priority in any population to provide effective preventive and curative measures. The aim of this study is to determine the most common food allergens in Iranian children. One hundred and ninety children with skin, respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms, which were thought to be due to food allergy, were studied. Total serum IgE and eosinophil count tests were measured in all patients. Allergy to 25 food allergens was determined according to the patient’s history, skin prick tests, radioallergosorbent test (RAST) and open food challenge tests. The most common food allergens were cow’s milk, tomato, egg white, egg yolk, beef and almond, in decreasing order of frequency. The order of common food allergens in this study was different from other reports that might be due to the different food habits and/or ethnic diversities.

Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood. Exposure to allergens plays an important role in asthma. Recently, cockroach has attracted attentions as an important allergen. This study was performed to evaluate cockroach allergy in Iranian children with asthma. One hundred children with definite diagnosis of asthma were selected. After obtaining primary information, the severity of their disease was determined according to their history, physical exam and measurement of PEFR (Peak Expiratory Flow Rate) with a mini peakflowmeter. Also, serum total IgE and blood eosinophil count were measured. The patients were skin prick tested with cockroach (Blattella germanica), trees, weeds, grasses, cats, mite, feather and common food allergens. According to cockroach skin prick test (SPT) results, the patients were divided into two groups (sensitive and non‑sensitive) and compared. Positive SPT for cockroach was detected in 29% of patients. Cockroach sensitive group had a more severe asthma than non-sensitives (P

Light olefins are critical chemical materials with high global demand. The syngas-to-olefins (STO) process offers a promising pathway for light olefin production due to the versatility of syngas production technologies from various energy sources. However, achieving high carbon monoxide (CO) conversion and selectivity for olefins remains a challenge in catalytic development. This review categorizes STO catalysts into conventional Fischer-Tropsch catalysts, including unsupported and supported metal-based catalysts (with supports such as carbon, graphene, graphene oxide, zeolites, and metal oxides), as well as bifunctional, hybrid, and emerging core@shell structured catalysts. Another type of catalyst is core@shell structure catalyst, which is a developing method widely used for FT reactions. The performance of these catalysts is influenced by their materials, chemical compositions, operating conditions, and synthesis techniques. Unsupported catalysts, especially Fe-based and Co-based, exhibit high CO conversion but face issues like rapid deactivation and complex processing requirements. Supported catalysts enhance surface area, metal dispersion, and stability, with promoters such as Na, Mg, K, Mn, Zn, V, Zr, and Cu oxides improving catalytic activity through better CO adsorption and bond modulation. Zeolites, due to their acidic properties, significantly impact reactant adsorption and activation. Catalyst preparation methods, including impregnation, co-precipitation, sol-gel, and hydrothermal synthesis, alongside post-synthesis treatments like calcination and reduction, critically affect catalyst performance. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the light olefin production from syngas, detailing the roles of various catalysts and the impact of material types, operating conditions, and synthesis techniques on catalyst activity, and selectivity. The insights aim to guide future research and development towards more efficient and sustainable light olefin production processes.

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of death among all cancer deaths. This cancer is classified into two different histological subtypes: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which is the most common subtype, and small cell lung cancer (SCLC), which is the most aggressive subtype. Understanding the molecular characteristics of lung cancer has expanded our knowledge of the cellular origins and molecular pathways affected by each of these subtypes and has contributed to the development of new therapies. Traditional treatments for lung cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Advances in understanding the nature and specificity of lung cancer have led to the development of immunotherapy, which is the newest and most specialized treatment in the treatment of lung cancer. Each of these treatments has advantages and disadvantages and causes side effects. Today, combination therapy for lung cancer reduces side effects and increases the speed of recovery. Despite the significant progress that has been made in the treatment of lung cancer in the last decade, further research into new drugs and combination therapies is needed to extend the clinical benefits and improve outcomes in lung cancer. In this review article, we discussed common lung cancer treatments and their combinations from the most advanced to the newest.

Severe congenital neutropenia (SCN), often referred to as Kostmann syndrome, is a rare immune deficiency syndrome diagnosed at or soon after birth, characterized by maturation arrest of myeloid cells at the promyelocyte stage of hematopoiesis. In severe congenital neutropenia due to disorder of neutrophil production, patients are predisposed to recurrent bacterial infections. Recently, there have been reports of detected mutations in neutrophil elastase II (ELA2) gene in genomic DNA of severe congenital neutropenia. In this study we attempted to determine whether there is any mutation in elastase II gene encoding. Peripheral blood was collected from five patients with severe congenital neutropenia and 20 healthy individuals. Total RNA was isolated using RNA standard techniques from fresh separated cells by Polymorphoprep. RNA was analyzed by employing PCR amplification of reverse transcribed using a total of ten specific primers. We amplified five exons of ELA2 gene separately and sequenced each exon. Mutational analysis was performed by directed capillary sequencing method. We found mutations in all severe congenital neutropenia patients and no mutation in 20 healthy individuals. The most mutations were in exon 4 and no mutation was found in exons 3 and 5.

Cyclic neutropenia is characterized by the maturation arrest of myeloid cells at the promyelocyte stage of hematopoiesis. In cyclic neutropenia, due to the disorder of neutrophil production, patients are predisposed to recurrent bacterial infections. Detected mutations in neutrophil elastase (ELA2) gene in genomic DNA of cyclic neutropenia were recently reported. Peripheral blood was obtained from 18 patients with cyclic neutropenia and 20 healthy individuals. Total RNA was isolated using RNA standard techniques from fresh separated cells by polymorphoprep. Elastase II mRNA expression was analyzed by employing reverse transcription PCR amplification using a total of ten specific primers. We amplified five exon of ELA2 gene separately and sequenced each exon. Mutational analysis was performed by directed capillary sequencing method. We found mutations in 15 out of 18 cyclic neutropenia patients (83%) and no mutation in 20 healthy individuals. Most of the mutations were in exon 4 and fewer mutation were found in exon 1.

Background: Many studies have assessed the effect of music on driving. However, their results are very scattered and contradictory. Therefore, this systematic review is conducted to determine the effect of music on driving performance and drivers’ physiological and psychological indicators. Methods: Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases were searched until July 2023. A manual search in Google Scholar for gray literature was conducted. The Simulation Research Rubric (SRR) tool was used to assess the reporting quality of the studies. Stata software (StataCorp, version 16) was used to perform a meta-analysis. Results: A total of 2650 records were identified. The findings of 19 studies were analyzed. Most of them were carried out in high-income countries (HICs) using simulators. The most frequently used music style was classic rock. The meta-analysis results indicated that music with high and medium volume increases the average driving speed, and music with low volume decreases it. Although music in every mood reduces the average reaction time, it positively reduces response delay and increases coherence. Music with high volume decreases the heart rate, but music with medium and low volume increases it. Listening to music increases the level of arousal and mental load. Conclusion: It was concluded that, in some indicators, listening to music has adverse effects on driving. However, in many indicators, music has a positive impact on improving driving safety. It is better to choose appropriate music for different driving conditions and to train the drivers about it.

Background. In vitro studies have shown some effects for Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) against SARS-CoV-2 virus. Despite effective vaccination program, relatively large proportion of population remains unvaccinated. So, there still remains a need for other prophylactic measures. The present study aims to evaluate whether HCQ can prevent severe COVID-19 outcomes among health-care workers. Materials and methods. In this randomized, double blind placebo-controlled clinical trial 334 healthcare workers aged 18–65 years old were included of whom 278 individuals completed the study. Participants were randomly assigned to the HCQ group (800 mg at day one, followed by 400 mg weekly for the next 7 weeks); or the placebo group. Participants were followed three weeks after the last dose of drug or placebo (10 weeks from the first dose of drug or placebo). The primary outcome was hospitalization or death from COVID-19. Results. Of 148 people who received HCQ, none were hospitalized or died from COIVD-19, while of 130 people who received the placebo, 2 (1.5%) were hospitalized for COIVD-19 (p-value: 0.26). And, 22 (14.9%) people in the HCQ group and 15 (11.6%) people in the placebo group contracted COVID-19 (p-value: 0.99). Adverse reactions were reported by 5 (3.4%) of participants in the HCQ group and 5 (3.9%) of participants in the placebo group (p-value: 0.99). Conclusion. We found that HCQ has no significant prevention effect on the incidence of mild COVID-19. However, the low rate of hospitalization (the primary outcome) in this trial like most of the other clinical trials with HCQ would have required increasing the sample size considerably to be able to comment on the effectiveness of HCQ in prevention of severe forms including death rate. This justifies systematic reviews to include similar studies to further investigate the issue.

Long-term intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) infusion is an effective treatment for children with humoral immunodeficiencies, already be complicated by systemic ad¬verse effects. In order to determine the adverse effects of intravenous immunoglobulin inpatients with antibody deficiency, 45 immunodeficientpatients receiving intravenous immunoglobulin were studied during a 36-month period at Children's Medical Center. The investigated group included 25 patients with common variable immunodeficiency, 14 patients with X-linked agammaglobulinemia and 6 patients with IgG subclass defi¬ciency. A total of fifty adverse effects occurred through 955 infusions (5.2%). The most frequent immediate adverse effects were mild (40 infusions out of 955) in 22 cases, including: chills, flushing, fever, nausea and headache. Three patients experienced mod¬erate effects (10 infusions out of 955) such as rash, severe headache, joint pain and chest tightness. None of the effects was anaphylactic type. It can be concluded that intravenous immunoglobulin is generally a well-tolerated medical agent for patients with antibody deficiency, but all patients should be monitored by a physician who is familiar with its indications, risks, adverse effects and their appropriate management.

One of the most prevalent manifestations of primary antibody deficiencies is gastrointestinal disorders. In this study we reviewed 83 patients including 25 with X-Linked agamma¬globulinemia. 40 with common variable immunodeficiency, 14 with IgA defi¬ciency and 4 with IgG subclass deficiency. The mean age of patients was 10 year (l-28yr). The ratio of male to female was 1.5. Gastrointestinal system was affected in more than half (57.8%) of them. The most common symptom was diarrhea (56.6%o) and the most prevalent pathogen was. G. Lamblia. Other disorders were chronic active hepatitis in 6 patients, ulcerative colitis in 2, small intestinal villus atrophy in 5, nodular lymphoid hyperplasia of small in¬testine in 3 and chronic gastritis in 4 patients. One patient suffered from abdomi¬nal lymphoma. We found a direct correlation between failure of patients to thrive and the duration of the delay in diagnosing the underlying disease. This difference was more apparent in those with both antibody deficiency and gastrointestinal involve¬ment.

In present study different protein measurement methods are evaluated on the allergenic extract of Chenopodium album pollen, which was previously prepared in our laboratory and applied in skin prick testing in comparison with a commer¬cial extract. The protein content of similar amounts of these two extracts which had caused similar skin reactions were measured with different protein assays such as protein nitrogen unit, Lowry procedure, ultra-violet absorption, and base catalyzed hydrolysis and ninhydrin (B.H.N.). The latter is recommended by World Health Organization (W.H.O.) in order to determine total protein of standard al¬lergenic extracts. Our study indicated some differences between protein amounts measured by the various procedures. According to W.H.O. reports regarding the advantages of B.H.N, assay, due to good correlation with biological activity of allergenic extracts, we also found that this method can indicate the potency of extracts much more precisely.

Primary complement deficiencies are rare and two related patients are reported here. The first patient is a 41- year- old man with eighteen episodes of pneumo¬coccal meningitis and other purulent infections. The serum C3 level was checked at three separate times, showing that this was a primary C3 deficient case; other immunological tests were however normal. This patient now takes prophylactic antibiotics and the meningitis has not recurred, but he does have glomerulone¬phritis. The second case is a 40 - year-old woman with repeated episodes of orofacial and laryngeal edema and dyspnea. The serum C1INH levels were 4.3 to 7 mg/dL which were very low compared with normal healthy subjects (C,INH was 40-50 mg/dL in ten normal controls) and C4 was lower than normal but other immunological tests were normal. Other causes of angioedema such as lymphoproliferative disorders were excluded. She had hereditary angioedema with¬out a family background. The condition may be due to genetic mutation. The angioedema was controlled with Danazol and Stanasol. As our patients are re¬lated, this may suggest a genetic relationship between these two disorders.

Hyper IgM syndrome (HIM SX) is a rare congenital primary immunodeficiency that affects males more than females (70%, x-Iinked recessive), but there are reports of autosomal recessive and autosomal dominant inheritances. In this study, we review medical histories of 2 affected girls and one affected boy. Our 3 cases fulfill clinical and laboratory criteria of this syndrome. Their clinical signs include recurrent pyogenic and opportunistic infections especilly in skin, respiratory and GI tracts, case 2 suffered from recurrent urinary tract infections too. Case 3 experienced P. carinii pnemonia during a severe neutropenic episode. Other signs were 1- Autoimmunities as neutropenia, throbocytopenia, Coomb's positive hemolytic anemia and chronic parotitis in second case, 2- lymphoid hyperplasia presenting as generalized lymphadenopathies, hepatosplenomegaly and nodular lymphoid hyperplasia of intestine. Case 3, the 5 year old boy had an ataxic gait and suffered from recurrent herpetic keratoconjunctivitis and stomatitis. All the cases had very high serum levels of IgM (>1000 mg/dl) while other immunoglobulins were low. Sm IgM -f B lymphocytes were increased in the first two cases and CD40L on Tcell of the 3rd case was absent. Occurance of this syndrome in girls is a very rare phenomenon. Presence of high or normal serum IgM level in a hypogammaglobulinemic patient should be a clue for diagnosing this syndrome and could be further confirmed either by studying CD40L/CD40 pathway or through a genetic survey.

Shwaehman syndrome, next to cystic fibrosis, is the second cause of congenita! exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in children. It appears as steatorrhea, recurrent infections and hematologic abnormalities such as neutropenia, skeletal dysplasia and short stature. In this study, we reviewed 3 patients' histories. All of them showed cellular chemotaxic defect. One of them had been affected by nephrotic syndrome and finally succumbed to septic shock. This patient suffered from skeletal disorders.