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Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease with a profound effect on the life quality of the patients due to its chronic, painful, and disabling nature. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the effects of progressive muscle relaxation technique on life quality in RA patients. Methods: This clinical trial was conducted in a rheumatologist office on 62 RA patients. The participants were randomly divided into two groups: progressive muscle relaxation group and control group. While the intervention group underwent a daily 20-minute relaxation period for 8 weeks, no intervention was given in the control group. Data were collected using a two part questionnaire including demographic characteristic form and SF-36 life quality questionnaire, completed at the beginning and the end of the intervention. Data analysed using Chi-square test, independent t-test and paired t-test with SPSS software version 19. Results: The findings of the study showed that, in the experimental group, the mean score of life quality changed from 37.84 to 54.54 after the intervention (p=0.0001), while, in the control group, it altered from 37.47 to 43.20. There fore, the difference between the two groups was not considered as significant before intervention (p=0.112). Moreover, there was a significant difference between experimental and control groups regarding the six aspects of life quality including physical function (p=0.041), vitality (p=0.029), social function (p=0.017), mental health (p=0.001), general health (p=0.002), and psychological health (p=0.002). However, no significant difference was found in case of bodily pain (p=0.149) and physical constraint (p=0.82). Conclusion: According to the findings, progressive muscle relaxation training could be an effective therapeutic method to improve quality of life in RA patients

Neuroblastomas are the most common solid tumors outside of the brain that originate from immature neural crest cells, accounting for about 10% of all pediatric malignancies. The treatment for neuroblastomas involves a multimodal schedule, including surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. All these modalities are limited by side effects that might be severe, poor prognosis, and a high risk of recurrence. In the quest for additional therapeutic approaches, phytochemicals have attracted attention owing to their reported antitumor properties, safety, and multimechanistic mode of action. Several studies have used plant-derived bioactive compounds such as phenolics and flavonoids, suggesting modulation of biomolecules and signal transduction pathways involved in neuroblastoma. We reviewed the findings of recent preclinical and clinical studies demonstrating the effects of phytochemicals on neuroblastoma, shedding light on their molecular mechanism of action and potential therapeutic applications., (© 2024 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.)

This paper introduces a robust method for estimating states and switching signals in impulsive switched systems with unknown inputs. It uses a reduced-order estimator to handle inaccessible states and an output derivative-based method to address the effects of unknown inputs, even though this adds some impulsive effects. The method is divided into two main steps: first, dedicated estimators determine the switching signal and identify the active subsystem; then, state estimation is carried out. By incorporating the estimated switching signal, the method effectively eliminates impulsive effects caused by unknown inputs. The study also explores the key conditions needed to ensure that estimation errors decrease exponentially. It uses a common Lyapunov function and Linear Matrix Inequality techniques. Simulation results show that this method is both efficient and effective, outperforming single-estimator approaches., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating kind of dementia that is becoming more common worldwide. Toxic amyloid-beta (Aβ) aggregates are the primary cause of AD onset and development. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) have received a lot of interest in AD therapy over the last decade because of their ability to redirect the Aβ fibrillation process and improve associated brain dysfunction. The potential diagnostic application of SPIONs in AD has dramatically increased this interest. Furthermore, surface-modified engineered SPIONs function as drug carriers to improve the efficacy of current therapies. Various preclinical and clinical studies on the role of SPIONs in AD pathology have produced encouraging results. However, due to their physicochemical properties (e.g., size, surface charge, and particle concentration) in the biological milieu, SPIONs may play the role of a preventive or accelerative agent in AD. Even though SPIONs are potential therapeutic and diagnostic options in AD, significant efforts are still needed to overcome the inconsistencies and safety concerns. This review evaluated the current understanding of how various SPIONs interact with AD models and explored the discrepancies in their efficacy and safety., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Brain cancers, particularly glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), are challenging health issues with frequent unmet aspects. Today, discovering safe and effective therapeutic modalities for brain tumors is among the top research interests. Immunotherapy is an emerging area of investigation in cancer treatment. Since immune checkpoints play fundamental roles in repressing anti-cancer immunity, diverse immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been developed, and some monoclonal antibodies have been approved clinically for particular cancers; nevertheless, there are significant concerns regarding their efficacy and safety in brain tumors. Among the various tools to modify the immune checkpoints, phytochemicals show good effectiveness and excellent safety, making them suitable candidates for developing better ICIs. Phytochemicals regulate multiple immunological checkpoint-related signaling pathways in cancer biology; however, their efficacy for clinical cancer immunotherapy remains to be established. Here, we discussed the involvement of immune checkpoints in cancer pathology and summarized recent advancements in applying phytochemicals in modulating immune checkpoints in brain tumors to highlight the state-of-the-art and give constructive prospects for future research., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: There are few studies providing a more comprehensive picture of advanced hybrid closed-loop (AHCL) systems in clinical practice. The aim was to evaluate the effects of the AHCL systems, Tandem ® t: slim X2™ with Control IQ™, and MiniMed™ 780G, on glucose control, safety, treatment satisfaction, and practical barriers for individuals with type 1 diabetes., Method: One hundred forty-two randomly selected adults with type 1 diabetes at six diabetes outpatient clinics in Sweden at any time treated with either the Tandem Control IQ (TCIQ) or the MiniMed 780G system were included. Glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and glucose metrics were evaluated. Treatment satisfaction and practical barriers were examined via questionnaires., Results: Mean age was 42 years, median follow-up was 1.7 years, 58 (40.8%) were females, 65% used the TCIQ system. Glycated hemoglobin A1c was reduced by 0.6% (6.8 mmol/mol; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.5-0.8% [5.3-8.2 mmol/mol]; P < .001), from 7.3% to 6.7% (57-50 mmol/mol). Time in range (TIR) increased with 14.5% from 57.0% to 71.5% (95% CI = 12.2%-16.9%; P < .001). Time below range (TBR) (<70 mg/dL, <3.9 mmol/L) decreased from 3.8% to 1.6% ( P < .001). The standard deviation of glucose values was reduced from 61 to 51 mg/dL (3.4-2.9 mmol/L, P < .001) and the coefficient of variation from 35% to 33% ( P < .001). Treatment satisfaction increased, score 14.8 on the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (DTSQ) (change version ranging from -18 to 18, P < .001). Four severe hypoglycemia events were detected and no cases of ketoacidosis. Skin problems were experienced by 32.4% of the study population., Conclusions: Advanced hybrid closed-loop systems improve glucose control with a reasonable safety profile and high treatment satisfaction. Skin problems are common adverse events., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: SH has lectured for Novo Nordisk. JJ has been a lecturer/member of the scientific advisory board in the following companies: Abbott, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, Medtronic, Nordic InfuCare, Novo Nordisk A/S and Sanofi. ML has been a consultant or received honoraria from Astra Zeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, Nordic InfuCare, and Novo Nordisk, and has received research grants from Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, all outside of the submitted work. All other authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Liposomal drug delivery systems stand as versatile therapeutic platforms for precisely targeting related elements in cancerous tissues owing to their intrinsic passive and acquired active targeting capabilities and exceptional compatibility with physiologic environments. When the capacity of liposomes as nanocarriers is combined with the revolutionary potential of RNA therapies in affecting undruggable targets, the outcome would be promising drug candidates as game-changers in the cancer treatment arena. However, optimizing liposome composition, physicochemical properties, and surface chemistry is paramount to maximizing their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic attributes. This review highlighted the potential of liposomes as nanovehicles for RNA therapeutics through a literature review and looked at the most recent preclinical and clinical advancements in utilizing liposomal RNA therapeutics for cancer management. Notably, the discovery of novel targets, advancements in liposome engineering, and organizing well-planned clinical trials would help uncover the incredible potential of these nanotherapeutics in cancer patients., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Despite the extensive advancements made in the field of cancer therapy, the outlook of individuals suffering from glioblastoma multiforme remains highly detrimental. The absence of specific treatments for cancerous cells significantly hinders the effectiveness of conventional anticancer techniques. Multiple research studies have demonstrated that the suppression of specific genes or the augmentation of therapeutic proteins through RNA-based therapeutics may represent a valuable approach when combined with chemotherapy or immunotherapy. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the application of RNA therapeutics in conjunction with chemotherapy and immunotherapy. This emerging field has become a prominent area of research for advancing various types of cancer treatments. The present investigation provides an in-depth overview of the classification and application of RNA therapy, focusing on the mechanisms of RNA antitumor treatment and the current status of clinical studies on RNA drugs., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Discovering novel cancer therapies has attracted extreme interest in the last decade. In this regard, multidrug resistance (MDR) to chemotherapies is a key challenge in cancer treatment. Cancerous cells are growingly become resistant to existing chemotherapeutics by employing diverse mechanisms, highlighting the significance of discovering approaches to overcome MDR. One promising strategy is utilizing aptamers as unique tools to target elements or signaling pathways incorporated in resistance mechanisms, or develop actively targeted drug delivery systems or chimeras enabling the precise delivery of novel agents to inhibit the conventionally undruggable resistance elements. Furthermore, due to their advantages over their proteinaceous counterparts, particularly antibodies, including improved targeting action, enhanced thermal stability, easier production, and superior tumor penetration, aptamers are emerging and have frequently been considered for developing cancer therapeutics. Here, we highlighted significant chemoresistance pathways in cancer and discussed the use of aptamers as prospective tools to surmount cancer MDR., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Regarding the multimechanistic nature of cancers, current chemo- or radiotherapies often fail to eradicate disease pathology, and frequent relapses or resistance to therapies occur. Brain malignancies, particularly glioblastomas, are difficult-to-treat cancers due to their highly malignant and multidimensional biology. Unfortunately, patients suffering from malignant tumors often experience poor prognoses and short survival periods. Thus far, significant efforts have been conducted to discover novel and more effective modalities. To that end, modulation of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) has attracted tremendous interest since it affects the homeostasis of proteins critically engaged in various cell functions, for example, cell metabolism, survival, proliferation, and differentiation. With their safe and multimodal actions, phytochemicals are among the promising therapeutic tools capable of turning the operation of various UPS elements. The present review, along with an updated outline of the role of UPS dysregulation in multiple cancers, provided a detailed discussion on the impact of phytochemicals on the UPS function in malignancies, especially brain tumors., (© 2023 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.)

Despite conventional treatment options including chemoradiation, patients with the most aggressive primary brain tumor, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), experience an average survival time of less than 15 months. Regarding the malignant nature of GBM, extensive research and discovery of novel treatments are urgently required to improve the patients' prognosis. Autophagy, a crucial physiological pathway for the degradation and recycling of cell components, is one of the exciting targets of GBM studies. Interventions aimed at autophagy activation or inhibition have been explored as potential GBM therapeutics. This review, which delves into therapeutic techniques to block or activate autophagy in preclinical and clinical research, aims to expand our understanding of available therapies battling GBM., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.. All rights reserved.)

Gliomas are common and aggressive brain tumors that carry a poor prognosis. The current multimodal therapeutic option for glioma includes surgery subsequently temozolomide chemotherapy and/or radiation; but gliomas are often associated with multidrug resistance, intensive adverse events, and tumor relapse. Thus, novel interventions that can enhance successful chemo-prevention and overcome therapeutic resistance are urgently needed. Phytochemicals have several biological properties with multi-target sites and relatively limited degrees of toxicity. Curcumin is a natural polyphenolic compound with several anti-tumor effects which potentially inhibit tumor growth, development, proliferation, invasion, dissemination, and angiogenesis in different human malignancies. Experimental model studies have demonstrated that curcumin attenuates glioma cell viability by G2/M cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, induction of autophagy, gene expression alteration, and disruption of multi-molecular pathways. Moreover, curcumin has been reported to re-sensitize cancer to chemotherapeutics as well as augment the effect of radiotherapy on glioma cells. In this review, we have provided an update on the in vitro and in vivo effects of curcumin-based therapy on gliomas. We have also discussed the use of curcumin in combination therapies, its effectiveness on drug-resistant cells, and new formulations of curcumin in the treatment of gliomas., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Thymol (2-isopropyl-5-methylphenol) is a colorless crystalline derivative of cymene, that possesses pleotropic pharmacological properties, including analgesic, antibacterial, antispasmodic, and anti-inflammatory activities. Thymol has also been recognized for its beneficial effect as an anti-tumor agent, but the precise mechanism for this has not been fully elucidated. We aimed to identifying whether thymol exerts anti-cancer activity in human U-87 malignant glioblastoma (GB) cells (U-87)., Methods and Results: Cell viability and apoptosis was evaluated in U-87 cells treated with thymol at different concentrations. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mRNA expressions of apoptosis-related genes and cell cycle characteristics were assessed. The cytotoxic activity of the co-exposure of thymol and temozolomide (TMZ) was also evaluated. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of thymol in the U-87 cells was 230 μM assessed at 24 h after exposure. Thymol did not exhibit any cytotoxic effects on normal L929 cells at this concentration. Thymol treatment increased the expression of Bax and p53, and also increased apoptotic cell death, and excessive generation of ROS. Moreover, the cytotoxic activity of thymol on the U-87 cells may be related to the arrest of the cell cycle at the G0/G1 interface. Combination therapy showed that the cytotoxic effects of thymol synergized with TMZ, and combined treatment had more cytotoxic potential compared to either of the agents alone., Conclusions: Our data indicate the potential cytotoxic activities of thymol on U-87 cells. Further studies are required to evaluate the spectrum of the antitumor activity of thymol on GB cells., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Background: To describe the protocol for developing a national inherited retinal disease (IRD) registry in Iran and present its initial report., Methods: This community-based participatory research was approved by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran in 2016. To provide the minimum data set (MDS), several focus group meetings were held. The final MDS was handed over to an engineering team to develop a web-based software. In the pilot phase, the software was set up in two referral centers in Iran. Final IRD diagnosis was made based on clinical manifestations and genetic findings. Ultimately, patient registration was done based on all clinical and non-clinical manifestations., Results: Initially, a total of 151 data elements were approved with Delphi technique. The registry software went live at www. IRDReg.org based on DHIS2 open source license agreement since February 2016. So far, a total of 1001 patients have been registered with a mean age of 32.41±15.60 years (range, 3 months to 74 years). The majority of the registered patients had retinitis pigmentosa (42%, 95% CI: 38.9% to 45%). Genetic testing was done for approximately 20% of the registered individuals., Conclusion: Our study shows successful web-based software design and data collection as a proof of concept for the first IRD registry in Iran. Multicenter integration of the IRD registry in medical centers throughout the country is well underway as planned. These data will assist researchers to rapidly access information about the distribution and genetic patterns of this disease., (© 2020 The Author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.)

This study evaluated the effectiveness of early pre-emptive conversion from cyclosporine to tacrolimus in kidney transplant patients with normal graft function and in the absence of adverse effects of the initial cyclosporine. A historical cohort study of 166 patients who received deceased-donor kidney transplant between 2011 to 2017 was conducted. All the patients had been treated with cyclosporine (Sandimmune®) during their immediate post-transplantation period. At the time of hospital discharge, the patients were divided into 2 groups: patients with continued cyclosporine (Sandimmune®) treatment (n = 125) and the patients whose treatments converted from cyclosporine to tacrolimus (Prograf®) at discharge (n = 41). The 1-year graft function ( p = 0.074), acute rejection ( p = 0.566), and graft loss ( p = 0.566) were not significantly different between two groups. The patients on tacrolimus had lower levels of cholesterol ( p = 0.002) and diastolic blood pressure ( p = 0.015). The long-term follow-up showed no significant difference in graft loss ( p = 0.566). The patients received tacrolimus had higher all-cause mortality within the first year posttransplantation ( p = 0.002) as well as long-term follow-up ( p = 0.001). The continuation of initial cyclosporine might be a good option when the graft function is acceptable and the adverse effects are absent.

Aim: Use of the glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist liraglutide has been shown to reduce weight. Different types of anthropometric measurements can be used to measure adiposity. This study evaluated the effect of liraglutide on sagittal abdominal diameter, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio and adiponectin levels in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) treated with multiple daily insulin injections (MDI)., Materials and Methods: In the multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled MDI-liraglutide trial, 124 individuals with T2D treated with MDI were randomized to either liraglutide or placebo. Basal values of weight, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, sagittal abdominal diameter and adiponectin were compared with measurements at 12 and 24 weeks after randomization., Results: Baseline-adjusted mean weight loss was 3.8 ± 2.9 kg greater in liraglutide than placebo-treated individuals ( p  < 0.0001). Waist circumference was reduced by 2.9 ± 4.3 cm and 0.2 ± 3.6 cm in the liraglutide and placebo groups, respectively, after 24 weeks (baseline-adjusted mean difference: 2.6 ± 4.0 cm, p  = 0.0005). Corresponding reductions in sagittal abdominal diameter were 1.1 ± 1.7 cm and 0.0 ± 1.8 cm (baseline-adjusted mean difference: 1.1 ± 1.7 cm, p  = 0.0008). Hip circumference was reduced in patients randomized to liraglutide (baseline-adjusted mean difference between treatment groups: 2.8 ± 3.8 cm, p  = 0.0001), but there was no significant difference between the groups in either waist-to-hip ratio (baseline-adjusted mean difference: 0.0 ± 0.04 cm, p  = 0.51) or adiponectin levels (baseline-adjusted mean difference: 0.8 ± 3.3 mg L -1 , p  = 0.17). Lower HbA1c and mean glucose levels measured by masked continuous glucose monitoring at baseline were associated with greater effects of liraglutide on reductions in waist circumference and sagittal abdominal diameter., Conclusions: In patients with T2D, adding liraglutide to MDI may reduce abdominal and hip obesity to a similar extent, suggesting an effect on both visceral and subcutaneous fat. Liraglutide had greater effects on reducing abdominal obesity in patients with less pronounced long-term hyperglycaemia but did not affect adiponectin levels., Competing Interests: S. S. A.'s institution received grants from Novo Nordisk during the conduct of the study. K. F. has been a consultant or speaker for Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, Boehringer Ingelheim, Astra Zeneca and Sanofi and acted as an advisory board member for MSD, NovoNordisk and AstraZeneca. I. H. has been a consultant for Abbott Diabetes Care, Roche, Bigfoot and Becton Dickinson and has received grants from Medtronic Diabetes. J. T. has received grants from Bayer Pharma, Boehringer Ingelheim, Merck Serono and MSD outside the submitted work, and has acted as a consultant, advisory board member or speaker for Merck Serono, Orion Pharma, Renova and MSD, and is a share owner in Orion Pharma. B. A. has received lecture fees from Novartis, Merck, Sanofi and Novo Nordisk and has received grants from Novartis and Merck outside the submitted work. S. S. has occasionally been a consultant and received honorariums from Eli Lilly, Sanofi‐Aventis, Novo Nordisk, Abbot Scandinavia, AstraZeneca and Merck, Sharp & Dohme and has participated in advisory boards for Sanofi‐Aventis, AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly. M. L.'s institution received grants from Novo Nordisk during the conduct of the study. M. L. has received honoraria or been a consultant for AstraZeneca, DexCom, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, participated in advisory boards for MSD and Novo Nordisk and received research grants from AstraZeneca and Dexcom outside the submitted work. S. S. A., H. D., S. D., S. I., H. I. and T. G. have no conflict of interest to declare.

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of Intravitreal Injection of Bevacizumab (IVB) in patients with Central Serous Chorioretinopathy (CSC) compared to the control group, after four months of injection. In this study, 30 eyes of 30 patients with CSC, who were in the age range of 23 to 50 years old (70% male subject) were included. Eligible patients were randomly allocated to the intervention (n = 15) and control groups (n = 15). Patients in the intervention group received a single dose injection of bevacizumab (1.25 mg in 0.05 mL), while patients in the control group were followed-up during the same time interval, without any medical interventions. Corrected Distance Visual Acuity (CDVA) and Central Macular Thickness (CMT) were evaluated as the primary outcome measures at the four-month follow-up. There was no statistically significant difference between the intervention and control groups regarding their baseline characteristics. Corrected Distance Visual Acuity was improved significantly in the intervention group (P < 0.001), while this improvement was not observed in the control group. Furthermore, greater improvement of CDVA was detected in the IVB group compared to the patients without injection (P = 0.018). The CMT findings were in line with CDVA changes in both groups, revealing a significant reduction of CMT only in the intervention group (P < 0.001). Also, thinner central retina was found in the intervention group compared to the comparison group, at the four-month follow-up (P < 0.001). Based on the findings, bevacizumab could be effective for improvement of both anatomical and functional outcomes in patients with CSC., Competing Interests: Ethical issues have been completely observed by the authors. All named authors meet the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) criteria for authorship for this manuscript, take responsibility for the integrity of the work as a whole, and have given their final approval for the version to be published. No conflict of interest has been presented.

This study was performed to assess the short-term effect of sutureless scleral tunnel trabeculectomy procedure with and without topical bevacizumab. Thirty patients with Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma (POAG) were enrolled and randomly divided to two groups. Patients in the first group (15 patients) underwent sutureless trabeculectomy without topical bevacizumab and patients in the second group (15 patients) underwent sutureless trabeculectomy with 1.25 mg of topical bevacizumab. Intraocular Pressure (IOP) of both groups was measured by an expert ophthalmologist, without awareness of the patient's study group before the operation and six months post-operatively. Out of 30 patients in this study, six females (40%) and nine males (60%) underwent the sutureless trabeculectomy procedure (group A) as well as seven females (46.7%) and eight males (53.3%) underwent sutureless trabeculectomy with topical bevacizumab (group B). The mean age of the patients was not significantly different between the two groups (P = 0.91). A statistically significant difference in time variation of IOP was found between the two groups (P < 0.001). Mean IOP was 18.4 ± 4.35 mmHg in the sutureless group without bevacizumab and 11.73 ± 2.12 mmHg in the sutureless group with bevacizumab, six months post-surgically. No statistical significant differences were found in the baseline IOP between the two groups (P = 0.28). However, IOP changed significantly in group A and B from baseline to six months post-operatively (P = 0.004 and P < 0.001 respectively). According to the current findings, the sutureless trabeculectomy procedure is an effective surgical method for reduction of IOP. Addition of a single dose of 1.25 mg topical bevacizumab was more effective in reduction of IOP compared to sutureless trabeculectomy alone.

Introduction: In recent years, there has been an increase in the attention paid to safety effects, environmental and society's health, extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF), and radio frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF). The aim of this research was to determine the effect of EMF on the alteration of ovarian follicles., Methods: In this experimental study at Tabriz Medical University in 2015, we did EMF exposures and assessed the alteration of rats' ovarian follicles. Thirty three-month old rats were selected randomly from laboratory animals, and, after their ages and weights were determined, they were divided randomly into three groups. The control group consisted of 10 rats without any treatment, and they were kept in normal conditions. The second group of rats was influenced by a magnetic field of 50 Hz for eight weeks (three weeks intrauterine and five weeks ectopic). The third group of rats was influenced by a magnetic field of 50 Hz for 13 weeks (three weeks intrauterine and ten weeks ectopic). Samples were fixed in 10% buffered formaldehyde and cleared with Xylol and embedded in paraffin. After sectioning and staining, samples were studied by optic microscopy. Finally, SPSS version 17, were used for data analysis., Results: EMF radiation increased the harmful effects on the formation of ovarian follicles and oocytes implantation. Studies on the effects of electromagnetic fields on ovarian follicles have shown that the nuclei of the oocytes become smaller and change shape. There were significant, harmful changes in the groups affected by electromagnetic waves. Atresia of ovarian follicles was significantly significant in both study groups compared to the control group (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: Exposure to electromagnetic fields during embryonic development can cause morphological changes in oocytes and affect the differentiation of oocytes and folliculogenesis, resulting in decreased ovarian reserve leading to infertility or reduced fertility.

Background: Recently, there are increasing concerns and interests about the potential effects of Electromagnetic Field (EMF) on both human and animal health., Objective: The goal of this study was to evaluate the harmful effects of 50 Hz non-ionizing EMF on rat oocytes., Materials and Methods: In this experimental study 30 rats were randomly taken from laboratory animals and their ags and weights were determined. These 3 month's old rats were randomly divided into 3 groups. The control group consisted of 10 rats without receiving any treatment and kept under normal conditions. Experimental group 1 (10 rats) received EMF for 8 weeks (3 weeks intrauterine +5 weeks after births) and experimental group 2 (10 rats) received EMF for 13 weeks (3 weeks intrauterine +10 weeks after birth). After removing the ovaries and isolating follicles, granulosa cells were fixed in glutaraldehyde and osmium tetroxide. Electron microscopy was used to investigate the traumatic effects of EMF on follicles., Results: In control group nucleus membrane and mitochondria in follicle's cytoplasm seemed normal in appearance. Theca layer of primary follicles in experimental group was separated clearly, zona layer demonstrated trot with irregular thickness and ovarian stroma seemed isolated with dilated vessels showing infiltration., Conclusion: According to the results of this study, it can be concluded that EMF has harmful effects on the ovarian follicles., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Background and Objectives: Pregnancy is one of the most important and risky periods in mothers and the fetus life, which plays a key role in health and social activity of the person, family and community. This study is trying to see if there is a relation between increasing weight and urinary tract infection (UTI) in pregnancy by using the open nested case-control study in the city of Shahrekord., Materials and Methods: In a nested case-control study, one cohort including 832 patients was examined until week 26 to 30 of pregnancy and their UTIs were studied. The required information was collected by examining the health records of pregnant women and completion of the data registration forms. Data collection was controlled by using SPSS and analyzed by using an independent t-test, Chi-square test, Pearson correlation and logistic regression., Results: According to the results of the cohort study with 832 individuals, average weight gain of the group with a UTI was 11.13 ± 3.9 kg and it was 10.63 ± 3.9 kg in the group without UTI, showing no statistically significant difference (P = 0.245). According to the results, genitourinary problems had the highest predictive value for UTIs and the numbers of infertility and the childbirth variables were in the second and third positions, respectively., Conclusion: According to the results study we can conclude that screening and treatment of UTIs have been on time and appropriate in health systems of the city of Shahrekord which have lead to the reduction of infant and maternal diseases even with the condition in having no UTI, and continuing this process for screening and treatment is recommended.

Background: Osteoporosis is one of the most common bone diseases that is characterized by a generalized reduction of the bone mass. Osteoporotic fractures are associated with morbidity, but can be a predictable condition if early diagnosis is made.The diagnosis is based on the World Health Organization's (WHO) T-score criteria. Panoramic images have been also used to predict low bone mineral density. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prediction of lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) from the mandibular cortical width in postmenopausal women., Materials and Methods: On the panoramic radiographic images, the mandibular cortical width (MCW) was measured by drawing a line parallel to the long axis of the mandible and another line tangential to the inferior border of mandible and a constructed line perpendicular to the tangent intersecting inferior border of mental foramen and analyzed the correlation of recorded MCW with BMD and T-score by using SPSS software and linear regression and bivariate correlation tests., Results: Bivariate correlation showed a significant correlation between BMD and MCW (r = 0.945) (P = 0. 000). There was also a significant correlation between T-score and MCW(r = 0.835) (P = 0. 000). To detect the accurate association between the BMD and MCW and also T-score and MCW, linear regression analyses tests showed two associations to predict the BMD and T-score from MCW with confidence interval of 95%. These associations were as follows: T-score= -7.087 + 1.497 × MCW BMD= 0.334 + 0.163 × MCW., Conclusion: The MCW is a good index to help the dentists to predict the osteoporosis by panoramic radiographs and have a significant role in patient screening and early diagnosis of osteoporosis.

Objective: To determine the knowledge of doctors, nurses, patients and public about the causes of gastrointestinal cancers and dissemination of this knowledge., Design: A cross-sectional analytical study., Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out in the Department of Oncology, King Fahad Hospital, Al-Madinah Al-Munawara, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and was completed in four months from February 2003 to June 2003., Subjects and Methods: About 200 doctors, nurses and patients suffering from GIT cancer and general public were selected. Each subject was asked to fill up a proforma designed to assess his knowledge about the risk factors for GIT malignancies., Results: A majority of doctors and nurses had good knowledge about the causes of GIT malignancies. The knowledge of patients and general public was low. Out of all four groups, it was poorest in the patient's group., Conclusion: The difference in the knowledge of medicos and patients/public reflects that medicos should convey this knowledge to the patients in particular and general public in general, which is their responsibility besides medical treatment.