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Stimuli-responsive controlled-release nanocarriers are promising vehicles for delivery of bioactive molecules that can minimize side effects and maximize efficiency. The release of the drug occurs when the nanocarrier is triggered by an internal or external stimulus. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) can have drugs and bioactive cargos loaded into the high-capacity pores, and their release can be triggered by activation of a variety of stimulus-responsive molecular “gatekeepers” or “nanovalves.” In this mini-review, we discuss the basic concepts of MSN in targeted drug-release systems and cover different stimulus-responsive gatekeepers. Internal stimuli include redox, enzymes, and pH, while external stimuli include light, ultrasound, and magnetic fields, and temperature can either be internal or external.

The increasing number of vehicles on Iran’s highways and major roads has led to an increase in noise levels. As a result, traffic is now considered a main source of noise pollution. This paper reports on the modelling of traffic noise levels in Golestan National Park, Golestan using vehicle data and other environmental features. For the evaluation of noise and the recording of independent environmental variables, Sampling stations were selected using a systematic-random method at 76 points at various distances and between 0-250 meters from the road. At each sampling point, traffic flow (number and speed of vehicles, number of horn beeps) was measured for 15 minutes from 8 am to 8 pm. Simultaneously other environmental variables were assessed, including the geometry of the road surface and location conditions .The best multivariable regression based on the correlation coefficient (R) and the coefficient of determination (R2) was achieved. The R-square (73%) and the adjusted R-square (68%) of the regression equation were 73% and 68% respectively. The results of modelling show that the most important variables affecting noise pollution are distance from the road, roughness coefficient, speed of medium-weight vehicles, relative humidity, and height and number of light vehicles. There is a negative correlation with distance from the road and noise pollution.The accuracy of the model was found to be about ±5 dB. Therefore, the model is suggested for the prediction of traffic noise on the Asian Highway in Golestan National Park.

Traffic accidents involving heavy trucks have social and economic effects on society. However, little research has focused on the influence of heavy truck specifications such as weight. Apportioning the maximum permissible gross weight of trucks allows trucking companies/owners to consolidate loads, and therefore reduce the vehicle-kilometres required to collect and distribute a given amount of goods/material. While drivers/managers are responsible for ensuring that trucks are loaded appropriately and in compliance with regulations, some may take chances and overload vehicles. This increases the need for formal and documented inspections, in order to reduce traffic hazards on public roads due to overweight loading. According to a New South Wales Centre for Road Safety report in 2014, crashes involving heavy trucks often result in serious road trauma outcomes. When a heavy truck is involved in a crash, the vehicle mass raises the crash forces involved and hence increases the severity of the crash. Therefore, interventions should be established to mitigate or prevent these crashes from occurring. Currently, weight checks are required for trucks and truck drivers must drive to a weighbridge for a weight check. Since this is a random process, truck drivers may take the risk of driving an over-loaded truck on some occasions. This paper reviews existing studies concerning safe system interventions in relation to truck gross weight management and a framework is presented to effectively manage truck loading weight. The result may be a reduction of injuries and fatalities involving heavy trucks.

Background : Aseptic nonunion of femoral shafts after intramedullary nailing (IMN) can be a challenging condition that may lead to long-term disability and the need for multiple surgical procedures. This study compared the clinical and radiological outcomes between exchange nailing and augmentative plating with bone grafting. Methods : In this multicenter, prospective, single-blind, randomized controlled trial, patients with aseptic nonunion of the femoral shaft after IMN were randomly assigned to receive exchange nailing or augmentative plating. The primary outcomes measured were the time to bone union and union rate 12 months after revision surgery. The secondary outcomes included operative time, blood loss, hospitalization duration, pain level using the visual analog scale (VAS), knee range of motion (ROM), and complication rates. Results: The augmentative plating group had a significantly shorter mean time to union (5.39 ± 1.29 months) compared with the exchange nailing group (7.38 ± 1.97 months; p < 0.001). The union rates at 12 months were 100% in the augmentative plating group and 89.65% in the exchange nail group. Augmentative plating resulted in a shorter operation time (99.46 ± 11.08 min vs. 106.45 ± 12.22 min; p = 0.025) and reduced blood loss (514.79 ± 45.87 mL vs. 547.72 ± 54.35 mL; p = 0.016). Significant pain reduction was observed in the augmentative plating group, with preoperative VAS scores decreasing from 6.04 ± 2.28 to 2.64 ± 1.50, compared with a decrease from 5.66 ± 2.21 to 3.66 ± 2.19 in the exchange nailing group ( p = 0.047). Knee ROM improved significantly in the augmentative plating group ( p = 0.0176). The complication rate was lower in the augmentative plating group (3.57%) than in the exchange nail group (17.24%). Conclusions : Augmentative plating with autologous bone grafting is superior to exchange nailing for treating aseptic nonunion of femoral shafts. It is associated with faster healing, higher union rates, better clinical and functional outcomes, and fewer complications. We recommend this technique as the preferred treatment option for such complex cases.

Background: Results from clinical trials investigating the effect of nuts consumption on cognition are conflicting. We decided to conduct the current meta-analysis to summarize all available evidence on the effect of consuming nuts on cognition scores., Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search in the online databases using relevant keywords up to June 2024. We included all the published Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) investigating the effect of nuts, compared to control, on cognition scores., Results: Overall, 5 trials were included with a total sample size of 928 adults. Based on 6 effect sizes from these 5 trials, we did not find a significant effect of nuts on cognition function [Standardized Mean Difference (SMD): 0.27, 95% CI: -0.65 to 1.19, p  = 0.57]., Conclusion: Our review could not find a significant effect of nuts on cognition function. Future high-quality RCTs with larger sample sizes should be conducted to shed light on the impact of nuts on cognition., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Moabedi, Aliakbari, Erfanian, Jibril and Milajerdi.)

The coexistence of drought and salinity stresses in field conditions significantly hinders wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) productivity. Understanding the molecular mechanisms governing response and tolerance to these stresses is crucial for developing resilient wheat varieties. Our research, employing a combination of meta-QTL and meta-RNA-Seq transcriptome analyses, has uncovered the genome functional landscape of wheat in response to drought and salinity. We identified 118 meta-QTLs (MQTLs) distributed across all 21 wheat chromosomes, with ten designated as the most promising. Additionally, we found 690 meta-differentially expressed genes (mDEGs) shared between drought and salinity stress. Notably, our findings highlight the Early Responsive to Dehydration 15 (ERD15) gene, located in one of the most promising MQTLs, as a key gene in the shared gene network of drought and salinity stress. ERD15, differentially expressed between contrasting wheat genotypes under combined stress conditions, significantly regulates water relations, photosynthetic activity, antioxidant activity, and ion homeostasis. These findings not only provide valuable insights into the molecular genetic mechanisms underlying combined stress tolerance in wheat but also hold the potential to contribute significantly to the development of stress-resilient wheat varieties., (© 2024 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

To investigate the effect of α3 and α5 helices on the biochemical characterization of Bacillus thermocatenulatus lipase (BTL2), both helices were deleted from native BTL2 lipase. After structural modeling and characterization, the truncated btl2 gene (Δbtl2) was cloned into E. coli BL21 under the control of the T7 promoter. After cultivation and induction of the recombinant bacteria, the Δα3α5 lipase was purified by Ni-NTA column chromatography. Next, the biochemical properties of the Δα3α5 lipase were compared with the previously expressed and purified native lipase. In the presence of the substrate tributyrin (C4), the maximum activity of native and Δα3α5 lipase was 9360 and 5000 U/mg, respectively. The deletion changed the substrate specificity from tributyrin (C4) to tricaprylin (C8) substrate. Native and Δα3α5 lipase showed similar activity patterns at all temperatures and pH values, with the activity of Δα3α5 lipase being approximately 20% lower than native lipase. Triton X100 increased the activity of native and Δα3α5 lipases by 2.1- and 2.5-fold, respectively., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Over the past years, several methods have been developed for gene cloning. Choosing a cloning strategy depends on various factors, among which simplicity and affordability have always been considered. The aim of this study, on the one hand, is to simplify gene cloning by skipping in vitro assembly reactions and, on the other hand, to reduce costs by eliminating relatively expensive materials. We investigated a cloning system using Escherichia coli harboring two plasmids, pLP-AmpR and pScissors-CmR. The pLP-AmpR contains a landing pad (LP) consisting of two genes (λ int and λ gam) that allow the replacement of the transformed linear DNA using site-specific recombination. After the replacement process, the inducible expressing SpCas9 and specific sgRNA from the pScissors-CmR (CRISPR/Cas9) vector leads to the removal of non-recombinant pLP-AmpR plasmids. The function of LP was explored by directly transforming PCR products. The pScissors-CmR plasmid was evaluated for curing three vectors, including the origins of pBR322, p15A, and pSC101. Replacing LP with a PCR product and fast-eradicating pSC101 origin-containing vectors was successful. Recombinant colonies were confirmed following gene replacement and plasmid curing processes. The results made us optimistic that this strategy may potentially be a simple and inexpensive cloning method. KEY POINTS: •The in vivo cloning was performed by replacing the target gene with the landing pad. •Fast eradication of non-recombinant plasmids was possible by adapting key vectors. •This strategy is not dependent on in vitro assembly reactions and expensive materials., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The combined stress of drought and salinity is prevalent in various regions of the world, affects several physiological and biochemical processes in crops, and causes their yield to decrease. Photosynthesis is one of the main processes that are disturbed by combined stress. Therefore, improving the photosynthetic efficiency of crops is one of the most promising strategies to overcome environmental stresses, making studying the molecular basis of regulation of photosynthesis a necessity. In this study, we sought a potential mechanism that regulated a major component of the combined stress response in the important crop barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), namely the Rubisco activase A (RcaA) gene. Promoter analysis of the RcaA gene led to identifying Jasmonic acid (JA)-responsive elements with a high occurrence. Specifically, a Myelocytomatosis oncogenes 2 (MYC2) transcription factor binding site was highlighted as a plausible functional promoter motif. We conducted a controlled greenhouse experiment with an abiotic stress-susceptible barley genotype and evaluated expression profiling of the RcaA and MYC2 genes, photosynthetic parameters, plant water status, and cell membrane damages under JA, combined drought and salinity stress (CS) and JA + CS treatments. Our results showed that applying JA enhances barley's photosynthetic efficiency and water relations and considerably compensates for the adverse effects of combined stress. Significant association was observed among gene expression profiles and evaluated physiochemical characteristics. The results showed a plausible regulatory route through the JA-dependent MYC2-RcaA module involved in photosynthesis regulation and combined stress tolerance. These findings provide valuable knowledge for further functional studies of the regulation of photosynthesis under abiotic stresses toward the development of multiple-stress-tolerant crops., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Background: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is among the most frequent orthopedic procedures. TKA has been shown to provide significant benefits to patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA). We hypothesized that patients undergoing primary TKA with diverse preoperative diseases would have varying expectations for both pain and function following TKA., Materials and Methods: Patients diagnosed with OA or RA participated in this prospective cohort investigation. We assessed variables including Knee society score (KSS), and patient's quality of life using 36-Item Short Form Survey Instrument (SF-36). Pain was also measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)., Results: In this study, 606 patients including 412 females and 194 males with a mean age of 65.5 ± 8.7 years were included in the study. Among patients, 46 patients underwent TKA due to RA and 560 patients due to knee OA. There was no statistically significant difference in term of KSS clinical score before the operation ( P = 0.101). The mean of KSS clinical score and functional score variables at 6 months and 12 months after the operation were higher in OA group in comparison to RA group. SF-36 was significantly improved in OA group in comparison to RA group. Also, VAS in the RA group is significantly higher than in the OA group after 12 months of follow-up., Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that patients with OA after TKA have better KSS clinical and functional results than patients with RA., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Advanced Biomedical Research.)

Background: Pre-hospital emergency has a crucial role in providing timely care for patients. In this system, seconds and minutes mean the difference between life and death. Considering the importance of the role of pre-hospital emergency in providing services to different patients and the necessity of continuous evaluation of this system, the present study was conducted to investigate time indicators in pre-hospital emergency missions., Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022 in Qazvin province, Iran. The research population was all the calls made to pre-hospital emergency bases in Qazvin province The required information, including time indicators and demographic characteristics of the patient, was obtained using the electronic registration system (Asayar). Data were Analysis using descriptive statistics and SPSS 20 software., Results: Out of the 35,943 patients admitted to the hospital, 20,915 were male while the remaining were female. The mean age of the patients was 44.09 ± 21.82 years. Accidents (29.41%) were the most common reason for contacting the pre-hospital emergency. In all transfer missions, the mean delay time (0:02:23 ± 0:03:33), response time (0:15:02 ± 0:09:42), the time on the scene (0:18:33 ± 0:11:10), total run time (0:54:02 ± 0:25:20), transport time (0:20:25 ± 0:16:49), round trip time (1:32:43 ± 1:08: 43)., Conclusions: The findings of the present study provided valuable information about the variety and number of missions in a pre-hospital emergency. The results showed that some indicators are within the standard range and some indicators are far from other regions of the country and the world. Increasing the number of bases, increasing the number of ambulances, and Implementation of continuous training courses for personnel can improve time indicators and increase the quality of service to different types of patients.

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a tissue damage during reperfusion after an ischemic condition. I/R injury is induced by pathological cases including stroke, myocardial infarction, circulatory arrest, sickle cell disease, acute kidney injury, trauma, and sleep apnea. It can lead to increased morbidity and mortality in the context of these processes. Mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the hallmarks of I/R insult, which is induced via reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, apoptosis, and autophagy. MicroRNAs (miRNAs, miRs) are non-coding RNAs that play a main regulatory role in gene expression. Recently, there are evidence, which miRNAs are the major modulators of cardiovascular diseases, especially myocardial I/R injury. Cardiovascular miRNAs, specifically miR-21, and probably miR-24 and miR-126 have protective effects on myocardial I/R injury. Trimetazidine (TMZ) is a new class of metabolic agents with an anti-ischemic activity. It has beneficial effects on chronic stable angina by suppressing mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening. The present review study addressed the different mechanistic effects of TMZ on cardiac I/R injury. Online databases including Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane library were assessed for published studies between 1986 and 2021. TMZ, an antioxidant and metabolic agent, prevents the cardiac reperfusion injury by regulating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), cystathionine-γ-lyase enzyme (CSE)/hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S), and miR-21. Therefore, TMZ protects the heart against I/R injury by inducing key regulators such as AMPK, CSE/H 2 S, and miR-21., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Studies have indicated the involvement of interleukin (IL)-33 in the pathogenesis of Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This research intended to evaluate the association of IL33 gene rs1929992 and rs7044343 Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with risk of SLE. In addition, the association between these SNPs and inflammatory cytokines was determined., Methods: In this study, 200 SLE cases and 200 healthy subjects were recruited. Using allelic discrimination Real-time PCR, IL33 gene rs1929992 and rs7044343 SNPs were genotyped. The mRNA expression levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-33, TNF-α were determined in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The serum levels of cytokines were also measured., Results: The G allele (OR = 1.57, CI: 1.18-2.08, P = 0.0017), GG genotype (OR = 2.52, CI: 1.33-4.77, P = 0.0043), and GA genotype (OR = 2.12, CI: 1.34-3.34, P = 0.0011) of rs1929992 SNP was significantly associated with an increased SLE risk. The C allele (OR = 1.44, CI: 1.08-1.90; P = 0.0105), CC genotype (OR = 2.07, CI: 1.15-3.71; P = 0.0146), and CT genotype (OR = 1.61, CI: 1.02-2.53, P = 0.0395) of rs7044343 was significantly associated with increased SLE risk. The PBMC mRNA expression and serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-33, TNF-α were significantly increased in the SLE patients compared to controls. However, there was no significant difference in the mRNA expression and serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-33, and TNF-α among the SLE patients with three genotypes for both rs1929992 and rs7044343 polymorphisms., Conclusions: IL33 gene rs1929992 and rs7044343 SNPs are involved in SLE pathogenesis but they might not influence on the inflammatory pathway., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR).)

Background: Young people are the main resources of any country and entering university is considered a sensitive period in their lives. Satisfaction with life is one of the indicators of successful adaptation to life. Lifestyle and spiritual intelligence can complement and give meaning to this variable. The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between spiritual intelligence and lifestyle with life satisfaction in students of Medical Sciences., Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted among the students of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences in 2017. One hundred thirty-nine students were included in this study. Data collection tools were the King's spiritual intelligence scale, Miller-Smith lifestyle assessment inventory, satisfaction with life scale (Diener), and demographic information checklist. To analyze the data, descriptive and analytical tests such as independent T-test and one-way analysis of variance and SPSS version 22 software were used. The significance level of all tests was considered less than or equal to 0.05., Findings: In the present study, 108 were women and the rest were men. 49.6% of students were under twenty years old. The results of this research showed that there is a significant negative relationship between lifestyle and life satisfaction (r = -.33) and a significant positive relationship between spiritual intelligence and life satisfaction (r = .27) (p < 0.05). The mean scores of students in life satisfaction were 22.49 ± 5.92, lifestyle was 49.15 ± 8.35, and spiritual intelligence was 51.59 ± 11.43., Conclusions: The findings of the present study showed the important role of spiritual intelligence and lifestyle in students' life satisfaction. These findings can be used by administrators and policymakers in formulating interventions and providing a suitable context to improve students' life satisfaction., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

This study aimed to compare the accuracy of three types of apex locators versus digital radiography for working length (WL) determination. This experimental study was conducted on 58 extracted maxillary premolars. The teeth were decoronated, the access cavity was prepared, and WL was determined using a #15 K-file to serve as reference. The WL was then measured by Woodpex V, Woodpex III, and Root ZX apex locators in the presence of 0.9% saline, and also on a photostimulable phosphor plate (PSP) digital radiograph taken by the parallel technique. The values were compared with the actual WL using the paired t-test (alpha = 0.05). Digital radiography, Root ZX, Woodpex V, and Woodpex III determined the WL within ±0.5 mm from the actual value in 84.48%, 100%, 89.66%, and 87.93% of the cases, respectively. Woodpex V (p = 0.039), Woodpex III (p = 0.001), and Root ZX (p = 0.001) significantly over-estimated the WL. The WL measured on digital radiographs was not significantly different from the actual WL (p = 0.213). The position of the apical foramen (central/lateral) had no significant effect on the accuracy of WL determination by different techniques (p >0.05). Within the limitations of this in vitro study, all the tested modalities showed acceptable accuracy for WL determination in maxillary premolars.

Background: Pre-hospital emergency staffs as the frontline forces fighting against COVID -19 have been affected by this pandemic. Today, the occupational and mental health of these individuals is particularly important to the health care system. Death anxiety is one of the inevitable things in this job, and not paying attention to it can cause unwanted effects such as changing the level of job satisfaction of the personnel. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of predictive death anxiety in the job satisfaction of pre-hospital emergency personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among pre-hospital emergency staffs in Qazvin Province, Iran in 2021-2022. Among the bases chosen by the census method, 198 samples were included in the study by the available method. Data collection tools included the Demographic Checklist, Templer's Death Anxiety scale, and the Minnesota Job Satisfaction Questionnaire. The data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics and SPSS 20 software., Results: The mean age of the samples was (33.14 ± 6.77). 167 persons were male and the others were female. The average job satisfaction and death anxiety of the personnel were 55.07 ± 11.50 and 8.18 ± 1.96, respectively. Pearson's correlation coefficient between the two variables was r = -0.126 And a null correlation coefficient hypothesis has been confirmed with p-value = 0.077., Conclusions: The results showed a high level of death anxiety and average job satisfaction. Although these two variables do not have a significant relationship with each other, considering that they do not have the appropriate level, it needs more investigation and consideration., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Aim: This study aimed to develop novel pH-sensitive Glucosamine (Glu) targeted Polydopamine (PDA) coated mesoporous silica (SBA-15) nanoparticles (NPs) for selective delivery of anticancer Anderson-type manganese polyoxomolybdate (POMo) to breast cancer., Methods: The POMo@SBA-PDA-Glu NPs were prepared via direct hydrothermal synthesis of SBA, POMo loading, in situ PDA post functionalization, and Glu anchoring; the chemical structures were fully studied by different characterisation methods. The anticancer activity was studied by MTT method and Annexin V-FITC apoptosis detection kit., Results: The optimised NPs had a hydrodynamic size (HS) of 195 nm, a zeta potential (ZP) of -18.9 mV, a loading content percent (LC%) of 45%, and a pH-responsive release profile. The targeted NPs showed increased anticancer activity against breast cancer cell lines compared to the free POMo with the highest cellular uptake and apoptosis level in the MDA-MB-231 cells., Conclusions: POMo@SBA-PDA-Glu NPs could be a promising anticancer candidate for further studies.

Exercise training and medicinal herb supplementation may improve microRNAs (miRNAs) expression associated with obesity. This study aimed to assess the effects of 10 weeks of aerobic training (AT) and dill extract (DE) on miR-33 and miR-223 expression of liver in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese rats. Forty male Wistar rats were fed a defined high-fat (n = 32) and standard (n = 8, nonobese control [NC]) diet. After obesity induction, obese rats were randomly allocated to four groups: AT, DE, AT + DE, and obese control (OC). Rats were euthanized and plasma and liver tissue samples were collected after the intervention. The liver expression of miR-33 was lower in the AT, DE, AT + DE, and NC groups compared with the OC group. Also, the liver miR-223 expression was higher in the AT, DE, AT + DE, and NC groups compared with the OC group. Moreover, the liver expression of miR-223 in the AT + DE group was higher compared with the AT and DE groups. The AT, DE, AT + DE, and NC groups had lower liver TC compared with the OC group. Also, the plasma level of apolipoprotein B (Apo B) was significantly lower, and liver HDL-C was significantly higher in the AT + DE and NC groups compared with the OC group. These findings show that long-term AT combined with the intake of DE may improve the plasma levels of Apo B, and TC and HDL-C levels in the liver, which is probably due to AT and DE positive effects on miR-33 and miR-223 in the liver of obese rats. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Aerobic training reduces overweight and obesity health problems, however, the duration and intensity of the exercise training distinguish between individuals. We used an integrated approach combining pharmacological and non-pharmacological as a medical strategy to prevent HFD-induced metabolic injury in obese rats. The present results discovered that a combination of AT + DE intervention improves the miR-33 and miR-223 in the liver of obese rats., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Dose administration aids (DAAs) or multi-compartment compliance aids are commonly used to organise doses of medications in accordance with a patient's dosing schedule. Despite their widespread use, there is a paucity of information on the stability of repackaged medications in DAAs., Objectives: The objectives of this work were to evaluate stability studies conducted on repackaged medicine in DAAs and to provide a summary of the latest stability data available., Methods: A systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines was performed on studies associated with repackaged medications in DAAs and drug stability. PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE and SCOPUS were searched from January 1998 to June 2021., Key Findings: A total of 342 articles were retrieved and 29 articles met the inclusion criteria. Data regarding medications from the reviewed papers were reported according to stability testing and physicochemical properties. The extracted data were then compared with stability information on DAA provision available on the database in the UK. This review identified several discrepancies between this dataset and reported stability and reveals a significant shortage in the stability data of medications repackaged in DAAs., Conclusion: This review highlights the need for further studies to be conducted to better understand the impact of DAA repackaging on the stability, safety and efficacy of medications. It is recommended that a database of stability information of repackaged medications via systematic stability testing studies could be established, serving as a valuable resource for pharmacists when preparing DAAs without compromising patient safety., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Main Conclusion: Enhanced levels of endogenous melatonin in the root of wheat, mainly through the OMT1 gene, augment the antioxidant system, reestablish redox homeostasis and are associated with combined stress tolerance. A systems biology approach, including a collection of computational analyses and experimental assays, led us to uncover some aspects of a poorly understood phenomenon, namely wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) combined drought and salinity stress tolerance. Accordingly, a cross-study comparison of stress experiments was performed via a meta-analysis of Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) data from wheat roots to uncover the overlapping gene network of drought and salinity stresses. Identified differentially expressed genes were functionally annotated by gene ontology enrichment analysis and gene network analysis. Among those genes, O-methyl transferase 1 (OMT1) was highlighted as a more important (hub) gene in the dual-stress response gene network. Afterwards, the potential roles of OMT1 in mediating physiochemical indicators of stress tolerance were investigated in two wheat genotypes differing in abiotic stress tolerance. Regression analysis and correspondence analysis (CA) confirmed that the expression profiles of the OMT1 gene and variations in melatonin content, antioxidant enzyme activities, proline accumulation, H 2 O 2 and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents are significantly associated with combined stress tolerance. These results reveal that the OMT1 gene may contribute to wheat combined drought and salinity stress tolerance through augmenting the antioxidant system and re-establishing redox homeostasis, probably via the regulation of melatonin biosynthesis as a master regulator molecule. Our findings provide new insights into the roles of melatonin in wheat combined drought and salinity stress tolerance and suggest a novel plausible regulatory node through the OMT1 gene to improve multiple-stress tolerant crops., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Peripheral nerve regeneration is a complicated phenomenon. Thyroid hormones are known as critical regulators in the nervous system development. The Schwann cells have the regenerative potency in the peripheral nervous system. In this study, the human adipose-derived stem cells were assessed in vitro , for transdifferentiation potency into Shwann-like cells (SLCs) as a candidate source for clinical cell therapy, under the treatment of triiodothyronine (T3) hormone, and compared with the untreated cells. The cell viability rate, myelination and neurotrophic factors expression of SLCs were evaluated two weeks post- induction by MTT assay, immunocytochemistry and real-time RT-PCR techniques, respectively. The obtained results revealed a significant decrease in SLCs viability, compared to the adipose-derived stem cells (P < 0.001). Immunocytochemistry technique was applied to detect SLCs markers, such as S100β, GFAP and myelin basic proteins (MBP) in the presence and absence of T3 treatment. The results indicated that administering T3 can significantly increase the differentiation and myelination potency of SLCs (P < 0.01). The findings of real-time RT-PCR technique indicated that the expression of Schwann cells markers, MBP, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor were upregulated significantly with T3 hormone administration in comparison with the untreated cells (P < 0.05). The SLCs were able to express the neurotrophic factors and myelination related genes in the presence of T3 hormone. Furthermore, T3 administration improved myelination potency of adipose-derived stem cells, in vitro . Further in vivo experiments are necessary to confirm the advantages of using a combination of autologous SLCs and T3 hormone for peripheral nerve injury recovery., Competing Interests: We declare no conflict of interest.

This study is aimed at developing a micellar carrier for an Anderson-type manganese polyoxomolybdate (TRIS-MnPOMo) to improve the potency and reduce the general toxicity. The biotin-targeted stearic acid-polyethylene glycol (SPB) polymeric conjugate was selected for the first time as a micelle-forming basis for the delivery of TRIS-MnPOMo to breast cancer cells. The cytotoxicity of TRIS-MnPOMo and its nanomicellar form (TRIS-MnPOMo@SPB) was evaluated against MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 (breast cancer cell lines), and HUVEC (normal cell line) in vitro using the MTT assay. The quantity of cellular uptake and apoptosis level were studied properly using standard methods. The hydrodynamic size, zeta potential, and polydispersity index of the prepared micelles were 140 nm, -15.6 mV, and 0.16, respectively. The critical micelle concentration was about 30 μg/mL, which supports the colloidal stability of the micellar dispersion. The entrapment efficiency was interestingly high (about 82%), and a pH-responsive release of TRIS-MnPOMo was successfully achieved. The micellar form showed better cytotoxicity than the free TRIS-MnPOMo on cancer cells without any significant heme and normal cell toxicity. Biotin-targeted nanomicelles internalized into the MDA-MB-231 cells interestingly better than nontargeted micelles and TRIS-MnPOMo, most probably via the endocytosis pathway. Furthermore, at the same concentration, micelles remarkably increased the level of induced apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells. In conclusion, TRIS-MnPOMo@SPB could profoundly improve potency, safety, and cellular uptake; these results are promising for further evaluations in vivo.

Co-occurrence of abiotic stresses, especially drought and salinity, is a natural phenomenon in field conditions and is worse for crop production than any single stress. Nowadays, rigorous methods of meta-analysis and systems biology have made it possible to perform cross-study comparisons of single stress experiments, which can uncover main overlapping mechanisms underlying tolerance to combined stress. In this study, a meta-analysis of RNA-Seq data was conducted to obtain the overlapping gene network of drought and salinity stresses in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), which identified Rubisco activase A (RcaA) as a hub gene in the dual-stress response. Thereafter, a greenhouse experiment was carried out using two barley genotypes with different abiotic stress tolerance and evaluated several physiochemical properties as well as the expression profile and protein activity of RcaA. Finally, machine learning analysis was applied to uncover relationships among combined stress tolerance and evaluated properties. We identified 441 genes which were differentially expressed under both drought and salinity stress. Results revealed that the photosynthesis pathway and, in particular, the RcaA gene are major components of the dual-stress responsive transcriptome. Comparative physiochemical and molecular evaluations further confirmed that enhanced photosynthesis capability, mainly through regulation of RcaA expression and activity as well as accumulation of proline content, have a significant association with combined drought and salinity stress tolerance in barley. Overall, our results clarify the importance of RcaA in combined stress tolerance and may provide new insights for future investigations., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Studying the drought-responsive transcriptome is of high interest as it can serve as a blueprint for stress adaptation strategies. Despite extensive studies in this area, there are still many details to be uncovered, such as the importance of each gene involved in the stress response as well as the relationship between these genes and the physiochemical processes governing stress tolerance. This study was designed to address such important details and to gain insights into molecular responses of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) to drought stress. To that, we combined RNA-seq data analysis with field and greenhouse drought experiments in a systems biology approach. RNA-sequence analysis identified a total of 665 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) belonging to diverse functional categories. A gene network was derived from the DEGs, which comprised of a total of 131 nodes and 257 edges. Gene network topology analysis highlighted two programmed cell death (PCD) modulating genes, MC1 (metacaspase 1) and TSN1 (Tudor-SN 1), as important (hub) genes in the predicted network. Based on the field trial, a drought-tolerant and a drought-susceptible barley genotype was identified from eight tested cultivars. Identified genotypes exhibited different physiochemical characteristics, including proline content, chlorophyll concentration, percentage of electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde content as well as expression profiles of MC1 and TSN1 genes. Machine learning and correspondence analysis revealed a significant relationship between drought tolerance and measured characteristics in the context of PCD. Our study provides new insights which bridge barley drought tolerance to PCD through MC1 and TSN1 pathway., (© 2020 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.)

Background and Aims: Pain is the fifth vital sign, and pediatric nurses plays a key role in the process of pediatric pain management. The present study aimed to determine the effect of pain management training on the knowledge, attitude and self-efficacy of pediatric nurses., Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study including two groups of test and control. The experimental group received a workshop method with a content including (ethical aspect, physiology, assessment tools, and pharmaceutical and non-pharmacological pain management) and was not given in the control group. The PNKAS self-efficacy questionnaires was completed by the participants before and one month after the beginning of the study. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent T-test, Fisher exact, and Chi-square tests using SPSS version 20 software., Results: The mean pre-test scores of knowledge and attitude in the control and experimental groups was 50.79-47.14, and after one month was 47.46-53.09, respectively, showed that, training was significantly effective in the knowledge and attitude of the experimental group ( P value = 0.01). The mean pre-test score of self-efficacy in the control and experimental groups was (17.01-18.06), and one month later was 20.36-21.03 respectively. Although the self-efficacy score increased in both groups, training significantly increased the self-efficacy of pediatric nurses in the experimental group ( P value <0.001)., Conclusion: Pain management training is required due to the poor knowledge of pediatric nurses and the importance of pain management in improving the quality of nursing care and the satisfaction of patients with the In addition, feeling high self-efficacy without sufficient knowledge of pain management can disrupt pediatric pain management., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2020 Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.)

Background: The use of stem cells, growth factors, and scaffolds to repair damaged tissues is a new idea in tissue engineering. The aim of the present study is the investigation of Avocado/soybean (A/S) effects on chondrogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) in micromass culture to access cartilage tissue with high quality., Materials and Methods: In this an experimental study After hADSCs characterization, chondrogenic differentiation was induced using transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) (10 ng/ml) and different concentrations (5, 10, and 20 μg/ml) of A/S in micromass culture. The efficiency of A/S on specific gene expression (types I, II, and X collagens, SOX9, and aggrecan) was evaluated using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. In addition, histological study was done using hematoxylin and eosin and toluidine blue staining all data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and P ≤ 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant., Results: The results of this study indicated that A/S can promote chondrogenic differentiation in a dose-dependent manner. In particular, 5 ng/ml A/S showed the highest expression of type II collagen, SOX9, and aggrecan which are effective and important markers in chondrogenic differentiation. In addition, the expression of types I and X collagens which are hypertrophic and fibrous factors in chondrogenesis is lower in present of 5 ng/ml A/S compared with TGF-β1 group ( P ≤ 0.05). Moreover, the sulfated glycosaminoglycans in the extracellular matrix and the presence of chondrocytes within lacuna were more prominent in 5 ng/ml A/S group than other groups., Conclusion: It can be concluded that A/S similar to TGF-β1 is able to facilitate the chondrogenic differentiation of hADSCs and do not have adverse effects of TGF-β1. Thus, TGF-β1 can be replaced by A/S in the field of tissue engineering., Competing Interests: The authors of this manuscript declare that they have no conflicts of interest, real or perceived, financial or non-financial in this article., (Copyright: © 2020 Dental Research Journal.)

Polyvinylpyrrolidone superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (PVP-SPIONs) have unique properties. Due to these characteristics, PVP-SPIONs have been used in several medical applications such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent or drug delivery system. However, a more comprehensive understanding of the environmental safety of PVP-SPIONs is vital for consumption of these nanomaterials. In this study, we describe the effects of PVP-SPIONs on cell viability of the BT-474 human breast cancer cells. Cell viability of the BT-474 cells treated with PVP-SPIONs (10-800 μg/ml) was assessed by MTT assay. MRC-5 cell line was used as a control. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to investigate the mRNA expression levels of apoptotic (caspase 3) and anti-apoptotic (BCL2) genes Confluent BT-474 monolayers exposed to PVP-SPIONs showed biphasic effects on cell proliferation. PVP-SPIONs at 10-100 μg /ml promote proliferation of BT-474 cells but not the MRC-5 cells. At higher dosage, PVP-SPIONs have toxicity on BT-474 cells. The results of real-time PCR was in line with MTT assay. The increase of cell proliferation at low PVP-SPIONs concentrations is different from what would be expected for these nanoparticles. Our results suggest that more attentions are needed to ensure the safer use of SPION in nanomedicine., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Today, using cellular phone and its harmful effects in human life is growing. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the global system for mobile communication (GSM) 900 MHz cellular phone radiofrequency waves on growth, morphology, and proliferation rate of mesenchymal stem cells and Michigan Cancer Foundation (MCF-7) cells within the specific distance and intensity., Methods: MCF-7 and human adipose-derived stem cells (HADSCs) were exposed to GSM cellular phones 900 MHz frequency with intensity of 354.6 μW/cm 2 during different exposure times 6, 21, 51, and 101 min/day with an interval of 10 min for each subsequent radiation exposure for 3 and 5 days at 10 and 20 cm distances from antenna. 3-(4,5-dimethythiazol- 2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay and trypan blue test were used to determine the growth of cells and cell viability, respectively. Statistical analyses were carried out using three-way ANOVA. Differences were significant when P < 0.05., Results: The proliferation rates of both MCF-7 and HADSCs cells in all exposure groups were significantly lower than controls ( P < 0.05). There was a significant effect on the percentage of cell survival with increase the period of time from 3 to 5 days for MCF-7 ( P < 0.01) and HADSCs ( P = 0.02), respectively. Variations in distance had no significant effect on the percentage of cell survival ( P = 0.35) on MCF-7 ( P = 0.02) and HADSCs ( P = 0.09) cells, respectively., Conclusions: The results showed that radiation of GSM 900 MHz cellular phone may be reduced cell viability and proliferation rates of both cells. It is recommended to reduce exposure time, increase distance from antenna, and reserve the use of cell phones for shorter conversations to prevent its biological and harmful effects. Further studies with other intensities and frequencies on different cells are recommended., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the chondrogenic induction potential of Piascledine and TGF-β1 on adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) in fibrin and fibrin-alginate scaffolds., Materials and Methods: Human subcutaneous adipose tissues were harvested from three patients who were scheduled to undergo liposuction. Isolated ADSCs were proliferated in a culture medium. Then, the cells were seeded in fibrin or fibrin-alginate scaffolds and cultured for 14 days in a chondrogenic medium containing Piascledine, TGF-β1, or both. The rate of cell proliferation and survival was evaluated by using MTT [3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay and the rate of the expression of type II collagen, aggrecan, and type X collagen genes was evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) method., Results: The MTT results showed that Piascledine is able to enhance the proliferation and survival of ADSCs in fibrin scaffolds in comparison to other groups ( P <0.05). Real-time PCR evaluation revealed that the expression of type II collagen was higher in TGF- β1groups, but the expression of aggrecan was higher in TGF-β1 alone or along with Piascledine in fibrin-alginate scaffolds. Furthermore, the expression of type X collagen was lower in Piascledine alone or along with TGF-β1 in fibrin scaffold., Conclusion: Piascledine can enhance the proliferation and differentiation of ADSCs in fibrin scaffolds.

Cis regulatory elements (CREs), located within promoter regions, play a significant role in the blueprint for transcriptional regulation of genes. There is a growing interest to study the combinatorial nature of CREs including presence or absence of CREs, the number of occurrences of each CRE, as well as of their order and location relative to their target genes. Comparative promoter analysis has been shown to be a reliable strategy to test the significance of each component of promoter architecture. However, it remains unclear what level of difference in the number of occurrences of each CRE is of statistical significance in order to explain different expression patterns of two genes. In this study, we present a novel statistical approach for pairwise comparison of promoters of Arabidopsis genes in the context of number of occurrences of each CRE within the promoters. First, using the sample of 1000 Arabidopsis promoters, the results of the goodness of fit test and non-parametric analysis revealed that the number of occurrences of CREs in a promoter sequence is Poisson distributed. As a promoter sequence contained functional and non-functional CREs, we addressed the issue of the statistical distribution of functional CREs by analyzing the ChIP-seq datasets. The results showed that the number of occurrences of functional CREs over the genomic regions was determined as being Poisson distributed. In accordance with the obtained distribution of CREs occurrences, we suggested the Audic and Claverie (AC) test to compare two promoters based on the number of occurrences for the CREs. Superiority of the AC test over Chi-square (2×2) and Fisher's exact tests was also shown, as the AC test was able to detect a higher number of significant CREs. The two case studies on the Arabidopsis genes were performed in order to biologically verify the pairwise test for promoter comparison. Consequently, a number of CREs with significantly different occurrences was identified between the promoters. The results of the pairwise comparative analysis together with the expression data for the studied genes revealed the biological significance of the identified CREs., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between 25-m sprint front crawl swimming performance and muscle fascicle length in young male swimmers. 23 swimmers were selected and divided into two groups according to their best records of 25-m sprint performance: 14.6-15.7 sec (S1, n = 11) and 15.8-17 sec (S2, n = 12). Muscle thickness and pennation angle of Biceps Brachii (BB; only muscle thickness), Triceps Brachii (TB), Vastus Lateralis (VL), Gastrocnemius Medialis (GM) and Lateralis (GL) muscles were measured by B-mode ultrasonography, and fascicle length was estimated. Although, there was no significant differences between groups in anthropometrical parameter as standing height, body mass, arm length, thigh length and leg length (p < 0.001), however, S1 significantly had a greater muscle thickness in VL, GL, and TB muscles (p < 0.05). Pennation angle only in TB was significantly smaller in S1 (p < 0.05). S1 in VL, GL, and TB muscles significantly had greater absolute fascicle length and in VL and TB muscles had relatively (relative to limb length) greater fascicle length (p < 0.05). Moreover, there was a significant relationship between sprint swimming time and absolute and relative fascicle length in VL (absolute: r = -0.49 and relative: r = -0.43, both p < 0.05) and GL (absolute: r = -0.47 and relative: r = -0.42, both p < 0.05). Potentially, it seems that fascicle geometry developed in muscles of faster young swimmers to help them to perform their high speed movement. Key PointsThis study investigated the relationship between muscle fascicle length and sprint front crawl performance in young male swimmers.It seems that young swimmers with faster front crawl sprint swimming performance trend to have smaller pennation angle and greater absolute and relative fascicle length (relative to limb length) in their locomotor muscles.Potentially, fascicle geometry developed in faster swimmers to help them to perform higher speed movement via higher output power, however, the adaptive response of fiber length follownig training is not well underestood.

Background: Accurate and rapid diagnosis of bacterial arthritis is not always possible in unvaccinated (Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae type B) children in Iran., Objectives: Searching the staphylococcal superantigen (entrotoxin A, B, C and TSST1) in synovial fluid of cases with inflammatory arthritis., Patients and Methods: This cross sectional study was implemented in the pediatric and orthopedic wards, Rasoul Akram Hospital, Tehran, Iran (2008-2010) upon synovial fluid (SF) aspirated from 66 children (five months to 16 years; mean age 11 ± 3.8 years) with monoarthritis. Staphylococcal supperantigens (enterotoxins A, B, C, TSST1) were assessed by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in synovial fluid of cases with inflammatory arthitis. Staphylococcal superantigens compared between cases with positive and negative Staphylococcus aureus culture (P < 0.05 was significant)., Results: S. aureus was the most common cause of septic arthritis. Positive S. aureus culture in SF was reported in 10.6% (7/66) of the cases. Enterotoxin A was the least common type of superantigens found even in SF negative culture; 47% of the cases had one or more staphylococcal superantigens. Enterotoxin A was the least common type in SF; there was poor agreement between positive culture for S. aureus and presence of enterotoxins B, C, and TSST1 in SF, and intermediate agreement (KAPPA Index = 0.67) for enterotoxin A., Conclusions: A possible role (%47) for staphylococcal toxins was defined even in SF negative cultures obtained from monoarthritis cases. Failure in isolation of organisms might be due to natural un-growth of microorganism in synovial fluid, and previous antibiotic usage or low technical methods. It could not be determined from the data obtained in the current investigation whether or not staphylococcal toxins (superantigens) play a pathogenic role without direct invasion of the organism. It is recommend to use complementary methods for searching the S. aureus superantigens in future studies.