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Ardeshir Moayeri, 1 Marzieh Darvishi, 1, 2 Mansour Amraei 3 1Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran; 2Shefa Neuroscience Research Center, Khatam Alanbia Hospital, Tehran, Iran; 3Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, IranCorrespondence: Marzieh DarvishiDepartment of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Banganjab Street, PO Box 6939177143, Ilam, IranTel +988432235713Fax +988432227136Email marzi.darvishi@yahoo.comIntroduction: Stem cell therapies for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease (PD) are intended to replace lost dopaminergic neurons. The basis of this treatment is to guide the migration of transplanted cells into the target tissue or injury site. The aim of this study is an evaluation of the homing of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) labeled adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) by an external magnetic field in a rat model of PD.Methods: ADSCs were obtained from perinephric regions of male adult rats and cultured in a DMEM medium. ADSC markers were assessed by immunostaining with CD90, CD105, CD49d, and CD45. The SPION was coated using poly-L-lysine hydrobromide and transfection was determined in rat ADSC using the GFP reporter gene. For this in vivo study, rats with PD were divided into five groups: a positive control group, a control group with PD (lesion with 6-HD injection), and three treatment groups: the PD/ADSC group (PD transplant with ADSCs transfected by BrdU), PD/ADSC/SPION group (PD transplant with ADSCs labeled with SPION and transfected by GFP), and the PD/ADSC/SPION/EM group (PD transplant with ADSCs labeled with SPION and transfected by GFP induced with external magnet).Results: ADSCs were immunoreactive to fat markers CD90 (90.73± 1.7), CD105 (87.4± 2.9) and CD49d (79.6± 2.6), with negative immunostaining at the hematopoietic stem cell marker (CD45: 1.4± 0.4). The efficiency of cells with SPION/PLL was about 96% of ADSC. The highest number of GFP-positive cells was in the ADSC/SPION/EM group (54.5± 1.3), which was significantly different from that in ADSC/SPION group (30.83± 3 and P< 0.01).Conclusion: Transfection of ADSC by SPION/PLL is an appropriate protocol for cell therapy. External magnets can be used for the delivery and homing of transplanted stem cells in the target tissue.Keywords: adipose derived stem cells, super paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, homing, stem cell therapy

Monireh Azizi,1 Naser Abbasi,2,3 Mojtaba Mohamadpour,4 Salar Bakhtiyari,5 Sirous Asadi,4 Ehsan Shirzadpour,5 Ali Aidy,2 Mahmoud Mohamadpour,5 Mansour Amraei2,6 1Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran; 2Biotechnology and Medicinal Plants Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran; 3Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran; 4Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran; 5Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran; 6Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, IranCorrespondence: Mansour AmraeiDepartment of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Banganjab Street, PO Box 6939177143, Ilam, IranTel +98 843 223 5724Fax +98 843 222 7136Email amraei.mansour@yahoo.comBackground: Studies have shown that consumption of high levels of alcohol causes many negative effects on the liver and kidneys where antioxidant ingredients can be a proper solution to reducing the resulting damages. So, the present study investigated the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Crocus sativus L. (saffron) petal with antioxidant properties on the changes in inflammatory and enzymatic indices resulting from alcohol use in the male rats’ kidney and liver.Materials and methods: After preparing the extract, LD50 was determined and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was employed to specify the type and the rate of the active ingredients of the extract. Then, 36 male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into six groups (n=6). The first group was only administered with normal saline and the second group only received ethyl alcohol 6 mL/kg/day·BW. The third and the fourth groups received ethyl alcohol 6 mL/kg/day·BW plus 167.5 and 335 mg/kg/day·BW saffron petal extract for 8 weeks. The fifth and the sixth groups received ethyl alcohol 6 mL/kg/day·BW for the first 8 weeks and were subsequently gavage fed on saffron extract for 167.5 and 335 mg/kg/day·BW, respectively, during the next 8 weeks. In the beginning and after the termination of the treatment, blood samples were collected from all rats.Results: The LD50 of the extract was about 670 mg/kg. The HPLC results indicated that the extract contains important antioxidant ingredients. At the end of the study, the serum concentration of the inflammatory indices, renal enzymes, and hepatic enzymes experienced a significant reduction in all of the intervened groups compared to the negative control group (minimum significant difference: P

Mansour Amraei,1,* Mahmoud Mohamadpour,2,* Mohammad Reza Hafezi Ahmadi,3 Monireh Azizi,4 Ahmad Daemi,5 Mohammad Omidi,5 Ehsan Shirzadpour2 1Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran; 2Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran; 3Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran; 4Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran; 5Department of Biochemistry, Student Research Committee, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: Methadone (MET)-based treatment is currently one of the best known approaches in the treatment of opioid dependence. It is claimed that MET use exerts adverse effects on the performance of some organs, especially liver. Thus, the present study aims to investigate MET effects on the hepatic tissue as well as its effect on the hepatic enzyme levels and inflammatory markers in rats.Materials and methods: Twenty-eight mature male Wistar rats underwent an 8-week treatment in four equal groups including the control group (an ordinary daily dietary regime) as well as the experimental groups 1, 2, and 3 (an ordinary daily dietary regime and gavage-fed on MET syrup for 5, 20, and 40 mg/kg body weight per day). Blood samples were collected from all rats in the beginning and end of the study to measure their hepatic enzyme levels and inflammatory markers. In the end, their livers were subjected to histological examinations.Results: The mean serum levels of hepatic enzymes (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase) increased considerably across all the three groups that had received various dosages of MET (5, 20, and 40 mg/kg) in the end of the study as compared to the beginning of the study (P

Mansour Amraei,1,* Ayub Ghorbani,1,* Yaser Seifinejad,1 Seyedeh Fatemeh Mousavi,2 Mahmoud Mohamadpour,3 Ehsan Shirzadpour3 1Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran; 2Student Research Committee, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran; 3Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: Cardiovascular diseases are among the most common causes of mortality worldwide. Therefore, it is necessary to control the risk factors of these patients. Since the level of inflammatory markers and lipid profiles has increased in cardiovascular diseases and due to the increasing role of plants in the treatment of diseases, the current study aimed to investigate the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Teucrium polium on inflammatory markers and lipid profile in hypercholesterolemic rats.Materials and methods: A total of 24 adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups of six each and treated with oral administration for 8 weeks. The control group received normal diet, the sham group received high-cholesterol diet and experimental groups 1 and 2 received high-cholesterol diet in the 8 weeks and doses of 85 and 170 mg/kg, respectively, of the T. polium hydroalcoholic extract (TPHAE) in the second 4 weeks. At the beginning and the end of the study, rats were examined for biochemical parameters. The mean level of variables for each group was presented as mean ± standard error of mean.Results: The results of this study showed that, after administration of TPHAE, there was a significant decrease in the mean of inflammatory markers in all groups compared to sham group (P

Ardeshir Moayeri,1 Mahmoud Mohamadpour,2 Seyedeh Fatemeh Mousavi,3 Ehsan Shirzadpour,2 Safoura Mohamadpour,3 Mansour Amraei4 1Department of Anatomy, 2Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, 3Department of Epidemiology, Prevention of Psychosocial Injuries Research Center, 4Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran Aim: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have an increased risk of bone fractures. A variable increase in fracture risk has been reported depending on skeletal site, diabetes duration, study design, insulin use, and so on. The present meta-analysis aimed to investigate the association between T2DM with fracture risk and possible risk factors.Methods: Different databases including PubMed, Institute for Scientific Information, and Scopus were searched up to May 2016. All epidemiologic studies on the association between T2DM and fracture risk were included. The relevant data obtained from these papers were analyzed by a random effects model and publication bias was assessed by funnel plot. All analyses were done by R software (version 3.2.1) and STATA (version 11.1).Results: Thirty eligible studies were selected for the meta-analysis. We found a statistically significant positive association between T2DM and hip, vertebral, or foot fractures and no association between T2DM and wrist, proximal humerus, or ankle fractures. Overall, T2DM was associated with an increased risk of any fracture (summary relative risk =1.05, 95% confidence interval: 1.04, 1.06) and increased with age, duration of diabetes, and insulin therapy.Conclusion: Our findings strongly support an association between T2DM and increased risk of overall fracture. These findings emphasize the need for fracture prevention strategies in patients with diabetes. Keywords: diabetes mellitus, fractures, bone, osteoporosis, risk factors, meta-analysis

The assessment of the fatigue crack growth rate behavior of welded structural components made of ultra-high strength steels (UHHS) is very important to gain a comprehensive understanding of these materials under high-cycle fatigue loadings and to enhance their applications in the construction industry. The literature on the fatigue crack growth rates of welded ultra-high strength steel plates with nominal yield strengths higher than 690 MPa is very scarce and only very limited research has been done thus far to provide the Paris' Law fatigue material constants for welded UHSS components in terms of the base metal (BM), the weld metal (WM), and the heat-affected zone (HAZ) regions, which are essential for fatigue life prediction. Hence, the fatigue crack growth rates of butt-welded UHSS plates with three grades (S700, S960, and S1100) are experimentally investigated in this study using Paris' Law for these three different regions of the welded components. Gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and laser welding (LW) methods are adopted to analyze the influence of welding methods on each steel grade with respect to their static and fatigue strength, microstructural changes, and hardness. In the fatigue crack growth rate test, it was observed that the S700 base material shows the lowest fatigue crack propagation resistance amongst these three grades. In welded components, laser welding outperforms gas welding in terms of the fatigue crack growth resistance. Comparisons of fatigue crack growth behaviors are made among all three tested UHSSs as well as with those from the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since train’s frontal nose is the first part of the train which is damaged at the frontal impact, specific attention should be paid to the design of this part. In this study, an effort has been conducted to the design of a nose with light weight which can absorb maximum amount of energy that is possible during a frontal collision. To this aim and with attention to aerodynamic considerations, application of aluminium honeycomb sandwich panel has been studied. This paper includes two main parts. The first part is dedicated to the simulation of aluminium honeycomb sandwich panel, while the frontal collision of nose with different internal layer thicknesses of honeycomb and various nose lengths have been simulated in the second part. Finite element method using LS-DYNA commercial package has been used for the numerical simulation. The results have been validated with available experimental results and an acceptable agreement has been observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Estimating the prevalence of food insecurity among vulnerable sub-groups, especially pregnant women, is significant. This study aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of food insecurity among Iranian pregnant women and to determine its related factors., Materials and Methods: This study constitutes a systematic review and meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies involving pregnant women, published between January 2000 and September 2022, in English and Persian on seven databases. Finally, 14 studies were analyzed and synthesized, with the results presented in the form of forest plots. Heterogeneity was investigated using the I 2 index and the meta-regression to evaluate variables suspected of causing heterogeneity. Statistical analysis and synthesis were performed using Stata-16., Results: The pooled prevalence of food insecurity among Iranian pregnant women was 45% (95% confidence interval: 37-54%). In a multi-variable meta-regression model, p values were significant for the year of data collection and the type of the questionnaire. The adjusted I 2 and R 2 indices were estimated at 84.47 and 51.46%, respectively. The prevalence of food insecurity among Iranian pregnant women has been estimated at half a million., Conclusions: Given the high prevalence of food insecurity among pregnant women in Iran, we propose the inclusion of food insecurity screening for this vulnerable demographic within the primary healthcare package. Additionally, we advocate for the allocation of food subsidies to pregnant women confronting food insecurity., Competing Interests: Nothing to declare., (Copyright: © 2024 Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research.)

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and Autoimmune Thyroiditis (AIT) are two prevalent endocrine disorders affecting women, often coexisting within the same patient population. This meta-analysis aims to systematically assess and synthesize the existing body of literature to elucidate the intricate relationship between PCOS and AIT. A systematic literature search for relevant observational studies was conducted in electronic databases such as Web of Science, Google Scholar, PubMed, Cochrane, and Scopus until March 2023. All Statistical analyses were performed using CMA Software v3.7 in a random-effects network meta-analysis. In addition, sensitivity and meta-regression analyses were conducted to identify sources of Heterogeneity based on related risk factors. Our meta-analysis included eighteen studies with 3657 participants, which revealed significant differences between PCOS patients and control groups. In particular, a considerable association was detected between PCOS and the presence of AIT (OR = 2.38; 95% CI: 1.63-3.49; P< 0.001) and elevated levels of TSH (SMD = 0.24; 95% CI: 0.06-0.42; P= 0.01), anti-TPO (SMD = 0.36; 95% CI: 0.19-0.53; P< 0.001), anti-TG (SMD = 1.24; 95% CI: 0.37-2.10; P< 0.001), and other positive serum antibodies compared to the control groups. The findings from this meta-analysis may contribute to enhanced diagnostic strategies like complete thyroid function tests, more targeted interventions, and improved patient care for individuals presenting with both PCOS and AIT. Additionally, identifying commonalities between these conditions may pave the way for future research directions, guiding the development of novel therapeutic approaches that address the interconnected nature of PCOS and AIT., 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 article., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of the healthcare incident command system (HICS) on the district health networks (DHNs) covered by provincial Medical Universities (PMU) in terms of the management and commanding of the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran. This study was a cross-sectional survey. The study was performed in Iran in June 2020 in 60 DHNs, 41 of which had an active HICS. Data were collected on eight HCIS dimensions from all 60 DHNs by trained crisis management experts to evaluate the effects of HICS use on management of the COVID-19 pandemic. For all the 60 DHNs, the mean score of the COVID-19 incident command and management was 78.79 ± 11.90 (range 20-100); with mean scores highest for organizational support and coordination and lowest for logistic and planning. Significant differences were observed between the DHNs with active HICS and DHNs with inactive or no HICS in terms of the mean scores of incident management and command and their associated dimensions. According to the results, the HICS use had a positive impact on the improvement of incident management and command and all the related dimensions. Therefore, the HICS could be conducted and implemented in primary healthcare for the systematic and proper management of crises caused by infectious diseases and increasing primary healthcare system efficiency in response to these crises., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Yari et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Various vaccines have been developed and distributed worldwide to control and cope with COVID-19 disease. To ensure vaccines benefit the global community, the ethical principles of beneficence, justice, non-maleficence, and autonomy should be examined and adhered to in the process of development, distribution, and implementation. This study, therefore, aimed to examine ethical considerations of vaccine development and vaccination processes., Methods: A scoping review of the literature was conducted based on the Arkesy and O'Malley protocol to identify eligible studies published until November 2021. We searched Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and SciELO databases. The search was conducted using combinations of Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) search terms and keywords for Ethics, COVID-19, and vaccines in abstract, keywords, and title fields to retrieve potentially relevant publications. We included any study that reported one of the four principles of medical ethics: autonomy, justice, non-maleficence, and beneficence in the COVID-19 vaccine development and distribution and implementation of vaccinations. Letters, notes, protocols, and brief communications were excluded. In addition, we searched gray literature to include relevant studies (ProQuest database, conferences, and reports). Data were analyzed using framework analysis., Results: In total, 43 studies were included. Ethical considerations concluded two themes: (1) production and (2) distribution and vaccination. The production process consisted of 16 codes and 4 main Categories, distribution and vaccination process consisted of 12 codes and 4 main Categories. Moreover, the ethical considerations of special groups were divided into four main groups: health care workers (HCWs) (five codes), children and adolescents (five codes), the elderly (one code), and ethnic and racial minorities (three codes)., Conclusion: Due to the externalities of pandemics and the public and social benefits and harms of vaccination, it is not feasible to adhere to all four principles of medical ethics simultaneously and perfectly. This issue confronts individuals and policymakers with several moral dilemmas. It seems that decision-making based on the balance between social benefit and social harm is a better criterion in this regard, and the final decision should be made based on maximizing the public benefit and minimizing the public harm., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The services of medical libraries and information centers has changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to identify the innovative services of medical libraries and information centers during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this scoping review, PubMed, Web of Science (WOS), Scopus, ProQuest, Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA) databases were searched to identify case studies and case series. After screening the identified studies, 18 studies were selected. The results showed that the main users of medical libraries and information centers during COVID-19 were health care providers and recipients, researchers, organizational staff, and ordinary library users. Innovative services during the COVID-19 were also provided in these libraries, including distance education services, virtual information services, virtual guidelines, providing information resources, and evidence-based response to treatment teams. To provide these new services, medical libraries used traditional, semi-traditional, and modern information and communication technologies such as telephone, email, online library platforms, e-learning, and social networks. Medical libraries and information centers changed the way they provide services in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. Analyzing the services provided during this period can provide a model for policymakers, and medical librarians and information professionals to improve their services. The information presented here can be used to inform library services during future, similarly critical situations.

The data available in this article include 3D mechanical designs used for the computer-aided fabrication of metal honeycombs produced by additive manufacturing and studied in [1]. In addition, the force-displacement data utilized to evaluate the mechanical performance of the metal used in this study are available via the digital image correlation technique. Further, the surface features obtained using 3D scanning microscopy of the fabricated parts are available as raw files and processed data. Finally, the impact test data are presented as high-frame-rate videos showing the time-displacement numerical values. This information has been provided in this data article to complement the related research, serve as a guide for future studies, and ensure the data's repeatability and reliability of the related research paper. The research article [1] investigates the mechanical performance and failure mechanism of additively manufactured metallic honeycombs under various scenarios, from quasi-static to dynamic loading. It also investigates the design optimization of these energy-absorbing hollow structures by comparing hollow structures made of three distinct novel cell designs (triangular, diamond-shaped, and diamond-shaped with curved walls) with traditional honeycombs made of hexagonal cells., Competing Interests: 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., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

High-speed electric motors, e.g., axially laminated anisotropic synchronous reluctance motors (ALA-SynRM), use a solid rotor manufactured by joining alternating layers of magnetic and non-magnetic metallic sheets. The strength of the dissimilar metallic joints is critical for the rotor's ability to withstand the operating conditions of the high-speed electrical machine. In this work, various dissimilar metallic joint configurations that can be used in high-speed ALA-SynRM rotors are studied by analyzing the shear strength, microstructure, hardness, and composition of the joints. Metallic joints of structural steels and Inconel ® alloys fabricated by vacuum brazing and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) are studied. Finite element analysis (FEA) was performed to calculate the maximum shear stress of the joints that were subjected to various high speed operating conditions. The shear strength of the test specimens was measured and compared with FEA results. The microstructure and chemical composition of the joints were studied by using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) on SEM. The results show that the hot isostatic pressed S1100MC-IN718 joint achieved the highest ultimate shear strength (233.3 MPa) followed by vacuum brazed S355MC-IN600 joint (230.1 MPa) and HIP S355-IN718 (203.5 MPa), thereby showing that vacuum brazing and HIP can be viable manufacturing methods to fabricate a high-speed ALA-SynRM rotor.

We systematically reviewed randomized clinical trials (RCTs) to elucidate the overall effects of flaxseed oil consumption on blood pressure (BP) in patients with metabolic syndrome and related disorders. PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and ISI Web of Science databases were systematically searched until March 31, 2020, to find RCTs that examined the effect of flaxseed oil consumption on BP. Weighed mean difference (WMD) was pooled using a random-effects model. Standard methods were used for the assessment of heterogeneity, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias. Meta-analysis of five trials (6 arms) showed significant reductions in systolic (WMD: -3.86 mmHg, 95% CI: -7.59 to -0.13, p = .04) BP (SBP) after flaxseed oil consumption. However, the overall effect illustrated no significant change in diastolic (WMD: -1.71 mmHg, 95% CI: -3.67 to 0.26, p = .09) BP (DBP) in the intervention group compared with the control group. Our findings revealed that flaxseed oil consumption has favorable effects on SBP in patients with metabolic syndrome and related disorders. However, further investigations are needed to provide more reliable evidence., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Caudal epidural block (CEB) in hypospadias surgery has the benefit of reducing post-operative pain and possibly intra-operative bleeding. Some studies, however, have suggested that this technique may increase the rate of post-operative complications. Considering the uncertainty about the effect of CEB on surgical complications of hypospadias repair, the current study was performed., Objective: The aim of this randomized clinical trial was to compare the complication rates between patients who receive CEB after hypospadias surgery and those who did not., Study Design: This double-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted on boys aged 6-35 months, who underwent hypospadias repair surgery in a university hospital from March 2018 to March 2019. Sixty patients were randomly divided into two groups (group A: 31 and group B: 29). In group B, CEB was performed, using 0.5 mg/kg of 0.125% bupivacaine (Marcaine). Postoperative complications including fistula, meatal stenosis, dehiscence, and occurrence of bleeding were assessed during six months after surgery., Results: The patients were assessed for possible complications at 24 h, one week, one, three and six months after surgery. No remarkable differences were observed between the patients in the two groups in terms of the frequency of dehiscence, fistula, and meatal stenosis (P > 0.05). Moreover, the difference in complication rates between the patients with proximal and distal hypospadias did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.549)., Discussion: Assessment of complications showed no significant difference between the two study groups in terms of dehiscence, fistula, and meatal stenosis (Clavien type III). In addition, complication rate was not significantly different according to severity of hypospadias between the two groups. Our study had limitations such as short follow up and small sample size, which resulted in insignificant difference in complication rate between proximal and distal hypospadias. These limitations request large studies with long term follow up., Conclusion: The current study showed that the use of caudal block anesthesia in comparison with general anesthesia did not increase surgical complications, which approved CEB protocol as a safe method in hypospadias repair., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest None., (Copyright © 2021 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The present study aimed to systematically search in app stores and intended to carry out content analysis of free Persian mobile health apps in the management of COVID-19 and, ultimately determine the relationship between the popularity and quality of these apps. According to a researcher-made checklist including five axes of ease of use, privacy, data sharing, education, and monitoring, four app markets such as Myket, Bazzar, Google Play and App Store were searched from May 2021 up to now. The findings showed that all selected apps performed well in terms of ease of use and privacy but they needed to be improved in terms of education, monitoring, and data sharing. Also, there was no significant relationship between the popularity and quality of these apps. Owing to the high penetration rate of smartphones in Iran and the low popularity of COVID-19 apps, government, developers, and investors are required to improve the quality of apps and their marketing.

Due to oversight on the part of the authors, the names of two of the co-authors have been incorrectly published in the article entitled, "Association between ABCC8 Ala1369Ser Polymorphism (rs757110 T/G) and Type 2 Diabetes Risk in an Iranian Population: A Case-Control Study", 2021, Vol. 21, No. 3, pp. 441-447 [1]. The original article can be found online at: https://doi.org/10.2174/1871530320666200713091827. Original: Amin Bakhtiyari, Karimeh Haghani, Salar Bakhtiyari*, Mohammad A. Zaimy, Nooriali Zahed, Ali Gheysarzadeh, Shahram Darabi, Seidali Nahalkhani, Mansour Amraei and Iraj Alipourfard Corrected: Amin Bakhtiyari, Karimeh Haghani, Salar Bakhtiyari*, Mohammad A. Zaimy, Ali Noori-Zadeh, Ali Gheysarzadeh, Shahram Darabi, Ali Seidkhani-Nahal, Mansour Amraei and Iraj Alipourfard., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Objective: Glucose metabolism increases ATP/ADP ratio within the β-cells and causes ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channel closure and consequently insulin secretion. The enhanced activity of the channel may be a mechanism contributing to the reduced first-phase of insulin secretion observed in T2DM. There is no study to date in the Kurdish ethnic group regarding the relationship between SNP Ala1369Ser (rs757110 T/G) of SUR1 gene and T2DM, and additionally, the results of this association in other populations are inconsistent. Therefore, our aim in this study was to explore the possible association between SNP Ala1369Ser and type 2 diabetes in an Iranian Kurdish ethnic group., Methods: In this study, we checked out the frequency of alleles and genotypes of SNP Ala1369Ser in T2DM individuals (207 patients; men/women: 106/101) and non-T2DM subjects (201 controls; men/women: 97/104), and their effects on anthropometric, clinical, and biochemical parameters. Genomic DNA was extracted from the leukocytes of blood specimens using a standard method. We amplified the ABCC8 rs757110 polymorphic site (T/G) using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method and a designed primer pair. To perform the PCR-RFLP method, the amplicons were subjected to restriction enzymes and the resulting fragments separated by gel electrophoresis., Results: The frequency of the G-allele of Ala1369Ser polymorphism was significantly (0.01) higher in the case group than the control group (19% vs. 9%, respectively). In the dominant model (TT vs. TG+GG), there was a significant relationship between this SNP and an increased risk of T2DM (P = 0.00). T2DM patients with TG+GG genotypes had significantly higher fasting plasma insulin and HOMA-IR than those who had the TT genotype (P = 0.02 and 0.01, respectively)., Conclusion: Our study is the first study to investigate the association between Ala1369Ser ABCC8 genetic variation and T2DM in the Kurdish population of western Iran. The obtained results clearly show that Ala1369Ser polymorphism of ABCC8 is associated with an increased risk of T2DM in this population., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

A comprehensive understanding of signalling downstream of GPCRs requires a broad approach to capture novel signalling modalities in addition to established pathways. Here, using an array of sixteen validated BRET-based biosensors, we analyzed the ability of seven different β-adrenergic ligands to engage five distinct signalling pathways downstream of the β 1 -adrenergic receptor (β 1 AR). In addition to generating signalling signatures and capturing functional selectivity for the different ligands toward these pathways, we also revealed coupling to signalling pathways that have not previously been ascribed to the βAR. These include coupling to G z and G 12 pathways. The signalling cascade linking the β 1 AR to calcium mobilization was also characterized using a combination of BRET-based biosensors and CRISPR-engineered HEK 293 cells lacking the Gαs subunit or with pharmacological or genetically engineered pathway inhibitors. We show that both G s and G 12 are required for the full calcium response. Our work highlights the power of combining signal profiling with genome editing approaches to capture the full complement of GPCR signalling activities in a given cell type and to probe their underlying mechanisms.

Introduction: Proper nutrition is important for overall health, and it reduces healthcare costs associated with malnutrition. Many studies have investigated vitamin D deficiency and its role in gestational diabetes and controversial data have reported. A comprehensive consideration of articles in this field provides the possibility of a general study of this relationship. This meta-analysis is an evaluation of the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and gestational diabetes., Material and Methods: Different databases (such as PubMed, Science Information Institute, EmBase, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library) were searched for studies and eligible English articles published before February 2017 that have reported the risk of gestational diabetes in relation to vitamin D deficiency. This relationship was measured using odds ratios (ORs) with a confidence interval (CI) of 95%. The influence of each study was measured through sensitivity analysis. Funnel plots, Egger regression tests, and the Begg-Mazumdar correlation test were used to determine bias or publication bias. STATA (version 11.2) was used for all analyses., Results: Twenty-six studies were selected as eligible for this research and included in the final analysis. In general, vitamin D deficiency among mothers may be related to an increased risk of gestational diabetes (OR = 1.18; 95% CI, 1.01-1.35; p  < 0.001). The serum level of 25(OH)D is less meaningful in people with gestational diabetes than in those who have normal glucose tolerance. Subgroup analysis showed that the results concerning this association may vary with study design but do not change with country of origin., Conclusion: Some evidence has shown that vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk of gestational diabetes.

Introduction: The national formulary plays an important role in increasing access to medicine and correct drug information based on national considerations. However, this study aimed to provide a model for development of national formulary based on a unified payment system in Iran., Methods: This study used a combination of descriptive, comparative, and qualitative methods. It was an applied developmental study in 2016. The data were collected using a form based on the World Health Organization's (WHO) standard model for national formulary. Using census method, all national formulary of countries available on the WHO website (n=14) were selected for study. The similarities and differences of national formulary of these countries and Iran were compared with the WHO's standard model. Then, Iran's national formulary content was determined using comparative study results and opinions of an expert panel consisting of 12 faculty members and assistants of the medicine economy., Results: Results showed that the content of national formulary in studied countries is consistent with the WHO model. They consisted of four parts: introductory information, medicine information and monograph, appendices, and alphabetical index. In the introductory, which was out of elements of the WHO, the drug selection and advice to patients' criteria in the preliminary information part of used dose and its side effects in drug monograph and information had the highest frequency. The lowest frequency was for medicine pharmacology and pharmacokinetics in the medicine monograph section. The most common data element in the appendix was related to drug interactions, and the lowest frequency was related to hepatic impairment and renal impairment. All data elements were confirmed by an expert panel. They stated that, after the component of common brand name, the drug cost effectiveness and drug code are necessary for each drug in the drug monograph section., Conclusion: This study provided an updated model and structure for developing national formulary of Iran based on a unified reimbursement system, WHO model, comparative study of national formulary of selected countries, and the opinion of an expert panel in the field of medicine economy. This model may provide reliable information for health employees and managers and improve the effective and safe use of medicines. Also, the creation of drug formulary based on this model and using it may facilitate the selection of standard and high-quality medicines from among different companies and brands, comparing them with each other, prescribing high-quality medicine with lower price, and avoiding the impact from advertisements., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: There is no conflict of interest to be declared.

Background: Hepatitis B is a disease that is prevalent worldwide and is responsible for 10% of the deaths that occur every year. The virus persists in 5% of infected adults and 90% of infected children and can cause chronic hepatitis. In addition to blood, the virus may also be present in other secretions. Transmission through saliva, sexual fluids, and urine has also been confirmed., Objectives: The main aim of this study was to compare viral DNA copies in the serum, cerumen, and saliva of patients with HBeAg levels in their sera., Patients and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study and subjects were selected by non-randomized methods. Serum, cerumen, and saliva samples were collected from 50 patients who were diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B about a year prior to the study. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to determine the presence of HBsAg and HBeAg in the gathered specimens. Viral DNA was extracted from specimens by using a Qiagen kit. The number of viral DNA copies was determined using a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. The study was performed in Ilam province in western Iran., Results: Twenty-eight percent of the patients were HBeAg positive. The average number of viral copies in serum, cerumen, and saliva was higher in women than in men, and a significant correlation was observed between the gender and average viral copies. However, no significant correlation was observed between viral copies present in the serum and cerumen with the age and gender of patients. In addition, no correlation was observed between serum HBeAg and viral copies present in serum, cerumen, and saliva. The correlation analysis confirmed a direct and definite correlation between viral DNA loads in the patients' serum and cerumen., Conclusions: A significant direct correlation was observed between the viral DNA copies present in patients' cerumen and serum. However, the correlation between saliva viral load with serum and cerumen viral load was very low and inverse. These findings suggest that the presence of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) in non-invasive specimens (such as cerumen and saliva) should also be evaluated when monitoring patients to determine the course of infection and disease.

Cell cultures are developed from tissue samples and then disaggregated by mechanical, chemical, and enzymatic methods to extract cells suitable for isolation of viruses. With the recent advances in technology, cell culture is considered a gold standard for virus isolation. This paper reviews the evolution of cell culture methods and demonstrates why cell culture is a preferred method for identification of viruses. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of both traditional and modern cell culture methods for diagnosis of each type of virus are discussed. Detection of viruses by the novel cell culture methods is considered more accurate and sensitive. However, there is a need to include some more accurate methods such as molecular methods in cell culture for precise identification of viruses.

Periodontium is a complex organ composed of mineralized epithelial and connective tissue. Dexamethasone could stimulate proliferation of osteoblast and fibroblasts. This study aimed to assess the osteogenic effect of dexamethasone on periodental ligament (PDL) stem cells. PDL stem cells were collected from periodontal ligament tissue of root of extracted premolar of young and healthy people. The stem cells were cultured in α-MEM Medium in three groups, one group with basic medium contains (α- MEM and FBS 10 % and 50 mmol of β&#95; gelisrophosphat and L&#95; ascorbic acid µg/ml), the second group: basic medium with dexamethasone and the third one: basic medium without any osteogenic stimulant. Mineralization of cellular layer was analyzed with Alizarin red stain method. Osteogenic analysis was done by Alkaline phosphates and calcium test. These analysis indicated that the amount of intra-cellular calcium and alkaline phosphates in the Dexamethasone group was far more than the control and basic group (P<0.05). The results of Alizarin red stain indicated more mineralization of cultured cells in Dexamethasone group (P<0.05). The study results showed that Dexamethasone has significant osteogenic effect on PDL stem cells and further studies are recommended to evaluate its effect on treatment of bone disorders.

This study assessed how conformational information encoded by ligand binding to δ-opioid receptors (DORs) is transmitted to Kir3.1/Kir3.2 channels. Human embryonic kidney 293 cells were transfected with bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) donor/acceptor pairs that allowed us to evaluate independently reciprocal interactions among signaling partners. These and coimmunoprecipitation studies indicated that DORs, Gβγ, and Kir3 subunits constitutively interacted with one another. GαoA associated with DORs and Gβγ, but despite being part of the complex, no evidence of its direct association with the channel was obtained. DOR activation by different ligands left DOR-Kir3 interactions unmodified but modulated BRET between DOR-GαoA, DOR-Gβγ, GαoA-Gβγ, and Gβγ-Kir3 interfaces. Ligand-induced BRET changes assessing Gβγ-Kir3.1 subunit interaction 1) followed similar kinetics to those monitoring the GαoA-Gβγ interface, 2) displayed the same order of efficacy as those observed at the DOR-Gβγ interface, 3) were sensitive to pertussis toxin, and 4) were predictive of whether a ligand could evoke channel currents. Conformational changes at the Gβγ/Kir3 interface were lost when Kir3.1 subunits were replaced by a mutant lacking essential sites for Gβγ-mediated activation. Thus, conformational information encoded by agonist binding to the receptor is relayed to the channel via structural rearrangements that involve repositioning of Gβγ with respect to DORs, GαoA, and channel subunits. Further, the fact that BRET changes at the Gβγ-Kir3 interface are predictive of a ligand's ability to induce channel currents points to these conformational biosensors as screening tools for identifying GPCR ligands that induce Kir3 channel activation.

Opioid tendency to generate analgesic tolerance has been previously linked to biased internalization. Here, we assessed an alternative possibility; whether tolerance of delta opioid receptor agonists (DORs) could be related to agonist-specific recycling. A first series of experiments revealed that DOR internalization by DPDPE and SNC-80 was similar, but only DPDPE induced recycling. We then established that the non-recycling agonist SNC-80 generated acute analgesic tolerance that was absent in mice treated with DPDPE. Furthermore, both agonists stabilized different conformations, whose distinct interaction with Gβγ subunits led to different modalities of β-arrestin2 (βarr2) recruitment. In particular, bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) assays revealed that sustained activation by SNC-80 drew the receptor C terminus in close proximity of the N-terminal domain of Gγ2, causing βarr2 to interact with receptors and Gβγ subunits. DPDPE moved the receptor C-tail away from the Gβγ dimer, resulting in βarr2 recruitment to the receptor but not in the vicinity of Gγ2. These differences were associated with stable DOR-βarr2 association, poor recycling, and marked desensitization following exposure to SNC-80, while DPDPE promoted transient receptor interaction with βarr2 and effective recycling, which conferred protection from desensitization. Together, these data indicate that DORs may adopt ligand-specific conformations whose distinct recycling properties determine the extent of desensitization and are predictive of analgesic tolerance. Based on these findings, we propose that the development of functionally selective DOR ligands that favor recycling could constitute a valid strategy for the production of longer acting opioid analgesics.

The pseudopodial protrusions of Moloney sarcoma virus (MSV)-Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK)-invasive (INV) variant cells were purified on 1-microm pore polycarbonate filters that selectively allow passage of the pseudopodial domains but not the cell body. The purified pseudopodial fraction contains phosphotyrosinated proteins, including Met and FAK, and various signaling proteins, including Raf1, MEK1, ERK2, PKBalpha (Akt1), GSK3alpha, GSK3beta, Rb, and Stat3. Pseudopodial proteins identified by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry included actin and actin-regulatory proteins (ERM, calpain, filamin, myosin, Sra-1, and IQGAP1), tubulin, vimentin, adhesion proteins (vinculin, talin, and beta1 integrin), glycolytic enzymes, proteins associated with protein translation, RNA translocation, and ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation, as well as protein chaperones (HSP90 and HSC70) and signaling proteins (RhoGDI and ROCK). Inhibitors of MEK1 (U0126) and HSP90 (geldanamycin) significantly reduced MSV-MDCK-INV cell motility and pseudopod expression, and geldanamycin treatment inhibited Met phosphorylation and induced the expression of actin stress fibers. ROCK inhibition did not inhibit cell motility but transformed the pseudopodial protrusions of MSV-MDCK-INV cells into extended lamellipodia. Dominant negative Rho disrupted pseudopod expression and, in serum-starved cells, L-alpha-lysophosphatidic acid (oleoyl) activation of Rho induced pseudopodial protrusions or, in the presence of the ROCK inhibitor, extended lamellipodia. RNA was localized to the actin-rich pseudopodial domains of MSV-MDCK-INV cells, but the extent of colocalization with dense actin ruffles was reduced in the extended lamellipodia formed upon ROCK inhibition. Rho/ROCK activation in epithelial tumor cells therefore regulates RNA translocation to a pseudopodial domain that contains proteins involved in signaling, cytoskeleton remodeling, cell adhesion, glycolysis, and protein translation and degradation.

Phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI) is a glycolytic enzyme that exhibits extracellular cytokine activity as autocrine motility factor, neuroleukin, and maturation factor and that has been recently implicated as an autoantigen in rheumatoid arthritis. In contrast to its receptor-mediated endocytosis at neutral pH, addition of 25 microg/ml of either Alexa 568- or FITC-conjugated PGI to NIH-3T3 cells at progressively acid pH results in its quantitatively increased association with cell surface fibrillar structures that is particularly evident at pH 5. A similar pH-dependent cell surface association of PGI is observed for first passage human chondrocytes obtained from osteoarthritic joints. At acid pH, PGI colocalizes with fibronectin fibrils, and this association occurs directly upon addition of PGI to the cells. In contrast to the receptor-mediated endocytosis of PGI, fibril association of 25 microg/ml PGI at pH 5 is not competed with an excess (2 mg/ml) of unlabeled PGI. PGI binding at acid pH is therefore neither saturable nor mediated by its receptor. PGI is enzymatically active as a dimer and we show here by non-denaturing gel electrophoresis as well as by glutaraldehyde cross-linking that it exists at neutral pH in a tetrameric form. Increasingly acid pH results in the appearance of PGI monomers that correlates directly with its enhanced cell surface association. However, glutaraldehyde cross-linked PGI is endocytosed at neutral pH and still exhibits enhanced cell surface binding at pH 5. Circular dichroism analysis revealed pH-dependent changes in the near but not the far UV spectra indicating that the tertiary structure of the protein is specifically altered at pH 5. Conformational changes of PGI and exposure of the monomer-monomer interface under acidic conditions, such as those encountered in the synovial fluid of arthritic joints, could therefore result in its deposition on the surface of joints and the induction of an autoimmune response.

The multiple beta-actin rich pseudopodial protrusions of the invasive variant of Moloney sarcoma virus (MSV)-transformed epithelial MDCK cells (MSV-MDCK-INV) are strongly labeled for phosphotyrosine. Increased tyrosine phosphorylation among a number of proteins was detected in MSV-MDCK-INV cells relative to untransformed and MSV-transformed MDCK cells, especially for the hepatocyte growth factor receptor (HGF-R), otherwise known as c-met proto-oncogene. Cell surface expression of HGF-R was similar in the three cell lines, indicating that HGF-R is constitutively phosphorylated in MSV-MDCK-INV cells. Both the tyrosine kinase inhibitor herbimycin A and the HGFalpha antibody abolished HGF-R phosphorylation, induced retraction of pseudopodial protrusions, and promoted the establishment of cell-cell contacts as well as the apparition of numerous stabilizing stress fibers in MSV-MDCK-INV cells. Furthermore, anti-HGFalpha antibody abolished cell motility among MSV-MDCK-INV cells. Conditioned medium from MSV-MDCK-INV cells induced MDCK cell scattering, indicating that HGF is secreted by MSV-MDCK-INV cells. HGF titration followed by a subsequent washout of the antibodies led to renewed pseudopodial protrusion and cellular movement. We therefore show that activation of the tyrosine kinase activity of HGF-R/Met via an autocrine HGF loop is directly responsible for pseudopodial protrusion, thereby explaining the motile and invasive potential of this model epithelium-derived tumor cell line.

Phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI) is a cytosolic glycolytic enzyme that also functions as an extracellular cytokine (neuroleukin/autocrine motility factor (AMF)/maturation factor). Contrary to mammalian PGI, bacterial PGI was not internalized by the PGI/AMF receptor (gp78/AMF-R) and neither bacterial nor yeast PGI competed with mammalian PGI for receptor binding and internalization. Furthermore, while the bacterial, yeast and mammalian preparations all exhibited isomerase activity, only mammalian PGI stimulated the motility of NIH-3T3 fibroblasts. The conserved active site of PGI is therefore not sufficient for receptor binding and cytokine activity of PGI. However, synthetic peptides corresponding to distinct peripheral mammalian PGI sequences did not inhibit internalization of mammalian PGI. Our data therefore argue that the cytokine activity of PGI is specific to mammalian PGI but cannot exclude the possibility that the receptor binding motif of PGI is complex and includes elements within and without the active site.