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Objective(s): Cerium oxide nanoparticles (Ceo2 NPs) are considered one of the most effective nanomaterials for drug delivery. The current study aimed to investigate the anticancer activities of doxorubicin-loaded Ceo2 NPs (DOX-Ceo2 NPs) against the MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cell line. Materials and Methods: Ceo2 NPs were synthesized using the GREEN synthesis method and loaded with DOX (DOX-Ceo2 NPs). The physicochemical properties of the Ceo2 NPs were evaluated using FTIR, XRD, DLS, zeta potential, and electron microscopy (SEM/TEM). Cultured MDA-MB-231 cells were treated with different concentrations of bare Ceo2 NPs, free DOX, and DOX-Ceo2 NPs. In addition, HDF cells were treated with different concentrations of Ceo2 NPs. MTT, wound healing, and flow cytometry assays were performed to determine the cell viability, migration, and apoptosis, respectively. qPCR was performed to investigate the expression of genes involved in apoptosis, including caspase (CASP) 3, 8, 9, and Bcl-2. Results: The XRD and FTIR results confirmed the synthesis of pure and crystalline structured-Ceo2 NPs. The average size, PDI, and zeta potential of the Ceo2 NPs were approximately 239.1 nm, 0.074, and -9.04 mV, respectively. In vitro assays showed that DOX-Ceo2 NPs exhibited higher cell proliferation inhibition, migration suppression, and apoptosis induction through the upregulation of CASP3, CASP8, and CASP9 genes and downregulation of Bcl-2. Conclusion: Our data demonstrate the potential of Ceo2 NPs for the efficient delivery of DOX and, subsequently, the improvement of its anticancer activities. Therefore, DOX-Ceo2 NPs have the potential to be proposed as promising anticancer agents for breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dolerite structures, such as dykes and sills are the main target for groundwater exploration in the Karoo Supergroup area which is the main stratigraphic unit in South Africa. Morgenzon Farm is one of the sites in the Karoo Supergroup, including a dolerite dyke, which is of interest here. The magnetization/susceptibility and resistivity of the dolerite dyke are significantly larger than those of the encompassing sedimentary materials. Therefore, the low induction number electromagnetic (EM-LIN) and magnetometry approaches may be useful for its detection. The EM-LIN is composed of three techniques: EM38, EM31, and EM34, with the latter being manipulated. Since both EM34 and magnetometry inverse problems are linear, a regularized weighted minimum length solution algorithm is utilized for their inverse modelling, but with one main discrepancy: the model weighting function for the magnetometry method is attained from the multiplication of depth weighting and compactness constraints, while the model weighting function is only equal to depth weighting for the EM34 approach. Recovered susceptibility and conductivity sections derived respectively from magnetic and EM34 data sets show high consistency. Inverted models represent a dolerite dyke in the middle of the profile with a depth range of 4 to 15m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obesity and hypothyroidism are common medical conditions that are associated with each other. Bariatric surgery (BS) is a common approach used to achieve substantial weight loss in obese patients. However, there is limited evidence regarding the need for postsurgery levothyroxine (LT4) dose adjustment in patients with hypothyroidism undergoing BS. Methods: This was a three-year prospective cohort study assessing postsurgery LT4 requirements with attention to body composition changes. The current study included 1030 patients with hypothyroidism, who underwent sleeve gastrectomy (SG) (n = 707, 88.3% women) or one anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) (n = 323, 92% women). Patients were followed for 36 months after surgery. A bioelectrical impedance analyzer was used for body composition assessment. LT4 requirements were assessed by generalized estimating equation (GEE) methods adjusted for weight as a time-varying covariate. Results: During the follow-up, TSH (mIU/L) and T4 (ng/dL) measurements did not significantly change in the OAGB group over time. However, in the SG group, TSH measurement decreased over time (ptrend = <0.001). In the third year of the follow-up, 56.1% and 33.3% of patients in the SG and OAGB groups experienced LT4 (μg/day) dose reduction, while 24.4% and 9.1% of the participants experienced LT4 dose increments, respectively. GEE analysis showed a significant increase in the LT4/fat mass (FM) (μg/kg) ratio after 36 months of follow-up compared with the baseline in both the SG [1.8 (1.5–2.2) to 2.7 (2.0–3.5), ptrend = 0.039)] and OAGB [1.7 (1.4–2.2) to 3.2 (2.7–4.8), ptrend = <0.001)] groups. Moreover, patients who underwent OAGB experienced greater LT4/FM (μg/kg) dose adjustments compared to those undergoing SG (pbetween = 0.060). In both groups, after the first year, the increase in LT4/FM (μg/kg) plateaued (pinteraction = 0.009). Conclusion: Most hypothyroid patients experienced either a reduction or no change in LT4 (μg/day) dosage after 36 months in both surgical groups. The LT4/FM (μg/kg) was significantly increased in patients undergoing either SG or OAGB with greater alterations in the latter. Further studies on larger populations and with longer duration of follow-up are needed to confirm our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To evaluate the rates and predictors of remission and relapse of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in individuals with T2DM undergoing sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or one‐anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB). Methods: An observational prospective study with 5 years of follow‐up was conducted in a total of 891 patients (82.5% female) with concomitant T2DM and obesity (body mass index ≥ 30.0 kg/m2) undergoing SG or OAGB between March 2013 and March 2021. T2DM remission was defined as achieving a glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) level < 48 mmol/mol and a fasting plasma glucose (FPG) level <7 mmol/L, and being off glucose‐lowering agents/insulin. T2DM relapse was defined as when FPG or HbA1c reverted to the diabetic range (≥7 mmol/L and ≥48 mmol/mol, respectively), or there was a need for pharmacotherapy. Results: After bariatric surgery, the overall T2DM remission and relapse rates were 61.4 per 1000 person‐months (95% confidence interval [CI] 56.8–66.4) and 5.7 per 1000 person‐months (95% CI 4.1–7.9), respectively. These rates were similar in the SG and OAGB groups. Multivariate hazard ratio analysis identified history of insulin therapy and T2DM duration prior to surgery as predictors of remission, while treatment with ≥2 glucose‐lowering agents was the only relapse predictor. Additionally, patients undergoing SG experienced either remission or relapse within a significantly shorter time frame compared to those undergoing OAGB. Conclusion: After 5 years of follow‐up, there were no significant differences between the SG and OAGB groups with regard to T2DM remission and relapse. Bariatric surgery was less likely to result in remission in patients with a history of insulin therapy and longer durations of T2DM prior to surgery. Furthermore, patients who received ≥2 glucose‐lowering agents, despite possible remission, were at a higher risk of experiencing late relapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Today, one of the most important factors threatening everyone is stress. Objectives: Considering the problems caused by stress in people’s careers and the fact that dentistry has been introduced as a stressful profession, the purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship between occupational stress and demographic variables among dentists in Khorramabad, Iran, in 2022. Methods: The current research is a cross-sectional analytical study. Of the 120 working dentists, 92 were enrolled in the study according to the inclusion criteria. Of these, 28.3% were women and 71.7% were men. The data collection instrument was Osipow’s Occupational Stress Inventory. The researcher completed the questionnaires by referring to dentists’ offices. All statistical tests were performed using SPSS version 25, with P < 0.05 as the significance level. Results: The findings showed that the average occupational stress in dentists was 184.01 ± 9.88, showing that 89.1% of dentists had moderate to severe stress and 10.9% had severe stress. The average occupational stress was 180.42 ± 6.35 in women and 185.42 ± 10.68 in men. Thus, the level of occupational stress in men was significantly higher than that of women (P = 0.007). In addition, 2 variables (age and workplace) had a significant relationship with the level of occupational stress of dentists (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Since most dentists participating in this study had moderate to severe stress, knowing the sources of stress and ways to deal with them can help reduce fatigue and increase job performance among dentists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]