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Abstract The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of the ethyl acetate fraction of P. reptans root (PEF) preconditioning on expressions of lncRNAs H19 and MIAT in H9C2 myoblasts I/R injury. H9C2 cells were treated with different concentrations ranging from (10–400 µg/ml) of PEF for 24 h, followed by simulation of I/R condition. For I/R experiments, H9C2 cells were subjected with the oxygen and glucose deprivation for 2 h. H9C2 cell viability was significantly enhanced by PEF preconditioning under I/R condition in a concentration-dependent manner up to 200 µg/ml as a EC50. The PEF significantly diminished the expression of lncRNA MIAT and rate of apoptosis against the I/R group. In addition, PEF pretreated before stimulation I/R condition increased H19 expression compared to the normal PEF group with no statistically significant differences between groups. Hence, the results suggest that PEF can protect cardiomyocytes during hypoxia-induced myocardial cell injury by targeting specific involved genes.

Abstract Background Maternal anxiety during pregnancy is sometimes considered a normal mechanism to overcome the mother’s mental preoccupation with having a child. However, stress and anxiety might become a medical condition, becoming so severe as to affect the mother’s mental health. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate factors related to maternal anxiety during pregnancy in women referring to prenatal primary care centers in Tabriz. Methods The target population in the present cross-sectional study was the pregnant women referring to primary care centers affiliated with Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in 2018–2019 (n = 533). Sampling was carried out using the random cluster technique (separately for municipal centers). The data were collected using the study tools, including a questionnaire on demographic data, prenatal anxiety screening scale (PASS), and researcher-made questions on maternal anxiety during pregnancy. Results In the present study, 37.5% of pregnant women had anxiety. Of all the demographic and background variables, income (P = 0.015), a history of preterm delivery (P = 0.018), and unintended pregnancy (P = 0.022) were significantly related to anxiety. Of the variables of income, a history of preterm delivery, and unintended pregnancy in the regression model, the odds of anxiety were 41% lower in pregnant women with somewhat adequate income than those with inadequate income after correcting for other variables (P = 0.011). In addition, the variable of unintended pregnancy increased the odds of anxiety up to 49% after correcting for other variables (P = 0.023). Conclusion The present study showed that income and unintended pregnancy significantly affect maternal anxiety during pregnancy. Trial registration The protocol of the study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences under the code (IR.TBZMED.REC.1398.161).

Abstract Background The Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) model transformed the treatment of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) by shifting treatment from inpatient facilities to the community. Evidence shows that while CMAM programs are effective in the initial recovery from SAM, recovery is not sustained for some children requiring them to receive treatment repeatedly. This indicates a potential gap in the model, yet little evidence is available on the incidence of relapse, the determinants of the phenomena, or its financial implications on program delivery. Methods This study is a multi-country prospective cohort study following “post-SAM” children (defined as children following anthropometric recovery from SAM through treatment in CMAM) and matched community controls (defined as children not previously experiencing acute malnutrition (AM)) monthly for six months. The aim is to assess the burden and determinants of relapse to SAM. This study design enables the quantification of relapse among post-SAM children, but also to determine the relative risk for, and excess burden of, AM between post-SAM children and their matched community controls. Individual -, household-, and community-level information will be analyzed to identify potential risk-factors for relapse, with a focus on associations between water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) related exposures, and post-discharge outcomes. The study combines a microbiological assessment of post-SAM children’s drinking water, food, stool via rectal swabs, dried blood spots (DBS), and assess for indicators of enteric pathogens and immune function, to explore different exposures and potential associations with treatment and post-treatment outcomes. Discussion This study is the first of its kind to systematically track children after recovery from SAM in CMAM programs using uniform methods across multiple countries. The design allows the use of results to: 1) facilitate understandings of the burden of relapse; 2) identify risk factors for relapse and 3) elucidate financial costs associated with relapse in CMAM programs. This protocol’s publication aims to support similar studies and evaluations of CMAM programs and provides opportunities for comparability of an evidence-based set of indicators for relapse to SAM.

Urban planning typically involves technical and political procedures of developing and designing land use and determining urban boundaries. However, similar to other government interventions, urban planning creates rents for some urban lands while causing losses to other lands. To gain the maximum profit, land developers prefer to develop lands that have acquired higher privileges, i.e., more extensive construction permits. It will make cities' development patterns unbalanced in favor of land with more accumulated planning rents. The transfer of development rights (TDR) is a market approach to designing urban development that balances. It evenly distributes the benefits and disadvantages of urban planning, especially in protecting historic buildings and agricultural and garden lands. This paper simulates the application of TDR as an alternative urban planning way to cope with the unbalanced development of urban lands in Tehran. We utilized an urban dataset from 2007 to 2019 and evaluated the efficiency of TDR using Agent-Based Modeling (ABM). Results implied that the usage of the TDR would improve the distribution of investment in Tehran in a more balanced pattern. However, more studies, especially considering the regional differences in the city and expansion of the model for other for-profit or non-profit usages such as urban gardens, make it imperative to use.

Purpose: We synthesized folic acid-conjugated Fe3O4/Au-pralidoxime chloride Nanoparticles (Fe2O3/Au@PAM NPs) for use as dual-modal contrast agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computed Tomography (CT) in the diagnosis of breast cancer. Materials and Methods: Fe2O3/Au@PAM NPs labeled or not to folic acid were synthesized and analyzed by dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometry. The ability of these NPs to create image contrast was also investigated in silico and in vitro (in MCF-7 breast cancer cells and A549 lung cancer cells) with CT and MRI. Results: Dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy revealed that the Fe2O3/Au@PAM NPs were nearly spherical. The average diameter of Fe2O3/Au NPs increased from 11.6 nm to 98 nm after folic acid conjugation. The saturation magnetization values of Fe2O3/Au@PAM NPs with and without folic acid conjugation were 25.56 and 32.6 emu/g, respectively. Conjugation of folic acid to NPs greatly improved their uptake by cancer cells. The additional coating of NPs with FA reduced the T2 relaxation time and signal intensity for MRI. Folic acid-labeled MCF-7 cells had a radiodensity measurement of 208 Hunsfield Units (HU) compared to 95 HU for A549 cells. For breast cancer cells, NPs labeled with folic acid significantly improved the X-ray absorption coefficient as a sign of active cellular uptake compared to NPs without labeling. Conclusion: Folic acid-labeled Fe2O3/Au@PAM NPs can serve as dual CT/MRI contrast agents and improve the sensitivities of both modalities for the detection of cancer cells.

Objectives: Considering the side effects of chlorhexidine (CHX), which is currently the gold-standard antimicrobial mouthwash, this study aimed to compare the effects of Green Kemphor and CHX mouthwashes on tooth staining and gingivitis. Materials and Methods: This randomized controlled crossover clinical trial evaluated 38 patients requiring CHX mouthwash following oral surgery and periodontal therapy. The patients were randomly assigned to CHX and Kemphor groups (n=19). In CHX group, patients used CHX mouthwash in the first 2 weeks, and after a 4-day washout period, they used Kemphor mouthwash for 2 weeks. This order was reverse in the Kemphor group. Gingivitis was evaluated using the Silness and Loe gingival index (GI), and tooth staining was evaluated by the Lobene index at 0 (baseline), 2 and 4 weeks. Data were analyzed by paired t-test. Results: CHX mouthwash significantly decreased the GI and increased tooth staining (gingival stains, body stains, and stain extent) at 2 weeks (P