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Abstract Background Depression is a prevalent and serious mental health disorder that significantly impacts daily life and functioning. Neurofilament Light chain (NfL), associated with axonal neuronal damage, has been identified as a promising biomarker, potentially aiding in early diagnosis of depression, personalized treatment, and tracking disease progression. This study used meta-analysis to evaluate the potential of plasma NfL as a biomarker for depression patients. Methods A systematic search following the PRISMA guidelines was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases to find relevant studies on plasma NfL levels in patients with depression. A random effects model meta-analysis was applied to determine its potential as a biomarker for differentiating patients from controls. Results Our meta-analysis, based on four articles with six datasets, revealed that plasma NfL levels were notably higher in individuals with depression (228 cases) compared to healthy controls (118 individuals). The weighted mean difference (WMD) was 8.78 (95% CI: 5.28, 12.28; P

Currently, analyzing pharmaceuticals and biomarkers is crucial for ensuring medication safety and protecting life and health, and there is an urgent need to develop new and efficient analytical techniques in view of the limitations of traditional analytical methods. Molecularly imprinted ratiometric fluorescent (MI-RFL) sensors have received increasing attention in the field of analytical detection due to their high selectivity, sensitivity and anti-interference ability, short response time, and visualization. This review summarizes the recent advances of MI-RFL sensors in the field of pharmaceuticals and biomarkers detection. Firstly, the fluorescence sources and working mechanisms of MI-RFL sensors are briefly introduced. On this basis, new techniques and strategies for preparing molecularly imprinted polymers, such as dummy template imprinting, nanoimprinting, multi-template imprinting, and stimulus-responsive imprinting strategies, are presented. Then, dual- and triple-emission types of fluorescent sensors are introduced. Subsequently, specific applications of MI-RFL sensors in pharmaceutical analysis and biomarkers detection are highlighted. In addition, innovative applications of MI-RFL sensors in point-of-care testing are discussed in-depth. Finally, the challenges of MI-RFL sensors for analysis of pharmaceuticals and biomarkers are proposed, and the research outlook and development trends of MI-RFL sensors are prospected.

INTRODUCTION: Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) is the gold standard approach to restore blood flow in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI); however, the no-reflow phenomenon as a potential complication of PPCI can worsen the outcomes. It has been hypothesized that adjunctive prophylactic intracoronary infusion of low-dose fibrinolytic might improve the PPCI outcomes; however, this theory is a matter of debate. The current study aims to investigate the value of adjunctive prophylactic intracoronary low-dose alteplase to prevent the no-reflow phenomenon in patients with STEMI.METHOD: This case-control study was conducted on 80 STEMI patients who underwent PPCI. The patients were assigned into the case group who were intervened by 10 mg adjunctive intracoronary alteplase immediately at the end of the balloon angioplasty (n=40) and controls (n=40) who underwent conventional PPCI only. The angioplasty-associated outcomes including final TIMI score, need for no-reflow treatment, ST-segment resolution, post-PPCI complications, and death were compared between the groups.RESULTS: Alteplase use was accompanied by significantly improved final TIMI flow scores (P-value0.05).CONCLUSION: Based on the findings of this study, adjunctive infusion of low-dose intracoronary alteplase during PPCI could not efficiently prevent the no-reflow phenomenon. Although the final TIMI flow and need for post-stenting no-reflow treatment improved, ST-segment resolution did not occur dramatically. Given that, this approach requires further investigations and should be considered cautiously.

Abstract Fluorescence analysis is a fast and sensitive method, and has great potential application in trace detection of environmental toxins. However, many important environmental toxins are non-fluorescent substances, and it is still a challenge to construct a fluorescence detection method for non-fluorescent substances. Here, by means of charge transfer effect and smart molecular imprinting technology, we report a sensitive indirect fluorescent sensing mechanism (IFSM) and microcystin (MC-RR) is selected as a model target. A molecular imprinted thin film is immobilized on the surface of zinc ferrite nanoparticles (ZnFe2O4 NPs) by using arginine, a dummy fragment of MC-RR. By implementation of IFSM on the paper-based microfluidic chip, a versatile platform for the quantitative assay of MC-RR is developed at trace level (the limit of detection of 0.43 μg/L and time of 20 min) in real water samples without any pretreatment. Importantly, the proposed IFSM can be easily modified and extended for the wide variety of species which lack direct interaction with the fluorescent substrate. This work offers the potential possibility to meet the requirements for the on-site analysis and may explore potential applications of molecularly imprinted fluorescent sensors.

The Bombyliidae family with around 5382 described species is one of the most important families in order Diptera considering their remarkable roles in biological pest control. Species of the family Bombyliidae were monitored in Guilan province in 2019 and 2020. We aimed to evaluate their biodiversity in the grasslands along with the determining Simpson and Margalef indexes. Totally 20 species from 11 genera in 2019 and 17 species from 10 genera in 2020 were identified in eight selected stations. The highest numbers of Bombyliids individuals were observed in Heiran pass station in 2019. Surprisingly the lowest number of individuals also was present in Heiran pass station in 2020. The results of ecological indices also showed the highest Margalef index in Darestan station (2.18) in 2019 and the lowest observed in Bivazen station (0) and Rudbar- Loockhee (0) in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Also, the highest values for the Simpson index were recorded in Bivazen (1) in 2019 and Rudbar- Loockhee (1) in 2020. The lowest values of the Simpson index have been recorded for Amlash (0.13) stations as well. It seems that climate and ecological condition changes in different years clearly affect the insect biodiversity indexes via making changes in their population dynamics.

The novel Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is primarily a respiratory virus. However, an increasing number of neurologic complications associated with this virus have been reported, e.g., transverse myelitis (TM). We report a case of a 39-year-old man admitted to Namazi Hospital affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. In December 2020, the patient was infected with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). During hospitalization, the patient suffered from sudden onset of paraplegia, and urinary retention, and had a T6-T7 sensory level. TM was diagnosed and an extensive workup was performed to rule out other etiologies. Eventually, para-infectious TM associated with COVID-19 was concluded. The patient received pulse methylprednisolone therapy of 1 g/day for 10 consecutive days followed by seven sessions of plasma exchange without a favorable response. The patient then underwent regular physical rehabilitation and tapering oral administration of prednisolone 1 mg/Kg. As a result, weakness in the lower extremities improved slightly after six months. Overall, we suspect a correlation between COVID-19 and TM, however, further studies are required to substantiate the association.

Agroecosystems containing edaphic Mesostigmata mites are considered important predators of nematodes, collembola, and insects, and those living on plants may be effective at controlling pests like spider mites. In the present research study, we provide new information about the Edaphic Mesostigmata mites known from the Isfahan metropolis in the central Iran based on the new field collection in 2019. In totally, thirty-two edaphic species belong to 13 families, and 25 genera collected and identified from Isfahan province (central Iran), of which four species are new records for the fauna of Iran (indicated by an asterisk). Twelve new provincial distribution records viz., Asca aphidioides (Linnaeus, 1758), Blattisocius tarsalis (Berlese, 1918), Cosmolaelaps claviger (Berlese, 1883), Gaeolaelaps neoaculeifer (Hrischmann, 1966)*, Gymnolaelaps obscuroides (Costa, 1968), Hypoaspis quadridentatus (Allred, 1970)*, Hypoaspisella asperatus (Berlese, 1904)*, H. patagoniensis (Sheals, 1962)*, Neoseiulus bicaudus (Wainstein, 1962), Parasitus mycophilus (Karg, 1971), Pogonolaelaps canestrinii (Berlese, 1903) and Polyaspis berlesei (Camin, 1954) are presented.

Severe hyperkalemia usually presents as cardiac or neurologic manifestations. We report a case of a 63-year-old Caucasian woman, who was admitted to Namazi Hospital, affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (Shiraz, Iran) in August 2019. The patient suffered from left-sided weakness and slurred speech for one hour prior to admission. Initially, the patient was treated for acute ischemic stroke, and an intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV-rTPA) was prescribed. However, further investigations showed severe hyperkalemia. Hemiparesis and slurred speech improved significantly with appropriate management of hyperkalemia. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of hyperkalemia masquerading as acute ischemic stroke without evidence of concomitant central nervous system malignancies, large vessel atherosclerosis, or recreational drug abuse. Stroke mimics due to hyperkalemia should be considered in any patient with simultaneous sudden onset of focal neurologic deficits and tall peaked T waves, particularly in the context of renal failure and a history of potassium-sparing drug use.

Objective: To compare clinical and paraclinical similarities between trauma patients with positive RT-PCRtests (PCR+ve) and the RT-PCR negative ones (PCR -ve).Methods: This a case-control study, where cases had a PCR+ve and controls had a negative result. Two groupswere compared regarding (para) clinical values. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis investigatedthe variables predicting COVID-19 and the mortality rate.Results: Both groups were similar regarding the clinical findings and comorbidities (p>0.05). PCR+ve grouphad lower lymphocyte count (1.41 [1.45] vs. 1.66 [1.61], p=0.030), CPK level (411 [928.75] vs. 778 [1946.5].p=0.006) and CRP level (17 [42.5] vs. 24 [50.75], p=0.004). However, none of these findings were significant inthe multivariable analysis. Finally, PCR+ve group had increased odds of death (OR=2.88; 95% CI=1.22-7.41).Conclusion: Unlike our primary hypothesis, the study failed to mark any significant (para) clinical featuresguiding us to detect COVID-19 earlier in trauma patients. Moreover, the PCR+ve group is at increased mortalityrisk. A larger, multicentric prospective study should be designed to address this issue.

Absolute chiral discrimination in chiral imprinted systems is complicated by the nonspecific binding of enantiomers. Here, the authors report a SERS “inspector” recognition mechanism to distinguish between specifically and nonspecifically bound enantiomers, even in seawater and urine.

Currently, analyzing pharmaceuticals and biomarkers is crucial for ensuring medication safety and protecting life and health, and there is an urgent need to develop new and efficient analytical techniques in view of the limitations of traditional analytical methods. Molecularly imprinted ratiometric fluorescent (MI-RFL) sensors have received increasing attention in the field of analytical detection due to their high selectivity, sensitivity and anti-interference ability, short response time, and visualization. This review summarizes the recent advances of MI-RFL sensors in the field of pharmaceuticals and biomarkers detection. Firstly, the fluorescence sources and working mechanisms of MI-RFL sensors are briefly introduced. On this basis, new techniques and strategies for preparing molecularly imprinted polymers, such as dummy template imprinting, nanoimprinting, multi-template imprinting, and stimulus-responsive imprinting strategies, are presented. Then, dual- and triple-emission types of fluorescent sensors are introduced. Subsequently, specific applications of MI-RFL sensors in pharmaceutical analysis and biomarkers detection are highlighted. In addition, innovative applications of MI-RFL sensors in point-of-care testing are discussed in-depth. Finally, the challenges of MI-RFL sensors for analysis of pharmaceuticals and biomarkers are proposed, and the research outlook and development trends of MI-RFL sensors are prospected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background: In Iranian traditional medicine, Rydingia persica (R.P) is commonly used to treat diabetes mellitus (DM). Objective: We assessed the protective effects of R.P against testis and epididymis oxidative stress and the hormonal changes induced by DM. Materials and Methods: Forty male Wistar rats (12 wk old) weighing 230-270 gr were divided into five groups (n = 8/each): 1. Control (C); 2. diabetic (D); 3. diabetic + R.P200 (D+R200); 4. diabetic + R.P400 (D+R400); and 5. diabetic + R.P600 (D+R600). Groups C and D received 2 ml of normal saline orally daily for two wk and groups D+R200, D+R400, and D+R600 received 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg body weight of R.P powder, respectively, orally daily for two wk. DM was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin at 60 mg/kg body weight. We assessed malondialdehyde, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, hydrogen peroxide, and glutathione in both the testis and epididymis and also the histological changes of the testis. Results: Diabetic rats showed a significantly increased and decreased level of oxidant and antioxidant factors, respectively, and a significantly lower level of serum testosterone and luteinizing hormone than the control group. In the histological study of the testis, deteriorations were observed. Treatment with R.P reversed these changes toward the state of the control group with the highest effectiveness shown by group D+R600. Conclusion: The data obtained suggest that R.Ppowder has antioxidant effects on testis and epididymis tissues in diabetic rats and that it improves histological testicular structure in diabetics. It can also correct testosterone and luteinizing hormone changes induced by DM.

Objective. We aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the NonMotor Symptoms Scale (NMSS) in Iranian patients with PD. Methods. This cross-sectional study was conducted in patients with PD. After the cross-cultural adaptation of the NMSS, the acceptability, reliability, precision, and validity of the Persian NMSS were evaluated. For this purpose, in addition to NMSS, we used the following measures: Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson’s Disease (SCOPA)-Autonomic (SCOPA-AUT), SCOPA-Sleep, Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI) questionnaire, Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire-8 questions (PDQ–8), SCOPA-Motor, SCOPA-Psychiatric Complications (SCOPA-PC), SCOPA-Cognition (SCOPA-COG), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Hoehn and Yahr Staging (H and Y), and Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Results. 186 patients were enrolled (mean age 64.46 ± 9.9 years; disease duration 5.59 ± 3.99 years; 118 (63.4%) male; mean NMSS score 52.01 ± 38.54). Neither the floor effect (2.7%) nor the ceiling effect (0.5%) was seen in NMSS total score. Cronbach’s alpha of total NMSS was 0.84. The test-retest reliability was 0.93 for the NMSS total and 0.81–0.96 for domains. The standard error of measurement (SEM) was lower than half of the standard deviation for NMSS total and all domains. NMSS total showed a high correlation with UPDRS I (rs = 0.84), UPDRS II (rs = 0.58), PDQ-8 (rs = 0.61), BDI (rs = 0.71), SCOPA-sleep (rs = 0.60), and SCOPA AUT (rs = 0.66). NMSS has an acceptable discriminative validity based on disease duration and severity of disease according to H and Y staging. Conclusion. The Persian NMSS is a valid and reliable measure for evaluating the burden of nonmotor symptoms in Iranian patients with PD.

Background: Gabapentin is an anticonvulsant drug prescribed to treat partial seizures and neuropathic pain. Nisomes as a type of lipid based drug carriers can improve the pharmacokinetic properties of therapeutic agents. In this study, a niosomal formulation was developed for gabapentin, and then, the cytotoxicity effect of the best niosomal formulation was evaluated on normal cells and colon cancer cell lines. Methods: A number of niosomal formulation were developed and their physicochemical properties were analysed. For G3 and G4 formulations, the release profile complies much better with Korsmeyer- Peppas model and suggesting the Fickian diffusion mechanism in gabapentin release. The effect of the optimized niosomal formulation of gabapentin on the (SW48) colon cancer cell line was assessed by MTT. Results: The niosomal formulation of G3 showed 60% drug release in 48 hours, and the G4 formulation showed 52%. The cytotoxic effect of optimized formulation (G3) on colon cancer cell line (SW48) resulted in the IC50 of 45µg/ml (200µM) after 48 h, compared to 0.2 mg/mL (1.17 mM) for free gabapentin. As the results confirmed, niosomal formulation of gabapentin is more cytotoxic on colon cancer cell lines compared to pure gabapentin. Conclusion: The best developed niosomal formulation of gabapentin exhibited good stablity on storage and had a slow and prolonged release of Gabapentin. This niosomal formulation of gabapentin showed cytotoxic effects on colon cancer cells, without significant toxic effect on normal fibroblast cells.

Abstract Background Pseudoaneurysm of ascending aorta is a rare but serious complication of cardiovascular surgeries and it infrequently occurs in the normal prosthetic graft materials. We share our experience with an unusual case of ascending aorta Dacron graft pseudoaneurysm caused by a fractured sternal wire. Case presentation A 34-year-old man, known case of Marfan syndrome, with history of two prior aortic surgeries for aneurysm of ascending aorta, arch and thoracoabdominal aorta, presented with hemoptysis. The hemoptysis originated from an aortobronchial fistula secondary to a huge ascending aorta Dacron graft pseudoaneurysm. The graft erosion and subsequent pseudoaneurysm was caused by a fractured sternal wire. Surgical repair of the pseudoaneurysm was performed successfully and a Gore-tex patch was placed behind the sternum over the graft to prevent further direct contact of the wire and the graft. Conclusion Sternal wires can damage the adjacent vascular grafts and lead to fatal complications such as pseudoaneurysm formation. Thus, preventive measures such as using sternal bands and placing a covering layer between the sternal wires and aortic grafts are recommended in patients with dilated or replaced ascending aorta.

Non-destructive pulse-echo ultrasonic testing was conducted to measure ultrasonic parameters, i.e. longitudinal velocity (Vl), shear velocity (Vs) and attenuation coefficient (α) in Al–Al2O3 nanocomposites. Elastic constants were also determined using the relationship between Vl and Vs. The aim was to reveal the correlation between ultrasonic parameters and the microstructural features of Al–Al2O3 nanocomposites. The effect of addition of Al2O3 nanoparticles on the Vl and Vs velocities is mainly attributed to variation in the elastic modulus of Al–Al2O3 nanocomposites. Both Vl and Vs velocities and Young's modulus (E) were found to vary approximately in linear fashion with the increase of Al2O3 content. A considerable effect of milling process on Vl and Vs velocities was revealed, where they increase by increasing the milling time. The increment of Vl and Vs is owing to refinement of Al particles, homogenous dispersion of Al2O3 and particularly reducing porosity by proceeding milling time. In addition, increasing of Al2O3 content, better dispersion uniformity of Al2O3 and refinement of Al particles contribute to increase α values. Elastic constants were found to vary in the same manner as ultrasonic velocities. Interestingly, the improvement in E values by increasing Al2O3 content and milling time is attained, while the ductility did not change significantly.

Friction stir processing (FSP) was employed to synthesis ex-situ Al5083 nanocomposite reinforced with different mechanically-alloyed aluminium nanocomposites containing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and ferric oxide (Fe2O3). The mechanically-alloyed nanocomposite reinforcements were initially prepared using ball milling and introduced into the stir zone (SZ) of rolled Al5083 alloy during subsequent FSP. The FSPed nanocomposites were successfully processed with uniform dispersion of CNTs and Fe2O3 nanoparticles resulting in the achievement of unique properties. Addition of nanocomposite reinforcements significantly reduces the grain size of FSPed nanocomposites. The least grain size belongs to hybrid FSP5 (Al/CNTs/Fe2O3) nanocomposite with grain size of 6.9 ± 0.4 μm which is 7.4 and 2.6 times smaller than base metal (BM) and un-reinforced FSPed (FSP1). Microstructure of FSP5 nanocomposite contain largest fraction of high angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) of 87 %. Among all FSPed nanocomposites, hybrid FSP5 nanocomposite has the best mechanical properties in the terms of microhardness, Yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and wear resistance; with 1.6, 2.7, 3.5, 3.1 times, respectively, superior to BM. The significant improvement is attributed to the desirable microstructural changes including well dispersion of nanoparticles and extensive grain refinement. Hybrid FSP5 has an excellent magnetic and electrical resistivity when compared with the BM, however, its magnetic properties is slightly slower than FSP4 specimen due to de-magnetization effect of CNTs.