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The genus Salicarus Kerzhner, 1962 is revised, with differential diagnoses and redescriptions provided for nine species. Three distinct species groups were recognized within the genus: S. nitidus group (S. cavinotum, S. genistae, S. nitidus, S. perpusillus), S. roseri group (S. concinnus, S. roseri, S. urnammu), and S. fulvicornis group (S. halimodendri, S. fulvicornis). A key to species, illustrations of dorsal habitus, male and female genitalia, and selected diagnostic structures are included. Additionally, available host information and distributional records are summarized. Phoenicocoris qiliananus Zheng, 1996 is synonymized with Salicarus halimodendri V. G. Putshkov, 1977.

Leptus (Leptus) molochinus (C. L. Koch, 1837) (Trombidiformes: Erythraeidae) was collected as an ectoparasite on Ophion sp. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), Paederus fuscipes Curtis, 1826 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), Cicadella viridis (L. 1758) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), Peritrechus sp. (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae); the ectoparasitic mite, Solistrus mitrae Saboori, Ueckermann & van Harten, 2008 was also found on an undetermined ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Guilan province, Iran. Additional morphometric data for L. (L.) molochinus larvae are provided. Solistrus mitrae is reported for the second time in the world. Ophion sp. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), P. fuscipes (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), C. viridis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) and Peritrechus sp. (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) are recorded as new host taxa for L. (L.) molochinus and unknown ant species is new host for S. mitrae.

IntroductionPrevious validation studies demonstrated that BrainCheck Assess (BC-Assess), a computerized cognitive test battery, can reliably and sensitively distinguish individuals with different levels of cognitive impairment (i.e., normal cognition (NC), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia). Compared with other traditional paper-based cognitive screening instruments commonly used in clinical practice, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is generally accepted to be among the most comprehensive and robust screening tools, with high sensitivity/specificity in distinguishing MCI from NC and dementia. In this study, we examined: (1) the linear relationship between BC-Assess and MoCA and their equivalent cut-off scores, and (2) the extent to which they agree on their impressions of an individual’s cognitive status.MethodsA subset of participants (N = 55; age range 54–94, mean/SD = 80/9.5) from two previous studies who took both the MoCA and BC-Assess were included in this analysis. Linear regression was used to calculate equivalent cut-off scores for BC-Assess based on those originally recommended for the MoCA to differentiate MCI from NC (cut-off = 26), and dementia from MCI (cut-off = 19). Impression agreement between the two instruments were measured through overall agreement (OA), positive percent agreement (PPA), and negative percent agreement (NPA).ResultsA high Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.77 (CI = 0.63–0.86) was observed between the two scores. According to this relationship, MoCA cutoffs of 26 and 19 correspond to BC-Assess scores of 89.6 and 68.5, respectively. These scores are highly consistent with the currently recommended BC-Assess cutoffs (i.e., 85 and 70). The two instruments also show a high degree of agreement in their impressions based on their recommended cut-offs: (i) OA = 70.9%, PPA = 70.4%, NPA = 71.4% for differentiating dementia from MCI/NC; (ii) OA = 83.6%, PPA = 84.1%, NPA = 81.8% for differentiating dementia/MCI from NC.DiscussionThis study provides further validation of BC-Assess in a sample of older adults by showing its high correlation and agreement in impression with the widely used MoCA.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study is to analyze the short anterior cruciate ligament return to sport after injury (ACL‐RSI) (Persian) version's cultural adaption and validity. Methods To assess test–retest reliability, 102 participants were filled out the short ACL‐RSI(Per) scale 6 months or more after ACLR surgery. Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha), test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients), construct validity (Pearson's r) and sensitivity (floor/ceiling effect) were determined. In addition, patient completed other relevant measures such as Lysholm scores, the hospital for special surgery ACL satisfaction survey (HSS ACL‐SS), the visual analogue scale (VAS) of pain and patient's satisfaction, the Tegner activity score (TAS), the single assessment numeric evaluation (SANE) and the Cincinnati Knee Rating System (CKRS). Results The short ACL‐RSI(Per) scale showed high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.91) and test–retest reliability (ICC = 0.923). Significant correlations between short ACL‐RSI(Per) and other scales supported validity. There was a statistically significant connection between the short ACL‐RSI(Per) and the following outcomes: HSS ACL‐SS (r = 0.698, p

Damsel bugs (Hemiptera, Nabidae) are predatory insects belonging to the order of Hemiptera. During the spring-summer of 2021–2022, nabid specimens were collected from Guilan province and adjacent areas. In this study, three species (four subspecies) belonging to two genera were collected and identified: Himacerus mirmicoides (O.Costa, 1834); Nabis viridulus Spinola, 1837; Nabis pseudoferus pseudoferus Remane, 1949 and Nabis pseudoferus orientarius Remane, 1962, furthermore, four species (four subspecies) belonging to two genera were examined from the insect collection of the Natural History Museum of the University of Guilan (UGNHM) including Himacerus major (A.Costa, 1842); Nabis pseudoferus transcaspicus Remane, 1962; Nabis punctatus punctatus A.Costa, 1847 and Nabis capsiformis Germar, 1838. In this paper, based on the morphological characteristics and genitalia of males, brief diagnostic descriptions, illustrated identification key and digital images of species habitus were provided to facilitate the identification of Nabidae of Guilan province and its adjacent areas.

Introduction: This study was conducted to develop and validate a Motivation for Healing Scale (MHS) in Cancer. Methods: in this methodological study, the MHS draft was developed based on the approach of Waltz and colleagues using existing scales and concept analysis. The psychometric features, including face validity (qualitative and quantitative), content validity (qualitative and quantitative), structural validity (exploratory and confirmatory factors), and construct validity (convergent and discriminant validity) were assessed. Finally, the reliability was evaluated using internal consistency, and stability. Results: Based on the results of the qualitative phase, an initial item pool was generated with 55 items, Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed on the data collected from 404 patients. 25 Items were excluded during the psychometric evaluation phases. Reliability assessment and internal consistency assessment revealed that Cronbach’s alpha value of the 25-item MHS was 0.912. The results of intraclass correlation coefficient (0.93, 95% CI: 0.86– 0.96) showed the stability was strong. Conclution: The 25-item MHS is a valid and reliable scale for the assessment of motivation for healing in patients with cancer.

Abstract Background This is the first clinical trial to investigate the effectiveness of maggot debridement therapy (MDT) for full-thickness burn injuries in comparison to conventional silver dressings. Methods Thirty-one cases with full-thickness (grade III based on ICD-10 classifications version 2019) burns were assigned into larval therapy (15 cases) and conventional treatment (16 cases) groups. Participants in the MDT group have received loose larvae on days 0, 2, 4, and 6, while controls received a conventional regimen comprised of sharp debridement, silver sulfadiazine, antibiotic therapy, and offloading every day. The primary and secondary outcomes were defined as the time to debridement (from admission to skin autograft) and time to healing (from admission to complete healing post-skin autograft). Patients in two groups were also compared in terms of necrosis resolution, granulation, and granulation/necrosis (g/n) ratio during study time periods. Results Participants who received larvae had significantly decreased necrosis on days 2 (p = 0.028) and 4 (p = 0.023) compared to those who received control treatment. Significant differences (p 50%) revealed a significant improvement (p

Abstract: We purpose a hybrid energy harvester made of silicon solar cell, piezoelectric and thermoelectric. Our simulations are carried out using the COMSOL software. For this purpose, MEMS, heat transfer and electromagnetic modules were used. We connected nine piezoelectric, one thermoelectric and one solar cell modules in series to maximize the harvested energy and provide the appropriate voltage level. It is observed that the maximum electric current and voltage is about 200mA and 5V, respectively, which is equivalent to approximately 1W. The total obtained energy was amplified by two DC/DC converters and the voltage level increased to 5V. Also, we theoretically proved that the use of an optical window (as top and bottom contact layers) based on photonic multilayer can control surface reflection. It is found that if we use two contact layers in the front and back of the solar cell, the transmittance increases from 33% (without contact layer) to 67% (with double contact layer).

Objective: In spite of the advances in therapeutic modalities, morbidity, due to multiple sclerosis (MS), still remains high.Therefore, a large body of research is endeavouring to discover or develop novel therapies with improved efficacy fortreating MS patients. In the present study, we examined the immunomodulatory effects of apigenin (Api) on peripheralblood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from MS patients. We also developed an acetylated form of Api (apigenin-3-acetate) to improve In its blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability. Additionally, we compared its anti-inflammatoryproperties to original Api and methyl-prednisolone-acetate (a standard therapy), as a potential option in treating MSpatients.Materials and Methods: The current study was an experimental-interventional research. The half maximal inhibitoryconcentration (IC50) values for apigenin-3-acetate, apigenin, and methyl-prednisolone-acetate were determined inhealthy volunteers’ PBMCs (n=3). Gene expressions of T-box transcription factor (TBX21 or T-bet) and IFN-γ, as wellas proliferation of T cells isolated from MS patients’ PBMCs (n=5), were examined in co-cultures of apigenin-3-acetate,Api and methyl-prednisolone-acetate after 48 hours of treatment, using quantitative reverse transcription polymerasechain reaction (qRT-PCR).Results: Our findings showed that apigenin-3-acetate, apigenin, and methyl-prednisolone-acetate at concentrations of80, 80, and 2.5 M could inhibit Th1 cell proliferation after 48 hours (P=0.001, P=0.036, and P=0.047, respectively); theyalso inhibited T-bet (P=0.015, P=0.019, and P=0.022) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) gene expressions (P=0.0001).Conclusion: Our findings suggested that Api may have anti-inflammatory properties, possibly by inhibiting proliferationof IFN-producing Th1 cells. Moreover, comparative immunomodulatory effects were found for the acetylated version ofapigenin-3-acetate versus Api and methyl-prednisolone-acetate.

Background: We aimed to determine symptomatic Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) rates within 1 month of elective arthroplasty for vaccinated individuals and to determine whether vaccination guarantees protection against COVID-19 after arthroplasty (primary outcome). In addition, the 90-day surgical complications were compared to those of an unvaccinated group (secondary outcome). Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted on elective joint arthroplasty patients at 3 tertiary hospitals in 2 major cities (Tehran and Isfahan) in our country (Iran). The outcomes of the COVID-19-vaccinated group were assessed between October 2021 and March 2022. Ninety-day surgical complications were compared with a historical cohort of unvaccinated patients treated earlier in the pandemic (April 2020-March 2021). Results: The study included 1717 consecutive patients: 962 vaccinated and 755 unvaccinated. In the vaccinated group, 38 patients (3.9%) contracted COVID-19, 4 (10.5%) were hospitalized again, and none required intensive care unit admission. The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that COVID-19-positive cases are more likely to be female (odds ratio [OR] = 12.5), to have visitors to their home (OR = 4.7), and to stay longer in the hospital (OR = 1.2) than COVID-19-negative cases. Compared to unvaccinated patients, the postoperative COVID-19 rate was not significantly different (3.9% vs 2.4%, P = .07). The incidence of surgical complications was similar between the 2 groups (P > .05). Conclusions: The vaccination does not provide a guarantee that a patient will not contract COVID-19 following their arthroplasty surgery, especially in a region with a high rate of COVID-19. We believe reasonable perioperative COVID-19 precautions may be warranted even in vaccinated patients.

Background and objectivesAtrioventricular block (AVB) is a serious complication following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery, and its high-grade form may necessitate the implantation of a permanent pacemaker (PPM). AVB is associated with increased morbidity and mortality rates. This study aims to estimate the incidence of AVB and subsequent PPM implantation after isolated CABG surgery.Material and methodsWe searched electronic databases of PubMed, Embase, and Scopus from inception to 18 November 2022. Clinical trials and observational studies reporting the incidence of post-CABG AVB or subsequent PPM implantation in adult patients were included. The total incidence for all included outcomes was calculated using the inverse variance method, and the I2 statistic was reported to evaluate the heterogeneity of studies.ResultsA total of 28 studies met the inclusion criteria. Four studies [3 cohorts, 1 randomized controlled trial (RCT)] reported AVB without specifying its type; one (cohort) reported different degrees of AVB, 20 (12 cohorts, 8 RCTs) reported complete heart block (CHB) (or AVB requiring temporary pacing), and nine (8 cohorts, 1 RCT) reported the number of PPM inserted due to AVB. The pooled incidence of AVB, CHB (or AVB requiring temporary pacing), and PPM due to AVB was 1.16%, 1.73%, and 0.58%, respectively. Meta-regression analysis revealed that age, gender, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or smoking were not significantly associated with AVB, CHB, or PPM implantation.ConclusionThis study highlights the incidence of AVB and the need for PPM implantation following CABG surgery. The findings emphasize the importance of postoperative monitoring and surveillance to improve patient outcomes. Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022377181, identifier PROSPERO CRD42022377181.

Abstract Tumor-derived exosomes (TDEs) play pivotal roles in several aspects of cancer biology. It is now evident that TDEs also favor tumor growth by negatively affecting anti-tumor immunity. As important sentinels of immune surveillance system, natural killer (NK) cells can recognize malignant cells very early and counteract the tumor development and metastasis without a need for additional activation. Based on this rationale, adoptive transfer of ex vivo expanded NK cells/NK cell lines, such as NK-92 cells, has attracted great attention and is widely studied as a promising immunotherapy for cancer treatment. However, by exploiting various strategies, including secretion of exosomes, cancer cells are able to subvert NK cell responses. This paper reviews the roles of TDEs in cancer-induced NK cells impairments with mechanistic insights. The clinical significance and potential approaches to nullify the effects of TDEs on NK cells in cancer immunotherapy are also discussed.

A compact device model along with simulations and an experimental analysis of a forward-biased PN junction-based silicon Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) with a phase-shifter length of 0.5 mm is presented. By placing the PN junction to a certain off-center such that 72% of the waveguide is p-doped, the refractive index swing at a given drive voltage swing is increased by 2% compared to the symmetric layout. The effects of the phase shifters’ length mismatch and asymmetric splitting on the modulation efficiency and extinction ratio of the modulator are simulated and compared with experimental results. Without any pre-emphasis or post-processing, a high-speed operation up to 15 Gb/s using a non-return-to-zero modulation format is demonstrated. A modulation efficiency (${{\boldsymbol{V}}_{\boldsymbol{\pi}}}{\boldsymbol{L}}$) as low as 0.07 V × cm is verified and power consumption of 0.88 mW/Gb/s is recorded while a high extinction ratio of 33 dB is experimentally demonstrated. Compared to previously reported forward-biased silicon integrated modulators, without active tuning of the power splitting ratio between the arms, the extinction ratio is 10 dB higher. This MZM along with its compact structure is also sufficiently energy-efficient due to its low power consumption. Thus, it can be suitable for applications like analog signal processing and high-order amplitude modulation transmissions.

BackgroundThere is no concise evidence or clinical guidelines regarding the incidence of sinus node dysfunction (SND) and permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation following cardiac surgeries and their management approaches.ObjectiveWe aim to systematically review current evidence on the prevalence of SND, PPM implantation concerning it, and its risk factors in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.MethodFour electronic databases (Cochrane Library, Medline, SCOPUS, and Web of Science) were systematically searched for articles regarding SND after cardiovascular surgeries and reviewed by two independent researchers, and a third review in case of discrepancies. Using the random-effects model, a proportion meta-analysis was performed on data regarding PPM implantation. Subgroup analysis was performed for different interventions, and the possible effect of different covariates was evaluated using meta-regression.ResultsFrom the initial 2012 unique records, 87 were included in the study, and results were extracted. Pooled data from 38,519 patients indicated that the overall prevalence of PPM implantation due to SND after cardiac surgery was 2.87% (95% CI [2.09; 3.76]). The incidence of PPM implantation in the first post-surgical month was 2.707% (95% CI [1.657; 3.952]). Among the four main intervention groups, including valve, maze, valve-maze, and combined surgeries, maze surgery was associated with the highest prevalence (4.93%; CI [3.24; 6.92]). The pooled prevalence of SND among studies was 13.71% (95% CI [8.13; 20.33]). No significant relationship was observed between PPM implantation and age, gender, cardiopulmonary bypass time, or aortic cross-clamp time.ConclusionBased on the present report, patients undergoing the maze and maze-valve procedures are at higher risk of post-op SND, whereas lone valve surgery had the lowest prevalence of PPM implantation.Systematic Review RegistrationPROSPERO (CRD42022341896).

We have implemented quantum modeling mainly based on Bohmian mechanics to study time series that contain strong coupling between their events. Compared to time series with normal densities, such time series are associated with rare events. Hence, employing Gaussian statistics drastically underestimates the occurrence of their rare events. The central objective of this study was to investigate the effects of rare events in the probability densities of time series from the point of view of quantum measurements. For this purpose, we first model the non-Gaussian behavior of time series using the multifractal random walk (MRW) approach. Then, we examine the role of the key parameter of MRW, λ, which controls the degree of non-Gaussianity, in quantum potentials derived for time series. Our Bohmian quantum analysis shows that the derived potential takes some negative values in high frequencies (its mean values), then substantially increases, and the value drops again for rare events. Thus, rare events can generate a potential barrier in the high-frequency region of the quantum potential, and the effect of such a barrier becomes prominent when the system transverses it. Finally, as an example of applying the quantum potential beyond the microscopic world, we compute quantum potentials for the S&P financial market time series to verify the presence of rare events in the non-Gaussian densities and demonstrate deviation from the Gaussian case.

Unlike car navigation, where almost all vehicles can traverse every route, one route might not be optimal or even suitable for all pedestrians. Route geometry information, including tortuosity, twists and turns along roads, junctions, and road slopes, among others, matters a great deal for specific types of pedestrians, particularly those with limited mobility, such as wheelchair users and older adults. Offering practical routing services to these users requires that pedestrian navigation systems provide further information on route geometry. Therefore, this article proposes a novel method for extracting and analyzing the geometry properties of the shortest pedestrian paths, with a focus on open geospatial data across four aspects: (a) similarity, (b) route curviness, (c) road turns and intersections, and (d) road gradients. Deriving from the Hausdorff distance, a metric called the “dissimilarity ratio” was developed, allowing us to determine whether pairs of routes show any tendencies to be similar to each other. Using the “sinuosity index”, a segment-based technique quantified the route curviness based on the number and degree of the road turns along the route. Moreover, relying upon open elevation data, the road gradients were extracted to identify routes offering smoother motion and better accessibility. Lastly, the road turns and intersections were investigated as pedestrian convenience and safety indicators. A local government area of Greater Sydney in Australia was chosen as the case study. The analysis was implemented on OpenStreetMap (OSM) shortest pedestrian paths against Google Maps as a benchmark for real-world commercial applications. The similarity analysis indicated that over 90% of OSM routes were identical or roughly similar to Google Maps. In addition, while Spearman’s rank correlation showed a direct relationship between route curviness and route length, rS(758) = 0.92, p < 0.001, OSM, on average, witnessed more tortuous routes and, consequently, shorter straight roads between turns. However, OSM routes could be more suitable for pedestrians when the frequency of intersections and road slopes are at the center of attention. Finally, the devised metrics in this study, including the dissimilarity ratio and sinuosity index, showed their practicability in translating raw values into meaningful indicators.

Abstract Tumor-derived exosomes (TDEs) have been shown to impede anti-tumor immune responses via their immunosuppressive cargo. Since dendritic cells (DCs) are the key mediators of priming and maintenance of T cell-mediated responses; thus it is logical that the exosomes released by tumor cells can exert a dominant influence on DCs biology. This paper intends to provide a mechanistic insight into the TDEs-mediated DCs abnormalities in the tumor context. More importantly, we discuss extensively how tumor exosomes induce subversion of DCs differentiation, maturation and function in separate sections. We also briefly describe the importance of TDEs at therapeutic level to help guide future treatment options, in particular DC-based vaccination strategy, and review advances in the design and discovery of exosome inhibitors. Understanding the exosomal content and the pathways by which TDEs are responsible for immune evasion may help to revise treatment rationales and devise novel therapeutic approaches to overcome the hurdles in cancer treatment.

Aim: Although clinicians primarily diagnose dementia based on a combination of metrics such as medical history and formal neuropsychological tests, recent work using linguistic analysis of narrative speech to identify dementia has shown promising results. We aim to build upon research by Thomas JA & Burkardt HA et al. (J Alzheimers Dis. 2020;76:905–2) and Alhanai et al. (arXiv:1710.07551v1. 2020) on the Framingham Heart Study (FHS) Cognitive Aging Cohort by 1) demonstrating the predictive capability of linguistic analysis in differentiating cognitively normal from cognitively impaired participants and 2) comparing the performance of the original linguistic features with the performance of expanded features. Methods: Data were derived from a subset of the FHS Cognitive Aging Cohort. We analyzed a sub-selection of 98 participants, which provided 127 unique audio files and clinical observations (n = 127, female = 47%, cognitively impaired = 43%). We built on previous work which extracted original linguistic features from transcribed audio files by extracting expanded features. We used both feature sets to train logistic regression classifiers to distinguish cognitively normal from cognitively impaired participants and compared the predictive power of the original and expanded linguistic feature sets, and participants’ Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores. Results: Based on the area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve (AUC) of the models, both the original (AUC = 0.882) and expanded (AUC = 0.883) feature sets outperformed MMSE (AUC = 0.870) in classifying cognitively impaired and cognitively normal participants. Although the original and expanded feature sets had similar AUC, the expanded feature set showed better positive and negative predictive value [expanded: positive predictive value (PPV) = 0.738, negative predictive value (NPV) = 0.889; original: PPV = 0.701, NPV = 0.869]. Conclusions: Linguistic analysis has been shown to be a potentially powerful tool for clinical use in classifying cognitive impairment. This study expands the work of several others, but further studies into the plausibility of speech analysis in clinical use are vital to ensure the validity of speech analysis for clinical classification of cognitive impairment.

Subject and Purpose of the Article: The purpose of this research is Typology of Psychodynamic perceptual disorder in Quality services of auditors based on Q-Varimax analysis. Research Method: Methodological basis of this research is combined, because through qualitative analysis, first research propositions or discourse expressions from similar research texts were theoretically screened and then in the quantitative analysis section through score questionnaires of +5 to -5 in the form of analysis Q Varimax, various species that cause psychodynamic perceptual disturbances in the quality services of auditors were examined. Based on this, it should be said that research is in the category of developmental research in terms of results and descriptive-applied research in terms of purpose. Findings: In this study, 20 auditors of the Court of Audit who had specialized approaches to auditing, both empirically and in terms of the level of technical knowledge, participated. Research Findings: In this study, 22 propositions related to the defects that cause psychodynamic perceptual disturbance were identified through theoretical screening and based on the Q analysis process in 4 types. Conclusion, Originality and its Contribution to the Knowledge: These results indicate that the existence of internal and external causes can cause a person to suffer from psychodynamic perceptual disorders and under these conditions lose the quality functions of their services.

BackgroundEarly detection of dementia is critical for intervention and care planning but remains difficult. Computerized cognitive testing provides an accessible and promising solution to address these current challenges. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate a computerized cognitive testing battery (BrainCheck) for its diagnostic accuracy and ability to distinguish the severity of cognitive impairment. MethodsA total of 99 participants diagnosed with dementia, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or normal cognition (NC) completed the BrainCheck battery. Statistical analyses compared participant performances on BrainCheck based on their diagnostic group. ResultsBrainCheck battery performance showed significant differences between the NC, MCI, and dementia groups, achieving 88% or higher sensitivity and specificity (ie, true positive and true negative rates) for separating dementia from NC, and 77% or higher sensitivity and specificity in separating the MCI group from the NC and dementia groups. Three-group classification found true positive rates of 80% or higher for the NC and dementia groups and true positive rates of 64% or higher for the MCI group. ConclusionsBrainCheck was able to distinguish between diagnoses of dementia, MCI, and NC, providing a potentially reliable tool for early detection of cognitive impairment.

The present study describes the fauna of Isotomidae in southern part of the Caspian Sea (northern Iran). During 2018–2019, 118 samples of soil, leaf litter, moss, and decaying wood were collected from different locations in three northern provinces, Mazandaran, Guilan, and Golestan. Collembola specimens were extracted using modified Tullgren funnels. Ten genera and eighteen species of Isotomidae have been identified and listed here; among them a new species, Isotomodes golestani sp. nov., from the Golestan province is described. Collection information for identified species and a key to the known species of the genus Isotomodes in the West and Central Asia are also provided. The type specimens were deposited in the insect collection of Entomology lab in Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture University of Guilan, Rasht and Sari University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Sari, Iran.

Aim: Despite its high frequency of occurrence, mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), or concussion, is difficult to recognize and diagnose, particularly in pediatric populations. Conventional methods to diagnose mTBI primarily rely on clinical questionnaires and sometimes include neuroimaging or pencil and paper neuropsychological testing. However, these methods are time consuming, require administration/interpretation from health professionals, and lack adequate test sensitivity and specificity. This study explores the use of BrainCheck Sport, a computerized neurocognitive test that is available on iPad, iPhone, or computer desktop, for mTBI assessment. The BrainCheck Sport Battery consists of 6 gamified traditional neurocognitive tests that assess areas of cognition vulnerable to mTBI such as attention, processing speed, executing functioning, and coordination. Methods: We administered BrainCheck Sport to 10 participants diagnosed with mTBI at the emergency department of Children’s hospital or local high school within 96 h of injury, and 115 normal controls at a local high school. Statistical analysis included Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square tests, and Hochberg tests to examine differences between the mTBI group and control group on each assessment in the battery. Significant metrics from these assessments were used to build a logistic regression model that distinguishes mTBI from control participants. Results: BrainCheck Sport was able to detect significant differences in Coordination, Stroop, Immediate/Delayed Recognition between normal controls and mTBI patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of our logistic regression model found a sensitivity of 84% and specificity of 81%, with an area under the curve of 0.884. Conclusions: BrainCheck Sport has potential in distinguishing mTBI from control participants, by providing a shorter, gamified test battery to assess cognitive function after brain injury, while also providing a method for tracking recovery with the opportunity to do so remotely from a patient’s home.

The engineering properties of geomaterials are determined by laboratory and In-situ testing. Problems associated with sampling, especially in coarse-grained soils, limit the laboratory testing applications to determine the engineering properties of these types of soils. Engineering geological studies would help in-situ test selection as well as managing of the coast and the validity of test results. To increase the height of the Gotvand regulatory dam, determining deformation modules of subsurface material is needed, so a multistage method has been suggested and done. For this purpose, a multi-step method was proposed and performed. In the first stage, the engineering geological properties of subsurface materials have been investigated by using geological study and exploration borehole data. The subsurface materials are gravel with some sand, silt, and clay. At this stage, to determine the modulus of deformability, pressuremeter (PMT), downhole and crosshole tests were performed. Due to the coarse texture and, heterogeneity of the materials, good results were not obtained from the pressurmeter test. in the second stage and with reference to data in first stage, the extension of same strata beneath the dam has specified in river’s left bank and the measurement of deformation modules has done by plate loading test (PLT) using circular plates of 60 cm diameter. In the last stage, to investigate the effect of plate dimensions and particle size, PLT using circular plates of 120 cm diameter has been done. By changing the loading plate diameter from 60 to 120 cm, the average measured modulus decreases from 2868 to 1075 kg/cm2. In this paper, while expressing the importance of engineering geology studies in selecting suitable in situ tests, the results obtained from various tests have been reviewed.

Bark beetles are one of the most important pests in forests. Because of their small size and highly similar morphological characters, molecular approaches may be quite useful for a valid species determination. In this context molecular identification represents an accurate and modern method for species identification. The purity and high quantity of extracted DNA have important role in successful amplification of the target fragment of the genome. The aim of this study was comparing different DNA extraction methods in order to choose the highest quality and quantity of DNA extract for the identification of bark beetles. During the study bark beetles were collected from different parts of the North forests of Iran. Five different DNA extraction methods were performed and evaluated on individual specimen including Chelex, Phenol chloroform, CTAB, salting out and Lysis buffer in the laboratory. The quantity and quality of extracted DNA were measured by spectrophotometer and gel electrophoresis. The result of DNA quantity mean ranged between (23.6-579.7 ng/µl) and the mean quality which was measured by 260/280 ratio (0.9-1.8). The statistical analysis was done by SPSS software, revealing significant differences between extraction methods. The results suggested that Chelex and salting out showed the highest quantity of all used methods.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted agent worldwide. Early prevention with HPV vaccination is a safe and effective method against this disease. HPV vaccines provided more protection against several oncogenic HPV strains. Three prophylactic HPV vaccines have been approved to target high-risk HPV types and protect against HPV-related disorders. These existing vaccines are based on the recombinant DNA technology and purified L1 protein that is assembled to form HPV empty shells. The prophylactic vaccines are highly immunogenic and can induce production of specific neutralizing antibodies. However, therapeutic vaccines are different from these prophylactic vaccines. They induced cell-mediated immunity against transformed cells, instead of neutralizing antibodies. The second generation of prophylactic HPV vaccines, made from alternative viral components using cost-effective production strategies, is undergoing clinical evaluation. The purpose of this review is to provide a complete and up-to-date review of the types of HPV vaccines and the efficiency of each of them for readers.

Background: Inflammatory cell death, PANoptosis, has been suggested to orchestrate the lymphocyte decrement among coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) patients. The main aim of this study was to examine the differences in the expression of key genes related to inflammatory cell death and their correlation with lymphopenia in the mild and severe types of COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: Eighty-eight patients (36 to 60 years old) with mild (n = 44) and severe (n = 44) types of COVID-19 were enrolled. The expression of key genes related to apoptosis (FAS-associated death domain protein, FADD), pyroptosis (ASC (apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing caspase activation and recruitment domains (CARD)), the adapter protein ASC binds directly to caspase-1 and is critical for caspase-1 activation in response to a broad range of stimuli), and necroptosis (mixed lineage kinase domain-like, MLKL) genes were examined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay, and compared between the groups. The serum levels of interleukin (IL)-6 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assay. Results: A major increase in the expression of FADD, ASC, and MLKL-related genes in the severe type of patients was compared to the mild type of patients. The serum levels of IL-6 similarly indicated a significant increase in the severe type of the patients. A significant negative correlation was detected between the three genes' expression and the levels of IL-6 with the lymphocyte counts in both types of COVID-19 patients. Conclusion: Overall, the main regulated cell-death pathways are likely to be involved in lymphopenia in COVID-19 patients, and the expression levels of these genes could potentially predict the patients' outcome.

This study was designed to facilitate freshman medical students’ adaptation to the dissection room and familiarize them with the related ethical codes. Single-group post-test design research was conducted at Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 2018 - 2019. The program began with a brief explanation of the necessity of the subject, and after a documentary film was shown, the principles of professional and ethical behaviors in the dissection room were discussed by a panel of experts. In the end, a valid and reliable evaluation questionnaire (Cronbach's alpha coefficient = 0.89) was distributed among the students. A total of 129 questionnaires were completed and returned. Overall, 94.4% of the students believed that the program provided an excellent opportunity to reflect on professional behaviors during practical anatomy sessions. In addition, 92.8% of the students believed that they would use the ethical points mentioned in the program in the future. Content analysis of the open questions produced three main categories: "motivating learning", "application of theory in practice" and "changing the attitude toward responsibility". The results indicate that adequate preparation for cadaver dissection sessions and learning about professional behavior codes in the first exposure can help medical students to better understand the principles of professional behaviors.

A new side-contacted field effect diode (S-FED) structure has beenintroduced as a modified S-FED, which is composed of a diode and planar double gateMOSFET. In this paper, drain current of modified and conventional S-FEDs wereinvestigated in on-state and off-state. For the conventional S-FED, the potential barrierheight between the source and the channel is observed to become larger and the flow ofinjected electrons is reduced. Thus, the drain current decreases in on-state. While in offstate,the potential barrier height and width become smaller in conventional S-FED andso the drain current is greater than that of modified structure. Mixed mode simulationswere used to determine the performance of the proposed logic gates. We compared theoperation of modified S-FED with that of conventional S-FED. Simulated power delayproduct (PDP) of the modified S-FED-based NOR, NAND, XOR gates were found tobe about 416fJ, 408fJ and 336fJ, respectively, compared with 906fJ, 810fJ and 705fJachievable with conventional S-FED logic gates.

Background and Aims: Endometriosis is considered to be one of the most common women's diseases in the world. The exact cause of endometriosis is unknown. In this study, the bacterial agents were considered as the probable factors influencing this disease and the frequency of two bacteria U. urealyticum and C. trachomatis was studied in this disease. Materials and Methods: This study was performed on Pap smear samples of 50 women with endometriosis, 48 ​​healthy women referred to hospitals in north of Tehran. The recommend samples were transferred to the laboratory, their DNA was extracted, and PCR method was performed. They were analyzed by descriptive statistics. Results: Performing PCR test for U. urealyticum detection among the pap smears of people with endometriosis and non_endometriosis, 27 samples (54%) and 25 samples (52%) were positive respectively but none of the samples had contamination with C. trachomatis. The highest prevalence of U. urealyticum in both endometriosis and healthy subjects was observed in the age group of 30-35 years. Conclusion: The prevalence of U. urealyticum in patients with endometriosis and healthy subjects (non-sedation) was relatively similar and the same as normal flora. There was no infection with C. trachomatis in these individuals, therefore there was no significant association between this bacterium and endometriosis. For more accurate results such studies should be done in a higher statistical society.

This article explores the relationship between translation and history-writing within the framework of translation studies by analyzing Büyük İran Tarihi (Great history of Iran) translated by Ömer Halis from Persian into Ottoman Turkish in 1926. Questioning whether the distinction between the translation and the original and the distinction between the translator and the history writer were blurred in this case of translation and whether the translator used strategies that reflect his ideology during the translation process, a descriptive analysis of the extratextual elements surrounding the translation and of the textual elements has been conducted. Drawing on the analysis of the extratextual sources and the textual sources with a focus on the translation strategies such as omissions, additions and modifications, it is claimed that Ömer Halis intervenes in the translation in line with his ideological stance and becomes both a visible translator and a history writer who enters into a communication, starts a dialogue and a discussion with the author of the source text, who evaluates and construes the information in the source text from his ideological point of view and who writes a history that serves his ideology. It is further claimed that, the boundary between the translator and the historian and the boundary between translation and history-writing become eliminated in this specific case of translation, which might be considered as a constituent of the ‘history translation repertoire’ of the period in question.

In this paper, we have presented a heterojunction gate all around nanowiretunneling field effect transistor (GAA NW TFET) and have explained its characteristicsin details. The proposed device has been structured using Germanium for source regionand Silicon for channel and drain regions. Kane's band-to-band tunneling model hasbeen used to account for the amount of band-to-band tunneling generation rate per unitvolume of carriers which tunnel from valence band of source region to conduction bandof channel. The simulations have been carried out by three dimensional Silvaco Atlassimulator. Using extensive device simulations, we compared the results of presentedheterojunction structure with those of Silicon gate all around nanowire TFET. Whereasdue to thinner tunneling barrier at the source-channel junction which leads to theincrease of carrier tunneling rate, the heterojunction gate all around nanowire TFETshows excellent characteristics with high on-state current, superior transconductanceand high cut-off frequency.

Objective Maintaining balance is one of the most important functions of neuromuscular system in performing all simple and complex¬ sports activities. Musculoskeletal deformities especially, genu varum in the lower extremity, can negatively affect the body’s biomechanics. The aim of this study was to the compare the balance of male athletes aged 11-14 years with and without genu varum. Methods This study has a causal-comparative design. From a total of 580 amateur adolescent male athletes in basketball, handball and volleyball living in Marivan County, who had training three sessions per week, 21 with genu varum (Mean±SD of age=13.15±1.22 years; Mean±SD of height=1.68±2.32 cm; Mean±SD of weight=51.23±4.48 kg) and 21 with no genu varum (Mean±SD of age=12.95±1.17 years; Mean±SD of height=1.67±1.45 cm; Mean±SD of weight=49.49±3.48 kg) were recruited. Their genu varum deformity was assessed using a caliper. Static and dynamic balance was evaluated by Bass Stick test and Y Balance test, respectively. Data analysis was performed using independent samples t-test. Results There was no significant difference in static balance between those with and without genu varum (P=0.61), while their dynamic balance was significantly different in posteromedial (P=0.003) and posterolateral (P=0.004) directions. Conclusion Negative effect of knee deformity on balance are turned out over time. Preventive measures and appropriate exercises at an early age may reduce the negative effects of deformities on balance.

Since the mid-1990s, the US has seen a decline in research activities in medical education and academic health care centers. Our goal was to offer a multi-disciplinary experience for undergraduates to participate in a practical, hands-on research experience to increase the likelihood of entering STEM research careers. The authors structured a collaborative teaching environment to lead a group of over 25 undergraduate and graduate students in clinical research activities as part of the resident author’s research program during psychiatry graduate training. A particularly innovative component of this work, making the timeline and technical analysis possible, was the partnership with an industry sponsor. Much of the teaching program’s structure was inspired by the analogous program of the industry sponsor. This provided a structured clinical research experience for undergraduates, providing opportunities to participate in the study design, patient recruitment and enrollment, data collection and analysis phases of the project with more autonomy than typically available at this level of training. Students favored the experience with generally positive ratings of the program. Students gained skills and felt more comfortable in practical aspects of research and stated they were more likely to pursue a research career after this experience. This method may be a solution for other clinical trainees given their limited time and funding while serving to increase exposure to STEM research earlier in life to reverse the trend of declining research activity. This method can be used across other training institutions at different scales to achieve similar goals.

In the present study, which is based on the material collected from Southern part of Caspian Sea, Iran during 2013- 2016, one parasitoid species of the genus Coccobius Ratzeburg was identified as Coccobius pistacicolus (Yasnosh, 1968) (Hym: Aphelinidae). This species, which is reported for the first time from Iran, was collected in Rasht, Guilan province, and reared from Lepidosaphes pallida (Maskell) (Hem.: Diaspididae) on Ficus carica (Moraceae). Diagnostic characters of C. pistacicolus are provided.

Background: Preparation of a new product with the goal of reducing chlorhexidine’s side effects without decreasing (and even increasing) its effectiveness is a desirable goal for researchers in the field of oral hygiene. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Chlorhexidine 0.2% and Cetylpyridinium 0.05% combination in reducing oral bacteria in comparison with Chlorhexidine 0.2%, Cetylpyridinium 0.05% and Persica mouthwashes. Methods: 100 healthy volunteers aged between 18 and 30 years were randomly assigned to 5 groups. The first group received Chlorhexidine 0.2%, the second group received Cetylpyridinium 0.05%, the third received Persica, the fourth received Chlorhexidine 0.2% plus Cetylpyridinium 0.05%, and the fifth group received Chlorhexidine 0.05% plus Cetylpyridinium 0.05%. Samples were obtained at baseline and thirty minutes after oral rinsing with the mouthwashes. The number of colony-forming units (CFU/mL) before and after mouthwash administration was compared for each sample. Results: The preparation with the most bacterial count reduction was found to be Chlorhexidine 0.2% and Cetylpyridinium 0.05% combination. However, the difference between efficacy of Chlorhexidine 0.2% plus Cetylpyridinium 0.05% and Chlorhexidine 0.05% plus Cetylpyridinium 0.05% was found not to be statistically significant. Conclusions: A new mouthwash preparation including chlorhexidine 0.05% and cetylpyridinium 0.05 % combination is the most desirable due to the increased efficacy and fewer side effects.

Background and Objectives: Atherosclerosis is a type of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is known as the most important cause of death in the world. In atherosclerosis, arteries get thicker due to the entry of lipids and become inflamed. Epidemiological studies have shown that in addition to demographic and laboratory factors (age, sex, cholesterol, smoking, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes), genetic factors are also associated with progression of atherosclerosis. LDL-C is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease. In this study, the relationship of PCSK9 levels with serum sdLDL-C levels and other variables, was investigated. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 126 individuals (68 Men and 58 women), were studied. Serum PCSK9 concentration, was measured using quantitative sandwich ELISA; serum sdLDL-C levels were measured using precipitation method; and other laboratory parameters were measured by routine methods. Data were analyzed by statistical tests of Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Pearson linear regression, and t- tests. The significance level was considered p

Background and purpose: Identifying potential risk factors for cardiovascular diseases is essential for screening and disease prevention. In this study, the association between ABO blood groups and risk of cardiovascular diseases was assessed. Materials and methods: In a cross-sectional research, 1353 consecutive elderly in Amirkola, north of Iran enrolled. Cardiovascular disease was determined according to medical history, any medications, and other medical documents. Also, the ABO blood group was determined. Finally, the frequency of cardiovascular disease was compared between ABO blood groups. Data analysis was done in SPSS 16. Results: The mean age of the population studied was 69.21±7.30 years and 754 (55.7%) and 599 (44.3%) were males and females, respectively. Blood group O (33.5%) and B (33%) phenotypes were common types in this population. Angina pectoris was significantly associated with A blood group (P=0.039). But no relationship was found between ABO blood group and cerebral stroke (P=0.624), myocardial infarction (P =0.229), heart failure (P =0.866), hypertension (P =0.623), and other risk factors. Conclusion: According to the our findings, a relationship was only detected between A blood group phenotype and angina pectoris, while no any significant association was detected between ABO blood groups and risk of other cardiovascular diseases.

The energy efficiency of silicon modulators can be enhanced by increasing the doping level. As an alternative solution, slow light modulators based on corrugated waveguides can also be used for improving the energy efficiency. Using numerical and analytical tools, we show that for the same level of energy consumption reduction, the loss coefficient and the loss-modulation efficiency for the slow-light modulators are smaller than those for the modulators with an increased doping level. It is shown that the slow light structures with medium slow down factors (specifically slowdown factors of less than 6) can be reasonable candidates for enhancing the modulator's energy efficiency. For example, an energy consumption of less than 100 fJ/bit can be achieved at a slow-down factor of 6, using a doping level of 5 × 1017 cm-3 for acceptors and 1 × 1018 cm-3 for donors.

Background and purpose: Cognitive impairment is one of the common chronic diseases among elderly people which has huge social and economic burdens on the society but few studies have been conducted in this topic in north of Iran. The aim of this study was to assess the association between physical activity and some demographic features with cognitive impairments in elderly people in Amirkola, Iran. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was a part of the ‘Amirkola Health and Ageing Project’ (AHAP) that was carried out in 1390 elderly in 2011-2012. To measure cognitive status, the Mini Mental Estate Examination (MMSE) was used. The Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) was also administered to assess physical activity levels. Data was analyzed in SPSS V19 using t-test, Chi-square, Pearson correlation, and logistic regression. Results: A total of 1390 elderly was studied including 763 (54.9%) males and 627 (45.1%) females. In this study, 421 elderly (30.3%) had abnormal MMSE and 1085 cases (78.1%) had low physical activity score. The mean of PASE was higher in people with normal MMSE (P=0.000) and a significant positive correlation was observed between physical activity and MMSE (r= 0.117, P= 0.000). Physical activity was found to be an effective variable on cognitive impairments. Conclusion: This study showed low frequency of cognitive impairments in elderly with higher levels of physical activity. This correlation was more considerable in females.

Background: Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) has a crucial role in several malignancies. The extracellular domain of HER2 (HER2-ECD) has been extensively employed as an important target in passive and active immunotherapy. Isolated recombinant prokaryotic HER2-ECD subdomains were previously found to be ineffective in inducing anti-tumor antibody response. Objective: To employ recombinant eukaryotic HER2-ECD subdomains to raise anti-HER2 antibodies and determine their anti-tumor activity in vitro. Methods: Two paired subdomains of HER2-ECD (DI+II and DIII+IV), representing Pertuzumab and Trastuzumab binding domains, respectively, along with the full extracellular domain of HER2 were generated in CHO-K1 cells. Polyclonal antibodies were raised against these subdomains and characterized using ELISA, flow cytometry, and immunoblot and their anti-tumor activity was assessed by XTT assay. The cross-reactivity of these antibodies was specified along with other members of the human HER family. Results: Similar to Trastuzumab and anti-HER2-ECD antibody, anti-DI+II and DIII+IV polyclonal antibodies reacted with recombinant HER2-ECD and native HER2 expressed on tumor cells. These two polyclonal antibodies were able to inhibit the binding of Pertuzumab and Trastuzumab to HER2, respectively, and did not cross-react with other members of HER family. These antibodies were able to inhibit tumor cell growth in vitro, similar to Trastuzumab. Conclusion: The high immunogenicity of human HER2 DI+II and DIII+IV subdomains in rabbits and the tumor inhibitory activity of the purified specific antibodies imply that they might be suitable for active immunotherapy in formulation with appropriate adjuvants and in combination with other HER2 specific therapeutics.

Species of Anurophorus Nicolet, 1842 (Collembola: Isotomidae) mostly occur in forest habitats. They are usually dark in colors and characterised by absence of furca. During 2018, a survey was conducted for Collembola in Mazandaran province (Northern Iran). Some Isotomdiae specimens were extracted from soil, moss and decaying wood samples using Berlese funnel. Among the collected samples from family Isotomidae some specimens of Anurophorus silvaticus Potapov & Stebaeva, 1990 were also identified. The species is reported for the first time from Iran. We provide the description, including photos of A. silvaticus based on the Iranian material.

The false chinch bug, Nysius cymoides (Spinola) is a pest of sunflower attacking sunflower fields from their weedy and cultivated hosts. The effect of sunflower and wild mustard (wild host) on the life table parameters of N. cymoides was studied under laboratory conditions (24 ± 1°C, 65 ± 5% RH, a 16:8 h (L:D) photoperiod). Data were analysed based on the age-stage, two-sex life table theory. Developmental time (sum of incubation and nymphal periods) on wild mustard was longer than on sunflower with significant difference (P < 0.05). The adult longevity was significantly shorter on wild mustard than on sunflower. The adult pre-oviposition period (APOP), total pre-oviposition period (TPOP), mean fecundity and adult longevity reared on sunflower and wild mustard showed significant differences (P < 0.05). The highest fecundity (58.72 eggs) and the longest female longevity (68.09 days) were on sunflower and lowest fecundity (5.67 eggs) was on wild mustard. The intrinsic rate of increase (r) on sunflower was higher than that on wild mustard, as it was 0.0437 ± 0.0039 on sunflower and 0.00033 ± 0.00599 per day on wild mustard and net reproductive rate (R0) on sunflower and wild mustard was 12.94 ± 2.77 and 1.075 ± 0.34 (offspring), respectively. The mean generation time (T) was 58.01 ± 1.59 and 56.76 ± 2.43 days, on sunflower and wild mustard, respectively. The life expectancy (exj), survival rate (sxj), and cumulative reproductive rate (Rx) on sunflower were higher than wild mustard. The results showed that sunflower was more suitable host than wild mustard to N. cymoides.

Abstract Background and Objective: The spread of drug resistance in bacteria have prompted researchers to seek suitable alternative for antimicrobial drugs among various medicinal plants and nanoparticles. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of silver nanoparticles alone and in combination with methanol extract of Zataria multiflora on five Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Methods: Different concentrations of the nanoparticles and extract alone or in combination with each other were tested against the bacteria, using well diffusion method. Three concentration levels (lowest, average and highest) were prepared form the nanoparticles and the extract for the combination, and finally nine different combinations were prepared. Results: The extract and nanoparticles showed inhibitory effects against all the tested bacteria. The maximum diameter of growth inhibition zone in the presence of the extract and nanoparticles were observed in Streptococcus pyogenes (35.6mm) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (20.6mm), respectively. The maximum diameter of growth inhibition zone for the combination was measured in S. pyogenes (31mm). Conclusion: The combination of low concentrations of the plant extract and nanoparticles are more effective against bacteria, but the combination of their high concentrations reduce the antibacterial effects in some cases.

Introduction: Lung cancer is the most common cancer among men around the world. Today, by evaluating the expression of microRNA biomarkers, cancer cells can be detected in specific tissues. However, it's still controversy that the expression of let-7 in the prognosis of patients with lung cancer is informative. Material and Methods: A meta-analysis was performed by searching Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, IranMedex, MEDLIB, IranDoc and Scientific Information Database(SID). All data were extracted from articles comparing prognosis in patients with lung cancer having low expression of let-7 with those having high expression. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and corresponding 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Subgroup analyses were conducted for ethnicity. Results: A total of 1,370 cases of lung cancer were involved for this meta-analysis. The HR of low let-7 expression was 1.32 (95 % CI 0.68–2.58). A subgroup analysis was performed on ethnicity; combined HR was 1.56 (95 % CI 0.52–4.62) for Asians and 1.08 (95%CI 0.42–2.74) for non-Asians. Conclusion: There was no significant relationship between the expression of let-7 and lung cancer, let-7 might be a biomarker in Asian patients with favourable prognosis. Furthermore, with large-scale investigations, useful prognostic microRNA biomarkers in the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up could be detected.

Hyalomma marginatum rufipes (Acari: Ixodidae) along with three closely related subspecies is considered as marginatum group. The subspecies had proven as main vector of Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, the cause of human death in Asia, Africa and Europe. This tick is also a vector of parasitic protozoan Theileria annulata, agent of tropical theileriosis in cattle. Nonetheless, taxonomical status of this tick not recognized or confirmed in tick’s fauna of Iran, then we decided to show most taxonomic characteristics and confirm the presence of this subspecies in Iran by molecular methods. Tick specimens were collected from cattle in Manujan township, Kerman province, southern Iran. Specimens were identified morphologically using suitable taxonomical identification keys. The morphologically identified specimens were subjected to molecular studies. Morphological and COI gene analysis clearly confirmed the occurrence of H. m. rufipes in Iran, however, according to ITS2 fragment H. m. rufipes can be the same H. m. marginatum. Thus, it seems that based on most popular molecular markers, H. m. rufipes and its relative H. m. marginatum really should be assigned as a polymorphic species H. marginatum.

We present a flexible, integrated statistical-based modeling approach to improve the robustness of soil moisture data predictions. We apply this approach in exploring the consequence of different choices of leading predictors and covariates. Competing models, predictors, covariates and changing spatial correlation are often ignored in empirical analyses and validation studies. An optimal choice of model and predictors may, however, provide a more consistent and reliable explanation of the high environmental variability and stochasticity of soil moisture observational data. We integrate active polarimetric satellite remote-sensing data (RADARSAT-2, C-band) with ground-based in-situ data across an agricultural monitoring site in Canada. We apply a grouped step-wise algorithm to iteratively select best-performing predictors of soil moisture. Integrated modeling approaches may better account for observed uncertainty and be tuned to different applications that vary in scale and scope, while also providing greater insights into spatial scaling (upscaling and downscaling) of soil moisture variability from the field- to regional scale. We discuss several methodological extensions and data requirements to enable further statistical modeling and validation for improved agricultural decision-support.