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Abstract Introduction The job of sonographers exposes them to numerous ergonomic risk factors, making the sonography profession one of the high-risk job groups vulnerable to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The present systematic review and meta-analysis specifically examined the prevalence of MSDs among sonographers. Materials and methods The present review study was carried out in accordance with the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The protocol of the study was registered in the international prospective register of systematic review (PROSPERO) with the code CRD42024507972. Searches were conducted in databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, SID, ISC, and Google Scholar, without imposing a time limit until February 7th, 2024. The random-effects model was employed for meta-analysis, and the I2 index was used to assess heterogeneity among studies. Finally, data analysis was performed using STATA (version 14). Results Based on the search in different databases, a total of 4367 articles were identified. Finally, after screening, selecting, and quality evaluation of the studies, 30 studies were considered for meta-analysis in which 13,916 sonographers were examined. According to the results of the meta-analysis, the overall prevalence of MSDs among sonographers was reported as 75.80% (95% CI: 65.37–86.23, I2 = 99.7%, P

Abstract The paper focuses on establishing sufficient conditions for the existence of the solutions in some functional q-integral equations, particularly in Banach spaces. In this method, the technique of measures of noncompactness and Petryshyn’s fixed point theorem in Banach space is used. We provide some examples of equations, which confirm that our result is applicable to a wide class of integral equations.

Objective: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) affects the quality of life of elderly women. This study aimed to investigate the satisfaction, recovery, and recurrence of symptoms in patients with POP who underwent colpocleisis. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study included elderly women (106 cases with an average age of 74.49±6.07) suffering from stage III or higher POP who underwent partial or total colpocleisis. Pre- and post-operative POP-Q, urinary symptoms, and the level of patient satisfaction were the outcome measures. Results: POP and urinary incontinence significantly decreased after surgery (p

Liquefaction can cause significant damage to the built environment; therefore, assessing the liquefaction hazard in a seismically active region is essential to minimize the risk. This study attempted to evaluate the liquefaction potential of the south-central coastal areas of Bangladesh by calculating the liquefaction potential index (LPI) considering a scenario earthquake of Mw ​= ​7.5 having a peak ground acceleration of 0.15g. For calculating LPI, both standard penetration test blow count (SPT-N) and shear wave velocity (Vs) data have been used in this study. The results show that the study area's LPI values vary from 0 to 37. A liquefaction hazard map is prepared for the area using the calculated LPI values from Vs data shows about 8% of the study area is very highly susceptible to liquefaction hazard, whereas 62% of the area falls under high hazard-prone area while about 28% and 2% area of the study have respectively low (0

Objective(s): Anthropometric indicators are considered to be the most important health indicators for evaluating the condition of newborns. In the epidemic of infectious diseases, including the Covid-19 pandemic, pregnant women and their fetuses are among the high-risk population. The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the changes in the anthropometric indices of newborns at birth and the factors affecting it in 6 months before and 6 months after the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic. Methods: This analytical-comparative study before and after was conducted on the number of 30540 newborns in 6 months before the covid-19 pandemic and 5009 newborns in 6 months after the covid-19 pandemic. The information was obtained from the integrated system of the Ministry of Health. The data was analyzed in SPSS 22 software. Results: The average birth weight of newborns in two periods 6 months before and after the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic was 3140.94 (469.93) and 3198.04 (446.22) grams respectively, which means that the average weight of newborns increased and statistically, there was a significant difference (P

Abstract Stroke stands as a predominant cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, and there is a pressing need for effective therapies to improve outcomes and enhance the quality of life for stroke survivors. In this line, effective efferocytosis, the clearance of apoptotic cells, plays a crucial role in neuroprotection and immunoregulation. This process involves specialized phagocytes known as “professional phagocytes” and consists of four steps: “Find-Me,” “Eat-Me,” engulfment/digestion, and anti-inflammatory responses. Impaired efferocytosis can lead to secondary necrosis and inflammation, resulting in adverse outcomes following brain pathologies. Enhancing efferocytosis presents a potential avenue for improving post-stroke recovery. Several therapeutic targets have been identified, including osteopontin, cysteinyl leukotriene 2 receptor, the µ opioid receptor antagonist β-funaltrexamine, and PPARγ and RXR agonists. Ferroptosis, defined as iron-dependent cell death, is now emerging as a novel target to attenuate post-stroke tissue damage and neuronal loss. Additionally, several biomarkers, most importantly CD163, may serve as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for acute ischemic stroke, aiding in stroke diagnosis and prognosis. Non-pharmacological approaches involve physical rehabilitation, hypoxia, and hypothermia. Mitochondrial dysfunction is now recognized as a major contributor to the poor outcomes of brain stroke, and medications targeting mitochondria may exhibit beneficial effects. These strategies aim to polarize efferocytes toward an anti-inflammatory phenotype, limit the ingestion of distressed but viable neurons, and stimulate efferocytosis in the late phase of stroke to enhance post-stroke recovery. These findings highlight promising directions for future research and development of effective stroke recovery therapies.

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is a technology that can reduce traffic. However, its availability in Iran is relatively limited compared to more developed countries. This research examines the acceptance and willingness to pay for ACC among Iranian drivers. Data from an online survey of 453 respondents were analyzed using an ordered logit model and a structural equation model. The results of modelings show that perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness affect attitudes towards using ACC, which in turn influence behavioural intentions. In addition, drivers who find ACC easy to use and user-friendly, own expensive vehicles, and female drivers who have experience with cruise control are more likely to pay for ACC. To enhance the adoption of ACC in Iran, it is recommended to target early adopters, especially women and capitalists, who can influence others with their positive feedback. The benefits of ACC for traffic safety and environmental sustainability should also be emphasized. Furthermore, future studies would better concentrate on public perceptions and assessing the necessary infrastructure for ACC in Iran.

Statement of the Problem: Although various kinds of research have been conducted to compare the physical and chemical properties of dentin and enamel in animal and human samples, proving the ability of animal dentin material as a good substitute for human specimens is always a challenge for experimental studies.Purpose: The aim of the present study is to investigate whether the changes in the dentin microhardness of animal samples are similar to those of human samples or not.Materials and Method: In this in vitro study, sixty single-rooted human, bovine, and ovine teeth (n=20 in each group) were decoronated at CEJ. The remaining roots were embedded in acrylic resin and a cross-section cut was made in the middle of the samples in order to achieve dentin disks. All of the 120 samples were randomly assigned to three control (n=20 for each group) and three experimental groups (n=20 for each group). In the experimental groups, calcium hydroxide with a creamy consistency was prepared and the disks were embedded in dishes containing calcium hydroxide. Control groups were embedded in physiological saline. The samples were incubated for seven days at the 37oC and Vickers microhardness test was performed immediately. The average of three yielded values was considered as the final value of microhardness. Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA, one-way ANOVA, and Tukey’s post hoc tests.Results: In the control group, the human samples showed the highest microhardness value, while the bovine teeth had the lowest microhardness value (p< 0.001). In the calcium hydroxide group, the human samples showed the highest microhardness value in comparison to bovine and ovine to teeth. However, no significant difference was observed between the bovine and ovine samples in microhardness value.Conclusion: Based on our research, substituting bovine and ovine samples with human samples in experimental studies is not recommended. Nevertheless, more studies are needed in this regard.

Statement of the Problem: As a developmental disorder characterized by an abnormal bend and angle in the longitudinal axis of the tooth root, dilaceration can cause complications in routine dental procedures such as endodontics, orthodontics, and surgical treatments.Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of dilaceration in maxillary and mandibular premolar teeth in a population of Shiraz city based on cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).Materials and Method: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study on 927 premolar teeth and 132 CBCT radiographs of patients obtained from four private radiology clinics in Shiraz (Iran). In this study, the presence, location, direction, and severity of dilaceration in premolar roots as well as its relationship with gender were investigated. Chi-square and Fisher tests were used to analyze the data.Results: The results showed that 17% of the studied 927 teeth had dilaceration. The prevalence of dilaceration was significantly higher in women than in men (20.3% vs. 13.6%, p= 0.005). The dilaceration rates were significantly higher in the mandibular first and second premolar teeth (31.6% and 26%, p= 0.002) than in the other teeth. In addition, the highest prevalence was in the distal direction with mild severity in the apical third of the root (p< 0.001).Conclusion: According to the results of this study, the prevalence of dilaceration was relatively high in mandibular premolar teeth especially in women.

Abstract The present study aimed to assess the anti-leishmanial effects of curcumin nanoemulsion (CUR-NE) against Leishmania major (MRHO/IR/75/ER) in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. CUR-NE was successfully prepared via the spontaneous emulsification method. The in vitro effect of various concentrations of CUR-NE against L. major promastigotes was assessed using the flow cytometry method. In vivo experiments were carried out in BALB/c mice inoculated subcutaneously with 2 × 106 L. major promastigotes. Mice were treated with topical CUR-NE (2.5 mg/ml), intra-lesion injection of CUR-NE (2.5 mg/ml), topical CUR suspension (CUR-S, 2.5 mg/ml), topical NE without CUR (NE-no CUR), amphotericin B as the positive control group, and infected untreated mice as the negative control group. In vitro exposure of promastigotes to CUR-NE showed a dose-dependent anti-leishmanial effect, with a 67.52 ± 0.35% mortality rate at a concentration of 1250 µg/ml and an IC50 of 643.56 µg/ml. In vivo experiments showed that topical CUR-NE and CUR-S significantly decreased the mean lesion size in mice after four weeks from 4.73 ± 1.28 to 2.78 ± 1.28 mm and 4.45 ± 0.88 to 3.23 ± 0.59 mm, respectively (p = 0.001). Furthermore, CUR-NE significantly decreased the parasite load in treated mice compared with the negative control group (p = 0.001). Results from the current study demonstrated the promising activity of CUR-NE against L. major in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. Moreover, CUR-NE was more efficient than CUR-S in healing and reducing parasite burden in mouse models. Future studies should aim to identify molecular mechanisms as well as the pharmacologic and pharmacokinetic aspects of CUR-NE.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) characterize a novel kind of regulatory RNAs distinguished by great evolutionary conservation and constancy. Although their exact role in malignancies is not fully understood, they mainly work through specific axes. Circular RNA/miRNA/mRNA axes affect the pathogenesis of human cancers including breast cancer. We assessed the expression and function of circ_0009910/miR-145-5p/MUC1 axis in Breast Cancer tissues and MCF-7 cells. Expression levels of circ_0009910 and MUC1 were notably increased in breast cancer tissues compared with control tissues, parallel with the down-regulation of miR-145-5p. Clinicopathological analysis indicated that up-regulation of circ_0009910 in breast tumors is related to invasion of the tumor to lymph node (P value = 0.011). Also, the downregulation of miR-145-5p was significantly correlated with tumor invasion to lymph nodes (P value = 0.04) and HER2-negative tumors (P value = 0.037). Finally, overexpression of MUC1 was correlated with age under 45 years (P value = 0.002). More importantly, circ_0009910-siRNA decreased the proliferation and migration ability of breast cancer cells, enhanced expression of miR-145-5p, and decreased levels of MUC1. Taken together, the circ_0009910/miR-145-5p/MUC1 axis has been demonstrated to affect the pathogenesis of breast cancer and might provide a target for breast cancer treatment.

Objective: The present study aims to conduct a comprehensive meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the efficacy of probiotics as an adjunct treatment for preventing and treating gynecological infections. Materials and methods: The study adopted a systematic review of scientific databases including PubMed, Cochrane, and EMBASE, using defined MeSH terms. The inclusion and exclusion criteria were set to refine the search, with the data extraction and quality assessment being conducted by two independent investigators. Results: A total of 35 articles, comprising 3751 patients, were included in the meta-analysis. The application of probiotics demonstrated a notable increase in the cure rates of bacterial vaginosis (BV) and vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) as compared to control groups. A significant BV cure rate (OR: 5.972; 95% CI: 2.62–13.59; p-value: 0.01) was noted with probiotic use, which was even more pronounced when used as an adjunctive treatment with antibiotics (OR: 2.504; 95% CI: 1.03–6.06; p-value: 0.04). Additionally, probiotic use significantly reduced the recurrence rates of BV (OR: 0.34; 95% CI: 0.167–0.71; p-value: 0.004). For VVC, a significant increase in the cure rate was observed in the probiotic group (OR: 3.425; 95% CI: 2.404–4.879; p-value: 0.01), along with a lower recurrence rate (OR: 0.325; 95% CI: 0.175–0.606; p-value: 0.01). Conclusion: Our findings underscore the potential role of probiotics as a beneficial adjunctive treatment for gynecological infections, indicating an improved cure rate and decreased recurrence. However, additional well-designed studies are necessary to corroborate these findings.

Abstract Mining activities have increased the potential risks of metal pollution to the groundwater resources in arid areas across the globe. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the health risk associated with nickel (Ni) in the groundwater sources of a mining-impacted area, South Khorasan, Eastern Iran. A total of 110 stations were included in the study, comprising 62 wells, 40 qanats, and 8 springs in summer, 2020. Initially, the collected samples were tested for temperature, pH, and electrical conductivity (EC). Subsequently, the samples were filtered and treated with nitric acid (HNO3) to measure the concentration of Ni using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Hazard quotient (HQ) and non-carcinogenic risk assessments were employed to evaluate the potential risks of Ni to the inhabitants. The findings revealed that the concentration of Ni ranged from 0.02 to 132.39 μg l−1, and only two stations exhibited Ni concentrations above the WHO standards (20 μg l−1). The results demonstrated that 98.21% of the sampled locations had HQ values below one, indicating negligible risk, while 1.78% of the stations exhibited HQ values of one or higher, representing a high non-carcinogenic risk for water consumers. Overall, the concentration of nickel in the groundwater of South Khorasan exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) limit solely in the Halvan station, posing a non-carcinogenic risk for the residents in that area, and therefore, additional efforts should be made to provide healthier groundwater to consumers in this region.

IntroductionAs a result of the demands of their profession, teachers encounter a range of ergonomic risk factors and are highly susceptible to developing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Accordingly, this systematic review and meta-analysis was carried out to examine the frequency of MSDs among teachers.Materials and methodsThe present research followed the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and its protocol was registered in international prospective register of systematic review (PROSPERO) under the code CRD42024509263. To conduct the searches, various databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, SID, ISC, and Google Scholar were utilized, and the search period was until February 7th, 2024 without time restriction. A random effects model was employed for meta-analysis, and I2 index was utilized to assess heterogeneity among the studies. Data analysis was carried out using STATA (version 14).ResultsAfter an initial search across the mentioned databases, a total of 2,047 articles were identified. Following screening, study selection, and quality evaluation, 44 studies were ultimately chosen for meta-analysis, involving 15,972 teachers. The results of the meta-analysis revealed that the overall prevalence of MSDs among teachers is 68% (95% CI: 61–75, I2 = 99.2%, p

Until now, the biofuel supply chain has lacked an integrated approach to address its fundamental challenges in real-world implementation. The first challenge is maintaining a continuous supply flow in the biofuel network, which can significantly impact economic outcomes and performance measures. The second challenge involves managing water resources for biofuel production to preserve freshwater reserves. The third challenge is managing operational risks, such as uncertainty in biofuel demand, which leads to conservative planning and underscores the need for realistic uncertain programming approaches. To address these challenges, the proposed study designs a biofuel conversion network that utilizes third-generation feedstocks and non-edible seed sources, sourcing necessary water from wastewater resources. This practical solution addresses water-energy relationship concerns, reducing dependency on limited freshwater supplies. To achieve a continuous and cost-effective feed supply, this study incorporates a pre-processing phase using a hybrid Multi-Criteria Decision-Making model. This approach ensures the feed supply remains consistent, economical, and sustainable. To manage the uncertainty in biofuel demand, we developed a robust optimization model with an intersected uncertainty set using a data-driven approach. This approach aims to reduce conservatism in the obtained solutions, making the model more practical for real-world implementation. The numerical results reveal some practical implementation for policymakers. The proposed robust optimization using the configured uncertainty set offers a tool to manage the conservatism of renewable energy demand uncertainty and operational risks more effectively than traditional approaches (0.914%). This formulation can help policymakers to maintain greater robustness against fluctuations in confidence levels. Additionally, the simultaneous use of third-generation and non-edible feedstocks creates a multi-biomass-to-biofuel conversion network, offering practitioners a practical solution that significantly reduces reliance on freshwater resources. Furthermore, policymakers can leverage the proposed pre-processing phase to promote economic and continuous supply feed based on geographical, resource accessibility, and infrastructure criteria.

Given the scarcity of freshwater resources, the growing significance of desalination is undeniable. It holds immense potential, particularly in regions grappling with severe water shortages. However, desalination's Achilles heel lies in its voracious energy appetite, requiring roughly ten times more energy than wastewater treatment. Moreover, the prevalent use of fossil fuels in desalination plants poses concerning issues like environmental pollution, fossil fuel depletion, and rising costs. The present study has designed an integrated Water desalination and treatment Network that includes a number of desalination facilities, storage centers, wind farms, and wastewater treatment facilities. The water desalination and treatment network has been structured using a Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) model, considering uncertainties in wind power and water demand. Employing a chance constraint probabilistic programming approach, this model ensures robustness and balances conservatism with investment attractiveness. It aims to enhance resilience against fluctuations in wind energy and water demand within the water and energy supply chain network. The study applied this model to optimize the locations of desalination plants, treatment centers, and storage facilities. This integrated model ensures autonomy, eliminating the need for external water and energy sources while reliably meeting regional demands. In the context of the Makran coasts case study, our comprehensive mathematical model demonstrates an optimal allocation with 96.67 % attributed to fixed costs and only 3.33 % to variable costs. Moreover, this model precisely optimizes the locations of two desalination centers, two storage facilities, and ten water treatment centers, effectively managing the need for external water resources. Ultimately, through a rigorous sensitivity analysis, we unveiled that the chance constraint parameters have a significant impact on the variable costs.

‎In emergency situations‎, ‎accurate demand forecasting for relief materials such as food‎, ‎water‎, ‎and medicine is crucial for effective disaster response‎. ‎This research is presented a novel algorithm to demand forecasting for relief materials using extended Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) with the best-worst method (BWM) and Hidden Markov Models (HMMs)‎. ‎The proposed algorithm involves training an HMM on historical data to obtain a set of state sequences representing the temporal fluctuations in demand for different relief materials‎. ‎When a new disaster occurs‎, ‎the algorithm first determines the current state sequence using the available data and searches the case library for past disasters with similar state sequences‎. ‎The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated through experiments on real-world disaster data of Iran‎. ‎Based on the results‎, ‎the forecasting error index for four relief materials is less than 10\%; therefore‎, ‎the proposed CBR-BWM-HMM is a strong and robust algorithm‎.

Abstract With improved treatment of coronary artery disease, more patients are surviving until heart failure occurs. This leads to an increase in patients needing devices for struggling with heart failure. Ventricular assist devices are known as the mainstay of these devices. This study aimed to design a centrifugal pump as a ventricular assist device. In order to design the pump, firstly, the geometrical parameters of the pump, including the gap distance, blade height, and position of the outlet relative to the blade, were investigated. Finally, the selected configuration, which had all the appropriate characteristics, both hydraulically and physiologically, was used for the rest of the study. The study of the blade, as the main component in energy transfer to the blood, in a centrifugal pump, has been considered in the present study. In this regard, the point-to-point design method, which is used in industrial applications, was implemented. The designer chooses the relationship between the blade angles at each radius in the point-to-point method. The present study selected logarithmic and second-order relations for designing the blade’s profile. In total, 58 blades were examined in this study, which differed regarding blade inlet and outlet angles and the relationship between angle and radial position. ANSYS CFX 17.0 software was utilized to simulate blades’ performances, and a benchmark pump provided by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was used to validate the numerical simulations. Then, the selected impeller from the numerical investigation was manufactured, and its performance was compared experimentally with the FDA benchmark pump. A hydraulic test rig was also developed for experimental studies. The results showed that among the blades designed in this study, the blade with an input angle of 45° and an output angle of 55°, which is designed to implement a logarithmic relationship, has the best performance. The selected impeller configuration can increase the total head (at least by 20%) at different flow rates compared to the FDA pump.

The temperature difference between the pure and impure water on the two sides of a membrane can lead to water purification. The asymmetry of molecular kinetic energy on both sides of the membrane causes pure water to move from the hot side to the cold one. In this research, a carbon nanotube membrane filtration system based on the temperature difference between water sources has been investigated by the molecular dynamics simulation method. The effect of various factors has been investigated. The simulation results confirm the possibility of using a thermal driving force for water purification with carbon nanotubes. The results show that by increasing the hot source temperature, the water passage and the purification speed increase. Such that increasing the temperature difference between sources from 15 to 60 K increases the water purification rate by 30%. Simultaneously, the possibility of impurities passing through the nanotube also increases. Increasing the impurity concentration slows down the purification process. Increasing the diameter of the nanotube up to 15 Å increases the water purification rate. In nanotubes with a diameter of less than 15 Å, 100% of impurities are removed. Among the examined nanotubes, the best performance was obtained for the armchair carbon nanotube.

Abstract Background Breast ultrasound is highly sensitive, but its specificity is not as high for detecting malignant lesions. Auxiliary modalities like elastography, Color and Power Doppler ultrasound are used as adjuncts to yield both a high sensitivity and specificity. Superb microvascular imaging (SMI) is a newer modality with more accuracy for detecting breast lesions. In this study, our goal was to investigate the role of SMI as an adjunct to ultrasound and find a suitable combination model for the evaluation of breast masses. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 132 women with 172 breast masses who underwent ultrasound-guided biopsy were included.. The ultrasound features of the lesion, the strain ratio in strain elastography, the number of vessels for each lesion, their morphology and distribution in Doppler and Power Doppler ultrasound and SMI were recorded for each lesion. A vascular score and a vascular ratio were defined. Results In the histologic examination, 31 lesions (18%) were malignant and 141 lesions (82%) were benign. The vascular score was more accurate than the vascular ratio in all three modalities. The predictive ability of strain ratio was higher than Doppler and Power Doppler ultrasound and SMI. Adding SMI alone to ultrasound increased the specificity from 46.10% to 61.2% and the accuracy from 55.80% to 70.11%. In the combination of ultrasound with other modalities, the best was the combination of ultrasound, strain elastography, and SMI; which yielded a specificity and sensitivity of 100% and 74.4%, respectively. Conclusion Adding SMI and STE modalities as adjuncts to ultrasound lowers the chance of missing malignant lesions and reduces unnecessary biopsies of breast lesions. A study with a larger sample size using this combination model to evaluate the accuracy with greater precision is recommended.

Objective(s): Postpartum depression is common in women. The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating and comparing the prevalence and factors affecting symptoms of postpartum depression in 6 months before and after the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic. Methods: This cross-sectional study compared symptoms of postpartum depression in 39724 women who gave birth 6 months before the COVID-19 pandemic and 6100 women who gave birth after the COVID-19 pandemic. The information related to the symptoms of postpartum depression was extracted from mental health screening records that are commonly used in health centers covered by the Ministry of Health. General information was obtained from the National Integrated Health System of the Ministry of Health and the data were analyzed in SPSS 22 software. Results: The prevalence of postpartum depressive symptoms 6 months before and 6 months after the COVID-19 pandemic was 1.9% and 2.6%, respectively. Symptoms of Postpartum depression 6 months before the COVID-19 pandemic significantly was associated with age, body mass index, history of infant death, unwanted pregnancy, the number of births (P

This study examines the influence of participative leadership and cultural factors on employees’ speaking-up behaviour and knowledge-sharing in supplier development initiatives in the garment industry. Specifically, this study investigates the impact of leadership effectiveness, cultural dimensions, and individual characteristics using surveys and interviews. Our findings indicate that participative leadership positively correlates with employee speaking-up behaviour. However, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) results show that language proficiency and region significantly influence employees’ willingness to speak up, although the differences in knowledge-sharing scores across cultural groups are statistically insignificant. Mediation analysis further reveals that perceived leadership effectiveness partially mediates the relationship between participatory leadership and knowledge-sharing intentions. The interview findings provide deeper insights into the roles of cultural intelligence, communication barriers, and social identity in shaping knowledge flow. These findings offer practical implications for organisations seeking to enhance supplier development initiatives. To foster an inclusive environment that empowers employee voice and encourages collaborative knowledge sharing, organisations can adopt participative leadership, accommodate cultural and linguistic diversity, and promote effective leadership perceptions. We anticipate that future research will explore the generalisability of these findings across industries and examine additional cultural dimensions that influence knowledge-sharing dynamics.

Abstract Objective Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a debilitating condition that can lead to myocardial infarction (MI). Exosomal miRNAs (exo‐miRNA) can be diagnostic biomarkers for detecting MI. Here, we conduct a study to evaluate the efficacy of exo‐miRNA‐21‐5p/3p for early detection of MI. Methods A total of 135 CAD patients and 150 healthy subjects participated in this study. Additionally, we randomly divided 26 male Wistar rats (12 weeks old) into two groups: control and induced MI. Angiographic images were used to identify patients and healthy individuals of all genders. In the following, serum exosomes were obtained, and exo‐miRNA‐21‐5p/3p was measured by reverse‐transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Results We observed an upregulation of exo‐miRNA‐21‐5p/3p in CAD patient and MI‐induced animal groups compared to controls. Analysis of the ROC curves defined 82% and 88% of the participants' exo‐miRNA‐21‐5p and exo‐miRNA‐21‐3p diagnostic power, respectively, which in the animal model was 92 and 82. Conclusion This study revealed that the mean expression levels of exo‐miRNA‐21‐5p/3p were significantly increased in CAD patients and animal models of induced MI. Also, these results are associated with the atherogenic lipid profile of CAD patients, which may play an important role in the progression of the disease. Therefore, they can be considered as novel biomarkers.

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased anxiety, stress, and depression, which could have harmful consequences for pregnant women. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of postpartum depression during COVID-19 using an umbrella review and meta-analysis.MethodsThe current study followed the PRISMA guideline and utilized data from various sources such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The searches were conducted without a time limit until the end of May 2023. Meta-analysis was performed using the random effects model, heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 index, and publication bias was evaluated using Begg’s test. Data analysis was carried out using STATA software (version 15).ResultsIn this study, 243 articles were initially identified. Only meta-analysis studies that reported PPD during COVID-19 were included. After quality assessment, nine papers were selected for the meta-analysis stage. The study found that the prevalence postpartum depression (PPD) was 25.27% (95% CI = 23.66–27.86, I2 = 0.0%, p = 0.549).ConclusionThe findings of this study revealed that the incidence of PPD during the COVID-19 pandemic was relatively high. To decrease mental health issues among pregnant and postpartum women, healthcare professionals should implement community programs aimed at preventing, promptly identifying, and providing appropriate intervention for pregnant women. This is crucial as pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to psychological distress during infectious disease outbreaks.