88 results on '"Shams Z"'
Search Results
2. Protein interaction and in vitro cytotoxicity studies of newly designed palladium (II) nitrate complexes: spectrochemical, theoretical and biological assessments
- Author
-
Shams, Z., Divsalar, A., Ghalandari, B., Sanginabadi, F., Saboury, A. A., and Mansouri-Torshizi, H.
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Cofiring of renewable biodiesel fuels inside natural gas flame for enhancement of thermal properties of flame and NOx reduction.
- Author
-
Pourhoseini, S.H. and Shams, Z.
- Subjects
GREEN diesel fuels ,INFRARED radiation ,BIODIESEL fuels ,GAS as fuel ,HEAT radiation & absorption ,FLAME - Abstract
This study investigates the co‐combustion of palm oil biodiesel fuel, as a renewable alternative for diesel fuel, inside natural gas flame to enhance the flame thermal specifications and NOx reduction. A power natural gas burner with a maximum heat capacity of 418,400 kJ/h was installed at the inlet of a laboratory furnace and biodiesel fuel was injected inside natural gas burner with a 100 μm in diameter solid cone nozzle. Flame temperature, thermal radiation, Infrared radiation, and CO, CO2 and NOx emission were measured. The results revealed that biodiesel injection increases the flame size and turns the non‐luminous blue flame into yellow‐colored flame. Furthermore, higher flash point and Sauter Mean Diameter of biodiesel promote the thermal decomposition of fuel droplets and increase the concentrations of Intermediate Soot Particles in the flame which in turn increases the flame emissivity coefficient and consequently flame thermal radiation. Also, the oxygen content of biodiesel fuel has an important role in the complete combustion of Intermediate Soot Particles to CO2 which increases the heat release of biodiesel combustion and raises the flame temperature. The average enhancement in thermal radiation and flame temperature were 5.6% and 43.38%, respectively. Finally, although biodiesel injection increases the flame temperature, it also increases the flame surface reaction and eliminates the hot spot region in the flame. Therefore, the rate of heat generation per unit volume of flame decreases and this decreases the rate of NOx emission as much as 10.84%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. An experimental investigation of ignition probability of diesel fuel droplets with metal oxide nanoparticles
- Author
-
Shams, Z. and Moghiman, M.
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. Effect of metal oxide nanoparticles on the ignition characteristics of diesel fuel droplets: an experimental study
- Author
-
Shams, Z. and Moghiman, M.
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses: strategies to cope with coinfection and bioinformatics perspective
- Author
-
Nazarlou, Ziba, Ghaznavi, H; Shirvaliloo, M.; Sargazi, S.; Mohammadghasemipour, Z.; Shams, Z.; Hesari, Z.; Shahraki, O.; Sheervalilou, R.; Shirvalilou S., Graduate School of Sciences and Engineering, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Nazarlou, Ziba, Ghaznavi, H; Shirvaliloo, M.; Sargazi, S.; Mohammadghasemipour, Z.; Shams, Z.; Hesari, Z.; Shahraki, O.; Sheervalilou, R.; Shirvalilou S., Graduate School of Sciences and Engineering, and Department of Materials Science and Engineering
- Abstract
Almost a century after the devastating pandemic of the Spanish flu, humankind is facing the relatively comparable global outbreak of COVID-19. COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 with an unprecedented transmission pattern. In the face of the recent repercussions of COVID-19, many have argued that the clinical experience with influenza through the last century may have tremendous implications in the containment of this newly emerged viral disease. During the last 2 years, from the emergence of COVID-19, tremendous advances have been made in diagnosing and treating coinfections. Several approved vaccines are available now for the primary prevention of COVID-19 and specific treatments exist to alleviate symptoms. The present review article aims to discuss the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A virus coinfection while delivering a bioinformatics-based insight into this subject matter., Zahedan University of Medical Sciences
- Published
- 2022
7. Prevalence and molecular characterization of verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 in cattle and sheep in Shiraz-Iran
- Author
-
Tahamtan, Y., Pourbakhsh, S.A., Hayati, M.,, Namdar, N., Shams, Z.,, and Namvari, M.M.
- Subjects
E. coli O157 ,Cattle ,Sheep ,Iran ,Veterinary medicine ,SF600-1100 - Abstract
Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli have been associated with HUS, HC and TTP in human. We found recto-anal mucosal sample in sheep as well in cattle is the main site for E. coli O157 localization. 1246 E. coli isolates from 872 both healthy and diarrheic animals were analyzed, by screening for the presence of Shiga toxin-producing (VT 1 and VT 2) and intimin (eae) genes used Multiplex PCR. 87(9.75%) VTEC from 52 cattle and 28(7.90%) from 28 sheep were isolated. VT2 gene was found to be more frequent than VT1 in cattle (54.02% vs 26.43%), in contrast the same genes in sheep (21.42%vs25%). There was observed significant difference in the origin of VT positive sheep in close contact with farms of cattle origin. Having cattle and sheep with each other was a possible risk factor. The animal was kept in pen was more localized than tethered. Young cattle were documented strongly significant high prevalence rate in E. coli O157:H7 than older, but no effect of age was observed on the occurrence of E. coli O157 in sheep. Both diarrheic and healthy animals were shed E. coli O157:H7 in their feces. Sheep and dairy cow were not illustrated any significance differences geographical region and seasonal variation with E. coli O157:H7 prevalence rate.
- Published
- 2011
8. Entropy Generation Analysis for a Non-Axisymmetric Flow Over a Rotating Porous Disk
- Author
-
Baghban, M., primary, Esfahani, J. A., additional, and Shams, Z., additional
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
9. Deductive reasoning about expressive statements using external graphical representations
- Author
-
Sato, Y, Stapleton, G, Jamnik, M, and Shams, Z
- Subjects
05 social sciences ,050109 social psychology ,0501 psychology and cognitive sciences ,050105 experimental psychology - Abstract
Research in psychology on reasoning has often been restricted to relatively inexpressive statements involving quantifiers. This is limited to situations that typically do not arise in practical settings, such as ontology engineering. In order to provide an analysis of inference, we focus on reasoning tasks presented in external graphic representations where statements correspond to those involving multiple quantifiers and unary and binary relations. Our experiment measured participants’ performance when reasoning with two notations. The first used topology to convey information via node-link diagrams (i.e. graphs). The second used topological and spatial constraints to convey information (Euler diagrams with additional graph-like syntax). We found that topological- spatial representations were more effective than topological representations. Unlike topological-spatial representations, reasoning with topological representations was harder when involving multiple quantifiers and binary relations than single quantifiers and unary relations. These findings are compared to those for sentential reasoning tasks.
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
10. Protein interaction and in vitro cytotoxicity studies of newly designed palladium (II) nitrate complexes: spectrochemical, theoretical and biological assessments
- Author
-
Shams, Z., primary, Divsalar, A., additional, Ghalandari, B., additional, Sanginabadi, F., additional, Saboury, A. A., additional, and Mansouri-Torshizi, H., additional
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
11. 188P Breast cancer risk factors in Iran: A systematic review & meta-analysis
- Author
-
Shamshirian, A., primary, Heydari, K., additional, Shams, Z., additional, Aref, A.R., additional, Shamshirian, D., additional, Tamtaji, O.R., additional, Asemi, Z., additional, Mirzaei, H., additional, Mohammadi, N., additional, Zibaee, B., additional, Karimifar, K., additional, Zarandi, B., additional, Hedayatizadeh-Omran, A., additional, and Alizadeh-Navaei, R., additional
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
12. Fabrication of Polycaprolactone-Gelatin scaffold for Cardiac Progenitor Cellsdifferentiation
- Author
-
Shams, Z, primary, Akbari, B, additional, Rajabi, S, additional, and Aghdami, N, additional
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
13. Icon: A diagrammatic theorem prover for ontologies
- Author
-
Shams, Z, Jamnik, M, Stapleton, G, and Sato, Y
- Subjects
TheoryofComputation_MATHEMATICALLOGICANDFORMALLANGUAGES ,Computer Science::Information Retrieval - Abstract
Concept diagrams form a visual language that is aimed at non-experts for the specification of ontologies and reason- ing about them. Empirical evidence suggests that they are more accessible to ontology users than symbolic notations typically used for ontologies (e.g., DL, OWL). Here, we re- port on iCon, a theorem prover for concept diagrams that al- lows reasoning about ontologies diagrammatically. The input to iCon is a theorem that needs proving to establish how an entailment, in an ontology that needs debugging, is caused by a minimal set of axioms. Such a minimal set of axioms is called an entailment justification. Carrying out inference in iCon provides a diagrammatic proof (i.e., explanation) that shows how the axioms in an entailment justification give rise to the entailment under investigation. iCon proofs are for- mally verified and guaranteed to be correct., Zohreh
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
14. A comparison of in vivo MRI based cortical myelin mapping using T1w/T2w and R1 mapping at 3T
- Author
-
Shams, Z., Norris, D.G., Marques, J.P., Shams, Z., Norris, D.G., and Marques, J.P.
- Abstract
Contains fulltext : 205136.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access), In this manuscript, we compare two commonly used methods to perform cortical mapping based on myelination of the human neocortex. T1w/T2w and R1 maps with matched total acquisition times were obtained from a young cohort in randomized order and using a test–retest design. Both methodologies showed cortical myelin maps that enhanced similar anatomical features, namely primary sensory regions known to be myelin rich. T1w/T2w maps showed increased robustness to movement artifacts in comparison to R1 maps, while the test re-test reproducibility of both methods was comparable. Based on Brodmann parcellation, both methods showed comparable variability within each region. Having parcellated cortical myelin maps into VDG11b areas of 4a, 4p, 3a, 3b, 1, 2, V2, and MT, both methods behave identically with R1 showing an increased variability between subjects. In combination with the test re-test evaluation, we concluded that this increased variability between subjects reflects relevant tissue variability. A high level of correlation was found between the R1 and T1w/T2w regions with regions of higher deviations being co-localized with those where the transmit RF field deviated most from its nominal value. We conclude that R1 mapping strategies might be preferable when studying different population cohorts where cortical properties are expected to be altered while T1w/T2w mapping will have advantages when performing cortical based segmentation.
- Published
- 2019
15. Accessible reasoning with diagrams: From cognition to automation
- Author
-
Shams, Z, Sato, Y, Jamnik, M, and Stapleton, G
- Subjects
46 Information and Computing Sciences ,4602 Artificial Intelligence - Abstract
High-tech systems are ubiquitous and often safety and se- curity critical: reasoning about their correctness is paramount. Thus, precise modelling and formal reasoning are necessary in order to convey knowledge unambiguously and accurately. Whilst mathematical mod- elling adds great rigour, it is opaque to many stakeholders which leads to errors in data handling, delays in product release, for example. This is a major motivation for the development of diagrammatic approaches to formalisation and reasoning about models of knowledge. In this paper, we present an interactive theorem prover, called iCon, for a highly expressive diagrammatic logic that is capable of modelling OWL 2 ontologies and, thus, has practical relevance. Significantly, this work is the first to design diagrammatic inference rules using insights into what humans find accessible. Specifically, we conducted an experiment about relative cognitive benefits of primitive (small step) and derived (big step) inferences, and use the results to guide the implementation of inference rules in iCon.
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
16. Inverse Analysis of a Porous Fin to Estimate Time-Dependent Base Temperature
- Author
-
Baghban, M., primary, Shams, Z., additional, and Ebrahimifakhar, Amir, additional
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
17. Normative practical reasoning via argumentation and dialogue
- Author
-
Shams, Z., Vos, M., Oren, N., Julian Padget, and Kambhampati, S.
- Subjects
ComputingMethodologies_ARTIFICIALINTELLIGENCE - Abstract
In a normative environment an agent’s actions are not only directed by its goals but also by the norms imposed on the agent. However, the potential conflicts within and between the agent’s goals and norms makes decision-making in these frameworks a challenging task. The questions we are addressing in this paper are: (i) how should an agent act in a normative environment? (ii) how can the agent point out why it acted in a certain way? We propose a solution in which a normative planning problem serves as the basis for a practical reasoning approach based on argumentation. The properties of the best plan(s) with respect to goal achievement and norm compliance are mapped to arguments that are used to explain why a plan is justified, using an existing proof dialogue game.
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
18. Influence of Dead Space Ratio for the Efficient Working of an Alpha Type Stirling Engine - Mathematical Analysis.
- Author
-
Siddiqui, F. A., Mehmood, A., Hussain, A., Husnain, N., Hassan, M. T., and Shams, Z. E.
- Subjects
MATHEMATICAL analysis ,STIRLING engines ,SPACE - Abstract
An Alpha type Stirling engine is different from the other two types in a way that it has two power pistons; one in hot cylinder while other in the cold one. Based on expansion and compression in both cylinders, the engine operates on cyclic manner through external heat source. The efficiency of the engine is recognised by its work done which relies on a number of factors including phase angle, swept volume and dead space. This research demonstrates the efficient working of an Alpha type Stirling engine through optimising the three parameters with a particular focus on the ratio of dead space of two cylinders using Schmidt analysis. Dead space in a Stirling engine is the total void volume in all spaces of engine which does not take part in efficient working of the engine and is unavoidable. The analysis of impact of other parameters to counter the effect of dead space is also the part of examination. The results reveal that negative effects of dead space could be neutralized through suitable selection of other variable parameters. The appropriate combination of swept volumes of both cylinders helps in minimising the effects of dead space and assists in attaining the desired efficiency. The optimal selection of phase angle is also vital, though a little complexed. The results are presented graphically. The examination reveals that negative effects of a parameter could be countered through appropriate selection of other parameters to attain the desired efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
19. Mother's care-seeking behavior for neonatal danger signs from qualified providers in rural Bangladesh: A generalized structural equation modeling and mediation analysis
- Author
-
Rashidul Azad, Sk Masum Billah, Bal Ram Bhui, Nazia Binte Ali, Samantha Herrera, Joseph de Graft-Johnson, Lyndsey Garg, Sabrina Sharmin Priyanka, Shams Zubair, S. M. Rokonuzzaman, Mohammad Mahmoodur Rahman, Umme Salma Jahan Meena, and Shams El Arifeen
- Subjects
care-seeking behavior ,neonatal danger signs ,neonatal illness ,newborn illness ,Bangladesh ,generalized structural equation modeling (GSEM) ,Pediatrics ,RJ1-570 - Abstract
BackgroundNeonatal deaths contribute to nearly half (47%) of under-five mortality globally and 67% in Bangladesh. Despite high neonatal mortality, care-seeking from qualified providers for newborn danger signs remains low. Identification of direct and indirect factors and their pathways affecting care-seeking will help to design a well-targeted intervention. This study assessed the direct, indirect, and total effect of the predictive factors on neonatal care-seeking in Bangladesh.Materials and methodsThis was a cross-sectional baseline household survey conducted in 14 districts of Bangladesh in 2019 with 17,251 recently delivered women (RDW) with a live birth outcome in the preceding 15 months. We used a two-stage stratified cluster sampling process to select the samples from 14 districts. We investigated the inter-relationship of maternal background characteristics, maternal health utilizations, child/neonate factors, health service delivery-related factors and newborn danger sign knowledge with newborn care-seeking practices and estimated the direct, indirect, and total effects using Generalized Structural Equation Modeling (GSEM) and mediation analysis. p-value = 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The result of the mediation analysis was reported in Log Odds (LOD). The positive LOD (LOD > 0) implies a positive association.ResultsHalf of the mothers (50.8%) reported a neonatal illness and among them, only 36.5% mothers of sick neonates sought care from qualified providers. Our mediation analysis showed that maternal health utilization factors, i.e., 4 + antenatal care visits (ANC) from a qualified provider (LOD: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.49, 0.78), facility delivery (LOD: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.30, 1.17) and postnatal care (PNC) from a qualified provider (LOD: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.21, 0.78) showed the highest total effect over other factors domains, and therefore, were the most important modifiable predictors for qualified neonatal care-seeking. Other important factors that directly and/or indirectly increased the chance of newborn care-seeking from qualified providers were household wealth (LOD: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.70, 1.02), maternal education (LOD: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.32, 0.63), distance to nearest health facility (LOD: 0.20, 95% CI: 0.10, 0.30), community health worker's (CHWs) home visits during ANC (LOD: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.13, 0.36), neonatal danger sign counseling after delivery (LOD: 0.20, 95% CI: 0.06, 0.34) and women's knowledge of neonatal danger signs (LOD: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.64).ConclusionThe inter-relationship and highest summative effect of ANC, facility delivery, and PNC on newborn care-seeking suggested the maternal care continuum altogether from ANC to facility delivery and PNC to improve care-seeking for the sick newborn. Additionally, referral training for unqualified providers, targeted intervention for poorer households, increasing CHWs home visits and neonatal danger sign counseling at the facility and community should also be considered.
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
20. Peanut-based ready-to-use therapeutic food: acceptability among malnourished children and community workers in Bangladesh
- Author
-
Ali, E., primary, Zachariah, R., additional, Dahmane, A., additional, Van den Boogaard, W., additional, Shams, Z., additional, Akter, T., additional, Alders, P., additional, Manzi, M., additional, Allaouna, M., additional, Draguez, B., additional, Delchevalerie, P., additional, and Harries, A. D., additional
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
21. Is mid-upper arm circumference alone sufficient for deciding admission to a nutritional programme for childhood severe acute malnutrition in Bangladesh?
- Author
-
Ali, E., primary, Zachariah, R., additional, Shams, Z., additional, Vernaeve, L., additional, Alders, P., additional, Salio, F., additional, Manzi, M., additional, Allaouna, M., additional, Draguez, B., additional, Delchevalerie, P., additional, and Harries, A. D., additional
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
22. Does the 65 cm height cut-off as age proxy exclude children eligible for nutritional assessment in Bangladesh?
- Author
-
Ali, E., primary, Zachariah, R., additional, Hinderaker, S. G., additional, Satyanarayana, S., additional, Kizito, W., additional, Alders, P., additional, Shams, Z., additional, Allaouna, M., additional, Draguez, B., additional, Delchevalerie, P., additional, and Enarson, D. A., additional
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
23. Severe malnutrition in children presenting to health facilities in an urban slum in Bangladesh
- Author
-
Shams, Z., primary, Zachariah, R., additional, Enarson, D. A., additional, Satyanarayana, S., additional, Van den Bergh, R., additional, Ali, E., additional, Alders, P., additional, Manzi, M., additional, Allaouna, M., additional, Draguez, B., additional, Delchevalerie, P., additional, Vernaeve, L., additional, and Harries, A. D., additional
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
24. On Resource Bipartitioning Problem.
- Author
-
Shams, Z., Ferdous, S., Kazi Zakia Sultana, and Saidur Rahman, Md.
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
25. Molecular Dynamics and Carbon-13Relaxation in the Nematic and Smectic A, C, and B Phases of 50.7.
- Author
-
Lewis, J. S., Shams, Z., Tomchuk, E., and Bock, E.
- Published
- 1989
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
26. Exploring and conceptualising attestation
- Author
-
Ian Oliver, Gem Stapleton, Zohreh Shams, Mateja Jamnik, John Howse, Oliver, I [0000-0002-8319-2612], Howse, J [0000-0002-2329-2726], Stapleton, G [0000-0002-6567-6752], Shams, Z [0000-0002-0143-798X], Jamnik, M [0000-0003-2772-2532], and Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository
- Subjects
Computer science ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Context (language use) ,0603 philosophy, ethics and religion ,computer.software_genre ,Trust ,01 natural sciences ,Domain (software engineering) ,Attestation ,Function (engineering) ,media_common ,business.industry ,010401 analytical chemistry ,06 humanities and the arts ,Domain model ,Virtualization ,0104 chemical sciences ,System requirements ,Diagrammatic reasoning ,060302 philosophy ,Networks ,Software engineering ,business ,computer ,Specification ,Diagrams - Abstract
When formalising the rules of trust in the remote attesta- tion of TPM-based computer systems it is paramount that the rules are precisely understood, supporting unambiguous communication of infor- mation about system requirements between engineers. We present a dia- grammatic approach to modelling rules of trust using an extended version of concept diagrams. Within the context of our proof-of-concept Net- work Function Virtualisation and Attestation environment, these rules allow different level of trust to be explored and, importantly, allow us to identify when a computer system should not be trusted. To ensure that the modelling approach can be applied to general systems, we in- clude generic patterns for extending our domain model and rules of trust. Consequently, through the use of a formal, yet accessible, diagrammatic notation, domain experts can define rules of trust for their systems.
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
27. 31 P multi-echo MRSI with low B 1 + dual-band refocusing RF pulses.
- Author
-
Shams Z, van der Kemp WJM, Klomp DWJ, Wiegers EC, and Wijnen JP
- Subjects
- Humans, Phosphorus, Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods, Brain diagnostic imaging, Brain metabolism, Phosphorus Isotopes, Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted, Radio Waves, Phantoms, Imaging, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy methods
- Abstract
31 P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) can spectrally resolve metabolites involved in phospholipid metabolism whose levels are altered in many cancers. Ultra-high field facilitates the detection of phosphomonoesters (PMEs) and phosphodiesters (PDEs) with increased SNR and spectral resolution. Utilizing multi-echo MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) further enhances SNR and enables T2 information estimation per metabolite. To address the specific absorption rate (SAR) challenges associated with high-power demanding adiabatic or composite block pulses in multi-echo phosphorus imaging, we present a dual-band refocusing RF pulse designed for operation at B1 amplitudes of 14.8 μT which holds potential for integration into multi-echo sequences. Phantom and in vivo experiments conducted in the brain at 7 Tesla validated the effectiveness of this low-power dual-band RF pulse. Furthermore, we implemented the dual-band RF pulse into a multi-echo MRSI sequence where it offered the potential to increase the number of echo pulses within the same acquisition time compared to high-power adiabatic implementation, demonstrating its feasibility and practicality., (© 2024 The Author(s). NMR in Biomedicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)- Published
- 2025
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
28. Molecular insights into the hedgehog signaling pathway correlated non-coding RNAs in acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a bioinformatics study.
- Author
-
Talebi E, Ghoraeian P, Shams Z, and Rahimi H
- Abstract
Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a common hematologic cancer with unique incidence and prognosis patterns in people of all ages. Recent molecular biology advances have illuminated ALL's complex molecular pathways, notably the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling system and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). This work aimed to unravel the molecular complexities of the link between Hh signaling and ALL by concentrating on long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and their interactions with significant Hh pathway genes., Methods: To analyze differentially expressed lncRNAs and genes in ALL, microarray data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) was reanalyzed using a systems biology approach. Hh signaling pathway-related genes were identified and their relationship with differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs (DElncRNAs) was analyzed using Pearson's correlation analysis. A regulatory network was built by identifying miRNAs that target Hh signaling pathway-related mRNAs., Results: 193 DEGs and 226 DElncRNAs were found between ALL and normal bone marrow samples. Notably, DEGs associated with the Hh signaling pathway were correlated to 26 DElncRNAs. Later studies showed interesting links between DElncRNAs and biological processes and pathways, including drug resistance, immune system control, and carcinogenic characteristics. DEGs associated with the Hh signaling pathway have miRNAs in common with miRNAs already known to be involved in ALL, including miR-155-5p, and miR-211, highlighting the complexity of the regulatory landscape in this disease., Conclusion: The complex connections between Hh signaling, lncRNAs, and miRNAs in ALL have been unveiled in this study, indicating that DElncRNAs linked to Hh signaling pathway genes could potentially serve as therapeutic targets and diagnostic biomarkers for ALL., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
29. Development of hen egg-based protein beverages with high nutritional value.
- Author
-
Shams Z, Allahdad Z, Jaiswal L, Salmieri S, and Lacroix M
- Abstract
Physical stability is a prerequisite for any emulsion-based beverage. This study aimed to optimize beverage emulsion (BE) rich in whole egg, whey protein isolate (WPI), and soyabean oil in the presence of polygalactose derivative as adsorbing hydrocolloids (AH) and partially hydrolyzed starch as non-adsorbing hydrocolloids (NAH). All formulations were optimized for stability, particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), and zeta potential (ζ). A central composite design was applied to investigate the impact of WPI concentration, hydrocolloid concentration, oil volume, and pH as independent factors on particle size, PDI, and ζ of emulsions. The optimum conditions were met upon formulating BE with 1 whole egg, 9.28 g WPI, 11.24 g AH, 5.58 mL oil at pH 7. Two optimal formulations were obtained for BE stabilized with NAH at pH 3 and 7, at which droplets had the highest electrical charge. Noting that, less amount of NAH (7.5 g) was required at pH 3 than at pH 7 (13.56 g). Oil content (3 mL) and WPI concentration (16 g) for both NAH formulations were similar. The size, polydispersity index (PDI), and zeta potential of AH-stabilized emulsion were 762 nm, 0.69, and - 32.05 mV, respectively, while for NAH emulsion, they were 150.02 nm, 0.40, and - 28.53 mV at pH 7; and 248.39 nm, 0.41, and 27.1 mV at pH 3, respectively. No conspicuous gravitational separation was observed after 20 days of storage at 4 °C. Hence, both hydrocolloids are appropriate to stabilize protein-enriched BE at neutral pH; however, physical stability was also achieved at acidic pH for NAH-stabilized emulsions., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no confict of interest., (© Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (India) 2023. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
30. Molecular modeling of some commercially available antiviral drugs and their derivatives against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
- Author
-
Arman M, Alam S, Maruf RA, Shams Z, and Islam MN
- Subjects
- Humans, SARS-CoV-2 drug effects, Drug Repositioning, COVID-19 Drug Treatment, Models, Molecular, COVID-19 virology, Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 metabolism, Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 chemistry, Pneumonia, Viral drug therapy, Pneumonia, Viral virology, Pandemics, Antiviral Agents pharmacology, Antiviral Agents chemistry, Molecular Docking Simulation
- Abstract
Numerous prior studies have identified therapeutic targets that could effectively combat severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, including the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), and Main protease (Mpro). In parallel, antiviral compounds like abacavir, acyclovir, adefovir, amantadine, amprenavir, darunavir, didanosine, oseltamivir, penciclovir, and tenofovir are under investigation for their potential in drug repurposing to address this infection. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of modifying the functional groups of the aforementioned antivirals in silico. Using the genetic optimization for ligand docking algorithm on software Maestro (version 11.1), the modified antivirals were docked onto ACE2 receptor, RdRp, and Mpro. Using QuickProp (Maestro v11.1), PASS (prediction of activity spectra for the substances), and altogether with SwissADME, the ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity) of the modified antivirals, as well as their bioavailability and the predicted activity spectra, were determined. Discovery studio software was used to undertake post-docking analysis. Among the 10 antivirals, N(CH
3 )2 derivative of darunavir, N(CH3 )2 derivative of amprenavir and NCH3 derivative of darunavir exhibited best binding affinities with ACE2 receptor (docking scores: -10.333, -9.527 and -9.695 kJ/mol, respectively). Moreover, NCH3 derivative of abacavir (-6.506 kJ/mol), NO2 derivative of didanosine (-6.877 kJ/mol), NCH3 derivative of darunavir (-7.618 kJ/mol) exerted promising affinity to Mpro. In conclusion, the results of the in silico screenings can serve as a useful information for future experimental works., Competing Interests: Authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2024 by the authors.)- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
31. Genetic variation and response to selection of photosynthetic and forage characteristics in Kentucky bluegrass ( Poa pratensis L.) ecotypes under drought conditions.
- Author
-
Shariatipour N, Shams Z, Heidari B, and Richards C
- Abstract
Introduction: Evaluation of the effects of water-limited conditions on the photosynthetic characteristics and forage yield is important for enhancing the forage productivity and drought tolerance in Kentucky bluegrass ( Poa pratensis L.)., Methods: In the present study, 100 P . pratensis ecotypes collected from different geographical areas in Iran were assessed under well-watered and drought stress conditions. Genetic variation and response to selection for the photosynthetic characteristics [i.e., net photosynthesis rate (A), stomatal conductance ( g
s ), transpiration rate (Tr ), chlorophyll content (Chl), and photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm)] and forage yield [fresh forage yield (FY) and dry forage yield (Dy)] traits were analyzed during the 2018 and 2019 growing seasons., Results and Discussion: Drought stress had negative effects on evaluated photosynthesis parameters and significantly reduced dry and fresh forage yields. On average, FY with a 45% decrease and gs with a 326% decrease under drought stress conditions showed the highest reduction rate among forage yield and photosynthesis traits, respectively. Genotypic coefficients of variation (GCV) for FY were lower under drought stress. The estimates of heritability, genetic advance, and genetic advance as percentage of mean showed the predominance of additive gene action for the traits. Overall, the results showed that "Ciakhor", "Damavand", "Karvandan", "Basmenj", "Abr2", "Abrumand", "Borhan", "Hezarkanian", "LasemCheshmeh", "Torshab", and "DoSar" have higher forage yield production with little change between two irrigation regimes, which makes them promising candidates for developing high-yielding drought-tolerant varieties through breeding programs., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Shariatipour, Shams, Heidari and Richards.)- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
32. The Association Between Higher Expression of Talin-1 and the Reduced Survival Rate in Ovarian Serous Carcinoma Patients.
- Author
-
Sharbatoghli M, Saeednejad Zanjani L, Fahimeh F, Kalantari E, Habibi Shams Z, Panahi M, Totonchi M, Asadi-Lari M, and Madjd Z
- Abstract
Background & Objective: Talin-1 is a constituent of the multiprotein adhesion complexes that play main role in the formation of tumors and migration in different types of malignancies. The present study aimed to assess expression and prognostic significance of the talin-1 protein in ovarian serous carcinoma (OSC) patients., Methods: The expression of talin-1 in mRNA and its protein levels were investigated for ovarian cancer (OC) by using bioinformatics tools, including Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis 2 (GEPIA2), Gene Expression Database of Normal and Tumor Tissue 2 (GENT2), and The University of ALabama at Birmingham CANcer data analysis Portal (UALCAN) databases. Thereafter, immunohistochemical (IHC) staining was used to study the expression patterns of the talin-1 protein using 46 paraffin-embedded OSC tissue specimens, 25 benign tumors, and 20 normal tissues, which were assembled in tissue microarrays (TMAs). We also assessed the potential association between the expression of the talin-1 protein, various clinicopathological parameters, and survival outcomes., Results: Our IHC examination for talin-1 was significantly overexpressed in OSC tissues compared to benign tumors and normal tissues. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis has also indicated statistically significant differences in terms of disease-specific survival (DSS) and progression-free survival (PFS) between the patients with high and low expression levels of talin-1, respectively., Conclusion: The talin-1 protein was overexpressed in OSC tissues, and a high expression level of talin-1 was found to be significantly associated with tumor aggressiveness and poorer DSS or PFS. Therefore, talin-1 may serve as a molecular marker of cancer progression and a novel prognostic biomarker in these patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
33. Single-Voxel MR Spectroscopy of Gliomas with s-LASER at 7T.
- Author
-
Prener M, Opheim G, Shams Z, Søndergaard CB, Lindberg U, Larsson HBW, Ziebell M, Larsen VA, Vestergaard MB, and Paulson OB
- Abstract
Background and Purpose: Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)-a method of analysing metabolites in vivo-has been utilized in several studies of brain glioma biomarkers at lower field strengths. At ultra-high field strengths, MRS provides an improved signal-to-noise-ratio and spectral resolution, but 7T studies on patients with gliomas are sparse. The purpose of this exploratory study was to evaluate the potential clinical implication of the use of single-voxel MRS at 7T to assess metabolic information on lesions in a pilot cohort of patients with grade II and III gliomas., Methods: We scanned seven patients and seven healthy controls using the semi-localization by adiabatic-selective refocusing sequence on a Philips Achieva 7T system with a standard dual-transmit head coil. The metabolic ratios were calculated relative to water and total creatine. Additionally, 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG) MRS was carried out in four of the patients, and the 2-HG concentration was calculated relative to water., Results: When comparing the tumour data to control regions in both patients and healthy controls, we found that the choline/creatine and myo-inositol/creatine ratios were significantly increased and that the N-acetylaspartate/creatine and the neurotransmitter glutamate/creatine ratios were significantly decreased. The N-acetylaspartate/water and glutamate/water ratios were also significantly decreased. The lactate/water and lactate/creatine ratios showed increases, although not significant. The GABA/water ratio was significantly decreased, but the GABA/creatine ratio was not. MRS spectra showed the presence of 2-HG in three of the four patients studied. Three of the patients, including the MRS 2-HG-negative patient, were operated on, and all of them had the IDH mutation., Conclusion: Our findings were consistent with the existing literature on 3T and 7T MRS.
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
34. Inflammatory Bowel Disease Infusion Therapy Adherence in a Rural Pediatric Population.
- Author
-
Hernandez Garcia LR, Shams Z, Magner A, Webster K, Thompson S, and Patel PP
- Abstract
Introduction: Biologic therapy is often used in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn's Disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). While biologic therapy improves outcomes, it is dependent on strict compliance for optimal benefit. Limited information is available to describe IBD infusion therapy compliance and adherence barriers in a rural, geographically dispersed pediatric population., Methods: Parents/guardians and patients (aged 0-21 years) with a diagnosis of IBD and scheduled biologic therapy infusions were offered a survey consisting of a mix of multiple-choice and open-ended questions. Surveys were offered via in-person paper format or telephone., Results: Of the 27 pediatric patients completing the survey, the mean age was 14 years old (SD 3.7 years) with 19 patients having CD and eight patients with UC. The results showed that more than half of the patients (59%) had to reschedule, miss, or delayed their infusion therapy at least once. Therapy compliance was maintained as patients were able to reschedule a new appointment within two weeks. The most common reasons for missing appointments were forgetfulness and school conflicts. Patients wanting to maintain health and avoid flare-ups were reported as key drivers for therapy., Conclusion: Pediatric patients in rural and geographically disperse areas continue to have long commutes and other barriers to IBD specialty care. Forgetfulness and school activities were reported as barriers to biological therapy adherence. Protective factors including knowledge of therapy health benefits, parental involvement, and staff support can help maintain high adherence rates in this population., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Hernandez Garcia et al.)
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
35. New Association Between Diabetes Mellitus and Pancreatic Cancer.
- Author
-
Rezaei M, Shams Z, Rasouli BS, Amirfard KD, Sadrabadi MS, Gheysarzadeh A, Haghani K, and Bakhtiyari S
- Subjects
- Humans, Signal Transduction genetics, Pancreatic Neoplasms, Pancreatic Neoplasms genetics, Diabetes Mellitus epidemiology, Diabetes Mellitus genetics
- Abstract
Background: Diabetes mellitus is a global issue that has affected the lives of many people all over the world. This disorder, which is also called the mother of all diseases, possesses high pathogenicity and results in the emergence of many disorders. One of the known correlated diseases is pancreatic cancer which can be accompanied by diabetes mellitus. Therefore, finding the association between these diseases and common genes is urgent., Objective: In this study, in order to survey the relationship between diabetes mellitus and pancreatic cancer, the common genes of these disorders were analyzed by bioinformatics tools., Methods: For this purpose, we screened 17 shared genes from microarray data downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. In addition, the relationship between identified genes was constructed by STRING and DAVID tools., Results: In total, 112 genes were identified to be differentially expressed. Among these, 17 genes were found to be common, including two genes that were down-regulated and others that were upregulated. Other analyses showed that most of the genes were enriched in Vibrio cholera infection and the mTOR signaling pathway. The biological processes of such genes included oxygen and gas transport, phagosome acidification, and GTPase activity., Conclusion: In this study, 17 common genes that had not previously been considered in diabetes and pancreatic cancer were screened, which can be further considered for clinical approaches and in vitro studies., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
36. A comprehensive bioinformatic analysis revealed novel MicroRNA biomarkers of Parkinson's disease.
- Author
-
Rahimpour A, Heidarzadehpilehrood R, Abdollahi S, Ranjbari H, Shams Z, Ghasemi SA, Najmaei S, and Pirhoushiaran M
- Subjects
- Biomarkers metabolism, Computational Biology methods, Gene Expression Profiling, Gene Regulatory Networks, Humans, Nucleosides, Nucleotides, Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases, Serine, MicroRNAs genetics, MicroRNAs metabolism, Parkinson Disease genetics, Parkinson Disease metabolism
- Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is categorized as a neurodegenerative disorder. Different studies have focused on the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) on PD progression. Due to its complexity in initiation and progression, a considerable requirement has arisen to identify novel miRNA biomarkers in a noninvasive manner. In silico analysis has been used to select differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) and key pathways in this disease. In this manner, several data sets of different neurodegenerative diseases have been analyzed to purify the findings of the present study. Totally, 15 DE miRNAs showed significant changes compared to healthy controls and other neurodegenerative diseases. Then, the targets of the miRNAs were predicted through miRTarBase and TargetScan databases. Besides, enrichment analysis was implemented for predicted target genes. Most of the target genes were enriched in the TRAIL signaling pathway, Regulation of nucleobase, nucleoside, nucleotide and nucleic acid metabolism, protein serine/threonine kinase activity, and Cytoplasm. Moreover, a protein-protein interaction network was constructed to find the most key DE miRNAs and targets in this disease. The results of the present study may help researchers shed light on the discovery of novel biomarkers for PD., (© 2022 International Federation for Cell Biology.)
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
37. Identifying the source of spurious signals caused by B 0 inhomogeneities in single-voxel 1 H MRS.
- Author
-
Shams Z, Klomp DWJ, Boer VO, Wijnen JP, and Wiegers EC
- Subjects
- Brain diagnostic imaging, Humans, Magnetic Fields, Phantoms, Imaging, Artifacts, Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods
- Abstract
Purpose: Single-voxel MRS (SV MRS) requires robust volume localization as well as optimized crusher and phase-cycling schemes to reduce artifacts arising from signal outside the volume of interest. However, due to local magnetic field gradients (B
0 inhomogeneities), signal that was dephased by the crusher gradients during acquisition might rephase, leading to artifacts in the spectrum. Here, we analyzed this mechanism, aiming to identify the source of signals arising from unwanted coherence pathways (spurious signals) in SV MRS from a B0 map., Methods: We investigated all possible coherence pathways associated with imperfect localization in a semi-localized by adiabatic selective refocusing (semi-LASER) sequence for potential rephasing of signals arising from unwanted coherence pathways by a local magnetic field gradient. We searched for locations in the B0 map where the signal dephasing due to external (crusher) and internal (B0 ) field gradients canceled out. To confirm the mechanism, SV-MR spectra (TE = 31 ms) and 3D-CSI data with the same volume localization as the SV experiments were acquired from a phantom and 2 healthy volunteers., Results: Our analysis revealed that potential sources of spurious signals were scattered over multiple locations throughout the brain. This was confirmed by 3D-CSI data. Moreover, we showed that the number of potential locations where spurious signals could originate from monotonically decreases with crusher strength., Conclusion: We proposed a method to identify the source of spurious signals in SV1 H MRS using a B0 map. This can facilitate MRS sequence design to be less sensitive to experimental artifacts., (© 2022 The Authors. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.)- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
38. SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses: Strategies to cope with coinfection and bioinformatics perspective.
- Author
-
Ghaznavi H, Shirvaliloo M, Sargazi S, Mohammadghasemipour Z, Shams Z, Hesari Z, Shahraki O, Nazarlou Z, Sheervalilou R, and Shirvalilou S
- Subjects
- Computational Biology, History, 20th Century, Humans, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, Coinfection diagnosis, Coinfection epidemiology, Influenza Pandemic, 1918-1919, Influenza, Human epidemiology, Influenza, Human prevention & control, Orthomyxoviridae
- Abstract
Almost a century after the devastating pandemic of the Spanish flu, humankind is facing the relatively comparable global outbreak of COVID-19. COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 with an unprecedented transmission pattern. In the face of the recent repercussions of COVID-19, many have argued that the clinical experience with influenza through the last century may have tremendous implications in the containment of this newly emerged viral disease. During the last 2 years, from the emergence of COVID-19, tremendous advances have been made in diagnosing and treating coinfections. Several approved vaccines are available now for the primary prevention of COVID-19 and specific treatments exist to alleviate symptoms. The present review article aims to discuss the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A virus coinfection while delivering a bioinformatics-based insight into this subject matter., (© 2022 International Federation for Cell Biology.)
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
39. Unsupervised construction of computational graphs for gene expression data with explicit structural inductive biases.
- Author
-
Scherer P, Trębacz M, Simidjievski N, Viñas R, Shams Z, Terre HA, Jamnik M, and Liò P
- Subjects
- Humans, Neural Networks, Computer, Software, Bias, Gene Expression, Computational Biology methods, Algorithms, Neoplasms genetics
- Abstract
Motivation: Gene expression data are commonly used at the intersection of cancer research and machine learning for better understanding of the molecular status of tumour tissue. Deep learning predictive models have been employed for gene expression data due to their ability to scale and remove the need for manual feature engineering. However, gene expression data are often very high dimensional, noisy and presented with a low number of samples. This poses significant problems for learning algorithms: models often overfit, learn noise and struggle to capture biologically relevant information. In this article, we utilize external biological knowledge embedded within structures of gene interaction graphs such as protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks to guide the construction of predictive models., Results: We present Gene Interaction Network Constrained Construction (GINCCo), an unsupervised method for automated construction of computational graph models for gene expression data that are structurally constrained by prior knowledge of gene interaction networks. We employ this methodology in a case study on incorporating a PPI network in cancer phenotype prediction tasks. Our computational graphs are structurally constructed using topological clustering algorithms on the PPI networks which incorporate inductive biases stemming from network biology research on protein complex discovery. Each of the entities in the GINCCo computational graph represents biological entities such as genes, candidate protein complexes and phenotypes instead of arbitrary hidden nodes of a neural network. This provides a biologically relevant mechanism for model regularization yielding strong predictive performance while drastically reducing the number of model parameters and enabling guided post-hoc enrichment analyses of influential gene sets with respect to target phenotypes. Our experiments analysing a variety of cancer phenotypes show that GINCCo often outperforms support vector machine, Fully Connected Multi-layer Perceptrons (MLP) and Randomly Connected MLPs despite greatly reduced model complexity., Availability and Implementation: https://github.com/paulmorio/gincco contains the source code for our approach. We also release a library with algorithms for protein complex discovery within PPI networks at https://github.com/paulmorio/protclus. This repository contains implementations of the clustering algorithms used in this article., Supplementary Information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press.)
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
40. Co-expression of cancer stem cell markers, SALL4/ALDH1A1, is associated with tumor aggressiveness and poor survival in patients with serous ovarian carcinoma.
- Author
-
Sharbatoghli M, Shamshiripour P, Fattahi F, Kalantari E, Habibi Shams Z, Panahi M, Totonchi M, Asadi-Lari Z, Madjd Z, and Saeednejad Zanjani L
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1 Family genetics, Biomarkers, Tumor genetics, Female, Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic, Humans, Kaplan-Meier Estimate, Middle Aged, Neoplastic Stem Cells, Ovarian Neoplasms genetics, Ovarian Neoplasms mortality, Ovarian Neoplasms pathology, Ovary metabolism, Ovary pathology, Prognosis, Protein Interaction Maps, Retinal Dehydrogenase genetics, Transcription Factors genetics, Young Adult, Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1 Family metabolism, Biomarkers, Tumor metabolism, Ovarian Neoplasms metabolism, Retinal Dehydrogenase metabolism, Transcription Factors metabolism
- Abstract
Background: Spalt-like transcription factor 4 (SALL4) and aldehyde dehydrogenase1 family member A1 (ALDH1A1) expressing cells have been characterized as possessing stem cell-like properties known as cancer stem cell marker in serous ovarian carcinoma (SOC)., Methods: The association between SALL4 and ALDH1A1 was observed based on literature review and bioinformatics tools. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between the co-expression of SALL4/ALDH1A1 proteins and clinicopathological parameters and their prognostic value in SOC patients using immunohistochemical staining on tissue microarrays (TMAs). Furthermore, benign tumors and normal tissue samples were compared with the expression of the tumor tissue samples., Results: Increased co-expression of SALL4/ALDH1A1 was found to be significantly associated with the advanced FIGO stage (P = 0.047), and distant metastasis (P = 0.028). The results of Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated significant differences between disease- specific survival (DSS; P = 0.034) or progression-free survival (PFS; P = 0.018) and the patients with high and low co-expression of SALL4/ALDH1A1, respectively. Furthermore, high level co-expression of SALL4/ALDH1A1 was a significant predictor of worse DSS and PFS in the univariate analysis. The data also indicated that the co-expression of SALL4/ALDH1A1 was an independent prognostic factor affecting PFS. Moreover, the co-expression of SALL4/ALDH1A1 added prognostic values of DSS in patients with SOC who had grade III versus grade I in multivariate analysis., Conclusions: Our data demonstrated that high co-expression of SALL4/ALDH1A1 was found to be significantly associated with tumor aggressiveness and worse DSS or PFS in SOC patients. Therefore, co-expression of SALL4/ALDH1A1 may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker of cancer progression in these cases., (© 2022. The Author(s).)
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
41. Assessing the potential of native ecotypes of Poa pratensis L. for forage yield and phytochemical compositions under water deficit conditions.
- Author
-
Shariatipour N, Heidari B, Shams Z, and Richards C
- Abstract
Evaluation of forage yield and antioxidant activity in Poa pratensis with high quality and good spring green-up forage might help variety improvement for use under water deficit condition. Germplasm and phenotypic diversity evaluations lay a foundation for genotype selection and improvement of varieties for drought tolerance in P. pratensis. The present study was conducted to assess the genetic potential of a collection of P. pratensis accessions for drought stress and to identify the association between polyphenol compounds and forage yield traits. Vegetative clone samples of 100 accessions collected from a diverse geographical area of Iran were clonally propagated in a greenhouse and evaluated in the field under two moisture regimes (non-stress and drought stress) in 2018 and 2019. Drought stress had negative effects on fresh and dry forage yields and reduced phenotypic variances. On average, drought stress reduced fresh and dry forage yields by 45% and 28%, respectively. The results of Mantel test showed no significant correlation between forage yield traits and geographical distances. Genetic coefficients of variation for forage yield and most of the phytochemicals were lower under drought stress, suggesting that deficit irrigation may reduce genetic variation for the tested traits. The estimates of heritability were higher under non-stress conditions than under drought stress treatment for forage yield traits and few polyphenols. However, the majority of polyphenol compounds had higher heritability than forage yield traits under drought stress, which suggests the potential for indirect selection. The 'Ciakhor', 'Damavand', 'Karvandan', 'Abrumand', and 'Abr2' accessions had high quantities for polyphenols and yield traits under both moisture regimes. These accessions are promising candidates for use in variety crossing programs and for developing high-yielding varieties under water-deficit conditions., (© 2022. The Author(s).)
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
42. Screening and in Silico Functional Analysis of MiRNAs Associated with Acute Myeloid Leukemia Relapse.
- Author
-
Fard AA, Rahimi H, Shams Z, and Ghoraeian P
- Subjects
- Humans, Gene Expression Profiling, Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic, Computational Biology, Recurrence, Gene Regulatory Networks, MicroRNAs genetics, Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute genetics
- Abstract
Background: Hematologic malignancies are among fatal diseases with different subtypes. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a subtype showing a high invasion rate to different tissues., Objective: AML patients, even after treatment, show an increased rate of recurrence, and this relapsed profile of AML has turned this malignancy into big challenges in the medical scope., Methods: In the current study, we aimed to investigate hub-genes and potential signaling pathways in AML recurrence. Two expression profiles of genes and non-coding RNAs were extracted from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Target genes of identified miRNAs were predicted through bioinformatics tools. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were conducted to discover common target genes and differentially expressed genes. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed and visualized through the STRING online database and Cytoscape software, respectively. Hub-genes of constructed PPI were found through the CytoHubba plugin of Cytoscape software., Results: As a result, 109 differentially expressed genes and 45 differentially expressed miRNAs were found, and the top enriched pathways were immune response, xhemokine activity, immune System, and plasma membrane. The hub-genes were TNF, IL6, TLR4, VEGFA, PTPRC, TLR7, TLR1, CD44, CASP1, and CD68., Conclusion: The present investigation based on the in silico analysis and microarray GEO databases may provide a novel understanding of the mechanisms related to AML relapse., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
43. Convalescent Blood: Current Perspective on the Efficacy of a Legacy Approach in COVID-19 Treatment.
- Author
-
Sheervalilou R, Shirvaliloo M, Sargazi S, Bahari S, Saravani R, Shahraki J, Shirvalilou S, Shahraki O, Nazarlou Z, Shams Z, and Ghaznavi H
- Subjects
- Antibodies, Viral immunology, Antibodies, Viral therapeutic use, COVID-19 epidemiology, COVID-19 history, COVID-19 prevention & control, Clinical Trials as Topic, Convalescence, Coronavirus Infections therapy, Forecasting, History, 20th Century, Humans, Immunization, Passive adverse effects, Immunization, Passive ethics, Immunization, Passive history, Immunization, Passive trends, Influenza, Human therapy, Plasma, Risk, Serum, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome therapy, COVID-19 Serotherapy, COVID-19 therapy, Pandemics, SARS-CoV-2 immunology
- Abstract
Since early 2020, COVID-19 has wreaked havoc in many societies around the world. As of the present, the SARS-CoV-2-borne disease is propagating in almost all countries, affecting hundreds of thousands of people in an unprecedented way. As the name suggests, the novel coronavirus, widely known as SARS-CoV-2, is a new emerging human pathogen. A novel disease of relatively unknown origin, COVID-19 does not seem to be amenable to the currently available medicines since there is no specific cure for the disease. In the absence of any vaccine or effective antiviral medication, we have no tools at our disposal, but the method of quarantine, be it domestic or institutional, to hinder any further progression of this outbreak. However, there is a record of physicians in the past who practiced convalescent blood transfusion. To their awe, the method seemed to be useful. It is anticipated that these contemporary methods will outdo any other vaccination process in the time being, as blood transfusion is instead a cost-effective and time-friendly technique. Following a successful trial, this new approach of contemporary nature to a viral disease may serve as an emergency intervention to intercept infectious outbreaks and prevent an impending epidemic/pandemic. In this review, we document the most recent evidence regarding the efficiency of convalescent plasma and serum therapy on SARS, MERS, and particularly COVID-19, while discussing potential advantages and possible risks of such practice., (© 2021 S. Karger AG, Basel.)
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
44. Novel Insight Into the Association Between Obesity and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Occurrence and Recurrence: High-Throughput Microarray Data Set Analysis of Differentially Expressed Genes.
- Author
-
Hassani SF, Sayaf M, Danandeh SS, Nourollahzadeh Z, Shahmohammadi M, Akbari S, Shirvaliloo M, Sheervalilou R, and Shams Z
- Subjects
- Computational Biology, Gene Expression Profiling, Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic, Humans, Obesity complications, Obesity genetics, Carcinoma, Hepatocellular genetics, Carcinoma, Hepatocellular metabolism, Liver Neoplasms genetics
- Abstract
Purpose: This study aims to identify potential biomarkers of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurrence/recurrence and obesity, along with the molecular mechanisms that involve these biomarkers., Methods: Three microarray data sets, namely GSE18897, GSE25097, and GSE36376 (genetic suppressor elements associated with obesity, tumor, and recurrence, respectively), were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus database to be investigated for their expression as differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in HCC and obesity. The functional and pathway enrichment analysis of these DEGs were identified by the Database for Annotation Visualization and Integrated Discovery. The protein-protein interaction network analysis was performed with STRING online tool and Cytoscape software., Results: One hundred sixty common DEGs were screened. We found that these genes were associated with certain pathways such as metabolic pathways, terpenoid backbone biosynthesis, and adipocytokine signaling pathway. The involvements of 10 genes, including RPS16 , RPS7 , CCT3 , HNRNPA2B1 , EIF4G1 , PSMC4 , NHP2 , EGR1 , FDPS , and MCM4, were identified in the subnetwork. HNRNPA2B1 and RPS7 in the GSE18897 data set, RPS16 , RPS7 , CCT3 , HNRNPA2B1 , PSMC4 , NHP2 , FDPS , and MCM4 in the GSE25097 data set, and RPS16 , RPS7 , CCT3 , HNRNPA2B1 , EIF4G1 , PSMC4 , NHP2 , FDPS , and MCM4 in the GSE36376 data set exhibited positive fold changes., Conclusion: These DEGs and pathways could be of diagnostic value as potential biomarkers involved in the pathogenesis of HCC, pertaining to both obesity and HCC occurrence/recurrence.
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
45. The role of lovastatin in the attenuation of COVID-19.
- Author
-
Karampoor S, Hesamizadeh K, Shams Z, Ghafari Novin A, Farahmand M, Zahednasab H, Mirzaei R, Zamani F, Hajibaba M, Bouzari B, Laali A, Tabibzadeh A, Hadi Karbalaie Niya M, and Keyvani H
- Subjects
- Adult, Anti-Inflammatory Agents therapeutic use, COVID-19 blood, Case-Control Studies, Critical Care methods, Cytokine Release Syndrome blood, Cytokine Release Syndrome drug therapy, Cytokines drug effects, Female, Hospitalization, Humans, Intensive Care Units, Interleukin-6 metabolism, Interleukin-8 metabolism, Lovastatin therapeutic use, Male, Middle Aged, Receptors, Immunologic metabolism, Sex Factors, Anti-Inflammatory Agents pharmacology, Lovastatin pharmacology, COVID-19 Drug Treatment
- Abstract
The mounting evidence regarding the pathogenesis of COVID-19 indicated that the cytokine storm has an axial role in the severity of this disease, which may lead to thrombotic complications, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and myocardial damage, among other consequences. It has recently been demonstrated that statins are known to have anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic, and immunomodulatory features; however, their advantage has not been evaluated in COVID-19. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of lovastatin in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with COVID-19. The case-control study consists of 284 ICU patients, which classified into three groups as follows: 1) the patients who no received lovastatin as a control (92 patients), 2) patients received 20 mg per day lovastatin (99 patients), and 3) patients received 40 mg per day lovastatin (93 patients). Each group's demographic and clinical parameters, along with CRP, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 levels, and mortality rate, were studied in three-time points. The results showed that there was no statistically significant difference between our study groups in terms of age and sex. (P > 0.05). Besides, in patients, receiving lovastatin the CRP, IL-6, IL-8 levels were significantly decreased from T1 to T3 than to the control group. Our results also showed that the use of lovastatin in COVID-19 patients significantly reduced the length of hospitalization in the ICU compared with the control group. In addition, our results showed that the mortality rate in patients receiving lovastatin was lower when compared to the control group; however, this difference was not statistically significant. Since the cytokine storm is a significant factor in the pathology of SARS-CoV-2, our findings highlighted the potential use of lovastatin to mitigate the inflammatory response induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
46. Prevalence and factors associated with skin-to-skin contact (SSC) practice: findings from a population-based cross-sectional survey in 10 selected districts of Bangladesh.
- Author
-
Ali NB, Priyanka SS, Bhui BR, Herrera S, Azad MR, Karim A, Shams Z, Rahman M, Rokonuzzaman SM, Meena USJ, El Arifeen S, and Billah SM
- Subjects
- Adult, Bangladesh epidemiology, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Pregnancy, Prevalence, Kangaroo-Mother Care Method
- Abstract
Background: Skin-to-skin contact (SSC) practice improves newborn survival and child development through preventing hypothermia in newborns, improving early initiation of breastfeeding practice, and strengthening mother-child bonding. Despite having numerous benefits, it is one of the least practiced interventions in low and middle-income countries (1 to 74%). In Bangladesh, the prevalence of SSC was 26% in 2014. In this study, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of SSC in the study districts and identify factors that facilitate or inhibit SSC practice so that context-specific recommendations can be made to advance the use of this intervention., Methods: We used baseline household survey data of USAID's MaMoni MNCSP project conducted in 10 districts of Bangladesh in 2019. Our analysis included 13,695 recently delivered women (RDW) with a live birth outcome. Our primary outcome was the mother's reported practice of SSC. We examined various antepartum, intrapartum, newborn, and sociodemographic factors associated with SSC using a multivariable generalized linear model. Our findings were reported using adjusted Prevalence Risk Ratios (aPRRs) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs)., Results: Overall, 28% of RDW reported practicing SSC across the 10 surveyed districts. Our multivariable analysis showed that public facility delivery (aPRR 2.01; 95%CI: 1.80, 2.26), private facility delivery (aPRR 1.23; 95%CI: 1.06, 1.42) and ≥ 4 antenatal care (ANC) visits at least one from a medically trained provider (MTP) (aPRR 1.17; 95%CI: 1.03, 1.26) had a significant positive association with SSC practice. Caesarean section (aPRR 0.64; 95%CI: 0.56, 0.73) had a significant negative association with SSC practice compared to vaginal births. We also found a significant positive association of SSC practice with mothers' who perceived the birth size of their baby to be small, mothers with a higher education level (≥10 years), and mothers from households in the highest wealth quintile., Conclusions: The prevalence of SSC is very low in the surveyed districts of Bangladesh. Considering the factors associated with SSC, relevant stakeholders need to increase their efforts on improving ANC and facility delivery coverages as well as improving SSC practice in the facilities especially after caesarean deliveries. Countries with a high burden of home deliveries, also need to emphasize community-based interventions and increasing coverage of skilled birth attendance for improving this life-saving intervention., (© 2021. The Author(s).)
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
47. Comparison of 2-Hydroxyglutarate Detection With sLASER and MEGA-sLASER at 7T.
- Author
-
Shams Z, van der Kemp WJM, Emir U, Dankbaar JW, Snijders TJ, de Vos FYF, Klomp DWJ, Wijnen JP, and Wiegers EC
- Abstract
The onco-metabolite 2-hydroxyglutarate (2HG), a biomarker of IDH-mutant gliomas, can be detected with
1 H MR spectroscopy (1 H-MRS). Recent studies showed measurements of 2HG at 7T with substantial gain in signal to noise ratio (SNR) and spectral resolution, offering higher specificity and sensitivity for 2HG detection. In this study, we assessed the sensitivity of semi-localized by adiabatic selective refocusing (sLASER) and J-difference MEsher-GArwood-semi-LASER (MEGA-sLASER) for 2HG detection at 7T. We performed spectral editing at long TE using a TE-optimized sLASER sequence (110 ms) and J-difference spectroscopy using MEGA-sLASER ( TE = 74ms) in phantoms with different 2HG concentrations to assess the sensitivity of 2HG detection. The robustness of the methods against B0 inhomogeneity was investigated. Moreover, the performance of these two techniques was evaluated in four patients with IDH1-mutated glioma. In contrary to MEGA-sLASER, sLASER was able to detect 2HG concentration as low as 0.5 mM. In case of a composite phantom containing 2HG with overlapping metabolites, MEGA-sLASER provided a clean 2HG signal with higher fitting reliability (lower %CRLB). The results demonstrate that sLASER is more robust against field inhomogeneities and experimental or motion-related artifacts which promotes to adopt sLASER in clinical implementations., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Shams, van der Kemp, Emir, Dankbaar, Snijders, de Vos, Klomp, Wijnen and Wiegers.)- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
48. An Updated Review on Implications of Autophagy and Apoptosis in Tumorigenesis: Possible Alterations in Autophagy through Engineered Nanomaterials and Their Importance in Cancer Therapy.
- Author
-
Ghaznavi H, Shirvaliloo M, Zarebkohan A, Shams Z, Radnia F, Bahmanpour Z, Sargazi S, Saravani R, Shirvalilou S, Shahraki O, Shahraki S, Nazarlou Z, and Sheervalilou R
- Subjects
- Antineoplastic Agents therapeutic use, Apoptosis, Autophagy drug effects, Disease Progression, Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic drug effects, Humans, Nanotechnology, Neoplasm Staging, Neoplasms drug therapy, Neoplasms metabolism, Antineoplastic Agents pharmacology, Neoplasms pathology, Signal Transduction drug effects
- Abstract
Most commonly recognized as a catabolic pathway, autophagy is a perplexing mechanism through which a living cell can free itself of excess cytoplasmic components, i.e., organelles, by means of certain membranous vesicles or lysosomes filled with degrading enzymes. Upon exposure to external insult or internal stimuli, the cell might opt to activate such a pathway, through which it can gain control over the maintenance of intracellular components and thus sustain homeostasis by intercepting the formation of unnecessary structures or eliminating the already present dysfunctional or inutile organelles. Despite such appropriateness, autophagy might also be considered a frailty for the cell, as it has been said to have a rather complicated role in tumorigenesis. A merit in the early stages of tumor formation, autophagy appears to be salutary because of its tumor-suppressing effects. In fact, several investigations on tumorigenesis have reported diminished levels of autophagic activity in tumor cells, which might result in transition to malignancy. On the contrary, autophagy has been suggested to be a seemingly favorable mechanism to progressed malignancies, as it contributes to survival of such cells. Based on the recent literature, this mechanism might also be activated upon the entry of engineered nanomaterials inside a cell, supposedly protecting the host from foreign materials. Accordingly, there is a good chance that therapeutic interventions for modulating autophagy in malignant cells using nanoparticles may sensitize cancerous cells to certain treatment modalities, e.g., radiotherapy. In this review, we will discuss the signaling pathways involved in autophagy and the significance of the mechanism itself in apoptosis and tumorigenesis while shedding light on possible alterations in autophagy through engineered nanomaterials and their potential therapeutic applications in cancer. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Autophagy has been said to have a complicated role in tumorigenesis. In the early stages of tumor formation, autophagy appears to be salutary because of its tumor-suppressing effects. On the contrary, autophagy has been suggested to be a favorable mechanism to progressed malignancies. This mechanism might be affected upon the entry of nanomaterials inside a cell. Accordingly, therapeutic interventions for modulating autophagy using nanoparticles may sensitize cancerous cells to certain therapies., (Copyright © 2021 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.)
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
49. The Clinical Course and Prognostic Factors of COVID-19 in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease, A Study in Six Centers.
- Author
-
Najafi N, Akbari R, Lotfi Z, Makhough A, Vahedi M, Asgharpour M, Ghorban Sabagh M, Marghoob B, Mirzaei Ilali N, Saddadi F, Shams Z, and Ossareh S
- Subjects
- Adult, Aged, Female, Humans, Iran epidemiology, Male, Middle Aged, Prognosis, Retrospective Studies, Risk Factors, Acute Kidney Injury mortality, COVID-19 complications, COVID-19 mortality, Renal Insufficiency, Chronic mortality
- Abstract
Introduction: Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), has recently emerged as a great health challenge. The novel corona virus may affect the kidneys mainly as acute kidney injury (AKI). Also, the outcome of COVID-19 may be different in patients with underlying kidney disease. The aim of this study was to compare the outcome of COVID-19 in patients with and without underlying kidney disease., Methods: This was a retrospective study on 659 hospitalized COVID-19 patients in six centers of Iran. Patients were classified into kidney (chronic kidney disease (CKD), end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) or kidney transplantation) and non-kidney groups. The clinical conditions and laboratory data were extracted from the charts. Outcome was defined as death during hospitalization or within 30 days of discharge., Results: Among 659 COVID-19 patients (mean age: 60.7 ± 16.4, 56% male), 208 were in the kidney group (86 ESKD, 35 kidney transplants, and 87 CKD patients). AKI occurred in 41.8%. Incidence of AKI was 34.7% in non-kidney, 74.7% in CKD, and 51.4% in kidney transplant patients (P < .001). Totally 178 patients (27%) died and mortality rate was significantly higher in CKD patients (50.6 vs. 23.4%, P < .001). AKI was associated with increased mortality rate (OR = 2.588, CI: 1.707 to 3.925). Initial glomerular filtration rate (GFR) < 44.2 mL/min and elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and C-reactive protein (CRP) had significant association with mortality., Conclusion: We showed a higher mortality rate in COVID-19 patients with AKI and CKD. Low initial GFR and elevated LDH and CRP were associated with high mortality in COVID-19 patients.
- Published
- 2021
50. High expression of DNA damage-inducible transcript 4 (DDIT4) is associated with advanced pathological features in the patients with colorectal cancer.
- Author
-
Fattahi F, Saeednejad Zanjani L, Habibi Shams Z, Kiani J, Mehrazma M, Najafi M, and Madjd Z
- Subjects
- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Colorectal Neoplasms pathology, DNA Damage, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Transcription Factors analysis, Up-Regulation, Colorectal Neoplasms genetics, Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic, Transcription Factors genetics
- Abstract
DNA damage-inducible transcript 4 (DDIT4) is induced in various cellular stress conditions. This study was conducted to investigate expression and prognostic significance of DDIT4 protein as a biomarker in the patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). PPI network and KEGG pathway analysis were applied to identify hub genes among obtained differentially expressed genes in CRC tissues from three GEO Series. In clinical, expression of DDIT4 as one of hub genes in three subcellular locations was evaluated in 198 CRC tissues using immunohistochemistry method on tissue microarrays. The association between DDIT4 expression and clinicopathological features as well as survival outcomes were analyzed. Results of bioinformatics analysis indicated 14 hub genes enriched in significant pathways according to KEGG pathways analysis among which DDIT4 was selected to evaluate CRC tissues. Overexpression of nuclear DDIT4 protein was found in CRC tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues (P = 0.003). Furthermore, higher nuclear expression of DDIT4 was found to be significantly associated with the reduced tumor differentiation and advanced TNM stages (all, P = 0.009). No significant association was observed between survival outcomes and nuclear expression of DDIT4 in CRC cases. Our findings indicated higher nuclear expression of DDIT4 was significantly associated with more aggressive tumor behavior and more advanced stage of disease in the patients with CRC.
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
Catalog
Discovery Service for Jio Institute Digital Library
For full access to our library's resources, please sign in.