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Razatul Shima,1,3 Mohd Hairi Farizah,1,2 Hazreen Abdul Majid1,2 1Department of Social and Preventive Medicine; 2Centre for Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 3Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore patients’ experiences with their illnesses and the reasons which influenced them in not following hypertensive care recommendations (antihypertensive medication intake, physical activity, and diet changes) in primary health clinic settings. Patients and methods: A qualitative methodology was applied. The data were gathered from in-depth interviews with 25 hypertensive patients attending follow-up in nine government primary health clinics in two districts (Hulu Langat and Klang) in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. The transcribed data were analyzed using thematic analysis.Results: There was evidence of lack of patient self-empowerment and community support in Malaysian society. Most of the participants did not take their antihypertensive medication or change their physical activity and diet after diagnosis. There was an agreement between the patients and the health care professionals before starting the treatment recommendation, but there lacked further counseling and monitoring. Most of the reasons given for not taking antihypertensive medication, not doing physical activity and not following diet recommendations were due to side effects or fear of the side effects of antihypertensive medication, patients’ attitudes, lack of information from health care professionals and insufficient social support from their surrounding environment. We also observed the differences on these reasons for nonadherence among the three ethnic groups.Conclusion: Health care professionals should move toward supporting adherence in the management of hypertensive patients by maintaining a dialogue. Patients need to be given time to enable them to overcome their inhibition of asking questions and to accept the recommendations. A self-management approach must be responsive to the needs of individuals, ethnicities, and communities. Keywords: adherence, hypertension, in-depth interview, qualitative research

Background: Phenol and its derivatives as a toxic and dangerous substance produce by many industries. This pollutant must be removed from contaminated streams or fluids before discharging. The aim of this study was to enhancement of nano-photocatalytic removal of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) from aqueous solutions applying manganese oxide doped ZnO nanoparticle (MnO₃-doped ZnO) catalyst via experimental designing of surface-response method.Methods: In this study, MnO₃-doped ZnO NPs were fabricated using hydrothermal technique and ratio of Mn-doped ZnO NPs consisted of 0 (pure), 0.5, 1 and 1.5%. The characteristics of the synthesized NPs was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyses. For determined the doped ZnO quality, variables such as pH, initial 4-CP concentration, NPs dose and contact time were probed in 4-CP removal.Results: Results demonstrate that the removal efficiency are significantly affected by the varied Mn-doped ZnO ratio. The ratio of 1% was optimal. The hexagonal shape of NPs confirmed by XRD and SEM analysis. The SEM indicated that no agglomeration of NPs observed. The sharp edges peaks in XRD indicate a proper crystallized ZnO NPs. Regression analysis showed a quadratic polynomial model was obtained for efficiency prediction. The data providing an acceptable model assumption for analyzing the variance. It was also realized that increasing the nanoparticles dose and the contact time led to reduce the removal rat.Conclusion: Comparing the 4-CP removal efficiency of bare ZnO and Mn-doped ZnO showed that the Mn-doped ZnO have larger efficiency and improve up to 84%.

Abstract Schizophrenia is a disabling mental disorder that affects 1% of people over their lifetime. The etiology and mechanism of schizophrenia are very complex, and many genes are involved in many different signaling pathways in the etiology of this disease. According to recent studies, one of the important mechanisms altered in this disorder is the regulation of immune system and the inflammation mechanism. In the present study, we evaluated the peripheral blood expression pattern of four lncRNAs and three protein-coding genes in the treatment- naïve patients, and medicated patients compared with sex and age-matched controls. In the medicated-patients, expression levels of IFNG, IL18RAP, AC007278.2 were significantly up-regulated (P

Abstract Breast cancer has become the most prevalent malignancy among women, and it is estimated to comprise over 30% of all cancer cases diagnosed in women. This study evaluates the antitumor effects of a green-synthesized Fe3O4/CeO2 nanocomposite, utilizing Artemisia annua L. extract, against breast cancer. The viability assay was carried out using 100 to 1000 µg/mL of the as-prepared nanocomposites. The BALB/c mice were injected with 4T1 breast cancer cells and subsequently treated with 5 mg/kg body weight of the synthesized nanocomposites through intraperitoneal injection for two weeks. The in vitro studies on the cell viability and cytotoxicity of Fe3O4/CeO2 nanocomposites demonstrated superior effectiveness of the green-synthesized sample (AFC) compared to the chemically produced variant (FC) against 4T1 cells. Treatment with AFC significantly reduced tumor size in 4T1-injected BALB/c mice compared to untreated control. The IC50 results for FC (890.16 µg/mL) and AFC (490.21 µg/mL) corroborated these findings. Notably, the biointerface provided by the phytomolecules from A. annua extract played a crucial role in enhancing the cytotoxic effects of the nanocomposite. This research highlights the potential of green-synthesized Fe3O4/CeO2 nanocomposites as a safe and effective nanomedicine for targeting cancer cells while minimizing adverse effects on healthy cells.

A robust image encryption process is still one of the most challenging tasks in image security owing to massive degree and sensitivity nature of information in the form of pixels. The hurdles include greater computational difficulty, information loss during encryption, universality, applicability of the approach, and less scalability. Many image encryption methods existing in literature merely encrypt a portion of the data. Therefore, we propose a robust, dynamic, and sophisticated technique to enhance the encryption process to make it difficult for an attacker to gain unauthorized access to the pixel data. The proposed system uses a novel analytical research methodology through dynamically harnessing the potential of neural network that offers better forward and backward secrecy, dynamic control, and automatic management unlike any existing system. The encryption procedure comprises of two levels, first level is confusion- permutation of input image and second level is diffusion by Bit XOR operation for secure transmission and storage of images. Finally, the encrypted image is used as a target for training the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model. ANN trained values are used for final level of encryption to develop a Neural Network (NN)-based cryptosystem, where the crypto analyst or the cracker need to know the number of adaptive iterations and the final weights for the encryption and decryption systems to crack the system which offers higher degree of resiliency towards potential threats. Results and security analysis show that our algorithm has good encryption effect, ability of resisting exhaustive attack, statistical attack, and differential attack. The system performance after implementing the proposed method is compared with existing methods present in literature with respect to processing time and Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM). Our proposed method offers significant reduction in encryption time and is approximately 10-15% faster than others with SSIM of 0.002165, close to zero after encryption. It also successfully balances the image quality with higher image security and lower computational complexity.

Sertoli–Leydig cell tumors (SLCTs), also known as androblastoma, are rare, accounting for less than 1% of ovarian neoplasms. The clinical manifestations of SLCT range from asymptomatic to severe virilization. The majority of Sertoli cell tumors are highly differentiated, with homogeneous nuclei and few mitotic signs among the neoplastic cells. This study is a case report of a 3-year-old girl who was admitted to Kashani hospital with abdominal pain and a protruding stomach. On the right side of the abdomen, there was a large, lump palpable. Inhibin, calretinin, actine, and WT1 were all detected as positive by immunohistochemistry (IHC) testing. However, CD30, NSE, synaptophysin, vimentin, chromogranin, S100, and AFP were all detected to be negative. Additional information about ovarian sex cord tumors is provided in this case. Sertoli cell tumor should be considered a differential diagnosis in a young girl who has hirsutism, irregular bleeding, and breast atrophy with a pelvic mass.

Qualitative assessment by macro-invertebrates is known as a suitable method to determine the health of the river. In this study, the diversity and abundance of Baliqlu River macro-invertebrates were evaluated from June 2019 to May 2021. SamplingsSamples were taken by Surber sampler during four seasons and physico-chemical parameters such as TEM, DO, pH, BOD, and some heavy metals (Cd and Pb) were measured. Diversity indices (Shannon-Wiener), and biotic indices (EPT, HFBI, and BMWP) were calculated in four stations. A total of 8328 macro-invertebrates from the Diptera, Ephemeroptera, and Isopoda were identified. The highest frequency percentage of the dominant groups was related to the Caenidaed, Chironomidae, and Simuliidae. The results of heavy metal accumulation in two classes showed more cadmium and lead accumulation in the Clitellata class (suborder Hirudinea) than the Insecta class (Caenidae family). The results of conventional comparative analysis (CCA) demonstrate that the distribution of most macro-invertebrate families is influenced by the DO parameter. According to the HFBI, the water quality decreased from upstream to downstream in all seasons, and the level of pollution was higher in station 5 compared to other stations, due to human activities, cattle crossing, and sewage output of fish farms.

Background: Considering the high prevalence of breast masses and the importance of screening and follow-up for malignancies in women, and since age and hormonal changes during menopause play a role in determining the type of pathology and prognosis of the masses, the purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between menopause and mass pathology. Methods: This was a cross-sectional-analytical study that was conducted in order to investigate the types of pathology of breast masses and their relationship with the age of menopause in women referred to Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Qom between April 2013 and April 2019. The inclusion criteria include: having sufficient file information and having a contact number to complete personal information, no history of cancer in other parts of the body and simultaneous malignancies, and the exclusion criteria also include: samples that were taken by cellular aspiration sampling, There were women who had a history of first-degree breast malignancy and were previously diagnosed with breast cancer and there was a possibility that the new mass under study was metastatic. Finally, the patients' information was extracted from the files and recorded in pre-prepared checklists. And the supplementary information of the incomplete files was asked and completed using the contact information of the patients. After collecting the information, using SPSS software version 26 and with chi-square and t-test statistical tests and considering the significance level of 0.05 the data was analyzed. Results: He prevalence of malignancy in postmenopausal women was higher than in premenopausal women. Also, a significant difference was found between tumor size, the presence or absence of metastasis, and menopause (P0.05). Conclusion: Breast malignancies (invasive ductal carcinoma, invasive mixed carcinoma, mucinous, medullary, and papillary carcinoma) were more common in postmenopausal women than non-menopausal women. In both groups, ductal dilatation and chronic inflammation were the most benign findings, and fibroadenoma was found at a much lower rate in menopausal women than in non-menopausal.

Abstract Objective Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressing neurodegenerative disease marked by chronic central nervous system inflammation and degeneration.This study investigates gene expression profiles of T-box transcription factor TBX21 (T-bet), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), and long non-coding RNA MEG3 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from treatment-naïve Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis patients (RRMS), healthy controls, and RRMS patients on different Disease Modifying Therapies (DMTs). The aim is to understand the role of T-bet, IFN-γ, and MEG3 in MS pathogenesis and their potential as diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Results Elevated T-bet expression is observed in treatment-naïve RRMS patients compared to healthy individuals. RRMS patients treated with Interferon beta-1alpha (IFNβ-1a) and fingolimod exhibit downregulated T-bet and MEG3 expression levels, respectively, with more pronounced effects in females. Healthy individuals show a moderate positive correlation between T-bet and MEG3 and between IFN-γ and T-bet. In RRMS patients treated with Glatiramer Acetate (GA), a strong positive correlation is observed between MEG3 and IFN-γ. Remarkably, RRMS patients treated with Dimethyl Fumarate (DMF) exhibit a significant positive correlation between T-bet and MEG3. These findings underscore the diagnostic potential of T-bet in RRMS, warranting further exploration of MEG3, T-bet, and IFN-γ interplay in RRMS patients.

Herein, chitosan nanoparticle (CHIT) was used as a safe and biocompatible matrix to carry flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) extract (FSE). The number of main features and bio-interface properties of CHIT-FSE were determined by SEM, DLS, FTIR, XRD, TGA, and zeta potential analyses and compared to those of chitosan lacking FSE. A GC–MS analysis was also conducted to reveal the bioactive compounds of FSE. The active anchoring of the FSE phytomolecules over chitosan nanoparticles with enhanced thermal and structural stability was correspondingly verified. Subsequently, the influence of CHIT-FSE, CHIT-TPP, and FSE supplementation was assessed on hormonal and biochemical markers of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in female rats and compared with untreated and healthy control groups. After 16 days of treatment, CHIT-FSE represented the best performance for controlling the serum levels of the studied biochemical (lipid profile and blood glucose level) and hormonal (insulin, testosterone, luteinizing, and follicle-stimulating hormone) parameters. Considering the negligible therapeutic activity of CHIT-TPP, the enhanced activity of CHIT-FSE compared to only FSE was expounded based on the potent action of chitosan nanoparticles in enhanced stabilization, bioavailability, transport, and permeability of the therapeutically important phytomolecules. As per the results of this investigation, supporting medically important biomolecules over chitosan can enhance their therapeutic effectiveness in controlling PCOS.

Background: In palliative care settings, collusion or “conspiracy of silence” frequently interferes with communication and interpersonal relationships among patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. The “Caregiver Collusion Questionnaire” is the only tool available for assessing caregiver collusion. The purpose of the study is to translate and adapt the English version of this instrument into Bengali, followed by standard validation. Methods: The study was carried out in two stages. Four independent translators conducted forward and backward translations of the English version of the “Caregiver Collusion Questionnaire” into Bengali. The Bengali version of the instrument was finalized following expert committee reviews, pre-testing, and cognitive debriefing. The final validation was carried out among 71 caregivers of patients with advanced incurable illnesses admitted to the palliative medicine and internal medicine departments of two Bangladeshi hospitals. In the final phase, the validity (content, face, and construct validity) and reliability (interclass item-wise correlation coefficient) of the translated tool were assessed. Result: 60% of the participants fully understood 19 items, whereas 40% struggled with one or more items. The expert committee expressed their satisfaction with the face and content validity of the translated version. The Bengali version also had quite good reliability (α = 0.62). Seven components were identified using principal component analysis with the distribution of Varimax Rotation distribution. Items under each factor had adequate factor loading, ranging from 0.4 to 0.8. Conclusion: The Bengali version of the “Caregiver Collusion Questionnaire” was found valid reliable and culturally acceptable for measuring caregiver collusion among the Bengali-speaking people. Based on the scale, the reasons for collusion can be identified and measures can be taken for breaking the collusion.

Objective: Dual oxidases (DUOX1, DUOX2) belong to the NADPH oxidase (NOX) family, which produce H2O2 necessary for thyroid hormone biosynthesis. This study aims to evaluate gene expression for DUOX1, DUOX2 in PCOS patients and its relation with thyroid hormone and magnesium levels. Materials and methods: Totally 88 cases were studied including 24 people with PCOS and hypothyroidism, 44 people with PCOS and normal thyroid function, and 20 hypothyroid patients without PCOS. In comparison 40 healthy controls in the age group of 16-35 years matched for age group and BMI were evaluated. Using Vegaro syringe 5 cc of blood was sampled from all 128 people and after RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis using Real-Time PCR technique, the expression level of DUOX1 and DUOX2 genes was investigated. Results: The results of hormonal tests showed that there is a significant difference between the level of T4, T3, and TSH hormones in hypothyroid patients with or without PCOS in comparison to the control group. Regarding the level of Mg, the results showed that there is a significant difference between the levels of Mg in PCOS group with or without hypothyroidism in comparison to the control group. Gene expression results showed that the relative changes of DUOX1 gene expression in different groups compared to the control group were significantly reduced P

Brain decoding aims to infer cognitive states from patterns of brain activity. Substantial inter-individual variations in functional brain organization challenge accurate decoding performed at the group level. In this paper, we tested whether accurate brain decoding models can be trained entirely at the individual level. We trained several classifiers on a dense individual functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) dataset for which six participants completed the entire Human Connectome Project (HCP) task battery >13 times over ten separate fMRI sessions. We evaluated nine decoding methods, from Support Vector Machines (SVM) and Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) to Graph Convolutional Neural Networks (GCN). All decoders were trained to classify single fMRI volumes into 21 experimental conditions simultaneously, using ∼7 h of fMRI data per participant. The best prediction accuracies were achieved with GCN and MLP models, whose performance (57–67 % accuracy) approached state-of-the-art accuracy (76 %) with models trained at the group level on >1 K hours of data from the original HCP sample. Our SVM model also performed very well (54–62 % accuracy). Feature importance maps derived from MLP —our best-performing model— revealed informative features in regions relevant to particular cognitive domains, notably in the motor cortex. We also observed that inter-subject classification achieved substantially lower accuracy than subject-specific models, indicating that our decoders learned individual-specific features. This work demonstrates that densely-sampled neuroimaging datasets can be used to train accurate brain decoding models at the individual level. We expect this work to become a useful benchmark for techniques that improve model generalization across multiple subjects and acquisition conditions.

Abstract Aim and background Smoking is a modifiable risk factor for cancers. The aim of the study is to estimate the trend of mortality and DALYs of smoking-attributed cancers in the North Africa and Middle East (NAME) countries. Methods In this study, estimates from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 (GBD-2019) study were used to report the mortality and DALYs for 16 smoking-attributed cancers. The mortality and DALYs rates from smoking-attributed cancers were evaluated by age, sex, and the 21 countries of the NAME countries from 1990 to 2019. Results Age standardized mortality rates (ASMR) for the 29 smoking-attributed cancers in the NAME countries in 1990 and 2019 were estimated to be 24.7 (95% Uncertainty Interval: 21.5, 27.8) and 22.4 (95%UI: 19.8, 25.4) respectively, which shows a 9.2% decrease in the three decades. DALYs/100,000 for smoking-attributed cancers was, also, estimated to be 600.3 (95%UI: 521.6, 682.6) and 515.6 (95%UI: 454.9, 585.4) respectively, which indicates a 14.1% decreased in these three decades. In the last three decades, the percentage changes in DALYs/100,000 for smoking-attributed cancers in males and females were − 0.16 and − 0.03, respectively. Plus, The percentage changes in ASMR in males and females were − 12% and 8%, respectively. Furthermore, The highest ASMR and DALYs were observed in Lebanon, Turkey, and Palestine in 2019. Conclusion The mortality rates of cancers from smoking have increased substantially among females, in most countries of the NAME region, in recent years. The burden caused by smoking can be reduced through modifying lifestyle and applying strict laws on smoking by governments and policymakers.

Location-Routing Problem (LRP) is a strategic supply chain design problem aimed at meeting customer demands. LRPs involve selecting one or more depot sites from a set of potential locations and determining the best routes to connect them to demand points. With the rising awareness about the environmental impacts of transportation over the past years, the use of green logistics to mitigate these impacts has become increasingly important. To compensate for a gap in the literature, this paper presents a robust bi-objective mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model for the green capacitated location-routing problem (G-CLRP) with demand uncertainty and the possibility of failure in depots and routes. The final result of this Robust Multi-Objective Model is to set up the depots and select the routes that offer the highest reliability (Maximizing network service) while imposing the lowest cost and environmental pollution. A Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II) is used to solve the large-sized instances of the modeled problem. The paper also provides a numerical analysis and a sensitivity analysis of the solutions of the model.

Having a good knowledge of the time and cost required to build a tunnel can be very important in reducing uncertainties related to the management of its construction. In this paper, using data obtained from the constructed parts of a tunnel, Gaussian process regression (GPR) method is developed to predict the time and cost of the non-constructed parts. Finally, by comparing the results predicted by the GPR model with the actual ones, it was concluded that the developed GPR model has a high potential to reduce uncertainties related to the time and cost of tunnel construction. Also, the ability of GPR model to predict time and cost of tunnel construction was compared with two other methods of support vector regression (SVR) and artificial neural networks (ANN). Finally, the GPR model was superior to the SVR and ANN methods in terms of prediction accuracy.

Photonic integrated circuits have benefited many fields in the natural sciences. Their nanoscale patterning has led to the discovery of novel sources and detectors from ultraviolet to microwaves. Yet terahertz technologies have so far leveraged surprisingly little of the design and material freedom provided by photonic integrated circuits. Despite photoconduction—the process in which light is absorbed above the bandgap of a semiconductor to generate free carriers—and nonlinear up- and down-conversion being by far the two most widespread approaches to generate and detect terahertz waves, so far, terahertz technologies have been mostly employed in bulk. In this perspective, we discuss the current state-of-the-art, challenges, and perspectives for hybrid optical-terahertz photonic chips. We focus, in particular, on χ(2) and χ(3) nonlinear waveguides and waveguide-integrated photoconductive devices. We highlight opportunities in the micro- and macroscale design of waveguide geometries and printed antennas for the optimization of emission and detection efficiencies of terahertz waves. Realizing complex functionalities for terahertz photonics on a single chip may come into reach by integration and miniaturization compatible with telecom and fiber technologies.

Abstract Today, the application of ecological indicators based on organisms has replaced traditional saprobic approaches for assessment of the quality of rivers impaired due to organic pollution and some other environmental disturbances. This study aimed to weigh the quality of the Ojarud River in Ardabil, Iran, applying biological and physiological indices of macro‐invertebrates. A total of 12,524 samplings were fulfilled at four stations (S1, S2, S3, S4) from the headstream to downstream by a Surber sampler (30 × 30 cm2) from June/2020 to April/2021. All year round, the highest frequent families were Chironomidae (2658), Simuliidae (1025) from Diptera and Caenidae (1855), and Baetidae (724) from Ephemeroptera. The diversity pattern was analyzed by PAST software, and Primer 7 (BIO‐ENV analysis) was utilized to understand what factor has the most impact on the distribution of macro‐invertebrates. The least similarity of S4 to other stations was recognized by Cluster analysis. As per the ANOSIM (analysis of similarities), a statistically significant difference in the macroinvertebrates' frequency was established between S3 and other stations (p = .0001, r = .63). Moreover, the relationship between heavy metals and macro‐invertebrate showed that the three families of Simuliidae, Gomphidae, and Caenidae had a positive correlation with the concentrations of heavy metals in the sediment. As per the Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera index, the water quality was placed in the “excellent” class, but the Biological Monitoring Working Party and Hilsenhoff Family Biotic Index indices scored the water quality “good” class at S1 and the “poor” class at S3. Based on the results of this study, the use of physicochemical and hydro‐morphological indicators can support the biological indicators but cannot replace them. In addition, careful evaluation of biological indicators is required to develop conservation strategies.

Abstract Background and Aims Due to the recent emergence of COVID‐19, the exact pathology of this disease has not been determined. Therefore, this study evaluated the frequency of neurological symptoms in patients with COVID‐19. Methods This cross‐sectional study was conducted on 2200 in patients with COVID‐19 who were selected from an educational hospital in Sanandaj, Iran, from April 2020 to March 2021. The research samples were selected by census, all patients with COVID‐19 were admitted to the hospital. The data collection tool was a checklist of the studied variables (dizziness, headache, and impaired consciousness) prepared by the researchers based on the specialists' opinions. The researcher completed these checklists based on the patients' hospitalization records. The data were analyzed by descriptive and analytical statistical tests using SPSS Software Version 20. The quantitative variables were compared using the independent t‐test. The χ2 test was also used to compare qualitative variables. A p Value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The mean age of the patients was 57.41 years old, of whom 53.1% were male. The average blood oxygen level of the patients was 88.10%, and most disease symptoms were related to shortness of breath and cough, with a frequency of 24.3%. In addition, 20.8% of patients needed hospitalization in intensive care unit. The highest frequency of central and peripheral nervous system manifestations was related to headache, ageusia (loss of sense of taste), hyposmia (A decreased sense of smell and anosmia (The complete loss of smell). Finally, 15.3% of patients died, and 84.7% recovered. The analytical findings showed a significant relationship between the disease outcome and patients' dizziness, consciousness disorder, seizure and ageusia. There was a significant relationship between gender and headache in patients. There was a significant difference between the mean age and oxygen level with central and peripheral nervous system manifestations (dizziness, headache, impaired consciousness, smell disorder) and the disease outcome in patients. Conclusion The pathophysiology of COVID‐19 virus infection involving the central nervous system is not fully understood. Neurological symptoms of this virus include delirium, headache, decreased level of consciousness, and seizures. Identifying the symptoms and mechanisms of neurological complications of COVID‐19 is necessary for proper screening and complete treatment because a patient infected by COVID‐19 may not show respiratory failure signs but may be a carrier. A complete and accurate knowledge of the symptoms and complications of this infection for proper screening of patients to prevent transmission and spread of this disease is critically needed.

Presents corrections to the paper, (Corrections to “Deep Learning-Based Intrusion Detection Systems: A Systematic Review”).

Presents corrections to the paper, Corrections to “A Faster and Robust Artificial Neural Network Based Image Encryption Technique With Improved SSIM”.

Undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver (UESL) is a rare adult neoplasm. The primary treatments for UESL are total surgical resection and adjuvant multiagent chemotherapy. The current study presents a case of UESL in a 9-year-old female with abdominal pain and fever as her first symptoms. A cystic mass with solid components was discovered on sonography and computed tomography (CT) imaging. The patient underwent tumor removal surgery in addition to a liver lobectomy on the right side. The pathologist reported a single-focal cystic solid mass confined to the liver with no capsular invasion, and the final diagnosis based on the immunohistochemistry (IHC) results was UESL. The patient received chemotherapy, and she is doing well eight months after surgery with no signs of recurrence. In conclusion, large cystic hepatic lesions should be considered in the differential diagnosis. Despite the poor prognosis of UESL, aggressive surgical resection should be the most important factor in ensuring long-term survival.

Two ligands, 1, 3-bis(4-carboxyphenyl)imidazolium chloride and 4, 4-bipyridine, were employed to prepare nickel and zinc azolium based MOFs, Ni-MOF and Zn-MOF by the mixed ligand solvothermal approach. The positively charged azolium moieties in the imidazolium linker resulted in a charged environment in the as-synthesized frameworks. As a result, Ni-MOF and Zn-MOF demonstrated preferential adsorption of CO2 over methane molecules in the gas phase adsorption due to the higher quadruple moment of CO2, which interacts more with the positively charged frameworks. Besides, in aqueous media, Ni-MOF and Zn-MOF exhibited incredible adsorption efficiency for anionic dyes. In the following, Ni-MOF was metallated at the carbene site of the azolium linker to generate the novel heterogeneous catalyst Pd/Ni-MOF, which was successfully applied for Sonogashira and Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reactions without losing its activity after three cycles.

Introduction: Regarding to the pandemic of coronavirus and the existence of limited studies on the outcome of this disease in pregnant women, the present study was performed aimed to determine the clinical signs and outcomes of pregnant women with coronavirus. Methods: This descriptive study was performed on 100 pregnant women living in Golestan province who were infected with Covid-19 virus and were admitted to one of the hospitals in the Golestan province in 2020. All pregnant women who were hospitalized due to Covid-19 were followed up for two months after delivery. A researcher-made data collection form was used to evaluate the clinical signs and consequences of coronavirus. Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 18). Results: The most common clinical sign in pregnant women was fever on the first day, and most women became asymptomatic from 4th day. Among the maternal consequences, 2 cases (2%) of maternal death was observed in the infected mothers. Preterm delivery (16%) and then oligohydramnios (8%) were more common. Most of the pregnant women did not have fetal complications. Among neonatal outcomes, neonatal hospitalization in the intensive care unit (30%) was the most common, and then neonatal jaundice (24%) and preterm infants (11%) were the most common reported cases. Also, 67% of women with Covid-19 had cesarean section delivery and the birth weight of 77% of infants was in the normal range. Conclusion: Covid-19 infection in pregnant women significantly increased adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes; therefore, better planning should be done to prevent this disease in pregnant women so that less pregnant women are affected.

Objective: Acellular matrices of different allogeneic or xenogeneic origins are widely used as structural scaffolds in regenerative medicine. The main goal of this research was to optimize a method for decellularization of foreskin for skinregeneration in small wounds.Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, the dermal layers of foreskin were divided into two sections and subjected to two different decellularization methods: the sodium dodecyl sulfate method (SDS-M), and our optimizedforeskin decellularization method (OFD-M). A combination of non-ionic detergents and SDS were used to decellularize the foreskin in OFD-M. The histological, morphological, and biomechanical properties of both methods were compared. In addition, human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hucMSCs) were isolated, and the biocompatibility andrecellularization of both scaffolds by hucMSC were subsequently determined.Results: We observed that OFD-M is an appropriate approach for successful removal of cellular components from the foreskin tissue, without physical disturbance to the acellular matrix. In comparison to SDS-M, this new bioscaffold possesses a fine network containing a high amount of collagen fibers and glycosaminoglycans (GAG) (P≤0.03), is biocompatible and harmless for hucMSC (viability 91.7%), and exhibits a relatively high tensile strength.Conclusion: We found that the extracellular matrix (ECM) structural integrity, the main ECM components, and themechanical properties of the foreskin are well maintained after applying the OFD-M decellularization technique, indicating that the resulting scaffold would be a suitable platform for culturing MSC for skin grafting in small wounds

Abstract Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a fatal chronic disease characterized by accumulation of extracellular matrix and thickening of the alveolar wall, ultimately leading to respiratory failure. PF is thought to be initiated by the dysfunction and aberrant activation of a variety of cell types in the lung. In particular, several studies have demonstrated that macrophages play a pivotal role in the development and progression of PF through secretion of inflammatory cytokines, growth factors, and chemokines, suggesting that they could be an alternative therapeutic source as well as therapeutic target for PF. In this review, we describe the characteristics, functions, and origins of subsets of macrophages involved in PF and summarize current data on the generation and therapeutic application of macrophages derived from pluripotent stem cells for the treatment of fibrotic diseases. Additionally, we discuss the use of macrophage-derived exosomes to repair fibrotic lung tissue.

Abstract : Background: This study evaluated the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy and hormone therapy on overall survival and disease-free survival in patients with breast cancer with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative tumor without lymph node involvement. Methods: Breast cancer patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative, and no lymph node involvement were included in this retrospective cohort study. Patient records were used to collect data on sex, age, time of disease onset, tumor subtype, tumor size, grade, lymphovascular and perineural involvement, ki67, and treatment protocols. Patients were divided into 2 groups: Patients who received both adjuvant chemotherapy and hormonal therapy and patients who received hormonal therapy only. Disease-free survival index (DFS) and overall survival index (OS) were evaluated. Results: Sixty-seven female patients were enrolled in this study. Of them, 68.2% received both adjuvant chemotherapy and hormonal therapy and 31.6% received hormonal therapy only. During follow-up, recurrences occurred in 8 patients. The 3-year and 5-year DFS were 93.4% and 90%, respectively. The 3-year and 5-year DFS were 94% and 92%, respectively, in patients who received both adjuvant chemotherapy and hormonal therapy, and 91% and 85%, respectively, in patients who received hormonal therapy. None of the factors studied affected the 3-year and 5-year DFS. The 3-year and 5-year DFS OS were 98.6% and 96.9%, respectively CONCLUSION: Adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative, and no lymph node involvement compared with similar patients receiving hormone therapy alone had no significant difference in disease-free survival index and overall survival index. Keywords: breast cancer; disease-free survival index; overall survival index

Organophosphate pesticides, especially chlorpyrifos, are one of the most widely used insecticides in agriculture, but their toxicity and potential sensitivity effects on Anura, especially Fejervarya limnocharisare still unknown. The purpose of this investigation is to studyF. limnocharis(Anura: Dicroglossidae) tadpole sen-sitivity to lethal (survivability) and sublethal effects (morphological alterations and swimming activity) of chlorpyrifos in Dursban 200EC commercial formula under acute exposure.An acute toxicity test was carried out on ten tadpoles (Gosner 25) in each repetition. The sample was obtained from artificial reproduction by injecting the Trial Batch 2000 IU hCG by Kings Lab. The acute toxicity testing consisted of three replicates with a chlorpyrifos concentration of 0; 0.4; 0.8; 1; 2; 4;and 8 μg/L. Physico-chemical parameters, mortality, morphological, and swimmingalterationsof each concentration were observed at 24th, 48th, 72nd, and 96th hours. The LC50of chlorpyrifos for F. limnocharis tadpoles was 2.86 μg/L. The percentage of survivability F. limnocharistadpoles decreased after exposure to chlorpyrifos above 1μg/L, while morphological alterations were observed in 2 μg/L and 4 μg/L after 48thhours exposure, and the swimming alterations have occurred at 24thhours in 1; 2; 4 and 8 μg/L. Morphological alterations were ob-served including asymmetrical body shape, edema, and abnormal tail shape. Based on the LC50 value, commercial chlorpyrifos has high-level toxicity on F. limnocharis tadpoles.

By combining an asymmetric immersion lens setup and a complementary resonating metasurface, the authors are able to resolve the far-field transmission of an ultrastrongly coupled, highly subwavelength split-ring single resonator at millimeter wavelengths.

Abstract Some studies suggested the effects of inflammatory cytokines in reducing muscle mass and muscle strength and, performance. This study aimed to compare pro-inflammatory cytokines in sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic subjects. 120 men and women were selected out from the cross-sectional study ‘sarcopenia and its determinants among Iranian elders’ (SARIR). Sarcopenia was defined based on the first ‘European Working Group on sarcopenia in older people’ (EWGSOP1) guidelines. A fasting blood sample was taken from each participant to measure serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), Interleukin 6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα). A total of 120 participants were included in this study. Mean age was 66.7 ± 7.7 years and mean body mass index (BMI) was 27.3 ± 4.2 kg/m2. Forty participants had the criteria of EWGSOP1 sarcopenia. A statistically significant difference was seen between normal and abnormal groups of muscle strength in hs-CRP (P-value = 0.04). Furthermore, we did not observe any remarkable association between inflammatory biomarkers including IL-6 (OR 1.15; 95% CI 0.31–4.28), TNF-α (OR 0.68; 95% CI 0.17–2.77), and hs-CRP (OR 2.39; 95% CI 0.87–6.55) and the presence of sarcopenia even after controlling for plausible confounders. We found that inflammatory biomarkers level was not associated with odds of sarcopenia. The lack of correlation between inflammatory cytokines and sarcopenia could be due to the participants’ age and genetics. Future studies are required to confirm these findings.

Background: The improper exploitation of water resources by humans has disrupted the natural balance of groundwater. Given the water resources restriction, it is crucial to manage these resources properly, recognize the current situation, and anticipate the harvesting or feeding effects. In this regard, simulators or models can act as valuable tools.Methods: In this research, we performed quantitative modeling of groundwater flow in the Quar-Maharlu plain, Fars Province, Iran using the PMWIN software. The model included three years’ calibration (2011-2014) for hydraulic conductivity coefficient and one year’s verification (2014-2015). To evaluate the model error in calibration and verification, the root mean square deviation (RMSD) was used. After simulating the aquifer to optimize the artificial recharge location by the flood spreading method, different scenarios were defined and examined by considering the natural and artificial factors.Results: The RMSD values for calibration were 1.55, 1.49, and 1.56 m for 2011, 2012, and 2013, respectively. The RMSD for verification of one year was 1.77 m, indicating the acceptable ability of the model to predict groundwater flow parameters. The stock variation for the whole aquifer was -8.88 mm3 in 2014. In the next step, the best recharging location was selected to create the maximum head increase (5.3cm) in the entire area of the plain.Conclusion: One of the effective ways to offset the negative balance is to strengthen the aquifer through artificial recharge.

To investigate the effect of substrate, organic matter, and salinity on the amount of essential oil and active ingredients of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) a factorial experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design. Based on the results, the highest percentage of essential oil was observed in the combined substrate of arable soil + compost + vermicompost. The highest percentages of compounds including Trans-carveol, Isoborneol, and Carvacrol acetate were observed in the salinity of 80 mM in the combined substrate of arable soil + compost + vermicompost. The highest percentage of compounds including citronellol and γ-Terpinene were recorded under compost substrate. In the control and with a combined substrate of arable soil + compost, the highest percentage of compounds, including 1,3,8,-P-menthatriene was observed. Application of HA could increase the main constituents, including Trans-carveol, γ-Terpinene, Isoborneol, Citronellol, and Carvacrol acetate in lemon balm.

Fibrosing pneumonia (FP) is classified into usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) and nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP), each having its own etiology and prognosis. Both types of FP are progressive and chronic conditions with distinct etiologies. Cytokines and inflammatory mediators play critical roles in the pathogenesis of FP. Among them, the role of transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1) and modulators triggering fibrosis are not well understood. In this study, the expression of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) as a stimulator for the production of TGF-β1 and also CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory cells were investigted in FP patients. Sixteen UIP, 14 NSIP and 4 pulmonary fibrosis following Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) infection patients, were compared with 12 healthy controls. The frequency of blood CD14+TGF-β1+ and CD14+TREM1+-gated monocytes and CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Treg), as well as the plasma levels of TGF-β1 and IL‑10 were measured. Fibrosis patients compared to healthy controls had a greater frequency of CD14+TGF-β1+ [15.9 (0.2-88.2) vs. 0.6 (0.2-11.0)] and CD14+TREM1+ [21.1 (2.3-91.2) vs. 10.3 (3.1-28.6)]-gated monocytes, and CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ [1.2 (0.3-3.6) vs. 0.2 (0.1-0.4)]-gated lymphocytes. Plasma TGF-β1 were also significantly increased in patients with fibrosis compared to healthy controls [9316.2 (±5554.4) vs. 3787.5 (±2255.6)]. These results confirm the importance of TGF-β1 and TREM1 in pulmonary fibrosis. It seems that this reciprocal cycle in healthy people is modulated by the production of IL‑10 by Treg cells, thus limiting fibrosis, as observed in patients following TB infection. Further investigations are recommended to evaluate possible immunomodulatory mechanisms defects in pulmonary fibrosis.

A challenge in analyzing dynamic intracellular cell biological processes is the dearth of methodologies that are sufficiently fast and specific to perturb intracellular protein activities. We previously developed a light-sensitive variant of the microtubule plus end-tracking protein EB1 by inserting a blue light-controlled protein dimerization module between functional domains. Here, we describe an advanced method to replace endogenous EB1 with this light-sensitive variant in a single genome editing step, thereby enabling this approach in human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and hiPSC-derived neurons. We demonstrate that acute and local optogenetic EB1 inactivation in developing cortical neurons induces microtubule depolymerization in the growth cone periphery and subsequent neurite retraction. In addition, advancing growth cones are repelled from areas of blue light exposure. These phenotypes were independent of the neuronal EB1 homolog EB3, revealing a direct dynamic role of EB1-mediated microtubule plus end interactions in neuron morphogenesis and neurite guidance.

Abstract Background Women are among the susceptible groups to Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) in Ardabil, north-west of Iran, despite the current global status. The underlying causes of high incidence and fatality rate of women in Ardabil are not fully understood. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the healthy behaviours in women of Ardabil and its relationship with COVID-19 mortality. Methods We conducted a case–control study to compare the adherence to health protocols and behaviours with respect to COVID-19 between the infected (261 patients) and healthy (515 persons) women. Health protocols and behaviours such as using mask, gloves, disinfectants, history of travelling and contacting, and attending various gatherings and places during the COVID-19 pandemic along with demographic variables were defined as independent variables, and COVID-19 death rate was defined as the dependent variable. Multivariable logistic regression methods were used to explore the risk factors associated with COVID-19 mortality. Results Chi-square and Fisher tests showed significant differences between infected and healthy women in terms of history of contact and traveling (p

P2X4 receptors modulate synaptic transmission and communication among neurons in the CNS. An increased level of neuronal P2X4 is associated with altered memory in the hippocampal region. Additionally, some evidence suggests that P2X receptors downregulate the GABAA receptors. In the microglia of drug users, methamphetamine (METH) modifies the expression of certain genes. Therefore, the alterations of P2X4 and GABAA gene expression on memory following treatment with/without buprenorphine (BUP) in METH rats were evaluated. Seventy-seven rats were allocated into eleven groups at random (n = 7). Control, METH (10 mg/kg), BUP (6 and 10 mg/kg) for 5 days, BUP (6 and 10 mg/kg) for 14 days, METH (10 mg/kg) + BUP (6 and 10 mg/kg) for 5 days, METH + BUP (6 and 10 mg/kg) for 14 days and withdrawal group. They received their treatments intraperitoneally. After memory assessment, the animals were decapitated, and the gene expression of P2X4 and GABAA receptors in the hippocampus was assayed using RT-PCR. The memory and P2X4 and GABAA receptor gene expression in METH rats were reduced compared to the control group. The administration of all the different BUP doses increased gene expression in (BUP 6 or 10 mg/kg. 5 days and BUP.10 mg/kg.14 days) + METH groups compared to METH rats. These results demonstrated that METH toxicity severely decreased the level of P2X4 gene expression. Meanwhile, treatment of BUP led to increasing levels of the mentioned gene. Therefore, the potential role of P2X4 and GABAA receptor genes in modulating METH addiction is addressed.