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Abstract Background Elevated mammographic density (MD) for a woman’s age and body mass index (BMI) is an established breast cancer risk factor. The relationship of parity, age at first birth, and breastfeeding with MD is less clear. We examined the associations of these factors with MD within the International Consortium of Mammographic Density (ICMD). Methods ICMD is a consortium of 27 studies with pooled individual-level epidemiological and MD data from 11,755 women without breast cancer aged 35–85 years from 22 countries, capturing 40 country-& ethnicity-specific population groups. MD was measured using the area-based tool Cumulus. Meta-analyses across population groups and pooled analyses were used to examine linear regression associations of square-root (√) transformed MD measures (percent MD (PMD), dense area (DA), and non-dense area (NDA)) with parity, age at first birth, ever/never breastfed and lifetime breastfeeding duration. Models were adjusted for age at mammogram, age at menarche, BMI, menopausal status, use of hormone replacement therapy, calibration method, mammogram view and reader, and parity and age at first birth when not the association of interest. Results Among 10,988 women included in these analyses, 90.1% (n = 9,895) were parous, of whom 13% (n = 1,286) had ≥ five births. The mean age at first birth was 24.3 years (Standard deviation = 5.1). Increasing parity (per birth) was inversely associated with √PMD (β: − 0.05, 95% confidence interval (CI): − 0.07, − 0.03) and √DA (β: − 0.08, 95% CI: − 0.12, − 0.05) with this trend evident until at least nine births. Women who were older at first birth (per five-year increase) had higher √PMD (β:0.06, 95% CI:0.03, 0.10) and √DA (β:0.06, 95% CI:0.02, 0.10), and lower √NDA (β: − 0.06, 95% CI: − 0.11, − 0.01). In stratified analyses, this association was only evident in women who were post-menopausal at MD assessment. Among parous women, no associations were found between ever/never breastfed or lifetime breastfeeding duration (per six-month increase) and √MD. Conclusions Associations with higher parity and older age at first birth with √MD were consistent with the direction of their respective associations with breast cancer risk. Further research is needed to understand reproductive factor-related differences in the composition of breast tissue and their associations with breast cancer risk.

Abstract Objective There is evidence that cytokine genes’ single nucleotide polymorphisms could be the reasons behind female infertility. This study aimed to identify the role for Interleukin33 rs1048274 (G > A) and rs16924243 (T > C), Interleukin22 rs1397852121 (C > T), rs1295978671 (C > T) and rs2227483 (A > T), Interleukin17A rs2275913 (G > A,C) and Interleukin17F rs763780 (T > C), Interleukin13 1512 (A > C) and IL13 2044 (G > A), and Interleukin4 rs2243250 (C > T) and rs2070874 (C > T) gene polymorphisms in female infertility to gain a richly more detailed understanding of its genetic predisposition. Five distinct groups, each comprising 200 infertile women and 200 age-matched fertile controls, were recruited to each Interleukins (33, 22, 17, 13 and 4) in this case–control study and were genotyped by using an amplification refractory mutation system. Statistical analysis is conducted by SPSS software V. 22 and using Chi-square (χ2) and logistic regression tests. Strength of association was estimated by multiple-comparison correction, population structure test and Haplotype analysis. The study was approved by the Academic Ethics Committee and each enrolled patient signed an informed consent. Results Our statistical results revealed risk alleles in all of the substitution lines for women infertility. Current findings provided evidence that in the presence of Interleukin33 A p-value rs1048274 = 0.002 and C p-value rs16924243

This research was conducted to evaluate the textbooks of junior high school in terms of attention to the concept of charity. The research method was descriptive with quantitative content analysis. The population comprised junior high school textbooks. Applying targeted sampling, 5 titles (Heavenly Gifts, Lifestyle and Associated Thought, Quran Teaching, Persian and Social Studies) with 14 volumes were chosen as sample. The measuring tool was the researcher-made content analysis checklist whose validity was confirmed by experts and pundits and whose reliability was calculated at 96% by the William Scott method. Data processing was based on the Shannon entropy method and in order to examine the difference between charity parameters in the textbooks of three grades, the chi-squared test was used. The research findings showed that at the junior high school level, the parameters of “assisting the needy”, “respecting others” and “empathy with others” receiver more attention while the parameters of “wrath containment”, “respecting fauna and flora rights”, “voluntary activity”. “endowment” and “forgiveness” received less attention. Furthermore, the parameters of “forgiveness”, “voluntary activity”, “wrath containment” and “respecting fauna and flora rights” had a low importance coefficient without any proper dispersion in the textbooks of the three grades. Moreover, the frequency of charity parameters in the 9th grade textbooks was by far lower than in the 7th and 8th grades.

In this work, detection probability of the orbital angular momentum (OAM) states of the Bessel-Gaussian (BG) and Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beams passing through a plasma sheath turbulence (PST) are theoretically investigated. For this purpose, OAM-spectrum of the vortex beams (VB) is derived by using the modified von-Karman spectrum in the frame of Rytov theory, then some numerical analysis is performed to show the difference of considered VBs in the propagation through a PST. Obtained results indicate that incident beam parameters such as angular mode number, beam waist, and wavelength can easily affect the OAM-spectrum of both types of VBs. As well as, increasing the anisotropic parameters of the turbulent media can mitigate the turbulence-induced disturbance of the propagated VBs. Furthermore, it is found that diffraction-free BG beams show a better propagation performance than LG beams in the PST. This feature allows the BG beam to be a good candidate for free-space communication applications.

Background: Methamphetamine use can provide a quick and pleasurable rush, increased energy, heightened attention, and euphoria, but may also result in many adverse effects. Various cell lines have been utilized in vitro to determine the adverse impacts of methamphetamine on those cells. As enough data are not available on the effect of methamphetamine on skin fibroblast cells, this study determined its in vitro effect on proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis of human skin fibroblast cells.Methods: Phenotypic characteristics of fibroblasts cells were determined and real-time PCR examined the expression of matrix metalloproteinase1 (MMP1), matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3), integrin alpha 11 (ITGA11), CD106, CD10, and CD26 markers. MTT assay checked the toxicity of recreational doses of 6 and 60 μM of methamphetamine. Quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assessed expression of Bax, Bcl-2 and PPARγ genes.Results: Fibroblast cells were morphologically spindle-shape and were positive for fibroblast markers of CD10, CD26, MMP1 and MMP3 and negative for mesenchymal markers of ITGA11 and CD106. MTT assay revealed a decline in proliferation of fibroblast cells when they were exposed to methamphetamine. The expression of Bax and PPARγ genes increased and decreased for Bcl-2 gene after exposure of cells to methamphetamine.Conclusion: Our results confirmed adverse effects of methamphetamine on proliferation, viability and differentiation of skin fibroblast cells revealing a reduction in cell proliferation and differentiation as well as an increase in cell apoptosis. These findings can open a window to health status of people who target methamphetamine use for recreational purposes.

‎In this article‎, ‎we employ a novel and unique method to analyze the Eulerian nature of the power graphs $ P_{i}(D) $ for 3 ⩽ i ⩽ 6‎. ‎Then‎, ‎we will mention some applications of Eulerian power graphs in computer networks‎.

Abstract Background Knowledge networks, such as Communities of Practice (CoP), are essential elements of knowledge management. They play a crucial role in assimilating various knowledge domains and converting individual knowledge into collective knowledge. This study aimed to assess the concept of knowledge networks and identify facilitators and barriers influencing knowledge sharing in infectious diseases, according to Iranian experts. Methods This qualitative study employed content analysis and used purposive and snowball sampling. The data were collected via online or face-to-face interviews with 25 participants with diverse expertise in infectious diseases (both clinical and non-clinical), epidemiology, knowledge management, and knowledge-based business management in Iran. The thematic analysis technique was used to code the interviews, and the collected data were analyzed using MAXQDA 20 software. Results Thematic analysis of the interviews led to 437 codes. These codes were categorized into two groups: facilitators and barriers. The facilitators shaping the knowledge network for infectious diseases were classified into three main categories: individual factors, organizational factors, and communication mechanisms. Individual factors involved two themes: strengthening knowledge exchange between experts in infectious diseases and personal characteristics such as the criteria for network membership. Organizational factors comprised three themes: organizational and trans-organizational factors, management strategies, and interactions with non-governmental sectors. Communication mechanisms included two themes: the use of information technology and knowledge brokers. In addition, three important challenges were identified as barriers influencing the knowledge network: administration and policy-making, organizational and trans-organizational, and personal challenges. Conclusions Several facilitators and barriers influence the formation of an infectious disease knowledge network, which must be addressed to ensure its effectiveness, development, and long-term sustainability. Addressing these factors will enable the network to effectively integrate diverse knowledge and contribute to advancing infectious disease management.

— In this paper, a single switch transformer-less DC-DC converter with continuous input current for photovoltaic applications is proposed. The suggested configuration utilizes a CL1C2D2 structure to achieve a high voltage gain and alleviate voltage pressure on the semiconductor components. This design enables a significant increase in voltage output with a minimal turns ratio, leading to reduced size, weight, and cost of the converter system. The reduction in turns ratio of the coupled inductor results in lowered voltage stress on the semiconductor elements. Additionally, employing just one power switch in the converter simplifies control and reduces expenses. With its continuous input current, this converter is particularly well-suited for integration in photovoltaic systems. Simulation results conducted using PSCAD/EMTDC software validate the efficacy of the proposed power converter. Furthermore, the maximum power output of the photovoltaic module through an MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) controller under varying irradiance levels is determined, and simulations are executed using PSCAD/EMTDC.

Abstract Background As a newly emerged concept and a product of the twenty-first century, health information governance is expanding at a rapid rate. The necessity of information governance in the healthcare industry is evident, given the significance of health information and the current need to manage it. The objective of the present scoping review is to identify the dimensions and components of health information governance to discover how these factors impact the enhancement of healthcare systems and services. Methods PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest and the Google Scholar search engine were searched from inception to June 2024. Methodological study quality was assessed using CASP checklists for selected documents. Endnote 20 was utilized to select and review articles and manage references, and MAXQDA 2020 was used for content analysis. Results A total of 37 documents, including 18 review, 9 qualitative and 10 mixed-method studies, were identified by literature search. Based on the findings, six core categories (including health information governance goals, advantages and applications, principles, components or elements, roles and responsibilities and processes) and 48 subcategories were identified to form a unified general framework comprising all extracted dimensions and components. Conclusions Based on the findings of this scoping review, health information governance should be regarded as a necessity in the health systems of various countries to improve and achieve their goals, particularly in developing and underdeveloped countries. Moreover, in light of the undesirable effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in various countries, the development and implementation of health information governance models at organizational, national and international levels are among the pressing concerns. Researchers can use the present findings as a comprehensive model for developing health information governance models. A possible limitation of this study is our limited access to some databases.

Abstract Background The apparent lack of additional missense mutations data on mixed-phenotype leukemia is noteworthy. Single amino acid substitution by these non-synonymous single nucleotide variations can be related to many pathological conditions and may influence susceptibility to disease. This case-control study aimed to unravel whether the ZAP70 missense variant (rs104893674 (C > A)) underpinning mixed-phenotype leukemia. Methods The rs104893674 was genotyped in clients who were mixed-phenotype acute leukemia-, acute lymphoblastic leukemia- and acute myeloid leukemia-positive and matched healthy controls, which have been referred to all major urban hospitals from multiple provinces of country- wide, IRAN, from February 11’ 2019 to June 10’ 2023, by amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction method. Direct sequencing for rs104893674 of the ZAP70 gene was performed in a 3130 Genetic Analyzer. Results We found that the AC genotype of individuals with A allele at this polymorphic site (heterozygous variant-type) contribute to the genetic susceptibility to acute leukemia of both forms, acute myeloid leukemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia as well as with a mixed phenotype. In other words, the ZAP70 missense variant (rs104893674 (C > A)) increases susceptibility of distinct cell populations of different (myeloid and lymphoid) lineages to exhibiting cancer phenotype. The results were all consistent with genotype data obtained using a direct DNA sequencing technique. Conclusion Of special interest are pathogenic missense mutations, since they generate variants that cause specific molecular phenotypes through protein destabilization. Overall, we discovered that the rs104893674 (C > A) variant chance in causing mixed-phenotype leukemia is relatively high.

Background and purpose: The seventh most common type of cancer with increasing diagnosis rates around the world is head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Specificity proteins (SPs) have been known for their role in the regulation of cellular division, growth, and apoptotic pathways in various cancers. In this work, we analyzed the expression levels of SPs in HNSCC to assess their diagnostic and prognostic biomarker potential. Experimental approach: Differential gene expression and correlation analysis methods were used to determine the top dysregulated genes in HNSCC. Functional enrichment and protein-protein interaction analyses were done with the DAVID database and Cytoscape software to understand their function and biological processes. Receiver operating test, logistic regression, and Cox regression analyses were performed to check SP genes’ diagnostic and prognostic potential. Findings/Results: SP1 (LogFC = -0.27, P = 0.0013) and SP2 (LogFC = -0.20, P = 0.0019) genes were upregulated in HNSCC samples, while SP8 (LogFC = 2.57, P < 0.001) and SP9 (LogFC = 2.57, P < 0.001) genes were downregulated in cancer samples. A moderate positive correlation was observed among the expression levels of SP1, SP2, and SP3 genes. The SP8 and SP9 genes with AUC values of 0.79 and 0.75 demonstrated diagnostic potential which increased to 0.84 when both genes were assessed by logistic regression test. Also, the SP1 gene held a marginally significant prognostic potential. Conclusion and implications: Our findings clarify the potential of SP transcription factors as candidate diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for early screening and treatment of HNSCC.

Abstract Background Planned behaviors and self-care against the coronavirus are two important factor in controlling its spread and self-care behaviors depend on the level of health literacy. This research was conducted to determine the mediating role of health literacy in the relationship between elements of planned behavior and self-care in dealing with the Covid-19. Methods In this descriptive-analytical quantitative study, the sample size was calculated using Cochrane’s formula and considering a p-value of 0.51, α = 0.05, and d = 0.05, and 313 students were selected based on stratified and random method. To gather data and assess various aspects of variables, a questionnaires were utilized, focusing on health literacy, self-car and planned behavior. The relationship between the variables was examined by SPSS version 26 and via descriptive statistics, including the mean and standard deviation, and inferential statistics such as Pearson’s correlation coefficient (P = 0.05), path analysis, and determining the standard coefficients between self-care and planned behavior, mediated by the indicators of the health literacy. Results A significant difference was found between the level of health literacy of women and men. The comparison of the mean health literacy and self-care behavior in terms of other variables did not show any significant difference. Meanwhile, the comparison of health status control behaviors, hand washing, and mask use did not show any significant difference between the two groups. A positive and significant correlation was found between self-care behaviors, attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intention. The relationship of health literacy and psychological variables of attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control with self-care against COVID-19 was significant. Conclusion The direct and significant impact of health literacy on individuals’ self-care behaviors against the coronavirus was not observed. However, health literacy did have a significant effect on subjective norms. This finding is important because subjective norms significantly influenced individuals’ behavioral intention, which in turn had a significant effect on self-care behaviors against the coronavirus. Thus, health literacy played a mediating role in this relationship. Furthermore, attitude emerged as the strongest predictor of behavioral intention, exerting a direct effect. Conversely, perceived behavioral control did not directly and significantly affect students’ self-care behaviors.

Abstract Background Among the large animals, the heart of sheep is functionally and structurally very similar to the human heart. In research, sheep are used as an animal model to study the process of cardiac disease pathogenesis and treatment. Therefore, determining the normal values of the heart structures of sheep with echocardiography is of particular emphasis. The purpose of the present research is to define the normal echocardiography values of heart in Iranian Shall breed sheep. Materials and methods In 20 healthy Iranian Shall male sheep weighing 30–35 kg and aged 4–6 months, standing echocardiography was done from the right parasternal approach concentrated on the 3rd to 5th intercostal spaces by 2.5–5 MHz phased array transducer in the longitudinal and transverse views by B‐mode, M‐mode and Doppler systems. In M‐mode echocardiographic, the parameters of interventricular septal, left ventricular internal diameter, left ventricular free wall, right ventricular free wall and right ventricular internal diameter in diastole and systole as well as end point septal separation, ejection fraction (EF) slope, aortic root diameter, left atrial appendage, left atrial diameter/aortic valve diameter, left ventricular ejection time, fractional shortening, end‐diastolic volume, end‐systolic volume, EF, stroke volume and cardiac output and in pulsed‐wave spectral Doppler echocardiographic, the parameters of mitral valve maximum velocity (Vmax), mitral valve mean velocity (Vmean), mitral valve maximum pressure gradient (PGmax), mitral valve mean pressure gradient (PGmean), mitral valve velocity time integral (VTI), mitral valve E‐wave (MV‐E), MV‐E pressure gradient, mitral valve A‐wave (MV‐A), MV‐A pressure gradient, aortic Vmax, aortic valve Vmean, aortic valve PGmax, aortic valve PGmean, aortic valve VTI, left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT)‐Vmax, LVOT‐Vmean were measured. Results All the sheep in this study were healthy and had no signs of heart disease. In this study, the parameters of M‐mode and spectral Doppler echocardiographic were assessed and recognized in Iranian Shall sheep. The results demonstrated the parameters of echocardiographic could be dependably determined in Shall sheep which, established normal reference values for these parameters and left ventricular function indices in healthy Shall sheep. These results can be beneficial in appropriate imagination, recognition and measuring cardiac structures. Conclusion This study can be exerted as a reference for the assessment and diagnosis of heart diseases in sheep medicine and human cardiovascular research in sheep experimental models.

Abstract Background The high mobility group A2 (HMGA2) gene is expressed extensively during early embryonic development but is inactivated in adulthood, and it is also reactivated in various benign and malignant tumors, including breast cancer. We first assessed the potential functional significance of the unstudied deletion polymorphism rs10573247 at the 3′UTR of HMGA2 on miRNA binding using bioinformatic tools, and subsequently, the association between this polymorphism and breast cancer susceptibility was investigated. Materials and methods We applied the RNAhybrid tool to predict the functional effects of polymorphism rs10573247 located within the 3’ UTR of the HMGA2 gene on miRNA binding. Then, following DNA extraction, 141 breast cancer patients and 123 healthy controls were genotyped for polymorphism rs10573247 using RFLP-PCR with the restriction enzyme Eam1104I. Results Our bioinformatic data have shown that polymorphism rs10573247 is located in the region that serves as a potential target site for eight miRNAs binding. Among them, miR-3125 exhibited decreased binding affinity for the allele delTT (MFE = -21.8) when compared to the allele TT (MFE = -23.9), but miR-4476 increased binding affinity for the allele delTT (MFE = -22.4) compared to the allele TT (MFE = -22.2). In addition, our results showed that the genotype TT/delTT (p = 0.005) and the genotype delTT/delTT (p = 0.029) were significantly associated with an increased risk of developing breast cancer compared to the genotype TT/TT using RFLP-PCR. Discussion and Conclusion Our findings suggest that polymorphism rs10573247 may contribute to the risk of breast cancer through the functional effect of this polymorphism on miRNA binding.

Objectives: This study aimed to report a simple environmentally compatible method that is economically affordable for the facile biosynthesis of stable silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in corn steep liquor (CSL) nutrient using the sewage of a leather factory. Materials and Methods: The biosynthesis of AgNPs were done by reduction of AgNO3 in the sewage of leather factory as a mixed bacterial culture and corn steep liquor under anaerobic condition while protecting from light. Results: The AgNPs were found to have a characteristic absorption peak at 416 nm on the ultraviolet-visible spectrum. Characterization of AgNPs was performed by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR). The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopes (TEM) images showed poly-dispersed spherical stable AgNPs with a maximum diameter of 20 nm. Moreover, the dynamic light scattering (DLS) showed that the average size of AgNPs was 15.57 nm with a zeta potential value of -19.2 mV. The synthesized nanoparticles demonstrated more antibacterial activity in opposition to gram-negative bacteria. The zone of inhibition of biosynthesized AgNPs in 1 mM concentration of AgNO3 against Escherichia coli was equal to that of gentamicin. Conclusions: The interaction of protein residues with AgNPs was identified, supporting that the proteins not only act as a reducing agent but also as a capping. The synthesized AgNPs showed antibacterial activity, providing commercial viability in biomedicine.

Introduction: The decline in environmental quality has raised public concern about environmental issues. Even in the greenest countries, policymakers face the significant challenge of understanding why environmental policies are often ineffective in addressing these problems. According to the 2024 Global Environmental Performance Index, Iran ranks 133rd out of 180 countries, reflecting a poor global standing and numerous environmental crises, including ecosystem conversion, biodiversity loss, increasing dust storms, drying wetlands and lakes, water resource depletion, land subsidence, and air and soil pollution. Contributing factors include a lack of robust development plans, ineffective environmental policies, outdated laws and regulations, and inadequate coordination among agencies and organizations. These issues underscore the urgent need for effective environmental policymaking to address the growing crises. This study, recognizing the importance of the formulation stage in public policymaking, proposes a model for developing environmental policies in Iran to address these challenges and reduce environmental pollution.Materials and Methods: This study employed a qualitative research approach, incorporating both library and field research methods for data collection. Data were gathered through note-taking and expert interviews. The analysis was conducted using a thematic analysis strategy, chosen for its ability to extract meaningful insights from qualitative data, such as interview transcripts. The coding and thematic analysis process followed a comprehensive, step-by-step approach. Using purposive sampling, the research team interviewed 13 experts, including university professors, environmental researchers, executives from the Environmental Protection Organization, and managers involved in environmental policymaking. The interviews continued until thematic saturation was achieved, indicating no new themes or concepts were emerging. To ensure reliability, the test-retest reliability index was applied to the coding of the interviews. In this approach, a few randomly selected interviews were coded and then re-coded after a certain period to compare the consistency of the codes. This technique helped verify the reliability of the thematic analysis process.Results: The study results indicate that a model for formulating environmental policies to achieve sustainable development comprises eight key themes: economic factors, social factors, environmental factors, political factors, legal requirements, institutional capacity, key stakeholders in policy formulation, and the process of formulating environmental policies. Each theme plays a crucial role in policy development. Addressing environmental issues without a collective approach to these themes is likely to be ineffective. A fragmented approach to implementing these themes can lead to disruptions in development and significant harm to environmental resources. The results emphasize the need for a comprehensive approach that considers all these factors to effectively address environmental challenges and work toward sustainable developmen.Discussion: To effectively tackle environmental crises, a holistic approach must be embraced in environmental policy formulation. Social, political, legal, and institutional factors must be carefully considered to avoid severe challenges and complications. Active participation from community organizations, NGOs, citizens, and local stakeholders in policymaking can play a significant role in resolving environmental issues. This requires not only the restructuring of institutional frameworks to strengthen environmental governance but also a review of existing legal systems to ensure they are conducive to effective policymaking. It also highlights the importance of combining bottom-up and top-down policies to improve environmental performance indicators. Bottom-up opportunities from local communities and civil society, along with top-down engagement from legislative, executive, and judicial branches, are critical to shaping effective policies.

Abstract Background The primary goal of this work is to identify biomarkers associated with lung squamous cell carcinoma and assess their potential for early detection of lymph node metastasis. Methods This study investigated gene expression in lymph node metastasis of lung squamous cell carcinoma using data from the Cancer Genome Atlas and R software. Protein-protein interaction networks, hub genes, and enriched pathways were analyzed. ZNF334 and TINAGL1, two less explored genes, were further examined through in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo experiments to validate the findings from bioinformatics analyses. The role of ZNF334 and TINAGL1 in senescence induction was assessed after H2O2 and UV induced senescence phenotype determined using β-galactosidase activity and cell cycle status assay. Results We identified a total of 611 up- and 339 down-regulated lung squamous cell carcinoma lymph node metastasis-associated genes (FDR

The present study sought to identify the supportive roles of social media in healthcare knowledge management processes, including decision-making, popularizing health knowledge, and empowerment of healthcare processes based on physicians' perspectives and experiences. In a present qualitative study, a semi-structured interview was administered to 28 physicians using purposive snowball sampling. The data analysis was done using the thematic analysis method by MAXQDA 10. The analysis of interviews resulted in the extraction of three themes and eight sub-themes. Firstly, social media supports physicians' decision-making by facilitating peer-to-peer assistance, increasing benchmarking, and virtualizing the community of practices. Secondly, physician activities in social media can popularize health knowledge by developing public health education and disclosing knowledge claims. Third, social media empower healthcare processes by improving post-treatment follow-up, supporting health counseling presentations, and promoting health awareness. Physicians’ experiences and perspectives showed that social media can support healthcare knowledge management implementation.

Abstract Multimodal nanoparticles, utilizing quantum dots (QDs), mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), and gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), offer substantial potential as a smart and targeted drug delivery system for simultaneous cancer therapy and imaging. This method entails coating magnetic GZCIS/ZnS QDs with mesoporous silica, loading epirubicin into the pores, capping with Au NPs, PEGylation, and conjugating with epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) aptamers to actively target colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. This study showcases the hybrid QD@MSN-EPI-Au-PEG-Apt nanocarriers (size ~65 nm) with comprehensive characterizations post-synthesis. In vitro studies demonstrate the selective cytotoxicity of these targeted nanocarriers towards HT-29 cells compared to CHO cells, leading to a significant reduction in HT-29 cell survival when combined with irradiation. Targeted delivery of nanocarriers in vivo is validated by enhanced anti-tumor effects with reduced side effects following chemo-radiotherapy, along with imaging in a CRC mouse model. This approach holds promise for improved CRC theranostics.

Abstract Globally, breast cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths among women. In breast cancer, microRNAs (miRNAs) are essential for both the initiation and development of tumors. It has been suggested that the tumor suppressor microRNA-561-3p (miR-561-3p) is crucial in arresting the growth of cancer cells. Further research is necessary to fully understand the role and molecular mechanism of miR-561 in human BC. The aim of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of miR-561-3p on ZEB1, HIF1A, and MYC expression as oncogenes that have the most impact on PD-L1 overexpression and cellular processes such as proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle in breast cancer (BC) cell lines. The expression of ZEB1, HIF1A, and MYC genes and miR-561-3p were measured in BC clinical samples and cell lines via qRT-PCR. The luciferase assay, MTT, Annexin-PI staining, and cell cycle experiments were used to assess the effect of miR-561-3p on candidate gene expression, proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle progression. Flow cytometry was used to investigate the effects of miR-561 on PD-L1 suppression in the BC cell line. The luciferase assay showed that miRNA-561-3p targets the 3′-UTRs of ZEB1, HIF1A and MYC genes significantly. In BC tissues, the qRT-PCR results demonstrated that miR-561-3p expression was downregulated and the expression of ZEB1, HIF1A and MYC genes was up-regulated. It was shown that overexpression of miR-561-3p decreased PD-L1 expression and BC cell proliferation, and induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest through downregulation of candidate oncogenes. Furthermore, inhibition of candidate genes by miR-561-3p reduced PD-L1 at both mRNA and protein levels. Our research investigated the impact of miR-561-3p on the expression of ZEB1, HIF1A and MYC in breast cancer cells for the first time. Our findings may help clarify the role of miR-561-3p in PD-L1 regulation and point to this miR as a potential biomarker and novel therapeutic target for cancer immunotherapy.

Abstract Background During transportation many horses develop post‐transportation infection, which can be life‐threatening and end their sport career. Preventing mucus accumulation and inflammation during transportation is vital, emphasizing the need for effective strategies to enhance overall horse health welfare. Objectives Assess the impact of N‐acetylcysteine (NAC) on mucus accumulation and inflammation in horses subjected to 18 hours of head confinement. Animals Six healthy crossbred horses, 5.3 ± 2.1 years of age and weighing 387 ± 30 kg. Methods Prospective placebo‐controlled cross‐over design study. The horses' heads were restrained in their stalls for a period of 18 hours. They were studied under 4 conditions: Not confined (NC): before head confinement, placebo (P), and confined head (CH): 18 hours of head confinement without treatment, and N‐Acetylcysteine (NAC): 18 hours of head confinement treated with NAC before confinement (15 mg/kg/day NAC PO for 3 days). Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed in each condition. Mucus accumulation along the trachea was evaluated by endoscopy. Results Endoscopic scores were significantly different between CH and other conditions, whereas no significant differences were found among NC, P, and NAC. The BAL cell count (34 291 ± 2624 cells/μL), neutrophil and lymphocyte count (18 601 ± 3193 cells/μL and 3337.4 ± 593 cells/μL, respectively) in CH were significantly higher compared to NAC. Neutrophil percentage was significantly higher in CH (53.8 ± 8%) compared to horses that received NAC (20.08 ± 8%). Conversely, in comparison to NAC (66.33 ± 9%), the percentage of macrophages was significantly lower in CH (35.7 ± 10%). Conclusions N‐acetylcysteine was found to significantly decrease mucus accumulation and inflammatory cell counts in horses with head confinement.

This article explores the influence of safety culture (as a subset of organizational culture) on the safety performance of a post-combustion carbon capture facility. After determining the controlling variables of safety culture, a system dynamics model was built to assess how those variables contribute to the safety performance of the facility. The focus on safety culture arises for avoiding major disasters that could significantly impact a company's ability to continue, as well as minor but disruptive incidents occurring during routine operations (i.e. when there is no system upset). This paper describes the complex relationship between cultural norms, leadership practices, communication patterns, and safety conduct with an emphasis on management and personnel commitment to safety, open communication, safety investments, and productivity pressure. Insights from this study contribute to the development of strategies for enhancing the safety performance of carbon capture operations, thereby promoting the integrity and reliability of these essential elements of energy networks. This paper focuses on the visible aspect of safety culture as manifested in organismal practices. We proposed a system dynamics model to devise strategies to reconcile the profitability while preventing accidents.