Search

Abstract Infection during the perinatal period can adversely affect brain development, predispose infants to ischemic stroke and have lifelong consequences. We previously demonstrated that diet enriched in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) transforms brain lipid composition in the offspring and protects the neonatal brain from stroke, in part by blunting injurious immune responses. Critical to the interface between the brain and systemic circulation is the vasculature, endothelial cells in particular, that support brain homeostasis and provide a barrier to systemic infection. Here, we examined whether maternal PUFA-enriched diets exert reprograming of endothelial cell signalling in postnatal day 9 mice after modeling aspects of infection using LPS. Transcriptome analysis was performed on microvessels isolated from brains of pups from dams maintained on 3 different maternal diets from gestation day 1: standard, n-3 enriched or n-6 enriched diets. Depending on the diet, in endothelial cells LPS produced distinct regulation of pathways related to immune response, cell cycle, extracellular matrix, and angiogenesis. N-3 PUFA diet enabled higher immune reactivity in brain vasculature, while preventing imbalance of cell cycle regulation and extracellular matrix cascades that accompanied inflammatory response in standard diet. Cytokine analysis revealed a blunted LPS response in blood and brain of offspring from dams on n-3 enriched diet. Analysis of cerebral vasculature in offspring in vivo revealed no differences in vessel density. However, vessel complexity was decreased in response to LPS at 72 h in standard and n-6 diets. Thus, LPS modulates specific transcriptomic changes in brain vessels of offspring rather than major structural vessel characteristics during early life. N-3 PUFA-enriched maternal diet in part prevents an imbalance in homeostatic processes, alters inflammation and ultimately mitigates changes to the complexity of surface vessel networks that result from infection. Importantly, maternal diet may presage offspring neurovascular outcomes later in life. Graphical Abstract

Background Intensive studies have failed to identify an etiologic agent in >50% cases of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Bacterial pneumonia follows aspiration of recognized bacterial pathogens (RBPs) such as Streptococcus pneumoniae , Haemophilus influenzae , and Staphylococcus aureus after they have colonize the nasopharynx. We hypothesized that aspiration of normal respiratory flora (NRF) might also cause CAP. Methods We studied 120 patients hospitalized for CAP who provided a high-quality sputum specimen at, or soon after admission, using Gram stain, quantitative sputum culture, bacterial speciation by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight, and viral polymerase chain reaction. Thresholds for diagnosis of bacterial infection were ≥105 colony-forming units (cfu)/mL sputum for RBPs and ≥106 cfu for NRF. Results Recognized bacterial pathogens were found in 68 of 120 (56.7%) patients; 14 (20.1%) of these had a coinfecting respiratory virus. Normal respiratory flora were found in 31 (25.8%) patients; 10 (32.2%) had a coinfecting respiratory virus. Infection by ≥2 RBPs occurred in 10 cases and by NRF together with RBPs in 13 cases. Among NRF, organisms identified as Streptococcus mitis , which share many genetic features of S pneumoniae , predominated. A respiratory virus alone was found in 16 of 120 (13.3%) patients. Overall, an etiologic diagnosis was established in 95.8% of cases. Conclusions Normal respiratory flora, with or without viral coinfection, appear to have caused one quarter of cases of CAP and may have played a contributory role in an additional 10.8% of cases caused by RBPs. An etiology for CAP was identified in >95% of patients who provided a high-quality sputum at, or soon after, the time of admission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Nowadays, due to the simplicity of operation and proper coordination characteristics, distance relays are being extensively used in the protection of power transmission lines. Despite many advantages, the distance relay is exposed to a maloperation when a power swing phenomenon occurs. Power swings may occur due to major disturbances, such as switching lines, generator interruptions, and connecting or disconnecting a large part of the loads, causing outages in healthy lines. Detecting power swing and preventing distance relay maloperation has always been a challenge. In addition, different parameters can have a great impact on the performance of power swing detection methods. In this paper, these parameters and their effects are examined along with various methods for detecting power swings. Accordingly, this comprehensive review covers all aspects of power swing phenomenon and its detection, including causes of power swings, power swing detection methods, determining threshold values in power swing methods, effecting of compensated lines and wind farms in power swing detection methods, and testing power swing function in the distance relays. It is hoped that this study will be helpful for researchers in power system protection to find relevant references and develop new methods for power swing function.

Byline: Gholamali. Jelodar, M. Maleki, M. Motadayen, S. Sirus BACKGROUND: Many traditional treatments have been recommended in the alternative system of medicine for treatment of diabetes mellitus; however, the mechanism [...]

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is secreted by cardiac myocytes and its plasma concentration often increases in patients with cardiovascular disease in response to blood volume expansion and stretching of cardiac chambers. Increase in plasma concentration of ANP (Cp < sub>ANp < /sub>) has been observed in humans with cardiac diseases and horses with left-sided valvular disease. This study aimed to investigate plasma ANP level in horses with pulmonic valve regurgitationand its association with echocardiographic parameters. Clinical and echocardiographic examinations were performed on several jumping horses in the equestrian clubs of Tehran, Iran. Eleven horses with pulmonic valve regurgitation were identified by echocardiographic examination and were included in the case group (Group A), and 14 healthy horses were taken as the control group (Group B). Then, B-Mode, M-Mode and doppler echocardiographic parameters were measured and compared between the two groups. Blood samples from the jugular vein were collected in tubes and were transferred to laboratory. Cp < sub>ANp < /sub> was measured by Sandwich ELISA method using an equine specific kit.MeanCp < sub>ANp < /sub>of horses in group­1 and group2 were 6.39±2.87 pg/ml and 4.78±2.45 pg/ml respectively, but no significant differences were observed. Except for right ventricular internal diameter, other echocardiographic parameters were not significantly different between the two groups. Cp < sub>ANp < /sub> was significantly correlated to systolic right ventricle length and left ventricular width. In conclusionno significant differences were observed between Cp < sub>ANp < /sub> of healthy horses and horses with pulmonic regurgitation. Based on the Correlation between CpANP and right ventricle length, an elevation in Cp < sub>ANp < /sub> might be expected in severe pulmonic regurgitation with change in ventricle`s dimensions.

The current century has witnessed the expansion of urbanization in developing countries, including Iran. On the one hand, one of the consequences of this phenomenon is the increase in demand for goods and services in cities, and on the other hand, urban development requires financing of municipalities and government organizations. Nevertheless, due to the diverse situations of developing countries and the financial crises of these countries, as well as the low credit and revenues of municipalities from local taxes, it is not possible to finance the necessary urban projects through the government sponsorship. As a result, for the progression of infrastructure, the presence of private sector investment and the use of facilities of private banks and institutions appears compulsory. The metropolis of Tabriz is a clear example of urban development using the capacities of the private sector. The present applied research applies a descriptive-survey method with the use of questionnaire tools and a sample size of 384 people to assess the role of private sector investment in the economic and artistic development of Tabriz. In the research process, Delphi technique was used to analyze the data and SWOT model was used to analyze the factors affecting private sector investment, quantitative strategic planning matrix technique. The results of the evaluation matrix of internal and external factors of Tabriz based on the QSPM model indicate that the weight of the city's strengths weighs on its weaknesses. Therefore, considering the strengths and weaknesses of the study area and the opportunities and threats that exist outside the region, as well as taking into account their total points, it can be concluded that by emphasizing on increasing private sector investment, economic-artistic development of Tabriz is followed. Research purposes: 1. Assessing the role of private sector investment in the economic-artistic development of Tabriz. 2. Investigating the strengths and weaknesses / opportunities and threats of private sector investment on the development and progress of Tabriz. Research questions: 1. Can supporting private investment play an effective role in the field of economic-artistic prosperity and growth and development of the city of Tabriz? 2. What are the strengths and weaknesses of private sector investment in the development of Tabriz and its opportunities and threats?

In this paper, a new method based on Hilbert transform is proposed to detect the power swing and faults occurring during the power swing. The proposed method operates independently from the system parameters. As well as, this method has the ability to detect different types of power swings, including stable, unstable, and multi-mode power swings, and also can differentiate the power swing from the faults for blocking or unblocking the distance relay. In order to evaluate the proposed method, various types of power swing and simultaneous faults are simulated in DIgSILENT software and then using the obtained matrix data from the current signals, the proposed algorithm has been implemented in Matlab software using the Hilbert transform. The results of this study show that the proposed method can detect different types of power swing successfully. In addition, it has been shown that the proposed method operates very fast; besides when a fault occurs simultaneously with the power swing unblocks the relay as soon as possible. This method has been also implemented practically on a distance relay and is tested by a relay tester device made by Vebko Amirkabir knowledge-based company. The results obviously show that the proposed method has a better operation than industrial conventional methods.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the microtensile bond strength of three universal adhesives to dentin and enamel. Materials and Methods: Sixty extracted human third molar teeth were chosen and divided into six groups regarding the adhesive (G-Premio Bond, Clearfil S3 Bond or Single Bond) and tooth surface. All the applied bonding agents were universal adhesives. The teeth were polished and the adhesives were applied; then the teeth were restored with composite resin. The samples were mounted in acrylic resin and sectioned. The specimens were subjected to a universal testing machine and the microtensile bond strength was measured. The failure mode of each specimen was determined under a stereomicroscope. Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA (α=0.05). Results: The microtensile bond strength of G-Premio Bond to enamel and dentin was 11.79±8.27 and 17.55±9.47 MPa, respectively which was not significantly different from the values in Single Bond group (15.59±10.66 and 17.19±10.09 MPa to enamel and dentin, respectively; P>0.05). However, the values for Clearfil S3 Bond were 7.11±4.23 and 7.88±8.83 MPa to enamel and dentin, respectively, which were significantly lower than the values for G-Premio Bond (P

Parallel lines are one of the main parts of the power systems due to their capability of increasing the transmitted power and reliability of the power network. However, due to their complexity, fault location in these transmission lines has always been a potential problem. Furthermore, when the wind farms are connected to the power networks, a new challenge is created for the fault location algorithms. The reason is that the impedance changes continuously in these wind power plants. Moreover, the Static Var Compensator (SVC), which is used for compensation in transmission lines, can cause problems in accurate calculation of the fault location in power transmission lines. Accordingly, this paper presents a new method based on Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks for source impedance and other network parameters estimation, which are key parameters to calculate the fault location accurately. The simulations are accomplished using PSCAD and Python software on a sample two-circuit network. This network consists of two parallel lines, a wind farm, and a synchronous generator to supply the network's power. The double-fed induction generator (DFIG) model is considered as the wind farm in the studied network. The results obtained from the tests clearly illustrate the applicability of the proposed method to estimate fault location and source impedance with high accuracy.

The valuable work of Shahnameh, Ferdowsi Tusi is well-known and famous epic in Persian, by the people of Iran has for a long time been considered, and due to the story’s context of this art work throughout history, this combination enabled us to build a close relationship with it. This unique collection contains narratives of the heroes of the Shahnameh and other Iranian heroic texts, tangled with symbolic and mythical themes. To the extent, reflections of Ferdowsi's themes and concepts can be seen in various works such as Mazandaran artworks. As far as it's a nice replication on the strength of the themes and concepts of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh which is seen especially in various works contained in the art works of Mazandaran. The purpose of writing this article is the evaluation and analysis of the symbolic themes of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh in the art works of Mazandaran, through descriptive-analytical method, based on quantitative content analysis and the data derived from observation, library studies. In other words, examples of the artistic works of this area proved almost symbolic for the themes of the Shahnameh which were classified and analyzed. The results of this research show that although the symbols commonly are used in some of these the artistic works have undergone a profound industrial change, however, a wide range of uses of symbolic and mythological for themes of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh can be mentioned in them.

Introduction: Using pan or selective computed tomography (CT) scan in management of multiple trauma patient is a matter of debate. Therefore, the present study was designed aiming to compare the findings of pan and selective CT scans in management of multiple trauma patients. Method: This is a prospective cross-sectional study, on patients presented to the emergency department (ED) of Shohadaye Haftome Tir Hospital, Tehran, Iran, following blunt multiple trauma over a 1-year period, from March 2014 to March 2015. Findings regarding presence or absence of injury in head, face, neck, chest, abdomen and hip were compared between patients that underwent pan and selective CT using SPSS 21. Results: 443 patients with the mean age of 34.54 ± 17.88 years were evaluated (78% male). 248 (56%) patients underwent selective CT scan and 195 (44%) underwent pan CT scan. The 2 groups were similar regarding vital signs and mean age. Mean hospital length of stay was 21.05 ± 24.64 days for selective CT scan group and 18.18 ± 22.75 days for the other one (p = 0.209). A significant difference was only seen regarding findings of chest injury between the 2 groups (p < 0.001). In other cases a proper overlap was seen between findings of the 2 groups. Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, it seems that doing selective CT scan yields results similar to pan CT in detection of head and face, neck and abdomen and hip injuries in multiple trauma patients. However, using pan CT in these patients led to 16% increase in detection and diagnosis of traumatic intra-thoracic injuries.Â

Introduction: Using pan or selective computed tomography (CT) scan in management of multiple trauma patient is a matter of debate. Therefore, the present study was designed aiming to compare the findings of pan and selective CT scans in management of multiple trauma patients.Method: This is a prospective cross-sectional study, on patients presented to the emergency department (ED) of Shohadaye Haftome Tir Hospital, Tehran, Iran, following blunt multiple trauma over a 1-year period, from March 2014 to March 2015. Findings regarding presence or absence of injury in head, face, neck, chest, abdomen and hip were compared between patients that underwent pan and selective CT using SPSS 21.Results: 443 patients with the mean age of 34.54 ± 17.88 years were evaluated (78% male). 248 (56%) patients underwent selective CT scan and 195 (44%) underwent pan CT scan. The 2 groups were similar regarding vital signs and mean age. Mean hospital length of stay was 21.05 ± 24.64 days for selective CT scan group and 18.18 ± 22.75 days for the other one (p = 0.209). A significant difference was only seen regarding findings of chest injury between the 2 groups (p < 0.001). In other cases a proper overlap was seen between findings of the 2 groups.Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, it seems that doing selective CT scan yields results similar to pan CT in detection of head and face, neck and abdomen and hip injuries in multiple trauma patients. However, using pan CT in these patients led to 16% increase in detection and diagnosis of traumatic intra-thoracic injuries.

In this article, with reference to the comparison of the two contradictory features of the characters of the post- modern stories, attempts have been made to find the root of this contradiction in a social context. In post- mod- ern stories , the characters are unruly and nosey (based on the terminology of story writing ). These characters have authority over their own fates as well as events of the story, and at times change the story line despite the author’s desire. However, this contradicts with the other features of these characters, such as their lack of identity or multiple identities. The article concludes that such inconsistency is the result of the conflicts between post-modernity and post- modernism. The characters rebellion is a reflec- tion of today’s human desire to fight against the lack of identity which is imposed by post-modernity. Ironically, this struggle is caused by word- made characters that along with the world of story form the reality.

Poets use colours to create poetic images and to express their Ideas, but their manner of utilizing colours and how much each poet pays attention to colors are different from one to another. Literary critics have paid little attention to the role of colours in literary works, meanwhile, study of colour use in literary works can help scholars to recognize poets' styles more clearly.In this article, an attempt has been made to introduce some of Hafez's specific manners of colour use in poetry. The focus of the article is on the ways by which Hafez's poems are defferenciated from the others. Some samples of Hafez's verses, dealt with in this article, show how Hafez makes his readers · visualize certain colours through special arrangement of words and how he colours his poetic images through using ambiguity or associations.

در کتاب «سیر غزل در شعر فارسی» درباره‌ی خواجو نوشته بودم: «برخی از اوزان غزلیات او نادر و یا تازه است» اما تاکنون مجالی دست نداده بود که آن اوزان را مطرح سازم. این اوزان تازه عمدتاً در بخش صنایع الکمال است.گاهی در ضبط کلمات و مصاریع اشعاری که اوزان آنها تازه است اشکالاتی دیده می‌شود که ظاهراً محصول غلط‌کاری ناسخان است اما بعید نیست که در یکی دو مورد خود خواجو وزن را باخته باشد. به هرحال از تنوع این اوزان تازه و نادر پیداست که خواجو، عروضی بوده است. ظاهراً یکی از مدعیان عروض که گویا از اصحاب عمائم بوده است به خواجو نکته گرفته بود که برخی از اوزان شعری او مرسوم و متعارف نیست. خواجو در قطعه‌یی که خطاب به او سروده است به درستی می‌گوید که اوزان و آهنگ‌های شعری از حد شمار بیرون است.

Within this research, a one-stage hybrid dual internal circulation airlift A2O (DCAL-A2O) bioreactor was designed and operated to simultaneously remove carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous (CNP) from milk processing wastewater (MPW) in different operational circumstances. The substantial operating variables monitored in this work were including hydraulic retention time (HRT), airflow rate (AFR) and aeration volume ratio (AVR) ranged from 7 to 15 h, 1-3 L/min and 0.324-0.464, respectively. From the view point of economics and process function, the optimum conditions were obtained at the HRT, AFR and AVR of 10 h, 2 L/min and 0.464, respectively. At the optimum conditions TCOD, TN, TP removal efficiencies and effluent turbidity were reported to be 97 %, 90 %, 92 % and 9 NTU, respectively. The impact of wastewater biodegradability (BOD 5 /COD) was evaluated on the bioreactor performance using two other wastewaters i.e. soft drink (SDW) and soybean oil plant wastewaters (SOW) in comparison with the MPW. Removal efficiencies for TCOD and TN exceeding 80 % were observed. The feeding location revealed a prominent impact on the TN and phosphorous removal efficiencies (both ≥80 %) related to the availability degree of the readily biodegradable organic substrate to denitrifiers and PAOs. The rise in HRT, AFR and AVR resulted in reducing microbial secretions as SMP present in sludge and bioreactor effluent as well as loosely bounded EPS (LB-EPS), reported to be 26, 28, 32.5 and 194.4 mg/L TOC, respectively. Different bacteria species were present at optimum conditions confirming concurrent CNP removal in a single body. Finally, the operating cost evaluation verified the effectiveness of the hybrid airlift A2O treating the MPW., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Considering the widespread use of PHEVs in advanced societies and the issues ahead, researchers' thinking has focused more on this issue. The important issue is that the use of EVs is increasing due to the advantages, but the necessary infrastructure for their charging stations in the distribution networks does not exist. The high penetration level of EVs can create a potential risk for the existing distribution network; the fair charging of EVs has a special value. This paper presents a new model for the fair charging management of EVs at the medium voltage level of a distribution network equipped with dispatchable and non-dispatchable distributed generation (DG) resources. A fuzzy controller is used to adjust the charging rate of EVs within the permissible periods for charging stations, At the same time, the voltage control and reactive power management tool is also available for the distribution network operator through DG resources that can be dispatched, such as diesel generators. Numerical studies are used on a 25-bus IEEE test distribution system in the presence and absence of DG resources. The simulation results show that the presence of DG resources and voltage control and reactive power management at the different buses along the feeder causes a larger number of electric vehicles in different charging stations of the distribution network can be provided their consumption energy from network. In addition, the time difference for EV charging is minimized, and only the number of EVs that can be charged at the various stations will be different. Volt/Var control tools through DSO cause an increase in the number of charged EVs at various stations., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical approval: This paper does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Biocatalysis has emerged as a green approach for efficient and sustainable production in various industries. In recent decades, numerous advancements in computational and predictive approaches, including ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR) have sparked a new wave for protein engineers to improve and expand biocatalyst capabilities. ASR is an evolution-based strategy that uses phylogenetic relationships among homologous extant sequences to probabilistically infer the most likely ancestral sequences. It has proven to be a powerful tool with applications ranging from creating highly stable enzymes for direct applications to preparing moderately active robust protein scaffolds for further enzyme engineering. Intriguingly, it can also provide insights into fundamental aspects that are challenging to study with extant (current) enzymes. This Perspective discusses a practical strategy for guiding enzyme engineers on how to embrace ASR as a practical or associated protocol for protein engineering and highlights recent examples of using ASR in various applications, including increasing thermostability, expanding promiscuity, fine-tuning selectivity and function, and investigating mechanistic and evolution aspects. We believe that the use of the ASR approach will continue to contribute to the ongoing development of the biocatalysis field. We have been in a "golden era" for biocatalysis in which numerous useful enzymes have been developed through many waves of enzyme engineering via advancements in computational methodologies., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Background: The recent increase in human mpox (monkeypox) cases emphasizes the importance of early detection, prompt response and preventive management to control the spread of the disease. Healthcare workers (HCWs) play a crucial role in this process. This study aimed to determine the global knowledge and attitudes towards mpox among HCWs., Methods: This study searched multiple databases, including Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed/MEDLINE, Science Direct, Web of Science, Embase, Springer and ProQuest, to locate various publications. The search was limited to English-language articles published between May 2022 (when the increase in mpox incidence was reported) and August 2023. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) quality checklist was utilized to evaluate the quality of the included studies. Data were obtained using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and subsequently scrutinized through STATA software, version 14. The heterogeneity of the studies was assessed using the inverse variance and Cochran Q statistics based on the I2 test statistics. The Dersimonian and Liard random effects models were used where heterogeneity existed. Subgroup analysis and univariate and multivariable metaregression techniques were used to examine the causes of heterogeneity., Results: A total of 22 studies, including 22 studies for knowledge (27 731 HCWs) and 6 studies for attitudes (14 388 HCWs), were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled estimates for good knowledge and positive attitudes among HCWs were 26.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] 17.8 to 34.2) and 34.6% (95% CI 19.0 to 50.2), respectively. Moreover, the knowledge was 34.8% (95% CI 24.1 to 45.6) among HCWs with <5 y of work experience and 41.6% (95% CI 33.1 to 50) among individuals possessing >5 y of professional background., Conclusions: Good knowledge of HCWs is at a low level. It is suggested that training sessions should be tailored towards younger HCWs with less healthcare experience. Additionally, it is essential to identify strategies on how to improve the knowledge and attitudes for better practice about the disease in HCWs worldwide., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.)

Tryptophan 2-monooxygenase (TMO) is an FAD-bound flavoenzyme which catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of l-tryptophan to produce indole-3-acetamide (IAM) and carbon dioxide. The reaction of TMO is the first step of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) biosynthesis. Although TMO is of interest for mechanistic studies and synthetic biology applications, the enzyme has low thermostability and soluble expression yield. Herein, we employed a combined approach of rational design using computational tools with site-saturation mutagenesis to screen for TMO variants with significantly improved thermostability properties and soluble protein expression. The engineered TMO variants, TMO-PWS and TMO-PWSNR, possess melting temperatures ( T m ) of 65 °C, 17 °C higher than that of the wild-type enzyme (TMO-WT). At 50 °C, the stabilities ( t 1/2 ) of TMO-PWS and TMO-PWSNR were 85-fold and 92.4-fold higher, while their soluble expression yields were 1.4-fold and 2.1-fold greater than TMO-WT, respectively. Remarkably, the kinetic parameters of these variants were similar to those of the wild-type enzymes, illustrating that they are promising candidates for future studies. Molecular dynamic simulations of the wild-type and thermostable TMO variants identified key interactions for enhancing these improvements in the biophysical properties of the TMO variants. The introduced mutations contributed to hydrogen bond formation and an increase in the regional hydrophobicity, thereby, strengthening the TMO structure., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

A new drug delivery system using an asymmetric polyethersulfone (PES) membrane modified by SBA-15 and glutamine-modified SBA-15 (SBA-Q) was prepared in this study by the aim of azithromycin delivery enhancement in both in vitro and ex vivo experiments. The research focused on optimizing membrane performance by adjusting critical parameters including drug concentration, membrane thickness, modifier percentage, polymer percentage, and pore maker percentage. To characterize the fabricated membranes, various techniques were employed, including scanning electron microscopy, water contact angle, and tensile strength assessments. Following optimization, membrane composition of 17% PES, 2% polyvinylpyrrolidone, 1% SBA-15, and 0.5% SBA-Q emerged as the most effective. The optimized membranes demonstrated a substantial increase in drug release (906 mg/L) compared to the unmodified membrane (440 mg/L). The unique membrane structure, with a dense top layer facilitating sustained drug release and a porous sub-layer acting as a drug reservoir, contributed to this improvement. Biocompatibility assessments, antibacterial activity analysis, blood compatibility tests, and post-diffusion tissue integrity evaluations confirmed the promising biocompatibility of the optimized membranes. Moreover, long-term performance evaluations involving ten repeated usages underscored the reusability of the optimized membrane, highlighting its potential for sustained and reliable drug delivery applications., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In this work, a one-stage dual internal circulation airlift anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic (DCAL-A2O) bioreactor was continuously operated for concurrent removal of nutrients and organics from milk processing wastewater (MPW). Special configuration of the airlift A2O bioreactor created possibility of the formation of desired anaerobic, anoxic and aerobic zones in a single unit. The process functionality of the bioreactor was examined under three influential operating variables i.e. hydraulic retention time (HRT; 7-15 h), air flow rate (AFR; 1-3 L/min) and aerobic volume ratio (AVR; 0.324-0.464). The optimum region was identified at HRT of 13h, AFR of 2L/min and AVR of 0.437, leading to TCOD, TN and TP removal efficiency of 94.5 %, 59.6 %, and 62.2 %, respectively, and effluent turbidity of 8 NTU. The impact of feed biodegradability on the process performance of the bioreactor treating the MPW, soft drink wastewater (SDW) and soybean oil plant wastewater (SOW) was also assessed. From the results, the feed characteristics affected significantly the nutrients removal. Moreover, the feeding location played an effective role in the nutrient removal while treating the MPW at optimum operating conditions. In this study, the change in residual organic matters as soluble microbial products (SMP) was monitored at various operating conditions. In addition, the impact of SMP extracted from sludge, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) comprising of loosely bound EPS (LB-EPS) and tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS) was analyzed on sludge characteristics as bio-flocculation and settleability properties. According to the obtained data, the increase in operating variables led to the reduction in contents of effluent SMP, sludge SMP, LB-EPS, turbidity, and SVI, thereby, the enhancement in the sludge characteristics. Meanwhile, analysis of microbial communities verified the presence of various functional bacterial species. The cost operating evaluation confirmed the cost effectiveness of the airlift A2O bioreactor in reduction of energy consumption for the MPW treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate Mental Health Status, such as stress, anxiety, or depression symptoms, during the Covid-19 pandemic in healthcare workers at Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences., Methods: This study is an online cross-sectional study conducted on healthcare professionals at Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Science from November 25, 2020, to March 30 2021. PHQ9 and Kessler collected outcome variables of depression, anxiety, and psychological distress questionnaires., Results: In total, 2552 healthcare workers in 24 hospitals and 212 Comprehensive health centers were enrolled in this study. The mean age of participants was 37.94 ± 8.07 years, and 25.3% were male. There was a significant difference between the mean Kessler and PHQ9 Scale scores on males and females (P< 0.001). Also, the results showed a significant difference between depression, anxiety, and stress and working in the intensive care unit. According to the result of the Kessler scale, 27% of participants had moderate to severe. Most respondents (65.5%) in all professions had moderate to severe mental distress scores according to the Kessler scale. The logistic regression model results illustrated the relationship between depression and anxiety with gender, workplace, support from families, and collogue job satisfaction, and feeling the stress of media coverage of COVID-19 were statistically significant (P< 0.05)., Conclusions: The present study revealed that medical and health workers suffer from mental health problems. In this study, up to one-fifth of medical staff had stress, anxiety, or depression symptoms, and more than half had psychological distress. Low educational level, lack of family support, lack of colleague's support, and being a female were the significant risk factors for stress, anxiety, and psychological distress in medical staff., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Sarvandian et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Polymeric membranes have garnered great interest in wastewater treatment; however, fouling is known as their main limitation. Therefore, the blending of hydrophilic nanoparticles in polymeric membranes' structure is a promising approach for fouling reduction. Herein, a hydrophilic boehmite-tannic acid-graphene quantum dot (BM-TA-GQD) nanoparticle was synthesized and blended in a polyethersulfone polymeric membrane in different percentages. The fabricated membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) images, water contact angle, porosity measurement, and antibacterial and antifouling properties. Surface SEM images of the modified membranes showed good dispersion of nanoparticles up to 0.5 wt%, which resulted in hydrophilicity and pure water flux enhancement. Based on AFM images, the mean roughness (Sa) of the fabricated membranes decreased from 2.07 to 0.84 nm for the bare and optimum membranes, respectively. In terms of performance, increasing the nanoparticle percentages up to 0.5 wt% resulted in the flux recovery ratio developing from 44.58% for the bare membrane to 71.35% for the 0.5 wt% BM-TA-GQD/PES membrane (optimum membrane). The antibacterial property of fabricated membranes was studied against biologically treated soft drink industrial wastewater (BTSDIW) as a bacterial source. The results showed that the turbidity of solutions containing permeated wastewater from the modified membranes (0.1, 0.5, and 1 wt% of BM-TA-GQD) was lower than that obtained from the unmodified membrane. These results confirmed the antibacterial properties of fabricated membranes. Finally, the optimal membrane (0.5 wt% BM-TA-GQD) was examined for post-treatment of the BTSDIW. An effluent COD of 13 mg/L and turbidity of 2 NTU showed a successful performance of the filtration process. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Ultrafiltration PES membranes were modified by different loadings of BM-TA-GQD. Hydrophilicity improvement was achieved by adding BM-TA-GQD nanoparticles. Expansion of size and number of macro-voids in modified membranes was confirmed. Membrane roughness was reduced in the BM-TA-GQD blended membranes. The optimum membrane was efficient in COD and turbidity removal., (© 2024 Water Environment Federation.)

Infection during perinatal period can adversely affect brain development, predispose infants to ischemic stroke and have lifelong consequences. We previously demonstrated that diet enriched in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) transforms brain lipid composition and protects from neonatal stroke. Vasculature is a critical interface between blood and brain providing a barrier to systemic infection. Here we examined whether maternal PUFA-enriched diets exert reprograming of endothelial cell signalling in 9-day old mice after endotoxin (LPS)-induced infection. Transcriptome analysis was performed on brain microvessels from pups born to dams maintained on 3 diets: standard, n-3 or n-6 enriched. N-3 diet enabled higher immune reactivity in brain vasculature, while preventing imbalance of cell cycle regulation and extracellular matrix cascades that accompanied inflammatory response in standard diet. LPS response in blood and brain was blunted in n-3 offspring. Cerebral angioarchitecture analysis revealed modified vessel complexity after LPS. Thus, n-3-enriched maternal diet partially prevents imbalance in homeostatic processes and alters inflammation rather than affects brain vascularization during early life. Importantly, maternal diet may presage offspring neurovascular outcomes later in life.

This study focuses on the development of an air-lift bio-electrochemical reactor (ALBER) with a continuous feeding regime. The objective is to enhance nitrogen removal from synthetic wastewater with a low carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total nitrogen (TN) of the influent wastewater were 500 and 200 mg/L, respectively. The effect of four independent variables, i.e., temperature, hydraulic retention time (HRT), N-NH 4 + /TN ratio and current density in the range of 16-32 °C, 6-12 h, 25-75%, and 2-10 A/m 2 , respectively, at three levels on the bio-electrochemical reactor performance were investigated during the bio-electrochemical reactor operation. The Face Center Cube (FCC) of response surface methodology (RSM) was used for design of experiments and model of obtained data. The ALBER achieved the maximum TN removal of 73% (146 mg/l) using external voltage and zeolite/plastic medium at temperature of 16 °C, HRT of 6 h, current density of 2 A/m 2 and N-NH 4 + /TN ratio of 75%. The results indicated that shortening the HRT from 12 to 6 h, reducing the temperature from 32 °C to 24 °C, increasing the current density from 2 to 6 A/m 2 and the reduction of nitrate concentration caused an increase in the TN removal. The results indicated that the performance of air-lift bio-electrochemical for nitrogen removal could be attributed to autotrophic denitrification (AD) and simultaneous nitrification/denitrification (SND). The research findings suggest that the ALBER should be further studied for potential use in treating industrial wastewater at low temperatures., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background & Objectives: Population and aging are major contributing factors influencing the increase in substance use disorder (SUD), which in itself affects mental health, particularly anxiety and depression. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and pharmacotherapy co-treatment are considered the gold standard for the treatment of SUD. Thus, the present study has been carried out to investigate the efficacy of brief CBT on the general health of opioid users., Methods: A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted with forty opioid users whose addiction was dully confirmed by a psychiatrist at the drop-in center of the Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences. The patients were then randomly divided into two equal groups (n = 20). The control group was treated solely using methadone maintenance therapy (MMT); however, the intervention group underwent four sessions of CBT in addition to MMT. The general health questionnaire (GHQ) consisting of 28 items (Goldberg, 1979) was applied to both groups at the beginning and end of the study. The collected data was analyzed using IBM SPSS ver. 26, and data analysis was carried out using chi-square, t-test, Mann-Whitney, and Poisson regression model. P < 0.05 was statistically significant for all the aforementioned tests., Results: The mean age for the control and intervention groups were 37.95 ± 7.64 and 43.85 ± 9.92, respectively (p = 0.042). There was no statistically significant difference in terms of gender and levels of education (p = 0.311 and p = 0.540). Both groups differed statistically regarding marital status and occupation (p = 0.025 and 0.002). There was no significant statistical difference in all subclasses and the total scores of GHQ-28 for both groups, except for anxiety and insomnia in the intervention group (p = 0.038). After applying a Likert scale with a 23-point cut-off score, there was no statistically significant difference in terms of psychosis after intervention in the intervention group (p = 0.077)., Conclusion: The results of the current study show that brief CBT is effective on psychiatric health, especially anxiety and sleep disorders, whereas brief CBT fails to affect the patient's depression, somatic symptoms, and social dysfunction., Trial Registration: The Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) approved the study design (IRCT registration number: IRCT20190929044917N1, registration date: 13/01/2020)., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Landmark publications, such as To Err is Human, confronted the healthcare community with the egregious toll medical errors played in both patient safety and overall healthcare costs. This heralded a paradigm shift and a call for action by professional organizations to enact methods to ensure physician competency and quality assurance. The American College of Radiology similarly convened a task force to discuss these concerns and how best to address quality assurance in radiology practice, leading to the development of RADPEER, a score-based peer review system. However, critics were quick to point out the deficiencies of this model, highlighting it as punitive and a poor evaluator of physician performance. The recognized deficiencies in score-based peer review prompted the pursuit of an alternate model that would instead emphasize learning and improvement. Peer learning was proposed and highlighted the necessity of an inclusive and collaborative environment where colleagues could discuss case errors as learning opportunities without fear of punitive consequence. This paper explores peer learning, its benefits and challenges, as well as how to identify specific learning opportunities by utilizing case examples., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The intrinsic hydrophilicity of metal compounds, such as copper ferrite (CuFe 2 O 4 ), and organic compounds, including graphene oxide (GO) and triethylenetetramine (TETA), make them promising adsorbents for heavy metals removal. The presence of lone pairs in these compounds is observed in modified polyethersulfone membranes used for the separation of arsenic (As) and total dissolved solids (TDS), including mono and divalent salts from aqueous solutions. The objective of this study was to investigate the performance of GO-TETA-CuFe 2 O 4 membranes for wastewater treatment applications. The membranes were characterized for their optimal mechanical strength (tensile strength) and high negative charge (zeta potential) on the surface. Separation tests were conducted at different pressures and pH levels to evaluate the membrane's effectiveness in removing contaminants. In addition, the membranes were examined for their antibacterial properties. The modified membrane exhibited superior performance compared with the control membrane, with TDS removal rates of 93.8%, As 3+ removal rates of 81.2%, and As 5+ removal rates of 87.9%. The contact angle of the modified membrane was reduced, resulting in an increase in pure water flux from 13.11 to 27.87 L/m 2 .h. The modified membrane also demonstrated significantly higher resistance to fouling than the control membrane, with a resistance increase from 6.78 × 10 +12 to 2.07 × 10 +12  m -1 . This contributed to the improved separation performance of As and TDS in a cross-flow setup. The results suggest that the GO-TETA-CuFe 2 O 4 modified membrane has great potential for use in water treatment applications. PRACTITIONER POINTS: GO-TETA-CuFe 2 O 4 was successfully used for modification of PES NF membrane structure. The efficiency of blended NF membranes with GO-TETA-CuFe 2 O 4 significantly increased. The modified membranes exhibited significant water flux and antifouling properties. The GO-TETA-CuFe 2 O 4 /PES membranes showed high rejection of heavy metal ions and TDS than PES. The GO-TETA-CuFe 2 O 4 /PES membranes exhibited desirable antibacterial activity., (© 2023 Water Environment Federation.)

Background: We hypothesised that the use of the anti-androgenic drug 5α-reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs) improves survival in patients with oesophago-gastric cancer., Methods: This nationwide Swedish population-based cohort study included men who underwent surgery for oesophageal or gastric cancer between 2006-2015, with follow-up until the end of 2020. Multivariable Cox regression estimated hazard ratios (HR) for associations between 5-ARIs use and 5-year all-cause mortality (main outcome) and 5-year disease-specific mortality (secondary outcome). The HR was adjusted for age, comorbidity, education, calendar year, neoadjuvant chemo(radio)therapy, tumour stage, and resection margin status., Results: Among 1769 patients with oesophago-gastric cancer, 64 (3.6%) were users of 5-ARIs. Compared to non-users, users of 5-ARIs were not at any decreased risk of 5-year all-cause mortality (adjusted HR 1.13, 95% CI 0.79-1.63) or 5-year disease-specific mortality (adjusted HR 1.10, 95% CI 0.79-1.52). Use of 5-ARIs was not associated with any decreased risk of 5-year all-cause mortality in subgroup analyses stratified by categories of age, comorbidity, tumour stage, or tumour subtype (oesophageal or cardia adenocarcinoma, non-cardia gastric adenocarcinoma, or oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma)., Conclusion: This study did not support the hypothesis of improved survival among users of 5-ARIs after curatively intended treatment for oesophago-gastric cancer.

Purpose: Magnetic hyperthermia is a treatment method based on eddy currents, hysteresis, and relaxation mechanisms of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). MNPs such as Fe 3 O 4 have the ability to generate heat under an alternating magnetic field. Heat sensitive liposomes (Lip) convert from lipid layer to liquid layer through heat generated by MNPs and can release drugs. Methods: In this study, different groups of doxorubicin (DOX), MNPs and liposomes were evaluated. The MNPs were synthesized by co-precipitation method. The MNPs, DOX and a combination of MNPs and DOX were efficiently loaded into the liposomes using the evaporator rotary technique. Magnetic properties, microstructure, specific absorption rate (SAR), zeta potential, loading percentage of the MNPs and DOX concentration in liposomes, in vitro drug release of liposomes were studied. Finally, the necrosis percentage of cancer cells in C57BL/6J mice bearing melanoma tumors was assessed for all groups. Results: The loading percentages of MNPs and concentration of DOX in the liposomes were 18.52 and 65% respectively. The Lip-DOX-MNPs at the buffer citrate solution, showed highly SAR as the solution temperature reached 42°C in 5 minutes. The release of DOX occurred in a pH-dependent manner. The volume of tumor in the therapeutic groups containing the MNPs significantly decreased compared to the others. Numerical analysis showed that the tumor volume in mice receiving Lip-MNPs-DOX was 9.29% that of the control and a histological examination of the tumor section showed 70% necrosis. Conclusion: The Lip-DOX-MNPs could be effective agents which reduce malignant skin tumors growth and increase cancer cell necrosis., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interests. Authors disclose all relationships or interests that could have direct or potential influence or impart bias on the work., (©2023 The Authors.)

Background: Little is known about the predictors of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) -an important predictor of mortality- after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in low- and middle-income countries., Methods: In a prospective cohort study at Imam Ali hospital, Kermanshah, Iran, we enrolled consecutive ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients treated with primary PCI (2016-2018) and followed them up to one year. LVEF levels were measured by echocardiography, at baseline and one-year follow-up. Determinants of preserved/improved LVEF were assessed using multi-variable logistic regression models., Results: Of 803 patients (mean age 58.53±11.7 years, 20.5% women), baseline LVEF levels of ≤35% were reported in 44%, 35- 50% in 40%, and ≥50% in 16% of patients. The mean ± SD of LVEF increased from 38.13%±9.2% at baseline to 41.49%±9.5% at follow-up. LVEF was preserved/improved in 629 (78.3%) patients. Adjusted ORs (95% CIs) for predictors of preserved/improved LVEF showed positive associations with creatinine clearance, 1.01 (1.00-1.02) and adherence to clopidogrel, 2.01 (1.33-3.02); and inverse associations with history of myocardial infarction (MI), 0.44 (0.25-0.78); creatine kinase MB (CK-MB), 0.997 (0.996- 0.999); door-balloon time (3 rd vs. 1 st tertile), 0.62 (0.39-0.98); number of diseased vessels (2 and 3 vs. 1: 0.63 (0.41-0.99) and 0.58 (0.36-0.93), respectively); and baseline LVEF (35-50% and ≥50% vs. ≤35%: 0.45 (0.28-0.71) and 0.19 (0.11-0.34), respectively)., Conclusion: Adherence to clopidogrel, short door-balloon time, high creatinine clearance, and lower baseline LVEF were associated with preserved/improved LVEF, while history of MI, high CK-MB, and multi-vessel disease were predictors of reduced LVEF. Long-term drug adherence should be considered for LVEF improvement in low- and middle-income countries., (© 2023 The Author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.)

Facile techniques to fabricate the nanofiltration membranes with ideal molecular sieving is one of the most interesting subjects in membrane separation technology. In this study, the application of modified graphene oxide (GO) with triethylenetetramine (TETA), CuFe 2 O 4 , and acetic acid (AC) (supported GO-TETA-CuFe 2 O 4 @AC) as a supported protic ionic liquid (PIL) modifier for polyethersulfone (PES) membrane was evaluated to approve the improvement of anti-fouling properties and wastewater rejection of the fabricated membranes. To enhance the key properties of graphene oxide, it was modified by hydrophilic nanomaterials (TETA-CuFe 2 O 4 ). High flux and promising flux recovery ratio (up to 95% compared to the unmodified membrane) can be observed in the modified membranes. The modified membranes by GO-TETA-CuFe 2 O 4 @AC were studied at optimum concentrations (0.5 wt.%) for salt rejection and different dyes. The obtained data indicated that the modified membranes by GO-TETA-CuFe 2 O 4 @AC indicated higher salt removal (up to 97% for BaCl 2 than the unmodified membrane), which was related to the efficient modification. The obtained pure water flux (PWF) for bare and optimal modified membrane from 13.11 to 27.87 kg/m 2 ·h, respectively. To exact evaluate the effect of membrane modification on performance examination, the modified membranes were evaluated for chlorine resistance testing. This study aimed to develop cost-effective nanofiltration (NF) membranes with high anti-fouling properties and to determine the maximum filtration capacity of in-time dyes and salts in effluents. PRACTITIONER POINTS: A GO-TETA-CuFe2O4 mixed matrix membrane was prepared for removal of salts and dyes. The effect of GO-TETA-CuFe2O4 enhanced the hydrophilicity and porosity. The membrane exhibited superior antifouling properties and ions rejection., (© 2022 Water Environment Federation.)

Febrile status epilepticus (FSE) is an important risk factor for temporal lobe epilepsy and early identification of those at high risk for epilepsy is vital. In a rat model of FSE, we identified an acute (2 hrs) novel MRI signal where reduced T2 relaxation values in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) predicted epilepsy in adulthood; this T2 signal remains incompletely understood and we hypothesized that it may be influenced by vascular topology. Experimental FSE induced in rat pups reduced blood vessel density of the cortical vasculature in a lateralized manner at 2 hrs post FSE. Middle cerebral artery (MCA) exhibited abnormal topology in FSE pups but not in controls. In the BLA, significant vessel junction reductions and decreased vessel diameter were observed, together with a strong trend for reduced vessel length. Perfusion weighted MRI (PWI) was acutely increased cerebral blood flow (CBF) in cortex, amygdala and hippocampus of FSE pups that correlated to decreased T2 relaxation values compared to controls. This is consistent with increased levels of deoxyhemoglobin associated with increased metabolic demand. In summary, FSE acutely modifies vascular topological and CBF in cortex and BLA that may underlie acute MRI signal changes that predict progression to future epilepsy.

Introduction: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a life-threatening condition needing long poly-chemotherapy regimens. As no systematic reviews/meta-analysis is available to comprehensively evaluate the role of delamanid (DLM), we evaluated its effectiveness and safety., Methods: We reviewed the relevant scientific literature published up to January 20, 2022. The pooled success treatment rate with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was assessed using a random-effect model. We assessed studies for quality and bias, and considered P<0.05 to be statistically significant., Results: After reviewing 626 records, we identified 25 studies that met the inclusion criteria, 22 observational and 3 experimental, with 1276 and 411 patients, respectively. In observational studies the overall pooled treatment success rate of DLM-containing regimens was 80.9% (95% CI 72.6-87.2) with no evidence of publication bias (Begg's test; P >0.05). The overall pooled treatment success rate in DLM and bedaquiline-containing regimens was 75.2% (95% CI 68.1-81.1) with no evidence of publication bias (Begg's test; P >0.05). In experimental studies the pooled treatment success rate of DLM-containing regimens was 72.5 (95% CI 44.2-89.8, P <0.001, I 2 : 95.1%) with no evidence of publication bias (Begg's test; P >0.05)., Conclusions: In MDR-TB patients receiving DLM, culture conversion and treatment success rates were high despite extensive resistance with limited adverse events., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Features of the airway microbiome in persons with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) are correlated with disease progression. Microbes have traditionally been classified for their ability to tolerate oxygen. It is unknown whether supplemental oxygen, a common medical intervention, affects the airway microbiome of pwCF. We hypothesized that hyperoxia significantly impacts the pulmonary microbiome in cystic fibrosis. In this study, we cultured spontaneously expectorated sputum from pwCF in artificial sputum medium under 21%, 50%, and 100% oxygen conditions using a previously validated model system that recapitulates microbial community composition in uncultured sputum. Culture aliquots taken at 24, 48, and 72 h, along with uncultured sputum, underwent shotgun metagenomic sequencing with absolute abundance values obtained with the use of spike-in bacteria. Raw sequencing files were processed using the bioBakery pipeline to determine changes in taxonomy, predicted function, antimicrobial resistance genes, and mobile genetic elements. Hyperoxia reduced absolute microbial load, species richness, and diversity. Hyperoxia reduced absolute abundance of specific microbes, including facultative anaerobes such as Rothia and some Streptococcus species, with minimal impact on canonical CF pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. The effect size of hyperoxia on predicted functional pathways was stronger than that on taxonomy. Large changes in microbial cooccurrence networks were noted. Hyperoxia exposure perturbs airway microbial communities in a manner well tolerated by key pathogens. Supplemental oxygen use may enable the growth of lung pathogens and should be further studied in the clinical setting. IMPORTANCE The airway microbiome in persons with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) is correlated with lung function and disease severity. Supplemental oxygen use is common in more advanced CF, yet its role in perturbing airway microbial communities is unknown. By culturing sputum samples from pwCF under normal and elevated oxygen conditions, we found that increased oxygen led to reduced total numbers and diversity of microbes, with relative sparing of common CF pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Supplemental oxygen use may enable the growth of lung pathogens and should be further studied in the clinical setting.

Background: Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading reason for cancer-related death among women. Neoadjuvant treatment with dual-HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) blockade has shown promising effects in this regard. The present study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of a proposed pertuzumab biosimilar with the reference pertuzumab., Methods: This randomized, phase III, multicenter, equivalency clinical trial was conducted on chemotherapy-naive women with HER2-positive breast cancer. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive six cycles of either P013 (CinnaGen, Iran) or the originator product (Perjeta, Roche, Switzerland) along with trastuzumab, carboplatin, and docetaxel every 3 weeks. Patients were stratified by cancer type (operable, locally advanced, inflammatory) and hormone receptor status. The primary endpoint was breast pathologic complete response (bpCR). Secondary endpoints included comparisons of total pCR, overall response rate (ORR), breast-conserving surgery (BCS), safety, and immunogenicity., Results: Two hundred fourteen patients were randomized to treatment groups. bpCR rate in the per-protocol population was 67.62% in the P013 and 71.57% in the reference drug groups. Based on bpCR, P013 was equivalent to the reference pertuzumab with a mean difference of - 0.04 (95% CI: - 0.16, 0.09). Secondary endpoints were also comparable between the two groups., Conclusions: The proposed biosimilar P013 was equivalent to the reference product in terms of efficacy. The safety of both medications was also comparable., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: To investigate if anti-androgenic medications 5α-reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs) decrease the risk of developing oesophageal and gastric tumours, analysed by histological type and anatomical sub-site., Methods: A Swedish population-based cohort study between 2005 and 2018 where men using 5-ARIs were considered exposed. For each exposed participant, ten male age-matched non-users of 5-ARIs (non-exposed) were included. Multivariable Cox regression provided hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) adjusted for age, calendar year, smoking, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs/aspirin use, and statins use. Further adjustments were made depending on the tumour analysed., Results: The cohort included 191,156 users of 5-ARIs and 1,911,560 non-users. Overall, the use of 5-ARIs was not associated with any statistically significantly reduced risk of oesophageal or cardia adenocarcinoma (adjusted HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.82-1.02) or gastric non-cardia adenocarcinoma (adjusted HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.80-1.02). However, the use of 5-ARIs indicated a decreased risk of oesophageal or cardia adenocarcinoma among obese or diabetic participants (adjusted HR 0.55, 95% CI 0.39-0.80) and a reduced risk of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (adjusted HR 0.49, 95% CI 0.37-0.65)., Conclusion: Users of 5-ARIs may have a decreased risk of developing oesophageal or cardia adenocarcinoma among those obese or diabetic, and a decreased risk of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The gut microbiome is a critical modulator of host immunity and is linked to the immune response to respiratory viral infections. However, few studies have gone beyond describing broad compositional alterations in severe COVID-19, defined as acute respiratory or other organ failure. We profiled 127 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 (n=79 with severe COVID-19 and 48 with moderate) who collectively provided 241 stool samples from April 2020 to May 2021 to identify links between COVID-19 severity and gut microbial taxa, their biochemical pathways, and stool metabolites. 48 species were associated with severe disease after accounting for antibiotic use, age, sex, and various comorbidities. These included significant in-hospital depletions of Fusicatenibacter saccharivorans and Roseburia hominis, each previously linked to post-acute COVID syndrome or "long COVID", suggesting these microbes may serve as early biomarkers for the eventual development of long COVID. A random forest classifier achieved excellent performance when tasked with predicting whether stool was obtained from patients with severe vs. moderate COVID-19. Dedicated network analyses demonstrated fragile microbial ecology in severe disease, characterized by fracturing of clusters and reduced negative selection. We also observed shifts in predicted stool metabolite pools, implicating perturbed bile acid metabolism in severe disease. Here, we show that the gut microbiome differentiates individuals with a more severe disease course after infection with COVID-19 and offer several tractable and biologically plausible mechanisms through which gut microbial communities may influence COVID-19 disease course. Further studies are needed to validate these observations to better leverage the gut microbiome as a potential biomarker for disease severity and as a target for therapeutic intervention.

Objectives: Socioeconomic differences can lead to differences in how patients present with surgical conditions. We attempted to determine whether socioeconomic status (SES) affects survival outcomes after thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) repair., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed prospectively collected data from 981 TAAA repairs performed on domestic (noninternational) patients between 2006 and 2016. We excluded patients <18 years old (n = 3), those with no available US home address (n = 114), those not within the race and ethnicity categories assessed (n = 30), and those lost to follow-up (n = 6), leaving 832 repairs for analysis. We derived patient SES by using US Census Bureau data to estimate median household income according to patient home address. Patients were grouped into 3 SES groups: high (n = 283), middle (n = 274), and low (n = 275). Multivariable logistic regression modeling was used to identify predictors of operative mortality. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to analyze the association between SES and survival., Results: Operative mortality occurred in 9% (n = 76) of patients. Patients of low SES had greater rates of acute symptoms, dissection, and urgent or emergency TAAA repair. However, lower SES was not an independent predictor of operative death. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards modeling did not show a significant difference in mid-term survival by SES., Conclusions: In our TAAA series from a single, high-volume practice, SES differences did not appear to influence operative mortality rates. In addition, SES was not associated with a difference in mid-term survival. Efforts to understand and ameliorate the greater acuity of presentation in patients of low SES appear worthwhile., (Copyright © 2020 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aim: The Th17/Treg balance in peripheral blood and reproductive tissues may have a role in the etiology of unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (URPL). In this study, we evaluated the major cytokine of Treg cells transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), and their specific transcription factor Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3), as well as the most highlighted cytokine of Th17 cells (interleukin [IL]-17A) in both URPL patients and healthy women., Methods: Samples were extracted from the peripheral blood, endocervix, endometrium, and vagina of 14 patients with URPL and 12 normal non-pregnant women as a control (normal) group. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to determine gene expression. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine the levels of cytokines in the serum and cervicovaginal fluid., Results: We found that in the URPL group, FOXP3 gene expression was considerably higher in peripheral blood than in the normal group ( P =0.043). TGF-β levels in the cervicovaginal fluid were different in the URPL and normal groups ( P =0.015). In comparison to the control group, women with URPL had significantly greater IL-17 gene expression in the peripheral blood ( P =0.01)., Conclusion: Lower TGF-β levels in the cervicovaginal fluid of patients compared to controls may be related with increased IL-17 and FOXP3 mRNA levels in patients with URPL. Dysregulation of local immune responses in reproductive tissues may represent dysregulation of systemic regulatory immunological responses in the pathogenesis of URPL., Relevance for Patients: Dysregulation of immune responses may play a role in the pathogenesis of URPL at least in some patients with URPL. We conclude that the breakdown of tolerance in the local immune responses is more critical than the breakdown of tolerance in systemic tolerance in the pathogenesis of URPL. Therefore, modulating immune responses in the endometrium and decidua may be the focus of future therapeutic approaches in URPL. The impact of seminal plasma on the expansion of Tregs may provide a novel therapeutic intervention that has already been used in assisted reproductive technologies. Therefore, we suggest that transvaginal TGF-β in women with URPL may induce maternal tolerance which leads to the successful pregnancy., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content of this manuscript., (Copyright: © 2022 Whioce Publishing Pte. Ltd.)

Main Conclusion: Enhanced levels of endogenous melatonin in the root of wheat, mainly through the OMT1 gene, augment the antioxidant system, reestablish redox homeostasis and are associated with combined stress tolerance. A systems biology approach, including a collection of computational analyses and experimental assays, led us to uncover some aspects of a poorly understood phenomenon, namely wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) combined drought and salinity stress tolerance. Accordingly, a cross-study comparison of stress experiments was performed via a meta-analysis of Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) data from wheat roots to uncover the overlapping gene network of drought and salinity stresses. Identified differentially expressed genes were functionally annotated by gene ontology enrichment analysis and gene network analysis. Among those genes, O-methyl transferase 1 (OMT1) was highlighted as a more important (hub) gene in the dual-stress response gene network. Afterwards, the potential roles of OMT1 in mediating physiochemical indicators of stress tolerance were investigated in two wheat genotypes differing in abiotic stress tolerance. Regression analysis and correspondence analysis (CA) confirmed that the expression profiles of the OMT1 gene and variations in melatonin content, antioxidant enzyme activities, proline accumulation, H 2 O 2 and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents are significantly associated with combined stress tolerance. These results reveal that the OMT1 gene may contribute to wheat combined drought and salinity stress tolerance through augmenting the antioxidant system and re-establishing redox homeostasis, probably via the regulation of melatonin biosynthesis as a master regulator molecule. Our findings provide new insights into the roles of melatonin in wheat combined drought and salinity stress tolerance and suggest a novel plausible regulatory node through the OMT1 gene to improve multiple-stress tolerant crops., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Modified graphene oxide with 5,10,15,20-tetrakis-(4-hexyloxyphenyl)-porphyrin and palladium (II) (signified by GO-CPTMS@Pd-TKHPP) prepared as a novel antifouling polyether sulfone (PES) blended nanofiller membrane. The membrane efficiency has been analyzed such as pure water flux (PWF), hydrophilicity, and antifouling features. By increasing of modified graphene oxide percentage from 0 to 0.1 wt.% in the polymer matrix, the PWF was incremented from 14.35 to 37.33 kg/m 2 ·h at 4 bar. The membrane flux recovery ratio (FRR) has been investigated by applying powdered milk solution; the FRR results indicated that the 0.1 wt.%-modified graphene oxide membrane showed a positive effect on fouling behavior with Rir and FRR value 8.24% and 91.76%, respectively. The nanofiltration membrane performance was assessed applying the Direct Red 16 dye rejection. It was demonstrated that the optimal membranes (0.1 wt.%-modified graphene oxide) had notable dye removal (99.58% rejection). The results are also verified by measuring the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water contact angle (WCA), and atomic microscopy analysis (AFM)., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the microtensile bond strength of three universal adhesives to dentin and enamel. Materials and Methods: Sixty extracted human third molar teeth were chosen and divided into six groups regarding the adhesive (G-Premio Bond, Clearfil S3 Bond or Single Bond) and tooth surface. All the applied bonding agents were universal adhesives. The teeth were polished and the adhesives were applied; then the teeth were restored with composite resin. The samples were mounted in acrylic resin and sectioned. The specimens were subjected to a universal testing machine and the microtensile bond strength was measured. The failure mode of each specimen was determined under a stereomicroscope. Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA (α=0.05). Results: The microtensile bond strength of G-Premio Bond to enamel and dentin was 11.79±8.27 and 17.55±9.47 MPa, respectively which was not significantly different from the values in Single Bond group (15.59±10.66 and 17.19±10.09 MPa to enamel and dentin, respectively; P>0.05). However, the values for Clearfil S3 Bond were 7.11±4.23 and 7.88±8.83 MPa to enamel and dentin, respectively, which were significantly lower than the values for G-Premio Bond (P<0.05). Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images showed that the adhesive failure was dominant in both enamel and dentin groups and in all adhesive systems. Conclusion: G-Premio Bond and Single Bond provided higher microtensile bond strength compared with Clearfil S3 Bond. Universal adhesives with their acceptable performance can be applied in self-etch mode on both enamel and dentin., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

Background: Hormone Receptor (HR)-discordance between primary breast cancer and metastasis is a known biological phenomenon. Discordance studies usually comprise a heterogeneous group of HR-positive and negative patients and allow for the comparison of changes in HR-status from the primary to the recurrent disease. However, in a clinical setting, the rate of estrogen receptor-conversion following endocrine therapy with agents such as Tamoxifen (TAM) in estrogen receptor-positive cancers is of primary interest as opposed to total receptor discordance., Aim: To investigate the rate of estrogen receptor-conversion associated with tumor progression in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer patients following adjuvant TAM administration and to compare the results with the meta-analysis data of HR-discordance studies., Methods and Results: A retrospective double-center review of biomarkers in 67 estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer patients who underwent TAM treatment in the adjuvant setting. The estrogen and progesterone receptor-status were compared at the time of diagnosis and following relapse and the Disease-free Survival, mean duration of TAM treatment as well as the operative, radiation, and cytotoxic therapies registered before TAM treatment, were recorded. Initially, all patients were estrogen receptor-positive. The average age at the time of diagnosis was 52.8 ± 12.4 years. After recurrence, only 47 patients (70.1%) were still estrogen receptor-positive with a highly significant loss of estrogen receptor-expression in 29.9% of cases. The mean duration of TAM treatment was 40.7 ± 19.9 months. 45 patients (i.e., 67.2%) progressed during the TAM treatment and the remaining 22 patients (32.8%) developed relapse after the TAM treatment had finished. Initially, there were 82.1% progesterone receptor-positive and 17.9% progesterone receptor-negative, but after relapse the progesterone receptor-positive cases diminished significantly to 53.7%, showing a progesterone receptor-loss of 28.4%., Conclusion: The rate of estrogen receptor-loss associated with tumor progression following TAM treatment is approximately 30%, which is of clinical relevance in order to evaluate further endocrine efficacy in these patients. This rate of receptor conversion is roughly 6-13% higher compared to the recently published meta-analysis data of discordance studies. This discrepancy could possibly be due to anti-hormonal therapy with TAM accentuating receptor conversion., (© 2021 The Authors. Cancer Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background and Objectives: Recombinant human granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) and its PEGylated form (PEG-GCSF) are used in cancer therapy. Thus, developing a more cost-effectively method for expressing rhG-CSF and the PEGylation optimization of rhG-CSF by reaction engineering and subsequent purification strategy is necessary., Methods: RhG-CSF expression in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) was carried out by auto-induction batch fermentation and improved for maximizing rhG-CSF productivity. After that, purified rhGCSF was PEGylated using methoxy polyethylene glycol propionaldehydes (mPEG 20 -ALD). The various conditions effect of extraction and purification of rhG-CSF and PEG-GCSF were assayed., Results: The assessment results revealed that the auto-induction batch cultivation strategy had maximum productivity, and rhG-CSF purity was more than 99%. The obtained data of rhG-CSF PEGylation displayed that the optimized conditions of rhG-CSF PEGylation and purification enhanced homogeneity PEG-GCSF and managed reaction toward optimal yield of PEG-GCSF (70%) and purity of 99.9%. Findings from FTIR, CD, fluorescence spectroscopy, and bioassay revealed that PEGylation was executed exactly in the rhG-CSF N-terminus, and products maintained their conformation properties., Conclusion: Overall, the developed approach expanded strategies for high yield rhG-CSF by simplified auto-induction batch fermentation system and rhG-CSF PEGylation, which are simple and timesaving, economical, and high efficiency., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Backgrounds: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a diversity of hepatocellular neoplasms and is more prevalence in people with chronic liver disease and cirrhosis. It has been revealed that modification in miRNA regulation possibly will be elaborated in HCC pathogenesis., Materials and Methods: In this research 40 samples of HCC subjects and 40 samples of healthy liver were considered. Total RNA was obtained from paraffin-embedded tissue blocks and miR-515, miR-623 and miR-1272 gene expression levels were quantified by Real-Time Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR. Likewise, the Notch protein quantity was assayed in ffpe materials by immunohistochemistry., Results: Our study disclosed that Notch protein deals was ominously elevated in cancer cells than healthy cells (p<0.05). Data analysis also displayed that miR-515, miR-623 and miR-1272 expression levels were 3.8, 4.7, and 2.9 fold in normal tissues, respectively (p<0.05). Furthermore, it was found that expression levels of these genes are not dependent by hepatitis B and hepatic cirrhosis and it could be used as a marker of high specificity and sensitivity for the diagnosis of HCC., Discussions: Our study demonstrated main role of miR-515, miR-623 and miR-1272 in HCC pathogenesis and similarly disclosed that these genes expression could be utilized in HCC prognosis., (© 2021 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.)

Objective: Alkali treatment and bioactive glass (BG) sol dip-coating are well-known individual methods for titanium (Ti) surface modification. In this study, a unique combination of alkali treatment and bioactive glass sol dip coating was applied to the Ti substrate, then the mechanical properties and cell responses were investigated., Methods: Based on the methods introduced above, the Ti substrate was treated by 6 mL of an NaOH 5 M aqueous solution for 24 h at 60 ̊C; this was followed by adding 1.2 mL of a BG 58S sol to form a novel combined nanostructure network covered by a thin BG layer. For the assessment of the formed coating layer, the morphology, elemental analysis, phase structure, adhesion property and the cell response of the untreated and treated surfaces were investigated., Results: The BG coating layer was reinforced by the nanostructure, fabricated through the alkali treatment. The results obtained by applying the combined modification method confirmed that the mechanical and biological properties of the fabricated surface demonstrated the highest performance compared to that of the unmodified and individually modified surfaces., Significance: The achieved upgrades for this method could be gained from the demanded porous nanostructure and the apatite transformation ability of the alkali treatment. Therefore, the hybridized application of the alkali-BG treatment could be introduced as a promising surface modification strategy for hard-tissue replacement applications., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)