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In this research, a novel dual-responsive supermagnetic chitosan/iron oxide nanocomposite hydrogel beads (CH/MION) was prepared using sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) as cross linking agent. The prepared CH/MION hydrogel was systematically characterized by Fourier transforminfrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) X-ray diffraction (XRD), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). In addition, the CH/MION hydrogel exhibits favorable swelling properties that are sensitive to pH, and external magnetic field (EMF). The drug release behavior of the prepared hydrogel under EMF, and different pHs was also studied. The obtained hydrogel showed considerable temperature, pH, and EMF sensitivity for the in vitro release of Doxorubicin (DOX).These results suggested that the CH/MION hydrogel beads could be a promising candidate for drug delivery applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Geopolymers are highly complex materials which involve many variables and make for which modelling the properties is very difficult. There is no systematic approach in mix design for geopolymers. Since the amounts of silicamodulus, Na2O content, w/b ratios and curing time have a great influence on the compressive strength, an ANN (artificial neural network) method has been established for predicting compressive strength of ground pumice based Geopolymers and the possibilities of adapting ANN and artificial intelligence system for predicting the compressive strength have been studied. Consequently, a multilayer ANN by using back propagation architecture can be developed for geopolymer compressive strength prediction. In this study, the coefficient of determination (R²) has been used for investigating the proposedmodel accuracy. As a result, proposed ANNmodel can predict the compressive strength of geopolymer with R²=0.958. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The burden of exposure to blood-borne pathogens (such as hepatitis B and C viruses) is considerable for health care workers. Hepatitis virus transmission requires a non-immune host, an infectious source, and skin or mucous membrane injury. These three aspects are the main fields for preventional interventions. We reviewed major recent studies on this topic to identify precautions health care workers should take to avoid hepatitis B (HBV) and C virus (HCV) infections. Accordingly, this review looks at aspects of epidemiology, risk factors, economy, knowledge, attitudes, practice, and ethics of HBV and HCV that affect health care workers. The risk of transmission depends on the load of pathogen, infectious characteristics and exposure frequency. Health care workers skill levels and the specific hospital department involved appear to be the most important factors in the exposure of health care workers to blood-borne pathogens. However, many health care workers surveyed, believed that educational programs about standard precautions in their setting were not adequate. Obviously, more detailed studies will be needed to clarify risks and opportunities for health care workers precautions aimed at avoiding HBV and HCV infection, especially in emerging health research communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydatidosis is a common infestation caused by Echinococcus spp. Solitary hydatid cyst of the lung is not uncommon but coexistence of two or more pulmonary cysts are less common. These cysts may drain into the bronchial tree or very rarely into the pleural cavity which causes a poor outcome. Certain people such as slaughters, tanners, stockbreeders, shepherds, butchers, veterinarians and all whose job makes them to work closely with animals are at higher risk of the infection and developing echinococcosis. Herein, we present a 14-year-old shepherd who developed severe chest pain and hydropneumothorax following a minor trauma to his chest. He had two pulmonary hydatid cysts, one of which drained to the left pleural cavity and caused the symptoms. Another cyst was complicated during his hospital course. The patient was treated surgically, received albendazole and discharged home uneventfully. A high index of suspicion is of utmost importance for the correct diagnosis and treatment of hydatid disease in hyperendemic areas and in those whose occupation might put them at a higher risk of contraction of hydatid disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In emerging countries, the driving elements for sustainable development are greenhouse and global warming concerns and the need for the development of low-CO2 cements as replacement for Portland cement. Pumice is an aluminosilicate-type material that can be condensed with NaOH and Na2SiO3 solution and can be used for green building with reduction in CO2 footprint. The present paper highlights the effect of curing temperature on Hasankale pumice activation. Four curing temperatures have been investigated in this paper, 25°C, 45°C, 65°C, and 85°C, and 65°C has been confirmed as the best temperature for ground pumice activation. Furthermore, the aging effect has been studied at different curing temperatures. The aging of the samples before 28 days has a remarkable effect on compressive strength gain, but after 28 days this effect is inconsiderable for all heat treatment temperatures.

Determining a feasible safety factor for space trusses is an important phase in structural analysis that could have economic benefits. We know there are many kinds of imperfections in structural elements, which include both material and geometric flaws. Predicting factual behavior of structures is very difficult and occasionally impossible. Elements with initial geometric imperfections in space trusses are a common phenomenon, in addition, equivalent initial geometric imperfections can be applied for modeling of residual stresses or eccentric loading effect. The number of members in the space structures is usually high as is the diversity in the kind of initial imperfection. Therefore, there is a high likelihood that models must be analyzed. The structure must be analyzed with non-linear methods, making these approaches time consuming, and potentially uneconomical. In this study, we selected 30 cases for random analysis based on Monte Carlo methods to find the bearing capacity of the space truss. We attained results from the LUSAS program LUSAS Modeller, Version 13, UK program and these were then exported as input data to the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) program. A reasonable neural network has been found of predicting another 30 cases for load bearing capacity without any analysis and only based on the neural network program. Finally, a new approach for determining the load capacity of the space trusses was extracted and we predicted the occurrence possibility of the convenience load bearing capacity in 60 cases.

Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) method for buildings was originally developed by the Applied Technology Council (ATC) in the late 1980’s for potential seismic hazards. This is a simple and almost a quick way of assessing the building seismic vulnerability score based on visual screening. The logarithmic relationship between final score and the probability of collapse at the maximum considered earthquake (MCE) makes results somewhat difficult to interpret, especially for less technical users. This study is developed to improve the simplicity and usefulness of RVS methodology to determine the numeric scores for seismic vulnerability of buildings using vulnerability functional form. The proposed approach applies the existing method in FEMA 154 (2002) for calculating the building rank based on RVS method. In this study RVS scores are used to evaluate populations of buildings to prioritize detailed evaluations and seismic retrofits. The alternate non-logarithmic format of scoring scheme is much better meeting the needs of the project managers and decision makers, as they require results that are easier to understand. It shows the linear equivalent of RVS final scores which is consistent with the existing ranking systems used in the buildings management program such as budget allocation decision making. The results demonstrate that the weight determined for the factor of “Region Seismicity”, which is 0.4033, has the highest contribution to seismic vulnerability scores of buildings. The applicability of the proposed method is demonstrated through a hypothetical example to rank ten seismically vulnerable buildings.

Agriculture is a leading sector in international initiatives to mitigate climate change and promote sustainability. This article exhaustively examines the removals and emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the agriculture industry. It also investigates an extensive range of GHG sources, including rice cultivation, enteric fermentation in livestock, and synthetic fertilisers and manure management. This research reveals the complex array of obstacles that are faced in the pursuit of reducing emissions and also investigates novel approaches to tackling them. This encompasses the implementation of monitoring systems powered by artificial intelligence, which have the capacity to fundamentally transform initiatives aimed at reducing emissions. Carbon capture technologies, another area investigated in this study, exhibit potential in further reducing GHGs. Sophisticated technologies, such as precision agriculture and the integration of renewable energy sources, can concurrently mitigate emissions and augment agricultural output. Conservation agriculture and agroforestry, among other sustainable agricultural practices, have the potential to facilitate emission reduction and enhance environmental stewardship. The paper emphasises the significance of financial incentives and policy frameworks that are conducive to the adoption of sustainable technologies and practices. This exhaustive evaluation provides a strategic plan for the agriculture industry to become more environmentally conscious and sustainable. Agriculture can significantly contribute to climate change mitigation and the promotion of a sustainable future by adopting a comprehensive approach that incorporates policy changes, technological advancements, and technological innovations., 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 Inc. All rights reserved.)

As healthcare systems transition into an era dominated by quantum technologies, the need to fortify cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive medical data becomes increasingly imperative. This paper navigates the intricate landscape of post-quantum cryptographic approaches and emerging threats specific to the healthcare sector. Delving into encryption protocols such as lattice-based, code-based, hash-based, and multivariate polynomial cryptography, the paper addresses challenges in adoption and compatibility within healthcare systems. The exploration of potential threats posed by quantum attacks and vulnerabilities in existing encryption standards underscores the urgency of a change in basic assumptions in healthcare data security. The paper provides a detailed roadmap for implementing post-quantum cybersecurity solutions, considering the unique challenges faced by healthcare organizations, including integration issues, budget constraints, and the need for specialized training. Finally, the abstract concludes with an emphasis on the importance of timely adoption of post-quantum strategies to ensure the resilience of healthcare data in the face of evolving threats. This roadmap not only offers practical insights into securing medical data but also serves as a guide for future directions in the dynamic landscape of post-quantum healthcare cybersecurity., Competing Interests: 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., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background: Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is a significant contributing factor to vascular diseases. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of pulmonary thromboembolism and its predisposing factors in patients with COVID-19., Methods: This cross-sectional study included 284 patients with COVID-19 who were admitted to Nemazee Teaching Hospital (Shiraz, Iran) between June and August 2021. All patients were diagnosed with COVID-19 by a physician based on clinical symptoms or positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results. The collected data included demographic data and laboratory findings. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software. P ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: There was a significant difference in the mean age between the PTE group and non-PTE group ( P =0.037). Moreover, the PTE group had a significantly higher prevalence of hypertension (36.7% vs. 21.8%, P =0.019), myocardial infarction (4.5% vs. 0%, P =0.006), and stroke (23.9% vs. 4.9%, P =0.0001). Direct bilirubin ( P =0.03) and albumin ( P =0.04) levels significantly differed between the PTE and non-PTE groups. Notably, there was a significant difference in the partial thromboplastin time ( P =0.04) between the PTE and non-PTE groups. A regression analysis indicated that age (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.00‒1.004; P =0.005), blood pressure (OR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.12‒3.85; P =0.02), heart attack (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.28‒6.06; P =0.009), and albumin level (OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.16‒0.97; P =0.04) were all independent predictors of PTE development., Conclusion: Regression analysis revealed that age, blood pressure, heart attack, and albumin levels were independent predictors of PTE.

Purpose: Nosocomial infection is a major threat to the health care system and patient welfare. After the pandemic, new protocols were established in hospitals and communities to protect against the transmission of COVID-19, which may have changed the incidence of nosocomial transmission. This study was conducted to compare the incidence of nosocomial infection before and after the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study performed on trauma patients who were admitted, from May 22, 2018 to November 22, 2021, to the largest level-1 trauma center in Shiraz, Iran (Shahid Rajaei Trauma Hospital). All the trauma patients over 15 years old admitted during the study time were included in this study. Individuals who were declared dead upon arrival were excluded. Patients were evaluated in 2 periods: before the pandemic (May 22, 2018 - February 19, 2020) and after the pandemic (February 19, 2020 - November 22, 2021). Patients were assessed based on demographic information (age, gender, length of hospital stay, and patient outcome), the occurrence of hospital infection, and the type of infection. The analysis was done using SPSS version 25., Results: Overall, 60,561 patients were admitted, with a mean age of 40 years. Nosocomial infection was diagnosed in 4.00% (n = 2423) of all admitted patients. The incidence rate of post-COVID-19 hospital-acquired infections decreased by 16.28% (p < 0.001) when compared to before the pandemic; in contrast, surgical site infection (p < 0.001) and urinary tract infection (p = 0.043) were responsible for this change, while hospital-acquired pneumonia (p = 0.568) and bloodstream infection (p = 0.156) were not significantly different. Overall mortality was 1.79%, while 28.52% of all patients with nosocomial infections died. During the pandemic, there was a 25.78% increase (p < 0.001) in the overall incidence rate of mortality, which was also observed among patients with nosocomial infections (17.84%)., Conclusion: The incidence of nosocomial infection has decreased during the pandemic, possibly due to the use of more personal protective equipment and modified protocols after the outbreak. This also explains the difference in the change in incidence rates of nosocomial infection subtypes., (Copyright © 2023. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.)

Purpose: Spine injury is one of the leading causes of death and mortality worldwide. The objective of this study was to determine the incidence, pattern and outcome of trauma patients with spine injury referred to the largest trauma center in southern Iran during the last 3 years., Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted between March 2018 and June 2021 in the largest trauma center in the southern Iran. The data collection form included the age, sex, injury location (cervical, thoracic, and lumbar), cause of injury (traffic accidents, falls, and assaults), length of hospital stay, injured segment of spine injury, severity of injury, and outcome. Statistical analyzes were performed using SPSS software version 24., Results: Totally 776 cases of spine injury were identified. The spine injury rate was 17.0%, and the mortality rate was 15.5%. Cervical spine injury (20.4%) more often occulted in motorcycle accident, and thoracic spine injury (20.1%) occulted in falls. The highest and lowest rates of spine injurys were related to lumbar spine injury (30.2%) and cervical spine injury (21.5%), respectively. There was a statistically significant relationship between the mechanism of injury and the location of spine injury (p < 0.001). And patients with lumbar spine injury had the highest mortality rate (16.7%). Injury severity score (OR= 1.041, p < 0.001) and length of stay (OR = 1.018, p < 0.001) were strong predictors of mortality in trauma patients with spine injury., Conclusion: The results of the study showed that the incidence of traumatic spine injury rate was approximately 17.0% in southern of Iran. Road traffic injury and falls are the common mechanism of injury to spine. It is important to improve the safety of roads, and passengers, as well as work environment, and improve the quality of cars. Also, paying attention to the pattern of spine injury may assist to prevent the missing diagnosis of spine injury in multiple trauma patients., (Copyright © 2023 Chinese Medical Association. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Pneumonia is the most common nosocomial infection reported worldwide in intensive care units. This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors of nosocomial pneumonia and the frequency of antibiotic resistance in trauma patients who need immediate intervention. Patients and Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted in Shahid Rajaei Trauma Hospital in Shiraz between 2020 and 2021. All the trauma patients who needed immediate intervention (levels 1 and 2 based on the Canadian Emergency Department Triage and Acuity Scale) and had no symptoms of infection were included. Patients who were discharged or died before 48 hours were excluded. Results: The results demonstrated that major trauma (Injury Severity Score [ISS] ≥16), intubation, and use of invasive mechanical ventilation increase nosocomial pneumonia and death rate. The most common causes of nosocomial infections were Acinetobacter baumannii (23%) and coagulase-negative staphylococcus (18.5%). The highest levels of antibiotic resistance were related to cefoxitin, erythromycin, ciprofloxacin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Conclusions: Major trauma, intubation, and invasive mechanical ventilation were the effective factors in the development of nosocomial pneumonia. Continuous monitoring for mentioned risk factors and strict surveillance of antibiotic prescription can decrease the prevalence of nosocomial infections and subsequent deaths.

Introduction: A well-known and fatal complication of myocardial infarction (MI) is post-infarction ventricular septal rupture (VSR). The benefits and risks associated with coronary angiography and subsequent coronary artery bypass grafting in these patients have sparked controversy. The aim of this study was to determine the outcome of revascularization following MI., Method: Patients aged between 55 and 78 years were considered for the post-infarction ventricular septal rupture from 2011 to 2017. Factors such as age, sex, anthropometric measurements, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), and biochemical parameters like CPK-MB, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides were measured using standard methods.The estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR), a measure of kidney function, was also determined. Additionally, coronary angiographic factors including ECG changes, left ventricular (LV) systolic function, right ventricular (RV) function, Pulmonary Artery Pressure (PAP), proximal coronary lesions in VSR, systolic PAP, Right Atrial Pressure (RAP), and mortality rate were determined., Results: The study enrolled a total of 81 patients who had been surgically treated for post-infarction VSR. These patients were divided into two groups: survivors (n=35) and non-survivors (N=41). The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure was higher in the survivor group (115.3 ± 18.7 vs. 96.3 ± 25.3 and 74.6 ± 12.2 vs. 61.2 ± 19.0, P=0.001). PCI was performed in 2.9% of survivors and 9.8% of non-survivors. Angiographic data revealed that 17 (33%) and 33 (63%) patients had single and multiple coronary artery diseases, respectively. CPK-MB levels were significantly higher in the non-survivors group (P<0.05). Echocardiographic findings, including LV ejection fraction, RV ejection fraction, systolic PAP, and the anatomic location of VSR, did not significantly differ between survivors and non-survivors., Conclusion: Based on these findings, it is recommended to avoid complete revascularization during surgical repair of post-infarction ventricular septal rupture, as it would not improve the outcome., (© 2023 Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center & Isfahan University of Medical Sciences.)

Background: The aim of this study was to report the demographics and clinical features of patients with penetrating traumatic brain injury (PTBI) during the past 5 years in Rajaee Hospital, a tertiary referral trauma center in Shiraz, southern Iran., Methods: We conducted a 5-year retrospective evaluation of all patients diagnosed with PTBI who were referred to Rajaee Hospital. We retrieved the following items from the hospital's database and PACS system: patients' demographics, on-admission Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), presence of trauma to other organs, duration of the hospital and ICU stay, the neurosurgical interventions, any necessity of tracheostomy, duration of ventilator dependency, the entrance point of the trauma in the skull, type of assault, length of trajectory in the brain parenchyma, the number of remaining objects in the brain, the occurrence of any hemorrhagic phenomenon, the cross of the bullet from the midline or coronal suture, and the presence of the pneumocephalus., Results: A total of 59 patients with a mean age of 28.75 ± 9.40 had PTBI over the 5 years. The mortality rate was 8.5%. Stab wounds, shotguns, gunshots, and airguns were the cause of injury in 33 (56%), 14 (23.7%), 10 (17%), and 2 (3.4%) patients, respectively. The median initial GCS of patients was 15 (3-15). Intracranial hemorrhage was observed in 33 cases, subdural hematoma in 18 cases, intraventricular hemorrhage in eight cases, and subarachnoid hemorrhage in four cases. The mean duration of hospitalization was 10.05 ± 10.75 (ranging from 1 to 62 days). Furthermore, 43 patients experienced ICU admission with mean days of 6.5 ± 5.62 (1-23). The temporal and frontal regions were the most common entrance points, in 23 and 19 patients, respectively., Conclusion: The incidence of PTBI is relatively low in our center, possibly due to the prohibition of possession or using warm weapons in Iran. Further, multicenter studies with larger sample sizes are needed to determine prognostic factors associated with worse clinical outcomes after PTBI., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Surgical Neurology International.)

Objective: According to the reports of the World Health Organization approximately 300,000 deaths occur yearly worldwide due to burns or burn-associated injuries. This study aims to review the epidemiology of burns in pediatrics and adolescents in Fars province between 2017 and 2018., Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that investigated all people ≤18 years old who suffered from burn injuries in Fars province between 2017 and 2018. We use data from the file of burn patients which was provided by pre-hospital emergency services of Fars province. This data comprises demographic information (age and gender), burn-related information (type, degree, and severity of burns), mode of transfer (outpatient surgery or transfer to hospital) and the outcome of the disease (death before arrival to the hospital or alive)., Results: The average age of the subjects of this study was 5.8±8.9. We also categorized the subjects into four age groups, 1-4, 5-8, 9-13 and 15-18 years. The number of boys who suffered from burn injuries is significantly more than the girls ( p =0.011). Also, there is a remarkable correlation between burn with age ( p <0.001) and burn with disease outcome ( p =0.01). The Most common cause of burns in boys was nonchemical hot objects and liquids (28.5%). Likewise, the possibility of mortality in burn patients who faced an electric shock was 22.66%. ([95%CI=2.32-220.63], p <0.001 OR=22.66)., Conclusion: This study shows that pediatrics and adolescents ≤ 4 have the most burn injuries, and boys have twice as many burn events as girls. More importantly, the most common cause of burns in both genders was burning with non-chemical hot objects and liquids, in particular, in the age group of 1-4 years, in which event happens at home., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Objective: To identify the distinctive features of acutely injured patients who were presented to the emergency department (ED) and their association with mortality and surgical intervention outcomes., Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on all trauma patients resuscitated in the ED of Shahid Rajaee (Emtiaz) Trauma Hospital (Shiraz, Iran) from May 2018 to June 2019. Demographic information, the mechanism of trauma, trauma type, injured body regions, criteria of abbreviated injury scale (AIS) score, injury severity score (ISS), and surgical intervention were all taken into consideration. The items related to the mortality and surgical performance outcomes among the patients were analyzed., Results: Of all 1281 cases, 82.9% were men, and the mean age of the patients was 37.9±19.1 years. The most common mechanism of injury was a car accident, and the thorax was the most prevalent injured area of the body. The majority of the patients had moderate blunt trauma. The mechanism of trauma, ISS, and the severity of head trauma were all significantly correlated with operation interventions. Moreover, age, the mechanism and type of trauma, ISS, and the necessity for the surgery were significantly associated with death occurrence. Additionally, head, thorax, and abdomen trauma were significantly related to a high mortality rate., Conclusion: Age, trauma mechanism and type, ISS, and the necessity for surgery were significantly associated with the mortality rate of injured patients. The severity of the trauma, particularly head injuries and the mechanism of damage were important determinants in concern for surgery the necessity., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interests.

Introduction: EGSnrc software package is one of the computational packages for Monte Carlo simulation in radiation therapy and has several subset codes. Directional bremsstrahlung splitting (DBS) is a technique that applies braking radiations in interactions in this software. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of this technique on the simulation time, uncertainty, particle number of phase-space data, and photon beam spectrum resulting from a medical linear accelerator (LINAC)., Materials and Methods: The gantry of the accelerator, including the materials and geometries of different parts, was simulated using the BEAMnrc code (a subset code in the EGSnrc package). The phase-space data were recorded in different parts of the LINAC. The DBS values (1, 10, 100, and 1000) were changed, and their effects were evaluated on the simulation parameters and output spectra., Results: Increasing the DBS value from 1 to 1000 resulted in an increase in the simulation time from 1.778 to 11.310 hours, and increasing the number of particles in the phase-space plane (5 590 732-180 328 382). When the DBS had been picked up from 1 to 100, the simulation uncertainty decreased by about 1.29%. In addition, the DBS increment value from 100 to 1000 leads to an increase in uncertainty and simulation time of about 0.71% and 315%, respectively., Conclusion: Although using the DBS technique reduces the simulation time or uncertainty, increasing the DBS from a specific value, equal to 100 in our study, increases simulation uncertainties and times. Therefore, we propose considering a specific DBS value as we obtained for the Monte Carlo simulation of photon beams produced by linear accelerators., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

The growing concern about microorganism infections, especially hospital-acquired infections, has driven the demand for effective and safe agents in recent years. Herein, novel nanocomposites were prepared based on layered double hydroxides (LDH NPs), Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles (Fe 2 O 3 NPs), and chitosan hydrogel beads in different concentrations. The characteristics and composition of the prepared materials were investigated by various techniques such as XRD, FESEM, and FTIR. The results indicate that the nanocomposites are synthesized successfully, and each component is present in hydrogel matrixes. Then, their biomedical properties, including antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant activity, were examined. Our findings demonstrate that the antimicrobial activity of nanocomposites significantly depends on the concentration of each component and their chemical groups. It shows itself in the result of the inhibitory zone of all bacteria or fungi samples. The obtained results indicate that the nanocomposite of Chitosan-hydrogel beads with 20% LDH and Fe 2 O 3 (CHB-LDH-Fe 2 O 3 %20) and Chitosan-hydrogel beads based on 20% LDH (CHB-LDH%20) showed excellent antibacterial and antifungal properties against all tested bacteria and fungi ( P  ≤ 0.01). In addition, the antioxidant effects of the synthesized materials (especially CHB-LDH Fe 2 O 3 %20 and CHB-LDH%20) were investigated, showing high antioxidant efficacy against DPPH free radicals ( P  ≤ 0.01). According to our findings, we can say that these materials are promising biomaterials for inhibiting some infectious bacteria and fungi., (© 2022 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

Objective: To evaluate the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence and mortality rate of road traffic injuries in Shiraz, Iran., Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on the data of patients who admitted by road traffic accidents 18 months before the outbreak of COVID-19 and 18 months after COVID-19 in the largest provider of trauma level 1 care services in southern Iran. SPSS 19 software was used to analyze the data., Results: A significant decrease of 12.8% was observed in the number of patients admitted by road traffic accidents during the COVID-19 pandemic period compared to the same period before the pandemic ( p <0.0001). But the death toll from road traffic accidents has increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic period compared to the same period before the pandemic ( p =0.01)., Conclusion: Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, it seems that factors such as restrictions on suburban travel, closure of public and recreational spaces, reduction of intra-city traffic, people staying at home and a significant reduction in injuries caused by traffic accidents, is reasonable. On the other hand, these restrictions, quarantines, and COVID disease itself can lead to confusion, anxiety, fear of infection, and thus avoid or delay the search for health care and increase mortality. Therefore, planning and policy-making is essential in order to prepare the correct guidance for seeking treatment., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Background: Accurate cardiac volume and function assessment have valuable and significant diagnostic implications for patients suffering from ventricular dysfunction and cardiovascular disease. This study has focused on finding a reliable assistant to help physicians have more reliable and accurate cardiac measurements using a deep neural network. EchoRCNN is a semi-automated neural network for echocardiography sequence segmentation using a combination of mask region-based convolutional neural network image segmentation structure with reference-guided mask propagation video object segmentation network., Results: The proposed method accurately segments the left and right ventricle regions in four-chamber view echocardiography series with a dice similarity coefficient of 94.03% and 94.97%, respectively. Further post-processing procedures on the segmented left and right ventricle regions resulted in a mean absolute error of 3.13% and 2.03% for ejection fraction and fractional area change parameters, respectively., Conclusion: This study has achieved excellent performance on the left and right ventricle segmentation, leading to more accurate estimations of vital cardiac parameters such as ejection fraction and fractional area change parameters in the left and right ventricle functionalities, respectively. The results represent that our method can predict an assured, accurate, and reliable cardiac function diagnosis in clinical screenings., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Purpose: 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), an effective chemotherapy drug, is commonly applied for colorectal cancer treatment. Nevertheless, its toxicity to normal tissues and the development of tumor resistance are the main obstacles to successful cancer chemotherapy and hence, its clinical application is limited. The use of resveratrol can increase 5-FU-induced cytotoxicity and mitigate the unwanted adverse effects. This study aimed to review the potential therapeutic effects of resveratrol in combination with 5-FU against colorectal cancer., Methods: According to the PRISMA guideline, a comprehensive systematic search was carried out for the identification of relevant literature in four electronic databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus up to May 2021 using a pre-defined set of keywords in their titles and abstracts. We screened 282 studies in accordance with our inclusion and exclusion criteria. Thirteen articles were finally included in this systematic review., Results: The in vitro findings showed that proliferation inhibition of colorectal cancer cells in the groups treated by 5-FU was remarkably higher than the untreated groups and the co-administration of resveratrol remarkably increased cytotoxicity induced by 5-FU. The in vivo results demonstrated a decrease in tumor growth of mice treated by 5-FU than the untreated group and a dramatic decrease was observed following combined treatment of resveratrol and 5-FU. It was also found that 5-FU alone and combined with resveratrol could regulate the cell cycle profile of colorectal cancer cells. Moreover, this chemotherapeutic agent induced the biochemical and histopathological changes in the cancerous cells/tissues and these alterations were synergized by resveratrol co-administration (for most of the cases), except for the inflammatory mediators., Conclusion: The results obtained from this systematic review demonstrated that co-administration of resveratrol could sensitize the colorectal cancer cells to 5-FU treatment via various mechanisms, including regulation of cell cycle distribution, oxidant, apoptosis, anti-inflammatory effects., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Cancer is the leading cause of death and a major problem to increasing life expectancy worldwide. In recent years, various approaches such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, targeted therapies, and the newest pillar, immunotherapy, have been developed to treat cancer. Among key factors impacting the effectiveness of treatment, the administration of drugs based on the circadian rhythm in a person and within individuals can significantly elevate drug efficacy, reduce adverse effects, and prevent drug resistance. Circadian clocks also affect various physiological processes such as the sleep cycle, body temperature cycle, digestive and cardiovascular processes, and endocrine and immune systems. In recent years, to achieve precision patterns for drug administration using computational methods, the interaction of the effects of drugs and their cellular pathways has been considered more seriously. Integrated data-derived pathological images and genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics analyses have provided an understanding of the molecular basis of cancer and dramatically revealed interactions between circadian and immunity cycles. Here, we describe crosstalk between the circadian cycle signaling pathway and immunity cycle in cancer and discuss how tumor microenvironment affects the influence on treatment process based on individuals' genetic differences. Moreover, we highlight recent advances in computational modeling that pave the way for personalized immune chronotherapy.

Background: Some parametric models are used to diagnose problems of lung segmentation more easily and effectively., Objective: The present study aims to detect lung diseases (nodules and tuberculosis) better using an active shape model (ASM) from chest radiographs., Material and Methods: In this analytical study, six grouping methods, including three primary methods such as physicians, Dice similarity, and correlation coefficients) and also three secondary methods using SVM (Support Vector Machine) were used to classify the chest radiographs regarding diaphragm congestion and heart reshaping. The most effective method, based on the evaluation of the results by a radiologist, was found and used as input data for segmenting the images by active shape model (ASM). Several segmentation parameters were evaluated to calculate the accuracy of segmentation. This work was conducted on JSRT (Japanese Society of Radiological Technology) database images and tuberculosis database images were used for validation., Results: The results indicated that the ASM can detect 94.12 ± 2.34 % and 94.38 ± 3.74 % (mean± standard deviation) of pulmonary nodules in left and right lungs, respectively, from the JRST radiology datasets. Furthermore, the ASM model detected 88.33 ± 6.72 % and 90.37 ± 5.48 % of tuberculosis in left and right lungs, respectively., Conclusion: The ASM segmentation method combined with pre-segmentation grouping can be used as a preliminary step to identify areas with tuberculosis or pulmonary nodules. In addition, this presented approach can be used to measure the size and dimensions of the heart in future studies., (Copyright: © Journal of Biomedical Physics and Engineering.)

COVID-19 is the cause of a pandemic associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. As yet, there is no available approved drug to eradicate the virus. In this review article, we present an alternative study area that may contribute to the development of therapeutic targets for COVID-19. Growing evidence is revealing further pathophysiological mechanisms of COVID-19 related to the disregulation of inflammation pathways that seem to play a critical role toward COVID-19 complications. The NF-kB and JAK/STAT signaling pathways are highly activated in acute inflammation, and the excessive activity of these pathways in COVID-19 patients likely exacerbates the inflammatory responses of the host. A group of non-coding RNAs (miRNAs) manage certain features of the inflammatory process. In this study, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of miRNAs and their connection to inflammatory responses. Additionally, we consider the link between perturbations in miRNA levels and the onset of COVID-19 disease. Furthermore, previous studies published in the online databases, namely web of science, MEDLINE (PubMed), and Scopus, were reviewed for the potential role of miRNAs in the inflammatory manifestations of COVID-19. Moreover, we disclosed the interactions of inflammatory genes using STRING DB and designed interactions between miRNAs and target genes using Cityscape software. Several miRNAs, particularly miR-9, miR-98, miR-223, and miR-214, play crucial roles in the regulation of NF-kB and JAK-STAT signaling pathways as inflammatory regulators. Therefore, this group of miRNAs that mitigate inflammatory pathways can be further regarded as potential targets for far-reaching-therapeutic strategies in COVID-19 diseases., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Polyethylene covers are claimed to be useful in preventing ocular surface diseases (OSD); however, evidence of their clinical efficacy is limited. This clinical trial aimed to compare the use of polyethylene eye covers and artificial teardrops versus normal saline on the incidence and severity of OSD in comatose patients., Methods: Of 90 eligible patients randomly assigned to three treatment groups, 79 patients completed the study, In group A, patients (n = 25) received artificial teardrops for left and normal saline for right eyes, in group B (n = 29) polyethylene covers for left and normal saline for right eyes, and in group C (n = 25) polyethylene covers for left and artificial teardrops for right eyes. As the patients were comatose, their blinding did not applicable, and a blinded observer evaluated the patients' eyes based on the Corneal Fluorescein Staining Pattern. The blinded analyzer analyzed collected data by SPSS-16 software at a 95% confidential level., Results: The OSDs were observed in 65 (41.14%) out of 158 eyes examined. The artificial teardrop was more effective than the normal saline in group A, polyethylene eye cover was more useful than the normal saline in group B, and polyethylene eye cover was more effective than the artificial teardrop in group C in reducing the incidence of OSD (p< 0.01). Polyethylene eye covers had the most impact on reducing the severity of the OSD compared to the other interventions (p< .001)., Conclusions: Polyethylene eye covers significantly reduced the incidence and severity of OSD. Using polyethylene cover is suggested as a safe, effective, and accessible eye care intervention for preventing OSD in comatose patients., Trial Registration: (IRCT201609129014N115), Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Aims: Novel bi metal organic framework (b-MOF) is synthesized and used as a heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of chromeno[4, 3-b]quinolone derivatives via one-pot and solvent-free, four-component reaction of dimedone, aromatic aldehydes, 4-hydroxycoumarin and ammonium acetate at 110°C., Background: b-MOFs can be used as a heterogeneous catalyst in the synthesis of many organic compounds. The active and multi-purpose sites in b-MOFs provide a varied function in their catalytic applications. In this paper, reductive CES method is applied for the synthesis of Ce 0.47 /Ni 0.53 -BTC b-MOF. The resulting b-MOF was used as a heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of chromeno[4, 3-b]quinolone via one-pot and solvent-free, fourcomponent reaction of dimedone, aromatic aldehyde, 4-hydroxycoumarin and ammonium acetate at 110 °C., Method: Ce 0.47 /Ni 0.53 -BTC was synthesized in an electrochemical cell composed of a stainless steel foil with a size of 5cm×5cm centered between two 5cm×5cm sized graphite plates as the anodes by the cathodic current density of 0.2 A/dm 2 and placed in a solution of cerium nitrate (0.3 g), nickel nitrate (0.3 g), H 3 BTC (0.2 g) and NaNO 3 (0.1 g) in ethanol (500 mL). Ce 0.47 /Ni 0.53 -BTC (10 mg) was added to a mixture of dimedone (1 mmol), aromatic aldehyde (1 mmol), hydroxycoumarin (1 mmol) and ammonium acetate (1.5 mmol) and stirred at 110 °C under solvent-free conditions for 45 min. The reaction evolution was controlled by the TLC (hexane:ethyl acetate, 4:1). Then, boiling ethanol was added to the reaction mixture and stirred at room temperature for 15 min. After the reaction completion, the catalyst was separated by centrifuge. Finally, the reaction mixture was placed in an ice bath, which resulted in a white solid product and recrystallized from ethanol to give the pure product., Result: The b-MOF catalyst showed very good efficiency in the synthesis of the desired compounds and can be easily recovered by centrifuge and reused at least five times without a decrease in catalytic activity., Conclusion: In this report, a novel bi metal-organic framework (Ce0.47/Ni0.53-BTC) is synthesized via the cathodic electrosynthesis method. The synthesized b-MOF is fully characterized by several characterization methods. The catalytic activity of Ce0.47/Ni0.53-BTC is investigated in the synthesis of chromeno[4, 3-b]quinolone derivatives via one-pot four-component reaction of dimedone, aromatic aldehyde, 4-hydroxycoumarin and ammonium acetate. The reaction optimization results showed that the highest isolated yield was obtained when the reaction was performed in solvent-free conditions at 110 °C. The catalyst showed to be highly efficient in the synthesis of the desired compounds and performing the reaction utilizing various starting materials gave the products in good isolated yields, which proves the generality and the scope of the method. The catalyst could easily be recovered by centrifuge and reused at least five times without a decrease in catalytic activity., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)