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Background: Empowerment of women is considered to be a critical developmental strategy. Objectives: Today, empowerment of women is not only a priority, but it also is an urgent need of women as a one of the most important populations considering their roles in the family and community. Social support and empowerment of women are regarded as an investment for future generations, which will result in sustainable development. The present study aimed to explore the association between the social support and empowerment of women with their reproductive decisions in the health centers in Sari, Iran. Methods: This descriptive-correlational study was conducted on 400 women referring to the health centers in Sari, Iran in 2017. The subjects who met the inclusion criteria were selected via multistage cluster sampling. Data were collected using a demographic and reproductive characteristics questionnaire, multidimensional scale of perceived social support, and the questionnaire of women empowerment and reproductive behavior. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 16. Results: The subjects had a moderate level of empowerment in their reproductive decisions. On the other hand, favorable and poor empowerment levels were observed in the dimensions of cultural background and family planning, respectively. Furthermore, social support had a direct, significant correlation with the empowerment of women in reproductive decisions (P=0.001; r=0.34). Conclusion: According to the results, the empowerment and social support of women are imperative issues that require special attention and investment considering the key role of women in promoting community health.

Jafar Ai1, Esmaeil Biazar2, Mostafa Jafarpour3, Mohamad Montazeri4, Ali Majdi5, Saba Aminifard5, Mandana Zafari5, Hanie Akbari R6, Hadi Rad Gh71Department of Tissue Engineering, Faculty of Advanced Technologies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran; 2Department of Chemistry, Islamic Azad University – Tonekabon Branch, Mazandaran; 3Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Islamic Azad University – Tonekabon Branch, Mazandaran; 4Faculty of Medical Sciences, Babol University of Medical Sciences; 5Young Researchers Club – Islamic Azad University, Tonekabon Branch, Mazandaran; 6Faculty of Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University – North branch, Tehran; 7Faculty of Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University – Tonekabon Branch, Mazandaran, IranAbstract: Nanotechnology has wide applications in many fields, especially in the biological sciences and medicine. Nanomaterials are applied as coating materials or in treatment and diagnosis. Nanoparticles such as titania, zirconia, silver, diamonds, iron oxides, carbon nanotubes, and biodegradable polymers have been studied in diagnosis and treatment. Many of these nanoparticles may have toxic effects on cells. Many factors such as size, inherent properties, and surface chemistry may cause nanoparticle toxicity. There are methods for improving the performance and reducing toxicity of nanoparticles in medical design, such as biocompatible coating materials or biodegradable/biocompatible nanoparticles. Most metal oxide nanoparticles show toxic effects, but no toxic effects have been observed with biocompatible coatings. Biodegradable nanoparticles are also used in the efficient design of medical materials, which will be reviewed in this article.Keywords: nanotechnology, nanotoxicology, nanomaterials, nanobiomaterials

An approach for selecting a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembrane (GMB) for a long design life is described and illustrated for five 2 mm thick textured GMBs when immersed in a simulated municipal solid waste leachate (L3) and two simulated leachates representative of low-level radioactive waste leachates (L7 and L9) for 9-16 months at a range of temperatures. Although made from the same nominal resin, substantial differences are reported in both the initial properties and the rate of antioxidant depletion for the five GMBs. At an expected operating liner temperature of 10 [degrees]C and immersed in L3, the projected time to antioxidant depletion for the five GMBs ranges from 125 to over 2000 years. The antioxidant depletion in leachates L7 and L9 were similar or slower than in leachate L3. There was no evidence of traditional thermal-oxidative degradation reported over the 9-16 months of monitoring; however, there was a significant reduction in stress crack resistance due to physical ageing ranging between 30% and 70% of the initial value. Two GMBs are considered highly likely to have service life well in excess of the required design life of 550 years. It is suggested that the proposed approach could be adopted for selecting GMBs for other projects that require a long design life. Keywords: geomembrane (GMB), antioxidant depletion, stress crack resistance, service-life, textured GMBs, white GMBs, low level radioactive waste, design approach. Une approche pour selectionner un polyethylene haute densite (PEHD) geomembrane (GMB) pour une longue duree de vie utile est decrite et illustree pour cinq GMB textures de 2 mm d'epaisseur lorsqu'ils sont immerges dans un lixiviat de dechets solides municipaux simule (L3) et deux lixiviats simules representatifs des lixiviats de dechets radioactifs de faible activite (L7 et L9) pendant 9-16 mois a une gamme de temperatures. Bien qu'elles soient fabriquees a partir de la meme resine nominale, des differences substantielles sont signalees tant dans les proprietes initiales que dans le taux d'epuisement des antioxydants pour les cinq GMBs. A une temperature de fonctionnement prevue de 10 [degrees]C et immergee dans la solution L3, la duree prevue de l'epuisement des antioxydants pour les cinq GMBs varie de 125 a plus de 2000 ans. La depletion des antioxydants dans les lixiviats L7 et L9 etait similaire ou plus lente que dans le lixiviat L3. Aucun signe de degradation traditionnelle par oxydation thermique n'a ete signale au cours des 9 a 16 mois de surveillance. Cependant, il y a eu une reduction significative de la resistance a la fissuration sous contrainte due au vieillissement physique comprise entre 30 et 70 % de la valeur initiale. Deux GMB sont consideres comme ayant une duree de vie bien superieure a la duree de vie theorique requise de 550 ans. Il est suggere que l'approche proposee pourrait etre adoptee pour la selection des GMB pour d'autres projets necessitant une longue duree de vie theorique. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles : geomembrane (GMB), epuisement des antioxydants, resistance a la fissuration sous tension, duree de vie, GMB textures, GMB blancs, dechets faiblement radioactifs, approche de conception., 1. Introduction International best practice is to select a radioactive waste disposal facility based on the level of waste hazard and an engineered near-surface disposal facility is currently considered as [...]

The degradation behaviour of five multilayered textured white geomembranes (GMBs) is investigated when immersed in two synthetic low-level waste (LLW) leachates with pH 7 and 9 at a range of temperatures (40–85 °C) for 48–55 months. Results are compared to the performance of the GMBs in synthetic municipal solid waste (MSW) leachate. Increasing pH from 7 to 9 gives slightly faster antioxidant depletion in LLW leachate. The estimated time to nominal failure for the GMBs is at least 20% longer in LLW leachate than in MSW leachate containing surfactant that accelerates both antioxidant depletion and stress cracking. Thus, MSW leachate can be used as a conservative proxy to estimate the service life of a GMB in contact with LLW leachate. Two GMBs are considered very highly likely to meet the required 550 year design life of the near-surface disposal facilities even based on the most conservative prediction of the time to nominal failure for the GMBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: ß-thalassemia is the most common inherited hemoglobinopathy in all over the world. Iron over load will be appearing in kidney following blood transfusion. Desferal is one of iron chelator that can be ended renal complication. The aim of this study is evaluation the renal function in ß- Thalassemia patients who were treated by Desferal. Materials and methods: in this descriptive and analytic study 40 thalassemia patients who were treated by Desferal and 40 non Thalassemia subjects enrolled in this study randomly. For evaluation the renal function in these groups, we measured the Cr, BUN, K, Na, Uric acid, ß-2 globin, Ca, Mg, P and Urea of blood and Na, K, Cr, protein and volume of urine 24 hours. We compared these variables between two groups. Also descriptive and analytic analyses were used, the significant level in this study was p⩽0.05. Results: comparing the renal function between two groups show that; the level of Na, Ca, K and ß-2 Globin in serum and Cr, protein and urine volume in 24 hours had significant difference. Conclusion: renal dysfunction such as; glomerular and tubular dysfunction and reduced filtration capacity are common in ß-thalassemia patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

β- Thalassemia is major monogenic disorder. A practical way to prevention of Thalassemia is identification of carries couples; genetic counseling and offer prenatal diagnose services for both carrier couples. Routine prenatal diagnose are chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis, but both of them are invasive method and they can be ended to bleeding and pregnancy loss. Recently non invasive prenatal diagnosis has been done by researchers for early detection of pre-eclampsia, chromosomal aneuploidies, RhD-genotyping. Regarding non invasive prenatal diagnosis of β- Thalassemia, detection of paternally inherited mutation in maternal plasma is possible. If the fetus inherited normal paternal allele the performance of invasive method it is not necessary, so this method can be eliminate 50% performance of routine prenatal diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pediatric intestinal pseudo-obstruction (PIPO) is a rare congenital disorder of the enteric nervous system with distal colon aganglionosis potentially leading to intestinal obstruction. Recently, biallelic variants in KIF26A, encoding a crucial motor protein for the migration and differentiation of enteric neural crest cells, have been associated with a neurodevelopmental condition featuring cortical defects and PIPO-like features, though in absence of aganglionosis. So far, only 10 patients have been reported. In this study, we investigated three subjects with congenital hydrocephalus, neurodevelopmental impairment, and intestinal obstruction megacolon syndrome. Brain MRI revealed malformations within cortical dysplasia spectrum, including polymicrogyria and heterotopia. Pathology study of the intestine revealed aganglionosis and elevated acetylcholinesterase activity in parasympathetic nerve fibers. Through trio-exome sequencing (ES), we detected four novel biallelic KIF26A variants, including two missense changes (#1) and two distinct homozygous truncating variants in (#2 and #3). All variants are rare and predicted to be deleterious according to in silico tools. To characterize the impact of the missense variants, we performed 3D protein modeling using Alphafold3 and YASARA. Mutants exhibited increased energy scores compared to wild-type protein, supporting a significant structural destabilization of the protein. Our study expands the genotype and phenotype spectrum of the emerging KIF26A-related disorder., (© 2024 The Author(s). Clinical Genetics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

A porous carbon/Fe 3 O 4 nanocomposite (PC/Fe 3 O 4 nanocomposite) was prepared through the pyrolysis of peanut shells as biowaste with ferrous ferric oxide to give a new magnetically recoverable catalyst. In the designed nanocomposite, magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles are properly distributed on the surface and cavities of porous carbon obtained from biomass. Increasing the active surface and magnetic recovery capability results in catalytic synergy, thereby promoting the reaction with an appropriate catalytic effect. The catalytic ability of the porous carbon/Fe 3 O 4 nanocomposite as a nanomagnetically recoverable catalyst was successfully tested for the synthesis of polyhydroquinolines., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Omnipresent suppressive myeloid populations in the tumor microenvironment limit the efficacy of T-cell-directed immunotherapies, become more inhibitory after administration of T-cell checkpoint inhibitors, and are overall associated with worse survival of cancer patients. In early clinical trials, positive outcomes have been demonstrated for therapies aimed at repolarizing suppressive myeloid populations in the tumor microenvironment. We have previously described the key role of P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) in maintaining an inhibitory state of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), most of which express high levels of PSGL-1. Here we describe a novel, first-in-class humanized high-affinity monoclonal antibody VTX-0811 that repolarizes human macrophages from an M2-suppressive phenotype towards an M1 inflammatory phenotype, similar to siRNA-mediated knockdown of PSGL-1. VTX-0811 binds to PSGL-1 of human and cynomolgus macaque origins without inhibiting PSGL-1 interaction with P- and L-Selectins or VISTA. In multi-cellular assays and in patient-derived human tumor cultures, VTX-0811 leads to the induction of pro-inflammatory mediators. RNAseq data from VTX-0811 treated ex vivo tumor cultures and M2c macrophages show similar pathways being modulated, indicating that the mechanism of action translates from isolated macrophages to tumors. A chimeric version of VTX-0811, consisting of the parental murine antibody in a human IgG4 backbone, inhibits tumor growth in a humanized mouse model of cancer. VTX-0811 is exceptionally well tolerated in NHP toxicology assessment and is heading into clinical evaluation after successful IND clearance.

V-set immunoglobulin domain-containing 4 (VSIG4) is a B7 family protein with known roles as a C3 fragment complement receptor involved in pathogen clearance and a negative regulator of T cell activation by an undetermined mechanism. VSIG4 expression is specific for tumor-associated and select tissue-resident macrophages. Increased expression of VSIG4 has been associated with worse survival in multiple cancer indications. Based upon computational analysis of transcript data across thousands of tumor and normal tissue samples, we hypothesized that VSIG4 has an important role in promoting M2-like immune suppressive macrophages and that targeting VSIG4 could relieve VSIG4-mediated macrophage suppression by repolarizing tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) to an inflammatory phenotype. We have also observed a cancer-specific pattern of VSIG4 isoform distribution, implying a change in the functional regulation in cancer. Through a series of in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo assays we demonstrate that anti-VSIG4 antibodies repolarize M2 macrophages and induce an immune response culminating in T cell activation. Anti-VSIG4 antibodies induce pro-inflammatory cytokines in M-CSF plus IL-10-driven human monocyte-derived M2c macrophages. Across patient-derived tumor samples from multiple tumor types, anti-VSIG4 treatment resulted in the upregulation of cytokines associated with TAM repolarization and T cell activation and chemokines involved in immune cell recruitment. VSIG4 blockade is also efficacious in a syngeneic mouse model as monotherapy as it enhances efficacy in combination with anti-PD-1, and the effect is dependent on the systemic availability of CD8 + T cells. Thus, VSIG4 represents a promising new target capable of triggering an anti-cancer response via multiple key immune mechanisms.

Natural diamonds were (and are) formed (thousands of million years ago) in the upper mantle of Earth in metallic melts at temperatures of 900-1,400 °C and at pressures of 5-6 GPa (refs.  1,2 ). Diamond is thermodynamically stable under high-pressure and high-temperature conditions as per the phase diagram of carbon 3 . Scientists at General Electric invented and used a high-pressure and high-temperature apparatus in 1955 to synthesize diamonds by using molten iron sulfide at about 7 GPa and 1,600 °C (refs.  4-6 ). There is an existing model that diamond can be grown using liquid metals only at both high pressure and high temperature 7 . Here we describe the growth of diamond crystals and polycrystalline diamond films with no seed particles using liquid metal but at 1 atm pressure and at 1,025 °C, breaking this pattern. Diamond grew in the subsurface of liquid metal composed of gallium, iron, nickel and silicon, by catalytic activation of methane and diffusion of carbon atoms into and within the subsurface regions. We found that the supersaturation of carbon in the liquid metal subsurface leads to the nucleation and growth of diamonds, with Si playing an important part in stabilizing tetravalently bonded carbon clusters that play a part in nucleation. Growth of (metastable) diamond in liquid metal at moderate temperature and 1 atm pressure opens many possibilities for further basic science studies and for the scaling of this type of growth., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Hexagonal boron nitride (BN) shows significant chemical stability and promising thermal nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) activity but suffers from low conductivity in electrolysis with a wide band gap. To overcome this problem, two-dimensional (2D) BN and graphene (G) are designed as a heterostructure, namely BN/G. According to density functional theory (DFT), the higher conductivity of G narrows the band gap of BN by inducing some electronic states near the Fermi energy level ( E f ). Once transition metals (TMs) are anchored in the BN/G structure as single atom catalysts (SACs), the NRR activity improves as the inert BN basal layer activates with moderate *NH 2 binding energy and further the band gap is reduced to zero. V (vanadium) and W (tungsten) SACs exhibit the best performance with limiting potentials of -0.22 and -0.41 V, respectively. This study helps in understanding the improvement of the NRR activity of BN, providing physical insights into the adsorbate-TM interaction.

The main challenge of using nanoliposome systems is controlling their size and stability. In order to overcome this challenge, according to the research conducted at the Research Centre for New Technologies of Biological Engineering, University of Tehran, a model for predicting the size and stability of nanoliposome systems based on thermodynamic relations has been presented. In this model, by using the presented equations and without performing many experiments in the laboratory environment, the effect of temperature, ionic power and different pH can be considered simultaneously whereas examining the components of size, stability and any feature were considered before. Synthesis and application of liposomal nanocarriers in different operating conditions can be investigated and predicted, and due to the change in temperature and pH, the smallest size of th system can be obtained. In this study, we were able to model the synthesis and storage conditions of liposomal nanocarriers at different temperatures and acidic, neutral and alkaline pHs, based on the calculation of mathematical equations. This model also indicates that with increasing temperature, the radius increases but with increasing pH, the radius first increases and then decreases. Therefore, this model can be used to predict size and stability in different operating conditions. In fact, with this modelling method, there is no need to study through laboratory methods and analysis to determine the size, stability and surface loads, and in terms of Accuracy, time and cost savings are affordable.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is becoming increasingly prevalent in tissue engineering, driving the demand for low-modulus, high-performance, biodegradable, and biocompatible polymers. Extrusion-based direct-write (EDW) 3D printing enables printing and customization of low-modulus materials, ranging from cell-free printing to cell-laden bioinks that closely resemble natural tissue. While EDW holds promise, the requirement for soft materials with excellent printability and shape fidelity postprinting remains unmet. The development of new synthetic materials for 3D printing applications has been relatively slow, and only a small polymer library is available for tissue engineering applications. Furthermore, most of these polymers require high temperature (FDM) or additives and solvents (DLP/SLA) to enable printability. In this study, we present low-modulus 3D printable polyester inks that enable low-temperature printing without the need for solvents or additives. To maintain shape fidelity, we incorporate physical and chemical cross-linkers. These 3D printable polyester inks contain pendant amide groups as the physical cross-linker and coumarin pendant groups as the photochemical cross-linker. Molecular dynamics simulations further confirm the presence of physical interactions between different pendants, including hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. The combination of the two types of cross-linkers enhances the zero-shear viscosity and hence provides good printability and shape fidelity.

The immune suppressive microenvironment is a major culprit for difficult-to-treat solid cancers. Particularly, inhibitory tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) define the resistant nature of the tumor milieu. To define tumor-enabling mechanisms of TAMs, we analyzed molecular clinical datasets correlating cell surface receptors with the TAM infiltrate. Though P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) is found on other immune cells and functions as an adhesion molecule, PSGL-1 is highly expressed on TAMs across multiple tumor types. siRNA-mediated knockdown and antibody-mediated inhibition revealed a role for PSGL-1 in maintaining an immune suppressed macrophage state. PSGL-1 knockdown or inhibition enhanced proinflammatory mediator release across assays and donors in vitro. In several syngeneic mouse models, PSGL-1 blockade alone and in combination with PD-1 blockade reduced tumor growth. Using a humanized tumor model, we observed the proinflammatory TAM switch following treatment with an anti-PSGL-1 antibody. In ex vivo patient-derived tumor cultures, a PSGL-1 blocking antibody increased expression of macrophage-derived proinflammatory cytokines, as well as IFNγ, indicative of T-cell activation. Our data demonstrate that PSGL-1 blockade reprograms TAMs, offering a new therapeutic avenue to patients not responding to T-cell immunotherapies, as well as patients with tumors devoid of T cells., Significance: This work is a significant and actionable advance, as it offers a novel approach to treating patients with cancer who do not respond to T-cell checkpoint inhibitors, as well as to patients with tumors lacking T-cell infiltration. We expect that this mechanism will be applicable in multiple indications characterized by infiltration of TAMs., (© 2023 The Authors; Published by the American Association for Cancer Research.)

Background: Mental health of the elderly is one of the health problems in most societies. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between spiritual well-being (SWB), resilience, and depression among the elderly., Methods: This descriptive-correlational study was conducted on 384 elderly selected by convenience-sampling method. Abbreviated Mental Test (AMT), SWB, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) were used to collect the data. Pearson correlation coefficient, analysis of variance and independent t-test were used to analyze the data. A path analysis was also run to test the direct and indirect effects of SWB and resilience on the depression variable., Results: The results showed a statistically significant positive correlation between SWB and resilience (r = 0.458, P < 0.001), a statistically significant negative correlation between SWB and depression (r = -0.471, P < 0.001) and between resilience and depression (r = -0.371, P < 0.001). Path analysis showed that SWB and resilience directly affected depression while SWB indirectly affected depression., Conclusions: The results indicated there was an inverse relationship between SWB and resilience with depression. Religious programs and appropriate educational programs can help improve SWB and promote resilience in the elderly, which will reduce their depression symptoms., (© 2023 Japanese Psychogeriatric Society.)

Congenital malformations occur sporadically in cattle; however, congenital structural and functional disorders of the nervous system are rather common in ruminants. Among the numerous causes of congenital nervous system defects, infectious agents are highlighted in this paper. Virus-induced congenital malformations are well known, among which those caused by bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV), Akabane virus (AKAV), Schmallenberg virus (SBV), Bluetongue virus (BTV), and Aino virus (AV) are the most studied. In this study, we specify and categorise macroscopic and histopathological lesions in the brain of 42 newborn calves suffering from severe neurologic signs and diagnosed with BVDV and AKAV infection. Following a complete necropsy, specimens were collected from the brains to track the presence of BVDV, AKAV and SBV utilising reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Of the 42 examined calves, 21 were BVDV positive and 6 were AKAV positive, while 15 brains were negative for the studied agents. Regardless of the aetiology, cerebellar hypoplasia, hydranencephaly, hydrocephalus, porencephaly, and microencephaly were detected. Cerebellar hypoplasia was the most common lesion seen in both BVDV-positive and AKAV-positive cases. Virus-induced necrosis of the germinative cells of the external granular layer of cerebellum, as well as vascular damages, are believed to be the underlying causes of cerebellar hypoplasia. BVDV was the most important aetiological agent of such cases in this study.

Acinetobacter baumannii is a worldwide health issue in terms of its high antibiotic resistance and ability to form biofilms. Nanoparticles (NPs) with high biocompatibility, high penetrating ability, and low medication dose can successfully treat the antibiotic-resistant infections. In this research, the anti-biofilm activity of niosomes containing minocycline and gallium nitrate (GaN) against A. baumannii biofilm was determined. In order to improve their anti-biofilm properties, minocycline and GaN were encapsulated in niosomes as biocompatible drug carriers. The niosomes' size, zeta potential, shape, stability, drug entrapment efficacy, drug release pattern and antibacterial activity were assessed. Several clinical samples were isolated from the lungs of patients hospitalized at Loghman hospital, Tehran, Iran. The biofilm formation of most lethal clinical isolates of A. baumannii was analyzed. The pneumonia model was generated by intranasally administering A. baumannii suspension to anesthetized mice whose immune systems was compromised twice by cyclophosphamide. Lung infection of the mouse with A. baumannii was confirmed using PCR. After treatment, the lungs were excised under sterile conditions and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) to determine histological symptoms, inflammation and intercellular secretions. The niosomes contained minocycline and GaN had an average size of 230 nm and a zeta potential of -40 mV, respectively. The percentage of drug entrapment and delayed drug release was both high in niosomal formulations. Niosomes containing minocycline and GaN dispersed 1, 3 and 5 day old biofilms. The mice given the combination of two compounds required less time to be treated than the animals given the single medication (minocycline). The minocycline& GaN-loaded niosomes could be considered as promising candidates to treat the infections caused by A. baumannii biofilm., 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 © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)