Optimization of an Efficient Cell Culture Hepatitis B Infection System for Assessment of Hepatitis B Virus Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibodies.

Background: Human polyclonal plasma-derived hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) is currently used for immunoprophylaxis of HBV infection. The development of virus-neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) requires the use of optimized cell culture systems supporting HBV infection.

Objective: This study aims to optimize the hepatitis B virus infectivity of NTCP-reconstituted HepG2 (HepG2-NTCP) cells to establish an efficient system to evaluate the HBV-neutralizing effect of anti-HBs MAbs.

Generation and Characterization of Novel Diagnostic Mouse Monoclonal Antibodies Against Human Estrogen Receptor Alpha and Progesterone Receptor.

Background: Estrogen and progesterone regulate the growth and development of several human cells and tissues. Their corresponding receptors (ER and PR) are important diagnostic and prognostic indicators for cancers of the breast and reproductive organs. Immunohistochemical analysis of ER and PR is the current standard method for evaluating the expression of these receptors in different cancers.

Epitope mapping of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 neutralizing receptor binding domain-specific monoclonal antibodies.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of the outbreak led to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Receptor binding domain (RBD) of spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 is considered as a major target for immunotherapy and vaccine design. Here, we generated and characterized a panel of anti-RBD monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) isolated from eukaryotic recombinant RBD-immunized mice by hybridoma technology.

Incidence and prevalence of coma in the UK and the USA.

The epidemiology of coma is unknown because case ascertainment with traditional methods is difficult. Here, we used crowdsourcing methodology to estimate the incidence and prevalence of coma in the UK and the USA. We recruited UK and US laypeople (aged ≥18 years) who were nationally representative (i.

Idiopathic Hirsutism and Metabolic Status: A Population-based Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: A limited number of studies have investigated the impact of idiopathic hirsutism (IH) on cardiometabolic parameters with contradictory and inconclusive results. This study aimed to explore the effect of IH on metabolic outcomes.

Method: In this population-based prospective study, 334 women with IH and 1226 women as healthy controls were selected from Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study.

Facile green synthesis of Ag-doped ZnO/CaO nanocomposites with Caccinia macranthera seed extract and assessment of their cytotoxicity, antibacterial, and photocatalytic activity.

The current paper exhibited a green method for the manufacture of Ag-doped ZnO/CaO nanocomposites (NCPs) by the usage of Caccinia macranthera seed extract, zinc, calcium, and silver salts solution, for the first time. The chemical structure of NCPs was studied by the FT-IR technique. The XRD pattern shows a crystallite structure with an Fm3m group space and particle size of about 23 nm.

Maternal subclinical hyperthyroidism and adverse pregnancy outcomes considering the iodine status: Tehran thyroid and pregnancy study.

Background: Unlike overt thyroid diseases, the impacts of subclinical thyroid dysfunction, especially subclinical hyperthyroidism (SH), on adverse pregnancy outcomes are inconclusive.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the effect of maternal SH on adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes based on urinary iodine concentration (UIC).

Methods: A secondary analysis was run on data collected in the Tehran Thyroid and Pregnancy study (TTPs).

Multimodal prediction of residual consciousness in the intensive care unit: the CONNECT-ME study.

Functional MRI (fMRI) and EEG may reveal residual consciousness in patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC), as reflected by a rapidly expanding literature on chronic DoC. However, acute DoC is rarely investigated, although identifying residual consciousness is key to clinical decision-making in the intensive care unit (ICU). Therefore, the objective of the prospective, observational, tertiary centre cohort, diagnostic phase IIb study 'Consciousness in neurocritical care cohort study using EEG and fMRI' (CONNECT-ME, NCT02644265) was to assess the accuracy of fMRI and EEG to identify residual consciousness in acute DoC in the ICU.

Immunization with placenta-specific 1 (plac1) induces potent anti-tumor responses and prolongs survival in a mouse model of melanoma.

Purpose: Melanoma is a malignant and metastatic form of skin cancer, which is not diagnosed in early stages of the disease. Nowadays, immunotherapy is changing the treatment landscape for metastatic melanoma. Placenta-specific1 (PLAC1) is a cancer-testis-placenta (CTP) antigen with differential expression in melanoma tissues.

Progression of Contralateral Hearing Loss in Patients with Unilateral Ear Involvement: A Scoping Review.

Background: Progression of contralateral hearing loss following otologic and neuro-otologic surgeries is a distressing and rare complication. The aim of this study was to systematically review the suspected etiologies and audiological findings in adults who experienced contralateral hearing loss.

Methods: PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ISI Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Scopus databases were searched for this scoping review.

Resveratrol-Mediated Gold-Nanoceria Synthesis as Green Nanomedicine for Phytotherapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: In the present study, resveratrol was used to prepare complexes of cerium and nanoceria, also coated with gold (CeO2@Au core-shells) to improve the surface interactions in physiological conditions.

Methods: The CeO2@Au core-shells were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and ζ potential.

Results: The experiment was led to the successful synthesis of nanosized CeO2@Au core-shells, although agglomeration of particles caused the distribution of the larger particles.

Nanoincorporation of Plumbagin in Micelles Increase Its in Vivo Anti-Plasmodial Properties.

Background: The application of plumbagin (PLN), with a wide use in pharmaceutical science, is limited due to its low water solubility and poor bioavailability. Micelles can encapsulate hydrophobic drugs due to their hydrophobic core. The aim of this study was to develop and characterize a polymeric micelle formulation of PLN and evaluate its in vivo anti-plasmodial property.

Association Between Vitamin D Binding Protein Gene Polymorphism (rs7041), Vitamin D Receptor, and 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Serum Levels With Prostate Cancer in Kurdish Population in West of Iran.

Prostate cancer (PCa) pathology has been linked to vitamin D, vitamin D receptors (VDRs), and vitamin D binding proteins (VDBPs). We sought to investigate the association between VDR rs2228570 and rs1544410 as well as VDBP rs7041 polymorphisms and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)-vitamin D) levels in PCa patients. Blood samples were collected from 111 PCa patients and 150 age-matched healthy volunteers.

Sodium Hexa-Titanate Nanowires Modified with Cobalt Hydroxide Quantum Dots as an Efficient and Cost-Effective Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution in Alkaline Media.

A novel electrocatalyst with high activity and enhanced durability toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media has been designed and fabricated based on sodium hexa-titanate (NaTiO) nanowires synthesized by a hydrothermal process and modified with Co(OH) quantum dots (QDs) by a facile chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. The current response of the developed Ti/NaTiO/Co(OH) nanocomposite electrode attained 10 mA cm at an overpotential of 159 mV. The nanocomposite electrode exhibited a high stability at an applied current of 100 mA cm.

The amino acid sensor GCN2 controls red blood cell clearance and iron metabolism through regulation of liver macrophages.

GCN2 (general control nonderepressible 2) is a serine/threonine-protein kinase that controls messenger RNA translation in response to amino acid availability and ribosome stalling. Here, we show that GCN2 controls erythrocyte clearance and iron recycling during stress. Our data highlight the importance of liver macrophages as the primary cell type mediating these effects.

Nanoarchitected metal/ceramic interpenetrating phase composites.

Architected metals and ceramics with nanoscale cellular designs, e.g., nanolattices, are currently subject of extensive investigation.

[A rare caseof anarthriaand dysphagia].

Sudden onset anarthria and dysphagia without lateralised neurologic symptoms should prompt an investigation for pseudobulbar palsy, either due to bilateral vascular lesions of the corticobulbar tracts or, less frequently, Foix-Chavany-Marie Syndrome (FCMS). Here, bilateral damage to the frontal opercular cortex leads to loss of voluntary control of muscles supplied by cranial nerves V, VII, IX, X, XI, and XII. This case report presents a rare case of FCMS on the background of traumatic cerebral lesions following a bicycle incident.

Predicting the Compressive Strength of Concrete Containing Binary Supplementary Cementitious Material Using Machine Learning Approach.

Several advantages of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) have led to widespread use in the concrete industry. Many various SCMs with different characteristics are used to produce sustainable concrete. Each of these materials has its specific properties and therefore plays a different role in enhancing the mechanical properties of concrete.

Investigation of the Solution Chemistry of Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Indium Halides for New Material Discovery.

Recently, metal halide perovskites (MHPs) have emerged as a new class of materials for optical and electronic applications such as solar cells and ionizing radiation detectors. Although the solution-processability of MHPs is among their greatest advantages, the solution chemistries of most metal halide systems and their relationship with the observed structural and chemical diversity are poorly understood. In this work, we study the solution chemistry of a model indium halide system, methylammonium (MA)-In-Br, using a combination of the UV-vis spectroscopy, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) measurements, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

Lycopene modulates hepatic toxicity and testicular injury induced by etoposide in male rats.

Objective: Lycopene (C40H56), a carotenoid found in red colour fruits, is known as a powerful antioxidant that protects cells from damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Etoposide inhibits topoisomerase II activity and restricts the development of cancer cells, though it establishes oxidative stress. To study the effect of lycopene (Ly) against hepatotoxicity and testis injury induced by etoposide in male rats.

Paper-based broadband flexible photodetectors with van der Waals materials.

Layered metal chalcogenide materials are exceptionally appealing in optoelectronic devices thanks to their extraordinary optical properties. Recently, their application as flexible and wearable photodetectors have received a lot of attention. Herein, broadband and high-performance paper-based PDs were established in a very facile and inexpensive method by rubbing molybdenum disulfide and titanium trisulfide crystals on papers.

How Do Iranian Men Perceive Their Sexual and Reproductive Health Situation? A Qualitative Content Analysis.

Background: Males' viewpoint about sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and their situation are essential components of men's and women's health in the community. Men have been overlooked in reproduction health, especially with reproductive issues such as contraception, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), infertility, and sexual function. This study aimed to investigate the males' perceptions of their SRH situation in Iran.

Replacing chemical fertilizers with organic and biological ones in transition to organic farming systems in saffron (Crocus sativus) cultivation.

To evaluate the response of saffron to animal manure, and biological and chemical fertilizer in an arid climate, an experiment was performed as split plots based on a randomized complete blocks design with three replications during three consecutive crop growth seasons (2015-2018) at the Research Farm of University of Gonabad, Iran. The experimental treatments included application (60 t ha) and non-application (control) of manure as the main plot and the use of biosulfur (5 kg ha), biophosphate (3 L ha), nitroxin (3 L ha), chemical fertilizer (150, 100, and 100 kg ha of urea, triple superphosphate, and potassium sulfate, respectively), and no fertilizer application (control) as the sub-plot. The results showed a highly significant response of the quantitative traits of saffron to the application of manure, which increased the leaf, flower, and corm indices of saffron by a mean of 15.

The Effect of Age and Cell Culture Parameters on the Quantity and Function of Bone Marrow-derived Dendritic Cells.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are a group of bone marrow-derived cells that play a crucial role in innate and acquired immune responses. Bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDC) are used in many studies, so the efficiency and purity of the differentiated cells are essential. This study aimed to investigate the effect of several parameters, including the age of mice, cell culture medium, and swirling of the culture plate, to increase the efficiency of the induced cells, considering the standard protocols.