Engendered nanoparticles for treatment of brain tumors.

Brain metastasis and primary glioblastoma multiforme represent the most common and lethal malignant brain tumors. Its median survival time is typically less than a year after diagnosis. One of the major challenges in treating these cancers is the efficiency of the transport of drugs to the central nervous system.

Pressure algometry in the general adult population: Age and sex differences.

Experimental pain studies have revealed inter-individual variations in pain perception that are influenced by age, sex, and country of origin. This study aimed to explore the age and sex differences in pressure pain thresholds within the Iranian general population. To assess the pressure pain thresholds, a handheld pressure algometer was applied bilaterally to the middle fingers of both hands.

Recent advancements to engineer mesenchymal stem cells and their extracellular vesicles for targeting and destroying tumors.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the ability to migrate into tumor sites and release growth factors to modulate the tumor microenvironment. MSC therapy have shown a dual role in cancers, promoting or inhibiting. However, MSCs could be used as a carrier of anticancer agents for targeted tumor therapy.

Association between human herpesviruses and multiple sclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and potential association between infection with different herpes viruses and multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods: A systematic literature search was performed by finding relevant cross-sectional and case-control studies from a large online database. Heterogeneity, Odds ratio (OR), and corresponding 95% Confidence interval (CI) were applied to all studies by meta-analysis and forest plots.

High-methylated pectin from walnut processing wastes as a potential resource: Ultrasound assisted extraction and physicochemical, structural and functional analysis.

The ultrasound-assisted extraction of pectin from walnut processing waste was optimized by Box-Behnken design. The highest extraction yield (12.78 ± 0.

Rhinocerebral mucormycosis, risk factors and the type of oral manifestations in patients referred to a University Hospital in Tabriz, Iran 2007-2017.

Inadequate data are available on the global epidemiology of mucormycosis, mainly derived from the evaluation of specific population groups. Rhinocerebral mucormycosis is an invading and fatal mycosis, particularly among diabetic patients. In the present study, patients hospitalised in Imam Reza Hospital in Tabriz, from 2007 to 2017, were evaluated.

Investigating patterns of memory impairment in ischemic stroke in an iranian population.

Up until the date of this research, studies have examined poststroke cognitive impairments in attention, memory, and executive functions. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of memory problems in various patterns of memory in ischemic stroke patients in an attempt to determine specific memory profiles of the patients. The goal was to determine the severity and patterns of memory impairments in ischemic stroke patients and to identify specific profiles of memory impairments in stroke patients, in order to help therapists to develop more appropriate memory rehabilitation programs for the patients.

Positive Psychology Interventions for Patients With Heart Disease: A Preliminary Randomized Trial.

Background: Positive psychologic characteristics have been linked to superior cardiac outcomes.

Objective: Accordingly, in this exploratory study, we assessed positive psychology interventions in patients who had recently undergone a procedure to treat cardiovascular disease.

Method: Participants were randomly assigned to receive 1 of 3 different 6-week face-to-face interventions or a wait-list control condition.

Effects of Positive Psychology Interventions on Risk Biomarkers in Coronary Patients: A Randomized, Wait-List Controlled Pilot Trial.

Background: Among cardiac patients, positive psychologic factors are consistently linked with superior clinical outcomes and improvement in key markers of inflammation and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning. Further, positive psychology interventions (PPI) have effectively increased psychologic well-being in a wide variety of populations. However, there has been minimal study of PPIs in cardiac patients, and no prior study has evaluated their effect on key prognostic biomarkers of cardiac outcome.

Association of BDNF G196A Gene Polymorphism with Ischemic Stroke Occurrence and its 6-Month Outcome in an Iranian Population.

Background: Genetic factors like the allele for Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) are associated with the outcome of ischemic stroke most likely through affecting neural differentiation and synaptic plasticity. Studies of the association of BDNF G196A gene polymorphism and long-term ischemic stroke outcome in various populations have not been concordant.

Objective: In this research, the association of BDNF G196A gene polymorphism and ischemic stroke occurrence were studied in a northern Iranian population with a glance to its 6-month outcome.

Heavy metal accumulation in soils and grains, and health risks associated with use of treated municipal wastewater in subsurface drip irrigation.

Constant use of treated wastewater (TWW) for irrigation over prolonged periods may cause buildup of heavy metals up to toxic levels for plants and animals, and entails environmental hazards in different aspects. However, application of TWW on agricultural land might be an effective and sustainable strategy in arid and semi-arid countries where fresh water resources are under great pressure, as long as potential harmful effects on the environment including soil, plants, and fresh water resources, and health risks to humans are minimized. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of deep emitters on limiting potential heavy metal accumulation in soils and grains, and health risk under drip irrigation with treated municipal wastewater.

Executive functions and information processing in patients with type 2 diabetes in comparison to pre-diabetic patients.

Background: Diabetes is associated with cognitive decline or dementia. The purpose of this study was to assess the executive functions and information processing in patients with type 2diabetes in comparison to pre-diabetic patients and normal subjects in Endocrine and Metabolism Research Center of Isfahan City from April to July 2011.

Methods: The sample consisted of 32 patients with type 2 diabetes, 28 pre-diabetic patients and 30 healthy individuals.

Cognitive processes and functions in patients with type 2 diabetes in comparison to pre-diabetic patients.

Background: Type 2 diabetes is an important risk factor for cognitive decline in diabetic patients. The main goal of this study was the assessment of memory, attention and visuospatial ability dysfunctions in patients with type 2 diabetes in comparison to pre-diabetic patients and normal subjects in Endocrine and Metabolism Center of Isfahan City from April 2011 to July 2011.

Methods: The sample comprised of 32 patients with type 2 diabetes, 28 pre-diabetic patients and 30 healthy individuals.

Personality dimensions and type D personality in female patients with ulcerative colitis.

Aim: Psychological factors such as personality traits may affect the adjustment capacity and Quality of Life (QOL) in Ulcerative Colitis (UC) patients. Type D personality has some similarities with general personality traits of UC patients. The aims of this study were to compare NEO personality profile and type D personality between healthy normal group and UC patients; and to determine the possible relationship between type D personality and QOL in UC patients.

Pulmonary botryomycosis mimicking bronchogenic carcinoma of the lung.

Botryomycosis is a relatively rare disease found only in case reports. Most observed cases have been of cutaneous or visceral type. Given the prolonged duration and nature of symptoms, pulmonary botryomycosis may be mistaken for malignancy.

Effects of neurosurgical treatment and severity of head injury on cognitive functioning, general health and incidence of mental disorders in patients with traumatic brain injury.

Background: Neurosurgical treatment and the severity of head injury (HI) can have remarkable effect on patients' neuropsychiatric outcomes.

Objectives: This research aimed to study the effect of these factors on cognitive functioning, general health and incidence of mental disorders in patients with a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Patients And Methods: In this descriptive, longitudinal study, 206 TBI patients entered the study by consecutive sampling; they were then compared according to neurosurgery status and severity of their HI.

Psychological issues in inflammatory bowel disease: an overview.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic and disabling disease with unknown etiology. There have been some controversies regarding the role of psychological factors in the course of IBD. The purpose of this paper is to review that role.

Effects of quinolinic acid-induced lesions of the nucleus accumbens core on inter-temporal choice: a quantitative analysis.

Rationale: There is evidence that lesions of the nucleus accumbens core (AcbC) promote preference for smaller earlier reinforcers over larger delayed reinforcers in inter-temporal choice paradigms. It is not known whether this reflects an effect of the lesion on the rate of delay discounting, on sensitivity to reinforcer magnitude, or both.

Aim: We examined the effect of AcbC lesions on inter-temporal choice using a quantitative method that allows effects on delay discounting to be distinguished from effects on sensitivity to reinforcer size.

Effects of d-amphetamine and DOI (2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine) on timing behavior: interaction between D1 and 5-HT2A receptors.

Rationale: The dopamine-releasing agent d-amphetamine and the 5-HT(2) receptor agonist 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI) have similar effects on free-operant timing behavior. The selective D(1) dopamine receptor antagonist 8-bromo-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-3-methyl-5-phenyl-1H-3-benzazepin-7-ol (SKF-83566), but not the D(2) dopamine receptor antagonist haloperidol, can antagonize the effect of d-amphetamine, and the selective 5-HT(2A) receptor antagonist (+/-)2,3-dimethoxyphenyl-1-(2-(4-piperidine)-methanol (MDL-100907) can antagonize the effect of DOI. However, it is not known whether the effect of d-amphetamine can be reversed by MDL-100907 and the effect of DOI by dopamine receptor antagonists.

Evidence for a role of D1 dopamine receptors in d-amphetamine's effect on timing behaviour in the free-operant psychophysical procedure.

Rationale: Temporal differentiation of operant behaviour is sensitive to dopaminergic manipulations. Studies using the fixed-interval peak procedure implicated D2 dopamine receptors in these effects. Less is known about the effects of dopaminergic manipulations on temporal differentiation in other timing schedules.

Effects of 5-HT2A receptor stimulation on the discrimination of durations by rats.

We recently found that rats' ability to discriminate durations of exteroceptive stimuli is disrupted by the non-selective 5-HT receptor agonist quipazine. Ketanserin reversed this effect, suggesting that the effect may be mediated by 5-HT2A receptors. Here, we report that the 5-HT2A/2C receptor agonist 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI) also disrupts temporal discrimination, and that this effect can be reversed by ketanserin and the highly selective 5-HT2A receptor antagonist (+/-)2,3-dimethoxyphenyl-1-[2-(4-piperidine)-methanol] (MDL-100907).

Evidence that the effect of 5-HT2 receptor stimulation on temporal differentiation is not mediated by receptors in the dorsal striatum.

5-HT2 receptor stimulation alters temporal differentiation in free-operant timing schedules. The anatomical location of the receptor population responsible for this effect is unknown. We examined the effect of a 5-HT2 receptor agonist and antagonists, injected systemically and into the dorsal striatum, a region that is believed to play a major role in interval timing.

Effects of 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptor stimulation on temporal differentiation performance in the fixed-interval peak procedure.

We examined the effects of the 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) and 5-HT(2A/2C) receptor agonist 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI) on performance on the fixed-interval peak procedure, and the sensitivity of these effects to 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptor antagonists (N-[2-(4-[2-methoxyphenyl]-1-piperazinyl]ethyl]-N-2-pyridinylcyclohexanecarboxamide [WAY-100635] and ketanserin). Rats were trained to press a lever for food reinforcement in 50 min sessions consisting of 32 trials in which the lever was continuously available, separated by 10 s inter-trial intervals. In 16 trials, reinforcement was delivered following the first response after 30 s had elapsed since trial onset (fixed-interval 30 s).

Effects of quipazine and m-chlorophenylbiguanide (m-CPBG) on temporal differentiation: evidence for the involvement of 5-HT2A but not 5-HT3 receptors in interval timing behaviour.

Rationale: Temporal differentiation refers to animals' ability to regulate their behaviour during an ongoing interval. Striatal dopaminergic mechanisms are purported to be involved in temporal differentiation, and recent evidence also implicates 5-hydroxytryptaminergic (5-HTergic) mechanisms, possibly mediated by 5-HT(2A) receptors. There is evidence that 5-HT(3) receptors contribute to the regulation of dopamine release in the basal ganglia; however, it is not known whether 5-HT(3) receptor stimulation can influence temporal differentiation.

Comparison of the effects of clozapine and 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) on progressive ratio schedule performance: evidence against the involvement of 5-HT1A receptors in the behavioural effects of clozapine.

Rationale: Performance on progressive ratio schedules has been proposed as a means of assessing the effects of drugs on the efficacy of reinforcers. A mathematical model (Killeen PR (1994) Mathematical principles of reinforcement. Behav Brain Sci 17:105-172) affords a basis for quantifying the effects of drugs on progressive ratio schedule performance.