Wolbachia induce cytoplasmic incompatibility and affect mate preference in Habrobracon hebetor to increase the chance of its transmission to the next generation.

Wolbachia are common intracellular bacteria that are generally found in arthropods, including a high proportion of insects and also some nematodes. This intracellular symbiont can affect sex ratio with a variety of reproductive anomalies in the host, including cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) in haplodiploids. In this study, we questioned if the parasitoid wasp, Habrobracon hebetor (Hym.

Long-Term Effectiveness of a Lifestyle Intervention: A Pragmatic Community Trial to Prevent Metabolic Syndrome.

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of a community-based lifestyle education on primary prevention of metabolic syndrome in a middle-income country.

Study Design: This study followed 3,180 individuals free of metabolic syndrome who were under the coverage of three health centers in Tehran from 1999 until 2015. They were undergoing triennial examinations resulting in four re-exams.

The effects of overexpression of cytoplasmic chaperones on secretory production of hirudin-PA in E. coli.

The secretory production of heterologous proteins in E. coli has revolutionized biotechnology. Efficient periplasmic production of foreign proteins in E.

Serum Lipids During 20 Years in the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study: Prevalence, Trends and Impact on Non-Communicable Diseases.

Context: Dyslipidemia, including elevated serum total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglycerides (TG), and low high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is a major modifiable risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This review summarizes many of the key findings on lipid measures in the Tehran lipid and glucose study (TLGS), a large scale community-based study with an approximately two decade follow-up.

Evidence Acquisition: A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science databases, and the library of the Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, using the following keywords: Lipid measures, lipid ratios, lipid profile, dyslipidemia, and "Tehran lipid and glucose study".

Outcomes of a Longitudinal Population-based Cohort Study and Pragmatic Community Trial: Findings from 20 Years of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study.

Context: The Tehran lipid and glucose study (TLGS) is one of the oldest population-based longitudinal cohort studies, providing knowledge about the incidence and risk factors of some non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in West Asia which hitherto was relatively scarce. We reviewed the methods and results related to the outcome measurements of this study.

Evidence Acquisition: We reviewed all the TLGS papers which reported the incidence of NCDs.

Density-dependent enhanced replication of a densovirus in Wolbachia-infected Aedes cells is associated with production of piRNAs and higher virus-derived siRNAs.

The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia pipientis has been shown to restrict a range of RNA viruses in Drosophila melanogaster and transinfected dengue mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Here, we show that Wolbachia infection enhances replication of Aedes albopictus densovirus (AalDNV-1), a single stranded DNA virus, in Aedes cell lines in a density-dependent manner. Analysis of previously produced small RNAs of Aag2 cells showed that Wolbachia-infected cells produced greater absolute abundance of virus-derived short interfering RNAs compared to uninfected cells.

Pediatric reference intervals for clinical chemistry assays on Siemens ADVIA XPT/1800 and Dimension EXL in the CALIPER cohort of healthy children and adolescents.

Introduction: Accurate reference intervals (RIs) are essential for clinical interpretation of laboratory test results; however, major gaps exist in pediatric RIs. The Canadian Laboratory Initiative on Pediatric Reference Intervals (CALIPER) has established age- and sex-specific pediatric RIs on various analytical platforms. The current study expands the CALIPER database by establishing age- and sex-specific RIs for biochemical assays on Siemens ADVIA XPT/1800 and Dimension EXL Systems.

Serum alkaline phosphatase and the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and all-cause mortality: Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study.

Objectives: To investigate the association of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels with the risk of the composite end point of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and all-cause mortality as well as each of them separately.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Within the framework of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS) cohort, participants were followed from baseline examination (1999-2001) until March 2014.

World Bank Income Group, Health Expenditure or Cardiometabolic Risk Factors? A Further Explanation of the Wide Gap in Cardiometabolic Mortality Between Worldwide Countries: An Ecological Study.

Background: For addressing the burden of non-communicable diseases and policymaking, the world health organization uses World Bank income group to classify countries. This calcification method might not be optimal. This study aimed to investigate the role of World Bank income group, health expenditure, and cardiometabolic risk factors of countries in explaining the gap between their cardiometabolic mortality.

Rational affinity enhancement of fragmented antibody by ligand-based affinity improvement approach.

Antibody engineering is now a noteworthy area in biopharmaceuticals as the next generation of marketed antibodies is engineered antibodies such as affinity- or stability-improved antibodies, fragmented or fused antibodies, antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), and PEGylated antibody fragments. In the current study, affinity enhancement of Nb against PlGF was performed by an in silico affinity maturation and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. First, 300 single-point mutants were designed by identifying the residues involved in interaction with PlGF and different energy distributions.

Codelivery of Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Drugs by Graphene-Decorated Magnetic Dendrimers.

In this study, a nanocarrier was prepared for the codelivery of a hydrophilic drug (doxorubicin) and a hydrophobic drug (curcumin) to cancer cells. In this nanocarrier, the edges of graphene oxide sheets were decorated with a magnetic-functionalized polyamidoamine dendrimer with hydrazone groups at the end of the polymer. The edge functionalization of graphene sheets not only improved the solubility and dispersibility of graphene sheets but also imparted the magnetic properties to the nanocarrier.

Upregulation of Helicoverpa armigera core RNA interference genes by bacterial infections and its effect on the insect-bacteria interaction.

RNA interference (RNAi) is an extremely conserved defence mechanism. The antiviral role of the RNAi pathway in insects is well documented; however, the relevance of this pathway in other aspects of insect immunity is largely unknown. In this study, we questioned whether RNAi has any function during insect-bacteria interactions.

Human genomics of acute liver failure due to hepatitis B virus infection: An exome sequencing study in liver transplant recipients.

Acute liver failure (ALF) or fulminant hepatitis is a rare, yet severe outcome of infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) that carries a high mortality rate. The occurrence of a life-threatening condition upon infection with a prevalent virus in individuals without known risk factors is suggestive of pathogen-specific immune dysregulation. In the absence of established differences in HBV virulence, we hypothesized that ALF upon primary infection with HBV could be due to rare deleterious variants in the human genome.

Five-Year Changes of Anterior Corneal Indices in Diabetics versus Non-Diabetics: The Shahroud Eye Cohort Study.

Purpose: To compare 5-year changes of central and peripheral corneal thickness, corneal volume, and keratometry between diabetic and non-diabetic individuals (>40 years) in a population-based study.

Materials And Methods: Right eye corneal indices of the 333 diabetic persons were compared with 2865 non-diabetics. Studied indices included the apical corneal thickness (ACT), minimal corneal thickness (MCT), thickness values on corneal rings of 4 mm, 6 mm, and 8 mm in diameter, the volume of the 10 mm of the corneal diameter, and the central 3 mm keratometry in two steep (Kmax) and flat (Kmin) axes as measured with Pentacam (Oculus, Inc, Lynnwood, WA).

Multipoint assessment of demarcation line depth after standard and accelerated cross-linking in central and inferior keratoconus.

Purpose: To determine the changes in the depth of the demarcation line in the central to peripheral cornea following accelerated compared to standard corneal cross-linking (CXL).

Methods: In this prospective, non-randomized study, 60 eyes with progressive keratoconus underwent accelerated or standard CXL (30 in each group). Anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) was done one month later by two independent masked examiners to measure the depth of the demarcation line in the central cornea and on peripheral rings.

Blood pressure components and incident cardiovascular disease and mortality events among Iranian adults with chronic kidney disease during over a decade long follow-up: a prospective cohort study.

Background: To explore the association between systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP respectively) and pulse pressure (PP) with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality events among Iranian patients with prevalent CKD.

Methods: Patients [n = 1448, mean age: 60.9 (9.

Protective efficacy of Shilajit enriched diet on growth performance and immune resistance against Aeromonas hydrophila in Oreochromis mossambicus.

We investigated the effects of dietary enriched with Shilajit in three dose levels: 2.0, 4.0, and 6.

Missed opportunities: Genetic counseling and testing among an ethnically diverse cohort of women with endometrial cancer.

Objectives: Lynch syndrome (LS) accounts for the majority of inherited endometrial cancers (EC), and the identification of probands presents a unique opportunity to treat and prevent multiple cancers. The diagnosis of EC can provide the indication for women with specific risk factors to undergo genetic testing (GT). We sought to evaluate genetic counseling referrals (GCR) and subsequent GT rates in an ethnically diverse group of high-risk women.

Small interfering RNA pathway contributes to antiviral immunity in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells following Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus infection.

Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) is a well-known virus in the Baculoviridae family. Presence of the p35 gene in the AcMNPV genome as a suppressor of the short interfering RNA (siRNA) pathway is a strong reason for the importance of the siRNA pathway in the host cellular defense. Given that, here we explored the roles of Dicer-2 (Dcr2) and Argonaute 2 (Ago2) genes, key factors in the siRNA pathway in response to AcMNPV infection in Spodoptera frugiperda Sf9 cells.

New modified Friedewald formulae for estimating low-density lipoprotein cholesterol according to triglyceride levels: extraction and validation.

Purpose: The most commonly used method for estimating low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC) is Friedewald formula (FF). This study aims to extract and validate new modified Friedewald formulae for estimating LDLC according to triglyceride (TG) levels in Iranians.

Methods: Total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), LDLC, and TG were measured in 5030 fasted subjects.

Pediatric reference intervals for calculated LDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, and remnant cholesterol in the healthy CALIPER cohort.

Objectives: Increased prevalence of pediatric obesity and associated co-morbidities has heightened the concern for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk later in life. Although the fasting lipid profile is traditionally used to assess CVD risk, the non-fasting lipid profile may simplify lipid testing and better predict CVD risk. Unfortunately, non-fasting lipid reference values are limited, particularly for children.

Aedes Anphevirus: an Insect-Specific Virus Distributed Worldwide in Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes That Has Complex Interplays with Wolbachia and Dengue Virus Infection in Cells.

Insect-specific viruses (ISVs) of the yellow fever mosquito have been demonstrated to modulate transmission of arboviruses such as dengue virus (DENV) and West Nile virus by the mosquito. The diversity and composition of the virome of , however, remains poorly understood. In this study, we characterized Aedes anphevirus (AeAV), a negative-sense RNA virus from the order AeAV identified from cell lines was infectious to both and cells but not to three mammalian cell lines.

Direct and indirect effects of central and general adiposity on cardiovascular diseases: The Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study.

Aim The mechanisms linking body mass index to cardiovascular disease are still not clearly defined. The purpose of this study was to find out how much of the effect of central and general adiposity on cardiovascular disease is mediated through blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose, and how much is independent of these factors. Methods and results The study population included participants, aged ≥30 years, free of cardiovascular disease at baseline with median follow-up of 13.

Suppression of the pelo protein by Wolbachia and its effect on dengue virus in Aedes aegypti.

The endosymbiont Wolbachia is known to block replication of several important arboviruses, including dengue virus (DENV), in the mosquito vector Aedes aegypti. So far, the exact mechanism of this viral inhibition is not fully understood. A recent study in Drosophila melanogaster has demonstrated an interaction between the pelo gene and Drosophila C virus.