Publications by authors named "Ashrafi G"

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a prevalent sexually transmitted infection, implicated in various cancers, yet its influence in non-cancerous oesophageal tissue remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the gene expression changes associated with high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) in non-cancerous oesophageal tissue to elucidate potential early oncogenic mechanisms. Using RNA sequencing, we compared transcriptomic profiles of HPV-positive and HPV-negative non-cancerous oesophageal tissues.

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Article Synopsis
  • Glucose has been thought of as the main energy source for the brain, but its levels can change during sleep and brain activity, which can cause stress for brain cells.
  • New research shows that the brain can also use pyruvate as an alternative fuel, which helps maintain neuron health even when glucose is low.
  • The study highlights that the way pyruvate is taken up by mitochondria affects essential processes in nerve communication, impacting how signals are sent and received in the brain.
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Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections, primarily transmitted through sexual contact, have been linked to various cancers, including cervical, penile, anal, oropharynx, breast, and prostate cancers. This study presents a unique case of concurrent high-risk HPV35, HPV45, and HPV59 infections in both prostate and bladder cancer tissues from a single patient, representing the first documented instance worldwide with identical HPV types detected in two adjacent organs of the same individual. Employing a multiplex-PCR approach, gel electrophoresis, and Sanger sequencing, we confirmed the presence of these high-risk HPV types.

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Glucose has long been considered a primary energy source for synaptic function. However, it remains unclear to what extent alternative fuels, such as lactate/pyruvate, contribute to powering synaptic transmission. By detecting individual release events in hippocampal synapses, we find that mitochondrial ATP production regulates basal vesicle release probability and release location within the active zone (AZ), evoked by single action potentials.

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Background: Iran is facing an epidemiological transition with the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases, such as obesity-related disorders and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). We conducted a population-based prospective study to assess the prevalence and incidence rates of CVDs and obesity-related metabolic disorders and to evaluate the predictive ability of various CVD risk assessment tools in an Iranian population.

Method: We enrolled 5,799 participants in Amol, a city in northern Iran, in 2009-2010 and carried out the first repeated measurement (RM) after seven years (2016-2017).

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Glucose has long been considered the primary fuel source for the brain. However, glucose levels fluctuate in the brain during sleep, intense circuit activity, or dietary restrictions, posing significant metabolic stress. Here, we demonstrate that the mammalian brain utilizes pyruvate as a fuel source, and pyruvate can support neuronal viability in the absence of glucose.

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Cervical cancer presents a significant global health concern with high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) identified as the main cause of this cancer. Although current treatment methods for cervical cancer can eliminate lesions, preventing metastatic spread and minimizing tissue damage remain a major challenge. Therefore, the development of a safer and innovative therapeutic approach is of the utmost importance.

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Article Synopsis
  • NRF2 is a special protein that helps protect cells from damage and is related to both cancer and brain diseases like Parkinson's.
  • Researchers studied how NRF2 interacts with other proteins to figure out what affects its activity.
  • They found that a protein called ZNF746 can stop NRF2 from working properly, which can worsen conditions like Parkinson's but can be reversed by boosting NRF2 activity.
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Neurotransmission is an energetically expensive process that underlies cognition. During intense electrical activity or dietary restrictions, the glucose level in the brain plummets, forcing neurons to utilize alternative fuels. However, the molecular mechanisms of neuronal metabolic plasticity remain poorly understood.

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Glucose has long been considered a primary source of energy for synaptic function. However, it remains unclear under what conditions alternative fuels, such as lactate/pyruvate, contribute to powering synaptic transmission. By detecting individual release events in cultured hippocampal synapses, we found that mitochondrial ATP production from oxidation of lactate/pyruvate regulates basal vesicle release probability and release location within the active zone (AZ) evoked by single action potentials (APs).

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Cervical carcinogenesis is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women, and the role of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) as a possible risk factor in the development of this cancer is well recognized. Despite the availability of multi-therapeutic approaches, there is still major concern regarding the prevention of metastatic dissemination and excessive tissue injuries. Therefore, it is imperative to develop a safer and more efficient treatment modality.

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Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is one of the sexually transmitted diseases which have been implicated in the etiology of multiple cancers. To date, several studies have been conducted to evaluate the incidence of high-risk (HR) HPV in prostate cancer (PCa) which have generated widely conflicting data. Hence, this leaves a lack of awareness on the causal role of persistent HPV infection in the development of PCa.

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Unlabelled: Neurotransmission is an energetically expensive process that underlies cognition. During intense electrical activity or dietary restrictions, glucose levels in the brain plummet, forcing neurons to utilize alternative fuels. However, the molecular mechanisms of neuronal metabolic plasticity remain poorly understood.

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The firefly enzyme luciferase has been used in a wide range of biological assays, including bioluminescence imaging of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The biosensor Syn-ATP utilizes subcellular targeting of luciferase to nerve terminals for optical measurement of ATP in this compartment. Manual analysis of Syn-ATP signals is challenging due to signal heterogeneity and cellular motion in long imaging sessions.

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Background And Aims: Continuous scoring systems were developed versus traditional dichotomous approaches to define metabolic syndrome. The current study was carried out to evaluate the ability of scoring systems to predict fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events.

Materials And Methods: The data of 5147 individuals aged 18 years or more obtained from a population-based cohort study were analyzed.

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PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) is a short-lived protein required for the removal of damaged mitochondria through Parkin translocation and mitophagy. Because the short half-life of PINK1 limits its ability to be trafficked into neurites, local translation is required for this mitophagy pathway to be active far from the soma. The Pink1 transcript is associated and cotransported with neuronal mitochondria.

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Due to the environmental pollution issues and the supply of drinking/clean water, removal of both inorganic and organic (particularly dyes, nitroarenes, and heavy metals) to non-dangerous products and useful compounds are very important transformations. The deployment of sustainable and eco-friendly nanomaterials with exceptional structural and unique features such as high efficiency and stability/recyclability, high surface/volume ratio, low-cost production routes has become a priority; nonetheless, numerous significant challenges/restrictions still remained unresolved. The immobilization of green synthesized metal nanoparticles (NPs) on the natural materials and biowaste generated templates have been analyzed widely as a greener approach due to their environmentally friendly preparation methods, earth-abundance, cost-effectiveness with low energy consumption, biocompatibility, as well as adjustability in various cases of biomolecules as bioreducing agents.

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Objectives: Several popular cardiovascular risk assessment tools have been developed in Western countries; however, the predictive abilities of these tools have not been evaluated in Middle Eastern countries. The present study aimed to determine the abilities of cardiovascular risk assessment tools in a population-based study in Northern Iran.

Study Design: Population-based cohort study in Northern Iran.

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Mitochondria are the main suppliers of neuronal adenosine triphosphate and play a critical role in brain energy metabolism. Mitochondria also serve as Ca sinks and anabolic factories and are therefore essential for neuronal function and survival. Dysregulation of neuronal bioenergetics is increasingly implicated in neurodegenerative disorders, particularly Parkinson's disease.

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Background: The utilization of indexes for the diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) can be valuable. This study was conducted to determine the ability of the Framingham steatosis index (FSI) to distinguish between people with NAFLD and those without and to predict people at risk of NAFLD to establish the need for lifestyle modifications in such individuals.

Methods: Our study was conducted in two phases from 2009-2010 (phase I) to 2016-2017 (phase II).

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The present study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of the signaling pathways mutation rate in the Gastrointestinal (GI) tract cancers in a systematic review and meta-analysis study. The study was performed based on the PRISMA criteria. Random models by confidence interval (CI: 95%) were used to calculate the pooled estimate of prevalence via Metaprop command.

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PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway is one of the most important signaling pathways involved in normal cellular processes. Its aberrant activation modulates autophagy, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, apoptosis, chemoresistance, and metastasis in many human cancers. Emerging evidence demonstrates that some infections as well as epigenetic regulatory mechanisms can control PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

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Background: There are no consistent results between previous studies for an independent association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) events.

Aim: To determine if there is an independent association between NAFLD and CVD events.

Methods: In the present study, valid outcome data of 4808 subjects were available for phase 2 of our cohort study.

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Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been implicated in the etiology of a variety of human cancers. Studies investigating the presence of high-risk (HR) HPV in breast tissue have generated considerable controversy over its role as a potential risk factor for breast cancer (BC). This is the first investigation reporting the prevalence and type distribution of high-risk HPV infection in breast tissue in the population of Qatar.

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The brain is a vulnerable metabolic organ and must adapt to different fuel conditions to sustain function. Nerve terminals are a locus of this vulnerability, but how they regulate ATP synthesis as fuel conditions vary is unknown. We show that synapses can switch from glycolytic to oxidative metabolism, but to do so, they rely on activity-driven presynaptic mitochondrial Ca uptake to accelerate ATP production.

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