Functional and Structural Improvement of Engineered Cardiac Microtissue Using Aligned Microfilaments Scaffold.

To enhance therapeutic strategies for cardiovascular diseases, the development of more reliable in vitro preclinical systems is imperative. These models, crucial for disease modeling and drug testing, must accurately replicate the 3D architecture of native heart tissue. In this study, we engineered a scaffold with aligned poly(lactic--glycolic acid) (PLGA) microfilaments to induce cellular alignment in the engineered cardiac microtissue (ECMT).

Comparison of Clinical and Pathological Characteristics of Thyroid Cancer Surgery in the Pandemic Era.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic brought significant challenges for oncology centers and cancer patients, necessitating the implementation of various preventive and restrictive protocols and postponing elective surgeries. We aimed to assess and compare tumor characteristics, including the size, metastasis, and duration of hospitalizations between the periods before and during COVID-19 in patients with thyroid cancer.

Methods: The present cross-sectional study was performed at The Institute of Cancer, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, with 143 patients observed 2 years before the pandemic and 92 during March 2020 and March 2022.

Chronic Coccydynia and Coccygectomy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Coccydynia is persistent pain in the sacrococcygeal region caused by pressure on the coccyx lasting more than three months. It was treated conservatively and may mandate surgical management in the form of coccygectomy if the patient fails conservative treatment. Coccygectomy had been abandoned for a long time due to high complications.

Serum Selenium Levels and Their Relationship with Insulin Resistance in Individuals with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Growing evidence indicates a potential link between polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and selenium (Se) levels. This study aims to assess Se concentrations in Saudi women with and without PCOS and to explore the relationships between Se levels, insulin resistance (IR), adiponectin, and lipid markers. We randomly recruited 197 women aged 18 to 40, both with and without PCOS, for this age-matched case-control study.

Cost-effectiveness of tax policies on promoting sustainable diets in Iran: a modeling study.

Background: Implementation of food taxes may promote sustainable diets in a society. This study estimates the potential short-term impacts of taxes on sugar and sweets (SAS), sugar sweetened beverages (SSB) and hydrogenated oil and animal fats (HOAF) in Iran through a social cost-effectiveness analysis.

Methods: In this study, three tax scenarios were evaluated, including a 25% tax on SASs, a 30% tax on SSBs, and a 30% tax on HOAFs.

Presence of the knockdown resistance (kdr) mutations in the head lice () population in the North of Iran.

Head lice infestation continues to be a major health problem worldwide. In order to solve this problem, frequent use of pediculocides has caused growing resistance among head lice population. This study aims to investigate the presence of the knockdown resistance () mutation in the head lice population in northern Iran.

Down regulation of the c-Fos/MAP kinase signaling pathway during learning memory processes coincides with low GnRH levels in aluminum chloride-induced Alzheimer's male rats.

Aluminum chloride (Al) is associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and reproductive disorders. But the relationship between gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and c-Fos levels, the end product of MAP-kinase signaling, in AD is unknown, so we aimed to investigate this relationship. We exposed rats to Al dissolved in drinking water (10 and 50 mg/kg) for two and four weeks.

Comparative Efficacy of Magnesium and Potassium Towards Cholesterol and Quality of Life in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomised Single-Blinded Controlled Clinical Trial.

Unlabelled: Previous studies exploring the relationship between dietary potassium and magnesium intake and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have yielded inconsistent results.

Objective: The present study was designed to compare the effect of magnesium, potassium and both (potassium and magnesium combined) on cholesterol levels and quality of life (QoL) among patients with T2DM.

Methods: A randomised controlled trial (single blinded) was conducted at The University of Lahore and Lahore Medical Research Center (LMRC).

The Frequency of Rotavirus Gastroenteritis in Children from West of Iran and Genotyping of Rotavirus Isolates: A Suggestion for Further Changes in Childhood Immunization Program.

Background: Rotavirus is the most common cause of gastroenteritis among children. Currently, four oral live-attenuated vaccines are available to prevent rotavirus infection. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended including rotavirus vaccination in national immunization programs; however, it has not been introduced to the Iranian national immunization program.

Basic Reproduction Number (R0), Doubling Time, and Daily Growth Rate of the COVID-19 Epidemic: An Echological Study.

Introduction: In infectious diseases, there are essential indices used to describe the disease state. In this study, we estimated the basic reproduction number, R0, peak level, doubling time, and daily growth rate of COVID-19.

Methods: This ecological study was conducted in 5 provinces of Iran.

Expandable hESC-derived cardiovascular progenitor cells generate functional cardiac lineage cells for microtissue construction.

Background: Cardiovascular progenitor cells (CPCs) derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are considered valuable cell sources for investigating cardiovascular physiology in vitro. Meeting the diverse needs of this application requires the large-scale production of CPCs in an in vitro environment. This study aimed to use an effective culture system utilizing signaling factors for the large-scale expansion of hESC-derived CPCs with the potential to differentiate into functional cardiac lineage cells.

Veillonella parvula as an anaerobic lactate-fermenting bacterium for inhibition of tumor growth and metastasis through tumor-specific colonization and decrease of tumor's lactate level.

High tumor's lactate level directly associates with high tumor growth, metastasis, and patients' poor prognosis. Therefore, many studies have focused on the decrease of tumor's lactate as a novel cancer treatment. In the present study for the first time, a strictly anaerobic lactate-fermenting bacterium, Veillonella parvula, was employed for the decrease of tumor's lactate level.

Association of chronotype and timing of interferon injection with severity of IFNβ-induced flu-like syndrome in Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.

Background: Although Interferon-beta (IFNβ) has long been approved as a disease-modifying therapy (DMT) for Multiple sclerosis (MS), flu-like syndrome (FLS) persists as a common adverse effect of interferon therapy. Given the importance of circadian rhythm in regulating physiological processes, we aimed to assess the relationship between patient's chronotype and time of interferon injection with FLS score in MS patients receiving IFNβ.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 118 MS patients who were referred to the clinic of neurology of Zanjan Vali-e-Asr Hospital for interferon injection.

Phosphotungstic Acid-Supported Hercynite: A Magnetic Nanocomposite Catalyst for the Selective Esterification of Chloroacetic Acid.

This study presents the synthesis and characterization of a novel phosphotungstic acid-functionalized hercynite@SiO magnetic core-shell through a three-step procedure. The characterization involved various analyses including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, P-XRD, TGA-DSC, EDAX, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, elemental mapping, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and value stream mapping. The catalytic performance of the hercynite@SiO-PTA nanomagnetic composite was examined in the esterification of chloroacetic acid.

Outbreak detector: a web application to boost disease surveillance systems and timely detection of infectious disease epidemics.

Objective: Digital technologies have improved the performance of surveillance systems through early detection of outbreaks and epidemic control. The aim of this study is to introduce an outbreak detection web application called OBDETECTOR (Outbreak Detector), which as a professional web application has the ability to process weekly or daily reported data from disease surveillance systems and facilitates the early detection of disease outbreaks.

Results: OBDETECTOR generates a histogram that exhibits the trend of infection within a time range selected by the user.

Different coating application methods: Zein-based edible coating containing essential oil for shelf-life enhancement of whey-less cheese.

In this research, the efficiency of brushing (Br), dipping (Di), spraying (S), and enrobing (En) methods was compared in three concentrations of 10%, 15%, and 20% of corn zein (Z) edible coating containing 0.5% of essential oil (HEO) in the shelf-life improvement of whey-less cheese during 56 days of cold storage. The results of the photography and colorimetric (L*, a*, and b* parameters) of the samples showed that the En method in 20% of Z created a uniform, brilliant, and attractive surface on the cheese pieces compared to the other groups during the storage period, and the S, Br, and Di methods were in the next categories, respectively.

Investigating Blood Lead Levels and Its Health Effects on Employees of a Petroleum Industry and the Surrounding Residents: A Case Study of Kirkuk City, Iraq.

Objective: This study has been aimed to investigate factors associated with elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) across different percentiles in individuals employed in the petroleum industry and residents of Kirkuk City . In addition, to provide evidence-based approaches to mitigate exposure risks and safeguard vulnerable populations.

Methods: The study involved 357 participants and utilized quantile regression to examine BLL in petroleum industry workers and Kirkuk residents.

Bone and Soft Tissue Sarcoma Epidemiology in Iranian Elderly Population; an Analysis of the Iranian National Registry for Cancer (2009-2014 Years).

Background: We aimed to investigate the patterns of incidence and prevalence of bone sarcoma (BS) and soft tissue sarcoma (STS), morphology as well as geographical distribution in the elderly in Iran.

Methods: By the primary site of the tumor and the morphological types, whole cases of cancer were classified. Then, the WHO classification (2018) and the third revision of the standard International Classification of Diseases for Oncology (ICD-O-3) were used to assign a code to them.

Examining the trend of mortality of genitourinary system cancers in Babol, North Iran (2013-2021).

Background: Cancers of the genitourinary system, particularly prostate, bladder, and kidney cancer, exhibit a high prevalence. Consequently, predicting the morbidity and mortality of genitourinary cancers holds great significance for future planning and implementation. This study aimed to examine the crude and age-standardized rates of mortality and the trend of genitourinary cancers over nine years in northern Iran.

Health risk assessment of heavy metals in the dust street of Mehran city, as a busy city in religious times, Iran.

The concentration of various potentially toxic metals (Pb, Cd, As, Ni, Zn, and Cr) in street dust samples collected from Mehran city, Iran, was analyzed. The samples were obtained during normal traffic conditions, NTT, prior to the Arbaeen ceremony, as well as after the pilgrims' return, which corresponds to high traffic time, HTT. Street dust samples were analyzed for HM content using ICP-OES, following acid digestion.