The predictive power of conventional and novel obesity indices in identifying metabolic syndrome among the southern Iranian populations: findings from PERSIAN cohort study.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) contributes to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Traditional metrics like body mass index (BMI) have limitations in discerning fat distribution. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of traditional and novel anthropometric indices in metabolic syndrome and its components in the south coast of Iran.

The association between neutrophil and lymphocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and metabolic syndrome among Iranian population, finding from Bandare Kong cohort study.

Background: Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is characterized by the co-occurrence of various metabolic risk factors, significantly increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). This study investigates the potential of hematological indices, specifically the neutrophil to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (NHR) and lymphocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (LHR), as predictors of MetS in a population from southern Iran.

Methods: Utilizing baseline data from the Bandare-Kong Non-Communicable Diseases (BKNCD) Cohort, part of the Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in IrAN (PERSIAN), A total of 2,684 participants aged 35-70 years were analyzed.

Comparative evaluation of hematological parameters and instrument performance in single and double plateletpheresis procedures using Haemonetics MCS+ and Trima Accel systems.

Objectives: Plateletpheresis (PP) has become increasingly prevalent due to its cost-effectiveness and fewer immunological and infectious complications for recipients. This study compares hematological indices of platelet donors and instrument-related parameters in high-yield PP donors using Haemonetics MCS+ and Trima Accel.

Methods: Eligible and healthy PP donors meeting the platelet donation criteria were randomly selected.

COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Studies against Symptomatic and Severe Outcomes during the Omicron Period in Four Countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

Vaccine effectiveness (VE) studies provide real-world evidence to monitor vaccine performance and inform policy. The WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean supported a regional study to assess the VE of COVID-19 vaccines against different clinical outcomes in four countries between June 2021 and August 2023. Health worker cohort studies were conducted in 2707 health workers in Egypt and Pakistan, of whom 171 experienced symptomatic laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Global Prevalence of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: An Updated Review Meta-Analysis comprising a Population of 78 million from 38 Countries.

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a global health challenge, with a rising rate in line with other metabolic diseases. We aimed to assess the global prevalence of NAFLD in adult and pediatric populations.

Methods: PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases were systematically searched up to May 2023.

Atherogenic index of plasma as a predictor of coronary artery disease: a cohort study in south of Iran.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is an atherosclerotic disease of an inflammatory nature. Previous studies examining the relationship between triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol have highlighted the importance of plasma atherogenic index (AIP) as an important predictor of coronary heart disease. However, due to the lack of adequate information on this topic, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between AIP and coronary heart disease risk.

The association between dietary patterns and metabolic syndrome among Iranian adults, a cross-sectional population-based study (findings from Bandare-Kong non-communicable disease cohort study).

Background: Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of metabolic disorders increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Dietary patterns are supposed to be important and controllable factors in developing metabolic syndrome. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of dietary patterns with metabolic syndrome and its components.

Mechanical properties, sustained release, and oxygen scavenging properties of nanocomposite films loaded with bimetallic nanoparticles (FeO/TiO) in extra virgin olive oil.

The aim of this study was the synthesis of bimetallic nanoparticles based on FeO/TiO and its use in the poly(lactic acid) (PLA) films as an oxygen scavenger in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) packaging. Bimetallic nanocomposites were prepared by two different precipitation methods (precipitation with ammonia and sodium hydroxide). The characteristics of bimetallic nanoparticles precipitated with sodium hydroxide (Na-TiFeO) and bimetallic nanoparticles precipitated with ammonia (NH-TiFeO) were compared.

Reference Interval for Non-HDL-Cholesterol, Remnant Cholesterol and Other Lipid Parameters in the Southern Iranian Population; Findings From Bandare Kong and Fasa Cohort Studies.

Background: Growing evidence shows the undisputable role of non-HDL-C and remnant cholesterol (remnant-C) in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment and treatment. However, the reference interval (RI) for these lipid parameters is not readily available. The aim of the present investigation was to determine the age and sex-specific RIs for non-HDL-C and remnant-C as well as other lipid parameters among a healthy population in southern Iran.

Cellular senescence molecules expression in type 2 diabetes mellitus: CDKN2A, CDKN2B, and lncRNA ANRIL.

Aims: Cellular senescence in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has received widespread attention. However, the cellular senescence molecules involved in T2DM are unclear. Furthermore, there are no consistent biomarkers for cellular senescence in T2DM.

Study on genotyping and coinfection rate of human parvovirus 4 among the HTLV-I/II infected blood donors in Khorasan Razavi, Iran.

Unlabelled: Human Parvovirus 4 (PARV4) is an emerging virus infecting individuals with other blood-borne diseases. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of PARV4 in confirmed HTLVI/II positive samples from blood donors, assessing PARV4 viral load (DNA) and genotyping.

Methods: A novel qReal-Time PCR, based on a plasmid construct, was developed to simultaneously detect all three PARV4 genotypes using in-house primers and probes.

Development of a Modified Friedewald's Formula to Calculate Low-Density Lipoprotein in an Iranian Population.

Background: Elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. LDL-C can be directly measured using various methods, but this requires expensive equipment. Currently, clinical laboratories estimate LDL-C based on Friedewald's formula (FF).

Effects of Dichloromethane and N-Butanol Fractions of on ACHN and GP-293 Cell Line Morphology, Viability, and Apoptosis.

Background: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is among the top death-causing cancers. Medicinal herbs can also have beneficial effects on RCC treatment. In this project, we aimed to study the antitumor effect of dichloromethane and N-butanol fractions of hydroalcoholic extract of on the morphology, viability, and apoptosis of ACHN (human renal adenocarcinoma) and GP-293 (normal renal epithelial) cell lines.

Capacity-building for conducting COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness studies to enhance evidence-informed vaccination policymaking in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

Background: Vaccine effectiveness studies provide evidence on the effects of vaccines for preventing disease and the adverse outcomes following a vaccination rollout programme in a country or a specific population.

Aims: To document the technical and capacity-building support provided by WHO to countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region to conduct COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness studies.

Methods: WHO implemented interventions to enhance the capacity of EMR countries to conduct COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness and similar epidemiological studies.

Next generation support and stronger institutions for evidence-informed policy-making.

Evidence-informed policy-making benefitted from much-needed attention and resources during the COVID-19 pandemic (1). As a result, 3 key movements and innovations are now making it possible to provide better evidence support (higher quality and more aligned to the speed of advisory and decision-making) for policy-making than ever.

Changes in BMD T-score from pre-to post-treatment with biosimilar teriparatide: A single-arm, multi-center study.

Introduction: Teriparatide is a recombinant analog of the parathyroid hormone and an anabolic treatment modality for osteoporosis. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of biosimilar teriparatide (CinnoPar®, CinnaGen Co., Iran) in osteoporotic patients after at least one year of treatment.

Directed targeting of B-cell maturation antigen-specific CAR T cells by bioinformatic approaches: From in-silico to in-vitro.

Aims: Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell is a breakthrough in cancer immunotherapy. The primary step of successful CAR T cell therapy is designing a specific single-chain fragment variable (scFv). This study aims to verify the designed anti-BCMA (B cell maturation antigen) CAR using bioinformatic techniques with the following experimental evaluations.

Targeting DNA repair pathways with B02 and Nocodazole small molecules to improve CRIS-PITCh mediated cassette integration in CHO-K1 cells.

CRISPR-mediated integration could be used to develop the recombinant CHO (rCHO) cells by knock-in into the hotspot loci. However, low HDR efficiency besides the complex donor design is the main barrier for achieving so. The recently introduced MMEJ-mediated CRISPR system (CRIS-PITCh) uses a donor with short homology arms, being linearized in the cells via two sgRNAs.

Metabolic syndrome severity score in the middle-aged and elderly Iranian population: A cross-sectional survey of Bandare-Kong Cohort Study (the findings of PERSIAN Cohort Study).

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is defined as the presence of several metabolic risk factors. The traditional MetS criteria have been considered insufficient for evaluating individuals at risk. MetS has always been categorized using binary criteria, which deny that the risk associated with MetS is likely to exist as a continuum.