Transcriptome profiling of fully open flowers in a frost-tolerant almond genotype in response to freezing stress.

Spring frost is a major limiting abiotic stress for the cultivation of almonds [Prunus dulcis (Mill.)] in Mediterranean areas or the Middle East. Spring frost, in particular, damages almond fully open flowers, resulting to significant reduction in yield.

Human hemoglobin adsorption onto colloidal cerium oxide nanoparticles: a new model based on zeta potential and spectroscopy measurements.

The nanoparticle (NP)-induced conformational changes of protein and NP agglomeration have gained a remarkable interest in medical and biotechnological fields. Herein, the effect of human hemoglobin (Hb) on the colloidal stability of cerium oxide NP (CNP) was investigated by dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, and TEM analysis. In addition, the effect of CNP on the heme degradation and structural changes of Hb was studied using fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD), and UV-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopic methods.

Effectiveness of yoga training program on the severity of autism.

This study examines the effect of yoga training program (YTP) on the severity of autism in children with High Function Autism (HFA). Twenty-nine children aged 7 to 15 (mean = 11.22, SD = 2.

Differential expression of two genes Oct-4 and MUC5AC associates with poor outcome in patients with gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer (GC) is the most frequent leading cause of cancer-associated mortality worldwide that is linked to poor prognosis due to the lack of appropriate biomarkers. Our aim was to evaluate the MUC5AC and Oct-4 expression levels in GC and to assess their association with clinical factors. Immunohistochemical analysis (IHC) and qRT-PCR were performed in GC patients to examine the MUC5AC and Oct-4 expression levels.

The Neuroprotective Effect of Curcumin Against Nicotine-Induced Neurotoxicity is Mediated by CREB-BDNF Signaling Pathway.

Nicotine abuse adversely affects brain and causes apoptotic neurodegeneration. Curcumin- a bright yellow chemical compound found in turmeric is associated with neuroprotective properties. The current study was designed to evaluate the role of CREB-BDNF signaling in mediating the neuroprotective effects of curcumin against nicotine-induced apoptosis, oxidative stress and inflammation in rats.

Effects of Sodium Concentration and Dialysate Temperature Changes on Blood Pressure in Hemodialysis Patients: A Randomized, Triple-Blind Crossover Clinical Trial.

The present study investigated the effects of different temperatures and sodium dialysate concentration on blood pressure in hemodialysis patients. Following Williams' design, hemodialysis patients were randomly assigned into four dialysis modes. Dialysate temperature was set at 37°C for modes A and C and, 35°C for modes B and D.

An in vitro comparison of three delivery techniques for obturation of root canals in primary molars.

Aim: This in vitro study evaluated the efficacy of three different obturation techniques with regards to quality of two filling pastes-Ca(OH)/iodoform syringe paste and zinc oxide eugenol paste in primary molars.

Methods: Root canals of 45 extracted primary molars were prepared and randomly divided into three groups of 15 teeth each. Group A-canals were filled with Ca(OH)/iodoform syringe paste, Group B-zinc oxide eugenol paste with handheld lentulo spiral and Group C-zinc oxide eugenol paste with rotary lentulo spiral.

Hexavalent chromium removal by using synthesis of polyaniline and polyvinyl alcohol.

Over the past few years, heavy metals have been proved to be one of the most important contaminants in industrial wastewater. Chromium is one of these heavy metals, which is being utilized in several industries such as textile, finishing and leather industries. Since hexavalent chromium is highly toxic to human health, removal of it from the wastewater is essential for human safety.

The possible role of interleukin-35 and its therapeutic potential in pemphigus.

Pemphigus is an autoimmune disease that causes blistering and is life-threatening if left untreated. Nowadays, finding a promising treatment for pemphigus remains a serious challenge. Various treatments are currently recommended to treat this disease, but they rarely lead to complete and durable remission.

Improved proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells on polyaniline composited by polyethersulfone nanofibers.

Tissue engineering is a promising emerged method trying to reconstruct lost tissues that using synthetic and biomaterials and their combination with cells. The purpose of this study is increase osteoinductivity of polyethersulfone (PES) by using polyaniline (PANi). In this study, after fabrication of PES and composited PES-PANi scaffolds by electrospinning, scaffolds were characterized morphologically and mechanically.

Temperature-Responsive Smart Nanocarriers for Delivery Of Therapeutic Agents: Applications and Recent Advances.

Smart drug delivery systems (DDSs) have attracted the attention of many scientists, as carriers that can be stimulated by changes in environmental parameters such as temperature, pH, light, electromagnetic fields, mechanical forces, etc. These smart nanocarriers can release their cargo on demand when their target is reached and the stimulus is applied. Using the techniques of nanotechnology, these nanocarriers can be tailored to be target-specific, and exhibit delayed or controlled release of drugs.

Adhesion of Streptococcus Mutans to Glass Ionomer, BisCem Cement and Enamel: An in Vitro Study.

Objectives: Considering the adhesion of some microorganisms such as Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) to restorative materials and the unrecognized consequences of this phenomenon, and due to the controversies in this regard, it is important to discover the materials to which the lowest adhesion of S. mutans occurs.

Tooth discoloration induced by calcium-silicate based materials: a literature review.

Introduction: Endodontic therapy may not focus only on biological and functional aspects, but should take esthetic considerations into account as well. It is common knowledge that calcium-silicate based materials may cause discoloration and thus impair the esthetic outcome of the treated tooth. The purpose of this review is to summarize the existing knowledge on the discoloration potential of these materials used for endodontic procedures.

Smart micro/nanoparticles in stimulus-responsive drug/gene delivery systems.

New achievements in the realm of nanoscience and innovative techniques of nanomedicine have moved micro/nanoparticles (MNPs) to the point of becoming actually useful for practical applications in the near future. Various differences between the extracellular and intracellular environments of cancerous and normal cells and the particular characteristics of tumors such as physicochemical properties, neovasculature, elasticity, surface electrical charge, and pH have motivated the design and fabrication of inventive "smart" MNPs for stimulus-responsive controlled drug release. These novel MNPs can be tailored to be responsive to pH variations, redox potential, enzymatic activation, thermal gradients, magnetic fields, light, and ultrasound (US), or can even be responsive to dual or multi-combinations of different stimuli.

pH-Sensitive stimulus-responsive nanocarriers for targeted delivery of therapeutic agents.

In recent years miscellaneous smart micro/nanosystems that respond to various exogenous/endogenous stimuli including temperature, magnetic/electric field, mechanical force, ultrasound/light irradiation, redox potentials, and biomolecule concentration have been developed for targeted delivery and release of encapsulated therapeutic agents such as drugs, genes, proteins, and metal ions specifically at their required site of action. Owing to physiological differences between malignant and normal cells, or between tumors and normal tissues, pH-sensitive nanosystems represent promising smart delivery vehicles for transport and delivery of anticancer agents. Furthermore, pH-sensitive systems possess applications in delivery of metal ions and biomolecules such as proteins, insulin, etc.

Anthropomorphic assessment of the retromolar foramen and retromolar nerve: anomaly or variation of normal anatomy?

The retromolar foramen, retromolar canal, and retromolar nerve constitute a variation of the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) with a prevalence of 12-75%; this represents type 1 bifidity of the IAN. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of the retromolar nerve in our population and to obtain related data. One hundred and thirty-six mandibles of fresh cadavers aged 20-75 years were dissected.

Up-regulation of miR-130b expression level and down-regulation of miR-218 serve as potential biomarker in the early detection of human osteosarcoma.

Background: Osteosarcoma (OS) is a primary malignant bone tumor with high morbidity that principally emerges in children and adolescents. MiRNAs regulate a variety of normal physiologic processes and are involved in tumorigenesis and development of multiple malignancies, including OS. This study was aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of miR-130b and miR-218 in osteosarcoma patient.

Down-regulated MicroRNA 148b expression as predictive biomarker and its prognostic significance associated with clinicopathological features in non-small-cell lung cancer patients.

Background: Lung cancer is most common and is the leading cause of cancer-related death in both men and women worldwide. Understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) development and progression are important. In the present study, we investigated the potential role of miR-148b expression analysis as potential lung cancer biomarker with the correlation of circulating miR-148b to clinicopathological features.

The study of MED12 gene mutations in uterine leiomyomas from Iranian patients.

Uterine leiomyomas are the most common gynecologic benign tumors of the female genital tract that cause a variety of health problems including, abnormal menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain, placenta displacement, premature labor, and miscarriages. Recently, studies showed that recurrent somatic mutations in MED12 exon 2 are the major cause of uterine leiomyomas in different ethnic groups. In order to validate these results in Iranian population, we performed mutational analysis of exon 2 and the flanking intronic regions by using single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) and sequencing analyses in a series of 103 uterine leiomyomas samples.

Expression pattern of key microRNAs in patients with newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase.

Introduction: Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is caused by reciprocal translocation in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). This translocation forms the BCR-ABL1 oncogene, which alters several signaling pathways that control malignancy. CML has three phases: chronic, accelerated, and blast crisis.

Capability of Cartilage Extract to In Vitro Differentiation of Rat Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) to Chondrocyte Lineage.

The importance of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), as adult stem cells (ASCs) able to divide into a variety of different cells is of utmost importance for stem cell researches. In this study, the ability of cartilage extract to induce differentiation of rat derived omentum tissue MSCs (rOT-MSCs) into chondrocyte cells (CCs) was investigated. After isolation of rOT-MSCs, they were co-cultured with different concentrations of hyaline cartilage extract and chondrocyte differentiation was monitored.

Overexpression of HER2/neu as a Prognostic Value in Iranian Women With Early Stage Breast Cancer; A Single Institute Study.

Background: Patients with early stage breast cancer with same treatment strategy can have markedly different outcomes. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/nue) gene amplification or the subsequent overexpression of protein has been proved to be associated with patient's outcome and response to anthracyclins-based regimens.

Objectives: This study assessed prognostic value of HER2/nue marker in patients with early stage breast cancer who received adjuvant chemotherapy with anthracyclins-based regimens.

Isokinetic dynamometry of the knee extensors and flexors in Iranian healthy males and females.

Background: This paper explores the gender-related bilateral differences of extensor and flexor torques of the knee joint at low and high angular velocities in Iranian healthy males and females.

Methods: 70 healthy subjects (29 males (26.61±4.