Bridging the gap: The endocannabinoid system as a functional fulcrum for benzodiazepines in a novel frontier of anxiety pharmacotherapy.

While benzodiazepines have been a mainstay of the pharmacotherapy of anxiety disorders, their short-term efficacy and risk of abuse have driven the exploration of alternative treatment approaches. The endocannabinoid (eCB) system has emerged as a key modulator of anxiety-related processes, with evidence suggesting dynamic interactions between the eCB system and the GABAergic system, the primary target of benzodiazepines. According to the existing literature, the activation of the cannabinoid receptors has been shown to exert anxiolytic effects, while their blockade or genetic deletion results in heightened anxiety-like responses.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the tongue: A case study highlighting surgical management of an exceptionally rare entity.

Background: Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignant tumor that accounts for <1 % of head and neck malignancies, with an estimated involvement of the tongue at approximately 3 %.

Case Presentation: This report presents a case of a 42-year-old male with no significant history of tobacco or alcohol use, who developed a painless, progressively enlarging mass on the ventral surface of his tongue over the course of eight months. Initial surgical resection confirmed the diagnosis of ACC, which necessitated a right hemiglossectomy followed by radiotherapy to address potential residual disease.

Targeted delivery of curcumin and CM11 peptide against hepatocellular carcinoma cells based on binding affinity of PreS1-coated chitosan nanoparticles to SB3 protein.

In recent years, the use of cationic peptides as alternative drugs with anticancer activity has received attention. In this study, the targeted release of curcumin (Cur) and CM11 peptide alone and together against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was evaluated using chitosan nanoparticles (CS NPs) coated with Pres1 that target the SB3 antigen of HCC cells (PreS1-Cur-CM11-CS NPs). SB3 protein is the specific antigen of HCC and the PreS1 peptide is a part of the hepatitis B antigen, which can specifically bind to the SB3 protein.

Exosome: an overview on enhanced biogenesis by small molecules.

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles that received attention for their potential use in the treatment of various injuries. They communicate intercellularly by transferring genetic and bioactive molecules from parent cells. Although exosomes hold immense promise for treating neurodegenerative and oncological diseases, their actual clinical use is very limited because of their biogenesis and secretion.

Achillea millefolium capsule improved liver enzymes and lipid profile compared to placebo in patients with type 2 diabetes: a double-blind randomized clinical trial.

Background: The therapeutic properties of Achillea Millefolium (AM) in regulating blood lipids and liver enzymes have been proven in studies. Considering the abnormal lipid levels and elevated liver enzymes in diabetic patients, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of AM on the lipid profile and serum level of liver enzymes in type 2 diabetic (T2D) patients.

Methods: In this 90-day double-blind clinical trial study, 60 eligible diabetic patients were enrolled and divided into intervention and control (each 30 patients) groups.

Fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs) and mortality among survivors of liver cirrhosis: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Cirrhosis is a medical condition marked by persistent liver damage, which leads to the development of fibrous tissue and compromised liver function. In the present study, we decided to investigate the possibility of a connection between the consumption of fermentable olig-, di-, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs) and mortality rates in cirrhotic patients by utilizing data obtained from a prospective cohort study.

Methods: This cohort study enrolled 166 ambulatory patients from two hospitals in Tehran, Iran, between 2016 and 2018, and followed them up for 5 48 months until April 30, 2022.

A literature review of recent advances in gastric cancer treatment: exploring the cross-talk between targeted therapies.

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) ranks fourth in global mortality rates and fifth in prevalence, making it one of the most common cancers worldwide. Recent clinical studies have highlighted the potential of immunotherapies as a promising approach to treating GC. This study aims to shed light on the most impactful therapeutic strategies in the context of GC immunotherapy, highlighting both established and emerging approaches.

Effect of play therapy and storytelling on the anxiety level of hospitalized children: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Children are anxious when hospitalized due to being away from home and undergoing treatment.This anxiety has an effect on their disease process, treatment, growth and development.Children's anxiety has an effect on parents' anxiety and can lead to lower level of cooperation among the children and their parents with the treatment team.

Moral competence of dental students: an explanatory mixed-methods study.

Aim: The present study aimed to investigate the level of four components of moral skills, including moral sensitivity, moral reasoning, moral motivation, and moral courage, among dental students and explore the factors affecting their engagement in moral behavior.

Method: This is an explanatory mixed-method study conducted in two quantitative and qualitative phases. Participants included undergraduate students in clerkship courses in Dentistry schools (n = 180).

Identifying competency development needs of hospital managers in Iran: a national survey.

Background: A competent management workforce is crucial to achieve the effectiveness and efficiency of health service provision and to lead and manage the health system reform agenda. However, the traditional recruitment and promotion approach of relying on clinical performance and seniority provides limited incentives for competency development and improvement among hospital managers in Iran. There is limited evidence on the competency development needs of hospital managers in Iran that can guide setting training and development direction.

Looting and antisocial behavior after disasters: a systematic review.

Background: There are different opinions about looting after disasters. Many believe that post-disaster chaos is the best chance for antisocial behavior.

Aim: The purpose of this systematic review is to explore the literature regarding looting after disasters, its different dimensions, and to examine coping strategies.

Gap analysis of maternity service quality and associated factors at a maternity hospital in northwest Iran: a cross-sectional survey using SERVQUAL and HEALTHQUAL questionnaires.

Background: Concerning maternity service, the mother's quality assessment is central because emotional, cultural, and respectful support is vital during labour and the delivery process. Studies concerning the perceived quality of maternity services from the perspective of mothers have rarely been carried out in Iranian hospital settings. Therefore, this study aimed to measure the gap between the expectations of patients with maternity services and their perceptions of the service and identify associated factors at a maternity hospital in northwest Iran using service quality (SERVQUAL) and health quality (HEALTHQUAL) questionnaires.

Enhancing salt stress tolerance in Carthamus tinctorius L. through selenium soil treatment: anatomical, biochemical, and physiological insights.

Selenium (Se) plays a crucial role in ameliorating the negative impact of abiotic stress. The present study was performed to elucidate the efficacy of soil treatment of Se in reducing salt-induced stress in Carthamus tinctorius L. In this study, three different levels of NaSeO (0, 0.

Frequency and types of antibiotic usage in a referral neonatal intensive care unit, based on the world health organization classification (AwaRe).

Background: Excessive prescription of antibiotics in infants increases the risk of short-term and lifelong morbidity and mortality. Nonetheless, the use of antibiotics in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) is significantly high. This is primarily because neonatologists are concerned about the fragile immune systems of newborns, their vulnerability to serious infectious diseases, and the challenge of accurately distinguishing between infectious and non-infectious conditions.

Ameliorative Effect of Combined Placenta-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells plus Platelet-rich Plasma on Polycystic Ovarian Model in Rats: A Biochemical and Histological Study.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common cause of infertility in women, characterized by metabolic and hormonal irregularities. We investigated the effects of placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells (PDMSCs) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP), as well as their combination on follicular development, hormonal profile, inflammatory parameters, and insulin resistance in a model of PCOS. In this study, 25 female Wistar rats were randomly allocated into five groups: Sham (given a dose of 1 mL of a 0.

Colon delivery of agomelatine nanoparticles in the treatment of TNBS induced ulcerative colitis.

Agomelatine is an atypical antidepressant with a long half-life and the mechanism of action similar to melatonin. Agomelatine is a strong antioxidant and its anti-inflammatory effect has been reported in many studies. The current study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of agomelatine loaded in targeted nanoparticles (NPs) in an experimental colitis model induced by trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS).

Microwave-assisted selective leaching of valuable metals from spent lithium-ion batteries using glycine and oxalic acid.

Supplying critical metals such as cobalt, lithium, and nickel, to achieve sustainable development goals will be one of the most important concerns in the coming decades. A significant challenge in this area is the separation of some similar elements, such as nickel and cobalt. This study proposes a novel and eco-friendly process to selectively recover cobalt from nickel and manganese.

Development of a checklist for cognitive assessment requirements (CARE) based on a Delphi consensus study.

Situational factors can influence cognitive performance and should be considered for conducting cognitive assessments. The objective of this project was to develop a checklist for Cognitive Assessment Requirements (CARE) to identify these situational factors before conducting cognitive assessments and account for them. This study employed a four-round Delphi approach involving 22 experts to identify situational factors that can impact cognitive assessment results.

Improving the thermal and hydrophobic properties of bamboo biocomposite as sustainable acoustic absorbers.

The purpose of this research is to investigate the potential of chemical modification to improve the hydrophobic properties and thermal stability of bamboo fibers and to evaluate the sound absorption performance of raw and modified fibers. To achieve this goal, bamboo fibers were modified using stearic acid coatings and aluminum hydroxide nanoparticles. The results showed that the modification of fibers with stearic acid (STA) can improve the contact angle and hydrophobicity of bamboo fibers, so that for modified fibers with a concentration of 0.

Investigating the effect of fiber arrangement on tensile properties of two-dimensional hybrid braided composite rods.

Braided composites are gaining attention in the most industrial applications. To design rods with optimal tensile properties against combined loads, experimental studies were conducted to investigate the effect of using axial yarn and core in different categories on the tensile properties of braided reinforced composite rods. In this study, six types of braided composite rods with different arrangements of braid components (axial yarn or core type) were produced using glass and polyester fibers with epoxy resin as the matrix.

A data driven machine learning approach for predicting and optimizing sulfur compound adsorption on metal organic frameworks.

This study employed some machine learning (ML) techniques with Python programming to forecast the adsorption capacity of MOF adsorbents for thiophenic compounds namely benzothiophene (BT), dibenzothiophene (DBT), and 4,6-dimethyl dibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT). Five ML models were developed with the help of a dataset containing 676 rows to correlate the adsorbent features, adsorption conditions, and adsorbate characteristics to the MOF sample's sulfur adsorption capability. Among the ML approaches, MLP model achieved the best performance with a low mean squared error (MSE) of 0.

Predicting and synthesizing terahertz spoof surface plasmon polariton devices with a convolutional neural network model.

With the increasing global attention to deep learning and the advancements made in applying convolutional neural networks in electromagnetics, we have recently witnessed the utilization of deep learning-based networks for predicting the spectrum and electromagnetic properties of structures instead of traditional tools like fully numerical-based methods. In this study, a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN is proposed for predicting spoof surface plasmon polaritons, enabling the examination of the absorption spectrum of metallic multilevel-grating structures (MMGS) and designing various sensor devices and absorbers in the shortest time possible. To expedite the training process of this network, a semi-analytical method of rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA) enhanced with the fast Fourier factorization (FFF) technique has been employed, significantly reducing the data generation time for training.

Clinical evaluation of corneal ulcer with a portable and smartphone-attachable slit lamp device: Smart Eye Camera.

Corneal ulcer is one of the most important ophthalmic emergencies. A portable, recordable, and smartphone-attachable slit-lamp device called the "Smart Eye Camera" (SEC) is introduced to compare evaluating corneal ulcers between the SEC and the conventional slit-lamp. A total of 110 participants were included in the study, consisting of 55 patients with corneal ulcers and 55 age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers as controls.

siRNA-mediated inhibition of hTERT enhances the effects of curcumin in promoting cell death in precursor-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells: an in silico and in vitro study.

This study investigates the interrelationship between human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and ferroptosis in precursor-B (pre-B) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), specifically examining how hTERT modulation affects ferroptotic cell death pathways. Given that hTERT overexpression characterizes various cancer phenotypes and elevated telomerase activity is observed in early-stage and relapsed ALL, we investigated the molecular mechanisms linking hTERT regulation and ferroptosis in leukemia cells. The experimental design employed Nalm-6 and REH cell lines under three distinct conditions: curcumin treatment, hTERT siRNA knockdown, and their combination.