Insulin and myometrial contractility; Are there any links? A narrative review.

Contrary to the evidence supporting the role for insulin in stimulating uterine contraction, only a limited number of studies have highlighted the inhibitory effect of insulin on myometrial contractions in human and rodent. A hypothetical narrative review of the current literature was conducted, revealing the current literature and shows the potential inhibitory effects of insulin on myometrial contractility. These inhibitory mechanisms include activation of adenylyl cyclase signaling pathways, an increase in cAMP production, a decrease in Ca influx and cytosolic Ca, hyperpolarization of the cell membrane, and stimulation of NO synthesis.

Differential effects of exercise training protocols on blood pressures and lipid profiles in older adults patients with hypertension: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Decreased physical activity and high blood pressure are both risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Controlling blood pressure within the normal range can prevent or delay these complications. This systematic review and meta-analysis analyzed the effects of different types of exercise training on the blood pressure and lipid profiles of older adults patients with hypertension.

CircWaveDL: Modeling of optical coherence tomography images based on a new supervised tensor-based dictionary learning for classification of macular abnormalities.

Modeling Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) images is crucial for numerous image processing applications and aids ophthalmologists in the early detection of macular abnormalities. Sparse representation-based models, particularly dictionary learning (DL), play a pivotal role in image modeling. Traditional DL methods often transform higher-order tensors into vectors and then aggregate them into a matrix, which overlooks the inherent multi-dimensional structure of the data.

Harnessing IL-27: challenges and potential in cancer immunotherapy.

IL-27 is structurally an immune-enhancing and pleiotropic two-chain cytokine associated with IL-12 and IL-6 families. IL-27 contains two subunits, namely IL-27p28 and EBI3. A heterodimer receptor of IL-27, composed of IL27Rα (WSX1) and IL6ST (gp130) chains, mediates the IL-27 function following the activation of STAT1 and STAT3 signaling pathways.

Development of a simple prediction model for tracheostomy requirement after surgical resection of medulloblastoma in children.

Objective: Postoperative tracheostomy is a significant complication following medulloblastoma (MB) resection. This study aimed to develop a predictive model for postoperative tracheostomy requirement in children undergoing MB surgical resection. This model was derived as a side product of a larger research project analyzing surgical outcomes in pediatric MB patients.

Combined effects of reflexology massage and respiratory relaxation on pain following chest tube removal in heart surgery patients.

Background And Aim: Removing the chest tube in cardiac patients after surgery is one of the worst experiences of hospitalization in the intensive care units. Various pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods are available to control pain in these patients. This study aimed to investigate the combined effect of reflexology massage and respiratory relaxation on pain following chest tube removal in cardiac surgery patients of Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Shiraz, Iran, in 2023.

Managing cardiovascular events, hyperglycemia, and obesity in type 2 diabetes through microRNA regulation linked to glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists.

Background And Aims: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is usually complicated by cardiovascular diseases, hyperglycemia, and obesity, which worsen the outcome for the patient. Since recent evidence underlines the epigenetic role of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) in the management of these comorbidities, this study compared the effects of these agents, namely liraglutide, semaglutide, dulaglutide, and exenatide, on miRNA regulation in the management of T2DM.

Results: GLP-1RAs modify the expression of miRNAs involved in endothelial function, sugar metabolism, and adipogenesis, including but not limited to miR-27b, miR-130a, and miR-210.

Sexual self-care, quality of sexual life and fertility desire in women attending comprehensive health centers in Urmia, Iran.

Background: Sexual self-care and quality of sexual life are critical factors in women's health. These factors can also influence women's fertility desire. This study aims to examine sexual self-care, quality of sexual life, and their relationship with fertility desire in women attending comprehensive health centers in Urmia.

Elucidation of genetic diversity in hawthorn (Crataegus azarolus L.) accessions naturally growing in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Türkiye using morphological, pomological, and inter simple sequence repeat markers.

Background: Türkiye hosts many important fruit species due to its geographical location and ecology. Hawthorn, which is highly beneficial for human health, is one of these significant fruit species. In the present study, 125 accessions of Crataegus azarolus L.

Astigmatism in Duane Retraction Syndrome.

Purpose: To compare the prevalence, magnitude, and type of astigmatism among patients with different Duane Retraction Syndrome (DRS) types.

Method: This retrospective cross-sectional study reviewed the records of 312 DRS patients. Patients were categorized into DRS Types 1, 2, 3, and bilateral cases.

Comparison of diaphragmatic breathing exercises and incentive spirometry on the functional status of heart failure patients: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Respiratory muscle weakness in heart failure (HF) can deteriorate its symptoms such as fatigue, dyspnea, and impaired functional status. Pulmonary rehabilitation can strengthen these muscles. This study aimed to determine the impact of breathing exercises on fatigue severity, dyspnea, and functional classification in HF patients.

Facet joint tropism in degenerative lumbar scoliosis: a retrospective case-control study.

Background: To investigate the association between lumbar degenerative scoliosis and the dural sac cross-sectional area (DSCA), the lumbar canal anterior-posterior (LCAP) diameter, and the neural foraminal cross-sectional area (NFCA) in relation to facet joint tropism (FJT).

Methods: In a retrospective case-control study, we analyzed data from 160 patients referred for lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) between January 2020 and December 2022. Cobb's angle on anteroposterior lumbosacral X-ray is served to identify the presence of degenerative lumbar scoliosis-Cobb's angle exceeding 10 degrees-, and axial T2W MRI is implemented to evaluate facet joint angles and tropism-defined as a difference exceeding 10 degrees between the facet joint angles at each level-, DSCA, LCAP, and NFCA.

High-throughput sequencing revealed the symptomatic common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) virome in Iran.

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a crop rich in protein, minerals, and starch. Viruses are a significant limiting factor in increasing the production of legumes, particularly common beans.

Designing cellulose based biochars for CO separation using molecular simulations.

This study investigates the pyrolysis mechanism of cellulose using reactive molecular dynamics simulations to prepare biochars for CO separation applications. Six biochars with densities ranging from 0.160 to 0.

Effects of vitamin D supplementation on TSH and thyroid hormones: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

Objective: Approximately 200 million people have been diagnosed with thyroid disease worldwide. Associations between thyroid disorders and nutritional factors have been established in former studies.

Methods: The Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus databases and Google Scholar were searched without date restriction until June 2023 by using relevant keywords.

Distinct clinical phenotypes in gastric pathologies: a cluster analysis of demographic and biomarker profiles in a diverse patient population.

Background: Understanding the heterogeneity of a population at risk is an important step in the early detection of gastric cancer. We aimed to cluster demographic, hematological, and biochemical markers of gastric cancer in a heterogeneous sample of patients.

Methods: Data of 695 adult patients (50.

Molecular and serological investigation of Brucella species in kennel and farm dogs in Iran.

Introduction: Brucellosis is still a significant emerging threat to public health, as it can infect humans, wild, domestic animals, and livestock. Hence, the current study aims to determine the frequency of canine brucellosis (CB), its relationship with clinical findings and reproductive disorders in kennel and farm dogs, and its importance on public health.

Materials And Methods: From January 2022 to December 2023, a total of 150 blood samples were taken from 100 adult dogs in breeding kennels and 50 shepherd dogs in breeding farms in Kerman, Iran.

Corticosteroid receptor antagonism in the medial prefrontal cortex reduces morphine-induced place preference and dopamine transporter expression decline in rats.

Corticosteroid signaling plays a critical role in modulating the neural systems underlying reward and addiction, but the specific contributions of glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) and mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to opioid reward and dopaminergic plasticity remain unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of intra-mPFC injection of corticosteroid receptor ligand (corticosterone; CORT), glucocorticoid receptor antagonist (RU38486; RU), and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (spironolactone; SP) on morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) and dopamine transporter (DAT) expression in the mPFC. Adult male Wistar rats received intra-mPFC injections of CORT, RU, SP, or their respective vehicles prior to morphine CPP conditioning.

Enhancing Recommender Systems through Imputation and Social-Aware Graph Convolutional Neural Network.

Recommendation systems are vital tools for helping users discover content that suits their interests. Collaborative filtering methods are one of the techniques employed for analyzing interactions between users and items, which are typically stored in a sparse matrix. This inherent sparsity poses a challenge because it necessitates accurately and effectively filling in these gaps to provide users with meaningful and personalized recommendations.

Exploring tele-speech therapy: A scoping review of interventions, applications, benefits, and challenges.

Background: Speech disorders can significantly impact communication, social interaction, and overall quality of life, affecting individuals of all ages. Telespeech therapy has emerged as an innovative solution, leveraging technology to provide accessible and effective speech interventions remotely. This approach offers flexibility and convenience, addressing barriers such as geographical limitations and scheduling conflicts.

Soluble B7 and TNF family in colorectal cancer: Serum level, prognostic and treatment value.

Soluble immune checkpoints (sIC) are crucial factors in the immune system. They regulate immune responses by transforming intercellular signals via binding to their membrane-bound receptor or ligand. Moreover, soluble ICs are vital in immune regulation, cancer development, and prognosis.

Metagenomic exploration and computational prediction of novel enzymes for polyethylene terephthalate degradation.

As a global environmental challenge, plastic pollution raises serious ecological and health concerns owing to the excessive accumulation of plastic waste, which disrupts ecosystems, harms wildlife, and threatens human health. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), one of the most commonly used plastics, has contributed significantly to this growing crisis. This study offers a solution for plastic pollution by identifying novel PET-degrading enzymes.

Association of sulfur mustard toxicity with oxidant/antioxidant system in veterans: A meta-analysis of case-control studies.

Sulfur mustard (SM) is a chemical warfare agent that increases oxidative stress in veterans. The literature assessing oxidant/antioxidant parameters in SM-exposed veterans contains conflicting results. A total of 11 relevant studies were identified and screened.

Infectious keratitis following photorefractive keratectomy: a 13-year study at a tertiary center.

Introduction: Infectious keratitis is a rare but devastating complication following photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) that may lead to visual impairment. This study assessed the clinical features, treatment strategies, and outcomes of post-PRK infectious keratitis.

Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on patients with post-PRK infectious keratitis presenting to Khalili Hospital, Shiraz, Iran, from June 2011 to March 2024.

The safety and efficacy of robotic radiosurgery and radiotherapy in the management of skull base tumors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and radiotherapy (SRT) have gained prominence as both adjuvant and primary treatment options for patients with skull base tumors that are either inoperable or present as residual or recurrent lesions post-surgery. The object of the current study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of robotic-assisted SRS and SRT across various skull base pathologies. The study was conducted under PRISMA guidelines and involved a comprehensive evaluation of databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web-of-Science, and the Cochrane Library.