The impact of Covid-19 on harm reduction policies in Iran: an interrupted time series analysis.

Background: The global emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019 posed unprecedented challenges to healthcare systems, disrupting routine services and necessitating swift adaptations. Harm reduction programs, vital for addressing substance use-related health risks, faced unique challenges during the pandemic, impacting vulnerable populations. This study focuses on the repercussions of Covid-19 on harm reduction policies in Iran, specifically examining the distribution of condoms, syringes, and methadone to high-risk individuals attending Triangle Centers.

Prophylactic barrage laser in patients with previous vitreous loss during cataract surgery: a randomized clinical trial.

Background: One of the significant challenges that can arise during cataract surgery is the occurrence of posterior capsule rupture (PCR) and vitreous loss. It may result in different complications including cystoid macular edema, endophthalmitis, glaucoma, and considerably retinal detachment which consequently contributes to poor functional outcomes.

Methods: This study was a prospective double blinded randomized clinical trial including 42 patients with previous complicated cataract surgery including posterior capsular rupture and consequently vitreous loss that anterior vitrectomy was done for them.

Neuroprotective effects of quercetin on hippocampal CA1 neurons following middle cerebral artery ischemia‒reperfusion in male rats: a behavioral, biochemical, and histological study.

Introduction: Cerebral ischemic strokes cause brain damage, primarily through inflammatory factors. One of the regions most affected by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) is the hippocampus, specifically the CA1 area, which is highly susceptible to ischemia. Previous studies have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory properties of quercetin.

The experiences of unprofessionalism among students in dental education: a qualitative study.

Aim: The present study aimed to explore the unprofessional behavior of educators, senior students, and peers in the education process of dental and oral health services.

Method: This qualitative study employed a conventional content analysis approach. The undergraduate students (n = 21) were recruited to participate in the study through purposive sampling.

Evaluation of bone mineral density and its influencing factors in patients infected with HIV under antiretroviral therapy.

Background: Reduced Bone Mineral Density (BMD) has been linked to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection and treatment. There is a lack of information regarding the osteoporosis status of middle-aged patients with HIV in Iran, despite the fact that Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) is widely accessible.

Objective: The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to assess the BMD status and low BMD risk factors in patients with HIV under ART living in Iran.

Genome-wide association study (GWAS) uncovers candidate genes linked to the germination performance of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under salt stress.

Background: Improving the germination performance of bread wheat is an important breeding target in many wheat-growing countries where seedlings are often established in soils with high salinity levels. This study sought to characterize the molecular mechanisms underlying germination performance in salt-stressed wheat. To achieve this goal, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed on 292 Iranian bread wheat accessions, including 202 landraces and 90 cultivars.

Morphological variation of Ficus johannis subsp. afghanistanica (Warb.) Browicz in Sistan-va-Baluchestan province, Iran.

Background: Ficus johannis subsp. afghanistanica (Warb.) Browicz is an important plant species belonging to the Moraceae family and is part of the Ficus genus.

Combination therapies and other therapeutic approaches targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome and neuroinflammatory pathways: a promising approach for traumatic brain injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) precipitates a neuroinflammatory cascade, with the NLRP3 inflammasome emerging as a critical mediator. This review scrutinizes the complex activation pathways of the NLRP3 inflammasome by underscoring the intricate interplay between calcium signaling, mitochondrial disturbances, redox imbalances, lysosomal integrity, and autophagy. It is hypothesized that a combination therapy approach-integrating NF-κB pathway inhibitors with NLRP3 inflammasome antagonists-holds the potential to synergistically dampen the inflammatory storm associated with TBI.

A novel dual filtering mechanism for laser safety eyewear with polycarbonate lens coated by zirconium dioxide and silicon dioxide.

In laser safety eyewear, due to the lack of complete blocking of ultraviolet and infrared rays, we proposed a structure based on one-dimensional multilayer composed of several layers of silicon dioxide and zirconium dioxide materials alternately behind polycarbonate lens. It is find out that the acceptance angle range to the photonic crystal is 0 to 39°. This incident angle range corresponds to the band gap of the photonic crystal.

Algae- and bacteria-based biodegradation of phthalic acid esters towards the sustainable green solution.

Phthalic acid esters are widely used worldwide as plasticizers. The high consumption of phthalates in China makes it the world's largest plasticizer market. The lack of phthalic acid ester's chemical bonding with the polymer matrix facilitates their detachment from plastic products and subsequent release into the environment and causes serious threats to the health of living organisms.

Effect of DLPFC rTMS on anhedonia and alpha asymmetry in depressed patients.

Anhedonia, a core symptom of depression, has been defined as the loss of pleasure or lack of reactivity to pleasurable stimuli. Considering the relevance of alpha asymmetry to MDD and anhedonia, we explored the effect of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) stimulation on frontal and posterior EEG alpha asymmetry (FAA and PAA, respectively), in this exploratory investigation. 61 participants randomly received sham (n = 11), bilateral (BS; n = 25), or unilateral stimulation (US; n = 25) of the DLPFC.

Effects of Acupuncture on Cognitive Functions in Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: To explore the effects of acupuncture in comparison with sham acupuncture on cognitive functions in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 31 RRMS patients in the acupuncture group were treated with traditional Chinese acupuncture based on the treatment principle of calming the mind, reinforcing qi and blood, and 31 patients in the control group were treated with sham acupuncture (shallow needling at non-acupuncture points) twice a week for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was the Brief International Cognitive Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis (BICAMS) score, which was evaluated by a psychologist at baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment.

Machine learning-based estimation of crude oil-nitrogen interfacial tension.

Accurate estimation of interfacial tension (IFT) between nitrogen and crude oil during nitrogen-based gas injection into oil reservoirs is imperative. The previous research works dealing with prediction of IFT of oil and nitrogen systems consider synthetic oil samples such n-alkanes. In this work, we aim to utilize eight machine learning methods of Decision Tree (DT), AdaBoost (AB), Random Forest (RF), K-nearest Neighbors (KNN), Ensemble Learning (EL), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Multilayer Perceptron Artificial Neural Network (MLP-ANN) to construct data-driven intelligent models to predict crude oil - nitrogen IFT based upon experimental data of real crude oils samples encountered in underground oil reservoirs.

Assessing three novel composite anthropometric-metabolic indices for predicting 10-year incidence of metabolic syndrome: findings from the kerman coronary artery disease risk factors study (KERCADRS).

Purpose: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a condition of high prevalence worldwide associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The predictive value of novel indices of combined anthropometric and serum lipid parameters as predictors of MetS is, to our knowledge, unexplored. We aimed to assess the 10-year predictive value of three indices of triglyceride-glucose index (TyG), visceral adiposity index (VAI), and lipid accumulation product (LAP) for incidence of MetS in Southeastern Iran.

Antimicrobial properties of Graphene sheets embedded with Titanium Oxide and Calcium Oxide nanoparticles for industrial wastewater treatment.

This study investigated the antimicrobial efficacy of graphene, titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs), and calcium oxide nanoparticles (CaONPs) against various microorganisms in dairy wastewater. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of graphene was determined to be 41.66 mg/L for Escherichia coli and 33.

EEG Signals Classification Related to Visual Objects Using Long Short-Term Memory Network and Nonlinear Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Regression.

By gaining insights into how brain activity is encoded and decoded, we enhance our understanding of brain function. This study introduces a method for classifying EEG signals related to visual objects, employing a combination of an LSTM network and nonlinear interval type-2 fuzzy regression (NIT2FR). Here, ResNet is utilized for feature extraction from images, the LSTM network for feature extraction from EEG signals, and NIT2FR for mapping image features to EEG signal features.

Explainable attention based breast tumor segmentation using a combination of UNet, ResNet, DenseNet, and EfficientNet models.

This study utilizes the Breast Ultrasound Image (BUSI) dataset to present a deep learning technique for breast tumor segmentation based on a modified UNet architecture. To improve segmentation accuracy, the model integrates attention mechanisms, such as the Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM) and Non-Local Attention, with advanced encoder architectures, including ResNet, DenseNet, and EfficientNet. These attention mechanisms enable the model to focus more effectively on relevant tumor areas, resulting in significant performance improvements.

Biosynthesis and characterization of iron oxide nanoparticles fabricated using cell-free supernatant of Pseudomonas fluorescens for antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, and photocatalytic applications.

This study investigates the biosynthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles (FeONPs) using the cell-free supernatant of Pseudomonas fluorescens. The synthesized FeONPs were characterized through UV-VIS, XRD, FTIR, FESEM, EDX, TEM, BET, and VSM analyses. The XRD results confirmed that FeONPs were successfully synthesized and EDX analysis indicated that iron accounted for 89.

Innovative ultrasound assisted synthesis of sponge like cerium dioxide nanostructure using Rosa Damascena extract and its efficient performance for cancer therapy.

In this work, cerium dioxide nanostructures were synthesized in an easy sonochemical way. CeO nanoparticles have received much attention in nanotechnology. CeONPs, exhibit biomimetic properties depending on their size, ratio of valency on their surface, and the ambient physico-chemical properties.

Investigation of mechanical behavior of slag-stabilized rammed earth reinforced by carpet polyacrylic yarn waste.

This investigation addresses the reinforcement of rammed earth (RE) structures by integrating carpet polyacrylic yarn waste (CPYW) generated from the carpet production process and employing Ground Granulated Blast-Furnace Slag (GGBS) as a stabilizer, in conjunction with alkali activators potassium hydroxide (KOH), to enhance their mechanical properties. The study included conducting Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) tests and Brazilian Tensile Strength (BTS) tests on plain samples, GGBS-stabilized (SS) samples, CPYW-reinforced (CFS) samples, and samples reinforced with a combination of GGBS and CPYW (SCFS). The results showed that the mechanical and resistance properties of the CFS and SCFS samples were improved; these findings were confirmed by the presence of more cohesive GGBS gel and fibers as seen in FE-SEM and microscopic images.

Interpretable real-time monitoring of short-term rockbursts in underground spaces based on microseismic activities.

In this study, two novel hybrid intelligent models were developed to evaluate the short-term rockburst using the random forest (RF) method and two meta-heuristic algorithms, whale optimization algorithm (WOA) and coati optimization algorithm (COA), for hyperparameter tuning. Real-time predictive models of this phenomenon were created using a database comprising 93 case histories, taking into account various microseismic parameters. The results indicated that the WOA achieved the highest overall performance in hyperparameter tuning for the RF model, outperforming the COA.

Differential Item Functioning Analysis of Likert Scales: An Overview and Demonstration of Rating Scale Tree Model.

An important psychometric property in educational and psychological testing is differential item functioning (DIF), assessing whether different subgroups respond differently to particular items within a scale, despite having the same overall ability level. In fact, DIF occurs when respondents with the same underlying trait level have different probabilities of selecting specific response categories, depending on their subgroup membership. This study aims to demonstrate the usefulness of rating scale tree (RStree) model in detecting DIF of Likert-type scales across age and gender in social sciences.

Deciphering the Genetic and Epidemiological Landscape of Inherited Retinal Diseases (IRDs) in a Cohort of Eastern Iranian Patients.

Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) may have significant diagnostic challenges due to their genetic complexity and diverse inheritance patterns. Advanced genotyping tools like exome sequencing (ES) offer promising opportunities for identifying causative variants and improving disease management. This retrospective study was aimed to present prevalent pathogenic and novel variants in patients diagnosed with IRDs using ES.