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Background: Adipokine leptin plays a crucial role in metabolic and reproductive functions. Leptin receptor has a soluble form that binds to leptin, thus modulating its level in the circulation. It has been indicated that the levels of leptin and leptin receptor and also LEP rs7799039 and LEPR rs1137101 polymorphisms are associated with metabolic disorders. In the present study, we assessed the levels of leptin and soluble leptin receptor (sOB-R), and also the frequency of rs7799039 and rs1137101 polymorphisms in healthy fertile women and patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), inclusive of PCOS-infertile and PCOS-recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) subjects. Methods: A total of 324 PCOS patients- including 199 infertile cases and 125 patients with a history of RPL- and 144 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Biochemical parameters and plasma leptin and sOB-R levels were measured by ELISA and the genotypes of rs7799039 and rs1137101 polymorphisms were determined using PCR- RFLP. Results: Plasma leptin and sOB-R levels were significantly higher and lower in PCOS, PCOS-infertile and PCOS RPL groups, respectively. The GG genotype frequencies of rs7799039 and rs1137101 polymorphisms were significantly different between PCOS-infertile women and non-PCOS subjects (P = 0.043, OR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.22–0.97, and P = 0.01, OR = 0.31, 95% CI = 0.12–0.75, respectively). Increased LEP levels were associated with the risk of PCOS and RPL in women with PCOS (P = 0.039, OR = 1.203, 95%CI = [1.009–1.435] and P = 0.012, OR = 1.267, 95% CI = [1.054–1.522], respectively). Conclusion: Polymorphisms rs7799039 and rs1137101 and circulating leptin and sOB-R levels were associated with infertility in Iranian women with PCOS. Further studies are needed to reveal the role of leptin in PCOS pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main contribution of this paper is a new approach to evaluate and compare the freight accessibility conditions offered in a set of regions or cities. The key innovation of this approach lies in that it combines (statistical) centrality and reliability measures of accessibility, thus tackling one of the weaknesses that researchers have identified in the vast accessibility literature. The proposed approach is first explained in details for a hypothetical setting, and then is applied to Iran using data collected in the latest transport survey conducted in this country. The focus is placed on road transport, by far the dominant freight transport mode in Iran. The results obtained through this application provide clear insights into the relative positions of the main freight production and attraction zones of Iran with respect to road accessibility conditions, and therefore valuable information to assist transport authorities in their decisions regarding the evolution of the country's road network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In the current study, the effects of photobiomodulation (PBM) treatments were examined based on biomechanical and histological criteria and mRNA levels of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and NADPH oxidase (NOX) 1 and 4 in a postponed, ischemic, and infected wound repair model (DIIWHM) in rats with type 2 diabetes (DM2) during the inflammation (day 4) and proliferation (day 8) stages. Methods: To study ischemic wound repair in a diabetic rat model (DIIWHM), 24 rats with type-2 diabetes were randomly divided into four groups and infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The control groups consisted of CG4 (control group on day 4) and CG8 (control group on day 8), while the PBM groups comprised PBM4 (PBM treatment group on day 4) and PBM8 (PBM treatment group on day 8). These group assignments allowed for comparisons between the control groups and the PBM-treated groups at their respective time points during the study. Results: On days 4 and 8 of wound restoration, the PBM4 and PBM8 groups showed substantially modulated inflammatory responses and improved formation of fibroblast tissue compared with the CG groups (P < 0.05). Concurrently, the effects of PBM8 were significantly superior to those of PBM4 (P < 0.05). The antioxidant results on days 4 and 8 revealed substantial increases in CAT and SOD in the PBM groups compared with the CGs (P < 0.05). Substantial decreases were observed in the antioxidant agents NOX1 and NOX4 of the PBM4 and PBM8 groups compared with both CG groups (P < 0.05). Conclusion: PBM treatments significantly sped up the inflammatory and proliferating processes in a DHIIWM in DM2 animals by modifying the inflammatory reaction and boosting fibroblast proliferation. Overall, the current findings indicated substantially better results in the PBM groups than in the CG groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate dominant predictor components of moral intelligence (MI) based on the Lennick and Kiel's model in students of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU). In this descriptive-analytical study, 322 students of SBMU were chosen through cluster sampling. To collect data, a 40-item questionnaire, whose validity and reliability was confirmed in previous studies, based on the Lennick and Kiel's model was used. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS 21 software using appropriate descriptive and analytical statistics. Of 322 participants, 180 and 142 were female and male, respectively. The mean age of the participants was 22.30±2.69 years. The study’s regression analysis revealed that the most and the least direct effects were related to the forgiveness (R2=0.320) and compassion (R2=0.284) components, respectively. Among the inspected components, the responsibility component with an overall effect of R2=0.655 was shown to be the strongest predictor component of MI. Universities play a significant role in students’ moral development and enhancement. The present study’s findings suggest that developing strategic plans and interventions can enhance MI level (e.g., incentive systems for individuals maintaining high moral responsibility). Since today’s students will be tomorrow’s medical and healthcare professionals, upgrading of MI level in students studying in various divisions of medical sciences enhances their moral responsibility through setting out strong ethics principles to follow and the quality of care that they will provide to patients, thereby improving health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Therefore, considering that stress and anxiety can weaken the immune system, especially in the elderly, it is recommended that patients with COVID-19 be monitored by psychologists to manage the predisposing factors. Letter Does Stress and Anxiety Contribute to COVID-19?. [Extracted from the article]