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Introduction: Serum vitamin D levels are related to a wide spectrum of factors including low sunlight exposure, high oxidative stress, low physical activity and sleep disorders. In this paper we are going to investigate the most crucial parameters associated with serum vitamin D levels in survey of ultraviolet intake by nutritional approach (SUVINA) study with a data mining approach. Material and Methods: Data including demographic, anthropometric, clinical and laboratory information were extracted from the SUVINA dataset comprising 289 subjects who were enrolled into our study. The XGBoost algorithm was used to define the most important features related to vitamin D level in our population. Results: Applying XGBoost modeling for vitamin D level showed that the presented scheme can determine the most important determinants of serum vitamin D level with an accuracy of 91%. Pro-oxidant anti-oxidant balance (PAB), body fat percentage, physical activity level (PAL), age, restless leg syndrome (RLS), and dietary inflammatory index (DII) density were the most important variables correlated with vitamin D deficiency. Conclusion: Using XGBoost and with an accuracy of more than 90%, we showed that the six most important risk factors for vitamin D deficiency are PAB, PAL, age, body fat percentage, RLS and DII density, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), derived from various tissues, are served as a promising source of cells in clinic and regenerative medicine. Umbilical cord-Wharton's jelly (WJ-MSCs)-derived MSCs exhibit advantages over those from adult tissues, such as no ethical concerns, shorter population doubling time, broad differentiation potential, readily available non-invasive source, prolonged maintenance of stemness properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of MRI (1.5 T, 10 min) on stemness gene expression patterns (OCT-4, SOX-2, NANOG) of WJ-MSCs. Additionally, we assessed cell viability, growth kinetics and apoptosis of WJ-MSCs after MRI treatment. The quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) data showed that transcript levels of SOX-2, NANOG in MRI-treated WJ-MSCs were increased 32- and 213-fold, respectively. MTT assay was performed at 24, 48, and 72 h post-treatment and the viability was not significantly different between the two groups. The doubling time of the MRI group was markedly higher than the control group. In addition, the colony formation ability of WJ-MSCs after MRI treatment significantly increased. Furthermore, no change in apoptosis was seen before or after MRI treatment. Our results suggest that the use of MRI can improve the quality of MSCs and enhance the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cell-based therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) have a high risk of catching SARS-CoV-2 infection. Seroprevalence studies can provide related data on HCWs with a history of infections. Despite numerous seroepidemiological reports of COVID-19 in different groups, there are no such reports for HCWs working in Rafsanjan City, Iran. This study aimed to determine the SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among HCWs. Methods: Blood samples were obtained from 295 participants, including healthcare personnel and administrative staff. The SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody was measured by the ELISA method, and the obtained data were analyzed with the Chi-square test and logistic regression. A P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The previous exposure to COVID-19 was higher in HCWs than in administrative department staff. Fifteen out of 130 (11.5%) participants had experienced SARS-CoV-2 infection without any symptoms. The results of logistic regression indicated that traveling (OR: 018, 95% CI: 0.08-0.74, P=0.001), occupation (OR: 0.2, 95% CI: 0.01-0.94, P<0.05), history of respiratory problems (OR: 0.15, 95% CI: 0.01-1.94, P<0.05), and major clinical signs (OR: 8.09, 95% CI: 3.7-17.66, P<0.001) are important factors which affect SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies. Conclusion: Our results indicated an occupational risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection among HCWs. Because some HCWs are asymptomatic, their communication, such as traveling, must be controlled, and it is necessary to ensure the safety of HCWs and reduce their transfer to the community and patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]