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Background: Rhinoplasty is among the top five most popular cosmetic surgical procedures worldwide. Among rhinoplasty candidates, the most common mental health disorder is body dysmorphic disorder. (BDD). The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of BDD among rhinoplasty candidates, its association with the patient's self-assessment of aesthetic outcome and nasal functional, post-rhinoplasty compared to applicants with negative screening for BDD. Methods: The following study is a cross-sectional, comparative study. Out of the 209 rhinoplasty candidates screened by the BDDQ questionnaire, 39 were positive for BDD. From the remaining 170 patients who screened negative for BDD, 39 participants were randomly selected as the control group for the comparative analysis. Rhinoplasty outcome evaluation (ROE) and standardized cosmesis and health nasal outcomes survey-cosmetic (SCHNOS-C) questionnaires were used for assessment of patient satisfaction with the cosmetic outcome of rhinoplasty. Nasal obstruction symptom evaluation (NOSE) and standardized cosmesis and health nasal outcomes survey-obstruction (SCHNOS-O) were used for the assessment of satisfaction with functional outcomes between groups of patients screened positive and negative for BDD. Results: The prevalence of BDD was 18.66% among rhinoplasty candidates. The average age of patients screened positive for BDD was 31.41. The mean ROE score was significantly lower (i.e. lower satisfaction) in patients screened positive for BDD (15.69 versus 19.08, P = 0.001), regardless of confounding variables, such as age, sex, and marital status. SCHNOS-C score was higher (i.e. less satisfaction) among patients with BDD (47.01 versus 34.96, P = 0.021) and was significantly associated with higher odds of severe aesthetic concern post-rhinoplasty (OR (95%CI) = 5.000 (1.135–22.022), P = 0.033). Patients screened positive for BDD had significantly higher NOSE scores (i.e. less satisfaction with functional outcome) compared to participants negative for BDD (49.74 versus 37.82, P = 0.012). SCHNOS-O score had no significant association with BDD (P = 0.053). Furthermore, there was no significant association between BDD and NOSE or SCHNOS-O score after adjustment for the confounders. Conclusion: Patients screened positive for BDD were significantly less satisfied with the cosmetic outcome of the rhinoplasty compared to those screened negative for BDD. Assessment of BDD among rhinoplasty candidates before surgery, could potentially be beneficial for both patients and surgeons. Level of Evidence III: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Objective: The learning environment plays a vital role in shaping a student's academic success and overall satisfaction. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of the educational climate in the Operating Room (OR) on the moral distress experienced by operating room technology students. Material & Methods: In 2022, we conducted a descriptive-analytical study on 58 undergraduate operating room technology students from North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences. We utilized purposeful sampling in the form of a census from qualified academic departments. To collect information, we used three questionnaires: one for demographic information, one for IMOTEC, and one for moral distress. We analyzed the data using independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson's correlation coefficient, as well as multiple linear regression analysis at a 95% confidence level using SPSS 26 software. Results: The mean score for the OR educational climate was 71.14 ± 12.01. The rate of moral distress was measured in severity and frequency dimensions, with scores of 1.87 ± 1.08 and 1.79 ± 0.94, respectively. We found a significant inverse relationship between the mean of the educational environment and the severity (p < 0.001) and frequency (p < 0.05) of moral distress. Conclusion: Given that the educational climate is one of the key factors affecting moral distress, it appears that enhancing the educational climate in the OR environment can play a significant role in reducing the moral distress experienced by students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Accurate pre-operative surgical risk predictions form the foundation of pre-operative counseling and informed consent. There are currently no validated risk calculators that are able to accurately predict post-operative complications for women undergoing gynecological cancer surgery in both high- and low-middle-income healthcare settings. Using the dataset from the international GO SOAR database, we present a novel artificial intelligence surgical risk calculator capable of accurately predicting the risk of complications associated with gynecological cancer surgery. The GO SOAR surgical risk calculator uses readily available pre-operative data available across all-income healthcare settings, ensuring benefits to women globally. The medical complexity of surgical patients is increasing, and surgical risk calculators are crucial in providing high-value, patient-centered surgical care. However, pre-existing models are not validated to accurately predict risk for major gynecological oncology surgeries, and many are not generalizable to low- and middle-income country settings (LMICs). The international GO SOAR database dataset was used to develop a novel predictive surgical risk calculator for post-operative morbidity and mortality following gynecological surgery. Fifteen candidate features readily available pre-operatively across both high-income countries (HICs) and LMICs were selected. Predictive modeling analyses using machine learning methods and linear regression were performed. The area-under-the-receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was calculated to assess overall discriminatory performance. Neural networks (AUROC 0.94) significantly outperformed other models (p < 0.001) for evaluating the accuracy of prediction across three groups, i.e., minor morbidity (Clavien–Dindo I-II), major morbidity (Clavien–Dindo III-V), and no morbidity. Logistic-regression modeling outperformed the clinically established SORT model in predicting mortality (AUROC 0.66 versus 0.61, p < 0.001). The GO SOAR surgical risk prediction model is the first that is validated for use in patients undergoing gynecological surgery. Accurate surgical risk predictions are vital within the context of major cytoreduction surgery, where surgery and its associated complications can diminish quality-of-life and affect long-term cancer survival. A model that requires readily available pre-operative data, irrespective of resource setting, is crucial to reducing global surgical disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Riboflavin (RF) is a vitamin that only exists in plants and microorganisms and must be procured externally by humans. On the other hand, there are two major allergic factors in cow's milk, including β-lactoglobulin (βLG) and β-casein (βCN), while their allergic properties can be eliminated by binding to micronutrients. In this regard, we examined the binding process of RF to βLG and βCN in the binary and ternary systems by different spectroscopies such as zeta potential, electric conductivity, and molecular modeling. According to the result of the fluorescence spectrum regarding the interaction of RF with βLG and βCN in binary and ternary systems, an increase in RF concentration declined the fluorescence intensity of three systems and also caused the quenching of proteins. Static quenching plays a pivotal role in the formation of stable interactions. The obtained thermodynamic parameters by Van't Hoff equation ascertained the predominance of hydrogen bonds and van der Waals interaction in all the systems. Considering how the negative value of ΔH0 resulted in the negative value of ΔG0, the systems were assumed to be enthalpy driven. The outcomes of circular dichroism (CD) disclosed that the attachment of RF to the targets of systems increased their a-helix content, which particularly included the binding of RF to βLG that led to the conversion of β-sheet to α-helix content. As indicated by the results of zeta potential, the low concentration of RF contained the dominance of hydrophobic forces in the interactions, whereas the enlargement of this concentration prevailed electrostatic forces. Moreover, conductometry measurements showed an extension in the rate of ionizable groups due to the addition of RF to the systems, which may increase the probability of an interaction between RF, βCN, and βLG in binary and ternary systems. In consistency with the outcomes of molecular dynamics simulation, the data of molecular docking approved the capability of RF in forming strong and stable interactions with βCN and βLG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sleep and circadian rhythm disturbance are predictors of poor physical and mental health, including dementia. Long-term digital technology-enabled monitoring of sleep and circadian rhythms in the community has great potential for early diagnosis, monitoring of disease progression, and assessing the effectiveness of interventions. Before novel digital technology-based monitoring can be implemented at scale, its performance and acceptability need to be evaluated and compared to gold-standard methodology in relevant populations. Here, we describe our protocol for the evaluation of novel sleep and circadian technology which we have applied in cognitively intact older adults and are currently using in people living with dementia (PLWD). In this protocol, we test a range of technologies simultaneously at home (7–14 days) and subsequently in a clinical research facility in which gold standard methodology for assessing sleep and circadian physiology is implemented. We emphasize the importance of assessing both nocturnal and diurnal sleep (naps), valid markers of circadian physiology, and that evaluation of technology is best achieved in protocols in which sleep is mildly disturbed and in populations that are relevant to the intended use-case. We provide details on the design, implementation, challenges, and advantages of this protocol, along with examples of datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic-inorganic nanohybrid ionic liquid based on polyoxometalate [H2 [MIMBS]4 [P2W18O62].11H2O] (MIMB-P2W18) has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis technique, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), 1H, 13C, and 15P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The catalytic activity of this nanohybrid ionic liquid has been studied in multi-component reactions to generate pyran and spiro indoline derivatives. Tetrahydrobenzo[b]pyrans have been successfully synthesized by one-pot three-component condensation of aldehyde, malononitrile and dimedone (or cyclohexane-1,3-dione/3-methyl-2-pyrazoline-5-one) using MIMB-P2W18 as a heterogeneous nano-catalyst. Furthermore, a set of multi-substituted spiro[indoline-3,4׳-pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazole] has been synthesized from isatin, hydrazinehydrate/phenylhydrazine, ethyl acetoacetate and malononitrile/ethyl cyanoacetate in the presence of the same catalyst via one-pot four-component method at room temperature. These procedures have several advantages such as high yields of product, easy work-up procedure, short reaction time and stability, non-toxicity, cheapness and reusability of the catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although rooftop PV panels and battery energy storage systems have been well established for detached residential buildings, there is still a lack of access to the advantages of onsite renewable energy generation and consumption for residents of multi-unit buildings. To understand the effects of developing distributed renewable energy sources for multi-unit buildings, a new fair energy-sharing model in which different groups of residents can gain benefit from the shared energy systems is proposed. Despite the potential benefits of developing renewable technologies in multi-unit buildings, the energy trading and allocation processes in the buildings can be unfair for some groups of residents. Accordingly, this work studies the main principles of energy justice and analyses how these principles can be applied in the energy trading and allocation processes to achieve fair energy sharing. In addition to fairness and justice, the experimental results show that our method increases the sellers' profit by 59.7–127% and decreases the buyers' cost by 8–21%, compared to the baseline methods. Moreover, applying the energy justice principles in the proposed sharing models acts as an efficient incentive for the residents of the multi-unit buildings to invest in the shared distributed renewable energy sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: National comprehensive cancer control programs combat cancer through different measures, including primary prevention, early detection, treatment, and palliative and supportive care. Among the others, early detection programs seem to be a promising intervention and lead to lower cancer mortality. We define research priorities for the early detection of cancers in Iran. Methods: We applied the multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) tools using three key attributes, including “5-year prevalence”, “mortality to incidence ration as severity of disease,” and “economic burden,” to rank different cancers for research priorities. The priorities were ranked based on four scenarios based on the weighting of the attributes. We also used the differences in the 5-year survival between localized and advanced tumors as the effect of early detection and incorporated it as the decision rule into the priority-setting model. Results: Gastric cancer and cancers of the brain and nervous system ranked first in all the proposed scenarios. The most and least 5-year survival differences between localized and advanced cancers were observed for the kidney (80.5%) and the brain (3.3%) cancers. The top 10 priorities for early cancer detection in Iran were gastric, prostate, breast, lung, colorectal, ovarian, kidney, bladder, and cervical cancers. Conclusion: We used a quantitative method and demonstrated the priority areas for research in the early detection of cancer in Iran. Researchers and government may use these results to optimize their research strategies for cancer prevention in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various plants and natural compounds have been used traditionally to treat and prevent diseases, relieve pain, increase body strength, and heal skin injury. Achillea millefolium is a well-known plant of the Asteraceae family that has been extensively studied for its therapeutic properties in conditions, such as menstrual disorders, malaria, headache, cough, and skin injury. Several studies have shown that the topical application of different types of A. millefolium extracts (essential oil (EO), hydroalcoholic extract, etc.) improves the healing process of various skin injuries. Previous studies also highlighted the antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and moisturizing effects of the A. millefolium extract on ameliorating skin injuries, caused by the presence of various potent constituents in the plant extract. This review aimed at overviewing the studies, focusing on A. millefolium's possible effects on the different wound injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One of the most important issues in all organizations is to improve performance of human resources to achieve goals. Therefore, it is necessary plans and solutions to reduce Job Strain (JS) and then increase Organizational Citizenship Behaviors (OCB), and Quality of Work-Life (QWL). The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of JS on QWL with mediating role of OCB and moderator of employment status. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 300 nurses who were non-randomly voluntary selected among nurses working in seven educational hospitals in Ahvaz, Iran. Data were collected using demographic and occupational characteristics questionnaire and JS questionnaire with 12 items, OCB with 16 items & QWL with 26 items in the 5-point Likert scale. Data analysis was performed in SPSS22 using descriptive and inferential statistics, and structural equation modeling with SmartPLS3. Results: The results indicated the mean (SD) score of 49.56 (6.68) for JS (more than normal) and 58.84 (5.94) and 49.88 (7.69) for QWL and OCB, respectively. Spearman correlation coefficients show that JS has a negative relationship with QWL (r = -0.69, p < 0.001) and OCB (r = -0.54, p = 0.008). Also, nurses' employment status (Formal and Contractual) moderates the relationship between JS, QWL, and OCB. Conclusions: According to the results, job stress in nurses of Ahvaz hospitals was high and QWL was moderate (or less). Therefore, increased job stress leads to reduced QWL and OCBs of nurses. Also the employment Status and job security that it provides can modify this impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity/bariatric surgery is rising as the most effective treatment for obesity. In previous studies, the history of Helicobacter pylori as the main cause of chronic abdominal pain in patients undergoing bariatric surgery has not been discussed. In this study, we determine in a set of patients how much of the number of people with positive H. pylori before the operation in one year later suffered from chronic abdominal pain. A retrospective study was conducted on 320 patients undergoing bariatric surgery. Data were collected by interviewing and referring to the medical records of patients. Of 320 patients, 125 were H. pylori-positive, and from these numbers, 43 had chronic abdominal pain (34.4%). Although in previous studies of bariatric surgery, the history of H. pylori has not been identified as the main cause of chronic abdominal pain after surgery. However, according to the available evidence in this study, with a prevalence of more than one-third of chronic abdominal pain in one year after surgery in patients with a history of preoperative H. pylori, pylori can be a potential cause of postoperative chronic pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the challenges of women's activism in Iran using an explanatory-analytical method and the agency-structure theory. The article looks at the variables affecting the mobilization of women activists and political organizations in Iran from 1990 to 2011, and the challenges they had been facing. The hypothesis advanced by this article is that the most important factors influencing the activism of women activists were the different waves of feminism and democratization at the global level, as well as the generational gap, the developments in attitude and cultural aspects, an increase in the level of education, women's access to the Internet, and the relative openness of the political system. The findings of this research are that women's activism in Iran had achievements such as an amplified awareness and identification of rights, an increase of demands, the opposition to sociopolitical discrimination, the relative rise of the presence of women in Parliament, city councils, and executive bodies, and the realization of significant dimensions of social rights; in what concerns the dimension of political rights, the achievements have been much less important. The study also showed that sovereignty obstacles were among the most common challenges faced by women activists, among which we can mention ideological rigidity, pessimism about women's organizations, and the patriarchal-conservative view of governance, weak relationships, strategic and tactical incoherence, and political-intellectual gaps among activists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite considerable advances obtained by applying machine learning approaches in protein–ligand affinity predictions, the incorporation of receptor flexibility has remained an important bottleneck. While ensemble docking has been used widely as a solution to this problem, the optimum choice of receptor conformations is still an open question considering the issues related to the computational cost and false positive pose predictions. Here, a combination of ensemble learning and ensemble docking is suggested to rank different conformations of the target protein in light of their importance for the final accuracy of the model. Available X-ray structures of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) in complex with different ligands are used as an initial receptor ensemble, and its redundancy is removed through a graph-based redundancy removal, which is shown to be more efficient and less subjective than clustering-based representative selection methods. A set of ligands with available experimental affinity are docked to this nonredundant receptor ensemble, and the energetic features of the best scored poses are used in an ensemble learning procedure based on the random forest method. The importance of receptors is obtained through feature selection measures, and it is shown that a few of the most important conformations are sufficient to reach 1 kcal/mol accuracy in affinity prediction with considerable improvement of the early enrichment power of the models compared to the different ensemble docking without learning strategies. A clear strategy has been provided in which machine learning selects the most important experimental conformers of the receptor among a large set of protein–ligand complexes while simultaneously maintaining the final accuracy of affinity predictions at the highest level possible for available data. Our results could be informative for future attempts to design receptor-specific docking-rescoring strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mass movements, especially landslides, are among the most dangerous and harmful environmental hazards that have accelerated in recent decades along with human manipulation of natural systems. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of Sentinel 2A object-oriented image processing technique in identifying, detecting and zoning landslides in Shahroudchai catchment area of Khalkhal city. For this reason, landslides occurred in the region were first identified using object-oriented processing and then the study area was zoned in terms of landslide risk using the network analysis (ANP) method. Elevation, slope, flow direction, vegetation index and Sentinel 2A image were used to extract landslides; Field studies have shown that the existing landslides (81 landslides) in the region have been identified and extracted with 94% accuracy and 91% kappa coefficient by object-oriented method. This indicates the high ability of object-oriented processing to identify areas prone to landslides. Then, using network analysis method and using 11 parameters of elevation, slope, slope direction, land use, geology, slope length index (LS), topographic moisture index (TWI), canal power index (SPI), distance from fault Distance from the road and distance from the waterway, zoning of the study area in terms of landslide risk was done that according to the results, 39.13% of the lands in the study area have a very high potential for landslides. Also, a significant percentage of landslides are in the high-sensitivity class of 50 landslides (61.72). Therefore, it can be said that the accuracy of the model used in landslide susceptibility zoning is acceptable and good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The importance of cellular dosimetry in both diagnostic and radiation therapy is becoming increasingly recognized. Objective: This study aims to compare surviving fractions, which were predicted using Geant4 and contained three types of cancer cell lines exposed to 188Re with the experimentally surviving fraction determined by MTT assay. Material and Methods: In this comparative study, Geant4 was used to simulate the transport of electrons emitted by 188Re from the cell surface, cytoplasm, nucleus or medium around the cells. The nucleus dose per decay (S-value) was computed for models of single cell and random monolayer cell. Geant4-computed survival fraction (SF) of cancer cells exposed to 188Re was compared with the experimental SF values of MTT assay. Results: For single cell model, Geant4 S-values of nucleus-to-nucleus were consistent with values reported by Goddu et al. (ratio of S-values by analytical techniques vs. Geant4 = 0.811-0.975). Geant4 S-values of cytoplasm and cell surface to nucleus were relatively comparable to the reported values (ratio =0.914-1.21). For monolayer model, the values of SCy→N and SCS→N, were greater compared to those for model of single cell (2%-25% and 4%-38% were larger than single cell, respectively). The Geant4 predicted SF for monolayer MCF7, HeLa and A549 cells was in agreement with the experimental data in 10 μCi activity (relative error of 2.29%, 2.69% and 2.99%, respectively). Conclusion: Geant4 simulation with monolayer cell model showed the highest accuracy in predicting the SF of cancer cells exposed to homogeneous distribution of 188Re in the medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sleep quality is an important determinant of human health and wellbeing. Novel technologies that can quantify sleep quality at scale are required to enable the diagnosis and epidemiology of poor sleep. One important indicator of sleep quality is body posture. In this paper, we present the design and implementation of a non-contact sleep monitoring system that analyses body posture and movement. Supervised machine learning strategies applied to noncontact vision-based infrared camera data using a transfer learning approach, successfully quantified sleep poses of participants covered by a blanket. This represents the first occasion that such a machine learning approach has been used to successfully detect four predefined poses and the empty bed state during 8–10 hour overnight sleep episodes representing a realistic domestic sleep situation. The methodology was evaluated against manually scored sleep poses and poses estimated using clinical polysomnography measurement technology. In a cohort of 12 healthy participants, we find that a ResNet-152 pre-trained network achieved the best performance compared with the standard de novo CNN network and other pre-trained networks. The performance of our approach was better than other video-based methods for sleep pose estimation and produced higher performance compared to the clinical standard for pose estimation using a polysomnography position sensor. It can be concluded that infrared video capture coupled with deep learning AI can be successfully used to quantify sleep poses as well as the transitions between poses in realistic nocturnal conditions, and that this non-contact approach provides superior pose estimation compared to currently accepted clinical methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the quantitative accuracy and noise sensitivity of reconstruction of the 3D distribution of complex refractive index, n(r)=1-δ(r)+iβ(r), in samples containing materials with different refractive indices using propagation-based phase-contrast computed tomography (PB-CT). Our present study is limited to the case of parallel-beam geometry with monochromatic synchrotron radiation, but can be readily extended to cone-beam CT and partially coherent polychromatic X-rays at least in the case of weakly absorbing samples. We demonstrate that, except for regions near the interfaces between distinct materials, the distribution of imaginary part of the refractive index, β(r), can be accurately reconstructed from a single projection image per view angle using phase retrieval based on the so-called homogeneous version of the Transport of Intensity equation (TIE-Hom) in combination with conventional CT reconstruction. In contrast, the accuracy of reconstruction of δ(r) depends strongly on the choice of the 'regularization' parameter in TIE-Hom. We demonstrate by means of an instructive example that for some multi-material samples, a direct application of the TIE-Hom method in PB-CT produces qualitatively incorrect results for δ(r), which can be rectified either by collecting additional projection images at each view angle, or by utilising suitable a priori information about the sample. As a separate observation, we also show that, in agreement with previous reports, it is possible to significantly improve signal-to-noise ratio by increasing the sample-to-detector distance in combination with TIE-Hom phase retrieval in PB-CT compared to conventional ('contact') CT, with the maximum achievable gain of the order of 0.3δ/β. This can lead to improved image quality and/or reduction of the X-ray dose delivered to patients in medical imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The systemic inflammatory cascade triggered in donors after brain death enhances the ischemia-reperfusion injury after organ transplantation. Intravenous steroids are routinely used in the intensive care units for the donor preconditioning. Immunosuppressive medications could be potentially used for this purpose as well. Data regarding donor preconditioning with calcineurin inhibitors or inhibitors of mammalian target for Rapamycin is limited. The aim of this project is to investigate the effects of (oral) donor preconditioning with a calcineurin inhibitor (Cyclosporine) vs. an inhibitor of mammalian target for Rapamycin (Everolimus) compared to the conventional administration of steroid in the setting of donation after brain death in porcine renal transplantation. Methods: Six hours after the induction of brain death, German landrace donor pigs (33.2 ± 3.9 kg) were randomly preconditioned with either Cyclosporine (n = 9) or Everolimus (n = 9) administered via nasogastric tube with a repeated dose just before organ procurement. Control donors received intravenous Methylprednisolone (n = 8). Kidneys were procured, cold-stored in Histidine-Tryptophane-Ketoglutarate solution at 4°C and transplanted in nephrectomized recipients after a mean cold ischemia time of 18 h. No post-transplant immunosuppression was given to avoid confounding bias. Blood samples were obtained at 4 h post reperfusion and daily until postoperative day 5 for complete blood count, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and electrolytes. Graft protocol biopsies were performed 4 h after reperfusion to assess early histological and immunohistochemical changes. Results: There was no difference in the hemodynamic parameters, hemoglobin/hematocrit and electrolytes between the groups. Serum blood urea nitrogen and creatinine peaked on postoperative day 1 in all groups and went back to the preoperative levels at the conclusion of the study on postoperative day 5. Histological assessment of the kidney grafts revealed no significant differences between the groups. TNF-α expression was significantly lower in the study groups compared with Methylprednisolone group (p = 0.01) Immunohistochemistry staining for cytochrome c showed no difference between the groups. Conclusion: Oral preconditioning with Cyclosporine or Everolimus is feasible in donation after brain death pig kidney transplantation and reduces the expression of TNF-α. Future studies are needed to further delineate the role of oral donor preconditioning against ischemia-reperfusion injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this study is to measure the contribution of the thermal and fast neutron dose along the central axis of the 15 MV Elekta Precise linac in a tissue equivalent phantom. In order to achieve this purpose, different points were selected in three field sizes of 5 × 5 cm2, 10 × 10 cm2 and 15 × 15 cm2. Fast and thermal neutrons were measured using CR-39 nuclear track detectors with and without thermal neutron converter of 10B, respectively. According to the results, the fast neutron dose equivalent was decreased as the depth increased (field size 5 × 5, 10 × 10 and 15 × 15 cm2 fall from 0.35 to 0.15, 0.5 to 0.3 and 0.5 to 0.3, respectively). Thermal dose equivalent was increased as the depth increased in the tissue equivalent phantom (field size 5 × 5, 10 × 10 and 15 × 15 cm2 rise from 0.1 to 0.4, 0.4 to 0.8 and 0.4 to 0.9, respectively). In conclusion, at depth <3 cm, most existing neutrons are fast and CR-39 films are sensitive to fast neutrons; therefore, they are more appropriate than thermoluminescent dosemeters in measuring neutron dose equivalent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incidence of wound complications after kidney transplantation (KTx) is still considerable. Here, we report the impact of prophylactic absorbable polyglactin (Vicryl®) mesh reinforcement on the incidence of short‐term post‐KTx wound complications. Sixty‐nine patients were analyzed; 23 with and 46 without preventive onlay mesh reinforcement. Surgical site infections (SSI) were seen in six (26%) patients in the mesh group and in 17 (37%) patients in no‐mesh group. A lower, but not statistically significant, rate of early postoperative wound complications occurred in the mesh group. Wound complications were observed in seven (30%) patients in the mesh group and in 23 (50%) patients in the no‐mesh group. There was no association between mesh placement and SSI incidence (odds ratios [OR] 0.60, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.20–1.82, p = 0.369) and wound complications (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.15–1.26, p = 0.126). Therefore, we conclude that mesh reinforcement does not increase the risk of SSI and overall wound complications. Long‐term outcomes have to be evaluated in a randomized trial setting. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 108B:67–72, 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is the most common clinically significant primary immunodeficiency (PID) disorder characterized by variable clinical manifestations including recurrent infections, autoimmune disorders, enteropathy, lymphoproliferative disorders, and malignancy. The aim of this study is to estimate the overall prevalence of malignancy in patients with CVID. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus were searched systemically to find eligible studies from the earliest available date to March 2019 with standard keywords. Pooled estimates of the malignancy prevalence and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using random effects models. Results: Forty-eight studies with a total of 8123 CVID patients met the inclusion criteria and were finally included in the meta-analysis. Overall prevalence of malignancy was 8.6% (95% CI: 7.1–10.0; I2 = 79.2%). The prevalence of lymphoma, gastric cancer, and breast cancer in CVID patients were 4.1% (95% CI: 3.3–4.9; I2 = 62.6%), 1.5% (95% CI: 0.78–2.2; I2 = 68.9%), and 1.3% (95% CI: 0.64–1.9; I2 = 54.9%), respectively. Moreover, autoimmunity and malabsorption were more frequent in patients with malignancy than those without malignancy. Conclusion: The prevalence of malignancy has increased in CVID patients due to recent improvement in survival rate and the lymphoma is the most common type. This research highlighted the significance of malignancy screening and management in CVID patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Ionizing radiation is widely used in industry and medicine; however, it causes a significant health hazard by making microscopic damage to living tissue. Various biological parameters, including cell survival fraction and relative biological effectiveness, are taken into account to assess the severity and extent of biological damages. Microdosimetry suffers from various shortcomings and limitations, but the development of some powerful simulation software has paved the way to resolve these problems in recent years. Material and Methods: In this study, the authors were looked for two keywords (Geant4 and radiobiology) in the title, abstracts, and keywords of Scopus and PubMed database articles. Results: More than 100 articles were found. The researchers extracted the articles that were devoted to the construction of different geometries for DNA, nucleus, and cells as simulate the parameters, such as relative biological effectiveness, SF, linear energy transfer, and single-strand breaks/double-strand breaks in the present study. Conclusion: Geant4 is one of the software commonly used to simulate biological factors. It has many properties, such as the ability to follow up physical processes in very low energy, open source code, and flexibility in complex geometries. In this paper, we reviewed some of the radiobiological parameters simulated with Geant4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate estimation of suspended sediment load (SSL) carried by a river is one of the primary issues in river engineering, water resources, and environment projects. Boundary condition and simplification of some important parameters lead to some limitation on the empirical sediment equations which are based on flow and sediment properties. In this study, the potential of a developed Fuzzy C-mean clustering-support vector regression model, as a FCM-SVR hybrid model, was investigated in comparison with sediment rating curve (SRC), artificial neural network (ANN), adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), and support vector regression (SVR) models for estimating the daily SSL in Sistan River in Iran. Root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), determination coefficient (R2), and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NSE) statistics were utilized to evaluate the accuracy of the models. The result showed that FCM-SVR model estimates SSL (with RMSE, MAE, R2, and NSE equal to 34,415.52 ton/day, 12,256.28 ton/day, 0.922, and 0.918 respectively in testing period) more accurate than other models. The RMSE value, which was 50% lower compared to other models, reveals that this model possesses the lowest error than the other models. Also, the obtained results indicated that the estimated SSLs, using the best FCM-SVR, were in good agreement and linear dependence with observed values. Unlike other models, FCM-SVR model appropriately estimates extreme values of SSL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: Entrepreneurial Inspiration; Entrepreneurial Mindset; Entrepreneurial Behavior Intention; Perceived FearBy Sara Mohammadi, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Department of Management; Abdolhadi Darzian Azizi, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Management Department and Maziyar Arzani Birgani, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Department of Management [Extracted from the article]

As the most important centers providing medical services during disasters and emergencies, hospitals have special structural complexities. Furthermore, the hospitals are exposed to many intrinsic and extrinsic hazards, including fire. On November 28, 2018, at 9:25 am (local time), a fire started in Ayatollah Taleghani Hospital of Ilam, affiliated with Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Immediately, to save patients' lives and prevent injuries to them, the horizontal and then vertical evacuation was performed to transfer patients to other hospitals by helping the support organizations. No physical injuries or deaths were reported in this incident. The results of this case study showed that hospitals should be sufficiently prepared to respond effectively to accidents and disasters, so it is needed to prepare and practice response programs and train hospital staff and managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of Technology on Marketing and Advertising by using structural equations modeling. To do this, 200 marketing and information technology (IT) experts participated in the study. They answered questionnaires regarding IT, marketing mix and advertising. For data analysis, structural equations modeling using SMARTPLS were used. The results showed that the effect of IT on marketing mix and advertising was positive and significant. The effect of marketing mix on advertising was positive and significant. The indirect effect of IT on advertising via marketing mix was therefore positive and significant. Totally, the results emphasized the effect of technology on marketing mix and advertising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feature selection is one of the major problems in an intrusion detection system (IDS) since there are additional and irrelevant features. This problem causes incorrect classification and low detection rate in those systems. In this article, four feature selection algorithms, named multivariate linear correlation coefficient (MLCFS), feature grouping based on multivariate mutual information (FGMMI), feature grouping based on linear correlation coefficient (FGLCC), and feature grouping based on pairwise MI, are proposed to solve this problem. These algorithms are implementable in any IDS. Both linear and nonlinear measures are used in the sense that the correlation coefficient and the multivariate correlation coefficient are linear, whereas the MI and the multivariate MI are nonlinear. Least Square Support Vector Machine (LS-SVM) as an intrusion classifier is used to evaluate the selected features. Experimental results on the KDDcup99 and Network Security Laboratory-Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (NSL) datasets showed that the proposed feature selection methods have a higher detection and accuracy and lower false-positive rate compared with the pairwise linear correlation coefficient and the pairwise MI employed in several previous algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

France has been witnessing a proliferation of autobiographical literatures, also known as personal or intimate literatures, in recent decades. These stories take different forms and tell the life or life periods of an individual. These are life stories that claim a subjective 'I'. In Iran, self-writing has begun, in recent years, to interest modern writers and critics who try, in more or less disguised forms, to tell in writing the story of their lives in a context where literature is always in direct connection with politics. In this context, the purpose of this article is to question the first self-writings that appeared in Iran. In what context has this self-literature emerged? How is the first selfwriting of Iranian writers expressed? What is its real place? The first part of this article will be devoted to the context of the emergence of autobiography, and the relationship between modern society and selfwriting from the eighteenth century in France, which will serve as a model to explain, in a second time, the framework of appearance of autobiography in Iran. The second part will analyze textual elements, the narration of A stone on a tomb, the first autobiography in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to quantitatively demonstrate via three-dimensional (3D) images, through the Synchrotron Radiation Phase-Contrast Microtomography (SR-PhC-MicroCT), the osteoinductive properties of a cortico-cancellous scaffold (Osteobiol Dual Block--DB) cultured with human Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells (hPDLSCs) in xeno-free media. In vitro cultures of hPDLSCs, obtained from alveolar crest and horizontal fibers of the periodontal ligament, were seeded onto DB scaffolds and cultured in xeno-free media for three weeks. 3D images were obtained by SR-PhC-microCT after one and three weeks from culture beginning. MicroCT data were successively processed with a phase-retrieval algorithm based on the Transport of Intensity Equation (TIE). The chosen experimental method, previously demonstratively applied for the 3D characterization of the same constructs in not xeno-free media, quantitatively monitored also in this case the early stages of bone formation in basal and differentiating conditions. Interestingly, it quantitatively showed in the xeno-free environment a significant acceleration of the mineralization process, regardless of the culture (basal/differentiating) medium. This work showed in 3D that the DB guides the osteogenic differentiation of hPDLSCs in xeno-free cultures, in agreement with 2D observations and functional studies previously performed by some of the authors. Indeed, here we fully proved in 3D that expanded hPDLSCs, using xeno-free media formulation, not only provide the basis for Good Manufacturing Practice (preserving the stem cells' morphological features and their ability to differentiate into mesenchymal lineage) but have to be considered, combined to DB scaffolds, as interesting candidates for potential clinical use in new custom made tissue-engineered constructs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creating a safe of health care system requires the establishment of High Reliability Organizations (HROs), which reduces errors, and increases the level of safety in hospitals. This model focuses on improving reliability through higher process design, building a culture of accreditation, and leveraging human factors. The present study intends to determine the readiness of hospitals for the establishment of HROs model in Tehran University of Medical Sciences from the viewpoint of managers of these hospitals. This is a descriptive-analytical study carried out in 2013-2014. The research population consists of 105 senior and middle managers of 15 hospitals of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The data collection tool was a 55- question researcher-made questionnaire, included six elements of HROs to assess the level of readiness for establishing HROs model from managers' point of view. The validity of the questionnaire was calculated through the content validity method using 10 experts in the area of hospitals' accreditation, and its reliability was calculated through test-retest method with a correlation coefficient of 0.90. The response rate was 90 percent. The Likert scale was used for the questions, and data analysis was conducted through SPSS version 21 Descriptive statistics was presented via tables and normal distributions of data and means. Analytical methods, including t-test, Mann-Whitney, Spearman, and Kruskal-Wallis, were used for presenting inferential statistics. The study showed that from the viewpoint of senior and middle managers of the hospitals considered in this study, these hospitals are indeed ready for acceptance and establishment of HROs model. A significant relationship was showed between HROs model and its elements with demographic details of managers like their age, work experience, management experience, and level of management. Although the studied hospitals, as viewed by their managers, are capable of attaining the goals of HROs, it seems there are a lot of challenges in this way. Therefore, it is suggested that a detailed audit is conducted among hospitals' current status regarding different characteristics of HROs, and workshops are held for medical and nonmedical employees and managers of hospitals as an influencing factor; and a re-assessment process afterward, can help moving the hospitals from their current position towards an HROs culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functionalized computed tomography (CT) in combination with labelled cells is virtually non-existent due to the limited sensitivity of X-ray-absorption-based imaging, but would be highly desirable to realise cell tracking studies in entire organisms. In this study we applied in-line free propagation X-ray phase-contrast CT (XPCT) in an allergic asthma mouse model to assess structural changes as well as the biodistribution of barium-labelled macrophages in lung tissue. Alveolar macrophages that were barium-sulfate-loaded and fluorescent-labelled were instilled intratracheally into asthmatic and control mice. Mice were sacrificed after 24 h, lungs were kept in situ, inflated with air and scanned utilizing XPCT at the SYRMEP beamline (Elettra Synchrotron Light Source, Italy). Single-distance phase retrieval was used to generate data sets with ten times greater contrast-to-noise ratio than absorption-based CT (in our setup), thus allowing to depict and quantify structural hallmarks of asthmatic lungs such as reduced air volume, obstruction of airways and increased soft-tissue content. Furthermore, we found a higher concentration as well as a specific accumulation of the barium-labelled macrophages in asthmatic lung tissue. It is believe that XPCT will be beneficial in preclinical asthma research for both the assessment of therapeutic response as well as the analysis of the role of the recruitment of macrophages to inflammatory sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Propagation-based X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography (PBI) has already proven its potential in a great variety of soft-tissue-related applications including lung imaging. However, the strong edge enhancement, caused by the phase effects, often hampers image segmentation and therefore the quantitative analysis of data sets. Here, the benefits of applying single-distance phase retrieval prior to the three-dimensional reconstruction (PhR) are discussed and quantified compared with three-dimensional reconstructions of conventional PBI data sets in terms of contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and preservation of image features. The PhR data sets show more than a tenfold higher CNR and only minor blurring of the edges when compared with PBI in a predominately absorption-based set-up. Accordingly, phase retrieval increases the sensitivity and provides more functionality in computed tomography imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The improvement of scaffold performances as cell carriers in a tissue implant is still a challenge in tissue engineering. Since cells in contact with a scaffold firstly sense its top surface before interacting with its macro-/micro-porous structure, the insertion of chemical motifs within the body of the scaffold could improve cell colonization through its entire structure. In this study, combinations of plasma deposition and treatment processes have been employed to create chemical gradients inside polycaprolactone porous scaffolds, whose micro-morphology has been finely characterized with synchrotron radiation computed micro-tomography. The graded chemical composition of these scaffolds has successfully allowed the increase of cell viability with respect to untreated materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computed x-ray phase contrast micro-tomography is the most valuable tool for a three dimensional (3D) and non destructive analysis of the tissue engineered bone morphology. We used a Talbot interferometer installed at SYRMEP beamline of the ELETTRA synchrotron (Trieste, Italy) for a precise 3D reconstruction of both bone and soft connective tissue, regenerated in vivo within a porous scaffold. For the first time the x-ray tomographic reconstructions have been combined with x-ray scanning micro-diffraction measurement on the same sample, in order to give an exhaustive identification of the different tissues participating to the biomineralization process. As a result, we were able to investigate in detail the different densities in the tissues, distinguishing the 3D organization of the amorphous calcium phosphate from the collagen matrix. Our experimental approach allows for a deeper understanding of the role of collagen matrix in the organic-mineral transition, which is a crucial issue for the development of new bio-inspired composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In this study we aimed to determine the prevalence of cardiac malformations in fetuses of Iranian diabetic mothers with pre-gestational and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and to find the patterns of different cardiac malformations. Methods: One-hundred and seventy diabetic pregnant women (68 preGDM and 102 GDM) (mean age: 32.17±4.8 years) and 85 healthy controls (mean age: 31.35±4.55 years) were recruited from September 2008 to July 2012. Fetal echocardiography was performed to assess cardiac malformation. In order to study major factors that may affect the results, a complete history was obtained. Findings: Fetal echocardiography was performed at mean gestational age of 24.7±5.4 and 20.27±3.9 weeks in diabetic patients and control group, respectively. Fifteen (8.8%) fetuses of diabetic mothers were detected to have cardiac malformations compared with 1 (1.17%) fetus in control group (OR: 8.13, 95%CI: 1.1-62.61, P-value=0.02). Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy noted as the most common cardiac malformation occurred in 6 out of 15 (40%) fetuses, and was found significantly more common in pre-GDM compared to GDM group (7.4% vs 1%, P-value =0.04). Despite the higher incidence of cardiac malformation in pre-GDM compared to GDM group, the difference was not significant. Further, no significant association was observed between the variables including; parity, diabetic regimen, parents' consanguinity, maternal history of hypertension or hypothyroidism and occurring cardiac malformations (P-value >0.05). Conclusion: In this study we detected cardiac malformations in 8.8% of our diabetic referrals. The result of the present study shows that screening diabetic mothers for fetal cardiac malformations could be beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymphocele is a common complication following kidney transplantation (KTx). We aimed to evaluate the preventive effect of peritoneal fenestration during KTx in reducing lymphocele. From January 2001, the data of all KTx were prospectively gathered in our digital data bank. From 2008, preventive peritoneal fenestration was performed as a routine procedure for all patients with KTx. Between 2001 and 2008, 579 KTx were performed without preventive peritoneal fenestration. To compare the results between with and without peritoneal fenestration, the same number of patients after 2008 (579 patients) was included in this study. The pre-, intra-, and postoperative data of the patients in these two groups were analyzed and compared, especially regarding the postoperative different types of lymphocele formation. The mean recipient age was 52.6 ± 13.8, and 33.7% of the patients were female. Type C lymphocele was significantly lower in the group with preventive fenestration (5.3% vs. 8.8%, p = 0.014 for 31/579 vs. 51/579). Peritoneal dialysis and implantation of the kidney in the left fossa were independently associated with a higher rate of type C lymphocele (OR 2.842, 95% CI 1.354–5.967, p = 0.006 and OR 3.614, 95% CI 1.215–10.747, p = 0.021, respectively). The results of this study showed that intraoperative preventive peritoneal fenestration could significantly reduce type C lymphocele. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymphatic complications after kidney transplantation (KTx) are associated with morbidities such as impaired wound healing, thrombosis, and organ failure. Recently, a consensus regarding the definition and severity grading of lymphoceles has been suggested. The aim of the present study was to validate this classification method. All adult patients who underwent KTx between December 2011 and September 2016 in our department were evaluated regarding lymphoceles that were diagnosed within 6 months after KTx based on the recent definition. Patients with lymphoceles were categorized according to the classification criteria, and clinical outcomes were compared between the groups. In our department, a total of 587 patients underwent KTx between 2011 and 2016. Lymphoceles were detected after KTx in 90 patients (15.3%). Among these patients, 24 (26.6%) had grade A lymphoceles, 14 (15.6%) had grade B, and 52 (57.8%) had grade C. The median duration times of intermediate care (IMC) and hospital stay were significantly higher among patients with grade C lymphoceles than they were among patients with grade A and B lymphoceles. Significantly more patients with grade C lymphoceles were readmitted to the hospital for treatment. The recently published definition and severity grading of lymphoceles after KTx is an easy-to-use and valid classification system, which may facilitate the comparison of results from different studies on lymphoceles after KTx. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]