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Abstract Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been shown to affect nutritional recommendations. Some functional foods have been demonstrated to be useful in the treatment of people with COVID-19. However, little is known about the impact of combining functional foods on disease control. This study aimed to investigate the effects of functional foods mixture on serum levels of inflammatory cytokines and biochemical findings in patients with COVID-19. Methods A randomized double-blind controlled trial was conducted in Baqiyatallah Al-Azam hospital in Tehran, Iran. Sixty patients were randomly assigned to receive either a soup containing functional foods (n = 30) or a usual soup (control group) (n = 30). Participants’ sociodemographic information was gathered using a general questionnaire. Blood levels of inflammatory markers and biochemical findings were assessed using standard protocols. Results The results showed that soup containing functional foods was more effective in controlling serum levels of D-dimer, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine than the control group (P

The current systematic review was conducted to investigate the effects of vitamin D supplementation on vitamin D levels, bone health, and physical performance indices in adults with spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods: The PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase databases were searched for studies published up to June 2020, with no language limits. To determine the risk of bias, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Quality criteria checklist was used. Results: Eight studies that met all of the inclusion criteria were identified. All of the eligible studies had a high level of heterogeneity regarding outcome measures, study design, and the dose of vitamin D. The majority of the trials showed beneficial effects of vitamin D supplementation on serum vitamin D levels and other outcome measures in patients with SCI. Three randomized controlled trials revealed a low risk of bias, whilst other studies were rated as the either neutral or negative risk of bias. Conclusion: This review suggests that vitamin D supplementation could improve vitamin D levels, bone health, and physical performance indices in individuals with SCI. However, due to the high level of heterogeneity, the results should be interpreted with caution. Further studies on this population should be performed to have sufficient power and a robust design to give definitive conclusions.

Abstract Background Studies have identified a high prevalence of poor mental health, including depression, anxiety, and stress in military occupations. A low quality diet is one of the potential factors related to mental disorders. This study aimed to investigate the association of a priori dietary patterns, including dietary approach to stop hypertension (DASH), the Mediterranean diet (MD), dietary inflammatory index (DII), and healthy eating index-2015 (HEI-2015) with the odds of depression, anxiety, and stress in military staff. Methods This cross-sectional study was performed on a total of 400 military staff, aged 38.67 ± 5.22 (ranging from 30 to 60) years, recruited from Iranian military centers. The dietary intake of participants and adherence to the DASH, MD, DII, and HEI-2015 was measured using a 168-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Mental health was evaluated with the use of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale − 21 (DASS-21). Results The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress was 64.5%, 63.2%, and 61.3%, respectively. Individuals with the highest adherence to HEI-2015, compared to those with the lowest adherence, were significantly at lower odds of anxiety (OR = 0.51, 95%CI: 0.27–0.96, p = 0.03), while higher adherence to DII was related to a 2.74-fold increased odds of anxiety (OR = 2.74, 95%CI: 1.06–7.04, p = 0.03). Compared to those with the lowest adherence (quartile 1), quartile 2 of the HEI-2015 was associated with decreased odds of stress (p = 0.04). No association was identified between dietary patterns and depression. Conclusion Greater adherence to HEI-2015 and lower adherence to DII are associated with lower odds of anxiety in military staff.

Abstract Background A large number of studies have investigated the association of the Mediterranean and DASH diets with psychological health as well as sleep related outcomes. However, only a few number of studies have examined the association of their newly proposed hybrid, Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) dietary pattern, with sleep quality and sleep related outcomes. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted on 400 male health professions (mean age 38.67 years). Dietary information was collected using a validated 168-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. The MIND score was computed based on major dietary components emphasized or minimized in this pattern. The higher the MIND score of a subject, the greater his adherence to the MIND pattern. Mental health was evaluated using the 21-item depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS-21). Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess sleep quality. Sleep-related outcomes (day-time sleepiness and insomnia) were also evaluated using standard questionnaires Results No significant associations were found between adherence to the MIND diet score and odds of stress, anxiety and depression either in the crude or multivariable-adjusted models (P > 0.05). Nevertheless, participants with the greatest adherence to the MIND diet had lower odds of poor sleep quality (OR for T3 vs. T1: 0.56 (95% CI: 0.34, 0.92), P-trend = 0.023). The results remained significant after full adjustment for confounding variables (P-trend = 0.042). Participants in the highest tertile of MIND diet had a 42% lower odds of daytime sleepiness in the crude and multivariable-adjusted model (P-trend

Abstract Background In the current study, we aimed to investigate the association of dietary inflammation scores (DIS) and lifestyle inflammation scores (LIS) with the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in a prospective population-based study. Methods A total of 1625 participants without MetS were recruited from among participants of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study(2006–2008) and followed a mean of 6.1 years. Dietary data of subjects were collected using a food frequency questionnaire at baseline to determine LIS and DIS. Multivariable logistic regression models, were used to calculate the odds ratio (ORs) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) of MetS across tertiles of DIS and LIS. Results Mean ± SD age of individuals (45.8 % men) was 37.5 ± 13.4 years. Median (25–75 interquartile range) DIS and LIS for all participants was 0.80 (− 2.94, 3.64) and 0.48 (− 0.18, − 0.89), respectively. During the study follow-up, 291 (17.9 %) new cases of MetS were identified. Based on the age and sex-adjusted model, a positive association was found between LIS (OR = 7.56; 95% CI 5.10–11.22, P for trend

ObjectiveThere is a limited understanding of the impact of the family-centered empowerment model (FCEM) on the psychological symptoms in post-myocardial infarction (MI). This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the FCEM on the psychological improvement of patients with MI.MethodsThe present study was a randomized controlled trial (RCT) where patients experienced a standard home cardiac rehabilitation (CR) or CR utilizing the FCEM approach. The empowerment of patients was estimated during nine assessments, such as pre- and post-intervention. Factors, such as quality of life (QoL), state and trait anxiety, and perceived stress, were evaluated. A Bayesian multivariate mixed-effects model was used to simultaneously investigate the effect of the intervention group on study outcomes across the time.ResultsAmong all the participants in this study, 24 (34.3%) were women with a total mean ± standard deviation (SD) of 61.40 ± 12.83 and 24.87 ± 3.80 for age and body mass index (BMI). The participants who were in the FCEM group had a significantly higher mean level of perceived stress (β = 28.80), state anxiety (β = 16.20), trait anxiety (β = 3.65), physical (β = 38.54), and mental QoL (β = 42.14). Moreover, the individuals in the FCEM group had a significantly higher mean level of general health (β = 31.64) in the physical dimension of QoL, vitality (β = 15.04), mental role limitation (β = 21.84), and mental health (β = 18.16) in the mental dimension of QoL.ConclusionsThe FCEM can be a valuable treatment mechanism for patients with post-MI to improve their stress, anxiety, and QoL.

Background One of the problems of today's Iranian youth is how to use social media coincided with the outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Objective This study aimed to investigate the way of use of social media and its effect on health promoting behaviors and COVID-19-related anxiety in non-medical students. Methods In this analytical study, participants were 307 non-medical students of Islamic Azad University of Tabriz Branch. Data collection tools were a demographic form, Corona Disease Anxiety Scale (CDAS) with two subscales of psychological and physical symptoms, and Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP) with six subscales of spiritual growth, health responsibility, interpersonal relations, stress management, physical activity, and nutrition which were completed online. The multivariate analysis of variance and a post-hoc test were used for data analysis. Findings Of 307 participants, 256 were female (83%) and 51 were male (16.6%), with a mean age of 27 years. The HPLP components of spiritual growth (P=0.001), health responsibility (P=0.001), stress management (P=0.001), physical activity (P=0.002), and its overall score (P=0.001) had a significant relationship with the way of use of the Internet, and the group with a fun purpose had lower scores in these variables compared to other groups. Moreover, the CDAS component of psychological symptoms (P=0.007) and its overall score (P=0.03) had a significant relationship with the way of using social media; the group with a fun purpose reported higher CDAS score than the groups with scientific and general information acquiring purposes. Conclusion The use of social media for fun negatively affects the students’ lifestyle in the current coronavirus outbreak and increases their COVID-19-related anxiety.

Abstract. Background:. The hypocaloric diets improve glycemic status in obese individuals, but the response to hypocaloric diets in fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO)-rs9939609 gene variant is unknown. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the gene-diet interaction of FTO-rs9939609 gene variant and hypocaloric diets on glycemic control in overweight and obese adults. Methods:. Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, ISI Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and Google scholar were searched up to December 2018, for relevant clinical trials. Mean changes in fasting blood sugar (FBS), serum insulin, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were extracted. Results:. The pooled analysis of nine studies showed that there was no significant difference between AA/AT and TT genotypes in FBS (weighted mean difference [WMD] = 0.01, 95% confidence interval [CI]: –1.08, 1.10, P = 0.984) and serum insulin (WMD = 0.20, 95% CI: –0.85, 1.26; P = 0.707) after intervention hypocaloric diets. The overweight/obese participants in AA/AT group showed the greatest reduction in HOMA-IR compared with TT genotype following intervention, and this difference was not statistically significant (WMD = –0.38, 95% CI: –0.94, 0.16, P = 0.167). Conclusion:. This meta-analysis suggests that there was no significant difference between AA/AT and TT genotypes of FTO-rs9939609 on FBS, serum insulin level, and insulin resistance in response to hypocaloric diets.

Abstract Background Adherence to a DASH- style diet has been reported to be associated with several health-related outcomes. A limited number of reports suggest that diet is an important behavioral determinant of insomnia. The current study aimed to explore the relationship between adherence to a DASH diet and the prevalence of insomnia in adolescent girls. Methods A total of 488 adolescent girls aged 12–18 years old were recruited from different regions of Khorasan Razavi in northeastern of Iran, using a random cluster sampling method. DASH scores were determined according to the method of Fung et al. A validated Iranian version of the Insomnia Severity Index questionnaire was used to assess sleep insomnia. To assess the association between the DASH dietary pattern and insomnia, we applied logistic regression analysis in crude and adjusted models. Results As may be expected, participants in the upper quintile of the DASH diet had significantly higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy products, fish and nuts and lower consumption of refined grains, red and processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages and sweets. We found that a high adherence to a DASH-style diet was associated with a lower odds of insomnia (OR: 0.51; 95% CI 0.26–1.00) compared with those with lowest adherence. Similar results were found after adjustment for potential confounders. Conclusions There is an inverse association between adherence to DASH dietary patterns and insomnia. Further prospective studies are required to demonstrate these findings.

- Aim and Background: Given the dangerous consequences that addiction to the internet has for adolescent individuals, the issue of internet addiction and its implications for the individual, family and social life of a teenager is important. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the role of internet addiction in social health of adolescents. Methods and Materials: This is a descriptive and survey-based study. For this purpose, among all secondary school students in Ahar city (3767), based on the Morgan table, a sample of 348 students in two boys (177) and girl (171) were randomly selected using random sampling method The relative class was chosen. Participants completed Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and Social Health Questionnaire (SHQ). The obtained data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and standard regression. Findings: The mean (SD) of age participants was 16.3 (0.47), and the rate of social network use among the participants with a mean (SD) 3.38 (3.76). The mean (SD) of social flourishing 18.74(1.03) (r = -0.545), social correlation 13.74(0.78), (r = -0.129), social solidarity13.30 (1.52) (r = -0.417), social acceptance 22.47(1.95) (r = -0.378) and social participation 22.41(1.76) (r = -0.396) were internet addiction 41.16(7.92) was (p

Introduction:Military personnel need to use nutritional supplements to increase physical and mental efficiency and protect against occupational injuries. However, Information is limited about the effectiveness and efficiency of nutritional supplements related to military personnel needs. The aim of this study is to review the studies in the field of nutritional supplements required for the military personnel. Methods: In this review study, articles related to nutritional supplements needed to protect against intense noise, improve trauma and enhance physical and mental function in military personnel were reviewed. The articles were extracted from the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Sciences and Persian databases as the SID and Magiran between 1993 and 2018. Results:The results of the review showed that supplementation of magnesium and vitamin B12 to protect against abnormal sounds, supplementation of glutamine and omega-3 in trauma, supplementation of beta-alanine in physical activity and caffeine in mental function can be beneficial. Conclusion: Nutritional supplements can be useful for military personnel from different aspects. However, the supplements discussed in this article only cover a small part of the supplements required by the military. In addition, although evidence suggests the potential benefits of nutritional supplements to military personnel, but this subject is still controversial and requires further studies.

Background: The role of inflammatory states in cardiometabolic risks among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with similar degrees of obesity is unknown. The study aimed to compare cardiometabolic risk factors in inflammatory obesity phenotypes with regard to the role of the FTO rs9939609 gene polymorphism. Materials and Methods: This study was performed on 155 patients with T2DM (77 men and 78 women) in Ahvaz, Iran. Participants were grouped into four groups based on the presence of obesity and inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein ≥3.9 mg/L): low inflammatory normal weight (LINW), high inflammatory normal weight (HINW), low inflammatory obese (LIO), and high inflammatory obese (HIO). The genotypes of FTO rs9939609, including homozygous carriers of the FTO risk allele (AA), heterozygous carriers (AT), and carrying no risk allele (TT), were studied. The cardiometabolic risk factors, including anthropometric status, hypertension, lipid and glycemic profile, and inflammatory markers, were evaluated. The waist–hip ratio (WHR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) were calculated. Results: The patients in inflammatory groups (HINW and HIO) have significantly higher levels in AIP when compared to inflammatory healthy groups (LINW and LIO). No significant differences between any of the four group means were detected in WHR, blood pressure, MAP, glycemic status (fasting blood sugar and insulin), homeostatic model assessment, lipid profile (triglyceride, very low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, and cholesterol), interleukin-6, and total antioxidant capacity. The most frequent of high-risk genotype (AA) of FTO rs9939609 was in HIO, LIO, HINW, and LINW. Conclusion: T2DM patients with inflammatory condition have similar degree of increased atherogenic risk irrespective of obesity. The obesity-risk genotype AA of FTO gene was associated with an increased risk for inflammatory obesity in T2DM patients.

Abstract The NuA3 complex is a major regulator of gene transcription and the cell cycle in yeast. Five core subunits are required for complex assembly and function, but it remains unclear how these subunits interact to form the complex. Here, we report that the Taf14 subunit of the NuA3 complex binds to two other subunits of the complex, Yng1 and Sas3, and describe the molecular mechanism by which the extra-terminal domain of Taf14 recognizes the conserved motif present in Yng1 and Sas3. Structural, biochemical, and mutational analyses show that two motifs are sandwiched between the two extra-terminal domains of Taf14. The head-to-toe dimeric complex enhances the DNA binding activity of Taf14, and the formation of the hetero-dimer involving the motifs of Yng1 and Sas3 is driven by sequence complementarity. In vivo assays in yeast demonstrate that the interactions of Taf14 with both Sas3 and Yng1 are required for proper function of the NuA3 complex in gene transcription and DNA repair. Our findings suggest a potential basis for the assembly of three core subunits of the NuA3 complex, Taf14, Yng1 and Sas3.

Abstract In the nucleus, biological processes are driven by proteins that diffuse through and bind to a meshwork of nucleic acid polymers. To better understand this interplay, we present an imaging platform to simultaneously visualize single protein dynamics together with the local chromatin environment in live cells. Together with super-resolution imaging, new fluorescent probes, and biophysical modeling, we demonstrate that nucleosomes display differential diffusion and packing arrangements as chromatin density increases whereas the viscoelastic properties and accessibility of the interchromatin space remain constant. Perturbing nuclear functions impacts nucleosome diffusive properties in a manner that is dependent both on local chromatin density and on relative location within the nucleus. Our results support a model wherein transcription locally stabilizes nucleosomes while simultaneously allowing for the free exchange of nuclear proteins. Additionally, they reveal that nuclear heterogeneity arises from both active and passive processes and highlight the need to account for different organizational principles when modeling different chromatin environments.

BACKGROUND: Repeated allogeneic blood transfusions in thalassemia major patients stimulate the patient's immune system to generate antibodies against foreign erythrocyte antigens. This study was carried out to systematically review the findings of available studies about the prevalence of alloantibodies and autoantibodies, as well as the type of causative antigens among transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients in Iran. METHODS: Electronic search was conducted on Medline, PubMed, Cochrane, EMBASE, ScienceDirect, and Persians databases. All relevant articles published from January 1990 to July 2018 were included. Abstracts of conference booklets which that been published in the last 5 years were also included in the meta-analysis. The search language was restricted to English and Persian. The quality of studies was evaluated according to a checklist developed by authors, and Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool was used to evaluate the risk of bias. RESULTS: Twenty-three relevant articles met all the inclusion criteria. The prevalence of alloimmunization was 13%. Our study showed that anti-D (25%) and anti-K (25%) were most prevalent among Iranian β-thalassemia patients. Data analysis shows the autoantibody prevalence to be 1% among 3787 patients. Meta-regression revealed that the prevalence of alloantibodies increases with each year as the average age of the study population increases. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of red blood cell (RBC) alloantibodies in transfused Iranian β-thalassemia patients was high. Appropriate preventive strategies such as RBC phenotyping for patients before beginning transfusion and using extended RBC donor–recipient matching, specifically for Rh and Kell system, could be implemented to avoid complications in thalassemia patients.

Abstract Background Lactic acid produced by tumors has been shown to overcome immune surveillance, by suppressing the activation and function of T cells in the tumor microenvironment. The strategies employed to impair tumor cell glycolysis could improve immunosurveillance and tumor growth regulation. Dichloroacetate (DCA) limits the tumor-derived lactic acid by altering the cancer cell metabolism. In this study, the effects of lactic acid on the activation and function of T cells, were analyzed by assessing T cell proliferation, cytokine production and the cellular redox state of T cells. We examined the redox system in T cells by analyzing the intracellular level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide and glutathione and gene expression of some proteins that have a role in the redox system. Then we co-cultured DCA-treated tumor cells with T cells to examine the effect of reduced tumor-derived lactic acid on proliferative response, cytokine secretion and viability of T cells. Result We found that lactic acid could dampen T cell function through suppression of T cell proliferation and cytokine production as well as restrain the redox system of T cells by decreasing the production of oxidant and antioxidant molecules. DCA decreased the concentration of tumor lactic acid by manipulating glucose metabolism in tumor cells. This led to increases in T cell proliferation and cytokine production and also rescued the T cells from apoptosis. Conclusion Taken together, our results suggest accumulation of lactic acid in the tumor microenvironment restricts T cell responses and could prevent the success of T cell therapy. DCA supports anti-tumor responses of T cells by metabolic reprogramming of tumor cells.

High production of lactic acid is a common feature of various tumors. Lactic acid is an immunosuppressive molecule with crucial roles in tumor cells' immune escape, which could largely be attributed to its negative effects on the T cells present in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Strategies that decrease the glycolysis rate of tumor cells could enhance immunosurveillance and limit tumor growth. Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) is a key enzyme in the glycolysis pathway, and it plays a vital role in lactic acid buildup in the TME. MicroRNA (miR)-124 has been shown to be able to decrease tumor cell lactic acid synthesis indirectly by reducing PKM2 levels. In this study, we first overexpressed miR-124 in the tumor cells and evaluated its effects on the PKM2 expression and lactic acid production of the tumor cells using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and spectrophotometry, respectively. Then, we cocultured miR-124–treated tumor cells with T cells to investigate the effects of miR-124 overexpression on T cell proliferation, cytokine production, and apoptosis. Our results demonstrated that miR-124 overexpression could significantly reduce the amount of lactic acid produced by tumor cells by manipulating their glucose metabolism, which led to the augmented proliferation and IFN-γ production of T cells. Moreover, it rescued T cells from lactic acid-induced apoptosis. Our data suggest that lactic acid is a hindering factor for T-cell–based immunotherapies; however, manipulating tumor cells' metabolism via miR-124 could be a promising way to improve antitumor responses of T cells.

Abstract Background CAR T cell-based therapies have shown promising results in hematological malignancies. Results of CAR T cell projects in solid tumors have been less impressive, and factors including lack of targetable antigens and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) have been suggested as culprits. Adenosine, a metabolite which is highly produced in TME, is known to mediate the suppression of anti-tumor T cell responses via binding and signaling through adenosine 2a receptor (A2aR). Methods In this study, the expression of A2aR and the effects of its activation on the function of fully human anti-mesothelin CAR T cells (MSLN-CAR T), were analyzed. Afterwards, the molecular and pharmacological means to overcome the inhibitory effects of A2aR signaling on CAR T cell function were used. This was performed by targeting A2aR expression in MSLN-CAR T cells using various anti-A2aR shRNA sequences embedded in the CAR vector and an A2aR pharmacological antagonist, SCH-58261. Statistical analyses were performed Prism 7 software. Results Our experiments showed significant A2aR upregulation on T cells during the CAR T cell production procedure (cell activation and transduction). Activation of adenosine signaling using adenosine analog led to the suppression of all major anti-tumor functions in MSLN-CAR T cells. Interestingly, CAR T cells that carried the anti-A2aR shRNA sequences were resistant to the inhibitory effects of adenosine signaling. Pharmacological inhibition of A2aR reversed the reduction in CAR T cell proliferation and cytokine response caused by the adenosine analog; however, it failed to rescue the cytotoxic function of the cells. Conclusion Altogether, our results indicate that mitigating A2aR signaling by genetic targeting of the receptor might be a promising approach in improving CAR T cell function in an unreceptive microenvironment and could potentially improve the outcome of treatment in clinical settings.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy is considered as an encouraging approach for the treatment of hematological malignancies. However, its efficacy in solid tumors has not been satisfying, mainly in the immunosuppressive network of the tumor microenvironment and paucity of appropriate target antigens. Mesothelin (MSLN) is a tumor-associated antigen (TAA) expressed in numerous types of solid tumors such as gastrointestinal, ovarian, and pancreatic tumors. Owing to high expression in tumor cells and low expression in normal tissues, MSLN-targeted therapies like monoclonal antibodies have been previously developed. In the present study, a CAR T cell harboring the second-generation of a fully human anti-MSLN-CAR construct containing CD3ζ and 4-1BB signaling domains was produced and it was functionally evaluated against an MSLN-expressing cell line. The findings showed potent, specific proliferation, cytotoxic activity, and interleukin (IL)-2, Tumor necrosis factor-(TNF) α, and Interferon-(IFN) γ production in an antigen-dependent manner. Cytotoxic activity was shown in effector-to-target ratio from 1:1 to 20:1, but the most adequate efficacy was observed in the ratio of 10:1. Non-specific activity against MSLN negative cell line was not observed. Our data demonstrated that primary human T cells expressing fully human MSLN-CAR construct are effective against MSLN-expressing cell lines in vitro, suggesting this MSLN-CAR construct as a potential therapeutic tool in a clinical setting.