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Background & Objective: One of the most considerable concerns of higher education systems is how to enhance students' academic engagement and flow. The present study aimed to examine the roles of emotional and autonomy support provided by teachers in students' academic engagement and flow. Material & Methods: The study sample included students enrolled at Kashan University of Medical Sciences in winter 2023. A total of 356 students were chosen as participants using proportional stratified random sampling technique. The data collection instruments were Black and Deci's Perceived Autonomy Support Questionnaire, Sakiz's Teacher Emotional Support Questionnaire, Reeve and Tseng's Academic Engagement Questionnaire, and Martin and Jackson's Academic Flow Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in Amos-22 software. Results: The SEM results indicated that the proposed model had a good fit. Perceived autonomy support predicted academic engagement (ß =.692, p <0.01) and academic flow (ß = 0.335, p < 0.01), and perceived emotional support predicted academic engagement (ß = 0.226, p < 0.01) and academic flow (ß = 0.312, p < 0.01). Conclusion: The results highlight the importance of the roles of perceived autonomy and emotional support in students' academic engagement and flow. Therefore, medical science universities are recommended to improve the quality of students' learning to achieve higher levels of academic success by giving professors essential guidelines on how to provide students with more autonomy and emotional support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, animal samples were subjected to skin rejuvenation using the floating electrode dielectric barrier discharge plasma device. Plasma processing was performed on the dorsal area of the rat's neck, covering a surface area of 18 cm2. Biometric assessments, encompassing measurements of skin surface evaporation, moisture content, melanin and erythema levels, as well as skin firmness and elasticity, were conducted before treatment initiation, immediately posttreatment, at the 4th and the 10th week during the follow‐up period. Physical examinations were employed to investigate and record the active species generated by plasma as well as the temperature of the skin surface. The skin ultrasound device was utilized to assess the density and thickness of both the epidermis and dermis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Objective: Academic burnout is a prevalent and unwanted syndrome that affects a large number of students. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the possible variables that might safeguard students from burnout. The aim of this study was to examine how academic grit acts as a mediator in the relationship between achievement goal orientations and academic burnout among Iranian medical students. Material & Methods: The current study was descriptive with a correlational design. The sample for this study included students enrolled at Kashan University of Medical Sciences during the academic year 2022-2023. A total of 391 students were chosen as participants using a multi-stage selection method. The data collection tools were Elliot and McGregor's Achievement Goal Orientations Questionnaire, Bresó et al.'s Academic Burnout Questionnaire, and Duckworth and Quinn's Grit Scale. The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in smart-PLS software. Results: The findings indicated that mastery-approach (ß = -0.216, p = 0.001) and performanceapproach (ß = -0.165, p = 0.003) goal orientations directly and adversely predicted academic burnout. Moreover, mastery-avoidance (ß = 0.172, p < 0.001) and performance-avoidance (ß = 0.205, p < 0.001) goal orientations directly and significantly predicted academic burnout. Furthermore, academic grit mediated the association between all types of achievement goal orientations, except mastery avoidance, and academic burnout. Conclusion: Given the adverse effects of academic burnout, it is suggested that responsible bodies in medical science universities take significant measures to promote mastery-approach and performance-approach goal orientations and decrease mastery-avoidance and performanceavoidance goal orientations among students. Further, students' academic grit could be increased via educational workshops and counseling sessions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of curcumin on epididymal sperm parameters in adult male Navel Medical Research Institute (NMRI) mice exposed to sodium arsenite. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, we divided the animals into four groups: control, sodium arsenite (5 mg/kg), curcumin (100 mg/kg) and curcumin+sodium arsenite. Exposures were performed by intraperitoneal injections for a 5-week period. After the exposure period, we recorded the animals' body and left testes weights. The left caudal epididymis was used to count the sperm number and analyze motility, viability, morphological abnormalities, acrosome reaction, DNA integrity, and histone-protamine replacement in the spermatozoa. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by the Tukey's test was used to assess the statistical significance of the data with SPSS 16.0. P<0.05 was considered significant. Results: Mice exposed to sodium arsenite showed a significant decrease in the number, motility, viability, normal sperm morphology and acrosome integrity of spermatozoa compared to the control group. In the curcumin+sodium arsenite group, curcumin significantly reversed these adverse effects to the point where they approximated the control. In addition, the application of curcumin alone had no significant difference in these parameters compared to the control and curcumin+sodium arsenite groups. However, we observed no significant differences in the body and the testis weight as well as the DNA integrity and histone-protamine replacement in the spermatozoa of the four groups. Conclusion: Curcumin compensated for the toxic effects of sodium arsenite on a number of sperm parameters in adult mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gold nanorods (GNRs) can be used in various biomedical applications; however, very little is known about their in vivo tissue distribution by radiolabeling. Here, we have developed a rapid and simple method with high yield and without disturbing their optical properties for radiolabeling of gold rods with iodine-131 in order to track in vivo tissue uptake of GNRs after systemic administration by biodistribution analysis and γ-imaging. Following intravenous injection into rat, PEGylated GNRs have much longer blood circulation times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay which evaluates cellular mitochondrial activity is widely used for the assessment of cell proliferation and viability. Objective: This study was performed to assess human sperm viability using MTT assay. Materials and Methods: In this laboratory study, human-ejaculated semen samples (n = 56 from different donors) were used. The sperm viability was determined using quantitative MTT assay and the sperm motility was assessed according to World Health Organization guidelines. Sperm viability and the correlation between sperm viability and motility were analyzed. Results: Data revealed a marked positive correlation between MTT reduction rate and the percentage of viable spermatozoa. The Pearson's correlation coefficients also showed a significant correlation between sperm viability and motility. Conclusion: MTT assay which is based on mitochondrial functionality is a reliable method for evaluating human sperm viability and could be used as a diagnostic test for predicting sperm fertilization ability in clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer remains a complex and multifaceted disease, characterized by a myriad of molecular and cellular alterations that collectively drive tumorigenesis and progression. Hanahan and Weinberg's concept of cancer hallmarks has offered a framework for comprehending the various but related aspects of cancer biology. Initially defined as a set of six hallmarks, further investigation has added more characteristics to this list that also contribute to the malignant phenotype. Changes in cellular energetics, proliferative signaling, and resistance to cell death are three of these hallmarks that have been thoroughly investigated and described. But new discoveries in the field of cancer biology have brought attention to the importance of another aspect of the biology of cancer: the dysregulation of membrane potential., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

"No cell could exist without ion channels" (Clay Armstrong; 1999). Since the discovery in the early 1950s, that ions move across biological membranes, the idea that changes of ionic gradients can generate biological signals has fascinated scientists in any fields. Soon later (1960s) it was found that ionic flows were controlled by a class of specific and selective proteins called ion channels. Thus, it became clear that the concerted activities of these proteins can initiate, arrest, and finely tune a variety of biochemical cascades which offered the opportunity to better understand both biology and pathology. Cancer is a disease that is notoriously difficult to treat due its heterogeneous nature which makes it the deadliest disease in the developed world. Recently, emerging evidence has established that potassium channels are critical modulators of several hallmarks of cancer including tumor growth, metastasis, and metabolism. Nevertheless, the role of potassium ion channels in cancer biology and the therapeutic potential offered by targeting these proteins has not been explored thoroughly. This chapter is addressed to both cancer biologists and ion channels scientists and it aims to shine a light on the established and potential roles of potassium ion channels in cancer biology and on the therapeutic benefit of targeting potassium channels with activator molecules., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Arsenic as an environmental toxicant is able to exert malformations in male reproductive system by inducing oxidative stress. Vitamin E (Vit.E) is known as antioxidant vitamin., Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the harmful effects of sodium arsenite on sperm parameters and the antioxidant effects of Vit.E on sperm anomalies in sodium arsenite treated rats., Materials and Methods: Adult male rats were divided into 4 groups: control, sodium arsenite (8 mg/kg/day), Vit.E (100 mg/kg/day) and sodium arsenite+Vit.E. Oral treatments were performed till 8 weeks. Body and left testis weight were recorded and then left caudal epididymis was cut in Ham's F10. Released spermatozoa were used to analyze number, motility, viability and abnormalities of the sperm. Sperm chromatin quality was assessed by nuclear staining using acridine orange and aniline blue., Results: Body and testis weight showed no significant change in 4 groups (p>0.05). A significant decrease in the number, motility, viability and normal sperm morphology was found in sodium arsenite-treated rats compared to the control (p<0.001). Sodium arsenite had no effect on sperm DNA integrity and histon-protamine replacement (p>0.05). In sodium arsenite+Vit.E group, Vit.E could significantly compensate the harmful effects of sodium arsenite on sperm number, motility, viability and morphology compared to sodium arsenite group. In addition, sperm viability and motility was significantly increased in rats treated with Vit.E alone compared to the control and sodium arsenite+Vit.E group., Conclusion: Vitamin E could compensate the adverse effects of sodium arsenite on sperm parameters in adult rats.