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Abstract Objective This study describes the 2010–2019 trend of cervical cancer (CC) in women over 55 by socio‐demographic index (SDI) and geographical regions. Methods We obtained data on CC annually from 2010 to 2019 from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) to analyze the incidence, death and prevalence rates, and disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs) associated with CC across different parameters such as global trend, age groups, SDI, continents, World Bank Regions, World Health Organization (WHO) regions, GBD regions, and National and territorial division. This analysis covers data from 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019. Results There were 236,228 CC incidence cases worldwide in 2019, which is a 1.27‐fold increase from 2010. Global CC deaths also increased to 169,304 cases in 2019, reflecting a 1.24‐fold increase. CC prevalence increased to 769,925 cases in 2019, representing a 1.4‐fold rise. The number of CC DALYs globally increased to 3,835,979 cases in 2019, reflecting a 1.24‐fold increase. Incidence, death, prevalence, and DALY numbers of CC increased across all age groups females in the 65–69 years age group experienced the highest increase. Middle SDI countries had the highest incidence, death, prevalence, and DALY numbers, while low SDI countries showed increasing trends. Asia exhibited the highest incidence, death, prevalence, and DALY numbers of CC. Upper middle‐income countries had the highest incidence, death, prevalence, and DALY numbers, with the highest decreases in these rates except the prevalence rate. The Western Pacific Region showed the highest incidence, death, prevalence, and DALY numbers, with declining rate trends. The Republic of Kiribati showed the highest incidence, death, prevalence, and DALY numbers. Conclusion Based on the study results, it is clear that although the global trend of epidemiological indicators of CC is decreasing, the largest proportion of the decreasing trend is related to developing countries. But in regions of Africa and Asia that have a lower level of development, sometimes these indicators show upward trends, which shows the worsening of the problem in these regions and the need for serious policies and plans to implement comprehensive vaccination, screening, and promotion interventions. People's awareness is necessary in the field of better disease control.

Abstract Background Globorisk is one of the prediction tools for 10-year risk assessment of cardiovascular disease, featuring an office-based (non-laboratory-based) version. This version does not require laboratory tests for determining the CVD risk. The present study aims to determine the 10-year CVD risk using the office-based Globorisk model and factors associated with the 10-year CVD risk. Methods In this study, baseline data from 6810 individuals participating in the Fasa cohort study, with no history of CVD or stroke, were utilized. The risk equation of the office-based Globorisk model incorporates age, sex, systolic blood pressure (SBP), body mass index (BMI), and smoking status. The Globorisk model categorizes the risk into three groups: low risk (

Abstract Hypertension is a very common comorbidity in type 2 diabetes patients, which leads to important health and treatment challenges. The present study was conducted with the aim of determining the prevalence of hypertension and its risk factors in type 2 diabetes patients. This study was conducted using cross-sectional data from 1245 participants aged between 35 and 70 years and diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at baseline in the Fasa cohort study. The prevalence hypertension was determined and multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between various risk factors and hypertension prevalence. The average age of the participants was 53.5 ± 8.7 years and 71.7% (n = 893) were female and 28.3% (n = 352) were male. The prevalence of hypertension in people with type 2 diabetes was 45.5% (n = 566). Higher age (AOR, 95% CI: 8.1, 4.6–14.3), female gender (OR, 95% CI: 1.8, 1.2–2.5), Fars (AOR, 95% CI: 1.6, 1.1–2.4) and Turk (AOR, 95% CI: 1.6, 1.1–2.5) vs. other ethnicity, and overweight (AOR, 95% CI: 1.8, 1.38–2.38) and obesity (AOR, 95% CI: 2.7, 2.0–3.8) vs. BMI

Abstract Aim This study compared the effectiveness of several techniques in restoring compromised bonding to recently bleached enamel. Methods Seventy-five healthy bovine incisors were divided into five groups (n = 15). Fifteen teeth (Group 1) remained intact, whereas 60 (Groups 2 to 5) underwent at-home bleaching with 16% carbamide peroxide. The bonding procedures were as follows: Group 1: Bonding of resin composite to unbleached enamel; Group 2: Bonding immediately after bleaching; Group 3: Application of a 10% sodium ascorbate solution for 10 min before bonding; Group 4: Enamel removal to the depth of 0.5 mm; and Group 5: Increased curing time of the bonding agent to 80 instead of 20 s. After 24 h, the specimens were subjected to micro-shear testing, and the failure mode was determined. Results ANOVA revealed a significant difference in bond strength among the groups (P 0.05). Adhesive failure was the most predominant failure type in all groups. The mixed failure occurred with a frequency of 26.7% in groups 3 and 5. The Fisher’s exact test revealed a significant difference in failure modes among the groups (P = 0.047). Conclusions The three experimental procedures used in this study, including the application of 10% sodium ascorbate before bonding, enamel removal to the depth of 0.5 mm, and increasing the curing time of the bonding agent to 80 s, were effective in restoring the compromised bonding to recently bleached enamel.

The effect of sticker thickness on final moisture content (MC) of southern pine lumber was investigated in this work. Three kiln charges of lumber were dried to examine the impact of sticker thickness. Sticker thicknesses were 0.75-, 1.00-, and 1.25-in. The moisture contents at different locations within the kiln pack (edge vs middle / course position) were noted. Three course positions were top 5, middle, and bottom 5 courses. Two within-pack locations were considered: outer 25% and middle 50%. Drying time decreased as sticker thickness increased from 0.75 in. to 1.00 in. Statistically significant interactions were noted for sticker thickness and course position (

Objective: Periodontitis is a type of prevalent chronicinflammatory disorder resulting in a failure in the function oftissues supporting the tooth, like gingiva, alveolar bone, andperiodontal ligament. Although antibiotic therapy is a commontherapy for periodontitis cases, this approach can cause someadverse effects in these patients. Thus, finding an effectivecurative option with low side effects is still a puzzle.Materials and Methods: This narrative review was conducted onthe effects of herbal and nano-based herbal medicine againstperiodontitis by searching different databases such as GoogleScholar, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, andScientific Information Databases.Results: According to published studies, some popular herbalformulations, such as Aloe vera, curcumin, Melaleuca alternifolia,and Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, can be effective in periodontitistreatment. However, these herbal products may be accompaniedby some pharmacological limitations, such as poor bioavailability,instability, and weak water solubility. On the other hand,harnessing nano-based herbal formulations can elevate thebioavailability, diminish toxicity, and omit repeated administrationof drugs.Conclusion: Herbal and nano-based herbal products can create agood chance to treat periodontitis efficiently.

Abstract Background Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of risk factors and the Framingham risk score (FRS) is a useful metric for measuring the 10-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk of the population. The present study aimed to determine the 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease using the Framingham risk score in people with and without MetS in a large Iranian cohort study. Methods This cross-sectional study was done using the Fasa cohort. Participants aged ≥ 35 years old were recruited to the study from 2015 to 2016. The FRS was calculated using age, sex, current smoking, diabetes, systolic blood pressure (SBP), total cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. MetS was defined as the presence of three or more of the MetS risk factors including triglyceride (TG) level ≥ 150 mg dl− 1, HDL level

Abstract High health literacy (HL) plays a critical role in preventing or delaying the onset of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and can improve disease management and control. The present study aims to determine the association between HL and non-laboratory-based (office-based) Framingham 10-year risk score of CVD. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 648 people aged 30–65 in the health centers of Jahrom. The Health Literacy Instrument for Adults (HELIA) was used to assess HL. The non-laboratory-based Framingham risk score (FRS) was utilized to determine the 10-year risk of CVDs. Risk factors such as age, gender, diabetes, current smoking status, systolic blood pressure (SBP), hypertension (HTN) treatment, and body mass index (BMI) were applied in the non-laboratory-based model. The average age of the subjects was 44.7 ± 10.5 years, among which 49.2% were males. The prevalence of diabetes, HTN, and smoking equaled 8.5%, 15.7%, and 10%, respectively. In addition, the average BMI was 26.1 ± 3.6 kg/m2. Based on the non-laboratory-based Framingham 10-year risk score of CVD, 72.5%, 13.9%, and 13.6% of the subjects were in the low, moderate, and high risk groups, respectively. Based on the HL grouping, the levels of insufficient, borderline, sufficient, and excellent HL were 19.3%, 26.4%, 34.6%, and 19.7%, respectively. A significant association was observed between 10-year CVD risk and HL grouping. In addition, a negative correlation was reported at the individual level between HL and non-laboratory-based FRS among the whole population (r = − 0.39, p

Bladder cancer (BC) is a highly frequent neoplasm in correlation with significant rate of morbidity, mortality, and cost. The onset of BC is predominantly triggered by environmental and/or occupational exposures to carcinogens, such as tobacco. There are two distinct pathways by which BC can be developed, including non-muscle-invasive papillary tumors (NMIBC) and non-papillary (or solid) muscle-invasive tumors (MIBC). The Cancer Genome Atlas project has further recognized key genetic drivers of MIBC along with its subtypes with particular properties and therapeutic responses; nonetheless, NMIBC is the predominant BC presentation among the suffering individuals. Radical cystoprostatectomy, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy have been verified to be the common therapeutic interventions in metastatic tumors, among which chemotherapeutics are more conventionally utilized. Although multiple chemo drugs have been broadly administered for BC treatment, cisplatin is reportedly the most effective chemo drug against the corresponding malignancy. Notwithstanding, tumor recurrence is usually occurred following the consumption of cisplatin regimens, particularly due to the progression of chemo-resistant trait. In this framework, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), as abundant RNA transcripts arise from the human genome, are introduced to serve as crucial contributors to tumor expansion and cisplatin chemo-resistance in bladder neoplasm. In the current review, we first investigated the best-known ncRNAs, i.e. microRNAs (miRNAs), long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), correlated with cisplatin chemo-resistance in BC cells and tissues. We noticed that these ncRNAs could mediate the BC-related cisplatin-resistant phenotype through diverse cellular processes and signaling mechanisms, reviewed here. Eventually, diagnostic and prognostic potential of ncRNAs, as well as their therapeutic capabilities were highlighted in regard to BC management.

In office buildings, an efficient design of windows and using light shelves as a passive design strategy significantly influence the thermal and visual comfort of occupants while enhancing the productivity and health of users. This study proposes a multi-objective optimization for the optimal design of windows and light shelves in office buildings to improve occupants' comfort. Initially, a parametric model was developed using Grasshopper parametric software. Afterward, the Honeybee energy and daylight plugin was employed for simulating thermal and visual conditions, and finally, multi-objective optimization was conducted with the Octopus plugin. This plugin can determine the best solution as a compromise decision for maximizing occupants' comfort. In this paper, an office building in Tehran has been chosen as a case study. The decision variables are window-to-wall ratio (WWR), shading control strategy, viewpoint, the transmission of glass, light shelf length, and light shelf height. The objective functions of the study are the annual average Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied (PPD) and the annual average Discomfort Glare Probability (DGP). According to the results, the proposed optimization model leads to an 18.5–70.1% and 9.3–57.1% reduction in DGP and PPD indexes, respectively. The study findings provide practical and useful instruction for architects to select optimal specifications of windows and light shelves to develop occupants' thermal and visual comfort in office buildings.

Background: Before the arrival of patients at medical facilities, emergency medical teams often encounter numerous challenges in dealing with mass casualties resulting from road traffic accidents. This study examines the challenges that pre-hospital emergency medical services face during mass casualty incidents caused by road traffic accidents. Materials and Methods: This study presents three road accidents that caused significant numbers of casualties in Golestan Province, Iran. The data for this report was gathered from various sources, including recorded images and videos, analysis of hospital records, and pre-hospital care reports. In addition, group discussions were held with emergency medical technicians who were present at the accident scene. Results: Providing relief aid in three sections, namely first responders, emergency call centers, and emergency medical technicians faces significant challenges. The challenges related to the management of mass casualties were mainly in terms of the inability to manage the accident scene by the first responders, management of calls and sharing information in the dispatch center, and medical measures required to be done at the incident scene. Conclusion: To ensure a prompt and efficient response to mass casualty incidents, it is crucial to focus on managing the incident scene by the first responders, as well as optimizing the communication and information exchange during dispatches and field medical interventions. To enhance the quality of emergency medical services, it is vital to develop educational programs, communication strategies, and standardized policies that can be implemented across all mass casualty incidents.

Abstract:Some failures in ovary function, like folliculogenesis and oogenesis, can give rise to various infertility-associated problems, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). PCOS influences 8 to 20% of women; while POI occurs in at least 1% of all women. Regrettably, the current therapies for these diseaseshave not sufficiently been effective, and finding a suitable strategy is still a puzzle. One of the helpful strategies for managing and treating these disorders is understanding the contributing pathogenesis and mechanisms. Recently, it has been declared that abnormal expression of microRNAs (miRNAs), as a subset of non-coding RNAs, is involved in thepathogenesis of reproductive diseases. Among the miRNAs, the roles of miRNA-21 in the pathogenesis of PCOS and POI have been highlighted in some documents; hence, the purpose of this mini-review was to summarize the evidence in conjunction with the functions of this miRNA and other effective microRNAs in the normal or abnormal functions of the ovary (i.e., PCOS and POI) with a mechanistic insight.

Abstract In this study, the deep learning algorithm of Convolutional Neural Network long short-term memory (CNN–LSTM) is used to classify various jewelry rocks such as agate, turquoise, calcites, and azure from various historical periods and styles related to Shahr-e Sokhteh. Here, the CNN–LSTM architecture includes utilizing CNN layers for the extraction of features from input data mixed with LSTMs for supporting sequence forecasting. It should be mentioned that interpretable deep learning-assisted laser induced breakdown spectroscopy helped achieve excellent performance. For the first time, this paper interprets the Convolutional LSTM effectiveness layer by layer in self-adaptively obtaining LIBS features and the quantitative data of major chemical elements in jewelry rocks. Moreover, Lasso method is applied on data as a factor for investigation of interoperability. The results demonstrated that LIBS can be essentially combined with a deep learning algorithm for the classification of different jewelry songs. The proposed methodology yielded high accuracy, confirming the effectiveness and suitability of the approach in the discrimination process.

Abstract Stem cells are a promising solution for repaired damage tissue. Isolation of this cell from tissue, proliferation in vitro, and implanting them in damaged tissue microenvironment are the basic strategy of Regenerative medicine. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have unique therapeutics function such as homing to target tissue and stimulating host cell regeneration, repairing damaged cells, autocrine/paracrine effects, immune modulation and several lineages differentiation. For this reason, MSCs are appropriate choice for tissue engineering and cell based therapy. Umbilical cord as a commonly discarded tissue, which are obtained non-invasively. Umbilical cord contains Wharton’s jelly (WJ), a gelatin substance surrounding umbilical cord vessels. WJ, a rich source of self-renewal MSCs with extended proliferation and multilineage differentiation potential can be a best option for Regenerative medicine based on celltherapy. In this chapter, we will discuss an outline of the recent findings related to Wharton’s jelly Mesenchymal stem cells (WJ- MSCs) and its therapeutic effects and possible advantage they possess.

Abstract Objective This study aims to describe temporal trends of thyroid cancer (ThC) from 2010 to 2019, in Asian countries by geographical region and sociodemographic index, compared with global data. Method Annual case data and age‐standardized rates (ASRs) of epidemiological indicators of ThC cancer data were collected from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study from 2010 to 2019 in 49 countries and territories in Asia. The relative difference (%) between years was used to show comparative variations of ASRs for the indicators studied. The female/male ratio was calculated by dividing female ASRs by male ASRs. Also, these rates were compared between the age group ≥70 years old and younger age groups. Results In 2019, more than 50% of ThC cases and deaths occurred in Asian countries. A total of 53% of ThC patients lived in Asia and more than 60% of the global burden of ThC was imposed on Asian countries. From 2010 to 2019, incidences, deaths, prevalence cases, and DALYs number of ThC cancer increased over 1.28‐, 1.26‐, 1.3‐, and 1.2‐fold, in Asia, respectively. During this period, the age‐standardized incidence rate (ASIR) and the age‐standardized prevalence rate (ASPR) of ThC cancer increased by 5% and 8%, respectively, while the age‐standardized death rate (ASDR) and the age‐standardized DALYs rate (DALYs ASR) of ThC cancer decreased by 6% and 4%, respectively. These trends are different from what happens in other continents. In 2019, age‐specific incidence, death, prevalence, and DALY cases of ThC cancer were peaking at 50–54, 75–79, 50–54, and 55–59 years, respectively. In 2019, the highest ASIR and ASPR of ThC cancer was observed in high‐income Asia Pacific countries and the highest ASDR and DALYs ASR in Southeast Asia countries. Only high‐income Asia Pacific countries experienced a decreasing trend in ASIR and ASPR from 2010 to 2019. ASDR and DALYs ASR have the highest decreasing trend in high‐income Asia Pacific. In 2019, among high SDI Asian countries, the Republic of Korea had the highest ASIR and ASPR, and Brunei Darussalam had the highest ASDR and DALYs ASR. The highest ASIR, ASDR, ASPR, and DALY ASR of ThC cancer was found in Lebanon and Malaysia (high‐middle SDIs), Vietnam (middle SDIs), and Cambodia and Palestine (low‐middle SDIs). Among low SDI Asian countries, Pakistan had the highest ASIR, ASDR, ASPR, and DALY ASR of ThC cancer. All indicators for most countries were higher in women than men. Conclusion More than half of the burden of thyroid cancer is imposed on the residents of the Asian continent. Although the incidence and prevalence of this cancer in Asian countries is lower than that of the world, America, and Europe, the highest rate of death from thyroid cancer occurs in Asia and they witness the highest burden of the disease. Therefore, it seems that implementing early detection strategies and increasing access to treatment facilities in Asia is one of the necessities of thyroid cancer control in its residents.

Objectives Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the most global health problems with 2.5% prevalence worldwide. It seems that regulatory T (Treg) cells, which are able to modulate the host immune responses, play a substantial role in the immunopathogenesis of HCV infection. In this study, we evaluated the distribution of Treg cells in HCV-infected patients and its correlation with viral load and clinical manifestations. Methods Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected from 14 newly diagnosed HCV-infected patients and 23 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects, and the frequency of CD4+CD25+CD127−/low Treg cells was determined by flow cytometry. Results Our results showed that the mean level of CD4+CD25+CD127−/low Treg cells in HCV-infected patients was significantly higher than that in healthy control subjects (8.2 ± 1.48% vs 5.4 ± 0.36%, p < .05). However, there was no statistical correlation between Treg cells frequency and viral load or clinical manifestations. Conclusion A higher proportion of Treg cells in HCV-infected patients might indicate their critical role in viral persistence and candidate them as a new target of immunotherapy to improve antiviral immunity.

Background and Objective: Insomnia is the most common sleep problem which is associated with cortical over-excitation. Transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) potentially modifies insomnia-related cortical state. There-fore, we tested the hypothesis that insomnia severity can be modulated by tDCS. Materials and Methods: The current study was conducted with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. A total of 32 women with insomnia were randomly categorized into an intervention group (active stimulation) and a control group (sham stimulation). In the intervention group, tDCS was used with an intensity of 2mA for 20 to 30 minutes during 12 sessions (3 times a week). Anodal stimulation was performed on the left primary motor cortex (M1) and cathodal stimulation was performed on the right dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). The control group received sham stim-ulation for 20 to 30 minutes during 12 sessions (3 times a week). All participants were evaluated before and after the intervention using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Results: The results of univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) showed a significant difference between the tDCS group and the sham group in terms of reduction in the severity of insomnia. We also observed that positive affect increased and negative affect decreased following insomnia treatment (P ≤ 0.005). Conclusion: The results of our study indicated that performing our designed tDCS protocol for treating insomnia can be effective in treating insomnia and improving positive and negative affect.

Background and aim: This study aimed to determine the position of Iran in terms of scientific publications in Immunology and Microbiology, and also to identify the general status of science production and the patterns of publishing in the world, the Middle East, and Iran, analyze Iran scientific collaboration with the Middle East and the world, and explore the relationship between these indicators. Materials and Methods: The study population contained 30622 Middle Eastern publications in Immunology and Microbiology from 2009 to 2018. Positioning the countries and exploring the relations of indicators, the exploratory factor analysis, and the correlation matrix were conducted using Scival. Results: According to the findings Iran, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia were among the most powerful countries in the region in terms of publication, citation, regional, international, and overall scientific collaboration. As for regional positioning, the citations had the highest weight comparing to other indicators. Iran have the first rank in the indices of scientific production and citations with 43.63% and 33.76% respectively, third rank in the regional cooperation index with 43.63%, second rank in the extra-regional cooperation index with 23.56%, and also second rank in the total cooperation index with 22.12%. Conclusion: The indicators were strongly connected togather; however, the citations and international scientific collaborations displayed the strongest amongst others. Despite Iran’s prominent position in both fields, the quality of the publication was lower than the regional and global average. This identified the most powerful and weak countries in the region in regards to scientific capacities in Immunology and Microbiology. Moreover, it reckoned that there was a strong relation between citations and scientific production in contrast with others.

Abstract Captopril (CAP) is a safe, cost-effective, and environmentally organic compound that can be used as an effective organo-catalyst. Functional groups of captopril make it capable to attach to solid support and acting as promoters in organic transformations. In this work, captopril was attached to the surface of magnetic graphene nitride by employing a linker agent. The synthesized composite efficiently catalyzed two multicomponent reactions including the synthesis of 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyrimidine and 2-amino-4H-chromene derivatives. A large library of functional targeted products was synthesized in mild reaction conditions. More importantly, this catalyst was stable and magnetically recycled and reused for at least five runs without losing catalytic activity.

Dear Editor-in-Chief Monkeypox is a global public health concern that needs serious attention to prevent it from spreading worldwide and encountering a new pandemic like COVID-19 again. Since the 1970s, monkeypox has been endemic in several African countries, but the biggest outbreak of monkeypox started in May 2022 in non-endemic countries (1). On June 23, 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox an "emerging threat of moderate public concern" due to the observation of more than 3,000 cases of monkeypox in more than 50 countries from five regions of the world in less than three months (2). Although monkeypox is a mild and self-limiting disease, it can cause severe consequences in pregnant women, children, and immunocompromised individuals (1). In this article, the authors described the epidemiology and clinical features of monkeypox and chickenpox in order to better equip clinicians and public health specialists to provide a correct and timely diagnosis.

— Reading traditional meters is always time-consuming and expensive. Using smart meters solves most of the problems existing in the traditional meter network. Smart meters are an advanced form of traditional electro-mechanical devices that can measure energy consumption in real-time and communicate through one or more wired or wireless networks. These devices can communicate from long distances and get changed, making them an easy target for attacks. This paper studies the security mechanisms in smart meters networks and suggests some security solutions in such networks. We have developed software for managing the information of smart meters and controlling them remotely. In this paper, we present the implemented security mechanisms in the developed smart meter management software. The proposed solutions for enhancing the security of this software include implementing the authentication system, enabling user management, and defining different access levels to prevent users from connecting without proper authentication and access control in the developed software. Moreover, hashing the password with a random salt technique is implemented for securing the database. Furthermore, we have secured the software platform to prevent web attacks such as Clickjacking and CSRF attacks.

Abstract Background Two versions of Framingham’s 10-year risk score are defined for cardiovascular diseases, namely laboratory-based and office-based models. The former is mainly employed in high-income countries, but unfortunately, it is not cost-effective or practical to utilize it in countries with poor facilities. Therefore, the present study aims to identify the agreement and correlation between laboratory-based and office-based Framingham models. Methods Using laboratory-based and office-based Framingham models, this cross-sectional study used data from 8944 participants without a history of CVDs and stroke at baseline in the Fasa cohort study to predict the 10-year risk of CVDs. The laboratory-based model included age, sex, diabetes, smoking status, systolic blood pressure (SBP), treatment of hypertension, total cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL); and the office-based model included age, sex, diabetes, smoking status, SBP, treatment of hypertension, and body mass index (BMI). The agreement between risk categories of laboratory-based and office-based Framingham models (low [

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the predicting factors affecting sperm retrieval. We prospectively assessedthe relationship between sonographic and microdissection testicular sperm extraction (mTESE) findings in Klinefeltersyndrome (KS).Materials and Methods: In this prospective study, 44 azoospermic men with 47, XXY karyotypes participated in thisstudy. In order to evaluate the amount of blood supply in different parts of testicular tissue, a doppler ultra-sonographicwas performed. Also, for the detection of sperm in this group mTESE technique was performed.Results: The age average of positive mTESE and negative mTESE groups was 29.4 and 33.6 years, respectively. Bycomparing the testicle volume (based on the data obtained from the clinical examinations conducted by the urologist)it was determined that there is no significant difference between mTESE positive and negative groups. Folliclestimulatinghormone (FSH) levels in men with negative mTESE (P=0.03) and testosterone levels in men with positivemTESE significantly increased (P=0.017). The overall rate of testis vascularity was significantly higher in the positivemTESE group than in the negative mTESE group. The clinical pregnancy rate in positive mTESE men was 9% percycle, 16.6% per embryos were transferred (ET), and 12.5% per cycle.Conclusion: Totally, our observation indicated that there is not a significant relationship between sonographic and mTESEresults in KS patients. However, more investigations with bigger sample Size can be useful to validate our results.

Background: A coordinated disaster response needs a well-organized structure and a locally adapted framework. In light of this, the COVID-19 pandemic offered an opportunity to renovate the response structure, which exhibited deficiencies during the pandemic. Iran shares the experience of an integrated response structure named the reform incidents command system (RICS). It includes an integrated approach in which the organization lacks a unified commander in favor of a set of goals. Materials and Methods: This perspective article shows how Iran can develop its national disaster management system as seen through an expert’s review perspective. Results: This paper elaborates on the RICS concept. This concept removes the challenges of unifying different thoughts and objectives by instilling a shared mental model to improve teamwork. Conclusion: This is one of the first articles to discuss the main joint goals of team members, encouraging collaboration between different parts of the team when interdependent organizations must coordinate their responses.

Abstract The Globorisk and WHO cardiovascular risk prediction models are country-specific and region-specific, respectively. The goal of this study was to assess the agreement and correlation between the WHO and Globorisk 10-year cardiovascular disease risk prediction models. The baseline data of 6796 individuals aged 40–74 years who participated in the Fasa cohort study without a history of cardiovascular disease or stroke at baseline were included. In the WHO and Globorisk models scores were calculated using age, sex, systolic blood pressure (SBP), current smoking, diabetes, and total cholesterol for laboratory-based risk and age, sex, SBP, current smoking, and body mass index (BMI) for non-laboratory-based risk (office-based or BMI-based). In Globorisk and WHO risk agreement across risk categories (low, moderate, and high) was examined using the kappa statistic. Also, Pearson correlation coefficients and scatter plots were used to assess the correlation between Globorisk and WHO models. Bland–Altman plots were presented for determination agreement between Globorisk and WHO risk scores in individual’s level. In laboratory-based models, agreement across categories was substantial in the overall population (kappa values: 0.75) and also for females (kappa values: 0.74) and males (kappa values: 0.76), when evaluated separately. In non-laboratory-based models, agreement across categories was substantial for the whole population (kappa values: 0.78), and almost perfect for among males (kappa values: 0.82) and substantial for females (kappa values: 0.73). The results showed a very strong positive correlation (r ≥ 0.95) between WHO and Globorisk laboratory-based scores for the whole population, males, and females and also a very strong positive correlation (r > 0.95) between WHO and Globorisk non-laboratory-based scores for the whole population, males, and females. In the laboratory-based models, the limit of agreements was better in males (95%CI 2.1 to − 4.2%) than females (95%CI 4.3 to − 7.3%). Also, in the non-laboratory-based models, the limit of agreements was better in males (95%CI 2.9 to − 4.0%) than females (95%CI 3.2 to − 6.1%). There was a good agreement between both the laboratory-based and the non-laboratory-based WHO models and the Globorisk models. The correlation between two models was very strongly positive. However, in the Globorisk models, more people were in high-risk group than in the WHO models. The scatter plots and Bland–Altman plots showed systematic differences between the two scores that vary according to the level of risk. So, for these models may be necessary to modify the cut points of risk groups. The validity of these models must be determined for this population.

Abstract The thermal conductivity and stability of nanofluids pose challenges for their use as coolants in thermal applications. The present study investigates the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) of an Al12Mg17 nanofluid through the utilization of a novel beam displacement method. The study also examines the nanofluid's stability, particle size distribution (PSD), TEM micrograph, and electrical conductivity. From three distinct categories of surfactants, a particular surfactant (CTAB) was chosen to disperse Al12Mg17 nanoparticles in DI water, and subsequently, a two-step method was employed to generate the nanofluid. Dispersion stability is visually monitored and quantified with a zeta potential test. HTC and PSD are measured using optical setups. To evaluate the results, the HTC obtained from the beam displacement method is compared with that of the KD2 Pro apparatus, and the PSD findings are analyzed through TEM micrographs. The results show that a 0.16 vol.% CTAB is the maximum stability for 0.025 vol.% Al12Mg17 nanofluid properly. The optimum ultrasonication period is 2 h, yielding a peak PSD of 154 nm. Increasing nanoparticle concentration enhances HTC up to 40% compared to the base fluid at 0.05 vol.%. Electrical conductivity increases linearly from 155 to 188 μ $${\rm S}/\mathrm{cm}$$ S / cm with nanoparticle concentration. Optical methods for measuring HTC in nanofluids offer the advantage of early results, prior to bulk motion. Thus, the application of nanofluids in thermal systems necessitates the development of optical techniques to improve accuracy.

Background: HIV, Tuberculosis, and Malariaare neglected due to the high pressure imposed on healthcare systems by COVID-19; however, since these diseases afflict a large number of patients globally, their effect on COVID-19, as a world pandemic, should be assessed. We aimed to assess the relationship between the prevalence of these diseases and COVID-19 indices.Methods: In this ecological study, a data set was provided, which included the epidemiologic indices of COVID-19 for each country. The scatter plots of the social capital for the studied countries based on the epidemiologic indices of COVID-19 and HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), and Malaria were drawn.Results: The prevalence of HIV, Tuberculosis, and Malaria were inversely correlated with the cumulative incidence rate of cases, the cumulative incidence rate of death, and COVID-19 tests performed per million, and was directly correlated with the recovery rate. No correlation was seen between case fatality rate and the prevalence of these infectious diseases.Conclusion: However, the results of this study were in favor of people afflicted with HIV, and Further studies should be conducted on the concurrence of infectious events and their adverse consequences with future analytical protocols.

Abstract Background and Aim By creating an international emergency, the COVID-19 pandemic may have led to compromised reproductive health care, including family planning services, and thus increased unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions. This study was conducted to compare methods of contraception, abortion, and unintended pregnancies in those served by the health centers of Babol city in Iran, both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted including 425 participants registered to the health centers of Babol city, Mazandaran province, Iran. Using a multi-stage method, 6 urban health centers and 10 rural centers were selected for inclusion. Proportional allocation method was used for sampling those who met the inclusion criteria. A questionnaire was used to collect data in relation to individual characteristics and reproductive behaviors via 6 questions focused upon methods and preparation of contraception, number and type of abortions, and number and causes of unintended pregnancy from July to November 2021. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 26. Significance level was considered to be p 0.05). Conclusion Despite there being no change in contraceptive methods compared to the pre-pandemic period, an increase in the number of unintended pregnancies, abortions and illegal abortions was observed. This may be indicative of an unmet need for family planning services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Given that COVID-19 spreads worldwide, it has become a public health priority. This study aims to investigate the correlation between social capital and the epidemiological indicators of COVID-19. Methods: This survey is an ecological study, so all studied variables are aggregated.‌ To collect the variables in the study, a data set was provided, which included the information of each country based on the cumulative deaths, case fatality rate, recovery rate, and the number of performed COVID-19 tests. We drew scatter plots of the social capital for the studied countries based on COVID-19 indices. Results: In all the studied countries, ‌the highest cumulative incidence rate of COVID-19 cases was in Montenegro (60310.56 per million), while the lowest cumulative incidence rate of cases was in Tanzania (8.42 per million).‌ The highest and lowest cumulative incidence rate of death due to COVID-19 was in Belgium (1425.15 per million) and Burundi (0.08 per million), respectively. ‌Also, social capital has a significant direct correlation with the cumulative incidence rate of cases (r=0.42, P

Abstract Background This study aimed to describe the trends in incidence, mortality, and burden of tracheal, bronchial and lung (TBL) cancer in Asia from 2010 through 2019 and compare with global and other continental data. Methods We collected TBL cancer data from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study from 2010 to 2019 in 49 countries and territories in Asia. For all locations, annual case data and age‐standardized rates (ASRs) were used to investigate the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability‐adjusted life‐years (DALYs) of TBL from 2010 to 2019. The relative difference (%) between years was used to show comparative variations of ASRs for the indicators studied. Results In 2019, more than 55% of TBL cancer cases and deaths occurred in Asian countries. A total of 57% of lung cancer patients lived in Asia and almost 60% of the global burden of lung cancer was imposed on Asian countries. From 2010 to 2019, incidences, deaths, prevalence cases, and DALYs number of TBL cancer increased over 1.34‐, 1.31‐, 1.31‐, and 1.26‐fold, in Asia. During this period, the age‐standardized incidence rate (ASIR), the age‐standardized death rate (ASDR), the age‐standardized prevalence rate (ASPR), and the age‐standardized DALYs rate (DALYs ASR) of TBL cancer decreased by 1, 3, 4, and 4%, respectively. While at the same time, the decreasing trend of these rates globally and in America and in Europe happened faster. In 2019, age‐specific incidence, death, prevalence, and DALY cases of TBL cancer were peaking at 65–74, 70–74, 65–69, and 65–69 years, respectively. In 2019, the highest ASIR, ASDR, and DALYs ASR of TBL cancer was observed in East Asia countries and the highest ASPR in high‐income Asia Pacific countries. Central Asia and high‐income Asia Pacific countries experienced a decreasing trend in ASIR and ASDR, and the South Asia countries experienced the highest increasing trend from 2010 to 2019. ASPR only decreased in Central Asia, and DALYs ASR only increased in South Asia. In 2019, among high sociodemographic index (SDI) Asian countries, Brunei Darussalam had the highest ASIR, ASDR, and DALYs ASR and the Republic of Korea had the highest ASPR. Among high‐middle SDIs, Turkey and Georgia; among middle SDIs, China and Armenia; among low‐middle SDIs, Mongolia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea had the highest ASIR, ASDR, ASPR, and DALY ASR of TBL cancer. Among low SDI Asian countries, Pakistan had the highest ASIR, ASDR, ASPR, and DALY ASR of TBL cancer. Conclusion Most of the global burden of lung cancer occurs in Asian countries, and the decreasing trend of incidence, death, prevalence, and burden of this cancer in these countries is slower than in other regions. Therefore, the implementation of necessary measures in order to reduce the process of this cancer is considered urgent.

Abstract Background The WHO model has laboratory-based and non-laboratory-based versions for 10-year risk prediction of cardiovascular diseases. Due to the fact that in some settings, there may not be the necessary facilities for risk assessment with a laboratory-based model, the present study aimed to determine the agreement between laboratory-based and non-laboratory-based WHO cardiovascular risk equations. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we used the baseline data of 6796 individuals without a history of cardiovascular disease and stroke who participated in the Fasa cohort study. The risk factors of the laboratory-based model included age, sex, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diabetes, smoking and total cholesterol, while the non-laboratory-based model included age, sex, SBP, smoking and BMI. Kappa coefficients was used to determine the agreement between the grouped risk and Bland–Altman plots were used to determine the agreement between the scores of the two models. Sensitivity and specificity of non-laboratory-based model were measured at the high-risk threshold. Results In the whole population, the agreement between the grouped risk of the two models was substantial (percent agreement = 79.0%, kappa = 0.68). The agreement was better in males than in females. A substantial agreement was observed in all males (percent agreement = 79.8%, kappa = 0.70) and males

Various interventions have been investigated to improve the uptake of colorectal cancer screening. In this paper, the authors have attempted to provide a pooled estimate of the effect size of the BE interventions running a systematic review based meta-analysis. In this study, all the published literatures between 2000 and 2022 have been reviewed. Searches were performed in PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane databases. The main outcome was the demanding the one of the colorectal cancer screening tests. The quality assessment was done by two people so that each person evaluated the studies separately and independently based on the individual participant data the modified Jadad scale. Pooled effect size (odds ratio) was estimated using random effects model at 95% confidence interval. Galbraith, Forrest and Funnel plots were used in data analysis. Publication bias was also investigated through Egger's test. All the analysis was done in STATA 15. From the initial 1966 records, 38 were included in the final analysis in which 72612 cases and 71493 controls have been studied. About 72% have been conducted in the USA. The heterogeneity of the studies was high based on the variation in OR (I2 = 94.6%, heterogeneity X2 = 670.01 (d.f. = 36), p < 0.01). The random effect pooled odds ratio (POR) of behavioral economics (BE) interventions was calculated as 1.26 (95% CI: 1.26 to 1.43). The bias coefficient is noteworthy (3.15) and statistically significant (p< 0.01). According to the results of this meta-analysis, health policy and decision makers can improve the efficiency and cost effectiveness of policies to control this type of cancer by using various behavioral economics interventions. It's noteworthy that due to the impossibility of categorizing behavioral economics interventions; we could not perform by group analysis.

Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common immunoglobulin (Ig) E-mediated disease. This study aimed to evaluate the gene expression levels of class 4 semaphorins and their receptors in AR patients before and after treatment with budesonide and fexofenadine (B/F) compared to fluticasone propionate and fexofenadine (FP/F). Methods: In this study, 29 AR patients (age 34.4 ± 1.2 years, 18 men and 11 women) were treated with B/F, and 24 AR patients (age 32.8 ± 1.9 years, 15 men and 9 women) were treated with FP/F for one month. Before and after treatment, peripheral blood samples were taken from patients. The expression levels of SEMA4A, SEMA4C, SEMA4D, Plexin-B2, and Plexin-D1 genes were measured using the qPCR method. In addition, the serum levels of IgE were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: The expression levels of SEMA4A (P = 0.011), 4C (P = 0.017), Plexin-B2 (P = 0.0005), and Plexin-D1 (P = 0.008) remarkably increased in AR patients treated with B/F. Our results show a significant reduction in the gene expression levels of SEMA4A (P = 0.002), 4C (P = 0.014), 4D (P = 0.003), Plexin-B2 (P = 0.033), and Plexin-D1 (P = 0.035) after treatment with FP/F. The serum levels of IgE increased in FP/F treated group (P = 0.017) and conversely decreased in the treated group with B/F (P = 0.019). Moreover, the percentages of eosinophils were reduced in both FP/F and B/F groups (P = 0.015 and P = 0.0001, respectively). Conclusion: In conclusion, concomitant use of fexofenadine and fluticasone propionate reduced SEMA4A, 4C, 4D, Plexin-B2, and Plexin-D1, while the SEMA4A, 4C, Plexin-B2, and Plexin-D1 gene expression levels were increased in the patient group treated with B/F.

Objective: Patients with leukemia suffer from significant psychological, spiritual, and social symptoms. Therefore, the current research aimed to study the impact of spiritual end-of-life support on the quality of life for leukemia patients. Method: To this end, the present quasi-experimental research with a pre-test and post-test design was performed. The sample included 60 cancer patients randomly assigned to intervention and control groups through the method of permutation block. The experimental group received spiritual support intervention for eight sessions of 60 minutes, while the control group received no intervention. Patients filled out the questionnaire of World Health Organization Quality of Life. The World Health Organization conducts a three-phase assessment to measure the quality of life. These phases include a pre-test, which is conducted before any intervention takes place. Then comes the post-test, which occurs after the intervention. Finally, there is a follow-up assessment conducted two months after the post-test. The obtained results were analyzed by repeated-measures analysis and independent samples t-test using SPSS software. Results: The findings from the repeated measures analysis revealed that there was a statistically significant interaction between time and group (P = 0.01). In other words, being compared to the control group, the spiritual support significantly increased the life quality of the patients in the experimental group. The experimental group witnessed a sustained enhancement in the quality of life for a period of two months following the intervention (follow-up, P = 0.01). Conclusion: Ultimately, the provision of spiritual support has the potential to enhance the overall well-being of individuals approaching the end of their lives, offering solace and aiding them in comprehending the true essence and purpose of their existence.

Introduction Injury is one of the main causes of death and disability in the world. This study was designed to determine the trend of mortality rate and years of life lost (YLLs) due to unintentional injuries in children in southern Iran.Method In this cross-sectional study, we extracted all death reports due to unintentional injuries based on age, gender and the year of death based on International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10)from the Electronic Death Registration System. The YLL analysis due to premature death related to unintentional injuries was executed by the 2015 YLL template from the WHO using the Excel V.2016 software. To examine the trend of crude mortality rate and YLL rates for different years, joinpoint regression was used based on the log-linear model.Results During the 16-year study period (2004–2019), 6590 deaths due to unintentional injuries in children aged 0–19 years have occurred. The total YLLs due to unintentional injuries were 138 482 in males and 53 168 in females. The three main causes of YLLs in our study were transportation injuries (67.37%), drowning (7.19%) and burns (6.70%). According to the joinpoint regression analysis, the 16-year trend of YLL rate due to premature mortality was decreasing; the annual per cent change was −5.2% (95% CI −6.5% to −3.9%, p

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the effect of brain breaks on academic progress, self-efficacy, and interest in physical activity of primary school students.Methods: The current research was a quasi-experimental type with a pre-test, post-test, and control group design. Its statistical population included fourth, fifth, and sixth-grade female students. Using the cluster random sampling method, 127 students were selected as the research sample and were assigned to two intervention and control groups through a simple random method. To collect data, the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (Morris, 2001) and the Children’s Attraction to Physical Activity questionnaire (Rose et al., 2009), and a researcher-made questionnaire for the educational progress of the participants were used. The intervention group performed brain breaks physical activities twice a day and three days a week for four months, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Data were evaluated using an independent t-test.Results: Data analysis indicated that after the intervention (brain breaks), the average scores of the experimental group for three variables of academic achievement (F=3.57, P=0.001), self-efficacy (F=7.65, P=0.001), and interest in physical activity (F=10.72, P=0.001) had a significant difference compared with the control group.Conclusion: These findings can highlight the need for planners and education officials to pay attention to the importance of the role of brain breaks activities in improving academic progress, self-efficacy, and its effect on the level of interest in physical activities of primary school girls.

Abstract Background and Aim Reproductive behaviors and intentions are affected by several factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. This study was conducted with the aim of comparing the intention to reproduce and its causes in Iran during the period prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This descriptive-comparative study included 425 cisgender women from 6 urban health centers and 10 rural centers in Babol city, Mazandaran province, Iran. Urban and rural health centers were selected using a multi-stage approach with proportional allocation. A questionnaire was used to collect data in relation to individual characteristics and reproductive intentions. Results Most participants aged between 20 and 29 years had a diploma level of education, were housewives and lived in the city. The intention to reproduce decreased from 11.4% before the pandemic to 5.4% during the pandemic (p = 0.006). The most common reason for wanting to have children prior to the pandemic was not having children (54.2%). During the pandemic, a desire to reach the ideal number of children was the most common reason to want to have children (59.1%), though no statistically significant difference was observed between the two periods (p = 0.303). The most common reason for not wanting to have children in both periods was having enough children already (45.2% before and 40.9% during the pandemic). The reasons for not wanting to have children had a statistically significant difference between the two periods (p

Abstract Background Puberty is a sensitive critical stage of human life. As numerous healthy habits and behaviors are created during adolescence, correct health education during puberty is essential to maintain and improve an individual's physical, emotional, and mental health. The present study aimed to determine the impact of educational intervention based on the predictors of the Health Belief Model (HBM) on female nine-grade students’ health behaviors in Rasht, Iran. Methods The present randomized controlled trial study examined 110 female nine-grade students. Multi-stage sampling was performed, and the students were randomly divided into two groups of 55 as intervention and control. The data collection tool included a valid and reliable questionnaire with four sections, namely demographic variables, knowledge, HBM constructs, and health behaviors during puberty. The educational program comprised four 45–60-min sessions per group (4 groups of 13) based on HBM. The data were collected two times, before and 1 month after the educational intervention, and were analyzed using the independent t-test, paired t-test, chi-square test, and SPSS 23. Results The mean age of menarche was 12.26 ± 1.133 in the intervention group and 12.12 ± 1.263 in the control group. The family was a source of information for students and the main cue to action before the intervention. Before the educational intervention, there was no significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of knowledge, HBM constructs, and puberty health behaviors; however, the variables increased significantly in the intervention group after educational intervention (P

Background and Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the mediating role of compassion fatigue in the relationship between maternal emotional problems and emotional and behavioral problems of children with special needs. Materials and Methods: The research method is correlation. The population of this study included all mothers of children with special needs in primary school in Arak. 171 people were selected as a sample from this population using random cluster sampling method. The measurements of this study were the Compassion Fatigue Questionnaire, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS), and the Child Behavioral Checklist. Results: The results showed that there was a statistically significant positive relationship between maternal compassion fatigue and emotional and behavioral problems of children with special needs (P < 0.001). While the direct effect of maternal emotional problems on emotional and behavioral problems of children with special needs is not significant, the mother's emotional problems have a direct effect on compassion fatigue, which is statistically significant (P = 0.001); Also, maternal compassion fatigue directly affects the emotional and behavioral problems of children with special needs (P = 0.001). Conclusions: Maternal emotional problems increase compassion fatigue and with increasing maternal compassion fatigue, children's emotional and behavioral problems with special needs increase.

Background: Infertility is a global problem that leads to psychological complications. Studies show that the psychological damage caused by infertility is far greater in women compared to men. Infertility reduces psychological well-being and causes infertility stress in infertile women. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of positive-thinking-based poetry therapy on infertility stress and psychological well-being in infertile women. Methods: This quasi-experimental research was conducted with a pre-test, post-test design and a control group. The statistical population included all infertile women. The sample size consisted of 46 women who were selected via the convenience sampling method. They were randomly assigned to experimental (n=23) and control groups (n=23). The experimental group received the package of positive-thinking-based poetry therapy which was compiled by the researchers, for eight 90-min sessions. The data was collected using the infertility stress questionnaire and the psychological well-being scale. The data were analyzed using multivariate and univariate analysis of covariance via the SPSS software, version 22. Results: The multivariate and univariate analysis of covariance results showed that positive-thinking-based poetry therapy has a positive and significant effect on improving infertility stress psychological and well-being in infertile women (P

Objective: Rodents act as reservoir hosts and are an important potential source for many zoonotic pathogens such as parasites, which pose a public health risk to humans. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the prevalence of parasites among rodents. Methods: A total of 118 Rattus rattus were captured in Mazandaran province, north of Iran, using snap live traps. Various samples were collected from feces and each rat was combed with a fine-tooth comb to extricate any ectoparasite. Fecal specimens were examined by direct wet mounting, formalin-ether concentration, modified acid-fast, and trichrome staining methods. Results: The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in the examined rats was 75.4%. Cryptosporidium spp. (30.5%) were the most prevalent protozoan, followed by Giardia spp. (20.3%), Entamoeba muris (13.5%), Trichomonas muris (10.1%), and Spironucleus muris (3.3%). Regarding helminths’ eggs, Syphacia obvelata (24.5%), Hymenolepis diminuta (10.1%), and Trichuris muris (9.3%) had the highest prevalence, respectively. Furthermore, 3060 ectoparasites collected from 102 rodents were infested with lice (40% Polyplax spp.), mites (33.3%), and flea (16.1% Xenopsylla cheopis and 10.6% Xenopsylla astia). Conclusion: According to the results of this study, the prevalence of ecto and gastrointestinal parasites in the collected rats in the area being studied was remarkably high. Additionally, Rattus rattus can be considered a potential risk to human health.

Hitherto, over 50% of countries with marine waters have established MSPs or launched related legal actions. However, there are still conceptual and practical challenges to be overcome in the development of MSP. In this study, we investigate two main approaches in MSP (hard vs. soft sustainability) through reports, published manuscripts and meeting proceedings in seven pioneering countries (Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, Germany, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada). We highlight the gaps, challenges, and solutions in each of these approaches. From our findings, there are four common challenges in both soft and hard sustainability approaches as follows: (i) the political framework and inconsistent support of MSP efforts, (ii) insufficient knowledge on social dimensions, (iii) insufficient stakeholder engagement in the diversity of stakeholder’s groups or in their contribution to the planning process from the initial steps, and (iv) finding a balance between environmental conservation and economic growth. We recommend that future studies should investigate how MSP can become more adaptive to long-term environmental and economic targets, how effective involving socioeconomic strata is in MSP, and how decision-making tools could help to cover the gaps in MSP. Furthermore, public forums are suggested to be developed to facilitate the systematic sharing of MSP experiences worldwide.

Internet-of-Things (IoT) is rapidly growing in wireless technology, aiming to connect vast numbers of devices to gather and distribute vital information. Despite individual devices having low energy consumption, the cumulative demand results in significant energy usage. Consequently, the concept of ultra-low-power tags gains appeal. Such tags communicate by reflecting rather than generating the radio frequency (RF) signals by themselves. Thus, these backscatter tags can be low-cost and battery-free. The RF signals can be ambient sources such as wireless-fidelity (Wi-Fi), cellular, or television (TV) signals, or the system can generate them externally. Backscatter channel characteristics are different from conventional point-to-point or cooperative relay channels. These systems are also affected by a strong interference link between the RF source and the tag besides the direct and backscattering links, making signal detection challenging. This paper provides an overview of the fundamentals, challenges, and ongoing research in signal detection for AmBC networks. It delves into various detection methods, discussing their advantages and drawbacks. The paper’s emphasis on signal detection sets it apart and positions it as a valuable resource for IoT and wireless communication professionals and researchers.

This paper investigates the optimization of the primary base station (BS) to effectively support a symbiotic radio (SR) network between a primary network consisting of a single user and the secondary network comprising multiple tags of a backscatter network. The tags use non-orthogonal multiple access for communication, and we consider passive tags and reconfigurable tags. To decode data successfully, the primary user adopts a successive interference cancellation technique. However, in practical networks, imperfect channel state information is inevitable and can significantly degrade network performance. Surprisingly, this issue has not been previously investigated. Thus, considering these factors, we aim to optimize the beamforming vectors at the BS, supporting both the primary and backscatter networks, while simultaneously maximizing the weighted sum rate or minimizing transmit power. These optimization problems are non-convex, and we develop a combination of alternative optimization, fractional programming, and semi-definite relaxation techniques for solutions. We conduct evaluations of the proposed algorithms considering both fixed and reconfigurable tags with variable reflection coefficients. Furthermore, extensive numerical simulations are presented to demonstrate the validity and performance gains achieved by the proposed schemes. The results of our study highlight the improved benefits that SR systems can offer through the utilization of our optimization schemes.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is rapidly spreading worldwide and becoming a pandemic. Since the diagnostic tests are relatively expensive, simple diagnostic tests are valuable for quarantining individuals suspicious of COVID- 19. This study is designed to predict the potential contributing factors of COVID-19 diagnosis.Methods: It was a referral-based historical cohort study. 363358 individuals referred to the health centers from February to November 2020 in Fars province were entered in the study. The collected data before the lab test were symptoms, underlying diseases, some conditions, risk factors, and demographic information. The Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction test was performed to identify the COVID-19 virus. Chi-square and T-tests were used to compare the variables. A logistic regression test was used to identify predictor variables.Results: Positive COVID-19 test was reported for 119,324 (% 34.9) participations. The positive group result was compared with that of the negative group (n=244,034). The studied symptoms were significant in positive patients. According to the odds ratio (OR), smell disorder (OR=3.80, P

Background: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can be transmitted through direct, indirect, or close contact with infected people by contaminated respiratory droplets or saliva. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the secondary attack rate (SAR) in the cases’ close contact.Methods: A total of 431 confirmed COVID-19 patients were randomly selected using systematic random sampling from 15 May to 13 June 2020. The required data were extracted from the CORONALAB database of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Detection of COVID-19 was performed using Real- Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and nasopharyngeal swabs. SAR was also calculated for different groups.Results: Among the index cases, 64.27% were male, 24.80% were public sector employees, and 4.87% were admitted to the intensive care unit. In addition, most of them aged 30-39 years. The SAR was 11.56% (95% CI: 9.86% to 13.25%) in the close contacts. Accordingly, the highest SAR was observed among the friends, 19.05% (95% CI: 7.17% to 30.92%), followed by the spouses of COVID-19 cases, 16.67% (95% CI: 10.81% to 22.51%). Furthermore, diabetes (6.03%) and cardiovascular disease (5.1%) were the most common comorbidities among the index cases.Conclusion: The findings suggested that the SAR was relatively lower among the close contacts. Considering the familial and non-familial relationships between the index cases and their close contacts were the major causes of disease transmission. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct tracing for COVID-19 contacts in all cases with whom patients have had close contact.

Abstract Aim This study aimed to evaluate the effect of using whitening dentifrices during at-home bleaching on the shear bond strength (SBS) of resin composite to dentin, and investigate whether the increased polymerization time would improve SBS. Methods Ninety-six bovine incisors were divided into 4 groups of 24, according to the whitening treatment applied as follows: group 1, at-home bleaching + brushing with a regular dentifrice; group 2, at-home bleaching + brushing with a whitening dentifrice containing ozone; group 3, at-home bleaching + brushing with a commercial whitening dentifrice; and group 4 (control), no whitening/brushing treatment. Each group was divided into two subgroups (n = 12) to assess the effect of curing time (20 versus 80 s) on SBS. A self-etch adhesive was bonded to dentin, and after 2-day water storage, SBS was determined. Results SBS was significantly affected by the whitening treatment (P = 0.03), but increasing the curing time had no significant effect on SBS (P = 0.137). Bond strength in group 1 was comparable to the control group (P > 0.05). The specimens in group 3 displayed significantly lower SBS than either group 4 or group 1 (P > 0.05). No significant difference was observed between the SBS of group 2 compared to any other group (P > 0.05). There was no significant association between the treatment group and failure type (P > 0.05). Conclusion The bonding interface was not negatively influenced by the at-home bleaching procedure. However, using a commercial whitening dentifrice during at-home bleaching produced a significant detrimental effect on SBS. Extending the curing time would have no beneficial effect on adhesion to a whitened dental substrate.

Introduction: Diseases such as high blood pressure with comorbid psychological problems can make it difficult to manage and control. People with this disease are likely to experience comorbid stresses. Aim: The aim of the present study was the effectiveness of unified transdiagnostic treatment on psychological distress and alexithymia in people with hypertension with comorbid stress. Method: The present study was a semi-experimental type with a control group. 40 patients with high blood pressure with co-occurring stress were selected from health centers of Aliguderz city in 2021 through convenience sampling method. The participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group (20 people) and the control group (20 people). They completed the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Questionnaire (DASS-21, 1995) and the Toronto Ataxia Scale (1994) in two stages: pre-test and post-test. The experimental group received the unified metadiagnostic treatment protocol for 12 sessions of 60 minutes, but the control group did not receive any intervention. The data were analyzed with SPSS-18 and through multivariate analysis of covariance test. Results: The results of covariance analysis showed that unifield transdiagnostic treatment significantly effective in improvement alexithymia (F=56.24, P