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Abstract The PERSIAN eye cohort study is a population-based study that evaluates the overall prevalence of cataracts and their subtypes (nuclear sclerosis, cortical, and PSC) in Iran. In this study, from January 2015 to September 2021, 16,016 participants over 35 years of age from four provinces who were selected by random cluster sampling were examined. Demographic information, education, socioeconomic status, and place of residence were collected through interviews. The cataract status of the study participants was examined by two experienced ophthalmologists using slit lamp photography. The average age of the study participants was 49.52 ± 9.31 and 8891 (55.5%) were female. The overall prevalence of each type of cataract, nuclear sclerosis, cortical, and PSC was 18.90%, 12.65%, 9.20%, and 3.08%, respectively. The results indicated that the prevalence of any type of cataract (adjusted OR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.78–0.92, p

Abstract Background This study aimed to explore ocular and periocular injuries resulting from animal and bird attacks among patients referred to a tertiary referral eye hospital of Iran over ten years (2014–2024). Methods In this retrospective analysis, we collected data on patient demographics, the species of the attacking animal and bird, the nature of the ocular and periocular injuries, details of ophthalmological examinations, therapeutic interventions, and surgical treatments. Results One hundred and twenty-nine patients, with an average age of 36 ± 23 years (range: 1–77 years), were included in this study, of whom 81 were male. Among these patients, 70 (54.3%) experienced open globe injuries, and seven were diagnosed with endophthalmitis during their hospital stay. Specifically, of the 60 injuries caused by birds, 47 patients (78.3%) experienced open globe injuries, whereas this rate was 21 out of 66 (31.8%) for injuries caused by quadrupeds (P-value ≤ 0.001). Rural patients had a significantly longer time interval from trauma occurrence to hospital admission (83.58 ± 31.46 h in the rural group vs. 29.85 ± 6.48 h in the urban group, P-value = 0.012) and from hospital admission to the first surgical intervention (8.8 ± 1.14 h in the rural group vs. 6.83 ± 6.13 h in the urban group, P-value = 0.020). Additionally, final visual acuity was significantly better in urban patients than in rural patients. Conclusions Animal and bird-related ocular trauma in Iran predominantly involves injuries caused by birds, with rural patients experiencing worse visual outcomes and delayed referral.

Abstract To investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence and clinical characteristics of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) patients referred to a high-volume center, Farabi Eye Hospital, Iran. In a retrospective study, all new RRD patients referred to Farabi Eye Hospital between March 2019 and March 2020 (pre-pandemic, Group 1) and March 2020 and March 2021 (post-pandemic, Group 2) were analyzed. The groups were compared based on demographic and clinical data. A total of 375 patients were included (131 pre-pandemic, 244 post-pandemic, and 34 during lockdowns). The during-pandemic group had a shorter referral time (44.97 vs. 76.76 days, p = 0.031) and surgical wait time (4.64 vs. 8.63 days, p

Abstract We compared chorioretinal microvascular of Slow Coronary Flow Phenomenon (SCFP) patients using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA) to healthy controls. We recruited 21 patients from September 2023 until January 2024 from two referral centers. We enrolled 21 age-sex-matched controls retrospectively. Patients were referred to obtain OCTA in our outpatient ophthalmology clinic. The OCTA and Enhanced Depth Imaging (EDI) OCT findings were measured. Whole image and perifoveal Vascular Density (VD) of superficial and deep capillary plexuses and Parafoveal VD of superficial layer were diminished in SCFP groups compared to controls (p

The work presented a facile, one-step procedure as a green assembly process for preparing silver tungstate nanorod by hydrothermal technique via a chemical reaction between silver nitrate and sodium tungstate. The synthesized precipitate was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) transmission electronic microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to ensure the formation of crystallization and single-phase material. The prepared nanorods undergo a catalytic evaluation to synthesize tetrahydrobenzo[a] xanthene-11-one derivatives by a one-pot reaction of β-naphthol, dimedone, and aromatic aldehyde with a catalytic amount of silver tungstate under the solvent-free condition at 60–70 °C. ArgC is one of the L-arginine biosynthetic pathways of mycobacterium tuberculosis. The molecular docking explains that all the synthesized compounds presented high ligand ability for the targeted enzyme compared with xanthene-9-carboxylic acid as a reference.

Abstract In this study, we aimed to follow up on the surprising increase in the incidence of orbital subperiosteal abscesses (SPA) reported in the Iranian pediatric population in the post-COVID era. Pediatric patients (≤ 18 years old) diagnosed with orbital SPA following acute sinusitis who were hospitalized between October 1st, 2023, and March 31st, 2024 in Farabi Eye Hospital, Tehran, Iran, were included. Demographic, clinical, microbiologic, and radiological characteristics of patients were reviewed. During the 6-month study period, 39 patients were admitted to our tertiary referral hospital. The average age of patients was 7.29 ± 4.13 years and 30 patients (76.92%) were male. The ethmoid sinus was involved in 100% of patients, and SPA involvement was in the medial wall in 27 patients (69.23%). The mean volume of SPA was 1.45 ± 1.77 cm3. Nineteen patients (48.72%) underwent surgical interventions, however, 20 patients (51.28%) received only medical treatment. The best corrected visual acuity of patients increased from 0.63 (0.20 LogMAR) on the first day of admission to 0.84 (0.07 LogMAR) according to the Snellen chart in the first month after treatment. It seems that the outbreak of orbital SPA in the Iranian children population in the post-COVID era is an increasing trend.

Abstract Background This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of DeepLabv3+with Squeeze-and-Excitation (DeepLabv3+SE) architectures for segmenting the choroid in optical coherence tomography (OCT) images of patients with diabetic retinopathy. Methods A total of 300 B-scans were selected from 21 patients with mild to moderate diabetic retinopathy. Six DeepLabv3+SE variants, each utilizing a different pre-trained convolutional neural network (CNN) for feature extraction, were compared. Segmentation performance was assessed using the Jaccard index, Dice score (DSC), precision, recall, and F1-score. Binarization and Bland-Altman analysis were employed to evaluate the agreement between automated and manual measurements of choroidal area, luminal area (LA), and Choroidal Vascularity Index (CVI). Results DeepLabv3+SE with EfficientNetB0 achieved the highest segmentation performance, with a Jaccard index of 95.47, DSC of 98.29, precision of 98.80, recall of 97.41, and F1-score of 98.10 on the validation set. Bland-Altman analysis indicated good agreement between automated and manual measurements of LA and CVI. Conclusions DeepLabv3+SE with EfficientNetB0 demonstrates promise for accurate choroid segmentation in OCT images. This approach offers a potential solution for automated CVI calculation in diabetic retinopathy patients. Further evaluation of the proposed method on a larger and more diverse dataset can strengthen its generalizability and clinical applicability.

Previous reports showed that prolonged operative time increases the risk of surgical site infection rates, prolonged hospital stays, and potentially higher rates of revision surgeries. In the context of rhinoplasty, the type of nasal deformity may complicate the surgical procedure and increase the operative time. We aimed to investigate the association between the type of nasal deformity and operative time in rhinoplasty patients. This retrospective chart review studies 349 patients who underwent primary and secondary rhinoplasty procedures due to various nasal deformities in King Saud University-Medical City. The primary outcome of the present study was the association between operative time, defined as the time from the initial incision to the completion of skin closure, and the type of nasal deformity. The association between the type of deformity and operative time was assessed using one-way ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc analysis. There was a statistically significant association between the type of nasal deformity and operative time (p < 0.001). Patients with dorsal, alar base, and tip deformities had significantly longer operative times than patients with isolated dorsal deformities (208.01 ± 57.73 min) (p < 0.001). The analysis also showed that the presence of crooked nose deformities (p < 0.001), an inverted V deformity (p = 0.01), internal nasal valve collapse (p = 0.025), axis deviation (p = 0.003), over-projection, and under-projection significantly increased surgical duration. The complexity of nasal deformities significantly impacts the operative time in rhinoplasty surgeries; more complex deformities that require extensive surgical procedures are associated with a longer operative time. Further research is warranted to corroborate these findings and investigate other potential influencing factors.

In reaction to the expanding predominance of diabetes mellitus, curcumin nanoparticles stacked on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) composite were effectively synthesized, characterized, and examined utilizing UV/Vis and FTIR spectroscopy combined with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The bioactivity of curcumin (Cur), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and curcumin nanoparticles stacked with carboxymethyl cellulose (CUR-CMC) was tried through atomic docking approval as an α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitor. The conclusion illustrated that the curcumin-supported CMC is more potent than CUR itself self the validation presented is compared with acarbose as a reference molecule and then CUR-CMC can presented as promising in curing hyperglycemia by decreasing the absorption of glucose.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of night shifts on the biomechanical properties of the cornea using Scheimpflug camera-based imaging (Corvis and Pentacam). Methods: Thirty-four participants from the medical staff who had at least six night shifts per month as a case group and fifty-two participants as a control group participated in the study. The biomechanical characteristics of the cornea using the Corvis device and the topographical characteristics of the cornea using the Pentacam device were investigated in the participants. Results: The main indices of corneal biomechanics including Corvis Biomechanical Index (0.17 ± 0.18 vs. 0.15 ± 0.14; P = 0.66 [adjusted] and 0.66 [unadjusted]) and Tomographic and Biomechanical Index (0.16 ± 0.19 vs. 0.14 ± 0.19; P = 0.78 [adjusted] and 0.63 [unadjusted]) were not significantly different between case and control groups. Conclusion: Our study showed that night shifts do not independently affect corneal biomechanical indices.

Purpose: To explain the physical properties of ophthalmic viscoelastic devices (OVDs), covering their structural units, optimal features, existing viscoelastic materials, clinical applications, and potential side effects. Methods: This is a narrative review on the OVDs. A literature review was conducted in PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases. Studies that investigated physical characteristics, clinical applications, OVD commercial products, and their complications were included. Results: We included 42 articles from 2010 and discussed physical characteristics, properties of a desirable OVD, structural units of common OVDs, OVD commercial products, clinical applications, and also complications of OVDs. Conclusions: Today, viscoelastics hold a distinct and crucial role in intraocular surgery due to their remarkable properties. These materials safeguard the endothelium and epithelium, uphold anterior chamber depth, manage intraocular bleeding, ease tissue handling, and aid intraocular lens placement. Currently, the American market features 12 prevalent viscoelastic types, including 7 sodium hyaluronate derivatives (Healon, Healon-Greater Viscosity, Healon-5, Amvisc, Amvisc Plus, Advanced Medical Optics Vitrax, and Provisc), 2 hydroxypropyl methylcellulose 2% derivatives (OcuCoat and Cellugel), and 3 combinations of sodium hyaluronate and chondroitin sulfate (Viscoat, DisCoVisc, and DuoVisc). Despite the introduction of new viscoelastic materials annually, no single material encompasses all desired properties. Surgeons must select and employ suitable viscoelastics based on surgical conditions and patient requirements. Advancements in material development and understanding of physical properties and clinical applications continue to refine viscoelastic selection.

Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC or “Long COVID”), includes numerous chronic conditions associated with widespread morbidity and rising healthcare costs. PASC has highly variable clinical presentations, and likely includes multiple molecular subtypes, but it remains poorly understood from a molecular and mechanistic standpoint. This hampers the development of rationally targeted therapeutic strategies. The NIH-sponsored “Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery” (RECOVER) initiative includes several retrospective/prospective observational cohort studies enrolling adult, pregnant adult and pediatric patients respectively. RECOVER formed an “OMICS” multidisciplinary task force, including clinicians, pathologists, laboratory scientists and data scientists, charged with developing recommendations to apply cutting-edge system biology technologies to achieve the goals of RECOVER. The task force met biweekly over 14 months, to evaluate published evidence, examine the possible contribution of each “omics” technique to the study of PASC and develop study design recommendations. The OMICS task force recommended an integrated, longitudinal, simultaneous systems biology study of participant biospecimens on the entire RECOVER cohorts through centralized laboratories, as opposed to multiple smaller studies using one or few analytical techniques. The resulting multi-dimensional molecular dataset should be correlated with the deep clinical phenotyping performed through RECOVER, as well as with information on demographics, comorbidities, social determinants of health, the exposome and lifestyle factors that may contribute to the clinical presentations of PASC. This approach will minimize lab-to-lab technical variability, maximize sample size for class discovery, and enable the incorporation of as many relevant variables as possible into statistical models. Many of our recommendations have already been considered by the NIH through the peer-review process, resulting in the creation of a systems biology panel that is currently designing the studies we proposed. This system biology strategy, coupled with modern data science approaches, will dramatically improve our prospects for accurate disease subtype identification, biomarker discovery and therapeutic target identification for precision treatment. The resulting dataset should be made available to the scientific community for secondary analyses. Analogous system biology approaches should be built into the study designs of large observational studies whenever possible.

Fault detection are essential in machine condition monitoring to ensure reliable and efficient operations. This article introduces a methodology to achieve this goal, using tacholess method. Techniques such as the Hilbert transform, adaptive observer, generalized demodulation transform (GDT), and Vold-Kalman filtering (VKF) are combined. The novelty introduced in this article lies in the use of the adaptive observer and the incorporation of the estimated speed to make the generalized Vold-Kalman filter adaptive as a function of motor current. Experimental evaluations were carried out, simulating artificial defect, corresponds to a scenario where the rotor has multiple impacts per revolution, often associated with issues such as misalignment or imbalance. These experimental findings demonstrate the performance of the proposed method, with an adaptive filter showing improved signal extraction across a range of operating situations. A diagnostic protocol has been developed, using statistical analysis, to guarantee the applicability of the method under all operating conditions.

Occupational exposures are generally complex, workers are exposed with more than one hazardous agent in work environment. Combined exposure to noise and benzene is common in occupational environments. Sub-acute exposure to benzene vapors can induce oxidative stress in serum. Additionally, noise exposure leads to non-auditory effects, such as oxidative stress. However, In the authors' research scope, a study aimed at investigating the effect of co-exposure to noise and benzene on the oxidative stress of rat serum has not been found. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of co-exposure to noise and benzene on oxidative stress. In this study, 24 Wistar albino male rats were divided into four groups: the control group (1), the group exposed to white noise with an intensity of 100 dB and a frequency of 250–8KHz (2), the group exposed to benzene vapors with a concentration of 300 PPM (3), and the group co-exposed to white noise with an intensity of 100 dB and benzene vapors with a concentration of 300 PPM. Oxidative stress induced was investigated by serum oxidative stress indices, including lipid peroxidation (MDA), total oxidative capacity (TOS), and antioxidant activity indices (SOD) and (GSH), as well as total antioxidant capacity (TAC).The results showed that exposure to noise and benzene, both separately and combined, can lead to oxidative stress in rat serum, increasing serum oxidant indices MDA and TOS while decreasing serum antioxidant indices TAC, SOD, and GSH was detected in groups exposed to noise and benzene. The findings indicate that the serum oxidative stress caused by the co- exposure to noise and benzene is significantly higher than separate exposure to noise or benzene, also Co-exposure to noise and benzene can have an almost additive effect on increasing serum oxidative stress in rats. This study highlights the importance of studying co-exposure to physical and chemical hazardous agents in the work environment.

Background:. Even though an increased number of patients indicate satisfaction with rhinoplasty outcomes, unexpected postoperative psychological reactions might occur. Postrhinoplasty depression is a type of adverse psychological response in relation to cosmetic surgery. Methods:. The present systematic review seeks to evaluate postoperative depression following successful rhinoplasty in patients who are psychologically stable. Results:. The findings on postrhinoplasty depression are a reminder to cosmetic surgeons that better surgery outcomes might not consistently generate happy and satisfied patients. Even though preoperative mental evaluations are considered important in the screening of patients to undergo rhinoplasty, the assessments might not often be predictive. Cosmetic surgeons should therefore be ready and willing to aid their patients in coping with the adverse psychological responses, including depression. Moreover, this systematic review seeks to enhance the comprehension of both the preoperative and postoperative psychology and mood changes in patients undergoing rhinoplasty. Conclusions:. Plastic surgeons are required to offer effective counseling services to their patients, ensuring effective and clear communication of their expectations, to aid in the decision on whether patients are apt candidates for rhinoplasty and to reduce the possibility of postrhinoplasty depression and anxiety.

Abstract Purpose The Moraxella species is a very uncommon pathogen that leads to microbial keratitis (MK). This study aimed to evaluate the clinical features, predisposing factors, and outcomes of Moraxella keratitis in patients of a tertiary eye hospital. Methods This retrospective study was conducted from 2015 to 2022, on patients who were admitted with the diagnosis of Moraxella keratitis confirmed by positive culture in a referral eye hospital. Demographics, predisposing factors, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and prognosis were assessed. Results A total of 106 individuals diagnosed with Moraxella keratitis, were analyzed. The mean age was 54.42 ± 19.43 years. The mean baseline BCVA of the patients was 2.28 ± 0.6 LogMAR, while this amount reached 1.49 ± 0.81 in the 6-month follow-up (P-value = 0.02). The mean BCVA in the six-month follow-up of the patients who needed surgical interventions was significantly lower than the patients who received only medical treatment (2.15 ± 0.65 vs. 1.29 ± 0.75 LogMAR, P-value = 0.02). Patients with diabetes and those without diabetes did not substantially vary in the prevalence of corneal perforation (P-value = 0.515). Three predisposing factors including corneal perforation (odds ratio = 19.27, P-value = 0.001), hypertension (HTN) (odds ratio = 3.62, P-value = 0.03), and older age (odds ratio = 1.03, P-value = 0.008) were significantly associated with more need for surgical interventions. Conclusion In this cohort, poor prognosis necessitating surgical interventions in Moraxella keratitis was found to be associated with corneal perforation, HTN, and older age.

Background: Accurate methods are needed to evaluate the anatomy of the internal nasal valve (INV), yet there is currently no ideal measurement technique. Our systematic review aims to establish a comprehensive INV assessment tool, compare different INV diagnostic tools, and establish the most ideal measurement technique for the evaluation of the INV. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following the PRISMA guidelines, and the study was recorded in PROSPERO under reference number CRD42023407950. A systematic search was performed in PubMed, MEDLINE, The Cochrane Library (Cochrane Databases of Systematic Reviews), and the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) for studies assessing INV that were conducted between 1996 and 2023. Result: Of the 421 total database searches, 23 studies were found, covering a total of 974 patients (6 studies assessed the accuracy of different diagnostic methods, with 2 of these studies comparing two different diagnostic modalities, and 17 studies measured INV angle). Based on the STROBE tool for quality appraisal the mean score was 16.92 ± ± 2.29, indicating a moderate quality. When comparing INV angle values from preoperative and postoperative records as obtained from CT readings, results showed no significant differences between the pre- and postoperative values (MD = -1.8, 95% CI, -4.8 to 1.2, p = .227). Conclusion: Acoustic rhinometry has the highest accuracy, followed by rhinomanometry then CT scan then endoscopy. Meta-analysis showed no significant differences between the pre- and postoperative values and a significant heterogeneity in the reported INV angle values across studies.

Teachers' professional learning plays an important role in their attempt to change their teaching practices; however, few studies have been conducted on how teachers prepare themselves for the vast initiatives in ameliorating students' outcomes. This study aimed to explore EFL teachers’ perceptions toward their professional learning practices and their professional developmental orientations that contribute to the process of their professional learning. To this end, 30 Iranian EFL teachers selected through purposive sampling participated in this qualitative phenomenological study. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews, and narrative inquiries to ensure the trustworthiness criteria of the data. The thematic analysis of the data revealed three themes of professional development programs, collaborative learning and experience-based learning. The result showed that only a few teachers were satisfied with the school-based professional learning programs, indicating that revision in the educational system was required to develop teachers’ professional learning. Meanwhile, effective learning occurred through collaboration among the teachers and the mutual learning between teachers and students, hence, leading to participative decision-making and teachers' reflective practice. Overall, participants mentioned students' outcomes as a key level of teachers' professional learning. This study has important implications for policymakers, school administrators, and teacher educators.

Abstract Introduction This study investigated the possible relationship between the Apo lipoprotein A1 /high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (ApoA1/HDL-C) ratio and coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods This was a matched case-control study of 482 patients with T2D in two groups of CAD and (n = 241) non-CAD (n = 241). The patients were classified into four quartiles according to the ApoA1/HDL-C ratio, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the relationship between ApoA1/HDL-C and CAD. ROC analysis was also conducted. Results This study showed that the ApoA1/HDL-C ratio has an independent association with CAD in individuals with T2D. The CAD group exhibited a significantly higher ApoA1/HDL-C ratio than those without CAD (p-value = 0.004). Moreover, the risk of CAD increased significantly across the ApoA1/HDL-C ratio quartiles, with the highest odds in the fourth quartile. The second quartile showed an odds ratio (OR) of 2.03 (p-value = 0.048) compared to the first. Moving to the third quartile, the OR increased to 2.23 (p-value = 0.023). The highest OR was noted in the fourth, reaching 3.41 (p-value = 0.001). Employing a cut-off value of 2.66 and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.885, the ApoA1/HDL-C ratio predicts CAD among patients with T2D with a sensitivity of 75% and a specificity of 91% (p-value

Introduction Benign vocal fold lesions (BVFLs) disrupt the superficial lamina propria, impacting vocal fold pliability. Investigating the diagnostic competency of ear, nose, and throat (ENT) residents in identifying BVFLs, we hypothesize that factors such as residency year, subspecialty focus, and training center influence diagnostic accuracy.

BackgroundRecently, the use of telemedicine technology has increased due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Cardiovascular diseases management is one of the areas that has benefited from using this technology. This study aimed to identify the applications of telemedicine for cardiovascular diseases management during the Covid-19 pandemic.MethodsThis scoping study was conducted in 2023. Various databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, Ovid, CINAHL, ProQuest, and IEEE Xplore along with Google Scholar were searched and all related quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method studies published in English between 2020 and 2022 were included. Finally, the required data were extracted, and the findings were reported narratively.ResultsA total of 17 articles were included in this study. The results showed that teleconsultation via telephone and videoconferencing were the most common used technologies. Telemedicine helped to improve clinical impacts such as patient health status and quality of care, and reduced hospitalizations and re-admission rates compared to in-person visits. The non-clinical impact included reducing waiting time, in-person visits, and healthcare costs during the Covid-19 pandemic.ConclusionThe Covid-19 pandemic has led to an increased use of telemedicine technology, especially for patients with cardiovascular diseases. As teleconsultation and telemonitoring are useful for cardiovascular diseases management and regular examinations, future research should investigate how these technologies can be improved and used for a wider population.

Background: Today, self-efficacy beliefs and vitality are extensively foregrounded. Studies show that to change behavior and cognition, it is imperative to strengthen individuals’ psychological relationships with their thoughts and feelings by enabling them to select appropriate alternatives from various choices and not perform actions to avoid bothersome thoughts, feelings, memories, or desires. Thus, can Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), with its six principles of diffusion, acceptance, contact with the present moment, the observing self, values, and committed action lead to self-efficient beliefs and academic vitality? Aims: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of ACT on students’ self-efficacy beliefs and academic vitality. Methods: This research was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest control group design. The statistical population included all grade 2 high school students in district 3 of Tehran during the 2020-2021 academic year. Thirty students were selected by mixed (simple and convenience) sampling and assigned into experimental and control groups. Sherer’s (1980) self-efficacy scale and Martin and March’s (2006) academic vitality questionnaire were used for data collection, and Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) was employed for data analysis. Results: The results showed that ACT improved students’ self-efficacy beliefs and academic vitality in the posttest (p

Background: It is very important to pay attention to the development of children in different social dimensions and to take preventive measures against the occurrence of behavioral problems at an early age. Therefore, it will be helpful to identify targeted and effective intervention programs in this field. So far, various methods have been used to reduce children's behavioral problems, However, there is a research gap regarding the comparison of the effectiveness of the social skills training package based on puppet show and Walker's social skills training program on children's behavioral problems. Aims: The present study was conducted with the aim of comparing the effectiveness of social skills training based on puppet shows and Walker's social skills training program on preschool children's behavioral problems. Methods: The current research design was a semi-experimental type of pre-test, post-test with control group. The statistical population of the research included all preschool children in Kerman city, from among them a sample of 60 people was selected as available and they were placed in two experimental groups and one control group. One of the experimental groups of training through the social skills training package based on puppet shows (10 sessions) and the other experimental group underwent 11 sessions of training through Walker's training program (1983). The data collection tool was Gresham & Elliot (1990) Social Skills Rating System. The research data was analyzed by univariate and multivariate covariance analysis using SPSS-24 software. Results: The results of covariance analysis in the present study showed that both intervention methods were effective in reducing behavioral problems. However, the effectiveness of social skills training based on puppet shows in internalizing and hyperactivity problems was higher than Walker's method (P< 0.05). Conclusion: According to the obtained results, it seems that the use of intervention methods based on puppet shows are more effective in improving the behavioral problems of preschool children than purely mental methods, Therefore, preschool teachers and child psychologists can use the mentioned method to reduce children's behavioral problems.

Abstract Background Familial calcific band-shaped keratopathy (BSK) is a very rare disease, with no underlying cause. There is no underlying disease in this form of the disease. This article introduces a family with seven children, three of whom were diagnosed with familial primary calcific BSK. One of them developed a systemic disease 38 years after ocular manifestation. Case presentation In this case report, three Iranian siblings from a family with familial calcific band-shaped keratopathy (BSK) are introduced. Systemic and ocular examinations performed on these patients indicated the occurrence of chronic kidney disease in the older child, a 41-year-old woman, 38 years after ocular manifestation. The examinations conducted on the other two siblings revealed no pathological findings. The 41-year-old sister and 37-year-old brother underwent unilateral deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK), while the 33-year-old sister underwent bilateral superficial keratectomy (SK). Conclusion Considering the late onset of systemic disease in one of the siblings diagnosed with familial calcific band-shaped keratopathy (BSK), it is crucial to emphasize the necessity of long-term follow-up for these patients and their families.

Abstract Environmental concerns have pushed toward electrified technologies for off‐road vehicle actuations that can lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduce energy consumption. Replacing a central diesel engine with a dedicated electric machine (EM) as a prime mover for the hydraulic supply offers several opportunities for so‐called ePumps (aka electric‐driven pumps) to maximize energy efficiency and limit the usage of electric materials. This paper discusses the impact of different choices for the ePumps architecture (i.e., fixed vs. variable displacement pump; variable speed vs. fixed speed electrical machine), and on their main design parameters in terms of size and efficiency. Although the procedure followed in the study could be extended to different types of electric and hydraulic units, the paper particularly considers ePumps based on permanent magnet synchronous machines combined with axial piston machines. The importance of properly considering the ePump drive cycle and its cooling requirements is taken into account while addressing energy efficiency, mass, and overall compactness of the solution. The results show that an ePump based on a variable displacement pump, when compared to fixed displacement ePumps, reduces the electrical machine size both in volume and mass up to 40%, when the high‐pressure demand is not combined with high flow rate demand, thus decreasing the cost of the EM. In all drive cycles, the variable speed EM–fixed displacement pump architecture has a higher efficiency, ranging from 1% to 5%, compared to the case of fixed speed EM–variable displacement pump. Finally, the paper compares the advantages and shortcomings of each ePump architecture presented, based on representative drive cycles.

Background & Aim: Self-efficacy disruption poses a significant challenge for patients with a stoma, affecting their ability to engage in community life and carry out daily activities. Utilizing remote training methods for patients presents an opportunity to maximize the use of these resources. This study aims to determine the effect of a telenursing-based training program on the self-efficacy of patients with a stoma. Methods & Materials: This quasi-experimental study involved a convenient sample of 80 patients with a stoma in Zahedan in 2023, who were randomly assigned to two groups: intervention and control, each comprising 40 participants. The intervention group received the telenursing-based program application. Self-efficacy was assessed using the self-efficacy of stoma patients questionnaire before the intervention, as well as one and three months after the intervention. Data were analyzed using Chi-square test and a two-way repeated measures analysis of variance through SPSS software version 26. Results: The intervention group exhibited a mean (SD) age of 42.84±12.98 years, while the control group had a mean (SD) age of 46.26±11.89 years (P=0.320). The self-efficacy total scores in the intervention group showed values of 69.75±8.05 before the intervention, 77.28±7.57 at one month, and 92.72±6.43 at three months post-intervention, suggesting a significant effect of the telenursing-based training on self-efficacy levels (P

Introduction: Spatial ability and response inhibition skills are essential for cognition, learning, and success in both school and life. Aim: The aim of this research was to examine the effectiveness of a cognitive-emotional empowerment educational package on the spatial ability and response inhibition of female students. Method: A semi-experimental design with pre-test, post-test, and follow-up was employed, including a control group. The population consisted of all sixth-grade female students in Tehran during the academic year 1400-1401. A sample of 30 individuals was selected, and they were assigned to control and experimental groups. The experimental group received a cognitive-emotional empowerment educational package for 12 sessions of 45 minutes each week, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Research tools included forward matrices (Raven, 1956) and go/no-go test (Gordon and Karamaza, 1982). The research data were analyzed using SPSS version 24 and repeated measures analysis of variance. Results: Data analysis revealed a significant difference in the mean scores of spatial ability and response inhibition between the experimental and control groups in pre-test and post- test stages (p < 0.05). The effect size of cognitive-emotional empowerment on spatial ability and response inhibition was estimated at 0.133 and 0.139, respectively. Conclusion: Based on the results, the cognitive-emotional empowerment educational package led to an improvement in the spatial ability and response inhibition of students. Therefore, it is recommended to use this intervention as an educational method to enhance the spatial ability and response inhibition of children

Background and Aim: The information related to brain oscillation, head rotation and head orientation relative to gravity is obtained from the vestibular system. An important reference for upright posture and navigation is gravity-based vertical perception. Many studies have been conducted for the determination of cortical areas involved in Subjective Visual Vertical (SVV) perception in healthy people or patients with brain injuries. Their results have indicated an extensive and bilateral cortical area involved in SVV perception. The purpose of this review study is to investigate these cortical areas and their functional role. Recent Findings: Neuroimaging studies in patients with brain injuries showed that multiple cortical areas have a role in SVV perception. These areas mainly include the occipital cortex, frontal cortex, posterior temporoparietal, temporo-occipital, parieto-occipital, superior temporal gyrus, inferior parietal lobe in temporoparietal junction, posterior insula, cuneus, lingual gyrus, precuneus, ventral dentate nucleus, cerebellum, and brainstem. Conclusion: The cortical areas involved in SVV perception are a part of the vestibular system, which is distributed bilaterally. These areas have a multi-sensory processing task and play a role in processing of cognitive and motor sensory information.

Aim: The use of natural fiber-based composites in various applications is increasing due to their cost-effectiveness, low density, nontoxicity, and environmental friendliness. Therefore, in this study, the acoustic performance of natural bamboo fiber composites was investigated using experimental and theoretical methods. The properties of these composites, which include affordability, low density, nontoxicity, and eco-friendliness, contribute to their growing popularity. Methods: In this study, three types of composites with a density of 200 kg/m3 and thicknesses of 50 mm were fabricated. The normal incidence absorption coefficient was directly measured using the impedance tube method based on the ISO 10534-2 standard. In addition, for predicting the sound absorption coefficient of the composites, the software COMSOL and the Miki and Attenborough models were utilized. Results: The results indicate that for samples F (fine fiber) and F-C (fine coarse fiber), the average sound absorption above 1000 Hz is 0.8. The sound absorption values in sample C (coarse fiber) were lower than those in samples F and F-C. In addition, the mathematical models of Miki and Attenborough can predict the acoustic behavior of the samples to some extent, with the Attenborough model providing higher accuracy in its predictions. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that a composite composed of natural bamboo fibers can be used as a sound-absorbing material for noise control purposes, while also contributing as a green technology replacing natural fibers with synthetic fibers.

Abstract Deep neural networks (DNNs) have demonstrated higher performance results when compared to traditional approaches for implementing robust myoelectric control (MEC) systems. However, the delay induced by optimising a MEC remains a concern for real-time applications. As a result, an optimised DNN architecture based on fine-tuned hyperparameters is required. This study investigates the optimal configuration of convolutional neural network (CNN)-based MEC by proposing an effective data segmentation technique and a generalised set of hyperparameters. Firstly, two segmentation strategies (disjoint and overlap) and various segment and overlap sizes were studied to optimise segmentation parameters. Secondly, to address the challenge of optimising the hyperparameters of a DNN-based MEC system, the problem has been abstracted as an optimisation problem, and Bayesian optimisation has been used to solve it. From 20 healthy people, ten surface electromyography (sEMG) grasping movements abstracted from daily life were chosen as the target gesture set. With an ideal segment size of 200 ms and an overlap size of 80%, the results show that the overlap segmentation technique outperforms the disjoint segmentation technique (p-value

Abstract The role of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification of host mRNA during bacterial infection is unclear. Here, we show that Helicobacter pylori infection upregulates host m6A methylases and increases m6A levels in gastric epithelial cells. Reducing m6A methylase activity via hemizygotic deletion of methylase-encoding gene Mettl3 in mice, or via small interfering RNAs targeting m6A methylases, enhances H. pylori colonization. We identify LOX-1 mRNA as a key m6A-regulated target during H. pylori infection. m6A modification destabilizes LOX-1 mRNA and reduces LOX-1 protein levels. LOX-1 acts as a membrane receptor for H. pylori catalase and contributes to bacterial adhesion. Pharmacological inhibition of LOX-1, or genetic ablation of Lox-1, reduces H. pylori colonization. Moreover, deletion of the bacterial catalase gene decreases adhesion of H. pylori to human gastric sections. Our results indicate that m6A modification of host LOX-1 mRNA contributes to protection against H. pylori infection by downregulating LOX-1 and thus reducing H. pylori adhesion.

Background: Considering the importance of academic performance during adolescence, one of the most important variables in this regard is Goal orientation. Based on the etiology of students' low academic performance, there are several interventions to be effective on psychological well-being; However, no study has investigated the impact of cognitive, metacognitive, and emotional regulation strategies on goal orietation. Aims: The present study was conducted with the aim of comparing the effectiveness of teaching cognitive, metacognitive and emotion regulation strategies on the goal orientation of male students with low academic performance in the second year of high school. Methods: This research was semi-experimental research with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group in terms of implementation. The statistical population consisted of all male students with low academic performance in the second year of high school in Tabriz city in 1400-1401. To select the research sample, 15 people were selected for each group in the form of purposeful sampling and randomly assigned to three experimental groups and one control group (60 people). The tools used in the research were the revised goal orientation questionnaire along with the implementation protocol of cognitive, metacognitive and emotion regulation strategies interventions. Results: Based on the results of multivariate covariance analysis, the effect of all three interventions of cognitive strategies, metacognitive strategies and emotion regulation on all goal orientation subscales was confirmed (p

Introduction: Training in a certain skill not only culminates in better motor performance but also leads to neural adjustments and regulations in different brain regions. Aim: The present study aimed to psychologically assess event-related motor potential in motor-related cortical regions during simple and complicated tasks. Method: The current research was of a semi-experimental type with a single-phase post-test design without a control group. The participants of the present study consisted of all 20-32-year-old right-handed male table tennis players in Tehran, in 2019. A total of 8 samples were selected via convenience sampling. Data were collected at the National Brain Mapping Laboratory. Annett Hand Preference Questionnaire (1970), Ocular Dominance Testing Card (1910), the Newgy Robo Pong Model 2050 Digital Table Tennis Robot, and the Specific Test for Table Tennis Stroke (2016) were used to record speed from Radar gun, and cameras and judges’ scoring were also used to measure accuracy. Moreover, the two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistical test was employed to assess the differences in two levels of task complexity in SPSS software version 24. Results: The results showed that the motor potential in the primary motor cortex region had a greater range in the simple task than in the complicated task (P=0.012); however, the premotor (P=0.008) and the posterior parietal cortical regions (P=0.026) of the complicated task had larger ranges than the simple task. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, the motor potential range is dependent on the task complexity level. Therefore, it is suggested that tasks with different complexity levels be taken into account in investigating event-dependent potentials.

The maintenance of DNA sequence integrity is critical to avoid accumulation of cancer-causing mutations. Inactivation of DNA Mismatch Repair (MMR) genes (e.g., MLH1 and MSH2) is common among many cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC) and is the driver of classic microsatellite instability (MSI) in tumors. Somatic MSH3 alterations have been linked to a specific form of MSI called elevated microsatellite alterations at selected tetranucleotide repeats (EMAST) that is associated with patient poor prognosis and elevated among African American (AA) rectal cancer patients. Genetic variants of MSH3 and their pathogenicity vary among different populations, such as among AA, which are not well-represented in publicly available databases. Targeted exome sequencing of MSH3 among AA CRC samples followed by computational bioinformatic pipeline and molecular dynamic simulation analysis approach confirmed six identified MSH3 variants (c.G1237A, c.C2759T, c.G1397A, c.G2926A, c.C3028T, c.G3241A) that corresponded to MSH3 amino-acid changes (p.E413K; p.S466N; p.S920F; p.E976K; p.H1010Y; p.E1081K). All identified MSH3 variants were non-synonymous, novel, pathogenic, and show loss or gain of hydrogen bonding, ionic bonding, hydrophobic bonding, and disulfide bonding and have a deleterious effect on the structure of MSH3 protein. Some variants were located within the ATPase site of MSH3, affecting ATP hydrolysis that is critical for MSH3′s function. Other variants were in the MSH3-MSH2 interacting domain, important for MSH3’s binding to MSH2. Overall, our data suggest that these variants among AA CRC patients affect the function of MSH3 making them pathogenic and likely contributing to the development or advancement of CRC among AA. Further clarifying functional studies will be necessary to fully understand the impact of these variants on MSH3 function and CRC development in AA patients.

Nermin E Eleraky,1 Mahmoud El-Badry,1 Mahmoud M Omar,2,3 Wesam M El-Koussi,4 Noha G Mohamed,5 Mohamed A Abdel-Lateef,6 Abeer S Hassan7 1Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt; 2Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Deraya University, Minia, Egypt; 3Department of Pharmaceutics and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt; 4Department of Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt; 5Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sphinx University, Assiut, Egypt; 6Department of Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Assiut Branch, Assiut, Egypt; 7Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, South Valley University, Qena, EgyptCorrespondence: Nermin E Eleraky, Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Assiut, 71526, Egypt, Tel +20 1014017239, Fax +20 (088-002) 2345631, Email Nermineleraky@pharm.aun.edu.egPurpose: Immunomodulatory and broad-spectrum antiviral activities have motivated the evaluation of curcumin for Coronavirus infection 2019 (COVID-19) management. Inadequate bioavailability is the main impediment to the therapeutic effects of oral Cur. This study aimed to develop an optimal curcumin transferosome-loaded thermosensitive in situ gel to improve its delivery to the lungs.Methods: Transferosomes were developed by using 33 screening layouts. The phospholipid concentration as well as the concentration and type of surfactant were considered independent variables. The entrapment efficiency (EE%), size, surface charge, and polydispersity index (PDI) were regarded as dependent factors. A cold technique was employed to develop thermosensitive in-situ gels. Optimized transferosomes were loaded onto the selected gels. The produced gel was assessed based on shape attributes, ex vivo permeability enhancement, and the safety of the nasal mucosa. The in vitro cytotoxicity, antiviral cytopathic effect, and plaque assay (CV/CPE/Plaque activity), and in vivo performance were evaluated after intranasal administration in experimental rabbits.Results: The optimized preparation displayed a particle size of 664.3 ± 69.3 nm, EE% of 82.8 ± 0.02%, ZP of − 11.23 ± 2.5 mV, and PDI of 0.6 ± 0.03. The in vitro curcumin release from the optimized transferosomal gel was markedly improved compared with that of the free drug-loaded gel. An ex vivo permeation study revealed a significant improvement (2.58-fold) in drug permeability across nasal tissues of sheep. Histopathological screening confirmed the safety of these preparations. This formulation showed high antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 at reduced concentrations. High relative bioavailability (226.45%) was attained after the formula intranasally administered to rabbits compared to the free drug in-situ gel. The curcumin transferosome gel displayed a relatively high lung accumulation after intranasal administration.Conclusion: This study provides a promising formulation for the antiviral treatment of COVID-19 patients, which can be evaluated further in preclinical and clinical studies.Graphical Abstract: Keywords: transferosomes, curcumin, in situ gels, coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2, intranasal delivery

Background: Academic performance is considered as an indicator for evaluating the success of the education system. One of the influential variables in academic performance during adolescence is psychological well-being. According to the etiology of low academic performance in students, this field has shortcomings. Research shows that interventions in this field require attention to growth-oriented issues such as cognitive-oriented and emotion-oriented interventions in the form of education. All kinds of interventions in this field claim to be effective, but the present study seeks to compare the effectiveness of teaching cognitive, metacognitive and emotion regulation strategies on the psychological well-being of Secondary School Students male with low academic performance. Aims: The present study was conducted with the aim of comparing the effectiveness of teaching cognitive, metacognitive and emotion regulation strategies on the psychological well-being Secondary School Students male with low academic performance Methods: The research design was a semi-experimental type of pre-test, post-test with control group. The statistical population of the research included all male students of the Secondary School Students male in Tabriz city with low academic performance in the academic year of 2021-2022. select the statistical sample of the research, 60 people were selected in the form of purposeful sampling (based on the research entry criteria) and randomly divided into three experimental groups (cognitive strategies, metacognitive strategies and emotion regulation intervention) and a control group (15 people in each group) were placed. In order to collect information, Ryff Scales of Psychological Well-Being Scale-Short Form (RSPWB-SF), cognit0ive and metacognitive strategies training protocols (Seif, 2016) and emotion regulation intervention (Gross & Thompson, 2007) were used. Univariate and multivariate analysis of covariance, Benferroni post hoc test and SPSS27 software were used for data analysis. Results: Based on the results of multivariate covariance analysis, the effect of all three interventions of cognitive strategies, metacognitive strategies and emotion regulation on the total score of psychological well-being was confirmed (P

A girl of 8 years old was referred to our clinic with a history of penetrating injury to her left eye 6 years ago with light perception vision and a large traumatic macular hole in her right eye. Her right eye’s vision was 4/10 when she first visited our clinic. Considering the patient’s one-eye status, her parents’ reluctance to undergo surgery, and the possibility of spontaneous closure of traumatic macular holes, it was determined to observe the patient and evaluate her visual acuity and macular hole condition. In 2 years, the final best corrected visual acuity was 8/10 in the right eye, with infratemporal eccentric fixation in visuoscopy. In addition to evaluating and reporting this case as a traumatic macular hole, we will discuss the role of nonsurgical treatment and the possibility of good visual acuity with eccentric fixation in a child with large traumatic macular hole.

Abstract Background Styloid process (SP) is a cylindrical bony projection that originates from the inferior part of the petrous temporal bone just anteriorly to the stylomastoid foramen. Several nerves, muscles, and ligaments are related closely to the (SP). It is considered elongated when the measurement exceeds 30 mm. The overall prevalence of the styloid process is between 3.3% to 84.4%. The elongation of the styloid process (ESP) is associated with the manifestation of Eagle’s Syndrome (ES) which is characterized by various types of pain in the head and neck region such as headache, tinnitus, otalgia, and trigeminal neuralgia. Eagle’s syndrome occurs in 4–10.3% of individuals with an elongated styloid process (ESP). The objective of the study is to determine the prevalence of (ESP) in the patients who were treated in the Dental Hospital University of Barcelona (HOUB), to review the literature to spot the light on the different demographic data worldwide. Methods The archived panoramic image in the University of Barcelona dental Hospital were consecutively retrieved to investigate the prevalence of (ESP). Of all digital panoramic radiographs (OPG), 400 met the inclusion criteria and were furtherly analyzed. The results are correlated with the participant’s gender, age, and occurrence. Age is subcategorized into three groups. A chi-square test is used to measure the significant differences and the P-value is set at

The purpose of the current research endeavor was to examine the efficacy of mindfulness skills training in enhancing the social competence and alexitimia of children who exhibit symptoms consistent with anxiety disorder. With experimental and control groups, a three-stage design (pre-test, post-test, and follow-up) and a two-month follow-up period, the research methodology was semi-experimental. The study’s statistical population comprised Tehran-based children in the fourth and fifth grades of primary education during the academic year 2020-2021 who exhibited symptoms consistent with anxiety disorders. A purposive sampling method was employed to select 36 children (21 girls and 15 boys) who exhibited symptoms of anxiety disorder. These children were then randomly assigned to either the experimental or control groups. Ten and a half-hours of mindfulness skills training were allocated to the students in the experimental group. The present investigation employed the Children’s Anxiety Scale (CAS), the Alexitimia Questionnaire (IQ), and the Social Competence Scale (SCS). The data were subjected to analysis using mixed ANOVA in the SPSS-23 software. Children exhibiting symptoms of anxiety disorder benefit significantly from mindfulness skills training in terms of social competence (p

Maisa A Wahab,1 Alshaymaa M Alhabibi,2 Ahmed Khairy Sakr,1 Mohamed Yahia Zakaria,3 Ola I Saleh,4 Inass Hassan Ahmad,5 Eman Kamel Abdelrahman,6 Randa Sabour Elshahat Taha,4 Fayka Karem Abdel Azeem Ahmed,4 Bothayna Ismail,2 Lamiaa Hosney Azel,5 Asmaa S Hassan,2 Hanaa Mohammed Eid El Sayed,7 Sammar Ahmed Kasim,7 Safaa Abdelfattah Elsharkawy8 1Department of Vascular Surgery, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt; 2Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt; 3Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Faculty of Medicine for Boys, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt; 4Department of Radio-Diagnosis, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt; 5Department of Endocrinology, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt; 6Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Port Said University, Port Said, Egypt; 7Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt; 8Department of Community Medicine and Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, EgyptCorrespondence: Alshaymaa M Alhabibi, Tel +201002894075, Email alshaymaa.alhabibi@yahoo.comBackground: One of the major issues affecting global health is Diabetes mellitus (DM), not only in terms of the disease itself but also its complications. Macrovascular complications are both common and serious, affecting many patients. This study aimed to assess fasting C-peptide levels and correlate them with the severity of the peripheral arterial disease complicating type 2 DM (T2DM).Patients and Methods: This study included 200 participants who were categorized into two groups: Group I (n=100, patients with T2DM complicated by femoropopliteal arterial atherosclerosis) and Group II (n=100, healthy age- and sex-matched individuals serving as controls). Fasting C-peptide levels were estimated using an immunochemiluminometric assay.Results: Fasting C-peptide levels were significantly higher in Group I than in the control group. Fasting C-peptide levels were positively correlated with the severity of atherosclerosis. In addition, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed that fasting C-peptide levels served as a specific and sensitive marker for detecting the severity of this disease.Conclusion: Fasting C-peptide levels can be used as a sensitive and specific indicator of the severity of femoropopliteal arteriosclerosis that complicates T2DM.Keywords: diabetes mellitus, femoropopliteal arteriosclerosis, fasting C-peptide

Background: Today, the usage of artificial intelligence systems and computational intelligence is increasing. This study aimed to determine the fuzzy system algorithms to model and predict the amount of air pollution based on the measured data in subway stations. Methods: In this study, first, the effective variables on the concentration of particulate matter were determined in metro stations. Then, PM2.5, PM10, and total size particle (TSP) concentrations were measured. Finally, the particles’ concentration was modeled using fuzzy systems, including the fuzzy inference system (FIS) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS). Results: It was revealed that FIS with modes gradient segmentation (FIS-GS) could predict 76% and ANFIS-FCM with modes of clustering and post-diffusion training algorithm (CPDTA) could predict 85% of PM2.5, PM10, and TSP particle concentrations. Conclusion: According to the results, among the models studied in this work, ANFIS-FCM-CPDTA, due to its better ability to extract knowledge and ambiguous rules of the fuzzy system, was considered a suitable model.

An 8-year-old male patient was presented with a chief complaint of visual perception of a spherical object located in the visual field of his right eye. According to the patient’s prior medical records, they exhibited a sole incident of minor visual impairment in the right eye, characterized by blurred vision (best-corrected visual acuity: 8/10), which first manifested during preschool assessments at the age of 5 years. During the fundoscopic examination of the patient, a pigmented, lobulated, and mobile vitreous cyst was observed in the right eye, whereas the examination of the patient’s left eye revealed no abnormalities. A video of a smartphone slit-lamp imaging was also captured to facilitate subsequent examinations and patient follow-up.

Background Patient safety learning systems play a critical role in supporting safety culture in healthcare organisations. A lack of explicit standards leads to inconsistent implementation across organisations, causing uncertainty about their roles and impact. Organisations can address inconsistent implementation by using a self-assessment tool based on agreed-on best practices. Therefore, we aimed to create a survey instrument to assess an organisation’s approach to learning from safety events.Methods The foundation for this work was a recent systematic review that defined features associated with the performance of a safety learning system. We organised features into themes and rephrased them into questions (items). Face validity was checked, which included independent pre-testing to ensure comprehensibility and parsimony. It also included clinical sensibility testing in which a representative sample of leaders in quality at a large teaching hospital (The Ottawa Hospital) answered two questions to judge each item for clarity and necessity. If more than 20% of respondents judged a question unclear or unnecessary, we modified or removed that question accordingly. Finally, we checked the internal consistency of the questionnaire using Cronbach’s alpha.Results We initially developed a 47-item questionnaire based on a prior systematic review. Pre-testing resulted in the modification of 15 of the questions, 2 were removed and 2 questions were added to ensure comprehensiveness and relevance. Face validity was assessed through yes/no responses, with over 80% of respondents confirming the clarity and 85% the necessity of each question, leading to the retention of all 47 questions. Data collected from the five-point responses (strongly disagree to strongly agree) for each question were used to assess the questionnaire’s internal consistency. The Cronbach’s alpha was 0.94, indicating a high internal consistency.Conclusion This self-assessment questionnaire is evidence-based and on preliminary testing is deemed valid, comprehensible and reliable. Future work should assess the range of survey responses in a large sample of respondents from different hospitals.

Purpose: To report a 3-month-old boy with rapid progressive orbital intraosseous hemangioma which was treated with excisional biopsy and orbital rim reconstruction. Observation: A 3-month-old boy was referred with the aggressive growth of a mass on the right orbital region. The mass was noted to develop over 4 weeks. On presentation this firm nontender orbital mass measuring 5 × 5cm mimicked a more ominous malignancy. The spiral computed tomography scan showed a destructive mass with protrusion superiorly and inferiorly toward the orbital cavity and anterior cranial fossa. The patient underwent gross tumor resection and reconstruction of the orbital rim. Histology findings revealed an intraosseous hemangioma. There was no evidence of recurrence after 1-year follow-up. Conclusion and Importance: Due to rapid progression, the patient's age, and lesion size, this case is unique. There were additional challenges regarding complete resection, intra-cranial extension, and significant blood loss in an infant. Therefore, in the face of rapidly progressing orbital tumors in infants, despite the very low prevalence of intraosseous hemangioma, this diagnosis should be considered.

Despite the existence of effective drugs used to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), many patients fail to respond or lose response over time. Further, many drugs can carry serious adverse effects, including increased risk of infections and malignancies. Saffron (Crocus sativus) has been reported to have anti-inflammatory properties. Its protective role in IBD and how the microbiome and metabolome play a role has not been explored extensively. We aimed to establish whether saffron treatment modulates the host microbiome and metabolic profile in experimental colitis. Colitis was induced in C57BL/6 mice with 3% DSS and treated with either saffron in a dose of 20 mg/kg body weight or vehicle through daily gavage. On day 10, stool pellets from mice were collected and analyzed to assess saffron’s effect on fecal microbiota and metabolites through 16S rRNA sequencing and untargeted primary metabolite analysis. Saffron treatment maintained gut microbiota homeostasis by counter-selecting pro-inflammatory bacteria and maintained Firmicutes/Bacteroides ratio, which was otherwise disturbed by DSS treatment. Several metabolites (uric acid, cholesterol, 2 hydroxyglutaric acid, allantoic acid, 2 hydroxyhexanoic acid) were altered significantly with saffron treatment in DSS-treated mice, and this might play a role in mediating saffron’s colitis-mitigating effects. These data demonstrate saffron’s therapeutic potential, and its protective role is modulated by gut microbiota, potentially acting through changes in metabolites.

Retinoblastoma is the most common primary malignant ocular malignancy in children. The management and treatment of retinoblastoma is a very complex process and requires attention to different aspects, such as the stage of the disease based on the International classification of retinoblastoma (ICRB) or International intraocular retinoblastoma classification (IIRC), the genetic status of the tumor and mutations, psycho-social factors of the family and society, cultural beliefs, and available economic resources. From the identification of this malignancy until the beginning of the 20th century (before the introduction of radiation therapy as one of the treatment options), enucleation was the only treatment option for this disease. In addition to not controlling metastatic and extensive features of the disease and increasing the chance of death in these cases, enucleation causes many adverse psychological and aesthetic complications in patients, and especially children, who are the main population affected by this disease. Tremendous progress has been made since the 20th century to identify and invent new methods to preserve the eyes and less invasive treatments (globe salvage treatments), and the set of efforts led to the inventing of new treatment methods such as radiation therapy, systemic chemotherapy, local treatments such as cryotherapy and thermotherapy, intra-arterial chemotherapy and intraocular chemotherapy. In summary, the set of treatments from the beginning until now has gone towards increasing survival, reducing the rate of enucleation and providing more targeted and less invasive treatments. Despite these advances, early diagnosis is the most important prerequisite for better outcomes. However, early detection is influenced by socioeconomic factors and is a major challenge, especially in low- and middle-income countries. In fact, the provision of advanced medical care in high-income areas has provided excellent survival, globe, and vision-saving rates. Unfortunately, these results do not hold true for medical systems in low- and middle-income areas, leading to poor patient outcomes. In this article, we briefly introduce various retinoblastoma treatment methods from the beginning of detection until now, and we assess the evolution of the treatment of this disease from the beginning until now, which has reduced the need for enucleation as a treatment for this disease.