morteza bagheri

In the backdrop of an ever-evolving global business landscape and intense market competition, companies are faced with the imperative of strategically managing factors that influence their financial performance. This research delves into the intricate relationship between financial performance enhancement and corporate governance, with particular attention to the mediating role of human capital. The study centers its investigation on companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange and comprises a comprehensive sample of 140 top-level managers. A composite sampling approach, comprising a simple random sampling technique and Morgan's table, was employed to judiciously select a representative cohort of 103 participants. In the pursuit of rigorous academic analysis, the research leverages a goal-oriented, applied methodology, employing a descriptive survey design and a quantitative approach. The primary data for the study were methodically collected through rigorously designed and standardized questionnaires. Subsequent to data acquisition, a meticulous analytical process was undertaken using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) software, aligning with the latest developments in quantitative research techniques. The results stemming from hypothesis testing offer compelling insights into the dynamic relationship between corporate governance, human capital, and financial performance enhancement. Our findings convincingly demonstrate a significant positive impact of both corporate governance and human capital on the enhancement of financial performance in the context of Tehran Stock Exchange's listed companies. Furthermore, the empirical evidence strongly suggests that human capital plays a pivotal mediating role in the relationship between corporate governance practices and financial performance improvements. This study, in its pursuit of academic rigor, underscores the effectiveness of a novel hybrid approach, thoughtfully integrating machine learning and data envelopment analysis, to comprehensively examine the intricate interplay between financial performance enhancement and corporate governance within the context of the Tehran Stock Exchange's listed companies. The study contributes to the evolving body of literature in this domain and provides valuable insights for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers.

Tax avoidance practices wield a substantial influence on the fiscal landscape, shaped by the strategic decisions of businesses and their organizational capital (OC), a vital reservoir of strategic assets unique to each firm. This study delves into the nuanced relationship between corporate tax avoidance and OC within the Iranian context, while also examining the moderating effects of firm size and CEO overconfidence. Leveraging a dataset spanning from 2016 to 2021, comprising 142 firms listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange, and employing advanced multivariate regression techniques, our analysis unveils a significant and positive association between tax avoidance strategies and OC. Notably, this relationship remains consistent across firms of varying sizes, indicating that size does not significantly moderate this association. Furthermore, our investigation reveals the influential role of CEO overconfidence in shaping the intricate interplay between tax avoidance and OC. These findings contribute to the ongoing discourse on corporate tax strategies, offering insights applicable to firms of diverse sizes and magnitudes.

Rapamycin (sirolimus) is one of the immunosuppressive drugs that has a strong immunosuppressive effect and one of the factors that inhibits mTOR. The drug rapamycin is used in the prevention of kidney transplant rejection in kidney transplant recipients. Sirolimus is not only an inhibitor of the target of rapamycin, but also a substrate for cytochrome P450 enzyme subfamilies and for multidrug efflux pumps. The results of recent studies have shown that peroxisomal proliferation activating receptors, as a group of nuclear receptors, have multiple cellular effects and their genetic polymorphisms in connection with other genes play an important role in creating human immune system responses. The aim of this study was to determine the peroxisome proliferator alpha gene polymorphism in kidney transplant recipients treated with rapamycin and healthy controls in West Azerbaijan province (Iran) and compare them with each other.

In this case-control study, 40 kidney transplant recipients treated with rapamycin one mg(as case group) and 63 healthy controls as control group were evaluated. Samplings were done in the kidney transplant clinic of Imam Khomeini Hospital (Urmia) under the supervision of a kidney specialist. The salting out method was used to genomic DNA isolation. PCR products were analyzed after enzymatic cleavage with Taq® enzyme. Data were obtained by direct counting of observed alleles and genotypes as well as the total number of samples. Then chi-square test or Fisher's exact test was used to analyze the results in the 2x2 table. The significant difference between the two groups was considered equal to 0.05.

The frequency of homozygous G/G PPARα rs4253778 genotype and heterozygous G/C PPARα rs4253778 genotype observed in the healthy control group of the present study was 40 (63.49%) and 23 (36.51%) respectively. The homozygous C/C PPARα rs4253778 genotype was not observed in the healthy control group. The frequency of homozygous genotype G/G, heterozygous genotype G/C and homozygous genotype C/C in PPAR α rs4253778 Biomarker in the patient group was 29 (72.5%), 9 (22.5%) and 2 (5%) respectively. Comparison of the desired frequencies in the two groups showed that there is no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05). The frequency of G and C alleles in the patient group is 0.84 and 0.16, respectively; and in healthy control it is equal to 0.81 and 0.19 respectively.

In the present study, we concluded that there was no significant relationship between PPARα rs4253778 G>C polymorphism and the use of low concentration of rapamycin. Further study with more samples related to the topic is recommended.

Premature coronary artery disease (CAD) is common in men and women under 45 and 55 years, respectively. It has been demonstrated that R202Q mutation of MEFV gene may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in individuals with metabolic syndrome. The goal of the present investigation was to evaluate the frequency of MEFV gene mutation R202Q in exon 2 in Iranian patients with premature CAD (West Azerbaijan province of Iran).

A total of 100 patients with premature CAD and 100 healthy individuals participated in this hospital-based study. Cases and controls were selected based on strict criteria, including a minimum of one documented angiography with at least 50% stenosis of the coronary artery. PvuII based PCR-RFLP technique was used for the detection of R202Q mutation in the tested samples.

R202Q mutation was not found in any of the healthy controls; whereas 12 out of 100 patients with premature CAD were heterozygote for R202Q mutation (12%) (12% vs. 0%). Considering the heterozygosity of the R202Q mutation in the patients, the allele frequency was 0.06 (12 out of 200 chromosomes).

Our results indicate that the R202Q mutation in the MEFV gene is frequent in patients with premature CAD. Further studies are necessary to analyze more details regarding variable expressivity or incomplete penetrance of R202Q mutation in the tested population.

Quality audits, through the detection of misstatements and the recommendation of corrections, improves the quality of financial statements. However, the quality of financial statements is always affected by management manipulations. The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between residual audit fees and real operating cash flow smoothing and real production expenditure smoothing. The study period of this research is from 1394 to 1400 and a sample of 105 companies has been selected using the purposive sampling method. Linear regression, has been used to test the research hypotheses. The findings show that there is a negative and significant relationship between the residual audit fees and the real operating cash flow smoothing. Also, there is a negative and significant relationship between the remaining fees and the real production expenditure smoothing. These findings indicate that with the increase in (abnormal) fees pay, the real operating cash flow smoothing decreases. Therefore, the payment of unusual fees is not caused by the special relationship between the auditor and the employer. Also, as the (abnormal) fees increases, the real operating cash flow smoothing decreases. Therefore, the payment of unusual audit fees is not caused by the special relationship between the auditor and the client. The findings show that there is a negative and significant relationship between abnormal audit fee and real earnings management. In fact, the abnormal audit fees is caused by the increase in audit quality, which reduces the ability and flexibility of management in using real earnings management and earnings manipulation.

Automated image processing technologies are being implemented increasingly for infrastructure monitoring applications thanks to their high level of accuracy, versatility and efficiency. Therefore, they can be employed for management, repair, and maintenance of transport meta-structures to reduce costs, enhance accuracy, and accelerate task completion. Moreover, the novel technology of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) had a considerable effect on the improvement of different industries. This study addresses the influx of sand to the rail surface in desert areas. This problems is now analyzed through the conventional method (i.e. field observation), which is the simplest possible technique requiring ongoing inspection and large amounts of time and resources. Hence, the use of novel technologies of image processing and artificial intelligence as well as aerial images helped take a major step in the automated analysis of this problem. In rail networks across desert areas, the influx and accumulation of sand block railways, slow down and stop trains, and sometimes cause accidents. Thus, it is essential to adopt an automated system for the timely detection and resolution of this problems in order to prevent additional costs or further accidents. UAV-based imaging, smart image processing based on convolutional neural networks, and deep learning are employed in this study to design a comprehensive system for monitoring the problems. This system can greatly decrease the costs of monitoring the safety of rail networks and significantly improve the accuracy and efficiency of repair and maintenance systems. The proposed system can also provide the centralized ongoing monitoring of Iran’s transport network.

The aim of the current research is to identify and rank the factors affecting the audience-oriented nature of the virtual space in the future research of the national media using the fuzzy hybrid method and the hierarchical analysis process. The statistical sample was selected based on the Delphi panel of 15 media experts. Based on the research findings, 16 factors have been identified. The ranking of these criteria using the process of hierarchical analysis showed that the criteria of credibility of the source of the message and the message itself, becoming a reference media in the field of information in cyberspace, avoiding biased views, and reducing strict regulations and audits, were ranked first to fourth in the field of content production in virtual space. Finally, criteria such as the maximum use of visual attractions, the possibility of more access to the archive of programs on national media sites, and the creation of radio and television podcasts were the least important.

The increasing growth of science and specialized articles in various fields, especially in health and treatment, has faced researchers with the challenge of keeping up with this progress. Review research provides researchers with the possibility to gain access to an acceptable and categorized amount of information by spending less time and money and helps them reach the original essence of the research. However, carrying out such research is very difficult because it requires deep knowledge of the specific field as well as reviewing several studies to find and gather appropriate information. By developing a system, we intended to help researchers in the process of categorizing, extracting, and aggregating data and findings. This study aimed to design and implement a database management system to review studies in the field of medicine and health.

This practical study was done in 2022, and associated with software development. The system was developed in three stages as follows: 1) analysis, 2) implementation, and 3) testing and troubleshooting. This system is implemented using the frameworks based on JavaScript, Angular on the front-end side and Node JS on the back-end side. In the final stage, the system was tested using actual research, and possible defects and problems were detected and solved; finally, the system was handed over to the research team to conduct new research.

In the process of testing the system, we found that by using this system, the accuracy of the information entry process can be greatly increased, and the analysis of the results can be done online with high speed and accuracy.

The results of the present analysis can help policy makers for appropriate legislation and business managers to solve identified problems and increase user trust and satisfaction.

The present study was conducted and conducted with the aim of developing a structural model of organizational excellence based on five personality factors (case study of the staff of the Ministry of Sports and Youth). The research method was descriptive-correlation, the data of which were collected in a field method using a questionnaire. The statistical population of the present study included all employees of the Ministry of Sports and Youth (N=890); A total of 249 people were selected as the research sample by available sampling method. Data collection tools included two standard short form questionnaires of five personality factors NEO-FFI (Costa and McCray, 1998) and organizational excellence questionnaire (Mersel et al., 2020). The reliability of the questionnaires was reported using Cronbach's alpha coefficient in a 30-person prototype for the questionnaire of five factors of neo-personality and organizational excellence, α = 0.94 and α = 0.97, respectively. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling software using SPSS23 and Amos18 software. The results showed that the model had a good fit. Effect of neuroticism variables (P<0.01, β= 0.21), extraversion (P<0.01, β= 0.29), empiricism (P<0.01, β= 0.43), agreementability (P<0.01, β= 0.69) and accountability (P<0.01, β= 0.18) were significant on organizational excellence. As a result, since organizational excellence is itself influenced by basic factors such as personality traits, it is necessary to pay serious attention to these variables in the recruitment process as well as training before and during service.

The purpose of this study was to identify the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene (I/D) variations in CAD patients and healthy controls in an Iranian population (West Azerbaijan province of Iran). This cross-sectional study included 95 CAD patients and 203 healthy controls. ACE I/D polymorphisms were assessed using PCR, and their frequency was determined.  There were 298 people, 95 CAD patients, and 203 controls, with an average age of 50.96±3.45 and 51.14±10.20. We discovered that the frequency of the D allele was significantly higher in CAD patients than in controls (P = 0.0009). In contrast, the frequency of the I allele was significantly higher in controls than in CAD patients (P = 0.0009). The D allele carriers genotypes (DD + ID) were more frequent in the CAD patients than in the control group (P = 0.008). The ACE II genotype-state carriers were more common in the control group than in CAD patients (P = 0.0084). However, in the case of the ACE ID genotype, no significant differences were not found in the tested groups (P = 0.47). These findings suggest that individuals with the ACE DD genotype are predisposed to CAD, whereas individuals with the ACE II genotype state are protected.

Despite other modes of transportation, trains move just along one dimension. However, trains inevitably change their track or move to the opposite track in railway stations and ports using switch systems. Switches are vital for better operation and seamless movement of trains. Furthermore, they are crucial for the safety of movement in tracks due to high derailment potentials at switches; therefore, all parts of switches need to be continuously monitored. An increasing number of accidents in railway systems is highly dependent on switch performance. According to the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways, 90 percent of railway accidents in Tehran stations occur on switches, from which 25 percent happen due to switch defects. Therefore, condition evaluation of switches is of significant importance. Research studies have not been sufficiently conducted on automated condition evaluation of switches. This paper aims to develop a robust automated approach to evaluate switch conditions to be able to measure switch defects. Having taken some pictures from various switches with fixed angles and distance from rails, an image processing technique is applied to determine defects. The first step of image processing is to preprocess the images to increase their quality. The second step is to indicate the type and severity of defects using different algorithms. A Graphical User Interface (GUI) is developed to develop a user-friendly tool to be able to load images, preprocess the images, measure defects, and report the health condition of switches. Finally, the outcomes are validated by applying ground truth, which ends up with high accuracy of approximation of 87 percent.

This article examines how managers' ability affects customer focus and therefore company performance. The research method used is a library approach that has been done by reviewing the existing literature of library studies, in which previous research related to the subject of this research was identified and reviewed and after analyzing previous findings The results of these studies show that managers with a high level of ability are more successful in dealing with situations that require decisions in difficult situations such as selecting the customers who bring the most profit. On the other hand, it cannot be said that all customers have an equal role in the success of the organization. One point that is emphasized in customer relationship management studies is the issue of focusing on key customers. Customer relationship management encourages organizations to identify key and important customers and retain them for future transactions, and shows that focusing on key customers (or major customers) reduces the cost of attracting new customers and increases the organization's revenue. Be loyal to customers.

This article examines how technological change affects employees' job abilities and attitudes. The research method used is a library approach that has been done by reviewing the existing literature of library studies, in which previous research related to the research topic was identified and reviewed and after analyzing previous findings The results of these studies show that technological change significantly affects interactions in the workplace. Even if technological change shifts some jobs, it may have a positive impact on employees who have been hired or will be hired. In addition, as long as workers have the power to use their unique skills and abilities, they tend to be more creative and active, thus contributing to the innovation process of their entire company and empowering employees. Also, companies' investment in information technology increases the company's productivity. But not all employees react the same way and may oppose IT acceptance because employees may believe that their companies are looking to use new technologies to replace them.

This study evaluates the effect of simultaneous AKT inhibition and cisplatin therapy in changes of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) production, apoptosis induction, and cell survival in cisplatinresistant OVCAR3 cell.

OVCAR3 cancer cells were treated with cisplatin, Ly 294002 (LY), and cisplatin+Ly to investigate the cytotoxicity effect of the mentioned groups via MTT assay. Then, DCFH-DA (2′, 7′- dichlorodihydro fluorescein diacetate) assay kit is used to assess the potential of treated groups in intracellular ROS generation. Protein expression levels of caspase-3, cleaved caspase 3, PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, XIAP, and Survivin are estimated through immunoblotting assay in all three experimental groups.

The results showed that all three treated groups, including cisplatin and Ly alone and coadministration of cisplatin+Ly, could reduce the cell vitality of OVCAR3 cancer cells, induced intracellular production of ROS and increased the expression level of activated caspase 3 and Akt protein, whereas downregulated the phosphorylation of Akt protein. However, the effect of combination therapy was more tangible compared to single therapy and control groups. In contrast, the expression amount of XIAP, Survivin, and PI3K did not show detectable changes in comparison with the control group.

The results showed that the AKT inhibition by Ly could sensitize the OVCAR3 cancer cells to the cisplatin and lower the effective dose of cisplatin through hyperactivation of oxidative stress.

Ovarian cancer is the seventh most common cancer and the fifth most common cause of death among women worldwide. Therefore, it is necessary to find new drugs that increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs and the possibility of using them in lower doses, which leads to a reduction in side effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of melatonin on the expression of XIAP, Survivin, AKT, and caspase 3 genes in order to increase cisplatin sensitivity in cultured OVCAR3 cells.

In this study, OVCAR3 cells with different concentrations of melatonin (0.001, 0.312, 0.625, 1.25, 2.5, 5,10 μM) and different concentrations of cisplatin (0.001, 0.937, 1.875, 3.75, 7.5, 15 μM) were cultivated at 24, 48, and 72 hours. Then, cytotoxicity was assessed by MTT assay. Real-time PCR test was performed to evaluate the relative gene expression level of XIAP, Survivin, AKT, and caspase 3 genes in control, melatonin, cisplatin, and a combination of melatonin and cisplatin groups.

The results of this study showed that melatonin inhibits the proliferation of cultured OVCAR3 cells based on a dose and time-dependent mechanism. The results of analysis showed that there is a significant increase in the gene expression level of caspase 3 regarding melatonin and melatonin-cisplatin groups. Also, the expression of Survivin apoptosis inhibitor gene in melatonin-cisplatin combination group decreased (borderline difference). There were no significant changes in tested groups regarding relative gene expression of Xiap and Akt.

The findings of this study show that OVCAR3 cells became more sensitive to cisplatin in the presence of melatonin. It can be used to manage patients with ovarian cancer.

Exploration of second language teacher cognition in general and factors influencing it in particular has attracted the attention of many researchers over the last four decades.  The study presented here explored potential factors that influenced teachers’ cognitions and practices with regard to listening instruction and the development of this skill among learners in the thus far under-researched context of Iran. An exploratory and interpretive approach was adopted. Data were collected over a four-month period in private English Language institutes in Iran. Eight teachers’ classes were observed 64 times, followed by 32 stimulated-recall interviews. Findings indicated that contextual factors, followed by learner variables and teachers’ teaching experiences, were the most influential elements in shaping teacher cognitions and listening classroom practices. Teacher education was ranked as the least influential factor.  There are some implications for strengthening the development of listening skills. These include the importance of experienced teachers’ cognitions in improving teacher education and professional development courses, and being more consciously aware of the exacerbating effects of some contextual factors on listening instruction.

The present study was designed and conducted to investigate the role of personality traits and the psychological capital on sports commitment (case study: Ministry of Sports and Youth) staff. The present study's statistical population includes all Ministry of Sports and Youth employees whose number due to the information obtained from this ministry was 890 people, including 569 male and 321 female. A questionnaire was used to collect the information. The present study results showed that personality traits affect the level of the sports commitment of Ministry of Sports and Youth staff. Also, the results showed that the psychological capital affects the level of the sports commitment of Ministry of Sports and Youth staff.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the frequency of accidents in road and rail crossings of Iran in order to provide solutions to reduce the number of such incidents. Investigating the level crossing in terms of frequency of accidents is one of the methods for identifying hazardous and risky crossings in the rail transport network. For this purpose, in the forthcoming study, a model for predicting the frequency of accidents with a new look at the data of crashes in recent years is presented at the level crossings of Iran. In this study, the specifications of 240 authorized passageways in Iran and the crash data used in these passages have been used. Using these data and using the negative binomial model, the frequency of accidents occurred in each of the level crossings. It should be noted that the data used in this study are related to crashes of the Iranian level crossings in the period between 2009 and 2014. The results of this study indicate the importance of factors such as average daily traffic (ADT), type of road pavement, interstate or interstate location and the speed of trains in the frequency of highway crossings.

Cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity may limit the clinical use of this drug. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of the possible renoprotective effect of curcumin in cisplatin nephrotoxicity.

Thirty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups: 1- control (0.5ml normal saline ip, daily for 10 constitutive days); 2- cisplatin (10mg/kg ip, single dose at the first day); 3- cisplatin + curcumin (10mg/kg ip, dissolved in 5% DMSO, daily for 10 constitutive days); 4- cisplatin + vehicle (5% DMSO, 0.3ml ip) and 5- curcumin (10mg/kg ip). At the end of the study, urine and blood samples were obtained for biochemical (BUN, creatinine, sodium and potassium) analysis. The right kidneys were kept in 10% formalin for H&E and TUNEL staining, and the left kidneys were used for type 2 organic cation transporter (OCT2) and type 3 glutathione peroxidase (GPx3) gene expression and malondialdehyde measurements.

Cisplatin significantly increased serum creatinine, BUN, potassium and kidney lipid peroxidation. However, the effect of cisplatin on Gpx3 and OCT2 gene expression was not statistically significant. Curcumin treatment decreased serum creatinine, BUN, and kidney lipid peroxidation, but increased GPx3 and OCT2 gene expression. Moreover, curcumin significantly reversed the cisplatin-induced kidney tissue injury and decreased apoptosis.

It is concluded that the ameliorative effect of curcumin in cisplatin nephrotoxicity was assumed to be due to antioxidant effect of this agent. The role of curcumin in mediating uptake of cisplatin is still unclear.

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) disrupts function of the endocrine system and differentorgans such as heart, blood vessels, kidney, liver and nervous systems. This study was conducted to evaluateimpact of MDMA on apoptosis and Zinc in the MDMA-induced apoptosis of cultured Sertoli cells by measuringCaspase-3 gene expression.

In this experimental study, Sertoli cells were incubated with MDMA (0, 0.5, 1, 3, 5 mM),Zinc (0, 8, 16, 32, 64 μM) and Zinc (8 μM) prior to adding MDMA (5 mM) for 24 and 48 hours. MTT assay wasused for evaluating impacts of these conditions on the viability of Sertoli cells. Caspase-3 gene expression level wasdetected using quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) in all of the tested groups.

Finding showed that cellular viability was decreased and level of Caspase-3 mRNA was increased in MDMAtreated cells. Additionally, pre-treatment with Zinc (8 μM) attenuated MDMA-induced apoptosis and down-regulatedcaspase-3. The mean of caspase-3 mRNA level (fold change ± SE) was 3.98 ± 1.18, 0.31 ± 0.28, and 1.72 ± 0.28 in respectivelyMDMA (5 mM), Zinc (8 μM), and Zinc+MDMA groups vs. control group. The mean of Caspase-3 mRNA(fold change) was not statistically different in the tested groups (P>0.05), unless MDMA (5 mM) group (P = 0.008).

We suggest that MDMA toxicity could be involved in apoptosis of Sertoli cells. In addition, Zinc couldreduce MDMA-induced apoptosis by down-regulation of Caspase-3 mRNA levels.

3, 4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is commonly known as the most famous amphetamine derivative.

To evaluate the influence of zinc on MDMA-induced apoptosis and caspase- 3 gene expression in Leydig cell line (TM3).

Leydig cells were studied in differenet treatment groups regarding MDMA (0, 0.5, 1, 3, 5 mM) and zinc (0, 4, 8, 16, 32 μM). By the way, the effective concentration was determined to be 5 mM for MDMA and 8 μM for zinc. Then, TM3 cells were cultured in free medium as control (group I), medium containing MDMA (5 mM) (group II), zinc (8 µM) (group III), and zinc (8 µM) prior to MDMA (5 mM) (group IV) as well as in an untreated group (control). Cell viability was assessed at different times after cell culture by MTT assay. The mRNA expression level of caspase-3 was analyzed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

The cellular viability was significantly reduced in TM3 cells after 24 hr and 48 hr exposure time regarding different concentrations of MDMA as well as high concentration of zinc (16 and 32 μM). Cell viability was increased in the group that received zinc (8 µM) before addition of MDMA (5 mM) compared to the control and MDMA groups. The mean ± SE of fold was 22.40 ± 7.5, 0.06 ± 0.02, and 0.009 ± 0.003 in MDMA, zinc, and zinc + MDMA groups, respectively. The mean of caspase-3 mRNA level was significantly increased in the MDMA-treated group (5 mM), while the relative expression of caspase-3 gene was significantly decreased in the zinc (8 µM) + MDMA (5 mM) group compared with the MDMA (5 mM) group (p = 0.001).

Dietary intake of zinc has a protective effect against MDMA consumption in mouse.

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a delayed-onset renal disorder that results from a mutation in the PKD1 or PKD2 genes. Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease results in end-stage renal disease due to renal cystic dysplasia. The aim of this study was to evaluate, by exon sequencing, the disease-causing variants of PKD2 (exons 4, 6, and 8) in Iranian ADPKD patients.

Genomic DNA was extracted from 3-5 ml of peripheral blood by the salting-out method. PKD2 exons 4, 6, and 8 were PCR-amplified and sequenced.

Three disease-causing PKD2 variants were identified; all three were missense mutations in exon 4. The mutations were AGC → ACC (c.893G>C, cDNA.959G>C, S298T), TAC → TTC (c.1043A>T, cDNA.1109 A>T, Y348F), and GAA → GAT (c.1059A>T, cDNA.1125 A>T, E353D. These novel pathogenic variants may cause loss of the normal protein function.

Our results suggest that AGC → ACC (c.893G>C, cDNA.959G>C, S298T), TAC → TTC (c.1043A>T, cDNA.1109 A>T, Y348F), and GAA → GAT (c.1059A>T, cDNA.1125 A>T, E353D variants are common in Iranian ADPKD patients. These mutations modify the transmembrane domain and likely influence PC2 function.

Stress during pregnancy is able to bring extensive effects on neurobehavioral development in offspring. The GABAergic system plays a pivotal role in neuronal excitability, which can be affected by prenatal stress (PS). This study aimed to evaluate impact of the PS on γ2 subunit of gamma-aminobutyric acid A (GABAA) receptor gene expression in the hippocampus and seizure induced by pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) in developing rats.

In this experimental study, female Wistar rats were exposed to restraint stress during gestation and their offspring were studied on postnatal days 14 and 21 (P14 and P21, respectively) for epileptic behaviors and γ2 GABAA receptor subunit gene expression. Quantitative real-time PCR was used for evaluating the γ2 GABAA receptor subunit gene expression in rat pups. Meanwhile, PTZ was injected into the pups, and seizure behaviors were recorded for 60 min.

The results showed that γ2 subunit mRNA expression significantly increased in the hippocampus of the stressed pups. The expression level of γ2 subunit was higher on P21 compared to that on P14 in both groups. Number of seizures with tonic–clonic features increased in pups of stressed group compared to the control group. Prenatal stress significantly caused an increase in the total score of seizure on P21.

The effect of PS on seizure susceptibility is age-specific; the increased γ2 subunit level in the hippocampus might be, at least in part, the underlying mechanism for PS-induced augmentation of seizures in immature rats.

Polycystic ovary syndrome is the most common cause of infertility and is characterized by the lack of ovulation and hyperandrogenism. The prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome among Iranian women is 14.6%. Several polycystic ovary syndrome susceptible gene variants have been identified so far. The results of various studies are inconsistent. Due to drug side effects and high cost of treatment, this study was designed to manage patients. In this study, the association of adiponectin +45 T/G polymorphism with the risk of polycystic ovary syndrome in women from West Azerbaijan Province (Iran) was evaluated.

This study was performed in two groups of patients and controls. 3 ml of peripheral blood was collected from the participants in the study. Saturated salt method was used to extract genomic DNA. PCR-RFLP method was used to determine polymorphisms.

The mean age of the participants was 25.03±3.6 in the patient group and 27.01 ± 4.8 in the control group. All the patients who participated in this study had average obesity with a body mass index of 26.04±3.9. All patients were hirsute. In this study, no significant differences were observed between the case and control groups regarding genotypic and allelic frequencies. The observed alleles and genotypes of ADIPOQ +45 (T / G) were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in the control group. Chi-square and p-values with two degrees of freedom are 3.2 (<3.84) and 0.1, respectively.

ADIPOQ +45 (T / G) gene polymorphism is not a risk factor for polycystic ovary syndrome in women of West Azerbaijan Province. Investigation of other risk factors related to genetic and environmental factors and their interaction with each other is recommended.

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a highly prevalent life-threatening monogenic disorder with high morbidity and mortality. Roughly 1:400-1000 individuals are affected with this disease worldwide. The development of ADPKD is largely attributed to mutations in the polycystic kidney disease (PKD)1 and PKD2 genes. However, the pathogenicity of the different polymorphisms in PDK1 in the development of ADPKD remains unclear. The aim of this study was to further elucidate the role of the polymorphisms in exon 25 of the PDK1 gene in relation to the pathogenesis of ADPKD in Iranian patients.

The genomic DNA of 36 Iranian patients with ADPKD was isolated using the standard salting out method. The PCR products were directly sequenced and analyzed.

The frequencies of CAG>GAG, ATG>GTG, GTC>GTA, and GTG>ATG polymorphisms in exon 25 of the PKD1 gene were 34 (94.44%), 33 (91.67%), 26 (72.22%), and 5 (13.89%), respectively. The most frequent polymorphism associated with ADPKD was the homozygous CAG→GAG which causes an amino acid change of Q[Gln] to E[Glu] at codon 3005.

Our data suggests that there is potentially a common polymorphism of PDK1 among the Iranian population with ADPKD. This may aid in the diagnosis and genetic screening of at-risk patients for ADPKD.