reza jafari

The number of individuals undergoing dialysis is rising. Impaired renal function has been linked to a heightened risk of cancer. This study aimed to examine cancer incidence among hemodialysis (HD) patients.

This retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed the medical records of individuals with newly diagnosed end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who initiated HD sessions between July 2018 and December 2023 at Urmia Imam Khomeini hospital. The data collected for this study included patient demographics, underlying diseases, malignancy status, and duration of malignancy (less than ten years, 10–20 years, and over 20 years). The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS 21.

The study included 192 patients, with a mean age of 64.45±13.70 years. Of these, 117 (60.9%) were male and 75 (39.1%) were female. The majority of participants (68.8%) resided in urban areas. Hypertension (HTN) was the most common underlying disease (25%), while 32.8% had no reported underlying conditions. Eighteen (9.4%) patients were diagnosed with malignancy, with multiple myeloma being the most prevalent type (43.4%). The remaining 174 (90.6%) patients were not diagnosed with cancer. The onset of malignancy occurred within ten years for the majority of patients (72.2%). No significant association was found between the prevalence of malignancy and patients’ age (P<0.136) and gender (P<0.763).

A significantly elevated incidence of cancer was observed in patients undergoing chronic HD for ESRD, underscoring the critical development of a targeted cancer screening strategy for this vulnerable population.

This research delves deeply into the issues and challenges associated with artificial intelligence (AI) and moral judgment, seeking to answer the fundamental question of how AI can play a role in human moral decision-making. 

The study employs an analytical-descriptive approach, utilizing library research to examine existing literature and resources related to AI, ethics, and moral judgment. 

AI, through complex algorithms and machine learning, is capable of processing information and making decisions across various domains. The application of AI in moral judgment offers benefits such as increased accuracy, speed, and impartiality. However, several challenges persist, including a lack of understanding of moral nuances, bias, and a deficiency in creativity and innovation. 

Currently, fully entrusting moral judgment to AI is unreliable. AI can serve as a tool to assist humans in the moral judgment process, but final decision-making should remain with humans.

The feeling of richness and needlessness is the desire of all human beings. Religious sources consider the perfection of reason as the way to achieve this feeling. But how the perfection of reason affects richness is a fundamental question. The purpose of this research is to provide the scientific and theoretical foundations of the feeling of needlessness through the discovery and explanation of the relationship between reason and richness. This research has used the method of conceptualizing religious concepts and using the method of analyzing and explaining religious texts to explain this relationship. The findings of the research show that asceticism, trust, and servitude are the three main components in explaining this relationship. The perfection of reason leads to the attainment of these three components. In the shadow of the attainment of these factors, man can achieve richness and needlessness that comes from within man and wealth has no effect on the attainment of it. The evolution and growth of the intellect, which is a power that has the power of discernment and, as a result, refrains from vile things or invites to good deeds, leads man to the components that are necessary for the attainment of needlessness.

There is always a need to improve the structures for many reasons, including changing the use, changing the design regulations, increasing the life of the structure, and improper implementation of the structures. One of the most influential parameters in the selection of the improvement method is the lateral stiffness of the target structure, which is determined according to the lateral bearing system of the structure. There are many methods for improving structures, including the use of steel jackets to increase the load capacity of columns and the use of FRP fibers, etc. The transfer of ground movement to the structure can be controlled with the help of the base seismic isolator system at the base of the structure; the base seismic isolator isolates the upper structure from the ground shaking movements so that the destructive forces of the earthquake do not enter the building or to a significant extent be reduced. The Malaysian Rubber Materials Research Company in England has produced a type of elastomer with high damping. Using this elastomer, a rubber seismic isolator system with high damping has been used for the seismic isolator of buildings. In some systems, the Teflon layer is used to cause slippage between steel sheets. A central lead core is provided to control lateral displacement and return the system to its original state. Progressive failure is the failure of the entire structure, or a relatively large part of it, caused by events that damage a part of the structure and the inability of adjacent members to redistribute the overload through a path that can maintain the stability and continuity of the entire structure. Progressive failure may occur as a result of abnormal loading such as explosion, severe fire, vehicles hitting a part of the structure, etc. The lateral bearing system is part of a structure that is responsible for resisting lateral loads and directing them from a safe path to the foundation (lateral forces can include wind, earthquake, or other forces). Earthquake-resistant elements should be considered in such a way that the torsion caused by these effective and resistant forces in the floors is minimized. For this purpose, it is suitable for the distance between the center of mass and the center of stiffness in each floor and extension to be less than 5% of the dimension of the building in that extension.

Infection of the lacrimal sac (dacryocystitis) can lead to serious complications, including orbital cellulitis, orbital abscess, meningitis, and cavernous sinus thrombosis, all of which pose significant threats to human health. This condition is often associated with nasolacrimal duct obstruction, which prevents normal tear drainage and creates an environment conducive to microbial growth. Timely identification of the causative agents of dacryocystitis is critical, as untreated or improperly managed infections can rapidly worsen, leading to systemic infections or even life-threatening conditions. This study aims to investigate the spectrum of microbiological agents causing dacryocystitis to control infection and provide appropriate treatment for patients with chronic nasolacrimal duct obstruction.

This cross-sectional study included patients diagnosed with chronic dacryocystitis who candidated for dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) surgery. Routine ophthalmic examinations, including visual acuity, slit-lamp examination, and fundoscopy, were performed for all patients. Ocular discharge samples were sent to the laboratory at the Pediatric Infectious Disease Research Centre, Bu-Ali Sina Hospital, Sari. Each sample was incubated in blood agar, chocolate agar, EMB, and Sabouraud dextrose agar under aerobic conditions at 37°C for 24 hours and simultaneously in chocolate agar and blood agar under anaerobic conditions at 37°C for 48 hours. Catalase tests were used to distinguish Staphylococcus from Streptococcus bacteria, coagulase tests to differentiate Staphylococcus aureus from other Staphylococcus species, and oxidase tests to identify Pseudomonas and other Gram-negative bacteria. For detecting fungal infections, samples were stored on Sabouraud dextrose agar at 25-27°C for two weeks. Gram staining was performed on observed colonies, followed by microbiological diagnostic and differential tests based on bacterial species. Data were analyzed using SPSS software, described as means, and compared using the chi-squared test.

Of the 50 patients with chronic dacryocystitis included in the study, with a mean age of 56.9±15.28 years (range, 31 to 86 years), 34(68%) were female, and 16(32%) were male. Gram-positive bacteria accounted for 42 cases (84%) of isolated organisms, while gram-negative bacteria accounted for 8 cases (16%). Pus reflux was detected in 84% of cases, significantly more often with gram-positive organisms(P=0.03). The most common pathogens were Staphylococcus epidermidis (22 cases, 44%), Staphylococcus aureus (10 cases, 20%), and Streptococcus pneumoniae (6 cases, 12%). No significant correlations were found between sex and age with the number and type of organisms (P=0.77).

Gram-positive bacteria are the main cause of chronic dacryocystitis infections, and demographic factors such as age and gender do not influence the type of infection. Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus have been identified as the predominant pathogens responsible for this condition. Understanding the microbiological spectrum can improve disease diagnosis and lead to more effective treatment strategies. This information is essential to help clinicians select appropriate, targeted antimicrobial treatments to more effectively control infections, reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance, prevent serious complications and systemic infections, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.

The first step in understanding basins is measuring different climatic and hydrological variables and examining their relationships. Primary variables include temperature, precipitation, evapotranspiration, water infiltration rate in the soil, flow discharge, etc. Meanwhile, precipitation is one of the most important and effective variables. The inappropriate distribution of rain gauge stations in different regions of developing countries, on the one hand, and the development of remote sensing sciences on the other hand, have led to the increasing use of precipitation products estimated from satellite images. Therefore, it is important to know the characteristics of these products and their possible errors. One of these products is Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information Using Artificial Neural Networks (PERSIANN) satellite-based precipitation data. Over time, this satellite product has been developed and introduced as PERSIANN-CCS and PERSIANN-CDR. One of the shortcomings of these products is that in humid and arid areas, they report  underestimation and overestimation of precipitation, respectively. To solve this problem, PERSIANN product development experts designed a new product, the Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks - Dynamic Infrared Rain Rate near real-time (PDIR-Now) product, in 2019. This product creates a dynamic relationship between the precipitation rate and cloud brightness temperature by consideringground conditions affecting the precipitation phenomenon. This has led tosignificant advantages in this algorithm compared to other quantitative precipitation estimation algorithms.

In this research, the performance of the PDIR-Now product was analyzed. Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Provinces, despite their small area, have about 10% of the country's water resources and play an essential role in supplying water resources for the neighboring provinces; therefore, it was chosen for this research. Its area is 16421 km2, located in the southwest and part of the western mountainous belt of Iran, and with an average height of 2282.7 m above sea level, it is a high-altitude region in terms of topography. To conduct this research, 27 rain gauge, climatology, and synoptic stations that contained data for a common period (2005 to 2020) were selected and their precipitation information was collected monthly and annually, removing statistical deficiencies in some years. In the next step, PDIR-Now information was extracted at scales corresponding to the data of gauge stations on the reference site, and 208 received images were georeferenced and processed in the ArcMap environment. Then, these values were compared with the corresponding precipitation values of ground stations using three coefficients: Nash-Sutcliffe (NS), correlation (R), and relative bias (RB). In the next step, using the IDW geostatistics method, zoning maps of the province were created based on the correlation coefficient value, separately for each of the 12 months of the Gregorian year and also on an annual scale.

The results indicate that the best relationship between PDIR-Now and the precipitation data from ground stations is established in November, where 100% of the stations have an R higher than 0.5 at the 5% significance. Also, in this month, 88.8% of the stations recorded NS values greater than 0.5. The lowest level of correlation was related to May, where 33.3% of the stations had an R greater than 0.5, and 11.1% of the stations showed NS values greater than 0.5. In general, the best relationship is established between PDIR-Now data and ground station precipitation values in the rainy months, especially when rain dominates over other forms of atmospheric precipitation. The weakest relationship is related to January in the rainy season (November to April). In this province, atmospheric precipitation in January is mostly in the form of snow. Since the characteristics of clouds, including surface temperature and brightness temperature, differ in rain and snow conditions, this could resulted in the lack of occurrence in January. Additionally, on an annual scale, 74.07% of the stations have an R greater than 0.5, and 55.5% recorded NS values above 0.5. The best correlation is for Armand station with coefficients of 0.63, 0.83, and 0.01 for NS, R, and RB, respectively. In contrast, the same coefficients for Bardeh station were less than 0.00, 0.35, and 0.356, respectively, indicating the lowest fit between the two data groups at this station.

The general results show that PDIR-Now performs better in the rainy season in the southern and central regions, which are located in the low-altitude areas of the province, where precipitation amounts approach the average. In the low-rainy season, stations with precipitation levels close to the average, rather than the minimum, yield better results. These results were consistent with the findings of other research conducted in this field in Iran and the world in the following ways: 1) PDIR-Now, like many other products, underestimates heavy rainfall but performs better in estimating low and medium rainfall. 2) The performance of most satellite-based precipitation products decreases for altitudes above 1000 m. 3) PERSIAANN satellite-based products are more accurate at the monthly scale than at the annual scale. Additionally, the relationship between ground station data and satellite products in the central regions of the province, which receive average rainfall, consistent with the results of this research. In the present study, the density of rain gauge stations was low in the steep and inaccessible parts of the province, and errors in rain gauge data recording remain a Limitation. However, the number of long-term stations with sufficient statistical intervals in other regions is a significant advantage.

Fast collection, low cost and stability of tax revenues have caused countries to turn to this type of income as a main and stable income. In this research, the identification of the macro trends and future research of Iran's tax system from the perspective of science and technology as a basic priority in planning, policy-making and decisions in the tax field based on the future-making drivers affecting the tax system is examined. The data collection method is descriptive-survey type and based on the type of combined data and the future-shaping drivers affecting the field of Iran's tax system in the next 20 years were identified using expert panel methods, open questionnaire, interview and fuzzy Delphi in 1402. To select experts from professors and PhD students of accounting, employees of the Tax Affairs Organization, judgmental and snowball sampling methods were used. The development of intelligent accounting software and systems, business intelligence, and the expansion of personal technologies are the most important influential drivers in the future, and the increase in cybersecurity challenges in business and the expansion of the application of new sciences and technologies in business should be given serious attention. The results of the present study can lead to the development of guidelines for the use of new technologies that will reduce cybersecurity challenges, facilitate tax processes, and strengthen the exploitation of science and technology with the aim of improving the accuracy, transparency, and efficiency of tax processes and contributing to the transformation of the tax system in Iran,

Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) is an endemic disease in Varzaneh City where Leishmania ma jor is the causative agent and the great gerbil, Rhombomys opimus, is the main reservoir host of the disease. Despite control efforts, ZCL outbreaks recur every few years. This study was conducted to revive information on the parasite/s species circulating between humans and the reservoirs in the region.

Leishmania infection in patients and R. opimus was studied using direct parasitological and molecular methods during 2019–2021. Nested-PCR and DNA sequencing were used for Leishmania parasite identification. Inter and intra-species variations in the Leishmania parasites were investigated using BLAST and MEGA7 software.

All suspected patients (N=34) and 14 out of 36 great gerbils tested positive for Leishmania parasites via direct parasitological method. Nested-PCR method revealed all the patients were infected with L. major (94.1%) and mixed infection of L. major and Leishmania turanica (5.9%), and great gerbil specimens were infected with either L. major (44.4%), L. turanica (5.6%), or Leishmania gerbilli (5.6%) and also with mixed infection of L. major and L. turanica (30.5%), L. major and L. gerbilli (8.3%) and mix of all the three Leishmania species (5.6%).  

The identical sequences of L. major in both human patients and rodents indicate that the great gerbils are the main reservoirs of L. major in Varzaneh City. The presence of L. turanica in patients would be of interest to carry out further studies to determine the role of this species in the persistence, signs, and treatment of ZCL in humans.

Awareness of vegetation and climate changes is necessary for the correct planning of ecosystem management. In the present study, the temporal and spatial changes of vegetation cover and also land surface temperature and precipitation parameters in the natural vegetation cover of different bioclimates of Isfahan province from 1986 to 2022 were investigated based on  Google Earth Engine system, Landsat satellite and PERSIANN-CDR data. The trend and the amount of changes of these parameters were obtained with the Mann-Kendall and Sen's slope tests. The results showed that the minimum amount of NDVI vegetation was 0.26 in arid and warm climate in 2022 and its maximum was 0.90 in humid and cold climate in 2002. The lowest and highest of land surface temperature was obtained in humid and cold climate and warm and arid climate as 290.61 and 328.54 Kelvin in 2003 and 2022, respectively. The minimum and maximum precipitation were 88.72 mm and 598.17 mm in 2004 and 2001, respectively, in the semi-arid and warm climate and humid and cold climate. The Z statistics of Mann -Kendall test and the amount of Sen's slope for the parameters of vegetation and temperature in most climates were decreasing and increasing, respectively. A decreasing trend with high statistical significance of precipitation was observed only in humid and cold climate (Z equal to -2.08 with a slope of -3.34). In general, the results showed that the vegetation of the province is decreasing, but the temperature is increasing.

Studies have shown that immune responses to COVID-19 vaccines are impaired in dialysis patients which may affect immunity to vaccines. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate SARS-COV-2 neutralizing antibodies in hemodialysis patients for 2 and 6 weeks after receiving inactivated Sinopharm vaccine.

In this study, 172 people were divided into two groups. The first group included 108 hemodialysis patients, while the second group included 64 health workers as a control group. In order to evaluate SARS-COV-2 neutralizing antibodies titers, the peripheral blood samples were collected from all participants 2 and 6 weeks after receiving the second dose of Sinopharm vaccine. Samples were centrifuged and the neutralizing antibody against receptor-binding domain (RBD) was determined using the indirect ELISA technique.

Hemodialysis patients had lower titers of IgG neutralizing antibodies compared to the control group (P <0.001). The titers of SARS-COV-2 neutralizing antibodies were not significantly different at 2 weeks in comparison with 6 weeks after vaccination (P=0.9204). Our findings showed a significant increase in titers of IgG neutralizing antibodies after vaccination in people with a history of COVID-19 (P=0.002). The seropositivity rate for neutralizing antibodies against RBD was significantly different between seropositive (immune) and seronegative (non-immune) patients 6 weeks after vaccination (P=0.022).

The titers of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-COV-2 were lower in hemodialysis patients than in healthy individuals. This is probably due to the poor immune system. However, patients who received two doses of inactivated Sinopharm vaccine showed a higher antibody titer 6 weeks after vaccination.

Premature birth is common worldwide and can affect the development of brain structures, such as the optic nerve. Eye diseases are very common in low birth weight children and premature children. Vision defects associated with premature birth include Retinopathy of premature babies (ROP), decreased visual acuity, strabismus, amblyopia, and various types of refractive errors. Studies have shown that the occurrence of myopia in children born prematurely is negatively correlated with gestational age and birth weight and is directly related to the severity of retinopathy of prematurity(ROP). Advances in neonatal intensive care unit services have led to a significant increase in the survival rate of premature infants and subsequent medical problems in these children. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of refractive errors in 4-6-year-old children born with a birth weight of less than 2000 grams and gestational age of less than 34 weeks and normal children admitted to the neonatal department of Bou-Ali Sina Hospital in Sari in 2016-2018.

This study was a cross-sectional descriptive study on 43 children aged 4-6 years who were born with a weight of less than 2000 grams and gestational age of less than 34 weeks, and 17 normal children who were admitted in the neonatal department of Bou-Ali Sina Hospital due to neonatal jaundice. The study subjects were in four groups: 12 subjects in group A (ROP cases without injection), 14 subjects in group B (ROP cases with injection), 17 subjects in group C (cases with birth weight less than 2000 grams and gestational age less than 34 weeks without ROP), and 17 normal subjects in group D. Uncorrected distance visual acuity was measured using E-chart. Dry and cyclo refraction (using cyclopentolate 1%) were measured using an autorefractometer. Finally, the fundus was examined using a biomicroscope and 90 diopter lens. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software, version 26.

of the 60 studied subjects, 46.67% were females and 53.33% were males, and there was no significant difference in the prevalence of the two sexes between the groups (P=0.146). In total, 12.1% of the studied subjects were myopie, 34.5% were emmetrope, and 53/4% were hypermetrope. Although the prevalence of hypermetropia was higher than other types of refractive errors in all groups, the prevalence of myopia was higher in those with ROP than in groups without ROP, and there was a significant difference in the prevalence of refractive errors in different groups (P=0.025). There was no significant difference between the prevalence of the different types of astigmatism in the studied groups (P=0.304) and with the rule astigmatism was the most common type among all groups. There was a significant and direct relationship between gestational age and birth weight with cyclo-equivalent sphere, which means that the lesser gestational age (P=0.356, r=0.006) and birth weight (P=0.002, r=0.387), the higher the probability of myopia.

Considering the higher prevalence of myopia in low birth weight children, especially in children with ROP, it is necessary to formulate a regular program to screen this category of children to prevent refractive errors, especially myopia in the future.

The viability and persistence of engineered bacterium candidates in field conditions is one of the consid-erable challenges in the paratransgenesis approach to fighting vector-borne diseases.

In this study two engineered bacterium candidates to produce paratransgenic sand flies, Serratia AS1 and Enterobacter cloacae expressing m-Cherry fluorescent were applied on the leaves of the white saxaul plant (Haloxylon persicum), sugar bait, and rodent burrow soil and their persistent time was tested in desert condition, Matin Abad Coun-ty, Isfahan, August 2022. A PBS suspension of 109 cells/ml was used for sugar bait, spraying on plant leaves (~10 cm2) and 10 cm2 of rodent burrow soil. Sand fly samples were taken daily and were plated on LB Agar and the fluorescent cells were counted after 24 hours.

Time course in general caused a decrease in the number of bacteria for both strains. The two strains were per-sistent in sugar bait and on plant leaves for four days and on soil for two days. Although there were slight differences between the number of the bacteria in sugar baits, which was not significant (P< 0.05). The number of E. cloacae sur-viving on plant and in soil were significantly (P< 0.0001 and P= 0.046) higher than Serratia AS1.

This study shows that plants or sugar bait are useful routes for delivery of the transformed bacteria for the paratransgenesis approach, although, the bacteria ought to be sprayed on plants or sugar baits should be replaced with new ones in four days intervals.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a major threat to world health and safety, making it the primary concern of global community that requires immediate preventive measures. Several organs are affected by this disease simultaneously with possible long-lasting sequelae. Disease pathogenesis is influenced by, the type of virus and its mutation, the number of viruses, individual’s immune system and their age, gender, nutritional status, homeostasis between the immune, nervous and endocrine systems, and also physical condition. All of these factors play a role in the onset, duration, severity, and recurrence of the disease. Since the exact mechanism of infection with this virus is not fully understood, in this study we aimed to investigate its effects on the reproductive system in male and female as well as pregnancy outcome.

Toxoplasma is an intracellular parasite that can cause toxoplasmosis in humans and animals. In this disease, parasitic cysts of Toxoplasma gondii can remain present in various tissues such as the brain throughout the host's life. The potential role of toxoplasmosis should be considered in many neurological diseases with unknown mechanisms. In horses, behavioral disorders like crib-biting have multifactorial causes and may be due to neurophysiological dysfunction. This research aimed to determine the role of toxoplasmosis in the manifestation of crib-biting behavior in horses. A case-control study was conducted in horse riding clubs in Fars province, Iran, near the city of Shiraz. Ten horses with crib-biting behavior and 10 clinically healthy horses matched for sex, age, and breed were enrolled in the study. Blood samples were collected from cribbers and healthy horses, along with a thorough history-taking. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed on sera to detect T. gondii-specific Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and Immunoglobulin M (IgM). The results of this study revealed that all horses were free of toxoplasmosis. It is concluded that this relation was not detected in the horse farms of Shiraz suburbs. Further research is required to explore more aspects of crib-biting behavior and its relationship with causative factors.

The rise of digital art and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) has revolutionized the creative economy, offering new avenues for artists and collectors. However, this rapid growth has also introduced significant legal challenges, particularly regarding copyright and ownership rights. Digital art, which encompasses a wide range of creations such as digital paintings, animations, and 3D models, exists in a decentralized and virtual space, making it difficult to apply traditional legal frameworks. NFTs, which are unique digital assets that serve as a proof of ownership for a specific piece of digital content, have further complicated the legal landscape. While NFTs provide a mechanism for establishing ownership and provenance, they do not automatically transfer copyright or guarantee that the underlying artwork is protected under intellectual property laws. This article explores the current legal frameworks surrounding digital art and NFTs, analyzing the distinctions between ownership and copyright, the challenges of enforcing legal protections across borders, and the potential for technological solutions such as blockchain and smart contracts to address these issues. The article also examines recent case studies and legal precedents, offering insights into the evolving nature of digital art law. Finally, the article proposes legal reforms, international collaboration, and best practices for stakeholders in the NFT ecosystem, aiming to create a more secure and transparent environment for digital art creators, collectors, and marketplaces.

In the context of Nahj al-Balaghah, the ruler is the person who has the authority to manage the affairs of the society, and government orders are issued or implemented by him. This person is referred to by terms such as Amir, Imam, Waali, Wali, and today, in the political systems of the world, according to the constitutional laws of the countries, the ruler is the leader, the president, the head of the government, prime minister, king, etc. The present research hypothesizes that Nahj al-Balaghah introduced a standard personality model for the leader of the Islamic society and mentioned his unique characteristics. Corresponding to this hypothesis, the main research question is what is the model of personal competence of the Islamic ruler in Nahj al-Balaghah? Therefore, by studying Nahj al-Balaghah using a library method, the primary research information was collected, analyzed, and coded using the content analysis method. Then, the concepts are divided into nine components, including self-restraint, being people-oriented and hard-working, being honest with people, appreciating people, creating moral virtues, being respectful and friendly with people, creating vitality in society, observing religious duties and consulting with the wise, were organized and presented in the form of a model for the personal qualification of the ruler. These components were evaluated using the export scale, and the scale's result was calculated using the Friedman test. The test output showed that the component creating moral virtues has the highest frequency, with 6.03%, and self-restraint, with 4.13%, has the lowest frequency.

Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis is a major public health problem in Iran with the main vector of Phlebotomus papatasi. The use of entomopathogenic fungi for biological control of the vector is a potential substitute for the current methods which are being used. The purpose of the current study was to assess the virulence of two local isolates of Beauveria bassiana (OZ2 and TV) against Ph. papatasi.

To perform the bioassay test, fungal suspensions were applied for every stage of the sand fly life cycle. The mortality rate, longevity, and number of eggs laid were determined. Also, the probability of fungal survival on the sur face of rodent’s body was assessed.

The longevity of infected adult sand flies with both isolates of B. bassiana was significantly lower (P< 0.05) in comparison to the negative control. The estimated Lethal concentration 50 (LC50) values for adult female and male sand flies treated with OZ2 isolate were 1.4×106 and 2.2×107 conidia/ml, respectively, while they were 6.8×106 and 2.3×108 conidia/ml for TV iso late, respectively. Both isolates of B. bassiana exhibited nonsignificant mortality rates in sand fly larvae and pupae and fecundity rate (P> 0.05). According to our findings for both isolates, the fungus continued to spread throughout the sur face of the rodent's body for 144 hours after spraying.

The current study demonstrated that both isolates of B. bassiana have considerable biological control ca pacity against adult sand flies.

 Antibiotic resistance is recognized as a major threat to global health that can result in increased morbidity and mortality. On February 27, 2017, the first list of antibiotic-resistant priority pathogens was published by the World Health Organization (WHO). These pathogens, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, pose the greatest threat to human health. This research was conducted in order to introduce viable candidate vaccine proteins against P. aeruginosa outer membrane proteins (OMPs) using reverse vaccinology approaches.

 Fifty-eight clinical isolates and 9982 outer membrane protein sequences were retrieved for vaxign2 calculation of sequence-derived features. First, 30 proteins with the highest adhesion probability were selected, and in the next step, 10 candidates common among the 58 strains with the highest scores were introduced as candidates for further studies. After determining the physicochemical characteristics of these vaccine candidates, the presence of protected domains was predicted in 2 out of 10 proteins.

 Based on the results obtained from the bioinformatics analysis of the antigenic properties of these proteins, we identified 10 outer membrane proteins that have the highest antigenic scores, are common among all 58 clinical isolates, have no human protein homologs, and have less than 1 transmembrane helix. These candidate proteins have optimal physicochemical properties. The presence of conserved domains was predicted only in the outer membrane porin F and enterobactin iron receptor.

 We suggested 10 candidate proteins that showed suitable characteristics including outer membrane protein F (OprF) and ferric enterobactin receptor.

Refractive errors are among the most common causes of vision loss in patients attending healthcare facilities in the first and second decades of life. Astigmatism stands out as one of the common and treatable causes of vision loss in pediatrics. 

In this cross-sectional study, the samples were chosen by random cluster sampling among children aged between 7 and 13 years from elementary schools in 2014-2015 academic year. For all students, refractive errors were assessed by Autorefractor Keratometer and retinoscopy. Internal astigmatism was defined as the difference between refractory and corneal astigmatism. SPSS software, version 16 was used for data analysis.

A total of 1009 children participated in the study. Among them, 468(46.4%) were male, and 541(53.6%) were female. Their mean age was 9.2±1.7 years. About 14.5% of them had refractory astigmatism. Corneal astigmatism was the most common type, with 12.5% of students suffering from it. The prevalence of corneal astigmatism was not significantly different between males and females (P=0.19). Also, there was no significant relationship between increasing age and prevalence of astigmatism in this age group (P=0.06).

There was no significant difference in the rate of refractory astigmatism, lenticular and corneal astigmatism, between males and females. Because correcting refractory errors in students has a positive effect on learning ability and physical and mental development, screening and follow-up are recommended in this age group.

Psoriasis is a systemically pathogenic immune-mediated, chronic inflammatory disease that mostly affects the skin. Ocular diseases, which are frequently nonspecific or just slightly bothersome in psoriasis, are not well-known. This study investigated ocular manifestations in patients with psoriasis.

This cross-sectional study was conducted at Bu-Ali Sina hospital in Sari, Iran. Seventy-five patients with psoriasis matched by age and sex with 75 non-psoriatic controls were examined. Dermatology life quality index (DLQI) and psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) scores were calculated for every patient with psoriasis. Ocular surface disease index (OSDI) was measured in both groups. We did a slit-lamp examination, Schirmer I test, tear breakup time (TBUT) and fundoscopy in both groups.

The mean age of patients was 40.11±13.88 years. The most common findings on our examinations were conjunctival hyperemia (38%), blepharitis (36%), MGD (33%), and pinguecula (26%). MGD and low TBUT were more common in patients with higher PASI and DLQI scores. OSDI score was also higher in patients with psoriasis.

Ocular surface conditions such as dry eye were more common among the participants and were correlated with duration and severity of the disease. Therefore, psoriasis patients should get frequent and routine eye exams to detect ocular disorders quicly and avoid their unintended effects.

Nowadays, synthetic drugs used to treat inflammatory diseases are of the slightest interest due to their potential side effects and serious adverse effects. Therefore, finding new treatment approaches, especially herbal medicines, could help manage inflammation disorders. Olive and its products (oleuropein), as both antioxidants and inflammatory inhibitors, can effectively reduce the inflammatory process. This study aimed to investigate the effects of oleuropein on the cytokines profile of peripheral blood mononuclear cells of rheumatoid arthritis patients.

A 5 ml blood sample was taken from 40 patients with RA. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from each sample using Ficoll. Then, it cultured in 24 well tissue culture plates with and without oleuropein and phytohemagglutinin (PHA). The concentration of TNF-α and IL-4 was evaluated in the supernatant of treated and non-treated cells using immunoassay after 72 hours. The results were analyzed using t-test and ANOVA.

The results revealed a significant reduction of TNF-α in treated PBMCs with oleuropein compared to non-treated cells, especially in the 100 mg/ml of oleuropein (P<0.0001). In addition, a significant increase in IL-4 in a dose-dependent manner was indicated (P<0.0001).

Our findings demonstrated that oleuropein could effectively reduce the inflammation of inflammatory diseases, especially rheumatoid arthritis, by increasing the anti-inflammatory factor IL-4 production and decreasing the level of TNF-α.

Temperature is the most important parameter for studying spatiotemporal phenological changes in plants. Thus, the current study was aimed to investigate the potential of MODIS land surface temperature (LST) data for mapping growing degree days (GDD) and different phenological stages of Bromus tomentllus and Astragalus effusus in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province. MODIS extracted maps of maximum, minimum and mean temperature, GDD index and phenological stages from 2018 to 2019 during growing season were assessed against weather station data and also field-based phenilogical data using Pearson analysis in three regions with different altitudes. Results showed that MODIS LST and GDD maps had more than 91 and 99% correlations with field-based air temperature and GDD data, respectively (p<0.001). In early growing season, GDD values were less than 16 degree-days and they were more than 5200 degree-days in the late growing season which explained one and all the phenological stages of the studied species in the study area, respectively. The study findings indicated that MODIS data have high capability in spatiotemporal stratification of phenological stages of the Bromus tomentllus and Astragalus effuses plant species. The knowledge of different phenological stages is essential in species conservation and rangeland sustainable utilization, therefore, species phenology map can be used as an effective tool in rangeland management in the related organizations.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common progressive autoimmune disorder that causes chronic inflammation of the joints and damage to other organs. Previous studies have reported the important role of miRNA-146a in the pathogenesis of RA. In addition, the anti-inflammatory and modulatory effects of oleuropein (OLEU) on the expression pattern of microRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown in different diseases. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate both the sensitivity and specificity of miRNA-146a and determine the potential effects of OLEU on the expression levels of miRNA-146a and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in RA patients.

The participants in this experimental study were divided into 2 groups: RA (n=45) and healthy controls (n=30). The isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were treated with different concentrations of OLEU; and the level of TNF-α expression, anti-citrullinated protein, and miRNA-146a were determined using enzyme-linked immunoassay and real-time polymerase chain reaction, respectively. In addition, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of miRNA-146a in RA patients.

Results revealed a positive correlation between the levels of miRNA-146a expression with the serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and rheumatoid factor (RF) in RA patients. In addition, OLEU treatment decreased the levels of TNF-α and miRNA-146a expression in treated PBMCs samples compared with untreated cells. The ROC curve analysis showed an 85% sensitivity and 100% specificity of miRNA-146a in RA patients.

Therefore, miRNA-146a can be used as a useful biomarker for RA diagnosis, particularly for early detection. In addition, OLEU could suppress inflammation in RA patients through the regulation of miRNA-146a.

This study aimed to evaluate and compare the structure and function status of some areas with different desertification classes around Gavkhoni International Wetland using Landscape Function Analysis (LFA), and Cover Directional Leakiness Index (CDLI) extracted from Landsat 8 OLI sensor and NDVI, SAVI-A, PD54, and STVI-1 vegetation indices. In this research, six different areas were selected, and two or three transects with a length of 50 meters were established in each area. The length and width of the patches and inter-patches were continuously measured. Then 11 soil surface indicators were assessed in all ecological patches, and inter-patch areas with three replications. The results showed that although range places did not differ significantly in terms of soil stability and nutrient cycling indices, the infiltration index in the areas covered by Haloxylon ammodendron, Seidlitzia rosmarinus and Halocnemum strobilaceum varied significantly compared with the other areas (p < 0.05). According to the results, there were no significant differences between the structure and function indices in the areas with various desertification classes (p > 0.05). The PD54 index showed the best performance among vegetation indices due to its better differentiation of resource leakage between different areas, and it had a high relationship with CDLI (R2 = 71.9 %). There was a negative correlation between CDLI and vegetation cover percentage (p < 0.05). The present study indicated that integrating the results of LFA method with CDLI can be used to evaluate the structure and function status of desert ecosystems appropriately.

Ectopic pregnancy is the most common cause of maternal mortality, while cesarean scar ectopic is one of the rarest of all ectopic pregnancies.Early diagnosis of this type ofpregnancyleads to better control of this situation.

A 28-year-old 28 weeks’ pregnant woman (G3P1Ab1L1) presented to the emergency department with the complaint of hematuria, labor pain, bleeding, and cervical dilation. The patient was taken to the operating room, considering her past surgical history of cesarean delivery. Due to the recreated placenta and ectopic pregnancy, hysterectomy and Cystorrhaphy were performed.

Cesarean scar ectopic is a type of extrauterine pregnancy that implants around the place of a previous pregnancy scar. This pregnancy may cause severe hemorrhage due to uterine rupture, accreta, and percreta placenta. Bladder invasion by the placenta percreta causes hematuria during pregnancy, so early diagnosis plays a critical role. Ultrasonography is a widely accessible method. As described in this case, a false negative result in ultrasonography causes extensive hemorrhage hysterectomy.

The ectopic pregnancy may occurs in the connective tissue around the site of a previous cesarean scar. This type of pregnancy can cause severe bleeding due to uterine rupture or placenta accreta and placental abruption. Placenta percarta invading the bladder causes hematuria during pregnancy and early diagnosis is very important and the most available diagnostic method is transvaginal ultrasound. A false negative diagnosis may lead to complications such as uncontrollable bleeding and hysterectomy as in this case.