Investigation of the morphological, physiological, biochemical, and catabolic characteristics and gene expression under drought stress in tolerant and sensitive genotypes of wild barley [Hordeum vulgare subsp. spontaneum (K. Koch) Asch. & Graebn.].

BACKGROUND: Barley (H. vulgare L.) is an important cereal crop cultivated across various climates globally. Barley and its ancestor (H. vulgare subsp. spontaneum) are an economically valuable model for genetic research and improvement. Drought, among various abiotic stresses, is a substantial threat to agriculture due to its unpredictable nature and significant impact on crop yield. RESULTS: This study was conducted in both greenhouse and laboratory settings. Prior to the study, wild barley accessions were pre-selected based on their sensitivity or tolerance to drought as determined from fieldwork in the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 cropping seasons. The effects of three levels of drought stress were evaluated (control, 90-95% field capacity [FC]; mild stress, 50-55% FC; and severe stress, 25-30% FC). Several parameters were assessed, including seedling and root growth, enzymatic activity (CAT, SOD, POD), soluble protein levels, chlorophyll content, carotenoids, abaxial and adaxial stomatal density and dimensions, and relative gene expression of Dhn1, SOD, POD, and CAT. Drought stress significantly increased enzyme activities, especially at 25-30% FC, and more in the tolerant genotype. On the other hand, sensitive genotypes showed a notable increase in stomatal density. Under drought stress, there was a general decline in seedling and root growth, protein content, chlorophyll and carotenoids, and stomatal dimensions. Importantly, gene expression analysis revealed that Dhn1, SOD, POD, and CAT were upregulated under drought, with the highest expression levels observed in the drought-tolerant genotype under severe stress conditions (25-30% FC). CONCLUSIONS: Our investigation highlights the distinct morphological, physiological, biochemical, and gene-expression profiles of drought-resistant and drought-sensitive wild barley genotypes under varying degrees of drought.

Association of monocyte/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and the carotid intima-media thickness in diabetic patients.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to see whether there was a link between the monocyte/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR) and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) in people with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Duplex ultrasonography parameters and demographic, physical, and paraclinical assessments were recorded. Using the t-test, the MHR and CIMT were compared between the two groups. Regression models were also constructed. RESULTS: A total of 118 diabetics and 126 non-diabetics were included in the cross-sectional research. According to the stated diabetes duration, the observed age difference of 7 years might be considered. The MHR and CIMT were not substantially different between the two groups. In the DM and non-DM groups, the Spearman correlations between MHR and CIMT were 0.32 and - 0.08, respectively (p-values = 0.001 and 0.379). Thus, regression models (stratified for DM/non-DM and male/female) revealed that the MHR is a significant predictor of CIMT, but only in the case of male DM individuals, when crudely adjusted for confounders. CONCLUSIONS: In diabetes mellitus, the current investigation found a direct link between MHR and CIMT. In addition, in male diabetic subjects, MHR was demonstrated to be a predictor of CIMT.

Novel putative drugs and key initiating genes for neurodegenerative disease determined using network-based genetic integrative analysis.

Understanding the genetic causes of neurodegenerative disease (ND) can be useful for their prevention and treatment. Among the genetic variations responsible for ND, heritable germline variants have been discovered in genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and nonheritable somatic mutations have been discovered in sequencing projects. Distinguishing the important initiating genes in ND and comparing the importance of heritable and nonheritable genetic variants for treating ND are important challenges. In this study, we analysed GWAS results, somatic mutations and drug targets of ND from large databanks by performing directed network-based analysis considering a randomised network hypothesis testing procedure. A disease-associated biological network was created in the context of the functional interactome, and the nonrandom topological characteristics of directed-edge classes were interpreted. Hierarchical network analysis indicated that drug targets tend to lie upstream of somatic mutations and germline variants. Furthermore, using directed path length information and biological explanations, we provide information on the most important genes in these created node classes and their associated drugs. Finally, we identified nine germline variants overlapping with drug targets for ND, seven somatic mutations close to drug targets from the hierarchical network analysis and six crucial genes in controlling other genes from the network analysis. Based on these findings, some drugs have been proposed for treating ND via drug repurposing. Our results provide new insights into the therapeutic actionability of GWAS results and somatic mutations for ND. The interesting properties of each node class and the existing relationships between them can broaden our knowledge of ND.

Association analysis of tolerance to dieback phenomena and trunk form using ISSR markers in Quercus brantii.

Oak decline is a complex syndrome in which several damaging agents interact and bring about a serious dieback in tree condition. Genetic diversity is a key factor for better adoption of natural populations to environmental stresses. The objective of this research was to identify the association of polymorphism patterns of different reproducible genomic Inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR markers) to level of dieback phenomena and also growth type in 18 different stands of Persian oak in central Zagros region. Totally, 180 trees were sampled and evaluated for growth type, tree diameter at breast height (DBH) and level of tree dieback. Genomic DNAs extracted of fresh leaves amplified using 15 multi-locus ISSR primers. The population structure determined using the Bayesian model-based clustering method implemented in STRUCTURE software by Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) method. Five distinct sub-populations (K=5) determined by the log likelihood of the data.  Genome wide association study (GWAS) performed using the generalized linear model (GLM) and the mixed linear model (MLM) with Kinship matrix. Informative alleles recognized for level of tolerance to dieback and tree growth type traits. It was observed a significant co-segregation for phenotypic data and some of amplified fragments. Identification of these informative DNA markers can be utilized for pre-screening of high quality oak seedlings in early growth stages and better management in restoration of damaged stands.

Systems biology study of transcriptional and post-transcriptional co-regulatory network sheds light on key regulators involved in important biological processes in Citrus sinensis.

Transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulators including transcription regulator, transcription factor and miRNA are the main endogenous molecular elements which control complex cellular mechanisms such as development, growth and response to biotic and abiotic stresses in a coordinated manner in plants. Utilizing the most recent information on such relationships in a plant species, obtained from high-throughput experimental technologies and advanced computational tools, we can reconstruct its co-regulatory network which consequently sheds light on key regulators involved in its important biological processes. In this article, combined systems biology approaches such as mining the literatures, various databases and network reconstruction, analysis, and visualization tools were employed to infer and visualize the coregulatory relationships between miRNAs and transcriptional regulators in Citrus sinensis. Using computationally and experimentally verified miRNA-target interactions and constructed co-expression networks on array-based data, 10 coregulatory networks and 10 corresponding subgraphs include FFL motifs were obtained for 10 distinct tissues/conditions. Then PPI subnetworks were extracted for transcripts/genes included in mentioned subgraphs in order to the functional analysis of extracted coregulatory circuits. These proposed coregulatory connections shed light on precisely identifying C. sinensis metabolic pathways key switches, which are demanded for ultimate goals such as genome editing.

Hospital capacities and response to COVID-19 pandemic surges in Iran: A quantitative model-based study.

The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in serious limitations for healthcare systems, and this study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 surges on in-patient care capacities in Iran employing the Adaptt tool. Using a cross-sectional study design, our study was carried out in the year 2022 using 1-year epidemiologic (polymerase chain reaction-positive COVID-19 cases) and hospital capacity (beds and human resource) data from the official declaration of the pandemic in Iran in February 2020. We populated several scenarios, and in each scenario, a proportion of hospital capacity is assumed to be allocated to the COVID-19 patients. In most of the scenarios, no significant shortage was found in terms of bed and human resources. However, considering the need for treatment of non- COVID-19 cases, in one of the scenarios, it can be observed that during the peak period, the number of required and available specialists is exactly equal, which was a challenge during surge periods and resulted in extra hours of working and workforce burnout in hospitals. The shortage of intensive care unit beds and doctors specializing in internal medicine, infectious diseases, and anesthesiology also requires more attention for planning during the peak days of COVID-19.

Molecular genetic diversity of Satureja bachtiarica.

Fifty-seven genotypes from eight population of Satureja bachtiarica was evaluated using fifteen ISSR and eleven RAPD markers. DNA profiling using RAPD primers amplified 84 loci, among which 81 were polymorphic with an average of 7.36 polymorphic fragments per locus. Also, using RAPD markers maximum and minimum polymorphic bands observed for Semyrom (77.38 %) and Farsan (40.48 %) populations, respectively. Semyrom population recorded the highest unbiased expected heterozygosity (0.259) and Shannon's Indices (0.38). While, the lowest values of unbiased expected heterozygosity (0.172) and Shannon's Index (0.245) were recorded for Eghlid and Farsan populations, respectively. On the other hand, ISSR primers produced 136 bands, from which 134 were polymorphic with an average of 9.06 polymorphic fragments per primer (98.52 %). The ISSR markers evaluation revealed that maximum and minimum polymorphic bands observed for Semyrom (66.18 %) and Farsan (31.62 %), respectively. Shahrekorud population recorded the highest unbiased expected heterozygosity (0.211) and Shannon's Indices (0.301). While, the lowest value of unbiased expected heterozygosity (0.175) observed for Farsan and Yazd populations and the lowest Shannon's Index (0.191) recorded by Farsan population. The overall results of the study revealed that both ISSR and RAPD markers were effective for evaluation of genetic variation of S. bachtiarica.

Validation of the Farsi version of the Suicide Ideation and Behavior Scale.

Objective: Suicide ideation and suicide attempts are prevalent in Farsi speaking populations. The present study aimed at validating the Farsi version of the Suicide Ideation and Behavior Scale (SIBS). Methods: Reliability and validity of the Farsi version of the SIBS were established in a highly burdened Afghan student sample (N = 279). Internal consistency, convergent and discriminant validity were investigated, and confirmatory factor analysis was conducted. Results: The Farsi version of the SIBS was shown to have a unidimensional structure with excellent internal consistency, as well as good convergent and divergent validity. Discussion: The results suggest that the SIBS is a brief, reliable, and valid measure of current suicidal ideation and behavior that can be used in Farsi speaking populations.

Trust in higher guidance and suicidality in Afghan students under the Taliban regime{fr}(Confianza en la orientación superior y suicidalidad en estudiantes afganos bajo el régimen Talibán).

Background/Objective: After years of war, political instability and natural catastrophes high rates of PTSD and depression have been found in the Afghan population. On this background, it was investigated whether religious beliefs (trust in higher guidance; TIHG) moderated the association between PTSD symptoms and/or depression and suicidal ideation. Method: A total of 279 Afghan university students (61.6% women; aged 18 to 30 years) took part in this cross-sectional study between July and November 2022. Self-report measures of PTSD, depression, suicidal ideation, trust in higher guidance were used. Results: Severe PTSD symptoms were reported by 58.4%, clinically relevant depression symptoms were reported by 55.2% and current suicidal ideation was reported by 44.4% of the sample. TIHG moderated the impact of PTSD symptoms, on suicidal ideation. TIHG and depression were unrelated. Conclusion: PTSD symptoms, depression and suicidal ideation show an alarmingly high prevalence in this specific sample of Afghan students. TIHG seems to be a resilience factor of special importance.

Association Analysis for Some Biochemical Traits in Wild Relatives of Wheat under Drought Stress Conditions.

In the present study, we estimated genetic diversity and population structure in 186 accessions of Triticum and Aegilops species using 24 simple sequence repeat markers (SSR). Furthermore, an association analysis was performed for antioxidant activities, including guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), peroxidase (POX), catalase (CAT), and dry matter (DM) under two control and drought stress conditions. Our findings showed that drought treatment significantly decreased DM, whereas activities of all antioxidant enzymes were increased compared to the control conditions. The results of correlation analysis indicated that, under drought stress conditions, all biochemical traits had a positive and significant association with each other and with dry matter. In the molecular section, the results of the analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated that the molecular variation within species is more than within them. The dendrogram obtained by cluster analysis showed that grouping the investigated accessions was in accordance with their genomic constitutions. The results of association analysis revealed 8 and 9 significant marker-trait associations (MTA) under control and drought stress conditions, respectively. Among identified MTAs, two associations were simultaneously found in both growing conditions. Moreover, several SSR markers were associated with multiple traits across both conditions. In conclusion, our results could provide worthwhile information regarding marker-assisted selection for the activity of antioxidant enzymes in future breeding programs.

Population genomic analysis of Aegilops tauschii identifies targets for bread wheat improvement.

Aegilops tauschii, the diploid wild progenitor of the D subgenome of bread wheat, is a reservoir of genetic diversity for improving bread wheat performance and environmental resilience. Here we sequenced 242 Ae. tauschii accessions and compared them to the wheat D subgenome to characterize genomic diversity. We found that a rare lineage of Ae. tauschii geographically restricted to present-day Georgia contributed to the wheat D subgenome in the independent hybridizations that gave rise to modern bread wheat. Through k-mer-based association mapping, we identified discrete genomic regions with candidate genes for disease and pest resistance and demonstrated their functional transfer into wheat by transgenesis and wide crossing, including the generation of a library of hexaploids incorporating diverse Ae. tauschii genomes. Exploiting the genomic diversity of the Ae. tauschii ancestral diploid genome permits rapid trait discovery and functional genetic validation in a hexaploid background amenable to breeding.

Molecular diversity analysis in hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and two Aegilops species (Aegilops crassa and Aegilops cylindrica) using CBDP and SCoT markers.

BACKGROUND: Evaluation of genetic diversity and relationships among crop wild relatives is an important task in crop improvement. The main objective of the current study was to estimate molecular variability within the set of 91 samples from Triticum aestivum, Aegilops cylindrica, and Aegilops crassa species using 30 CAAT box-derived polymorphism (CBDP) and start codon targeted (SCoT) markers. RESULTS: Fifteen SCoT and Fifteen CBDP primers produced 262 and 298 fragments which all of them were polymorphic, respectively. The number of polymorphic bands (NPB), polymorphic information content (PIC), resolving power (Rp), and marker index (MI) for SCoT primers ranged from 14 to 23, 0.31 to 0.39, 2.55 to 7.49, and 7.56 to 14.46 with an average of 17.47, 0.34, 10.44, and 5.69, respectively, whereas these values for CBDP primers were 15 to 26, 0.28 to 0.36, 3.82 to 6.94, and 4.74 to 7.96 with a mean of 19.87, 0.31, 5.35, and 6.24, respectively. Based on both marker systems, analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated that the portion of genetic diversity within species was more than among them. In both analyses, the highest values of the number of observed (Na) and effective alleles (Ne), Nei's gene diversity (He), and Shannon's information index (I) were estimated for Ae. cylindrica species. CONCLUSION: The results of cluster analysis and population structure showed that SCoT and CBDP markers grouped all samples based on their genomic constitutions. In conclusion, the used markers are very effective techniques for the evaluation of the genetic diversity in wild relatives of wheat.

Cluster conformations and multipole distributions in ionic fluids. I. Two-dimensional systems of mobile ions.

A new association-biased Monte Carlo (MC) method is proposed for efficient simulation of association and dissociation of ions in an ionic fluid. The method is then utilized to carry out extensive MC simulations, in order to study the properties of ionic fluids in two-dimensional systems that consist of mobile ions. The size distributions of the ionic clusters, their conformations, as well as the clusters' multipole distributions are computed over wide ranges of temperature T and ions' density rho. At any given T, bonded dipolar pairs are dominant in the insulating phase, but larger clusters with an even number of ions are also present. In the conducting phase at the same T, however, single (free) ions are abundant, while clusters of larger sizes are also present. As for the conformations of the clusters, at any T, perturbed folded structures are dominant in the insulating phase, whereas perturbed linear chains are the dominant conformation in the conducting phase at the same T. Moreover, ionic clusters with closed loops are rarely formed, if at all, over the range of T that we study. As T decreases, more clusters with symmetrical conformations are formed. The multipole distributions are shown to be accurate indicators for the various types of conformations of the ionic clusters. They are also shown to be accurate means of differentiating the conformations of ionic clusters that may appear to be only slightly different, and may be difficult to distinguish otherwise, as the multipoles are sensitive to the details of the conformations. Some exact results are presented for the dipoles and quadrupoles of several types of cluster conformations. These results give rise, for the first time, to a numerical "spectroscopy" of ionic fluids, whereby each conformation is associated with distinct values of the dipole and quadrupole of the ionic cluster. We also suggest a new method of locating the critical locus T(c)(rho) that separates the conducting and insulating phases-the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition-based only on the size distribution of the ionic clusters and its dependence on the ions' density.

Finding Pairwise Intersections Inside a Query Range.

We study the following problem: preprocess a set O of objects into a data structure that allows us to efficiently report all pairs of objects from O that intersect inside an axis-aligned query range Q . We present data structures of size O ( n · polylog n ) and with query time O ( ( k + 1 ) · polylog n ) time, where k is the number of reported pairs, for two classes of objects in R 2 : axis-aligned rectangles and objects with small union complexity. For the 3-dimensional case where the objects and the query range are axis-aligned boxes in  R 3 , we present a data structure of size O ( n n · polylog n ) and query time O ( ( n + k ) · polylog n ) . When the objects and query are fat, we obtain O ( ( k + 1 ) · polylog n ) query time using O ( n · polylog n ) storage.

Experimental studies on performance of ventilators stored in the Strategic National Stockpile.

BACKGROUND: The Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched a collaborative initiative with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to gain a better understanding of ventilators that are used during national emergencies. This initiative was intended to test reliability of ventilator devices stored long term in the CDC Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) and also used by the Department of Defense. These ventilators are intended to be used by trained operators to provide ventilatory support to adult and pediatric populations under diverse environmental conditions. The authors evaluated device performance and possible effects of long-term storage. METHODS: Three SNS ventilator models: Impact Uni-Vent 754 Eagle™, Covidien (Puritan Bennett) LP10, and CareFusion LTV 1200 were used in this study. A total of 36 ventilators, 12 per model, were evaluated for performance in simulated adult populations using a test lung. The parameters evaluated included battery charge status and capability, battery longevity, positive end expiratory pressure consistency, device performance on AC and DC (battery) power, and device durability testing. RESULTS: The out-of-the-box run time was equal to or higher than the manufacturer's specifications for fully charged batteries for all ventilators except 58 percent of the Impact 754 ventilators. No significant ventilator performance issues were observed in terms of tidal volume consistency, proximal pressure, oxygen consumption, and a 2000-hour run test in LP10 models. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide information about the long-term storage of ventilators that have regular maintenance, and their ability to perform reliably during a public health emergency.

Iranian military forces in the Bam earthquake.

The earthquake that struck Bam, Iran, in December 2003 was one of the most catastrophic natural disasters in recent years. Medical and assistance activities conducted by Iranian military forces in this event are discussed in light of the special capabilities of the military forces in search and rescue missions. Among the most significant activities of the Iranian military forces in this event are the following: reporting the first news about the event, starting search and rescue missions in the first hour after the disaster by the 1st Brigade of Bam as the first assisting force, setting up two field hospitals as the first Iranian field hospitals in the disaster area, transporting 937 assistance, medical, and health care personnel to the disaster area in the first day, setting up 23 field emergency and 13 field assistance centers in the area, running 8 post-hospital care centers throughout the country, and playing a significant role in airlifting 11,792 casualties to different hospitals around the country. Based on the recent experience and the exclusive abilities of military forces, a special role for these forces in search and rescue missions should be considered.

Relation between time to pregnancy and pregnancy outcome.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown significant correlation between time to pregnancy (TTP) and pregnancy outcomes. But understanding of these mechanisms may not be facilitated. The aim of this study was to determine the relation between TTP and pregnancy outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was a case cohort study that was done in Shahid Beheshti Educational Hospital during 2006-2007. Women aged 18-35 years, who had only one pregnancy without using any contraception method before pregnancy and delivered their first child, were enrolled in this study. Thus, 801 women were selected and followed up for pregnancy outcome and TTP until the end of pregnancy. All the participants filled in a special questionnaire. Finally the collected data were entered into computer and analyzed by SPSS ver. 20 software. RESULTS: The frequency distribution of TTP-based pregnancy outcome showed that TTP >48 weeks was higher in normal delivery than in abnormal delivery (5.6% vs. 19.4%). According to Chi-square test, the frequency distribution of pregnancy outcome was related to TTP (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: According to the results of this study, there is a significant relationship between TTP and pregnancy outcome, and TTP may lead to unwanted complications such as ectopic pregnancy, preterm labor, and abortion. Thus, all women with a long time of contraception, especially in the rural areas, mast be controlled.

Heart rate recovery in exercise test in diabetic patients with and without microalbuminuria.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) has a lot of complications such as macrovessel and microvessel disease. Another complication of DM is cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN), which have effect on automatic nervous system of heart. Failure in heart rate slowing after exercise is a presentation of this abnormality. METHODS: We selected diabetic patients and divided them to case and control group based on microalbuminuria. Case group comprised of diabetic patients with microalbuminuria and control group included those without microalbuminuria. Patients in both groups exercised on treadmill using Bruce protocol and heart rate was measured in first and second minutes in the recovery period. RESULTS: We selected 35 patients with microalbuminuria (case group) and 35 without microalbuminuria (control group) among diabetic patients. No statistically significant difference was seen in sex and age between case and control groups. Heart rate recovery in the first minute of recovery in the case and control groups did not show significant difference; but in the second minute of recovery, it was significantly higher in control group (97 ± 19.4 vs. 101.9 ± 12.4 beat per minute, P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: In this study we evaluated the heart rate recovery or deceleration in diabetic patients with albuminuria and without microalbuminuria in recovery phase after exercise test. We found out that heart rate recovery at the second minute in the case and control groups has statistically significant difference but at the first minute, it did not.

Hypercapnic hyperventilation shortens emergence time from Propofol and Isoflurane anesthesia.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to compare the effects of hypercapnic hyperventilation and normocapnic normoventilation on emergence time from propofol and isoflurane anesthesia. METHODS: In this clinical trial, the differences in emergence time were evaluated in 80 patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery in Alzahra University hospital, Isfahan, Iran, in 2011-2012. Patients were randomly divided into four groups (groups 1-4) receiving isoflurane hypercapnic hyperventilation, isoflurane normocapnic normoventilation, propofol hypercapnic hyperventilation, and propofol normocapnic normoventilation, respectively. Hypercapnia was maintained by adding CO2 to the patient's inspired gas during hyperventilation. The emergence time and the duration of stay in recovery room in the four groups were measured and compared by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and least significant difference tests. FINDINGS: The average emergence time in groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 were (11.3 ± 3.2), (15.2 ± 3.8), (9 ± 4.2) and (11.8 ± 5.3) min, respectively. These differences were significant (P = 0.001). In patients receiving propofol hypercapnic hyperventilation, the emergence time was faster than in other groups. There was also a significant difference in duration of stay in recovery room between the groups (P = 0.004). Patients who received isoflurane hypercapnic hyperventilation had a shortest length of stay in the recovery room. CONCLUSION: The emergence time after intravenous anesthesia with propofol can be shortened significantly by using hyperventilation and hypercapnia, without any side effects.

The role of ultrasonography in primary congenital hypothyroidism.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare the usefulness of ultrasonography and scintigraphy in diagnosing the etiology of primary congenital hypothyroidism (CH). METHODS: The newborns that were examined by both thyroid scintigraphy and ultrasonography during CH screening program in Isfahan were included in this study. The ultrasonographic findings were compared with the scintigraphic findings and the sensitivity and specificity of the ultrasonography was determined. RESULTS: During this study, 102 CH newborns were studied. According to the ultrasonographic results, 61.8%, 26.5%, 2.9% and 8.8% of them had normal thyroid gland, agenesia, ectopia and hypoplasia, respectively, and according to scintigraphic results, 55.9%, 35.3% and 8.8% of them had normal thyroid gland, agenesia and ectopia, respectively. Ultrasound detected sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and positive and negative likelihood ratio were 77%, 92%, 89%, 84%, 9.6 and 0.25, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography compared with thyroid scintigraphy in diagnosis of thyroid gland ectopia was 33% and 100%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Though thyroid ultrasonography failed to diagnose 67% of ectopic cases and nonfunctioning thyroid gland, it had the ability to determine the anatomy of thyroid gland. So, considering some limitations of scintigraphy, we concluded that ultrasonography is a relatively appropriate imaging tool for diagnosing CH etiologies, especially in the initial phase of CH screening.