Effective High Grade Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia Case Finding in Low Resource Settings.

Background: Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) is an inexpensive option for cervical cancer screening. In this study, we evaluated the role of the VIA as well as of the clinical symptoms/signs to find the best case-finding method for Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN) 2+. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we extracted from records the demographic characteristics, clinical symptoms/signs, and indications for colposcopy referral of patients with CIN 2+ in pathology. Patients were divided into 1- Abnormal Pap smear, 2- Positive VIA, 3- abnormal Pap smear with clinical symptoms/signs, 4-VIA positive with clinical symptoms/signs, 5- only clinical symptoms/signs. The sensitivity of each method was studied to determine their effectiveness as a screening method. Results: Out of 146 patients who underwent colposcopy, 38 patients had it due to abnormal Pap smears, 37 due to positive VIA, 21 due to abnormality of both these tests, and 50 due to clinical symptoms/signs despite having normal screening tests. The sensitivity for VIA and Pap smear was 73.39% (17.48%-83.31%) and 40.41% (32.47%-48.86%) respectively. Presence of at least one of the three clinical symptoms/signs and a positive VIA found 78.8% of CIN 2+ cases. Presence of at least one of the three clinical symptoms/signs and abnormal Pap smear identified 84.2% of the cases. Conclusion: To find high-grade CIN, focused attention to the clinical symptoms/signs, even in the presence of normal Pap smear, can increase the sensitivity of Pap smear and VIA. In low resource settings, a simple, highly sensitive method like VIA can be used in addition to or as an alternative to other means.

Torsion among Women with Acute Lower Abdominal Pain: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Lower abdominal or pelvic pain is a common complaint among women and one of the most challenging findings to evaluate. We performed the present study to construct a new algorithm for predicting the chance of ovarian torsion among women with acute lower abdominal pain. Methods: This diagnostic retrospective cross-sectional study was performed on all female individuals who were referred to Imam Hossein Medical Center, Tehran, Iran, with the chief complaint of acute lower abdominal pain, and underwent laparotomy between 2010 and 2016. Clinical and paraclinical findings were evaluated to construct a predictive model for ovarian torsion. The variables were compared in 2 groups. The first group included individuals with a final diagnosis of ovarian torsion and the second group included those individuals with any diagnosis other than ovarian torsion. All data were compared between these 2 groups using SPSS software Version 21 to find the related findings with a predictive value for ovarian torsion. Results: A total of 372 participants were evaluated, of whom 116 participants (31.2%) had ovarian torsion (case group) and 256 participants had other diagnoses for their lower abdominal pain (control group). Nausea and vomiting (p < 0.001), tenderness (p < 0.001), the size of ovarian mass (p = 0.004), and the percentage of polymorphonuclear (p < 0.001) showed significant relationships with ovarian torsion as the final diagnosis. Multiple logistic regression models were constructed to predict the factors affecting ovarian torsion, and a scoring system was designed to predict ovarian torsion, with a sensitivity of 77.59% (68.9%- 84.8%) and specificity of 74.61% (68.8% 79.8%). Conclusion: The proposed model is suitable for predicting ovarian torsion and its necessary information is readily available from individuals' history, examination findings, laboratory results, and an ultrasound exam.

A new decision making model for diagnosing acute appendicitis among non-pregnant women and its comparison with alvarado scoring system.

Background: Although acute appendicitis is a common problem, it remains a difficult diagnosis to establish, particularly among females of reproductive age. The present study was conducted to devise a new decision making model for diagnosing acute appendicitis in non-pregnant women. Methods: The present study was a retrospective study consisting of women who had undergone an appendectomy between 2007 and 2015 at the emergency department of Imam Hossein Medical Center, Tehran, Iran. The inclusion criteria were being a female, presenting with abdominal pain, being a suspected case of acute appendicitis, and undergoing an emergency appendectomy. A classification and regression tree (CART) analysis was performed to partition exam and laboratory data obtained from these patients into homogeneous groups in order to develop a prediction rule for appendicitis diagnosis. Results: The study population included 433 non pregnant women who underwent emergency operations with a preliminary diagnosis of acute appendicis. Out of these patients, 295 patients (68.1%) were appendicitis positive based on the pathology exam results, while 138 patients had a normal appendix, indicating a negative appendectomy rate of 31.8%. The final devised CART model included hemoglobin level, PMN count, age, and history of abdominal incision and yielded a sensitivity of 82.7% and specificity of 55.8%, which were better than Alvarado prediction results for the Asian population. Conclusion: We have devised a simple and cost effective prediction model for predicting the outcome among non-pregnant women undergoing emergency appendectomy operation with good sensitivity and specificity compared to the Alvarado model.

Peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in preeclampsia and eclampsia.

PURPOSE: To evaluate peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness during and after pregnancy in pregnant women with preeclampsia or eclampsia and compare it with normotensive pregnant women as controls. METHODS: In a prospective comparative case-control study 35 women (70 eyes) with mild to moderate preeclampsia, 70 women (140 eyes) with severe preeclampsia and eclampsia, and 44 (88 eyes) healthy pregnant women were enrolled in three groups. Peripapillary RNFL thickness in three groups was measured after 28 weeks of pregnancy and 2 months postpartum by using optical coherence tomography. Mean and quadratic RNFL thickness changes were compared within and among the groups. RESULTS: Mean peripapillary RNFL thickness decreased significantly from 104 ± 10, 104 ± 23, and 106 ± 9 µm during pregnancy to 101 ± 10, 96 ± 10, and 103 ± 9 µm 2 months after pregnancy in the mild to moderate preeclampsia, severe preeclampsia and eclampsia, and healthy pregnant women groups, respectively (P < 0.001 for all). While the difference among the groups was insignificant during pregnancy, it reached to a significant level after delivery (P = 0.006). The highest reduction in mean RNFL thickness (6 ± 10 µm) occurred in the severe preeclampsia and eclampsia groups. CONCLUSIONS: In relation to the time of pregnancy, peripapillary RNFL reduced in preeclamptic and eclamptic cases as well as in normotensive pregnant women at 2 months postpartum. This reduction was more in the severe forms of pregnancy-induced hypertension.

Comparison between performance of single-fiber reflectance spectroscopy (SFRS) system and colposcopy: a phase III trial.

Herein, the performance of single-fiber reflectance spectroscopy (SFRS) in detection of cervical pre-cancerous squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) was compared with colposcopy. Based on the previous results obtained from 167 samples and finding the contributing parameters in differentiating SILs from non-SILs, a user-friendly interface was developed to detect the SILs using SFRS system. Detection of SILs in 301 patients was performed by both SFRS system and routine colposcopy. In addition to physician-determined sites, four quarters of the cervix were measured by SFRS system and suspicious lesions detected by either method were biopsied. Histopathologic results of the biopsied species were compared to the physician judgments based on colposcopy and the results of SFRS system. SFRS could differentiate between SILs and non-SILs with mean sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of 38.3, 60.9, 15.2, and 84.3%, respectively. These values were obtained as 88.3, 10.6, 15.4, and 83.1% for the colposcopy, respectively. Although sensitivity of SFRS in detection of SILs is about twofold less than the colposcopy, it can reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies by a factor of more than 5.5. Therefore, the aid of SFRS system to the physician can reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies. On the other hand, both colposcopy and SFRS methods equally suffer from low detection worth in terms of positive/negative predictive values. In conclusion, using the online, simple and non-invasive SFRS system to choose between several suspicious sites in a patient in the clinic may be recommended.

Role of Bariatric Surgery in Patients With Endometrial Cancer: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

Objective: The standard surgery for endometrial cancer can be deferred in some situations, including morbid obesity, comorbidities, and the patient's desire for fertility. One of the options to improve patients' circumstances is bariatric surgery. Case report: This study presented two patients with stage IA, grade I endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinoma. Both patients had morbid obesity and had comorbidities. In case 1, because of fertility preservation, and in case 2, because of severe comorbidities, hormone therapy was started, followed by bariatric surgery after counseling patients. Both patients had acceptable changes in body mass index during follow-up, so cancer surgery through laparoscopy was done. Both patients did not need adjuvant therapy; months after cancer surgery, there is no recurrence, and their body mass index is also decreasing. Conclusion: Bariatric surgery can improve outcomes in patients with morbid obesity who suffer endometrial cancer.

Comparison of programmed death-ligand 1 expression in adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix in paraffin blocks of patients with cervical cancer.

AIMS: Cervical cancer (CC) is a common malignancy in women, predominantly caused by human papillomavirus. The most subtypes are adenocarcinomas (AC) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), which show various features and treatment responses. Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) as Immune checkpoint molecules, play a role in immune evasion. We investigated PD-L1 expression in AC and SCC of the cervix and explored its link to clinical characteristics. METHODS AND RESULTS: The present cross-sectional research was done between 2016 and 2022 on samples in Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences-affiliated hospitals in Iran. Histological tissue samples of CCs (16 AC and 48 SCC) were assessed, and clinical information was obtained by reviewing their medical documents. PD-L1 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and we used the combined positive score. SCC cases showed a higher (not significant) PD-L1 expression. The PD-L1 expression and clinical characteristics were not significantly correlated in both subgroups. CONCLUSION: Although SCC cases exhibited higher PD-L1 expression, this difference was non-significant. More investigations should highlight the role of PD-L1 in CC and the potential benefits of immunotherapy.

Evaluation of the Cutoff Point and Diagnostic Value of the Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Predicting Ovarian Cancer Compared to Pathological Findings.

PURPOSE: This research aims to establish a neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) threshold and evaluate its diagnostic accuracy compared to pathological criteria for diagnosing Epithelial Ovarian Cancer (EOC). METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study at Imam Hossein Hospital involving 204 women aged 18 and older with confirmed ovarian mass based on pathology. We recorded clinical, pathological, and preoperative blood count data, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR). Patients were categorized into malignant and benign ovarian mass groups based on postoperative pathology. The power of NLR to diagnosis of EOC was evaluated using ROC curve. RESULTS: At total, 204 patients (Benign 75.5% vs. Malignant 24.5%) were included in the analysis with mean age of 54.26 ±12.04 yrs in malignant and 46.31±13.21 in benign. In all cases, the proportion of patients with the following tumor markers HE4 (>140 Pm), CA 125 (> 35U/Ml) and CEA (>5 ng/Ml) were 52.45%, 41.67% and 3.43%, respectively, and proportion of abnormal tumor markers was statistically higher in malignant group compared to benign mass (p <0.05).  Odds of having higher NLR levels in the malignancy group was higher than benign group (e.g., OR of 4.45 for NLR in quartile 4 vs. quartile 1).  According to model selection criteria, the full model with including NLR level and age, BMI and tumor markers has best performance for diagnosis of malignancy (AUC =0.87). CONCLUSION: High NLR in combination with tumor markers including CA125, HE4 and CEA were associated with malignancy in patients with ovarian mass. More attention and further examinations should be devoted for patients with ovarian mass having high NLR and abnormal tumor markers levels to detect the probable malignancy as soon as possible.

Age - specific incidence rate change at breast Cancer and its different histopathologic subtypes in Iran and Western countries.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to determine the frequency and age-specific incidence rate of different histopathologic subtypes of breast cancer in Iran, and compare it to neighboring and Western countries and to discuss the probable effective main factors. METHODS: National data from cancer registry for 6265 female breast cancer patients were studied in 10 histopathologic groups. RESULTS: The most common tumor was ductal carcinoma (89%). The peak age - specific incidence rate of breast cancer in total, and for epithelial, non-epithelial and ductal carcinomas were all 50-59 years, and it decreased in older age. It is in contrast to US SEER report which shows the incidence increases in higher age. CONCLUSION: Three main factors including younger age of Iranian patients, probable more ERN tumors and different histopathological profile of breast cancer in Iran might be considered and studied to explain different slope of breast cancer after menopause compared to other countries.

Papillary squamotransitional cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix: A rare case report.

Key Clinical Message: Although papillary squamotransitional cell carcinoma is an uncommon variant of cervical squamous cell carcinoma, due to the complex papillary structure and the challenge in detecting stromal invasion, its timely diagnosis and treatment are very important. Abstract: Papillary squamotransitional cell carcinoma (PSTCC) is extremely rare and presents with a spectrum of morphologies. PSTCC may present as an in situ tumor with or without an invasion, but usually, it displays both features. Here we report a 60-year-old woman, diagnosed with PSTCC of the uterine cervix.

The Effect of Radiofrequency Therapy on Sexual Function in Female Cancer Survivors (Gynecologic and Breast) and Non-cancer Menopausal Women: A Single-Arm Trial.

Introduction: Up to 90% of postmenopausal women and female cancer survivors may be affected by the genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), with a negative impact on sexual function and quality of life. A novel energy-based device among the treatment options for GSM is radiofrequency therapy (RFT). RFT is a treatment option that uses energy from radio waves to heat the tissue. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of RFT on sexual function in female cancer survivors (gynecologic and breast) and non-cancer menopausal women. Methods: In a single-arm prospective trial, the efficacy of RFT in both female cancer survivors (gynecologic and breast) and non-cancer menopausal women with sexual dysfunction at a tertiary and referral center (Imam Hossein Medical Center, Tehran, Iran) was evaluated between April 2022 and December 2022. The study protocol consisted of 3 monthly RFT sessions. Examination was performed at baseline (T0) and 3 months after the last RFT session (T1). The primary outcome was sexual function, which was assessed using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). In addition, adverse events were evaluated during treatment and at T1. Results: A total of 37 female cancer survivors (mean [SD] age: 49.4 [8.9] years) and 37 non-cancer menopausal women (mean [SD] age: 53.8 [5.5] years) were enrolled. Patients exposed to RFT showed a significant improvement in FSFI scores when compared to baseline scores for both female cancer survivors (13.07, 95% CI: 12.27 - 13.86) and non-cancer menopausal women (13.18, 95% CI: 12.34 - 14.03). There was no difference in FSFI total score improvement between the two groups (t(72)=0.06, P=0.951). There were no serious adverse events associated with RFT. Conclusion: The efficacy of RFT as a treatment for sexual dysfunction has been demonstrated in both non-cancer menopausal women and female cancer survivors. In both groups, a significant improvement was confirmed.

Comparison of Ki67 index and P16 expression in different grades of cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions.

Background: the assessment of P16 expression and Ki-67 proliferative index is now proposed as an adjunct test for the diagnosis of high-risk precursor lesions for cervical cancer. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the quality expression of P16 and quantification Ki-67 index in different types of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and also to determine the cutoff for Ki67 index to predict the severity of CIN lesions. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with colposcopic indication. Selected samples with different CIN grades were examined for P16 and Ki-67 index by immunohistochemical (IHC) methods. Results: All LSIL (CIN I) cases were negative for P16, while in 58.7% of HSIL cases (CIN 2/3), P16 was positive. The mean Ki67 index in the present study was 3.13 ± 2.65 in the upper two/third of the squamous epithelium in the LSIL group and 19.04 ±36.40 in the HSIL group, which was statistically significant. Also, the mean Ki67 index in full thickness squamous epithelium in HSIL group was significantly higher than LSIL. The sensitivity of P16 and Ki67 index in our study was 58.73%, 66.67% and the specificity was 100% and 100%, respectively. Conclusion: Assessment of P16 expression and Ki67 index can be used to distinguish low grade (CIN1) intraepithelial lesion from high grade (CIN2/3) intraepithelial or precancerous lesions.

Vulvar Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberance in Iran and a narrative review of literature: A first case report.

Background: Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a soft tissue tumor that originates from deep layers of the dermis and mainly is common in young adults to middle age. This tumor is rare in the vulva. Case Presentation: A 53-year-old multiparous menopause female had complained of asymptomatic swelling of the right labia major. Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans was reported in primary tumor resection. Six months later, rapid growing mass recurred in the vulva. The patient underwent radical Vulvectomy and resection of the margin of about 2-3 cm along with bilateral Inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy. The margins of the mass were negative in the frozen section. Microscopic examination revealed that hypercellular neoplasm in dermis comprising monomorphic spindle cells with high mitotic activity, some hyperchromatic nuclei arranged in palisading fashion. Microscopic and IHC study confirmed the conversion of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans to fibrosarcoma. Conclusion: This case was presented due to the rarity of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberance in the vulva and pathologic conversion to fibrosarcoma.

Malignancy Arising in Dermoid Cysts: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Objective: Malignant transformation in dermoid cysts is rare, and Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) is the most common form. This event often occurs in large tumors and middle-aged women. Case report: In this study, two cases are presented. They were menopause, and abdominal pain and adnexal mass was a common manifestation in both. Case 1 with adenocarcinoma arising in mature cystic teratoma had abnormal tumor markers and was diagnosed with a frozen section during surgery, but case 2 with SCC transformation had normal tumor markers, and the frozen section was not helpful in the first surgery. Both underwent complete staging surgery, and due to stage IC1 in case 1, she received chemotherapy, and in case 2, no adjuvant treatment was needed because of stage IA. Conclusion: Considering the rarity of malignant transformation in the dermoid cyst, the best surgical approach and adjuvant therapy indications need further research.

D-dimer, Fibrinogen and Tumor Marker Levels in Patients with benign and Malignant Ovarian Tumors.

Limited studies have investigated the differences between the levels of plasma coagulants and tumor markers in ovarian cancer. Therefore, we conducted this study to determine and compare the level of coagulation, fibrinolysis and tumor markers in patients with benign and malignant ovarian tumors. This cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2022 and February 2023 in Imam Hossein Hospital on patients with ovarian mass. Laboratory tests included platelet count, PT, INR, PTT, fibrinogen and D-dimer were sent to the pathology laboratory to be examined by a pathologist. Based on histopathology, patients were divided into benign, borderline and malignant groups. Logistic regression was used for determine predictors of malignancy. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves and their corresponding 95% CI were determined for the predictor value of the full model. From 141 investigated patients, tumor type in 124 (87.94%) patients were benign, in 12 (8.51%) was malignant and in 5 (3.55%) was borderline. D-dimer, Ca-125 and HE4 were significantly higher in the patients with malignant tumor type (P<0.001), whereas AFP was significantly higher in patients with borderline tumor type (P<0.001). With one-unit increase in D-dimer odds of borderline/malignant tumor 0.3% increases (OR=1.003, 95% CI: 1.001, 1.006) and with one-unit increase in Ca-125 odds of borderline/malignant tumor 1% increases (OR=1.01, 95% CI: 1.003, 1.02). We found that plasma fibrinogen, D-dimer and Ca-125 levels are independently associated with malignant ovarian tumors and combined use of these markers has the high discriminant power for distinction of benign and malignant ovarian masses.
.

Endometrial cancer in women with abnormal uterine bleeding: Data mining classification methods.

Background: Over the last decade, artificial intelligence in medicine has been growing. Since endometrial cancer can be treated with early diagnosis, finding a non-invasive method for screening patients, especially high-risk ones, could have a particular value. Regarding the importance of this issue, we aimed to investigate the risk factors related to endometrial cancer and find a tool to predict it using machine learning. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 972 patients with abnormal uterine bleeding from January 2016 to January 2021 were studied, and the essential characteristics of each patient, along with the findings of curettage pathology, were analyzed using statistical methods and machine learning algorithms, including artificial neural networks, classification and regression trees, support vector machine, and logistic regression. Results: Out of 972 patients with a mean age of 45.77 ± 10.70 years, 920 patients had benign pathology, and 52 patients had endometrial cancer. In terms of endometrial cancer prediction, the logistic regression model had the best performance (sensitivity of 100% and 98%, specificity of 98.83% and 98.7%, for trained and test data sets respectively,) followed by the classification and regression trees model. Conclusion: Based on the results, artificial intelligence-based algorithms can be applied as a non-invasive screening method for predicting endometrial cancer.

Acute Pericarditis as the Primary Presentation of COVID-19 Infection followed by Guillain-Barre Syndrome in a Healthy Young Man: A Case Report.

Background: Symptomatic COVID-19 infection most often presents as acute respiratory distress syndrome. Acute pericarditis and Guillain-Barré syndrome are rare extrapulmonary manifestations of this infection. Case Presentation: A 27-year-old man presented with chest pain, with negative troponin and typical electrocardiographic findings, resulting in a diagnosis of acute pericarditis. He had no respiratory symptoms, nor the chest computerized tomography (CT) scan findings of COVID-19, and his Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was negative. One week later, he developed clinical symptoms of Guillain-Barre syndrome, along with respiratory manifestations of COVID-19. His repeat chest CT scan and PCR test confirmed COVID-19 infection. After 17 days of hospital stay, he improved clinically and was discharged. Conclusion: This is the first case of acute pericarditis as the primary presentation of COVID-19 in the absence of respiratory symptoms and a clear chest CT scan, followed by the development of Guillain-Barré syndrome and respiratory tract manifestations of COVID-19. Clinicians should be aware of the extrapulmonary presentation of COVID-19 infection.

Screening of Lynch syndrome in endometrial cancer in Iranian population with mismatch repair protein by immunohistochemistry.

Background: Lynch syndrome (LS) is one of the commonest genetic cancer syndromes, with an incidence rate of 1 per 250-1000 population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and characteristics of MMR deficiency in endometrial cancer in Iranian women. Methods: One hundred endometrial carcinoma cases who referred to the gynecological oncology clinic of Imam Hossein Medical Center located in Tehran, Iran, from 2018 to 2020 were included in the study. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) evaluation was performed mainly on the hysterectomy specimens of all endometrial cancer (EC) patients to assess MMR proteins (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2) expression. Results: A total of 23 out of 100 (23%) cases were identified through IHC screening to be MMR-deficient. The most common types were loss of MLH1/PMS2 (17.4%) and solitary MSH2 (17.4%) expressions followed by PMS2/MSH2 loss (13%). MMR deficiency (dMMR) histopathology was significantly overrepresented in patients with family history of cancer or Lynch syndrome (LS) associated cancers (p-values of 0.016 and 0.005, respectively). The rate of myometrial invasion and lower uterine segment involvement were also significantly higher in dMMR EC patients compared to MMR-intact EC (p-value of 0.021 and 0.018, respectively). Conclusion: MMR deficiency, observed in 23% of endometrial cancer cases, was associated with higher rates of poor prognostic factors including myometrial invasion and lower uterine segment involvement. The presence of positive family history of cancer and family history of LS-associated cancer increased the probability of MMR-deficiency in endometrioid endometrial cancer to 47% and 70%, respectively.

The impact of adjunctive metformin to progesterone for the treatment of non-atypical endometrial hyperplasia in a randomized fashion, a placebo-controlled, double blind clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: Endometrial hyperplasia (EH) is a premalignant neoplasm. Most recently, metformin has been suggested as an adjuvant medication for treating of EH with better outcome. Recent evidence has suggested that metformin has anticancer activity by inhibiting cell proliferation and tumor growth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of metformin plus megestrol acetate versus megestrol acetate alone on patient with EH without atypia. STUDY DESIGN: This double blind placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted among 60 women with EH without atypia. Participants were allocated to two equal groups. Treatment group (M + M) received 40 mg megestrol acetate for 14 days of one month and 1000 mg metformin daily for three months. In placebo group (M + P) each patient received the same dose of megestrol acetate plus two tablets of placebo. Endometrial biopsy was performed in all patients three weeks after the last day of medication RESULTS: Data were evaluated based on 29 and 27 women in the M + M group and M + P group, respectively. After 3 months of therapy 27 (93.1 %) women in M + M group had not EH and responded to treatment, which was statistically higher than the rate of response (19 women, 70.4 %) in M + P group. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that megestrol plus metformin was significantly better than megestrol alone for the treatment of endometrial hyperplasia without atypia.

Presenting a soft sensor for monitoring and controlling well health and pump performance using machine learning, statistical analysis, and Petri net modeling.

Groundwater resources play a key role in supplying urban water demands in numerous societies. In many parts of the world, wells provide a reliable and sufficient source of water for domestic, irrigation, and industrial purposes. In recent decades, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) methods have attracted a considerable attention to develop Smart Control Systems for water management facilities. In this study, an attempt has been made to create a smart framework to monitor, control, and manage groundwater wells and pumps using a combination of ML algorithms and statistical analysis. In this research, 8 different learning methods and regressions namely support vector regression (SVR), extreme learning machine (ELM), classification and regression tree (CART), random forest (RF), artificial neural networks (ANNs), generalized regression neural network (GRNN), linear regression (LR), and K-nearest neighbors (KNN) regression algorithms have been applied to create a forecast model to predict water flow rate in Mashhad City wells. Moreover, several descriptive statistical metrics including mean squared error (MSE), root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and cross predicted accuracy (CPA) are calculated for these models to evaluate their performance. According to the results of this investigation, CART, RF, and LR algorithms have indicated the highest levels of precision with the lowest error values while SVM and MLP are the worst algorithms. In addition, sensitivity analysis has demonstrated that the LR and RF algorithms have produced the most accurate models for deep and shallow wells  respectively. Finally, a Petri net model has been presented to illustrate the conceptual model of the smart framework and alarm management system.