Little associations exist between the three commonly used functional screening tests in collegiate athletes.

Although an abundant number of studies have investigated the predictability of the commonly used functional screening tests and despite their popularity and applicability, the relationships between these tests have rarely been studied and have not been well established. This study aimed to examine the potential association between the Functional Movement Screen (FMS), Y Balance Test (YBT), and Landing Error Scoring System (LESS). Six hundred twenty-seven Iranian collegiate athletes (347 males, age = 22.63 ± 4.07, weight = 75.98 ± 13.79, height = 181.99 ± 10.15, BMI = 22.84 ± 3.16; and 280 females, age = 22.22 ± 3.37, weight = 60.63 ± 9.58, height = 166.55 ± 6.49, BMI = 21.81 ± 2.84) participated in this study. Following a 5-min warm-up, each participant underwent a standardized screening battery including the FMS, YBT, and LESS, and the scores were recorded and live coded for the statistical analysis, except for the LESS. The LESS tests were video recorded and scored by one expert examiner using an open-source 2D video analysis software (Kinovea- version 0.9.5), afterwards. The Spearman correlation was utilized as a measure for the correlation, and the Mann‒Whitney U test with a significance level of 0.05 was used to check the differences between male and female athletes. The statistical analysis was performed with RStudio 2023.03.0 using R 4.3.1. A small correlation (0.364) was observed between the FMS composite score and the YBT in male athletes. All other pairwise correlations were negligible among male and female athletes, ranging from - 0.096 to 0.294. Reducing the FMS to the component scores targeting the lower extremities did not alter the correlation to the other screening scores. The median FMS composite score in female athletes was significantly higher than that in males (p < 0.001). Negligible correlations exist between the FMS, LESS, and YBT; they do not measure the same values and therefore are irreplaceable with one another. A combination of these tests as a standardized screening battery may potentially better identify injury-predisposed athletes than the application of each test as a stand-alone screening test. Females outperformed males in the FMS test significantly, so sex must be considered a key variable in the FMS studies. Males had slightly higher LESS scores (median difference = 0.5) than females, but this difference is not clinically meaningful. Future research should continue to explore the relationships between various functional screening tests and identify the most effective combinations for comprehensive assessment in different populations and sports disciplines.

Modeling crude oil pyrolysis process using advanced white-box and black-box machine learning techniques.

Accurate prediction of fuel deposition during crude oil pyrolysis is pivotal for sustaining the combustion front and ensuring the effectiveness of in-situ combustion enhanced oil recovery (ISC EOR). Employing 2071 experimental TGA datasets from 13 diverse crude oil samples extracted from the literature, this study sought to precisely model crude oil pyrolysis. A suite of robust machine learning techniques, encompassing three black-box approaches (Categorical Gradient Boosting-CatBoost, Gaussian Process Regression-GPR, Extreme Gradient Boosting-XGBoost), and a white-box approach (Genetic Programming-GP), was employed to estimate crude oil residue at varying temperature intervals during TGA runs. Notably, the XGBoost model emerged as the most accurate, boasting a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 0.7796% and a determination coefficient (R2) of 0.9999. Subsequently, the GPR, CatBoost, and GP models demonstrated commendable performance. The GP model, while displaying slightly higher error in comparison to the black-box models, yielded acceptable results and proved suitable for swift estimation of crude oil residue during pyrolysis. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to reveal the varying influence of input parameters on residual crude oil during pyrolysis. Among the inputs, temperature and asphaltenes were identified as the most influential factors in the crude oil pyrolysis process. Higher temperatures and oil °API gravity were associated with a negative impact, leading to a decrease in fuel deposition. On the other hand, increased values of asphaltenes, resins, and heating rates showed a positive impact, resulting in an increase in fuel deposition. These findings underscore the importance of precise modeling for fuel deposition during crude oil pyrolysis, offering insights that can significantly benefit ISC EOR practices.

Identification of TSGA10 and GGNBP2 splicing variants in 5' untranslated region with distinct expression profiles in brain tumor samples.

Introduction: Brain tumors (BTs) are perceived as one of the most common malignancies among children. The specific regulation of each gene can play a critical role in cancer progression. The present study aimed to determine the transcripts of the TSGA10 and GGNBP2 genes, considering the alternative 5'UTR region, and investigating the expression of these different transcripts in BTs. Material and methods: Public data on brain tumor microarray datasets in GEO were analyzed with R software to evaluate the expression levels of TSGA10 and GGNBP2 genes (the Pheatmap package in R was also used to plot DEGs in a heat map). In addition, to validate our in-silico data analysis, RT-PCR was performed to determine the splicing variants of TSGA10 and GGNBP2 genes in testis and brain tumor samples. The expression levels of splice variants of these genes were analyzed in 30 brain tumor samples and two testicular tissue samples as a positive control. Results: In silico results show that the differential expression levels of TSGA10 and GGNBP2 were significant in the GEO datasets of BTs compared to normal samples (with adjusted p-value<0.05 and log fold change > 1). This study's experimental results showed that the TSGA10 gene produces four different transcripts with two distinct promoter regions and splicing exon 4. The relative mRNA expression of transcripts without exon 4 was higher than transcripts with exon 4 in BT samples (p-value<001). In GGNBP2, exon 2 in the 5'UTR region and exon 6 in the coding sequence were spliced. The expression analysis results showed that the relative mRNA expression of transcript variants without exon 2 was higher than other transcript variants with exon 2 in BT samples (p-value<001). Conclusion: The decreased expression levels of transcripts with longer 5'UTR in BT samples than in testicular or low-grade brain tumor samples may decrease their translation efficiency. Therefore, decreased amounts of TSGA10 and GGNBP2 as potential tumor suppressor proteins, especially in high-grade brain tumors, may cause cancer development by angiogenesis and metastasis.

Experimental measurement and modeling of asphaltene adsorption onto iron oxide and lime nanoparticles in the presence and absence of water.

Asphaltene precipitation and its adsorption on different surfaces are challenging topics in the upstream and downstream of the oil industries and the environment. In this research, the phenomenon of asphaltenes adsorption in the presence and absence of water on the surface of magnetite, hematite, calcite, and dolomite nanoparticles (NPs) was investigated. Five asphaltenes of different origins, four NPs as adsorbents and Persian Gulf water were used for three-phase (asphaltene/toluene solution + NPs + water) experiments. Characterization of asphaltenes and NPs was performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), elemental analysis, and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Adsorption experiments were performed in two- (asphaltene/toluene solution + NPs) and three-phase systems. The results showed that the most effective parameters for asphaltene adsorption onto these NPs are the asphaltene composition, namely nitrogen content, and the aromaticity of asphaltenes. The significant effects of these parameters were also confirmed by the relevancy factor function as a sensitivity analysis. In the competition of asphaltene adsorption capacity by NPs, iron oxide NPs had the highest adsorption (Magnetite NPs > Hematite NPs > Calcite NPs > Dolomite NPs). From the results of the experiments in the presence of water phase, it could be pointed out that the asphaltenes adsorption onto the NPs was accompanied by a decrease compared to the experiments in the absence of water. The modeling also showed that physical adsorption has a significant contribution to the asphaltenes adsorption on the surface of iron oxides and lime NPs. The results of this research can assist in a better understanding of the asphaltene adsorption phenomenon and the role of iron oxide and lime NPs in solving this problem.

Modeling solubility of CO2-N2 gas mixtures in aqueous electrolyte systems using artificial intelligence techniques and equations of state.

Determining the solubility of non-hydrocarbon gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen (N2) in water and brine is one of the most controversial challenges in the oil and chemical industries. Although many researches have been conducted on solubility of gases in brine and water, very few researches investigated the solubility of power plant flue gases (CO2-N2 mixtures) in aqueous solutions. In this study, using six intelligent models, including Random Forest, Decision Tree (DT), Gradient Boosting-Decision Tree (GB-DT), Adaptive Boosting-Decision Tree (AdaBoost-DT), Adaptive Boosting-Support Vector Regression (AdaBoost-SVR), and Gradient Boosting-Support Vector Regression (GB-SVR), the solubility of CO2-N2 mixtures in water and brine solutions was predicted, and the results were compared with four equations of state (EOSs), including Peng-Robinson (PR), Soave-Redlich-Kwong (SRK), Valderrama-Patel-Teja (VPT), and Perturbed-Chain Statistical Associating Fluid Theory (PC-SAFT). The results indicate that the Random Forest model with an average absolute percent relative error (AAPRE) value of 2.8% has the best predictions. The GB-SVR and DT models also have good precision with AAPRE values of 6.43% and 7.41%, respectively. For solubility of CO2 present in gaseous mixtures in aqueous systems, the PC-SAFT model, and for solubility of N2, the VPT EOS had the best results among the EOSs. Also, the sensitivity analysis of input parameters showed that increasing the mole percent of CO2 in gaseous phase, temperature, pressure, and decreasing the ionic strength increase the solubility of CO2-N2 mixture in water and brine solutions. Another significant issue is that increasing the salinity of brine also has a subtractive effect on the solubility of CO2-N2 mixture. Finally, the Leverage method proved that the actual data are of excellent quality and the Random Forest approach is quite reliable for determining the solubility of the CO2-N2 gas mixtures in aqueous systems.

Controlled Release of Stem Cell Secretome Attenuates Inflammatory Response against Implanted Biomaterials.

Inflammatory response against implanted biomaterials impairs their functional integration and induces medical complications in the host's body. To suppress such immune responses, one approach is the administration of multiple drugs to halt inflammatory pathways. This challenges patient's adherence and can cause additional complications such as infection. Alternatively, biologics that regulate multiple inflammatory pathways are attractive agents in addressing the implants immune complications. Secretome of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) is a multipotent biologic, regulating the homeostasis of lymphocytes and leukocytes. Here, it is reported that alginate microcapsules loaded with processed conditioned media (pCM-Alg) reduces the infiltration and/or expression of CD68+ macrophages likely through the controlled release of pCM. In vitro cultures revealed that alginate can dose dependently induce macrophages to secrete TNFα, IL-6, IL-1ß, and GM-CSF. Addition of pCM to the cultures attenuates the secretion of TNFα (p = 0.023) and IL-6 (p < 0.0001) by alginate or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulations. Mechanistically, pCM suppressed the NfκB pathway activation of macrophages in response to LPS (p < 0.0001) in vitro and cathepsin activity (p = 0.005) in response to alginate in vivo. These observations suggest the efficacy of using MSC-derived secretome to prevent or delay the host rejection of implants.

Risperidone Combination Therapy With Propentofylline for Treatment of Irritability in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVES: Propentofylline is a xanthine phosphodiesterase inhibitor and adenosine reuptake blocker with neuroprotective effects linked to anti-inflammatory and antiexcitatory properties. This is a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial investigating the potential beneficial effects of propentofylline, as an adjunctive treatment with risperidone, on the severity and behavioral abnormalities of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS: A total of 48 children with ASD were randomly allocated into 2 groups of risperidone (initiating at 0.5 mg/d) plus propentofylline (initiating at 300 mg/d) and risperidone plus placebo. The Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Community (ABC-C) and Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) were used for the evaluation of ASD severity and behavioral disruptions at baseline, week 4, and week 10. Primary outcome measure of the study was ABC-C irritability subscale score, whereas CARS score along with other 4 subscales of ABC-C (lethargy/social withdrawal, stereotypic behavior, hyperactivity/noncompliance, and inappropriate speech subscales) were considered as secondary outcome measures. RESULTS: Results from the general linear model repeated measures analysis demonstrated significant time-treatment interaction on irritability subscale (F1.55 = 3.45; P = 0.048) and CARS (F1.41 = 4.08; P = 0.034) scores. Compared with the placebo group, children receiving propentofylline showed greater improvements in the CARS score (P = 0.037) from baseline to the study endpoint. Our results found no significant time-treatment effect on other subscales of ABC-C. Two trial groups were comparable based on the frequency of adverse effects. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrated that adjunctive treatment with propentofylline is effective in alleviating disease severity and improving irritability in ASD patients. However, larger studies with longer durations are required to confirm these results.

Huge maxillary metastasis of an aggressive Pancoast tumor -A case report.

BACKGROUND: Metastatic carcinomas to the upper jaw region are very rare and unfortunately occur in advanced stages of malignancies. Pancoast tumor is a challenging subset of lung carcinoma commonly followed by distant metastasis. Since the metastatic lesion of our patient was very huge and unusual, we decided to report the case. CASE PRESENTATION: Our patient was a middle-aged heavy smoker male with a history of unresectable pancoast tumor. He was referred to the dental clinic with an expanded maxillary metastasis involving the bone and sinus region as well as oral soft tissues. To confirm the primary site of his malignancy, immunohistochemical staining was performed. CONCLUSION: Distant metastases of a pancoast tumor are more frequent when the primary tumor is unoperable and bone involvement is one of the early manifestations of disease.

Prevalence of self-reported trauma in a sample of Iranian children is low and unrelated to parents' education or current employment status

Objective: In Western countries, the prevalence of childhood trauma (CT) ranges from 15 to 25%. CT might be indirectly associated with lower parental socioeconomic status and educational attainments. The aims of this cross-sectional study were fourfold: to assess prevalence of CT in a large sample of Iranian children; to compare the Iranian prevalence rates with those of Western countries; to explore gender-specific patterns; and to explore possible socioeconomic predictors. Method: The sample comprised 608 children (mean age 11.49 years, 51.5% females). All completed the Farsi version of the Trauma Symptoms Checklist for Children. Additionally, parents reported on their current employment status and highest educational level. Results: Trauma symptoms were reported by 20 of 295 boys and 23 of 313 girls. The overall prevalence was 7.1%. Child-reported trauma symptoms were not associated with parents' socioeconomic status or highest educational level. Compared to prevalence findings from U.S. national surveys (ranging from 15-25% of children and adolescents), the prevalence among 11- and 12-year-olds in the present study was considerably lower. Conclusions: The overall prevalence of reported trauma symptoms among a large sample of Iranian children was unrelated to parents' socioeconomic status, and was lower than that reported in U.S. surveys.

N-acetylcysteine as an adjunctive therapy to risperidone for treatment of irritability in autism: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of efficacy and safety.

OBJECTIVES: According to the proposed interference of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) with pathophysiologic processes of autistic disorders (ADs), we aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of NAC as an adjunct to risperidone in the treatment of ADs in a randomized, double-blind, clinical trial. METHODS: The participants were referred outpatients between 4 and 12 years of age with the diagnosis of ADs and a score of more than 12 on Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Community (ABC-C) Irritability subscale score. The participants were randomized into 2 groups. One group received risperidone plus NAC, and the other group received risperidone plus placebo. The dose of risperidone was titrated between 1 and 2.0 mg/d, and the dose of NAC was 600 to 900 mg/d. The main outcome was mean decrease in the ABC-C irritability subscale score from baseline at 5 and 10 weeks. Changes in other subscales were considered as secondary outcome measures. RESULTS: Forty patients completed the 10-week trial. Baseline characteristics including age, sex and body weight, as well as baseline scores in 5 subscales did not demonstrate statistically significant difference between the 2 groups. Repeated-measures analysis showed significant effect for time × treatment interaction in irritability (P = 0.01) and hyperactivity/noncompliance (P = 0.02) subscales. By week 10, the NAC group showed significantly more reduction in irritability (P = 0.02) and hyperactivity/noncompliance (P = 0.01) subscales scores. CONCLUSIONS: N-acetylcysteine can be considered as an adjuvant therapy for ADs with beneficial therapeutic outcomes.

Preparation and characterization of multi-walled carbon nanotube/hydroxyapatite nanocomposite film dip coated on Ti-6Al-4V by sol-gel method for biomedical applications: an in vitro study.

In the present research, the introduction of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into the hydroxyapatite (HA) matrix and dip coating of nanocomposite on titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) plate was conducted in order to improve the performance of the HA-coated implant via the sol-gel method. The structural characterization and electron microscopy results confirmed well crystallized HA-MWCNT coating and homogenous dispersion of carbon nanotubes in the ceramic matrix at temperatures as low as 500 °C. The evaluation of the mechanical properties of HA and HA/MWCNT composite coatings with different weight percentages of MWCNTs showed that the addition of low concentrations of MWCNTs (0.5 and 1 wt.%) had improved effect on the mechanical properties of nanocomposite coatings. Moreover, this in vitro study ascertained the biocompatibility of the prepared sol-gel-derived HA/MWCNT composite coatings.

Bupropion versus methylphenidate in the treatment of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: randomized double-blind study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the safety and efficacy of bupropion with methylphenidate in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: In a 6-week randomized double-blind study, 44 patients with a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of ADHD were randomly assigned to receive bupropion 100-150 mg/day (100 mg/day for <30 kg and 150 mg/day for >30 kg) or methylphenidate 20-30 mg/day. Symptoms were assessed using Teacher and Parent Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scale-IV (ADHD-RS-IV) at baseline and weeks 3 and 6. RESULTS: Forty patients had at least one post-baseline measurement, and 38 patients completed the trial. No significant difference was found between the two groups on the Parent and Teacher ADHD-RS-IV scores ([F(1, 38) = 0.266, p = 0.609] and [F(1, 38) = 0.001, p = 0.972], respectively). By week 6, 18 patients (90%) in each group achieved response on the Parent scale (Fisher's exact test p-value = 1.0). With the Teacher ADHD-RS-IV used, eight (40%) patients in the bupropion group and 12 (60%) patients in the methylphenidate group achieved response by week 6 (χ(2) (1) = 1.600, p = 0.206). Headache was observed more frequently in the methylphenidate group. Frequency of other side effects was not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Bupropion has a comparable safety and efficacy profile with methylphenidate in children and adolescents with ADHD.

Freshmen versus interns' specialty interests.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine career preferences of medical students at the time of entering medical school compared with interns who were graduating; and to determine what factors influence the choice of a special discipline as a career. METHODS: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey study involving freshmen and interns at Tehran University of Medical Sciences was conducted in 2006 - 2007. Respondents anonymously completed a specialties questionnaire developed by Feifel et al. The questionnaire was translated into Persian (Farsi) and several items were modified based on the circumstances. RESULTS: The response rate was 91 (73%) among freshmen and 137 (77%) among interns. Forty-six freshman students (50%) and 71 interns (51.8%) indicated that they had not developed a strong decision about any particular field of medicine and needed more time. The preferred specialties among freshmen were surgery and internal medicine; whereas graduating students were more interested in "other specialties". There was no significant difference between pediatrics, gynecology, psychiatry, and general practice among the two groups. There was a significant difference in rating when it came to "anticipated income", "prestige" and "helping patients" of which interns were less interested compared to freshmen in these three areas. CONCLUSION: Approximately one-half of the medical students were unclear about their future goals. The experience of medical school may play a role in diminishing students' interest in surgery and internal medicine as prospective careers.

A placebo controlled study of the propentofylline added to risperidone in chronic schizophrenia.

Impaired activity of the purinergic system is a plausible common factor that could be responsible for many aspects of schizophrenia. Based on purinegic hypothesis of schizophrenia, pharmacological treatments enhancing adenosine activity could be effective treatment in schizophrenia. Propentofylline is a novel xantine derivative which is being developed for treatment of degenerative and vascular dementia. It enhances extracellular adenosine level via inhibition of adenosine uptake. The purpose of the present investigation was to assess the efficacy of propentofylline as an adjuvant agent in the treatment of chronic schizophrenia in an 8-week double blind and placebo controlled trial. Eligible participants in this study were 50 patients with chronic schizophrenia. All patients were inpatients and were in the active phase of the illness, and met DSM-IV-TR criteria for schizophrenia. Patients were allocated in a random fashion, 25 to risperidone 6 mg/day plus propentofylline 900 mg/day (300 mg TDS) and 25 to risperidone 6 mg/day plus placebo. The principal measure of the outcome was Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Although both protocols significantly decreased the score of the positive, negative and general psychopathological symptoms over the trial period, the combination of risperidone and propentofylline showed a significant superiority over risperidone alone in the treatment of positive symptoms, general psychopathology symptoms as well as PANSS total scores. The means Extrapyramidal Symptoms Rating Scale for the placebo group were higher than in the propentofylline group over the trial. However, the differences were not significant. The present study indicates propentofylline as a potential adjunctive treatment strategy for chronic schizophrenia. Nevertheless, results of larger controlled trials are needed, before recommendation for a broad clinical application can be made.