The expression analysis of long noncoding RNAs PCAT-1, PCAT-29, and MER11C in bipolar disorder.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts with a length of usually more than 200 nucleotides (nt) that have promised functions in varied biological processes. lncRNAs participate in the regulation of differentiation, development, and function of the brain. Thus, their dysregulation might play important roles in the etiology of neurological disorders such as BD. In this study, the expression level of PCAT-1, PCAT-29, and MER11C lncRNAs was evaluated in the blood of BD patients compared to the control group. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 50 BD type I patients and 50 healthy individuals were isolated. The RNAs were extracted and cDNA was synthesized. Then, the expression level of the desired lncRNAs was measured through Real-Time PCR. The expression levels of PCAT-29 and MER11C lncRNAs were significantly lower in BD patients compared to controls. However, the expression level of PCAT-1 was not significantly different between these two sets of samples. According to the ROC curve, PCAT-29 and MER11C had significant diagnostic power for the differentiation of BD patients from controls. Taken together, our results indicate dysregulation of two lncRNAs in patients with BD and the possible roles of these lncRNAs in the neuropathology of bipolar disorder.

Will modal shift occur from subway to other modes of transportation in the post-corona world in developing countries?

Developing countries are more fragile in the face of the crippling Covid-19 pandemic. Transportation is one of the major industries that has been hardly hit worldwide, and it is more worrying for these countries that already have challenges such as high modal share of private cars, air pollution, and high fatalities due to car accidents. This paper is one of its first kinds that studies the impact of this pandemic on the transportation of Tehran, the capital of Iran, which is one of the forefronts of the battle. In the first step and to get better insights from the travel behavior of passengers due to the pandemic, an online questionnaire is developed and distributed. Priorities for mode choice before and during the pandemic decrease and increase in the share of different modes and the impact of having a high-risk person in the family is studied. Subway had the most decrease and private cars had the highest increase. Hence, two logit models are developed to explain the variables that affect shifting away from the subway and shifting to private cars. Based on the results, a follow-up survey some months later and ridership trends of public transportation during the pandemic, four scenarios are envisaged for the post-corona world, the most probable one is highlighted and policies are recommended to better manage the situation.

Noncoding RNAs in B cell non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

B-cell non-Hodgkins lymphomas (BCNHLs) are a category of B-cell cancers that show heterogeneity. These blood disorders are derived from different levels of B-cell maturity. Among NHL cases, ∼80-90 % are derived from B-cells. Recent studies have demonstrated that noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) contribute to almost all parts of mechanisms and are essential in tumorigenesis, including B-cell non-Hodgkins lymphomas. The study of ncRNA dysregulations in B-cell lymphoma unravels important mysteries in lymphoma's molecular etiology. It seems also necessary for discovering novel trials as well as investigating the potential of ncRNAs as markers for their diagnosis and prognosis. In the current study, we summarize the role of ncRNAs involving miRNAs, long noncoding RNAs, as well as circular RNAs in the development or progression of BCNHLs.