Evaluating the Health Belief Model Constructs in Adopting the HPV Preventive Behavior.

Objective: Genital warts are a highly contagious sexually transmitted disease. It is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is transmitted through sexual contact. HPV is the most important cause of cervical cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the health belief model (HBM) constructs in adopting HPV preventive behavior in women referred to comprehensive health centers in Southwestern Iran. Materials and methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 1000 women referring to health centers in Ahvaz during 2019-2020 who were selected via a two-stage stratified random sampling technique. Data were collected using a valid and reliable researcher-made questionnaire based on the HBM. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and regression analysis in SPSS v.18, at a significance level lower than 0.05. Results: Total scale reliability of the tool was very good (α=0.828), as the Intra-cluster correlation coefficient (ICC) was to be 0.86. The mean of preventive behavior using an ANOVA test was significantly different at different levels of education (P <0.05). The mean and standard deviation of knowledge about HPV and preventive behavior was moderate (11.45±3.4). Pearson correlation coefficient showed a significant direct relationship between preventive behavior with awareness, perceived sensitivity, and self-efficacy and inversely related to perceived barriers. Perceived sensitivity (0.01) and self-efficacy (<0.001) were identified as the final predictors of behavior in regression analysis. Conclusion: As the results showed, designing programs to prevent HPV, considering the perceived role of perceived sensitivity and self-efficacy, increases the likelihood of effective interventions.

Risk Factors Associated with Severity and Death from COVID-19 in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Study.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the risk factors associated with severity and death from COVID-19 through a systematic review and meta-analysis of the published documents in Iran. Methods: A systematic search was performed based on all articles indexed in Scopus, Embase, Web of Science (WOS), PubMed, and Google Scholar in English and Scientific Information Database (SID) and Iranian Research Institute for Information Science and Technology (IRA)NDOC indexes in Persian. To assess quality, we used the Newcastle Ottawa Scale. Publication bias was assessed using Egger's tests. Forest plots were used for a graphical description of the results. We used HRs, and ORs reported for the association between risk factors and COVID-19 severity and death. Results: Sixty-nine studies were included in the meta-analysis, of which 62 and 13 had assessed risk factors for death and severity, respectively. The results showed a significant association between death from COVID-19 and age, male gender, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease (CVD), cerebrovascular disease, chronic kidney disease (CKD), Headache, and Dyspnea. We observed a significant association between increased white blood cell (WBC), decreased Lymphocyte, increased blood urea nitrogen (BUN), increased creatinine, vitamin D deficiency, and death from COVID-19. There was only a significant relationship between CVD and disease severity. Conclusion: It is recommended that the predictive risk factors of COVID-19 severity and death mentioned in this study to be used for therapeutic and health interventions, to update clinical guidelines and determine patients' prognoses.

Sexual Dimorphism in the Extracellular and Pericellular Matrix of Articular Cartilage.

OBJECTIVE: Women have a higher prevalence and burden of joint injuries and pathologies involving articular cartilage than men. Although knee injuries affecting young women are on the rise, most studies related to sexual dimorphism target postmenopausal women. We hypothesize that sexual dimorphism in cartilage structure and mechanics is present before menopause, which can contribute to sex disparities in cartilage pathologies. DESIGN: Bovine knee was used as a model to study healthy adult cartilage. We compared elastic moduli under compression, abundances of extracellular and pericellular matrix (PCM) proteins using proteomics, and PCM constituency with tissue immunofluorescence. The gene expression of matrix-related genes under basal, anabolic, and catabolic conditions was assessed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). RESULTS: The equilibrium modulus was higher in male cartilage compared with female cartilage. Proteoglycans were not associated with this biomechanical dimorphism. Proteomic and pathway analyses of tissue showed dimorphic enriched pathways in extracellular matrix (ECM)-related proteins in which male cartilage was enriched in matrix interconnectors and crosslinkers that strengthen the ECM network. Moreover, male and female tissue differed in enriched PCM components. Females had more abundance of collagen type VI and decorin, suggesting different PCM mechanics. Furthermore, the activation of regenerative and catabolic function in chondrocytes triggered sex-dependent signatures in gene expression, indicating dimorphic genetic regulation that is dependent on stimulation. CONCLUSIONS: We provide evidence for sexual dimorphism in cartilage before menopause. Some differences are intrinsic to chondrocytes' gene expression defined by their XX versus XY chromosomal constituency.

The effect of oat bran consumption on gestational diabetes: a randomized controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Gestational diabetes is the most common medical complication in pregnancy, and it has many side effects for the mother and the fetus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of oat bran consumption on gestational diabetes. METHODS: This study is a randomized clinical trial that was performed on 112 women with gestational diabetes treated with diet. Participants were randomly divided into two groups of 56. Participants in both groups were given a diet for gestational diabetes. In addition to the diet, the intervention group received 30 g of oat bran daily for 4 weeks at lunch and dinner. Tests of fasting blood glucose and two-hour postprandial (2hpp) glucose were taken from both groups: before the intervention, and 2 and 4 weeks after the start of the intervention. Data analysis was performed using SPSS statistical software (version 22) using independent t-test, as well as Chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests. P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of mean blood glucose before the intervention, while 2 and 4 weeks after the intervention, mean fasting blood glucose and two-hour postprandial (2hpp) glucose decreased significantly in the intervention group compared with the control group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this study, the addition of oat bran to the standard diet for pregnant women with gestational diabetes reduced fasting blood glucose and two-hour postprandial (2hpp) glucose. More detailed studies with higher sample sizes are recommended to prove the effectiveness of this valuable dietary supplement. TRIAL REGISTRATION: IRCT registration number: IRCT20191220045828N1 . Registration date: 2020-04-18. Registered while recruiting.

Early-Onset Osteoarthritis originates at the chondrocyte level in Hip Dysplasia.

Subjects with developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) often show early-onset osteoarthritis (OA); however, the molecular mechanisms underlying this pathology are not known. We investigated whether cellular changes in chondrocytes from OA cartilage can be detected in chondrocytes from DDH cartilage before histological manifestations of degeneration. We characterized undamaged and damaged articular cartilage from 22 participants having hip replacement surgery with and without DDH (9 DDH-OA, 12 OA-only, one femoral fracture). Tissue immunostaining revealed changes in damaged OA-only cartilage that was also found in undamaged DDH-OA cartilage. Chondrocytes in situ from both groups show: (i) thicker fibers of vimentin intermediate filaments, (ii) clusters of integrin α5ß1, (iii) positive MMP13 staining and (iv) a higher percentage of cells expressing the serine protease HtrA1. Further characterization of the extracellular matrix showed strong aggrecan and collagen II immunostaining in undamaged DDH cartilage, with no evidence of augmented cell death by activation of caspase 3. These findings suggest that early events in DDH cartilage originate at the chondrocyte level and that DDH cartilage may provide a novel opportunity to study these early changes for the development of therapeutic targets for OA.

Confocal scanning of intervertebral disc cells in 3D: Inside alginate beads and in native microenvironment.

The interaction between cells and their extracellular matrix (ECM) is crucial to maintain both tissue and cellular homeostasis. Indeed, cell phenotype is significantly affected by the 3D microenvironment. Although highly convenient, isolating cells from the intervertebral disc (IVD) and growing them in 2D on plastic or glass substrates, causes them to rapidly lose their phenotype and consequently alter their gene and protein expression. While characterization of cells in their native or simulated 3D environment is preferred, such approaches are complexed by limitations in phenotypic readouts. In the current article, we describe a detailed protocol to study nucleus pulposus cells in 3D-embedded in alginate as a permeable cell-staining reservoir, as well as adaptation for cell staining and imaging in their native ECM. This method allows for detection of phenotypical and cytoskeletal changes in cells within native tissue or 3D alginate beads using confocal microscopy, without the need for histological processing.

Evaluation of a set of refolded recombinant antigens for serodiagnosis of human fascioliasis.

Diagnosis of fascioliasis with high sensitivity and specificity antigens play a vital role in the management of the disease. Majority of commercial serological tests use F. hepatica native antigens and indicate wide diversities in test accuracy. Nowadays, recombinant antigens have been introduced as diagnostic reagents offer better test standardization. A combination of highly pure recombinant antigens associated with correct folding will leads to improve specificity and sensitivity of ELISA for diagnosis of Fascioliasis. In this article, Fasciola hepatica saposin-like protein 2 (SAP-2), ferritin protein (Ftn-1) and leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) recombinant antigens were considered as tools for the detection of F. hepatica immunoglobulin G antibodies in persons with chronic human fasciolasis. The recombinant antigens were obtained as fusion proteins, expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC). The refolding processes of denatured recombinant proteins were performed using dialysis method in the presence of chemical additives, and reduced/oxidized glutathione (in vitro). The immunoreactivity of the recombinant antigens was assessed individually and in a combination compared with excretory/secretory antigen (E/S) in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test. The experiments were optimized using 213 serum samples from humans, including patients with chronic fascioliasis, patients with other parasitic diseases, and healthy subjects. The results indicated 95% sensitivity and 98% specificity for rtFhSAP-2, 96% sensitivity and 91% specificity for E/S, 80% and 83.3% for rtFhFtn-1, 84% and 88% for FhLAP, and also, 96% and 95% for combination of recombinant antigens, respectively. In conclusion, the results of this investigation showed that rtFhSAP-2 with the highest specificity and acceptable sensitivity has a considerable superiority compared to mentioned antigens and even in combination with these antigens in serodiagnosis of human fascioliasis.