Differential responses of two fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) landraces pretreated with melatonin to prolonged drought stress and subsequent recovery.

BACKGROUND: Drought impairs growth, disturbs photosynthesis, and induces senescence in plants, which results in crop productivity reduction and ultimately jeopardizes human food security. The objective of this study was to determine major parameters associated with drought tolerance and recovery ability of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.), by examining differential biochemical and phenological responses and underlying enzyme activities as well as melatonin roles during drought stress and re-watering for two contrasting landraces. Moreover, the relative expression of three key genes involved in the biosynthesis pathway of diosgenin, including SQS, CAS, and BG, was investigated. RESULTS: Depending on the conditions, drought stress enhanced the activity of antioxidant enzymes and the osmoregulating compounds, non-enzymatic antioxidants, hydrogen peroxide content, and lipid peroxidation levels in most cases. Severe drought stress accelerated flowering time in Shushtar landrace (SHR) but had no significant effects on Varamin (VR). Pretreatment with melatonin delayed flowering time in SHR and caused high drought resistance in this landrace. Furthermore, melatonin significantly enhanced drought adaptability in VR by improving plant recovery ability. DISCUSSION: Based on our results plants' responses to drought stress and melatonin pretreatment were completely landrace-specific. Drought stress caused an increase in the relative expression of CAS gene and ultimately the accumulation of steroidal saponins in SHR. Melatonin compensated for the decrease in biomass production due to drought stress and finally increased steroidal saponins performance in SHR. Our study showed that melatonin can improve drought stress and recovery in fenugreek, but different factors such as genotype, melatonin concentration, and plant age should be considered.

Development of nano-liposomal human growth hormone as a topical formulation for preventing uvb-induced skin damage.

Due to its involvement in skin maintenance and repair, topical administration of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) is an interesting strategy for therapeutic purposes. We have formulated and characterized a topical rhGH-loaded liposomal formulation (rhGH-Lip) and evaluated its safety, biological activity, and preventive role against UVB-induced skin damage. The rhGH-Lip had an average size and zeta potential of 63 nm and -33 mV, respectively, with 70 % encapsulation efficiency. The formulation was stable at 4 °C for at least one year. The SDS-PAGE and circular dichroism results showed no structural alterations in rhGH upon encapsulation. In vitro, studies in HaCaT, HFFF-2, and Ba/F3-rhGHR cell lines confirmed the safety and biological activity of rhGH-Lip. Franz diffusion cell study showed increased rhGH skin permeation compared to free rhGH. Animal studies in nude mice showed that liposomal rhGH prevented UVB-induced epidermal hyperplasia, angiogenesis, wrinkle formation, and collagen loss, as well as improving skin moisture. The results of this study show that rhGH-Lip is a stable, safe, and effective skin delivery system and has potential as an anti-wrinkle formulation for topical application. This study also provides a new method for the topical delivery of proteins and merits further investigation.

Application of Protein-Protein Interaction Network Analysis in Order to Identify Cervical Cancer miRNA and mRNA Biomarkers.

Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the world's most common and severe cancers. This cancer includes two histological types: squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (ADC). The current study aims at identifying novel potential candidate mRNA and miRNA biomarkers for SCC based on a protein-protein interaction (PPI) and miRNA-mRNA network analysis. The current project utilized a transcriptome profile for normal and SCC samples. First, the PPI network was constructed for the 1335 DEGs, and then, a significant gene module was extracted from the PPI network. Next, a list of miRNAs targeting module's genes was collected from the experimentally validated databases, and a miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was formed. After network analysis, four driver genes were selected from the module's genes including MCM2, MCM10, POLA1, and TONSL and introduced as potential candidate biomarkers for SCC. In addition, two hub miRNAs, including miR-193b-3p and miR-615-3p, were selected from the miRNA-mRNA regulatory network and reported as possible candidate biomarkers. In summary, six potential candidate RNA-based biomarkers consist of four genes containing MCM2, MCM10, POLA1, and TONSL, and two miRNAs containing miR-193b-3p and miR-615-3p are opposed as potential candidate biomarkers for CC.

Treatment of basal cell carcinoma with intralesional interferon alfa-2b: an open-label clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common cutaneous cancer. We report the efficacy and aesthetic outcome of intralesional IFN-α 2b injection for the treatment of BCC and compare with the surgical method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Intralesional IFN-α 2b was injected in 58 BCC lesions from 20 patients three times a week for three weeks. Control group was retrospectively selected among patients who underwent surgical method (standard surgical excision) for BCC including 58 lesions from 24 patients. All patients were followed up for one year in terms of recurrence and cosmetic outcome. RESULTS: Two patients (four lesions) failed to complete the treatment period. After three weeks, 40 (68.96%) lesions were completely cured. Nine (15.51%) lesions achieved complete healing in less than 9 sessions. Five (8.62%) lesions were completely cured by an extra week of injection. In aggregate, complete healing was observed in 54 (93.10%) lesions. In the surgery group, complete lesion elimination was detected in 52 (89.65%) lesions (p = 0.40). After one year, cosmetic outcome was significantly more favorable in the study group compared to the surgery group (p = 0.003). Recurrence was not detected in any of the groups after one year follow-up. CONCLUSION: Intralesional IFN-α 2b injection is an appropriate treatment choice for BCC. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY: We used Iranian registery of Clinical trials; The IRCT code is: 2017093017756N30.

Randomized double-blinded controlled trial on the effect of synbiotic supplementation on IL-17/IL-23 pathway and disease activity in patients with axial spondyloarthritis.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin 17 (IL17)-expressing CD4+ T cells and IL-17/IL-23 pathway play a key role in the pathogenesis of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). Synbiotics have been suggested due to their immunomodulatory effects in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. This randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was designed to assess the effects of synbiotic supplement on IL-17/IL-23 pathway and disease activity in patients with axSpA. METHODS: Forty-eight axSpA patients were randomly allocated to use one synbiotic capsule or placebo daily for 12 weeks. Disease activity was assessed using the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and ASAS-endorsed disease activity score-C-reactive protein (ASDAS-CRP). The secondary outcome was proportion of IL17-expressing CD4+ T cells, IL-17 and IL-23 gene expression, and supernatant levels of IL-17 and IL-23, which were measured at the baseline and end of the trial. RESULTS: A total of 48 patients were randomized into the synbiotic and placebo groups. Thirty-eight patients completed the study. Synbiotic supplementation significantly reduced the proportion of IL17-expressing CD4+ T cells (4.88 ± 2.47 vs. 2.16 ± 1.25), gene expression of IL-17 (1.03 ± 0.24 vs. 0.65 ± 0.26) and IL-23 (1.01 ± 0.13 vs. 0.68 ± 0.24) and serum IL-17 (38.22 ± 14.40 vs. 24.38 ± 11.68) and IL-23 (51.77 ± 17.40 vs. 32.16 ± 12.46) compared with baseline. Significant differences between groups were noticed only in the proportion of IL17-expressing CD4+ T cells, and IL-17 and IL-23 gene expression. Synbiotic supplementation did not significantly alter BASDAI and ASDAS-CRP compared with baseline and placebo group at the end of trial. CONCLUSION: Present study indicated beneficial effect of synbiotic supplement on IL-17/IL-23 pathway without improving disease activity in axSpApatients.HighlightsSynbiotic supplementation reduced IL17-expressing CD4+ T cells proportion in axSpA.Synbiotic supplementation decreased IL-17 and IL-23 gene expression in axSpA.Synbiotic supplementation did not change disease activity score in axSpA.

Effects of synbiotic supplementation on regulatory T cells' response in patients with axial spondyloarthritis: a randomized double-masked placebo-controlled trial.

This study was conducted on samples from patients enrolled in a randomized double-masked placebo-controlled trial on the effect of synbiotic supplementation on the IL-17/IL-23 pathway and disease activity in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) to investigate the effects of synbiotic supplementation on regulatory T (Treg) cells' response in these patients. Forty-eight axSpA patients were randomized to take one synbiotic capsule or placebo daily for 12 weeks. Treg cell proportion, gene expression of forkhead box protein P3 (Foxp3), microRNA (miRNA)-25, miRNA-106b, miRNA-146a, interleukin (IL)-10, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß as well as serum IL-10 and TGF-ß levels were assessed before and after the trial. Thirty-eight patients (19 in each group) completed the trial. The proportion of Treg cells (P < 0.001), the gene expression of FoxP3 (P < 0.001), IL-10 (P = 0.001), TGF-ß (P < 0.001), and miRNA-146a (P < 0.001) and serum IL-10 (P = 0.003) and TGF-ß (P = 0.002) levels significantly increased compared to the baseline in the synbiotic group. Additionally, a significant reduction in the gene expression of miRNA-25 (P < 0.001) and miRNA-106b (P < 0.001) was observed in the synbiotic group. Significant between-group differences were observed in the proportion of Treg cells (P = 0.024) and the gene expression of FoxP3 (P = 0.010), IL-10 (P = 0.002), TGF-ß (P = 0.016), miRNA-25 (P = 0.008), miRNA-106b (P = 0.001), and miRNA-146a (P = 0.010). Differences in the serum levels of IL-10 and TGF-ß between the groups were not significant. As a conclusion, synbiotic supplementation could modulate Treg cells' response in axSpA patients and thus can be promising as an adjunctive therapy. Additional investigations would help in further clarifying the subject.

Assessment the Effect of Human Umbilical Cord Wharton's Jelly Stem Cells on the Expression of Homing Genes; CXCR4 and VLA-4 in Cell Line of Breast Cancer.

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women.  The prevalence of breast cancer in Western women is one in eight.  Although the prevalence of breast cancer in Iran is lower than in Western countries (one in every 10-12 women), the incidence of breast cancer in it is 5-10 years earlier than in Western countries. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women after lung cancer. Therefore, finding new therapeutic methods could potentially help to reduce breast cancer mortality and increase the survival rate. Wharton jelly stem cells with mesenchymal morphology play an important role in inhibiting the progression of ovarian, osteosarcoma, and breast cancer by inducing apoptosis and reducing metastasis. Several environmental and genetic factors are involved in the occurrence of breast cancer. CXCR4 and VLA-4 genes are important genetic factors in breast cancer that play a role in cell survival, migration, proliferation, and metastasis of several types of cancer, especially breast cancer. Therefore, inhibition of these two genes by Wharton's Jelly Stem Cells could be a novel and effective therapeutic target in breast cancer.  The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Wharton jelly stem cells secretion on the expression of CXCR4 and VLA-4 genes in cancer cells. Materials and Methods: These cells were exposed to Wharton's Jelly Stem Cells after culturing breast cancer cells. RNA was extracted from treated cells. The expression of CXCR4 and VLA-4 genes was evaluated by real-time PCR. Results: The results of the MTT and Scratching tests showed a significant difference compared to the control group. Also, the results of Real-time PCR showed a significant decrease in the expression of CXCR4 and VLA-4 genes compared to the control group. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that different concentrations of Wharton Jelly Stem Cells reduce cancer cell growth and expression of CXCR4 and VLA-4 homing genes in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Therefore, Wharton Jelly Stem Cells can be considered as an effective treatment for breast cancer.

Protective effect of two new nanovaccines against Pseudomonas aeruginosa based on LPS and OPS: A comparison study.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most important infectious pathogens in medicine. This bacterium causes various infections, especially in patients with severe burns and people with defective immune systems. The purpose of this study was to develop a nanovaccine based on PLGA nanoparticles and lipopolysaccharide and oligopolysaccharide antigens for appropriate stimulation of the humoral and cellular immune systems against P. aeruginosa. LPS-PLGA and OPS-PLGA conjugates were synthesized using the carbodiimide reaction. The prepared conjugates of as well as the pure antigens of LPS and OPS were injected to BALB/c mice in three periods at 2 week intervals. The ELISA test showed that the IgM, IgA, IgG, IgG1, IgG2b, IgG2a and IgG3 antibodies produced against LPS-PLGA or OPS-PLGA conjugates were tens of times higher than the pure antigens. Also, the opsonophagocytosis test showed that the performance and the effect of produced anti-LPS-PLGA antibodies were higher than other groups. In addition, the mice treated with LPS-PLGA conjugate were more resistant to P. aeruginosa infection than other groups. These findings indicated that LPS and OPS antigens in conjugation with PLGA nanoparticles have the ability to create and effective immunity against P. aeruginosa and LPS-PLGA is more effective than OPS-PLGA.

Drug repositioning in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using gene co-expression and drug-gene interaction networks analysis.

Lung cancer is the most common cancer in men and women. This cancer is divided into two main types, namely non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Around 85 to 90 percent of lung cancers are NSCLC. Repositioning potent candidate drugs in NSCLC treatment is one of the important topics in cancer studies. Drug repositioning (DR) or drug repurposing is a method for identifying new therapeutic uses of existing drugs. The current study applies a computational drug repositioning method to identify candidate drugs to treat NSCLC patients. To this end, at first, the transcriptomics profile of NSCLC and healthy (control) samples was obtained from the GEO database with the accession number GSE21933. Then, the gene co-expression network was reconstructed for NSCLC samples using the WGCNA, and two significant purple and magenta gene modules were extracted. Next, a list of transcription factor genes that regulate purple and magenta modules' genes was extracted from the TRRUST V2.0 online database, and the TF-TG (transcription factors-target genes) network was drawn. Afterward, a list of drugs targeting TF-TG genes was obtained from the DGIdb V4.0 database, and two drug-gene interaction networks, including drug-TG and drug-TF, were drawn. After analyzing gene co-expression TF-TG, and drug-gene interaction networks, 16 drugs were selected as potent candidates for NSCLC treatment. Out of 16 selected drugs, nine drugs, namely Methotrexate, Olanzapine, Haloperidol, Fluorouracil, Nifedipine, Paclitaxel, Verapamil, Dexamethasone, and Docetaxel, were chosen from the drug-TG sub-network. In addition, nine drugs, including Cisplatin, Daunorubicin, Dexamethasone, Methotrexate, Hydrocortisone, Doxorubicin, Azacitidine, Vorinostat, and Doxorubicin Hydrochloride, were selected from the drug-TF sub-network. Methotrexate and Dexamethasone are common in drug-TG and drug-TF sub-networks. In conclusion, this study proposed 16 drugs as potent candidates for NSCLC treatment through analyzing gene co-expression, TF-TG, and drug-gene interaction networks.

Assessment the Effect of Human Umbilical Cord Wharton's Jelly Stem Cells on the Expression of Homing Genes: CXCR4 and VLA-4 in Cell Line of Prostate Cancer.

Background : Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in the male that affects the health, social and economic life of person. Different compounds such as Wharton's jelly, have been used to treat prostate cancer. Wharton's jelly is a tissue rich in cells with mesenchymal morphology. Wharton's jelly compound inhibited the growth of various cancer cells, including ovarian, osteosarcoma, breast, and prostate cancers, and also reduced the expression of CXCR4 and VLA-4 genes involved in the metastasis process. Materials and Methods: To do this research, Wharton's jelly stem cells and DU145 cancer cell line were cultured. After cell culture, the effect of Wharton's jelly on this cell line was evaluated by scratching and MTT assay. The expression of CXCR4 and VLA-4 genes was also evaluated by Real-time PCR. Results: The results of MTT and Scratching tests showed that Wharton's jelly inhibited the growth of DU145 cancer cells and also decreased the expression level of CXCR4 and VLA-4 genes. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that Wharton's jelly can be considered as an effective compound for decreasing metastasis of prostate cancer.

Immunization effect of lipopolysaccharide antigen in conjugation with PLGA nanoparticles as a nanovaccine against Brucella melitensis infection.

Brucella is an infectious disease with difficult treatment faced with drug resistance and recurrence of infection. Despite advances in the development of effective vaccines against brucellosis infections, there is still a need for more effective vaccine against brucellosis. In this study, we developed a nanovaccine for delivery of lipopolysaccharide Brucella melitensis antigen to the immune system using PLGA nanoparticles to prevent Brucella infection, which is associated with the stimulation of both humoral and cellular immune systems. In particular, we determined the rate of produced immunoglobulines and their functional effectiveness on the immune system by carring out opsonophagocytosis and challenge tests. According to the results, it was determined that PLGA improve the delivery of LPS antigen to the immune system to enhance the production of immunoglobulins levels and their efficiency to remove Brucella bacteria.

Comparison of losartan and amlodipine effects on the outcomes of patient with COVID-19 and primary hypertension: A randomised clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Controversy exists regarding the drug selection in hypertension (HTN) management in patients with COVID-19. This study aimed to compare the effects of losartan and amlodipine in patients with primary HTN and COVID-19. METHODS: In this randomised clinical trial, hospitalised patients with COVID-19 and primary HTN were enrolled in the study. One arm received losartan, 25 mg, twice a day and the other arm received amlodipine, 5 mg per day for 2 weeks. The main outcomes were compare 30-day mortality rate and length of hospital stay. RESULTS: The mean age of patients treated with losartan (N = 41) and amlodipine (N = 39) was 67.3 ± 14.8 and 60.1 ± 17.3 years, respectively (P value = .068). The length of hospital stay in losartan and amlodipine groups was 4.57 ± 2.59 and 7.30 ± 8.70 days, respectively (P value = .085). Also, the length of ICU admission in losartan and amlodipine group was 7.13 ± 5.99 and 7.15 ± 9.95 days, respectively (P value = .994). The 30-day mortality was two and five patients in losartan and amlodipine groups, respectively (P value = .241). CONCLUSIONS: There was no priority in losartan or amlodipine administration in COVID-19 patients with primary HTN in decreasing mortality rate, hospital and ICU length stay. Further studies need to clarify the first-line anti-HTN medications in COVID-19.

Immunogenicity evaluating of the SLNs-alginate conjugate against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

P. aeruginosa is of particular importance due to its numerous pathogens and the spread of its multidrug-resistant strains around the world. Hence there is a need to develop an effective vaccine to prevent the diseases with P. aeruginosa. The aim of present study was to evaluate the immunogenicity of alginate (Alg) antigen in conjugation with SLN as a candidate for nanovaccine against P. aeruginosa in mouse model. Alginate is a weak immunogen, but the immune responses produced by alginate are effective in killing Pseudomonas bacteria. To increase the immunogenicity of alginate, SLN was used that is useful in drug delivery and can boost prolonged effectiveness. The results of ELISA and opsonophagocytosis tests showed that Alg-SLN conjugate has a better ability to stimulate the immune system to produce more immunoglobulins with better performance compared to alginate antigen alone. The challenge test also demonstrated that the Alg-SLN treated mice showed a higher level of immunity than the mice treated with pure alginate against infections caused by P. aeruginosa. Overally the findings showed the efficacy of new prepared vaccine to induce immunogenicity, and therefore it can be considered as a candidate for a strong vaccine against P. aeruginosa.

Human Wharton's jelly stem cells inhibit endometriosis through apoptosis induction.

Endometriosis is a relatively benign disease characterized by endometrial tumors and uterus stroma. Apoptosis suppression is one of the most important pathological processes of endometriosis. Recently, several studies reported that human Wharton's jelly stem cells (hWJSCs) can inhibit growth and proliferation of various cancer cells through induction of apoptosis. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of hWJSCs conditioned medium (hWJSC-CM) and cell-free lysate (hWJSC-CL) on endometriosis cells in vitro. In the present study, effects of different concentrations of hWJSC-CM and hWJSC-CL on viability and proliferation, morphological alterations, colony formation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of endometriosis cells were evaluated. Our results showed that hWJSC-CM and hWJSC-CL decrease viability and proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion, as well as increase morphological alterations and apoptosis of endometriosis cells, in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Decreased migration and invasion of treated endometriosis cells with hWJSC-CM and hWJSC-CL may be due to decrease of MMP-2 and MMP-9 gene expression. Moreover, induction of apoptosis in treated endometriosis cells can be due to regulation of apoptosis-related genes expression, including BAX, BCL-2, SMAC, and SURVIVIN. The results of the present study suggest that hWJSC-CM and hWJSC-CL can inhibit endometriosis cells at a mild-to-moderate level through various physiological mechanisms. However, further studies on animal models are necessary to achieve more accurate results.

Psoralen and narrowband UVB combination provides higher efficacy in treating vitiligo compared with narrowband UVB alone: A randomised clinical trial.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Side effects of current treatments and the need for a safe treatment with higher efficiency necessitate seeking new treatment options for vitiligo. Few studies have investigated the combination of psoralen with narrowband ultraviolet B (NBUVB). In this study, we compared the efficacy and safety of psoralen and NBUVB combination (P-NBUVB) with NBUVB alone in treatment of vitiligo. METHODS: This randomised clinical trial was carried out during 2015-2017 in dermatology clinics of Ghaem and Imam Reza hospitals, Mashhad, Iran on 40 vitiligo patients with 5-60% body involvement. The patients were randomly divided into two groups of NBUVB alone and P-NBUVB. Both groups underwent 60 phototherapy sessions (three sessions per week), and the repigmentation rate was measured using vitiligo area severity index (VASI) score. SPSS v. 16 software and appropriate statistical tests were used to analyse the data. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 33.9 ± 11.3 years. Twenty patients (50%) were females. The P-NBUVB group showed greater VASI improvement in lower extremities (P = 0.003) and overall (P = 0.026) compared with NBUVB group. Moreover, the treatment response appeared sooner in P-NUVB group. CONCLUSION: Based on our results, we can conclude that adding psoralen to NBUVB phototherapy can result in increased efficacy. However, more studies are needed to evaluate the long-term effects and side effects of this treatment.

Study of the in vitro and in vivo antileishmanial activities of nimodipine in susceptible BALB/c mice.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Pentavalent antimonials are the standard treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), however, treatment failures are frequent. Nimodipine, a calcium channel blocker is known to show promising antiprotozoal effects. Here, we investigated the antileishmanial effect of Nimodipine in both in vitro and in vivo BALB/c mice model of CL. We also compared the in vivo effect with amphotericin B and meglumine antimoniate in the experimental CL mice model. METHODS: Colorimetric alamar blue assay and J774 A.1 mouse macrophage cells were used to determine the effect of nimodipine on promastigotes and amastigotes viability, respectively. Then, the in vivo activity of nimodipine was compared to that of conventional therapies in both the early and established courses of Leishmania major infection in susceptible non-healing BALB/c mice. RESULTS: Nimodipine was highly active against promastigotes and amastigotes of L. major with IC50 values of 49.40 and 15.03 µM, respectively. In the early model, the combination therapy with meglumine antimoniate and nimodipine showed no parasites in the spleen or footpad of animals. The footpad thickness was significantly lower in mice treated with either nimodipine (1 mg/kg or 2.5 mg/kg) or amphotericin B compared to the control group in the established lesions model. However, no complete remission was observed in the footpad lesion of any of the treatment groups (nimodipine, amphotericin B, meglumine antimoniate, and combination therapy). INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: The effect of nimodipine was comparable to that of amphotericin B and meglumine antimoniate in early and established CL lesion models. Since nimodipine is more cost-effective than conventional therapies, our results merit further investigation in other animal models and voluntary human subjects.

Computational prediction of implantation outcome after embryo transfer.

The aim of this study is to develop a computational prediction model for implantation outcome after an embryo transfer cycle. In this study, information of 500 patients and 1360 transferred embryos, including cleavage and blastocyst stages and fresh or frozen embryos, from April 2016 to February 2018, were collected. The dataset containing 82 attributes and a target label (indicating positive and negative implantation outcomes) was constructed. Six dominant machine learning approaches were examined based on their performance to predict embryo transfer outcomes. Also, feature selection procedures were used to identify effective predictive factors and recruited to determine the optimum number of features based on classifiers performance. The results revealed that random forest was the best classifier (accuracy = 90.40% and area under the curve = 93.74%) with optimum features based on a 10-fold cross-validation test. According to the Support Vector Machine-Feature Selection algorithm, the ideal numbers of features are 78. Follicle stimulating hormone/human menopausal gonadotropin dosage for ovarian stimulation was the most important predictive factor across all examined embryo transfer features. The proposed machine learning-based prediction model could predict embryo transfer outcome and implantation of embryos with high accuracy, before the start of an embryo transfer cycle.

Preparation of a nanovaccine against Brucella melitensis M16 based on PLGA nanoparticles and oligopolysaccharide antigen.

Brucellosis is one of the most common and important diseases between humans and animals. Herein, we developed a nanovaccine against Brucella melitensis based on oligopolysaccharide (OPS) antigen and PLGA nanoparticles. The conjugation of extracted OPS with poly lactic-co-glycolic acid was performed. The antigenicity evaluation was conducted in 4 groups of 5 female BALB/c mice including OPS-PLGA conjugate, OPS alone, PLGA alone and PBS as a control. The mice were vaccinated intra-peritoneal three times with two-week intervals. To determine the immune response and functional capacity of the antibodies, the enzyme linked immunosorbent, opsonophagocytosis and challenge tests were performed. For checking the immunization ability of the nanovaccine, the challenge test was performed. The results showed a significant increase in the total IgG and IgM antibody titres in the mice vaccinated with OPS-PLGA conjugate in comparison with other groups. The sera of animals immunized with OPS-PLGA conjugate promoted efficient opsonophagocytosis of Brucella bacteria. The results of challenge assay showed that the immunization with OPS-PLGA conjugate gave a high level of protection in comparison with other groups. These findings showed that the new nanovaccine can be considered as a candidate for immunization of animals and humans against the diseases caused by B. melitensis that needs further investigations.