Progress of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) targeting c-Met in cancer therapy; insights from clinical and preclinical studies.

The cell-surface receptor tyrosine kinase c-mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (c-Met) is overexpressed in a wide range of solid tumors, making it an appropriate target antigen for the development of anticancer therapeutics. Various antitumor c-Met-targeting therapies (including monoclonal antibodies [mAbs] and tyrosine kinases) have been developed for the treatment of c-Met-overexpressing tumors, most of which have so far failed to enter the clinic because of their efficacy and complications. Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), a new emerging class of cancer therapeutic agents that harness the target specificity of mAbs to deliver highly potent small molecules to the tumor with the minimal damage to normal cells, could be an attractive therapeutic approach to circumvent these limitations in patients with c-Met-overexpressing tumors. Of great note, there are currently nine c-Met-targeting ADCs being examined in different phases of clinical studies as well as eight preclinical studies for treating various solid tumors. The purpose of this study is to present a broad overview of clinical- and preclinical-stage c-Met-targeting ADCs.

Survival rate of thyroid cancer in the Asian countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis study.

PURPOSE: Overall, thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy. This cancer is fifth most common cancer among adult women and the second most common cancer in women over 50 years old and it occurs in women 3 times more than men. The present systematic review and meta-analysis were designed with the aim of determining the 5-year survival rate of thyroid cancer in Asian countries in 2022. METHODS: The current study is a systematic review and meta-analysis of thyroid cancer survival rates in Asian countries. Researchers in the study searched for articles published in six international databases: PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, Scopus, Google Scholar, ISI (Web of Knowledge), and ProQuest until July 03, 2022. A checklist (The Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Form) has been prepared in previous studies to evaluate the quality of articles. RESULTS: In general, 38 articles were entered for the meta-analysis. The 5-year survival rate was 95.3%, with a 95% confidence interval of 93.5% to 96.6%. The year of study is a cause of variability in results of 5-year (Reg Coef = 0.145, P < 0.001). According to the results, an increased survival rate across the study period was observed. Human Development Index was a cause of variability in results of 5-year survival rates (Reg Coef = 12.420, P < 0.001). The results of Table 2 showed that women have 4% more 5-year survival rate than men (Hazard ratio: 1.05 CI: 95% 1.04-1.06)). CONCLUSION: In general, the 5-year survival of thyroid cancer in Asian countries was higher than in European countries, but it is at a lower level than in the United States.

Changes in incidence and mortality trend due to COVID-19 in southern Iran, from 2020 to 2021: based on Cochran-Armitage trend test.

Background: In 2020, COVID-19 spread rapidly in Iran and other parts of the world. Some of the epidemiological aspects of this disease remain unknown; therefore, the present study was designed with the aim of determining the trend of incidence and mortality of COVID-19 from February 2020 to July 2021 in southern Iran. Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional analytical study that included all people who had COVID-19 in the period from February 2020 to July 2021 and whose information had been registered in the Infectious Diseases Center of Larestan city and MCMC unit. The study area included the cities of Larestan, Evaz, and Khonj, located in the south of Fars province in southern Iran. Results: Since the emergence of COVID-19 until July 2021, a total of 23,246 new cases of infection were reported in the southern region of Fars province. The average age of patients was 39.90±18.30 years and the range of ages varied from 1 to 103 years. The results of the Cochran-Armitage trend test showed that the trend of the disease in 2020 was completely upward. The first positive case of COVID-19 was recorded on February 27, 2020. The incidence curve in 2021 is sinusoidal, but in general, the results of the Cochran-Armitage trend test showed that the incidence of the disease increased significantly (P-trend < 0.001). Most cases were reported in July, April, and the end of March. Conclusion: In general, the incidence rate of COVID-19 has varied sinusoidally from 2020 to mid-2021. Although the incidence of the disease increased, the number of deaths has fallen. It seems that the increase in the number of diagnostic tests and the implementation of the national COVID-19 immunization program have been effective in changing the trend of the disease.

Barriers to the sustainable adoption of autonomous vehicles in developing countries: A multi-criteria decision-making approach.

The acceptance of AI-based intelligent transportation systems requires addressing the existing barriers and the adoption of macro-decisions and policies by policymakers and governments. This study evaluates the potential barriers to the adoption of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) in developing countries by considering the sustainability dimensions. The barriers are identified by conducting a comprehensive literature review and studying the academic experts' opinions in related industries. By identifying the main barriers to the sustainable adoption of AVs, a synthesized approach of the Rough Best-Worst Method (RBWM) and Interval-Rough Multi-Attributive Border Approximation Area Comparison (IR-MABAC) is utilized for weighting and evaluating each barrier in this context. According to the results of this study, the "inflation rate", "lack of internet connection quality", and "learning challenges and difficulties to use the AVs" are the top challenges and barriers to the AV adoption which need to be considered by policymakers. As the main contribution of this research, we provide efficient insights on a macro policy scale for decision-makers with respect to the main barriers to the implementation of AVs technology. From the AVs literature and to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of its kind that considers the barriers to the AV technology implementation through the sustainability concept.

A new species of Hypoaspis Canestrini (Acari, Mesostigmata, Laelapidae) associated with Oryctes sp. (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) in Iran.

A new species of the genus Hypoaspis Canestrini, Hypoaspis surenai sp. n., is described based on adult female specimens collected in association with Oryctes sp. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in Taft, Yazd province, Iran.