Microstates of Accelerating and Supersymmetric AdS_{4} Black Holes from the Spindle Index.

We provide a first principles derivation of the microscopic entropy of a very general class of supersymmetric, rotating, and accelerating black holes in AdS_{4}. This is achieved by analyzing the large-N limit of the spindle index and completes the construction of the first example of a holographic duality involving supersymmetric field theories defined on orbifolds with conical singularities.

Readiness for advance care planning and related factors in the general population: a cross sectional study in Iran.

CONTEXT: Advance Care Planning (ACP), as a process for expressing and recording patients' preferences about end-of-life care, has received increasing attention in recent years. However, implementing ACP has been challenging in Iran. OBJECTIVES: To assess the readiness for advance care planning and related factors in the general population of Iran. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on the general population of Iran in 2022. The data was collected using demographic information questionnaire and The RACP Scale. The purpose and methodology of the research was explained to all participants, and upon their agreement an informed consent was obtained. Participants were invited to fill out the questionnaires wherever is more convenient for them, either alone or if needed, with the help of the researcher to protect their privacy. Chi-square, fisher exact test and multiple logistic Regression model were used to assess the effective factors on the RACP. The data were analyzed by SPSS software version 26. RESULTS: A total of 641 people with an average age of 36.85 ± 12.05 years participated in this study. Of those, 377 (58.8%) had high RACP. The logistics model showed an association between the chance of readiness for receiving ACP with participants' education level, such that the chance of readiness in those with Master's or Ph.D. degrees was three times higher than those with a diploma (p = 0.00, OR:3.178(1.672, 6.043)). However, the chances of readiness in those with bachelor's degrees was not significantly different from those with a diploma (p = 0.936, OR: 0.984 (0.654, 1.479)). Moreover, the chance of readiness was 1.5 higher in participants over 40 years of age compared with participants under the age of 40 (P = 0.01, OR: 1.571(1.10, 2.23)). CONCLUSION: According to the findings of this study, it can be concluded that there is a relatively RACP among people in Iranian society. The readiness of individuals for ACP increases by their age and education level. Therefore, by holding appropriate training intervention, we can increase the readiness of the public for ACP to improve their end-of-life outcome.

The Comparative Efficacy of Unified Transdiagnostic Protocol (UP) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Protocol (MBSR) on Emotion Regulation and Uncertainty Intolerance in Infertile Women Receiving IVF.

Some emotional and social aspects of infertility affect the response of the infertile women to the treatment. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of unified transdiagnostic protocol (UP) and mindfulness-based stress reduction protocol (MBSR) on emotion regulation and uncertainty intolerance in infertile women receiving IVF. Forty-five infertile women with symptoms of anxiety and depression were included in the study. They were randomly assigned in two intervention groups and one control group. The UP was performed for 10 sessions and MBSR was performed for eight sessions. All participants completed emotion regulation and uncertainty intolerance questionnaires at pre-test, post-test, and follow-up stages. Both interventions had a significant effect on increasing patients' emotion regulation (p ≤ 0.05), but only unified transdiagnostic protocol had a significant effect on intolerance of uncertainty (p ≤ 0.05). Findings show that UP and MBSR have increased emotion regulation. Also UP could reduce the rate of uncertainty intolerance.

Prognostic factors in traumatic brain injuries in emergency department.

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in young adults. The Extended Glasgow Outcome Score (GOSE) has been introduced to assess the global outcome after brain injuries. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic factors associated with GOSE. Materials and Methods: This was a multicenter cross-sectional study conducted on 144 patients with TBI admitted at trauma emergency centers. The patients' information, including demographic characteristics, duration of hospital stay, mechanical ventilation and on-admission laboratory measurements, and on-admission vital signs, were evaluated. The patients' TBI-related symptoms and brain computed tomography (CT) scan findings were recorded. Results: GOSE assessments showed an increasing trend by the comparison of on-discharge (7.47 ± 1.30), within a month (7.51 ± 1.30) and within 3 months (7.58 ± 1.21) evaluations (P < 0.001). On-discharge GOSE was positively correlated with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)(r = 0.729, P < 0.001), motor GCS (r = 0.812, P < 0.001), Hb (r = 0.165, P = 0.048), and pH (r = 0.165, P = 0.048) and inversely with age (r = -0.261, P = 0.002), hospitalization period (r = -0.678, P < 0.001), pulse rate (r = -0.256, P = 0.002), white blood cell (WBC) (r = -0.222, P = 0.008), and triglyceride (r = -0.218, P = 0.009). In multiple linear regression analysis, the associations were significant only for GCS (B = 0.102, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0-0.202; P = 0.05), hospitalization stay duration (B = -0.004, 95% CI: -0.005--0.003, P = 0.001), and WBC (B = 0.00001, 95% CI: 0.00000014-0.000025; P = 0.024). Among imaging signs and trauma-related symptoms in univariate analysis, intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), interventricular hemorrhage (IVH) (P = 0.006), subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) (P = 0.06; marginally at P < 0.1), subdural hemorrhage (SDH) (P = 0.032), and epidural hemorrhage (EDH) (P = 0.037) was significantly associated with GOSE at discharge in multivariable analysis. Conclusion: According to the current study findings, GCS, hospitalization stay duration, WBC and among imaging signs and trauma-related symptoms ICH, IVH, SAH, SDH, and EDH are independent significant predictors of GOSE at discharge in TBI patients.

Universal AdS Black Holes in Theories with 16 Supercharges and Their Microstates.

We provide a universal microscopic counting for the microstates of the asymptotically AdS black holes and black strings that arise as solutions of the half-maximal gauged supergravity in 4 and 5 dimensions. These solutions can be embedded in all M-theory and type II string backgrounds with an AdS vacuum and 16 supercharges and provide an infinite set of examples dual to N=2 and N=4 conformal field theories in four and three dimensions, respectively. The counting is universal and it is performed by either studying the large N limit of the relevant supersymmetric index of the dual field theory or by using the charged Cardy formula.

Dextrose prolotherapy versus radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy in the treatment of chronic plantar fasciitis: A randomized, controlled clinical trial.

In the recent years, prolotherapy is increasingly being used in the field of musculoskeletal medicine. However, few studies have investigated its effectiveness in plantar fasciitis (PF). The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of ultrasound-guided dextrose prolotherapy with radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) in the treatment of chronic PF. This randomized controlled trial was conducted on 59 patients with chronic PF. Patients were randomly assigned into two groups receiving three sessions of radial ESWT (29 patients) vs. two sessions of ultrasound-guided intrafascial 2 cc dextrose 20% injection (30 patients). The following outcome measures were assessed before and then six weeks and 12 weeks after the treatments: pain intensity by visual analog scale (VAS), daily life and exercise activities by Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM), and the plantar fascia thickness by ultrasonographic imaging. The VAS and FAAM scales showed significant improvements of pain and function in both study groups 6 weeks and 12 weeks after the treatments. A significant reduction was noted for plantar fascia thickness at these intervals (all p < .05). The inter-group comparison revealed that except for the FAAM-sport subscale which favored ESWT, the interaction effects of group and time were not significant for other outcome measures. Dextrose prolotherapy has comparable efficacy to radial ESWT in reducing pain, daily-life functional limitation, and plantar fascia thickness in patients with PF. No serious adverse effects were observed in either group. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level I, randomized controlled trial.

Chronological changes and trend of breast cancer clinics and pathology among Iranian women during 22 years from the largest breast cancer registry in Iran.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: We evaluated clinicopathological changes of breast cancer (BC) during a 22-year time period among the Iranian population. METHODS: This study is part of the largest BC registry in Iran. Patients were categorized as those diagnosed with BC during 1993-2005, 2006-2011, and 2012-2017 and compared regarding baseline characteristics and socioeconomical determinants, and obstetrical/gynecological and BC characteristics. RESULTS: Overall, 688, 1871, and 3020 patients entered the 1993-2005, 2006-2012, and 2012-2017 year groups, respectively. Mean (SD) age at first presentation of BC increased throughout the year groups (47.40 ± 10.34, 49.12 ± 11.70, and 49.43 ± 12.07 years, respectively; p < 0.001). Mean (SD) tumor size increased from 1993-2005 to 2006-2011 and decreased onto 2012-2017 (2.82 ± 1.69, 2.91 ± 1.49, and 2.66 ± 1.52 cm, respectively; p < 0.001). Number of individuals with stage 4 and grade 3 BC also showed an increasing pattern (p < 0.001). Tumor necrosis rates showed an increase onto 2011-2017 (43%, 47.3%, and 56%, respectively; p < 0.001). ER positive (62.4%, 73.4%, and 77.1%, respectively; p < 0.001) and PR positive individuals (59.5%, 64.3%, 72.6%, respectively; p < 0.001) showed an increasing trend. HER2 positive expression rates increased from 1993-2005 to 2005-2011 (24.5% and 31.5%, respectively) and decreased onto 2012-2017 (31.5% and 26.8%, respectively, p < 0.001). Number of involved lymph nodes increased (5.70 ± 6.56, 5.65 ± 6.00, and 5.95 ± 6.99, respectively; p < 0.001). Pattern of BC invasion and recurrence showed significant change (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Clinical and pathological characteristics may be showing a changing pattern among the Iranian population.

The Effects of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Loaded with Oncolytic Coxsackievirus A21 on Mouse Models of Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is a major cause of death worldwide. Colorectal cancer is the second most common type. Additional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy may be recommended. Developing new techniques is vital due to drug resistance and a lack of targeted therapies. OBJECTIVE: In this study, the effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) loaded with oncolytic Coxsackievirus A21 (CVA21) on a mouse model of CRC were investigated. METHODS: The therapeutic potency of MSCs loaded with oncolytic CVA21 were evaluated in an experimental mouse model of colorectal cancer which received an injection CT26 cells per mouse subcutaneously. Splenocyte proliferation index, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay, nitric oxide (NO) production assessment, and cytokine assay (IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10, and TGF-ß) in the splenocyte supernatant were all used to evaluate the impact of MSCs loaded with CVA21. RESULTS: The results of this study showed that the treatment of a mouse model of colorectal cancer with MSCs loaded with oncolytic CVA21 could significantly suppress the tumor growth, which was accompanied by stimulation of splenocytes proliferation index, an increase of NO and LDH. Also, MSCs loaded with oncolytic CVA21 increased the secretion of IFN-γ and decreased the secretion of IL-4, IL-10, and TGF-ß. CONCLUSION: The results of the current study suggest that MSCs loaded with oncolytic CVA21 therapy for the CRC mouse model may have some potential advantages. On the other hand, the results of the study showed that, in addition to activating the acquired immune system, the use of MSCs loaded with oncolytic CVA21 also stimulates the innate immune system by increasing level of nitric oxide.

Burnout among Military Personnel: A systematic Review.

Objective: Burnout is a psychological symptom characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal accomplishment. Several systematic reviews have examined the prevalence of burnout in some communities, including the communities of physicians, nurses, students, and teachers. Risk factors, consequences of burnout, and related interventions have also been evaluated in several systematic review studies. The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate the prevalence, risk factors, consequences, and interventions associated with burnout among military personnel in all types of studies. Method : Studies that quantitatively examined burnout in military personnel after 2000 were identified through systematic searches in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Knowledge, Embase, PsychInfo, and PsycArticles databases. Results: A total of 43 studies met the criteria for inclusion in this systematic review. Of these, 34 were cross-sectional, 7 were longitudinal, 1 was case-control and 1 was experimental. Half of the studies had more than 350 samples. The studies were from 17 different countries, among which the United States had the largest number with 17 studies. 33 studies were measured with one version of Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Totally, only 10 studies reported a prevalence of burnout and/or its subscales. The prevalence of high emotional exhaustion ranged from 0% to 49.7% (median 19%), the prevalence of high depersonalization ranged from 0% to 59.6% (median 14%) and the prevalence of low personal accomplishment ranged from 0% to 60% (median 6.4%). In this systematic review, work environment factors (such as workload, shift work), psychological factors (anxiety, depression, stress), and duration and quality of sleep were shown as risk factors of burnout or its subscales. Also, psychological distress was observed as the consequence of burnout in more than one study. Conclusion: The studies investigated in this systematic review showed a relatively moderate prevalence of burnout. In fact, burnout was associated with work environment factors and psychological variables.

Relationship of Hardiness Components to General Health, Spiritual Health, and Burnout: The Path Analysis.

Objective: Acknowledging the key role of hardiness, importance of health and its various dimensions, the present study aimed to investigate the simultaneous relationship between hardiness components and spiritual health, burnout, and general health, among Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences staff. Method : 307 Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences' staff in Tehran with at least five years work experience participated in this cross-sectional study using simple random sampling. Four questionnaires were used to evaluate the participants: the 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) to assess general mental problems with four subscales, 22-item Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) with two aspects (frequency and intensity) and three subscales of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment, the 20-item Spiritual Well Being Scale (SWBS) Questionnaire with two subscales of religious well-being and existential well-being and the 50-item Kobasa Hardiness Questionnaire to measure psychological hardiness with three subscales of control, commitment and challenge. At the end, two conceptual models which have shown effect of hardiness and its subscales on general health, Spiritual health and burnout were evaluated by path analysis. Results: According to the path analysis results, it was found that hardiness and its subscales, which were approved by univariable and multivariable analyses, had significant relationship with general health (direct effect: -0.525, P < 0.001), spiritual health (direct effect: 0.555, P < 0.001) and burnout (direct effect of frequency aspect: -0.523, P < 0.001). Thus, by increasing hardiness and its subscales, spiritual health increases while symptoms of illness and burnout decrease. Conclusion: Spiritual health increases as hardiness and its subscales increase as well; therefore, symptoms of illness and burnout decrease as hardiness and its subscales increase.

Data analysis of striation spacing, lifetime, and crack length in crankshaft ductile cast iron under cyclic bending loading through high-cycle fatigue regime.

In this dataset, experimental results of high-cycle bending fatigue testing on crankshaft ductile cast irons were presented both in raw and analyzed data. For this objective, EN-GJS-700-2 standard samples were cut and machined from the crankshaft of a gasoline engine. Then, stress-controlled rotary fatigue experiments were done on cast iron specimens under cyclic four-point bending loads in a fully-reversed condition (zero mean stress). These tests were considered under different cases of the loading rate and the applied stress, for both smooth and notched samples. The loading frequency was set to 12.5, 33.3, 58.3, and 100.0 Hz. The nominal stress was 226.6, 340.0, and 415.5 MPa in unnotched specimens. These values became 310.9, 513.6, and 642.4 MPa, respectively, when a notch was made on the specimens. After testing, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was utilized from the fracture surface of all samples to find the striation spacing and the crack length plus the fatigue lifetime. Obtained results from the sensitivity analysis illustrated that striation spacing was significantly affected by all three inputs of the loading frequency, the maximum stress, and the stress intensity factor. However, the loading frequency and the stress intensity factor had no effects on the fatigue lifetime and the crack length.

Anthropometric, Physiological, and Psychological Variables That Determine the Elite Pistol Performance of Women.

Shooting is a high-precision sport that depends on many factors to achieve high performance levels. The main objective of this study was to analyze the differences in anthropometric, physiological, and psychological variables by sport level in women air-pistol shooters. Fifteen female pistol shooters, including seven elite national shooters of Iran and eight non-elite shooters, participated in this study. Analyzed variables were grouped into three sections: anthropometric, physiological, and psychological. Anthropometric variables included: height, weight, body mass index, length of leg, arm span, and proportions between variables. Physiological tests include resting heart rate, static and dynamic balance, flexibility, and upper body strength. Additionally, psychological questionnaires of SMS-6 sport motivation, TSCI trait sport-confidence and SSCI state sport-confidence, ACSI-28 athletic coping skills, and SAS sport anxiety scale were used. The Shapiro-Wilks test and independent t-test were used to analyze the data. Effect size and test reliability were calculated using Cohen's d and Cronbach's alpha, respectively. Our results showed that elite shooters have higher values of dynamic balance (Y-test), upper body strength (sit-ups), and intrinsic motivation, and lower resting heart rate than non-elite. However, no differences were found in the anthropometric variables, nor in anxiety or coping skills. We conclude that physiological and psychological workouts should be included in the shooters' training programs to improve their performance.

Psychometric Properties of the "Quality of Life in Life-Threatening Illness-Family Carer Version" (QOLLTI-F) in Persian-Speaking Carers of COVID-19 Patients.

Background: Measuring family caregivers' quality of life plays a significant role in improving the quality, efficiency, development, and provision of efficient services for patients with COVID-19. As a result, evaluating the quality of life requires the use of valid and reliable measures that are culturally appropriate. This study was conducted to determine the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Quality of Life in Life-Threatening Illness-Family Carer Version (QOLLTI - F) in patients with COVID-19. Methods: This methodological study was carried out in 2021 at Baqiyatallah Hospital in Tehran. After gaining approval from the tool creator, the translation was carried out utilizing the forward-backward approach. Cognitive interviews with 10 family caregivers of COVID-19 patients were used to demonstrate face validity. Moreover, construct validity was identified by performing exploratory factor analysis (EFA) (n = 251), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) (n = 200), and convergent validation using Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) questionnaire. For scale reliability, internal consistency and stability were performed using Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient and test-retest, respectively. Results: 451 family caregivers of patients with COVID-19 were enrolled in this study. Three factors with a cumulative variance of 51.85% were extracted during EFA: (1) Caregiver's physical-emotional status, (2) Satisfaction with the situation, and (3) Caregiver's concerns. CFA showed that the model enjoyed a moderate to a good fit of information (RMSEA: 0.087; NFI: 0.98; CFI: 0.91; IFI: 0.91; GFI 0.89; standardized RMR: 0.070). A significant correlation was found between the Persian version of the ZBI and participants' total scores of QOLLTI - F v3 (r = -0.196, P = 0.000). Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient = 0.719 and ICC stability reliability = 0.71 of the questionnaire were confirmed. Conclusion: The Persian version of the QOLLTI - F v3 is a valid and reliable scale that can measure family caregivers' quality of life during a Life-Threatening illness in patients with COVID-19. This instrument may be utilized in clinical trials and research to enhance the quality of life for family carers in Iranian society.

Experiences with intestinal failure from an intestinal rehabilitation unit in a country without home parenteral nutrition.

OBJECTIVE: For the first time, we reported experiences with an intestinal rehabilitation unit (IRU) from a country without home parenteral nutrition (HPN). METHODS: We included patients with a diagnosis of intestinal failure (IF) since the establishment of our IRU from February 2018 to February 2020. We further report on our protocols for management of enterocutaneous fistulas (ECFs), short-bowel syndrome (SBS), chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction and motility disorders. RESULTS: Among a total of 349 patients who have been admitted, 100 patients had IF and were included . Mean (SD) age of patients was 46.3 ± 16.1 years. Most common cause of IF was ECFs (32%), SBS (24%), and SBS + fistula (22%). Most common causes of SBS were mesenteric ischemia (63.3%) and repeated surgery (22.4%). Median (interquartile range [IQR]) duration of parenteral nutrition (PN) for patients was 32 (18-60) days. The most common reconstructive surgery performed was resection and anastomosis (75.4%), followed by serial transverse enteroplasty procedure (10.5%) and closure of ostoma (7%). Patients were hospitalized for a median (IQR) of 33 (17.5-61) days. Most common complications were sepsis (45%), catheter infections (43%), and catheter thrombosis (20%), respectively. At the final follow-up, 61% stopped receiving PN, 23% became candidates for transplantation, and 16% died. CONCLUSION: Considering that most countries lack facilities for HPN, by establishing IRUs using specific treatment protocols and autologous gastrointestinal reconstruction techniques will provide a means to manage patients with IF, thus decreasing death rates and number of patients who require intestinal transplantations due to IF.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Infection-Related Stigma, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress in Iranian Healthcare Workers.

Background: Psychological conditions aggravate during outbreaks. Here, we have discussed the existing COVID-19 depression, anxiety, and stress and the resulting stigma and its different aspects in Iranian health care workers and their 1st-degree relatives. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, information of our study groups (237 participants including health care workers and their nuclear family members) was collected via two online stigma and depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS) questionnaires. Results: The DASS questionnaire's mean depression, anxiety, and stress scores were 13.59 ± 5.76, 11.07 ± 4.38, and 15.05 ± 5.86, respectively, in our study population. Marriage status was effective on depression and stress scores. Married participants were having less depression (P = 0.008) but more stressful (P = 0.029) than single ones. Education was found to be effective on anxiety and stress scores. Those with an associate, master, Ph.D., and higher college degrees were significantly less anxious and stressed than those with a diploma or bachelor's degrees (P = 0.032 and 0.016, respectively, for anxiety and stress). Participants with a history of psychiatric conditions showed significantly higher depression, anxiety, and stress rates than those without a past psychiatric condition (P = 0.001). Healthcare workers and their nuclear family members suffer from severe stigma (mean stigma scores were 33.57 and 33.17, respectively). Conclusions: Healthcare workers and their nuclear family members in Iran suffer from severe COVID-19 related stigma. We also showed that depression, anxiety, and stress are common among Iranian Healthcare workers and their nuclear family members during this pandemic. This study showed that people with preexisting psychiatric conditions need extra mental care during the pandemic.

Prevalence of current and former smoking in industrial workers worldwide: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: One of the health problems in recent decades is the prevalence of smoking in the world. In this study, the global prevalence of smoking in industrial workers was investigated using meta-analysis. METHOD: The method of the present study was a systematic review and meta-analysis. Three scientific sources, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, were selected for the search, and these databases were searched until September 2020. Random effects method was used for the analysis and then the analysis was performed for the type of smoking (Current, Former), gender, and continent. Heterogeneity was examined in all analyses. RESULT: A total of 88 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The prevalence of smoking in industrial workers was 41% also the confidence interval was 35-48%. The prevalence of current smoking in industrial workers was 39% also the confidence interval was 29-48%. The prevalence of former smoking in industrial workers was 18% also the confidence interval was 13-22%. I2 heterogeneity test was 99.9%. DISCUSSION: From the findings of the present study, it can be seen that industrial workers are more exposed to smoking compared to the general population, and this can put their health at greater risk.

Launaea acanthodes (Boiss) O. Kuntze mediates hepatic glucose metabolism and ameliorates impaired pancreatic function in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Launaea acanthodes (Boiss.) O. Kuntze is native to semiarid regions of central Iran, traditionally used in the treatment of numerous disorders including diabetes. AIM OF THE STUDY: The current study aimed to explore hypoglycemic activity of Launaea acanthodes extract in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Furthermore, gene expression study was carried out to examine expression levels of key glucose metabolism-related genes. METHODS: For in vitro study, Folin-Ciocalteus, DPPH and aluminum chloride colorimetric assays were used to determine the total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity and total flavonoid content of extracts, respectively. For in vivo study, streptozotocin-induced diabetic Wistar rats were orally administered with metformin (50 mg/kg) and various doses of extracts (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight) for 28 days. Fasting blood glucose, body weight, food and water intake were assessed during the course of treatment. At the end of the intervention, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), lipid profile and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were evaluated. Furthermore, functional liver enzymes, oxidative stress markers and histopathology of pancreas were examined. Lastly, quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was applied to explore the mRNA levels of genes relevant to glucose metabolism in the pancreas and liver tissues of diabetic rats. RESULTS: Based on the in vitro results, the hydroalcoholic extract revealed potential radical scavenging activity and contained highest amount of phenolic and flavonoid. The in vivo results demonstrated that the extract lowered fasting blood glucose level, increased the body weight, restored the alterations in the levels of water and food intake, attenuated HbA1c, improved lipid profile and ameliorated the OGTT in diabetic rats. The extract administration alleviated the histopathological changes in the pancreas, suppressed malondialdehyde (MDA) level and further restored attenuated levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in diabetic rats. Analysis of real time PCR data showed that extract administration reversed the expression levels of hepatic glucokinase (GK), phosphenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase). Meanwhile, the extract upregulated the expression level of glucose transporter-2 (GLUT-2) and pancreatic-duodenal homeobox (PDX-1) in diabetic rats. CONCLUSION: Collectively, the results demonstrate that Launaea acanthodes hydroalcoholic extract exerts hypoglycemic effect possibly via regulating key enzymes of glucose metabolism and ameliorating pancreatic dysfunction through its antioxidant properties.

Variation in essential oil composition of Rydingia michauxii at the three developmental stages.

In this study, the essential oil composition of Rydingia michauxii was evaluated during the dormant, vegetative and flowering stages. The major chemical constituents of R. michauxii at the dormant stage were eugenol (36.81%), eugenol acetate (21.02%), and carvacrol (9.35%). While the main chemical constituents for the vegetative stage were carvacrol (16.08%), eugenol (13.23%), cumin aldehyde (9.63%), and linalool (8.28%). In addition, carvacrol (14.20%), eugenol (8.98%), δ-cadinene (8.90%), caryophyllene oxide (8.43%) and n-hexadecanoic acid (7.07%) were the major volatile components during the flowering stage. Variation in chemical compositions of R. michauxii during the various developmental stages might be affected by environmental and climatic factors.

Determinants of Prognosis in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Report from a Large Breast Cancer Registry.

BACKGROUND: The outcome of patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is highly dependent on demographic factors and ethnicity. We aimed to evaluate the clinicopathological determinants of prognosis among women with TNBC using data from one of the largest breast cancer (BC) registries. METHODS: A total of 6145 patients with BC from our referral center were evaluated from 1995 to 2018, among whom 523 had TNBC. The baseline, menstrual and reproductive, treatment and pathology related characteristics were evaluated. RESULTS: Among TNBC patients, the rate of stage 3 and 4 BC (29.9% vs. 14.4% and 7.8% vs. 0% for stage 3 and 4, respectively; P<0.001), invasive ductal carcinoma (90.7% vs. 75.6%; P=0.004), nodal involvement (46.7% vs. 33.4%; P=0.026), mastectomy (57.3% vs. 37.8%; P=0.001) and axillary node dissection (76.7% vs. 59.8%; P=0.019) was significantly higher in the group that developed recurrence. Disease-free-survival was 80.6% (157.76 ± 9.48 months) and overall-survival was 90.1% (182.73 ± 3.28 months). For death, stage 3 BC (compared to stages 0 and 1 as base) showed a higher risk of earlier death (adjusted HR: 4.191, 95% CI=1.392-12.621; P=0.011). For recurrence, stage 3 BC (adjusted HR: 1.044, 95% CI=1.209-6.673; P=0.017) (compared to stages 0 and 1 as base) showed significantly higher risk for developing earlier recurrence. Moreover, those who had invasive ductal carcinoma (compared to other types of BCs) had a higher risk for developing earlier recurrence (adjusted HR: 3.307, 95% CI=1.191-0.724; P=0.012). CONCLUSION: BC stage plays a significant role in both earlier recurrence and earlier mortality among patients with TNBC.

Dynamics of The Expression of Pluripotency and Lineage Specific Genes in The Pre and Peri-Implantation Goat Embryo.

OBJECTIVE: Two critical points of early development are the first and second lineage segregations, which are regulated by a wide spectrum of molecular and cellular factors. Gene regulatory networks, are one of the important components which handle inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE) fates and the pluripotency status across different mammalian species. Considering the importance of goats in agriculture and biotechnology, this study set out to investigate the dynamics of expression of the core pluripotency markers at the mRNA and protein levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this experimental study, the expression pattern of three pluripotency markers (Oct4, Nanog and Sox2) and the linage specific markers (Rex1, Gata4 and Cdx2) were quantitatively assessed in in vitro matured (MII) oocytes and embryos at three distinctive stages: 8-16 cell stage, day-7 (D7) blastocysts and D14 blastocysts. Moreover, expression of Nanog, Oct4, Sox2 proteins, and their localization in the goat blastocyst was observed through immunocytochemistry. RESULTS: Relative levels of mRNA transcripts for Nanog and Sox2 in D3 (8-16 cell) embryos were significantly higher than D7 blastocysts and mature oocytes, while Oct4 was only significantly higher than D7 blastocysts. However, the expression pattern of Rex1, as an epiblast linage marker, decreased from the oocyte to the D14 stage. The expression pattern of Gata4 and Cdx2, as extra embryonic linage markers, also showed a similar trend from oocyte to D3 while their expressions were up-regulated in D14 blastocysts. CONCLUSION: Reduction in Nanog, Oct4, Sox2 mRNA transcription and a late increase in extra embryonic linage markers suggests that the developmental program of linage differentiation is retarded in goat embryos compared to previously reported data on mice and humans. This is likely related to late the implantation in goats.