The Latitudinal Biotic Interaction Hypothesis revisited: contrasting latitudinal richness gradients in actively vs. passively accumulated interaction partners of honey bees.

Background: Contrasting hypotheses suggest that the number of biotic interactions per species could either increase towards the equator due to the increasing richness of potential interaction partners (Neutral theory), or decrease in the tropics due to increased biotic competition (Latitudinal Biotic Interaction Hypothesis). Empirical testing of these hypotheses remains limited due to practical limitations, differences in methodology, and species turnover across latitudes. Here, we focus on a single species with a worldwide distribution, the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.

Polyurethanes and Their Biomedical Applications.

The tunable mechanical properties of polyurethanes (PUs), due to their extensive structural diversity and biocompatibility, have made them promising materials for biomedical applications. Scientists can address PUs' issues with platelet absorption and thrombus formation owing to their modifiable surface. In recent years, PUs have been extensively utilized in biomedical applications because of their chemical stability, biocompatibility, and minimal cytotoxicity.

Factors affecting blood sugar changes in diabetic patients using a three-level model in analysis of longitudinal data.

Background: Diabetes, a currently threatening disease, has severe consequences for individuals' health conditions. The present study aimed to investigate the factors affecting the changes in the longitudinal outcome of blood sugar using a three-level analysis with the presence of missing data in diabetic patients.

Methods: A total of 526 diabetic patients were followed longitudinally selected from the annual data collected from the rural population monitored by Tonekabon health centers in the North of Iran during 2018-2019 from the Iranian Integrated Health System (SIB) database.

Serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha status in hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).

Background: Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) produces an inflammatory process and plays a critical role against infection and in the control of viral infection. The present study was conducted to determine the status of serum TNF-α in hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).

Methods: In this cross-sectional study the serum TNF-α level, sex, and age, were determined in patients with COVID-19.

Factors Associated with Mortality in Patients with Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in Babol, North of Iran.

Background: The spectrum of the clinical features of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spans from asymptomatic or mild disease to severe respiratory failure, while different factors are related to its mortality rate. This research aimed to determine the clinical and laboratory characteristics and the associated factors of mortality in patients with COVID-19.

Materials And Methods: Data were collected from hospitalized patients (May to June 2020), and COVID-19 was confirmed in patients by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Distinct Clades of Protein Phosphatase 2A Regulatory B'/B56 Subunits Engage in Different Physiological Processes.

Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is a strongly conserved and major protein phosphatase in all eukaryotes. The canonical PP2A complex consists of a catalytic (C), scaffolding (A), and regulatory (B) subunit. Plants have three groups of evolutionary distinct B subunits: B55, B' (B56), and B''.

The prevalence and correlation of depression and anxiety with disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis.

Introduction: Depression and anxiety share similar symptoms with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and these conditions are often not diagnosed or overlooked in RA. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of depression/anxiety in RA and their correlation with RA activity.

Material And Methods: Rheumatoid arthritis patients who presented at a rheumatology clinic were selected consecutively.

Loss of LEUCINE CARBOXYL METHYLTRANSFERASE 1 interferes with metal homeostasis in Arabidopsis and enhances susceptibility to environmental stresses.

The biochemical function of LEUCINE CARBOXYL METHYLTRANSFERASE 1 (LCMT1) is to transfer a methyl group from the methyl donor S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) to the catalytic subunits of PROTEIN PHOSPHATASE 2A (PP2Ac), PP4 and PP6. This post-translational modification by LCMT1 is found throughout eukaryotes from yeast to animals and plants, indicating that its function is essential. However, Arabidopsis with knocked out LCMT1 still grows and develops almost normally, at least under optimal growth conditions.

Clinical, demographic, and laboratory characteristics of COVID -19 infection and risk of in-hospital mortality. A single center 4.

Background: Despite advances in preventive measures, COVID -19 spread and mortality is continuing due to delay in timely diagnosis. This problem is partly dependent on variations in disease characteristics, distribution of risk factors particularly comorbidities and demographic characteristics of patients. This study aimed to determine the clinical presentation and associated factors of mortality in patients hospitalized with COVID -19 infection.

Prevention of Osteoarthritis Progression by Statins, Targeting Metabolic and Inflammatory Aspects: A Review.

Background And Purpose: Several traditional risk factors of atherosclerosis such as age, obesity, and altered lipid metabolism are shared with osteoarthritis (OA). Metabolic abnormalities and atheromatous vascular disease are linked with systemic inflammation and progression of OA. Hence, treatment of OA with statins is expected to improve metabolic abnormalities and prevent OA progression.

Risk of COVID-19 infection in patients with rheumatic disease taking disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs.

Background And Objective: Patients with rheumatic disease taking long-term disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are expected to have a higher risk of infection due to the alterations in cellular immunity associated with these medications. However, the potential risks associated with these drugs remain unclear. This study aimed to estimate the risk of COVID-19 infection in patients with rheumatic disease taking disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs.

An amplified derepression controller with multisite inhibition and positive feedback.

How organisms are able to maintain robust homeostasis has in recent years received increased attention by the use of combined control engineering and kinetic concepts, which led to the discovery of robust controller motifs. While these motifs employ kinetic conditions showing integral feedback and homeostasis for step-wise perturbations, the motifs' performance differ significantly when exposing them to time dependent perturbations. One type of controller motifs which are able to handle exponentially and even hyperbolically growing perturbations are based on derepression.

A novel biocompatible polymeric blend for applications requiring high toughness and tailored degradation rate.

Finding the right balance in mechanical properties and degradation rate of biodegradable materials for biomedical applications is challenging, not only at the time of implantation but also during biodegradation. For instance, high elongation at break and toughness with a mid-term degradation rate are required for tendon scaffold or suture application, which cannot be found in each alpha polyester individually. Here, we hypothesise that blending semi-crystalline poly(p-dioxanone) (PDO) and poly(lactide-co-caprolactone) (LCL) in a specific composition will enhance the toughness while also enabling tailored degradation times.

Efficacy and predictive factors of response to intra-articular corticosteroids in knee osteoarthritis.

In knee osteoarthritis (KOA), synovial inflammation is linked with pain, swelling and structural abnormalities. Intra-articular corticosteroids (IACS) have been considered for pain relief in subjects who are non-responders to standard therapy. However, the results vary across different studies.

Effectiveness and safety of routine calcium supplementation in postmenopausal women. A narrative review.

Background: To determine whether routine administration of calcium supplementation is useful in postmenopausal women, while it is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular complications.

Methods: A literature search was performed using Medline/PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar by using relevant keywords.

Results: Calcium supplement exerts a small protective effect against bone loss which disappears after cessation.

Multi-targeted trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase I harbors a novel peroxisomal targeting signal 1 and is essential for flowering and development.

This work reveals information about new peroxisomal targeting signals type 1 and identifies trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase I as multitargeted and is implicated in plant development, reproduction, and stress response. A putative, non-canonical peroxisomal targeting signal type 1 (PTS1) Pro-Arg-Met > was identified in the extreme C-terminus of trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase (TPP)I. TPP catalyzes the final step of trehalose synthesis, and the enzyme was previously characterized to be nuclear only (Krasensky et al.

Vitamin D Deficiency and Rheumatoid Arthritis: Epidemiological, Immunological, Clinical and Therapeutic Aspects.

Background/aim: Vitamin D displays an immunologic effect which can modulate function of Th17-related cytokines and thereby prevent perpetuation of inflammation in chronic disorders like rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This review aims to conduct a literature review to provide a summary of recent studies addressing the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and RA based on epidemiological, immunological and therapeutic aspects.

Methods: PubMed, Scopus and Google scholar were searched for relevant papers published between 2000-2018.

Triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholestrol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratios are predictors of cardiovascular risk in Iranian adults: Evidence from a population-based cross-sectional study.

Background: The superiority of TG/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C ratios in predicting CVD risk is a matter of debates. Thus, the objective of this study was to compare TG/HDL-C and LDL-C to HDL-C ratios in predicting the risk of CVD events.

Methods: In a population-based cross-sectional study, 567 representative participants aged 40 years or older were entered in the study in Babol, North of Iran.

A cross-sectional study on serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level and shift work among reproductive age women.

Background: Among the inflammatory factors, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is one of the strongest predictors of cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship of serum hs-CRP level with shift work among reproductive age women.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2017 to May 2018 in three cities in Mazandaran Province, North of Iran.

Therapeutic and Preventive Potential of Vitamin D Supplementation in Knee Osteoarthritis.

Objective: Vitamin D deficiency is linked with pain, function, and radiographic progression of knee osteoarthritis (KOA), but the results of studies addressing the association and effect of vitamin D supplementation for pain, function, quality of life, radiographic disease, and progression are inconsistent. The aim of this review is to determine the therapeutic and preventive potential of vitamin D supplementation in KOA.

Method: Eligible pertinent English language studies published in 2000 and thereafter in Medline/PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were selected by using keywords that include "knee osteoarthritis," "vitamin D supplementation," "pain," "structural abnormalities," "treatment," and "progression.

Serum Uric Acid Status and Its Association with Bone Mineral Density in the Elderly People Aged 60 Years and More.

Background: Osteoporosis is associated with decreased antioxidant defenses and serum uric acid (UA) as an antioxidant may exert a protective effect on bone mass.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the association between serum UA and bone mineral density (BMD) in the elderly population.

Methods: All participants of the Amirkola Health and Ageing Project aged ≥ 60 years entered the study.

Variations in the pattern and distribution of non-obese components of metabolic syndrome across different obesity phenotypes among Iranian adults' population.

Aims: To investigate the association of obesity phenotypes with non-obese components of metabolic syndrome (MetS) by considering the presence of general adiposity and central obesity.

Methods: We analyzed the data of population-based cross-sectional study of 981 adults' individuals who were community dwelling in urban population of Babol, the north of Iran. The demographic characteristics and anthropometric measures and hypertension were collected with standard method by trained nurses.