U-Pb zircon geochronology, geochemistry, and petrogenesis of the Hamech intrusions in the Kuh-e-Shah volcano-plutonic complex, Eastern Iran

The Hamech area is located in the west of Kuh-e-Shah volcano-plutonic complex, close to the boundary between the Lut Block and Sistan Suture Zone (SSZ), and is composed of monzonite to diorite porphyries and rare gabbro that intruded into older volcanic rocks. U-Pb zircon dating indicates an age of 36.9 ± 1 Ma for gabbro (Late Eocene, Priabonian) and 38.6 ± 0.5 Ma for dacite (Late Eocene, Bartonian). Geochemically, the studied intrusions are dominantly I-type, high-K calc-alkaline, and metaluminous features. Primitive mantle-normalized trace-element spider diagrams of these rocks present enrichment in ion lithophile elements such as Cs, Rb, Ba, K, and Sr and depletion in high field strength elements such as Nb, Ti, Zr, and heavy rare earth elements. Besides, chondrite-normalized rare earth elements plots of the rocks show enrichment in light rare earth elements (6.85 < LaN/YbN < 9.72) and a lack or weak negative Eu anomaly (Eu/Eu* = 0.81–1.02). The initial 87Sr/86Sr and 143Nd/144Nd ratios for the rocks from 0.704541 to 0.704880 and from 0.512633 to 0.512691, respectively, when recalculated to an age of 39 Ma. The εNd(i) values vary from +0.87 to +1.99, which fits into a suprasubduction mantle wedge source for the parental melts. All data suggest that the Hamech intrusions developed in a low maturity continental margin arc setting related to the convergence of the Afghan and Lut Blocks and subduction of Sistan oceanic crust during the Eocene.publishe

Geochemistry, petrogenesis, zircon U-Pb geochronology and Sr-Nd isotopic composition of Kuh-e-Shah volcanic rocks: Implications for an active continental margin along with eastern Iran during the Paleogene

The Kuh-e-Shah complex includes the Paleogene volcano-plutonic belt of the Lut Block, eastern Iran. The volcanic rocks which outcropped in this complex mainly consist of trachy-andesites, andesites, and basaltic-andesites that mineralogically contain plagioclase, pyroxene, hornblende, and minor biotite and olivine. Geochemically, they have features typical of high-K calc-alkaline to shoshsonitic magmas with enrichment in large ion lithophile elements (LILE), and depletion in high field strength elements (HFSE) and heavy rare earth elements (HREE). Chondrite-normalized REE plots show enrichment in light REE (4.9 < LaN/YbN < 11.6), Nb depletion and the slight negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.80–0.99). Tectonic discrimination diagrams are used to infer a volcanic arc setting related to a continental subduction zone. It is concluded that the studied volcanic rocks have resulted from FC of a parental magma which formed by partial melting of the subducted oceanic crust and the overlying mantle wedge with spinel-lherzolite composition. Zircon Usingle bondPb dating indicates an age of 38.6 to 38.9 Ma for volcanic rocks (Middle Eocene, Bartonian). Initial 87Sr/86Sr and 143Nd/144Nd ratios (0.704350–0.704820 and 0.512619–0.512779, resp.), are compatible with parental melts formation in a subduction mantle wedge. The ɛNdi values (+0.60 to +3.73) are in the range of mantle-derived melts. We suggest that volcanic rocks of the Lut Block are part of the Paleogene volcanism resulted from the Sistan oceanic crust subduction under the Lut Block during the Cretaceous.publishe

Enrichment of A Rare Subpopulation of miR-302-Expressing Glioma Cells by Serum Deprivation

Objective: MiR-302-367 is a cluster of polycistronic microRNAs that are exclusively expressed in embryonic stem (ES) cells. The miR-302-367 promoter is functional during embryonic development but is turned off in later stages. Motivated by the cancer stem cell hypothesis, we explored the potential expression of miR-302 in brain tumor cell lines. Materials and Methods: In the present experimental study, we have tried to expand our knowledge on the expression pattern and functionality of miR302 cluster by quantifying its expression in a series of glioma (A-172, 1321N1, U87MG) and medulloblastoma (DAOY) cell lines. To further assess the functionality of miR-302 in these cell lines, we cloned its promoter core region upstream of the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) or luciferase encoding genes. Results: Our data demonstrated a very low expression of miR-302 in glioma cell lines, compared with that of embryonal carcinoma cell line NT2 being used as a positive control. The expression of miR-302 promoter-EGFP construct in the aforementioned cell lines demonstrated GFP expression in a rare subpopulation of the cells. Serum deprivation led to the generation of tumorospheres, enrichment of miR-302 positive cells and upregulation of a number of pluripotency genes. Conclusion: Taken together, our data suggest that miR-302 could potentially be used as a novel putative cancer stem cell marker to identify and target cancer stem cells within tumor tissues

Crohn's Disease and Early Exposure to Domestic Refrigeration

Environmental risk factors playing a causative role in Crohn's Disease (CD) remain largely unknown. Recently, it has been suggested that refrigerated food could be involved in disease development. We thus conducted a pilot case control study to explore the association of CD with the exposure to domestic refrigeration in childhood.Using a standard questionnaire we interviewed 199 CD cases and 207 age-matched patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as controls. Cases and controls were followed by the same gastroenterologists of tertiary referral clinics in Tehran, Iran. The questionnaire focused on the date of the first acquisition of home refrigerator and freezer. Data were analysed by a multivariate logistic model. The current age was in average 34 years in CD cases and the percentage of females in the case and control groups were respectively 48.3% and 63.7%. Patients were exposed earlier than controls to the refrigerator (X2 = 9.9, df = 3, P = 0.04) and refrigerator exposure at birth was found to be a risk factor for CD (OR = 2.08 (95% CI: 1.01-4.29), P = 0.05). Comparable results were obtained looking for the exposure to freezer at home. Finally, among the other recorded items reflecting the hygiene and comfort at home, we also found personal television, car and washing machine associated with CD.This study supports the opinion that CD is associated with exposure to domestic refrigeration, among other household factors, during childhood

Factors Associated with The Incidence of Coronary Heart Disease in The Mashad: A Cohort Study

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, and specifically in Iran. Accurate assessments of Coronary heart disease (CHD) incidence is very necessary for public health. In current study we aimed to investigate the incidence of CHD and importance of several classical, modifiable and un-modifiable risk factors for CHD among an urban population in eastern Iran after 6 years of follow-up. Methods The population of MASHAD cohort study were followed up for 6 years, every 3 years in two step by phone and who reported symptoms of CVD were asked to attend for a cardiac examination, to estimate the incidence of CHD with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) as well multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association of several baseline characteristics with incidence of CHD event. Evaluation of goodness-of-fit was done using ROC analysis. CHD cases divided into four different classes which include: stable angina, unstable angina pectoris, myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death. Results In the six years\u27 follow-up of Mashhad study, the incidence rate of all CHD event in men and women in 100,000 people-years with 95% confidence intervals were 1920 (810-3030) and 1160 (730-1590), respectively. The areas under ROC curve (AUC), based on multivariate predictors of CHD outcome, was 0.7825. Conclusion Our findings indicated that the incidence rate of coronary heart diseases in MASHAD cohort study increases with age as well as our final model designed, was able to predict approximately 78% of CHD events in Iranian population

Disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 315 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE) in Iran and its neighboring countries, 1990–2015

BACKGROUND: Summary measures of health are essential in making estimates of health status that are comparable across time and place. They can be used for assessing the performance of health systems, informing effective policy making, and monitoring the progress of nations toward achievement of sustainable development goals. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2015 (GBD 2015) provides disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) and healthy life expectancy (HALE) as main summary measures of health. We assessed the trends of health status in Iran and 15 neighboring countries using these summary measures. METHODS: We used the results of GBD 2015 to present the levels and trends of DALYs, life expectancy (LE), and HALE in Iran and its 15 neighboring countries from 1990 to 2015. For each country, we assessed the ratio of observed levels of DALYs and HALE to those expected based on socio-demographic index (SDI), an indicator composed of measures of total fertility rate, income per capita, and average years of schooling. RESULTS: All-age numbers of DALYs reached over 19 million years in Iran in 2015. The all-age number of DALYs has remained stable during the past two decades in Iran, despite the decreasing trends in all-age and age-standardized rates. The all-cause DALY rates decreased from 47,200 in 1990 to 28,400 per 100,000 in 2015. The share of non-communicable diseases in DALYs increased in Iran (from 42% to 74%) and all of its neighbors between 1990 and 2015; the pattern of change is similar in almost all 16 countries. The DALY rates for NCDs and injuries in Iran were higher than global rates and the average rate in High Middle SDI countries, while those for communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional disorders were much lower in Iran. Among men, cardiovascular diseases ranked first in all countries of the region except for Bahrain. Among women, they ranked first in 13 countries. Life expectancy and HALE show a consistent increase in all countries. Still, there are dissimilarities indicating a generally low LE and HALE in Afghanistan and Pakistan and high expectancy in Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. Iran ranked 11th in terms of LE at birth and 12th in terms of HALE at birth in 1990 which improved to 9th for both metrics in 2015. Turkey and Iran had the highest increase in LE and HALE from 1990 to 2015 while the lowest increase was observed in Armenia, Pakistan, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Iraq. CONCLUSIONS: The levels and trends in causes of DALYs, life expectancy, and HALE generally show similarities between the 16 countries, although differences exist. The differences observed between countries can be attributed to a myriad of determinants, including social, cultural, ethnic, religious, political, economic, and environmental factors as well as the performance of the health system. Investigating the differences between countries can inform more effective health policy and resource allocation. Concerted efforts at national and regional levels are required to tackle the emerging burden of non-communicable diseases and injuries in Iran and its neighbors

In-vivo range verification analysis with in-beam PET data for patients treated with proton therapy at CNAO

Morphological changes that may arise through a treatment course are probably one of the most significant sources of range uncertainty in proton therapy. Non-invasive in-vivo treatment monitoring is useful to increase treatment quality. The INSIDE in-beam Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanner performs in-vivo range monitoring in proton and carbon therapy treatments at the National Center of Oncological Hadrontherapy (CNAO). It is currently in a clinical trial (ID: NCT03662373) and has acquired in-beam PET data during the treatment of various patients. In this work we analyze the in-beam PET (IB-PET) data of eight patients treated with proton therapy at CNAO. The goal of the analysis is twofold. First, we assess the level of experimental fluctuations in inter-fractional range differences (sensitivity) of the INSIDE PET system by studying patients without morphological changes. Second, we use the obtained results to see whether we can observe anomalously large range variations in patients where morphological changes have occurred. The sensitivity of the INSIDE IB-PET scanner was quantified as the standard deviation of the range difference distributions observed for six patients that did not show morphological changes. Inter-fractional range variations with respect to a reference distribution were estimated using the Most-Likely-Shift (MLS) method. To establish the efficacy of this method, we made a comparison with the Beam's Eye View (BEV) method. For patients showing no morphological changes in the control CT the average range variation standard deviation was found to be 2.5&nbsp;mm with the MLS method and 2.3&nbsp;mm with the BEV method. On the other hand, for patients where some small anatomical changes occurred, we found larger standard deviation values. In these patients we evaluated where anomalous range differences were found and compared them with the CT. We found that the identified regions were mostly in agreement with the morphological changes seen in the CT scan

Global, regional and national burden of bladder cancer and its attributable risk factors in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease study 2019

Introduction The current study determined the level and trends associated with the incidence, death and disability rates for bladder cancer and its attributable risk factors in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2019, by age, sex and sociodemographic index (SDI; a composite measure of sociodemographic factors). Methods Various data sources from different countries, including vital registration and cancer registries were used to generate estimates. Mortality data and incidence data transformed to mortality estimates using the mortality to incidence ratio (MIR) were used in a cause of death ensemble model to estimate mortality. Mortality estimates were divided by the MIR to produce incidence estimates. Prevalence was calculated using incidence and MIR-based survival estimates. Age-specific mortality and standardised life expectancy were used to estimate years of life lost (YLLs). Prevalence was multiplied by disability weights to estimate years lived with disability (YLDs), while disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) are the sum of the YLLs and YLDs. All estimates were presented as counts and age-standardised rates per 100 000 population. Results Globally, there were 524 000 bladder cancer incident cases (95% uncertainty interval 476 000 to 569 000) and 229 000 bladder cancer deaths (211 000 to 243 000) in 2019. Age-standardised death rate decreased by 15.7% (8.6 to 21.0), during the period 1990–2019. Bladder cancer accounted for 4.39 million (4.09 to 4.70) DALYs in 2019, and the age-standardised DALY rate decreased significantly by 18.6% (11.2 to 24.3) during the period 1990–2019. In 2019, Monaco had the highest age-standardised incidence rate (31.9 cases (23.3 to 56.9) per 100 000), while Lebanon had the highest age-standardised death rate (10.4 (8.1 to 13.7)). Cabo Verde had the highest increase in age-standardised incidence (284.2% (214.1 to 362.8)) and death rates (190.3% (139.3 to 251.1)) between 1990 and 2019. In 2019, the global age-standardised incidence and death rates were higher among males than females, across all age groups and peaked in the 95+ age group. Globally, 36.8% (28.5 to 44.0) of bladder cancer DALYs were attributable to smoking, more so in males than females (43.7% (34.0 to 51.8) vs 15.2% (10.9 to 19.4)). In addition, 9.1% (1.9 to 19.6) of the DALYs were attributable to elevated fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (males 9.3% (1.6 to 20.9); females 8.4% (1.6 to 19.1)). Conclusions There was considerable variation in the burden of bladder cancer between countries during the period 1990–2019. Although there was a clear global decrease in the age-standardised death, and DALY rates, some countries experienced an increase in these rates. National policy makers should learn from these differences, and allocate resources for preventative measures, based on their country-specific estimates. In addition, smoking and elevated FPG play an important role in the burden of bladder cancer and need to be addressed with prevention programmes.publishedVersio