Background and Objective: Epidemiological studies indicate that not only the incidence of fungal infections is dramatically on the rise, especially in the immunocompromised hosts, but also the sensitivity of etiological agents to antifungal drugs shows a remarkable reduction. Therefore, early detection at the species level is critically important for proper clinical management. Because standard diagnostic procedures are time consuming, expensive, and less sensitive, PCR-based molecular techniques have been developed. In the present study, we aim to describe a rapid and sensitive technique based on the rolling circle PCR amplification for accurate and fast identification of Cladophialophora carrionii vs. C. yegresii. Materials and Methods: Specific padlock probes were designed based on a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) difference in the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA region of Cladophialophora strains to differentiate between C. carrionii and C. yegresii. The probe sequences are complementary to the target DNA leading to the linker position that after hybridization with the target DNA will be joined together by DNA ligase, form a closed molecule and hybridize to the target DNA for replication at single-temperature conditions. Results: We successfully amplified the target fungi DNA at the species level without any false and negative cross reactivity. The RCA product was visualized on 1.5% agarose gel to clarify the specificity of the probe–DNA template binding. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that RCA is a powerful and accurate tool for discrimination and identification of pathogenic fungi.

Background and Objective: Today, silver nanoparticles are used extensively in various fields, especially in the control of bacterial infections. However, the toxicity of silver nanoparticles is a very important concern in their use. The aim of this study was determining the effect of the intraperitoneal injection of colloidal silver nanoparticles on biochemical and hematological parameters in rats.

Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 21 adult female rats were randomly divided into 7 groups. Group 1 was sham. Group 2 was a control group and group 3 to 7 were case groups that were treated with 5, 10, 20, 40 and 80 ppm of silver nanoparticles, respectively. Mice treated for 10 days. On the eleventh day the rats were killed by diethyl ether anesthesia. Blood samples were taken from the heart. Then the biochemical and hematological parameters and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels evaluated.

Results: The results showed no significant changes in biochemical factors except triglycerides (TG), which showed a significant decrease in high concentrations of silver nanoparticles (p<0.05). Significant changes were observed at concentrations higher than 20ppm of silver nanoparticles in blood, including: reduction in the amount of white blood cells, increase in number of platelets, slightly decreased hemoglobin and hematocrit (p<0.05). At 80ppm concentration of silver nanoparticles the serum level of lactate dehydrogenase fell sharply.

Conclusion: Low concentrations of silver nanoparticles (such as injecting it inside the peritoneum) has no effect on biochemical parameters in rats. By studying any other possible side effects, it may be safe to use in various industries.

   Background & Objective: Hypothyroidism is a prevalent condition in various regions all over the world, including Iran. This study aimed to identify the factors associated with thyroid dysfunctions in Ravansar area, Kermanshah province. Due to hypo and hyperthyroidism diversity and pathogeneses complexity, machine learning was also integrated; it is as an accurate and potent method for the dimensionality reduction to realize the study objective.
 Materials & Methods: In this study, 10069 individuals participated from Ravansar area. Data were taken from the Ravansar Non-Communicable Diseases (RaNCD) cohort study, which is a part of national PERSIAN cohort. Feature selection was done using random forests machine learning tool. The two thyroid diseases correlation was explored through conventional statistical procedures.
 Results:  Female sex was the most significant risk factor for hypothyroidism (OR=6.24, CI: 4.13-9.63; P<0.001). Depression (OR=2.07, CI: 1.34-3.09; P<0.001), age group of 45-55 years (OR=1.56, CI: 1.18-2.07; P<0.01), daily salt consumption of >10 gr (OR=1.87, CI: 1.15-2.90; P<0.01), kidney stone (OR=1.35, CI: 1.02-1.78; P<0.05) and unsaturated fats intake (OR=1.01, CI: 1.00-1.02; P<0.05) were significantly associated with underactive thyroid condition. No significant associated factor was found for hyperthyroidism.
 Conclusion:  Female sex is a global well-established hypothyroidism-associated factor. The results of the present study suggest taking some measures to reduce hypothyroidism, by addressing the intervening factors.

Objectives & Aims: Depression impacts 20% of heart failure (HF) patients, doubling their mortality risk and tripling non-compliance with treatment. This study compares the effectiveness of Agomelatine and Sertraline in treating depression in these patients.
Methods: This double-blind, randomized clinical trial study was conducted on 58 patients referred to Babol University of Medical Sciences clinics. The participants were divided into two groups of 29 samples; one group was treated with Sertraline (half a 25 mg tablet) and the other with Agomelatine (a ­daily 25 mg tablet) for 12 weeks. Evaluation of depression scores before the intervention and in weeks 4, 8, and 12 was done by BDI-II and HAM-D questionnaires.
Results: The mean age of the patients was 61.59±15.32 years, and 17 (58.6%) participants were female. An analysis of the BDI-II and HAM-D questionnaire scores in both groups revealed a significant effect of time (P<0.001), indicating that scores on both questionnaires decreased significantly over time. However, the treatment group's effect was insignificant (p=0.538, p=0.412). Regarding side effects, no significant differences were observed between the two medications (all P>0.05).
Conclusion: This study's findings indicate that Agomelatine and Sertraline are not superior in managing depression in HF patients. Most secondary outcomes and side effect profiles were similar between the two treatment groups, with no significant differences observed. Additionally, the efficacy of both medications remained consistent across HF patients with varying disease severity.