J Res Med Sci
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We aimed to study the anatomical, physiological, and cognitive function of healthy individuals practicing fasting during the month of Ramadan. Measurements were taken 1 week before and 2 weeks after Ramadan fasting. ⋯ Our pilot data suggest that Ramadan fasting leads to weight loss and FFM reductions and improve cognitive function.
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The most feared complication of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is biliary tract injuries (BTI). We conducted a prospective study to evaluate the role of preoperative magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) in describing the biliary tract anatomy and to investigate its potential benefit to prevent BTI. ⋯ MRCP could be a valuable tool to study preoperatively the biliary anatomy and to recognize "dangerous" anatomical variations. Subsequent BTI might be avoided. Further randomized trials should be designed to assess its real value as a routine investigation before LC.
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Multiple sclerosis (MS) can involve cognitive entities, including memory, attention, performance, and information processing. Furthermore, MS causes depression and negatively affects the quality of life (QOL). This study was aimed to assess the efficacy of cognitive rehabilitation on cognitive entities of MS patients. ⋯ Ten sessions of cognitive rehabilitation could significantly improve MS patients' cognitive performance. Moreover, this approach affected their QOL and sense of depression in a decisive trend. It can be concluded that cognitive rehabilitation can successfully affect numerous aspects of MS patients, while numerous medical therapies may be required for treatment of each mere aspect. Further evaluations are strongly recommended.
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Maternal-fetal tolerance plays a fundamental role in the maintenance of pregnancy. However, this immunological tolerance can be influenced by intrauterine infections. Human amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs) have immunomodulatory effects and respond to invading pathogens through expressing various toll-like receptors (TLRs). We hypothesize that bacteria or bacterial products affect the immunosuppressive effects of hAECs through TLR stimulation. Here, we investigated how a successful pregnancy can be threatened by TLR4 activation on hAECs on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) engagement. ⋯ TLR4 activation by bacterial components on hAECs may be a potential risk factor for pregnancy complications.
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The basic reproduction number (R0) has a key role in epidemics and can be utilized for preventing epidemics. In this study, different methods are used for estimating R0's and their vaccination coverage to find the formula with the best performance. ⋯ For the purposes of our study, the estimation of TD was the most useful tool for computing the R0, because it has the minimum MSE. The estimation R0 > 1 indicating that the epidemic has occurred. Thus, it is required to vaccinate at least 41.5% to prevent and control the next epidemic.