Persian Population Research Articles

Genetic Profiling of Metastatic Colon Adenocarcinoma in Iranian Patients: Insights into Pathogenic Variants and Tumor Characteristics

IntroductionColorectal cancer (CRC) remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality, and understanding the genetic landscape is crucial for improving targeted therapies. This study aimed to analyze the tumor's genetic profiles of patients with metastatic CRC, focusing on pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in tumor related genes. Materials and MethodsThe present cross-sectional study was conducted on 40 Persian patients with metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor samples were analyzed using next generation sequencing technique to detect pathogenic variants. The patients' tumor characteristics, including differentiation grades and tumor sites (colon, rectum, or rectosigmoid), were documented and the relationship between variants and tumor characteristics was evaluated. ResultsThe study population had a mean age of 55.75±12.88 years, and 60% were female. The most common tumor site was the colon (52.5%), followed by rectosigmoid (27.5%) and cecum (20%). APC gene variants were prevalent in 72.5% of patients, with the p.Arg876* variant being the most frequent. TP53 gene variants were present in 65%, with p.Trp146* and p.Arg273His being the most common. Pathogenic KRAS gene variants were observed in 50%, significantly associated with rectosigmoid involvement (p=0.001). The ERBB2 CNVs were found in 25% of patients and were associated with colon involvement (p=0.021). ConclusionThe study highlights the genetic diversity in Persian patients with metastatic colon adenocarcinoma and demonstrated that APC and TP53 variants were the most prevalent, while KRAS and ERBB2 variants were associated with specific tumor sites. These findings provide a basis for personalized treatment strategies in CRC among Persian population.

Elucidating genetic variability between randomly bred domestic cats and Persian domestic cats from different geographical locations using microsatellite markers.

The domestic cat (Felis catus) is a newly evolved species in the family Felidae that has developed some great features among mammals. It is critical to conserve these species and prevent inbreeding from reducing their genetic diversity by understanding their genetic relationships and applying the information to breeding management. The diverse population was an excellent choice for studying genetic diversity and inbreeding phenomena. To conduct this research, 128 individuals from 8 populations, including Azerbaijan, Persian, Ahar, Uermia, Tehran, Karaj, Turkish and Shop cat (both genders), were randomly selected from different geographical regions. We selected eight STR markers with different chromosomal locations based on polymorphism and observed allele numbers in the next step. DNA extraction was performed using tail hair root, PCR and electrophoresis, and gel staining was performed according to routine laboratory protocol. For statistical analysis, CONVERT versions POPGENE, ARLEQUIN GenAlEx and R script analysis. Remarkably, our results showed that 23 alleles were identified in 128 samples. The highest number of alleles belonged to the FCa096 locus (eight alleles) in the Persian population, followed by FCa045 (seven alleles) in the Persian and Ahar populations. Another new finding is that the lowest number of alleles belonged to the 35 and FCa77 locus (two alleles). In addition, pairwise differentiation between and within populations was examined using the genetic distance index. Overall, the results showed that the degree of differentiation within the population is high in the Turkish population compared to other population groups and lower in the Azerbaijan population. In addition, principal component discriminant analysis-based analysis based on the ADAGENET package shows the distribution of samples by geographical location. The results show that genetic mixing between populations is high. On this basis, we conclude that randomly bred domestic cats have a higher level of diversity than Persian domestic cats. This is an interesting topic for future work.

Multiple sclerosis-associated uveitis in Persian population, a multicenter study

PurposeTo report the characteristics of multiple sclerosis-associated uveitis (MSU) among the Persian population. Patients and methodsRetrospective, nonrandomized, multicenter study. Epidemiological characteristics, ocular and neurologic findings, angiographic features, and visual outcomes in MSU were studied. Results92 patients (173 eyes) were included; the mean age at the time of uveitis onset was 35.9 ± 10.9 years (range; 10–60 years), 84.8 % were female, and 88.0 % had bilateral involvement. The anatomical subgroups were isolated anterior uveitis (AU) in 12.0 %, intermediate uveitis (IU) with or without AU in 84.8 % and pure retinal vasculitis in 3.3 % of patients. None of the patients were defined as having posterior or panuveitis. Uveitis had an insidious onset and chronic course in 89.1 % patients and was of granulomatous type in 81.9 %. The diagnosis of MS precedes uveitis onset in 48.8 % patients (range 1 to 35 years, median: 7 years) and was concurrent or after the uveitis onset in 52.2 % patients (range; 1 to 12 years; median: 2 years). Undifferentiated intermediate uveitis was the most common initial diagnosis (30.4 %) before MS establishment. 89.1 % of patients received at least one conventional immunotherapy agent. Peripheral retinal perivascular leakage (81.4 %) and optic disc hyperfluorescence (74.4 %) were the two most common fluorescein angiography (FA) findings The major causes of visual impairment were cataracts (52.7 %), cystoid macular edema (CME) (31.5 %), and optic neuritis (29.2 %). During an average follow-up time of 4.76 ± 3.18 years (range: 1–12 years), visual acuity improved –0.09 logMar/year and most eyes maintain relatively good visual acuity. ConclusionMSU usually presents as chronic granulomatous bilateral IU and less often isolated AU, especially in females. Retinal vasculitis can be a prominent feature. Clinically, it may resemble Undifferentiated intermediate uveitis . In geographical areas where MS is prevalent, the indication of neuroimaging should be expanded and include patients presenting with chronic granulomatous IU or AU especially if accompanied by retinal vasculitis.

Evaluating the Association of Anthropometric Indices With Total Cholesterol in a Large Population Using Data Mining Algorithms.

Unbalanced levels of serum total cholesterol (TC) and its subgroups are called dyslipidemia. Several anthropometric indices have been developed to provide a more accurate assessment of body shape and the health risks associated with obesity. In this study, we used the random forest model (RF), decision tree (DT), and logistic regression (LR) to predict total cholesterol based on new anthropometric indices in a sex-stratified analysis. Our sample size was 9639 people in which anthropometric parameters were measured for the participants and data regarding the demographic and laboratory data were obtained. Aiding the machine learning, DT, LR, and RF were drawn to build a measurement prediction model. Anthropometric and other related variables were compared between both TC <200 and TC ≥200 groups. In both males and females, Lipid Accumulation Product (LAP) had the greatest effect on the risk of TC increase. According to results of the RF model, LAP and Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI) were significant variables for men. VAI also had a stronger correlation with HDL-C and triglyceride. We identified specific anthropometric thresholds based on DT analysis that could be used to classify individuals at high or low risk of elevated TC levels. The RF model determined that the most important variables for both genders were VAI and LAP. We tend to present a picture of the Persian population's anthropometric factors and their association with TC level and possible risk factors. Various anthropometric indices indicated different predictive power for TC levels in the Persian population.

Prevalence of Middle Mesial Canal in Mandibular First Permanent Molars in a Persian Population: An In Vivo Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Study.

This study aimed to identify the prevalence of the middle mesial canal (MMC) in mandibular first permanent molars in a Persian subpopulation sample using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). The secondary aim was to correlate the incidence of MMC with variables such as gender, age, and the presence of an additional distal canal. A total of 390 mandibular first molars from 314 CBCT images were retrospectively evaluated. The presence of the MMC was recorded while considering related factors such as additional distal canal and demographic information of the patients (age and gender). Fisher's exact tests and independent-samples t-test were used for the statistical comparisons with a significance level of 0.05. Among 390 mandibular first molars, 34 teeth contained an MMC (8.7%). The number of teeth with the MMC in women was equal to that of men. There was no significant difference between the two genders in the prevalence of the MMC (p > 0.05). The prevalence of patients' MMC had no significant relationship with their age (p > 0.05). However, there was a significant association between the presence of the MMC and an additional distal canal (p < 0.05). The incidence of an additional distal canal in teeth with a diagnosed MMC was statistically significant. The prevalence of the MMC in mandibular first molars in the study population was low; however, accurate knowledge of root canal morphology in terms of the presence of an additional root canal in these teeth should be considered.

Translation and Determination of Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of Measuring the Caring Behaviors Scale for Health Care Students and Providers

Introduction: Measurement of caring behavior can not only be useful for the measurement of the caring behavior of students and employees of the healthcare system but can also be used to identify and provide timely information about the status of these behaviors in students and employees to carry out interventions and modify policies. The present study aimed to translate and determine the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the caring behavior scale on healthcare students and providers. Methods: This methodological study was carried out in 2023 with the participation of 330 students and employees of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran who were selected using the convenience sampling method. The instrument was translated using the forward-backward method. The final version of the scale was checked in terms of validity (content, face, and construct validity [using confirmatory factor analysis]) and reliability (Cronbach's alpha, test-retest, and intraclass correlation) in SPSS software (version 25) and AMOS software (version 24). Results: In reviewing the face validity, scores of all items were higher than 1.5. content validity of all items was accepted, and the factor loading of all the items was higher than 0.4; therefore, all the items were retained. The goodness of fit indices of the model indicated the approval of the model and its good fit (GFI: 0.884, NFI: 0.911, CFI: 0.921, and RMSEA: 0.07). Reliability of the scale was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient, test-retest, and intra-cluster correlation of 0.84, 0.86, and 0.83, respectively. Conclusion: Psychometric features of the Persian version of the CBS-HSP scale were favorable. Therefore, it can be used in future studies to measure the care behaviors of the Persian population and also evaluate effective interventions on this outcome.

THU649 PCOS Phenotype In Unselected Populations (P-PUP) Study: Defining And Comparing Hirsutism Across Various Ethnic Groups In Unselected Populations

Abstract Disclosure: S. Kiconco: None. A.E. Joham: None. L.V. Suturina: None. X. Zhao: None. A. Gambineri: None. F.R. Tehrani: None. B.O. Yildiz: None. J. Kim: None. H.J. Teede: None. R. Azziz: None. Introduction Hirsutism is defined as the male pattern distribution of terminal hair in a female. It is one of the diagnostic features of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), reflecting clinical hyperandrogenism, as measured by the modified Ferriman-Gallwey score (mFG). However, whether the mFG scores and the normative cut-off varies by ethnicity is unclear. We aimed to describe and compare the distribution of mFG score in different ethnic groups from eight countries using data from unselected (medically unbiased) populations to determine and compare the normative cut-off values between the different ethnic groups and the prevalence of hirsutism thereby defined. Methods We utilised data of 10,919 participants aged 15 to 80 years. Data were obtained from epidemiologic studies assessing unselected women conducted in different countries including China, Iran, Italy, Nigeria, Russia, South Korea, Turkey, and the United States of America. The distribution of mFG between ethnic groups was determined descriptively as medians. Cluster analysis (k means, k=2) and the receiver operating characteristics curve were used to determine the normative cut-offs for the mFG score. All medians, cut-offs and percentile values were compared between ethnic groups using the Kruskal-Wallis test at a 95% level of significance. Results Our data consisted of 11 ethnic groups from 8 countries. The Persian (4.8±4.7) and Italian (4.8±4.7) populations had higher median mFG scores than the rest of the ethnic groups, whilst Asian populations (Chinese, Korean and Buryat) had the lowest scores. Overall, the median distribution of mFG differed significantly by ethnicity. Using cluster analysis, the mFG cut offs range from 4 to 9, with the Persian ethnic group having the highest, followed by the Italian group, with cut-offs differing by ethnicity overall; however cut offs are similar for Black American, Turkish, Asian and Russian groups. Conclusion The distribution and normal cut off values for hirsutism differ significantly by ethnicity, with the Persian population having the highest cut offs. Ethnicity needs to be considered when assessing women for clinical hyperandrogenism. Presentation: Thursday, June 15, 2023

Translation, Cross-Cultural Adaptation, and Validation of the Persian Version of the Lifetime Total Physical Activity Questionnaire.

This study aimed to translate and cross-culturally adapt the Lifetime Total Physical Activity Questionnaire (LTPAQ) for use in Persian-speaking countries as well as evaluate its validity and reliability. There were 3 stages to this study. First, a forward-backward translation method was used to develop a Persian version of the LTPAQ. In the second stage, the Persian version of the LTPAQ was evaluated for its face validity and content validity. Finally, test-retest reliability and known-group validity were assessed. The LTPAQ has occupational and volunteer activities, including travel to work, exercise and sports, and household activities. Frequency, duration, and estimated metabolic costs of activities with light, moderate, and heavy intensities were used to calculate the metabolic equivalent of each domain during life (in metabolic equivalent-hour/week). Metabolic equivalents of each domain and in total were used to evaluate the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. In total, 60 people (41.7% females) with a mean age of 33.9 (SD = 11.5) years participated in this study. All domains showed excellent test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient > .9). All items had content validity indexes higher than 0.85. In addition, males had significantly higher physical activity levels than females (P = .022), indicating the known-group validity of the questionnaire. The LTPAQ was translated into Persian and trans-culturally adapted. This study indicates that the Persian version of the LTPAQ has adequate reliability and validity and can be utilized in future studies to assess physical activity in the Persian population.

Investigation of the levels of essential and non-essential metals in women with and without abortion history: A study based on the Persian population of the Shahrekord cohort

Spontaneous abortion is a serious threat to the mothers' physical and mental well-being. The cause of spontaneous abortion is multifactorial disease. Prenatal non-essential metal exposure, particularly heavy metals, has been suggested to be associated with adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the concentration of essential and non-essential metals including Pb, As, Zn, and Se and the risk of spontaneous abortion. In this case-control study the levels of Pb, As, Zn, and Se in the whole blood of 60 women with spontaneous abortion (case group) and also 60 women without spontaneous abortion (control group) were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Results revealed statistically significant reductions (P < 0.001) in whole blood levels of Zn and Se as well as the levels of As and Pb had a substantial elevation (P < 0.001) in cases compared to controls. According to the findings, repeated spontaneous abortion may be influenced by increasing whole blood levels of heavy metals such as As (OR = 17.53, P = 0.001) and Pb (OR = 15.58, P = 0.001) as well as decreasing levels of vital micronutrients Zn (OR = 0.20, P = 0.001) and Se (OR = 0.14, P = 0.001). The results of this study support the idea that limiting intake of non-essential metals during pregnancy can decrease the risk of spontaneous abortion. Overall, the information presented is expected to help plan future fundamental and applied investigations on the spontaneous abortion.

Translation and Evaluation of the Reliability and Validity of Eating Disorder Inventory-3 Referral form Questionnaire Among Iranian University Students: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Undiagnosed eating disorders may lead to a life-threatening condition, then a validated and reliable tool that lets health providers use it for effective screening is a mandatory need. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 Referral Form (EDI-3 RF). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 452 university students and employees were recruited by convenience sampling from the Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. The content validity was assessed using the five specialists, and then the content validity index (CVI) and content validity ratio (CVR) was calculated separately. The reliability was measured with Cronbach’s alpha and test-retest. Results: Overall, 260 participants filled out the questionnaire completely. The mean age of participants was 22.34 ± 4.18 years. The mean weight was 64 kg (range: 40 - 115). This version of EDI-3 RF yields acceptable content validity and item correlation. According to the expert’s opinion, CVR was more than 0.99 for all inquiries. Also, the CVI for each item was greater than 0.79, which indicates the acceptable value of this index for different items in terms of relevance, clarity, and simplicity. Also, the face validity was approved according to participants’ and experts’ opinions. Cronbach’s alpha for measuring the three subscales of an eating disorder were acceptable (drive for thinness (DT) = 0.76 and 0.77, bulimia (B) = 0.71 and 0.72, and body dissatisfaction (BD) = 0.77 and 0.71, respectively). The correlation coefficient between two questionnaires was 0.48 (P &lt; 0.01). The coefficient between the subscales and whole parts of this questionnaire was 0.58, 0.53, 0.66, 0.48, 0.34, and 0.43, respectively (P &lt; 0.01). Conclusions: This questionnaire would be a beneficial self-response questionnaire, and because of its abbreviated format, it can be used as a screening and referral tool in the Persian population.

Translation and Evaluation of the Reliability and Validity of Eating Disorder Inventory-3 Referral form Questionnaire Among Iranian University Students: A Cross-sectional Study

ackground: Undiagnosed eating disorders may lead to a life-threatening condition, then a validated and reliable tool that lets health providers use it for effective screening is a mandatory need. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 Referral Form (EDI-3 RF). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 452 university students and employees were recruited by convenience sampling from the Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. The content validity was assessed using the five specialists, and then the content validity index (CVI) and content validity ratio (CVR) was calculated separately. The reliability was measured with Cronbach’s alpha and test-retest. Results: Overall, 260 participants filled out the questionnaire completely. The mean age of participants was 22.34 ± 4.18 years. The mean weight was 64 kg (range: 40 - 115). This version of EDI-3 RF yields acceptable content validity and item correlation. According to the expert’s opinion, CVR was more than 0.99 for all inquiries. Also, the CVI for each item was greater than 0.79, which indicates the acceptable value of this index for different items in terms of relevance, clarity, and simplicity. Also, the face validity was approved according to participants’ and experts’ opinions. Cronbach’s alpha for measuring the three subscales of an eating disorder were acceptable (drive for thinness (DT) = 0.76 and 0.77, bulimia (B) = 0.71 and 0.72, and body dissatisfaction (BD) = 0.77 and 0.71, respectively). The correlation coefficient between two questionnaires was 0.48 (P &lt; 0.01). The coefficient between the subscales and whole parts of this questionnaire was 0.58, 0.53, 0.66, 0.48, 0.34, and 0.43, respectively (P &lt; 0.01). Conclusions: This questionnaire would be a beneficial self-response questionnaire, and because of its abbreviated format, it can be used as a screening and referral tool in the Persian population.

Psychometric properties of the of the Persian version of the Coping Assessment for Bereavement and Loss Experiences (CABLE)

Background and aimThe loss of a loved one through death is practically an inevitable part of the human experience. However, not all grieving people cope with this blow in the same way. One of the factors that may differentiate the grieving reactions of mourners in the face of this lesion is the strategies that the person uses in this situation to adapt and manage the situation. A valid and reliable tool is also needed to measure and evaluate coping strategies. The aim of this study was to translate and determine the characteristics of psychological tools for measuring coping with experiences of grief and loss (28 items) in people living in Tehran.Materials and methodsThis is a methodological study with a descriptive cross-sectional design that after obtaining written permission from the original developer and according to the WHO protocol, the Persian version of the questionnaire was completed by 480 people who experienced mourn in Tehran in February 2021 to October 2021. Then, the Face validity, Content validity and Construct validity of questionnaire were assessed. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, McDonald’s omega and Test-retest were used to determine the reliability.ResultsCronbach’s alpha for all items was 0.91 and intra-class correlation coefficient was 0.86, both of which indicate the reliability of the Persian version of the CABLE tool. Based on exploratory factor analysis, maximum likelihood (n = 260) and confirmatory factor analysis (n = 220) six factors were identified. Factors can explain 50% of the total variance observed. The model had an acceptable fit: GFI: 0.88, CFI: 0.96, IFI: 0.96, NFI: 0.92, PNFI: 0.82, RAMSEA: 0.058, CMIN / DF: 2.37 RMR: 0.056. Internal consistency and construct validity of the questionnaire were confirmed.ConclusionThe findings of the present study indicate that the Persian version of CABLE has the appropriate validity and reliability to assess the compliance with the experiences of grief and loss in Persian population.

Migration History of Iranians in the North Caucasus

The article is devoted to the study of the phenomenon of mass migration of the Persian population to the Russian Empire in the 19th-early 20th centuries, its North Caucasian features. Iranians who migrated to Russia, at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. constituted an important part of the entire society in the North Caucasus. They participated in the development of industry and business life, in the revolutionary movement, preserving their own community, and interacted with Russian realities. The article analyzes the stages and characteristic features of the migration of the Persian population to the North Caucasus in the 19th century. after the conclusion of international treaties between Russia and Persia (Gulistan 1813, Turkmanchay 1828, Convention on the movement of subjects of both states in 1844). Taking into account the general determinants of migration, for the first time, the existing explanations for the emergence of migrant workers from Persia to the South of the Russian Empire in the English-language literature have been investigated. The origin of labor and social migration in Iran in the 19th century, its orientation towards the Caucasus and its broad consequences are considered in connection with social factors that arose under the influence of political events in Iran, which determined the historical conjuncture. In the study of the characteristics of the Persian resettlement and long-term residence in the settlements of the North Caucasus, the starting points, routes and accommodation of Iranian migrants in the Terek region are of great importance. The Terek region got into the migration history of Iranians as a result of the migration policy of Russia, its geographical location and the peculiarities of the developing economy, which provided more favorable and sparing working conditions. about a large number of Iranians who received passports at the consulates in Urmia and Tabriz. Unlike other movements of the Iranian population in the 19th century, the migration of Persians to Russia at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries had its own differences: it was characterized by regularity, the involvement of a significant number of people of different ages and genders, and was mainly caused by economic reasons. Developing trade relations, economic decline in Persia became the reasons for the ever-increasing migration of the Persians to the Russian borders.

Cohort‐based analysis of maternal age at menarche in relation to young adult offspring anthropometric and metabolic parameters

Age of menarche is a determinant factor of cardiometabolic risk, adiposity and stature at adulthood. However, little is known about the transgenerational effects of age of menarche, especially beyond childhood of any offspring, and the studies remain limited to anthropometric outcomes in children at birth or before adolescence. In the present study, we aim to investigate the relationship of maternal age at menarche (MAM) with anthropometric and metabolic parameters in the young adult offspring (aged 15-35 years) in a Persian population. In this cohort-based cross-sectional study, we recruited 1139 mother-young adult dyads enroled in Rafsanjan Cohort Study (RCS) at adult RCS (aged 35-70 years) and youth RCS (aged 15-35 years) as part of the comprehensive PERSIAN (Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in IrAN). In this study, MAM was categorized to early (MAM < 12 years), normal (12 ≤ MAM ≤ 14) and late menarche (MAM > 14 years). For these analyses, bivariate and multiple logistic regression models were used to investigate the relationships between late or early MAM and offspring anthropometric and metabolic parameters. Early MAM displayed a significant association with an increased odds ratio (OR) of tall stature adjusting for sex, age, socioeconomic status index, maternal age at birth and maternal height (as genetically determined factor). Sensitivity analysis by sex indicated this relationship to be specific to male offspring only (adjusted OR: 1.84 95% CI: 1.13-3.00, p value: .014). In addition, late MAM displayed a significant association with reduced OR of overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity in daughters only (obesity adjusted OR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.27-0.88, p value: .018, abdominal obesity adjusted OR: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.23-0.82, p value: .010). dose-response analysis by categorization of MAM, further supported our results. On the contrary, our analyses do not support a significant relationship between MAM and youth metabolic indices, that is, metabolic syndrome, fasting blood sugar (FBS), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglyceride (TG). The results of the present study indicate an association of maternal age of menarche with anthropometric measures of offspring in young adulthood in a sex differential manner. The data does not support a significant relationship between the metabolic indices FBS, TG and HDL in offspring with MAM. Overall, this study provides evidence for the intergenerational effects of age at menarche in the development of anthropometric measures in offspring in young adulthood (15-35), which is the first study of this kind in this age range.

Persian Population of Terek Region in Second Half of 19th — Early 20th Centuries

The migration movement of the population of Northern Iran to the Terek region in the era of its post-reform modernization in the second half of the 19th — early 20th centuries is considered. The reasons, nature, time and features of the migration history of the Iranians are considered. The novelty of the study lies in the identification of specific starting points of migration on the territory of Iran, routes of advancement on Russian territory and places of settlement in the Terek region. Particular attention is paid to the study of the social composition and economic adaptation of migrants. On the basis of archival sources, corrections were made to the prevailing ideas about social strata, about the labor nature of migration, and about the ethnic composition of migrants. Significant differences in the situation of migrants in the Transcaucasia and the North Caucasus are revealed. The dependence of these differences on the characteristics of the host society — the Terek region during the period of post-reform modernization of the economy and social development -is determined. The specifics of the arrangement of Iranian migrants in national regions of the region have been determined. It is concluded that ethnic entrepreneurship was the basis of the adaptation process and the life of migrants who made a significant contribution to the development of the region’s economy.

SARS-CoV-2 re-infection rate in Iranian COVID-19 cases within one-year follow-up

Since the COVID-19 pandemic initiation, the possibility of re-infection has been unclearly present. Although herd immunity has a potential reliance through natural infection, human corona viruses has the ability to subvert immunity and re-infection happens for seasonal corona viruses. Currently, the frequency of SARS-CoV-2 re-infection incidence is not exactly defined. In this study we aimed at determination of SARS-CoV-2 re-infection rate in Iranian population.In a total of 5696 COVID-19 suspicious individuals, RT-PCR was applied to diagnose the infection. The confirmed patients were followed for 12 months and serology tests were applied to measure the specific antibodies.Among 1492 confirmed COVID-19 cases, five individuals experienced the subsequent infection. The re-infection/reactivation incidence rate was totally 0.33% after one year of follow-up. The interval ranged from 63 to 156 days. All the cases had viral mutations in the second episode of the infection. All of them were symptomatic cases with moderate severity.The estimated rate of SARS-CoV-2 in Persian population is therefore rare and natural infection seems to induce good protection against re-infection which clarifies that mass vaccination can hugely affect the society.

A Systematic Review of Self-Reported Outcome Measures Assessing Disability Following Hand and Upper Extremity Conditions in Persian Population.

Background:Disability following hand and upper extremity conditions is common. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROs) are used to capture patients’ status subjectively. This review has aimed to synthesis the literature regarding the extent and methodological quality of translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and psychometric properties of the hand and upper extremity disability PROs in the Persian language. Methods:Seven electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Psychinfo, Scopus, ISI, Science direct, and Google Scholar) were searched until May 2020. Studies reporting cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties testing of the Persian validated disability PROs of the hand and upper extremity were identified. We appraised the eligible studies using Guidelines for the Process of Cross-cultural Adaptation of Self-report Measures and COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) risk of bias checklist.Results: Out of 98 identified records, 22 studies on 17 PROs were reviewed. Most of the PROs (47%) were region-specific and the others were condition-specific (29%) and multi-region (24%). Most of the studies (67%) followed 80 to 100% of the recommended steps for cross-cultural adaptation and translation of a PRO. The evidence of internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity was available for all the PROs. Structural validity, measurement error, and responsiveness were evaluated for five, six, and four PROs, respectively. The overall risk of bias ranged from “inadequate” to “very good” for all studies. Conclusion: A reasonable number of PROs for the evaluation of hand and upper extremity disability are available in the Persian language. Although all of them are not of very good psychometric properties, they all have sufficient quality to be used in clinical settings.

Evaluation of 40-bp deletion/insertion polymorphism of mdm2 and 16-bp deletion/insertion polymorphism of p53 gene in patients with lymphoma in a Persian population

Considering the importance of lymphoma and its prevalence in communities as well as its relationship with genetic factors (P53 &amp; MDM2) as well as contradictory results about the possible role of deletion/insertion of polymorphisms in different types of cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the deletion/insertion of 40 bp of mdm2 polymorphism and 16-bp of p53 polymorphism in patients with lymphoma. In this case-control study, 152 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients and 155 healthy individuals were selected by convenience sampling method. MDM2 and P53 polymorphisms were examined by PCR. SPSS V22 software was used to interpret the results. The results of the study showed that rs3730485 species was associated with the risk of lymphoma. The Ins / Del and Del / Del genotypes reduce the risk of lymphoma compared to the Ins / Ins genotype (OR = 0.41,95% CI = 0.25-0.65 P &lt;0.001 and OR = 0.33.95% CI = 0.12). 0.96, P = 0.035 In relation to Ins / Del + Del / Del and Ins / Del, the results also showed that they reduce the risk of lymphoma (OR = 0.40,95% CI = 0.25-0.63, P &lt;0.001). Results indicated that Ins / Del, Del / Del, Ins / Del + Del / Del and D alleles genotypes had a statistically significant relationship with lymphoma risk. Due to the fact that the OR genotypes of this site are less than one step away, it is a protective factor for lymphoma, so that these alleles and the mentioned genotype reduce the risk of lymphoma.

Торговая деятельность Н. Н. Коншина в Персии во второй половине 1880-х гг.

The article assesses trading activities of the Russian entrepreneur Nikolay Konshin in the late 19th century Persia, which was an important economic partner of the Russian Empire, as the contemporary Islamic Republic of Iran remains for the Russian Federation. Geopolitical turn of Russia from the West to the East makes studying Russia’s trading relations with Eastern states, and Iran in particular, more significant. The novelty of this work is in its addressing not a story of success, but the negative experience of Nikolay Konshin’s foreign trade company founded in 1884 in the capital of Persia, Tehran. The author identifies reasons that led to company’s closure in 1890 and forced Nikolay Konshin to ultimately quit the Persian market. In 1889 he organized an exhibition of Russian industrial products as a measure designed to support the company's trading activities. It was supposed to familiarize the Persian population with the range of Russian light industry products, previously unknown at the Persian market, and to secure orders from local merchants for Nikolay Konshin's firm. However, the expectations failed to materialize and the company did not receive the necessary impetus for its development. The author identifies causes of the exhibition’s failure, assesses Nikolay Konshin’s efforts in exploring opportunities of the Tehran market development, and clarifies their significance for the development of the Russian trade in Persia. The study is based on the documents stored in the Archive of Foreign Policy of the Russian Empire; namely, Nikolay Konshin’s petition to the Minister of Finance Ivan Vyshnegradsky and a number of consular reports addressed to the head of the Asian Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ivan Zinoviev. They offer explanations for failure of both Nikolay Konshin’s company and his exhibition. The analysis of entrepreneurial activities of a particular Russian company has made it possible to identify general features and characteristic peculiarities of the Persian market. The factors that hindered the advance of Russian trade in Tehran under tough European competition are also identified. Despite the failure of Nikolay Konshin's trade business, Russian entrepreneurs highly appreciated his activities in establishment of the Russian economic presence in Persia. The author concurs with such appraisal; Nikolay Konshin was instrumental in laying the groundwork for future penetration of the Russian trade capital onto the Tehran market, which had hitherto remained terra incognita for the Russian business community.

Sex differences in verbal forward digit span: A brief communication

The overarching role of working memory, its characteristics, and functions in our cognitive system is conspicuous. Nevertheless, sex differences in digit span as an index of the phonological loop - one of the main components of the working memory system - remain puzzling. In spite of numerous attempts, the previous studies yielded inconsistent results. The focus of this article was to study potential sex differences in verbal forward digit span. To this end, a sample of 120 young adults ranging from 16 to 25 years old from Persian population was measured and the memory span scores were analyzed using the classical method of comparing the mean score as well as the relatively new method of comparing the frequency of extreme performances. Similar to some previous studies, no significant difference was observed between males and females’ mean score. However, analyzing the frequency of extreme scores revealed that females were slightly overrepresented in the lower tail of the score distribution. Considering the evidence observed in the present study and other similar works, it is very likely that sex differences in performing memory strategies, but not in the true size of short term memory, are the underlying reasons of the observed differences. The theoretical implications and practical importance of these findings are broadly discussed.