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Background The high prevalence and mortality of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have made it the most important health and social challenge around the world. However, this disease can be largely prevented by adherence to hygienic principles and protective behaviors. It seems that identifying the processes involved in protective health behaviors can be effective in planning and implementing suitable interventions to encourage the community toward protective behaviors. Therefore, the present study aimed to predict the preventive behaviors of COVID-19 according to the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT). Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted over 2 months in Hormozgan Province, Iran. The study population consisted of all citizens above the age of 15 years. An online questionnaire was used to collect the data. The questionnaire link was available to the participants through social networks. The questionnaire consisted of two sections, including the demographic information and the PMT constructs. All statistical calculations and hypothesis testing were performed in SPSS Version 21 and AMOS Version 21. The significance level was considered to be 0.05 for hypothesis testing. Results A total of 2032 subjects, with the mean age of 34.84 ± 9.8 years ( r  = 15–98), participated in this study. Most of the participants were 31–40 years old, female (60.4%), married (72%), urban residents (87.3%), and employed (58.8%). The majority of them also had a bachelor’s degree or higher (58.8%). Significant positive correlations were observed between the preventive behaviors of COVID-19 and the perceived vulnerability ( r  = 0.192, P  < 0.001), perceived severity ( r  = 0.092, P  < 0.001), response efficacy ( r  = 0.398, P  < 0.001), self-efficacy ( r  = 0.497, P  < 0.001), and protection motivation ( r  = 0.595, P  < 0.001). On the other hand, significant negative correlations were found between the preventive behaviors of COVID-19 and maladaptive behavior rewards ( r  = − 0.243, P  < 0.001) and perceived costs ( r  = − 0.121, P  < 0.001). Conclusion The present findings showed that maladaptive behavior reward and fear negatively predicted the protective behaviors. On the other hand, response efficacy and self-efficacy positively predicted the protective behaviors; the impact of self-efficacy was the strongest. Overall, the information provided in this study can contribute to health policymaking in Iran.

Background Vaccination against Covid 19 disease was based on rational practice theory. One of the most effective methods to control the COVID-19 pandemic is extensive vaccination coverage in the shortest time. The relevant beliefs and predictors of COVID-19 vaccine and the barriers to and facilitators of receiving COVID-19 vaccine should be identified. Individuals’ intention to receive COVID-19 and the effective factors are of an utmost importance. This study aimed to predict intention to receive COVID-19 vaccine in the South of Iran. Methods This cross-sectional study was performed over a period of 2 months (May 2021 to July 2021) in 4 southern provinces in Iran. The study population of this study included people over 18 years of age who did not receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The online questionnaire was used to collect data. We recruited participants through a self-selection sampling method and posted the online survey link. The questionnaire had two parts: demographic information and Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) questions. All statistical calculations and hypotheses tests were performed using SPSS21 and Amos21 software and the significance level was considered 0.05. Results A total number of 2556 people participated in this study with a mean age of 37.76 (10.7) of years (Age Range = 18–75). The findings showed that attitudes and subjective norms and the use of social media predict the intention to receive COVID-19 vaccine. SEM showed that attitude (β = 0.596, P  < 0.001), subjective norms (β = 0.265, P < 0.001) were significant predictors of vaccination intention. In this study, 78% of people were willing to receive the vaccine when they were officially allowed to. Conclusion According to the results of the study, it is suggested to strengthen positive attitudes and subjective norms about the importance of COVID-19 vaccination as well as using social media to inform the community in order increase the intention to vaccinate COVID-19 and increase vaccine coverage.

Natural killer (NK) cells are a critical component of innate immunity, particularly in initial cancer recognition and inhibition of additional tumor growth or metastasis propagation. NK cells recognize transformed cells without prior sensitization via stimulatory receptors and rapidly eradicate them. However, the protective tumor microenvironment facilitates tumor escaping via induction of an exhaustion state in immune cells, including NK cells. Hence, genetic manipulation of NK cells for specific identification of tumor-associated antigens or a more robust response against tumor cells is a promising strategy for NK cells’ tumoricidal augmentation. Regarding the remarkable achievement of engineered CAR-T cells in treating hematologic malignancies, there is evolving interest in CAR-NK cell recruitment in cancer immunotherapy. Innate functionality of NK cells, higher safety, superior in vivo maintenance, and the off-the-shelf potential move CAR-NK-based therapy superior to CAR-T cells treatment. In this review, we have comprehensively discussed the recent genetic manipulations of CAR-NK cell manufacturing regarding different domains of CAR constructs and their following delivery systems into diverse sources of NK cells. Then highlight the preclinical and clinical investigations of CAR-NK cells and examine the current challenges and prospects as an optimistic remedy in cancer immunotherapy.

Objectives This study aims to investigate the effect of Famotidine on the recovery process of COVID-19 patients. Trial design This phase III randomized clinical trial was designed with two parallel arms, placebo-controlled, single-blind, and concealed allocation. Participants All COVID-19 patients admitted to Shahid Mohammadi Hospital in Bandar Abbas whose PCR test results are positive for SARS-Cov-2 and sign the written consent of the study are included in the study and immunocompromised patients, end-stage renal disease, moderate renal failure (clearance Creatinine 30 to 50 ml/min) or stage 4 severe chronic kidney disease or need for dialysis (creatinine clearance lesser than 30 ml/min), history of liver disease, hepatitis C infection or alcoholism, Glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency(G6PD), the ratio of Alanine transaminase to Aspartate transaminase 5 times above the normal limit, history or evidence of long QT segment on Electrocardiogram, psoriasis or porphyria, pregnancy, use of oral contraceptives, Dasatinib, Neratinib, Ozanimod, Pazopanib, Rilpivirine, Siponimod and/or Tizanidine and allergies to any study drug are excluded. Intervention and comparator Intervention group receives standard pharmacotherapy according to the treatment protocols of the National Committee of COVID-19 and oral famotidine 160 mg (Manufactured by Chemidarou Pharmaceutical Company) four times a day until the day of discharge, for a maximum of fourteen days. Comparator group receives standard drug therapy according to the treatment protocols of the National Committee of COVID-19 and placebo in the same dosage. Main outcomes Patients’ temperature, respiration rate, oxygen saturation, lung infiltration, lactate dehydrogenase and complete blood count were measured at the baseline (before the intervention) and on day 14 after the intervention or on the discharge day. Randomisation The person who has no role in admitting patients and assigning patients to random codes preparing random sequences using online tools and by permuted block randomization method. Eligibility criteria are monitored by the person responsible for admitting patients. Codes in a random sequence are assigned to patients by the treatment team without knowing that each code is in the intervention or comparator group. Patient codes are then matched to randomly generated sequence information for interventions. Blinding (masking) All participants are unaware of which group of this study they are in and after grouping patients in the groups, Patients receive Famotidine in the treatment group and receive a placebo in the control group. The lead researcher, care givers, data collectors, and outcome assessors are aware of the grouping of patients. Numbers to be randomised (sample size) As there is no prior work on this research question, so no assumptions for the sample size calculation could be made. A total of 20 patients participate in this study, which are randomly divided into two groups of 10 as intervention or control groups. Trial status Version 3 of the protocol was approved by the Deputy of Research and Technology and the ethics committee of Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences on August 2, 2020, with the local code 990245, and the recruitment started on August 17, 2020. recruitment ended on August 31, 2020. Since the recruitment ended earlier than expected (the expected recruitment end date was 21/12/2020), we submitted post recruitment but prior to publication of the results. Trial registration The protocol was registered before starting subject recruitment under the title: The effect of Famotidine on the improvement of patients with COVID-19, IRCT20200509047364N2, at Iranian Registry of clinical trials ( https://www.irct.ir/trial/49657 ) on 17 August 2020. Full protocol The full protocol is attached as an additional file, accessible from the Trials website (Additional file 1 ). In the interest in expediting dissemination of this material, the familiar formatting has been eliminated; this Letter serves as a summary of the key elements of the full protocol. The study protocol has been reported in accordance with the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Clinical Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) guidelines (Additional file 2 ).

The new coronavirus pandemic started in China in 2019. The intensity of the disease can range from mild to severe, leading to death in many cases. Despite extensive research in this area, the exact molecular nature of virus is not fully recognized; however, according to pieces of evidence, one of the mechanisms of virus pathogenesis is through the function of viral miRNAs. So, we hypothesized that SARS‐CoV‐2 pathogenesis may be due to targeting important genes in the host with its miRNAs, which involved in the respiratory system, immune pathways and vitamin D pathways, thus possibly contributing to disease progression and virus survival. Potential miRNA precursors and mature miRNA were predicted and confirmed based on the virus genome. The next step was to predict and identify their target genes and perform functional enrichment analysis to recognize the biological processes connected with these genes in the three pathways mentioned above through several comprehensive databases. Finally, cis‐acting regulatory elements in 5′ regulatory regions were analysed, and the analysis of available RNAseq data determined the expression level of genes. We revealed that thirty‐nine mature miRNAs could theoretically derive from the SARS‐CoV‐2 genome. Functional enrichment analysis elucidated three highlighted pathways involved in SARS‐CoV‐2 pathogenesis: vitamin D, immune system and respiratory system. Our finding highlighted genes' involvement in three crucial molecular pathways and may help develop new therapeutic targets related to SARS‐CoV‐2.

In June 2024, Iran reported a dengue fever outbreak beginning in Hormozgan province and spreading to several other provinces, raising significant public health concerns. To mitigate the disease’s impact, multiple meetings were held to explore control strategies, emphasizing community participation through focus groups. This study aimed to identify the determinants, priorities, and control strategies for combating dengue fever and breeding sites of Aedes mosquitoes in Hormozgan province, Iran. This qualitative study employed purposive sampling with maximum variation to conduct 13 focus group discussions (FGDs) with 163 participants (8–13 per group) in Hormozgan Province during June-July 2024. Participants included health department officials, municipal managers, port authorities, and community leaders. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke’s six-phase approach, with trustworthiness ensured through member checking and peer debriefing. These FGDs included health department officials, governors, municipal managers, medical university representatives, Shipping offices, and influential community leaders involved in dengue prevention education. Through these discussions, seven key determinants for dengue fever control in Iran were identified. The primary factors were: (a) Environmental (b) Therapeutic and health care (c) interdisciplinary cooperation (d) Administrative, legal, and regulatory determinants (e) Financial and budgetary (f) Educational determinants and (g) Social determinants. Effective community empowerment and health program decision-making require cooperation across various organizations, enhancement of high-risk environments, and fostering a sense of responsibility and participation among community members. Given the rise of re-emerging diseases globally, identifying their determinants is crucial for quick disease control in the region and for preventing global pandemics.

Background and Aims The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, also known as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), is spreading rapidly in the world, especially in developing countries, and is considered a serious health threat. This study aimed to assess the relationship of adherence antiretroviral therapy (ART) and self‐efficacy among people living with HIV. Methods This cross‐sectional study was conducted in March–July 2022 at the Center for Behavioral Diseases in Bandar Abbas. A total number of 208 HIV patients treated with ART entered the study after voluntarily signing an informed letter of consent. The data collection instrument was the adherence to ART questionnaire with the six subscales and the General Self‐Efficacy Scale‐17 (GSE‐17) general self‐efficacy questionnaire. Multivariate regression analysis was used to test the relationship among the variables. Results The participants' mean age was 41.7 ± 8.2 years. Self‐efficacy was positively correlated with adherence ART. With every one score of increased self‐efficacy, MA increased for 0.85 score (p < 0.001) and medical challenges have the strongest correlation (r = 0.27) with self‐efficacy. The multivariable regression analysis showed that moderate and high socioeconomic status (SES) each improved MA for 18 and 22 units, respectively, compared to poor SES. Alcohol consumption reduced MA for 11 units. Conclusion This study proved the positive relationship of self‐efficacy in adherence to ART in HIV patients. The insights offered by this research can help develop a systematic and effective intervention to promote MA in HIV patients. SES and alcohol consumption significantly affect MA.

Objective DNA methylation, as an epigenetic alteration, plays an essential role in the development of atherosclerosis and venous thrombosis. E-cadherin, a tumor suppressor gene and adhesion molecule, has a crucial function in platelet aggregation and hemostasis. P16, a cell cycle regulator, is involved in venous thrombosis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the DNA methylation patterns and expression levels of the E-cadherin and P16 genes in venous thromboembolism (VTE). Method Peripheral blood samples were collected from 32 patients, including those with deep vein thrombosis (DVT, n = 15), pulmonary embolism (PE, n = 8), DVT with PE (n = 4), intestinal thrombosis (IT, n = 3), and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST, n = 2), as well as from 10 healthy individuals. The DNA methylation patterns and gene expression levels of E-cadherin and P16 were analyzed using methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and Real-Time PCR, respectively. Results The promoter of the CDH1 gene was partially methylated in 84.4% of thrombotic patients and unmethylated in 15.6% (P = 0.183). A significantly higher expression level of CDH1 was observed in the patients compared to the controls (P = 0.001). The P16 gene promoter were unmethylated in all control and patient specimens. Compared to normal subjects, the expression level of the P16 was significantly increased in patients (P = 0.000). Conclusion Our results indicated that DNA methylation is not the main gene expression regulatory mechanism for E-cadherin and P16 genes in thrombosis. Higher transcription levels of CDH1 and P16 in thrombotic patients may show their crucial roles in the pathogenesis of VTE.

Background: To better manage the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to carefully study information about patients with COVID-19. Objective: To report clinical and epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 patients in southern Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted based on data extracted from the COVID-19 registry of Hormozgan. Data from patients with confirmed COVID-19 based on CT-scan results or real-time reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results until September 25, 2020, were analyzed for this study (2351 inpatients). We reported demographics, signs and symptoms on admission, comorbidities, and treatments, as well as clinical outcomes, hospital stay, and intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Results: Most of patients were men (1235/2351; 52.5%) and the most common signs and symptoms included cough (1343/2351; 57.1%), shortness of breath (1224/2351; 52.1%) and fever. The most common comorbidities included hypertension (410/2351 (17.4%), diabetes (343/2351; 14.6%) and chronic cardiac disease (282/2351; 12%). Also, 228 patients (9.7%) were hospitalized in the ICU. The mortality rate was 12.5% (295/2351) among all patients and 64.5% (147/228) in ICU wards, respectively. The number of cases with comorbidities including hypertension, chronic cardiac disease, diabetes, chronic neurological disorders, chronic kidney disease, chronic hematologic disease, malignant neoplasm, moderate or severe liver disease, dementia and fauvism in the ICU was significantly higher than the general wards. Conclusion: Most characteristics of our patients were similar to those reported in other studies; however, our patients were younger and suffered from a less severe disease. The mortality rate in the ICU was higher than other studies.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading fatal neoplasms and the most common primary liver malignancy worldwide. Peptide hormone ANGPTL8 (betatrophin) may act as an important regulator in HCC development through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. We aimed to evaluate the effects of recombinant ANGPTL8 on Wnt/β-catenin signaling in human liver carcinoma cells (HepG2) and their viability. The expression of ANGPTL8 was conducted in the pET-21b-E. coli Bl21 (DE3) system and the produced peptide was purified. HepG2 cells were treated with different concentrations of ANGPTL8 (25, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 ng/ml) for 24, 48, and 72 hr. MTT assay was performed to detect the viability of treated cells, and apoptotic induction by ANGPTL8 was measured by flow cytometry assay. Finally, using qRT-PCR the mRNA levels of Wnt signaling modulators WIF-1 and β-catenin were evaluated in treated cells. MTT assay showed that ANGPTL8 inhibits proliferation of HepG2 cells moderately in a time-independent manner. The highest concentration of the ANGPTL8, 250 ng/ml, reduced cell proliferation after 24, 48, and 72 hr similarly about 30%. In the same concentration of ANGPTL8, after 24 hr of treatment flow cytometry assay revealed a mild increase in early and late apoptosis up to 7.7 and 14.3%, respectively. The qRT-PCR showed that in a concentration-dependent and time-independent fashion, the expression of WIF-1 and β-catenin genes respectively increased and decreased significantly ( <0.05). Our findings suggest that ANGPTL8 may act as a moderate suppressor against HCC cell proliferation possibly via affecting Wnt signaling modulators.