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Thiophene-based analogs have been fascinated by a growing number of scientists as a potential class of biologically active compounds. Furthermore, they play a vital role for medicinal chemists to improve advanced compounds with a variety of biological effects. The current review envisioned to highlight some recent and particularly remarkable examples of the synthesis of thiophene derivatives by heterocyclization of various substrates from 2012 on.Graphic abstract

Background Service providers at women’s harm reduction centers maintained direct contact with their clients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, providing valuable insights into their evolving needs. This study aimed to explore these emerging needs from the perspective of service providers. Methods This qualitative study utilized conventional content analysis. Data were gathered through semi-structured face-to-face interviews conducted with ten service providers employed in women’s harm reduction centers situated across three Iranian provinces (Tehran, Khuzestan, and Kermanshah) between January and May 2023. Participant selection was guided by purposive sampling, specifically utilizing Maximum Variation Sampling. Results The findings of this study showed that service providers specifically need to alleviate credit constraints and control inflation. Additionally, the necessity for continuous monitoring, revision of evaluative criteria, centralization of shelters and drop-in centers, and adequate staffing was emphasized. The need for flexible regulations, clear job descriptions, improved accommodations, and sufficient equipment was also highlighted. Employee safety and effective judicial protection were among other important needs. This study also emphasized the need to change negative social attitudes and enhance professional development for social workers. Developing creative educational approaches and conducting rigorous needs assessments were also among the significant findings. These findings can help policymakers design more effective support programs for service providers and improve service quality by providing appropriate communication tools. Conclusion The findings of this study underscore the critical importance of policymakers addressing this spectrum of identified needs to ensure the effective delivery of harm reduction services for women, not only during the COVID-19 pandemic but also in similar future crises.

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the prevailing infection. With the growing resistance of vaginal infections to routinely prescribed antibiotics, herbal medicine can be helpful. Researchers have conducted to compare the efficacy of curcumin and metronidazole in the treatment of BV as natural product. This study was a double-blind randomized clinical trial that involving 100 married women aged 18–49 who were not pregnant that sought treatment at two private outpatient clinics from January to September 2021 recruited in study. Individuals who met Amsel’s clinical and paraclinical criteria for BV were randomly allocated to the intervention or control groups. Both groups were instructed to take their respective medications every 12 h for seven days. Subsequently, two weeks following the treatment, the efficacy of the treatment was assessed utilizing Amsel’s clinical and paraclinical criteria. The data was analyzed using SPSS 26. The data was analyzed using the intention-to-treat (ITT) approach. The clinical (discharge (RD: 0.21; CI 95% : 0.17–0.90; P  = 0.01), whiff test (RD: 0.31; CI 95% : 0.19–0.98; P  = 0.03), and pH (RD: 0.18; CI 95% : 0.19–1.04; P  = 0.03)) and paraclinical variables of Amsel criteria (clue cells (RD: 0.19; CI 95% : 0.13–1.03; P  = 0.02) showed significant differences between groups. The curcumin consumer group exhibited a complete improvement rate of 82%, in contrast to the metronidazole group which had a rate of 42% two weeks after intervention. This study found curcumin have comparable efficacy to metronidazole in treating BV while demonstrating superior effectiveness and fewer adverse effects in alleviating symptoms.

Background The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges for managers overseeing women's harm reduction centers. This study seeks to capture managers' perspectives on the service providing in women's harm reduction centers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This convergent mixed-method study conducted in three provinces of Iran: Tehran, Khuzestan, and Kermanshah. The study was carried out between January and May 2023. In the quantitative part, the researchers utilized reports from 10 center managers. A researcher-designed questionnaire was employed to collect data on a wide range of services and referrals provided by the centers. The qualitative part of the research involved conventional content analysis and included 12 individual interviews. Two directors from the Ministry of Health and ten managers of women’s harm reduction centers participated in the interviews. During the interpretation phase, the researchers compared the quantitative and qualitative findings to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the topic. Results During the quantitative stage of the study, it was observed that all the managers were women, with an average age of 40.7 ± 7 years. More than half of the managers had obtained a postgraduate education (n = 6, 60%), and a majority of them were married (n = 7, 70%). Additionally, 40% of the managers (n = 4) were working as contractors. During the non-COVID-19 period, there were higher coverage by centers and residents, more referrals of non-injecting drug users and sex workers, and a higher number of group counseling sessions in all three provinces compared to the COVID-19 period. The qualitative analysis revealed two primary themes: \"challenges\" and \"capabilities.\" Conclusions During the COVID-19 pandemic, providing some services and client referrals decreased in the centers, and center managers faced increased challenges. Many of these challenges were in the communication, executive, management, structure, education, financial, civilization, facilities, and socio-cultural sectors. Managers used their skills to manage and control these challenges. It is important to focus on these challenges and managerial capabilities to effectively handle future crises.

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant challenges to nations worldwide, affecting various sectors of society. Women’s HIV harm reduction centers, which provide critical services, have also been affected by these difficulties. This study aimed to examine the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic on the services offered by women’s HIV harm reduction centers from the perspective of clients. Methods A convergent mixed-method design was utilized to gain in-depth insights into the challenges of COVID-19 on the services provided by women’s HIV harm reduction centers, counseling centers, and night shelters that cater to women at risk, such as drug users, sex workers, and the homeless population, in three provinces (Tehran, Khuzestan, and Kermanshah) in Iran. The study was conducted from January to May 2023. The quantitative aspect of the study employed a cross-sectional method with a sample size of 430 individuals. A researcher-developed questionnaire was used to assess a range of services. The qualitative part of the study involved traditional content analysis and included 32 individual interviews. The integration of qualitative and quantitative results was performed during the interpretation phase to provide a comprehensive understanding of the challenges of COVID-19 on women’s HIV harm reduction centers. Results In the quantitative phase, the mean age of women was 39.0 ± 10.2 years. 165 women reported a history of COVID-19, which accounts for 38.4% of the total. More than half of them ( n  = 102, 61.8%) recovering at home. The majority of women ( n  = 365, 84.9%) mentioned receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 diagnostic tests were conducted for 74.2% ( n  = 319) of women. Women expressed higher satisfaction with the services (HIV prevention services, and accommodation services) before the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the satisfaction during the pandemic. The qualitative analysis identified emerging challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic in two categories: personal challenges and mismanagement of services, comprising nineteen subcategories. Conclusion The findings of this study highlight the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the services provided by women’s HIV harm reduction centers, in contrast to the pre-pandemic period. To mitigate these negative effects, it is crucial to implement preventive measures and practical solutions. This may involve addressing the personal and management challenges of the centers.

One of the main reasons of the annual reduction in plant production all around the world is the occurrence of abiotic stresses as a result of an unpredicted changes in environmental conditions. Abiotic stresses basically trigger numerous pathways related to oxygen free radicals’ generation resulting in a higher rate of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Accordingly, higher rate of oxygen free radicals than its steady state causes to oxidize various types of molecules and compartments within the plants’ cells and tissues. Oxidative stress is the result of high amount free radicals of oxygen interfering with different functions leading to undergo significant changes from molecular to phenotypic levels. In response to oxidative stress, plants deploy different enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant mechanisms to detoxify extra free radicals and get back to a normal state. Applying some specific treatments have shown to significantly affect the antioxidant capacity and efficiency of the stressed cells and compartments. One of such reportedly effective treatments is the utilization of selenium (Se) element in stressed plants. Over the past years some different experiments evaluated the probable effect or efficiency of Se regarding its impact on plant under oxidative stress. Accordingly, based on the recent studies, Se has a significant role in plant responses to abiotic stresses probably due to its ability to improve the plants’ tolerance to oxidative stress. The significant influences of Se, and its related components such as nano-selenium, in plants under oxidative stress rooting from abiotic stresses, along with the new finding pertaining to its metabolism and translocation mechanisms inside the plant cells under oxidative stress condition are clearly explained in this review. However, there are still lack of a comprehensive explanation related to the precise mechanism of Se in plants under oxidative stress.

Introduction Drug use is highly prevalent among female sex workers (FSWs). Some forms of drug use, such as injecting drug users (IDU), put them at greater risks for HIV and blood born disease (BBD). In this study, the pattern of drug use and its related factors among Iranian FSWs were investigated. Materials and methods This cross-sectional study was performed based on the data of the integrated bio-behavioral surveillance-III (IBBS-III) on FSWs in 8 cities of Iran using the respondent-driven sampling (RDS) method conducting in 2019–2020. Of the 1515 FSWs participating in the IBBS-III study, 1,480 answered questions about drug use. To calculate the prevalence of drug use lifetime and in the past month, weighted analysis was used. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to investigate the factors related to drug use. Results The prevalence of lifetime drug use and the prevalence of current drug use (single and poly drug use) among FSWs were estimated to be 29.3% and 18.86%, respectively. According to multivariate regression analysis, the odds ratio (odds) of lifetime drug use showed a statistically significant association with lower education (AOR = 1.18; 95% CI: 1.07–1.3), being a direct sex worker (AOR = 1.77; 95% CI: 1.21–2.61), working in team houses or hangouts (AOR = 1.51; 95% CI: 1.10–2.06), a history of intentional abortion (AOR = 1.41; 95% CI: 1.07–1.87), condom use in the last sex (AOR = 1.61; 95% CI: 1.19–2.17), a history of imprisonment (AOR = 3.05; 95% CI: 2.25–4.14), HIV positive tests (AOR = 8.24; 95% CI: 1.66–40.9), alcohol use (AOR = 1.69; 95% CI: 1.29–2.29), and finding sexual clients in places such as parties, shopping malls, streets, and hotels, or by friends (AOR = 1.46; 95% CI: 1.01–2.12). Conclusion Given that drug use among FSWs is about 14 times higher than that of the Iranian general population, it is imperative that drug reduction programs be integrated into service packages. Specifically, prevention programs should be prioritized for occasional drug users within this population as they are at a greater risk of developing drug use issues compared to the general population.

Results: Patients' perceptions were classified into six categories and 14 subcategories: physical suffering (debilitating pain, gradual disability, and apparent transformation), psychological stress (family disturbance and sexual dissatisfaction), challenging fertility (bothersome pregnancy and impaired parenting), adaptation to the disease (self-care and lifestyle modification), need for a supporter (support from the spouse, support from the family and acquaintances, and lack of occupational and social support), and spirituality (forgiveness of sins and resorting to God). Furthermore, few studies have investigated the viewpoints of female patients with SLE on reproductive health worldwide. [...]in this study, we aimed to explore the perceptions, concerns, expectations, and viewpoints of female patients with SLE regarding reproductive health in Iran. Empiricists believe that the entire cognition is achieved through experience. Since experiences and beliefs are related to the context (in which they are acquired in order to enable them to deeply understand the experiences of participants through free expression of perception, behaviors, and experiences), this qualitative study was conducted using the content analysis approach. The status of SLE was diagnosed according to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI), the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for SLE (>4) as well as ACR Guideline of Reproductive Health in Rheumatic Diseases,22,23 while disease damage was assessed using the Brief Index of Lupus Damage (BILD), a validated, self-reported measure of damage (score range 0-26).24 Patients had no history of participation in qualitative interviews about reproductive health.

To develop and assess the psychometric properties of the Postpartum Sexual Quality of Life Scale (PSQLS) in Iran. We employed a mixed-method approach. In the qualitative phase (17 interviews and two focus groups), we generated items for the scale. In the quantitative phase (N = 282), we assessed the psychometric properties of the pre-final version. The final version contained 22 items. Exploratory factor analysis indicated a 5-factor solution that jointly accounted for 59.6% of the variance. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.87. The PSQLS showed good validity and reliability and could be used to evaluate women’s postpartum sexual life.