Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS) is a medical school in Iran. Located in Razavi Khorasan province in the city of Mashhad, it was established in 1949 with Ferdowsi University of Mashad and separated in 1986 from its parent institution by national legislation.The university is currently ranked as one of the best in the Middle East.[citation needed] In 2001, its department of Medicine was ranked first among the Iranian universities.[citation needed] The latest rankings put Mashhad University in 3rd place nationally.MUMS has 8 faculties, operates 32 hospitals plus 179 rural and 147 urban health care centers. Its faculty include 600 teaching staff, 1700 physicians, 140 dentists, 130 pharmacists, and 25,402 staff employees. In 2001, 7,000 students were enrolled full-time.
Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) analysis from two-dimensional (2D) clinical imaging is hindered by uncontrolled slice tilt and geometric inconsistencies that violate the assumptions of pose-agnostic deep learning (DL) models. This paper proposes a unified geometry-aware, frequency-domain framework for tilted slice localization and ischemic stroke segmentation that explicitly decouples pose estimation from lesion analysis. The method first recovers the full six-degree-of-freedom (6-DoF) rigid pose of arbitrarily tilted slices using frequency-domain slice-to-volume registration, converting a geometrically ill-posed segmentation problem into an anatomically normalized one. Building on this normalization, a frequency-domain segmentation network is introduced that exploits Hermitian symmetry and discriminative spectral bands to enhance sensitivity to ischemic tissue, complemented by a teacher–student knowledge distillation (KD) strategy to improve generalization. Extensive experiments on four public benchmark datasets across multiple imaging modalities demonstrate consistent state-of-the-art (SOTA) performance under controlled geometric variability, with notable improvements on the clinically critical core–penumbra segmentation task and preliminary evidence of robustness to certain domain shifts. The results confirm that explicit geometric modeling combined with spectral-domain analysis provides a robust foundation for medical image segmentation under controlled geometric variability.
Cisplatin remains a cornerstone chemotherapeutic agent for a broad spectrum of solid malignancies; however, the emergence of intrinsic and acquired resistance severely limits its clinical efficacy. Central to the cellular decision between DNA damage repair and apoptosis following cisplatin exposure is the tumor suppressor p53, whose function is tightly governed by its primary negative regulator, Murine Double Minute 2 (MDM2). This review provides a critical synthesis of the molecular interplay within the MDM2/p53 axis and its direct impact on cisplatin sensitivity. We discussed how deregulation of this axis via TP53 mutational inactivation or MDM2 overexpression enables tumor cells to tolerate cisplatin-induced genotoxic stress. Specifically, we analyzed the dual role of MDM2: its E3 ubiquitin ligase activity that targets p53 for proteasomal degradation, and its emerging p53-independent functions in promoting DNA repair fidelity. Furthermore, we evaluated the therapeutic implications of targeting this pathway with small-molecule MDM2 antagonists. We assessed preclinical and clinical evidence supporting the use of MDM2 inhibition to lower the apoptotic threshold and re-sensitize resistant tumors to cisplatin. Therefore, an understanding of the MDM2/p53 feedback loop is essential for optimizing cisplatin-based regimens and developing rational combination therapies to circumvent chemoresistance.
Curcumin, a lipophilic polyphenol widely used in traditional medicine, is the active ingredient in turmeric (Curcuma longa L.). It has various therapeutic effects, such as antitumor potential, due to its interaction with intracellular and extracellular molecules associated with different malignancies. Ceramides are fundamental constituents of cellular membranes that maintain the stability and integrity of cells. Additionally, they have become key signaling agents that govern a spectrum of cellular functions, such as differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, and cellular senescence. This review primarily introduces ceramides and their metabolism, summarizes their crucial roles in cancer, and categorizes and discusses the mechanisms and pathways through which curcumin could potentially exert its antitumor effects by targeting ceramides. These mechanisms include apoptosis- and autophagy-associated pathways, de novo ceramide generation, and influencing intracellular free calcium levels and acid inhibition. ceramidase, and combinational strategies using various chemical agents, ceramides, or ceramide analogs to enhance curcumin's efficacy. Finally, the review concludes with remarks and prospects for the future of curcumin's antitumor potential in the context of ceramide targeting.
Infertility is a crucial challenge for global health that encompasses economic, psychological, and medical aspects. Besides anatomical contributors to infertility, specific dietary components may influence reproductive outcomes in both men and women through diverse molecular and epigenetic mechanisms. This study aimed to evaluate the role of macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals in male and female infertility using a system biology approach. To address the complex interplay between infertility and nutritional factors, we focused on published studies that explore molecular and systems biology pathways, including those involving nutrigenetics, epigenetics, metabolomics, and gene expression profiling. These studies span both human and animal models and were selected based on their relevance to reproductive outcomes and mechanistic insights. Several nutrients appear to influence infertility through distinct molecular mechanisms. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may exert beneficial effects by modulating the expression of fertility-related genes, while saturated fatty acids (SFAs) are associated with impaired oocyte quality and reproductive dysfunction via altered gene expression and DNA damage. Among micronutrients, increased intake of folate and vitamin D has been linked to improved gamete quality and folliculogenesis in women with infertility. Dietary glutamine and selenium may enhance fertility through their antioxidant properties. Iron demonstrates dual effects, potentially supporting or impairing fertility depending on its role in epigenetic regulation. Dietary intake may influence the risk of infertility through pathways related to nutrigenetics, nutrigenomics, and nutri-epigenomics. While current evidence suggests promising nutrient–gene interactions, most findings are derived from small-scale or preclinical studies, highlighting the need for robust human trials.
Chitosan-stabilized copper-selenium nanoparticles (CS-Se-Cu NPs) were synthesized via a facile green reduction method using ascorbic acid as the reducing agent. The nanoparticles were comprehensively characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). PXRD confirmed a pure monoclinic crystalline phase (PDF 00-049-1456) with a crystallite size of approximately 18 nm and minimal lattice strain (ε = -0.002). FTIR indicated chitosan capping through characteristic amide and hydroxyl peaks, while FESEM revealed spherical to semi-spherical morphology (approximately 50–100 nm), and EDX verified a Cu: Se atomic ratio of about 1:1. MTT assay demonstrated potent, concentration- and time-dependent cytotoxicity against HepG2 liver cancer cells (IC50, 24 h: 1.8 ± 0.2 mg/mL; 72 h: 0.9 ± 0.1 mg/mL), with fourfold higher selectivity over normal NIH-3T3 fibroblasts (IC50, 72 h: >5 mg/mL). A biphasic dose-response was observed in HepG2 cells, with viability above 80
