Background: It appears that ivermectin can potentially act against COVID-19 infection. Today, it is an urgent need to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ivermectin. The effect of ivermectin therapy on mild to severe COVID-19 patients was investigated.Methods: A 45-days randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, phase 2 clinical trial was designed at five hospitals. A total number of 180 mild to severe hospitalized patients with confirmed PCR and chest image tests were enrolled. The radiographic findings, hospitalization and low O2 saturation duration, and clinical outcomes such as mortality and variables of blood samples were analyzed using standard statistical analyses in SPSS (V20).Results: Average age of the participants was 56 years (45-67) and 50% were women. The primary and secondary results showed significant changes between day zero and day five of admission (∆ 0/5) in terms of ΔALC5/0, ΔPLT5/0, ΔESR5/0, ΔCRP5/0, duration of low O2 saturation, and duration of hospitalization (CI = 95% ). Risk of mortality was also decreased significantly in the study groups.Conclusion: Ivermectin as an adjunct reduced the rate of mortality, low O2 duration, and duration of hospitalization in adult COVID 19 patients. The improvement of other clinical parameters showed that the ivermectin, with a wide margin of safety, had a high therapeutic effect on COVID-19.Trial Registration: This trial was registered with the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials website (registration ID IRCT20200408046987N1).

Background: Individual distinguishing evidence may be an imperative field of measurable investigation which demonstrates higher correct expectation rates. This process of recognizable Evidence is facilitated by the assurance of sex and age. In circumstances where there are fragmented and mangled skeletal remains, sex assurance is moderately troublesome, and it becomes important to set up the precision of cadaver bones. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate sexual dimorphism and age determination by measuring foramen magnum (FM) dimensions in the Iranian population using digital computed tomography scan. Methods: The study sample consisted of a modern adult Iranian population of 120 males and 109 females (age range: 15-50 years). Length, width, and area of FM, also FM index were measured on base skull computed tomography scan. Result: All of the parameters of FM (length, width, area, and FM index), were larger in men than women. The accuracy of sex determination was up to 50.2. The highest accuracy for sex determination was FM width (67.9). This study also helps craniofacial surgeon for exact reference value of FM, which are authorize neurosurgeons' accessibility to the brain stem approach and FM region with minimum retraction. Conclusions: It can be concluded from the result, that morphometric analyze of FM is useful for sex determination but cannot be suitable for age determination.

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Objective Ganoderma extracts have the potential to be used as anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulator, and antimicrobial agents, as evaluated in numerous studies. This study was aimed to determine the lethal and inhibitory effects of aqueous, hydroalcoholic, and alcoholic extracts of Ganoderma lucidum on Toxoplasma gondii RH strain tachyzoites, in vitro. Results All three types of extracts showed toxoplasmacidal effects. The highest percentage of mortality was related to hydroalcoholic extract. The EC50 of Ganoderma extracts for tachyzoites were 76.32, 3.274, and 40.18 for aqueous, hydroalcoholic and alcoholic extracts, respectively. The selectivity index obtained for hydroalcoholic extract was 71.22, showing the highest activity compared to other extracts. According to our findings, the hydroalcoholic part was the most effective substance among the extracts. This basic study showed obvious anti-toxoplasma effect of Ganoderma lucidum extracts. These extracts can be used as candidates for further in-depth and comprehensive studies especially In vivo experiments to prevent toxoplasmosis.

Background: The present study was designed to determine the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii seronegative pregnant women, estimate the frequency of fetuses at risk of congenital toxoplasmosis in the study area, and also to investigate the awareness of the studied mothers about T. gondii disease. Methods: A total of 740 pregnant women referred to two health centers in Qazvin province were surveyed voluntarily for anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). IgG avidity test was used as a confirmatory test for samples showing positive or borderline results for IgM antibodies. Data on socioeconomic, demographic, and knowledge of participants about toxoplasmosis were collected using questionnaires and through face-to-face interviews. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was used to identify the potential predictor variables for T. gondii infection. Results: Overall, 21.2% (157/740) and 0.27% (2/740) of pregnant women were positive for T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies, respectively. Only 1.7% (13/740) of expectant mothers had prior information on toxoplasmosis. Among socioeconomic and demographic variables, contact with soil was the merely cause of a significant association with T. gondii infection. Other variables including age, occupation, education level, residential area, source of drinking water, abortion history, number of delivery, consumption of raw/undercooked meat, having home cat and and consumption of raw vegetables failed to establish significant associations. Conclusion: Our results clarified that the prevalence of T. gondii has remarkably reduced in the study area. This finding indicates a low risk of congenital toxoplasmosis in this region.