Given multiple treatment strategies for prostate cancer, its mortality rate is still high; therefore, novel treatment strategies seem necessary. G2013 or α-L-guluronic acid is a new patented drug with immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. This study aimed to evaluate the property of G2013 on inflammatory molecules involved in tumorigenesis of prostate cancer. MTT assay was used to assess the effect of the drug on the proliferation of PC-3 cells. Expression of interleukin 8 (IL-8), Nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MYD-88), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), and MMP-9 genes were studied in the PC-3 cells treated with 25 (low dose) or 50 (high dose) µg/mL of G2013 for 24 h using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) technique. Protein expression of NF-κB and protein activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were assayed using flow cytometry and gelatin zymography, respectively. The expression of COX-2 (p = 0.007 at low dose), MMP-2 (p = 0.023 at low dose, p = 0.002 at high dose), NF-κB (p = 0.004 at low dose) and IL-8 (p < 0.0001 in both doses) genes, NF-κB protein (p < 0.0001 in both doses), and MMP-2 activity (p < 0.0001 in both doses) were significantly reduced in the presence of G2013 as compared to the control group. Cancer cell proliferation was also inhibited under 10-500 µg/mL G2013 treatment. Our results revealed that G2013 has the potential to inhibit PC-3 cell proliferation and reduce the expression of tumour-promoting mediators, COX-2, MMP-2, NF-κB, and IL-8 involved in the progression and metastasis of prostate cancer.

Background: Workplace violence is a relatively common problem in most jobs. The medical personnel especially nursing staff has been exposed to a great deal of violence from patients, companions, and colleagues, and it is necessary to determine its frequency by controlling it. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of workplace violence against nurses. Materials and Methods: This study was a descriptive study which was performed among 200 qualified nursing staff working in Imam Hossain Hospital in Shahroud of Iran. In this study, after selecting individuals and obtaining informed consent, demographic and workplace violence questionnaires in health sector were collected. Results: Of the 200 participants, 177 (88.5%) were female and the rest were male. The mean age of the participants was 35.8 ± 13.5 years. 81.5% of who were nurses. Also, was showed that psychological violence with the prevalence of 68.5% during the last year was the most violent occurrence against the nurses working in this center. Workplace violence variables were significantly associated with job of nurses (p<0.033), work experience of less than 5 years (p<0.027), work of service in emergency ward (p<0.029), work shift of nurses in circulate shirt (p<0.001), violent male sex (p<0.036) and time of violence in discharge time (p<0.011). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the incidence of violence against nurses was relatively common and the most frequent was psychological abuse. Although it is not easy to accurately calculate violence against medical staff, it is important to carefully examine the same.

Background & objectives: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is one of the main causes of vector-born diseases in younger population. To evaluate the association of environmental health factors on the odds of CL incidence, a case-control study was conducted in northeastern Iran. Methods: This study was conducted within 2020–2021 based on individual and household data from a tertiary referral center. Cases were patients diagnosed with CL by PCR method; controls were selected among the patients’ relatives, and information was obtained from a health registry system. Demographic and socioeconomic data of 1871 subjects, included age, sex, household information and environmental health factors. Multivariable models with environmental factors in various conditions and CL were separately fit by univariate and mixed multiple unconditional logistic regression. Results: Participants included 617 cases (mean [SD] age, 13.62[13.72] years; 58.20% male) and 1264 controls (mean [SD] age, 16.45[15.44] years; 50.40% male). Results revealed that the use of well-water sources compared to surface water is significantly associated with CL (odds ratio [OR]=0.204; 95%CI, 0.13-0.33;P<0.001). Muddy houses, ruined buildings or wastelands and stagnant water, canals and rivers near the houses were also associated with CL (OR=3.85; 95%CI, 1.66-8.89; P=.002; OR=2.47; 95%CI, 1.76-3.47; P<.001). Besides, existence of pine tree was found to be a risk factor (OR=3.25; 95%CI, 2.12-4.99; P<.001) and similarly for the use of waste collection system (OR=4.43; 95%CI, 3.32-7.51; P<.001). Interpretation & conclusion: Environmental factors related to houses were significantly associated with CL and may represent the modifiable risk factors of CL disease.