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Background & Objective: Colorectal cancer is the most common cancer of GI and 2nd most common cause of cancer death in the world. The purpose of this study was to determine epidemiologic aspect and tumor characteristics of colorectal cancer for patients and compare them in young (<50 yr) and older (>50 yr) patients. Materials & Methods: In this cross-sectional study during 3 yr the samples of malignant colorectal cancer presented in Gorgan endoscopy and pathologic centers were collected. Data evaluated by statistically method. Results: There were 101 cases of malignant colorectal cancer. 61 cases were male and 40 cases were female. The mean age was 56±13.65 yr. 13.9% of patients were <40 yr. The type of tumor in 94% was adenocarcinoma, 2.9% lymphoma and 2.9% undifferentiated carcinoma. The site of involvement in 30 cases were rectum and in 71 cases were colon. The most common symptom was abdominal pain, constipation and rectal bleeding. The time interval between onset of symptom to diagnosis of disease in 58 cases was >6 mth. Family history of cancer in 36 cases was positive. Right colon cancer in young patient was significantly more than older (P<0.05). Positive family history of cancer in right colon cancer was significantly more other than. Positive family history of cancer in young patient was more than other (P<0.05). Conclusion: According to this study, colorectal cancer was high. Therefore, it is necessary to pay more attention to the symptom of young patient and providing a screening program in patients over 50 years old and young patients with positive family history.

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Background&Objective: Foodstuffs additives are a general term for materials that are added to the foodstuffs in order to increase durability and to improve the appearance, composition, taste and food nutritional value. Colors are classified in this group and are added to foodstuffs in order to increase their attraction. Colors may cause illness such as allergy, rash and hyper activation in children and also they may debilitate the Immune system, Anaphylaxis reactions may also occur and they may have cancerous effect. The aim of this survey was to analyze status of added colors to the dried sweets which are produced in south of Tehran city. Materials & Methods: 191 samples of dried sweets were randomly collected and analyzed from south of Tehran areas. First, the samples were de-colored by Clorhidric Acid, and then were analyzed after refining by Thin Layer Chromatography (T.L.C) method. Samples were identified by taking Retention Factor (RF values) into consideration. Results: 93.2 percent from the total samples contained colors. Among chromatic samples, 42 samples (22%) out the total samples, contained artificial, non-edible colors and 96 samples (50.3%) from the total samples contained artificial and edible colors (for Industrial Producers) and 40 samples (21%), contained natural colors. Sunset yellow color was detected more than other added colors in sweets. Conclusion: Low costs, stability, PH, purity, and environmental conditions, motivate the producers for high utilization of edible colors without considering their possible hazards and/or their edible quality aspects. It is suggested that, based on the findings of this study and high consumption of colors.

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Background and Objective: Colorectal cancer is the third common malignancy in the world. Personal habits including life style and nutrition have been proposed as risk factors of colorectal cancer. We conducted this study to assess the nutritional characteristics in colorectal cancer patients in Golestan province of Iran.

Materials and Methods: This case-control study was done on 47 colorectal cancer cases, diagnosed during 2004-05 and 47 healthy controls. A questionnaire containing socio-demographic and nutritional characteristics (FFQ) was filled for each of the participants. Chi square test was used to assess the relationship between variables.

Results: In each of the two groups, 40.4% were females and 59.6% were males. The mean±SD age of age in cases and controls were 52.4±13.4 and 52.1±13.1 years, respectively. Total energy expenditure of higher than 1837.5 Kcal/ day was significantly related to colorectal cancer (OR=3.8 95% CI: 1.2-11.3). Colorectal cancer risk was higher in individual with frying cooking method (OR=3 95% CI: 0. 8-11.1). The risk of colorectal cancer was 6.5 times higher in individuals with fat consumption of higher than 118.5 grams/day (95% CI: 1.5-28.8). No significant relationship was seen between vegetables consumption and the risk of colorectal cancer.

Conclusion: This study showed that high total energy expenditure, high fat consumption and using frying method for cooking are risk factors of colorectal cancer in Golestan prevince in Nothern of Iran.

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Background and Objective: Tinea versicolor is a common fungal infection of the skin caused by the dimorphic lipophilic yeast Pityrosporum orbicular (Malassezia furfur). Lesions begin as multiple small, circular macules of various colors. The upper trunk is most commonly affected due to the side effects of oral treatment and drug resistance, this study was done to compare the therapeutic efficacy of topical terbinafine versus topical ketoconazole in Tinea versicolor. Materials and Methods: This Randomized double blind clinical trial study was conducted between 2008-09. Sixty nine patients with a clinical diagnosis of pityriasis versicolor confirmed by microscopic potassium hydroxide (KOH) examination were taken for the study. Patients randomly divided into 2 treatment groups: 35 patients in terbinafine group, treated by terbinafine 1% once daily for 2 weeks and 34 patients in ketoconazole group, treated with ketoconazole 2% once daily for 2 weeks. Five patients of terbinafine and 4 patients of ketoconazole groups were excluded due to lack of follow-up. Patients were followed up at monthly intervals for 3 months and recurrence and cure rate for each subject were recorded. Data was analyzed by SPSS-16, t student and Chi-Square test. Results: The mean moderate cure rate obtained one month after treatment was 20% in terbinafine group versus 3.3% in ketoconazole group, and there was no any significant difference between two groups. The mean moderate cure rate two month after treatment was 67.7% in terbinafine group and 60% in ketoconazole group (P<0.05). The mean complete cure rate three month after treatment was 73.3% in terbinafine group and 10% in ketoconazole group (P<0.05). The percent of positive KOH examination, three month after treatment was 10% in terbinafine group and 36.7% in ketoconazole group (P<0.05). Conclusion: This study showed that terbinafin is more effective than ketoconazole in treatment of tinea versicolor.

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Background and Objective: The national screening program for G6PD enzyme deficiency is not able to detect all affected neonates. This study was done to compare the fluorescent spot test (FST), decolorization test, and quantitative enzyme assay (QEA) for detecting G6PD enzyme deficiency in neonates. Methods: In this descriptive study, cord blood samples of 365 neonates were collected. Decolorization test, QEA and DNA test was done for each sample. All of the neonates were tested by FST as a part of national screening program on heel-prick blood sample collected on day 3–5 after birth. QEA was considered as the gold standard. According to QEA test results, neonates with <20% and 20–60% of mean normal enzyme activity were considered as total deficient and partial deficient, respectively. Results: Fluorescent spot test detected 13 male neonates with G6PD enzyme deficiency while decolorization test identified 18 male and 1 female neonates. Using QEA, 19 of male and 28 of female neonates with G6PD enzyme deficiency (26 cases with partial and 2 cases with total deficiency) were diagnosed. DNA analysis detected 34 female case as heterozygote and 14 male neonates as hemizygote for the disease. Conclusion: Fluorescent spot test do not have required sensitivity for screening of neonates with G6PD enzyme deficiency. QEA test is recommended to replace the fluorescent spot test in national screening program.

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Background and Objective: Colorectal cancer can significantly cause physical, psychological and social problems. This study was done to determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression in patients with colorectal cancer in Babol located in north of Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional, analytical study was done on 120 (75 males, 45 females) patients with colorectal cancer which registered in the Babol cancer registry in north of Iran during 2008-12. A questionnaire containing demographic information, aspects of the disease and HADS questionnaire was completed by interviewing to assess anxiety and depression for each patient. Results: The prevalence rate of depression and anxiety in patients was 23.4% and 30.8%, respectively. Gender, residency of rural area, and having comorbidities are related to depression among which location was identified as an independent predictor. Urban residency had 79% less risk of depression than rural residents (95% CI=0.06-0.67, OR=0.21, P<0.009). Gender, resident of rural areas, unemployed, having comorbidities, low income and lack of education were associated with anxiety, among which only education was identified as an independent predictor (95% CI=1.32-13.81, OR=4.27, P<0.015). Conclusion: The prevalence of anxiety and depression in colorectal cancer patients was high in this area. Therefore, interventions are recommended to increase awareness and greater attention to rural women and controlling comorbidities.

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Color vision deficiency (CVD) is a defect of vision with disability to distinguish colors. Color vision deficiency can be divided into the two categories, congenital and acquired. Congenital color vision deficiency divided into anomalous trichromacy, dichromacy and monochromacy. The most common congenital CVD was deuteranomalous that mode of inheritance is X linked recessive occurring mostly in males. Acquired CVD can occur as a direct result of illness or any related medicine. Color perception changes in acquired CVD may be secondary to primary ocular disease, drug side effect, or serious systemic disease such as diabetes. Dystrophy of cone, types of maculopathy, crystalline lens changes associated with aging, diabetes, glaucoma, optic nerve diseases and traumatic brain injuries can cause CVD. For acquired CVD, type of defect may not be easy to classify; nevertheless, predominantly is tritanopia and type and severity of the defect fluctuates during of disease. It has been suggested that human evolution to industrialized civilization has led to an increased prevalence of CVD in most population. An acquired CVD can reflect a deficiency in color information processing at anywhere along the related visual pathway, from the photoreceptors to the cortex. Sometimes, assessment of color vision can be helpful to detect a visual impairment in early stages.

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Background and Objective: Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers and considered to be leading causes of cancer death in the world. One of the problems with this type of cancer is its inability to be detected in early stage. The aim of present study was to evaluate the correlation between the serum levels of Fucosyltransferase-4 and galactin-3 in patients with early-stage of colorectal cancer.
Methods: This case-control study was done on 40 patients with early stages of colorectal cancer and 40 healthy subjects. ELISA method was used to measure the serum levels of Fucosyltransferase-4 and galactin-3. To examine the correlation between the variables, correlation test and Pearson correlation coefficient index were used.
Results: Fucosyltransferase-4 and galactin-3 levels were higher in patients with early-stage of colorectal cancer compared to healthy subjects. This difference was not significant. In patients with colorectal cancer, there was a significant relationship between the level of Fucosyltransferase-4 and galactin-3 (r=0.71, P=0.01).
Conclusion: Simultaneous measurement of Fucosyltransferase-4 and galactin-3 is useful in identifying early-stage of colorectal cancer as a non-invasive laboratory method.

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Background and Objective: The presence of many synthetic dyes in aqueous solutions can cause carcinogenesis and mutagenicity and affect human health. Reactive Red 198 is one of the types of azo dyes with complex structure, toxic, carcinogenicity, mutagenicity properties, and tolerable in the environment, which is discharged to the environment through the sewage of textile industries. This study was performed to determine the mineralization of 198 reactive red dyes by the hybrid advanced oxidation process UV/US/H₂O₂/O₃ from colored wastewater using central composite design.
Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study several factors affecting on dye mineralization process including the presence of ozone gas and ultraviolet rays (UV) as well as the initial dye concentration, Ultrasound (US), contact time, pH, and hydrogen peroxide were investigated. Experimental design and optimization were performed by design of experiment software using central composite design and its optimal conditions were determined.
Results: The maximum dye degradation efficiency of 100% was performed under optimal conditions including initial dye concentration of 200 mg/L, reaction time of 34 minutes, hydrogen peroxide concentration of 27 mg/L and pH=9 in the presence of ozone gas flow, ultraviolet rays and ultrasonic waves. Also, the influence of factors on dye removal including ozone, UV, initial dye concentration, US, contact time, pH, and peroxide were  58.8%, 19.3%, 2.3%, 1.5%, 1.1%, 0.6 %and 0.2 % ,respectively.
Conclusion: UV/US/H₂O₂/O₃ hybrid process with advantages such as performance and high speed can be recommended for wastewater treatment in various industries.

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Background and Objective: Trametes versicolor is important for its medicinal rather than nutritional value. Given the various pharmacological activities of this plant, this study aimed to investigate the antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of the aqueous extract of T. versicolor.
Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, an aqueous extract of T. versicolor was prepared. Antioxidant activity, flavonoid content and total phenol were measured by diphenyl picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) and reducing power (RP) methods, aluminum chloride (AlCl3), and Folin-Ciocalteu assays. The antibacterial and antifungal activity of the aqueous extract of T. versicolor on Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Fusarium thapsinum was determined by the disk diffusion method. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), ciprofloxacin and amphotericin-B were used as positive controls for antioxidant activity and bacterial and fungal strains, respectively.
Results: Total phenolic content was 27.6±0.38 (mg GAE/g), and total flavonoid content was 4.2±0.04 (mg QE/g). Based on DPPH radical scavenging activity, the extract of T. versicolor showed strong scavenging activity (93.8±1.2 %) with IC50 of 103.9±0.8 μg/mL when compared with the standard BHT (IC50 of 30.0±0.6 μg/mL). In addition, it was observed that increasing the concentration of aqueous extract of turkey tail increased the reducing power of iron. The zone of inhibition around the extract ranged from 13.0±0.65 mm (in F. thapsinum at 75 mg/ml) to 21±0.73 mm (in S. aureus at 300 mg/ml) (P<0.05).
Conclusion: The aqueous extract of  T. versicolor contains a significant amount of phenolic compounds and also has strong antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.
 

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Background and Objective: Micro-ribonucleic acids (microRNAs) have introduced a new field in the molecular diagnosis of cancer. However, the role of circulating microRNAs in the plasma/serum of colorectal cancer patients is still unclear. This study was conducted to determine the expression of let-7d microRNA in patients with colorectal cancer.
Methods: This case-control study was conducted on 40 patients with colorectal cancer and 40 healthy people. In this study, 7 mL blood samples were collected from patients with colorectal cancer (both before and after tumor resection) and healthy individuals (only once). The serum samples were isolated and stored at - 80°C until molecular analysis. MicroRNAs were extracted from serum samples, and cDNA was synthesized. Let-7d expression was examined using the RT-qPCR method. Data were analyzed using GraphPad Prism v. 9 software. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, sensitivity, and specificity were also calculated for the let-7d microRNA data to introduce a diagnostic biomarker between the preoperative patient group and the control group.
Results: In the preoperative samples of the patients, the expression of let-7d microRNA was significantly lower than that of the control group (P˂0.05). The expression of let-7d microRNA significantly increased after tumor resection compared to before. The ROC analysis for let-7d microRNA in the preoperative patient group with the control group showed that the sensitivity was 33.3%, specificity was 92.3%, and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.622.
Conclusion: Let-7d microRNA could potentially serve as a new noninvasive diagnostic biomarker for the early detection of colorectal cancer. However, further studies are required on this subject.

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Background and Objective: Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in men and the second most common in women. The use of parasites or parasite antigens is one of the newest therapeutic approaches for cancer, although it has not yet been used or approved in human trials. This study aimed to determine the cytotoxic effects of purified carbohydrates from the hyaline layer, fluid, and protoscolices of hydatid cysts on the human colorectal cancer cell line (LS174T).
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on two sheep and two cow livers infected with hydatid cysts, and the human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line (LS174T) purchased from the Pasteur Institute of Iran at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Iran during 2022. Cyst fluid, protoscolices, and the hyaline layer were isolated from the hydatid cyst-infected livers, and glycoproteins and glycolipids from different parts of the cyst were extracted using the chloroform-methanol method. Carbohydrates were purified using the beta-elimination method and their presence was confirmed using the phenol-sulfuric acid method. The cytotoxicity of purified carbohydrates on the LS174T cell line was evaluated using the methyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay for 24 hours.
Results: Concentrations of 0.5 and 0.25 of purified carbohydrates from glycoproteins and glycolipids of hydatid cysts significantly inhibited the growth of LS174T cells (P<0.05). Initial cytotoxicity evaluation showed that purified carbohydrates from glycoproteins of sheep cyst fluid (38.60±1.33%), glycoproteins of cow cyst hyaline layer (36.61±1.76%), glycolipids of cow cyst hyaline layer (38.94±2.99%), glycoproteins of cow cyst protoscolices (40.27±3.66%), and glycolipids of sheep cyst protoscolices (37.94±1.99%) had significantly more pronounced inhibitory effects (P<0.05). Subsequent screening with the MTT assay revealed that purified carbohydrates from glycoproteins isolated from sheep hydatid cyst fluid (52.35±10.24%), glycolipids isolated from cow hydatid cyst hyaline layer (53.40±7.88%), and glycolipids isolated from sheep hydatid cyst protoscolices (53.05±5.06%) had significantly more pronounced inhibitory effects on the growth of LS174T cancer cells (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Carbohydrates isolated from glycoproteins and glycolipids of the hyaline layer, fluid, and protoscolices of hydatid cysts have significant anticancer effects on the LS174T colorectal cancer cell line.