Background and Aim: The use of natural compounds derived from plants and animals play important roles in disease therapy. Chronic myeloid leukemia is a blood cancer that can occur in multipotent stem cells. The K562 cell line is considered a cancer type for the study of chronic myeloid leukemia. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-proliferative effects of red alga extract of Laurencia caspica on the K562 cell line.
Methods: This experimental study was performed in two separate phases. In the first phase, samples of the Laurencia caspica red algae were gathered from the coast of the Caspian Sea, Iran. Then, hydroalcoholic extraction of the mentioned algae was performed using a rotary evaporator and dry oven. The second phase involved treating the K562 cancer cells with different concentrations of algae extract (25, 50, 100, 200, 400 and 800 μg/ml). The anti-proliferative and cell cytotoxic properties of the algae extract were evaluated by MTT and apoptosis. In all analysis tests, p <0.05 was considered a significant level.
Results: The results of the MTT assay showed that the extract of Laurencia caspica red algae in the 800 and 200 μg/ml concentrations had the highest and the lowest anti-proliferative effects on cancer cells, respectively. The results of the apoptosis test showed that concentrations of 800 and 200 μg/ml of algae extract had the lowest and the highest survival of cancer cells, respectively. The effectiveness of extract of Laurencia caspica red algae was concentration-dependent which inhibited the growth and proliferation of the K562 cancer cells in all tests.
Conclusion: Regarding the results of this study, extract of Laurencia caspica red alga may be used as a natural compound in cancer treatment. However, further studies are required.

Background and Aim: Skin diseases are common complaints in military personnel, and working in conditions of high heat and moisture can increase their prevalence. The aim of current study is to investigate the prevalence of skin disease among navy personnel.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018 in south of Iran. Sampling was performed using the census method. Navy personnel (all men) who were exposed to moisture and heat in all or part of their daily activities were included. Data regarding age, work experience in the navy, working hours in conditions of moisture and heat, hygiene, use of sunscreen and moisturizer, smoking, and consumption of fruit and vegetable were recorded. The navy personnel were examined by a dermatologist. Clinical data related to any skin disease (dermatitis, acne, warts, fungal infection etc,) were recorded in a checklist. Data were analyzed by SPSS 18 software.
Results: The prevalence of skin diseases among navy personnel was 38.1% (85 out of 223). The most common skin diseases were dermatitis (9.5%), skin dryness (5.5%), moles (5%), fungal diseases (5%), and acne (4.6%). Increased work hours in hot and wet conditions (p=0.001), increased sun exposure hours (p=0.04), a low number of baths per week (poor hygiene) (0.02), smoking (p=0.04) and lack of consumption of fruits and vegetables (p=0.04) all have a significant relationship on the prevalence of skin diseases in navy personnel. There was no relationship between prevalence and age, work experience, use of sunscreen cream, and use of moisturizer.
Conclusion: The high prevalence of skin diseases in navy personnel was associated with an increase in working hours in the sun, hot and wet conditions, poor hygiene, smoking, and low consumption of fruit and vegetables. Therefore, it is recommended that all navy personnel should be visited periodically by a dermatologist. The need for adequate skincare, personal hygiene and proper diet are emphasized.

Food poisoning caused by eating seafood is considered as an important and potential danger to human health and directly and indirectly threats the health and life of individuals. This becomes even more important when we know that about 48% of the world's population lives within 15 kilometers of the beaches, and more than 79% of the world uses seafood (fresh to canned) and fish and other seafood in their food basket. Apart from poisonings from canned foods, fish or other seafood such as clams, shrimp and crabs can be potentially toxic sources that could seriously threat one's health and life. Therefore, for physicians who are related to marine medicine or are practicing near the sea, identifying toxic species, ways to diagnose seafood poisoning, and familiarity with relief and treatment strategies are essential.
The Persian Gulf, as a hydrothermal marine region, is home to a variety of fish species, including edible and non-edible crustaceans. Sometimes this variety is difficult to recognize even for the native inhabitants of the Persian Gulf. How many travelers and tourists come to these beaches and generally catch and eat the fish without knowing the toxicity or non-toxicity that may result in severe gastrointestinal injury, even coma and death. This study provides a prognosis and training based on the introduction of toxic Gulf species that are morphologically close to the edible species.

Alginates are polysaccharides found in brown seaweeds, and the most abundant marine biopolymer and, after cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer in the world. Alginate purification process from brown algae is simple. This goal is feasible by using of diluted mineral acid and sodium carbonate on dried brown algae. The conventional use of alginate as an excipient in drug products generally depends on its gel-forming and stabilizing properties. Alginate gel can be prepared during gelation process with three methods of syringe or droplet, extrusion and fluid methods. The main benefits of alginates, such as biocompatibility and biodegradability, have led to an increase in scientists' desire to use alginate as a platform to promote the new delivery systems of nanodrugs in recent decades. Release of water-soluble drugs from the alginate gel matrix is generally via diffusion, while low-solubility drugs are released through the alginate matrix erosion. The potential use of the various qualities as pharmaceutical excipients has not been evaluated fully, but alginate is likely to make an important contribution in the development of polymeric delivery systems. The purpose of this narrative review is to explain the structure, properties, method of preparation and application of alginate nanoparticles in pharmaceutical systems.
 

Background and Aim: Cataract refers to the opacity of the lens that impairs vision. Sailors are at risk for radiation sickness and trauma. The present study investigates the prevalence of cataracts and the factors affecting it in Iranian sailors.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed during 2017. The medical records of all Iranian sailors who went to the ophthalmology department and had a cataract were included in the census method. The researcher extracted the necessary data from the medical records of patients by visiting the ophthalmology department and registering it in the checklist. A checklist containing demographic (age, sex, education) and clinical data of patients was recorded. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 16.
Results: The total number of medical records of Iranian sailors was 2,500, of which 337 (13.48%) had cataracts or had a history of cataract surgery. The mean age, diabetes, medicine use, and head trauma were significantly higher in people with cataracts than others and their education level was significantly lower than others.
Conclusion: Considering that the sailors is one of the groups at risk for cataracts and a prevalence of 13.48% was reported in the present study, so periodic medical examination is necessary in this case.

Medical and educational care and the creation of special measures to prevent the spread of the disease are of great importance in maintaining the health of seafarers. Direct and immediate access to appropriate medical care always is not available to this group. Given that sailing is a dangerous occupation with a higher mortality rate than many onshore jobs, self-care is the most common behavioral response to prevent common diseases in this group. The most important achievement of strengthening the self-care approach is that sailors make the right decisions about the proper use of health care and choose and implement appropriate self-care behaviors for health problems. Sailors' self-care can include prevention of occupational diseases, prevention and protection of occupational and mechanical detrimental factors, prevention of ergonomic detrimental factors, prevention of chemical detrimental factors, prevention of physical detrimental factors, prevention of nutritional problems. Self-care in seafarers clearly increases the efficiency and individual skills of sailors against disease. On the other hand, learning self-care activities can lead sailors to stay healthy, increase a person's adaptation to the environment and health problems, increase the ability of sailors to take care of themselves, and reduce the incidence of disability and treatment costs.