Introduction. This study aimed to determine the association of blood cadmium level with cardiometabolic risk factors and liver enzymes in adolescents. Methods. This case control study comprised 320 Iranian adolescents, 160 with metabolic syndrome and an equal number of controls. They were selected from participants of a nationwide survey entitled the CASPIAN-III study. Cadmium was measured by atomic absorption method. Results. The mean age of the case and control groups was not significantly different (15.3 ± 2.6 versus 14.63 ± 2.5 years, resp., P > 0.05). The mean cadmium level was near double-fold higher than the standards of the World Health Organization, without significant difference between the MetS and control groups (10.09 ± 2.21, 9.97 ± 2.38 μg/L, resp., P > 0.05). Cadmium level had positive but nonsignificant correlations with diastolic blood pressure, serum triglycerides, fasting blood glucose, LDL-C, and liver enzymes. Conclusion. Cadmium level had positive but nonsignificant association with some cardiometabolic risk factors and liver enzymes. The associations did not reach statistical significant level, and this may be because of the high levels of cadmium in both groups studied or because of the young age group of participants. Controlling environmental pollutants shall be a priority for the prevention of chronic diseases.

In recent years, interest in hemp use has grown owing to its chemical and medicinal properties. Several parts of this plant, such as seeds, leaves, flowers, and stems are used in medicine, industry, and environmental preservation. Although there were legal restrictions on hemp exploitation in some countries due to the trace presence of THC as a psychoactive element, many countries have legalized it in recent years. Cannabidiol or CBD is a non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid that can activate the endocannabinoid system and its receptors in the central and peripheral nervous system in bodies of different species. Cannabidiol has anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, analgesic, and anti-depressant effects. This review investigates various aspects of cannabidiol use and its potential in animals and humans.

Behavioral traits are the main controllable factors for domesticating cattle. The traits profoundly influence on the longevity of cattle and play a remarkable role in animal welfare assessment and animal ethics limitations determination. In the present study, the genetics of cattle behavior is discussed. Current breeding status of cattle behavioral traits is also reviewed, regarding the high individual variation of behavioral traits and almost high correlations between the traits and performance. Moreover, recent findings of characterizing quantitative trait loci (QTL) for behavioral traits of cattle is considered, as well as the most important problems in the breeding of cattle behavioral traits such as a large variety of methods which are used to evaluate the traits.