Search

this study, regarding the importance and significance of self-concept in children's psychological health and considering the strong role of art in meeting psychological needs, aimed at investigating the effect of poetry reading on the self-concept of Adolescents. This study was a classic experimental design of pre-test and posttest with two groups of intervention and control in the academic year 2016–2017. The research population included Adolescents who were studying in the city of Aq Qaladar in the province of Golestan, Iran. Sixty students. Data collecting tools included two questionnaires and "Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept" scale. The experimental groups were provided with poetry reading in eight group sessions of 60 min for 4 weeks. The poems were approved by 10 teachers with 10 years of experience, and the supervisor. Finally, paired t-test and independent t-test were used to analyze data using SPSS 16 (SPSS Statistics is a software package used for interactive, or batched, statistical analysis). Adolescents self-concept in the control group was 57.9(4.33) and in the experimental group 62.4(4.28) out of 80 questionnaires which showed a significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.001). Which demonstrated the effectiveness of poetry reading on Adolescents self-concept. Considering the positive impact of poetry reading on adolescent self-esteem, this intervention is recommended to improve adolescent self-esteem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Toxoplasmosis is highly prevalent in northern Iran and immunocompromised individuals are more susceptible to this infection. The present study aimed to determine the seroprevalence, parasitism and genetic diversity of Toxoplasma gondii among patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy in northern Iran. Methods A total of 350 serum samples obtained from cancer patients were collected from laboratory centers in northern Iran. Immunodiagnosis and DNA detection were accomplished by ELISA and PCR. Thereafter, multiplex-nested PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism was used for the genotyping of T. gondii. Results In general, out of 350 patients, 264 (75.4%) and 9 (2.57%) cases were positive for anti- T. gondii IgG and IgM, respectively. Moreover, 19 (5.43%) samples contained T. gondii DNA. From 19 positive samples, 10 high-quality samples with sharp and non-smear bands were selected to determine the genotypes of T. gondii. Accordingly, the samples were classified as genotype #1 (type II clonal; n=4, 40%), genotype #2 (type III clonal; n=3, 30%), genotype #10 (type I clonal; n=2, 20%) and genotype #27 (type I variant; n=1, 10%). Conclusions As evidenced by the results, due to the high prevalence of T. gondii , cancer patients in northern Iran are at serious risk of severe toxoplasmosis and its complications. Therefore, oncologists need to regard this critical health problem as a matter requiring urgent attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: "Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program )NIDCAP(" is a caring approach based on individual neonatal behaviors that provides preventive measures for injuries caused by environmental stimuli. The present study aimed to investigate the barriers to the implementation of NIDCAP from the perspectives of nurses and physicians. Methods: This descriptive-comparative included 100 nurses and 21 physicians working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). They were selected using a complete enumeration sampling method. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were determined in this study. The data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 25) through descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: According to the nurses' perspective, the most imperative hurdles to the implementation of NIDCAP were environmental-structural, human resources, and communicational barriers. On the other hand, environmental structural barriers obtained the highest score by the physicians and were placed in the first rank contrary to the management and human resources barriers that were placed in the second rank with equal scores. Furthermore, family-based care and communication were not considered obstacles to the implementation of the NIDCAP. Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, environmental-structural barriers were considered the main hurdles to the implementation of NIDCAP. Therefore, hospital administrators should make efforts to eradicate the existing barriers by making appropriate decisions in order to improve the quality of this method of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycogen storage diseases are a group of inborn error of metabolism and characterized by accumulation of glycogen in various tissues. The overall incidence of glycogen storage diseases is estimated 1 per 20,000-43,000 live births. There are twelve distinct diseases that are commonly considered to be glycogen storage diseases and classified based on enzyme deficiency and affected tissue. We searched all review articles and books in the national and international databases which considered as inherited metabolic disorders and the genetic associations of these disorders. A large number of enzymes intervene in the synthesis and degradation of glycogen which is regulated by hormones. Several hormones, including insulin, glucagon and cortisol regulate the relationship between glycolysis, glycogenosis, and glycogen synthesis. These diseases are divided into three major groups: disorders that affected liver, disorders that affected muscle and those which are generalized. Glycogen storage diseases are called by a Roman numerical that reflects the historical sequence of their discovery by an enzyme defect or by the author's name of the first description. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trichostrongylus species remain one of the major health challenges in the tropical and summer rainfall regions worldwide. Identification of strongylid species diagnostic methods is vital for obtaining a deep understanding of the epidemiology, population biology, anthelmintic treatment efficacy, and drug resistance in order to design effective parasite control strategies. We evaluated a multiplex RE-PCR for the diagnosis of key Trichostrongylus spp. Genomic DNA amplification of Trichostrongylus colubriformis , Trichostrongylus axei and Trichostrongylus vitrinus was achieved as standard sample using specific primers located in the second internal transcribed spacer (ITSII) of nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA). The mentioned method was based on isolation of Trichostrongylus ova from human fecal samples using Willis method, the extraction of ova genomic DNA samples, followed by rDNA ITSII PCR and one-step multiplex RE-PCR using three restriction enzymes of Hinf I, Dra I, and Mse I. The multiplex RE-PCR technique provides a useful tool for discriminating all Trichostrongylus spp., being useful for diagnostic, epidemiological, ecological studies, and control programs. This method is rapid, especially when numerous restriction enzymes are required for species differentiation or identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by an intercellular protozoan called Toxoplasma gondii. Toxoplasma has global expansion and its prevalence is different in regions according to geographical conditions, habits and history of contact with cats. The present study determined the seroepidemiology of toxoplasma in pregnant women attending health centers in two cities in north of Iran. Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 289 pregnant women who referred to health centers in Ramsar and Tonekabon were randomly selected. After the debriefing questionnaire, blood samples were taken from the subjects. Then IgG and IgM antibodies against T. gondii were examined by ELISA method. Finally the data was analyzed in SPSS Results: Positive IgG and IgM anti-Toxoplasma antibody were found in 170 (58.8%) and 7 (2.4%) expectant mothers, respectively. Among the participants four (1.4%) were positive for both IgM and IgG and 116 (40.1%) were negative for both types of antibodies. There was no significant relation between the possible risk of T. gondii infection and pregnant women's place of living, educational level, age, occupation, exposure to cats, and the consumption of raw meat. Conclusion: This study demonstrates a high prevalence of Toxoplasma among pregnant women in Ramsar and Tonekabon. Hence, more training are necessary to raise awareness especially in pregnant women [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]