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Background and aims: Calcium oxalate is the most well-known type of the kidney stones which no definite chemical medicinal treatment presented for it. The use of herbal products can be a good way to prevent the formation or dissolution of these stones. This study was carried out to determine Prunus avium L. tail herbal tea effect on the formation or dissolution of calcium oxalate. Methods: In this laboratory study, the herbal tea of 4.0 g dried Prunus avium L. tail in 100.0 ml double distilled water was prepared and its effect on the formation and dissolution of calcium oxalate was investigated. The solubility of this salt in mixture containing 33.3% (v/v) of herbal tea was studied by complexometery and spectroscopy methods. The concentration of Ca2+ in saturated calcium oxalate solution was determined by titration with 0.01 M Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and light emission in complexometric and spectroscopic methods, respectively. In order to investigate the formation rate of calcium oxalate salt, the titration of 0.05 M calcium chloride solution containing 33.3% (v/v) of herbal tea with 0.05 M sodium oxalate was performed. Results: The results of flame photometery, complexometery and conductometery techniques reveal that, although this herbal tea cannot have good effect on the dissolution of calcium oxalate stone, it significantly prevented the stone formation (P<0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that Prunus avium L. tail herbal tea can be a good choice to prevent diseases in people disposed to kidney stones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: One of the mechanisms that thought to underlie social anxiety disorder is dysfunction in attentional control. The current study was designed to compare attentional control deficits in the three group: normal, with social anxiety disorder and with comorbidity (social anxiety disorder and depression) students. Methods: The design of present study was causal-comparative. Statistical population of this study contained all normal female students, with social anxiety disorder, and with comorbidity of social anxiety disorder and depression in Lorestan University in academic years 2015-2016. With a single-stage cluster sampling method, 534 students completed the social anxiety and depression questionnaires. Then, according to the cutoff point of questionnaires, students were qualified enter the stage of clinical interview. Finally, 90 students, 30 students were selected in each group, and then performed color-word Stroop test. The results were analyzed with SPSS software, MANOVA and Tukey post hoc test. Results: Results showed that between social anxiety disorder and normal groups was not significant difference in the attentional control (P<0.07), but group with comorbidity of social anxiety disorder and depression significantly have a poorer performance in the attentional control task rather than Social anxiety disorder and normal groups (P<0.001). Conclusion: People with Social anxiety disorder only when showed attentional control deficiencies, they suffering from current comorbid depression. These finding revealed in addition to helping in identifying the underlying mechanisms involved in this disorder, importance therapy attention to attentional control deficiencies when person suffering from comorbidity of social anxiety and depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Cognitive models state that cognitions are organized hierarchically, so that the underlying maladaptive schemas affect behavior via superficial cognitive processes. This study aimed to determinate the mediating role of dysfunctional cognition between early maladaptive schemas and obsessive compulsive disorder. Subjects and Methods: The subjects of this descriptive-crosssectional research were 500 employees of Khuzestan steel company who were selected via multi-phases random sampling method. In this study the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R(, the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire-44 (OBQ-44), the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS), the Early Maladaptive Schemas' Questionnaire-Short Form (SQ-SF) and the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (ATQ) were used. Data was analyzed by using Pearson correlation and structural equation modeling via SPSS19 and AMOS19. Results: Results showed that the proposed model fit clinical sample extremely well. In this the model early maladaptive schemas and the dysfunctional cognition had significant direct effect on obsessive compulsive (P<0.0001). Also, dysfunctional cognition mediated between early maladaptive schemas and obsessive compulsive significantly (CI=0.14-0.31). Conclusion: Present study showed that early maladaptive schemas affect surface- level of cognitive processes. This study suggests that it is better to attend to early maladaptive schemas and dysfunctional cognition in treating obsessive compulsive disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Adsorption is one of the most common methods for VOCs elimination from waste air stream. The study on the application of a selective and cheap adsorbent with high efficiency in VOCs removal is important from economic aspects. In this study, the potential of MnO/GAC and MgO/GAC composites was investigated for toluene adsorption from air stream at lab scale. Material and methods: The MnO/GAC and MgO/GAC adsorbents were prepared through Sol-gel method and then were characterized using BET, XRF, and SEM analysis. The effect of operational parameters including; retention time (0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, and 4 S), inlet toluene concentration (100, 200, 300, and 400 ppmv) and the temperature of the air stream (25, 50, 75, and 100 ˚C) were examined on the efficiency of both adsorbents. The efficiency of MnO/GAC and MgO/GAC were determined from the breakthrough time and adsorption capacity and the results were compared statistically. Results: The breakthrough time of MnO/GAC and MgO/GAC adsorbents increased 90% by increasing retention time from 0.5 to 4 S. Adsorption capacity of MgO/GAC and MnO/GAC was increased 39and 61.1% by increasing inlet toluene concentration from 100 to 400 ppmv, respectively. Breakthrough time of MgO/GAC and MnO/GAC decreased 65 and 59% by increasing inlet toluene concentration from 100 to 400 ppmv, respectively. The efficiency of MgO/GAC and MnO/GAC adsorbents had a direct relationship with the increase of air temperature from 25 to 100 ˚C. Accordingly, the efficiency of MgO/GAC and MnO/GAC was increased 78 and 32% by increasing air temperature, respectively. Conclusion: The results of the study showed that MgO/GAC and MnO/GAC adsorbents had high efficiency in toluene removal from air stream. The difference between the efficiency of MgO/GAC and MnO/GAC adsorbents was significant and MgO/GAC adsorbent showed higher efficiency than MnO/GAC for toluene adsorption from waste air. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Social capital refers to the norms and networks that make people to cooperate in social actions for gaining reciprocal advantages. Focusing of its importance on health, the aim of this study was to evaluate social capital in the students of Jahrom University of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was done on 180 students of Jahrom University of Medical Sciences in the fields of medicine, public health, nursing, laboratory sciences, anesthesia ,and operation roomusing simple random sampling in 2014. Bullen social capital questionnaire was used for data collection. Data analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA, t-test and Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results: The results showed that among all the social capital issues, the highest average (56.29±20.56) belonged to the“communication with friends and family” and the lowest average (41.56±20.39) to the “participation in the community activities”. Also social capital showed a significant association with the variables such as educational level, educational field, marital status, place of residence and indigenous status (p<0.05). Conclusion: Considering the significant association of the social capital with the educational and demographic variables s, interventions by stakeholders may increase the social capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Meningitis is an infectious disease which could lead to mortality in case of outbreak in society, especially in dormitories, schools and resting houses. The aim of this study was to assess the geographical distribution of meningitis in Iran by Geographic Information System. Materials and methods: In a cross-sectional study all cases of bacterial meningitis in 30 provinces in Iran during 2013 were investigated using existing data. Initially, the national data from meningitis was collected from the disease management offices. The incidence of meningitis in each province was calculated by epidemiologic forms. Then, these data were arranged in a geo-referenced database at provincial level in the Arc-GIS software. Results: In 2013, 8411cases with bacterial meningitis were reported in Iran. In 250 cases (3%) meningitis was confirmed, in 1823 (22%) the disease was detected as probable and 6338 cases (75%) were suspected to have meningitis. The patients were 40.7% female. Most of the infected individuals were reported from Qazvin, Mazandaran and Kurdestan provinces. Conclusion: Based on maps, it seems that Qazvin, Mazandaran and Kurdestan provinces have either increased risk of meningitis or have a dynamic care system in which reports to the Centers for Disease Control and vaccine-preventable diseases management offices are fully made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: PAHs are main components of urban air pollution and are mutagenic for human being. Seasonal variations have effects on the amount of exposure to PAHs. The objectives of this research were to determine the amount of newsagent's exposure to PAHs found in the urban atmosphere of Tehran City during warm and cold periods and comparing exposure levels in two periods. Materials and Methods: The assessment of personal exposure was performed based on NIOSH method 5515 and was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Mann- Whitney test was used to determine the effects of seasonal variation on the amount of newsagent's exposure to PAHs. Results: The mean levels of newsagent's exposure to benzo[a]pyrene in the south area of Tehran City were 0.148±0.010 and 0.417±0.041 &mug/m3 in summer and autumn seasons respectively. The amount was higher than the mean levels of newsagent's exposure in other geographic areas of city. The levels of newsagent's exposure to all PAHs (p<0.001) were significantly higher in autumn compared with summer. Conclusion: The levels of exposure to PAHs during autumn were 2 to 3 fold higher than the levels of exposure during summer. Newsagents in the south area of Tehran City were experiencing higher levels of exposures to PAHs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]