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Introduction Peppermint (Mentha piperita) is considered as one of the oldest medicinal plants. It is herbaceous and perennial belonging to the Lamiaceae family. The production of secondary metabolites in plants is influenced by the environment. Weed competition is of the most effective factors affecting crop yield in medicinal plant production systems, and can influence the quantity and quality of the essence constituents. The extent of crop yield loss depends on presence and competition duration of weeds. A period during the crop growing season in which weeds control is essential to prevent yield loss is called the critical period of weeds control. Respect to the importance of weed presence duration in yield loss, and the variability for critical period of weeds control depending on crop species and cultivar, and characteristics of weeds communities in different areas, and also because of increased interest in medicinal plants production and extraction, and limitation for herbicide application in medicinal plants, it is essential to understand different aspects of weed- peppermint competition. Therefore, the objective of this research was to acquire information about the effects of weed competition duration on peppermint growth and yield, which possibly can lead to integrate various approaches into weed management programs, and improve weed control strategies. Materials and Methods This study was conducted as a randomized complete block design with 12 treatments and three replications at research farm of the University of Guilan. Treatments were arranged in two series including weed-free and weed-infested treatments which respectively hand-weeded and un-weeded from the beginning of the growing season up to 16, 32, 48, 64, 80, and 96 days after crop planting. Peppermint cuttings with 6-8 cm height were hand-planted on 50-cm apart rows with 20 cm spacing between plants (density of 10 plants.m-2) on early May. Peppermint plants were hand-harvested 96 days after planting when 50% flowering occurred at the full-season weed-free plot. Results and Discussion Dominant weed species included barnyard-grass (Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv.), yellow foxtail (Setaria glauca (L.) Beauv.), annual nutsedge (Cyperus difformis L.), crab-grass (Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop), knotgrass (Paspalum distichum L.), common cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium L.), spurge (Euphorbia indica Lam.) and redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.). Maximum height of peppermint (71.2 cm) was observed in treatments with at least 32 weed-free and at most 32 weed-infested days from the beginning of the growing season. In the other treatments, final height of peppermint plants reduced by 9.1%. Nod number per stem (22 nodes) was not influenced by weed control or interference. The maximum branch number per plant (37.1) was observed in treatments with at least 32 weed-free and at most 48 weed-infested days. The minimum branch number per plant was observed in the full-season weed-infested treatment (14.6) and also in the treatment that hand weeded just 16 days from the beginning of the growing season (17.6). The maximum dry weight of peppermint at harvest (193.62 g.m-2) was observed in treatments with at least 48 weed-free and at most 32 weedinfested days. The minimum dry weight of peppermint was 30.06 g.m-2 and belonged to the treatments including at least 64 weed-infested days, and also to the treatment was weed-infested from 16 days after planting up to the end of the growth seaso. Biological yield of peppermint in full-season weed-free treatment was 2044 kg.ha-1. For control treatments, weedy condition during 16, 32, 48, 64, and 80 days led to a biological yield loss of 0.3, 3.2, 7.8, 27.9, and 87.2%, respectively, whereas for infested treatments, weedy condition during 16, 32, 48, 64, and 80 days caused 4.8, 15.6, 41.5, 75.1, and 87.7% biological yield loss, respectively. Also 91.3% reduction was recorded for biological yield of full-season un-weeded treatment. The highest percentage and yield of peppermint essence were observed in treatments of 64, 80, and 96-day weed-free (3.38% and 68.30 kg.ha-1). The least essence percentage was 0.48% and was recorded for 96-day (full-season) weed-infested treatment. The least essence yield was belonged to 96, 80 and 64-day weed-infested, and 16-day weed-free treatments (4.4 kg.ha-1). Conclusion In general, the growth and yield of peppermint diminished with decreasing weed-free duration and increasing weed-infested duration. Full-season weed competition compared to the full-season weed-free control, reduced height, branch number, biological yield, essence percentage, and essence yield of peppermint by 13.5, 61.1, 91.3, 86.3, and 98.8%, respectively. These results support the importance of weed management in peppermint, as weeding was necessary from 22 to 49 days after peppermint planting by accepting up to 5% yield loss, and from 29 to 42 days by accepting up to 10% yield loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haleh Heizomi,1 Kamiar Kouzekanani,2 Mohammad Asghari Jafarabadi,3,4 Hamid Allahverdipour5 1Department of Health Education and Promotion, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; 2College of Education and Human Development, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, USA; 3Road Traffic Injury Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; 4Department of Statistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; 5Research Center of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Department of Health Education and Promotion, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, IranCorrespondence: Hamid AllahverdipourResearch Center of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Department of Health Education and Promotion, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 14711, IranTel/Fax +98-411-3344731Email allahverdipourh@tbzmed.ac.irBackground: Due to the lack of an instrument to measure mental health literacy among Persian/Farsi speaking people, this study was conducted to examine the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Mental Health Literacy Scale (P-MHLS).Participants and Methods: The 2019 cross-sectional study with 992 participants was conducted in Tabriz, Iran. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were performed to establish the construct validity of the P-MHLS. The internal consistency/reliability was estimated by computing Cronbach’s coefficient alpha. Feasibility of the scale was examined and item response theory (IRT) models were applied to characterize the test items.Results: An exploratory factor analysis of data resulted in five factors, which included 30 of the 35 items and accounted for 42.00% of the variance. The construct validity of the 5-factor model was supported by the results of our confirmatory factor analysis. The factors were the 1) ability to recognize mental disorders, 2) confidentiality of mental health practitioners, 3) skills of mental health information seeking, 4) beliefs about mental illnesses, and 5) attitudes toward patients with mental illness.Conclusion: The study provides initial support for the use of the MHLS among Persian/Farsi speaking adults to assess mental health literacy.Keywords: mental health literacy, reliability, validity

Hamid Allahverdipour,1 Mohammad Asghari Jafarabadi,2,3 Andrea Burri,4 Zeinab Javadivala5 1Research Center of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Health Education and Promotion, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; 2Road Traffic Injury Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; 3Department of Statistics and Epidemiology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; 4Institute for Sex Counselling and Sexual Sciences (ISCSS), Zurich, Switzerland; 5Department of Health Education and Promotion, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, IranCorrespondence: Zeinab JavadivalaDepartment of Health Education and Promotion, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 14711, Iran+98-411-3344731Email zjavadivala791@gmail.comObjective: Menopause-related symptoms can strongly affect health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in most peri-menopausal women. The aim of the present study was to explore the psychometric properties of a culturally adapted and translated Persian version of the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS).Study Design: The study was conducted on a random sample of 270 middle-aged women (age range 40– 60 yrs) selected from 25 urban health service centers across Tabriz, Iran. Content validity was evaluated by a panel of 11 experts. Construct validity was assessed by exploratory factor analyses with Varimax rotation and principal axis factoring extraction method and by confirmatory factor analyses. Internal consistency and test–retest reliability were assessed with Cronbach’s alpha and intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), respectively. In addition, the feasibility of the measure was judged based on ceiling and floor effects.Results: Content validity of the measure was good with a mean content validity index (CVI) and mean content validity ratio (CVR) of 0.88 and 0.94, respectively. Exploratory factor analyses identified three factors accounting for 47.69% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analyses found the original three-factor model to have the best fit to the data. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (0.85) and the test–retest reliability score (0.91) indicated good internal consistency.Conclusion: The Persian version of the MRS demonstrated excellent reliability and validity. It can therefore be used in both clinical and research settings to assess menopause-related symptoms and associated quality of life.Keywords: Menopause Rating Scale, psychometric, menopause, Persian

Leila Zhianfar,1 Haidar Nadrian,2 Mohammad Asghari Jafarabadi,3 Fatemeh Espahbodi,4 Abdolreza Shaghaghi1 1Health Education & Promotion Department, Faculty of Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; 2Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; 3Epidemiology and Biostatistics Department, Faculty of Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; 4Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, IranCorrespondence: Abdolreza ShaghaghiHealth Education & Promotion Department, Faculty of Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Golgasht Ave, Tabriz, P.C 516667411, IranTel +98 41 33376227Email ar.shaghaghi@gmail.comPurpose: A multimodal intervention designed and executed to improve therapeutic regimen adherence and quality of life in a sample of Iranian hemodialysis patients. Its feasibility and impact was assessed post intervention.Patients and Methods: This randomized controlled trial (RCT) study was conducted at two hemodialysis wards of the Shahrvand hospital located in Sari, the capital city of the Mazandaran province, north of Iran. The study sample included patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) receiving outpatient hemodialysis treatment. Considering 10% attrition, 70 registered patients were randomly categorized into intervention and control groups. The proposed intervention included playing of relevant educational video tracks, conducting eight cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) group sessions, and telephone-based peer support. Data were collected applying a set of questionnaires including sociodemographic, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-SF), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Patient Satisfaction with Nursing Care Quality Questionnaire (PSNCQQ), End-Stage Renal Disease Adherence Questionnaire (ESRD-AQ) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-SF) scale. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected at baseline in both groups and the postintervention assessment was performed in the intervention and nonintervention groups after one month and three months.Results: A significant change in the self-reported depression symptoms (P=0.001), mean social support score (P=0.001), nursing care satisfaction score (P=0.001), quality of life score (P=0.001) and interdialytic weight gain (IDWG) (P=0.001) was observed among the participants in the intervention group compared to the baseline measures. The highest rise in the ESRD-AQ scores within the intervention group was observed after one month of intervention (mean difference=131.88) compared to the baseline values. Same pattern of statistically significant changes in mean scores of the intervention group’s attendants in all subscales of the ESRD-AQ were also ascertained.Conclusion: This interventional study revealed that inaugurating of a feasible low-cost intervention without need to add major logistic or financial inputs into existing health-care systems, especially in resource limited contexts, is achievable. Findings of this study could provide insights into scientific basis of evidence-informed interventions applicable in the realm of health-care delivery.Keywords: hemodialysis patients, intervention, adherence

Chemical investigation of the oleo-gum resin of Ferula assa-foetida L. from Yasuj region led to the identification of five sesquiterpene coumarins namely, conferone (1), badrakemin (2), feslol (3), isosamarcandin (4) and samarcandin (5). The compounds were characterised by detailed 1D (1H and 13C) and 2D NMR (HMBC, HSQC and NOESY) experiments. Among these compounds, conferone (1) and isosamarcandin (4) are being newly reported in F. assa-foetida L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mohammad Ebrahimi Kalan,1 Jian Han,2 Ziyad Ben Taleb,3 Kristopher P Fennie,1 Mohammad Asghari Jafarabadi,4,5 Maryam Dastoorpoor,6 Nima Hajhashemi,7 Mitra Naseh,8 Shahnaz Rimaz9 1Department of Epidemiology, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA; 2Department of Biology, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC, USA; 3Department of Kinesiology, College of Nursing and Health Innovation, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA; 4Road Traffic Injury Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; 5Department of Statistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; 6Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Menopause Andropause Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran; 7Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA; 8School of Social Work, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA; 9Radiation Biology Research Center, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranCorrespondence: Shahnaz RimazRadiation Biology Research Center, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Iran of University of Medical Sciences, Shahid Hemmat Highway, Tehran 1449614535, IranTel +98- 21 86704645Email rimaz.sh@iums.ac.irBackground: Stigma against HIV profoundly affects the quality of life (QOL) of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). We aimed to assess the factors associated with QOL in PLWHA in Iran, specifically HIV-related stigma, sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.Methods: Two hundred PLWHA participated in this cross-sectional study. Data were collected using sociodemographic, stigma, and WHO-QOL-BREF questionnaires. Correlations, ANOVAs, and Student’s t-distribution tests were performed as bivariate analyses. We employed stepwise multiple linear regression analysis to explore the main factors associated with QOL domains.Results: Six domains of QOL were negatively correlated with three domains of stigma (p

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

Introduction: Obesity is a state characterized by a low-grade inflammation that leads to insulin resistance. The aim of the present study was to assess serum interleukin-18 (IL-18), interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP) and Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) in response to circuit resistance exercise in obese and normal-weight subjects with different levels of physical activity. Methods: Thirty-two healthy male students participated in the present study. Subjects were divided into 4 groups according to their BMI and level of physical activity: active obese (n=8), active non-obese (n=8), inactive obese (n=8), and inactive non-obese (n=8). To determine serum IL-6, IL-18, CRP, glucose and insulin concentrations, fasting and post-exercise blood samples were obtained. Subjects performed a bout of circuit resistance exercise in 2 sets with 10 repetitions at 60% of 1RM. Results: Obese subjects comparing non-obese ones showed significant increase in IL-6 and significant decrease in IL-18 concentrations in response to exercise (p

"n 800x600 Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} Background: Preterm delivery is a relevant public health problem. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between spontaneous preterm delivery (SPTD) before 35 and 37 weeks of gestational age and the measurement of the cervix length, cervical funneling and Cervical Gland Area (CGA), in high risk pregnant population."n"nMethods: A prospective cohort of 200 women carrying high risk pregnancies was evaluated by transvaginal sonography between 14th and 28th gestational weeks. The data were analyzed using statistical methods. A multiple linear regression model was estimated in order to examine the relationship between the gestational age at delivery and the cervical markers. A multiple logistic regression was estimated in order to analyze the factors associated to spontaneous preterm delivery and the transvaginal sonographic markers."n"nResults: Cervical length less than 18 mm and the presence of cervical funneling presented a statistically significant association with spontaneous preterm delivery before 35 weeks. The nondetection of Cervical Gland Area demonstrated a strong association with spontaneous preterm delivery before (p=0.0001, OR=169.1, CI=2.6-3.1) and 35th and 37th gestational week (p=0.001, OR=115, CI=2.12-3.5). The multiple logistic regression analysis suggested the non-detection of CGA as the only variable to reveal statistically significance association with spontaneous preterm delivery."n"nConclusion: Based on results of present study the absence of cervical gland area (CGA) can be a new and important ultrasound marker for predicting spontaneous preterm delivery and needs to confirm with future multicenter investigations.

Abstract Background Axonal sensory peripheral neuropathy is the major dose-limiting side effect of paclitaxel.Omega-3 fatty acids have beneficial effects on neurological disorders from their effects on neurons cells and inhibition of the formation of proinflammatory cytokines involved in peripheral neuropathy. Methods This study was a randomized double blind placebo controlled trial to investigate the efficacy of omega-3 fatty acids in reducing incidence and severity of paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy (PIPN). Eligible patients with breast cancer randomly assigned to take omega-3 fatty acid pearls, 640 mg t.i.d during chemotherapy with paclitaxel and one month after the end of the treatment or placebo. Clinical and electrophysiological studies were performed before the onset of chemotherapy and one month after cessation of therapy to evaluate PIPN based on "reduced Total Neuropathy Score". Results Twenty one patients (70%) of the group taking omega-3 fatty acid supplement (n = 30) did not develop PN while it was 40.7%( 11 patients) in the placebo group(n = 27). A significant difference was seen in PN incidence (OR = 0.3, .95% CI = (0.10-0.88), p = 0.029). There was a non-significant trend for differences of PIPN severity between the two study groups but the frequencies of PN in all scoring categories were higher in the placebo group (0.95% CI = (−2.06 -0.02), p = 0.054). Conclusions Omega-3 fatty acids may be an efficient neuroprotective agent for prophylaxis against PIPN. Patients with breast cancer have a longer disease free survival rate with the aid of therapeutical agents. Finding a way to solve the disabling effects of PIPN would significantly improve the patients’ quality of life. Trial registration This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01049295)

Efficient drug discovery relies on drug repurposing, an important and open research field. This work presents a novel factorization method and a practical comparison of different approaches for drug repurposing. First, we propose a novel tensor-matrix-tensor (TMT) formulation as a new data array method with a gradient-based factorization procedure. Additionally, this paper examines and contrasts four computational drug repurposing approaches-factorization-based methods, machine learning methods, deep learning methods, and graph neural networks-to fulfill the second purpose. We test the strategies on two datasets and assess each approach's performance, drawbacks, problems, and benefits based on results. The results demonstrate that deep learning techniques work better than other strategies and that their results might be more reliable. Ultimately, graph neural methods need to be in an inductive manner to have a reliable prediction., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Narrowband UVB (NB-UVB) has been shown to be effective for the treatment of early mycosis fungoides (MF) in light-skinned patients, but the effect of NB-UVB on patients with darker skin phototypes needs further investigation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of NB-UVB in the treatment of early-stage MF in Iranian patients. In this retrospective study, 24 patients with the diagnosis of early MF (9 stage AI, 15 stage IB) were enrolled. All patients were treated with NB-UVB phototherapy 2-3 times weekly. After achieving complete response, a maintenance treatment was recommended. The response rate, side effects, and recurrence rate in the follow-up period were assessed. The follow-up period was ranged 6 to 24 months. Ten patients (41.7%) had complete remission after a mean number of 42.9 treatment and mean cumulative dose of 58.11 J/cm 2 . Twelve patients (50%) had partial response, and 2 patients (8.3%) had no response. After discontinuation of maintenance treatment, 4 of 10 patients (40%) with complete remission relapsed within a mean of 5 months. Side effects were limited to erythema (12.5%) and hyperpigmentation (4%). NB-UVB is a safe and effective method for the treatment of early MF, but it seems that more treatment sessions and higher doses of NB-UVB are required for darker skin phototypes., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Essential oils extracted from the foliage of Mentha longifolia (L.) (Lamiales: Lamiaceae) and Pulicaria gnaphalodes Ventenat (Asterales: Asteraceae), and flowers of Achillea wilhelmsii C. Koch (Asterales: Asteraceae) were tested in the laboratory for volatile toxicity against two storedproduct insects, the flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum Herbst (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) and the cowpea weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus F. (Coleoptera: Bruchidae). The chemical composition of the isolated oils was examined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. InM longifolia, the major compounds were piperitenon (43.9%), tripal (14.3%), oxathiane (9.3%), piperiton oxide (5.9%), and d-limonene (4.3%). In P. gnaphalodes, the major compounds were chrysanthenyl acetate (22.38%), 2L -4L-dihydroxy eicosane (18.5%), verbenol (16.59%), dehydroaromadendrene (12.54%), β-pinen (6.43%), and 1,8 cineol (5.6%). In A. wilhelmsii, the major compounds were 1,8 cineole (13.03%), caranol (8.26%), alpha pinene (6%), farnesyl acetate (6%), and p-cymene (6%). C maculatus was more susceptible to the tested plant products than T castaneum. The oils of the three plants displayed the same insecticidal activity against C. maculatus based on LC(50) values (between 1.54µl/L air in P. gnaphalodes, and 2.65 µl/L air in A. wilhelmsii). While the oils of A. wilhelmsii and M. longifolia showed the same strong insecticidal activity against T. castaneum (LC(50) = 10.02 and 13.05 µl/L air, respectively), the oil of P. gnaphalodes revealed poor activity against the insect (LC(50) = 297.9 µl/L air). These results suggested that essential oils from the tested plants could be used as potential control agents for stored-product insects.

A solvent-free method for the direct oxidation of anilines to the corresponding azo and azoxy homocoupling products by using a planetary ball mill was developed. Various oxidants and grinding auxiliaries were tested and a variety of substituted anilines were investigated. It was possible to form chemoselectively either azo, azoxy, or the nitro compounds from reaction of aromatic anilines. The selectivity of the solvent-free reaction is switchable by applying a combination of oxidant and grinding auxiliary. Furthermore, a comparison with other methods of energy input (microwave, classical heating, and ultrasound) highlighted the advantages of the ball mill approach and its high energy efficiency.

The title compound, C(16)H(16)ClNO(3), is a Schiff base displaying a trans configuration of the C=N double bond. In the crystal structure, inter-molecular C-H⋯N and bifurcated C-H⋯(O,O) hydrogen bonds are observed.