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Background and Objectives: Human milk has properties that can be absorbed in terms of quality and quantity, providing the energy and growth of the child. The theory of planned behavior is one of the patterns of behavior change aimed at determining the main behavior. In this model, the intention itself is affected by three independent constructs: attitude, abstract norm, and control. The present study aimed to assess the factors affecting the tendency towards exclusive breastfeeding based on the theory of planned behavior in mothers referring to comprehensive health centers in Abadan and Khorramshahr in 2022-2023. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 162 nursing mothers in Khorramshahr and Abadan in 2022 using multi-stage sampling. In this study, the theory of planned behavior (TPB) questionnaire was used. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was also used to check the reliability of the tool. Data were analyzed in AMOS software (version 24). Results: This study was conducted on 162 lactating mothers living in Abadan and Khorramshahr. In the descriptive statistics analysis, the highest and lowest mean scores were related to attitude level (34.96) and behavioral intention (11.24). Moreover, the correlation between demographic factors and breastfeeding revealed that some variables, such as parents' education, exerted a marked effect on exclusive breastfeeding. Conclusion: The results of the study pointed out that more than half of the children under six months were exclusively breastfed, and the initiation of breastfeeding in the first two hours of birth is one of the most important factors affecting breastfeeding. Health policymakers need to devote close attention to strengthening the child's breastfeeding attitude as soon as possible.

Introduction: Gestational diabetes (GDM) is one of the most important causes of complications during pregnancy and has a high prevalence, so it is essential to identify the factors affecting its physiopathology as a way to prevent and treat it. Therefore, the present study was performed with aim to investigate the serum level of vitamin D in healthy and diabetic pregnant women. Methods: This case-control study was conducted in 2022-2023 on 198 pregnant women (99 with gestational diabetes and 99 without gestational diabetes in the control group) referred to the treatment centers of Abadan University of Medical Sciences. After obtaining consent from the subjects and recording demographic information, serum vitamin D levels were also recorded. Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 24) and Independent T and Pearson correlation tests. P

Background: Gum arabic (GA) contains anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds and protects tissues. Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the protective effect of GA on the spinal cord’s motor neurons after ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) injury. Materials & Methods: Thirty-five male rats (Sprague-Dawley) were randomly divided into five groups: Intact, sham surgery, control (4 mL/kg distilled water+I/R), low-dose gum arabic (GA 1 g/kg+I-R), and high-dose gum arabic (GA 4 g/kg+I-R). In the experimental groups, oral gavages’ treatment was performed for 21 days before surgery. Three days after I-R, the rats were evaluated for neurological function, biochemical, and histological analysis. Results: The mean motor deficit index (MDI) in the GA groups versus the control group was significantly lower (P

Background: Vitamin C is a micronutrient with anti-inflammatory and free radical scavenging properties that can strengthen the body’s immune system. In this study, it was attempted to assess the clinical efficiency of oral vitamin C in treating COVID-19. Materials and Methods: This double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on 401 patients hospitalized in Taleghani hospital, Abadan, over 18 years of age and with confirmed COVID-19 infection, from November 2020 to May 2021. The patients were randomly assigned to intervention groups (201 people, two tablets per day, each containing 500 mg of vitamin C) and the control group (200 people, placebo, containing starch received for five days). Improvements in clinical symptoms, death from baseline to the 28-day follow-up after the intervention, hospital length of stay, and laboratory values of C-reactive protein (CRP) were some of the considered outcome variables. Results: No significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of the daily improvement of clinical symptoms and the odds of healing from each symptom increased by about 48-50%. The difference in the length of hospital stay between the two groups was close to significant (P=0.051). There was no significant difference in mortality between the two groups (P=0.8). There was no difference between the two groups in the laboratory parameters, except for alkaline phosphatase (P=0.03). Conclusion: Vitamin C had no significant effect on improving patients’ clinical symptoms such as fatigue, fever, cough, and shortness of breath.

Introduction and purpose: Critical thinking and progress orientation are effective in developing entrepreneurial traits in undergraduate students. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of investigating the relationship between critical thinking tendency and progress goal orientation with entrepreneurial traits among students of Abadan University of Medical Sciences. Methods: The present study was a descriptive-analytical study. The statistical population of the study was the undergraduate students of Abadan University of Medical Sciences in 2022and 139 respondents were randomly selected. The research instruments included three questionnaires on critical thinking tendency, goal orientation of progress and measurement of entrepreneurship characteristics. To analyze the data from descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and analytical statistics (two-sample t-tests (Mann-Whitney), analysis of variance (Kruskal-Wallis), correlation coefficient according to Pearson or Spearman) , the software SPSS. 26 was used with a significance level of 0.05. Results: A statistically significant correlation was found between the variables of entrepreneurial characteristics and goal-progress (P-value

Introduction: Diabetes causes testicular damage due to oxidative stress. Nowadays, the use of vitamins and antioxidants is one of the common methods to treat this disease. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the effect of single and combined administration of these two substances on the reproductive system of male diabetic rats. Method and materials: In this study, 48 adult male Wistar rats weighing 250–270 grammes were divided into 6 groups: Control group, diabetic group, vehicle group, vitamin E, curcumin group, and vitamin E and curcumin group. The control group was the healthy group, and in the other groups, the rats were made diabetic by streptozotocin (60 mg/kg/ip). The vehicle group received 1 ml of olive oil, the vitamin E group (100 mg/kg/ip) received Vit.E, and the curcumin group (50 mg/kg/ip) received Cu. The group of rats received vitamin E and curcumin. At the end of the sixth week after treatment, blood was taken from the rats and biochemical analysis was performed to check the amount of malondialdehyde (MDA), LH hormones and serum testosterone, then the rats were killed and their testes and epididymides were removed. The weight of the testes and sperm parameters, the maturity of sperm nuclei and the integrity of their DNA were checked. The number of spermatogenic cells was determined by histological examination. Results: This study showed that diabetes caused a decrease in testicular weight, sperm count, motility, and viability, an increased percentage of sperm with immature nuclei, and an increased percentage of sperm with denatured DNA. In addition, diabetes decreased the average number of matogenic sperm, and biochemical results showed that diabetes increased the level of MDA and decreased the level of the hormones LH and testosterone. Treatment with vitamin E, curcumin and their combination improved all these parameters, and this improvement was significant in the Toam group. Conclusion: Combined administration of vitamin E and curcumin in diabetic rats significantly improves sperm parameters, matogenic sperm count, and improves MDA levels, LH, and serum testosterone compared with separate treatment.

Introduction and purpose: Paying attention to students' growth and academic progress and the related affecting factors are among the necessary strategies to improve education. Students' social health can increase their performance in various fields, including academic motivation and academic progress. Therefore, this study was designed and implemented to investigate the role of social health in the motivation and academic progress of students at Abadan University of Medical Sciences, Abadan, Iran. Methods: The present study was descriptive, analytical, and cross-sectional. The study samples (n=260) were the students of Abadan University of Medical Sciences. The data collection tools included a demographic characteristics form, the Social Health Questionnaire, the Academic Motivation Questionnaire, and the overall grade point average as a measure of academic progress. Data were analyzed at a significance level of 0.05 using SPSS 26 statistical software. Results: The results of the study showed that in general, there was no significant correlation between social health and grade point average (academic progress) (P

Abstract Background Smokeless tobacco (SLT) products are gaining popularity around the globe, particularly in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Among these products, Nass (aka Naswar) is popular among the Turkmen ethnicity in Iran. Although several studies reported nicotine dependence (ND) among SLT users, psychometric instruments have never been utilized to specifically measure ND among Nass users. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Fagerström Tolerance Questionnaire (FTQ) among Turkmen Nass users. Methods A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted in June-December 2018 among 411 Turkmen adults who currently (past 30 days) used Nass. Two bilinguals (Persian English) individuals translated and back-translated the FTQ-SLT, which maintained both the questionnaire's accuracy and cultural sensitivity. Construct validity was assessed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Results The mean age and standard deviation for initiating Nass were 22.5 ± 11.81 years. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis indicated a single-factor solution with 8-items that captured several important ND components. Using Nass frequently, soon after waking, when sick, and experiencing a craving were some of the main components. Subgroups comparison revealed that higher scores occurred among those who were married, had Nass user(s) in their immediate family, and consumed bulk form of Turkmen Nass directly without using a tissue. Conclusion Our findings show that the FTQ- SLT is a fairly reliable and valid scale to measure ND among Turkmen Nass users and warrants further testing to accommodate cross-cultural differences in other populations.

Introduction and purpose: Goal orientation is one of the determining variables in the quality of the learning process and academic progress of people. Therefore, this study was designed and implemented to investigate the relationship between goal orientation and academic achievement among the students of Abadan University of Medical Sciences, Abadan, Iran. Methods: The present study was a descriptive-analytical correlational research that was conducted cross-sectionally in 2022-2023. The sampling method was stratified and clustered. The study sample consisted of 259 students from Abadan University of Medical Sciences. The data collection tool was the Academic Goal Orientation Questionnaire of Buffard et al. (1998), and the students' grade point average (GPA) in the last semester was used as the measure of their academic status. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26 and AMOS 24 software. Results: The average age of the students was 24.3 (±2.4) years and their average last semester GPA was 16.57 (±1.25). The average score of the failure avoidance component was 20.32 (± 4.11), performance 14.08 (± 5.58), and goal-mastery 9.43 (± 3.82). The correlation coefficient showed that although there was a positive relationship between goal orientation components and academic achievement, it was not significant. The correlation coefficient also showed that the academic semester had a positive and significant relationship with the components of performance orientation and mastery orientation; however, it had a negative relationship with failure avoidance. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, no significant relationship was found between the three components of goal orientation and academic achievement. It can be suggested that educational planners provide and improve educational conditions in such a way that students move towards mastery and performance goals and move away from avoidance orientation.

Abstract Background: Oxidative stress is a major contributor to diabetes mellitus (DM), which leads to testicular damage and infertility. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of glibenclamide (GL) as a chemical medicine and troxerutin (TR) as an herbal agent on sperm parameters and histopathological changes of testis in diabetic male rats. Materials and Methods: Forty male Wistar rats (230-260 gr) were randomly divided into 5 groups (n = 8/each), including control, diabetic (D), GL, TR, and GL+TR. DM was induced by the administration of 60 mg/kg streptozotocin intraperitoneally. The groups were treated with 5 mg/kg/day of GL or 150 mg/kg/day of TR via oral gavage for 4 wk. In the final stage of the treatment, blood sampling was done for biochemical analysis. The rats were then sacrificed and their left testis and epididymis were dissected for sperm analysis, histopathology, and morphometric assessment. Results: A significant decrease in the number, motility, viability, maturity, and chromatin quality of sperm was found in diabetic rats compared to control group. (p < 0.001). DM also increased the malondialdehyde level and decreased the level of the serum's total antioxidant capacity compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Furthermore, we observed a significant difference in seminiferous tubule diameter, germinal epithelium height, and testicular histological abnormalities in diabetic rats compared to control group (p < 0.001). Administration of GL, TR, and their combination improved the above-mentioned parameters, and treatment with TR provided a higher improvement (p < 0.001). Conclusion: According to these findings, it can be concluded that TR plays a more influential role than GL to treat diabetic-induced infertility.

Purpose: Reduced angiogenesis in the heart tissue is a primary risk factor for heart disease in the diabetes condition. This study was aimed to evaluate the changes of two main angiogenesis mediators, NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) and sirtuin 1 (SIRT-1) protein levels in the heart of diabetic rats and the impact of Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and exercise on these proteins. Methods: Injection of 60 mg/kg of streptozotocin in 40 male Wistar rats led to the induction of type 1 diabetes. Angiogenesis was detected in the hearts by immunostaining for PECAM-1/ CD31 after 30 days of treatment with IGF-1 (2 mg/kg/day) and exercise. ELISA technique was utilized to establish the expression levels of NOX4 and SIRT-1 within the heart. Results: The results revealed a significant increase in HbA1c and a significant decrease in SIRT1, NOX4 levels and angiogenesis grade in the heart of diabetes group compared to control group. Meanwhile, IGF-1 and exercise alone or in combination completely masked these effects. Additionally, synergistic effect on SIRT-1, HbA1c levels and angiogenesis grade is evident when IGF-1 and exercise are applied simultaneously. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that reduction in angiogenesis in the heart of diabetic rats may be mediated by down expression of NOX4 and SIRT-1 protein levels. It was also displayed that IGF-1 and exercise as novel therapies increase NOX4 and SIRT-1 protein levels within the hearts of diabetic rats.

Background: The burden of care on caregivers of patients with neurological disorders leads to a reduction in their quality of life, quality of care, and thus reduction in the quality of life of the patient. Identifying the determinants of burden with the aim of improving the quality of caregiver interventions is helpful. The aim of this study was to determine the burden on caregivers of patients with neurological disorders and related factors. Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, 202 caregivers of patients with neurological disorders of Golestan Province, Iran, that were under care due to neurological damage were selected via convenience method. The instruments were a demographic checklist, Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI), and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). The Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney test, and Pearson and Spearman correlation tests by SPSS software. Findings: Eighty-eight percent of caregivers were under the moderate and severe burden of care. It was observed that the mean burden of caregivers of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) was significantly lower than the mean burden of caregivers of other patients (P = 0.003). The results of the present study also showed that caregivers of patients with very little power experienced significantly more caregiving burden than caregivers of patients with very high power (P = 0.008). Conclusion: According to the findings of the study, due to the high level of burden of care, support of patients' families is effective in reducing this burden. In an effort to minimize these problems and reduce the burden of care, it is appropriate to develop a proper referral system, formal preparation for care, and a family care training program prior to discharge from the hospital.

Background and Objectives The Covid-19 pandemic inevitably turned most classrooms into virtual classrooms. E-learning and classroom management style are two important factors known to affect the quality of education. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between classroom management styles and teachers' attitudes toward E-learning in Abadan University of Medical Sciences. Material and Methods In this cross-sectional analytical study conducted in 1399, teachers of basic and clinical sciences of Abadan University of Medical Sciences were surveyed by census method. The research tools were two questionnaires: classroom management style and teachers' attitudes toward E-learning. Data analysis was performed using Wilcoxon test and regression through SPSS 21 software. Results 76 male teachers and 69 female teachers paBackground and ObjectivesThe Covid-19 pandemic inevitably turned most classrooms into virtual classrooms. E-learning and classroom management style are two important factors known to affect the quality of education. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between classroom management styles and teachers' attitudes toward E-learning in Abadan University of Medical Sciences.Material and Methods In this cross-sectional analytical study conducted in 1399, teachers of basic and clinical sciences of Abadan University of Medical Sciences were surveyed by census method. The research tools were two questionnaires: classroom management style and teachers' attitudes toward E-learning. Data analysis was performed using Wilcoxon test and regression through SPSS 21 software.Results76 male teachers and 69 female teachers participated in the study. In the field of E-learning, the highest and lowest mean were related to multimedia education (1/57 ± 3/92) and feeling of satisfaction (1/3 ± 3/04), respectively. In the field of classroom management, education had the highest mean (3/03 ± 0/3) while human resources had the lowest mean (2/49 ± 0/34). No significant relationship was observed between attitudes toward E-learning and classroom management. Conclusion A positive attitude towards E-learning and dissatisfaction with classroom management can make the educational process difficult for both teachers and students. It is recommended to use new educational methods and strengthen the E-learning infrastructure, train and motivate teachers and avoid island management.rticipated in the study. In the field of E-learning, the highest and lowest mean were related to multimedia education (1/57 ± 3/92) and feeling of satisfaction (1/3 ± 3/04), respectively. In the field of classroom management, education had the highest mean (3/03 ± 0/3) while human resources had the lowest mean (2/49 ± 0/34). No significant relationship was observed between attitudes toward E-learning and classroom management.Conclusion A positive attitude towards E-learning and dissatisfaction with classroom management can make the educational process difficult for both teachers and students. It is recommended to use new educational methods and strengthen the E-learning infrastructure, train and motivate teachers and avoid island management. Extended Abstract Background and Objectives The Covid-19 pandemic called for the virtualization of most classes. E-learning and classroom management style are two important factors known to affect the quality of education. University teachers are obliged to transfer their knowledge to students in the teaching process in the classroom, and obviously every student has a different learning background. Thus, teachers must have the ability to resort to different methods of teaching and classroom management to be able to manage these different abilities. In other words, there is no bigger challenge for teachers than to accommodate the individual behavior of students, and certainly individual behaviors cannot be managed if the teacher can draw on only a single method. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between classroom management styles and teachers' attitudes toward E-learning in Abadan University of Medical Sciences.Material and MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted analytically with the aim of investigating the attitudes of the teachers of Abadan University of Medical Sciences towards E-learning and its relationship with management styles in 2020. The study population included all teachers of basic and clinical sciences of Abadan University of Medical Sciences. Sampling was performed through census method. The inclusion criteria was having two years’ experience of teaching, teaching more than two credits per semester (at least in two consecutive semesters), holding regular classes in each semester. Data collection tools included two questionnaires: "Classroom Management" and "E-Learning". Data analysis was performed to compare the mean of attitudes towards E-learning and classroom management with the median value of the potential range of scores. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used, in which the mean score considered for E-learning attitude questionnaire was 2.5 ( the scores ranging from 1-4) while it was considered 4 and for the management style questionnaire(the scores ranging from 1-7).In order to examine the relationship between attitudes to e-learning and management style, regression analysis was used in two simple (univariate) modes after adjustment for other (multiple) variables. Data analysis was performed, using SPSS statistical software version 21 at a significance level of 0.05. Results 76 male teachers and 69 female teachers participated in the study. The results showed that concerning attitude towards E-learning, the highest mean was for "multimedia education" and the lowest mean was related to "feeling of satisfaction" in the use of E-learning among the teachers of Abadan University of Medical Sciences. Having studied the three domains of management, we found the domain of "education" to have the highest mean, and the domain of "human resources" the lowest one. But the overall median score of the teachers' classroom management was significantly lower than the median score range. Based on the overall score, the teachers were divided into three groups: interventionist, interactive and non-interventionist professors, of whom 119 (82.1 percent) were interactive professors and 26 others (17.9 percent) were interventionist. Comparing the attitudes of interactive and interventionist teachers towards E-learning, we found interventionist teachers to have a slightly higher mean score of satisfaction with using E-learning and multimedia education than interactive teachers, although these differences were not significant at 0.05 level of significance. Examining the relationship between attitudes toward E-learning and classroom management status, we observed no significant relationship in any of the areas and in general, after controlling for the effect of gender variables and teachers' job status, these relationships were not significant. Conclusion The findings of this study showed that the score of feeling satisfied with E-learning and multimedia training in the group of interventionist teachers is higher than that among interactive teachers. This difference can be due to the use of more educational methods by interventionist teachers compared to their interactive counterparts. Considering the lower score of the human resources management dimension in the present study and the importance of this dimension in the management of learners, it seems that the teachers of Abadan University of Medical Sciences should spend more time initiating interaction and enhancing knowledge of students. Also, measures should be taken to expand the interactive management style by the faculty members. It is recommended to use the desired model and strengthen the e-learning infrastructure, train and motivate teachers and avoid scattered management. Practical Implications of Research According to the results of the present study, the Department of Education can plan to improve the education by planning to teach classroom management methods in virtual education programs to professors and emphasizing proper interaction with students in virtual education. Ethical ConsiderationsIn this study, we kept the participant information confidential and all participants were familiar with the objectives of the study. The protocol of the present study has been approved by the ethics committee of Abadan School of Medical Sciences with the code IR.ABADANUMS.REC.1399.019. Conflict of Interest The authors hereby declare that this work is the result of an independent study and has no conflict of interest with other organizations and individuals. Aknowledgment Researchers would like to express their gratitude to the participants in this study who shared their experiences. The present article is extracted from a research approved by the Research Council of Abadan University of Medical Sciences with the code 98U-578.

Abstract Background: Oxidative stress is a major contributor to diabetes, which can lead to testicular damage and infertility. Objective: This study aimed to compare the effects of metformin as a chemical drug with silymarin as an herbal agent on the sperm parameters and histopathological changes of testes in diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: Thirty-two male Wistar rats (250-270 gr) were randomly divided into four groups: 1) control; 2) diabetic; 3) diabetic+metformin 200 mg/kg; and 4) diabetic+silymarin 100 mg/kg. Daily injections were administered intraperitoneally for 56 days. At the end of the treatment, blood sampling was performed for biochemical assessment. Then, the rats were sacrificed and their left testis and epididymis were cut for sperm analysis as well as histopathology and morphometric evaluation. Results: Diabetes was associated with a reduced sperm count, motility, viability, maturity, and chromatin quality of sperm (p ≤ 0.001). It was also associated with a higher malondialdehide level and lower total antioxidant capacity level of serum in comparison with the control group (p ≤ 0.001). There was a significant difference in the seminiferous tubule diameter, germinal epithelium height, and testicular histopathological alterations in the diabetic rats compared with the control rats (p ≤ 0.001). Treatment with metformin and silymarin improved the above-mentioned parameters and this improvement was more substantial in silymarin-treated animals (p ≤ 0.001). Conclusion: In diabetic rats, metformin and silymarin improved sperm parameters, sperm DNA integrity, seminiferous tubule diameter, germinal epithelium thickness, and testicular histopathological complications; this improvement was more substantial in the silymarin-treated group. So, the findings of this study suggest that silymarin is more effective than metformin in treating diabetic-induced infertility.

Background: Aortic artery stenosis leads to Ischemia-Reperfusion (I-R) injury, which can cause certain clinical expressions, such as paraplegia. Objectives: To appraise the effect of Catechin Hydrate (CH) against spinal cord I-R injury. Materials & Methods: A total of 35 male rats (250-300 g) were divided randomly into five groups: intact, sham surgery, dimethyl sulfoxide (I-R+DMSO), low-dose CH (I-R+10 mg/kg CH), and high-dose CH (I-R+20 mg/kg CH). Abdominal aorta clamping was done for 60 min. Seventy-two hours after I-R, animals were evaluated for neurologic function, biochemical analysis, and histology. The data analysis was conducted by SPSS v. 16 using ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. Results: The mean Motor Deficit Index (MDI) score and white matter damage in the CH (20 mg/kg) group were lower than in the DMSO group (P=0.032). The mean plasma levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the CH groups were lower than that of the DMSO group (P

Background: Testicular tissues could damage by ionizing radiation (IR) during the treatment of pelvic cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate both the protective and therapeutic effects of chlorogenic acid (CGA) on IR-induced mouse testis tissue damage. Methods: In this experimental study, 70 mice were divided into 3 groups, including group 1 (normal saline), group 2 (IR + normal saline), and group 3 (IR + 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 mg/kg) CGA via I.P injection. Animals in groups 2 and 3 received a dose of 2.0 Gy total-body irradiation in a single fraction. At two determined time points (16 h and 35 days after exposure), the testis and caudal part of both epididymis were isolated and underwent subsequent analyses. Results: The results showed that irradiation of mice caused massive damage to spermatogenesis, seminiferous tubules, basal lamina, Leydig cells, and sperm parameters. Further biochemical assessment of the data demonstrated that 40 mg/kg CGA almost restored MDA to a normal level. In addition, the level of SOD, TAC, and GSH were significantly increased in the 40 mg/kg CGA treated group. Molecular evidence confirmed the protective effects of CGA and also revealed that the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 in the presence of 40 mg/kg CGA was significantly decreased compared to IR and some treated groups. Conclusion: The protective and therapeutic effects of CGA on testis were found to be positively correlated with the dose level.

Background and Objective: Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases and also the biggest health problem in all countries. The world health organization has called it a silent epidemic. Self-care is one of the most important factors in controlling blood sugar in diabetics’ patients. This study was done to determine the relationship between self-care and glycosylated hemoglobin level diabetic patients in rural area in Golestan Province, northern Iran. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was done on 239 male and female patients with type 2 diabetes (56.92±10.70 years) in rural area in Golestan Province, northern Iran during 2016. Data collection tool were a standard diabetes self-care questionnaire with demographic variables and HbA1C test. Completion of data and sampling was done by referring to the health center and calling patients. Results: There was no significant relationship between glycemic controls with any of the self-care items studied. Mean of HbA1c was 8.23±1.85%. 97 patients (40.6%) had good blood sugar control (less than 7.5%). Patientchr('39')s self-care had a mean of 3.58, of which the highest score was related to the dietary regimen (6.60) and the lowest was related to self-monitoring of blood glucose (0.88) and regular physical activity (2.3). Conclusion: Self-care of the patients was moderate. Interventions to increase self-care of patients are recommended in this area.

Abstract Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new viral disease that has caused a pandemic in the world. Due to the lack of vaccines and definitive treatment, preventive behaviors are the only way to overcome the disease. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the preventive behaviors from the disease based on constructs of the health belief model. Methods In the present cross-sectional study during March 11–16, 2020, 750 individuals in Golestan Province of Iran were included in the study using the convenience sampling and they completed the questionnaires through cyberspace. Factor scores were calculated using the confirmatory factor analysis. The effects of different factors were separately investigated using the univariate analyses, including students sample t-test, ANOVA, and simple linear regression. Finally, the effective factors were examined by the multiple regression analysis at a significant level of 0.05 and through Mplus 7 and SPSS 16. Results The participants’ mean age was 33.9 ± 9.45 years; and 57.1% of them had associate and bachelor's degrees. Multiple regression indicated that the mean score of preventive behavior from COVID-19 was higher in females than males, and greater in urban dwellers than rural dwellers. Furthermore, one unit increase in the standard deviation of factor scores of self-efficacy and perceived benefits increased the scores of preventive behavior from COVID-19 by 0.22 and 0.17 units respectively. On the contrary, one unit increase in the standard deviation of factor score of perceived barriers and fatalistic beliefs decreased the scores of the preventive behavior from COVID-19 by 0.36 and 0.19 units respectively. Conclusions Results of the present study indicated that female gender, perceived barriers, perceived self-efficacy, fatalistic beliefs, perceived interests, and living in city had the greatest preventive behaviors from COVID-19 respectively. Preventive interventions were necessary among males and villagers.

Background: Waterpipe tobacco smoking (WTS) has recently increased in Iran. There is no valid instrumentto measure the level of nicotine dependence among its consumers. This study was aimed to investigate thevalidity and reliability of the Lebanon Waterpipe Dependence Scale-11 (LWDS-11).Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the year 2017 whereby 367 waterpipe smokers wererecruited from Golestan Province of Iran. LWDS-11 scale is composed of 4 subscales: 1) nicotine dependence,2) negative reinforcement, 3) psychological craving, and 4) positive reinforcement. The validity of thequestionnaire was examined using construct validity. Reliability of this scale was examined using test-retestreliability and internal consistency.Findings: The four-factor model for LWDS [comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.985, Tucker-Lewis index(TLI) = 0.979, standardised root mean residual (SRMR) = 0.059, root mean square error of approximation(RMSEA) = 0.049 (0.031, 0.061)] demonstrated good fit to this data. Cronbach’s α was 0.825 for totalscale and it was 0.818, 0.746, 0.624, and 0.670 for each individual subscale. The test-retest reliability of thescale was 0.925.Conclusion: All goodness of fit indices (GFIs) represented a good fit of model. The LWDS-11 scale had anappropriate remarkable validity and reliability for waterpipe consumers to measure the level of nicotinedependence and it appeared to be likely useful for utilizing in the clinical and epidemiological studies.

Introduction: The administration of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) or ecstasy causes memory impairment, whereas neurogenesis improves memory and learning. Hence, this study evaluated the effects of MDMA on neurogenesis in the hippocampus of male rats. Methods: Adult male Wistar rats received Intraperitoneal (IP) injections of MDMA (10 mg/kg). We assessed nestin, sex-determining region Y-box 2 (Sox2), and NeuroD expressions according to the immunohistochemistry analyses. Results: MDMA reduced the expressions of nestin, Sox2, and NeuroD compared with the control groups. The reduction in NeuroD expression was age-related. Conclusion: MDMA possibly has negative effects on neurogenesis, which specifically results from impaired survival of newborn cells.

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. The objective of this study was to determine the breast self-examination (BSE) and mammography compliance based on health belief model constructs among female healthcare workers in the city of Aq Qala. Methods: We conducted this cross-sectional study between November 2015 and February 2016 in Aq Qala city, northern Iran. In this regard, we selected 261 female healthcare workers through census. Data were gathered using Rakowski’s stages of change and Champion health belief model scale. We entered the collected data into SPSS 16 and analyzed them via descriptive statistical techniques along with Kruskal- Wallis, Mann-Whitney, chi-square, and Spearman rank correlation coefficient. Results: The results showed that 26.4 % of the participants performed regular BSE and 19.3% underwent regular mammogram. Those with regular BSE had significantly more health motivation and self-efficacy (P≤0.05). Physicians had more susceptibility and self-efficacy for BSE and less BSE barriers (P≤0.05). There was a negative correlation between BSE confidence and barriers (r=-0.376). The results of binary logistic regression revealed that confidence was the only variable influencing BSE (OR=1.77, 95% CI=1.22, 2.572). Conclusion: Almost one-fourth of female healthcare workers of Aq Qala performed regular BSE. Moreover, one-fifth of women over 40 years of age underwent regular mammograms. Participants who performed regular BSE had higher health motivation, BSE self-efficacy, and lower perceived barriers. BSE adherence was more in physicians than in other groups. We recommend increasing confidence to surmount the barriers to perform BSE.

Background & Aims: The nerve autograft is the clinical gold standard in bridging nerve injury gaps, but it has severe disadvantages. The human umbilical vein (HUV) is suitable for multiple vascular reconstructive usages. The purpose of the present survey was to assess nerve regeneration by human amniotic fluid (AF) in the HUV channel. Materials& Methods: In this study, 32 adult male rats (250-300g) were randomly divided into four groups: HUV+AF, HUV+normal saline (NS), Autograft, sham surgery. A centimeter gap in the sciatic nerve was grafted by autograft or HUV. Nerve regeneration was examined on days 28 and 90 after surgery by sciatic function index (SFI), electrophysiological assessments, histology, and immunohistology staining. Results: On days 60 and 90 after surgery, the SFI in the groups of autograft and HUV+AF was more than HUV+NS group (p

Introduction: Aging-dependent decline in the angiogenesis of heart is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. This study was aimed to characterize effect of exercise on angiogenesis alterations and molecular mediators which are related to angiogenesis in the heart under aging condition. Methods: Twenty-one male Wistar rats were assigned into three groups: young, aged, and exercise. Aged animals in the exercise group run on treadmill for 8 weeks. At the end, heart samples were collected and used for histological evaluation , determination of angiogenesis by immunostaining for PECAM-1/ CD31 and expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) levels by ELISA. P0.0001) and p-NF-κB (P>0.001) levels were significantly increased in the heart of aged group compared to young group. Exercise group showed significant increase in angiogenesis, VEGF-A (P>0.0001), and p-NF-κB (P>0.001) and showed significant decrease in TSP-1 levels (P>0.001) compared to aged group. Moreover, compared to the young group, aged group showed histological changes in the heart, such as interstitial edema, and congestion, whereas, treatment with exercise improved these undesirable changes in the heart of exercise groups. Conclusion: These findings indicated that aging-related decrease in angiogenesis in the heart may mediated by downexpression of VEGF-A and overexpression of TSP-1 proteins. Also, we showed that p-NF-κB protein was increased in the heart of aged rats, this probably mediated by compensatory mechanism. It was also showed that exercise as novel non-pharmacological therapy modifies VEGF-A and TSP-1 and increases p-NF-κB protein levels in the aged heart.

Introduction: Analyzing the health risk associated with the microbial contamination of seawater is necessary to ensure that there is not any threat to human or environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the microbiological quality of Caspian sea water using indicator bacteria. Some Physicochemical parameters were studied to assed their association with the contamination level of Caspian sea water due to the important role in the growth organisms in the seawater. Materials and Methods: In this study, 100 samples were collected from the northeastern zone of the Caspian sea, Iran, from November 2017 to December 2018. Total coliform, Fecal coliform, E.coli, Fecal Streptococcus and Clostridium perfringens were the indicator bacteria and temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, chloride and turbidity were water physicochemical factors according to standard methods. Results: The finding showed that the mean of Total coliform, Fecal coliform, E.coli, Fecal Streptococcus, and Clostridium perfringens were 614.72 ± 516.13, 62.11 ± 235.30, 49.69 ± 188.24, 348.02 ± 490.01 and 3.04 ± 5.76 MPN/100 ml, respectively. Furthermore, the mean and SD of temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, chloride, and turbidity were 13.84 oC ± 5.62, 8.27 ± 0.45, 17.96 ± 6.56 µs/cm, 5776.95 ± 1996.38 mg/l and 27.48 ± 15.82 NTU, respectively. Statistical analysis showed that microbial qualities were affected significantly by physicochemical factors, but the roles of water temperature were more than others. Conclusion: The microbiological results revealed that there was a remarkable level of contamination in some areas of Caspian sea. The results suggested that Clostridium perfringens provide better health risk prediction than other analyzed indicator bacteria, particularly in the warm season.

Background and purpose: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a skin disease manifested as chronic ulcerative skin lesions. Current standard therapies for this disease are associated with some problems such as high cost, numerous side effects, need for injections, and drug resistance. Sambucus ebulus is used in treatment of skin inflammation. This study aimed at investigating the effects of S. ebulus leaf extract on cutaneous leishmanisis. Materials and methods: This clinical trial was performed in 110 patients who were divided into intervention (n=55) and control groups (n=55). All patients received the standard treatment for leishmanisis. In addition, the intervention group received topical treatment of S. ebulus leaf extract 5%, while the control group received placebo. The therapy was continued until complete epithelialization of the lesions. Before the intervention and at the end of each week (until complete epithelialization of the lesions), healing progress and clinical characteristics of the lesions, including the size, induration, and degree of epithelialization were recorded. Results: The intervention accelerated the decrease in mean diameter of lesions (P

Background and objectives: Despite advances in prenatal care, there is a high rate of morbidity and mortality in infants of diabetic mothers. Interventricular septal hypertrophy is a well-known congenital heart abnormality in neonates of mothers with gestational diabetes. In this study, we investigate the effect of gestational diabetes mellitus on interventricular septum thickness. Methods: In this cross-sectional cohort study, 42 neonates from mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus and 42 neonates from non-diabetic mothers were selected from gynecology ward of Sayyad Shirazi Hospital in Gorgan (Iran) between April 2016 and April 2017. Ventricular septum thickness in neonates was measured by M-mode echocardiography. Comparison of septum thickness and frequency of septal hypertrophy between the two groups was performed using t-test, Mann-Whitney test and chi-square test. All statistical analyses were preformed in SPSS 16 at significance level of 0.05. Results: The mean septum thickness was 4.51±1.58 mm in newborns of non-diabetic mothers and 5.84±1.44 mm in newborns of diabetic mothers (P

Bullying is a form of school violence that has recently received the attention of school psychologists. One of these problems that exists in almost all schools is the phenomenon of school bullying. The aim of this study is to examine the psychometric reliability and validity of the Participant Role Scale in bullying in Persian and compare the psychometric properties of 3- and 4-factorial models for this scale. We use both descriptive and inferential statistics. The statistical population was the second-grade students in Lorestan province in the year 2021-2022. Sample size of 617 students (324 males and 293 females) were selected by multistage cluster sampling. The range of Subscales Cronbach's alpha coefficients varied from 0.8 to 0.91, and the Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the whole scale was 0.90. The 3-factorial model had slightly better reliability than the 4-factorial model structure. Similarly, the factor structure of the 3-factorial model structure was much better in exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. We provide a reliable and valid 3-factorial model for the Participant Role Scale in Persian.

Introduction: Trimethyltin Chloride (TMT) is a neurotoxin that can kill neurons in the nervous system and activate astrocytes. This neurotoxin mainly damages the hippocampal neurons. After TMT injection, behavioral changes such as aggression and hyperactivity have been reported in animals along with impaired spatial and learning memory. Hence, TMT is a suitable tool for an experimental model of neurodegeneration. The present study aims to determine the palliative effects of Bone Marrow-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (BM-MSCs) on the hippocampi of rats damaged from TMT exposure. Methods: We assigned 28 male Wistar rats to the following groups: control, model, vehicle, and treatment. The groups received Intraperitoneal (IP) injections of 8 mg/kg TMT. After one week, stem cells were stereotactically injected into the CA1 of the right rats’ hippocampi. Spatial memory was determined by the Morris Water Maze (MWM) test 6 weeks after cell transplantation. Finally, the rats’ brains were perfused and stained by cresyl violet to determine the numbers of cells in the Cornus Ammonis (CA1) section of the hippocampus. We assessed the expressions of Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP) and Neuronal-specific Nuclear (NeuN) proteins in the right hippocampus by Western blot. Results: The MWM test showed that the treatment group had significantly higher traveled distances in the target quarter compared with the model and vehicle groups (P

Objective(s): It has been proposed that lipid markers may predict cardiovascular events; however, their effect may vary depending on the type of cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of lipid markers on death from coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke in competing risks setting.Materials and Methods: Participants included 2502 women and 2020 men, age 40 years or older from Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study. The association between total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride (TG), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) with hazard and cumulative incidence of CHD and stroke was investigated using cause-specific hazard and sub-distribution hazard models. Statistical analyses were performed using “risk regression” and “cmprsk” package in R 3.3.2.Results: One standard deviation (SD) increase in TC and LDL-C increased the hazard of CHD death by 1.42 (CI=1.07,1.89) and 1.41 (CI=1.04,1.93), respectively. 1-SD increase in TG increased the cumulative incidence of CHD death increased by 1.94 (CI=1.02,3.75) in women. Other risk factors were not associated with the hazard and cumulative incidence of CHD in women, men and the total sample. In addition, none of lipids had a significant effect on the hazard and cumulative incidence of stroke in men, women and the total sample.Conclusion: The associations of lipid components on CHD death were modified by gender. TC, LDL-C and TG were independent predictors of CHD mortality in women. Furthermore, death due to stroke changes the association of lipid markers with CHD mortality.

Purpose: The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence and associated factors of cigarette smoking and the association between cigarette smoking and opium use among patients visiting an outpatient clinic in Afghanistan. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on consecutive patients aged 18 years and older from January 2018 to April 2018. Data on patients’ sociodemographic characteristics and clinical variables were collected using an interview-based survey. Results: Six hundred and twenty-two patients (391males vs. 231 females) were interviewed for this study. The overall prevalence of current smoking was 50.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 46.2–54.2). Males were (odds ratio [OR] = 9.5; 95% CI: 5.3–17.1) more likely to smoke cigarettes than females. The odds of current cigarette smoking increased with having a family member smoker or a friend smoker (OR =3.3; 95% CI: 2.0–5.3). Cigarette smoking was significantly associated with the level of education (illiterate OR = 8.9; 95% CI: 4.0–19.8), primary/private education (OR = 7.8; 95% CI: 3.9–15.6), and secondary education (OR = 4.4; 95% CI: 2.3–8.4), with high school or higher education as the reference group. Rural residents were 3.7 times (95% CI: 2.3–6.2) more likely to smoke cigarette than urban residents. Opium users were 23.0 times (95% CI: 12.5–42.3) more likely to smoke cigarettes than non-opium users. Conclusions: The prevalence of cigarette smoking among patients visiting an outpatient clinic in Afghanistan was high, and there was an association between cigarette smoking and male gender, a family history of smoking or a friend history of smoking, level of education, rural residency, and opium consumption.

Background: The transtheoretical model (TTM) is used as a framework to implement smoking cessation programs. This model has some subscales based on which the smoking temptation scale is proposed as stages movement factor. This study aimed to translate and validate the temptation subscales of the TTM questionnaire in the Iranian population. Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted on 387 smokers. The participants were selected using convenience sampling method. First, the smoking temptation scale designed by Velicer et al. was translated into Persian, and then, factorial validity of the hierarchical three-factor structure for this subscale was studied using factor analysis and measurement invariance (MI) methods. All analyses were performed using Mplus software. Findings: It was observed that the hierarchical three-factor structure model had a good fit to the data [confirmatory fit index (CFI) = 0.944, Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) = 0.915, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.067, standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) = 0.042]. This study showed that this factorial structure had an identical measurement and structural model in subgroups of the population such as rural and urban residence, highly educated and low educated, high income and low income, three stages of quitting, and across the three ethnicities. Conclusion: Given the validity and reliability of the hierarchical three-factor structure for smokingtemptation scale, this measure can be used in interventional programs for smoking cessation in the Iranian male population.

Objective(s): Paraplegia is deterioration in motor or sensory function of the lower limbs that can occur after modification of a thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm. The purpose of this survey was to determine the protective action of lutein on spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) damage. Materials and Methods: Thirty-five male rats were distributed into five groups: intact, sham, dimethyl sulfoxide (I-R+DMSO), low dose lutein (I-R+0.2 mg/kg lutein), and high dose lutein (I-R + 0.4 mg/kg lutein). Thirty minutes before surgery, a single dose lutein or DMSO was administered to rats of experimental groups. Next, the abdominal aorta was clamped exactly under the left renal artery and proximal to the abdominal aortic bifurcation for 60 min. All animals were evaluated by neurological function and histological and biochemical examinations at 72 hr after I-R.Results: The mean motor deficit index (MDI) scores in lutein groups were lower compared with the DMSO group (P

Background and objectives: Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory allergic disease that specifically affects the skin. The incidence of this disease is influenced by genetic and physical stimuli, hormones, stress and food and inhalants allergens. Given the increasing prevalence of atopic dermatitis, it is important to identify food and inhalant allergens associated with the disease. The purpose of this study was to evaluate prevalence of sensitization to food and inhalant allergens in children with atopic dermatitis. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 56 children (29 boys and 27 girls) with atopic dermatitis who were referred to the Dezyani Asthma and Allergy Clinic in Gorgan between 2016 and 2017. Atopic dermatitis was confirmed via the Prick test. Data were analyzed using SPSS 16 at a significant level of 0.05. Results: Average age of the subjects was 4.26 ± 3.79 years. The most common inhalant allergens were mite (35.7%) and salt grass (3.6%) and the most common food allergens were egg white (35.7%) and cow's milk (26.8%). Conclusion: Considering the high prevalence of food allergy in the studied population, it is necessary to reduce the severity of allergic reactions and its consequent treatment costs by observing the principles of a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Abstract Increased apoptosis in the pancreas and beta cell death causes reduced insulin secretion in type 2 diabetes. This study was aimed to evaluate the effects of exercise training and testosterone administration on apoptosis marker (p53 protein) in the pancreas tissue in animal with diabetes. Type 2 diabetes was induced by high fat diet and injection of low dose STZ (35mg/kg; ip). After 2 months of treatment with testosterone (2mg/kg/day) or voluntary exercise alone or in combination, apoptosis (tunnel assay) and p53 protein (ELISA method) were measured. Testosterone and exercise decreased the blood glucose, HbA1c levels, HOMA-IR, p53 protein expression and increased insulin level in treated diabetic and diabetic castrated groups. Simultaneous treatment of these groups with testosterone together voluntary exercise had an additive effect on reducing p53 expression, blood glucose, HbA1c levels, HOMA-IR and subsequently decreasing apoptosis. Our results suggest that the apoptosis decreasing effect of testosterone and voluntary exercise is associated with the reduced levels of blood glucose, HbA1c and HOMA-IR that subsequently decreased the expression of p53 level.