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Sulfur mustard (SM) is a chemical warfare agent with well-known severe toxic effects and may cause long-term debilitating injuries. We aimed to evaluate aging and longevity in Iranian SM-exposed survivors using some endocrine and molecular biomarkers for the first time. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), prolactin (PRL), cortisol, testosterone, and luteinizing hormone (LH) were measured in 289 male SM-veterans and 66 age-matched males using the ELISA method. Leukocyte Telomere Length (LTL) measurement and p16INK4a expression were measured in the peripheral blood leukocytes of 55 males who were exposed to SM. We found a significantly lower serum DHEAS level and higher serum PRL level in SM-exposed groups (without any related to the severity of lung injuries) compared to healthy controls, but no significant difference in serum levels of cortisol, testosterone, and LH. The molar ratio of DHEAS/cortisol was significantly higher in controls compared to the SM-exposed individuals especially those with severe lung damage. Some biological parameters of allostatic load score such as DHEAS and DHEAS/cortisol ratio significantly decreased long-term after the SM exposure. Additionally, we found that LTL was shorter in SM-exposed veterans rather than unexposed controls while p16INK4a gene expression significantly increased in these groups. It seems that DHEAS, DHEAS/cortisol ratio, LTL, and p16INK4a gene expression have changed significantly in favor of cellular senescence in SM-exposed patients. Therefore, it seems that SM exposure increases biological age compared to chronological age in SM-exposed survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare the effects of upper extremity constraints on functional and dynamic postural control in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. Twelve children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy and 12 typically developing children ages 5 to 12 years (GMFCS I–II) were evaluated with the Timed Up and Go (TUG) and Biodex Balance System during three upper extremity (UE) conditions: 1) Free UEs (no constraints), 2) Simple UE constraint (unaffected/dominant UE constrained with a sling), and 3) Difficult UE constraint (Simple constraint plus the other UE holding cup of water). The UE condition had significant effects on Overall Stability Index (OSI) (F(2,44) = 24.899, p <.001), Medial-Lateral Stability Index (MLSI) (F(2,44) = 4.380, p =.018), Anterior-Posterior Stability Index (F(2,44) = 6.187, p =.004), and TUG scores (F(2,44) = 113.372, p <.001). Group was significant for OSI (F(1,22) = 7.906, p =.010), MLSI (F(1,22) = 13.113, p =.002), and TUG (F(1,22) = 36.282, p <.001). The upper extremity appears to have a role in maintaining functional balance and postural stability in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy and should be considered during intervention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Introduction: In recent years, brain functional connectivity studies are extended using the advanced statistical methods. Functional connectivity is identified by synchronous activation in a spatially distinct region of the brain in resting-state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data. For this purpose there are several methods such as seed-based correlation analysis based on temporal correlation between different Regions of Interests (ROIs) or between brain's voxels of prior seed. Methods: In the current study, test-retest Resting State functional MRI (rs-fMRI) data of 21 healthy subjects were analyzed to predict second replication connectivity map using first replication data. A potential estimator is "raw estimator" that uses the first replication data from each subject to predict the second replication connectivity map of the same subject. The second estimator, "mean estimator" uses the average of all sample subjects' connectivity to estimate the correlation map. Shrinkage estimator is made by shrinking raw estimator towards the average connectivity map of all subjects' first replicate. Prediction performance of the second replication correlation map is evaluated by Mean Squared Error (MSE) criteria. Results: By the employment of seed-based correlation analysis and choosing precentral gyrus as the ROI over 21 subjects in the study, on average MSE for raw, mean and shrinkage estimator were 0.2169, 0.1118, and 0.1103, respectively. Also, percent reduction of MSE for shrinkage and mean estimator in comparison with raw estimator is 49.14 and 48.45, respectively. Conclusion: Shrinkage approach has the positive effect on the prediction of functional connectivity. When data has a large between session variability, prediction of connectivity map can be improved by shrinking towards population mean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: Aside from direct toxic effects, Sulfur Mustard (SM) induced serum hormone abnormalities may aggravate ocular complaints, including Ocular Surface Discomfort (OSD) (burning, itching, and redness), dry eye sensation, photophobia, blurred vision, foreign body sensation, and pain. The aim of the current study was to investigate the possible association of ocular complaints with serum hormone concentrations in chronic phase of Sulfur Mustard (SM) exposure. Methods: As a part of Sardasht Iran Cohort Study (SICS), 372 SM-exposed patients and 128 non-exposed participants were enrolled. Ocular complaints and ocular surface biomicroscopic conditions and serum hormones were compared. Results: The exposed with tearing group had significantly higher mean serum levels of testosterone and prolactin (ng/mL) than controls (5.75 vs. 4.75, P=0.031; 11.71 vs. 8.42, P=0.009). The exposed with OSD group had significantly higher mean serum levels of prolactin than controls (12.48 vs. 6.90, P=0.002). The exposed with photophobia group had significantly higher mean serum levels of testosterone than the matched exposed (6.25 vs. 5.65, P=0.013). The exposed with blurred vision group had significantly higher mean serum levels of Thyroglobulin (Tg) (ng/mL) than the matched exposed (65.73 vs. 32.6, P=0.003). Conclusion: Higher mean serum levels of testosterone (in exposed with tearing and photophobia) and prolactin (in exposed with tearing and OSD) may play protective roles against SM effects. Higher mean serum levels of Tg may deteriorate the tear film integrity and optical surface, which causes blurred vision. In the chronic phase of SM toxicity, some ocular surface problems are associated with alterations in the serum concentrations of testosterone, prolactin, and Tg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mental disorders are the most common health problems that affect different population groups. According to the national survey in 2015 based on General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28), 23.44% of Iranians older than 15 years were suspected of having a mental disorder. The study aimed to determine the mental health status of the population over 15 years of age in the Islamic Republic of Iran, one year after the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020. Method: The population-based study was performed on 24584 individuals over 15 years of age in Iran between December and February, 2020. The GHQ-28 was completed through telephone interviews. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chisquare test, independent t-test, and multiple logistic regression at 95% confidence level. Results: The results showed that the mean age of participants was 44.18±16.47 years. The prevalence of mental disorders was 29.7%. Mental disorder was associated with female gender (OR=1.195, 95% CI 1.10–1.29), 25–44 years (OR=1.206, 95% CI 1.06–1.36), urban life (OR=1.116, 95% CI 1.04–1.19), illiteracy (OR=1.286, 95% CI 1.11–1.48), being divorced (OR=1.924, 95% CI 1.50– 2.45), and unemployment (OR=1.657, 95% CI 1.40–1.94). Among the participants and their families, 14.7% and 32.3% were infected with the disease, respectively. The COVID-19 mortality rate in their families was 13.2%. The prevalence of mental disorders in infected people (40% vs. 27.3%) and bereaved families (39.6% vs. 35.3%) was more than the non-infected groups. Conclusion: Our results showed that in Iran, the mental health of the general population had a rising trend compared to 2015, especially in people infected with COVID-19 and bereaved families. The observed difference may be due to the prevalence of the COVID-19 epidemic and rapid demographic, social, and economic changes in Iran. Planning to improve mental health in the mentioned population should be considered for the post COVID-19 era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This research aims to determine the mental health status of population aged 15 and over in the province of Zanjan in 2015. Method: This cross-sectional field study was conducted on the residents of both urban and rural areas of the Zanjan province. Through systematic random cluster sampling, 1200 individuals were selected from the residents of urban and rural areas of of Zanjan, Abhar and Qeydar. The 28-item version of the General Health Questionnaire was applied as the screening tool. The data were analyzed using SPSS, version 18.0 for windows. Results: This study showed that using the traditional scoring method, 28.5% of the subjects (32.9% of females and 24.2% of males) were suspected of having mental disorders. The prevalence of suspected psychiatric disorders in urban areas (30%) was higher than the prevalence of these disorders in rural areas (24.8%). The prevalence of suspected anxiety and the somatization of symptoms was higher than the prevalence of social dysfunction and depression, and the prevalence of these components was higher in women than men. The findings of this study also showed that the prevalence of suspected mental disorders increased significantly with age. The prevalence of suspected cases of these disorders was higher among women, the age group of 65 and older, people living in urban areas, divorced and widowed, illiterate, and retired individuals compared to the other groups. Conclusion: The results of this study show that more than one quarter of the sample (28.5%) were suspected of mental disorders, and the prevalence of these disorders has increased from 21.3% in 1999 to 28.5% in 2015. Therefore, it is up to the authorities and health managers of the province to take the basic steps to supply, maintain, and preserve the mental health of those in need and promote the mental health of the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This research aims to determine the mental health status of population aged 15 and over in the province of West Azarbaijan in 2015. Method: This cross-sectional field study was conducted on the residents of both urban and rural areas of the West Azarbaijan province. Through systematic random cluster sampling, 1200 individuals were selected from the residents of urban and rural areas of Urumia, Salmas and Mahabad. The 28-item version of the General Health Questionnaire was applied as the screening tool. The data were analyzed using SPSS, version 18.0 for windows. Results: Using GHQ traditional scoring method, the results showed that 24% of individuals (29.1% of females and 18.7% of males) were suspected of mental disorders. The prevalence rate of mental disorders was 19.8% for rural and 25.8% for urban areas. Prevalence of somatization and anxiety was higher than social dysfunction and depression and women revealed higher prevalence for these disorders compared with men. It was also shown that the prevalence rate significantly increased with age and was higher in women, people aged 65 and above, urban residents, widowed or divorced, illiterate, housewives, unemployed and retired people Conclusion: The results of this study showed that about a quarter of the people in the province were suspected to have mental disorders. Comparing the results of the current survey with those of the study conducted in 1999 suggests that the prevalence of mental disorders is on the increase in this province (from 13.5% in 1999 to 24% in 2015). Therefore, it seems vital that the officials take action in order to improve and maintain mental health status of the people who are at risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This research aims to determine the mental health status of population aged 15 and over in the province of Yazd in 2015. Method: This cross-sectional field study was conducted on the residents of both urban and rural areas of the Yazd province. Through systematic random cluster sampling, 1200 individuals were selected from the residents of urban and rural areas of Yazd, Ardekan and Meybod. The 28-item version of the General Health Questionnaire was applied as the screening tool. The data were analyzed using SPSS, version 18.0 for windows. Results: This study indicates that through traditional scoring method, 26.7% of study population were highly suspicious for psychiatric disorders (32.1 % of females and 21.4% of males). The prevalence of probable psychiatric disorders in urban areas (28.7%) was higher than the prevalence in rural areas (21.3%). The prevalence of probable somatization and anxiety was higher than the prevalence of social dysfunction and depression, and also the prevalence of these disorders was higher in women. The findings of this study show that the prevalence of probable psychiatric disorders has a direct relationship with increasing age and the prevalence of such disorders is higher in women, urban residents, individuals aged more than 65, divorced and widowed individuals, illiterate and unemployed people. Conclusion: The results of this study show that more than one quarter of study population were suspicious for psychiatric disorders and the prevalence of these disorders increased from 11.8% to 26.7% since 1999. So, health authorities in this province have to do their best for provision, maintenance and improvement of mental health [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This research aims to determine the mental health status of population aged 15 and over in the province of Tehran in 2015. Method: This cross-sectional survey was performed on 1,200 individuals aged fifteen years and older, living in urban, and rural areas of the three main districts of Tehran, Shahriar, and Nasimshahr of Tehran Province. Individuals were enrolled in the study by clustered and systematic randomization. The General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) was used for screening for common mental disorders. Those scoring above the cut-off point of the GHQ-28 were considered to be suffering from at least one mental disorder. All data was analyzed using the SPSS-18 software. Results: According to our data, 30.2% of the subjects (34.2% of females and 26.4% of males) were suspected of having mental disorders. The prevalence of suspected psychiatric disorders in urban areas (35.1%) was higher than the prevalence of these disorders in rural areas (18.2%). Scoring above the cut-off point of the GHQ-28 also had a positive correlation with age, especially among those aged 65 years old and above. Somatization and also symptoms of anxiety were more prevalent than social dysfunction and depressive symptoms, and also more prevalent among females compared to males. Being suspected of a mental disorder was also more prevalent among those who had been divorced, widowed, unemployed, and having post-graduate university education Conclusion: The results of this study show that about one third of our sample population were suspected of suffering from a mental disorder. The prevalence of common mental disorders has increased from 21.2% in 1999 to 31.7% in 2015. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that public health authorities put more effort to ensure necessary requirements encompassing prevention and promotion of mental health of the Iranian population residing in Tehran province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This research aims to determine the mental health status of population aged 15 and over in the province of Sistan and Baluchestanin2015. Method: The statistical population of this cross-sectional field survey consisted of residents of urban and rural areas of Sistan and Bluchestan province in Iran. An estimated sample size of 1200 people was chosen using systematic random cluster sampling. The access was provided by the contribution of Geographical Post Office of Zahedan, Zabol, and Saravan cities. The General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) was used as the screening tool for mental disorders. Data analysis in the current study was carried out using the SPSS-18 software. Results: Using GHQ traditional scoring method, the results showed that 15.1% of individuals (17.2% of females and 13% of males) were suspected of mental disorders. The prevalence of suspected cases of mental disorders was 19% in urban and 13.5% in rural areas. It also showed that somatization and anxiety symptoms were more prevalent than social dysfunction and depression symptoms, and were more common in women than men. The results of this research also showed that the prevalence of suspected cases of mental disorders increased with aging. Such disorders were more common in females, age group of 65 and above, people living in urban areas, divorced and widowed, illiterate and retired individuals compared with the other groups. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that about a sixth of the people in the province were suspected to have mental disorders. Therefore, it is mandatory for the provincial public health authorities to take the needed steps to ensure that necessary requirements encompassing prevention and promotion of mental health are implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This research aims to determine the mental health status of population aged 15 and over in the province of Lorestan in 2015. Methods: The statistical population of this cross-sectional field survey consisted of residents of urban and rural areas of Lorestan in Iran. An estimated sample size of 1200 people was chosen using the systematic random sampling and the cluster method. Access provided by the contribution of Geographical Post Office of Khorramabad, Aligoodarz, and Kuhdasht cities. The General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) was used as a screening tool for mental disorders. Data analysis in the current study was carried out using the SPSS-18 software. Results: This study showed that using the traditional scoring method, 36.3% of the subjects (40.8% of females and 31.8% of males) were suspected of mental disorders. The prevalence of suspected psychiatric disorders in rural areas (38.1%) was higher than the prevalence of these disorders in urban areas (35.7%). The prevalence of suspected anxiety and the somatization of symptoms was higher than the prevalence of social dysfunction and depression, and the prevalence of these components was higher in women than men. The findings of this study also showed that the prevalence of suspected mental disorders increased significantly with age. The prevalence of suspected cases of these disorders among women, the age group of 65 and older, people living in urban areas, divorced and widowed, illiterate, and housewives people was higher than the other groups. Conclusion: The results of this study show that more than one third of the sample were suspected of mental disorders, and the prevalence of these disorders has increased from 19.7% in 1999 to 36.3% in 2015. Therefore, it is mandatory for the provincial public health authorities to take the needed steps to ensure that necessary requirements encompassing prevention and promotion of mental health are implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This research aims to determine the mental health status of population aged 15 and over in the province of Semnan in 2015. Method: The statistical population of this cross-sectional field survey consisted of residents of urban and rural areas of Semnan province in Iran. Through systematic random cluster sampling, 1200 individuals were selected from the residents of urban and rural areas of Semnan, Garmsar and Shahroud. The 28-item version of the General Health Questionnaire was applied as the screening tool. The data were analyzed using SPSS, version 18.0 for windows. Results: This study showed that using the traditional scoring method, 14.5% of the subjects (15.8% of females and 13.1% of males) were suspected of having mental disorders. The prevalence of suspected psychiatric disorders in urban areas (15.5%) was higher than the prevalence of these disorders in rural areas (12.1%). The prevalence of suspected anxiety and the somatization of symptoms was higher than the prevalence of social dysfunction and depression, and the prevalence of these components was higher in women than in men. The findings of this study also showed that the prevalence of suspected mental disorders increased significantly with age. The prevalence of suspected cases of these disorders was higher among women, the age group of 65 and older, people living in urban areas, divorced and widowed, illiterate, and unemployed people than the other groups. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that about a sixth of the people in the province were suspected to have mental disorders. Therefore, it is mandatory for the provincial public health authorities to take the needed steps to ensure that necessary requirements encompassing prevention and promotion of mental health are implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This research aims to determine the mental health status of population aged 15 and over in the province of Razavi Khorasan in 2015. Methods: The statistical population of this cross-sectional field survey consisted of residents of urban and rural areas of Razavi Khorasan in Iran. An estimated sample size of 1200 people was chosen using systematic random cluster sampling. The access was provided by the contribution of Geographical Post Office of Mashhad, Torbate Jam and Sabzavar cities. The General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) was used as the screening tool for mental disorders. Data analysis in the current study was carried out using the SPSS-18 software. Results: Using GHQ traditional scoring method, the results showed that 23.7% of individuals (26.9% of females and 20.6% of males) were suspected of mental disorders. The prevalence of suspected cases of mental disorders was 23.6% in urban and 23.8% in rural areas. It was also shown that somatization and anxiety symptoms were more prevalent than social dysfunction and depression symptoms, and were more common in women than men. The results of this research also showed that the prevalence of suspected cases of mental disorders increased with aging. Such disorders were more common in females, people living in rural areas, divorced and widowed, illiterate, housewives and retired individuals compared with the other groups. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that about a fourth of the people in the province were suspected to have mental disorders and the prevalence rate of mental disorders increased from 7.7% in 1999 to 23.7% in 2015. Therefore, it is mandatory for the provincial public health authorities to take the needed steps to ensure that necessary requirements encompassing prevention and promotion of mental health are implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This research aims to determine the mental health status of population aged 15 and over in the province of Qom in 2015. Methods: The statistical population of this cross-sectional field survey consisted of residents of urban and rural areas of Qom in Iran. An estimated sample size of 600 people was chosen using systematic random cluster sampling. The access was provided by the contribution of Geographical Post Office of Qom city. The General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) was used as the screening tool for mental disorders. Data analysis in the current study was carried out using the SPSS-18 computer software. Results: Using GHQ traditional scoring method, 16.2% of the subjects were shown to be at risk of mental disorders (19.7% of females and 12.6% of males). Urban areas (17%) were more at risk of mental disorders compared with rural residents (6.5%). Anxiety and somatization symptoms were more frequent than depression and social dysfunction among respondents. The obtained data revealed that the prevalence of mental disorders increased with age. Such disorders were more common in females, age group of 65 and above, people living in rural areas, divorced and widowed, illiterate, retired and unemployed individuals compared with the other groups. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that a sixth of the people in the province were suspected to have mental disorders. Therefore, it is mandatory for the provincial public health authorities to take the needed steps to ensure that necessary requirements encompassing prevention and promotion of mental health are implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This research aims to determine the mental health status of population aged 15 and over in the province of South Khorasan in 2015. Methods: The statistical population of this cross-sectional field survey consisted of residents of urban and rural areas of South Khorasan in Iran. Through systematic random cluster sampling, 1200 individuals were selected from the residents of urban and rural areas of Birjand, Ghayen and Ferdows cities. The 28-item version of the General Health Questionnaire was applied as the screening tool. The data were analyzed using SPSS, version 18.0 for windows. Results: Based on GHQ traditional scoring method, this study showed that 17.1% of the respondents (20% of women and 14.1% of men) were suspected of having mental disorders. The prevalence of suspected individuals for mental disorders was higher in urban areas (18.2%) than rural areas (14.5%). It was also shown that the prevalence of anxiety and somatization symptoms was higher than social dysfunction and depression symptoms, and women revealed higher prevalence for these disorders compared with men. The findings of this study also indicated that the prevalence of suspected cases for mental disorders increased with age. The prevalence of suspected cases of these disorders was higher in women aged 65 and over, divorced, widowed, uneducated and the retired compared to the other groups. Conclusion: The results of this study show that one sixth of the sample population were suspected of mental disorders; therefore, health authorities and administrators need to take the principled measures to ensure and maintain the mental health of individuals as well as the evaluation and treatment of patients with mental disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]