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Objective To investigate the incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, hospitalizations and deaths in Iranians vaccinated with either AZD1222 Vaxzevria, CovIran[R] vaccine, SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated (lnCoV) or Sputnik V. Methods We enrolled individuals 18 years or older receiving their first COVID-19 vaccine dose between April 2021 and January 2022 in seven Iranian cities. Participants completed weekly follow-up surveys for 17 weeks (25 weeks for AZD1222) to report their COVID-19 status and hospitalization. We used Cox regression models to assess risk factors for contracting COVID-19, hospitalization and death. Findings Of 89 783 participants enrolled, incidence rates per 1 000 000 person-days were: 528.2 (95% confidence interval, CI: 514.0-542.7) for contracting COVID-19; 55.8 (95% CI: 51.4-60.5) for hospitalization; and 4.1 (95% CI: 3.0-5.5) for death. Compared with SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Vero Cell), hazard ratios (HR) for contracting COVID-19 were: 0.70 (95% CI: 0.61-0.80) with AZD1222; 0.73 (95% CI: 0.62-0.86) with Sputnik V; and 0.73 (95% CI: 0.63-0.86) with Covlran[R]. For hospitalization and death, all vaccines provided similar protection 14 days after the second dose. History of COVID-19 protected against contracting COVID-19 again (HR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.69-0.84). Diabetes and respiratory, cardiac and renal disease were associated with higher risks of contracting COVID-19 after vaccination. Conclusion The rates of contracting COVID-19 after vaccination were relatively high. SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Vero Cell) provided lower protection against COVID-19 than other vaccines. People with comorbidities had higher risks of contracting COVID-19 and hospitalization and should be prioritized for preventive interventions. [phrase omitted] [phrase omitted] Objectif Analyser l'incidence des cas, hospitalisations et deces lies a la maladie a coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) chez les Iraniens vaccines avec Vaxzevria AZD1222, CovIran[R], le vaccin contre le SARS-CoV-2 (cellule Vero), le vaccin inactive (lnCoV) ou Spoutnik V. Methodes Nous avons recrute des individus de minimum 18 ans ayant recu leur premiere dose de vaccin contre la COVID-19 entre avril 2021 et janvier 2022 dans sept villes iraniennes. Les participants ont rempli des enquetes de suivi hebdomadaires pendant 17 semaines (25 semaines pour AZD1222) afin de communiquer sur leur statut COVID-19 et leur hospitalisation. Nous avons utilise des modeles de regression de Cox pour evaluer les facteurs augmentant les risques de contracter la COVID-19, d'etre hospitalise et de mourir. Resultats Sur 89 783 participants recrutes, le taux d'incidence pour 1 000 000 jours-personnes etait de 528,2 (intervalle de confiance de 95%, IC: 514,0-542,7) en termes d'infection a la COVID-19; de 55,8 (IC de 95%: 51,4-60,5) en termes d'hospitalisation; et de 4,1 (IC de 95%: 3,0-5,5) en termes de deces. Compare au vaccin contre le SARS-CoV-2 (cellule Vero), le rapport de risque (RR) de contracter la COVID-19 s'elevait a 0,70 (IC de 95%: 0,61-0,80) avec AZD1222; a 0,73 (IC de 95%: 0,62-0,86) avec Spoutnik V; et a 0,73 (IC de 95%: 0,63-0,86) avec CovIran[R]. Concernant l'hospitalisation et le deces, tous les vaccins offraient un niveau de protection similaire 14 jours apres la seconde dose. Avoir contracte la COVID-19 par le passe premunissait contre une reinfection (RR: 0,76; IC de 95%: 0,69-0,84). Le diabete et les maladies respiratoires, cardiaques et renales entrainaient un risque accru de contracter la COVID-19 apres la vaccination. Conclusion Le taux d'infection a la COVID-19 apres la vaccination etait relativement eleve. D'autre part, le vaccin contre le SARS-CoV-2 (cellule Vero) s'est revele moins efficace que les autres vaccins. Enfin, les personnes souffrant de comorbidites avaient plus de risques de contracter la COVID-19 et d'etre hospitalisees; elles devraient donc etre prioritaires lors des interventions preventives. [phrase omitted] Objetivo Analizar la Incidencia de los casos, hospitalizaciones y muertes a causa de la enfermedad por coronavirus de 2019 (COVID-19) en los iranies vacunados con Vaxzevria AZD1222, la vacuna CovIran[R], la vacuna contra el SARS-CoV-2 (celula Vero), la vacuna inactivada (lnCoV) o la Sputnik V. Metodos Se inscribieron personas de 18 anos o mas que recibieron su primera dosis de la vacuna contra la COVID-19 entre abril de 2021 y enero de 2022 en siete ciudades iranies. Los participantes completaron encuestas de seguimiento semanales durante 17 semanas (25 semanas para AZD1222) para informar sobre su estado de la COVID-19 y la hospitalizacion. Se utilizaron modelos de regresion de Cox para valorar los factores de riesgo de contraer la COVID-19, de ser hospitalizado y de morir. Resultados De los 89 783 participantes inscritos, las tasas de incidencia por 1 000 000 de dias-persona fueron 528,2 (intervalo de confianza del 95 %, IC: 514,0-542,7) en el caso de contraer la COVID-19; 55,8 (IC del 95 %: 51,4-60,5) en el caso de hospitalizacion; y 4,1 (IC del 95 %: 3,0-5,5) en el caso de muerte. En comparacion con la vacuna contra el SARS-CoV-2 (celula Vero), los cocientes de riesgos instantaneos (CRI) de contraer la COVID-19 fueron 0,70 (IC 95 %: 0,61-0,80) con AZD1222; 0,73 (IC 95 %: 0,62-0,86) con Sputnik V; y 0,73 (IC 95 %: 0,63-0,86) con CovIran[R]. En cuanto a la hospitalizacion y la muerte, todas las vacunas proporcionaron una proteccion similar 14 dias despues de la segunda dosis. Los antecedentes de la COVID-19 protegieron contra la contraccion de la COVID-19 de nuevo (CRI: 0,76; IC 95 %: 0,69-0,84). La diabetes y las enfermedades respiratorias, cardiacas y renales se asociaron a un mayor riesgo de contraer la COVID-19 despues de la vacunacion. Conclusion Las tasas de contraer la COVID-19 despues de la vacunacion fueron relativamente altas. La vacuna contra el SARS-CoV-2 (celula Vero) proporciono una menor proteccion contra la COVID-19 que otras vacunas. Las personas con comorbilidades tenian un mayor riesgo de contraer la COVID-19 y de ser hospitalizadas, por lo que deberian ser prioritarias para las intervenciones preventivas., Introduction To end the ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), it is imperative to have safe and effective vaccines that can provide immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome [...]

Metamaterial technology indeed holds great promise for enhancing wireless communication, especially in the development of advanced filters and devices. The use of metamaterials for filter design is an exciting and promising area of research, driven by their exceptional properties and potential for revolutionizing various technological applications. In fact, Metamaterials can be engineered to exhibit unique electromagnetic properties, allowing for precise control of the filtering characteristics. This enables designers to create filters with sharp passbands and stopbands, as well as customizable cutoff frequencies. Besides, Metamaterials can be used to miniaturize filters, making them suitable for compact and portable devices. This is especially valuable for applications with size constraints, such as mobile phones and wearable technology. Moreover, Metamaterials provide the flexibility to design filters with adjustable bandwidth. In this paper, a triple band pass printed filter using split-ring resonators is designed and simulated. The proposed filter is composed of two split-ring arrays loaded on the transmission line. It is printed on a Rogers RT/duroid 6010/6010LM (tm) substrate. The proposed BPF has a small size (14 × 16 mm²) and high selectivity. The simulation result exhibit three passbands centered at 3.15 GHz, 6.27 GHz and 9.31 GHz, respectively with required return loss and insertion loss characteristics. The simulation studies are carried out with HFSS software and its electrical equivalent circuit model (ECM) is designed using ADS tool. The results obtained using HFSS is in well agreement with ECM results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the (Covid-19) pandemic outbreak, questioning regarding climate and incident of Covid-19 infection rates has been debated, while there is no clear research evidence until now in Iran. This study has focused on investigating the association between Covid-19 cases and demographic –meteorological factors in arid and semi-arid zones of Iran (from March 1, 2020, to January 31, 2022) by analyzing with Via Poisson and negative binomial regression. As a result, the incidence rate of both Covid-19 hospitalization and mortality cases reached peaks in the summer followed by the autumn. Interestingly, Covid-19 hospitalization cases are associated with humidity, temperature, and wind factors seasonally and monthly, but mortality cases are just associated with wind. In conclusion, the result demonstrated that demographicand meteorological factorsare positively and negatively associated with Covid-19 cases. Therefore, identifying the environmental factors contributing to the excess Covid-19 can help to prevent future pandemic waves in Iranian arid and semi-arid zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study is to fabricate a new shield with an optimal combination of copper and bismuth to protect the eyes in the head computed tomography (CT) examinations without compromising image quality. Radiation shields with different compositions were constructed. Computed Tomography Dose Index phantom was used to evaluate the effectiveness of shields in dose reduction and their impact on image quality quantitatively. The shield that caused the least noise in the phantom study was selected for human study. The 10%Bi-90%Cu shield had the least effect on increasing the image noise, and also no remarkable artifact was seen in the CT image of the phantom. The patient study showed that only in 25% of the study group the artifact was observed so that it did not distort the interpretation of the image. It can be concluded that the 10%Bi-90%Cu shield is flexible and durable and would be safely used in the clinic to reduce the eye radiation dose in head CT imaging without compromising image quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune enteropathy that is caused by the intake of gluten-containing grains in genetically susceptible humans. The gliadin and glutenin parts of wheat gluten are the essential factors that cause intestinal damage. Objectives: We analyzed the performance of a time-resolved immunofluorometric assay (TR-IFMA) in the diagnosis of CD in children. For this purpose, we compared the performance of IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (IgA anti-TTG) and IgG antibodies against deamidated gliadin peptides (IgG anti-DGP) for the diagnosis of CD. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study conducted in 2021 for a duration of about 6 months, 200 patients with suspected CD symptoms, children who needed screening due to Down syndrome or Turner syndrome, and the first-degree relatives of CD patients who underwent diagnostic evaluation were enrolled in a census study. Results: This study compares existing point-of-care anti-DGP Ab (IgG) and anti-TTG Ab (IgA) tests against each other using the gold standard of duodenal biopsy and pathology. Serology as a screening test was acceptable (93.6% for anti-DGP vs. 94.2% for anti-TTG) for both of them. This equivalent sensitivity of serum TTG and the DGP tests validates its potential as a basic tool for serological testing. Furthermore, endoscopy is carried out in patients positive for both. Conclusions: Our study showed that for the diagnosis of CD, anti-DGP antibodies had comparable characteristics with anti-TTG (IgA) in terms of diagnostic specificity and sensitivity. Specify of anti-DGP was higher than that of anti-TTG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Limited information still exists about the distribution of mental health (MH) in small districts. Considering the diversity in cultural specifications of entities in different societies, the current study aimed-assess the inequality of poor MH and corresponding socio-demographic components in a general population. Methods: This population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Gonabad City, North Eastern Iran. Data were collected by a general health questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) assess MH status, considering a cut-off point of 23. The concentration index defines the inequality in the MH. Decomposition analysis was done-identify the contribution of each explanatory variablethe socioeconomic inequality in MH prevalence. Results: Eight hundred subjects were recruited (response rate=98%); approximately 41.6% were aged 30 years or younger, half of whom were females. The overall prevalence of poor MH was 24.7% (95% CI: 21.8-27.9%) and the age-adjusted prevalence of poor MH was 27.5% (95% CI: 24.2-31.2%). A concentration of poor MH prevalence was observed among the poorest people (concentration index: -0.15). Socioeconomic Status (SES) (59.7%), age (24.1%), and gender (4.7%) were identified as the main contributors-socioeconomic-related inequality in poor MH prevalence. Conclusion: Poor MH is significantly concentrated among the poorest people. Therefore, SES appeared-play a key role in improving the health of individuals, which can lead-improved health status in a community. Furthermore, these data suggest that the MH initiative should target the elderly and women via a recently determined family physician plan in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Natural Fibers is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Lifestyle is different in arid and semi-arid zones. However, where people are born and live have a lasting influence on their social and environmental exposure. This review focuses on the, various dimensions of environmental health imbalance inequality especially in significant environmental sources such as (ie, air, water, soil) among provinces that creates a big health gap in the center, East and the Southeast of Iran. Thus, the population of the arid and semi-arid zones of Iran is facing respiratory, cardiovascular, cancer and infection diseases linked to environmental problems such as chemical and microbial pollution due to air pollution and unsafe water sources, respectively. The prevalence of certain types of cancer such as skin, stomach, bladder, prostate and colorectal cancer together with some respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in arid and semiarid zones such as Kerman, Yazd, etc., has been reported in comparison with other provinces frequently. These impacts have effects on multiple levels of health security in those zones. Based on these concerns, we propose key questions that should guide research in the context of the socio environmental science to support science-based management actions in Iran and other similar semi-arid areas worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the attitude, intention and aspects of marriage among students. There was a significant relationship between gender and general attitude toward marriage and, mean score of male students' attitude toward marriage was higher (P <.05). Based on the results of path analysis, sub-scales of general attitude toward marriage and Aspects of Marriage, explained 40% of the variance for the Intent to Marry. The results showed that students' attitude toward marriage was moderate and their marriage intention was not high. According to the results, it is necessary that implemented the training courses to change attitudes and create realistic expectations about marriage in the students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Hand hygiene (HH) compliance is an effective behavior in controlling hospital-acquired infection because the hand is the main means of transmitting infections in patient-medical staff communication as well as the inanimate environment. This study aimed to explore the effect of applying Pender's Health Promotion Model on the HH compliance of intensive care unit staff. METHODS: This quasi-experimental study with a single research group was conducted from January to July in 2019. The required data were collected from 90 staff of the intensive care units of Imam Reza Hospital in Mashhad, Iran through 1796 and 2343 opportunity of monitoring before and after the intervention. The data collection instruments were a standard HH observation form and a researcher-made HH questionnaire in the light of Pender's health promotion model. The data were statistically analyzed in SPSS using Paired-samples T-test and Chi-squared test. RESULTS: The mean age of the 90 included participants was 35.92 (± 6.5) years and the mean length of their work experience was 10 (±1.5). The hand hygiene index rose from 23% before the intervention to 41.4% after the intervention (p=0.001). Moreover, statistically significant differences were found in moments after touching surroundings (p=0.001), before and after touching a patient (p=0.001), and also in perceived barriers (p=0.015), interpersonal influences (p=0.008) and situational influences (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Pender's model showed to have improved the staff's HH compliance as a professional behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a lack of Iranian studies on marital satisfaction, which is one of the important factors in the stability of marriage. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the effects of sociodemographic variables on marital satisfaction. Methods: This analytical and cross-sectional study was conducted on 770 married people from Gonabad City, Northeast of Iran. The simple random sampling method was used. Also, the ENRICH marital satisfaction scale was used to measure marital satisfaction as a dependent variable. A cut-off score of 100 was considered for the scale, with higher scores indicating satisfaction. Moreover, the logistic regression model was used to examine the effects of the variables on marital satisfaction. Results: The Mean±SD age of the participants was 39.2±10.6 years. Most of the participants (75%) were categorized as satisfied, with a Mean±SD score of 113.9±26.8. Besides, both univariate and multiple regression analyses showed a strong significant relationship between economic status and marital satisfaction, ie, a better economic status increased the odds of marital satisfaction. After controlling other investigated variables, the logistic regression model showed that men are about two times more likely than women to be satisfied with their marriage (adjusted odds ratio=1.82). Conclusion: The present findings showed that family income and gender positively influence marital satisfaction. Accordingly, marital satisfaction and family solidarity could be enhanced by the provision of legal and social rules to ensure the equal right of men and women, as well as attempts to improve the economic status of the families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new compact 1 × 4 microstrip patch antenna array design for future 5G applications is presented in this paper. The proposed antenna array consists of square slot loaded with four radiating patch elements. The corporate feed network has been implemented for the excitation of the array. The feed line is connected to the square slot patch through a quarter-wave transformer matching network. The proposed array is designed on an FR-4 substrate with a dielectric constant of 4.4, thickness of 1.6 mm and loss tangent (tan δ) of 0.02. It has a compact dimension of 9.590 × 17.802 × 1. 6 m m 3 . The proposed structure has been designed and simulated by using commercially available HFSS software. The simulated results (reflection coefficient, gain, efficiency, radiation pattern) are verified through the measurement process to confirm the validity of the design concept. The measurement results are in good agreement with the simulated results. The proposed structure resonates at 38.1 GHz with a − 10 dB impedance bandwidth of about 3700 MHz (36.5 GHz to 40.2 GHz). The reflection coefficient at 38.1 GHz is − 34 dB, with a maximum gain of 7.81 dB. The proposed square slot loaded patch antenna array is very promising for 5G communications at 38 GHz band (37–40 GHz). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this letter is to develop a miniaturized ultra‐wideband hybrid coupler with an adjustable phase shift (90°‐180° and vice versa) that operates around the resonant frequency of 3.8 GHz with a fractional bandwidth of 26% required for 5G applications. The design approach is based on a microstrip waveguide technique with localized lumped elements to control the phase shift between the input and output ports. The performance of the coupler can be seen from its important characteristics: adaptation, coupling, isolation, and phase shift. All these mentioned parameters are approved by simulation and validated by measurement. The measurement results show good agreement with the simulation, which confirms the success of the theoretical part and the importance of our proposed structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-based plant transformation is a natural and ideal way of introducing genes into plant genomes. The system is based primarily on tissue culture techniques, including cell differentiation and plant regeneration, which might produce somatic cell mutations. In the present research, wheat plants were transformed by a non-tissue culture approach. Accordingly, mature embryos were inoculated with A. tumefaciens at an early stage of germination. A variety of different treatments, such as Agrobacterium strains (EHA105 and LBA4404 harboring pCAMBIAl105.1R), levels of glucose, concentrations of acetosyringone (0, 50, 100 and 200 µM), and types of wheat cultivars (Azar2, Alvand, and Sardari) were studied. The transformation efficiency was determined by using the number of resistant leaves to hygromycin, histochemical GUS analysis of leaf tissues, as well as PCR analysis of three transgenes located within the T-DNA region. The results showed that the maximum efficiency was obtained when 200 µM acetosyringone was used in combination with 15% glucose in the induction medium. In addition, the relative expression analysis of virulence genes by qRT-PCR revealed that VirB2 and VirD2 were significantly up-regulated when 200 µM acetosyringone and 15% glucose were used as inducers and carbon source, respectively. Therefore, Vir genes inducing factors as well as a three-step culture of Agrobacterium should be considered as major elements for any wheat transformation protocol. The putative transgenic T1 seeds were soaked and germinated in hygromycin solution, and the seedlings were further analyzed with the aforementioned methods. Based on the results, a modified Agrobacterium-mediated transformation protocol is presented. The current results suggest an inexpensive, quick and efficient approach for wheat genome transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine the effect of a supportive educational intervention based on the Orem self-care model on women with type 2 diabetes and diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Design: A randomized controlled trial. Setting: Hospital outpatient diabetes clinic. Subjects: Adult women with type 2 diabetes and mild-to-moderate diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Out of 410 patients, 120 diabetic patients were recruited and randomly assigned to trial group (N = 60) and control group (N = 60). Intervention: The trial group received a designed intervention consist of one-month supportive educational program with three months of follow-up (totally four months), based on self-care requisites according to the Orem self-care regarding diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The control group only received a routine care program in the diabetes clinic. Main measurements: The main outcomes were symptoms and severity of diabetic neuropathy. Further outcomes were fasting blood sugar and glycosylated hemoglobin. Results: By the end of the intervention, the number of participants reduced from 60 to 58 in the trial group and to 57 in the control group (totally 115). The intervention significantly decreased mean score of diabetic neuropathy symptoms (trial group: 3.26 vs. control group: 9.57, P = 0.001), severity (trial group: 5.86 vs. control group: 9.02, P = 0.001), fasting blood sugar (trial group: 151 vs. control group: 204, P = 0.001), and glycosylated hemoglobin (trial group: 7.85 vs. control group: 8.62, P = 0.004). Conclusion: Delivering a supportive-educational intervention based on the Orem self-care model on outpatient diabetes clinic can decrease the symptoms and severity of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Trial registration: It was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT2015021521095N1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Students use a school bag to carry their school supplies which may not have the required standards and ergonomic factors. OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed to examine the ergonomic factors of schoolbags and their adaptation to the weight of elementary school students. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 721 primary schoolchildren. To collecting data a checklist, which its final version was approved by the experts, was designed by researchers. Data were analyzed by using SPSS ver. 22 and Chi-square test, One-Way ANOVA, and univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. RESULTS: In this study, about 90.1% of students used a backpack to carry their items and most students carried backpacks with a weight up to 10% of their body weight. In 43.5% of the students, waist width was appropriate with backpack width at the bottom, and in 96.6% shoulder width was appropriate with backpack width at the top. Multivariate logistic regression showed that girls in compared to boys were more likely tolerated ratio of backpack weight to body weight, and also had more likely proportion of waist width and the backpack width at the bottom. The grades of the first, second, and fourth used more heavy backpacks. Students who their mothers were employee compared to housewives, carried heavier backpacks and had more likely proportion of waist width and the backpack width at the bottom. As the mother's age increased, the proportion of waist width and the backpack width at the bottom is diminished. CONCLUSION: The schoolbags weight of many students was more than the standard weight, and their schoolbags did not have the required standards. Educational interventions can increase the knowledge of students and parents about the ideal weight of a schoolbag and the criteria for choosing a proper school bag. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accidents caused by children's play equipment are a severe health threat to them. Implementing the requirements of the safety standards is necessary to ensure the safety of such equipment. The current study aimed to determine the general safety of playground equipment in general parks in Gonabad City, Iran. We also compared the level of the general safety of this equipment with national standards. Methods: This cross-sectional and analytical study was conducted in all the parks of Gonabad City during the autumn and winter of 2017. The required information on the playgrounds in the public parks of this city was collected by a checklist. The checklist was designed based on the general safety of playgrounds standards (national standard 1-6436) in 124 items. Results: On average, 9.55 of standard requirements were not implemented in examined parks. Moreover, none of the studied parks fully complied with current standards. We observed fractures, cracks, or deformation in equipment, rough surfaces with the risk of injury, hazardous conditions due to inappropriate design that could harm children, as well as the lack of middle aggressors. These were non-compliant components observed at least 70% of the studied parks. Conclusion: Removing points with fracture and defective points, and improving the level of children's playground is essential. The obtained data also emphasized the need for periodic safety audits and the improvement of the safety level of children's playground equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron and vitamin D deficiency are the common problems in Iranian adolescents. This study aimed to examine whether the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) implemented in the educational intervention were effectiveness to improve behavioural intention to intake iron and vitamin D supplements among adolescent girls. Quasi-experimental study was used to enrol 175 adolescent girls aged 12–14 years attending community-based practices in the Gonabad, Iran. We evaluated the effects of a behavioural intervention for adolescents compared to usual care controls, on the TPB constructs and adolescent's behavioural intentions to intake vitamin D and iron supplements, assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Bivariate analysis was used to assess whether the health provider training improved outcomes. Mean scores of knowledge, attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control (PBC) and behavio\ural intention before intervention were, respectively, 20.65, 25.88, 25.82, 20.12 and 11.22, and after the intervention, were, respectively, 23.74, 25.48, 18.27, 11.33 and 11.82. All the constructs except the attitude in the intervention group were significantly higher (p < 0.001) than the control group, indicating that adolescent's behavioural intention to intake iron and vitamin D supplements significantly improved in intervention group compared control group. Therefore, constructs of the TPB could be a significant determinate to change multiple behavioural intention in different populations. Given the importance of the use of supplements by female adolescents, it is necessary to pay more attention to the issue of training in this field and to remove the existing obstacles. Abbreviations: TPB: Theory of planned behavior; PBC: perceived behavioral control; IDA: iron deficiency anemia [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Abnormal liver function test results are often observed in patients with acute Myocardial Infarction (MI). Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) activity elevation after MI-induced liver injury. Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, 75 patients with acute MI were randomly allocated to an intervention and a control group. The intervention group received 1 gram per day equal to three capsules of Pikasol (fish oil) for three months, while the control group received the routine treatment after MI. In all samples, plasma concentrations of ALT were assessed on the admission day and 2, 30, 60, and 90 days after the intervention. The data were analyzed using the SPSS 16 software, and P < 0.05 was set as the level of statistical significance. Results: The results showed no significant differences between the two groups regarding age, sex, Body Mass Index (BMI), and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The results also indicated no significant differences between the two groups concerning the serum level of ALT on the day of admission (P = 0.68), day 2 (P = 0.79), day 30 (P = 0.86), day 60 (P = 0.09), and day 90 (P = 0.64). Conclusion: The study results suggested that the patients receiving omega-3 supplementation following MI had similar ALT levels to those who received no supplementations. However, further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Future of Medical Education Journal is the property of Mashhad University of Medical Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Future of Medical Education Journal is the property of Mashhad University of Medical Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A miniaturized ultra wideband (UWB) planar array antennas for C-band aircraft weather RADAR applications is presented. Firstly, the effect of the ground plane is studied. Later, the realization and experimental validation of the geometry that has an UWB characteristic are discussed. This array antennas is composed of a twenty-four radiating element that is etched onto FR-4 substrate with an overall size of 162×100×1.58 mm3 and a dielectric constant of εr=4.4. The results show that this miniaturized array antennas gives us a bandwidth which is about 115% and a gain greater than 13 dB which are required in aircraft weather radar applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sassanid era is one of the most brilliant in the Iranian civilization in terms of various arts development. The coastal areas of the Caspian Sea, especially Mazandaran, has long been the site of artistic manifestation with countless examples of art works kept in different museums inside and outside the country. The Sassanid art particularly depict life and glory of the kings. With a deep insight into the works, one can easily find the use of a vast array of birds, animals, plants, gods and mythological beings in symbolic ways. After reviewing and researching all the works created in the Sassanid period, a common feature attracts opinions, and that is the similarity and harmony of decorative motifs in all of these works, especially bas-reliefs, metal wares, fabrics and seals. The purpose of this research is to investigate the images of sacred animals on the Mazandaran artifacts of the Sassanid period, in response to the question of what is the relationship between the designs of sacred animals and the motifs on discovered metal works of Mazandaran. The results of this study clearly show that in most of the concepts and representations in the works produced in every part of this civilization, a common goal was pursued, and it is a struggle against evil forces. The symbolic emblems of sacred animals in Iran can be found in close connection with the beliefs and religions of that era, some of which are manifested in the form of boar and lion in the body of gods and goddesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 4–8 GHz ultra wide band microstrip array antennas with improved gain for weather Radar applications was designed and fabricated. The microstrip radiating elements of the proposed array antennas are powered using a T-junction power divider with quarter wave-transformer impedance for a best matching. The design of this array antennas is based on the geometry of a linear array antennas well studied [ref (8)], which is based on minimizing of the electromagnetic (EM) coupling between the radiating elements and as decreasing the number of side lobes. The array antennas with dimension of (110 × 214 × 1.58 mm3) is fabricated on FR-4 epoxy dielectric with relative permittivity of 4.4 and thickness h = 1.58 mm, it is performed in the full-wave EM solver High Frequency Structure Simulator, CST and verified by measurement. The proposed broadband array antennas show a better performance than the references antennas in deferent parameter which cited after. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study sought to assess the effect of precede-proceed model on preventive behaviors for type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in high-risk individuals. In this semi-experimental study, 164 high-risk individuals for type 2 DM were selected and were randomly divided into two groups of intervention and control (n = 85). Educational intervention was performed as a single session face-to-face instruction for 1.5 hr for the intervention group participants. Data were collected before (baseline) and immediately and I month after the intervention in the two groups. The mean score of predisposing (knowledge) factors (p = .001), reinforcing factors (p = .001), and enabling factors (p = .02) were significantly different at baseline and I month after the intervention in the intervention group compared with the control group (p < .05). A significant improvement occurred in the nutritional habits of high-risk participants in the intervention group at I month after the intervention compared with controls (p = .001). The precede-proceed model can be effective for promoting the preventive behaviors for type 2 DM in high-risk individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community participation, as one of the basic components of sustainable development in a community. This study aimed to determine patterns of community participation, identify factors associated with their social and civic engagement, and examine the relation between the factors and community engagement patterns. Patterns of citizen participation were determined in social and civic engagements. Data were gathered via a valid and reliable questionnaire. A total of 286 fulfilled questionnaires were analyzed. The results showed that women significantly visited their neighbors more than men, while men went to restaurant/cafe more than women. Among high-level participating people, there were significant associations between the respondents' participation in social group activities and sex, age group, marital status, and level of education as well as between the group with mix activity and level of education. In general, people more participated in social than civic activities. To promoting community participation, attention to more engagement of individuals in group activities (social and civic) would be effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]