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Background and Objectives The covid-19 epidemic leads to more mortality while creating health-treatment problems. Exact identification of the patients, evaluation of immunologic and hematologic parameters and their relationship is important in determining the treatment process. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of investigating the relationship between red blood cell indices and CRP and IL-6 in patients with covid-19. Materials and Methods In this descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study, the data of 280 hospitalized patients with covid-19 in 3 Hamedan hospitals during 2020 and 2021 were entered in SPSS version 27 software. Data were analyzed using Chi square test, Spearman correlation coefficient, with the significance level (p< 0.05). Results By evaluation of the data of covid-19 patients, it was found that Hb, Hct, MCHC, RDW, and MCV indices with correlation coefficient of 0.16, 0.19, 0.16, 0.21, and 0.23 are related to IL-6 level significantly (p : 0.007, 0.002, 0.009, < 0.001, and < 0.001, respectively). Meanwhile, none of these indices have a significant relationship with the CRP level. Conclusions Accurate assessment of red blood cell indices and their relationship with immunological parameters could be helpful in term of choosing proper treatment method, predicting disease severity and clinical manifestations, determining required service level, and providing intensive care for patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims Caring for a patient undergoing hemodialysis is a stressful experience that causes a heavy care burden. With the outbreak of COVID-19, family caregivers of these patients had increased worry about the risk of infection in the dialysis centers. This fear can make their care burden heavier. This study aims to investigate the impact of coping skills training on the care burden experienced by family caregivers of patients undergoing hemodialysis. Materials & Methods This quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2020 on 60 family caregivers of patients undergoing hemodialysis at the Comprehensive Treatment Center for Special Diseases in Birjand, Iran. Participants were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The intervention group received coping skills training in six sessions. All participants completed the Zarit burden interview before, immediately after, and one month after the intervention. The data were analyzed in SPSSsoftware, version 19. Results The two groups were homogeneous regarding demographic information (P>0.05). Both groups had a moderate to severe care burden before the intervention. A significant difference was reported in the care burden score of the intervention group after training (P<0.001). Conclusion Coping skills training can reduce the care burden of the family caregivers of patients undergoing hemodialysis. Therefore, coping skills training can be used by nursing managers to reduce the care burden of family caregivers of patients with hemodialysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Workplace violence in the healthcare system has become an important policymaking issue in recent years and is considered one of the most complex issues for the governmental system. Due to the lack of a similar study in Golestan province, this study was conducted to determine the level of exposure to workplace violence against nurses and the factors related to it. Methods. This cross-sectional study was conducted in hospitals affiliated with Golestan University of Medical Sciences in 2021 Where 293 nurses were included after random stratified sampling. The data collection tool was demographic and occupational variables as well as the workplace violence questionnaire and data analysis was done by descriptive statistics methods and Mann-Whitney, Spearman, Kruskal-Wallis, and Chi-square tests in SPSS-23 software at a significance level of 0.05. Results. The average age of the nurses participating in the study was 33.93 ± 7.16 years and their average work experience was 9.82 ± 6.32 years. Among the subjects, 82.6% were women and the rest were men. The prevalence of workplace violence was 86% in one year. Mental and physical violence with a frequency of 79.5% and 42.7%, respectively, had the highest occurrences. Also, 57. 7% did not report any act of violence. In front of these acts of violence, the most reactions were inviting the attacker to calm down (42.3%), discussing the issue with colleagues (23.5%), and not taking any specific action (19.5%). There was a significant relationship between physical violence and gender (P-value=0.024) and department of hospital (P-value=0.003). Sexual violence was also significantly related to department of hospital (P-value=0.046). Also, there was a significant relationship between racial violence and gender (P-value=0.001), department of hospital (P-value=0.028), and work shift (P-value=0.005). Conclusion. According to the results, the prevalence of workplace violence was generally high in one year, but most of the nurses did not report any act of violence. Therefore, medical policymakers and hospital managers should consider improving nurses' communication skills, and security measures, training staff on anger management, and reducing nurses' workload. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim Fibromyalgia syndrome is a chronic disease that causes widespread musculoskeletal pain. It primarily affects women and negatively impacts many aspects of a person’s psychological and social life. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of cognitive therapy based on mindfulness and compassion therapy on automatic negative thoughts, psychological symptoms, pain intensity, and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome. Methods & Materials This research is a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design with two experimental and one control group. The statistical study population consisted of all individuals with fibromyalgia syndrome referred to Mehregan Pain Clinic in Mirdamad (District 3), Seyed Khandan Clinic (District 4), and Taleghani Hospital Pain Clinic (District 1) in Tehran City, Iran. Of them, 30 patients were randomly selected and divided into three groups of experimental 1, experimental 2, and control; each group will include 10 people. The instruments used in this study included the World Health Organization quality of life questionnaire (WHOQOL BREF), pain intensity questionnaire (PIS), psychological symptoms questionnaire (Anxiety, Stress and Depression [DASS]), and automatic negative thoughts (QNS). Ethical Considerations This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Arak Branch, Islamic Azad University (Code: IR.IAU.ARAK.REC.1400.005). Results The analysis of covariance showed the effectiveness of both cognitive therapies based on mindfulness and compassion therapy on four variables of pain intensity, psychological symptoms, automatic negative thoughts, and quality of life (P<0.05). Comparing the two intervention methods showed that both therapies had almost the same effect on pain intensity, psychological symptoms, and automatic negative thoughts (P<0.05) but the effectiveness of mindfulness intervention on the quality of life was significantly higher than compassion intervention (P<0.05). Conclusion The results indicate that cognitive therapy based on mindfulness and compassion therapy are suitable for people with fibromyalgia under appropriate treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims: From the beginning of the Covid-19 epidemic, a number of recommendations were made by health organizations, such as maintaining social distance, using masks, and hand hygiene. Hand washing with soap or alcohol-based disinfectants and high hygiene as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of this emerging virus is widely promoted, and almost all people follow these recommendations. Although hand washing and hygiene are more serious than ever before, and is certainly helpful in preventing the spread of Covid-19, but there is the question of how this can affect different people who have not previously had obsessive-compulsive disorder, and also peoples with mild and sub-threshold symptoms (1,6). The Covid-19 epidemic in the late winter of 2019 / spring 2020 became a global crisis and spread widely and rapidly across borders and continues to this day (3). Covid19 disease may have different effects on people with different socioeconomic status, as shown in several studies (11,9,8,20,21,22). Very little is known about the impact of the emerging Covid-19 disease on the prevalence or development of mental disorders, and little research has been done in this area. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of obsessivecompulsive disorder in recovered hospitalized patients with Covid-19 six months after discharge from the hospital, evaluate the existence of a statistically significant relationship between the prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder, socioeconomic status and demographic variables such as gender, age, level of education and marital status. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 479 patients with a history of definitive diagnosis of Covid-19 and subsequent hospitalization were studied. The participation of all sample members in this study was completely voluntary and the present study has been approved by the ethics committee of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Iran. The sample members were selected using random number generation software and through a completely random selection from the list of hospitalized patients. After selecting the sample, they were invited to participate in the study by telephone. After initial satisfaction, research questionnaires were provided to the sample members face to face. In this study, Maudsley Obsessional Compulsive inventory (MOCI), Ghodrat Nama et al. Socio-Economic Status Questionnaire (GHSESQ) were used. The validity and reliability of these questionnaires have been studied in Iran and both of them are valid and reliable. Also, after completing the questionnaires, each member of the sample was examined through a short face-to-face supplementary interview (maximum 10 minutes) for the presence of DSM5 diagnostic criteria for obsessive-compulsive disorder and the results were recorded. After data collection, the overall point prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder was calculated. Also, the point prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder were obtained based on each of the classes of demographic variables in the study. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test, one-way analysis of variance and Tukey test were used in this study. SPSS 21 statistical software was used for data analysis. Results: After reviewing and analyzing the completed questionnaires and the results of the supplementary interview, 92 members of the sample were diagnosed with obsessivecompulsive disorder. The overall prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder in all samples was 19.20%. According to the results of statistical analysis, there was a significant relationship between gender and obsessive-compulsive disorder and this disorder was more common in women than men (χ2 = 5.3793; P-value = 0.020378; p≤0.05). There was a significant relationship between age variable and obsessive-compulsive disorder and the prevalence of this disorder was more common in other age groups of 38-58 and 18-38, respectively (χ2 = 10.3501; P-value = 0.015813 ; p≤0.05). There was no significant relationship between education and disorder (χ2 = 2.9693; P-value = 0.562976; p≤0.05). Finally, in the case of marital status, there was no significant relationship between marital status and obsessivecompulsive disorder (χ2 = 4.4587; P-value = 0.107601; p≤0.05). The prevalence of obsessivecompulsive disorder was 12.16% in very low socio-economic status, 15.16% in low socioeconomic status, 18.12% in medium socio-economic status, 35.84% in high socio-economic status and 40.00% in very high socio-economic status. The results of this study showed that there was a significant relationship between socioeconomic status and obsessive-compulsive disorder in recovered hospitalized patients with Covid-19 (χ2 = 20.7756; P-value = 0.000351; p≤0.05). The prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder has increased with increasing in level of socioeconomic status. The highest prevalence of disorders was in very high and high socio-economic status. One-way analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA) was performed to compare the mean scores of obsessive-compulsive disorder in different socioeconomic statuses and the value of F was 4.67467, Which shows that there is a significant difference in the mean scores of obsessive-compulsive disorder between socio-economic statuses. The results of Tukey test on the mean scores of obsessive-compulsive disorder in different socioeconomic statuses showed that the differences between very low and high socioeconomic status (p = 0.00597), very low and very high socioeconomic status (p = 0.00179), low and high socioeconomic status (p = 0.03153) were statistically significant. Conclusion: Evidence from research to date suggests that anxiety and fear of being infected by a person or family member, as well as fear of death and threat to life at the time of infection, especially in hospitalized cases, can lead to or the trigger for mental disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder. Hospitalized people who have experienced a severe illness and whose life and health are seriously threatened can be one of the groups with the highest rates of mental disorders caused by this epidemic. It is suggested that institutions and organizations related to the maintenance and promotion of mental health in the community take the necessary plans and measures to prevent the occurrence or exacerbation of mental disorders and reduce the psychological consequences of this epidemic in the general population and especially highrisk populations, like people who have experienced the intense and critical state of Covid-19. Considering that the prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder in recovered hospitalized patients with Covid-19 is much higher than the prevalence of this disorder in the general population, it can be concluded that covid-19 infection and subsequent hospitalization can lead to obsessive-compulsive disorder. prevalence of Covid-19 exacerbates obsessive-compulsive behaviors and thoughts related to cleanliness and avoidance of the virus. In addition to threatening people's physical health, Covid-19 also threatens their mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The facial oral pain and symptoms of sinusitis is one of the concerns of patients especially dentists which can be associated with Haller cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of Haller cells of an Iranian population and its relationship with inflammatory sinus disease using CBCT images. Materials & Methods: In this descriptive- analytical research (in 2018) samples were selected from all available CBCT images of patients referring to Tabriz school of dentistry. Haller cells cases were selected and the samples were examined for the presence of inflammatory sinus disease in the coronal and axial sections. The data from CBCT images were entered in NNT viewer version 2.17 and the images were reviewed by two oral and maxillofacial radiologists. Then agreement between the two observers was measured by Kappa coefficient. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20 and Chi-Square test and p value < 0.05 was considered. Results: For total sinuses, the prevalence of Haller cells was 44.5% and it was 70.3% for chronic sinusitis. Haller cells were 48.4% unilateral and 52.6% bilateral. There was no significant difference in the frequency of Haller cells between men and women. Statistical analysis showed there was significant correlation between Haller cells presence and sinusitis (p value < 0.05). Conclusion: According the results of this study, people with Haller cells are more likely to develop inflammatory sinus disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives Administering unnecessary blood can cause many complications in patients and add to medical costs. This study aimed to evaluate blood consumption pattern and its relation with causes of mortality in Geneal ICU Ward of Besat Educational Medical Center of Hamadan in 2018- 2019. Materials and Methods This cross-sectional study was performed retrospectively in 2018-2019 on all eligible patients. A checklist was developed to collect demographic and clinical data. Finally, the data were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis Test, Spearman's Correlation Coefficient, Chi-square Test, Mann- Whitney U by SPSS version 22. Results 227 patients including 130 (57.3%) males and 97 females (42.7%) with the mean age of 39.02 ± 12.83 years were studied. The mean blood unit administered to each patient was 1.68 ± 1.02 and the mean hospital stay period was 8.43 ± 6.03 days. 19.4% of the patients died and the most common cause of death (8.4%) was attributed to brain and nervous system diseases/ damages. The most common type of blood products used was packed red blood cells (70%). The most common indication for blood prescription was surgery (75.3%) followed by bleeding (7.5%). There was a direct and significant relationship between the number blood units and final outcome of the disease (p < 0.001). Conclusions Since the most common type of administered blood products was packed RBCs and there was a direct relationship between the number of prescribed blood units and the incidence of death, it is recommended to avoid unnecessary administration of packed RBCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Diabetes is the most common chronic metabolic disease, which plays an important role in reducing health and quality of life. Accordingly, diabetic patients suffer from high anxiety levels and low self-care behaviors. The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of mindfulness and psychological well-being education on anxiety and self-care behaviors in patients with type II diabetes. Materials and Methods: This semi-experimental study was conducted using pretest-posttest design and a control group. The statistical population included all patients with type II diabetes who were the members of Tehran Diabetes Association living in districts 1-3 in Tehran, Iran. After reviewing the inclusion criteria, 75 people were selected using the purposive sampling method and randomly assigned into three groups of 25 people per group. The experimental groups (n=2) participated separately in 10 mindfulness and psychological well-being training sessions for 90 minutes (two sessions per week). On the other hand, the control group was placed on the waiting list for education. The data were collected using an anxiety inventory and revised diabetes self-care behaviors scale. Subsequently, they were analyzed in SPSS software (version 19) through the chi-square test, multivariate analysis of covariance, and Bonferroni post hoc test. Results: The results showed that mindfulness and psychological well-being intervention significantly decreased anxiety and significantly increased self-care behaviors in patients with type 2 diabetes, compared to the control group (P<0.001). However, no significant difference was observed between mindfulness and psychological well-being education regarding a decrease in anxiety and an increase in self-care behaviors (P>0.05). Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, mindfulness and psychological well-being education methods can be utilized to improve the health-related characteristics of the patients with type II diabetes, decrease anxiety, and increase self-care behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives Use of kits with high sensitivity and specificity to determine the prevalence of antibodies against hepatitis B virus (anti-HBc) core antigen is important. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B virus antibody in HBsAg negative blood donors using two anti-HBc enzyme immunoassay kits (DIA.PRO and SIEMENS). Materials and Methods In this Cross-sectional study, a number of 4313 samples of HBsAg negative blood donors were collected. All samples were tested for the detection of anti-HBc (Total, IgM & IgG) by ELISA using Diapro and Siemens kits. Anti-HBc assay was performed by both kits in duplicate. Statistical analysis of data was performed using SPSS Ver. 22.0; chi-square tests were also performed. Results The study population consisted of 227 (5.3%) women and 4086 (94.7%) men. 498 (11.5%) and 384 (8.9%) samples reacted with Diapro and Siemens kits for Anti-HBc, respectively. All positive samples of both kits in duplicate test showed the same results as the previously reported results. 114 cases of reactive kits of DIA.PRO kit were negative in re-testing with SIEMENS kit. Significant differences were observed between the reactive results of the two kits (p = 0.00005). The kappa coefficient for the reactive results of the two kits was 85%. Conclusions Considering the significant difference between the results of the two kits, it is recommended to perform anti-HBc testing with anti-HBs and /or anti-HBe to determine the prevalence of anti- HBc in blood donors with past HBV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are known as a health-threatening factors and the most important cause of mortality worldwide and also in Iran. Thus, it seems necessary to intervene in order to increase public awareness of the risk factors and to enhance their motivation for reducing those factors via the theory-based education Objective: This study aimed to determine the effect of educational intervention based on health belief model on nutritional behavior of patients with myocardial infarction admitted to the hospitals in Guilan province during 1395-96( 2017-2018). Materials and Methods: This study is a randomized controlled experimental trial. Eighty-six patients with myocardial infarction were randomly assigned into two case (43) and control (43) groups. Data from both groups (demographic and health belief model and nutritional behavior) were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire before and a month after educational intervention. After fulfilling the requirements based on HBM, educational intervention took place in case group. Control group did not receive any kind of intervention, they just received the routine notes from hospital. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21 using suitable statistical tests (chi-square test, Spearman coefficient and independent t-test). Results: In terms of demographic characteristics, no significant differences were seen between the groups. Before intervention, no significant differences were seen between mean scores of HBM constructs, awareness and nutritional behaviors in the groups, while after intervention there was a significant difference between them (p<0.001). Results also showed a significant difference in case group before and after receiving educational intervention (p<0.001). But there was no significant change in the control group before and after educational intervention (p<0.001). Conclusion: The present study showed that intervention based on HBM, emphasizing awareness and nutritional behavior of patients with myocardial infarction, could have a positive effect on the nutritional behavior of the patients and consequently their health status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease characterized by impairments in the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins. Type II diabetes is the most common form of diabetes mellitus. The patient's self-care is regarded as the most important factor in metabolic control in diabetic patients. Therefore, the improvement of self-care behaviors is the first step to control type II diabetes. Accordingly, patient education on self-care behavior is necessary to improve the knowledge and skill of these population. Video-based learning is a method to improve self-care behaviors. As a result, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of video-based learning on self-care behaviors in type II diabetic patients. It is hoped that the results will be used to control this disease. Materials and Methods: This semi-experimental study was conducted on 60 diabetic patients referring to the Diabetes Clinic in Zabol. Systematic probable sampling method was performed for sampling and two questionnaires were utilized for collecting demographic and self-control behaviors in diabetic patients. The intervention group received video-based instructions in four sessions while the control group only received routine cares without any instructions. The data were analyzed in SPSS software (Version 24) through paired and independent t-tests, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and the Chi-square test. In addition, P-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: According to the results obtained from the independent t-test, there was no statistically significant difference between the intervention 54.8 (7.29) and control groups 55.96 (12.17) regarding the pretest scores. However, a significant difference was observed between the intervention 67.86 (11.77) and control groups 57.76 (13.40) in terms of the posttest scores after the intervention and video-based instructions (P<0.05). Conclusion: The results revealed that the implementation of video-based learning methods can have an effect on the improvement of self-care behaviors among patients. Therefore, the utilization of these methods by health care providers can be effective in the improvement of self-care behaviors among diabetic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Periapical diseases are the end result of untreated pulpitis or failure of root canal therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the prevalence of different periapical lesions in terms of demographic variables in patients referring to the Department of Oral Pathology of Isfahan Dental School in three different time periods from 1988 to 2015. Materials & Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, biopsy samples available in the archives of Oral Pathology Department of Isfahan Dental School from1988 to 2015 were studied. Periapical (PA) lesions were evaluated and compared in terms of age, sex, type, etiology and location. Data were analyzed with SPSS. After data collection, data were analyzed with chi-squared test, Fisher’s exact test, ANOVA and Tukey test (α = 0.05). Results: Of 10686 oral biopsies, 582 (5.44%) were PA lesions. Of 582 PA lesions, 71.1% were dental granulomas and 15.3% were radicular cysts and the other cases were other lesions with lower prevalence rates; 41.4% of the lesions belonged to males and 58.1% to females. The most common frequency was detected in the 21‒30-year age group. The most common site of involvement was the mandibular molars with 48.3%, maxillary incisors with 32.5% and maxillary molars with 21.4%, respectively. Distribution frequencies of PA lesions were 11%, 23.9% and 65.1% in the first, second and third periods, respectively. Conclusion: The results showed that the prevalence of PA lesions has increased significantly in recent years. Increased incidence of periapical lesions secondary to root canal therapy (RCT) in the second and third periods in comparison with the first period is an indication of inadequate RCT treatment in patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Stem cells which are capable of self-proliferation and differentiation into at least two different types of cells can play a major role in the treatment of various diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate awareness, knowledge and attitudes of dental practitioners in Isfahan regarding stem cells and their applications in the dental field. Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional study was based on designing a structured self-functioning questionnaire, with close-ended questions. The questionnaire was distributed among 391 general dentists and specialists in Isfahan. Data were analyzed with SPSS 22 using Spearman’s test, t-test and chi-squared test (α=0.05). Results: Of 391 dental practitioners working in Isfahan, 245 general dentists and 63 specialists were familiar with the term "stem cells". The mean age of the subjects in this research was 41 years. Of these dentists, 86 (22.2%) had job experience less than 5 years and 105 (27.11%) had 5‒10 years of experience and 197 (50.8%) had job experience over 10 years. The mean awareness score was 3.92, with mean knowledge and attitude scores of 2.63 and 38.6, respectively. The correlation between mean awareness, knowledge and attitude scores showed a direct and significant correlation between awareness and knowledge (r=0.608, p value < 0.001). However, there was no significant correlation between awareness and attitude (r=0.099, p value = 0.085). In addition, there was no significant correlation between knowledge and attitude (r=0.055, p value = 0.332). Conclusion: The results showed that despite high level awareness and relatively positive attitude toward stem cells, knowledge on the application of stem cells was low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The tooth pulp reacts to local and systemic stimulation, which might appear as calcified centers or pulp stones. The prevalence of pulp stones has been reported to be different in different studies. The present study was conducted to assess the prevalence of pulp stones in patients referring to Isfahan Dental School. Materials and methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, all the digital panoramic radiographs in the archives of the Department of Radiology of Isfahan Dental School were assessed and 500 radiographs which met the inclusion criteria were included in the study and evaluated based on tooth number, sex and age of the patients. Data were recorded in special forms and analyzed using SPSS 11.5 with chi-squared test, Fisher's exact test and Spearman's rank correlation (α=0.05). Results: The prevalence of pulp stones was estimated at 25.6%, with 27.2% and 24.5% in males and females, respectively. There was no significant predilection for any sex (p value = 0.488). The difference between the right and left sides was not significant (p value = 0.680); however, chisquared test showed a significantly higher prevalence in maxillary teeth compared to the mandibular teeth (p value = 0.001). In addition, Fisher's exact test revealed significant differences between different age groups (p value < 0.001). Conclusion: Under the limitations of the present study, there were no significant differences in the prevalence of pulp stones between the two sides and the two genders; however, there was a higher prevalence in the maxilla compared to the mandible. Subjects with pulp stones had higher mean ages than those without pulp stones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Till now multiple devices have been introduced in order to predict the "patients"' disability, function, muscle force and mortality in the acute phase of stroke. Objective: Determination the relationship between electroencephalography (EEG) findings and change of disability, functional status, functional independency, muscle force and mortality of the patients with ischemic stroke. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was performed on 47 patients in the range of 50-90 years old involved by ischemic stroke in the territory of middle cerebral artery, referred to Poursina Hospital in Guilan-Rasht in the north of Iran. At first, for all the patients a brain CT and after 48 hours a brain MRI or CT scan were done routinely to confirm the diagnosis. EEG accomplished during 48-72 hours after stroke, and the "patients" were grouped in 3, according to EEG abnormality: normal EEG, moderate and severe abnormal EEG. The patients disability, functional independency, functional status, and muscle force, respectively were assessed by Modified Rankin Disability, FIM, Bethel index and Medical Research Council scale(MRC) and their mortality in the first 48 hours, one week and three weeks afterstroke. The data were processed by software SPSS 20 using Chi square, independent T, Post Hoc Tukey, Kruskal-Wallis, Anova, Repeated Measure Anova and Sphericity. Results: A total of 47 patients (48.6% men, 53.2% women) with mean age of 73.09±9.01 years old participated in this study. Left middle cerebral artery involvement was evident in 46.8% of the patients and the others had right side involvement. First and second groups included 15 patients and third group17 patients and there wasn't any statistically significant difference between groups in age and sex. (P>0.05) No significant difference was found, either between groups in means and change of means of Rankin score, FIM, Barthel Index and MRC during the study period. (P>0.05) Conclusion: EEG findings can't determine prognostic value for functional outcome and mortality of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among women worldwide. Mammography is a sensitive and specific test that is used for early diagnosis of breast cancer. Mammography screening behavior is one of the behaviors that early study on its stage of change can be used in proper planning and effective interventions for performing mammography screening behavior. This study was done with the aim of determining mammography screening behavior stage of change among women aged 40 and older in Isfahan. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive population-based study, 384 women aged 40 and older were recruited by random sampling method in the city of Isfahan. Mammography screening behavior stage of change was determined by the Rakoweski stage of change questionnaire. The data were analyzed by SPSS software using statistical chi-square and ANOVA at the significant level of α = 0.05. Results: The mean age of the women was 52.24 ± 8.22 years. The results indicate that 36.2%, 21.1%, 4.2%, 6.2%, and 32.3% of the women studied were in the stages of Pre-contemplation, Contemplation, Action, Maintenance, and Relapse, respectively. The statistical analysis show that there were some significant correlationship between age (p<0.0001), education (p= 0.009), married status (p= 0.011), insurance status (p= 0.025) and income level (p= 0.009) with the stages of change. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that the majority of subjects were in the pre-contemplation and contemplation stages, and that a low percentage of women were in the action and maintenance stages. Therefore, appropriate intervention based on stage of change for promotion of mammography screening behavior seems to be essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Blended-E-Learning system uses various methods and technologies to improve learning quality. We developed some courses based on Instructional System Design Processes (analysis, design, implementation, and evaluation) for blended-e-learning, then we evaluated the effectiveness of this system in Tehran University of medical Science. Methods: In this partnership-based action research study, carried out in 2008-2009, firstly viewpoints of faculty members and also nursing and midwifery students of Tehran University of Medical Science on the blended e-learning were assessed via a valid and reliable questionnaire. Then a platform of blended e-learning was designed and voluntary faculty members participated in a workshop held to develop an e-learning course. Finally a blended learning program covering 22 courses (45 credits) for BS, MS and PhD students of nursing and midwifery was designed. At the end of the semester, we used questionnaires and check-lists to assess students' & faculty members' feedback on the learning outcome of this program. The collected data were analyzed using frequency, Chi square and Wilcoxon tests in SPSS software version 16. Results: 181 students filled out and returned questionnaires (response rate=82.2%). 67.4% students were highly satisfied with this system. Similarly 88.2% of faculty members were completely satisfied with teaching in blended e-learning system. Both students and faculty members preferred the blended e-learning system to the conventional method (P=0.000). Mean scores of students' grades and participation were significantly higher in blended learning method than students' in the previous semester with face-to-face method (P<0.001). Conclusion: Because the blended e-learning uses benefits of both e-learning & face to face learning and provides more flexibility and satisfaction for learner and teacher, it can be considered as an effective alternative method for education in universities of medical sciences in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]