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Abstract The objective behind developing the nanoporous alumino-borosilicate (AlBS) was to remove strontium ion (Sr2+) from liquid waste and subsequently stabilize it. The sorption capacity of the nanoporous AlBS was assessed in relation to various experimental factors, including contact time, temperature, initial pH solution, and initial concentration of Sr ions. According to the obtained results, nanoporous AlBS shows a maximum Sr2+ sorption capacity of 163.08 mg/g. In order to achieve stable immobilization of the sorbed Sr ions, heat treatments at different temperatures were applied to the Sr-containing nanoporous AlBS. Various eluents were used in the leach tests to examine the Sr ions leaching from heat-treated materials. Only 3.43% of the Sr ions initially adsorbed in the nanoporous AlBS matrix was washed out with 1 M sodium chloride eluent, showing that heating the sample to around 1100 °C successfully trapped Sr ions in the nanoporous AlBS matrix.

Abstract In the study presented here, the initial (that is, before the start of the process of natural hydrochemical influence) mineral formula of metamict polycrase in the composition of granite pegmatites of the Baltic Shield, applying an uranium natural half-leaching period, was calculated. To investigate the characteristics of immobilization of actinides in the studied polycrase, the absolute and relative uranium contents are compared with the corresponding uranium contents in the original betafite of the same deposit and age. It has been shown that over its geological history, betafite has lost up to 80% of its original uranium content. The proportion of uranium preserved in polycrase is twice as high. It is concluded that the difference in the relative content of uranium (27.3 wt% in polycrase and 31.6 wt% in betafite) cannot be the only reason for the complete oxidation of uranium in betafite, given that in polycrase 30% of uranium is preserved in the tetravalent state. It is more likely that the oxidation of uranium in betafite was primarily a result of the low ionicity of the chemical bonds compared to that in polycrase. This allows us to consider minerals of the euxenite group to be quite promising as matrix materials for the immobilization of actinides. At the same time, an opinion was expressed on the advisability of further comparative studies of Nb–Ta–Ti-oxides of the mineral groups AB2O6 and A2B2O7 for their use at the final stage of the nuclear fuel cycle.

Abstract Granular activated carbon has been modified by ammonium persulfate as a new adsorbent for Cr(VI) adsorption from aqueous solutions. The adsorbent was characterized by nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherm data and infrared spectroscopy. The impact of different factors, such as the initial pH level of the solution, time, temperature, ionic strength, and initial concentration of the Cr(VI) ion, on the adsorption efficiencies of the adsorbent has been studied by batch experiments. Kinetic studies and the adsorption thermodynamics of Cr(VI) with ammonium persulfate-modified activated carbon adsorbent were carefully studied. The results showed that the Cr(VI) adsorption follows a pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the adsorption reaction is endothermic and spontaneous. The adsorption isotherm was scrutinized, and the fitting results showed that the Langmuir model could well represent the adsorption process. The maximum adsorption capacity of Cr(VI) onto persulfate-modified activated carbon was 108.69 mg g−1. The research results showed that using persulfate-modified activated carbon adsorbent can greatly remove Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions.

Background & Aims: There are different types of drugs to shorten prolonged labor. Spasmolytic drugs are used frequently in the delivery section to overcome cervical spasms and reduce the duration of labor. The study's objective was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of hyoscine N-butyl bromide (HBB) and Promethazine on the duration of the active phase of labor. Materials & Methods: We searched the Science Direct, PubMed Scopus, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, and ProQuest databases, and reviewed the literature and reference lists of retrieved articles. We included reports of quantitative studies published in all Persian and English articles from 2000 to 2021 that focused on Promethazine or Hyoscine during. Two authors independently screened titles and abstracts and assessed articles in full text against the inclusion criteria. These criteria included vertex presentation, no previous uterine surgery, intact membranes, and spontaneous labor, with mothers having no contraindications for normal vaginal delivery. Results: Out of a total of 170 records initially screened, we included 44 articles in our review, and other studies were excluded. The results showed that 10, 20, 40 mg of HBB decreased the first stage of labor duration by 147.02 min, 58.95 min, and 71.60 min, respectively. Additionally, HBB decreased the first stage of labor duration by 100.61 min in multiparous women and 66.04 min in primipara women. To evaluate the Promethazine effect on labor duration, the results showed that the combined MD was not significant (p=0.67, 0.85, and 0.44 in the first, second, and third stages, respectively). Conclusion: HBB is more effective in multiparous women compared to primiparous women. On the other hand, Promethazine has no effect on reducing total labor duration and any stages of labor, so its use is not recommended.

Abstract Failure to employ suitable measures before administering full anesthesia to patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who are undergoing surgery may lead to developing complications after surgery. Therefore, it is very important to screen OSA before performing a surgery, which is currently done by subjective questionnaires such as STOP-Bang, Berlin scores. These questionnaires have 10–36% specificity in detecting sleep apnea, along with no information given on anatomy of upper airway, which is important for intubation. To address these challenges, we performed a pilot study to understand the utility of ultrasonography and vowel articulation in screening OSA. Our objective was to investigate the influence of OSA risk factors in vowel articulation through ultrasonography and acoustic features analysis. To accomplish this, we recruited 18 individuals with no risk of OSA and 13 individuals with high risk of OSA and asked them to utter vowels, such as /a/ (as in “Sah”), /e/ (as in “See”). An expert ultra-sonographer measured the parasagittal anterior–posterior (PAP) and transverse diameter of the upper airway. From the recorded vowel sounds, we extracted 106 features, including power, pitch, formant, and Mel frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC). We analyzed the variation of the PAP diameters and vowel features from "See: /i/" to "Sah /a/" between control and OSA groups by two-way repeated measures ANOVA. We found that, there was a variation of upper airway diameter from “See” to “Sah” was significantly smaller in OSA group than control group (OSA: ∆12.8 ± 5.3 mm vs. control: ∆22.5 ± 3.9 mm OSA, p

Background & Aims: Anthropomorphic and parametric features of mothers are associated with placental weight (PW) changes and its function. Anthropomorphic and parametric features can affect neonatal well-being. The aim of this research was to assess the prediction role of maternal body mass index (BMI) and hemoglobin (Hb) in placental weight and neonatal outcome. Materials & Methods: This study was a correlational descriptive–analytical study. The data were collected using a demographic-reproductive questionnaire completed by 365 parturient women referred to Valiasr Hospital in Kazeroun, Fars, Iran from May 1 to August 31, 2020. The inclusion criteria were singleton delivery at term (37–42 weeks) and mothers’ consent to attend the study after recovery. The exclusion criteria were retained placenta, multiple pregnancies, and mothers’ discontent to participate in the study. The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis. All analyses were carried out with SPSS V.21. The significance level was considered less than 0.05. Results: The findings of the study showed that maternal BMI in early pregnancy (β = 0.20, P < 0.01), and gestational age (β = 0.24, P < 0.01) were the positive predictive factors for placental weight. Also, among the maternal traits, only maternal hemoglobin (β =0.14, P < 0.001) turned out to be a positive predictor for the neonate’s Apgar score. Of all fetal features, only neonatal weight had a significant correlation with placental weight (P < 0.01). Conclusion: Mother’s BMI and Hb can predict placental weight and neonatal outcome. According to this finding, caregivers can help pregnant women with congruent education about proper nutrition to reach a safe BMI and create a positive outcome for the placenta and the newborn.

Abstract Sleep disorders can adversely affect physical, sexual, and marital health, particularly among middle-aged women. This study aimed to determine the relationship between sleep quality and marital satisfaction of working women during the premenopausal period. In this cross-sectional study, we selected 150 women working at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in Iran was selected using random cluster sampling. A demographic information form, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Evaluation and Nurturing Relationship Issues, Communication, and Happiness (ENRICH) marital satisfaction scale were used for data collection. The Data were analyzed using SPSS.22 software at a significance level of P

Background: The concept of adaptation has gained central importance in research on chronic diseases. However, this process is not clear in adult epileptic patients. This study aimed to explain the process of adaptation to disease in patients with epilepsy.Methods: This study was conducted using the grounded theory approach from December 2018 to January 2020 in Isfahan, Iran. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews with 18 patients with epilepsy. Participants were selected by purposeful or theoretical sampling method. Data collection was performed by the first author through conducting semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was performed by Strauss and Corbin’s (1998) method.Results: Four main categories with ten sub-themes were obtained from the data analysis. The main themes include “Perceived disorder,” “Scrimmage with the disease,” “Moving towards adaptation,” and “Balancing life.” The Core category achieved was “Trying to balance life.”Conclusion: Based on the results, the process of adapting to epilepsy has four stages: “Perceived disorder,” “Scrimmage with the disease,” “Moving towards adaptation,” and “Balancing life.” The health providers’ awareness of these stages can provide a framework that can be used to help epilepsy patients achieve positive adaptation. Achievement of adaptation can help epileptic patients control the disease and improve their quality of life.

Abstract In this paper, the removal efficiency of Cerium (Ce(ΙΙΙ)) and lanthanum (La(ΙΙΙ)) ions from aqueous solution using Amberlite XAD-7 resin impregnated with DEHPA(XAD7-DEHPA) was studied in the batch system. The adsorbent ( XAD7–DEHPA) was characterized by SEM–EDX, FTIR and BET analysis Techniques. The response surface methodology based on the central composite design was applied to model and optimize the removal process and evaluate operating parameters like adsorbent dose (0.05–0.065), initial pH (2–6) and temperature (15–55). Variance analysis showed that the adsorbent dose, pH and temperature were the most effective parameters in the adsorption of Ce(ΙIΙ)and La(IΙI) respectively. The results showed that the optimum adsorption condition was achieved at pH = 6, the optimum amount of absorbent and the equilibrium time equal to 0.6 gr and 180 min, respectively. According to the results, the adsorption percentage of Ce(ΙIΙ) and La(ΙΙΙ) ions onto the aforementioned resin were 99.99% and 78.76% respectively. Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and sips isotherm models were applied to describe the equilibrium data. From the results, Langmuir isotherm (R2 (Ce) = 0.999, R2 (La) = 0.998) was found to better correlate the experimental rate data. The maximum adsorption capacity of the adsorbent ( XAD7–DEHPA) for both Ce(IΙI) and La(III) was found to be 8.28 and 5.52 mg g−1 respectively. The kinetic data were fitted to pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order and Intra particle diffusion models. Based on the results, the pseudo-first-order model and Intra particle diffusion model described the experimental data as well. In general, the results showed that ( XAD7–DEHPA) resin is an effective adsorbent for the removal of Ce(IΙI) and La(III) ions from aqueous solutions due to its high ability to selectively remove these metals as well as its reusability.

Background and aims: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common skeletal and excruciating disease worldwide. This study aimed to investigate bromelain’s effect and underlying mechanism on OA symptoms. Methods: This systematic review was designed according to the PRISMA guidelines. An extensive search was undertaken in various databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Scopus. Finally, 14 articles were retrieved considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study. The desired data were extracted and entered into an Excel file, and the outcomes of the studies underwent investigation. Results: Bromelain downregulates inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-8, IL-1β, and interferon γ expression in synovial fibroblasts. In addition, bromelain inserts analgesic effects by decreasing vascular permeability to bradykinin and inhabitation its generation. Bromelain counteracts by increasing the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iONS) levels, and lipid peroxidation while reducing those of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and prolidase. Another main antinociceptive effect property of bromelain is associated with its anti-inflammatory effect by relieving neuroinflammation and synovial membrane inflammation. Conclusion: Bromelain indicated good therapeutic effects on reducing OA symptoms due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Although no specific bromelain-related side effects were not reported in the included studies, it is recommended that more laboratory studies should be conducted with different doses and appropriate methodology.

Background and aims: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) treatment is supportive, and there is no currently approved treatment for it. This study, therefore, aimed to investigate the effect of endotracheal administration of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) and heparin on the level of secretion and partial thromboplastin time (PTT) in ARDS patients under mechanical ventilation. Methods: In this clinical trial study, 70 patients aged over 18 years (30 women and 40 men) admitted to the intensive care unit were randomly selected following the allocation rule and then divided into two groups (intervention and control). In addition to the routine and available treatments in the ward given to the patients in both groups, the control group also received 10 mL of normal saline every six hours through the endotracheal route, while the intervention group received 500 units of heparin plus 200 mg of NAC dissolved in 10 mL of normal saline every six hours through the same administration route. Results: The mean and standard deviation levels of PTT in the control and intervention groups were 30.3743 ± 7.78008 and 32.2286 ± 8.31047, respectively, with no significant difference (P>0.05); the volume of secretion on days 1-3 was not significantly different between the two groups, but the difference was statistically significant from day 4 onwards (P

In the present study, a particular technique of artificial intelligence (AI) is applied for diagnosis and classifying medical images of patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Chest radiography and laboratory-based tests are two of the most important diagnostic approaches for the detection of people with the coronavirus. Recently, a lot of studies have been carried out on using AI techniques for achieving appropriate diagnosis of COVID-19 patients using computed tomography (CT) of the chest. The present study is reviewing all available literature that have investigated the role of chest CT toward AI in the detection of COVID-19. As a novel field of computer science, AI focuses on teaching computers to be capable of learning complex tasks and decide about their solution methods. In this study, we used Matlab, Payton, and Fortran software as well as other software which are suitable for this research. In this regard, the present review study is aimed to collect the information from all the studies conducted on the role of AI as a decisive and comprehensive technology for the detection of coronavirus in patients to have a more accurate diagnosis and investigate its epidemiology.

Abstract The aim of this study is to fabricate a new scaffold appropriate for tissue regeneration with antimicrobial activity and ability of controlled drug delivery. In this regard, scaffold nanofibers were produced using poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), Mo132 as a Keplerate polyoxometalate and metronidazole. The final scaffolds, obtained by electrospinning, represent the intrinsic features including exceptional doubling tensile strength, high hydrophilicity (126 ± 5.2° to 83.9 ± 3.2° for contact angle and 14.18 ± 0.62% to 35.62 ± 0.24% for water uptake), proper bioactivity and cell adhesion. Moreover, the addition of Mo132 and metronidazole enhances the biodegradation rate of resulted scaffolds compared to the pure PMMA membrane. The controlled release of metronidazole over 14 days efficiently inhibits the colonization of anaerobic microorganisms. Overall, the results demonstrate high potential of Mo132 and metronidazole-loaded PMMA scaffold for guided bone regeneration/guided tissue regeneration.

Background Labor pain is one of the most painful experiences in a women's life. One of the methods of pain relief is spinal anesthesia. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of spinal anesthesia with sufentanil on the length of the first and second stages of labor in singleton pregnant women. Methods A randomized clinical trial was conducted involving 56 women who had to be at least 37 weeks pregnant with a singleton pregnancy and 20 to 35 years of age, as well as seeking a spontaneous natural delivery. They were randomized into an intervention group (spinal anesthesia with sufentanil) of 28 subjects and a control group (no spinal anesthesia) of 28 subjects. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software program 20.0. Results Mean duration of stage I of labor was 152.32 ± 92.01 and 187.68 ± 121.01 minutes in the intervention and control groups, respectively (p=0.34), whereas mean duration of stage II of labor in the 2 groups was 15.96 ± 14.26 and 26.43 ± 20.90 minutes, respectively (p=0.06). Twenty five percent of women in the intervention group and 35.71% of women in the control group experienced a long stage I, whereas 21.43% of women in the intervention group and 35.71% of women in the control group experienced a long stage II (p>0.05). Conclusion This study suggests that spinal anesthesia with sufentanil does not increase the duration of labor stages. It is recommended that more studies be performed in the future using larger sample sizes to allow for the drawing of solid conclusions.

Background. Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders after stroke. Due to the side effects and poor response of conventional anticonvulsant drugs, researchers have turned their attention to find new drugs. Carvacrol is a phenolic compound with neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticonvulsant effects. The aim of the study was to investigate the anticonvulsant effects of carvacrol in PTZ-induced seizures in male mice and to investigate the role of N-Methyl-D-Aspartic Acid (NMDA) receptor. Methods. In the present experimental study, 90 mice were randomly divided into 9 groups (n=10). Drugs were injected intraperitoneally 30 minutes before PTZ injection. Then, seizure onset time, serum and brain antioxidant capacity (TAC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) and NMDA receptor gene expression in the hippocampus were examined. Results. Seizure onset time in the group received carvacrol (20 and 40 mg/kg) was significantly longer than the PTZ group (P

Objectives Epidemics are anticipated to influence the coverage of health services. We assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal healthcare indices and care providers’ performance.Setting 1801 maternal healthcare centres under the auspices of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Southern Iran.Participants Approximately 63 000 pregnant women.Primary and secondary outcome measures In this prospective ecological study, interrupted time series analysis was used to model and compare the trend of maternal healthcare indices before and after the COVID-19 pandemic announcement.Results The results showed a significant drop in count of preconception healthcare visits, first routine laboratory tests, first trimester prenatal care, first trimester sonography, prenatal screening for birth defects at weeks 11–13, prenatal care visits at weeks 16–20, second routine laboratory tests, second trimester sonography, prenatal care visits at weeks 24–30, prenatal care visits at weeks 31–34, postpartum care visits at days 10–15 and postpartum care visits at days 30–42 with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (−50% (95% CI −48.68% to –51.36%), −19.67% (95% CI −22.12% to –17.15%), −25.88% (95% CI −28.46% to –23.21%), −23.84% (95% CI −26.26% to –21.34%), −20.16% (95% CI −23.01% to –17.20%), −18.53% (95% CI −21.25% to –15.71%), −28.63% (95% CI −31.03% to –26.14%), −27.48% (95% CI −30.07% to –24.79%), −31.08% (95% CI −33.43% to –28.61%), −31.84% (95% CI −34.35% to –29.23%), 32.55% (95% CI −35.12% to –29.89%) and −39.28% (95% CI −41.59% to –36.88%), respectively). Nevertheless, the trend in coverage of these services showed recovery in the subsequent months (8.36%, 10.55%, 5.74%, 8.01%, 4.40%, 5.06%, 11.20%, 7.58%, 7.38%, 7.80%, 9.59% and 9.61% per month, respectively).Conclusions Using ecological data during the COVID-19 pandemic era, we observed a ‘level change and slope change’ as the major pattern of interruption of maternal healthcare coverage, indicating a possible indirect effect rather than a causative relationship. Such relative predictability might assist with future pandemic planning.

Introduction: Due to the high number of road traffic accidents in Iran and the significant rate of death and adverse complications caused by these accidents, it seems necessary to investigate the related factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of traffic accidents and the factors affecting the death of hospitalized patients due to accidents. Methods: In this study, injured patients due to traffic accidents referring to the trauma hospital in Shiraz were randomly entered into the study for 6 months. The factors affecting the occurrence of an accident including the risk factors before the accident, during the incident, and at the time of hospitalization were investigated in the patient's mortality rate. A multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate the effect of factors on the patients’ chances of death. Results: In this study, 563 injured patients from traumatic accidents admitted to the recovery unit for a period of 6 months were investigated. Injuries and death in the first eight hours of admission are significantly higher than other hours. The results show that damage to the age group of 15-39 years, Glasgow coma score, injury severity score, trauma injury severity score, revised trauma score, head and neck injury score, and the history of having a surgery significantly increase the chance of death. Among the areas of injury, having head and neck injuries as well as abdomen injury makes the chance of death 3.36 and 6.62 fold, respectively. Conclusion: It is necessary to observe safety rules for drivers and passengers of the car more than before. Also, patients referring to trauma centers should be prioritized and treated based on the existing classification criteria and the risk assessment of death according to prognostic factors.

Background and Aim: Diabetes is a well-known disease with such complications, as retinopathy, nephropathy, and gastropathy. This study aimed to investigate the effects of thiamine and lead acetate on the colon of induced-alloxan diabetic rats; the effects of which become obvious in the treatment or reduction of tissue complications caused by diabetes. Methods & Materials: In this study, 63 rats weighing 200 g were divided into 9 groups, as follows: 1) Group of diabetes+pb acetate 200 ppm; 2) Group of thiamin+pb acetate 200 ppm; 3) Group of thiamine+pb acetate 1000 ppm; 4) Group of diabetes+thiamine+Pb acetate 1000 ppm; 5) Diabetes group; 6) Group of diabetes+thiamine; 7) Group of diabetes+thiamine+acetate 200 ppm; 8) Group of diabetes+pb acetate 1000 ppm, and 9) the control group. After 20 days, the study samples were removed from the abdominal cavity and the slides were prepared by routine tissue method. Then, the slides were evaluated for stereological and histomorphometric studies. Ethical Considerations: This study was approved by the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahrekord University (Code: GRN1M1903). Moreover, all methods used in the present study, including facilitation, were conducted per the ethical principles of animal restraint. Results: The mean thickness of mucosa-sub-mucosa suggested significant differences in groups 6 and 7, compared to other treatment groups. There was a significant difference in the thickness of the muscle layer between the control and all treatment groups except for groups 2, 6, and 7. There was no significant difference in the mean thickness of advantia layer in groups 1, 7, and 8, and the control group. The obtained results also indicated a significant difference concerning different layers of colon tissue between group 1 and controls. Conclusion: Based on the present research results, thiamine presented enhancing effects on muscle layer thickness and adventitia layer thickness. Furthermore, the area of the mucosal layer was not affected by the improving effects of thiamine.

مقدمه: این مطالعه با هدف مقایسه‌ی ماندگاری در انتقال سریالی پیوند (گرافت) چربی اتولوگ ذخیره شده در دمای فریز و چربی تازه در جوان‌سازی صورت انجام گرفت. روش‌ها: در یک مطالعه‌ی کارآزمایی بالینی، 60 بیمار داوطلب تزریق چربی در ناحیه‌ی نازولیبیال در دو گروه 30 نفره توزیع شدند. در گروه اول، چربی تازه از ناحیه‌ی داخلی ران برداشته شد و به مقدار 3 سی‌سی در دو طرف محل نازولیبیال تزریق شد. در 4-3 جلسه‌ی پی‌گیری با فواصل 4-3 هفته، تزریقات بعدی به همین ترتیب صورت گرفت. در گروه دوم، مقدار چربی مورد نیاز برای 4 جلسه تزریق از قسمت داخلی ران برداشته شد و 3 سی‌سی در اولین نوبت تزریق شد و مابقی چربی در دمای 20- درجه‌ی سانتی‌گراد فریز شد و در طی نوبت‌‌های بعدی، پس از یخ‌زدایی در محل نازولیبیال تزریق شد. میزان ماندگاری بافت چربی در 3، 6، 9، 12 و 15 ماه بعد از تزریق در دو گروه تعیین و مقایسه گردید. یافته‌ها: مقایسه‌ی تغییرات نمره‌ی ارزیابی چروک‌های صورت (Modified Fitzpatrick wrinkle scale یا MFWS) در قبل از عمل و ماه‌های 3، 6، 9، 12 و 15 بعد از عمل، تفاوت معنی‌داری را بین دو گروه نشان نداد (37/0 = P). درصد کلی کاهش بافت چربی در طی 15 ماه بعد از تزریق در گروه تحت تزریق چربی تازه 13/0 ± 59/0 و در گروه تحت تزریق چربی فریز شده 11/0 ± 61/0 درصد بود و تفاوت معنی‌دار بین دو گروه دیده نشد (73/0 = P). نتیجه‌گیری: با توجه به این که ماندگاری بافت چربی در دو روش تزریق چربی تازه و فریز تفاوت ندارد، به نظر می‌رسد استفاده از چربی فریز شده به علت یک بار برداشت چربی و هزینه‌های پایین‌تر عمل، برای جوان‌سازی پوست ارجح باشد.

Background: Women’s perceptions of childbirth pain have not been measured adequately. The current study aimed to develop and validate the Iranian Women’s Perception of the Labor Pain Questionnaire. Methods: The study included three phases. In the first phase, women’s perception of labor pain was explored and analyzed using content analysis. Then, an item pool was generated based on the results of the first phase. Lastly, psychometric properties of the scale were evaluated. The reliability and validity of the scale was determined. Results: Findings of the qualitative phase generated a pool of 63 items. The Content Validity Index (CVI) and Content Validity Ratio (CVR) was calculated for each item and they were satisfactory in an acceptable range. After confirming the content and construct validity, 31 items were retained. Finally, the exploratory factor analysis displayed a five-factor structure for this scale. Perception of Labor Pain Questionnaire and subscale scores showed a good test-retest reliability (Interclass Coefficient, 0.96, P

BackgroundPolyethylene covers are claimed to be useful in preventing ocular surface diseases (OSD); however, evidence of their clinical efficacy is limited. This clinical trial aimed to compare the use of polyethylene eye covers and artificial teardrops versus normal saline on the incidence and severity of OSD in comatose patients.MethodsOf 90 eligible patients randomly assigned to three treatment groups, 79 patients completed the study, In group A, patients (n = 25) received artificial teardrops for left and normal saline for right eyes, in group B (n = 29) polyethylene covers for left and normal saline for right eyes, and in group C (n = 25) polyethylene covers for left and artificial teardrops for right eyes. As the patients were comatose, their blinding did not applicable, and a blinded observer evaluated the patients' eyes based on the Corneal Fluorescein Staining Pattern. The blinded analyzer analyzed collected data by SPSS-16 software at a 95% confidential level.ResultsThe OSDs were observed in 65 (41.14%) out of 158 eyes examined. The artificial teardrop was more effective than the normal saline in group A, polyethylene eye cover was more useful than the normal saline in group B, and polyethylene eye cover was more effective than the artificial teardrop in group C in reducing the incidence of OSD (p< 0.01). Polyethylene eye covers had the most impact on reducing the severity of the OSD compared to the other interventions (p< .001).ConclusionsPolyethylene eye covers significantly reduced the incidence and severity of OSD. Using polyethylene cover is suggested as a safe, effective, and accessible eye care intervention for preventing OSD in comatose patients.Trial registration(IRCT201609129014N115), Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials.

Simplified prediction of the interactions of plant tissue culture media components is of critical importance to efficient development and optimization of new media. We applied two algorithms, gene expression programming (GEP) and M5' model tree, to predict the effects of media components on in vitro proliferation rate (PR), shoot length (SL), shoot tip necrosis (STN), vitrification (Vitri) and quality index (QI) in pear rootstocks (Pyrodwarf and OHF 69). In order to optimize the selected prediction models, as well as achieving a precise multi-optimization method, multi-objective evolutionary optimization algorithms using genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) techniques were compared to the mono-objective GA optimization technique. A Gamma test (GT) was used to find the most important determinant input for optimizing each output factor. GEP had a higher prediction accuracy than M5' model tree. GT results showed that BA (Γ = 4.0178), Mesos (Γ = 0.5482), Mesos (Γ = 184.0100), Micros (Γ = 136.6100) and Mesos (Γ = 1.1146), for PR, SL, STN, Vitri and QI respectively, were the most important factors in culturing OHF 69, while for Pyrodwarf culture, BA (Γ = 10.2920), Micros (Γ = 0.7874), NH4NO3 (Γ = 166.410), KNO3 (Γ = 168.4400), and Mesos (Γ = 1.4860) were the most important influences on PR, SL, STN, Vitri and QI respectively. The PSO optimized GEP models produced the best outputs for both rootstocks.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of intravenous amiodarone on the central venous pressure in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Methods: In a clinical trial study, 76 patients underwent coronary bypass surgery were randomly divided in two groups of 38; in the first group, after exiting from cardiopulmonary bypass, 150 mg amiodarone was dissolved in 100 cc dextrose 5% serum and infused in 10 minutes. In the second group, with the same volume, dextrose 5% serum was injected to the patient over the same period. Patients in the two groups underwent anesthesia induction. Systolic, diastolic, mean arterial, and central venous pressures were measured in both groups at the time of induction, 15 minutes after separation from pump, and at the time of admission to the intensive care unit (ICU); the results of the two groups were compared. Findings: Systolic, diastolic, mean arterial and central venous pressures did not show any significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). During the study, 8 patients had electrocardiographic changes, of which 7 were from the control group and 1 from the amiodarone group (18.9% vs. 2.2%), and the difference between the two groups was significant (P = 0.02). Conclusion: It seems that administering amiodarone in the operative phase does not have a significant effect on central venous pressure and hemodynamic parameters; but administration of this drug significantly reduces the incidence of arrhythmia in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of garlic oral pill in preventing the onset of nosocomial infection in the patients who admitted in intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: In a clinical trial study, 100 patients who admitted in intensive care unit of Alzahra hospital, Isfahan, Iran, were selected and randomly divided into two groups. The first group were received garlic tablets every 8 hours for 6 days, and the second group did not receive the garlic pill. During the study, inflammatory factors, sepsis, and infection were compared between the two groups. Findings: 78 samples of intravenous catheter were sent to the laboratory for culture, 37 of which were in the intervention group and 41 were in the control group. The result of the culture of the tip of the venous catheter was positive in 5 cases, all of which were in the control group, and no positive culture was observed in the intervention group (P = 0.035). For 35 patients in the intervention group and 30 in the control group, urine culture was performed. The results of the culture were positive in two of the intervention group and six in the control group (5.7% versus 20%), but the difference was not significant (P = 0.130). Conclusion: The use of garlic pill in patients admitted in intensive care units that are highly susceptible to hospital infection may be effective in preventing septicemia and urinary tract infections.

ABSTRACT Background and Objectives: Acinetobacter species are responsible for a wide range of clinical complications in hospitalized patients. Antimicrobial treatment of clinical strains of Acinetobacter baumannii may be compromised due to multiple-drug resistance to b-lactams. Aim of this study was to determine antibiotic resistance patterns and frequency of PER and VEB genes in A. baumannii isolates from hospitalized patients. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 100 clinical strains of A. baumannii were isolated from patients hospitalized in Qom (Iran) using specific culture media and biochemical tests. The disk diffusion method was performed to determine resistance to some antibiotics. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for cefepime and ceftazidime was evaluated. Identification of ESBL-producing strains and presence of the PER and VEB genes were determined by combined disk test and polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Results: The isolates were highly resistant against cefixime, ceftriaxone and cefepime. Lowest level of resistance was against polymyxin B. In addition, 70% of the isolates were multi-drug resistant. MIC

Background and aims: Care services to infants in the length of primary time after birth has much effect on the health and decrease of their mortality and morbidity. This study aimed to assess the care provided to the healthy newborn in the normal vaginal delivery (NVD) and the cesarean section (CS) in the hospitals affiliated with Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This descriptive study has been performed upon 282 healthy term infants (104 CS and 178 NVD cases) through direct observation and using the health care evaluation checklists. Data were analyzed using , SPSS software and t-test and Mann- Whitney tests. Results: The average of total health infant services among all of the samples was 58/3% and the percentage of agreement with standard of healthy infants care was more in NVD than CS labor (P=0.011). The emergency acts to retrieve and supporting services to feed infants with mothers’ milk in the CS group were more than NVD infants, but these infants received poor care in the area of primary procedures and assessment, and procedures to contact to mothers and infant. Also, the length of skin contact time between infants and their mothers after delivery and initiating to feed infants with mothers’ milk in the primary time in the CS group was lower than NVD infants(P=0.000). Conclusion: Assessment of care services to healthy infants in hospitals under study had average quality and its quality was even lower in CS labors than NVD labors. Therefore, it can be performed more procedures to promote quality of care services to infants by health approaches in mothers education to develop NVD and reduce active CS.

Abstract Leg fluid accumulation during sedentary behaviours such as sitting can lead to leg edema and associated adverse health consequences. This study investigates the use calf muscle electrical stimulation (ES) to reduce seated leg fluid accumulation. Thirteen non-obese, normotensive men (mean age 51 yr.) with sleep apnea were enrolled in the study. Participants first lay supine for 30 minutes to equalize fluid distribution and then sat for 150 minutes. While seated, participants received either active or sham ES of the calf muscles, according to random assignment. Participants returned one-week later to cross over to the other study condition. Leg fluid was measured continuously while sitting using the bioelectrical impedance method. Fluid accumulation in the leg was reduced by more than 40% using active ES, compared to sham ES (∆ = 51.9 ± 8.8 ml vs. ∆ = 91.5 ± 8.9 ml, P

Introduction and purpose: Trauma is one of the major cause of mortality and disability in communities and annually leads to the death of millions of people worldwide. Based on the evidence, car accident injuries (especially on religious and cultural events) are at an impressive level in Iran. Regarding this, the aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of trauma patients admitted to Shahid Rajai Hospital, and its relationship with religious, cultural, and national occasions, such as Ramadan, Tasua and Ashura, and so forth. Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted on the trauma patients admitted to Shahid Rajai Hospital in Shiraz, Iran, on religious, cultural, and national occasions during 2009-2014. The data were collected through a checklist, including the demographic data, some questions about the mechanism of the accident (i.e., car and motorcycle accidents, pedestrian injuries, assault, as well as gun and knife attacks), and religious occasions of the admission day (e.g., holidays, Wednesday Feast, Yalda, Tasua and Ashura, and Ramadan). The data were analyzed in SPSS version 17 using the descriptive statistics and the frequency distribution table.Results: According to the results, on the celebrations and birthdays, the highest number of trauma patient admission was recorded. In addition, the mean number of hospitalized men was significantly higher than that of the women. There was no significant difference in the mean number of the admissions between the first and second half of Nowruz and between the Martyrs’ Days and birthdays regarding the accident mechanisms of the car accident, motorcycle accident, assaults, falls, and unexpected events. Conclusion: As the findings of the present study indicated, the highest number of the admissinos occurred on the birthdays and celebrations, especially among the males. Therefore, it is suggested that measures be taken to minimize the number of traumatic accidents, especially on holydays, and deliver more care for the pedestrians, motorcyclists, and car drivers in this regard.

Background and aims: In two recent decades, researcher’s attention was to the relationship between personality traits and labor pain perception, but there are few native studies about this. Because of the importance of satisfaction and womenchr('39')s health in labor pain experience, this study was done with the aim of identification role of personality traits in perception of labor pain. Methods: The present study is a correlational descriptive-analytic study. The data were collected by questionnaires about personality traits and perception of labor pain from 220 parturient women referred to Valiasr Hospital. The data were analyzed by descriptive and analytic statistics tests such as Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression tests. Results: The results of the study indicated that among the factors influencing the perception of labor pain, the reaction to pain was meaningfully predicted by personality dimensions of neuroticism (β=0.26, P=0.004), openness experience (β=0.20, P=0.034). Neuroticism (β=0.20, P=0.020) and openness experience (β=0.19, P=031) are the positive predicting factors, and conscientiousness (β=-0.20, P=0.042) was a negative predicting factor for labor pain intolerance. Agreeableness (β=0.31, P=0.001), neuroticism (β=0.20, P=0.023) and openness experience (β=0.18, P=0.042) were the predictive factors for pain depth. Among all personality traits, only openness experience (β=-0.19, P=0.044) was the negative predictive factor for the acceptance of labor pain. Also neuroticism (β=0.29, P=0.001) and openness experience (β=0.19, P=0.041) were the positive predictive factors and conscientiousness (β=-0.24, P=0.023) was the negative predictive factor for the total score of the perception of labor pain. Conclusion: Correct consultation and suitable education in pregnancy based on personality traits and using different methods in reducing childbirth pain can help mothers to gain pleasurable labor pain experience for them.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Nowadays, natural preservatives are used in food industries rather than synthetic ones. Sumac fruit (Rhus coriaria L.) is widely used as an additive in meat products due to its antimicrobial effects. This study was conducted to examine antimicrobial properties of sumac at various temperatures. METHODS: In this experimental study, the extract of sumac was prepared using soaking method. Different concentrations (3.12-50 mg/ml) of the extract were used against S. aureus, L. monocytogenes, S. typhimurium, and E. coli O157:H7 bacteria. Growth assessment curve, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were evaluated using microplate method. FINDINGS: The results of this study demonstrated that MIC (6.25 mg/ml) and MBC (12.5 mg/ml) belonged to S. aureus and L. monocytogenes bacteria, respectively. The extract could significantly attenuate growth of the four bacteria at 4°C and 25°C (p

Background: Hemoconcentration (HC) has been suggested to be a useful biomarker for determination of optimum diuretic therapy in acute heart failure (HF), but role of this factor in rehospitalization and death was still controversial. In this study, we aimed to define relation between HC and readmission and mortality rate among Iranian patients with acute HF. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study done from March 2017 to March 2018 using data of a HF section of Persian Registry Of cardioVascular diseasE. From a total number of 390 registered HF individuals aged 18 years or older, 69 ones showed alterations in hemoglobin (Hb) levels. Hb levels were measured at admission and discharge time. HC was defined as any increased level in Hb during hospitalization. The relation of HC with readmission and death rate was done using multiple logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard model, respectively. Results: The mean age of study population was 70.5 ± 11.9 years with the dominant percentage of male participants (66.9%). Patients showing HC during admission did not reveal any significant decreased likelihood of rehospitalization compared to negative ones. In comparison to HC negative patients, those showing increments in Hb levels had a borderline significant lower likelihood of mortality (hazard ratio: 0.82, 95% confidence interval, CI = 0.07–1.18, P = 0.08). Conclusions: Our data suggested that HC was associated marginally with reduced mortality rate 6 months post HF attack and could be utilized as a useful biomarker for risk stratification of HF patients. Several prospective longitudinal population-based studies are necessary proving these associations.

INTRODUCTION:Nocturnal worsening of asthma symptoms is a common feature of asthma. Physical exercise training improves general asthma control; however, there is no evidence showing the effects of physical exercise on nocturnal asthma symptoms. Indeed, asthma patients with daytime and nighttime symptoms are physiologically different, and thus the effects of physical exercise on asthma may also be different in these two groups. The objective of this systematic review is to explore the effects of physical exercise on nocturnal asthma symptoms. METHODS:Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL and SPORTdiscus (last search on November 2017). Authors from studies that did not report nocturnal symptoms but used questionnaires and/or diaries were contacted for detailed information. Studies that provided results on nocturnal symptoms before and after physical activity intervention were included. Prevalence of nocturnal symptoms was calculated for each study from the percentage of study participants with nocturnal symptoms before and after intervention. RESULTS:Eleven studies were included (5 with children and 6 with adults). The prevalence of nocturnal symptoms at baseline ranged from 0% to 63% among children and from 50-73% among adults. In children and adults with nocturnal asthma, aerobic physical exercise reduced the prevalence and frequency of nocturnal symptoms. CONCLUSIONS:Aerobic physical exercise improves nocturnal asthma in children and adults by reducing the prevalence and frequency of nocturnal symptoms. Physical exercise training could be used with conventional treatments to improve quality of life and asthma control in patients with nocturnal worsening of asthma.

Background: Patients with diabetes experience some level of emotional distress varying from disease-specific distress to general symptoms of anxiety and depression. Since empirical data about symptom distress in relation to diabetes are sparse in Iran, this study was designed to assess the diabetes-specific distress in Iranian population. Methods: Persian version of Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS) questionnaire was completed by volunteer outpatients on a consecutive basis between February 2009 and July 2010, in Endocrine Research Center (Firouzgar Hospital). Then, scheduled appointments were made with a psychiatrist in the same week following completion of the questionnaire. The psychiatrist was not aware about the results of this questionnaire and patients were interviewed based on DSM-IV criteria. Results: One hundred and eighty-five patients completed the questionnaire and were interviewed by a psychiatrist. Fifty-two percent of the patients were females. The mean age was 56.06 (SD=9.5) years and the mean of duration of diabetes was 9.7 (SD=7.3) years. Sixty-five (35%) had distress. Among the patients with distress, 55% were females and 64% had lower grade of education. Eighty patients were diagnosed as having Major Depressive Disorder. There was a relation between Emotional Burden subscale and age (P=0.004), employment status (P=0.03), and also diabetes duration (P=0.02). The physician-related distress subscale was also related to the type of medication (P=0.009) and marital status (P=0.01). It has been shown that the regimen-related distress subscale was also related to age (P=0.003) and duration of diabetes (P=0.005). Conclusions: High prevalence rate of distress in the study highlights the significance of the need for identifying distress and also other mental health conditions in patients with diabetes in order to take collaborative care approaches.

Background: Thromboembolism is one of the major surgery complications with high rates of mortality and morbidity. We compared effects of two methods of heparin administration (continuous vs. intermittent) on coagulation state after peripheral vascular surgery. Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 120 patients underwent peripheral vascular surgery in Alzahra University Hospital in Isfahan, Iran. Patients randomized to receive continuous (750 u/kg/24h, n = 60) or intermittent (150 u/kg/4h, n = 60) heparin infusion. In the continuous infusion group, PTT was checked every six hours, and in the intermittent group PTT was checked 10 min after each dose and then 1 min before the following dose. Platelets counts, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and bleeding were precisely monitored. Findings: The two groups were similar in age, gender, concurrent disease, and type of surgery. Thrombosis was occurred in 18.3% and 3.3% of the patients in the continuous and intermittent heparin infusion groups respectively (P < 0.05). PTT greater than 58.5 s was seen in 20% of the patients in continuous group versus 6.6% of the patients in intermittent heparin infusion groups (P < 0.029). No cases of heparin induced thrombocytopenia or active bleeding was occurred, but decreasing in platelets counts was observed in one patient (1.6%) in each group. Conclusion: The intermittent heparin infusion has better outcomes compared with continuous infusion in preventing thrombosis after peripheral vascular surgery. Future studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-ups are required before recommendation of this strategy for prevention of thrombosis after surgeries.

Extracellular fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) acts through cell surface tyrosine kinase receptors, but FGF1 can also act directly in the cell nucleus, as a result of nuclear import of endogenously produced, non-secreted FGF1 or by transport of extracellular FGF1 via endosomes and cytosol into the nucleus. In the nucleus, FGF1 can be phosphorylated by protein kinase C δ (PKCδ), and this event induces nuclear export of FGF1. To identify intracellular targets of FGF1 we performed affinity pull-down assays and identified nucleolin, a nuclear multifunctional protein, as an interaction partner of FGF1. We confirmed a direct nucleolin-FGF1 interaction by surface plasmon resonance and identified residues of FGF1 involved in the binding to be located within the heparin binding site. To assess the biological role of the nucleolin-FGF1 interaction, we studied the intracellular trafficking of FGF1. In nucleolin depleted cells, exogenous FGF1 was endocytosed and translocated to the cytosol and nucleus, but FGF1 was not phosphorylated by PKCδ or exported from the nucleus. Using FGF1 mutants with reduced binding to nucleolin and a FGF1-phosphomimetic mutant, we showed that the nucleolin-FGF1 interaction is critical for the intranuclear phosphorylation of FGF1 by PKCδ and thereby the regulation of nuclear export of FGF1.

Introduction: Almost all patients with coetaneous leishmaniasis have little knowledge about prevention and transmission of the disease. Clearly health education is an important factor and a new strategy for the control and prevention of the disease. High expenses of vaccines and little improvement in the production of vaccine persuaded us to focus on health education for parasitic disease control. Methods: At first, the level of knowledge about different aspects of leishmaniasis was determined in 232 mothers in experimental group (social community medical center in Haftoon) and 239 mothers in control group (zeinabieh) by a questionnaire with 26 questions. The level of knowledge about disease was checked in both groups after educational programme for health volunteers of experimental group in Haftoon. Knowledge levels were graded in Good (13-20), middle (7-12) and weak (0-6) categories. Results: Mothers knowledge about control and prevention of leishmaniasis was in middle level in both group. There was significant relationship between educational degree of mothers and husbands and the job of husbands with their knowledge about the disease. Increasing the mean knowledge of mothers after education of health volunteers were 0.91 (12.6 percent) in experimental group and 0.42 (5.72 percent) in control group. So, education of health volunteers had no significant effects on increasing the mothers knowledge (P>0.05). Discussion: This survey showed that the knowledge about control and prevention of leishmaniasis in endermic area is low. Health volunteers as related group between the health center and women have no acceptable functions. So, it is suggested that education to women should be applied in endemic area and health volunteers must be activated by the health centers.