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Introduction: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of nonmedical use of Ritalin among medical students of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 607 students of 645 medical students of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in 2018-2019, selected through random sampling. They fulfilled a researcher-made questionnaire about the attitude toward Ritalin consumption, the validity of which was confirmed by five psychiatrists. Data were analyzed through the descriptive tests, Chi-square test, and SPSS-16 software. Results: In the present study 607 students (292 men and 315 women) were participated. Sixty-eight (11.2%) of them had a history of nonmedical use of Ritalin. Other commonly used drugs among students were alcohol (7%), cigarettes (11%), and benzodiazepines (5.2%). Also, there was no significant relationship between gender, educational stage, and marital status with nonmedical use of Ritalin among students (P> 0.05). Conclusion: Based on the results, the nonmedical use of Ritalin is more common among students than alcohol and cigarettes. Also, some students have a positive view of using Ritalin to increase concentration and improve performance in exams. Due to the possibility of severe dependence on this substance, more awareness and preventive measures are needed among students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Academic burnout in students can be caused by various reasons such as family distance, inability to communicate properly with other peers, and the large volume of courses that hurt academic performance, and achievement. This study investigated the relationship between cell phone addiction and internet addiction, with academic burnout in medical students of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional (descriptive-analytical) study performed on medical students of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in 2020. One-hundred and ninety-nine students in basic sciences, physiopathology, internship, and externship were selected by the simple random method. Research instruments included the Kimberly Young Internet Addiction Test (IAT), the Koohy Mobile Phone Addiction Index (MPAI), and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). The data were analyzed by the descriptive statistics tests, independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Bonferroni post hoc test, multiple linear regression, and SPSS-25 software. Results: The mean score of internet addiction in internship students is lower than in other courses (P< 0.001). Also, the mean score of cell phone addiction in female students was higher than male students. However, the mean score of total burnout was not different based on gender, marital status, educational level, and residence status (P> 0.05). Also, the linear regression results showed that internet use could increase academic burnout in students (P< 0.001). However, cell phone addiction did not affect academic burnout (P> 0.05). Conclusion: Internet addiction can increase the risk of academic burnout in students. However, cell phone use does not increase this risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Perinatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injuries have been a major cause of mortality and neurodevelopmental morbidities in newborns. Citicoline and Piracetam have been used as nootropic agents in a number of studies. In this investigation, we aimed to determine the effects of these agents solely and in combination in hypoxicischemic brain damage in rabbit neonates. Materials & Methods Hypoxic-ischemic brain damage was induced by the occlusion of both uterine arteries of dams for eight minutes. The subjects were randomly divided into five groups as follows (n=6 per group): control group without hypoxia (C1), control group with hypoxicischemic damage (C2), the third group (P) received Piracetam (100 mg/kg), the fourth group (T) administered with Citicoline (250 mg/ kg), and the fifth (PT) received both. The preventive effects of the two drugs on hypoxic-ischemic brain damage were microscopically investigated by the rates of damage to the hippocampus. Results Neuronal destruction rates in C1, C2, P, T, and PT were 4%, 45%, 37.5%, 12.5% (P=0.01 vs. C2), and 20% (P=0.03 vs. C2), respectively. The total means of hypoxic-ischemic damage, cell edema, neuronal degeneration, and eosinophilic degeneration were lower in the T group compared to C2 (P<0.05). Conclusion According to our results and previous findings, Citicoline as a treatment for hypoxic-ischemic brain injuries could be beneficial, and it has priority over neuroprotective agents like Piracetam. Moreover, the combination of Citicoline and Piracetam showed no superior effect in contrast with Citicoline alone. However, experimental studies on larger populations and clinical trials are highly suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a clustering of complications that are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Numerous studies have reported a positive effect of exercise on lipid profile and liver enzymes. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of eight weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) with sodium alginate supplementation (S) on the levels of liver enzymes and lipid profile in men with MetS. Methods: This is a semi-experimental study. Forty young men with MetS volunteered and were randomly divided into five groups: HIIT+S (n = 8), HIIT (n = 8), MICT+S (n = 8), MICT (n = 8) and control (C; n = 8). Blood samples were collected after 12 hours of fasting, 48 hours before the first, and after the last training session to measure liver enzymes and lipid profile. ANOVA, t-test, and Tukey's post hoc test were employed for data analysis using SPSS version 21. Results: The results showed that after eight weeks of intervention, significant improvements were observed in lipid profile and liver enzymes in the four experimental groups. These improvements were more significant in the HIIT+S than in other groups (P < 0.05). Also, the MetS Z score decreased significantly in all experimental groups, and this decrease was significantly higher in the HIIT + S than other groups (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Generally, the results showed that HIIT and MICT led to an overall improvement in men with MetS. However, combining sodium alginate supplementation triggers these improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, a novel solar-light-induced KBi 6 O 9 I/Ag–AgVO 3 nanophotocatalyst with an Ag-bridged Z-scheme structure has been designed and synthesized through a sonochemical method to photo-degrade antibiotic hospital contaminants under simulated solar-light irradiation. Synthesized nanophotocatalysts with varying KBi 6 O 9 I to Ag–AgVO 3 weight ratios underwent N 2 Adsorption-Desorption, XRD, TEM, UV–Vis DRS, FESEM and PL analyses. The Ag-bridged Z-scheme-structured KBi 6 O 9 I/Ag–AgVO 3 (1:1) nanophotocatalyst, demonstrated broad light absorption within the solar-light spectrum and showcased effective photocatalytic efficacy in degrading tetracycline antibiotic (88.3% and 83.5% removal for 25 and 50 mg/L, respectively, after 120 min). This performance outperformed other composited photocatalysts, as well as pure Ag–AgVO 3 and KBi 6 O 9 I photocatalysts. The enhanced degradation efficiency of the KBi 6 O 9 I/Ag–AgVO 3 (1:1) composite can be ascribed to the synergistic interaction of various elements. These include the surface plasmon resonance impact of silver nanoparticles, their pronounced sensitivity to solar irradiation, and the Z-scheme heterojunction configuration. Collectively, these factors work together to minimize the recombination rate of photoinduced electron-hole pairs, thereby amplifying the efficacy of photodegradation. Furthermore, the KBi 6 O 9 I/Ag–AgVO 3 (1:1) composite photocatalyst displayed sustained pollutants elimination performance even after undergoing four consecutive cycles. [Display omitted] • Design of a novel 0D/1D meso-/macroporous KBi 6 O 9 I/Ag–AgVO 3 nanophotocatalyst. • Confirming the influence of weighted ratios of KBi 6 O 9 I to Ag–AgVO 3 on properties. • Solar-light-driven Ag-bridged Z-scheme interface and accelerating charge separation. • Elimination evolution of hospital effluents over KBi 6 O 9 I/Ag–AgVO 3 (1:1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]