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Summary: Background & Aims: Nowadays, research on extraskeletal effects of Vitamin D on human health is growing This study aimed to Serum vitamin D levels measurement in older adults with and without dyslipidemia: a comparison using baseline data from the Birjand Longitudinal Aging Study (BLAS). Methods: This cross-sectional study included 420 elderly people over 60 years old divided into in two equal groups with and without dyslipidemia. Data were drawn from the first phase of Birjand Longitudinal Aging Study (BLAS). A questionnaire containing demographic information and Mini nutritional assessment (MNA) was completed through interviews. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated, and after 12 hours of fasting, 5 mL of venous blood was taken to measure the serum levels of 25(OH) D and lipid profile. Results: Among the elderly, 37.3%, 33.3% and 29.3% had sufficient, insufficient and deficient Vitamin D levels, respectively. A significant difference in triglyceride levels was observed between the two groups of elderly individuals with insufficient and deficient Vitamin D levels (P=0.011). Multiple logistic regression showed that an increase in the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) (P = 0.005, OR = 18.46) and BMI (P = 0.001, OR = 18.46) significantly increased the odds of dyslipidemia. Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency or insufficient was common among the elderly and was associated with elevated serum triglyceride levels.

Abstract Purpose This study aimed to investigate the association between variants in the interleukin (IL)-1 gene cluster and susceptibility to keratoconus (KC) in an Iranian population. Methods In the case group, there were 188 KC patients diagnosed by clinical findings and corneal tomography. The control group included all 205 healthy controls with no personal or family history of eye-related, metabolic, or immune system-related disease. Using the standard salting out extraction procedure, genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood leukocytes. The genotypes were determined by applying agarose gel electrophoresis for the IL-1RN 86 bp VNTR and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR–RFLP) for rs16944 and rs1143634. Results The results showed a significant association between the IL-1β rs1143634 (rs1143634 T allele, P = 0.008) and IL-1RN 86 bp VNTR polymorphisms (LL and LS genotype, P = 0.048 and 0.012 respectively) and susceptibility to KC in the Iranian population. The genotype distributions of rs1143634 (P = 0.004) and rs2234663 (P = 0.042) significantly differed between case and control groups, with certain genotypes demonstrating a protective effect against KC. Logistic regression analysis revealed a protective effect of the IL-1RN L allele [odds ratio (OR) = 0.367, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.240–0.562; P = 0.000] and certain haplotypes (OR = 0.628, 95% CI: 0.447–0.884; P = 0.007) against KC. However, no significant association was found for the IL-1β rs16944 polymorphism. Conclusion This study provides evidence for an association between variants in the IL-1 gene cluster and susceptibility to KC in an Iranian population. Further research on larger and more diverse populations is warranted to validate these findings and explore the underlying mechanisms involved.

Abstract Background and aim Alexithymia is defined as emotional response inhibition. As well, empathy refers to the ability to put oneself in someone’s position and resilience is the capacity to recover from a series of negative emotional experiences. Considering the psychological distress induced by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic together with academic stress and the role of empathy in physician–patient relationships, the present study was to investigate alexithymia, empathy, and resilience in Iranian medical interns and residents. Materials and methods This cross-sectional study was fulfilled in northern Iran in 2021–2022. In total, 394 medical interns and residents were initially recruited for this purpose. Then, an online sociodemographic survey form (SDSF), the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) were completed. The data analysis was performed using the IBM SPSS Statistics (ver.26) software in regard to the p

The civil responsibility of the doctor in Iranian and American law is based on the theory of fault. With the difference that according to Article 495 of the Islamic Civil Code, the fault of the doctor is assumed and he must prove his innocence. According to the Good Samaritan Laws, to remove the civil and criminal liability from the doctor, the mere act of good faith is sufficient, provided that he has not committed a gross fault, even if there are emergency conditions in the hospital environment or outside of that environment. According to Iran's laws - based on Article 509 of the Islamic Civil Code - including the implementation of the rule of beneficence towards the doctor and the loss of the guarantee from him, in addition to having good intentions, this means that he should not commit fault and aggression in practice. The mere act of good faith only causes his criminal liability (and not civil liability) to be removed. The prohibition of beneficence in citing harm to the benevolent doctor and the conventional proportionality between benevolent action and avoided harm are among the elements of benevolence.

Abstract Background The ability to attribute mental states to others is called theory of mind (ToM) and is a substantial component of social cognition. This ability is abnormally developed in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Several studies over the past decade have identified the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) and its variants as promising components for explaining the molecular mechanisms underlying Theory of Mind (ToM). The main aim of this study is to examine the association between rs2268498 and rs53576, two functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and verbal and non-verbal ToM in children and adolescents with ASD and a group of typically developing youth. Methods The study involved 44 children and adolescents with high-functioning ASD aged 8 to 18 years old and 44 TD individuals who were matched on age and sex. In all participants, blood samples were collected and rs2268498 and rs53576 were genotyped. Happe’s Strange Stories test and the moving shapes paradigm were used to measure verbal and non-verbal ToM in all participants. Results The results of permutation tests and logistic regression suggested that in TD group, rs2268498 AA carriers showed significant higher scores in variables representing verbal ToM (ToM stories and appropriateness score) whereas, in ASD group, rs53576 AA carriers exhibited significant better performance in parameters related to non-verbal ToM (ToM general rule and intentionality score). The results of hierarchical clustering in both groups support the findings by distinguishing between language-related and language-independent aspects of ToM. Conclusions In the present study, we examined the association between rs2268498 and rs53576 and social functioning in individuals with ASD and TD group. We found preliminary evidence that rs2268498 and rs53576 are associated with ToM related abilities in healthy individuals as well as in autistic individuals. Accordingly, rs2268498 and rs53576 may play an important role in predicting ToM capabilities. It will be necessary to conduct further research to address the association of genetic variants with a deficit in ToM in individuals with ASD.

Energy, as one of the most important factors of production, plays a decisive role in the economic life and development of the civilization of societies. Along with population growth, industrial development and technological progress, humans demand for energy resources is becoming more and more intense. Energy consumption, along with energy production, is one of the important criteria for measuring the economic progress of countries. The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on a strategic field such as the energy sector as the infrastructure of the economic artery are impressive. The resulting shock is so deep and effective that it changes energy consumption by affecting production activities and demand. The purpose of this study is to investigate and evaluate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on non-renewable energy consumption in the member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), during the period of 2010-2020. In order to estimate the model, the Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square (FMOLS) estimation technique is used. The obtained results show that the covid-19 epidemic has a negative and significant effect on the consumption of non-renewable energy. In other words, the spread of the corona virus reduces the consumption of non-renewable energy. The global recession caused a demand and supply shock in the energy sector. On the demand side, some actions to curb the disease and economic disruptions related to the spread of Covid-19 led to a decrease in the speed of production and mobility around the world. The negative shock on the supply side also caused by disruptions in the flow of goods and services, and reinforced the demand shock. The result of these two shocks caused a significant decrease in global demand for fossil fuels. The covid-19 pandemic the consumption of fossil energy through various channels. The implementation of social distancing measures and public quarantine during the epidemic limited production, transportation, trade and financial markets globally. This resulted in a drop in energy demand.Also, the findings of the study show the positive impact of financial development, commercial freedom and economic growth on non-renewable energy consumption. The development of the financial system can provide financial resources for companies with much lower costs and facilitate the expansion of their production scale and thus increases energy consumption. In advanced and industrialized countries like OECD, the activities of capital markets first cause more energy production and consumption, then after a period of energy consumption, due to environmental considerations, capital market and money market resources are transferred to clean energies.

Abstract Introduction Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are considered the drugs, whose effectiveness in viral pandemics has been studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate of adding fluoxetine to the treatment regimen of patients with COVID‐19 pneumonia. Methods This study was a double‐blind randomized placebo controlled clinical trial .36 patients in the fluoxetine and 36 patients in the placebo group were enrolled. Patients in the intervention group were first treated with fluoxetine 10 mg for 4 days and then the dose of 20 mg was continued for 4 weeks. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS V. 22.0. Results There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of clinical symptoms at the beginning of the study and also the score of anxiety and depression, oxygen saturation at the time of hospitalization, mid‐hospitalization and discharge periods. The need for mechanical ventilator support (p = 1.00), the need for admission in the intensive care unit (ICU) (p = 1.00), rate for mortality (p = 1.00), and discharge with relative recovery (p = 1.00) were not significantly different between the two groups. The distribution of CRP within the study groups showed a significant decrease during different time periods (p = 0.001), and although there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups on the first day (p = 1.00) and at discharge (p = 0.585), mid‐hospital CRP showed a significant decrease in the fluoxetine group (p = 0.032). Conclusion Fluoxetine resulted in a faster reduction of patients' inflammation without association with depression and anxiety.

AimsTo evaluate the association between ideal cardiovascular health metrics (ICVHM) and incident low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) among the Iranian population.MethodsThe study population included 6927 Iranian adults aged 20-65 years (2942 male) without prevalent low eGFR [i.e., eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2] and free of cardiovascular disease. The ICVHM was defined according to the 2010 American Heart Association. The multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) of ICVHM both as continuous and categorical variables.ResultsOver the median of 12.1 years of follow-up, we found 1259 incident cases of low eGFR among the study population. In this population, ideal and intermediate categories of body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure (BP) and only the ideal category of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) significantly decreased the risk of developing low eGFR; the corresponding HRs and (95% confidence intervals) were (0.87, 0.77-0.99), (0.84, 0.76-0.99), (0.79, 0.68-0.93), (0.70, 0.60-0.83) and (0.76, 0.64-0.91). Also, one additional ICVHM was associated with a reduced risk of low eGFR for the global (0.92, 0.88-0.97) and biological cardiovascular health (0.88, 0.82-0.93) in these participants. A sensitivity analysis using the interval-censoring approach demonstrated that our method is robust, and results remained essentially unchanged. In a subgroup population with dietary data (n = 2285), we did not find the beneficial impact of having intermediate/ideal categories of nutrition status compared to its poor one on incident low eGFR.ConclusionWe found a strong inverse association between having higher global ICVHM with incident low eGFR among the non-elderly Iranian population; the issue is mainly attributable to normal BP, BMI, and FPG levels.

The baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) is a powerful tool in pharmaceutical biotechnology to infect insect cells and produce the recombinant proteins of interest. It has been well documented that optimizing the culture condition and its supplementation through designed experiments is critical for maximum protein production. In this study, besides physicochemical parameters including incubation temperature, cell count of infection, multiplicity of infection, and feeding percentage, potential supplementary factors such as cholesterol, polyamine, galactose, pluronic-F68, glucose, L-glutamine, and ZnSO4 were screened for Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cell culture and expression of hemagglutinin (HA) protein of Influenza virus via Placket-Burman design and then optimized through Box-Behnken approach. The optimized conditions were then applied for scale-up culture and the expressed r-HA protein was characterized. Optimization of selected parameters via the Box-Behnken approach indicated that feed percentage, cell count, and multiplicity of infection are the main parameters affecting r-HA expression level and potency compared to the previously established culture condition. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of designing experiments to select and optimize important parameters that potentially affect Sf9 cell culture, r-HA expression, and its potency in the BEVS system.

Abstract Background and aim Delirium has been presented as the leading cause of sudden change in the mental state of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). Given that the delayed diagnosis of such a dysfunction is often associated with excess mortality, it seems essential to devote vastly more attention to this significant clinical characteristic. Materials and methods This cross‐sectional study was performed on 309 patients [viz. 259 cases hospitalized in general wards and 50 individuals admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU)]. For this purpose, a Demographic‐Clinical Information Questionnaire, the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM), the Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (CAM‐ICU), the Richmond Agitation‐Sedation Scale (RASS) and face‐to‐face interviews were completed by a trained senior psychiatry resident. The data analysis was further done with the SPSS Statistics V22.0 software package. Results Out of 259 patients admitted to the general wards and 50 cases in the ICU due to COVID‐19, 41 (15.8%) and 11 (22%) individuals were diagnosed with delirium, respectively. As well, a significant relationship was observed between the incidence rate of delirium and age (p

Adopting processability theory (Pienemann, 1989), the present study sought to trace the dynamic trajectory of the morphosyntactic development in the English speech of 24 Iranian learners. The participants recruited were interviewed in the initial experiment and the final experiment sessions. The data were obtained through some simple communicative tasks which mediated the interviews the participating learners gave. English speech fragments elicited were submitted to a distributional analysis and emergence criteria. They appeared to be collectively explained by the processability theory hierarchy, notwithstanding their idiosyncratic structures. While regularities speak to universal stages, individual variations are an indication of constraints imposed by the developing L2 system. The findings of the present study have pedagogical implications for syllabus designers and teachers alike, which are discussed in due space.

Background. Children's meningitis is associated with many complications and deaths. Therefore, it is critical to develop reliable and available methods to predict these complications, diagnose them in a timely manner, and prevent the progression of complications. This study aimed to investigate the findings of computed tomography (CT) scan in patients with meningitis and evaluate its association with prognosis. Methods. In this cross-sectional analytical study, we investigated the clinical files of 100 patients with meningitis (preferably bacterial meningitis) in Tabriz Children's Hospital, Iran between 2013-2017. The results of CT scan and disease complications were recorded and analyzed by statistical software. Results. Common symptoms identified in the patients included fever (88%), nausea and vomiting (36%), headache (27%), and convulsions (25%). Also, the results of CT scan included cerebral effusion (16%), hydrocephalus (7%), diffuse cerebral edema (7%), and cerebral atrophy (4%). Statistical analysis indicated a statistically significant association between the complications of meningitis (learning disorder, epilepsy, and hearing disorder) and the results of CT scan (cerebral effusion, diffuse cerebral edema, and hydrocephalus). Conclusion. CT scan can be used as an early diagnostic and prognostic method in children with meningitis. Practical Implications. Meningitis is associated with many complications and deaths, and the lack of diagnostic methods and accurate prognosis is one of the important challenges in this field. Therefore, identifying and introducing accurate and cheap methods for predicting these complications and taking early measures to prevent the development of complications and treatment can be beneficial. The results of the present study showed that CT scan can be used as an early diagnostic and prognostic method in children with meningitis.

Purpose: Keratoconus (KC) is the most common primary ectatic corneal disease, characterized by progressive thinning of the cornea, affecting its shape and structure and leading to visual loss. Lysyl oxidase is an important component of the extracellular matrix and contributes to the homeostasis of corneal stromal extracellular matrix via enzymatic reaction. This nationwide registration study aims to examine the association of KC with 2 known single nucleotide polymorphisms, rs2956540 and rs10519694, in a population of Iranian descent. Design: Case–control. Participants: One hundred seventy-eight subjects with KC and 180 clinically healthy subjects participated in the study. Methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples, and their genotypes were determined using tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system–polymerase chain reaction. Main Outcome Measures: Allele frequency for rs2956540 and rs10519694. Results: Genotype frequency was significantly different between cases and controls for rs2956540 (P value = 0.019). The rs2956540 C allele carriers were significantly more frequent among KC cases than healthy controls (P valuechi-square = 0.015, P valueFisher exact = 0.017). There was a significant difference in genotype frequency between groups for rs10519694 (P value = 0.001). T allele carriers were significantly more frequent among KC patients (P valuechi-square = 0.002, P valueFisher exact = 0.001). Sex stratification revealed no significant differences in genotype frequency between males and females in cases and controls. Fitting the general linear model showed that rs10519694 could be considered a predictor for the development of KC (P value = 0.001); however, this was not observed for rs2956540 (P value = 0.323). Conclusions: rs2956540 and rs10519694 are associated with KC in a population of Iranian descent. rs10519694 could potentially be used for KC risk prediction. Financial Disclosure(s): The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.

Introduction: Alexander disease is a heterogeneous group of diseases with various manifestations based on the age of disease onset. This rare leukodystrophy syndrome with mutations in the GFAP gene could present with developmental delay and seizure in the infantile form to ataxia and bulbar palsy in adulthood. However, psychiatric symptoms are not well-defined and are usually evaluated after disease diagnosis, not before disease investigations. Case Report : Our patient is a 52-year-old Iranian woman with a history of depression since 17 years ago, a suicidal attempt two years ago, and ingestion of a large amount of opium with the intention of suicide 2 months ago. She was presented with disorientation and probably a delirious state in the last interview. Eventually, in comprehensive investigations, white matter hyperintensity in MRI and leukodystrophy was diagnosed to determine the cause of these changes, we did a gene study, found whole exon deletion of the GFAP gene, and made a diagnosis of late-onset Alexander disease. Conclusion: Neurological-onset manifestation of Alexander disease, specifically late-onset form, is the most common clinical picture of disease and was seen in about 90% of patients, but psychiatric symptoms are not well-known, and psychiatric-onset disease was not described yet. Various gene mutations were described in late-onset Alexander disease; however, the large whole exon deletion which was revealed in our patient is a novel mutation and significantly needs to be explored. Here authors describe a late-onset Alexander disease with psychiatric-onset symptoms and novel large exon deletion in the GFAP gene.

Abstract Schizophrenia is a severe, disabling psychiatric disorder with unclear etiology. Family-based, twins, and adoption studies have shown that genetic factors have major contributions in schizophrenia occurrence. Until now, many studies have discovered the association of schizophrenia and its comorbid symptoms with functional polymorphisms that lie within serotonin reuptake pathway genes. Here, we aimed to investigate the association of three variable number tandem repeats (VNTR) functional polymorphisms in MAOA and SLC6A4 with schizophrenia in the Iranian population. Two hundred and forty-one subjects with schizophrenia and three hundred and seventy age and sex-matched healthy controls were genotyped for MAOA promoter uVNTR, 5-HTTLPR, and STin2 polymorphisms. Genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with locus-specific primers and running the PCR product on agarose 2.5% gel electrophoresis. Finally, the statistical inference was performed using R programming language and Haploview software. MAOA promoter uVNTR analysis of allele frequency showed no differences between schizophrenia subjects and healthy controls in both males and females and no significant differences were observed between female cases and female controls in MAOA promoter uVNTR 4 repeat frequency. Also, there were no differences between Schizophrenia and healthy control groups in 5-HTTLPR allele and genotype frequency but, 5-HTTLPR S allele carriers are significantly more frequent among cases. In addition, STin2.12 repeats were significantly more frequent among schizophrenia patients. Genotype comparison suggested that 5-HTTLPR S allele and STin2.12 repeat carriers were significantly more frequent among schizophrenia cases and being STin2.12 repeat carrier significantly increase the risk of schizophrenia occurrence. Besides, analysis of haplotype showed stronger linkage disequilibrium between 5-HTTLPR and STin2 haplotype block in cases than controls. These results suggest that SLC6A4 functional polymorphisms potentially could play a possible role as risk factors for the incidence of schizophrenia.

Abstract In this study, while presenting a clinical case with early psychiatric manifestations, we emphasized the need to pay attention to neurological diagnoses such as Anti N‐Methyl‐D‐Aspartate Receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis at the time of manifestation of these common symptoms.

The almond is one of the most important nut crops in many countries, including Iran. On the other hand, due to the difficult rooting in conventional propagation methods such as cuttings, its propagation has faced challenges. Therefore, this study was aimed at optimizing in vitro culture conditions for the promising 2-22 genotype as a high-yield and late-blooming cultivar. To this end, after collecting apical and lateral buds of 2-22 genotype, surface sterilization and establishment treatments were applied to explants. The second-order equation is selected for the central compound design (CCD) with two variables (HgCl2 and NaClO) to obtain a good fit in the sterilization treatment. The results showed that 1.8 % NaClO for 12 min + 0.1 % HgCl2 for 3 min and 1.5 % NaClO for 8 min with 81.25%, and 100% of healthy seedlings were the best treatment in contamination control and explant Viability, respectively. The experimental establishment was conducted as a factorial experiment using a completely randomized design (CRD) with four replications. The establishment treatments indicated that the WPM medium was more effective than the MS medium and Knop medium. The hormonal composition of 1 mgL-1 BA + 0.05 mgL-1 IBA had the best results in the percentage of the establishment (72.25%), number of foliage (7.24), and shoot length (13.77 mm).

هدف: پژوهش حاضر، با هدف بررسی تقریظ‌های نوشته شده بر کتاب‌های فارسی دفاع مقدس در بازه زمانی سال۱۳۶۰ تا ۱۳۹۷ در ایران صورت گرفته است. روش/رویکرد پژوهش: پژوهش حاضر، با رویکرد کیفی انجام شده است و تقریظ‌­های مورد نظر به روش تحلیل محتوای ترکیبی بررسی شدند، جامعه آماری در این پژوهش، شامل ۵۷ تقریظ از ۵۵ کتاب فارسی دفاع مقدس است که در بازه زمانی سال۱۳۶۰ تا ۱۳۹۷ مورد تقریظ قرار گرفته اند که از این تعداد ۵۳ تقریظ متعلق به «آیت الله سید علی خامنه‌ای»، ۳ تقریظ متعلق به «سردار قاسم سلیمانی» و ۱ تقریظ متعلق به « محمد رضا سنگری» است. یافته­‌ها: یافته­­­­­­­ها نشان داد که «آیت الله سید علی خامنه‌ای»، با تعداد 53 تقریظ، بر کتاب‌های فارسی دفاع مقدس، دارای بیشترین تقریظ است. سپاسگزاری از خداوند، تقدیر از نویسندگان، توجه به زبان و ادبیات فارسی، ضرورت ترجمه برخی منابع، تأکید بر ساخت فیلم، توجه به نقش زنان در دفاع مقدس و تاریخ سازی از جمله مواردی است که ایشان در تقریظ‌­های خود مورد تأکید قرار داده است. همچنین محتوای تقریظ‌ها شامل ۳ مقوله­ اصلی «بیان عواطف و احساسات»، «اظهارنظر» و «پیشنهاد» است که تجزیه و تحلیل داده‌های توصیفی بر اساس تعداد فراوانی 3 مقوله اصلی، حاکی از آن است که در میان تقریظ­‌های مورد بررسی مقوله­ «بیان عواطف و احساسات» با 100 درصد دارای بیشترین فراوانی و پس از آن «مقوله اظهارنظر» با 86 درصد در رتبه­ بعدی قرار دارد. همچنین مقوله­ پیشنهاد با 20 درصد دارای کمترین فراوانی در تقریظ‌­ها است. بر اساس این نتایج، هدف از نوشتن تقریظ بر کتاب‌های فارسی دفاع مقدس، بیشتر اطلاع‌رسانی مخاطبان جهت مطالعه، ترویج فرهنگ کتابخوانی، نشر و ترویج فرهنگ تحقیق و نویسندگی است. در ضمن بررسی تقریظ‌های مورد نظر نشان از نوعی نگرش با احساس صادقانه از یک سو شگفتی و تحسین و عزت، و از سویی دیگر همراه با غم و اندوه بوده است. نتیجه‌گیری: تقریظ افراد تأثیرگذار باعث بالا رفتن شمارگان و گسترش و توسعه صنعت چاپ در کشور و همچنین افزایش ساعات مطالعه و توسعه فرهنگ کتابخوانی است.

Background Concentrations of plasma lipids levels during pregnancy clearly increases. According to some studies, dyslipidemia is effective in the incidence of preeclampsia and insulin resistance. Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between hyperlipidemia and maternal and neonatal outcomes in pregnant women. Materials and Methods This is a cross-sectional study which was conducted on two groups of pregnant women with hyperlipidemia and normal ones to assess maternal and neonatal outcomes. Maternal data including gestational age, mother's age, body mass index, and maternal weight gain during pregnancy, gestational diabetes mellitus, preeclampsia, cholestasis, and delivery method. Also, birth weight and Apgar score were gathered as the neonatal outcomes. Results The results showed that the prevalence of abnormal lipid parameters increased with increasing gestational age. In pregnant women with dyslipidemia in combination with increased triglyceride, cholesterol and Low-density lipoprotein, and decreased High-density lipoprotein, the incidence rates of gestational diabetes (p < 0.001), preeclampsia (p < 0.001), cholestasis (p = 0.041), fetal growth retardation (p < 0.001), and macrosomia (p < 0.001) were statistically higher. Conclusion Dyslipidemia was associated with some adverse effects of pregnancy and harmful fetal outcomes. Therefore, it seems that adding laboratory assessment of lipid profiles before and during pregnancy can be effective in early diagnosis of dyslipidemia.

Abstract The bond strength among the concrete and reinforced bars is one of the most important factors in designing the reinforced concrete structures. One of the serious problems encountered by utilization of steel‐reinforcement bars is corrosion when exposed to different environments. Glass fiber‐reinforced polymers (GFRPs) are known as a solution to prevent the destruction of the civil infrastructure. The present study attempts to predict the bond strength between the GFRP bars and concrete based on the neuro‐fuzzy inference system and artificial neural networks using 159 beam specimens including notched, splice, hinged, and inverted hinged. The neuro‐fuzzy inference system consists of five input series. The output, which is the bond strength, is compared with those presented in the various code relations such as ACI 440.1R‐15 and CSA S806‐12. It was concluded that the outputs are more compatible with the experimental results in comparison with the amounts obtained from the codes equations.

Today, for various reasons, there is a growing tendency towards traditional and complementary medicine in the world as well as growing interest in Persian Medicine in Iran. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of major complaints by patients in some chosen Persian Medicine clinics. In this retrospective cross-sectional study, 1319 files of patients referred to Persian Medicine clinics of Tehran University of Medical Sciences in the fourth week of each month in 2012 were investigated and analyzed in terms of major complaints and demographic indices. Data gathering tool was an information form regulated based on main study goals. Data were analyzed by SPSS software Version 19. mean age of patients was 40.82 ± 16.006 years. The most common complaint in all the clinics was musculoskeletal problems (28,7%). Most of the patients were single housewives (38%). The most common complaints in the single-patient group were musculoskeletal problems (35.44%) and in the married-patient group were skin problems (29.41%). The most common complaints in both genders were musculoskeletal complaints (26% in men &31.44% in women). Due to the prevalence of women referral to Persian Medicine centers, adequate knowledge of gynecological diseases is one of the requirements of Persian Medicine professionals that should be considered in their education. Planning for adequate knowledge of musculoskeletal, digestive, and skin diseases should also be considered in educational curricula.

Introduction: Decrease in sperm motility and increase in oxidative stress levels are of the main causes of male infertility. Since the fertility has high value in most cultures, this study was performed with aim to investigate the effect of propolis supplementation on sperm parameters and oxidative stress markers in idiopathic infertile men. Methods: This double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial study was performed on 60 men with asthenospermia who referred to infertility clinic of Velayat hospital in Qazvin in 2016. The subjects were divided into two groups of intervention and placebo (n=30 in each group). The subjects in both groups received daily 1500 mg (three capsules of 500 mg) propolis and placebo for 12 weeks. The parameters of sperm, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration were determined at the beginning and the end of the study. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 16), and Paired samples t-test (dependent t-test) and Independent samples t-test. P< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: After the intervention, the number, concentration and percentage of sperm motility and total antioxidant capacity significantly increased in the intervention group and the concentration of malondialdehyde significantly decreased in the intervention group (p

Sweet lemon juice was fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum LS5 to produce a probiotic juice. The cell counts of the L. plantarum LS5 increased from 7.0 ± 0.1 to 8.63 ± 0.38 log CFU/mL during fermentation (37 °C for 48 h) (p

Abnormal Uterine Bleeding (AUB) is the most common reason for women’s medical referral in the reproductive age. In Persian Medicine, one of the major causes of this disorder is known as uterine dystemperament (Su-e Mizaj). AUB is known as “Kesrat-e Tams” in this medical school. We aimed to investigate the frequency of positive symptoms of uterine dystemperament in patients with AUB from the perspective of Persian Medicine. This cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2009 to September 2010 in Tehran, Iran. It comprised 70 patients with abnormal uterine bleeding who were 15-45 years old. Data were collected by a questionnaire prepared based on the textbooks of Persian Medicine. The frequency of each symptom of uterine dystemperament was obtained. Among the four uterine dystemperaments, the “dry” and “warm” uterine types had the highest rankings. In patients with excess uterine hemorrhage, the symptoms of warm uterine is more frequent than cold uterine. Meanwhile, the warm uterine dystemperament interference was also observed in excess uterine hemorrhage.

Objective: Suicide is seen in major depression, also in chronic diseases patients. HbA1C is a marker of long-term control of diabetes. The aim of this study was evaluation of the suicidal ideations in diabetic patients and its association with the status of blood sugar control based on Hemoglobin A1c (Hb A1c). Materials and Methods: This study is a cross-sectional study. The patients were selected randomly. In this study, 180 diabetic patients were studied who were referred to the Ali Ibn Abitaleb Hospital Diabetes Center in Rafsanjan. This study data contain three categories, including demographic, Beck Depression Inventory, Beck suicidal ideations Inventory. HbA1c was extracted from the patients file. The software SPSS-17 was used. The t-test, ANOVA, Chi square and correlation coefficient tests were used. Results About %36.7 of the patients were male and 114 (%63.3) were female. The mean (± SD) age of patients was 14.28(± 56.98) years (range: 14 - 88 years). Of these patients, 66 (%36.7) reported a history of depression and 114 (%63.3) no depression history. The mean of diabetes duration was 9.25±6.15 years. The mean (± SD) of HbA1c level was 2.08 ± 8.4 (range: 4.8-19.6). Conclusion: Generally our findings showed that the prevalence of suicidal ideation in the diabetic population in Rafsanjan is less than the general population and other studies. There is no significant relationship between suicidal ideation and the age, sex, duration of diabetes, HbA1c levels, and history of depression.

Background and Objective: Adolescence, period of transition from childhood to adulthood, is time with changes in social, psychological, behavioral, and physical situations. These changes combined with the cultural, social and family backgrounds’ adolescents, can lead to social problems such as social deviations (delinquency).This study aims to compare the components of perceived social support and early maladaptive schemas in adolescents (male and female) delinquent and non-delinquent.Materials and Methods: This research was based on comparative and causal method. In this research, 100 delinquent adolescents (80 male and 20 female) using convenience sampling method and 100 non-delinquent adolescents (80 male and 20 female) using Cluster sampling method were selected. They completed the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) questionnaires and Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form (YSQ-SF). Data analysis was performed via descriptive statistics (Mean and SD.) and analytic methods such as independent T-test.Results: Delinquent adolescents had higher mean of early maladaptive schemas and instead had lower level of social support. In addition, delinquent boys had higher early maladaptive schemas mean compared to non-delinquent boys and they had different levels of social support. There was a significant difference in perceived social support between delinquent and non-delinquent girls. Also, there was a significant difference between early maladaptive schemas of delinquent and non-delinquent girls. Conclusion: The findings showed the importance of providing background for strengthening of social support. Identification of early maladaptive schemas as patterns of emotional and cognitive damage in adolescence can be useful to provide appropriate psychological services to improve the quality of life and increased health-related behaviors of delinquent individual.

In this paper using strongly duplexes we introduce a new class of (semi)hypergroups. The associated (semi)hypergroup from a strongly duplex is called duplex (semi)hypergroup. Two computer programs written in MATLAB show that the two groups $Z_{2n}$ and $Z_{n}times Z_{2}$ produce a strongly duplex and its associated hypergroup is a complementary feasible hypergroup.

Persian Medicine (PM) is a holistic school of medicine with a unique philosophy and terminology. “Masam” (pores) is a widely used concept in PM literature, both in physiologic and pathologic conditions, defined as natural openings on the skin surface and also other organs. Penetration of substances topical medications, expulsion of substances including hair, excretion of waste products such as sebum and sweat, and substance transport in various organs, including the placenta, uterus, synovial membrane, stomach, muscle, lung vessels etc. are facilitated through these macroscopic, microscopic and nanoscopic pores. “Masam” are subject to various alterations, including collapse and occlusion, which may lead to bad deposition of material in the body and prevention of the Haar -innate heat- from reaching the organs, leading to dysfunction and dystemperament. Changing rheological characteristics of such material by “Nozj” may help their removal and therefore open “Masam” to yield the return of normal organ temperaments and functions.

Background: Sedentary life is one of the most important risk factors for many diseases and disorders. Trantheoretical Model is one of the behavior study models, considering peoples readiness to behavioral change. The aim of the current study was to investigate regular physical activity based on transtheoretical model among Health and Paramedic Schools of Golestan University of Medical Sciences. Methods: in a cross-sectional analytic design in spring 2013, 403 undergraduate students who recruited through census method. Data gathered using by Marcus et al's, stages of change measure along with Nigg et al's, Decisional Balance, Self- Efficacy, and Processes of Change measures.Gathered data were analyzied through descriptive statistics, Chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-whietny, and logistic regression tests in SPSS software ver.15. Result:Fourty four point three percent were in precontemplation stage, 5.2% in contemplation,40% in preparation, 3.5% in action, and 7% in maintanenec stage.There was a significant relationship between physical activity stage of change with cons , pros,self-efficacy,expirential and behavioral processes (p

Background and aim: Alexithymia is defined as emotional response inhibition. As well, empathy refers to the ability to put oneself in someone's position and resilience is the capacity to recover from a series of negative emotional experiences. Considering the psychological distress induced by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic together with academic stress and the role of empathy in physician–patient relationships, the present study was to investigate alexithymia, empathy, and resilience in Iranian medical interns and residents. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was fulfilled in northern Iran in 2021–2022. In total, 394 medical interns and residents were initially recruited for this purpose. Then, an online sociodemographic survey form (SDSF), the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) were completed. The data analysis was performed using the IBM SPSS Statistics (ver.26) software in regard to the p < 0.05 significance level. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 28.8 ± 5.00. As well, 38.1% of these individuals were male, 62.2% of the cases were single, and 54.6% of them were medical interns. The mean value of empathy, resilience and alexithymia was 89.90 ± 14.00, 49.75 ± 10.56, and 46.40 ± 16.40, respectively. No significant relationship was found between empathy and educational level (p = 0.532). As well, medical interns empathy and resilience than residents (p = 0.000 & p = 0.000, respectively). Besides, male participants had more empathy and resilience (p = 0.000 & p = 0.007). Conclusion: Low empathy and resilience in medical interns and residents, especially in women who make up the majority of them, can be a warning for health care in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]