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Abstract Background Mitochondria dysfunction is one of the major causes of insulin resistance, and other countless complications of obesity. PGC-1α, and UCP-2 play key roles in energy expenditure regulation in the mitochondrial thermogenesis. However, the effects of bariatric surgery on the level of PGC-1α and UCP-2 and their relationships are unclear. Objective This study aimed to investigate the effect of bariatric surgery on key pathways in energy, and to assess the potential predictive role of body composition and metabolic parameters in this regard. Settings Hazrat-e Rasool General Hospital, Center of Excellence of International Federation for Surgery of Obesity. Methods This prospective cohort study was carried out on 45 patients with morbid obesity who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. The patients have evaluated three-time points at baseline, three, and six months after the surgery. Body composition components, the levels of PGC-1α, UCP-2, and metabolic parameters were measured three times during this study. Results Significant changes in TWL%, EBMIL%, and metabolic lab tests were observed at three- and six months post-surgery (P

Cryptosporidium is one of the major causes of diarrhea in animals and humans worldwide. The purpose of this research was to estimate the prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection and investigate the predisposing factors of infection in lambs in the suburbs of Mashhad, eastern Iran. In this research, a total of 400 fecal specimens of lambs aged 5-90 days were taken by rectal examination and mixed with the same volume of 2.5% potassium dichromate until further examinations. In the lab, thin fecal smears were prepared from the specimens and stained using the modified Ziehl-Neelsen technique. The stained smears were examined under 40X and 100X magnification. In addition, anamnestic, epidemiological, management, and hygiene measures data, including age, sex, breed, rectal temperature, fecal consistency, herd number, keeping with other animals, type of pen, type of bedding, colostrum consumption, source of drinking water were recorded in questionnaires and analyzed. In the current research, the intensity of infection was determined. In microscopy, 11% of the examined smears scored positive. The lowest intensity of infection was recorded in 38.63%, the average intensity of infection was found in 47.7%, and the highest intensity of infection was found in 13.63% of samples. Cryptosporidium infection was significantly influenced by some analyzed factors, including younger age, absence of colostrum intake, mud wall of the pens, and non-tap water consumption. The present study showed that the infection of lambs with Cryptosporidium is significant in the suburbs of Mashhad, although in most cases, the intensity of contamination was moderate.

Background: Obesity is a global health crisis with profound implications on various body systems, contributing to a series of comorbidities. Metabolic Bariatric Surgery (MBS) has emerged as an effective treatment option for severe obesity, with significant weight reduction and potential systemic physiological alterations. Objectives: This narrative review aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the long-term effects of MBS on a wide array of body systems, including the heart, liver, kidneys, reproductive system, skin, lungs, digestive tract, pancreas, and blood, as well as related cancers of these organs. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in academic databases (PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and Scopus) for observational studies and reviews published between July 2000 and December 2023, investigating the association between MBS and the subsequent function of different organ systems. High-quality studies were prioritized to ensure reliable evidence synthesis. Results: MBS has demonstrated favorable outcomes in reducing cardiovascular disease risk, improving cardiac function, and alleviating heart failure symptoms. It has also been associated with improved respiratory function, remission of obstructive sleep apnea, and reduced cancer incidence and mortality. Additionally, MBS has shown benefits in managing gastrointestinal disorders, enhancing glycemic control, and promoting pancreatic beta-cell regeneration in type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, some methods of MBS are associated with a higher risk of cholelithiasis, GERD, and pancreatic exocrine insufficiency. Conclusion: MBS has far-reaching systemic effects beyond weight loss, offering potential long-term benefits for various organ systems and comorbidities associated with obesity. For many patients with severe obesity, the potential benefits of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (MBS) can outweigh the associated risks. However, careful evaluation by a qualified healthcare professional is crucial to determine candidacy and ensure a successful outcome. Further research is needed to fully elucidate the long-term impacts and tailor personalized treatment approaches.

Background: Dietary components can influence the incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC). Folate is one of the compounds that plays an essential role in the formation of DNA structures, which can lead to or prevent tumorigenesis. The present study is the first systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis of cohort studies evaluating the association between dietary folate intake and the risk of CRC. Methods: The PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science databases were systematically searched for cohort studies that assessed the association between folate intake and CRC up to January 2024. Summary relative risks (RRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random effects model. Also, linear and nonlinear dose-response analyses were conducted for the dose-response associations between folate intake and risk of CRC. Results: Eighteen prospective cohort studies with 931,469 participants, 14,860 CRC patients, 3536 colon cancer (CC) patients, and 1075 rectal cancer (RC) patients were included in the analysis. The summary RR of CRC for each 100-μg increase in dietary folate intake was 0.97 (95 % CI: 0.95–0.99, I2: 0.0 %, P-heterogeneity: 0.616), which can be related to BMI (0.97 (95 % CI: 0.95–0.99)); a more protective effect was also observed in subjects who drank alcohol (0.97 (95 % CI: 0.95–0.99)) and those who smoked (0.97 (95 % CI: 0.95–0.99)). Additionally, it was positively related to a 7 % lower risk of CC (0.93 (95 % CI: 0.87–0.99, I2: 33.7 %, P-heterogeneity: 0.159)), and the null relation for RC was 0.98 (95 % CI: 0.90–1.08), I2: 16.6 %, P-heterogeneity: 0.309). There was evidence of nonlinearity in which up to 500 μg/day dietary folate intake was inversely associated with CC (P nonlinearity = 0.04). Conclusion: The findings showed an inverse association between dietary folate intake and the risk of CRC, especially in high-risk persons, those who have a higher BMI, alcohol drinkers, and smokers.

Background: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive hereditary disease causes concentration of secretions and this affects the lungs and digestive system. These patients are exposed to zinc (zn) deficiency. In this review, we decided to investigate the status of zn in CF patients compared to control group. Also, the clinical trials that have so far performed zinc supplementation in these patients are examined. Method: ISI Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed/Medline, and Cochrane database were searched, up to December 2023, for studies that reported the association between zn levels of CF patients compared to a healthy control group. A random-effect model was used to compute the pooled weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95 % confidence intervals (CI). Subgroup analysis was done for region, sample and method of measurement, zinc supplementation and age. Result: Overall, meta-analysis of 9 studies (n = 383 participants) revealed that the zn levels were significantly lower in children and adolescents with CF compared with healthy subjects (WMD = −11.97 μg/dL, 95 % CI: −22.57 to −1.37; I2 = 92.83 %). Meta-analysis of 8 studies (n = 320 participants) revealed that the serum and plasma level of zn was significantly lower in CF patients compared with healthy subjects (WMD = −14.31 μg/dL, 95 % CI: −25.09 to −3.53; I2 = 88.14 %, P-heterogeneity

Plant-arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi association is one of the oldest symbiotic relationships between organisms. This relationship may be more important under stress conditions such as drought and can help the host plant tolerate drought. This study was conducted in 2016 and 2017 at the Agricultural Research Farm of Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran to evaluate the effect of AM fungi (AMF) inoculation (with either Funneliformis mosseae or Rhizophagus intraradices) on some physio-biochemical traits of three sunflower cultivars under different soil irrigation treatments (severe water deficit stress, mild water deficit stress and well-watered). In both years, water deficit conditions significantly reduced leaf relative water content (RWC), chlorophyll concentrations (a, b and total) and shoot phosphorus concentration (SPC) while simultaneously increasing shoot proline levels and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations. AMF inoculation had positive effects on RWC, chlorophyll concentrations and SPC irrespective of sunflower cultivar and irrigation treatment. Shoot proline concentration and MDA reduced more in AM than non-AM plants. In most cases F. mosseae performed better than R. intraradices in terms of plant performance. Moreover, the improvements caused by AM fungi were more evident under water deficit than well-watered condition. It may be concluded that AM inoculation can alleviate the negative effects of water deficit stress on some important physio-biochemical traits of sunflower grown in the field, and can be considered as a practical and economical approach to improve crop performance in environments exposed to water limitations.

In order to investigate the effect of different phosphorus and radiation treatments on Azolla growth and water use efficiency (WUE), an experiment was carried out at the Agricultural Research Greenhouse of Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran. The experiment was a factorial with three factors based on a completely randomized design with three replications. The first factor was cultivation dates (4 May and 4 June), the second was radiation levels (0, 50 and 100% of full sunlight) and the third was phosphorus treatments including control (without fertilizer), chemical fertilizer and chicken manure. Results indicated that the highest dry matter produced and water use efficiency occurred at the 100% level of full sunlight. At the higher radiation levels (50 and 100% of full sunlight) chicken manure performed better as compared with the other phosphorus treatments. Moreover, at the 100% of full sunlight, there was no significant difference between the two cultivation dates in terms of WUE.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of philosophy education for children and group play therapy with cognitive-behavioral method on social performance of children with separation anxiety disorder. Research method in this study; The quasi-experimental was pretest and posttest with the control group. The statistical population was all children referred to Shamim Counseling Center in Kermanshah. The sample group consisted of 30 children with separation anxiety disorder. The sample was selected by purposive sampling and alternative by random sampling. First, social skills questionnair (Matson et al., 1983). Implemented for all three groups (pre-test). Then, the participants of one of the intervention groups received the philosophy training program for group child play therapy in 10 sessions of 60 minutes once a week, and the other intervention group received group play therapy with cognitive-behavioral method in 10 sessions of 60 minutes. ; While the control group did not receive any educational intervention. Then all three groups were re-evaluated with the mentioned questionnair (post-test). The follow-up stage was held 2 months after the post-test. The results showed that both methods in the intervention groups had a significant effect on increasing social performance. Of course, the effectiveness of the philosophy education program for children has been more than group play therapy in a cognitive-behavioral way.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Few reports have examined the effects of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), one-anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG) on changes to serum albumin (Alb) and liver enzyme levels. OBJECTIVE: To compare short-term post-surgery changes in serum Alb, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALKP) levels. Body composition changes were also measured and compared among three groups. DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective cohort study conducted in Tehran, Iran. METHODS: 151 OAGB, RYGB and SG patients referred to the obesity clinic of Hazrat-e Rasool General Hospital, Tehran, Iran, were evaluated. Physical characteristics and biochemical parameters were measured pre-surgery and then after three and six months. RESULTS: Through repeated measurements to determine intragroup changes, significant changes in serum AST (P = 0.003) and ALT (P < 0.001) were observed in follow-ups. However, Alb levels did not change (P = 0.413). Body fat, fat-free mass and muscle mass decreased significantly in each group (P < 0.05). In a univariate general linear model for determining intergroup changes, SG showed greater decreases in ALT and AST at three and six months (P < 0.05) and in ALKP at six months (P = 0.037), compared with OAGB. There were no significant differences in Alb levels. Also, RYGB had a greater effect on reducing fat percentage (three months, P = 0.011; six months, P = 0.059) and fat mass (three months, P = 0.042) than OAGB. CONCLUSION: SG and RYGB may be superior to OAGB in reducing liver enzymes and body fat, respectively. However, Alb levels showed no significant differences.

Application the living mulch as a non-chemical method to weeds control helps to improve sustainable agricultural systems management. Thus, the effect of sowing fenugreek as living mulch on different dates in weed control and sunflower yield was investigated at Razi University during the 2016-2017 growing season. Experiment was performed as factorial on randomized complete block design with three replications. First factor was the sowing fenugreek at four levels as control (without living mulch), 15 days before sowing of sunflower, simultaneous sowing with sunflower, 15 days after sowing of sunflower and the second factor was three sunflower cultivars (Progress, Farrokh, Lakomka). The results showed that mulch sowing reduced biomass and density of weeds at the beginning and end of the growing season. The Progress cultivar in weed control was superior to other cultivars. Competitive index for Progress, Farrokh and Lakomka cultivars was 1.67, 0.5 and 0.89, respectively. The weeds in non-control treatment (without weeding) reduced grain yield by 75.8%. In non-control condition, the presence of mulch could not improve yield. But in control condition, sowing of fenugreek simultaneous and after sunflower improved yields by 1083 and 703 kg.ha-1, respectively. In control and non-control conditions sowing of fenugreek before sunflower led to significant decrease of yield. In control condition, the Lakomka yield (3426 kg.ha-1) was higher than Progress and Farrokh yields. However, in non-control condition the difference of cultivars was not significant. It seems that in non-control condition, weeds competition with sunflower prevents from the positive effect of mulch and cultivars superiority in yield production.

Exposure to environmental toxicants that affect the immune system and overall health of many mammals is mostly unavoidable. One of the more common substances is the mycotoxins, especially carcinogenic aflatoxin (AF)B1 which also causes immune suppression/dysregulation in exposed hosts. The present study analyzed the effects of naturally occurring levels of AFB1 on apoptosis of healthy bovine and camelid neonatal neutrophils (PMN) that were isolated both before and after host consumption of colostrum. Cells from bovine and camel neonates (n = 12 sets of PMN/mammal/timepoint) were exposed for 24 h to a low level of AFB1 (i.e. 10 ng AFB1/ml) and then intracellular ATP content and caspase-3, -7, and -9 activities (determined by bioluminescence) were assessed. The results indicated a significant lessening of intracellular ATP content and equivalents of luminescence intensity in AFB1-treated PMN in all studied samples, i.e. isolated pre-and post-colostrum consumption. In contrast, caspase-3, -7, and -9 activities in both pre- and post-colostrum consumption bovine and camelid PMN were noticeably increased (∼>2-fold). The damaging effects of AFB1 were more pronounced in bovine neonate PMN than in camelid ones. These results showed that camelid or bovine neonatal PMN collected pre- and post-colostrum are sensitive (moreso after consumption) to naturally occurring levels of AFB1. While merits of colostrum are well known, its failure to mitigate toxic effects of AFB1 in what would translate into a critical period in the development of immune competence (i.e. during the first few days of life in bovine and camelid calves) is surprising. The observed in vitro toxicities can help clarify underlying mechanisms of immune disorders caused by AFs in animals/humans.

For downloading the full-text of this article please click here. Background and Objective: Considering the effect of prayer on each person, especially at a young age and studentship period, this study aimed to explore the level of tendency to prayer and the factors affecting it among students of Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences. Method: In this descriptive and analytical study, 260 students of Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences were selected by stratified sampling. Data were collected using questionnaire with two sections; the first section was intended to collect the participants’ demographic information and the second one aimed at exploring students’ tendency to prayer and its affecting factors. The collected data were analyzed by carrying out descriptive (frequency, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential (independent-samples t-test, ANOVA) statistical procedures. The significance level was set at P

Background and Objective: This study assessed the efficacy of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on weight loss and cognitive emotion regulation in obese people. Methods: To do this study, 29 obese people with BMI > 29.9 were selected by purposeful sampling at the beginning, who completed demographic questionnaire and emotional cognitive regulation questionnaire. The participants’ body mass index (BMI) was measured at the first meeting and at the end of the treatment. Participants were assigned into the intervention and the control groups. The intervention group participated in acceptance and commitment group therapy sessions for five months and at the end of the treatment sessions, they completed the questionnaires again. Statistical methods included Chi-square test, t-test for comparing two independent groups and analysis of covariance (P

When a patient enters the end stage of life threatening disease like cancer, treatment of pain and other symptoms must be considered to preserve quality of life (Gielen et al., 2011) [1]. Nurses have an important role in the care of patients who suffered from life threatening diseases. End of life cares is one of the routine activities of nurses (Gott et al., 2012) [2]. We surveyed knowledge, attitude and practice of nurses who worked in the hospitals of Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences towards palliative care from January 2016 to May 2016. A self-administered Persian questionnaire was used for data collection. The attitude scale was adopted from Frommelt Attitude toward Care of the Dying (Frommelt, 1991) and the knowledge questions were adopted from the Palliative Care Quiz for Nursing (Ross et al., 1996). The practice questions were also adopted from different related studies. Data analysis was performed by SPSS Statistics software for windows version 16. Our study showed that majority of nurses had favorable attitude but poor knowledge and practice towards palliative care. The results emphasize the importance and need for developing palliative care services in our hospitals. Keywords: Attitude, Knowledge, Practice, Nurses, Palliative care

Context: Due to the dissatisfaction with the conventional therapeutic methods to control the infantile colic, the mothers are developing interest in herbal medicines. Objectives: The present study is a systematic review with meta-analysis which was conducted to evaluate the effect of herbal medicines in the treatment of infantile colic. Data Sources: A systematic electronic search was performed on the databases of the MEDLINE, Scopus and the Cochrane Central Register Trials inception up to July 2018 to assess the effectiveness of herbal medicines in the treatment of infantile colic. No determined limitation was considered and the measured outcome was the duration of crying time. Study Selection: Six studies assessed the effect of herbal medicine on colic infantile Data Extraction: The data extraction and quality assessment of the trials were performed by two separate individuals based on standardized predefined checklist. Results: Five studies investigated the effect of prepared herbal medicines containing phytoestrogens on the infantile colic, the colic improvement score, and the number of night waking times. The compounds containing phytoestrogens decreased the duration of crying time compared to placebo (SMD=-0.536; 95% CI=-0.848 to 0.224; P=0.001). Heterogeneity was moderate but not statistically significant (I2=56%; P=0.07). Moreover, one study measured the colic improvement score and the number of night wakings whose results showed a significant decrease in the parameters. To sum up, the phytoestrogens could significantly improve the infantile colic. Four trials studied the effect of compounds containing fennel, as their results indicated a significant improvement in the duration of crying time compared to control group (SMD=O.712; 95% CI=-1.005 to 0.420; P

Patient’s safety and staff in hospital is one issue that has always been considered as an important principle by experts in health systems. Therefore, for increase safety, standards and safety regulations must be considered. This study aims to evaluation of safety standards accomplishment in educational hospitals of Neyshabur University of medical Sciences. This cross-sectional descriptive study, safety standard status of all wards including 17 various wards from 22 Bahman hospital and 14 various wards from hakim Hospital in Neyshabur city (2016) was investigated. Data were collected using a questionnaire safety standard status hospitals (264 questions). Also data analyzed by SPSS16 software, using descriptive (Mean ± SD) and inferential statistics (T-Test). The results revealed that Safety standard status in 22bahman and hakim hospital were weak (2.42 ± 0.14) and moderate (3.04 ± 0.18) respectively. Also result showed in Hakim hospital, the highest and lowest safety standard status in Internal and Administrative-financial unit was (3.42 ± 0.19) (1.36 ± 0.58) respectively. In addition in hakim hospital, the highest and lowest safety standard status in operation room and administrative-financial unit (3.53 ± 0.28), 1.36 ± 0.58) respectively. According to the result, the safety condition in hospitals of Neyshabur city is moderate and poor status. However, imperfect implementation of safety protocols can endanger safety conditions in hospital. Therefore, it is necessary to take the required correcting measures to ensure full safety in hospitals. • Safety is defined by development of systems for preventing incidents, injuries, and other unpleasant events in organizations. • This article showed the safety status is not appropriate in most units of hospitals, which can lead to dangers for patients and personnel. • It is suggested for future studies to compare the safety status of different provinces. Methods name: Evaluation of Safety Standards Accomplishment, Keywords: Standards, Hospitals, Safety, Neyshabur

Background and aim: Spiritual care is an important part of nursing practice that seems to provide comprehensive care to patients. Nursing manager's attention to the spiritual dimension is one of the most important aspects affecting human health. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine nursing managers’ attitude to spirituality and spiritual care in hospitals in Khorasan Razavi Province in 2016. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 110 management nurses (8 matrons, 37 supervisors and 65 head nurses) of hospitals in Khorasan Razavi Province (2016) were recruited for the study. Data were collected using a Spirituality & Spiritual Care Rating Scale (SSCRS) questionnaire in two parts, demographic information and questions related to the research objectives. Data were collected and analyzed using SPSS 16 software and doing descriptive (frequency, mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (independent-samples t-test, ANOVA) and considering levels of significance (p

Background and Objectives: In Current world, everyone experiences stress somehow in his daily life. Since student life can be considered as a new status, it can be a precursor to a variety of stress for students. Ineffective coping causes more stress, incompatibility and the occurrence of disorders and psychological problems. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the level of stress and its coping strategies among the students of Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences in 2016. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive and analytical study, 178 students of Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences (2016) were recruited randomly by the stratified sampling method into the study. Data were collected using a three-part questionnaire including social demographic information (15 items), measuring the level of stress with DASS-21(21 items) and Lazarus way of Coping Questionnaire (WOCQ) (66 items). The data were analyzed using SPSS24 software by means of descriptive, Fisher t-test and ANOVA analyses. Results: The results showed that 139 of the students had abnormal stress. Most sources of stress among the students were teachers’ theory performance (44%) and teachers’ clinical performance (42%). It was also found that the most common coping styles among students were emotional-centered coping styles (33.00 ± 9.98). The T-test showed a significant difference between married and emotional-centered coping styles (p

Background and Objectives: Anger control training is a way of adaptability promotion. Adaptability reduces in the event that a person is unable to control his stress. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of education skills anger control on adaptability of the students. Materials and Methods: This quasi experimental study was conducted on 60 undergraduate students of Golestan University of Medical Sciences (in year 2015). Participants were randomly divided into two groups of case and control. Before the intervention Participants completed questionnaires of demographic, bell adaptation and aggression. These were completed again after eight training sessions of anger management skills in four weeks. Data were analyzed with SPSS ver. 16 and multivariate analysis of covariance. Results: The results showed that anger control training on total adaptability (control group 45.77, intervention 38.05), adaptability at home (7.96 control group, 6.14 intervention group), health adaptability (control 7.1, intervention 5.13) and emotional adaptability (12.39 control, 9.59 intervention) had a significant different (P0.05). Conclusions: According to the results, educating these skills in students can increase their adaptability in different situations.

Context: Symptoms of methadone poisoning, as one of the most dangerous types of poisoning, are very serious in children. Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe causes and clinical symptoms of methadone poisoning in children admitted to hospitals in Iran. Data Sources: Relevant studies published in national and international journals before January 29, 2016 were identified by studying the available databases, including PubMed, Web of Sciences, Google Scholar, Scopus, SID, Iranmedex, MagIran, and Irandoc. Study Selection: After excluding duplicate, irrelevant, and low-quality articles, relevant papers were entered into the meta-analysis. The prevalence, mean, and standard deviation of methadone poisoning symptoms in children were statistically analyzed, using Stata version 11, and causes of methadone poisoning were presented in tables. Data Extraction: Studies with unknown sample sizes, abstracts without access to full text, articles with quality assessment scores below 15.5, and studies carried out on non-Iranian populations were excluded from the meta-analysis. Results: During the initial advanced search, 1594 articles were identified. After quality assessment, 12 papers were found eligible for the final systematic review and meta-analysis, based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The reported symptoms included drowsiness, vomiting, apnea, cyanosis, seizure, ataxia, and delirium. In the meta-analysis, prevalence of symptoms in referred patients was estimated at 44% (0.95% confidence interval, 0.288 to 0.609). The causes of poisoning in children included accidental feeding by parents, storage of drugs in inappropriate containers, parental addiction, and low educational level of parents. Conclusions: It is important to keep methadone in a suitable container away from children. Also, it is essential to focus on educating parents on health issues of their children.

This study was carried out in order to study the response of corn cultivars to row spacing and weed interference at the Research Farm of Agricultural and Natural Resources Faculty, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran in 2011. The experiment was a split block factorial based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. Factors consisted of three corn cultivars ('KSC 704', 'Simon' and 'Maxima') and three plant row spacings (45, 60 and 75 cm) under weeded and un-weeded conditions for all of the growing season. Results indicated that for all three corn cultivars, the highest weed dry mass occurred in the row spacing of 75 cm. Weed interference throughout the growing season reduced corn grain yield by 20 %. This condition also significantly decreased corn yield components except the 100-seed mass. Increasing plant row spacing increased weed density, while decreased corn yield by 16.5 %. Corn cultivars were significantly different in terms of the number of seed per ear and 100-seed mass, as 'KSC 704' and 'Simon' showed the highest values for these yield components, respectively. However, the number of ear per plant and grain yield were not significantly different between the corn cultivars under study.

A tensegrity model can be used to describe the mechanical behavior of living cells. A finite element model (FEM) was used to assess the mechanical contribution of subcellular organelles. Continuum parts like the cytoplasm and membrane were modeled as continuous elements, while the tensegrity was chosen to model the cytoskeleton and nucleoskeleton. An atomic force microscope load was implemented to simulate the external load. The cell components were loaded separately to evaluate their mechanical contributions. The analysis started with a single cytoplasm and each of the cell components was added in consecutive steps. The results showed that the cytoskeleton carried the largest part of the reaction force. The cytoplasm was the second important component of the cell’s mechanical response. It was shown that the nucleoskeleton has a stiffer structure than the membrane and cytoplasm. The cytoskeleton supported approximately 90% of the reaction force, while the cytoplasm carried 9% and the shell parts and nucleoskeleton were responsible for about 1%.

Introduction In dry areas, water is the limiting factor in improving agricultural production. Saving the annual precipitation in the soil is very effective in dryland farming. The amount of rainfall that infiltrates the soil depends on the amount of soil permeability and runoff. The surface remains will be able to better permeable prevent runoff and raindrops and reduce erosion. In addition, evaporation can be reduced about 40 to 70 percent and this water is available for plants. Moreover, mulch keeps sufficient moisture to increase the microbial activity, rise mobility and better food for plant growth. Therefore, various tools and techniques should be used in rain-fed conditions to reduce risk of water losing and create sustainable performance. In this work, some types of mulch and their impact on soil moisture and yield of chickpea are evaluated in dryland conditions. Materials & Methods This experiment was carried out on chickpea (var. ILC481) as a split plot in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications at the research farm of Campus of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran during 2011-2012. The main plot treatments were moisture retention, including control without mulch, corn, straw mulch (1 kg/m2) wheat straw mulch (1 kg/m2), farmyard manure mulch (3 kg/m2), soil, mulch (using the sweep to cut pipes capillary) and supplemental irrigation at podding stage (to compare with the ideal condition). The sub plots were sowing depth 4, 8 and 12 cm. The annual rainfall was 305.5 mm during the studied year and soil texture was clay. Each plot consists of 6 planting lines with length of 3 meters. Sowing date was done on 16 October 2011. Plant density was 40 plants per square meter with 25 cm between row spacing and 10 cm in the rows. In this work, measured traits were included soil moisture at different growth stages (vegetative stage, flowering, pod and grain filling) at depths of 0-30 and 30-60 cm, grain yield and biomass. In order to estimate soil moisture content, sampling was conducted by auger. Data were analyzed using the SAS and MSTATC softwares and the means were compared using the Duncan test at the 5% level. Results & Discussion Results showed that there are significant differences at podding stage (depth 0-30 cm) between different types of mulch and between sowing depth (30-60 cm), different mulching types and also the interaction between mulch and sowing depth. Soil moisture (depth of 30-60 cm) was significant for all treatments (mulching and sowing depths) and for different growth stages, including vegetative growth, flowering, podding and maturity stages. The mulches which could preserve the highest percent of soil moisture were farmyard manure mulch, wheat straw mulch, soil mulch and corn straw mulch, respectively. The lowest soil moisture content (average depths of 0-30 and 30-60 cm) was obtained under no mulch condition and at reproductive phase, flowering, podding and grain filling (8.0, 10.6, 14.1 and 17.4 percent, respectively) and the maximum soil moisture content for farmyard manure mulch were 12.2, 15.1, 17.3 and 19.3 percent, respectively. Sowing depth of 12 cm decreased the more moisture from depth 30-60 cm. Grain yield increased under wheat straw mulch (30%), manure mulch (18%), corn straw mulch (16%), and soil mulch (12%) compared to the control (non-mulching), respectively. Grain yield reduced under wheat straw mulch (31%), manure mulch (37%), corn straw mulch (38%) and soil mulch (40%) compared to supplemental irrigation, respectively. Conclusion The results revealed that under mulch treatments the soil moisture trends were slower compared to treatments without mulch. Farmyard manure mulch indicated the highest ability to retain moisture and after that wheat straw and corn stubble mulch demonstrated the highest ability to retain the moisture. Thus, it seems that in areas that there is the possibility of supplementary irrigation, use of these treatments will provide more moisture for plants. Furthermore, a deeper planting seed (12 cm) causes moisture depletion from greater depths. According to the results, it seems that the use of deeper sowing depth and mulching can be an appropriate technique for dryland condition.

Introduction International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) defined seed vigour as "the sum of those properties of the seed which determine the level of activity and performance of the seed or seed lot during germination and seedling emergence". In any seed lot, losses of seed vigour results in the reduction of the ability of seeds to carry out all the physiological functions that allow them to perform. This process, called physiological ageing, starts before harvest and continues during harvest, processing and storage. Any given seed vigour test must be able to provide a more sensitive index of seed quality than the germination test and provide a consistent ranking of seed lots in terms of their potential performance. It must also be objective, rapid, simple and economically practical, reproducible and interpretable. Internationally, many vigour tests have been proposed such as standard germination test, cold test, electrical conductivity test, hiltner test, tetrazolium test, controlled deterioration test, accelerated aging test, etc. The accelerated aging test provides valuable information on storage and seedling field emergence po tentials. In the accelerated aging test, seeds are hydrated to a specific level when ex posed to relatively high temperature (40 to 45 oC) and humidity (around 100 % relative Humidity). Following this aging treatment, seeds are subjected to a germination test and higher vigor seed lots tolerate this aging condition better than lower vigor seed lots and produce a higher percentage of normal seedlings. In this study, chickpea seed lots were exposed to different temperatures and durations in order to calibration of accelerated aging test to predict the seedling emergence under field conditions. Materials and Methods This research was conducted as two laboratory and field tests at Campus of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran, in 2012. In the laboratory test, accelerated aging treatments (temperature and duration) including 41, 43, and 45 oC and duration 0 (control), 48, 72, 96, 120, and 144 h were performed on 13 chickpea seed lots. Following this aging treatment, seeds were subjected to standard germination test and different traits (including final germination percentage, mean daily germination, daily germination speed, germination rate, germination index, seedling vigor index, and efficiency of seed storage usage) were evaluated. Theses 13 seed lots belonged to both kabloli (Hashem, Azad, ILC-482, Bivanij, Arman cultivars) and desi (Kaka and Pirooz cultivars) types. In the field tests, these 13 chickpea seed lots were planted as a randomized complete block design with four replications. In field test, different seedling traits (including final emergence percentage, mean time to emergence, mean daily emergence, daily emergence speed, emergence rate, and field emergency index) were evaluated. Finally, correlation of different traits related to seed vigor in the laboratory test was determined with percentage and rate of seedling emergence in the field. Results and Discussion Analysis of variance in the laboratory test showed that the effects of seed lots, accelerated aging treatments and their interaction were significant on all above mentioned traits except for efficiency of seed storage usage. Different levels of accelerated aging treatments had significant effects on germination characteristics, so that germination characteristics were decreased with increasing of temperature and duration in accelerated aging test. In the field test, chickpea seed lots were different significantly in most seedling traits. Means comparison of laboratory and field experiments showed that the new seed lots had higher germination and vigor characteristics than the old seed lots. Correlation analysis showed that, shoot dry weight in the accelerated aging test under 43 oC , 48 h and root length under 43 oC, 72 h had the highest correlation with seedling emergence percentage in the field test. Root length under 41 oC, 72 h and shoot dry weight under 43 oC, 72 h had the highest correlation with seedling emergence rate in the field test, too. Conclusion It seems that accelerated aging test is recommendable to predict the seedling emergence of chickpea in field conditions. The accelerated aging test under 41 oC, 72 h and 43 oC, 48 h had the highest correlation with both percentage and rate of seedling emergence in the field test.

Introduction and Aims The main cause of death in the adult population in the industrialized world is sudden cardiac arrest. The first purpose of cardiopulmonary resuscitation is return of spontaneous circulation. Post cardiopulmonary resuscitation cares are fifth stage of American Heart Association cardiopulmonary resuscitation that less take into consideration. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of “24 Hour Survival Rate and it’s determinants in patients with Successful Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in Ghaem Hospital of Mashhad”. Materials and Methods In this descriptive and analytical study, 80 cases of CPR were selected by convenience sampling in Ghaem hospital of Mashhad. After confirming of cardiac arrest by a resident physician in the wards and declaration of code 99, were performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation by CPR team. Rate of 24 hour survival was determined in patients that had return of spontaneous circulation by form the researcher’s observations. Data were collected and analyzed using of descriptive statistics (frequency, mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Fishers, Chi-square, logistic regression) and SPSS software version of 16. Results Mean and standard deviation of age patients was 67.3±1.5 year. In 45 patients (56.2%), was achieved return of spontaneous circulation. The rate of 24 hour survival was in 30 patients that cardiopulmonary resuscitation on them was successful. The chi-square test, showed that is significant differences between 24 hour survival with sex and diabetes in patients (P

Background: Diet has an important role in systemic inflammation and development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) is a new tool for evaluating the inflammatory potential of the diet. Firefighting is one of the most important occupations with stressful situations and high rates of CVD. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) among firefighters. Methods: Two hundred and seventy-three male firefighters aged 18–50 years in various regions of Tehran participated in this cross-sectional study. Assessment of anthropometric, blood pressure, and biochemical parameters including glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoproteins (HDL-C), low-density lipoproteins (LDL-C), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) was done in all firefighters. A validated semi-quantitative questionnaire (168 items) was used for assessment of DII. Results: HDL (P-value = 0.03) and hs-CRP (P-value = 0.05) were significantly higher in third tertile of DII scores than first. After adjustment for confounding factors, there was no significant difference in means (P-value >0.05). The association between DII and hs-CRP was not significant (P-value >0.05). Conclusions Participants in higher DII scores intake less polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and some antioxidant. The association between hs-CRP and DII was not significant among firefighters.

In sustainable agriculture, using green manure as an alternative for chemical fertilizers has a high importance. To investigate the response of some corn (Zea mays L.) growth indices to green manure and nitrogen fertilizer an experiment was carried out at the Research Farm of Agricultural and Natural Resources Faculty, Razi University during the 90-91 growing season. The experiment was split plot based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. The main factor was green manure and its incorporation time including rye incorporated in March, rye incorporated in April, common vetch incorporated in March, common vetch incorporated in April, mixed (rye + commom vetch) incorporated in March, mixed incorporated in April and control (no green manure). The sub factor was nitrogen fertilizer as urea with three levels including 0 (no fertilizer), 200 kg.ha-1 (the 50% of the recommended amount) and 400 kg.ha-1 (the 100% of the recommended amount). Results indicated that the highest corn leaf area index, crop growth rate and grain yield were obtained in common vetch treatment incorporated in April and the lowest ones were recorded in control treatment (without green manure). Moreover, common vetch in both incorporation times led to the highest specific leaf area. However, corn relative growth rate, net assimilation rate and leaf area ratio were not significantly influenced by green manure treatments. Among the nitrogen treatments, the 100% of the recommended dose showed the highest values of the traits under study and unfertilized treatment showed the lowest ones.

Abstract Soil conservation and the improvement of characteristics are the most important aims of sustainable agriculture. The cover crop planting during fallow can be beneficial in order to achieve these aims. Therefore, this study was conducted in order to investigate the effects of rye (Secale cereale L.)and common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) cover crops planted as pure and mixed on soil physicochemical characteristics during the 2011-2012 growing season at the Agricultural Research Farm of Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran. The experiment was a split plot in time based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. Three cover crop treatments including rye (Secale cereale L.), common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) and mixed (rye + common vetch) and two incorporation date (March and April) were considered. Control plot (without cover crop) was also included in each block. Results indicated that the presence of cover crops significantly reduced soil nitrate content as compared with control and rye showed a higher reducing effect. The presence of cover crops until March led to a significant reduction in soil electrical conductivitycompared to control. In comparison between the two incorporation times, the April incorporated treatments showed lower organic matter persentage and higher electrical conductivity. Soil physical characteristics were not influenced by the type of the cover crop treatments, but the presence of cover crops until April reduced soil porosity percentage.

Introduction: Self-esteem is a sense of values, the degree of approval, affirmation, acceptance and being valuable that a person has toward himself. As exercise causes a feeling of adequacy and efficiency, it may increase self-esteem. The present research aimed to study the effect of a physical activity program on self-esteem of male college students. Methods: The present study was a randomized controlled trial. The study randomly assigned 90 male college students into two groups of intervention and control. Eight weeks of exercise program were applied to the intervention group and the control group received no intervention. The program was composed of regular aerobic exercises. Before and after the study, self-esteem of the subjects were assessed by using the Copper Self Esteem Scale. The results were analyzed using the SPSS16 software. Descriptive statistics (frequency, mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Chi-square test, independent and paired t-test) were applied. Results: The mean self-esteem of the students in the intervention group changed from 90.6±9.5 to 109.8±5.3, while it was stable for the control group (91.1±1.3 to 92.4±2.1). The independent sample’s t-test showed a statistically significant difference between the level of improvement between the two groups (PConclusion: The results indicate that physical activity programs boost the self-esteem of male college students. Considering the ease of implementation, the benefits of physical activity and no serious adverse events, we recommend the use of mild to moderate physical activities as an intervention to enhance self-esteem, a determinant of mental health.

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) in Khorasan Razavi and Khorasan Shomali provinces which are the main provinces located in the northeast of Iran. Total number of 429 blood samples were collected from industrial dairy herds. The samples were categorized based on province, age (2-3, 4-6, and 7-10 years old), calving (≤ 2, 3-5, and > 5) and herd size (≤ 100, 101-250, and > 250) and examined by indirect ELISA. The results of this study showed that 109 (25.4%) out of 429 serum samples were BLV seropositive. The BLV prevalence among cattle of dairy herds of Khorasan Razavi and Khorasan Shomali provinces were 29.8% and 1.5%, respectively. The results showed that the number of seropositive animals was increased significantly with the age (p < 0.05). The infection rate in animals 2-3, 4-6 and 7-10 years old were 12.1%, 26.7% and 45.6%, respectively. It was shown that BLV prevalence according to calving ≤ 2, 3-5 and > 5 was 15.5%, 33.0% and 42.9%, respectively, with a significant difference between calving ≤ 2 and > 5 (p < 0.001). The prevalence of BLV among herd size of ≤ 100, 101-250 and > 250 was 19.7%, 14.3% and 42.1%, respectively, which was significantly higher in herds with more than 250 cattle (p < 0.05). This study revealed that BLV infection in dairy herds of northeast of Iran was influenced by geographical location (province), age, calving and herd size.

Background: We investigated the variations of heamathologic and biochemical parameters with different parasitic burdens and the correlation between fecal egg counts and fluke number in livers of sheep naturally infected with Dicrocoelium dendriticum. Methods: In order to detect excretion of D. dendriticum eggs, fecal samples from 120 sheep of different age groups were collected individually at slaughterhouse in Neyshabur County in Razavi Khorasan Province during December 2013 - October 2014. Hematologic and blood biochemical values in 120 sheep naturally infected with D. dendriticum were compared with equivalent values in 120 parasite-free sheep from an organically farmed flock. Investigated animals were kept in outdoor system, on pastures covered with swamps, which remain flooded after rainy season. Results: Total numbers of flukes in livers obtained from infected sheep at autopsy varied between 10 and 18,500. A positive relationship was noted (r= 0.94, P < 0.001) between the number of eggs excreted by each sheep and that of total fluke counts in the liver. Significantly, lower red blood cell, packed cell volume, neutrophil and albumin were observed in parasitized sheep, when compared to the healthy animals. White blood cells,, lymphocyte and aspartate aminotransferase values were significantly higher in parasitized sheep. No significant correlation was detected between the hematologic and biochemical parameters and the number of D. dendriticum in the liver. Conclusion: Infection with > 400 D. dendriticum in the liver could be diagnosed by egg per gram. However, there was no relationship between the parasite burden and hematologic and biochemical parameters.

BACKGROUND: Simulation is one of the strategies which are suggested and used to reduce stress and anxiety in clinical student education. This study aimed to determine the effect of simulation-based training method on psychological health promotion in operating room students in their educational internships. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was a clinical trial. Research population was operating room students at Semnan University of Medical Sciences. A demographic questionnaire and the Spielberger's Situational Anxiety Inventory were used as data collection tools. Students were divided into two intervention and control groups randomly. Situational anxiety was measured before the intervention and on the 1st and the last days of the internship. The data from the two groups were compared by using the Mann–Whitney and Friedman statistics at the significant level of 0.05. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between students' situational anxiety scores in the experimental and control groups on the 1st day of internship after education by simulation (P = 0.481). There was a significant difference between the students' anxiety scores in the two groups on the last day of the internship (P = 0.008). CONCLUSION: Simulation of the operating room environment before the internship cannot reduce the operating room students' situational anxiety on the 1st day of internship, but it can reduce their situational anxiety during the internship and significantly reduce it at the end of internship compared to those who are not in the simulated environment.

Background: This comprehensive study was conducted on multi-purpose one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius) sera and ticks to assess the epidemiological aspects of the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) in northeast Iran. Methods: From May 2012 to January 2013, eleven cities were randomly selected in the Khorasan Provinces of Iran as “clusters,” and at least 14 one-humped camels were sampled from each area. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was used for the detection of the CCHFV genome in ticks. Sera were analyzed using specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay tests. Results: Four hundred and eighty ixodid ticks were collected, and the genome of the CCHFV was detected in 49 (10.2%) out of 480 ticks. The CCHFV genome was detected in two out of four tick species, and in tick samples from three cities in Khorassan-e-Jonoobi. All three provinces, and six out of eleven cities, were CCHFV-specific IgG-positive. In total, nine (5.3%) out of 170 one-humped camels were IgG-positive. The highest rate of IgG-positive samples was found in Nehbandan (16.67%). Conclusion: Continued surveillance and strictly enforced importation and quarantine practices should be imple­mented to prevent human exposure and the on-going dispersal of infected ticks and livestock in these regions. It is recommended that acaricides be used to prevent CCHF transmission to humans, and to reduce the tick population. In addition, care should be taken by abattoirs workers and people who work with one-humped camels.

Stomatitis and gingivitis were diagnosed in twenty-six of 96 horses at a club in Mashhad, Iran. Clinical examination of the affected horses revealed varying degrees of ulceration at the gum-tooth margins with many awns (seed heads) embedded in ulcers. The ulcers were painful, up to 5 cm in diameter, and located at the labial-gingival junction, the lingual frenulum, the base of the lingual dorsum, soft palate, and the sides of the tongue. The evaluation of feed ingredients which had been fed to the affected horses showed contamination of alfalfa hay to mouse barley (Hordeum murinum) seed heads. After removal of the contaminated hay from the ration, the ulcers healed slowly over about 3 weeks.

Introduction: Over the last decade, exposure to electromagnetic waves due to base station antennas has increased. This study was planned to evaluate the effects of different electrical field strengths with 950 MHz waves of the GSM mobile phone system on the excitatory postsynaptic potentiation (EPSP) slope of the dentate gyrus long-term potentiation (LTP). Material and Methods: Twenty four naive male Wistar rats (3 months old, weighing 220 + 15 g) were randomly divided into three groups (sham–exposed, GSM with 50.4 V/m and GSM with 60 V/m electrical field strength). The exposure program was carried out for 10 sessions during 3 days. The animals were exposed to the electromagnetic field for 45 minutes in a plastic chamber. Immediately after the exposure, anesthesia was induced for LTP induction and the field potentials were recorded for 60 minutes, then the EPSP slope and maintenance were analyzed. Results: Our data showed that whole-body exposure to 950 MHz waves of the GSM mobile phone system with 60 V/m electrical field strength could change the EPSP slope in rat brain hippocampus. Discussion and Conclusion: Increasing the electrical field strength could change synaptic plasticity and LTP characteristics in rat brain hippocampus.