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Maryam Hedayati,1,2 Shima Sum,2 Seyed Reza Hosseini,3 Mahbobeh Faramarzi,3 Samaneh Pourhadi31Student Research Committee, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran; 2Department of Social Medicines, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Mazandaran, Iran; 3Social Determinants of Health (SDH) Research Centre, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Mazandaran, IranBackground: Physical activity is a behavioral strategy that increases general (public) health, including the mental performance of individuals. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of group physical games on cognitive performance (memory, attention) of old people in adult day-care centers.Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 50 elderly people (aged >60 years) were selected from two adult day-care centers using available sampling and divided into two groups: control and intervention. As approval was received from the Babol Hamrah Salamat adult day-care center to modify the design of the center’s yard, this center was selected to conduct an intervention program. The intervention group received a physical activity program twice a week for 6 weeks. Questionnaires that were used for collecting data included demographic questions, a standard questionnaire for daily activities of living, and a short-term test, the Abbreviated Mental Test Score. Cognitive function was assessed with the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS) (Form A), before and after the intervention. Statistical analysis of normal variables was performed using independent and paired t-tests and in non-standard cases with Mann–Whitney and Wilcoxon non-parametric tests at a significance level of P

Objectives. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of vitamin E on the oxidative stress parameters and antioxidant defense enzymes in the heart and aorta of 6-n-propylthiouracil (PTU)-induced hypothyroid rats. Methods. The animals were divided into 4 experimental groups: Group 1 (Euthyroid) received tap water, Group 2 (Hypothyroid) received 0.05 % of PTU in dissolved in their drinking water, Group 3 (PTU+Vit E) hypothyroid rats treated with vitamin E, and Group 4 (Euthyroid+Vit E). Vitamin E was injected daily (20 mg/kg) to groups 3 and 4 via daily gavage for 6 weeks. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, total thiol levels, and the activities of Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were evaluated in the aortic and cardiac tissues. Results. A significant decrease of thyroxine (T4) serum levels confirmed hypothyroidism in rats, which received PTU. The MDA level increased and total thiol level decreased in the hypothyroid group compared to control group (p

Background and Objective: The kidney has a key role in homeostatic regulation. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is essential regulator of stimulatory and inhibitory processes for neonatal, post-natal endothelial cell differentiation. This study was done to determine the effect of maternal swimming during pregnancy on VEGF level of kidney in rat pups. Methods: In this experimental study, sixteen Wistar rat dams were allocated into interventional swimming and control groups. In the first day of pregnancy, in interventional group, swimming was performed for 30 minutes a day and 5 minutes every day was added until the time of training gradually reached to one hour per workout. Dams swimming endurance training were performed in 5 days per week for three weeks. Pups’ kidneys were removed two days after birth and kindney tissue VEGF level was determined using ELISA method. Results: Kidney tissue VEGF level in interventional swimming group (133.13 pg/ml) was significantly increased in compared to controls (48.19 pg/ml) (P

Background: Adipokines are proteins which are secreted from the adipose tissue. These groups of proteins are involved in the control of metabolism. Chemerin is one of these adipokines with different proposed biological roles. Serum levels of chemerin have been associated with increased body mass index, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the association between serum chemerin concentrations and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Methods: This case-control study was performed in Taleghani Hospital in Tehran, Iran during 2011. On 45 patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome and 45 normal individuals as the control group. The participants were selected by easy given sampling method. Body mass index, fasting chemerin and serum insulin concentrations were measured by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELIZA) method. Fasting serum glucose was measured by the enzyme-calorimetric method and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) was measured by the calculation of relevant equation. Data was analyzed using independent t-test and Pearson's correlation coefficient by SPSS version 18. Results: Serum chemerin, insulin, and glucose concentrations were significantly higher in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome than the control group. There was no significant correlation between body mass index, serum levels of insulin, glucose, HOMA-IR, or chemerin in cases and controls. Conclusion: This study showed that serum chemerin levels increase in polycystic ovarian syndrome. The findings also suggest that changes in chemerin serum levels could be considered as a criterion for polycystic ovarian syndrome.

"n Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Background: The effect of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury on kidney has been under investigation for many years. But the changes in liver function and oxidative stress status in renal I/R injury is not well known. Recent studies suggest a crosstalk between liver and kidneys. The aim of the present study was to assess liver changes after induction of various degrees of renal I/R injury."n"nMethods: This is an experimental study conducted on 20 male rats that were obtained from animal house of Physiology Department. Twenty male rats were subjected to either sham operation or ischemia (30, 45 and 60 min) followed by 60 min reperfusion periods. Blood samples were drawn post-operatively and plasma creatinine, BUN, ALT and AST were measured. Hepatic glutathione (GSH) and FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power) levels and the concentration of IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) -alpha were evaluated."n"nResults: Both 45 and 60 min ischemia followed by 1h reperfusion periods resulted in significant increases in plasma creatinine (11.1±1.7mg/dl and 1.24±0.07mg/dl vs 0.55±0.15mg/dl, p

Background: The NCEP step II diet produced a desirable lipoprotein response in hypercholesterolemia. A relation between plasma concentrations of small dense LDL and cardiovascular risk factors has also been mentioned in children. This study was conducted to determine the effects of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) step 2 diets on the low density and high density lipoprotein particle size in dyslipidemic adolescents. Methods: Forty- four dyslipidemic adolescents, aged 10-18 years, participated in this case-control study. The control group was not given a diet prescription and was simply instructed to “eat as usual”. Their eating patterns reflected the consumption of macronutrients, fruit, vegetables and dairy products, typical of what many Tehranian eat. NCEP step 2 diets was a diet with 30% of calories as total fat, less than 7% saturated fat, less than 200 mg cholesterol, less than 15% of calories as monounsaturated fat and less than 10% as polyunsaturated fat per day. Lipoprotein particle size was the major outcome variables, which was measured after 3 months of intervention. Lipoprotein particle size was estimated by nondenaturing polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis using Krauss and Burke methodtion. Results: The mean body mass index was 26.3±4.2 kg/m2. Baseline characteristics of these adolescents did not differ significantly across the NCEP step 2 and control diet groups. The NCEP diet resulted in higher reduction in total cholesterol (-13±4 vs –2±0.3 mg/dl, p

In this research, we present an expanded hp‐method for solving time delay optimal control (TDOC) problems, applicable to issues with both smooth and nonsmooth solutions. The method discretizes the time domain using an adaptive grid with unknown switch points. Subsequently, we use the operational integration matrix to approximate the problem's state variable derivative. Next, we approximate the state and control variables using the Legendre–Gauss–Lobatto points and Legendre spectral collocation. This formulation transforms the original problem into a nonlinear programming problem, solvable using relevant techniques. To demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed method, we solve numerical examples and compare the obtained results with those of several exiting methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the effects of substitution of red meat with legumes in the Therapeutic Lifestyle Change (TLC) diet on cardiometabolic risk factors in type 2 diabetes patients based on dietary education. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This study was a randomized, controlled, cross-over trial. Thirty-one participants (24 women and 7 men; age: 58.1 [+ or -]6.0 years) with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to consume a control diet (legume-free TLC diet) and legume-based TLC diet for 8 weeks. Legume-based TLC diet was the same as the control diet, but the legume-based TLC group was advised to replace two servings of red meat with legumes, 3 days per week. After the interventional period, a washout period was conducted for 4 weeks. The groups were then advised to follow the alternate treatment for 8 weeks. Cardiometabolic risk factors were measured. RESULTS: Compared with the legume-free TLC diet, the legume-based TLC diet significantly decreased fasting blood glucose (P = 0.04), fasting insulin (P = 0.04), triglyceride concentrations (P = 0.04) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = 0.02). Total cholesterol concentrations decreased after consumption of both TLC diet and legume TLC diet; however, the data did not differ significantly between the two diets. body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressures did not change significantly after consumption of either the legume-free TLC diet or the legume-based TLC diet. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary advice given for substitution of red meat with legume intakes within a TLC diet-improved lipid profiles and glycemic control among diabetes patients, which were independent from BMI change. This trial was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (http://www.irct.ir) as IRCT201202251640N7. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2015) 69, 592-597; doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2014.228; published online 29 October 2014, INTRODUCTION Cardiometabolic risk factors are the most frequent problems among type 2 diabetes patients; (1) consequently, interventions that decrease these cardiometabolic risk factors are considered beneficial to health. In previous [...]

BACKGROUND: Iodine as a micronutrient is mandatory for thyroid hormone production and inadequate iodine intakes during pregnancy may result in varying degrees of hypothyroidism affecting pregnancy outcomes adversely. The aim of this study was to evaluate nutritional status and its effects on thyroid function in pregnant women during all trimesters of pregnancy. SUBJECTS/METHODS: In this cohort study, we assessed a total of 203 pregnant women in the first trimester of pregnancy and followed them in the second and third trimesters. They were divided into two groups, group I with urinary iodine excretion (UIE) < 150 µg/l, and group II with UIE ≥ 150 mg/l. Serum samples from women were assayed for levels of total T4, T3, FT4I and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) and thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) only once in each trimester. Urinary iodine concentration was measured three times and the median was considered as UIE in the first trimester, but it was measured only once in the second and third trimesters. RESULTS: The median inter quartile ranges of urinary iodine were 218 (150-276) mg/l, 160 (106-260) mg/l and 145 (88-225) µg/l in the three trimesters of pregnancy, respectively; UIE< 150 was observed in 48 (24.1%), 90 (44.8%) and 103 (52.3%) of pregnant women in the three trimesters of pregnancy, respectively. The median (range) of TSH was 1.7 (0.9-2.7) mIU/l, 1.9(1.2-2.7) mIU/l and 1.8 (1.1-2.8) mIU/l in the three trimesters of pregnancy, respectively. There was no correlation between UIE, TSH, TT4, FT4I, T3 and TPOAb in the first and second trimesters, but there was a weak correlation between UIE, TSH, T3 and TgAb in the third trimester. CONCLUSION: In our cohort of pregnant women the iodine intakes were sufficient, and no correlation between urinary iodine concentration and thyroid function tests was found. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2014) 68, 397-400;doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2013.273; published online 8 January 2014 Keywords: iodine; thyroid function; pregnancy, INTRODUCTION Iodine as a micronutrient is mandatory for thyroid hormone production during pregnancy. Inadequate iodine intake may result in either varying degrees of hypothyroidism that affects the pregnancy outcomes seriously [...]

This study aims to propose novel Zernike wavelets and a new method based on the operational matrices for solving nonlinear fractional differential equations. First, non-orthogonal Zernike wavelets are introduced using the Zernike polynomials. Then, a new technique based on combining these wavelets with the block pulse functions is presented to derive the operational matrix of fractional integration and to solve nonlinear fractional differential equations. Moreover, an error analysis is conducted by providing required theorems. Besides, the proposed method is employed to solve a nonlinear fractional competition model of breast cancer. Finally, a parametric study is performed to consider the effect of fractional order on the population of healthy, cancer stem, tumour, and immune cells, as well as the excess estrogen.

Raisin waste (RW) is produced during grapevine processing after harvest for raisin production. The aim of current study was to substitute the barley grain with RW in diet containing cereal straw as the only forage source in growing ram lambs feeding. Ground barley was substituted with RW at the rate of 9and 18% of diet (dry matter (DM) basis) in iso-nitrogesnous and iso-energetic diets. Twelve growing ram lames (first body weight of 26±2 kg) used in 3 × 3 replicated Latin square with three experimental periods. At each period of experiment, 6 pens of lambs (each 2 lambs placed in each pen) were randomly assigned to 3 treatments (2 pens for each treatment). Raisin waste contained (% DM) 78.4 DM, 5.4 ash, 3.7 crude protein (CP), 10.6 ether extract, 18.5 acid detergent fiber (ADF), 1.4 total tannin, 2.2 total phenol and 0.8 nontannin phenolic. Dietary substitution of ground barley with RW did not influence lamb final body weight (32.9, 32.2 and 32.1 kg respectively for three treatments), average daily gain, feed intake (1060.1, 960.2 and 920.3 g respectively) and apparent total tract nutrient digestibility including DM, organic matter, CP and ADF (P>0.05). Blood glucose, red blood cells and white blood cells count were similar among treatments (P>0.05). Blood urea decreased in lambs fed with diets contained RW (P<0.05). Blood total protein and triglycerides increased mostly at the level of 9% of substitution in lambs (P<0.05) compared with other level of substitution. In conclusion, in diets contained cereal straw as the only forage source, up to 18% of ground barley could be replaced by RW without detrimental effects on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and blood measures in growing ram lambs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]