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Background: Self-care behaviors contribute greatly to the management of multiple sclerosis (MS) and the prevention of its complications. The family has a critical role to play in the adoption of these behaviors in these patients. The present study aimed to assess the effect of the family-centered empowerment model on the self-care behaviors of MS patients.Method: This experimental study was performed on 60 patients referred to the MS Clinic of Ghaem Hospital in Mashhad in 2020-2021. The subjects who met the inclusion criteria were non-randomly assigned to two groups of control and experimental. Data collection tools included the demographic information form and the Performance Assessment of Self-care Skills (PASS) which were completed before and one month after the intervention in both groups. The educational content was presented to the experimental group in eight 45-60 min sessions in accordance with the family-centered empowerment model, while the control group received the routine training. Data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 16) using independent t-test, analysis of variance, and Mann-Whitney test.Results: The majority of participants in the experimental and control groups were female, single, and hold a diploma. The mean total scores of self-care behaviors after the intervention were obtained at 38.86±6.24 and 42.20±6.17 in the control and experimental groups, respectively. After the intervention, the mean total score of self-care behaviors and their dimensions in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P

Background & aim: obesity can negatively affect sexual function and lower sexual satisfaction in obese people. The present study aimed to compare the effect of solution-focused group counseling and individual counseling based on the Plissit model on the sexual satisfaction of women with high body mass index. Methods: This randomized clinical was conducted on 60 women with a BMI˃30 kg/m² who were randomly assigned to two groups of solution-focused group counseling and individual counseling based on the Plissit model. Data collection tools included personal and midwifery information questionnaires, as well as Larson's sexual satisfaction questionnaire. Solution-focused group counseling group received eight 45-minute counseling sessions, while the individual counseling group received three 60-minute sessions of counseling based on the Plissit model. Data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 16) using Chi-square, independent t-test, Mann-Whitney, and Wilcoxon tests. Results: In the solution-focused counseling group, the scores significantly improved in the dimensions of quality of sex life (pre-test=30.87±5.51; post-test=38.33±1.71), sexual attitude (pre-test=26.13±2.75; post-test=29.30±0.88), desire to have sex (pre-test=21.50±3.31; post-test=23.40±1.40), and total sexual satisfaction (pre-test=102.17±13.42; post-test=115.07±4.16), after the intervention, compared to the scores obtained before the intervention (p

Background & aim: The negative effect of labor pain on the tendency of mothers to choose vaginal delivery demands identifying effective and safe methods to reduce pain. Regarding the analgesic effects of ginger, the present study aimed to determine the effect of back massage with and without ginger oil on the pain intensityin the active phase of labor in primiparous women. Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 90 primiparous women in Umm al-Banin Hospital, Mashhad, Iran (2017). The subjects were selected using convenient sampling and randomly assigned into three groups, namely massage with ginger oil, massage with placebo (i.e., paraffin), and control group. The intervention and placebo groups received 15-minutes back massage in the active phase of labor. The pain intensity was measured in three groups before and after each dilation. The data were collected using questionnaires for demographic and obstetric data as well as Visual Analog Scale for pain measurement. The obtained data were analyzed in SPSS software (Version 16) through Kruskal-Wallis and the Chi-square tests. Results: The mean values of pain intensity after three evaluations were obtained as 4.1±2.29, 6.8±1.73, and 7.6±1.43 in ginger, placebo, and control groups, respectively. The results showed that the ginger group reported the lowest level of pain during the active phase of labor (P Conclusion: Back Massage with ginger oil not only has effect on pain relief but also was completely safe in order to be administered to mothers during their first experience of childbirth.

SummaryThe ability to adjust one’s behavioral strategy in complex environments is at the core of cognition. Doing so efficiently requires monitoring the reliability of the ongoing strategy and switching away from it to evaluate alternatives when appropriate. Studies in humans and non-human primates have uncovered signals in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) that track the pressure to switch away from the ongoing strategy, and others that relate to the pursuit of alternatives. However, whether these signals underlie computations that actually underpin strategy switching, or merely reflect tracking of related variables remains unclear. Here we provide causal evidence that rodent ACC actively arbitrates between persisting with ongoing behavioral choice and switching away temporarily to re-evaluate alternatives. Furthermore, by individually perturbing distinct output pathways, we establish that the two associated computations – whether to switch away from the current choice, and the pursuit of alternatives – are segregated within ACC micro-circuitry.

Effect of different chain extenders, silica nanoparticle loading, and using sol–gel method on the thermal properties of polyurethane (PU) hybrid composites was investigated from the viewpoint of increase of char residue and decomposition temperature. Two different chain extenders were used for this purpose, and the PU products were modified with (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane to obtain PUI (ethoxysilane-terminated PU with pyromellitic dianhydride chain extender) and PUBD (ethoxysilane-terminated PU with butanediol chain extender), respectively. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy was used for confirmation of synthesis of PUI and PUBD. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that char residue and thermal degradation temperature of PU hybrid composites were increased after incorporation of silica nanoparticles. Also, using pyromellitic dianhydride as chain extender resulted in higher char contents and also thermal stabilities in comparison with butanediol. By the addition of 4 and 8 mass% silica nanoparticles in PUBD hybrids, char residue increased to 15.1 and 16.3%, respectively. In the case of PUI hybrids, addition of 4 and 8 mass% of silica nanoparticles resulted in char residue of 20.8 and 25.7% and Tmax of 409.3 and 411.8 °C, respectively. X-ray diffraction showed an amorphous peak for cross-linked PU at 2θ = 21.7°. Transmission electron microscopy showed dispersion of silica nanoparticles in the hybrid composite of PUI.

The ability to adjust one's behavioral strategy in complex environments is at the core of cognition. Doing so efficiently requires monitoring the reliability of the ongoing strategy and, when appropriate, switching away from it to evaluate alternatives. Studies in humans and non-human primates have uncovered signals in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) that reflect the pressure to switch away from the ongoing strategy, whereas other ACC signals relate to the pursuit of alternatives. However, whether these signals underlie computations that actually underpin strategy switching or merely reflect tracking of related variables remains unclear. Here we provide causal evidence that the rodent ACC actively arbitrates between persisting with the ongoing behavioral strategy and temporarily switching away to re-evaluate alternatives. Furthermore, by individually perturbing distinct output pathways, we establish that the two associated computations-determining whether to switch strategy and committing to the pursuit of a specific alternative-are segregated in the ACC microcircuitry.

Background: Self-efficacy is a crucial factor in controlling adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). Subsequently the negative behavioral reactions such as aggression adversely affect on self-efficacy. Therefore, interventions are essential to reduce the aggression and to improve the self- efficacy in these patients. Aim: To determine the efficacy of the modified "aggression replacement training" program on self-efficacy of adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes. Methods: In this clinical trial, 70 adult subjects with IDDM who were referred to Parsian Diabetes clinic of Mashhad in 2014 were divided into two groups of intervention and control. The intervention program, including three aspects including: anger control training, social skills training and moral reasoning training was performed in five sessions, each 1.5-2 hours. A five-day interval was between the sessions and each group consisted of 8-10 individuals. The self-management standard questionnaire of “insulin-dependent diabetes management self-efficacy scale (IDMSE)” was filled before the intervention and two months afterwards. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 11.5 with paired and Independent t-tests. Results: In this study, 38.5 and 61.5 percent of the subjects were boys and girls, respectively with total mean age of 15.9±2. The self-efficacy of the subjects before the intervention was not significantly different within the groups (p=0/57). Nevertheless in post-intervention assessment, the self-efficacy of the Intervention group significantly increased (49.0±11.1) compared to the control group (33.7±5.5) (p

Background & Objective: One of the most important factors in the evaluation of specific performance indices of each university is the professional maintenance and promotion of faculty members This will result in more desirable output results from this system The aim of this study was to explore describe and interpret faculty members experiences of the academic promotion process and its obstacles and problems Methods: A phenomenological approach was used in this research The study population consisted of 22 faculty members of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences Iran who were selected through purposeful sampling Data were collected through semistructured interviews and analyzed using the van Manen method Results: The main theme of passing the academic promotion marsh and 5 subthemes emerged from data analysis The subthemes consisted of problems related to administrative processes problems related to the performance of committees problems related to general competence problems related to the academic promotion guideline and motivational factors Conclusion: Our findings emphasize the problems and barriers of the promotion process Quality assessment homogenization of processes and the use of experts in college committees are some of the factors that affect the promotion process The findings of this study can assist policymakers and administrators of Medical Sciences Universities at different levels in decision making and finding solutions to facilitate the academic promotion process and rectify its problems and obstacles

Targeted manipulation of activity in specific populations of neurons is important for investigating the neural circuit basis of behavior. Optogenetic approaches using light-sensitive microbial rhodopsins have permitted manipulations to reach a level of temporal precision that is enabling functional circuit dissection. As demand for more precise perturbations to serve specific experimental goals increases, a palette of opsins with diverse selectivity, kinetics, and spectral properties will be needed. Here, we introduce a novel approach of "topological engineering"-inversion of opsins in the plasma membrane-and demonstrate that it can produce variants with unique functional properties of interest for circuit neuroscience. In one striking example, inversion of a Channelrhodopsin variant converted it from a potent activator into a fast-acting inhibitor that operates as a cation pump. Our findings argue that membrane topology provides a useful orthogonal dimension of protein engineering that immediately permits as much as a doubling of the available toolkit.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of Hypericum perforatum on cesarean wound healing and hypertrophic scar.This was a randomized, double-blind clinical trial study.The study was conducted in Samen-Ol-Aemmeh (Pbuh) Hospital in Mashhad, Iran.The subjects included 144 women with surgical childbirth who had eligible criteria.The participants were randomly assigned to three groups. The treatment and placebo groups applied H. perforatum or placebo ointment 3 times a day for 16 days based on consecutive coded ointments. The control group remained without any intervention postoperatively.Wound healing was assessed on the 10th day postcesarean using the REEDA scale (REEDA stands for redness, edema, ecchymosis, discharge, and approximation), which had criteria including redness, edema, ecchymosis, discharge, and approximation. On the 40th day, the degree of scarring was assessed using the Vancouver scar scale including pigmentation, height, pliability, and vascularity. The subjects were also asked some questions about pain by using the Visual Analogue Scale and pruritus of scar.The mean age of all the study subjects was 23.50 +/- 4.03 and mean parity was 1.23 +/- 0.48. There were significant differences in wound healing on the 10th day (p0.005) and scar formation on the 40th day postpartum (p0.0001) between treatment group with placebo and control groups. However, the placebo group had no differences in wound healing (p = 0.93) and scar formation (p = 0.11) with the control group. In addition, significantly lower pain and pruritus were reported by the treatment group compared with the placebo and control groups on the 40th day postpartum.Topical application of H. perforatum is safe and can facilitate cesarean wound healing and minimize formation of scar and its pain and pruritus.

A uromodulin promoter has been isolated, sequenced, and used to generate two sets of transgenic mice for expression of the lacZ marker gene and for production of the human recombinant erythropoietin (rhEPO) in urine. We demonstrated that the 5.6-kb fragment of the uromodulin gene containing the 3.7-kb promoter area and, both the first exon and part of the second exon, were sufficient to provide kidney-specific expression of the lacZ gene. Histological analysis of the lacZ expression pattern revealed β-galactosidase activity specifically in the thick limb of Henle's loop. However, due to random integration of the transgene, ectopic expression was detected in some transgenic lines. Analysis of the EPO-transgenic mice showed that rhEPO was secreted into the urine of founder mice (up to 6 ng/ml). We were able to breed and analyze only two sublines with a very low expression level of rhEPO (up to 260 pg/ml). All of our transgenic mice expressing rhEPO in urine developed disease symptoms similar to polycythemia in humans. These included a considerable increase in red blood cell counts, hemoglobin concentration, and hematocrit concomitant with severe thrombocytopenia, all of which were detected in the rhEPO-expressing mice. Although our model did not prove to be beneficial for commercial production of rhEPO, we concluded that the uromodulin promoter could be useful for expression of other important therapeutic proteins into the urine of transgenic animals.

A uromodulin promoter has been isolated, sequenced, and used to generate two sets of transgenic mice for expression of the lacZ marker gene and for production of the human recombinant erythropoietin (rhEPO) in urine. We demonstrated that the 5.6-kb fragment of the uromodulin gene containing the 3.7-kb promoter area and, both the first exon and part of the second exon, were sufficient to provide kidney-specific expression of the lacZ gene. Histological analysis of the lacZ expression pattern revealed beta-galactosidase activity specifically in the thick limb of Henle's loop. However, due to random integration of the transgene, ectopic expression was detected in some transgenic lines. Analysis of the EPO-transgenic mice showed that rhEPO was secreted into the urine of founder mice (up to 6 ng/ml). We were able to breed and analyze only two sublines with a very low expression level of rhEPO (up to 260 pg/ml). All of our transgenic mice expressing rhEPO in urine developed disease symptoms similar to polycythemia in humans. These included a considerable increase in red blood cell counts, hemoglobin concentration, and hematocrit concomitant with severe thrombocytopenia, all of which were detected in the rhEPO-expressing mice. Although our model did not prove to be beneficial for commercial production of rhEPO, we concluded that the uromodulin promoter could be useful for expression of other important therapeutic proteins into the urine of transgenic animals.

Homeodomain proteins (homeoproteins) have long been recognized as powerful transcriptional regulators. Inappropriate expression of these transcription factors often leads to major developmental malformations or malignant transformation. The in vitro DNA binding sites of homeoproteins are short sequences that are widely distributed throughout the genome and some canonical binding sites have been shown to be functionally important at distances >20 kb away from the nearest transcription start site. In addition to DNA-binding activity, several homeoproteins have been demonstrated to interact with chromatin-modifying enzymes. For example, we and others have reported that the TLX1 homeoprotein of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) inhibits the PP1/PP2A serine/threonine phosphatases (I. Riz and R.G. Hawley, Oncogene 24: 5561–5575, 2005) and more recently have found that TLX1 modulates histone/transcription factor acetyltransferase CBP activity (I. Riz et al., Oncogene 26: 4115–4123, 2007). PP1/PP2A and CBP are complex molecular machines integrating diverse regulatory pathways that impact on cell survival, proliferation and differentiation outcomes. Organogenesis and malignant transformation - despite obvious differences - share a common requirement for high-order cooperativity of transcription factors and transcriptional cofactors in regulating the expression of multiple sets of genes executing cell fate shifts. Targeting key regulatory nodes in order to coordinately regulate multiple genes is a common strategy of virus induced cell-transformation: accordingly, PP1/PP2A and CBP are targeted by transforming viral proteins. The Groucho/TLE (transducin-like Enhancer-of-split) family of corepressors are another example of master regulators of cell fate; for instance, it was reported that triggering the MAPK signaling cascade inactivates TLE corepressors leading to coordinated derepression of a large number of genes involved in cell proliferation. We now demonstrate that TLX1 interferes with TLE1 repressive function. By streptavidin affinity-based precipitation of biotinylated recombinant TLX1 protein (TLX1 fused to a biotinylation peptide) we show in vivo interaction of TLX1 and TLE1 in several different cell types, including human T-ALL and neuroblastoma cells. Interaction of TLX1 with TLE1 occurs via an Engrailed homology 1 (Eh1)-like domain as documented by GST pull-down assays and laser scanning confocal microscopy. Transient transfection experiments indicate that TLX1 prevents TLE1-mediated repression of reporter genes. Furthermore, in the context of endogenous chromatin structure, TLX1 derepresses the bHLH transcription factor gene, ACSL1(HASH1), a well characterized target of the HES1/TLE1 repressor complex. The process requires direct interaction of TLX1 with TLE1 and binding of TLX1 to DNA, since a point mutation in the Eh1-like motif or deletion of the third helix of the TLX1 homeodomain abrogated the effect. Additional data to be presented suggest a long-range mechanism of transcriptional regulation by TLX1: we propose that “transcriptional activation” by TLX1 (and, by analogy, other homeoproteins that interact with TLE corepressors) results in part from the chaperoned redistribution of TLE corepressors from proximal promoter regions of target genes to distal chromatin regulatory sites.