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Background and Objectives: Virtual education has flourished during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was carried out in order to determine the satisfaction of lecturers from virtual education during the COVID-19 epidemic in Paramedical, Nursing, Midwifery, Health, and Dentistry Faculties of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences in 2020-2021. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, the research population consisted of 100 teachers who taught in the mentioned faculties in 2020-2021. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire that was compiled by at least 10 experts in the field of education and investigated using content validity ratio (CVR) and content validity index (CVI). Data were analyzed using independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and Tukey's post hoc test. Results: 41 people (41%) of the teachers stated that they continue virtual education after the COVID-19 epidemic and 89 people (89%) considered the speed of the internet as the most important problem of virtual education. The average satisfaction score in the age group of 30-40 years and in the teaching experience of less than 5 years and the scientific rank of professor was significantly higher than the average score of other groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: The findings of the study showed that the overall satisfaction of teachers with virtual education is at an average level. From the teachers' point of view, some aspects of virtual education including the level of interaction with the student, providing and receiving feedback, and formative and cumulative evaluation of the student need to be improved. Therefore, upgrading the infrastructure and empowering teachers to improve the quality of virtual education seems necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Domestic violence during pregnancy poses a serious threat to the physical, mental, and emotional health of both the mother and the fetus. Ultimately, it also jeopardizes the overall health and structure of society. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of determining the relationship between domestic violence during pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in pregnant women residing in Rafsanjan City. Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, data collection was performed through a three-part questionnaire, which included demographic information, domestic violence experiences, and infant outcomes. The sample size for the case group (comprising individuals with at least one neonatal outcome) was determined to be 20 people. To achieve this number, interviews were conducted with 211 pregnant women who visited Niknafs Maternity Hospital in Rafsanjan during 2019 and 2020. For each case subject, three individuals without any neonatal outcomes matched in terms of age and number of children, were selected as controls (60 people in total). The obtained data were analyzed using multiple logistic regression. Results: Out of the control group, 13 individuals (21.7%) and out of the case group, 10 individuals (50%) experienced violence during pregnancy (p=0.015). The results of multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that after adjusting for the spouse's age, the odds of experiencing at least one neonatal outcome were 3.29 times higher in mothers who were subjected to violence during pregnancy compared to those who were not (p=0.036). Conclusion: According to the current study, it can be concluded that domestic violence leads to an increase in pregnancyrelated consequences and complications. Consequently, it is crucial to implement intervention programs and raise awareness to address this issue effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Evidence has shown that cysteine protease enzymes, such as cathepsin D, cathepsin A, cathepsin K, and alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) are involved in the chronic degenerative joint process. This study aimed to determine the potential involvement of cathepsin K, cathepsin D, and AAT in patients with osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: This study was performed on 31 patients with knee OA and 29 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects (both with Fars ethnicity from Iran). American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria were used to diagnose OA patients. The clinical status of the patients was scored by Western Ontario McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC), and pain intensity was measured by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The serum level of AAT was measured using high-resolution cellulose acetate electrophoresis. Additionally, serum levels of cathepsin D and cathepsin K were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: The findings showed that the serum level of cathepsin K was significantly increased in OA patients compared to healthy subjects (P = 0.01), while there was no significant difference between serum level of cathepsin D in study groups (P = 0.2). In addition, the serum concentration of AAT was significantly decreased in OA patients compared to healthy subjects (P = 0.003). There was a significant correlation between WOMAC score and age (r = 0.644, P = 0.0001) and VAS (r = 0.866, P < 0.0001) in OA patients. Conclusions: The decreased level of AAT in OA patients and a rise in serum level of cathepsin K are involved in the pathogenesis of OA via stimulation of bone resorption and cartilage degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]