Changes in Serum Levels of Retinol Binding Protein 4, Glucose and Insulin in Adaptation to Nettle Supplementation and Combination Training in Overweight Men With Type 2 Diabetes

Background and Objectives Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world, and its increasing growth has led to numerous health and socioeconomic problems in the community. Subjects and Methods In this quasi-experimental study, 40 men with type 2 diabetes were selected from the volunteers based on a nutritional questionnaire, exercise abilities, body mass index, and physical health. They were randomly divided into four groups: exercise, nettle, exercise plus nettle, and control. The resistance training program was performed for 8 weeks, 3 sessions per week with an intensity of 60% to 70% of a maximum repetition, and aerobic exercise with an intensity of 60% to 80% of maximum heart rate. The dose of nettle was 100 mg per day. Blood sampling was performed before fasting and 48 hours after the last training session. Data were analyzed using paired t test and analysis of variance. Results After eight weeks of intervention, there was a significant difference in fasting insulin and glucose levels between the groups (P= 0.001 and P= 0.001, respectively). There was no significant difference in the retinol levels bound to protein 4 between all groups (P= 0.096). Conclusion The results showed that both exercise and nettle interventions reduce fasting insulin and glucose levels, but reducing retinol levels bound to protein 4, exercise and nettle interventions are needed.

Antibacterial Effect of Platelet Concentrate and Amniotic Membrane as two Human-derived Biological Products

Background and Objectives: Regarding the increasing spread of bacterial resistance, researchers are always interested in finding effective antibiotics of natural origin. The amniotic membrane and blood platelet concentrate are two biological products with an antibacterial effect. The present study aimed to investigate the antibacterial effect of the biological products on broad-spectrum MBL-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Subjects and Methods The amniotic membrane, blood platelet concentrate, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa isolates were collected from hospitals in Gorgan City, Iran. The isolates were identified using the biochemical tests. The methicillin-resistant S. aureus and MBL-producing P. aeruginosa strains were collected by the combined disk and iodometric methods. The antibacterial effects of platelet serial dilutions of bacteria were prepared using 0.5 McFarland turbidity standard suspension in tubes. Then, different concentrations of bacteria were mixed with platelet. After four different encounter durations, a sample was obtained and cultured on medium and bacterial growth was examined. The amniotic membrane was assessed by disk diffusion methods. Results The results showed that all isolates of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus were MBL producers. The platelet concentrate showed the antibacterial effect on all S. aureus isolates, whereas it lacked such an effect on P. aeruginosa isolates. It indicates that the amniotic membrane has an antibacterial effect on all S. aureus and P. aeruginosa isolates. Conclusion The amniotic membrane and platelet concentrate showed high antimicrobial potential against multidrug-resistant S. aureus and P. aeruginosa pathogens. Therefore, human-derived natural products can be used as a source for efficient antibiotics.

Effect of Aerobic Training and High-fat Diet on Enos and Ros in Testicular Tissue of Juvenile Male Rats

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to determine the effect of a course of aerobic exercise with a high-fat diet on eNOS and ROS in testicular tissue of adolescent male rats. Subjects and Methods A total of 40 adolescent male rats (30 days old) were randomized in the following groups: normal diet control, normal diet training, high fat diet control, and high-fat diet training. The high-fat diet rats were under a high-fat regimen (5.817 kcal/g) for 30 days, and then a normal fat diet (3.801 kcal/g) was continued after the 60th day of birth. Aerobic training was conducted for four weeks included three training sessions from the 70th to 98th days of life. Results The results showed that the amount of ROS in the testicular tissue of male mice was higher only in the high-fat diet group. Also, there was no significant difference between the groups regarding eNOS testicular tissue in male mice. Conclusion A high-fat diet increases the production of reactive oxygen species in testicular tissue and is not affected by aerobic exercise. Also, neither exercise nor a high-fat diet had any effect on testicular eNOS. However, due to the limitations of this study and no evidence in this field, further studies are needed on cell phenotype, sperm fate, and identification of pathways involved in the occurrence of oxidative stress and subsequent effects of eNOS activation in testicular tissue in response to exercise and obesity.

Evaluation of Urinary Iodine by Sandell-kolthoff Reaction Method in Urban and Rural Children Referring to the Shiraz Shahid Motahari Clinic and Village of Marvdasht City in 2016 and 2017

Background and Objectives: Iodine deficiency affects the population of all age groups, but neonates, infants, pregnant women, and school children constitute the most vulnerable groups. Disorders caused by iodine deficiency are among the major health-nutritional problems in Iran. Because of the importance of this matter, the present study was done to evaluate the status of urinary iodine in 6-16 years old children in urban and rural areas and to compare measurement indices of urinary iodine. Subjects and Methods In this cross-sectional descriptive study, we included 230 6-16 years old children, including 128 urban and 102 rural children. In all samples, the creatinine amount was measured based on the Jaffe reaction, and iodine was measured by the acid digestion method. Since iodine concentration was not normally distributed, the median value of urinary iodine was reported. Also, the urinary iodine/ creatinine (UI/Cr) ratio index was calculated in all samples. Results The median value of urinary iodine in all examined children was 14.30 μg/dL and in children of urban and rural areas were 15.6 and 12.9 μg/dL, respectively. Because these measurements were more than 10 μg/dL, the urinary iodine was sufficient in children of both regions. Based on the median UI/Cr ratio, the iodine excretion was 178.92 μg/g in all children (more than 50 μg/g showing iodine sufficiency). Conclusion Based on median urinary iodine and median UI/Cr ratio, iodine intake in children was normal. Also, according to the present study, there is a fair agreement between both mentioned indices

The Effect of Logotherapy on Death Anxity, Pain Catastrophizing, Pain Acceptance, and Pain Intensity in Patients With Prostate Cancer

Background and Objectives: This study investigated the effectiveness of logotherapy on death anxiety, pain catastrophizing, pain acceptance, and severity of pain in prostate cancer patients. Subjects and Methods : The research design was an experimental pretest-posttest with a control group. At first, 40 hospitalized men in a treatment center were selected by using the purposive sampling method. The experimental group was treated for eight 45-minute sessions by training logotherapy. All subjects completed the questionnaire at the beginning of the study, immediately after the intervention, and one month after the treatment (one-month follow-up). For data analysis, 1-way analysis of variance was used. Results The results indicated that logotherapy in the experimental group was more effective than the control group in reducing death anxiety, pain catastrophizing, pain acceptance, and severity of pain in prostate cancer patients. The follow-up results also showed that the effect of logotherapy was sustained on death anxiety, pain catastrophizing, pain acceptance, and severity of pain in prostate cancer patients. Conclusion The results showed that Logotherapy has an effect on death anxiety, pain catastrophe, pain acceptance and pain intensity in patients with prostate cancer

The Effect of High-Intensity Interval Training on GLP-1, Appetite, and Weight in Obese Rats

Background and Objectives: Appetite is an essential factor in obesity. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on GLP-1, appetite, and weight of obese mice while maintaining a high caloric diet. Subjects and Methods A total of 24 C57BL/6 mice with a Mean±SD weight of 20.7±1 g were selected. After implementing a high caloric dieting and making them fat (Mean±SD weight: 30.95±3.23 g), they were divided into two groups of training and control. A high caloric diet was maintained for both groups (training and control) until the end of the experiment, while the training group performed HIIT for 8 weeks. Every session of HIIT included 30 minutes of exercise with a progressive intensity of 50% to 60% in low-intensity intervals and 80% to 90% in high-intensity intervals. The independent t test and analysis of variance with repeated measures were used for data analysis. Results Findings of the study indicated that GLP-1 increased significantly in the HIIT training group compared to the control group (P<0.05). In the HIIT group, body weight was significantly higher (P<0.001), and food intake was significantly lower (P<0.001) than those in the control group. Conclusion When consuming high-calorie food, HIIT training can probably cause weight loss through reducing appetite mediated by increasing GLP-1

Determination of the Last Semester Radiology Technology Students’ Knowledge About Radiation Protection, Radiation Exposure and Cancer Risk of Diagnostic Examinations With Lonizing Radiation

Background and Objectives: Radiology technicians have a critical role in protecting patients along with providing high-quality images. The present study assessed radiology students' last semester about the principles of protection, dose level, and cancer risk of ionizing radiation applied for diagnostic imaging. This study was conducted in training hospitals of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz City, Iran. Subjects and Methods This cross-sectional descriptive study was performed using a study-designed questionnaire. The sample size was 40, and statistical analysis was performed in SPSS v. 24. Results Only 15% of students correctly answered the question of ionizing radiation stochastic effect. While 70% of students stated the average dose of an abdominal ultrasound correctly, only 2.5% of them determined the average dose of a myocardial nuclear medicine scan correctly. In total, the respondents received 35% of the overall score of knowledge about cancer risk caused by ionizing radiation of imaging examinations. Conclusion The students' knowledge about the principles of radiation protection was moderate, and their knowledge about the level of radiation dose and cancer risk caused by various imaging procedures was insufficient. Theoretical and practical education has a significant role in improving the knowledge and skills of radiology technicians. So, repeating and emphasizing the principles of radiation protection and paying more attention to these topics in the courses and internships of radiology technology students seems necessary. These measures will improve the performance of students and make them prepared to accept their future professional responsibilities.

Evaluation of the Relationship Between Epidemiological Factors and Laboratory Findings With the Cause of Neutropenia in Children: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background and Objectives: Neutropenia is the absolute count of neutrophils less than 1500 per cubic millimeter. Because the early detection of the cause of neutropenia and appropriate measures to reduce its mortality and financial costs are important, this study was conducted to investigate the relationship between the cause of neutropenia and the severity of neutropenia with clinical and laboratory findings to take appropriate measures. Subjects and Methods This study was a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study. In this study, 111 patients with neutropenia were studied in Hazrat Masoumeh Hospital in Qom City, Iran, by a census method in 3 years from 2014 to 2016. Necessary information was obtained from the patients' medical records through a questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS software. Results The study findings showed relationships between the cause of the disease and variables of age (P= 0.007), the severity of neutropenia (P<0.001), disease outcome (P<0.001), length of hospital stay (P<0.001), Hb (P<0.001), and WBC (P<0.001). The causes of neutropenia in the studied patients were viral (54.1%), sepsis (24.3%), malignancy (10.8%), anemia (4.5%), idiopathic (3.6%) and ITP (2.7%). Conclusion The present study showed a significant relationship between demographic and laboratory findings with the cause and severity of the disease. Therefore, considering these factors at the beginning of hospitalization can play a crucial role in promoting proper management in the treatment of patients with neutropenia.

Optical Aptasensors and the Challenge of Food Contamination With Lead

Contamination of heavy metals in food, especially drinking water and groundwater, has become a serious problem for human health. These metals are mainly the constituent elements of nature widely distributed in the earth's crust, but significant amounts of them are also found in everyday goods. These elements are usually found in combinations with oxygen, chlorine, sulfur, and other anions that generally contain inorganic and organic compounds. Lead is one of the heavy metals with high toxicity that poses serious risks to the environment and humans. Recent advances in nucleic acid research have led to the identification of oligonucleotide sequences that bind with high affinity specifically to target molecules, including proteins. Such single-stranded sequences are called "aptamer" nucleic acids. Aptamers are synthetic single-stranded DNA or RNA sequences of 30 to 100 nucleotides, and their secondary and tertiary structures are folded to make them highly specific for binding to targets. The binding of aptamers to different targets, from a single cell to large chemical and biological molecules, is done with high affinity. This aptamer feature is used to detect lead. In this review article, the designed optical aptasensors for the detection of lead will be reviewed.

Evaluating 10-year Changes in Relative Risk of Smear Positive Tuberculosis in Iran Using Spatial Modelling: 2010-2019

Background and Objectives According to the importance of preventing tuberculosis, it is necessary to identify areas with a high relative risk. Subjects and Methods This is an ecological study. To estimate the relative risk of SPTB (smear-positive tuberculosis), the number of SPTB cases and at-risk population for each province was extracted from the data set of the Tuberculosis and Leprosy Department of the Ministry of Health. Relative risk (RR) estimation was obtained using Log-Normal and BYM models. Deviance information criterion was used to compare the performance of the models. Analyses were done in WinBUGS1.4.3 and ArcGIS10.8 software. Results The highest relative risk was seen in 2010 for Sistan and Baluchestan Province as RR = 4.02 with (95%CI: 3.73-4.32) and the lowest for Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province with RR= 0.22 [95%CI: 0.13-0.35). The highest relative risk in Sistan and Baluchestan Province in 2020 was RR= 3.77 (95%CI: 3.45-4.01), and the lowest relative risk was in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad Province with RR= 0.21 (95% CI: 0.10-0.36). Conclusion The risk of tuberculosis was generally high in provinces bordering countries with high rates of tuberculosis and provinces with humid climates. The movement of populations from high-risk provinces and high-burden countries can be one of the main challenges in controlling tuberculosis. However, the pattern of risk reduction in provinces bordering high-risk countries shows relatively good progress in TB control programs and reminds us of the need for detailed studies on the pattern of increase in other provinces