منیره موحدی

 Foeniculum vulgare (Fennel) is one of the aromatic plants whose effect on appetite control is very questionable. we investigated the effect of fennel aqueous extract on the appetite/satiety hormones. 

Forty adult female BALB/c mice were equally divided into 5 groups; Control (no treatment), sham (distilled water injection) and FE1, FE2, FE3, the test groups (received aqueous fennel extract intraperitoneally at doses of 50, 100 and 200 (mg/kg) every 24 hours for 14 days, respectively). Serum levels of neuropeptideY (NPY), adiponectin, ghrelin and leptin were measured using ELISA. We also performed immunohistochemical staining in order to measure the hypothalamic leptin receptor expression level. Data analysis was performed by SPSS.V22. 

Serum NPY in FE3 and FE2 groups increased significantly compared with the control group (for both p<0.05). The results also showed a significant increase in serum adiponectin in FE3 group compared with the control group (p<0.05). Administration of different doses of fennel did not show any effects on ghrelin concentration. FE1 group represented the highest serum leptin concentration compared with other groups (p<0.0001). FE3 group showed a significant increase in hypothalamic leptin receptor expression level compared to the control group (p<0.05).

High doses of fennel can increase appetite, while lower doses may induce satiety. Choosing the right dose of fennel is key to using it as an effective weight management supplement.

 Chemoresistance, particularly to topotecan (TPT), remains a major obstacle in colorectal cancer treatment. As a topoisomerase I inhibitor, TPT's efficacy is limited by P-glycoprotein (P-gp)-mediated drug resistance. This study examined melatonin's potential to overcome TPT resistance in SW480/TPT cells and its underlying mechanisms.

SW480 and drug-resistant SW480/TPT cells were maintained in RPMI-1640/10% FBS. Cells were treated with TPT (0.1-5 μM) alone or combined with melatonin (1-20 μM) in serum-free medium for 48 hours. Apoptosis was quantified using the Cell Death Detection ELISA™ kit. MDR1 expression and P-gp levels were assessed after melatonin treatment (10 μM, 48h). All experiments included ≥3 biological replicates, with data analyzed by one-way ANOVA.

Melatonin synergistically enhanced TPT efficacy, reducing the IC50 from 2.8±0.3 μM to 0.8±0.1 μM (71.4% reduction, p<0.001). Combination therapy increased apoptosis from 15±2% (TPT alone) to 45±4% (3-fold increase, p<0.001). Mechanistically, melatonin downregulated MDR1 expression by 65±5% and decreased P-gp levels by 58±4% versus untreated controls (p<0.001).

Melatonin significantly reverses TPT resistance in colorectal cancer cells by suppressing P-gp/MDR1. These findings position melatonin as a promising adjuvant for combination chemotherapy, warranting further investigation in preclinical models and clinical trials.

Phenobarbital is a sedative drug that belongs to the barbiturate class. Barbiturates work by reducing the excitability of neurons. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of phenobarbital on the embryos of adult female BALB/c mice.

In this study, 60 adult female BALB/c mice weighing approximately 24 to 26 g were classified into six groups: control, sham, and treatment groups. Phenobarbital ampoules were used for the study, and the lethal dose (LD50) in vivo was calculated to be 3.84 ml/kg.bw. Intraperitoneal injections were administered on days 3, 4, 5, and 6 of pregnancy. On day 7 of pregnancy (following the last injection), the mice were euthanized, weighed, and dissected. Their uterus and ovaries were rinsed with sterile physiological serum and evaluated both microscopically and macroscopically. The results obtained were analyzed using SPSS software and subjected to an ANOVA test.

Based on the results of the study, phenobarbital caused syndactyly (gluing of fingers and toes), exohepatic, exencephaly, spinabifida, lack of motor organ formation, asymmetry in motor organ orientation, liver enlargement, weight loss, CR size reduction, subcutaneous hemorrhages, C-shaped body, and umbilical hernia. Additionally, a significant decrease (P<0.05) was reported in fetal weight, placental weight, placental diameter, and CR.

The current study indicated that phenobarbital likely has a negative impact on embryos during the embryonic development stage, leading to miscarriage, abnormalities, and infertility. Therefore, serious precautions should be taken to avoid the use of this drug during pregnancy.

In recent years, due to the spread of drug resistance in the Plasmodium parasite and the shortcomings of anti-malarial drugs, the use of liposome-based nanomedicines in treating malaria has garnered significant attention. This research studied the effect of liposomes containing the antimalarial compound Eosin B on the Plasmodium berghei parasite in murine malaria. Liposomes containing Eosin B were prepared using cholesterol in the presence of Eosin B via solvent evaporation. Eosin B, Eosin B liposome, drug solvent, drug-free liposomes, and control drugs were administered to infected mice. The percentage of parasite inhibitory activity was evaluated using Peter’s test. In the in vitro model, the Plasmodium falciparum parasite was first cultured, and the survival percentage of the parasite in each group was investigated using the parasite lactate dehydrogenase test. In each test group, the percentage of parasitemia under the effect of the Eosin B liposome was lower than that of Eosin B alone, and the inhibition percentage was significantly higher (P<0.05). Also, the survival percentage of the parasite in the in vitro model was lower in each group under the effect of the Eosin B liposome compared to Eosin B alone. Liposomes containing Eosin B can increase efficacy in the mouse malaria model and reduce the drug’s dose. Considering the reduction of drug dosage in treating malaria by the Eosin B liposome, using this liposome drug might be beneficial.

Medullary Thyroid Cancer (MTC) is a rare, aggressive, and fatal subtype of thyroid cancer, presenting a significant medical challenge that necessitates prompt and accurate diagnosis and treatment. Recently, attention has shifted towards utilizing circulating tumor markers as a novel liquid biopsy technique, offering the potential for improved precision in diagnosis, outcome prediction, and cancer progression monitoring. Hence, this review aims to analyze the characteristics and biological aspects of Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) and Circulating Tumor DNA (ctDNA) in MTC. One of the main objectives is to understand how these markers can enhance diagnosis accuracy, provide better predictive insights, and establish a more substantial basis for treatment strategies tailored to this particular type of cancer. The non-invasive nature of CTCs and ctDNA enables them to reveal molecular and genetic changes in tumors. This information holds promise for enhancing early detection and providing more precise tracking of disease development. Moreover, using these markers could address clinical needs and drive advancements in MTC diagnosis and treatment. These progressions have the potential to significantly improve diagnostic precision and treatment effectiveness, ultimately leading to better outcomes for individuals dealing with this intricate condition.

Sarcoidosis is a disease with an unknown cause and the onset of the disease is often gradual. The disease may be asymptomatic or chronic. Examining the presence of factors such as micro RNAs may lead to better diagnoses of sarcoidosis and help to better understand the mechanism of sarcoidosis.This is a case-witness study that after obtaining permission from the ethics committee, 40 tissue samples from the lymph nodes of patients with sarcoidosis and 40 control samples were collected with the opinion of an expert doctor, and then RNA was extracted from the lymph nodes. Realtime PCR was done for miR-192 marker.miR-192 biomarker was positive in the lymph node samples of sarcoidosis patients in 28 out of 40 people. The positive rate of this biomarker in healthy people was 17 out of 40 people. miR-192 biomarker showed increased expression in sarcoidosis patients compared to healthy samples.According to the results of this study, miR-192 may be used as a molecular marker for sarcoidosis. It also has significant potential for diagnosis, prognosis and even treatment of sarcoidosis.

The level of an immune response inhibitory enzyme, called indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), and the activity of Treg cells increase in some patients with cancer and acute leukemias such that it can lead to the inhibition of immune responses. Therefore, the very aim of the present study was to evaluate the regulatory T cells (CD4 + / FOXP3 +) and the level of the IDO expression in acute leukemias using flow cytometry and Real-Time PCR.  

This study used bone marrow samples taken from  30 patients with acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL), and 20 healthy individuals. Then, the level of the IDO expression and the percentage of Treg cells were evaluated using flow cytometry and Real-Time PCR. The results revealed that the percentage of Treg in the total lymphocytes, T and Th in the ALL group was significantly higher than that of the normal groups the respectively (P <0.001).

In addition, the level of the IDO expression in the normal group was significantly lower than that of the ALL group (P= 0.016).

The level of the IDO expression in the ALL groups was significantly higher than the normal group. Moreover, there was a positive and non-significant relationship between the level of the IDO expression and the percentages of Treg cells in the ALL group. Therefore, it seems necessary to conduct more studies for the behavior of this leukemia in the expression of IDO enzyme and the percentage of Treg cells and their relationship with each other.

Natural products can help in the treatment of many diseases due to their low side effects. In the present study the effect of pretreatment of nanobetanin and nanocurcumin in cerebral ischemia rats was investigated.

The present study was experimental. 40 male Wistar rats were divided into eight groups of healthy control, healthy animals receiving nanobetanin, healthy animals receiving nanocurcumin, healthy animals receiving nanobetanin+nanocurcumin, cerebral I/R, cerebral I/R receiving nanobetanin, cerebral I/R receiving nanocurcumin and cerebral I/R receiving nanobetanin + nanocurcumin. Oral administration of nanobetanin and nanocurcumin started five days before Bilateral Common Carotid Artery Occlusion induction in rats and continued three days later. Neurological disorders scores were assessed. After preparing the brain homogenate, the intensity of oxidative stress, the activity of antioxidant enzymes and the expressions of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and alpha tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) cytokines were measured by relevant kits. Data analysis was done in GraphPad prism V.8 software.

Nanobetanin and nanocurcumin showed strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) rats. The content of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the brain of I/R rats receiving nanobetanin and nanocurcumin decreased (P=0.00001) and the activity of antioxidant enzyme such as superoxide dismutase improved (P=0.00002), and the content of glutathione regeneration showed an increasing trend (P=0.0004). A decrease in neurological disorders scores (P=0.009) was observed in cerebral I/R rats receiving nanobetanin and nanocurcumin. Furthermore, nanobetanin and nanocurcumin administration reduced the expression levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β (P=0.00003), IL-6 (P=0.00006), TNF-α (P=0.008) in the rats with cerebral I/R injury.

Nanobetanin and nanocurcumin has neuroprotective effects in cerebral I/R condition due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammation properties, which can be considered as a suitable treatment option in stroke conditions

Nowadays, diabetes mellitus is a major challenge for human health. Serine/threonine-protein kinase 4 (STK4) is a main regulator of pancreatic β-cell death and dysfunction, and its over activation can lead to type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Deficiency of STK4 restores functional β-cells and normoglycemia. In the current study, for the first time, we used molecular modeling to discover a potent STK4 inhibitor.

In this study, among 51220 molecules in ZINC database, we used the molecular docking method for virtual screening process to select the potent and effective inhibitors against STK4. We used Desmond software for molecular dynamics (MD) simulations studies of the structures with the lowest free binding energy for 100 ns. The ADME properties of the selected compounds were calculated by Qikprop software.

Virtual screening results showed that compounds with ZINC ID of ZINC95918625, ZINC85569233, ZINC03874317, ZINC00105086 and ZINC14819359 can be considered as STK4 inhibitors. Among these compounds, ZINC95918625 had the lowest free binding energy (-11.67 kcal/mol). After the 100 ns MD studies, ZINC95918625 interacted with STK4 residues of Lys59, Glu73, Cys105, and Gly153 via hydrogen bonding. ADME analysis exhibited that all pharmaco-kinteic parameters of ZINC95918625 were within the reasonable range.

Our study can provide valuable information about new inhibitors for diabetes treatment. The findings of this study indicated that ZINC95918625 molecule could be used as a novel STK4 inhibitor in the future studies.

Fennel as a medicinal plant has a long history of use in traditional herbal medicine. But there have been few reports of this drug toxicity in different tissues. In this study, the effect of aqueous extract of fennel on the kidneys of adult male BALB/C mice and renal blood factors was investigated.

In this study, 40 adult male BALB/C mice in the range of 20-22 g were used. Mice were divided into 5 groups. Group 1: Control, Group 2: Sham, that received normal saline intraperitoneal (IP) for 14 days. Experimental groups received doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg of body weight of the aqueous extract of fennel IP for 14 days. After 14 days of treatment, the mice were anesthetized and after blood sampling from the heart, their kidneys were removed for pathology examination. Histological sections were prepared and stained with H & E and investigated by the optical microscope. Data were analyzed using SPSS software.

The mean number of glomeruli, cortex thickness, vascular occlusion, leukocyte infiltration and other histologic indices in the group received 200 mg/kg of an aqueous extract of fennel had a significant difference with control group. However, weight, BUN, creatinine and medulla thickness indices did not have any significant difference with the control group.

The results showed that aqueous extract of fennel at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg had no toxic effects on parenchyma and renal cells, but dose of 200 mg/kg had toxic effects on the kidney.

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is one of the ancient plants that has various medicinal effects. The main hormones produced by the thyroid gland are thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), which regulate the bodychr('39')s growth and development. Thyroid hormones have two receptors called TRα and TRβ in different tissues. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of fennel aqueous extract on serum levels of thyroid hormones and the expression of thyroid receptors in ovarian tissue.

In this study, 40 female Balb/C mice weighing 18-20 g were used. Mice were divided into 5 groups of 8 including control, sham and intraperitoneal (IP) injection of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg aqueous fennel extract for 14 days. The blood samples were then taken from the heart to measure thyroid hormone. The ovarian tissue was also sampled for real time thyroid receptor expression by PCR.

Serum thyroid hormones, T3 and T4 were not changed by aqueous extract of fennel. The expression of receptor β did not have any significant change, but the expression of receptor α increased significantly by the 200 mg/kg of aqueous extract of fennel. The weights of the rats in 200 mg/kg of fennel decreased significantly.

Fennel may increase ovarian response to thyroid hormones in high dose.

The purpose of this study was to design a practical model to clarify the role of the educational stakeholders on the establishment of the knowledge management in the education system. The research method was descriptive of survey type. The research population included heads, deputies and experts and the school principals of Māzandarān education office. According to Cochran formula, 336 participants were selected as a sample from 2653 heads of the education offices, their assistants, experts and school' managers in Māzandarān, using a random cluster sampling method. The measurement tools were the researcher-made questionnaires of the educational stakeholders' role and the establishment of the knowledge management. The content and face validity of the questionnaires were confirmed by the experts. Cronbach's calculated alpha for the questionnaires were 0.91 and 0.87 respectively and the reliability of the questionnaires were confirmed. The results of the exploratory factor analysis showed that the variable of the stakeholders has three individual, organizational and procedural dimensions. The individual dimension has 7 components (personal motivation, awareness, skill, experience, willingness, participation and educability). The organizational dimension has 6 components (organizational culture, organizational structure, organizational technology, human resources, management and leadership, organizational environment). Also, the procedural dimension has 6 components (developing the knowledge-based process, providing the technical infra-structures, knowledge creation process, Knowledge acquisition process, knowledge conversion process, and knowledge application process). Among the three dimensions, the individual dimension had the most impact, and the procedural one had the least impact on the establishment of the knowledge management. The results of the structural equation test also showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between the role of the educational stakeholders and the establishment of the knowledge management in the education system of the Māzandarān province. Therefore, it could be concluded that the educational stakeholders have a role in the establishment of the knowledge management and the managers and authorities of education with the participation of the educational stakeholders, i.e., the teachers, principals, parents, medium and the non-governmental organizations could increase the efficiency of the organization.

 Unit of p65 is one of the subunit of NF-κB and its phosphorylation by stress oxidative causes activation of NF-κB. The aim of present study was to investigate the effects of adenosine injection after of brain ischemia reperfusion injury on gene expression of NF-κB /p65 and ROS in male Wistar rats. 40 male wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups, healthy control (n=10), ischemia reperfusion (n=10), ischemia reperfusion + adenosine dose of 0.1 mg/kg (n=10) and ischemia reperfusion + adenosine dose of 0.4 mg/kg  (n=10). The animals were subjected to ischemia by the ligation of common carotid arteries for 45 min. Intraperitoneal injection of adenosine was done after 24 h ischemia in rats. The gene expression of NF-κB /P65 and ROS activity were examined by Real time-PCR and Spectroflourimeter, respectively. One-way ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc test were used to analysis the data. The significant level was set at p<0.05.   The results showed that ischemia induced significant increase in gene expression of NF-κB /p65 and ROS activity compared to control group (p<0.05). Also, both dose of adenosine resulted in significant decrease in gene expression of NF-κB /p65 and ROS activity compared to ischemia group(p<0.05). Brain ischemia reperfusion causes the stress oxidative. It appears that injection of adenosine is effective in reduction of stress oxidative and inflammation due to brain ischemia reperfusion.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can induce carcinogenesis via DNA injury. Antioxidants participate in cell protection against harmful influence of oxidative stress. The aim of the present study was to assess the levels of antioxidant elements, including Zn, Cu, Se and Mn, in serum of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia before treatment. In this study, 20 children just diagnosed ALL before chemotherapy (mean age, 6.6±4.6) compared to 20 healthy controls (mean age, 10.3±2.7). Concentration of the elements were measured with atomic absorption spectroscopy serum levels of Mn were significantly lower in acute leukemia than in controls (P=0.03), while Cu was significantly elevated (P <0.0001). There were no significant difference regarding Zn and Se between two groups (P =0.07 and P =0.35, respectively). Based on obtained results, changes of serum level of these antioxidants could likely have biological role in initiation or progression of leukemia. Further studies are needed to clarify the role of these factors in pathogenesis of acute leukemia

Aim and Recent studies show that the depletion of naturally occurring deuterium can result in tumor regression in both in vitro and in vivo models. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of deuterium depleted water (DDW) discretely and in combination with 5-FU on cell growth and anti-oxidant system of breast cancer cells.
Mateial and The cellular cytotoxicity test was performed using MTT assay. The MCF-7 cells were treated with decreasing deuterium concentrations of DDW alone, 5-FU alone and both. The malondialdehyde (MDA) level and the catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activities were identified spectrophometrically. One way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and t- test were used for statistical analysis. P ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Treatment the cells with different concentrations of DDW alone especially in concentrations of 100 and 125ppm imposed growth inhibitory effect on MCF-7 cells. Also, 5-FU alone significantly decreased the survival fractions of MCF-7 cells and DDW in combination with 5-FU augmented 5-FU inhibitory effects on the cells. Compared to the control group (150 ppm), it was observed that in the cells treated with Lower concentrations of DDW, the activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase enzymes increased, but the level of malonyldialdehyde decreased. Deuterium depleted water can be considered as an adjuvant in anticancer drugs.

The toxicity of metals and their compounds is determined by their physicochemical properties. Thus, metals may compete for the biological binding sites and lead to incorrect function of biochemical macromolecules. The aim of this study was to investigate Ni NPs toxicity in compared to Nickel chloride on liver enzyme activity and the histopathological changes of liver tissue in male wistar rats. In this experimental study, 48 male rates were divided into six experimental groups and one control group and one sham group (n=6). Experimental groups received Ni NPs and nickel chloride with concentration of 5, 15 and 25 mg/ kg by intraperitoneal injection. At the end of 7th day, blood and liver specimen was collected for analysis. Assay of the activity of liver enzyme and histopathological study were performed. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey test. Enzyme activities of AST and ALP in different doses of Ni NPs and nickel chloride and LDH activity in different doses of nickel chloride showed significant changes in the studied groups (p > 0.05). Histopathological study of liver were revealed dose dependent changes in rats treated with nickel chloride and nanoparticles compared to the control group. Some of the changes including necrosis, congestion, apoptosis and steatohepatitis was observed after exposure to different doses. Increasing of concentration liver enzymes and histopathological changes confirms the toxicity of Ni NPs and nickel chloride

Thyroid cancer is one of the most common endocrine malignancies and in the last two decades the number of involved people in the world has been increased. Thyroid cancer in Iran is the seventh most common cancer in women and 14th in men. In recent years many achievements regarding to molecular pathogenic factors such as the substantial role of signaling pathways and molecular abnormalities have been made. Nowadays there is no efficient treatment for progressed thyroid cancer that does not respond to radioiodine therapy which are included poorly differentiated, anaplastic and metastatic or recurrent differentiated thyroid cancer. Although the results of some clinical trials in phase II for treatment of progressed thyroid cancer are rewarding but none of the treated patients responded to treatment and only a few of them responded partially to the treatment which indicates that the treatment can only control the condition of patients with advanced disease, therefore it is needed to consider other alternative solutions which would be helpful in controlling the disease. Epigenetic is referred to study of heritable changes in gene expression without changes in primary DNA sequence. The main mechanisms of genetic and epigenetic alterations are including mutations, increasing the gene copy number and aberrant gene methylation. Epigenetic defects are prevalent in different types of cancers. Aberrant methylation of genes that control cell proliferation and invasion (p16INK4A, RASSF1A, PTEN, Rap1GAP, TIMP3, DAPK, RARβ2, E-cadherin, and CITED1), as well as specific genes involved in differentiation of thyroid cancer (Na symport, TSH receptor, pendrin, SL5A8, and TTF-1) in association with genetic alterations, leads to tumor progression. Growing evidence shows that acquired epigenetic abnormalities participate with genetic alterations to cause altered patterns of gene expression or function. Many of these molecular changes can be used as molecular markers for prognosis, diagnosis and new therapeutic targets for thyroid cancer. This article is about the most common genetic and epigenetic alterations in thyroid cancer which can be complementary together in recognition of new treatments for the disease.

The purpose of this study was to identify and rank the dimensions and components of educational stakeholder's role on implementation of knowledge management in Mazandaran Education System. The research was applied and descriptive. According to Cochran formula, 336 participants were randomly selected as a sample from 2653 heads of education offices, their assistants, experts and school's managers in Mazandaran. The measurement tools are the researcher-made questionnaire of educational stakeholders. The content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by the experts. Cronbach' calculated alpha for the questionnaire was 0.91 and the reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed. The research findings showed that there are nineteen components in three dimensions (individual, organizational and procedural) for educational stakeholders on implementation of knowledge management. Moreover, there is a positive correlation and relation between the role of educational stakeholders and three dimensions. Also, individual dimension is the most effective and procedural dimension is the least effective one among all three dimensions. Finally, suitability indicators showed the accepted model with data and the whole model was confirmed. The results showed that the authorities of education system can use this model to implement knowledge management through vast and effective cooperation of educational stakeholders and increase the educational quality and organizational productivity.

Fennel seeds, which are incorporated in many drugs and drinks, act as agents to increase appetite, energy, calmness, and milk secretion. This study was set to investigate the effects of fennel seeds on pregnancy.
Four doses of 50,100,200,400 mg / kg of fennel seeds were prepared. Then, 4 groups of 7 BALB/ C female mice weighting 21 to 25 grams for injection of 4 different experimental doses and two groups of 5 BALB/ C female mice were considered as sham and control. The fetus and uterus of the pregnant mice were removed and photographed by photo-stereomicroscope. Afterwards, microtome cutting sections of central portion of samples was prepared and studied. The results were analyzed using ANOVA with significance level of
P At a dose of 50 mg/kg, fetuses exhibited subcutaneous bleeding. At doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg, abnormalities such as severe subcutaneous bleeding, protrusion of the liver (Exohepatic) and protrusion of the brain (Exencephaly) were observed in embryos. All 4 doses indicated uterine wall thickening which similarly happened in uterine with atrophied fetus.
The observed abnormalities provide evidence that fennel seed can act as a teratogen agent during pregnancy.

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of Blended learning-Based Social Networks on female second-year high school students’ self-efficacy in math in Gha’emshahr. The population of study consisted of 6263 female second-year high school students in Gha’emshahr. They were studying in 42 schools in 93-94 school year. Out of schools with ICT facilities, one school was randomly selected, then two second grade classes were selected as experimental and control groups. Matius et al’s Self-efficacy questionnaire was used to gather required information on self-efficacy. It was used as a pre-test, survey and post-test instrument in both control and experimental group. First pre-test was administered. Then, during 8 weeks of first term of school year, educational contents were taught using social networks and traditional methods for experimental and control groups, respectively. After training, both groups were assessed in terms of their self-efficacy. Survey test was administered two months after training. Using frequent assessments, the results revealed that there was a significance difference in the self-efficacy of experimental and control groups (P≥./001). Experimental group continued their superiority in self-efficacy two months after training. Research results demonstrated the positive effect of Blended learning-Based Social Networks on self-efficacy.

Flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum) is an example of the herbs that has been under investigation of including lignin, fber, α-linolenic acid (ALA), omega-3, phytoestrogen and suggested to be used for the treatment of menopausal hot flashes, depression, decrease blood glucose levels, blood lipids level. Since estrogen is one of the factors in pregnancy and the normal concentration of this hormone during pregnancy is essential in the successful copletio. According to the high levels of phytoestrogens in flaxseed, the use of this plant in early pregnancy causes disturbances. That’s why, the effect of aqueous extract of flaxseed on fetal weight, placental weight and the number of hofbauer cell was determined. Nine groups of Balb/c, each includes ten adult females were selected. The experimental groups received (0.05،0.1،0.2،3.75،7.5،15، 21 mg/kg. b. w) of flaxseed. The control group received no medication, and the sham group received only distilled water. The samples were taken at 15 of gestation. Weight of Fetal, placental weight and the number of hofbauer cell measured and analyzed as well. The results were analyzed by Duncan, ANOVA and TUKY test between the control and experimental group. Weight of fetal and placenta in the experimental groups showed statistically signifcant decrease comparing with control group (P<0.05). Flaxseed probably caused decreasing in developmental of fetal and placenta. The increasing number of hofbauer cell confrmed that flaxseed is an external factor.

Ephedra has been used for more than 5,000 years to treat conditions such as colds, fever, flu, headaches, asthma, wheezing, and nasal congestion. It has also been an ingredient in many dietary supplements used for weight loss, increased energy, and enhanced athletic performance (especially in womankind). In Iran lots of documents were showed traditional usage of Ephedra major for stertility or abortion; so due to fnding any studies about this subject we decided to study infertility effects of the aqueous extract of Ephedra major on the uterus of adult female Balb/C mice. Aqueous extract of Ephedra major was provided in standard way of extraction. Final product of extract, containing the water soluble materials of 50mg Ephedra major powder per/ml. In this experimental study, adult females Balb/C mice (24-26gr.bw) were selected and divided randomly into fve groups: Control (Intact), distilled water injected (Sham), Receiving 100mg/kg.bw of extract, Receiving 200mg/kg.bw of extract, Receiving 300mg/kg.bw of extract. Intraperitonial (IP) injections were applied for 8 consecutive days. A day after the last injection, animals were killed, cupped and their uterus were fxed for histological studies. The experiments were repeated three times. Microscopic studies showed a signifcant decrease in large and small diameters of uterus, height of epithelium (P<0.001) and endometrium (P<0.05) at dose of 300mg/kg.bw and signifcant increase in epithelium (P<0.001) at the dose of 100mg/kg.bw. These experiments resulted that aqueous extract of Ephedra major has two kinds of effects: infertility (200 and 300mg/kg.bw) and fertility (100mg/kg.bw).