samaneh mohammadzadeh

The aim of the present study was to examine the teaching of philosophy and its role in the creativity and artistic thinking of upper elementary students. The research approach was quantitative, and the research method was quasi-experimental, including pre-test, post-test, and control group. The statistical population included all sixth-grade female students in District 4 of Qom city who were studying in the academic year 1402-1401. The statistical sample consisted of two classes: one class taught using a specific method (experimental group: 30 students) and another class taught using traditional methods (control group: 30 students), subjected to the Shapiro–Wilk and Levene's tests. Convenience sampling was used to select the statistical sample. Research data were analyzed at both descriptive and inferential levels using SPSS software version 23. The results showed that teaching philosophy in upper elementary schools led to the improvement of three dimensions of artistic creativity, namely curiosity and courage, modeling and ideation, and students' innovation. However, no such effect was observed for the dimension of imagination and aesthetics. Additionally, the levels of students' artistic thinking dimensions, including artistic precision, artistic questioning, self-expression and artistic attitude, utilization of imagination, innovation, and artistic creativity, were enhanced following philosophy instruction. The results of the main hypothesis test indicated that teaching philosophy in upper elementary schools leads to the improvement of students' creativity and artistic thinking.

Neuroinflammation and oxidative stress play critical roles in the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease (PD), and neuroprotective agents could be helpful to slow down the dopaminergic neurodegeneration. Neuroprotective and antioxidant properties of exercise and sesamol have been previously reported. The current research evaluated the influences of sesamol and exercise on memory and motor impairments, oxidative stress and inflammatory markers in an experimental model of PD.

6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) was microinjected into the medial forebrain bundle of male rats. Treatment with sesamol (50mg/kg) or treadmill exercise was performed for 7 weeks. Behavioral and biochemical assessments were performed at the end of 6th week after 6-OHDA injection.

Net number of rotations and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α level was significantly enhanced in 6-OHDA group in comparison with sham group. Also, step-through latency was decreased in this group along with increased lipid peroxidation and decreased total thiol levels in the hippocampus. Moreover, sesamol and exercise, alone or in combination, improved rotational behavior, which was accompanied by decreased striatal TNF-α level. However, sesamol and/or treadmill exercise had no effect on aversive memory, although exercise enhanced hippocampal total thiol level.

Beneficial properties of sesamol and treadmill exercise for amelioration of motor impairments might be due to their anti-inflammatory activities.

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in 2020, which has a substantial structural similarity to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) that caused the outbreak in 2003, is currently a threat to global health. Lung involvement is the principal clinical feature in infected patients but extra-pulmonary clinical presentations are also common. The reasons for the extensive involvement of other organs are not yet clear. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the key peptide of renin–angiotensin system (RAS), has recently identified as a major receptor for the both SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 that might be a main target of coronavirus infection. ACE2 is mainly expressed in the pulmonary pneumocytes, the small intestine enterocytes as well as the proximal tubule epithelial cells of the kidneys. In addition to the respiratory tract infection symptoms, the noticeable prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms as well as kidney impairment in hospitalized infected patients highlights other routes of infection/transmission. In present review, we discussed the role of RAS with emphasis on ACE2 in the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, particularly in gastrointestinal and kidney manifestations of the diseases.

Sepsis results from dysregulated host responses to infection, and it is a major cause of mortality in the world. Co-inhibitory molecules, such as PD-1, play a critical role in this process. Considering the lack of information on the relation between sPD1 and sepsis, the present study aimed to examine the sPD1 level in septic patients and evaluate its correlation with procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels.

This descriptive cross-sectional study consisted of three groups, including septic patients (n=15), suspected of sepsis (n=15), and healthy subjects (n=15). White blood cells (WBCs) and platelet (PLT) counts are evaluated. The serum levels of CRP, PCT, and sPD1 were measured by immunoturbidimetric assay, electro- chemiluminescence technology, and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively.

Our study indicated that there was a significant difference in WBC and PLT counts between the septic group compared to suspected and control groups (P<0.001, P<0.01, respectively). The CRP level was significantly higher in septic compared to suspected and control groups (P<0.001). There was also a significant difference between the PCT level in septic and suspected groups in comparison with the controls (P<0.001, P<0.01). The sPD1 level was significantly higher in septic patients compared to suspected and control groups (P<0.001). In septic patients, sPD1 levels were correlated positively with the CRP and PCT levels.

Overall, sPD1 correlation with inflammatory markers, might propose it as a potential biomarker to sepsis diagnosis. However, the clinical application of serum sPD-1 testing in patients with sepsis requires further investigation.