Stroke is one of the most common causes of death in industrialized countries and a leading cause of permanent disability in adults worldwide. Elettaria cardamomum is a nutraceuticalis that is used widely and characterized by numerous properties, such as remarkable effects on anxiety-like behavior features.

This study aimed at determining the effect ofElettaria cardamomumessential oil and its major constituent (i.e., 1,8-cineole) on the brain injury caused by cerebral hypoperfusion among rats.

Cerebral hypoperfusion was induced in Wistar rats using the occlusion of the bilateral carotid artery for 30 min. Subsequently, Elettaria cardamomum essential oil (25, 50, and 75 mg/kg i.p.) and its major constituent (1,8-cineole) (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg i.p.) was injected to rats for 14 consecutive days. After the final treatment, blood samples were taken, and the brain tissues were separated and used for biochemical analysis by RT-PCRto detect the levels of proinflammatory cytokines.

Administration of Elettaria cardamomum essential oil and 1,8-cineole significantly decreased the malondialdehyde and nitric oxide levels in the blood and brain cortex of the rat. Additionally, Elettaria cardamomum essential oil and 1,8-cineole significantly suppressed the expression level of Caspase 3, IL-1β, TNF-α, and iNOS in the cerebral cortex.

The findings suggest that Elettaria cardamomum essential oilincludes remarkable neuroprotective impacts that may be beneficial to cerebral hypoperfusion treatment. The pharmacological property of Elettaria cardamomumpartly requires the modulation of inflammatory mediatorsand oxidative stress.

The preparedness of families for disasters can set auspicious grounds for the preparedness of the whole society. In the health system of Iran, the Household Disaster Preparedness Index (HDPI) composed of 15 items is applied for the assessment ofhousehold preparedness in disasters.

The current study was carried out in order to investigate the reliability and validity of the HDPI.

Two methods, namely internal consistency and stability determination, were utilizedfor the investigation of HDPI reliability. Face validity, content validity, and construct validity were examined for the assessment of HDPI validity. Accordingly, in addition to interviewing with experts and family heads, 200 families were selected from a study population, including the families in all the counties of Isfahan province, Iran, based on multistage cluster sampling. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used for the investigation of content validity. Furthermore, exploratory factor analysis was the method of choice for the examination of construct validity.

The rate of HDPI internal consistency was calculated at 0.786 which was within an acceptable range. Moreover, HDPI stability was computed at 0.98 using the test-retest method which was also within an optimal level. Therefore, it can be stated that the HDPI enjoys the required reliability. The investigation of HDPI face validity indicated that the families have problems in perceiving some of the items of this index. The experts put forward suggestions for the improvement of HDPI content validity following the qualitative investigation of content validity. In the examination of content validity ratio, all the items except those numbered 1, 3, and 4 were within an acceptable range; however, the investigation of the contentvalidity index demonstrated that only the validity of the items numbered 12 and 13 was acceptable regarding all the three scales of relevancy, clarity, and simplicity. For the determination of construct validity,exploratory factor analysis was applied toextract five factors (i.e., subscales), namely the reduction of vulnerability, planning for disasters, family empowerment, procurement of resources for disasters, and specialized programs. The investigation of the internal consistency of the aforementioned subscales indicated that only the internal consistency of the first and second factors was within an acceptable range.

The results of the present study revealed that although the HDPI is a reliable measure, it does not enjoy the required validity for the assessment of household preparedness for disasters

Bipolar affective disorder (BPAD) is a severe and persistent mental illness defined by the presence of recurrent mood episodes.Several studies have shown thatthe levels of homocysteine(Hcy)were elevated in BPAD patients, and high levels of peripheral Hcy have been associated with worse cognitive performance.

The current study aimed to examine the correlationof the level of Hcyin the serum with attention and executive functions in patients suffering from type I stable BPAD (BPAD I).

The present cross-sectional study was conducted on 170 participants in Huzhou, Zhejiang province, China, within July 2016 to December 2017.The subjects were divided into patients with schizophrenia (n=100) as the study group and healthy volunteers (n=70) as the control group. The Hcy and folic acid levels of fasting ulnar vein serum were determined using chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. Patient attention was evaluated by the Trail Making Test A (TMTA), and executive functions were assessed using the Trail Making Test B (TMTB) and Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT).

The mean value of serum Hcy was significantly higher in the study group than thatreported for the control group(19.01±5.83 and 11.40±4.62; P<0.001). The results of several tests of attention(59.39±19.27 and 53.26±14.82; P=0.027)and executive functions (123.75±40.60 and 107.52±29.31; P=0.013) were poorer in the study group. The serum Hcy value positively correlated with the disturbance variables of the TMTA, TMTB, and Trail Making Test. However, the duration of the Stroop-C test (SCT) and SCWT negatively correlated with the correct number of the SCT and SCWT.

The increase in the level of serum Hcy closely correlated with the impairment of attention and executive functions in patients suffering from stable BPAD I.

There are various protocols for pain management after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery.

This study aimed to compare two blocking protocols, including femoral nerve block (FNB) and infrapatellar nerve block (IPNB) in terms of pain severity, patient satisfaction, and muscle force preservation.

This single-blind clinical trial study investigated the patients who underwent elective knee arthroscopic ACL surgery randomly either by ultrasound-guided FNB or IPNB. Subsequently, the patients were evaluated 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h following NB for pain severity, patient satisfaction level, and muscle force.

The pain score (both at rest and in flexion) was significantly lower in the first three h after the intervention in the FNB group. Moreover, the mean score of the patients’ satisfaction in the first hours was significantly higher in the FNB group after theprocedure. Additionally, the IPNB group obtained a significantly faster mean time required for the first dose ofopioid request. The mean dose of used opioids over 24 h was significantly lower in the FNB group. There was a significant difference between the groups in terms ofthe muscle strength score within 24 h; moreover, the FNB group obtained a significantly greater delay in muscle recovery.

The FNB is associated with greater pain relief and satisfaction in patients who underwent arthroscopic ACL reconstruction surgery, compared to the IFNB technique. However, a further delay in the recovery of quadriceps muscle force is evident in the FNB group.

Stroke is one of the major causes of disability and mortality in Iran. Therefore, it is of critical importance to know the factors affecting the effective management of acute stroke for better prevention and treatment of stroke.

The present study aims at investigating the risk factors associated with prognosis in patients with acute strokewho were registered in the "724" stroke management registry system at Amir Al-Momenin Hospital, Arak, Iran.

This retrospective observational study included all acute stroke patients who were registered in the "724" stroke management registry system at Amir Al-Momenin Hospital, Arak, Iran, from April 2017 to April 2019. Data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 23) through the Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, Mann Whitney U test, and logistic regression.

This study investigated139 patients with acute stroke registered in the "724" stroke management registry system at Amir Al-Momenin Hospital, Arak, Iran, from April 2017 to April 2019. The mean age of the patients was 62.91±13.31 years, and the majority of the cases were male (n=77; 55.4 %). Totally, 104 (75.4%) and 31 (22.3%) patients had hypertension and diabetes, respectively. In-hospital mortality showed a statistically significant relationship with a history of stroke, brain computed tomography scan results and high National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at baseline (P<0.05).

High rate of hypertension among stroke patients highlights its significance as an important modifiable risk factor for stroke. Attention to these risk factors is essential for the primary prevention of stroke. History of stroke and NIHSS score at baseline≥8 associated with poor outcome at discharge.

Patients with heart failure need to be engaged in adequate cardiac self-care behaviors helping to prevent the development of the disease and ameliorate their health status.However, the conceptual model of the present study has not been tested in previous studiesamong patients with heart failure.

The present study aimed to investigate the psychosocial determinantsbased on Pender’s health promotionmodel (HPM) affecting self-care behavior among outpatients suffering from heart failure.

In this cross-sectional study, a total of 200 patients suffering from heart failure were selectedfrom the outpatient clinics of Tabriz, Iran, using conveniencesampling and assessed for self-self-care behaviors and major concepts of HPMvia self-administered questionnaires. Path analysis was used in order to analyze the conceptual model.

The present hypothetical model showed a good fit. Perceived benefits and activity-related affectdirectly affected self-care behaviors. Bootstrapping mediation analyses indicated that perceived self-efficacy, perceived barriers, perceived benefits, and activity-related affect indirectly affected self-care behaviors through commitment to action.

The commitment to action can help to promote self-care behaviors among the subjects suffering from heart failure. The interventions should take the role of predictive variables of this study and commitment to action into account in these patients.

The upregulation of miR-214 is reported to reverse chemotherapeutic resistance or sensitivity in many human malignancies.

This study aimed to investigate the potential function of miR-214 in the apoptosis induction by targeting p53 in human colorectal cancer cells (CRC) in combination with doxorubicin (DOX).

miR-214 mimics were transfected to HT-29 CRC cells. Following that, DOXwas utilized to treat the transfected cells. additionally, apoptosis, migration, and cell viability were evaluated by flow cytometry, scratch-wound motility, and MTT assays, respectively. Furthermore,qRT-PCRwas employed to evaluatethe expression level of miR-214 and p53.

miR-214 transfection significantly inhibited the cell proliferation rate (P<0.05), harnessed migration (P<0.05), and induced apoptosis (P<0.05) in the HT-29 cells after 48 h. Furthermore, more effectiveness was observed in combination with DOX. Additionally, miR-214 transfection resulted in a reduction in p53 expression offering that might be a potential target for miR-214.

In conclusion, miR-214 sensitizes HT-29 cells to doxorubicin by targeting p53 indicating thesignificant roleof this miRNA in colorectal cancer chemotherapy.

The newest technology and latest therapeutic procedures are utilized in cancer treatment in Turkey; however, oncological hyperthermia equipment is not available in this country.

This study aimed to demonstrate the necessity of oncological hyperthermia devices in Turkey where cancertreatment is performed effectively. In this direction, some important oncological hyperthermia centers have been examined to determine what kind of planning can be developed in this country.

The data were collected considering the number of patients who undergoing hyperthermia during the cancer treatment, varieties in cancer types, devices per population, and rate of hyperthermia use. Subsequently, a model was prepared for Turkey, and an evaluation was performed on the number of cancer cases that can be applied to this treatment and the need for the number of oncological hyperthermia devices.

According to the results, 375 patients, on average, are treated annually using a hyperthermia device in the cancer treatment centers. According to the estimations, 400 cases can benefit from per hyperthermia device annually, on average, and there are 0.18 hyperthermia devices per one million population in Turkey. Therefore, given the present population and the rates of cancer diagnosis annually, 13 deep regional hyperthermia devices are required across Turkey for cancer treatment.

Deep regional hyperthermia along with modern radiotherapy devices play a vital role in cancer treatmentin comprehensive oncology-related centers. This condition accompanied by a sufficient number of radiation oncologists will affect the capacity to facilitate access to cancer treatment options significantly.

Dermatomyositis (DM) is an idiopathic connective tissue disease with a wide range of systemic manifestations. Progressive proximal skeletal muscle weakness and symmetric and inflammatory infiltrates are the main clinical and histological features of DM.

In this study, we report the case of a 43-year-old male with DM and early pulmonary manifestations. A 50 mg/g daily dose of prednisolone was administered for the case. The symptoms of muscle weakness improved after 2 weeks. Commonly, pulmonary diseases occur after the occurrence of other connective tissue diseases. However, in the present case, pulmonary manifestations were observed many years before the incidence of DM symptoms.

The DM with pulmonary involvement is associated with worse outcomes; accordingly, a higher rate of mortality is reported among these patients. Based on the literature, the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-lymphocyte ratio are reliable markers for the diagnosis ofDM, along with lung problems.

The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic illustrated the significance of using telemedicine for medical services to minimize the risk of infection more than ever. The implementation of telemedicine in the realm ofeye expertise (teleophthalmology) has made it possible for both ophthalmic patients and COVID-19 positive cases to be taken care of in different ways of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. This study aimed todiscuss the ophthalmology challenges during the COVID-19 outbreak based on existing evidence, followed by proposing somesolutions for utilizing telemedicine.