فصلنامه یافته
سال بیست و سوم شماره 4 (پیاپی 89، پاییز 1400)

High-intensity functional training can be well performed by the elderly; however, the effect of this training on brain-health-related factors has not been studied yet. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of eight weeks of high-intensity functional training on serum levels of BDNF, IGF-1, and VEGF in elderly men and women.

This quasi-experimental study included 23 subjects (7 males and 16 females) who were divided into experimental (n=16) and control groups (n=7). The experimental group performed a training protocol consisting of six exercises in three sessions (each session was 25 min) per week for eight weeks. The exercises were performed at all-out intensity for 30 sec. There was a 15-sec rest between each set and a two-min rest between each exercise. Paired samples t-test and ANCOVA were used to analyze the data, and a p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The results showed that the serum levels of BDNF (P=0.0005, +11.37), VEGF (P=0.0005, +7.49), IGF-1 (P=0.001, +3.91), LDL (P=0.004, -3.33), and HDL (P=0.004, +7.48) changed significantly in the experimental group. On the other hand, in the control group, serum levels of BDNF (P=0.149, +1.58), IGF-1 (P=0.486, +0.27), LDL (P=0.897, +0.14), and HDL (P=0.534, +1.10) had no significant changes; however, VEGF (P=0.01, +0.67) significantly changed. The results of ANCOVA showed a significant difference between the two groups regarding all variables (P<0.05).

Eight weeks of high-intensity functional training in elderly men and women increases the serum levels of brain health-related factors. Therefore, functional training is recommended to improve brain function in the elderly.

At the end of December 2019, the spread of a new infectious disease was reported in Wuhan, China, which was officially named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by the World Health Organization. The epidemic not only causes high rates of death due to viral infections but also has led to psychological catastrophe worldwide. Uncertainty and unpredictability of this disease have created a high potential for psychological fear of disease transmission. To prevent further outbreaks of COVID-19, it may be necessary to adopt such measures as non-pharmacological interventions, quarantine, and social distancing due to vaccine shortages. However, the implementation of these health policies, despite the positive consequences, has created negative psychological effects on society. Fear of disease, fear of death, spread of false news and rumors, and reduction of social relations threaten the health of people in society. It is not yet clear that how much and to what extent this issue will affect mental health in such long-term social isolation. It is supposed that the post-COVID-19 era will be coincided with the emergence of a large number of individuals with such problems as anxiety, obsession, hypochondriasis, depression, and mental disorders. Therefore, the adoption of appropriate solutions to prevent these consequences would contribute people to be encouraged to move from a loneliness and introversion state to an active and energetic one. Regular physical activity and exercise and proper nutrition can be among the ways to prevent such mental disorders.

Primary headache, as one of the most pervasive pain disorders, has drawn attention to the welfare problems of patients with primary headache symptoms, especially regarding sleep quality and irrational beliefs. This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of emotion-focused therapy and compassion-focused therapies on sleep quality and irrational beliefs in patients with primary headache symptoms.

This quasi-experimental study was conducted with a pretest-posttest control group design. The sample consisted of 45 patients with primary headache symptoms referring to the neurology clinic of Khatam Al-Anbia Hospital in Tehran, Iran. The samples were selected using the purposive sampling method and randomly divided into two experimental groups and one control group (n=15 each). The experimental groups underwent emotion-focused and compassion-focused therapies.

The results showed that there was a significant difference between research groups in the post-test stage regarding sleep quality (F=17.04, df=2, and P<0.01) and irrational beliefs (F=77.27, df=2, and P<0.01). The results of the Bonferroni post hoc test showed that emotion-focused and compassion-focused therapies had a significant effect on sleep quality (P<0.01) and irrational beliefs (P<0.01).

Based on the results, emotion-focused and compassion-focused therapies were two appropriate treatments to increase sleep quality and reduce irrational beliefs among patients with primary headache symptoms. Patients, by participating in group sessions of these two therapies, developed adaptive and positive coping strategies to control attacks and improve headache symptoms as much as possible.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common gastrointestinal cancers worldwide with a high prevalence among middle-aged people. This study aimed to evaluate and compare changes in serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), as two important tumor markers, in the diagnosis of different stages of colorectal cancer.

This basic research was conducted on hospitalized patients with colorectal cancer (n=67). At first, tissue samples and venous blood samples were collected from patients. Subsequently, CEA and CA19-9 tumor markers were measured by enzyme-linked fluorescence assay and cellular changes were investigated by hematoxylin and eosin staining.

In this study, 57.6% and 43.3% of the patients were male and female, of which 59.7% (40 patients) cases were over 61 years old. The most common sites of tissue involvement were found to be the rectum and sigmoid. In the acute phase of the disease, a decrease was observed in the number of red blood cells (P=0.0091) and the level of hemoglobin (P=0.141); however, the number of platelets remained unchanged (P=0.212). In addition, lymphocyte and neutrophil counts increased at first, while they decreased later. The findings showed that there was a significant relationship between these two tumor markers and disease levels.

Our results indicated that although these tumor markers are not suitable factors for the diagnosis of this cancer in the early stages, they can be used as two important markers to diagnose the progression of the disease.

The present study aimed to compare the effect of different exercises on effective factors involved in reverse cholesterol transfer in patients with coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG).

A number of 45 patients with CABGwere assigned to three groups: control (n=12), aerobic exercise (n=15), and resistance training (n=18). Three aerobic and resistance training sessions were performed per week for eight weeks. Anthropometric variables, expression of ABCG4 gen, as well as the serum levels of Apo-A and Apo-B, were measured before and after the training period. Data were analyzed using repeated measures of ANOVA. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Aerobic and resistance training significantly increased the expression of ABCG4 gene, compared to those in the control group (P=0.001); nonetheless, there was no significant difference between the two training groups (P= 0.021). Significant differences were observed in serum levels of Apo-A and Apo-B in both aerobic and resistance training groups, compared to those obtained in the control group (P=0.001). However, the difference between aerobic and resistance training groups was significant for Apo-A (P= 0.001), but not for Apo-B (P=1.000). Moreover, the ratio of Apo-A to Apo-B was significantly different for the resistance training group, compared to that in the control group (P= 0.001); nevertheless, it was not significant for the aerobic training group (P=1.000).

As evidenced by the results of this study, resistance training improves cholesterol reverse transport regulators more than aerobic training; therefore, resistance training is recommended to regulate reverse cholesterol transfer.

Head trauma and subsequent traumatic brain injury are among the main causes of morbidity and mortality in Iran. The present study aimed to assess the abnormal findings of brain computed tomography (CT) scan in motorcyclist patients with traumatic brain injury.

This retrospective cross-sectional study (July-September 2016) was conducted on all motorcyclist patients over 12 years who were referred for brain CT scan to the Emergency Department of Shahid Rajaei Hospital in Shiraz. Patients' archived medical files were reviewed, and a data collection form including age, gender, and findings related to acute trauma and incidental findings were completed. The obtained data were then statistically analyzed.

 A total of 642 patients were enrolled. The mean age score of participants was reported as 33.61±17.12 years. All patients were male. A number of 51 (7.9%) patients had abnormal findings in their brain CT scans. The most-reported findings were skull-based (23%) and cranial linear (17%) fractures. No incidental findings (findings unrelated to acute trauma) were found. Moreover, 8 (15.7%) patients died with abnormal findings in their brain CT scans.

Since in the present study, only 7.9% of the patients had abnormal findings in their brain CT scan and considering the comparison of the results of this research with those obtained in other similar studies, brain CT scan is highly used in this center.

Various serum factors in response to aerobic exercise improve cognitive function in healthy individuals; nonetheless, the effect of moderate intensity aerobic exercise on their levels has not been studied. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the effect of a moderate intensity aerobic exercise on serum levels of Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), Doublecortin (DCX), and D-β-hydroxybutyrate (DBHB) in triathlon male adolescents in Tuyserkan.

A total of 22 triathlon male adolescents (age: 17.60±0.52 years, weight: 60.74±4.96 kg, height: 175.60±5.52 cm) voluntarily participated in this quasi-experimental study. Subjects in one session performed 60 minutes of running with an intensity of 12-13 on the Borg scale. Blood samples were taken from the subjects 5 min before and after training. Serum levels of BDNF, DCX and DBHB were measured by ELISA. To analyze the data, paired samples t-test was used, and a p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. In addition, the percentage of changes was compared to pre-test.

Based on the results, the serum levels of DCX (P=0.0005), BDNF (P=0.0005), and DBHB (P=0.001) increased significantly, compared to those in the pretest. Furthermore, serum levels of BDNF (21.30%), DBHB (12.95%) and DCX (12.01%) had the highest increase, as compared to the pretest, respectively.

All three serum factors BDNF, DCX, and DBHB have a significant positive response to moderate-intensity aerobic exercise in triathlon male adolescents. Nevertheless, neurotrophin/growth factor BDNF demonstrates more changes and appears to play a greater role in neuroprotection, improving memory, learning, and cognitive function.

Today, the use of dental radiography equipment in dental centers has increased due to its high application in the diagnosis of dental diseases. As a result, concerns are increasing regarding repeated exposure to this low dose level of radiation. Therefore, the knowledge and practice of dentists about radiation protection are essential for themselves and the patients. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and practice of dentists about radiation protection.

This cross-sectional study was performed based on a questionnaire in several cities of Iran. The first part of the questionnaire included such information as gender, years of work experience, and participation in radiation protection workshops. The second, third, and fourth sections consisted of questions on radiobiology, radiation protection, and performance, respectively.

In this study, 94 dentists participated, and the mean scores of dentists (out of 5 points) for radiobiology knowledge, radiation protection knowledge, and performance were obtained at 2.66±1.1, 2.80±1.01, and 2.87±1.37, respectively. The results of Pearson analysis showed that general knowledge had a significant relationship with performance (P=0.014). There was also a significant relationship between the history of participation in radiation protection workshops and performance (P=0.01).

It was found that more knowledge about the effects of ionizing radiation on the body and more awareness of the principles of radiation protection would help dentists to better observe the practical principles of radiation protection. Also, participating in radiation protection workshops could increase dentists' knowledge, and therefore, improve their performance.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a time-consuming and severe mental illness that causes significant distress and impaired functioning. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of family-based cognitive-behavioral therapy on the symptoms and functions of children with OCD.

The research plan was single-case or single-subject. The statistical population of this research included all the children with OCD within the age range of 7-12 years who referred to counseling and psychiatric centers in Ahvaz, Iran, in 2020. In total, four children who were diagnosed with OCD were selected by the available sampling method and received family-based cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention in 12 sessions. In this study, the required data were collected using Yale-Brown Child Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Scale and the Child Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Impact Scale. Data analysis was performed using visual charting or graphical analysis methods, reliable change index, and percentage of improvement.

The results showed that a reliable change index was significant for symptoms and function in treatment and follow-up (P<0.05). Moreover, the percentage of overall improvement showed the effectiveness of family-based cognitive-behavioral therapy on the symptoms and function of children with OCD in treatment and follow-up stages. All four children were in the successful treatment category based on the Classification of Blanchard.

Family-based cognitive-behavioral therapy can be beneficial and effective on the symptoms and function of children with OCD.

Hypothyroidism among patients with endocrine glands is the most common disease after diabetes. In hypothyroidism, the secretion of the hormone that regulates the metabolism is reduced. This study aimed to investigate the effect of hydro-alcoholic ginger extract as the drug to increase the metabolism on the amount of glucose in normal and hypothyroidism rats.

To perform this test, 60 male Wistar rats were divided into six groups, and the control group did not receive any material. The controls received 0.1 mL of saline solution for 24 days. The experimental group 1 received 60 mg/kg of methimazole for 24 days. The experimental group 2 received ginger hydroalcoholic extracts of 400 mg/kg, experimental groups 3 and 4 received methimazole 60 mg/kg and simultaneously ginger hydroalcoholic extract with doses of 200 mg/kg and 400 mg for 24 days, respectively. Moreover, 48 h after the first injection, anesthesia was performed using ether, and the blood sample of their heart was collected. The amount of glucose was measured by an autoanalyzer machine. The collected data was analyzed in SPSS software using ANOVA.

There was a significant increase in the amount of glucose in the blood sample of experimental group 1, compared to the control group. A significant decrease was observed in groups 3 and 4 after using hydro-alcoholic ginger extract.

Based on the results, it can be predicted that using ginger can decrease the amount of glucose in the blood of patients with hypothyroidism.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers and the first leading cause of cancer death (25.5%) among women across the world. Oxidative stress and overproduction of free radicals are among the most important reasons for the progression of cancers. This study aimed to investigate the effect of eight weeks of aerobic exercise with pomegranate juice on Serum microRNAs levels related to the oxidant/antioxidant system of women recovering from breast cancer.

In this semi-experimental study, 40 women recovering from breast cancer with a mean age of 42.45±1.95 were randomly assigned into four equal groups (n=10), including control, pomegranate juice, aerobic exercise, and aerobic-pomegranate. The aerobic and aerobic-pomegranate groups performed eight 60-90-min sessions of exercises three times a week with an intensity of 50% to 70% of the target heart rate. The pomegranate juice group received 100 cc of juice before each training session. Blood samples were collected 48 h before and after the intervention. Oncogenic microRNAs, such as miR-21 and miR-155, were assayed by RT-PCR. The obtained data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA, ANCOVA, and Bonferroni post hoc test at a significance level of P≤0/05.

In total, eight weeks of aerobic exercise with the consumption of pomegranate juice caused a significant decrease in miR-21 (P=0.001) and miR-155 (P=0.001) levels in women recovering from breast cancer, compared to the control group.

Aerobic exercise and consumption of pomegranate juice simultaneously reduced oncogene microRNAs, such as miR-21 and miR-155, in women recovering from breast cancer.

This study aimed to compare the two methods of continuous and interval training for eight weeks on Aplin 13 and fibroblast growth factor in elderly rats.

In this study, 30 elderly male rats were randomly divided into three groups of continuous training (n=10), interval training (n=10), and control group (n=10). Interventions were performed for eight weeks. Blood samples (3 cc) were taken from the tails of elderly male rats 72 h before and after the last session of the protocol to evaluate the research variables (Aplin 13 and fibroblast growth factor). One-way analysis of variance was used to analyze the findings, and the Tukey test was utilized for the homogeneity of variance of groups. All statistical tests were performed in SPSS software (version 17) at a significance level of α=0.05.

Aplin 13 had a significant increase in the continuous exercise group (P<0.05). Moreover, the fibroblast growth factor was significantly increased in the continuous exercise group (P<0.05). Aplin 13 had a significant increase in the interval exercise group (P<0.05). Fibroblast growth factor was significantly increased in the interval exercise group (P<0.05). No significant changes were observed in the control group.

The results of this study showed that eight weeks of continuous and interval training caused a significant increase in the levels of Aplin 13 and fibroblast growth factor in elderly male rats. Therefore, these exercises and especially periodic exercises can be used as a suitable way to increase angiogenesis in the elderly.

The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has endangered the health of all people. Healthcare workers, especially nurses working in emergency and intensive care wards, are always at the forefront of the fight against such infectious diseases. This study aimed to determine the level of awareness and self-care of staff working in emergency and intensive care wards in prevention from COVID-19 in Shohada-ye Ashayer Hospital, Khorramabad, Iran.

This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 162 nurses in Shohada-ye Ashayer Hospital. The samples were selected the census sampling method and completed a designed online questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed and interpreted in SPSS software (version 23).

The mean age of participants was obtained at 32.28±5.12 years, and 87% of the subjects were women. The mean scores of knowledge and self-care among the subjects were estimated at 21.5±2.6 and 36.1±4.1, respectively. It was also revealed that 87.9% of the participants had good knowledge regarding the prevention from COVID-19 and 85.2% of the cases had good performance in self-care of COVID-19.

The findings of this study indicated that the staff working at the emergency and intensive care wards of Shohada-ye Ashayer Hospital had a good level of awareness and self-care in prevention from COVID-19. However, in some cases, more training is needed to better perform COVID-19 prevention.

Developmental and behavioral disorders are highly prevalent health conditions in pediatrics. The development of motor, language, and social skills is one of the important issues in developing fundamental skills during the early years of life which can cause the prevalence of developmental disorders if not properly evaluated. The use of standard tools with proper validity and reliability is one of the most important factors that lead to scientific achievements. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the development of gross motor, fine motor, language, and personal-social skills of children 6 to 18 months in Khorramabad based on the Denver II Developmental Screening Test (DDST II).

A total of 120 (55 girls and 65 boys) children 6 to 18 months participated in the present study in Khorramabad. DDST II (Frankenburg and Dodds, 1990) was used to assess the development of gross, fine motor, language, and individual-social skills. Sampling was performed using the convenience method.

No significant difference was observed between gross and fine motor development scores of children in Khorramabad and Denver. Children in Khorramabad were more mature in developing personal-social skills than those in Denver, however, they had a developmental delay in obtaining language skills.

DDST II covers a wide range of developmental aspects from birth to 6 years which is recommended to use in health, educational and counseling centers.