مجله دانشگاه علوم پزشکی اراک
سال بیست و چهارم شماره 5 (پیاپی 153، آذر و دی 1400)

Dear Editor Since December 2019, the coronavirus has affected all aspects of our lives worldwide. This deadly crisis, for which no health care system was fully prepared, has created enormous pressures on health care delivery and has directly and indirectly affected the treatment of many common diseases. Cancer patients are a vulnerable group in the current epidemic due to their immunodeficiency status due to cancer and various anti-cancer therapies [1]. Research shows that cancer patients are at greater risk for more severe infections and subsequent complications, especially if surgery or chemotherapy is given in the month before the coronavirus infection [2]. These conditions have led to a significant increase in coronavirus mortality in cancer patients [3].

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is a new member of the coronavirus family causing acute respiratory infection. Patients with COVID-19 have a higher risk of developing oxidative stress during this infection. Moreover, the virus induces ROS production that activates cellular pathways for viral replication. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2) is a crucial transcription factor in cellular antioxidant defense by mediating Virus-induced oxidative stress and ROS production. This article suggests that an Nrf2 activator may be beneficial in preventing oxidative stress development in COVID-19 patients. Coronaviruses are a significant group of viruses that cause different illnesses in humans and animals. These illnesses can range from the common cold to more severe diseases such as SARS (Severe acute respiratory syndrome), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and COVID-19. COVID-19 is a new viral disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The main symptoms of COVID-19-infected patients are fever, dry cough, fatigue, and sometimes respiratory problems such as shortness of breath, sore throat, and infection [1].

In December 2019, a new type of coronavirus called COVID-19 was identified as an unknown cause of pneumonia in Wuhan, China. The pandemic virus was transmitted to humans from a type of seafood that could spread significantly among humans in a short time. Clinical signs of coronaviruses include fever, severe sweating, cough, pneumonia, and a weakened immune system, with acute cases leading to death. One of the most important coronavirus receptors in the host cell is the angiotensin 2 converting enzyme. It is noteworthy that the patient’s recovery process increases during the inhibition of angiotensin 2 converter enzyme. Therefore, the administration of drugs that inhibit this enzyme can be effective in recovering a patient with coronavirus. Flavonoids are one the inhibitors of the angiotensin-converting enzyme, which is abundant in fruits and vegetables. Fistula, a type of flavonoid known in nature as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent in the treatment of many, can be effective in the treatment of coronavirus by inhibiting the enzyme converter angiotensin 2.

 Resistance training with blood flow restriction can have the same effects as traditional resistance training. The current study aimed to determine the effect of six weeks of selected resistance training with active and passive rest, with and without blood flow restriction, on young men’s C Reactive Protein (CRP), Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH), and muscle endurance.

From the available and voluntary samples, 24 healthy young soldiers of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force were divided into 3 groups of 8 subjects: traditional resistance training, resistance training with blood flow restriction, and passive rest and resistance training with blood flow restriction and active rest. Exercise programs were performed for 6 weeks, 3 sessions per week with an intensity of 70-80% One-repetition maximum (1RM) for the traditional resistance group (3 sets of 10), 20-30% 1RM for the passive rest group (30-15-15-15), and 20 -30% 1RM was administered for the active rest group (30-7-15-7-15). Before and after six weeks, physiological and anthropometric characteristics, muscle endurance, and hormonal levels were measured, and ELISA measured blood samples. Data were analyzed using covariance and Bonferroni post hoc tests and paired t-test for comparison within groups.

All experimental procedures were approved by the Ethics committee of the Sport Sciences Research Institute of Iran (Code: I.R.SSRC.REC.1398.129), Clinical Trial (Code: ID IRCT20191207045644N1) from the Iran Clinical Trial Registration Center and were conducted under the Declaration of Helsinki.

Results showed that 6 weeks of exercise had a significant effect on Muscle endurance (P=0.001) but on the levels of C-reactive protein (P=0.43) and Lactate dehydrogenase (P=0.44) had no significant difference. 

According to the results of this study, it seems that a combination of resistance training with restriction of blood flow and Interval training (active rest) can be a good alternative to traditional training and, in some cases, replace resistance training with occlusion and passive rest.

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome is one of the most common musculoskeletal problems in the elderly that Can affect their daily activity. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of a period strengthening core stabilization exercise with the Knee strengthening exercises on improving pain in female athletes with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome.

In this study, 20 female athletes with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome participated. They were accidentally divided into two groups: strengthening core stabilization exercise (10 people( and strengthening knee exercise (10 people). A visual analog scale measured patients’ pain before and after eight weeks of practice interventions. Paired t-test and independent t-test were used at the significant level of (P<0.05) to analyze the results.

This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Bu Ali Sina University Hamedan (Code: IR.BASU.REC.1398.032).

 The results showed that the pain level in both groups decreased significantly after strengthening core stabilization exercises (P=0.006) and the Knee strengthening exercises (P=0.000). Although intergroup comparison did not show a significant difference in the results (P̀=0.064), the calculation of the effect showed a more significant effect of strengthening knee exercise [ES=1.8) on the improvement of pain compared to the strengthening core stabilization group (ES=0.7).

The results showed that knee strengthening and core stabilization exercises reduced the pain. But due to the higher effectiveness of knee strengthening exercises in improving pain, it is recommended to use this protocol to reduce the pain of these patients.

Attention Control Training is a new cognitive intervention that improves emotion regulation by reducing attentional bias towards negative information. Given the significant association between death anxiety and emotion dysregulation and death-related attentional bias, this study aimed to assess attention control training as an intervention for reducing death anxiety.

 In this clinical trial, the Convenience Sampling Method sampled 50 university students in Tehran and was randomly assigned to 2 experimental and 1 control groups. Attention control training was delivered using death-related stimuli for the 1st experimental group and negative stimuli unrelated to death for the 2nd experimental group. The control group didn’t receive any interventions. In 3 measurements of pretest, posttest, and 3 months follow-up, death-related attentional bias, death anxiety, and sensitivity to mortality salience were assessed, respectively, using the Modified Stroop Test, Multidimensional Fear of Death Scale (MFODS), and Propensity to Moral Disengagement Scale (PMDS) after inducing Mortality Salience condition.

This study was registered at the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (Code: IRCT20190406043181N1) and was approved by the research ethics committee of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (Code: IR.SBMU.MSP.REC.1398.539).

 The study showed that after completing attention control training, the 1st experimental group’s death-related attentional bias, death anxiety, and sensitivity to mortality salience were significantly reduced (P<0.05), and this reduction was maintained at 3 months of follow-up. No significant changes were observed in the other two groups (P>0.05).

Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that attention control training is capable of significantly reducing death-related attentional bias, and this reduction in attentional bias leads to decreased death anxiety and sensitivity to mortality salience

Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder are a good target group for cognitive rehabilitation Because their behavioral problems, including inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, have a specific cognitive and cerebral origin. This adaptation of behavior to cognitive function provides an opportunity to repair behavior by strengthening cognitive function. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation based on virtual reality technology as a new method and classical cognitive rehabilitation in improving the executive functions of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

This research was a quasi-experimental study using a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population included all children aged 7-12 years with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Tehran in 1398 who were selected by convenience sampling method and randomly divided into 3 groups of 12 people. In the pre-test stage, participants were assessed with the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scale and the Computer Integrated Visual and Auditory Test (IVA-2). The first group received a virtual reality-based cognitive rehabilitation package and the second group received a Captain Log computer cognitive rehabilitation package, 12 sessions twice a week. No intervention was performed in the control group during this period. Post-tests were taken from all 3 groups after the intervention. Univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to analyze the data using SPSS software v. 26.

This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch (Code: IR.IAU.CTB.REC.1400.001). 

The results showed that both methods of cognitive rehabilitation intervention had a significant effect on cognitive functions (selective attention, sustained attention) of Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) children (P<0.01). But no significant difference was observed between the mean scores of selective attention and sustained attention in the first experimental group and the second experimental group (P>0.05). 

Virtual reality-based cognitive rehabilitation is as effective as classical cognitive rehabilitation on selective attention and sustained attention in children with ADHD. Virtual reality-based cognitive rehabilitation can be used as a new approach to rehabilitating this disorder.

The type of circadian rhythms is essential in maintaining physical and mental health and recovery from the disease. This study aimed to investigate the role of circadian rhythms on sleep quality and corona anxiety in men and women.

The present study is a descriptive comparative causal description. The statistical population included all 18-50 who participated in the survey online. People who completed the questionnaire online were selected for sampling. The research instruments included the circadian inventory rhythms Horne and Ostberg (1976), Petersburg Quality of Sleep Questionnaire (1989), and Alipour et al.’s (2020) Corona-related Anxiety Scale in the Iranian sample. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and the Scheffe test were used to analyze the data.

This study was registered with the Ethics Committee Razi University Technology Units Development Center at Institute for Psychoanalytic Studies (No.: 99133).

The results showed that the mean of mental and corona physical anxiety in women and men with evening type is higher than in other classes. Men and women in the evening type have a lower sleep quality than in the morning and middle types. The results also showed significant differences between the types regarding corona anxiety, sleep quality, and sex. The difference between the mean of the morning type and evening types’ mean was more than other differences between the means.

Individual differences in morning-evening types seem to play an essential role in the quality of sleep and the experience of corona anxiety

The research results show tobacco use increases cardiovascular and lung disorders or the probability of periodontitis in humans, while no definitive relations were yet confirmed. This study evaluates the relationship between periodontitis and tobacco use by panoramic radiography in Bandar Abbas City.

A total of 198 panoramic radiographs were classified into periapical healthy (n=99) and patient (n=99) groups. Radiologists assessed radiographs for periodontitis via Total Teeth Numbers (TTN), the quality and length of Root Filling Treatment (RFT), the number (NoRFT), and inadequate root filling treatment (RFTin), age, gender, the cigarette and hookah use, and dental debris. Data were analyzed by Chi-Square, t-test, and logistic regression.

 Due to the lack of therapeutic intervention and the preservation of patients’ characteristics, ethical considerations are not included in this study (Code: IR.HUMS.REC.1399.384)

Tobacco, hookah use, TTN, and RFTin were different (P<0.01) in groups, but cigarette smoking, debris, RFT, NoRFT, and age were not. Women in the periodontitis group showed high (P<0.01) in tobacco, hookah use, and RFTin, while no gender differences were observed in other parameters. The logistic regression results showed that based on the Odd Ratio NoRFT (39.7), RFTin (36.8), `hookah (8.1), tobacco (6.57), debris (3.62), smoking (3.59), RFT (1.4) and TTN (0.89) were the highest (P<0.01). At the same time, age and gender did not affect periapical tissues. 

Hokka, tobacco, and cigarette use negatively affected the periapical tissues, respectively. The decrease in TTN and increase in debris and RFT were probably the effects of tobacco smoking on the periapical tissues. Age and gender were not related to the periapical lesions.

Women are the central pillar of social development and the main axis of family health. Success, survival, and promotion of society depend on the health of women in society. Since Health Promotion lifestyle and psychological well-being are important determinants of health, this study was conducted to determine the Health Promotion lifestyle and psychological well-being in women attending the health centers of Arak City in 2019.

In this cross-sectional study, among women who attended health centers in Arak City, 221 women who met the inclusion criteria were included in the study by continuous sampling and the form of demographic information, health promoting lifestyle profile-Ii (HPLP-II), and Ryff Psychological well-being Questionnaire was completed. Data were described using descriptive statistics of frequency, frequency percentage, mean, standard deviation, and data analysis by analysis of variance, independent t-test, and regression using SPSS software v. 19.

This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Research Deputy of Iran University of Medical Sciences (Code: IR.IUMS.REC.1398.609).

 The mean health-promoting lifestyle in the study units was 135.96; the mean physical activity components were 16.31; The mean nutrition was 26.41, with the lowest and highest scores, respectively. The mean psychological well-being in the study units was 72.29. The mean components of purpose in life were 10.76, and the mean personal growth was 13.19, with the lowest and highest scores, respectively. Age, chronic diseases, employment, number of children, and alcohol consumption had a significant negative relationship with a health-promoting lifestyle, and a woman’s and her husband’s education had a significant positive relationship with a health-promoting lifestyle (P<0.05). Overall demographic variables predict as much as 13% of health-promoting lifestyles. Age, number of children, and chronic physical and psychological diseases had a significant negative relationship with psychological well-being and economic status. A woman’s and her husband’s education had a significant positive relationship with psychological well-being. Overall, demographic variables predict as much as 10% of psychological well-being. 

Considering that health-promoting lifestyle and psychological well-being are two critical determinants of health, studying these two indicators and the factors affecting them can help Intervention planning to promote women’s physical and mental health.

AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is a deadly disease that affects the human immune system. This study evaluated the Quality of Life (QoL) of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) patients in Markazi Province .

This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020-2021 in Markazi Province . The World Health Organization (WHO) questionnaire was used to determine the QoL in HIV patients. This questionnaire includes the physical, psychological, level of independence, social relationship, environment, and spirit. Statistical analysis was performed in STATA software. 

This study was approved by the ethics committee of Arak University of Medical Sciences (Code: IR.ARAKMU.REC.1398.008).

A total of 126 people with HIV were included in the study. The mean age of the subjects was 40.4±10.2 years. The mean score of each of the physical domains was 14.4±3.3, psychological 11.7±3.2, independence 13.3±3.8, social relationships 11.2±3.1, environment 0.8±0.3 10, spiritual was 13.2±3.3, and total QoL score was 12.1±2.6. In multivariate linear regression analysis, socioeconomic status and history of imprisonment significantly predicted higher scores of overall qualities of life.

The total score of QoL in people with HIV in Markazi Province is average. Among the factors affecting it are gender, socioeconomic status, and history of imprisonment. It is suggested that QoL assessment of these patients be added to their care protocols to take effective measures to improve it.

A lack of healthy nutrition first causes prediabetes and then overt diabetes, and every year about 5% to 10% of people with glucose intolerance develop type 2 diabetes. This study aimed to assess the factors affecting the consumption of healthy foods (CHF) based on the food pyramid among prediabetic women based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB).

This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2019 on 99 prediabetic women selected from comprehensive healthcare centers in Arak, Iran. A demographic questionnaire, a TPB-based questionnaire, and a food consumption Questionnaire were used for data collection. Data were analyzed through Spearman’s correlation and linear regression analyses.

This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Arak University of Medical Sciences (Code: IR.ARAKMU.REC.1398.07).

The Mean±SD score of diet behavior was 1.34±0.28 (in the possible range of 0-2). Around 41% of participants consumed sugary foods such as sweets and chocolate at least once a week and 35% at least once a month. Regression analysis shows that by increasing a standard deviation in the behavioral intention score, the behavior score of a healthy diet will increase by 0.22 standard deviation (P<0.05).

To achieve a healthy lifestyle in the individual at risk for a diabetics education program to increase perceived behavior and motivation for decision making for adherence to healthy food can be attention for policymakers in a health system.