مریم خالصی

High blood pressure is a serious yet modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. High blood pressure is a multifactorial condition, closely related to sedentary lifestyle. Overweight and obesity are main risk factors for this condition and exercise training is believed to be helpful in managing obesity and high blood pressure. However, few studies have investigated the potential impacts of resistance training especially isometric resistance training on body composition and hemodynamic parameters in overweight and obese women with high blood pressure.

The study included 22 pre-hypertensive women, with an average age of 38.41±4.96 years, body mass index 30.09±2.71 kg/m2, systolic blood pressure 127.09±4.94, and diastolic pressure 86.77±6.76 mmHg. The participants were randomly assigned to either the control group (n=10) or the total resistance exercise (TRX, n = 12) group. The exercise program lasted 8 weeks, 3 sessions per week on alternate days. Each session involved 12 total body exercises using the TRX strap, focusing on static contractions of core muscles. Hemodynamic parameters and body composition were measured before and after the intervention under identical conditions. The paired samples t-test was used to analyze the within-group changes and the independent samples t-test with the gain scores method was used between-group comparisons (p<0.05).

The results showed that eight weeks of TRX training led to significant improvement in body mass (p=0.004), body mass index (p=0.006), body fat percentage (p=0.001), waist circumference (p=0.001) and waist to hip ratio (p=0.008). Additionally, resting heart rate (7.44 %), systolic blood pressure (5.24 %), rate pressure product (12.25 %) and mean arterial pressure (6.67 %) all showed significant improvements in the intervention group (p<0.05). Between-group comparisons revealed that compared to the control group all body composition indices (body weight, body mass index, body fat percentage, waist circumference and waist to hip ratio) and hemodynamic variables (resting heart rate, diastolic blood pressure, double product and mean arterial pressure) were significantly improved in the TRX group, except for systolic blood pressure (p=0.138) and pulse pressure (p=0.158).

TRX training has a positive effect on body composition and hemodynamic parameters, except for systolic blood pressure, in overweight and obese women with pre-hypertension. Therefore, it seems that TRX training is a safe and useful approach for weight control and blood pressure management in these individuals.

Crohn's disease is considered a heterogeneous disorder with multi-factorial etiologies, in which the interaction of genetics and environment manifests the disease. Adverse childhood experiences can affect future physical and mental health outcomes. The rich innervation of the intestine with the Vagus nerve and hormonal interactions on the one hand and the constant contact of the digestive system with various pathogenic and non-pathogenic antigens have a proven role in autoimmune diseases and can gradually be chosen as a therapeutic goal.

We are reporting a case of Crohn's flare-up after trauma in a pediatric case. A 2.5-year-old male with a through and through anal trauma was presented in Akbar Children's Hospital, Mashhad, Iran, Spring 2023 with active bleeding but conscious. He then underwent a physical examination under general anesthesia in the operating room. At the Lithotomy position, a penetrating wound at the 3 o'clock anal verge and a tear in the perineal area at 9 o'clock, which, according to the evidence of pus discharge, were seen hours after the incident which was irrigated with normal saline and Hydrogen Peroxide respectively. Due to the contamination of the area, a supportive colostomy was decided to be closed after six months. At the appointed time during the colonoscopy, the pediatric gastroenterologist noticed extensive inflammation in the distal patch of the colon, which was consistent with Crohn's disease. Histopathological studies then confirmed this diagnosis. This was even though there were no symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease in the history of the boy's illness before the accident. The patient is then treated with prednisolone, Asacol, and ciprofloxacin, and after the disease subsides, the colostomy surgery team closes the disease.

Trauma can be an immune-disrupting factor in the digestive system, and trying to reset the brain-gut axis can be chosen as a therapeutic goal.

Monitoring anthropometric indices and factors affecting performance is significant importance for the preparation and performance enhancement in military forces.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the level of physical activity, anthropometric measures, and sleep quality, as well as their relationship in military students.

The study was conducted on 120 students who were selected through convenience sampling method by recruitment. Measurements included anthropometric measures (height, weight, waist and neck circumference), physical activity (PA) level (International Physical Activity Questionnaire) and quality of sleep (Pittsburgh Questionnaire). Spearman's rank-order correlation test was used to check the correlation between variables (SPSS 20).

All subjects were moderately (49.17%) or vigorously active (50.83%). The body mass index (BMI) of most subjects (87.5%) was in the normal range and only 11.67 of them were overweight. The waist circumference results revealed that the WC of all the subjects was within the normal range. Moreover, 72.5% of subjects had good sleep quality and 27.5% had poor sleep quality. There was a significant inverse relationship between the PA level and the BMI (r=-0.430,P˂0.001), as well as between the PA level and sleep quality (r= -0.271, P=0.004). No significant relationship was found between other variables (P>0.05).

Most subjects were in good condition in terms of body composition, PA level, and sleep quality; moreover, PA level was an important indicator in predicting BMI. However, a weak relationship was observed between PA level and sleep quality. Since sleep is a significant factor in military performance, further studies are warranted to determine the factors affecting sleep quality.

Considering the well-known importance of physical activity in determining the health level of people, especially children and teenagers, identifying factors predicting the level of physical activity can be effective in providing effective strategies to improve the health of this group. Therefore, the present study was conducted to identify the role of perceived physical literacy level with the mediating role of cognitive abilities in predicting the amount of physical activity of adolescent girls.

This descriptive correlational study was conducted on 484 girls aged 12-18 years who were selected by random sampling from the students of schools in Semnan, Iran, in the academic year 2021-2022. Perceived Physical Literacy Questionnaire, International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Version, and Cognitive Abilities Questionnaire were used to collect data. Data analysis was done using Amos and SPSS (version 26) software.

The results showed that the path of perceived physical literacy to cognitive ability, the path of cognitive ability to physical activity, and the direct path of perceived physical literacy to physical activity are statistically significant (P<0.01). According to the proposed research model, the mediating effect of cognitive ability in the relationship between perceived physical literacy and physical activity is significant.

The results of the present study showed that increasing the level of perceived physical literacy of adolescent girls and increasing their cognitive ability can lead to an increase in their participation in physical activities.

Decreased quality of sleep and negative changes in athletes' moods following the stress of strenuous training, reduced their performance and quality of life. Therefore, this study aims to examine the effect of massage therapy following intense exercise training on the quality of sleep and mood status in bodybuilders.

The present study included two control (n=15) and experimental (n=15) groups of male bodybuilders who performed the exercise program with an intensity of 80-90% of maximum strength for 4 weeks (3 sessions per week). They gave Each training session consisted of performing 8 movements in the form of 3-5 turns and 4-6 repetitions of each movement. At the end of each session, the control group actively and the experimental group received 15 minutes of massage and performed the cooling phase. Subjects completed Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) in two stages. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS and Analysis of Covariance.

The results indicated that the sleep quality of the subjects in the experimental group improved compared to the control group (P = 0.001). In addition, it was shown that massage therapy after each session of strenuous training is an effective factor in improving the mood of bodybuilders (P = 0.001).

Considering the low quality of sleep and the higher level of negative moods, especially after intense training among athletes, and also the relationship of these factors with their quality of life and athletic performance, the results of the present study show that the use of massage therapy after  training can be an effective way to improve sleep quality and mood of athletes (especially bodybuilders).

Sports activities can protect the brain and improve its function. However, the lack of time is one of the primary reasons for not participating in the recommended amount of sports activities. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of sprint interval training (SIT) on hippocampal nerve growth factor (NGF) levels, learning, and spatial memory in adult male rats. 

For this, 16 male Wistar rats were divided into two equal groups (control and SIT). The SIT protocol consisted of eight weeks of running on the treadmill (three sessions per week, 4-9 repetitions of 10 seconds sprints, and 1 min rest between repetitions). At the end of the eighth week, the rats’ cognitive performance was evaluated using the shuttle box and Y-maze avoidance tests. Finally, rats were anesthetized and the hippocampus was removed and NGF levels were measured.

The findings showed that in the SIT group, the hippocampal NGF levels were significantly higher than the control group (p=0.001). Moreover, rats in the SIT group had better performance in the shuttle box and Y-maze avoidance tests than the control group, but the difference between groups was not statistically significant (p>0.05).

Based on the findings of the present study, it seems that SIT (with 10 seconds repetitions) can increase the hippocampal NGF levels, though, to improve our knowledge about its effect on cognitive performance, more studies are needed

Following the Covid 19 pandemic in early 2020, the need to observe social distance, education of students at different levels was disrupted. Educational institutions and universities used various methods to compensate for this shortcoming, among which e-learning gained a special place.Materials &

 We have created a virtual studio in Akbar children Hospital in Mashhad from March to May 2020, in which the respected professors of the Pediatrics Department of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences recorded the courses assigned to externs, interns and assistants in this studio. We launched the Healthstudio program, which provided us with a number of capabilities, including video editing, to improve the quality of our recorded videos.

A studio was equipped as a virtual recording space in which 50 training sessions were provided in the form of links for externs, 27 training sessions for interns and 5 training sessions for assistants. The links were also prepared in NAVID system(Special university learning software).

We tried to provide a suitable infrastructure for medical students to have quick and easy access to educational content.

Aging is associated with increased functional and morphological alteration in cardiac tissue which in turn increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Recently Growth Differentiation Factor 11 (GDF11) is suggested as anti-aging factor in cardiac tissue, so the present study aimed at investigating the effect of aerobic and resistance training on cardiac tissue levels of GDF11 in elderly rats.

 Twenty four elderly male rats were used and divided into 3 groups: control, resistance training (Climbing the ladder with a resistance of 55 to 85% of a maximum repetition, 3 sessions per week) and aerobic training (swimming with a load equal to 3-6% of body weight, 4 sessions per week, 45 minutes per session). After eight weeks, heart weight and GDF11 levels of cardiac tissue were assessed.

  The results of one-way analysis of variance test showed that resistance and aerobic training increased GDF11 of cardiac tissue by 5.1% and 4.6%, respectively; however, the changes were not statistically significant (p= 0.59). Also, comparing to the control group the heart to body weight ratio was 5.9% and 3% lower in both resistance and aerobic training groups, respectively (p= 0.67).

The trend of changes in GDF11 levels and heart to body weight ratio observed in the present study supports the proposed role for GDF11 in the control of aging related pathological hypertrophy. However, it seems that training, at least with the intensity, duration and type used in the present study, does not have a significant effect on the levels of this protein.