فهرست مطالب masoud amini

The poultry products are known as a source of zoonotic and multi-drug resistant pathogens, especially Salmonella spp. The objective of this study was using bacteriophages as an alternative anti-microbial agent against Salmonella typhimurium isolate from turkey poults. The antibiotic susceptibility test was used to identify the antibiotic resistance pattern of the isolates. The bacteriophage was purified, enhanced and titrated using the Spot test and double layer agar (DLA) techniques after being isolated from a chicken slaughterhouse and sewage treatment facility. By determining the morphological characteristics of resulting plaque, the specificity and host range of the phage were studied on S. typhimurium isolates. A total number of 22 suspected Salmonella isolates were confirmed biochemically positive in sample by cultures method. Nine of these isolates (40.90%) were identified as S. typhimurium by polymerase chain reaction. All of isolates (100%) were resistant to chloramphenicol, doxycycline, kanamycin, florfenicol, rifampin, and erythromycin. Seven isolates (77.77%) were resistant to amoxicillin and nalidixic acid. The plaques were present with 3.00 ± 0.22 mm in diameter on the culture of 6 out of 9 (66.66%) isolates of S. typhimurium on brain heart infusion broth using DLA method. The amount of phage titer was 7.60 × 107 phage forming unit mL-1 and its multiplicity of infection value was calculated as 5.06 × 10-2 based on obtained results. In place of antibiotics, the multi-drug resistant (MDR) S. typhimurium was successfully destroyed by the isolated bacteriophage from wastewater. In vitro settings were used in this investigation to identify the efficient bacteriophages against MDR S. typhimurium.

To determine the average cutoff values of serum?free and total testosterone (FT, TT) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) among healthy premenopausal women.

Participants were women aged 18–55 years without signs and symptoms of hyperandrogenism (n = 489). Participants if Ferriman–Gallwey (FG) scores between 6 and 8 were considered a group located in the upper spectrum related to the normal hirsutism score (n = 30). DHEAS, TT, and FT levels were compared between different populations. Upper limits of 97.5 and 95 and lower limits of 5 and 2.5 percentiles were calculated to provide the reference intervals for DHEA, TT, and FT in the total sample and in the population with FG 6–8.

In the total population, the mean ± standard deviation (SD) serum FT, TT, and DHEAS levels were 1.40 ± 0.63 pg/mL, 0.42 ± 0.17 ng/mL, and 1.5 ± 0.97 ?g/ml, respectively. The cutoff values of FT at 1.35 and TT at 0.49 were obtained for differentiating the patients with FG 6–8 scores from the normal population, with the corresponding specificity of 0.60, the sensitivity of 0.67, and area under the ROC curve (AUC) (confidence interval 95%) of 0.63 (0.52–0.73), P = 0.01 and 0.68 (0.58–0.78) P = 0.001, respectively.

In our study, the mean ± SD serum FT level was 1.40 ± 0.63 pg/mL, the TT level was 0.42 ± 0.17 ng/mL, and the DHEAS level was 1.5 ± 0.97 ?g/ml, in premenopausal women between 18 and 49 years of age. Furthermore, in a population with FG 6–8 score, a cutoff value of FT at 1.35 and TT at 0.49 was obtained. Although the irregular menstrual cycle did not change the reference range when compared with the normal group.

One of the main causes of death from cardiovascular diseases is obesity. Bariatric surgery is very common for the treatment of obesity. Therefore, the present study investigated the relationship between physical activity and selected food consumption patterns on the morphological and functional indicators of the heart in morbidly obese females after bariatric surgery.

 The present study was semi-experimental; So that the studied sample was 10 women with morbid obesity; who in 2021 intended to undergo bariatric surgery at Hafez Hospital and Shiraz Mother and Child Hospital. These people were included in the study in an accessible and purposeful way. Patients with mean ± standard deviation of age (34.58 ± 14.46 years), height (165.42 ± 9.876 cm), weight (pre-test: 112.58 ± 22.31 kg and post-test : 78.08±17.26 kg) and body mass index (pre-test: 40.9±5.59 and post-test: 28.47±5.44 kg/m2) were selected. Before and 12 weeks after bariatric surgery, some morphological and functional indicators of the heart were examined by echocardiography. The physical activity program based on the rules of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the diet plan based on the textbook of the Bariatric Surgery Society (ASMBS) for a period of 12 weeks were provided to the patients by the surgeon. Considering the normality of the data through the Shapiro-Wilk test, to determine the difference between the two pre-test-post-test times, using the t-paired test and to determine the degree of correlation using the Pearson correlation test, and in the section of non-parametric statistics (qualitative data) using Wilcoxon test and Spearman's correlation test were used. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to evaluate the normality of the data, and after examining the results of the said test, the distribution of the data was not normal. A significance level of p<0.05 was considered.

 Between physical activity and selected food consumption pattern with the variables of interventricular wall thickness (r=0.825, p<0.05), posterior heart wall thickness (r=0.704, p<0.05), dimensions of the left atrium of the heart ( A significant negative correlation was seen with the level of physical activity along with diet.  Also, there was a significant decrease in the thickness of the wall between the two ventricles, the thickness of the posterior wall of the heart, and the diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle in the post-test compared to the pre-test, and no significant difference was observed in the rest of the research variables between these times.

 Bariatric surgery with modification of diet and moderate-intensity physical activity based on ACSM can have a positive effect on some morphological and functional variables of the heart  and protect people from cardiovascular risks caused by obesity.

In order to evaluate the efficiency of non-chemical and chemical methods and their simultaneous use to control of weeds (Echinochloa Crus-galli, Amaranthus Retroflexus and Convolvulus Arvensis) in maize, a split plot experiment was conducted in the randomized complete block design in three replications and implemented at Varamin-Iran. The main factor (A) was non-chemical treatments consisted of three levels: AM: Irrigation before sowing (agronomic), AC: cultivator (mechanical) and A0 (without agronomic or mechanical operations). Sub-factor was (H) of chemical treatments include three levels of HFS (Foramsulfuron (at a rate of two liters per hectare, HNS (nicosulfuron at a rate of 1.5 liters per hectare), HA + G (atrazine and Gazaprim) and H0 (manual weeding by hand), respectively. The number of Amaranthus Retroflexus and Convolvulus Arvensis weeds (compared to the control) decreased by about 90% with the irrigation before sowing (Am) or cultivator (AC), and the increase in yield (compared to the control) was about 55-60%. While the non-chemical treatments (agro-mechanical) had no effect on reducing the number of Echinochloa Crus-galli weed. Nicosulfuron herbicide, similar to hand weeding (H0), controlled more than 90% of the Amaranthus Retroflexus and Convolvulus Arvensis weeds, but only 70% of the Amaranthus Retroflexus and Convolvulus Arvensis weeds. There was no significant difference in terms of corn grain yield (8000-8500 kg / ha) between hand weeding (H0) and nicosulforn herbicide (HNS) in plots in with agro-mechanical operations. However, in plots where agro-mechanical operations (A0) were not performed, hand weeding (H0) had 12.5% ​​higher corn grain yield compared to Nicosoluren herbicide application (HNS). Therefore, for Echinochloa Crus-galli, a combination of Irrigation-nicosulfuron and cultivator-nicosulfuron treatments is proposed.

The Isfahan Thyroid Cohort Study (ITCS) is one of the few population-based epidemiological studies in Iran that investigates the prevalence and incidence of thyroid disorders including hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, goiter, nodule, and iodine status.

This cohort is located in Isfahan, Iran. The first phase was initiated in 2006 with 2523 participants (1275 males, 1248 females). The participants were selected using multi-stage cluster sampling from the general residents of Isfahan, Iran. The study had two phases (2006 and 2011) and its third stage is planned for 2020–2021.

The prevalence of thyroid function states was euthyroid (89.3%, 95% CI: 88%–90%), overt hypothyroidism (2.8%, 95% CI: 2%‒3%), subclinical hypothyroidism (5.8%, 95% CI: 4%–6%), overt hyperthyroidism (0.8%, 95% CI: 0.4%‒1%), and subclinical hyperthyroidism (0.99%, 95% CI: 0.6%–1%). Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism were significantly associated with goiter. The incidence of thyroid dysfunction was reported as follows: overt hypothyroidism (2.7, 95% CI: 1.6–3.7), subclinical hypothyroidism (20.6, 95% CI: 18–23), overt hyperthyroidism (1.9, 95% CI: 1–2.7) and subclinical hyperthyroidism (2.7, 95% CI: 1.6–3.7) per 1000 (person-year).

We assessed the prevalence and incidence of thyroid disorders in Isfahan in the first and second phase, respectively. We are conducting the third phase of the ITCS in order to study the associations between thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) level and environmental factors such as infection.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of gastric bypass surgery and sleeve gastrectomy on vitamin B12 values in dogs. Gastric dilation and volvulus (GDV) is an acute disease with a high mortality rate in dogs. Either gastric bypass surgery or sleeve gastrectomy can be utilized as surgical treatments for GDV. These techniques can provide increased success and fewer complications, however, one undesirable outcome can be vitamin B12 insufficiency. Three groups of dogs received gastric surgeries, one group underwent gastric rotation and derotation with no tissue gastric incisions, the two other groups had gastric bypass surgery and sleeve gastrectomy. Vitamin B12 level was evaluated two weeks prior to surgery, at the time of surgery, two, four, and six weeks after surgery. The results demonstrated no inter-group differences two weeks prior to surgery until four weeks after surgery. However, six weeks post-operation, significant differences between the sleeve gastrectomy group, and the other two groups were shown in vitamin B12 levels. Gastric bypass surgery and sleeve gastrectomy can both be utilized as new surgical managements of GDV. However, as we have demonstrated in this article, an important expected side effect is vitamin B12 insufficiency, in dogs that receive sleeve gastrectomy for GDV treatment. This necessary element must be substituted artificially for all dogs which had received these surgical managements.

Examining the course of changes in predictive indicators of future diabetes, such as blood sugar in high-risk individuals including pre-diabetic patients, can provide valuable information about the incidence of diabetes in these individuals. This study aimed to classify people at risk (pre-diabetes) based on the course of changes in their blood sugar and blood lipid and to investigate the incidence of diabetes in these classes on a sample of patients who were referred to the Endocrine and Metabolism Research Center of Isfahan.

This cohort study was performed based on the information of the Isfahan Diabetes Prevention Plan (IDPs). This project was implemented from April 2004 to March 2018 in the clinics of the Endocrine and Metabolism Research Center of Isfahan. The subjects in this study include 1228 pre-diabetic patients who participated in this project. Demographic and clinical variables of patients including blood sugar and lipid-blood variables were obtained using a questionnaire and laboratory measurements. Also in this study, the number of clinical variables was recorded 3 times. Data analysis was performed using the latent class growth trees model in R software version v4. (R v4.1.0)

The mean (standard deviation) age of participants was 44 (6.86) years. Subjects were classified into two classes of low-risk impaired blood sugar (n=1165) and high-risk impaired blood sugar (n=63) based on the trend of changes in blood sugar levels. Blood sugar levels were reported in the first class (104.28) and the second class (132.41).

In the present study, it was concluded that there is a significant relationship between the incidence of diabetes and the different classes formed based on the course of changes in blood sugar of at-risk individuals. Therefore, by classifying people at risk, the incidence of this disease can be predicted and thus prevented. Also,measures such as managing the blood sugar and lifestyle variables of pre-diabetic patients through nutrition counseling classes and regular periodic tests can be used to reduce the incidence of diabetes in the future is used in people with pre-diabetes who are at high risk for the disease.

Previous studies have not investigated the association of concomitant changes in obesity indicators with diabetes in prediabetic patients. This study aimed to identify the patterns of changes in the abdominal obesity indices over time in prediabetic patients and to predict high-risk individuals for the future risk of diabetes development.

This prospective 16-year cohort study was conducted among 1228 prediabetic individuals during 2003-2019. The subjects were followed-up over time, and changes in their abdominal obesity indices were evaluated. The hidden Markov model (LMM) was used for data analysis.

The LMM identified three hidden states, depending on changes in the abdominal obesity indices: low risk of diabetes development; moderate risk of diabetes development; and high risk of diabetes development (19%, 45%, and 36%, respectively). The probability of progression from moderate to low- and high-risk groups was 0.34 and 0.02, respectively, and the probability of staying in high- and moderate-risk groups was 0.98 and 0.78, respectively.

Based on our long-term evaluation of patterns of changes in the abdominal indices, we classified prediabetic individuals into high, moderate, and low risk groups of diabetes development in the future. Due to the low probability of transition from the high risk to the low risk group in prediabetic patients, it is necessary to consider weight control as an important preventive factor in diabetes progression.

Prediabetes is strongly associated with high blood pressure; however, a little is known about prediabetes and high blood pressure comorbidity in the high‑risk individuals. This is the first study in the world to assess the long‑term effects of risk factors associated with high blood pressure and prediabetes comorbidity in the first‑degree relatives (FDRs) of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients.

The longitudinal data obtained from 1388 nondiabetic FDRs of T2DM patients with at least two visits between 2003 and 2011. We used univariate and bivariate mixed‑effects logistic regressions with a Bayesian approach to identify longitudinal predictors of high blood pressure and prediabetes separately and simultaneously.

The baseline prevalence of high blood pressure, prediabetes, and the coexistence of both was 27.4%, 19.1%, and 29.8%, respectively. The risks of high blood pressure and prediabetes were increased by one‑unit raise in the age (odds ratio [OR] of high blood pressure: 1.419 (95% credible intervals [CI], 1.077–1.877), prediabetes: 1.055 (95% CI: 1.040–1.068)) and one‑unit raise in remnant‑cholesterol (OR of high blood pressure: 1.093 (95%CI, 1.067–1.121), and prediabetes: 1.086 (95% CI, 1.043–1.119)). Obese participants were more likely to have high blood pressure (OR: 2.443 [95% CI, 1.978–3.031]) and prediabetes (OR: 1.399 [95% CI, 1.129–1.730]) than other participants.

We have introduced remnant‑cholesterol, along with obesity and age, as a significant predictor of prediabetes, high blood pressure, and the coexistence of both in the FDRs of diabetic patients. Obesity index and remnant‑cholesterol showed the stronger effects on high blood pressure and prediabetes comorbidity than on each condition separately

Currently, it is shown that pregnancy may have an impact on the thyroid that can be leading to pregnancy complications such as abortion, preeclampsia, and preterm delivery. The objective was to compare the thyroid volume, number and characteristics of thyroid nodules, and prevalence of diffuse thyroid diseases in a sample of Iranian pregnant women in the first trimester to nonpregnant women.

This case–control study was conducted on 298 pregnant and 290 nonpregnant women. Thyroid volume, maximum diameter of thyroid nodules and prevalence of moderate to highly suspicious thyroid nodules, Hashimoto’s appearance and goiter were assessed using thyroid ultrasonography. Antithyroperoxidase (TPO) antibodies were measured if the sonographic features were highly suggested for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

The mean of total thyroid volume in pregnant and nonpregnant women was 6 and 6.5 ml, respectively (P = 0.053), and the median (interquartile range) was 6.2 and 5.5, respectively. Nodules were observed in 16.4% of pregnant and 16.6% of nonpregnant women (P = 0.845). Hashimoto’s thyroiditis was detected in 6.7% of pregnant and 12.4% of nonpregnant women (P = 0.013). Anti‑TPO antibodies were detected in 5% of pregnant and 9.3% of nonpregnant women (P = 0.034).

The thyroid volume and nodule characteristics in the first trimester of pregnancy were similar to nonpregnant women. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and anti‑TPO antibodies in pregnant women were significantly lower than in nonpregnant women.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM‑T2) is commonly associated with increased triglycerides (TG), low‑density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‑C) and low high‑density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‑C) levels. Fibrates like gemfibrozil are frequently used in diabetic patients to decrease TG and increase HDL‑C levels. We compared the efficacy of Vitamin C, an antioxidant vitamin, with gemfibrozil on serum HDL‑C in diabetic patients.

Type 2 diabetic patients, referred to our out‑patient clinic were randomly divided into three groups. After 1 month of lifestyle and diet modifications, groupsA, B, and C were prescribed 1000 mg Vitamin C, 600 mg gemfibrozil and combination of both, respectively. Before the study initiation and after 6th week of drug prescription, the blood samples were taken and analyzed for total cholesterol (Total‑C), HDL‑C, TG, fasting blood sugar (FBS), and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels.

Sixty‑seven patients entered, and 50 patients (18 male, 32 female) finished the study. Overall, serum HDL‑C increased significantly from 39.8 to 45.2 mg/dL in the participants (P = 0.001). HDL‑C increased 6.3, 4.4 and 5.0 mg/dL in groups A, B and C, respectively (related significances were 0.017, 0.022 and 0.033, respectively). Significant decrease of serum TG and Total‑C occurred in gemfibrozil and combination groups, but not in Vitamin C group. Changes in serum HDL‑C between three groups were not significant (P = 0.963). We found a significant decrease in TG and Total‑C in the groups B and C (P < 0.05), but no significant changes of TG, Total‑C, LDL‑C, FBS and HbA1c in group A (P > 0.05).

The results demonstrated that Vitamin C may have beneficial effects on HDL‑C in diabetic patients without significant effects on plasma glucose or other lipid parameters; however, its role for the treatment of low HDL‑C patients should be evaluated in larger studies.

Diabetes is on the rise worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors of various causes of death in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). In this cohort study on 2638 people with T2D, we applied cause-specific and sub-distribution hazards models to assess the impact of various factors on the risk of death. Moreover, we plotted a cumulative incidence curve to summarize cumulative failure rates over time. About 75% of individuals with T2D died from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cerebrovascular accidents (CVA). Death from CVD was associated with the increased risk of hypertension (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.37 - 2.46), hypercholesterolemia (HR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.17 - 2.14), and diabetes duration. The risk of death from CVA was related to hypertension (HR = 2.76, 95% CI: 1.67 - 4.55) and hyperglycemia (HR = 4.34, 95% CI: 1.75 - 10.79). The CVA risk in patients with diabetes duration of 10 - 20 years was higher than the risk in patients with diabetes duration > 20 years (diabetes duration of ≤ 10 years as the reference category). Diabetes duration of longer than 20 years was associated with a higher risk of death from cancer (HR = 2.65, 95% CI: 1.05 - 6.68). The risk of death from foot infection and diabetic nephropathy increased in patients with longer diabetes duration after adjustment for sex, age, and body mass index. Regardless of the cause, death rates in people with T2D increase over time and risk factors have different impacts on death from each cause. This should be acknowledged in risk management in individuals with T2D.

The resin secretions of Cannabis sativa are called Hashish, which has medicinal and psychological properties. The most important psychoactive compound of this plant is THC (Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol), which can stimulate cannabinoid receptors in the body. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Cannabis sativa on cell survival and osteoblastic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells. In this experimental study, mesenchymal stem cells derived from fat tissue of human abdominal were treated with 100 ng/ml concentration of hydroalcoholic extract of Cannabis sativa. Flow cytometry and RT-PCR techniques were used for detection of cells. The cytotoxic effect of Cannabis sativa extract and osteoblastic differentiation of cells were investigated using MTT method and Alizarin-Red staining, respectively. The karyotype analysis was performed with the preparation of extended metaphase chromosomes. The identity of the fat mesenchymal stem cells was confirmed by the expression of non-hematopoietic mesenchymal markers (CD90, CD44 and CD73) and the lack of expression of the hematopoietic marker (CD34 and CD45). The Alizarin-Red showed that the treatment with Cannabis sativa has no effect on the osteoblastic differentiation of human fat mesenchymal stem cells, and the treated cells were differentiated into bone cells same as control group. Also, Cannabis sativa extract has no effect on the structure, morphological status and number of chromosomes of these cells. This study showed that human fat mesenchymal cells in the presence of a hydroalcoholic extract of Cannabis sativa maintain the ability of osteoblastic differentiation. Also, this extract has no effect on the chromosomal karyotype of the cells.

Nearly two-third of the patients with type 2 diabetes have degrees of fatty liver; this may induce some side effects in them. This study aimed to find effect of salsalate on treatment of steatohepatitis and correlation of fatty liver with metabolic syndrome in the setting of impaired glucose metabolism.

In a double-blind randomized trial within two distinct groups, i.e., recently diagnosed diabetics and prediabetic cases allocated in two arms of the intervention to receive 3 g salsalate or placebo. All cases underwent glucose and lipid level studies and liver ultrasound study.

Out of 46 patients with diabetes, 34 (74%) had fatty liver in ultrasound; this ratio was 75% in 113 prediabetic cases. Relative frequency of fatty liver stages did not differ between diabetics and prediabetics. Within diabetics, mean aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level of fatty liver cases (23 ± 7 IU/dl) was higher than others (18 ± 3 IU/dl) (P < 0.05). Changes in transaminase levels following intervention did not significantly differ, comparing drug and placebo arms in two subgroups.

According to the findings, if diabetes could be assumed as the logical consequence of prediabetic state, it seems that fatty liver did develop before this preliminary status. In this study, salsalate could not change biochemical markers of fatty liver significantly.

  Adherence has been defined as the degree to which a patient’s voluntary behavior corresponds with the clinical recommendations of health care providers. The aim of this study was to predict self-management behaviors in obese patients undergoing surgery based on general and specific adherence scales. All obese patients who underwent bariatric surgery in Ghadir Mother and Child Hospital, Shiraz, Iran from April 2017 to September 2017 were enrolled. By using available sampling method, 201 patients with BMI above 35 (36.43±35.11) and in the age range of18-65 years (13.38±80/5) were selected. A questionnaire containing general adherence scale (GAS), specific adherence scale (SAS) and post-surgery self-management behaviors questionnaire (BSSQ) was completed by all patients. The general and specific adherence scales were significant predictors for self-management behaviors after surgery, and positive relation was found for general and specific adherence scales with self-management behaviors. Self-management behaviors regarding eating behaviors, supplements, fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and fluid intake, physical activity, dumping syndrome management have significant relationship with general and specific adherence scales. So increasing knowledge, skills, motivation, self-confidence, self-efficacy and self-monitoring of obese patients after surgery seem necessary

Due to the prevalence of autoimmune hypothyroidism and its effects on physical and mental health it is necessary to provide a treatment which is also effective in preventing the progression of sub‑clinical hypothyroidism in these patients. This study aims to investigate the effect of selenium supplementation on of anti‑thyroid hormone antibodies in these patients.

In a randomized clinical trial, 70 patients with autoimmune hypothyroidism randomly divided into two groups of 35 each, the first group was treated with oral selenium treatment with levothyroxine (LT4) and to the second group along with LT4, placebo was also prescribed. Serum selenium level, thyroid hormones and anti‑thyroid hormone antibodies before and after 3 months of treatment in both groups, were determined, and the results were analyzed using SPSS software.

The mean of the serum anti-thyroid peroxidase serum level in the intervention group before and after treatment was 682.18 ± 87.25 and 522.96 ± 47.21 and the difference before and after treatment was statistically significant (P = 0.021). The level of this antibody before and after treatment in the control group was 441 ± 53.54 and 501.18 ± 77.68, and no significant differences between two groups were observed before and after treatment (P = 0.42).

Selenium supplementation may help to reduce the levels of antibodies in patients with autoimmune hypothyroidism.

Considering the high increase in individual's weight and its complications in different societies, as well as the progression of bariatric surgery techniques, psychological interventions are needed to reduce postoperative complications and to increase their positive outcomes for these patients. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to study the effectiveness of Information-Motivation-Behavioral (IMB) model on improving weight and body size in women undergoing bariatric surgery.
The design of present semi- experimental study was pre-test, post-test with experimental and control groups. The statistical population included all obese women that undergone laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy surgery in Shiraz Ghadir Mother & Child Multi Super Specialty Hospital, during second half of 2016. The 30 of them were selected by using available sampling method and they randomly were assigned to 2 groups, experimental (n=15) and control (n=15). The Balance with ruler, Tape measure& demographic information questionnaire was used to collect data for each 2 groups in two steps (pre-test and post-test). IMB model was implemented for the experimental group in four weeks (each week a 1/5 hour session) in Hospital Obesity Clinic. SPSS19 software was used and data were analyzed by using MANCOVA method and the significance level was P The results of multivariate covariance analysis showed that IMB model has had a significant effect on improving weight and body size in obese women undergoing bariatric surgery (p The results of this research showed that Information Motivation Behavioral model can be effective to improve weight and body size in women undergoing bariatric surgery.

BACKGROUND Burn is the most devastating condition in emergency medicine leading to chronic disabilities. This study aimed to compare the effect of Lithospermum officinale, silver sulfadiazine and alpha ointments on healing of burn wounds in rat.
METHODS Ninety-five rats were divided into 5 groups. Group 1 just underwent burn injury, and groups 2-5 received alpha ointment, silver sulfadiazine (SSD), gel base and L. officinale extract, respectively. A hot plate was used for induction of a standard 3rd degree burn wound. Burn wounds were macroscopically and microscopically evaluated on days 7th, 14th and 21th after burn induction.
RESULTS A decrease in the number of inflammatory cells was noted when L. officinale and SSD were applied while the most inflammatory response was seen after administration of alpha ointment. The number of macrophages alone decreased after burn injury, while the frequency was the most when L. officinale and alpha ointment were applied. Re-epithelialization, angiogenesis and formation of granulation tissue were the best in relation to L. officinale and alpha ointment while, the worst results belonged to burn injury group and SSD regarding granulation tissue formation. Considering histological assessment, the best results were observed for scoring of inflammation, re-epithelialization, angiogenesis, formation of granulation tissue and number of macrophage when L. officinale and alpha ointment were used after burn injury.
CONCLUSION It can be concluded that topical application of L. officinale as a non-toxic, inexpensive and easy to produce herbal can lead to a rapid epithelialization and wound healing and these findings can be added to the literature on burn wound healing.

The relationship between metabolic disorders and renal functions in kidney transplant recipients has been reported. Considering the identification of many advantages of regular physical activities in maintaining health, for chronic kidney patients, the researchers tried to study the effect of aerobic activities on renal function and metabolic syndrome in kidney transplant athletes.
Twenty female kidney transplant athletes were randomly selected and divided into two equal groups of experimental (mean of age =24.5±2.7 years, height=161±4.2 cm and weight= 57.9±1.8 kg) and control (mean of age =24.9±2.3 years, height=162±2.4 cm and weight= 59.5±4.02 kg). The experimental group carried out an exercise for eight weeks (three sessions per week). At the end of eighth week, the renal function was assessed based on glomerular filtration rate and metabolic syndrome indices. Paired-samples t-test was used to compare the data before and after physical exercise and independent-samples t-test was used to compare the two groups with the significance level of p The results indicated that physical exercise can be considered as a good way of changing glomerular filtration rate and controling fasting blood sugar in athletes undergoing kidney transplant.

WHO requires governments to train and utilize the services of non-physician personnel, especially nurses in managing chronic diseases including diabetes. This study aimed to develop a postgraduate diabetes nursing curriculum in line with the accountable education package.
This study was conducted in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in 2014 -15 based on Kern’s curriculum planning model steps in two stages: needs assessment (the first step of Kern’s curriculum planning) and curriculum development (the second to sixth steps of Kern’s curriculum planning). Needs assessment was performed using a modified Delphi technique and curriculum development was conducted in cooperation with curriculum specialists and faculty members in the field of diabetes teaching and treatment through holding multiple specialized panels and individual consultations in several stages. For data analysis, qualitative content analysis was used in the first Delphi round and descriptive statistics was used in the second and third rounds.
From the participants’ viewpoints, tasks and roles of diabetes nurse were classified into 6 categories, 9 subcategories and 81 tasks in domains of knowledge and awareness, education, caring and treatment, management and social accountability. Curriculum development for postgraduate diabetes nursing program was achieved according to the decisions of Supreme Council for Medical Education and Ministry of Health and Medical Education and postgraduate statute in four chapters including “curriculum general characteristics, curriculum detailed characteristics, courses characteristics and curriculum evaluation”.
The proposed curriculum was introduced to Specialized Council for Medical Education, Ministry of Health and Medical Education for establishing a new academic major.

The first step to establish a new academic major is the need assessment and extraction of professional and specialized tasks..
The current study aimed to identify and describe the duties of diabetes nurse specialists..
This needs assessment study was performed using modified Delphi technique in Isfahan in 2014 - 2015. The study population consisted of patients with diabetes and their families, nurses, endocrinologists, diabetologists and nursing faculty members. The study was conducted in three rounds: first, through qualitative interviews and focus group discussions, the duties and tasks of diabetes nurse specialists were extracted, then a questionnaire was designed and in two consecutive rounds, the experts expressed their opinions about the tasks..
The first round of modified Delphi technique resulted in 500 initial codes. According to these codes, 164 duties were classified into seven categories. In the second round of Delphi approach, the experts reached to 100% consensus in 126 tasks. According to the participants, 74 of the 126 duties were similar, overlapping and inappropriate, and thus were eliminated. In the last round of the study according to the opinions of the experts, 15 more tasks were added to the previous list. Finally, job description for diabetes nurse specialist was developed in six tasks on professional responsibilities, 17 tasks on the area of education, 25 tasks regarding caring and treatment, 6 tasks on society and 13 tasks on management..
This study led to identification and classification of diabetes nurse specialist duties. The findings can help nursing faculties and other institutes to develop task based educational programs for nurses in diabetes management..

IntroductionSalvia leriifolia Benth. (Nowruzak) is a herbal plant from Lamiaceae family, which is exclusively native of Iran and Afghanistan. Existence of this species is reported in Khorasan and Semnan provinces of Iran. As extreme pressure of grazing and harvesting the nature has put this species at risk of extinction, and on the other hand this plant has numerous herbal values and its cultivation can produce the market needs as well as preserve it from extinction. Therefore its domestication is now a priority and optimized nutrition for cultivated plants is one of the important factors in quality and quantity enhancement of the product. The aim of this research was to study the effect of three main nutrient: nitrogen, Phosphor, and potassium (NPK) on growth of Nowruzak and measure its morphological reactions to these elements in the poor soil of its habitat.
Materials and methodsTo study the effect of different nutritious elements on quantitative properties of Nowruzak, a factorial experiment was conducted as randomized complete block design with three replications in the Research Field of Islamic Azad University of Gonabad in March 2014. In this experiment, nitrogen fertilizers in three levels (N1= control, N2=100 kg.ha-1 and N3=200 kg.ha-1 based on net nitrogen), Phosphor in three levels (0, 50 and100 kg.ha-1 based on P2O5) and potassium fertilizers in two levels (0- and 50 kg.ha-1 based on K2O) were applied of farm to specify the effect of each elements and their reactions on quantitative growth properties of Nowruzak.
Results and discussionResults show that the effect of different levels of nitrogen fertilizer on plant height, harvest index, cover crown diameter and number of fertile branches are significant at 1% level. In a way that levels of nitrogen fertilizer are placed in first, second and third group of Duncan multiple range test, respectively. The highest plant height with average of 41.97 cm is assigned to 200 kg net nitrogen . Moreover, application of 200 kg.ha-1 of net nitrogen led to highest cover crown diameter with average of 92.07 cm and led to increase the number of fertile branches with average of 31.75 per plant. The same trend as nitrogen observed for different levels of phosphorous. Application of 100 kg Phosphor resulted highest number of leaves with average of 140 leaf/plant. The highest plant height is also assigned to the group of 100 kg Phosphor fertilizer with average of 41.97 cm. Moreover application of this amount of fertilizer led to highest cover crown diameter (94.06 cm) which also resulted in increase of the number of fertile branches (average: 33.21 branches per plant).
The results of analysis of variance regarding potassium fertilizer show that its application has significant effect on all the measured parameters at 1% level. Application of 50 kg of potassium fertilizer, in comparison with no application, results in increase of the number of leaves (average: 122 per plant), plant height (average: 37.06 cm), cover crown diameter (average 78.13 cm) and the number of fertile branches (average 26.55). The obtained results show that Bajestan ecotype of Nowruzak showed an acceptable adaptability to fertilizer application in Gonabad city which indicated the poorness of the soil.
ConclusionAs chemical fertilizers are among the main factors of soil fertilization, Nowruzak medicinal plant showed a normal response to highest amount of applied fertilizers, therefore it is justified to apply chemical fertilizers in cultivation of this plant in the field to increase the plant size which is the economically valuable trait

Hydroxychloroquine can improve most underlying coronary risk factors; however, there are a few studies on the effects of hydroxychloroquine on blood glucose and insulin resistance. The current study aimed to assess the effects of hydroxychloroquine on blood glucose control status as well as on level of lipid profile and inflammatory biomarkers in prediabetic patients.

In a randomized, double‑blinded, controlled trial, 39 consecutive patients who were suffering from prediabetes and were referred to the Isfahan Endocrinology Center in January 2013 were randomly assigned to receive hydroxychloroquine (6.5 mg/kg/day) (n = 20) or placebo (n = 19) for 12 weeks. The biomarker indices and anthropometric parameters were tested before and after completion of treatment.

In both groups of patients receiving hydroxychloroquine and placebo, except for serum level of insulin that was significantly elevated after treatment by hydroxychloroquine, the changes in other parameters remained insignificant. Both groups experienced increase of insulin level, but this change was considerably higher in those groups receiving hydroxychloroquine. The group receiving hydroxychloroquine experienced reduction of glucose at 60 min of Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) test after intervention, while the placebo group experienced increase of blood glucose at the same time.

The use of hydroxychloroquine may increase the serum insulin level in patients with prediabetic states who are at risk of developing diabetes mellitus.

In Asian population, diabetes mellitus is increasing and has become an important health problem in recent decades. In Iran, cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for nearly 46% of the total costs spent for diabetes‑associated diseases. Because individuals with diabetes have highly increased CVD risk compared with normal individuals, it is important to diagnosis factors that may increase CVD risk in diabetic patients. The study objective was to identify predictors associated with CVD mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and to develop a prediction model for cardiovascular (CV)‑death using a competing risk approach.

The study population consisted of 2638 T2D (male = 1110, female = 1528) patients aged ≥35 years attending from Endocrine and Metabolism Research Center in Isfahan for a mean follow‑up period of 12 years; predictors for different cause of death were evaluated using cause specific Cox proportional and subdistribution hazards models.

Based on competing modeling, the increase in blood pressure (BP) (spontaneously hypertensive rats [SHR]: 1.64), cholesterol (SHR: 1.55), and duration of diabetes (SHR: 2.03) were associated with CVD‑death. Also, the increase in BP (SHR: 1.85), fasting blood sugar (SHR: 2.94), and duration of diabetes (SHR: 1.68) were associated with other death (consist of cerebrovascular accidents, cancer, infection, and diabetic nephropathy).

This finding suggests that more attention should be paid to the management of CV risk in type 2 diabetic patients with high cholesterol, high BP, and long diabetes duration.