فهرست مطالب sara mobarak

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in December 2019, patients with End-Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) have been deemed one of the most vulnerable populations due to their numerous comorbidities.

The study was a retrospective cohort study conducted between March 2nd, 2020, and September 21st, 2020. It included 240 patients who underwent MHD at Shahid Beheshti and Vali-Asr Hospitals affiliated with Abadan University of Medical Sciences. Out of these patients, 44 were diagnosed with COVID-19 based on their Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) test results or chest CT scan findings. Demographic, clinical, laboratory and radiologic findings of these patients were collected.

COVID-19 was diagnosed in 44 individuals, which accounts for 18.33%, and eight patients have died, which is 18.1% of the total COVID-19 cases. A total of 39 patients were tested through rRT-PCR, out of which 15 (34.09%) tested positive. Among the 44 patients, 26 were males (59.09%), and 18 were females (40.9%). The most common symptoms were fever (36.36%), shortness of breath (34.09%), cough (25%), and fatigue (13.63%). Additionally, 18.18% of patients were asymptomatic. Chest CT scans revealed ground glass opacity, consolidation, and pleural effusion in 54.83%, 48.38%, and 29.03% of cases, respectively. However, it was normal in 9.67% of patients. Peripheral and central pulmonary involvement was found in 70.96% and 19.35% of patients, respectively. The mean single pool KT/V (SpKT/V) was calculated as 1.10±0.39.

Based on our findings, the COVID-19 outbreak is a significant cause for concern for in-center hemodialysis patients. These individuals are particularly vulnerable due to their underlying health conditions. Furthermore, the limitations in maintaining social distancing, increased public exposure, and pre-existing lung involvement in these patients can further complicate their management and potentially impact their overall outcome.

Background and Objectives Recently, performing regular sports activities has been considered an effective strategy for the rehabilitation of patients who have recovered from COVID-19. The present study aimed to assess the effect of eight weeks of selected aerobic and resistance exercises on the plasma levels of irisin, follistatin, and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) in women who recovered from COVID-19. Subjects and Methods A total of 33 women who recovered from COVID-19 were assigned to three groups, namely aerobic exercise, resistance, and control, after the general call and selection. Aerobic training with an intensity of 50%-70% of the reserve heart rate and resistance training with an intensity of 40%-75% of a maximum repetition was performed for eight weeks (three sessions per week). Irisin, follistatin, and FGF21 levels were measured using the ELISA method. The data were analyzed using the analysis of variance statistical test at the significant level of < 0.05. Results As illustrated by the results, selected aerobic and resistance exercises caused a significant increase in irisin, follistatin, and FGF21 levels. The results of the post hoc test demonstrated that this increase was significant in the aerobic and resistance groups compared to the control group. Moreover, within-group changes pointed to a significant increase in the mean before and after the intervention in the aerobic and resistance groups. Conclusion Carrying out selected aerobic and resistance exercises in women who recovered from COVID-19 boosts their physical strength and is effective in quick recovery by restoring some indicators of myokine profile.

Following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), virtual education became more popular. This study aims to determine the satisfaction level of medical students in Iran with virtual education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is a descriptive-analytical study that was conducted in 2020. The study population consists of all students of medical universities in ten cities of Iran, of whom 1300 were included in the study. To collect data, a researcher-made questionnaire was used with acceptable validity and reliability (Cronbach’s α=0.76). After completing the questionnaires, the data were analyzed in SPSS software, version 22.

The highest level of students’ satisfaction was in two domains of “the method of presenting lessons to students” and “the fulfillment of students’ expectations”, followed by the domains of teacher-student interaction, interest/attitude, and reliability/trustworthiness of the technology. There was a significant correlation among these domains of the satisfaction scale (P<0001).

The satisfaction of medical students in Iran with virtual education during the COVID-19 pandemic is at a favorable level. Therefore, it is recommended to use this education method during the pandemic.

 Vitamin C is a micronutrient with anti-inflammatory and free radical scavenging properties that can strengthen the body’s immune system. In this study, it was attempted to assess the clinical efficiency of oral vitamin C in treating COVID-19.

 This double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on 401 patients hospitalized in Taleghani hospital, Abadan, over 18 years of age and with confirmed COVID-19 infection, from November 2020 to May 2021. The patients were randomly assigned to intervention groups (201 people, two tablets per day, each containing 500 mg of vitamin C) and the control group (200 people, placebo, containing starch received for five days). Improvements in clinical symptoms, death from baseline to the 28-day follow-up after the intervention, hospital length of stay, and laboratory values of C-reactive protein (CRP) were some of the considered outcome variables.

 No significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of the daily improvement of clinical symptoms and the odds of healing from each symptom increased by about 48-50%. The difference in the length of hospital stay between the two groups was close to significant (P=0.051). There was no significant difference in mortality between the two groups (P=0.8). There was no difference between the two groups in the laboratory parameters, except for alkaline phosphatase (P=0.03).

 Vitamin C had no significant effect on improving patients’ clinical symptoms such as fatigue, fever, cough, and shortness of breath.

Diabetes is a metabolic disease whose prevalence is increasing globally. This study aimed to investigate laboratory diagnostic markers in type I, type II, and gestational diabetes.

This was an analytical cross-sectional study, and the necessary data were collected by referring to the medical records department of the educational hospitals of Abadan University of Medical Sciences. Accordingly, the demographic and laboratory information of patients with type I, type II, and gestational diabetes admitted from March 21, 2019, to March 19, 2020, that was available in the hospital information system, was gathered. The samples were selected randomly and by considering their diagnosis. Data analysis was performed in SPSS16 software, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

In the current study, the mean values of hematocrit in type I, type II, and gestational diabetes were lower than normal. The mean scores of hemoglobin in type II diabetes and gestational diabetes were lower than normal. The mean blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, international normalized ratio, and prothrombin time in type 2 diabetes were higher than the normal range. In addition, the amount of BUN and creatinine in men was higher than normal and in women. In type I diabetes, the mean creatinine and BUN were higher than normal in the age group above 60. The mean laboratory factors studied in gestational diabetes showed a significant difference compared to type I diabetes and type II diabetes.

The results of this study showed that type 1 and type 2 diabetes were more common in women than in men. It was also found that diabetes was associated with numerous complications and risks for sufferers, including anemia, kidney complications, and coagulation problems that resulted from increased blood sugar in these people, and these complications were more severe in old age. Screening, investigation, and timely diagnosis can help reduce and treat these complications in people with diabetes.

 Diabetes has been one of the most prevalent medical illnesses, and diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) infections are the main causes of hospitalization in diabetics. The present study aimed to investigate the factors contributing to DFUs in patients referred to Taleghani Hospital in Abadan.

 In this study, the data of 316 diabetic patients with DFUs referred to Taleghani Hospital in Abadan from March 21, 2019, to March 19, 2020, were analyzed by SPSS version 22.0.

 The study revealed that out of the 316 patients, 212 (67.1%) were male and 104 (32.9%) were female. Additionally, 64.3% of them had type 2 diabetes. Most of the patients had third-degree ulcers (60.4%) and 26.9% had amputations. Staphylococcus aureus (34.5%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (30.4%) were the most prevalent bacteria isolated from DFUs. The highest frequency of antibiotic resistance was reported for Cotrimoxazole (33%) and Tetracycline (28.2%).

 In conclusion, Gram-positive bacteria had a higher prevalence compared to gram-negative bacteria. It is essential to conduct periodic examinations to reduce the risk of health-threatening complications in diabetic patients.

Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death. Improving the quality of the diet, such as increasing the consumption of whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, has a beneficial effect on cardiovascular complications. The Qur'an is a heavenly book in which there are 11 words about fruits and their derivatives, which indicates the value of fruits from the Quran's point of view. In general, the holy book of Qur'an has highlighted 5 fruits including olives, figs, dates, pomegranates and grapes and has repeated them in various verses.

In this review study, noble verses of Qur'an, books on interpretation of Quran and reliable scientific databases such as Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, IranMedex, Magiran, SID and Google Scholar were reviewed from 2000 to 2021. Related articles were reviewed using the keywords of Quran, olives, grapes, dates, figs, pomegranates, and cardiovascular disease.

The results suggest that the fruits mentioned in the Qur'an such as olives, figs, dates, grapes, and pomegranates, play a major role in human nutrition and health due to their strong antioxidant effects, which reduce oxidative stress, and substances such as carotenoids, anthocyanins, and phenolics. The results of the studies have shown the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant role of these fruits. It has been proven that these fruits have a high potential to prevent cardiovascular diseases, reduce the complications of cardiovascular diseases and improve the health of these patients.

The results of the studies have suggested that consumption of the fruits mentioned in the Qur'an reduces the risk of cardiovascular events, causes recovery in cardiovascular patients and reduces mortality due to cardiovascular diseases.

In the absence of treatment for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2, there is an urgent need to find alternative methods to control the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study was conducted to compare the effects of vitamin D3 and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on clinical status indicators in patients with COVID-19 hospitalization in Abadan, Iran.

100 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 infection participated in this study. Patients were randomly allocated to four groups: 3 intervention groups and 1 control group. All patients received standard treatment. In addition, the intervention-1 group received NAC tablets and vitamin D3 placebo ampoules. The intervention-2 group received NAC tablets and vitamin D3 ampoules. The intervention-3 group received vitamin D3 ampoules and NAC placebo tablets. The control group received vitamin D3 placebo ampoules and NAC placebo tablets. Symptoms of the disease and clinical status indicators were compared in groups in the baseline and on days 7, 14, 21, and 28, respectively.

The trial comparison showed that the incidence of cough, dyspnea, and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase in laboratory tests in the NAC-P1 group was lower than in the other three groups (p <0.005). Also, the results showed a significant difference in the length of hospitalization between the four groups. The length of hospitalization was decreased in the NAC-D3 group (p < 0.024).

Based on the results, vitamin D3 supplements and NAC can improve some outcomes in COVID-19 treatment; however, more randomized controlled trial studies are required in this field.

 Diabetes mellitus is the most common chronic metabolic disorder that increases both susceptibility and mortality rates in patients with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We conducted a study on diabetic patients with COVID-19 to investigate the relationship between laboratory indicators and peripheral oxygen saturation (SPO2 ).

 In this analytical-cross-sectional study, the required information of diabetic patients with COVID-19 admitted to Taleghani educational hospital in Abadan from March 20, 2020 to March 19, 2021 was obtained by referring to the hospital information system of Abadan University of Medical Sciences and patient files.

 Two hundred patients were studied, of which 88 (44%) were men and 112 (56%) were women. The mean age of the studied patients was 60.57±14.84. Among all the investigated markers, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum glutamate oxalate transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and respiratory rate (RR) were higher than the normal range, while SPO2 was lower than the normal range. Based on the linear regression analysis results, a significant relationship was observed between the decrease in SPO2 of patients with disease outcome, duration of hospitalization in the intensive care unit (P<0.001), RR (P<0.001), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) (P=0.02), CRP+3 (P=0.002), platelet (PTT) (P=0.03), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (P=0.002), and LDH (P=0.003).

 The results showed that some laboratory diagnostic markers were higher than the normal range, while SPO2 was lower than the normal range. Moreover, a significant relationship was found between SPO2 index and disease outcome, duration of hospitalization in intensive care unit (ICU), and some diagnostic markers of the liver, inflammation, and coagulation.

Recently, performing regular sports activities due to the release of Myokines has been considered as a suitable strategy for rehabilitation, control of complications and consequences related to Covid-19. The purpose of this study was to investigate the response of plasma levels of Irisin, Follistatin and FGF21 to aerobic training in women recovered from Covid-19. 22 women recovered from Covid-19 in Abadan and Khorramshahr cities were divided into two groups of 11 people, including the aerobic exercise group and the control group, after a general call and selection. The aerobic exercise group performed the exercise protocol with an intensity of 50 to 70% of the reserve heart rate for eight weeks (three sessions per week). Before and after the end of the training protocol, blood samples were collected and Irisin, Follistatin and FGF21 levels were measured by ELISA method. The data were analyzed using the statistical test of covariance (ANCOA) at p<0.05. Based on the comparison of data between the groups, values of Irisin (P<0.05), Follistatin (P<0.05) and FGF21 (P<0.05) in the aerobic group significantly increased as compared to the control group. Also, intragroup changes of Irisin (P<0.05), Follistatin (P<0.05) and FGF21 (P<0.05) also showed that there is a significant increase between the average before and after the aerobic group. Performing aerobic exercises in women recovered from Covid-19 can be effective in restoring their Myokine profile

Central venous catheter (CVC) infection is related to important morbidity and mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients, even though they are routinely used as the primary vascular access for many HD patients. The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence and bacterial factors causing central venous catheter infections in hemodialysis patients in Abadan educational hospitals. In this study, from March 21, 2019, to March 19, 2020, information about patients with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) who were referred to educational hospitals of Abadan University of Medical Sciences, including Frequency distribution of patients by gender and age, Duration of hemodialysis, embedded catheters, underlying disease, signs of clinical infection of the insertion site of the catheter in patients, antibiotics used in infectious patients were obtained through checklists and medical records. Seventy-six specimens of central venous catheter-related infections occurred in patients’ patients undergoing hemodialysis therapy. Among these cases, 40.8% (31) were male and 59.2% (45) were female. Forty-four (57.9%) patients with infection had femoral vein catheter placement. 82.9% of patients had more than twice-a-week hemodialysis sessions. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common bacterium isolated from bloodstream infections, accounting for 50% (45) of the cases. Prolonged central venous catheter use is a major risk factor for infection in hemodialysis patients. For empirical treatment, both Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative microorganisms must be considered. Compliance with hygienic measures and the careful use of antibiotics are suggested for lowering the risk of drug resistance.

This study was planned and implemented with the aim of investigating the laboratory diagnostic markers of renal patients with COVID-19. In this analytical cross-sectional study, by referring to the Department of medical records and health information system (HIS) and reviewing the files of kidney patients with covid-19 admitted from March 20, 2020, to March 19, 2021, in Taleghani Educational Hospital as the center of covid-19 disease in Abadan city, the information of patients were received. In this research, 125 patients were studied, of which 77 were men (61.6%) and 48 (38.4%) were female. The results showed that among the laboratory and clinical markers, fasting blood sugar (FBS), potassium (K), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), Serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and respiratory rate (RR) were higher than the normal range and oxygen saturation (SpO2) was lower than the normal range. Also, a significant relationship was found between SpO2 index and the outcome of the disease, blood type O, intubation, K, International normalized ratio (INR), prothrombin time (PT), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), sore throat, care in the intensive care unit (ICU) and respiratory rate. Results showed that FBS, renal markers, inflammatory markers and liver markers were higher than the standard range in renal patients with COVID-19, and between the reduction of SpO2 and some clinical and laboratory diagnostic markers was a significant relationship.

 Sepsis is a syndrome involving physiological, pathological, and biochemical abnormalities caused by infection and leads to the dysfunction of various organs, including the liver and kidneys. It can lead to high mortality rates.

 This study aimed to evaluate the hepatic, renal, and coagulation diagnostic markers in patients with sepsis.

 This cross-sectional analytical study was performed on patients with sepsis admitted to Abadan and Khorramshahr educational hospitals during March 21 2019-March 19, 2020. The hospital information system (HIS) collected the information of 305 patients with sepsis, including hepatic, coagulation, and renal diagnostic factors, as well as age and gender.

 It was observed that the mean of blood sugar (BS) (145.82 ± 105.10 mg/dL), BUN (29.64 ± 27.41 mg/dL), and creatinine (1.69±1.9 mg/dL) in sepsis patients was higher than normal. In addition, the mean of diagnostic markers of the liver, including ALT (47.27 ± 76.63 U/L), AST (74.38 ± 163.96 U/L), LDH (684.69 ± 383.96 U/L), total bilirubin (1.39 ± 1.02 mg/dL), and direct bilirubin (0.60 ± 0.65 mg/dL), was higher than normal. The mean of PT (16.73±9.31 sec) and INR (1.72 ± 1.53) was also higher than the normal level.

 In hospitalized patients with sepsis, BS, renal diagnostic markers, hepatic diagnostic markers, and coagulation markers are higher than normal, indicating the destructive effect of sepsis on kidney and liver function.

Recently, performing regular sport activities has received attention due to the release of Myokines in reducing the complications caused by Covid-19, especially reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, rebuilding and repairing damaged tissues and reducing metabolic disorders. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of eight weeks of selected resistance training on the levels of Irisin, Follistatin and FGF21 in women who recovered from Covid-19.

Upon a public call, twenty-two women who recovered from Covid-19 in Abadan and Khorramshahr cities were selected and divided into two groups of 11 people, including the resistance training group and the control group, . The resistance training protocol was implemented for eight weeks and three sessions per week, including eight movements with an intensity of 40 to 75% of a maximum repetition. Blood sampling was done in two stages before and after the implementation of the protocol. The measurement of the levels of the Irisin, Follistatin and FGF21 was done by ELISA method and the data was analyzed using the covariance statistical test (ANCOVA) at the (p<0.05) level.

Comparison of the between groups data showed that the values of irisin (p<0.05), follistatin (p<0.05) and FGF21 (p<0.05) significantly increased in the resistance group compared to the control group. In addition, the examination of intra-group changes of irisin (p<0.05), follistatin (p<0.05) and FGF21 (p<0.05) indicated that there is a significant increase between the mean before and after implementation of the protocol in the resistance group.

It seems that resistance training leads to improvement of Myokine profile through the recovery of muscle mass in women recovering from covid-19.

In December 2019, a new virus, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was identified as the cause of a cluster of cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology in Wuhan, China. The COVID-19 disease increases cardiovascular events both directly and indirectly. This study aimed to investigate the laboratory diagnostic markers of cardiovascular patients with COVID-19 in Ayatollah Taleghani hospital in Abadan from March 20, 2019 to March 19, 2020.

This study is a cross-sectional analytical study. Some demographic, laboratory, and clinical information of 200 cardiovascular patients with COVID-19 admitted to Taleghani hospital, Abadan, was received randomly by referring to the medical records section and medical records section and health information system (HIS) as well as searching in the patient records. Inclusion criteria included cardiovascular patients with COVID-19 who had been admitted to Ayatollah Taleghani hospital in Abadan with the diagnosis of a cardiologist and infectious disease specialist, and those whose information was available in HIS. The results were analyzed using SPSS software version 24.

The mean age of cardiovascular patients with COVID-19 was reported to be 66.98 ± 18.14. The results revealed that the mean of fasting blood sugar (FBS), serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatinine (Cr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was higher than the normal level in these patients. In addition, the mean oxygen saturation (SpO2) was observed to be lower than normal. Reducing the level of SpO2 to less than 90% was significantly related to increasing age, death, patients with a history of lung disease, the duration of hospitalization in ICU, and intubation. This reduction also led to an increase in respiratory rate (RR), LDH, ESR, and C-reactive protein (CRP + 1) in cardiovascular patients with COVID-19.

In cardiovascular patients with COVID-19, FBS, some kidney markers, liver markers, and inflammatory markers were observed to be higher than normal, and a significant relationship was observed between the reduction of SpO2 and some laboratory diagnostic markers, which requires extensive studies with larger sample size.

Hypertension is growing as a running title public health problem. It is one of the most important risk factors for various diseases including cardiovascular disease. The study of laboratory markers and early detection of complications can play an effective role in controlling the disease.

The present study was a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional one that was performed from March 21, 2020, to March 19, 2021, on patients referred to Abadan and Khorramshahr educational hospitals with hypertension. Information on age, sex, and laboratory diagnostic factors of patients with hypertension admitted to HIS were received. Data were analyzed using STATA software.

The study population involved 1505 patients with hypertension admitted to Abadan and Khorramshahr educational hospitals; there were 487 males (32%) and 1018 females (68%). The average age of the patients was 61 (SD: 12). The highest frequency of patients with hypertension was in the age group of 64-55 years with afrequency of 420 (27.9%). The results showed that the mean of creatinine was higher than normal. The mean of CK-MB and INR was slightly higher than normal. The two sexes were significantly different in terms of the means of CK-MB, AST, ALT, Cr, Na, MCHC, HCT, HB, and RBC. According to the unadjusted and multiple logistic regression analysis, each 1 unit increase in BUN and K+ was associated with an increase in the odds of abnormal creatinine. Each 1 unit increase in RBC, HB, HCT, MCH, and MCHC was associated with a decrease in the odds of abnormal creatinine, and each 1 unit increase in PT was associated with an increase in the odds of abnormal creatinine.

The results of the present study showed that some laboratory markers in patients with hypertension were above the normal range including renal, cardiac, and coagulation diagnostic factors and some of which depend on age and sex; thus, it is important to pay attention to these markers in controlling high blood pressure in these patients. Futurestudies are warranted to examine the issue further

The successful implementation of mobile learning is mainly impacted by learners’ attitudes to accepting and applying mobile learning systems. In the current study, an m-learning application was developed and implemented for university students, and their perspective toward the adoption and application of m-learning was investigated. This cross-sectional study was carried out in 2020. The participants were 114 university students at Abadan University of Medical Sciences. Data were collected by means of a valid questionnaire containing 42 questions in 13 subscales in addition to an open-ended question about the positive and negative aspects of the m-learning application. There was a significant relationship between acceptance and major (P=0.001), mobile usage (P=0.035), and familiarity with m-learning (P<0.001). The total mean of m-learning application acceptance was 3.95±0.32, which shows a good level. Self-efficacy, perceived ease of use, and user interface were, respectively, the most influencing factors; mobile device limitation and governmental support were the least influencing factors. “Direct communication with the teacher/instructor” and “Internet disconnection during video teaching” were among the positive and negative aspects of applying the m-learning application, respectively. The m-learning application was well adopted among the students. Mobile device limitations are a reason for the student's concerns. “Usability features” can be a point for covering mobile device limitations.

Universities have switched to virtual assessments due to the spread of COVID-19 around the world. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the satisfaction level of medical students at the Abadan University of Medical Sciences (AUMS) with the virtual assessment methods of the cardiac physiology course.

This study was conducted on 42 medical students of AUMS who were in the second semester of 2020 - 2021 (COVID-19 pandemic) and participated in the cardiac physiology course. Researchers developed an online questionnaire with 17 questions about students' satisfaction with assessment methods. Data were collected and organized in SPSS Software Version 21 for descriptive statistical analysis.

The mean age of the participants was 21.4 ± 2.08 years, of whom 76.2% (32) agreed that a higher percentage of the score should relate to the virtual formative assessment and 78.6% (33) experienced more stress in virtual summative assessment compared to the formative method. About 93.6% (39) agreed that all virtual summative assessment questions should be multiple-choice, and 88.4% (37) believed that allocating 1 to 2 minutes for each multiple-choice summative assessment question lowers their stress levels.

According to the results, the virtual formative assessment had an accepted place in the cardiac physiology course and helped students reduce stress and learn more. The students preferred summative assessment questions to be multiple-choice due to the difficulty of the cardiac physiology course. More research should be conducted on this subject with a larger sample size in future studies.

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia that results from inadequacies in secreting insulin and/or the action of insulin. Increased exposure to particulate matter at high concentrations is associated with increased mortality in heart diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of insulin and crocin on cardiac electrophysiological parameters, blood pressure, and oxidative stress in alloxan-induced diabetic rats exposed to the total suspended particulate (TSP). 

Adult male Wistar rats (n=60) with bodyweight between 200 and 250 g were divided into 10 experimental groups (6 animals per group): control, crocin, diabetic, TSP (5 mg/kg TSP, intratracheal instillation), diabetic-crocin, diabetic-insulin, diabetic-TSP, crocin-TSP, diabetic-TSP-insulin, and diabetic-TSP-crocin. The effects of chronotropic (heart rate), inotropic (QRS voltage), and dromotropic (P-R intervals and QTc intervals) were evaluated with standard bipolar limb lead II. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements were recorded with the tail cuff. Antioxidant and lactate dehydrogenase enzymes were also measured. 

The diabetic groups and groups exposed to TSP experienced a deleterious effect on cardiac electrophysiological parameters and blood pressure, with a significant decrease in the activity of antioxidant enzymes. These changes were improved with crocin and insulin. 

In this work, the protective role of crocin and insulin alone was observed in diabetic groups and groups exposed to TSP by improving the electrophysiological parameters of the heart, blood pressure, and oxidative stress. 

The alarming outbreak of the COVID-19 virus significantly disrupted all aspects of human life, including education. As a result, e-learning has become a vital tool for education. This study aimed to investigate the attitudes of medical and anesthesia students toward e-learning in physiology during the pandemic of COVID-19.

This descriptive study was conducted among 67 medical and anesthesiology students at Abadan University of Medical Sciences who studied physiology in the second semester of 2020-2021 in the form of e-learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A researcher-created questionnaire was used, rating items on a five-point Likert scale. Data were entered into SPSS 21 for statistical analysis and analyzed using descriptive statistics.

A total of 73.1% of the participants in this study were women. The favorable opinions of students by percentage were as follows: satisfactory access to the Internet, 71.0%; the possibility of downloading educational content from the educational system, 88.2%; effective communication between teacher and student through e-learning, 20.6%; e-learning by combining online and offline education, 69.1%; the suitability of offline educational content due to accessibility convenient to learn at any time and place where the student wants to learn, 75%; face-to-face education is more suitable than e-learning, 60.3%.

Effective communication between teacher and student is weak in virtual/online education. Students were generally positive about a combination of online and offline virtual education together and liked offline educational content due to ease of access at any time and place. In general, students preferred face-to-face teaching to virtual education.

 Asthma is the most common chronic respiratory disease and is a major cause of disability and has high economic costs. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate laboratory diagnostic factors in patients with asthma.

 The present study is a cross-sectional analytical study that by referring to the medical records department in the educational hospitals of Abadan University of Medical Sciences, information about age, sex, and laboratory diagnostic factors of patients with asthma admitted from March 21, 2019, to March 19, 2020 was received.

 The results of this study showed that the statistical population of patients with asthma included 636 of which 344 (54.1%) were female and 292 (45.9%) were male and this difference was significant. Mean biochemical markers including blood sugar, triglycerides, liver markers such as SGOT, total and direct bilirubin, hematological factors such as mean ESR and INR were higher than normal and cardiac marker CK was lower than normal.

 The results of this study showed that in patients with hospitalized asthma, liver disorders (more in women than men), hyperbilirubinemia, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and impaired cardiac marker, coagulation and inflammation are observed. As a result, more research and timely treatment should be done to prevent further complications of the disease.

Given coronavirus disease (COVID‑19’s) unknown nature, diagnosis, and treatment is very complex up to the present time. Thus, it is essential to have a framework for an early prediction of the disease. In this regard, machines learning (ML) could be crucial to extract concealed patterns from mining of huge raw datasets then it establishes high‑quality predictive models. At this juncture, we aimed to apply different ML techniques to develop clinical predictive models and select the best performance of them.

The dataset of Ayatollah Talleghani hospital, COVID‑19 focal center affiliated to Abadan University of Medical Sciences have been taken into consideration. The dataset used in this study consists of 501 case records with two classes (COVID‑19 and non COVID‑19) and 32 columns for the diagnostic features. ML algorithms such as Naïve Bayesian, Bayesian Net, random forest (RF), multilayer perceptron, K‑star, C4.5, and support vector machine were developed. Then, the recital of selected ML models was assessed by the comparison of some performance indices such as accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, precision, F‑score, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC).

The experimental results indicate that RF algorithm with the accuracy of 92.42%, specificity of 75.70%, precision of 92.30%, sensitivity of 92.40%, F‑measure of 92.00%, and ROC of 97.15% has the best capability for COVID‑19 diagnosis and screening.

The empirical results reveal that RF model yielded higher performance as compared to other six classification models. It is promising to the implementation of RF model in the health‑care settings to increase the accuracy and speed of disease diagnosis for primary prevention, screening, surveillance, and early treatment.

MicroRNA expression signature and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production have been associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). This study aimed to evaluate oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and the expression of miRNA-208a and miRNA-1 in cardiovascular patients.

The study population included four types of patients (acute coronary syndromes (ACS), myocardial infarction (MI), arrhythmia, and heart failure (HF)), with 10 people in each group, as well as a control group. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to measure mir-208 and miR-1 expression, the mRNAs of inflammatory mediators (TNFα, iNOS/eNOS), and apoptotic factors (Bax and Bcl2). XOX, MDA, and antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD, and GPx) were measured by ZellBio GmbH kits by an ELISA Reader.

The results showed significant decreases in the activity of antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD, and Gpx) and a significant increase in the activity of the MDA and XOX in cardiovascular patients. Significant increases in IL-10, iNos, iNOS / eNOS, and TNF-α in cardiovascular patients were also observed. Also, a significant increase in the expression of miR-208 (HF> arrhythmia> ACS> MI) and a significant decrease in the expression of miR-1 (ACS> arrhythmia> HF> MI) were found in all four groups in cardiovascular patients.

The results showed increases in oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptotic factors, and in the expression of miR-208a in a variety of cardiovascular patients (ACS, MI, arrhythmia, and HF). It is suggested that future studies determine the relationships that miR-1, miR-208, and oxidative stress indices have with inflammation and apoptosis.

The effect of total suspended particulate matter (TSP) was investigated on the expression of inflammatory and apoptotic factors in diabetic rats, and the effect of crocin and insulin was examined on these factors. 

Fifty-four adult male wistar rats were divided into nine experimental groups: control group, crocin group (received crocin, 50 mg/kg), diabetic group (received a single dose of alloxan at 120 mg/kg, IP), TSP group (5 mg/kg TSP instilled intratracheally), diabetic-crocin group (received crocin at 50 mg/kg after the induction of diabetes by alloxan (120 mg/kg)), diabetic-insulin group (received regular insulin (5 U/kg), crocin-TSP group (received crocin at 50 mg/kg, IP, and then 5 mg/kg TSP was instilled intratracheally), diabetic-TSP-insulin group (after receiving alloxan (120 mg/kg) and instilling TSP (5 mg/kg, intratracheally), a single dose (5 U/kg) of regular insulin), and diabetic-TSP-crocin group (after receiving alloxan (120 mg/kg) and instilling TSP (5 mg/kg, intratracheally), a single dose of crocin (50 mg/kg, IP)). Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to measure the expression of the mRNAs of apoptotic (Bax and Bcl2) and inflammatory mediators (TNFα, COX2, iNOS/eNOS) in Wistar rats.

In diabetic and TSP groups the inflammatory factors and BAX/Bcl2 ratio significantly increased compared to the control group. In diabetic-TSP-insulin and diabetic-TSP-crocin, a significant decrease was observed in the rate of inflammatory factors and BAX/Bcl2 ratio.

The results suggested that diabetes and exposure to TSP increase the rate of apoptosis and inflammation, and also demonstrated the anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammation role of insulin and crocin.

Liver diseases have a lot of pain and suffering for the patients and also cost a lot to cure. In this study, we tried to collect comprehensive and applied information about the incidence of these diseases in Abadan and Khorramshahr cities and provide it to the ministry of health and public opinion.

Referring to the medical records department of Ayatollah Taleghani and Shahid Beheshti Hospitals in Abadan city and Valiasr Hospital in Khorramshahr city, information about patients with liver diseases from 2012 to 2017 were collected from the Hospital Information System (HIS) of the hospitals. The findings were analyzed using SPSS software.

In our study 62.1% of the patients were male and 37.9% were female. The highest frequency of liver diseases was in the age group of 35-44 years. The lowest incidence was in the age group of less than 1 year and 1-4 years. The most common causes were cirrhosis (319 cases), inflammatory liver disease (121 cases), other specified liver diseases (133 cases), liver failure (71 cases), secondary malignant neoplasm (52 cases), hepatitis C (53 cases), hepatitis B (25 cases), and Fatty liver (20 cases).

According to the results of this study, it was observed that the prevalence of liver diseases, especially liver cirrhosis, was the highest. As a result, people need to modify their lifestyle and consider weight loss, low-fat diet, and increased physical activity to reduce their body mass index.