Chronic Diseases Journal
Volume:7 Issue: 3, Summer 2019

Executive functions (EF) impairments are considered as central deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation therapy (CRT) on EFs of children with high-functioning ASD (HFA).

This was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design and control group. The study population included all children with HFA referred to the comprehensive Arman Shayan Rehabilitation Center in Tehran, Iran. Using the high-functioning Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) and clinical diagnostic interviews by two clinical psychologists, 24 children with HFA were selected purposefully and were randomly assigned to experimental or control groups. Subjects in both groups completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) in pretest and posttest. The experimental group received 1-2 sessions (1 hour) per week of CRT for 6 months. Data analysis was performed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS.

Data analysis showed that the use of CRT resulted in a significant difference between groups in terms of the total EFs score, which was 88.5%, as well as the components of inhibition (57%), orientation (46%), emotional control (42%), initiate (43%), working memory (55%), planning (56%), organizing (36%),and monitoring (36%).

CRT, as an evidence-based intervention, seems to be effective in improving neuropsychological functions in children with HFA.

Malnutrition is a disorder that results from reduction or imbalance in the absorption of food and energy. It leads to prolongation of hospitalization and increased mortality in patients. Screening reduces the costs, complications, and duration of hospitalization. We have tried to evaluate the prevalence of malnutrition in hospitalized children in Tabriz Pediatric Hospital, Tabriz, Iran, and review the validity of the standard questionnaire of Iran Ministry of Health for pediatric malnutrition.

In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 400 patients were examined. All patients were screened for malnutrition status in the first 24 hours, using a primary nutritional assessment form. Patients were divided into two categories: no malnutrition or mild malnutrition and moderate to severe malnutrition. SPSS software was used to analyze the data.

Of the 400 admitted and studied patients, 238 patients were in the age range of 1 to 60 months (group I) and 162 patients were in the age range of 5 to 19 years (group II). In group I, 11 patients were diagnosed with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM). Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is defined as weight for height of less than -3 Z-score, which means that 7 cases of patients (2.9%) had severe malnutrition or severe weight loss. In group II, there were 20 patients (12.3%) among a total of 162 patients who were overweight, and 10 patients (6.2%) were obese.

The results of this study differed from previous studies. Therefore, it is recommended that the Ministry of Health questionnaire be reconsidered, and a restudy is necessary.

Concentration is one of the most important requirements of education and learning; so that decentralization and distraction in the classroom is one of the most common educational problems. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors affecting the concentration in the classroom among high school students in Divandarreh City, Iran, in 2018.

This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018 among all high school students in Divandarreh City. The sample size was 370 and the cluster sampling method was used. The research instrument was a questionnaire containing demographic characteristics and concentration in classroom. Exclusion criteria included the lack of consent or incorrect completion of the questionnaire. Finally, the data were analyzed by descriptive statistics [frequency, mean, and standard deviation (SD)] and chi-square test.

In this study, 54% (198 boys) were male and 46% (172 girls) were female. The average score of the factors related to the teacher was 28.98 ± 5.79, for the factors related to the student was 29.07 ± 5.76, and for the environmental factors was 8.20 ± 2.48. The most effective factor in concentration in class was the teacher ethics and his/her appropriate behavior with the students (3.18 ± 1.00) and the least effective factor was relying on booklet (1.94 ± 1.10). There was a significant relationship between gender and the teacher-related factors (P < 0.001), student-related factors (P = 0.004), and environmental factors (P < 0.001).

According to the results of this study, by improving the behavior of teachers and professors and empowering them to bring their students together, they can play a major role in increasing the students' learning and concentration.

Overhang is the extension of restoration material from the prepared cavity. Restoration overhangs have an important role in plaque accumulation, caries, severe gingival inflammation, and periodontal diseases. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the frequency of restoration overhanging, and the managements in order to reduce its prevalence and subsequent complications.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 277 patients, who had at least one restoration in the proximal surface of posterior teeth. At first, all the patients were examined using a mirror, and dental floss under the light of the dental chair. In cases in which the existence of the overhang was suspected, Bitewing radiography was operated on respective regions. Data were analyzed using SPSS software.

120 teeth had overhangs (19.60%) and 492 (80.39%) exhibited no overhangs. From 120 restorations with overhang, 76 (63.33%) were amalgam restorations, and 44 (36.66%) were composite restorations. In total, 55.83% of them (67 restorations) were in maxilla and 44.16% (53 restorations) were in mandible. The prevalence of overhang in mandible was as 37.73% in mesial regions, 54.71% in distal regions, and 7.54% in mesial-occlusaldistal (MOD) regions; in addition, the prevalence rate in maxilla was as 38.80% in mesial regions, 58.20% in distal regions, and 2.98% in MOD.

The overall frequency of restoration overhang was 19.60%, most of which was in amalgam restorations in comparison to composite restorations; and it is mostly seen in distal surfaces of maxillary teeth.

Internet is one of available modern communicational media that has created a new world for users; so that this virtual world may have irrecoverable implications. Hence, this study was conducted to examine the relationship between internet addiction, family relations, and psychological well-being among the adolescents.

In this descriptive and correlational study, statistical population consisted of all adolescents in Urmia City, Iran. The sample size obtained to 65 adolescents, who were addicted to internet; they were enrolled using convenient sampling method in some schools in Urmia. To collect the data, Internet Addiction Test (IAT), Family Assessment Device (FAD), and Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) were employed. The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression tests through SPSS software.

There was a reverse significant relationship between internet addiction and family relations (-0.878) and subjective well-being among the adolescents (P < 0.050 for both).

According to obtained findings, it can be stated that internet addiction may lead to reduction in family relations and subjective well-being among the adolescents.

Low and middle income countries and also the underprivileged population both are susceptible for the increased burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and the practice of their behavioral risk factors (BRFs) is the main cause. However, these BRFs and their determinants among the slum population of Bangladesh weren’t adequately evaluated. The present study was carried out with the aim to find out the prevalence and determinants of BRFs of NCDs among a selected slum population in Bangladesh.

This cross-sectional study was conducted in purposively selected Rayerbazar slum of Dhaka city, Bangladesh, in 2017. A total of 192 adult (aged 18 to 65 years) residents were enrolled in this study using the convenient sampling method. A semi-structured questionnaire, adopted version of World Health Organization (WHO) STEPS instrument was used for data collection. Ascertainments of the risk factors were conducted as per the WHO STEPS guideline. Both descriptive and multivariate statistics were performed using the SPSS software.

The majority of the respondents (72.4%) were men, and the mean ± standard deviation (SD) of the ages was 37.0 ± 13.6 years. Half (50%) of the respondents were tobacco users. Almost all (98.4%) reported insufficient fruit and vegetables (FAVs) intake. Almost 7 out of 10 (67.7%) of the respondents reported to perform inadequate level of physical activity (PA). However, very negligible (2.6%) proportion of the respondents reported alcohol consumption. The group of the respondents with the age above the mean age (≥ 35 years) reported higher use of tobacco whereas, the group of the respondents with the age below the mean age (< 35 years) reported a higher level of inadequacy of PA.

BRFs of NCDs were substantial among the selected slum population of Bangladesh, where age was the major determinant. Health promotion and health education measures are recommended for slum population of Bangladesh to aware them of the BRFs of NCDs.

The infections are common complications after the ischemic stroke. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anticipatory value of C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) biomarkers in diagnosis of stroke-induced infection.

In the current prospective study, 184 patients with cerebral ischemia were enrolled. Serum samples were obtained from patients. The CRP and PCT, white blood cells (WBCs) and monocytes, and final infections were evaluated.

In the first 72 hours, the analysis for CRP revealed that the sensitivity was 41.6%, the specificity was 100%, positive pressure ventilation (PPV) was 100%, and negative pressure ventilation (NPV) was 82.9%. PCT showed that the sensitivity was 85.41%, the specificity was 98.54%, PPV was 95.34%, and NPV was 95%.

According to our findings, the evaluation of CRP and PCT with simultaneous clinical observation could be considered as a good step in start of antibiotic therapy.

In spite of the evidence of advantages of visitation, the ban on visit in Iran's intensive care units (ICUs) is still underway and this issue is always a challenging topic that encounters different behaviors in dealing with the phenomenon of visiting. The purpose of this study was to investigate the barriers and strategies for establishing a free visit system in ICUs from the viewpoints of health care providers.

In this descriptive study, 100 nurses working in ICU were evaluated. The data were collected using a demographic information registration form and a questionnaire on attitudes and views about visit in special units which were analyzed by SPSS software using t-test and chi-square test.

33.3% of cases were men and 66.7% of them were women. Most of the cases (67.9%) were married. The shortest work experience in the ICU was 5 months and the longest was 132 months. The average work experience of the cases in the ICU was 60 months.

The majority of nurses believe that free visit can interfere with nursing cares. This interference involves direct intervention, more time spent explaining to the patient's family, and creating a busy environment that is the cause of the errors. The time of the visit is largely regulated by healthcare providers, their attitudes towards the topic, as well as their concerns about this issue.

Stress management is the ability of individuals to reduce stress and adapt to stressful situations. The objective in the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of stress management training on mental health of addicts quitting substance abuse referred to Raha addiction treatment clinic in Babol, Iran.

In this quasi-experimental study, available sampling method with pre-test and post-test design was used along with the control and intervention groups. A sample of 36 members of the community (drug quitting clinic) were selected and randomly assigned into the two test and control groups, then a pre-test was performed on them through the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) with a reliability of 78%. For the test group, the stress management skill group intervention was trained in 10 sessions per week with each session lasting 90 minutes. At the end of the session, the post-test was executed on both the test and control groups. The t-test and chi-square tests were employed to compare the quantitative variables between the two groups and the qualitative variables using the SPSS software, respectively.

The results of the study showed that group intervention has been effective on the mental health of addicts quitting substance abuse; as a result, participation in the therapy group and cognitive interventions leads to increasing the mental health of patients quitting substance abuse.

According to the results of this study, it can be declared that stress management training has been effective on all mental health scales such as symptoms of somatization, anxiety, disorder in social actions, and depression and leads to a decrease in mental symptoms and mental health improvement in addicts quitting substance.

Non-coding ribonucleotide sequences, including short and long-term ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules, are a major part of the gene expression products, which have recently been identified on a large genomic scale. The long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have a length of greater than 200 nucleotides. Only a small fraction of the function of lncRNA molecules is known to date.

PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Google Scholar were searched from January 2000 to May 2018. Based on the study inclusion and exclusion criteria and specific keywords, 92 original, relevant, experimental studies with moderate bias were selected. LncRNAs were evaluated as a new trend in molecular biology of diseases.

Our analysis showed that the presently available evidence confirmed that lncRNAs can be a tool for the diagnosis and prognosis of many diseases and alternative therapies.

LncRNAs are an emerging field of investigation as they are suggested to regulate key biological processes, including cellular proliferation and differentiation, and their aberrant expression is associated with many diseases. An improved understanding of the role of lncRNAs in disease would provide valuable information about key biological-promoting pathways and might be highly useful for diagnostic, prognostic, and alternative therapies assessments. This knowledge might also lead to advancement in the management of disease through the development of novel, personalized lncRNAs-based therapies.

One of the most prevalent endocrine disorders is congenital hypothyroidism (CH). The most important complication of this disorder is mental retardation. This study was carried out to evaluate CH prevalence based on newborn screening of CH in different countries through a meta-analysis study.

The researchers in this study searched the literature among PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Google Scholar, ISI Web of Sciences and Web of Knowledge, and Science Direct databases. The evaluations were carried out using a researcher-made checklist including goals and research questions. Meta-regression with the Mantel-Haenszel method was performed using a random effects model and Egger’s test (ET) and Begg’s test (BT) by the STATA software.

A total of 10875 studies were found in the initial literature search related to CH. Ultimately, based on the eligibility criteria considered in the present study, 25 studies were categorized as qualified for systematic review and meta-analysis. The estimate of the CH prevalence among the screened neonates in the studies based on the random effects model was 4.85 per 10000 [95% confidence interval (CI): 4.04- 5.66].

Due to the importance of CH related diseases especially for detection of type of hypothyroidism, it is necessary more surveillance be carried out in all countries. Based on Different studies, recognition of the most CH patients is before age 1 year so it helps to reduction the risks of developmental delay, and delayed physiological development and mental retardation.

Review of literature indicates that there is difference between various types of learning disorder based on functional skills. This study aims to compare the executive function and social adequacy of children with dyslexia and dyscalculia.

This descriptive fundamental research was a comparative causative type study. The statistical population included all children with dyslexia and dyscalculia in Tehran Province, Iran, in 2018. Using available sampling method, 43 children (24 with dyslexia and 19 with dyscalculia) were selected from learning disorder centers. Fellner questionnaire was used to assess the social adequacy of the children, and to evaluate the executive functions, Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (PRFQ) was used. The data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA).

There was no significant difference between the various components of executive functions and social adequacy of children with dyslexia and dyscalculia (P > 0.050).

Based on the research findings, function of children with dyslexia and dyscalculia is equivalent in executive function and social adequacy