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Background & objectives: In many medical studies, the response variable is measured repeatedly over time to evaluate the treatment effect that is known as longitudinal study. The analysis method for this type of data is repeated measures ANOVA that uses only one correlation structure and the results are not valid with inappropriate correlation structure. To avoid this problem, a convenient alternative is mixed models. So, the aim of this study was to compare of mixed and repeated measurement models for examination of the Entonox effect on the labor pain.

Methods: This experimental study was designed to compare the effect of Entonox and oxygen inhalation on pain relief between two groups. Data were analyzed using repeated measurement and mixed models with different correlation structures. Selection and comparison of proper correlation structures performed using Akaike information criterion, Bayesian information criterion and restricted log-likelihood. Data were analyzed using SPSS-22.

Results: Results of our study showed that all variables containing analgesia methods, labor duration of the first and second stages, and time were significant in these tests. In mixed model, heterogeneous first-order autoregressive, first-order autoregressive, heterogeneous Toeplitz and unstructured correlation structures were recognized as the best structures. Also, all variables were significant in these structures. Unstructured variance covariance matrix was recognized as the worst structure and labor duration of the first and second stages was not significant in this structure.

Conclusions: This study showed that the Entonox inhalation has a significant effect on pain relief in primiparous and it is confirmed by all of the models.

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Background & objectives: Epidemiological and clinical studies have shown a close relationship between asthma and obesity. The present study examined the effect of obesity on the airway response to methacholine and the number of inflammatory cells in the bronchoalveolar fluid of ovalbumin-sensitized male rats.
Methods: Twenty-four male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups: normal diet (C+ND), OVA‐sensitized with the normal diet (S+ND), high-fat diet (C+HFD) and OVA‐sensitized with high‐fat diet (S+HFD). All animals were fed for 8 weeks with standard diet or high-fat diet, and then were sensitized with ovalbumin or normal saline for another 4 weeks while receiving the designed regimens. At the end of the study, the number of inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar fluid (BALF) and tracheal responsiveness to methacholine were examined.
Results: In diet-induced obesity groups, weight and obesity indices increased (p<0.05 to p<0.001). The results also showed that tracheal responsiveness to methacholine in S+HFD group compared to S+ND group, was significantly increased (p<0.05). In addition, the number of inflammatory cells in the BAL, in the S+HFD group was higher than other groups (p<0.001).
Conclusion: the results of this study suggest that the response of the airways to methacholine and the number of inflammatory cells are increased in obese-asthmatic male rats.
 

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Background & objectives: Parasitic diseases are one of the health problems of all societies and are considered as barriers to progress socioeconomic development, especially in most developing countries. This study evaluated the frequency of intestinal parasites in patients referred to hospitals affiliated with Ardabil University of Medical Sciences in 2018.
Methods: a total of 409 stool samples were collected from laboratories of Imam Khomeini and Bouali hospitals and then transferred to the parasitology lab in the medical and paramedical school. Samples were evaluated using direct, concentration and culture methods. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 21.
Results: Out of 409 samples, 22 cases (5.4%) were infected with intestinal parasites. Among them, 5.3% and 5.4% of infected cases were men and women respectively. Also, the rate of infection to the protozoans and helminths was 3.7% and 1.7% respectively. Among the positive cases, the highest percentage of infection was related to Giardia and Blastocystis.
The infection rate of each parasite among all patients and positive cases was 1.2% and 22.7% respectively.
Conclusion: The present study showed that intestinal protozoan infection, especially Giardia lamblia and Blastocystis hominis are high in Ardabil city, and therefore special infection control measures are urgently needed.
 

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Background & objectives: This study was conducted to compare the basic psychological needs and different levels of Theory of mind between mothers of oppositional defiant disorder and hyperactivity / attention deficit disorder children
Methods: The statistical population of the study included all mothers of childern with oppositional defiant disorder and hyperactivity/attention deficit disorder in psychiatric clinics of Fatemi hospital of Ardabil in 1396-1397. These mothers were randomly assigned in to two groups (35 people in group ODD & 35 people in group ADHD). The instruments used in this study were: Theory of mind, basic psychological needs and Children's Symptoms Questionnaire (CSI-4 Parent Form). The collected data were entered into SPSS-21 software and analyzed by data analysis method. Multivariate variance (MANOVA) was used.
Results: The results of the analysis of variance finding show that is no significant difference between mental theory (p>0.407, F=0.697) of basic psychological needs such as competency (p>0.336, F=0.393) self-determination (p>0.597, F=0.283) and communication (p>03.387, F=0.760) between two groups of mothers of children with oppositional defiant disorder and hyperactivity disorder/attention deficit.
Conclusion: These results show that the importance of paying attention to the basic psychological needs and the theory of the minds of mothers of these children in improving the educational status of social communication and emotional assessments and cognitive development of the child.
 

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Background & objectives: In recent years, more attention has been paid to the cognitive impairments of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and several studies have been conducted in this field. One of the areas that have been considered in these studies is the defect in executive functions. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of executive functions in differentiation children with intestinal parasitic diseases and ADHD in Karaj city.
Methods: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study. The statistical population consisted of all children referred to the Radmin Comprehensive Rehabilitation Center of Karaj in 2019. Convenient sampling was performed on 120 children in groups of 40 members, including healthy children, children with ADHD and intestinal parasite infection group. Research tools included diagnostic interview, Conners grading scale, continuous performance test, n-back test and parasitic test. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 23 using logistic regression and diagnostic analysis.
Results: Findings showed that logistic coefficients of active memory in children with intestinal parasite and active memory and attention retention in children with ADHD were significant. Also, healthy children and children with ADHD (85%) and children with intestinal parasitic disease (52.5%) had the highest accuracy in predicting respectively. based on the proposed model they were correctly classified.
Conclusion: Just as hyperactivity has a pattern of dysfunction performance in executive functions such as working memory and attentional retention, intestinal parasite-related diseases can also have such symptoms. In fact, the symptoms of a child with intestinal parasite are very similar to the symptoms of a person with ADHD, which can lead to errors in assessment and diagnosis.

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Background & objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the bacterial bioaerosols in indoor air of Ardabil universities and to investigate the factors affecting their concentration in Ardabil city.
Methods: Air sampling was performed using Andersen single-stage sampler at a flow rate of 28.3 liters per minute and a respiratory range of 10 min. In this study, trypticase soy agar containing cycloheximide antibiotic was used for bacterial culture. Biochemical tests such as DNase, catalase, oxidase, coagulase, bile esculin hydrolysis test, urease, citrate test, antibiotic resistance to novobiocin, bacitracin and optochin were used for identification and differentiation of isolates.
Result: The mean bacterial concentration in Ardabil university of medical sciences in the open air, outside the college, the halls, the classrooms and the staff rooms  was 18, 88.4, 76.6, 77.4 CFU/m³ , respectively. The concentration of bacteria in Islamic Azad university of Ardabil in the open air, outside the college, the halls, the classrooms and the staff rooms was 103, 97, 124, 132 CFU/m³, respectively. The dominant species of bacteria in indoor air were Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Actinomycetes and Bacillus, respectively.
Conclusion: According to the results of this study, it is found that the concentration of bacterial bioaerosols in indoor air is not more than standard, but the abundance of bacterial species can cause lung, intestinal and other diseases in academic personnel, staff and students in the long-term.

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Background & objectives: Probiotic dairy products as a functional food have a positive effect on the health of consumers that have been confirmed by scientific evidence. Yoghurt is considered as one of the most popular dairy foods in Iran, which the incorporation of the probiotics into the yoghurt matrix can improve their microbiological and sensory properties and subsequently will play a vital role in promoting the health of the community. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus on the microbial and sensorial properties of probiotic yoghurt during refrigerated storage.
Methods: In this in vitro study, the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus PTCC=5189 was used to produce probiotic yoghurt and Aspergillus parasiticus PTCC=5018 (IR 63) and Penicillium chrysogenum PTCC=5074 were used as known pathogens and the main spoilage agents in yoghurt. Changes in the number of probiotic yeasts and spoilage species as well as the sensory acceptability of the samples during 28 days of storage at 4°C were evaluated and compared with the control samples.
Results: The population of both species, involved in yoghurt spoilage, during refrigeration were significantly reduced by the presence of Kluyveromyces marxianus (p<0.01). After 28 days of storage, the number of Kluyveromyces marxianus was at the recommended level of the International Dairy Federation with a 7.35 log CFU/g. The sensory evaluation results demonstrated that the control yoghurt samples were more acceptable.
Conclusion: Kluyveromyces marxianus has a significant effect on improving microbiological properties and can be used in the formulation and production of probiotic yoghurt with high storage capability and optimal sensory acceptability.

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Background & Objectives: Based on the probably positive role of exercise on total oxidative status (TOS) and total antioxidant system (TAS) and their effect on the process of angiogenesis, the aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of one course of moderate-intensity endurance training on the gene expression level of vascular endothelial growth factor-B (VEGF-B) and angiopoietin-1(ANGPT-1) and TAS and TOS status in cardiac tissue of male rats.
Methods: In this study, 20 male Wistar rats were divided into two equal groups as follows:   1-training group and 2- control group: no sports activities were performed on them. Rats in the training group performed moderate endurance training for 6 weeks and 5 sessions per week from the twelfth week of life. Twenty-four hours after the last training session, heart tissue samples were extracted to measure gene expression levels of VEGF-B and ANGPT-1 and the TAS and TOS status in heart tissues. T-test with the statistical level of (p˂0.05) was used for between groups comparison.
Results:­ Findings showed that after six weeks of endurance training, the expression level of ANGPT-1 and VEGF-B and the amount of TAS in the exercise group significantly increased (p=0.001) and the amount of TOS significantly decreased compared to the control group (p=0.008).
Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, it seems that moderate-intensity endurance training can be effective in preventing cardiovascular disease by increasing factors involving in angiogenesis, improving TAS and reducing TOS in heart tissue of rats.

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Background & objectives: Obesity and osteoporosis are major problem that their prevalence is increasing. Physical activity can be effective in the prevention of osteoporosis by some mechanisms such as changes in anthropometrics variables. Body mass index (BMI) in men and women is closely related to bone mineral density (BMD). However, the relationship varies between BMI and BMD according to the  different studies. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between body mass index and lumbar bone mineral density in active and inactive middle-aged women.
Methods: Sixty active, middle-aged women and 60 inactive women in the age range of 50 to 65 years, with medical records and clinical trials were selected in Milad Hospital in Tehran. Body mass index was calculated and bone mineral density was measured by DEXA scan in the lumbar spine (L₁ to L₄). Independent t-test and Pearson correlation coefficient were used to evaluate the data. SPSS software version 26 was used for data analysis.
Results: The results of this study showed that in the active group in L₁, L₃ and L₄ lumbar vertebrae (p=0.034, p=0.017, p=0.019, respectively), and in the inactive group in L₃ and L₄ vertebrae (p=0.034, p=0.022, respectively), there was a positive and significant relationship between body mass index and bone mineral density. No significant relationship was found in other lumbar vertebrae of both groups.
Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that weight gain and consequently BMI among active women reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Physical activity in women seems to lead to more muscle mass, which in turn leads to an increase in bone mineral density. Considering this issue, it can be said that one of the applications of the results of the present study is the use of this index in predicting the bone density of individuals

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Background & objectives: Preptin and adropine are peptide hormones that play an important role in the controlling of obesity by regulation of carbohydrate metabolism. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of aerobic training on preptin, adropine and insulin resistance in men with overweight.
Methods: In this clinical trial study, 18 overweight and obese men (age 58.39±3.92, body mass index 28.75±1.23) were selected and randomly divided into two groups (control and exercise). Exercise group participated in an aerobic exercise program for eight weeks, five sessions per week (with an intensity of 65 to 85% of maximum heart rate, 40 minutes). Two days before and after the protocol, fasting blood samples were taken. Preptin and adropine were measured by ELISA. Data were tested using independent t-test and ANCOVA at a significance level of p<0.05.
Results: The level of preptin in the experimental group was significantly reduced compared to the control group (p=0.001) and the pretest (p=0.000). Also, the adropine level in the experimental group increased significantly compared to the control group (p=0.000) and the pretest (p=0.000). Also, Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) values in the exercise group compared to the control group (p=0.000) and pretest (p=0.000) showed a significant decrease.
Conclusions: Exercise improved glycemic index in obese and overweight men by improving the levels of preptin and adropine. It seems that aerobic exercise can be an effective intervention method to control and prevent the occurrence of metabolic diseases in these people.

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Background & objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of preventive administration of ketamine, fentanyl and paracetamol on pain intensity and hemodynamic parameters after deep vitrectomy.
Methods: In this clinical trial, 80 candidates of deep vitrectomy surgery were randomly assigned into 4 groups (1-4) and received 0.5 mg / kg ketamine, 2 μg / kg fentanyl, 10 mg/kg of paracetamol and equivolume of normal saline respectively intravenous infusion during the last 15 minutes of surgery. Pain intensity and hemodynamic parameters were recorded and analyzed.
Results: Pain intensity was significantly higher in placebo group during the first 4 hours after operation (p<0.01), but no significant differences were observed between the study groups at 8 and 24 hours after operation in this regard. There were no significant differences between the three intervention groups in terms of pain intensity during the study. Also there were no significant differences between the 4 study groups regarding to hemodynamic parameters.
Conclusion: The use of each of the three intervention drugs significantly reduced the pain intensity compared to the control group without any hemodynamic derangement.

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Background & objectives: Obesity and a high-fat diet (HFD) lead to metabolic disorders in the liver by affecting the signaling pathways of fat and glucose metabolism. Exercise and dietary habits are of special interest to prevent and counteract obesity and its associated metabolic disorders. Also, Capsaicin ameliorates diet-induced obesity in rodents and humans. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of aerobic exercise and capsaicin on the gene expression level of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and protein kinase B (Akt) in the liver of HFD rats.
Methods: in this experimental study, 40 male Wistar rats were fed a normal diet (ND, n=8) or high-fat diet (HFD) (n=32) for 8 weeks. After 8 weeks, all rats were divided into 5 groups: normal diet (ND), high-fat diet (HFD), high-fat diet-training (HFDT), high-fat diet-capsaicin (HFDCap), high-fat diet-training-capsaicin (HFDTCap). Training groups have performed a moderate- intensity aerobic running program (60-50% VO2max, at 15-25 m/min, 30-60 min/day, and 5 days/week) on a motor-driven treadmill for eight weeks. Capsaicin (4 mg/kg/day) was administered orally, by gavage, once a day.
Results: Induction of diabetes was associated with decreased AMPK expression (p=0.0001) and increased Akt (p=0.0001). The results showed that training and capsaicin significantly increased AMPK expression (p=0.032 and p=0.045, respectively) and decreased Akt expression (p=0.045 and p=0.049, respectively) in HFD rat hepatocytes. Also, the interaction of training and capsaicin had a significant effect on the expression of AMPK (p=0.017) and Akt (p=0.0001).
Conclusion: The results showed that HFD impaired hepatocyte function and that aerobic exercise and capsaicin increased lipogenesis with increasing AMPK and decreasing Akt expression. However, the interaction effect of training with capsaicin was greater.

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Background & objectives: Fishes are one of the most important sources of zoonotic parasites throughout the world. This study aimed to determine helminthic parasites of Fish caught in the Aras River.
Methods: During 2020-2021, a number of 100 fishes including 20 Cyprinus carpio, 10 Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, 5 Hypophthalmichthys nobilis, 12 Silurus glanis, 5 Aspius aspius, 15 Ratilus rutilus, 3 Sander lucioperca, 22 Luciobarbus capito, and 8 Abramis brama were caught. All parts of the fish body (scales, gills, eyes, muscles, gastrointestinal tract) were examined for Helminthes parasites. After clearing and temporarily staining with Lactophenol-Azokarmin, morphological characters of worms were analyzed using a calibrated microscope equipped with a camera.
Results: After examining and evaluating the samples, 18 (18%) of the fish were infected with at least with one helminthic parasite. The species and percent of infection were as follows: Ligula intestinalis plerocercoid: Cyprinus carpio 40%, Ratilus rutilus 13.33%, Abramis brama 12.5% in the abdominal cavity. Bothriocephalus sp.: Cyprinus carpio 5% in the intestine. Diplozoon sp.: Cyprinus carpio 5% and Ratilus rutilus each 6.7% in gills. Dactylogyrus sp.: Cyprinus carpio 10%, Abramis brama 12.5% in gills. Clinostomum sp. metacercariae: Cyprinus carpio 5% infected with metacercaria in gills and abdominal cavity.
Conclusion: Among the investigated types of fish, the highest level of infection with helminthic parasites was found in common carp. Also, among the helminthic parasites found, the highest frequency is related to Ligula intestinalis, followed by Dactylogyrus

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Background & objectives: Obesity and vitamin D (VD) deficiency is associated with poor sleep quality (SQ), and lifestyle changes can effectively improve SQ. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of high- intensity interval running training (HIIRT) with VD intake on the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and SQ in young women with VD deficiency.
Methods: This clinical trial study was conducted on 52 women with an average age of 25.98±1.95 years, body mass index of 27.54±1.13 kg/m2 and low VD status. After being selected by the available sampling method, the subjects were randomly divided into control, running training, VD and combined groups. HIIT performed in 12x1-min running bouts at 80-90% HRmax interspersed with one minute of active recovery. VD was consumed weekly with a dose of 50,000 units. SQ was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA with repeated measures, one-way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis and paired t- test (p<0.05).
Results: After 8 weeks, the levels of BDNF in the experimental groups increased and the SQ score decreased significantly (p<0.05). But the combined intervention had more effect on the change of SQ scales (p<0.05) and BDNF (p<0.001) compared to the other two interventions (p<0.05). In addition, no significant difference was observed between the changes in the SQ score of the running training and VD groups (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Lifestyle changes such as HIIT, VD intake, and combined intervention can lead to improvement of SQ through the up-regulation of BDNF in women with overweight and VD deficiency. Also combined intervention may have more potent effects on improving these variables.

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Background & objectives: Maintaining the capacity of mitochondrial biogenesis during aging is considered a key factor to prevent the development of age-related diseases. this study aimed  to investigate the effect of 8-weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and hawthorn extract on the peroxisome proliferator- activated receptor-γ gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) proteins levels in the soleus muscle of aged rats.
Methods: Thirty-six aged rats were randomly and equally assigned into control (CON), HIIT, extract or combined (COM, HIIT+ extract) groups. The HIIT protocol consisted of 6 to 9 sets×5-min of running on a treadmill, which was performed 4 minutes at 16 m/min and one minuteat a speed velocity of 25 m/min, 5 times a week for 8 weeks. Over the intervention period, rats in the extract and COM groups received 100 mg/kg per day hawthorn. After the interventions, TFAM and PGC-1α protein expression levels were detected in the soleus muscle using the western blotting method.
Results: There was a significant increase in PGC-1α for all interventions when compared to the CON, although this increase in the COM was significantly higher than the other groups. After 8 weeks , there was a significant increase in TFAM level in  extract group compared to CON,also, the training groups had more effects on this marker in comparison to the former intervention (p>0.05).   
Conclusion: It seems that, 8-weeks of the HIIT+ intake hawthorn is a more efficient approach in improving mitochondrial oxidative capacity compared to HIIT and extract alone.
 

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Background: Given the high prevalence of obesity and overweight and the detrimental impact on the mental health of affected people, the objective of this study is to examine the effectiveness of narrative therapy on social physique anxiety in obese and overweight women.
Methods: The current research was a semi-experimental type, with a pre-test, post-test design with a control group. The study population for this research consisted of all obese and overweight women in Tabriz city in 2023. 30 women were selected by the available sampling method and were randomly divided into two groups: the experimental group and the control group. The experimental group received narrative treatment in 8 sessions of 90 minutes, while the control group did not receive any treatment and was placed on the waiting list. At the end of the treatment period, a post-test was performed in both groups. The Social Physique Anxiety Scale by Hart et al. (1989) was used as the measurement tool. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (covariance test with repeated measures) by SPSS-24 software.
Results: In the pre-test, the mean and standard deviation of social physique anxiety in the experimental group were 44.33±2.289, while in the control group, it was 43.67±3.063. In the post-test stage, the values for social physique anxiety in the experimental group were 36.33±3.117, while in the control group, it was 43.80±3.385. The results indicated the effectiveness of narrative therapy (p<0.001). In the follow-up stages, it was found that the effects of narrative therapy are lasting (p<0.001).
Conclusion: According to the results, it can be concluded that narrative can be an effective method for reducing social physique anxiety in obese and overweight women.
 

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Background: Opportunistic pathogens such as Cryptosporidium, Isospora belli, Blastocystis, etc. cause various gastrointestinal and non-digestive diseases in people with HIV. These symptoms are especially severe in people with HIV who have a CD4 count of less than 200. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of parasitic infections in people living with HIV in Tabriz.
Methods: This cross-sectional and descriptive study was performed on137 people with HIV referred to Behavioral Disease Counseling Centers in Tabriz, 2019-2021. Then, after receiving written consent, fecal samples were collected and evaluated for the detection of parasitic infections using direct methods, Ziehl-Neelsen and Trichrome Weber stain.
Results: A total of 137 stool samples were collected, including 93 males and 44 females. Most of them were in the age range of 20-60 years. The overall frequency of parasitic infections was 57.7% and the highest prevalence was related to Blastocystis 24.1% and Cryptosporidium 14.6%.
Conclusion: Due to the relatively high prevalence of parasitic infections, especially Blastocystis and Cryptosporidium in people with HIV in Tabriz, which can endanger the health of these patients, essential interventions, including personal hygiene training to control and prevent infection with these pathogens, seem to be necessary.
 

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