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Background and Objective: The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is considered to be the main barrier to drug transport into the central nervous system. In this study, the capability of biopartitioning micellar chromatography (BMC) using the mixed micellar system of Brij-35/sodium dodecyl sulfate (Brij-35/SDS, 85:15 mol/mol) has been studied to predict pharmacokinetic parameter (BBB penetration ability) of 14 basic drugs.

Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, the potential of BMC using mixed micellar system (Brij-35/SDS, 85:15 mol/mol) in 0.04 M at physiological pH 7.4 was evaluated to predict pharmacokinetic parameter (BBB penetration ability) of 14 basic drugs. The regression model for the prediction of blood-brain distribution coefficient is derived from the multiple linear regression analysis using the training set in mixed micellar mobile phase. Also, the predictive ability of model was evaluated for a prediction set of 5 compounds (Chlorpromazine, Mianserin, Propranolol, Cimetidine, and Thioridazine). The fair R2 indicates good stability and predictive ability of the developed model for the drugs not included in modeling.

Results: The relationship between the BMC retention data of 14 basic drugs and their log BB parameter showed a good statistically model (R2=0.822, F=25.42, SE=0.225, R2CV=0.781).

Conclusion: This study points out the usefulness of mixed micellar solution of Brij-35/SDS, 85:15 (mol/mol) in BMC as a high-throughput primary screening tool that can provide key information about the blood-brain distribution of basic drugs in a simple and economical way.

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Background and Objective: Sodium meta-bisulphite is used as a preservative in food and pharmaceutical industries. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of vitamin E on the improvement of sodium-meta bisulphite-induced complications on ovarian tissue and sex hormones in rats.
Methods: In this experimental study, 70 adult Wistar rats were randomly allocated into 7 groups including control, sham and interventional groups were received vitamin E (200 mg/kg/bw), sodium metabisulfite (520 mg/kg/bw), and sodium meta-bisulphite (520 mg/kg/bw) was combined with vitamin E in 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg/bw doses. Prescriptions were taken as gavage for 30 days. Blood samples were taken from animals to measure LH, FSH, estrogen and progesterone hormones. Ovaries were removed and follicles were counted after tissue sections.
Results: The concentration of estrogen hormones, progesterone, LH, FSH and number of ovarian follicles in the groups receiving sodium meta-bisulphite and vitamin E alone was significantly lower than control group (P<0.05). In animals treated with sodium meta-bisulphite and vitamin E at 100 and 200 mg/kg/bw, no significant difference was observed. However, in animals which were simultaneously treated with meta-bi-sulfite sodium and vitamin E at dose 100 and 200 mg/kg, in compared with the control group, significant improvement was not observed.
Conclusion: Sodium meta-bisulphite consumption with 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight of vitamin E can reduce the effect of sodium meta-bisulphite on ovarian follicles and sex hormones.

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Background and Objective: Burn is one of the leading causes of mortality in the world. This study was done to determine the effect of the lavender, sesame oil, and combination of Lavender with sesame oil and silver sulfadiazine on the burn wound healing in mice.
Methods: In this experimental study, 30 male adult albino mice were randomly allocated into 5 groups as follows: the negative control group (physiology serum); the positive control group (silver sulfadiazine); the first experimental group (sesame oil), the second experimental group (combination of Lavender with sesame oil) and the third experimental group (Lavender oil).Second degree of  burn wound healing  take place using hot sheet with a diameter of 2 cm. wound treatment was done in five groups in 21-day treatment period. The wound diameter size and restoration percentage were measured on days 1, 3, 6, 9, 18, and 21. Some mice were euthanized and the samples of wounds were used for histopathological studies.
Results: The percentage of wound healing significantly increased in groups of silver sulfadiazine, combination of Lavender with sesame oil, Lavender oil and  sesame oil in compared to control group (P<0.05). The improvement percentage was seen in sulfadiazine and combination of Lavender with sesame oil groups in compared to negative control group. The level of tissue restoration based on the accumulation of collagen, fibroblasts, re-epithelialization were seen in sulfadiazine, combination of Lavender with sesame oil, Lavender oil and sesame oil, respectively.
Conclusion: Combination of Lavender with sesame oil similar to silver sulfadiazine has tissue restoration effect on burn wound healing in animal model.

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Background and Objective: Organic aromatic compounds as common environmental pollutants can be existing in the effluent of different industries in concentrations ranging from trace quantities to hundreds of milligrams per liter. Phenol compounds extremely have been used in pharmaceutical, wood industry and paper and dyes industries which introduced to environment via effluents. This study was done to evaluate the efficacy of persulfate activated by Fe²⁺ in the present of UV for removal of phenol from aqueous solutions.
Methods: This photocatalytic degradation experiment was performed in batch mode using a 2.5 L cylindrical reactor equipped with low-pressure Hg vapor lamp of 55 W for wavelength production of 253.7 nm. The effects of operating parameters such as pH of the solution (pH: 3-10), different initial persulfate concentration (10-75 mmol/l), initial Fe²⁺ concentration (5-30 mmol/l) and initial phenol concentration (10-100 mg/l). Concentration changes of phenol were determined using UV–VIS spectroscopy at the wavelength of 500 nm.
Results: Degradation of phenol was significantly decreased with increasing of pH from 3 to 10, whereas the highest phenol removal rate was 82% at pH=3 in 45 min contact time. Also, the phenol removal rate is depending on initial persulfate and Fe²⁺ concentration. The degradation of phenol by this photocatalytic followed first order rate decay kinetics (R²>98%(. Under optimum operational conditions, the removal of TOC was obtained to be 61% in 45 min contact time.
Conclusion: This study indicated that activation of persulfate by Fe²⁺ in the present of UV process could serve as a novel treatment technique for removal of phenol in aqueous solution.
 

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Background and Objective: Parents of children with cancer are more susceptible to psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, stress, and generally, mental health risks. This study was done to determine the effectiveness of group acceptance and commitment therapy on self-efficacy among mothers of children with cancer.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 30 mothers of children with cancer referring to Children’s Medical Center in Tehran, Iran during 2017. Mothers were non-randomly assigned into intervention and control groups. For gathering the data, the parental self agency measure of Dumka and colleagues (PSAM; 1996) was used. The group acceptance and commitment therapy was offered to subjects in the interventional group for 2-hour in 10 sessions, but the control group's mothers did not receive any intervention.
Results: Mean scores of self-efficacy among mothers of children with cancer were 31.40±6.40 and 53.87±13.35 in pre-test and post-test, respectively (P<0.05). Mean scores of self-efficacies among mothers in the control group were 30.07±5.73 and 29±7.58 in pre-test and post-test, respectively. This difference was not significant.
Conclusion: Acceptance and commitment therapy significantly improves parental self-efficacy among mothers of children with cancer.

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Background and Objective: Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases and also the biggest health problem in all countries. The world health organization has called it a silent epidemic. Self-care is one of the most important factors in controlling blood sugar in diabetics’ patients. This study was done to determine the relationship between self-care and glycosylated hemoglobin level diabetic patients in rural area in Golestan Province, northern Iran.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was done on 239 male and female patients with type 2 diabetes (56.92±10.70 years) in rural area in Golestan Province, northern Iran during 2016. Data collection tool were a standard diabetes self-care questionnaire with demographic variables and HbA1C test. Completion of data and sampling was done by referring to the health center and calling patients.
Results: There was no significant relationship between glycemic controls with any of the self-care items studied. Mean of HbA1c was 8.23±1.85%. 97 patients (40.6%) had good blood sugar control (less than 7.5%). Patient's self-care had a mean of 3.58, of which the highest score was related to the dietary regimen (6.60) and the lowest was related to self-monitoring of blood glucose (0.88) and regular physical activity (2.3).
Conclusion: Self-care of the patients was moderate. Interventions to increase self-care of patients are recommended in this area.

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Background and Objective: Among short-term therapies, psychoanalytic approaches use the therapeutic relationship more than any other approach as a context for change. This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of short-term object relation psychotherapy on interpersonal relationships, self-destruct behaviors and personality organization of patients with borderline personality disorder.
Methods: This clinical trial study was done on the 20 patients with borderline personality disorder who referred to medical clinics in Sari city in northern Iran during 2020. Patients were divided into two intervention and control groups by random sampling. Patients in interventional group were received short-term object relation psychotherapy in 16 individual sessions of 45 minutes once a week. The control group did not receive any intervention. Patients completed the structured clinical interview scales of First et al (SCID-II), the Bell’s object relations inventory (BORI), self-destruct questionnaire of Sharabaf et al and Kernberg’s inventory of personality organization (IPO).
Results: Scores of interpersonal relationships, self-destructive behaviors and personality organization were significantly reduced in interventional group in compared to control group (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Short-term object relation psychotherapy is an effective therapy to reduce the symptoms of patients with borderline personality disorder.

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Background and Objective: One of the most important concerns in children is self- medication that may cause in delay the correct diagnosis, and increases morbidity and mortality. This study was performed to determine the frequency of self-medication of parents in children in need of medical care in Gorgan city.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 270 children referred to the pediatric clinic of Taleghani Hospital in Gorgan, northern Iran during 2018-19. Medications were given to the children by their parents arbitrarily without prescriptions by doctors during the recent week were evaluated.
Results: 58.5% and 41.5% of children were males and females, respectively. The average age of children was 5.79 ±4.15 years. Self-medication was the first choice of 60.4% of parents. In the recent week, 48.9% of parents had self-medicated to treat their child's current illness, of which 31.8% reported antipyretic, 17.4% herbal medicines, 11.4% antibiotics and 23.5% other medicines. 91% of parents were unaware of correct dose of drugs and 96.3% did not have any knowledge about possible side effects of drugs, contraindications and precautions. There was a statistically significant association between parent job (self-employment) and self-medication (P<0.05).
Conclusion: 48.9% of parents were performed self-medication on their children. Out of those parents 91% and 96.3% were not aware from the correct drugs dosage and of possible side effects, contraindications and potential risks respectively.

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Background and Objective: Propofol is one of the most commonly used drugs in anesthesia with the pain during an injection is a side effect of this drug. This study was conducted to compare the effect of Lidocaine, Magnesium Sulfate, and Ketamine on reducing pain caused by intravenous injection of Propofol in patients Undergoing surgery.
Methods: In this double-blind randomized clinical trial study, 80 patients aged 18 to 65 years were randomly blocked and assigned into four groups including Lidocaine, Ketamine, Magnesium Sulfate and Normal Saline. The pain was measured with the Ambesh Score. Hemodynamic changes of patients were evaluated in 1, 3, and 5 minutes.
Results: The patients in Lidocaine, Ketamine, and Magnesium Sulfate groups with 75%, 70%, and 55%, respectively, did not feel pain after Propofol injection compared to Normal Saline group (25%) (P<0.05). The mean time trend of Systolic and diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial blood pressure between the studied groups were significant (P<0.05).
Conclusion: The use of Lidocaine or Ketamine during Propofol injection can be effective in reducing pain during injection in patients undergo surgery.

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Background and Objective: Middle age is associated with various biopsychosocial changes. Sexual health is one of the most important aspects of health, which is less addressed in middle age. The study aimed to determine the relationship between sexual self-concept and sexual health in middle-aged women in Gorgan, Iran.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was carried out on 428 eligible married women (mean age: 46.38±5.46 years) who had electronic records in one of the comprehensive health centers of Gorgan, Iran. Data collection was done in 2019 using a demographic checklist, the Persian version of Snell’s multidimensional sexual self-concept questionnaire, and the sexual health of middle-aged women scale.
Results: The mean score of sexual self-concept was 115.10±26.88 in the positive domain, 18.09±11.22 in the negative domain, and 39.92±11.88 in the situational domain. The mean score of sexual health was 129.18±18.71. There was a significant positive correlation between sexual health and the positive (r=0.67, P<0.001) and situational sexual self-concept (r=0.63, P<0.001). There was also a significant inverse correlation between sexual health and negative sexual self-concept (r=-0.48, P<0.001).
Conclusion: This study showed that the sexual health of married middle-aged women has a direct relationship with the positive sexual self-concept and an inverse relationship with the negative sexual self-concept.
 

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Background and Objective: Health includes various dimensions, one of the most important of which is spiritual health. Although this aspect of health has a long history, it has attracted the attention of doctors and psychologists in the last few decades. One of the effective factors in spiritual health is rationality, which has always been one of the most controversial topics in the history of human thought. This study was done to explain the relationship between health and spirituality.

Methods: This research is of analytical-descriptive type, which was carried out using the library method and using verses, narrations and interpretive sources.

Results: Rationality is not only incompatible with spirituality but also strengthens it. The religion of Islam, which was descended for the development and growth of spiritual health, has always invited people to rationality and has condemned those who do not use reason and thought.

Conclusion: This study shows that rationality has a direct relationship with spirituality and causes the spiritual health of a person.

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Background and Objective: Vaginal delivery is a natural physiological process that can be a critical experience for women. One of the factors involved in avoiding vaginal delivery is childbirth self-efficacy. Self-efficacy affects all aspects of behavior and emotional activities, including attachment. This study aimed to determine the relationship between childbirth self-efficacy and maternal attachment to the fetus in nulliparous pregnant women.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 323 nulliparous pregnant women who attended health centers in Zahedan city from 2020-2021. Data were collected using participants’ demographic questionnaire, Lowe’s childbirth self-efficacy questionnaire, and Cranely’s maternal attachment to the fetus questionnaire.
Results: Maternal attachment style to the fetus showed a significant direct correlation with childbirth self-efficacy. Maternal attachment style to the fetus predicted childbirth self-efficacy (P=0.003, r=0.16), explaining 2.7% of the variance of childbirth self-efficacy.
Conclusion: The results suggest that helping mothers accept their motherly role and improving maternal attachment to the fetus can increase childbirth self-efficacy. Educational programs during pregnancy should include training related to strengthening maternal attachment to the fetus. As women with high childbirth self-efficacy have a greater ability to perform vaginal delivery, it may increase their desire for vaginal delivery.
 

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Background and Objective: Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have been active in the field of health for a long time and have played a key role in it, but these organizations are less known to the public for the promotion of social health and are not much considered by the planners and managers of the health system. This study was conducted to determine the challenges of NGOs’ to promote social health in Iran.
Methods: In this qualitative study, 15 Iranian managers and scientific and executive experts of the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Interior, Governorate, and Universities of Medical Sciences of the country were selected by purposeful sampling during 2021. Data were collected using an interview guide and semi-structured in-depth interview methods. After recording and transcribing, the data were analyzed by content analysis.
Results: The challenges of NGOs to promote social health in Iran were classified into six main themes of planning, organizing, functional, political, economic, and sociocultural challenges, and 33 sub-themes. Most of the participants emphasized the weak role of non-governmental organizations in improving social health and considered it a result of the mentioned challenges.
Conclusion: Empowering non-governmental organizations by formulating a strategic and operational plan and attracting financial resources from various government, private, and charitable sectors will greatly help to strengthen them to advance social health promotion programs.

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Background and Objective: Population growth and pollution caused by the discharge of all kinds of urban, industrial, and agricultural sewage, leachate from landfills, and surface water runoff cause an increase in pollution of water sources. The entry of heavy metals into the environment, especially aquatic ecosystems, due to entering the food chain and jeopardizing human health is one of the concerns of society. This study was conducted to determine the level of heavy metals in muscles of Cynoglossus arel and Pomadasys kaakan fishes in Boushehr coastal waters, north of the Persian Gulf.
Methods: This descriptive study was conducted on twenty pieces of Cynoglossus arel and twenty pieces of Pomadasys kaakan fishes take place from three coastal stations of Boushehr, north of the Persian Gulf, Iran during spring of 2022. The samples were randomly selected from the fish market. After preparation, bioassay, and digestion of fish muscle by concentrated nitric acid, the concentration of heavy metals including nickel, zinc, copper, lead, and cadmium (µg/g) in the muscle tissue was measured by ICP-OES device. The concentration of heavy metals in the fish muscle tissue for human consumption was compared with international standards (FAO, WHO, FDA, NHMRC, and UKMAFF). According to the method of the US Environmental Protection Agency for fish consumption, daily absorption estimates and heavy metal risk indicators were calculated.
Results: The risk potential index for both species was less than one. The daily and weekly absorption of Cynoglossus arel (zinc > copper > nickel > lead > cadmium) and Pomadasys kaakan (copper > zinc > nickel > lead > cadmium) were determined. The mean concentration of heavy metals nickel, zinc, copper, lead, and cadmium in the muscle tissue of the studied species was determined to be 1.88±0.07, 27.16±8.11, 11.55±4.12, 1.14±0.06, and 0.19±0.03 µg/g, respectively. The highest amounts of studied metals in aquatic animals were zinc > copper > nickel > lead > cadmium. The concentration of metals in the analyzed samples was lower than the international standards.
Conclusion: Regarding toxicity, the concentration of metals in Cynoglossus arel and Pomadasys kaakan was evaluated as acceptable for human consumption. In addition, the amount of risk potential and risk index for non-cancerous diseases in adults and children in fish muscle tissue was less than 1, and the consumption of this fish does not cause any problems for human health. 

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Background and Objective: In recent years, studies have been conducted to determine the prevalence rate of congenital abnormalities in different regions of Iran, most of which were conducted on live births. This study was conducted to determine fetal abnormalities in pregnancies leading to legal abortion in Golestan province.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 199 pregnant women with a gestational age of less than 20 weeks with abortion licenses from the Forensic Medicine Center of Golestan province over 9 months during 2018-19. Demographic characteristics, including parents’ age, ethnicity, and family relationship, and the type of fetal abnormalities were recorded.
Results: Given 29,460 births in Golestan province over a 9-month period, the prevalence of fetal abnormalities was determined to be 6.75 per thousand births. The incidence rates of fetal abnormalities were determined to be 6.78, 6.68, 7.69, and 5.65 per thousand births in native Fars (80 cases), Turkmen (65 cases), Sistani (34 cases), and other (20 cases) ethnic groups, respectively. Since the gender of 80 fetuses was unknown, the incidence rates of abnormality were determined to be 4.36 and 3.72 per thousand births in female (63 cases) and male (56 cases) fetuses, respectively. The most common fetal abnormalities included central nervous system (n=49, 24.62%), chromosomal abnormalities (n=47, 23.61%), and cardiovascular impairments (n=26, 13.06%). The incidence of fetal abnormalities was not found to have a statistically significant relationship with parents' age, ethnicity, and family relationship.
Conclusion: The most prevalent fetal abnormality was related to central nervous system disorders. The incidence of fetal abnormalities had no relationship with the parents’ age, ethnicity, and family relationship.

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Background and Objective: Type 1 diabetes is considered one of the most common chronic diseases during childhood. Diagnosis and presence of chronic disease in the child create tension, worry, and problems for parents, particularly for the mother who is responsible for taking care of the child. The present study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of resilience training on the self-esteem of mothers of children with type 1 diabetes.
Methods: This clinical trial was carried out on 60 mothers of children with type 1 diabetes referring to diabetes clinics in the cities of Gonbad-e-Kavus and Gorgan, Golestan province, during 2022-23. Mothers were selected by the convenience sampling method and using a random number table and were assigned to two 30-people control and intervention groups. The resilience training program was implemented for the intervention group in 5-people groups for nine 90-minute sessions during 2 months. The data collection tool consisted of a demographic questionnaire and the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI) filled out in two pre-test and post-test phases. Scoring of poor, moderate, and strong self-esteem was carried out by obtaining scores of 26 and below, 27-43, and over 44.
Results: The mean and standard deviation of the overall self-esteem (22.73±3.26), social (7.32±0.79), occupational/social (7±1.46), and general self-esteem (44.73±5.03) dimensions had a statistically significant increase in the post-test in mothers of the intervention group compared to those in the control group (P<0.05). The mean and standard deviation of the self-esteem scores of mothers in the intervention group were evaluated as moderate at the onset of the study and strong at the post-test (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Resilience training culminated in increasing the self-esteem of mothers of children with type 1 diabetes.

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Background and Objective: Family-centered empowerment involves engaging clients and their families in decision-making processes to improve health outcomes, thereby enabling them to exert control over their health status through informed choices. Self-efficacy is considered the most crucial component of empowerment and holds significant importance in the management of chronic diseases and the enhancement of self-efficacy. This study was conducted to compare the effects of patient-centered and family-centered empowerment model-based training on perceived self-efficacy and fasting blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 120 patients with type 2 diabetes who attended rural comprehensive health centers in Gorgan, Iran, during 2023. Patients were enrolled in the study using a multi-stage cluster sampling method and were divided into three groups of 40: A control group, a family-centered empowerment group, and a patient-centered empowerment group. The interventions in the patient-centered and family-centered groups were delivered in 6-8 people groups based on a four-stage model. These stages included threat perception, problem-solving, educational participation, and evaluation. Patients in the control group received only the routine health center training. Data collection instruments included the standard Perceived Self-Efficacy Questionnaire in middle-aged diabetic patients and a checklist for recording clinical characteristics.
Results: The fasting blood glucose levels decreased in all three groups after the intervention; however, this difference was not statistically significant among the groups in either the pre-test or the post-test. In the post-test, a statistically significant increase in perceived self-efficacy was observed between the patient-centered group and the family-centered group, as well as between the patient-centered group and the control group (P<0.05).
Conclusion: The patient-centered and family-centered empowerment model-based training on patients’ perceived self-efficacy was evaluated as effective; however, it had no effect on the fasting blood glucose levels of patients with type 2 diabetes.