Journal of Arak University of Medical Sciences

Focal Relationship Analysis of the Contribution of Mental Adaptation to Cancer, Health Literacy, and Perceived Threat in Predicting the Early Diagnosis of Breast Cancer in Patients Treated at Shohadaye Tajrish Hospital in 2023

Haniyeh Mozafari

Introduction: The present study was conducted to analyze the focal relationship of the contribution of mental adaptation to cancer, health literacy, and perceived threat in predicting the early diagnosis of breast cancer.
Methods: This study was a descriptive correlational research. The statistical population of the present study included all women with breast cancer under treatment at Shohadaye Tajrish Hospital Cancer Treatment Center in 2023, and 310 people were determined to participate in the research using G*Power software and the available sampling method. They responded to Williams, Templin, and Hines's breast cancer literacy questionnaires, Champion's perceived threat questionnaire, Watson's mental adaptation to cancer and early diagnosis questionnaire. The data were also analyzed using a focal correlation test and multiple regression.
Results: The results showed that there is a significant relationship between the contribution variables of mental adaptation, perceived threat, and health literacy with the components of early cancer diagnosis (knowledge, attitude, and actions) (P ≤ 0.01). Also, the results showed that health literacy was 4.8%, mental compatibility was 3.4 percent and perceived threat 18.7% alone predicted the variance of early diagnosis of breast cancer. The perceived threat share is 38.9%, higher than all other variables.
Conclusions: Based on the statistical results, it can be said that increasing mental adaptability, perceived threat, and health literacy play a role in early disease diagnosis, and the importance of perceived threat is more significant than mental adaptability and health literacy, which should be considered.

The Mediating Role of COVID-19-related Stress in the Relationship between Rumination and Aggression in Patients under Methadone Maintenance Therapy

Zohreh Teymori

Introduction: The stress caused by COVID-19 had affected many people in society, especially individuals at risk. The present study was carried out to investigate, firstly, whether COVID-19-related stress plays a mediating role in the relationship between rumination and aggression in drug-dependent people undergoing treatment. Secondly, the study was conducted to know whether rumination has an indirect effect on the aggression of substance-dependent people under treatment through the mediation of COVID-19-related stress.
Methods: In this correlational analytical study, 136 patients undergoing maintenance treatment with methadone who were willing to enter the study were investigated by the available sampling method in two addiction treatment centers in the 1st and 2nd districts. The data collection tools in the present study included the Corona Disease Anxiety Questionnaire, Rumination Questionnaire, and Bass and Perry Aggression Questionnaire. After collecting the data, the anxiety score of each participant was measured from 0 to 54, the rumination score from 0 to 88, and the aggression score from 29 to 145. Then, the data was analyzed using Lisrel statistical software.
Results: Findings showed that the direct effect of rumination on aggression is 0.23, which is significant at the P < 0.01 level. Therefore, rumination has a positive and direct effect on aggression. Also, COVID-19-related stress plays a mediating role in the relationship between rumination and aggression in drug addicts under treatment. In addition, the indirect effect of rumination on aggression is 0.25, which is significant. Thus, rumination has an indirect effect on aggression through the mediation of COVID-19-related stress.
Conclusions: According to the high prevalence of psycho-social problems such as depression, anxiety, fear, addiction, job burnout, suicidal thoughts, violence, domestic and post-traumatic stress during the COVID-19 pandemic, in the post-corona era, we have witnessed a high amount of mental and social injuries in the world. For this reason, governments must screen psychologically vulnerable groups in advance.

Association of Interleukin-1 Antagonist Receptor Gene Polymorphism (rs2236663) and Type 2 Diabetes in Gonabad city

Milad Khorasani

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes is a non-communicable disease that imposes a significant financial burden on the healthcare system each year. Numerous studies have demonstrated the involvement of inflammatory factors in the initiation and progression of this condition. The primary goal of this study is to compare the polymorphism of the interleukin 1 receptor antagonist gene among individuals with type 2 diabetes and those in the control group.
Methods: Following approval from the Ethics Committee of Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, blood samples were collected from 100 participants at Bohlool Hospital in Gonabad. These individuals were categorized into two groups: cases (individuals with type 2 diabetes) and controls (healthy individuals). DNA extraction was carried out using the salting out method. To examine the polymorphism, the specific segment was initially amplified through PCR with designated primers and then identified via gel electrophoresis. The data were analyzed using subjected to the Chi-square test at a significance level below 5%.
Results: Findings from the polymorphism analysis revealed a notable contrast in the genotype 2/1 (P = 0.001) and 2/2 (P = 0.004) within the case group when compared to the healthy participants. Specifically, individuals with genotype 2/1 exhibited a heightened risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 15 times.
Conclusions: Within the examined population, the polymorphism of the interleukin 1 receptor antagonist gene substantially influenced the predisposition to type 2 diabetes, amplifying the likelihood of developing this ailment. Individuals harboring allele 2 are at an increased susceptibility to type 2 diabetes.

Assessment of the Anti-Cancer Properties of Harmine and Low-Frequency Electromagnetic Field (50 Hz) on Ovarian Cancer Cells (A2780)

Javad Baharara

Introduction: Harmine is an alkaloid from the carboline family, belonging to the harmal plant, which has extensive applications in traditional medicine, with numerous studies highlighting its anti-cancer effects. Since biological processes are influenced by electromagnetic fields, the current study examined the anti-cancer effects of harmine and low-frequency electromagnetic fields on the expression of COX2, VEGF, and MMP-2 genes in the A2780 cell line.
Methods: In this experimental-laboratory study, ovarian cancer cell lines were randomly divided into four groups: control, harmine at concentrations of 6, 12, 24, 48, 96, and 192 micromolar, low-frequency electromagnetic field with an intensity of 50 Gauss, and harmine at a concentration of 48 micromolar with a low-frequency electromagnetic field of 50 Gauss intensity. Their toxicity was assessed using the MTT assay, nuclear morphological changes by DAPI staining, apoptotic effects of these compounds by measuring nitric oxide (NO), and gene expression changes by Real-Time PCR. Quantitative data were analyzed the ANOVA statistical test at a P < 0.05 level.
Results: Quantitative data comparison of this research indicated that harmine and a low-frequency electromagnetic field with an intensity of 50 Gauss caused a concentration-dependent reduction in the viability of ovarian cancer cells. Additionally, in the nitric oxide test, a significant decrease was found in the control group compared to the groups treated with a concentration of 48 micromolar and synergized with a 50 Gauss electromagnetic field (p<0.05). The expression of the aforementioned genes in treated cells showed a significant decrease. Treating ovarian cancer cells with harmine and its combined application led to significant nuclear morphological changes, including chromatin condensation, formation of apoptotic bodies, and wrinkling of the cell membrane.
Conclusions: The combined application of harmine and a low-frequency electromagnetic field induced apoptosis in A2780 cancer cells and resulted in the downregulation of COX2, VEGF-A, and MMP-2 gene expression. Consequently, the combined use of harmine with a low-frequency electromagnetic field, due to its effective cytotoxicity in inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis, could be a suitable candidate for clinical studies.

Effectiveness of Group Meaning Therapy Intervention on Quality of Life, Emotion Regulation and Life Expectancy of Women with Breast Cancer

Zahra Ghanbari Zarandi

Introduction: Breast cancer causes psychological problems and decreases psychological health in people, therapeutic interventions are needed to solve these problems. This research was conducted to determine the effectiveness of group meaning therapy intervention on the quality of life, emotional regulation, and life expectancy of women with breast cancer.
Methods: The research method was semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population included all women with breast cancer referring to the health centers of Kerman city in 2023. Among them, 30 people were selected by the available sampling method and were replaced randomly and by lottery in two experimental and control groups (15 individuals in the experimental group and 15 in the control group). The people in the experimental group received group-meaning therapy intervention (10 sessions) and two sessions weekly for 90 minutes. The questionnaires used in this research included quality of life, emotion regulation, and life expectancy questionnaires administered in two phases: pre-test and post-test.
Results: The results showed that before the intervention, there was no significant difference between the average scores of the quality of life, emotion regulation, and life expectancy of the intervention and control groups, but there was a statistically significant difference between the average scores of the intervention and control groups after the intervention. The mean and standard deviation of the quality of life in the post-test was 6.91 ± 29.75, emotion regulation was 10.25 ± 98.28, and life expectancy was 6.49 ± 39.51 (P < 0.001).
Conclusions: According to the results of this research, group therapy increased the quality of life, emotion regulation, and life expectancy in women with cancer. Since the favorable mental state of the patient affects their recovery, the use of this method is recommended as an effective strategy to reduce the psychological problems of patients.

Modeling the Structural Equations of Extraversion and Conduct Disorder with the Mediating Role of Moral Intelligence in Juveniles of Correctional Center

Alireza Manzari Tavakoli

Introduction: Delinquency is a serious challenge for teenagers and has significant negative social effects. The main goal of this research was to find out the structural equation modeling of extraversion and delinquent behavior disorder: the mediating role of moral intelligence among the juveniles of Kerman Correctional Center.
Methods: This was a descriptive correlational research of structural equation model type. The statistical population of this research was made up of 80 juveniles of Kerman Correctional Center, who were selected and studied by simple random sampling using Morgan's table. To collect information, Hans Eysenck's (1963) Personality Type Questionnaire, Goodman's Conduct Disorder Questionnaire (1997), Aiti Juvenile Delinquency Questionnaire (2013) and Link and Keel's Moral Intelligence Questionnaire (2005) were used. Descriptive and inferential statistics (structural equation modeling) were used for data analysis through SPSS-28 and Smart PLS-3 software.
Results: The results of this research showed that there is a direct and positive relationship between extraversion and juvenile delinquency. There is a significant direct and positive relationship between conduct disorder and juvenile delinquency. There is a direct and positive relationship between extroversion and moral intelligence of teenagers. There is a significant direct and negative relationship between conduct disorder and moral intelligence of adolescents. There is a direct negative relationship between moral intelligence and delinquency. There was no relationship between extraversion and juvenile delinquency as a mediator of moral intelligence. There was no relationship between conduct disorder and juvenile delinquency with the mediating role of moral intelligence.
Conclusions: According to the results, it can be acknowledged that moral intelligence is an effective component of delinquency affected by extroversion and behavior disorder in teenagers. Therefore, education and training programs should be implemented to strengthen moral intelligence in schools and families, because these programs can strengthen moral skills and moral decision-making power in teenagers and help reduce behavioral disorders and, as a result, delinquency.

The Effect of 12 Weeks of Resistance Training on Serum Levels of Myonectin and FGF-21 in Inactive Middle-aged Men

Masoud Rahmati

Introduction: Considering the synthesis and release of myokines from muscle tissue during exercise and the relationship of myokines with the development of strength and increase in muscle volume, the purpose of this study is to investigate 12 weeks of resistance training on the serum levels of myonectin and FGF- There were 21 middle-aged men.
Methods: In a semi-experimental study, 40 middle-aged men of Arak city (mean age 38.27 ± 6.02 years, weight 77.12 ± 11.23 kg, height 174.05 ± 7.22 cm) were selected and randomly placed in two resistance training groups (20 people) and control (20 people). The training group performed 12 weeks of resistance training 3 times a week with an intensity of 65-80% of maximum strength. Blood was taken from all the subjects 48 hours before and after the intervention, and serum levels of myonectin and FGF-21 were checked by the ELISA method. After checking the normality of the data, they were analyzed by the correlation t-test and independent t-test at a significance level of less than 0.05.
Results: Resistance training caused a significant increase in the serum level of myonectin (P = 0.001) and the serum level of FGF-21 (P = 0.001) and also decreased the percentage of fat (P = 0.417) in middle-aged men.
Conclusions: According to the results of this study, it seems that resistance training can have positive adaptation by increasing the serum levels of myonectin and FGF-21 in the regulation of muscle mass, hypertrophy process, angiogenesis process, and Improve the body's metabolism.

Investigating Factors Affecting Sexual Self-Efficacy of Pregnant Women in Arak City

masoomeh davoodabadi farahani

Introduction: Sexual self-efficacy is a fundamental concept in behavior, health, and sexual performance that changes over time due to events such as pregnancy and childbirth. The present study was conducted to investigate factors affecting sexual self-efficacy in pregnant women in Arak City.
Methods: The current research is a cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study conducted with 234 pregnant women aged 18 to 40 who had minimal reading and writing literacy and lived with their husbands. Ten comprehensive urban health centers were selected using cluster sampling. Data were collected through a demographic information checklist and a sexual self-efficacy questionnaire. Data analysis was done using Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis and (LSD) tests.
Results: The mean score of sexual self-efficacy of pregnant women was 28.51 ± 6.45 and was at a high level. Kruskal-Wallis test showed that the sexual self-efficacy of pregnant women is unrelated to their education (P = 0.2). There is a significant relationship between education and the education of their spouses (P = 0.04). (LSD) test showed a significant difference between different levels of education of husbands and the sexual self-efficacy of pregnant women. Also, no significant relationship was observed between the mean score of sexual self-efficacy and other variables.
Conclusions: The sexual self-efficacy of pregnant women is related to the education of their husbands, so it is suggested to provide a suitable platform for increasing the knowledge and awareness of men.