Background: M others must gain enough knowledge and practice about danger signs in children to achieve behavior change. Knowing such factors influencing behavior change will facilitate change. So, training about danger signs in children using models that identify the factors influencing behavior is essential. Health belief model is one of the effective models in education. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of education on behavior of mothers about danger signs in children less than five years.

  Materials and Methods: This is an educational trial study that was conducted on 116 mother with children under five years old referring to treatment health centers in Arak city in 2014. They were divided into two groups case (n=56 ) and control ( n=60 ) randomly.

  The data collected by filling the valid and reliable questionnaire that reseatcher made along with interview. An educational intervention was conducted in case group during the four learning sessions. Three months after educational intervention, post-test was conducted by filling questionnaire. Finally, data were analyzed by SPSS software in significance level of p<0/05.

  Results: There was no significant difference between mean score of health belief model construct and behavior in the experimental and control groups before the intervention(p<0.05) , but significant differences were shown after intervention(p<0.001). The mean score of the mothers in the intervention group before and after intervention was 39.58±42.15, and 84.52±23.05 respectively, that showed significant differences (p<0.001).

  Conclusion: According to the results of this study, educational intervention based on initial assessment on Health Belief Model was effective in improving mothers' practice about danger signs in children. Thus, it can be helpful to design training programs.

Background: Today, environmental pollutants are one of the most important human problems. The purpose of this study was to assess the health belief model structures for promotion of preventive behaviors in pregnant women exposed to air pollution in Arak city in 2014.

Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 208 pregnant women referred to healthcare centers in Arak city were selected by multistage sampling and were studied. Data were collected by using a valid and reliable self- report questionnaire. The questionnaire included the demographic characteristics of the mother, the aspects of the HBM model, and the maternal practice checklist. Finally, the data were analyzed.

Results: The mean age of subjects was 26.48 ±4.77 and the mean gestational age was 14.88 ±5.59 weeks. The highest level of education for pregnant women (47.1%) was a diploma. The mean practice score was 72.9 and among the structures, the highest and the lowest score was obtained for perceived susceptibility(83.25) and barriers(59.16), respectively. To predict the hehavior by using the HBM structures, regression analysis showed that of the studied variables, the external practice guides, perceived susceptibililty, and barriers are as behavior predictive predictive agents that totally, predicted 26% (R2=0.265) of behavior changes.

Conclusion: According to the results of the study, the design of educational interventions should be based on the external practice guides, perceived susceptibility and barriers structures as the most important predictors of maternal behavior.

Background: Inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and change in lifestyle represents a successful strategy to prevent cardiovascular disease. Therefore, the present study investigated the combined effects of regulae Pilates training and Apium Graveolens seed supplement on monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in sedentary women.

Materials and Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 28 healthy sedentary woman with age average 31±5.5 years old are selected in a convenience sampling way and randomely divided into and control, exercise, supplement and exercise+supplement groups. Pilates exercise was consisted of exercise movements at 50% to 80% maximal heart rate in, 3 sessions per week for 8 weeks. Supplement and exercise+supplement groups consumed 1.3 gr Apium Graveolens seed capsule three times a day after meals. Fasting blood samples were collected before and 48 hours after the last interventions. MCP-1 and CRP levels were measured by ELISA method.

Results: Eight weeks of Pilates exercise, supplementation and the combined intervention were associated with a significant increase in MCP-1 and CRP levels (p<0.05). Furthermore Pilates exercise and combined intervention were associated with significantly greater increases in percent changes of the MCP-1 and CRP compared to supplement group (p<0.05).

Conclusion: These findings suggest that the protective effect of Pilates exercise and Apium Graveolens seed supplementation non-drug interventions might in part be due to suppression of the inflammatory processes.

Background: Lamiaceae family has about 200 genuses and 4000 species. The majority of species of the family have essence that was used for nutritional, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry. The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical composition of essential oil from aerial parts of Bollota platyloma  and antibacterial activity of it.

Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, study Ballota platyloma, belonging to lamiaceae family and entomic of iran, was collected from Versk region in Mazandaran provinc. Essential oil from aerial parts was obtained by hydro distillation method by using Clevenger apparatus. GC/MS analysis of essential oil was carried out to identify major volatile constituents. Extraction was prepared by maceration method. Antibacterial activity of methanolic extracts against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Stapylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli was investigated by disc diffusion method and minimal inhibitory concentration(MIC) method.

Results: Results showed that GC/MS analysis of the essential oil confirms the presence of 24 constituents in Ballota platyloma. The main constituents were Hexadecanoic Acid (40.03%), Germacrene D (26.6%) and Beta Caryophylene (4.76%). The results indicated that methanolic extract of Ballota platyloma possessed antibacterial activity. Among the aforementioned bacteria, the highest antibacterial activity was seen against S. aureus and the lowest activity against P. aeruginosa.

Conclusion: The findings of the present study showed that the major component of oil essential was germacrene-D and methanolic extract from the aerial parts of Ballota platyloma Rech. f. possess anti-bacterial effects. Thus, in order to find the underlying mechanism of this activity, further research should be carried out.

Background: Today, the consumption of junk food as a snack among children, especially in elementary school students is on the rise. This research has measured Theory of Planned Behavior constructs in this field.

Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional and analytical study that was carried out on 217 primary school students in Arak city in 2015. Students were selected according to cluster sampling method. Data collection instrument was a researcher-developed questionnaire consisting of theory of planned behavior constructs such as attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, behavioral intention and performance. Reliability and validity of the questionnaire was studied before the study. Multivariate linear regression model was used to determine the most important predictive constructs of students behavior.

Results: In this study, the mean and standard deviation score of attitude (75.41±12.42), subjective norm (78.25±11.20), perceived behavioral control (63.69±17.06), behavicral intention (76.26±15.44), and performance (48.84±24.44) were observed. Based on the results, perceived behavioral control could predict 23 percent change in behavior. There was a direct correlation between the score of constructs and performance(p<0.05). Moreover, there were not any significant differences(p>0.05) between students nutrition and age(r=0.019), weight (r=0.07), height (r=0.12) and BMI (r=0.07).

Conclusion: The results of this study suggested that positive attitude and self-esteem must taken into account to control students diet, in the design of interventions to prevent consuming junk food.

Background: Myelomeningocele is one of the common congenital malformation in childhood that has association with many disorders. in addition to routine management of associated disorders surgical repair of myelomeningocele has been considered in many cases . The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of myelomeningocele surgical repair in prognosis of children with myelomeningocele

Materials and Methods: This is a case-control study from 2001 to 2013 in 60 infants with myelomeningocele in two department of neurosurgery in Arak and Ilam cities (Vali Asr and Imam Khomeni hospitals, respectively). Infants were divided into two groups according to operable and inoperable cases (each group includes 30 cases). The prognosis of two groups was investigated with respect to mortality, and Stark and Drummond disability rating scale. Data were analyzed with SPSS 18 software.

Results: Case group had better prognoses compared to control with respect to handicap (p=0.003), urinary tract disorders (p=0.006), IQ (p=0.001), global disability(p=0.006) and mortality rate, but there was no difference between two groups with respect to hydrocephalus(p=0.3).

Conclusion: According to the results, mortality, disability and prognosis of infants with myelomeningocele that underwent operation were better. In conclusion, early myelomeningocele repair is advised for infants, because it affects the improvement of prognosis and the quality of patients' life.

Background: studies in adults have shown that external focus of attention is better than internal focus in motor learning. So, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of focus of attention- self talk on balance of women with multiple sclerosis.

Materials and Methods: In this semi- experimental study, statistical population included women with MS referred to MS Society of Arak. Whereas balance disorder in patients was diagnosed by neurologyist, they were invited to the study. Patients were accidentally divided into 3 groups each of 15 concluding control, self tak-external focus of attention and self talk- internal focus of attention groups and were evaluated by Berg balance scale. 42 samples completed executive steps of study. ANOVA and Tukey tests were used to compare balance score between groups with significant level of less than 0.05. All patients practiced balance tasks for 9 days and then they were undergone post test.

Results: Balance was improved in all groups. Although the external- self talk group was better than the two other groups, there was no significant difference between external and internal- self talk groups.

Conclusion: The findings of this study showed the effect of practice on improvement of balance skill and superiority of the experimental groups in comparison with control group. Probably, focus of attention with self talk has effect on balance of women with MS.

Background: Improvement of nutrition like fish and sea products is influential in preventing from non-contagious diseases. The transtheoretical model is one of the models for effective investigation on nutrition behaviors.  This study was done with the aim of investigating fish consumption among women 30 to 50 years old based on the transtheoretical model.

Materials and Methods: This study was an analytical and cross sectional analysis which was conducted in 2014 on 360 women 30 to 50 years in Arak city. The data have been collected by using researcher-made questionnaires which its validity and reliability was assessed in accordance to the transtheoretical model were obtained by visiting houses. Then the collected data were analyzed by pearson correlation test.

Results: The average age of the respondents was 39.34±7.5. The average of fish consumption was 0.62 ±0.83 times a week. 64 % of people in consumption of at least two servings of fish a week were in the two first stages of change (pre-contemplation and contemplation).The average score of self-efficacy in fish consumption was a total of 10.58 ±3.12 out of 15 and the average score of cons of fish was 26.35 ±4.78 and the average score of pros of fish was 21.6 ±2.67 out of 25. Pearson correlation indicates that the amount of fish consumption with constructs of the self-efficacy, stages of change and pros of fish had respectively the most positive correlation (p≤0.05). Fish consumption had no significant difference with age, education, Body Mass Index, occupation, monthly income and marital status.

Conclusion: Fish consumption despite its high level of perceived benefits is really low and to eliminate these barriers, education and cultural-building especially in women who are influential people in family nutrition is necessary.

Background: Migraine is one of the prevalent disabling disorders. Considering geographical differences in reported epidemiology and improving patients care, the aim of the present study was to evaluate epidemiologic, demographic and clinical characteristics in patients with migraine headache in Arak.

Materials and Methods: This cross sectional and descriptive study was conducted on patients with migraine headache referred to the neurology clinics of Vali-Asr and Imam Reza hospitals of Arak for 6 months. A questionnaire containing the demographic, epidemiologic and clinical data was filled by patients.  Finally, data were analyzed using SPSS 18.

Results: Among 820 patients with headache, 92 (11.21%) subjects were confirmed to have migraine headaches. Of the 92 patients, 54.3% were women and 45.6% were men. The mean age was 36.9±9.2 years old and 50% were married. The most common migraine triggers were stress (78.2%), sleep disturbances (65.2%), and fatigue (63%). The mean frequency of headaches was 6.9±3.5 attacks per month with an average duration of 11.1±4.5 hours per attack.

Conclusion: According to our results, the prevalence of migraine in women is more than in men. Dizziness, visual disturbances, nausea, no aura, headache is one-sided and pulsating are significantly accompanied by migraine. The number of consumed sedative pills in the month, brain imaging and a monthly fee of headache were significant. In total, clinical characteristics of migraine headaches in our patients were nearly compatible with the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria.

Background: Diabetes is one of the most common disease resulted from metabolism disorders. Thus, Studying medication adherence in patients to explain educational interventions to improve the health of these patients is necessary. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the factors affecting medication adherence in diabetics patients based on health belief model in Arak 2014.

Materials and Methods: In this analytical study, 366 diabetic patients in Arak in 2014 were selected and data were collected through a researcher made questionnaire about patients behavior in the field of medication adherence and its influencing factors based on the health belief model. Linear regression model was used to determine the predictive power of structures.

Results: The mean knowledge score and the medication adherence was 31.34 and 84.34, respectively. In this study, perceived susceptibility, perceived barriers and internal action guide were as the strongest predictors of medication adherence behavior in patients and predicted their behavior variance 0.36. Between function and susceptibility and severity and perceived benefits and self- efficacy of manual internal and external action guides in the field of medication adherence with diabetes, there was a direct correlation that the highest correlation was related to the perceived susceptibility structure (r=0.42 , p<0.001).

Conclusion: The results showed that the educational interventions with an emphasis on building the perceived sensitivity of patients with diabetes for medication adherence and emphasis on internal incentives as motivators and incentives for patients to achieve better results in the field of medication adherence should be at the heart of educational interventions.

Background: The efflux pumps are one of the main mechanisms of resistance to antibiotics in E. coli and K. pneumoniae strains. The aim of this study is to study the association between genes coding efflux pumps AcrAB and Qep A and ciprofloxacin resistance among E. coli and K. pneumoniae clinical strains

Materials and Methods: This study was done on 100 strains of E. coli isolated from Taleghani and Labbafinejad Hospitals and 100 strains of K. pneumoniae isolated from Taleghani and Mofid Children Hospitals. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed by disk diffusion method based on CLSI guidelines. Identification of genes encoding efflux pumps Acr AB and Qep A was done by PCR technique.

Results: In this study, fosfomycin and imipenem had the best effect against E. coli clinical isolates and fosfomycin and tigecycline had the best effect against K. pneumoniae clinical isolates. PCR assay demonstrated that the prevalence of AcrA, AcrB and QepA genes among E. coli isolates were 92%, 84% and 0%, respectively and among K. pneumoniae isolates were 94%, 87% and 4%, respectively.

Conclusion: The prevalence of genes encoding efflux pumps in E. coli and K. pneumoniae clinical strains, which causes resistance to fluoroquinolones, is cause for concern. Therefore, controlling infection and preventing the spread of drug-resistant bacteria needs to manage medication carefully and identify resistant isolates.

Abstract

Background: Recently a myokine named irisin has been discovered that effects on obesity, metabolism and glucose homeostasis through browning white adipose tissue and thermogenesis. However, the effects of type and intensity of exercises on it have remained unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of two acute eccentric and concentric exercises on serum irisin level and insulin resistance in obese sedentary women.

Materials and Methods: The study was quasi-experimental. 15 female students with a body mass index above 30 kg/m² and mean age 24.86±2.87 years participated in the study. After measuring the maximal uptake oxygen of participants, they did two acute eccentric and concentric exercises using treadmill in a cross-over design within 10 days. After at least 8 hours- fasting, blood samples were collected before and immediately after each activity, to measure the levels of irisin, glucose and insulin. Data were analyzed using paired t-test and repeated measures ANOVA. In addition, Pearson correlation was used to examine the relationship between variables.

Results: the irisin levels increased significantly after both types of exercises (p<0.05), that this increase in concentric activity was more than eccentric activity. Insulin resistance increased immediately after both exercises as well, that this increase in concentric exercise was statistically significant (p<0.05).

Conclusion: However, both eccentric and concentric exercises had no effect on improving insulin resistance in obese women, but they can be considered as a good stimulus for the secretion of Irisin.

Abstract

Background: Prevalence extension of antibiotic resistant bacteria has raised concerns about control of infections especially nosocomial infections. Many attempts have been done to replace antibiotics or limit their use. The use of antimicrobial agents produced by bacteria as antibiotic replacement has been promising in recent years. The goal of this study was to isolate Bacillus strains and evaluate their antimicrobial activity against some standard pathogens and clinical antibiotic resistant strains.

Materials and Methods: In the present study, Bacillus strains were isolated from various resources and identified by 16S rDNA PCR method. Then, the phylogenetic tree of the isolates was constructed and antimicrobial activity of the isolates was investigated against some standard pathogens and clinical antibiotic resistant strains using spotting and well diffusion methods.

Results: Eight Bacillus strains were isolated from 15 different samples. Based on the molecular identification, the isolates were identified as B.pumilus, B.coagulans, B.licheniformis, B.endophitycus and B.amiloliquefaciens. The results showed that isolates have antimicrobial activity against meticilin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin resistant enterococci, Klebsiella, Acinetobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, Listeria, Streptococcus and Escherichia coli.

Conclusion: In this study, isolated Bacillus strains produced antimicrobial agents against pathogens and antibiotic resistant strains and inhibited their growth.

Abstract

Background: Melatonin regulates the sleep-wake cycle and is protected against oxidants. Vitamin E has antioxidant effect. The aim of this study was to investigate effect of melatonin and/or vitamin E on the EEG, sleep quality and quality of life of female nurses working in hospitals in Arak.

Materials and Methods: 60 female nurses were randomly selected from hospitals in the Arak city. Participants divided into three groups (melatonin3 mg/day, vitamin E 200 IU/day and melatonin and vitamin E groups) and a control group. Before and two months after the baseline, PSQTI and the quality of life of 26 questions questionnaire were completed and EEG was recorded. Finally, the findings for both groups before and after the intervention were compared with each other.

Results: The average of sleep quality showed an improvement in groups receiving melatonin and melatonin+vitamin E (p>0.05). While data of life quality did not show any significant change between groups. In EEG activity, α waves in the range of 8-10 Hz showed maximum increase in melatonin group and minimum increase in vitamin E group. Also, α wave in the range of 10-12 Hz revealed the most decrease in the melatonin group.

Conclusion: It seems simultaneous administration of melatonin and vitamin E is able to improve sleep quality. In addition, melatonin could improve alpha-waves of brain activity.

Abstract

Background: Poor air quality has a lot of damage on the environment and humans. Awareness of the air quality situation reduces health effects of air pollution. This study was performed with the aim of the comparative investigation of Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) and its application in seven major cities of Iran in 2011.

Materials and Methods: This study was a descriptive–analytic one. First, the required data of four criteria pollutants were taken from Department of Environment in seven major cities of Iran. The data were validated by the World Health Organization criteria. The air quality health index was measured based on the instructions and classified into low, medium, high and very high degrees according to the air quality standard tables.

Results: The results demonstrate that according to air quality health index, the level of air pollution in seven major cities of Iran has been undesirable and air quality has exceeded the standard level in Ahvaz 85%, Arak73%, Tehran70%, Esfahan60%, Shiraz 47%, Tabriz 43% and, Mashhad 29% of days.

Conclusion: Due to poor air quality and health consequences resulting from it, importance of Air Quality Health Index is explored in planning to control and reduce air pollution and awareness of peoples from daily status of air quality and its health effects.

Background: Neuropathic pain is a chronic pain that affects on the patient’s quality of life. Use of herbal instead of synthetic drugs recently has been increased due to side effects of synthetic drugs and herbal effective components. Flavonoids are herbal compounds that have analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. Because Allium cepa L. has a great amount of flavonoids, this study has been designed to evaluate analgesic effects of alcoholic extract of Allium cepa L. on neuropathic pain behavior in chronic constriction injury model in rats.

Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, neuropathic pain induced by chronic constriction injury (CCI model) in Rats. Animals were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=10 for each): Sham, CCI model, receiving red onion hydroalcoholic extract at a dose of 100 mg/kg and a group receiving gabapentin (100 mg/kg). Red onion extract and gabapentin were administered by gavage for 21 days. Using thermal hyperalgesia, mechanical and thermal allodynia tests, the analgesic effects of extract have been measured.

Results: Findings of this study revealed that CCI surgery on rats induced hyperalgesia, mechanical and thermal allodynia. Daily intakes of alcoholic extract of red onion and gabapentin significantly increase the paw withdrawal latency; increase the threshold to mechanical allodynia and decrease in response to acetone.

Conclusion: Oral use of alcoholic extract of Allium cepa L. reduces neuropathic pain behavior in CCI model in rats.