Narrative and Reading Comprehension Performance in Dyslexic Persian Students

BACKGROUND: Through research on the role of storytelling skills in building learning and writing elements, little attention has been paid to assessing strengths and weaknesses in story structure, especially microstructure, in dyslexic students. The purpose of this study is to assess the role of this structure as a manifestation of the verbal and cognitive performance of these students.Method: This is a descriptive analysis study. To identify dyslexic students, the Screening test for dyslexia diagnosis by Shafii et al. and Shirazi-Nilipour's reading diagnostic test were used. A total of 31 dyslexic students at secondary elementary school were identified during testing, and the remaining subjects (n = 35 students) were assigned to the control group. The story retelling test was used to assess students' storytelling skills. A parametric test (independent-samples t-test) was used to compare normally distributed data. A nonparametric test (Mann-Whitney U test) was used for non-normal data. Pearson's correlation test was also used to examine correlations for normally distributed data, and Spearman's correlation test was used for non-normal data.Results: Students with dyslexia had significantly lower mean scores in all substructures of the macrostructure, including topic maintenance, sequence of events, and the main information. They also had significantly lower microstructure scores, including mean length of utterance, conjunction use, and syntactic complexity, compared to their normal counterparts  (p<0.05).Conclusion: Dyslexic students perform worse than their peers on most micro- and macrostructures of the retelling test. In other words, these students have poor linguistic and cognitive prerequisites for understanding and mastering reading skills. On the other hand, the results show that there is a meaningful association between storytelling skills and subsequent reading and comprehension acquisition

The Relationship between Early Maladaptive Schemas and Death Anxiety and Referential Thinking

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between early maladaptive schemas and death anxiety and referential thinking. Research population consisted of MA female students of Azad University, South Tehran branch of whom 360 subjects were selected through cluster sampling method and 328 of them were analyzed. To collect the data, Young Schema Questionnaire Short Form (2005), Templer Death Anxiety Scale (1870), and Referential Thinking Questionnaire (2010) were used. Data were analyzed through simultaneous multiple regression analysis and the results showed that impaired autonomy and performance predicts referential thinking and negative thinking from the components of referential thinking and disconnection/rejection predicts death anxiety and also referential thinking can predict death anxiety

The burden of injuries in Iranian children in 2005

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Child injury is recognized as a global health problem. Injuries caused the highest burden of disease among the total population of Iran in 2003. We aimed to estimate the morbidity, mortality, and disease burden caused by child injuries in the 0- to 14-year-old population of Iran in 2005.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We estimated average age- and sex-specific mortality rates for different types of child injuries from 2001 to 2006 using Iran's death registration data. Incidence rates for nonfatal outcomes of child injuries in 2005 were estimated through a time- and place-limited sample hospital registry study for injuries. We used the World Health Organization's methods for estimation of years of life lost due to premature mortality and years lived with disability in 2005.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Injuries were the most important cause of death in children ages 1 to 14, with 35, 33.4, 24.9, and 22.9 deaths per 100,000 in the 0-14, 1-4, 5-9, and 10-14 age groups respectively. Road transport injuries were responsible for the highest death rate per 100,000 population among all types of injuries in children, with 15.5 for ages 0-14, 16.1 for ages 1-4, 16.3 for ages 5-9, and 13.1 for ages 10-14. Incidence rates of injuries leading to hospitalization were 459, 530, and 439 per 100,000 in the 0-14, 1-4, and 5-14 age groups respectively. Incidence rates of injuries leading to outpatient care were 1,812, 2,390, and 1,650 per 100,000 in the same age groups respectively. Among injury types, falls and burns had the highest hospitalization and outpatient care incidence rates.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Injuries, particularly road transport injuries, were the most important health problem of children in Iran in 2003 and 2005. Strong social policy is needed to ensure child survival.</p

Antibody profiling for the prognosis and diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in patients, compared with healthy subjects

Background: Multiple sclerosis is considered as an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that is the main cause of disability in young adults around the world. The purpose of this study was to determine changes in antibodies in the prognosis of multiple sclerosis, and the use of antibody against aquaporin 4 for the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.Materials and Methods: In this case - control study, 21 patients with a definite diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and 21 healthy subjects were selected as the study population.  Blood and urine samples were collected, and nephelometry technique was used to assess the presence or absence of IgG, IgM and IgA in serum and urine samples. ELISA method for measuring of antibodies against aquaporin 4 was used.Results: There was no major difference in  the mean of the total IgM  in the case and control groups , but the mean IgA and IgG levels in the control group were  evidently higher than in the case group.  It was releaved that IgA, RBC and Hb mean differences between the two groups are statistically significant.  Parallel with an increase in IgG, the probability of disease exacerbation was increased by 0.22, whereas with increasing ages, the probability of disease exacerbation was 15.0. There was also a positive and significant relationship between the average level of antibodies, IgG and IgM with the degree of illness However, the relationship between the mean serum IgA level and the degree of illness was inverse. It also became clear that antibodies against AQP-4 in serum and urine of patients with different degrees of illness showed no significant difference.  The difference between the mean of antibodies against AQP in the serum of patients with mild and moderate MS was 54.1, but in mild and severe MS   it was 53.3.Conclusion: The findings of this research suggest that serum antibody levels are directly related to the disease levels and can be used as a prognostic factor. Accordingly, it appears that the use of antibodies against aquaporin-4 in serum and urine for the diagnosis of this disease   can be considered as a reliable approach

Evaluation of allergy and eosinophilia level in peripheral blood of patients with cardiovascular diseases

Background: Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of deaths in Iran and other developing countries. The risk factors for cardiovascular diseases are divided into two categories; the variable risk factors and the non-variable risk factors. Many recent studies evaluated the relationship between higher eosinophilia and allergy levels with the incidence, progress and severity of cardiovascular diseases, but the exact correlation between these two still remains  unknown. The current study was designed to assess the relationship between allergic responses and eosinophilia amongst patients with cardiovascular diseases in Ilam province, in comparison with healthy individuals.Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, we enrolled 59 cardiovascular patients and 55 healthy individuals without any history of allergy and parasitic infections. A questionnaire including questions about demographic data, family history of heart disease, history of diabetes, hyperlipidemia, physical activity, smoking, stress, dietary fat consumption, salt intake, allergies to certain substances, history of parasitic disease and history of hypertension was completed. The blood was taken from each participant and CBC and IgE titer were measured.Results: There was a significant relationship for the variables such as the family history of cardiovascular disease (P&lt;0.001), diabetes (P&lt;0.003), hyperlipidemia (P&lt;0.0001), high blood pressure (P&lt;0.0001) and physical activity (P&lt;0.0001) between the case and the control groups. The mean IgE titer in case group was 95.3±71 and 62.44±49 in control group. The mean eosinophilia level in peripheral blood was 3.95±1.057 in case and 1.53±0.57 in control group. The difference between the IgE and eosinophilia levels in the case and the control groups was statistically significant (P&lt;0.0001).Conclusion: Based on our results, it can be concluded the increase in levels of IgE and eosinophilia can be considered by cardiologists as a reliable diagnostic tool for predicting cardiovascular diseases

Mathematical Representation of Viscosity of Ionic Liquid + Molecular Solvent Mixtures at Various Temperatures Using the Jouyban-Acree Model

Article on mathematical representation of viscosity of ionic liquid and molecular solvent mixtures at various temperatures using the Jouyban-Acree model

Prevention of Corneal Neovascularization; a Preliminary Experimental Study in Rabbits

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of propranolol, timolol and bevacizumab with betamethasone to prevent corneal neovascularization (CNV) in rabbits. This study was performed on 28 male rabbits. CNV was induced by three 7-0 silk sutures 2 mm long and 1 mm distal to the limbus. Animals were randomly divided into 4 groups of propranolol + betamethasone, timolol + betamethasone and bevacizumab + betamethasone and betamethasone alone. Eye drops were started from the first day of study. On 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th, 35th and 42nd days, vascular progression, time of neovascularization and vascular area were evaluated and compared with the control group (betamethasone alone). There was a significant reduction in the area of ​​neovascularization in the timolol and bevacizumab groups compared to the control group (P-value = 0.05, P=0.047, respectively). Also, regarding vascular progression, there was a significant decrease in the timolol and bevacizumab groups (P-value = 0.014, P=0.002, respectively). Regarding delayed onset of neovascularization, there was a significant difference in the timolol and bevacizumab group in rabbits (P-value = 0.04, P=0.00, respectively). In conclusion, the use of timolol and bevacizumab drops besides betamethasone can delay neovascularization and decrease the length of corneal vascularization in rabbits

National and subnational mortality effects of metabolic risk factors and smoking in Iran: a comparative risk assessment

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Mortality from cardiovascular and other chronic diseases has increased in Iran. Our aim was to estimate the effects of smoking and high systolic blood pressure (SBP), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), total cholesterol (TC), and high body mass index (BMI) on mortality and life expectancy, nationally and subnationally, using representative data and comparable methods.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We used data from the Non-Communicable Disease Surveillance Survey to estimate means and standard deviations for the metabolic risk factors, nationally and by region. Lung cancer mortality was used to measure cumulative exposure to smoking. We used data from the death registration system to estimate age-, sex-, and disease-specific numbers of deaths in 2005, adjusted for incompleteness using demographic methods. We used systematic reviews and meta-analyses of epidemiologic studies to obtain the effect of risk factors on disease-specific mortality. We estimated deaths and life expectancy loss attributable to risk factors using the comparative risk assessment framework.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In 2005, high SBP was responsible for 41,000 (95% uncertainty interval: 38,000, 44,000) deaths in men and 39,000 (36,000, 42,000) deaths in women in Iran. High FPG, BMI, and TC were responsible for about one-third to one-half of deaths attributable to SBP in men and/or women. Smoking was responsible for 9,000 deaths among men and 2,000 among women. If SBP were reduced to optimal levels, life expectancy at birth would increase by 3.2 years (2.6, 3.9) and 4.1 years (3.2, 4.9) in men and women, respectively; the life expectancy gains ranged from 1.1 to 1.8 years for TC, BMI, and FPG. SBP was also responsible for the largest number of deaths in every region, with age-standardized attributable mortality ranging from 257 to 333 deaths per 100,000 adults in different regions.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>Management of blood pressure through diet, lifestyle, and pharmacological interventions should be a priority in Iran. Interventions for other metabolic risk factors and smoking can also improve population health.</p

The burden of disease and injury in Iran 2003

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The objective of this study was to estimate the burden of disease and injury in Iran for the year 2003, using Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) at the national level and for six selected provinces.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Methods developed by the World Health Organization for National Burden of Disease (NBD) studies were applied to estimate disease and injury incidence for the calculation of Years of Life Lost due to premature mortality (YLL), Years Lived with Disability (YLD), and DALYs. The following adjustments of the NBD methodology were made in this study: a revised list with 213 disease and injury causes, development of new and more specific disease modeling templates for cancers and injuries, and adjustment for dependent comorbidity. We compared the results with World Health Organization (WHO) estimates for Eastern Mediterranean Region, sub-region B in 2002.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We estimated that in the year 2003, there were 21,572 DALYs due to all diseases and injuries per 100,000 Iranian people of all ages and both sexes. From this total number of DALYs, 62% were due to disability premature deaths (YLD) and 38% were due to premature deaths (YLL); 58% were due to noncommunicable diseases, 28% – to injuries, and 14% – to communicable, maternal, perinatal, and nutritional conditions. Fifty-three percent of the total number of 14.349 million DALYs in Iran were in males, with 36.5% of the total due to intentional and unintentional injuries, 15% due to mental and behavioral disorders, and 10% due to circulatory system diseases; and 47% of DALYs were in females, with 18% of the total due to mental and behavioral disorders, 18% due to intentional and unintentional injuries, and 12% due to circulatory system diseases. The disease and injury causes leading to the highest number of DALYs in males were road traffic accidents (1.071 million), natural disasters (548 thousand), opioid use (510 thousand), and ischemic heart disease (434 thousand). The leading causes of DALYs in females were ischemic heart disease (438 thousand), major depressive disorder (420 thousand), natural disasters (419 thousand), and road traffic accidents (235 thousand). The burden of disease at the province level showed marked variability. DALY estimates by Iran's NBD study were higher than those for EMR-B by WHO.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The health and disease profile in Iran has made the transition from the dominance of communicable diseases to that of noncommunicable diseases and road traffic injuries. NBD results are to be used in health program planning, research, and resource allocation and generation policies and practices.</p