Antimicrobial effects of folk medicinal plants from the North of Iran against Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Background: Medicinal plants have been used traditionally in Golestan province (north of Iran), against Mycobacterium tuberculosis or the clinical signs of tuberculosis (TB). Objectives: This study aimed to define the inhibitory effects of ethanolic extracts of six of these medicinal plants against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Materials and Methods: Peganum harmala (seed extract), Punica granatum (peel extract), Digitalis sp. (leaf extract), fruit extract of Citrus lemon, Rosa canina and Berberis vulgaris were extracted in ethanol and their activity against M. tuberculosis isolates were determined by the agar diffusion method. The zone of inhibition (at 200 to 1.6 mg/mL) was measured and the results were compared with isoniazid and rifampin as standard positive controls. Also the concentration of vitamin C of each the extracts was evaluated. Results: The ethanolic extract of Peganum harmala seed and Punica granatum peel exhibited potential activity against all M. tuberculosis isolates with mean inhibitory zone of 18.7 and 18.8 mm, at 200 mg/mL concentration. The mean inhibitory zone around isoniazid and rifampinwere 19.2 and 18.8 mm. Ethanolic extract of Citrus lemon showed moderate inhibitory activity only against sensitive (non MDR; non multi drug resistant) strains of M. tuberculosis, and Digitalis sp. showed inhibitory effects on five isolates. Ascorbic acid content was 43.3 mg/dL in Punica granatum and Digitalis sp. and only 9.1 mg/dL in ethanolic extract of Peganum harmala. Conclusions: The highest content of vitamin C was observed in the extract of Punica granatum, which was observed to be highly active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, while the P. harmala must have contained other phytochemical constituents that contributed to the anti-tuberculosis effects of this plant. Our findings showed that ethanolic extracts of P. granatum and P. harmala had anti-TB effects comparable to isoniazid and rifampin and can be good candidates for novel and safe natural products against tuberculosis. © 2015, Pediatric Infections Research Center

The Actor–Partner Effects of Parenting Stress on Quality of Life Among Parents of Children with ASD: The Mediating Role of Mental Quality of Life

The present study investigated the actor–partner effects of parenting stress (PS) on quality of life (QoL) among parents (96 couples) of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Data were collected using the QoL Scale and the PS Index. Structural equation modeling was also utilized to test the hypothesis. The results revealed the effects of PS in each parent on mental QoL of that parent. Maternal PS further shaped physical QoL in mothers. However, PS in one parent did not influence QoL of his or her partner. Accordingly, mental QoL had a mediating role between PS and physical QoL. It was ultimately suggested to take account of QoL among parents in addition to the treatment of children with ASD

Predicting inpatient length of stay in Iranian Hospital: Conceptualization and validation

Objective: The length of stay is an important indicator of hospital performance and efficiency. Regarding the importance of the length of stay, this study aimed to design a structural model of the inpatients' length of stay in the educational and therapeutic health care facilities of Iran in order to identify the influencing dimensions. Methods: The present study was an analytical and applied study. The face validity of the data gathering tool was investigated by the expert judgment and the construct validity was examined by using the exploratory factor analysis. In order to verify the reliability of the tool, the internal consistency was also trialed by using the Cronbach's alpha. For ranking the influencing dimensions and factors and also in order to examine the causal relationships between the variables in a coherent manner and presenting the final model, the structural equation modeling technique was used in AMOS software at a significant level of 0.05. Results: The mentioned structural model consists of 4 dimensions and 29 factors influencing the length of stay of hospitalized patients. The independent variables are based on priority and importance as follows: patients' conditions, the underlying factors, the clinical staff performance, and hospitals' service delivery, which were examined by second-order factor analysis in order to study the relationship between them and the inpatients' length of stay. Conclusion: Considering the importance of each one of the proposed dimensions from the point of view of service providers in some therapeutic centers of the country by paying attention to the role of each one of them in preventing prolonged hospitalization can be essential in the effectiveness of the treatment and cost reduction. © 2020 Asian Pacific Organization for Cancer Prevention

Physical activity status of elementary school children in bushehr in 1398

Background and Objectives: Physical activity is one of the most important components of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physical activity level of primary school students in Bushehr in 1398. Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study, the research population included all elementary school students in Bushehr. Four hundred and six students were selected using multi-stage random sampling. The Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children, which is a valid and reliable scale, was used to collect the data. Independent t test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression model were used for data analysis. Data was analyzed using the SPSS software version 20. Results: The mean score of physical activity was 3.27±0.84. There was a significant relationship between demographic factors (parents’ education level, participant’s education level and BMI) and physical activity. Students whose parents had higher levels of education were more likely to engage in physical activity and people who were obese had less physical activity. Conclusion: The students' physical activity was moderate. Given that there is a direct link between physical inactivity and increased prevalence of overweight and obesity, it is important to pay attention to the lifestyle of people, especially children and adolescents who are in the learning age. Therefore, more attention should be paid to improving the level of physical activity in students through education and building a cultur

Effects of the level and duration of feeding restriction on carcass components of broilers

The effects of the restriction of the advised daily feed intake (ADFI) during 1 or 2 weeks on broiler body weight (BW) and carcass composition were studied. A total of 150 1-day-old male broilers (Ross-308) were randomly allotted to a control and four experimental treatments with three replicates per treatment. Broilers were subjected to a feeding restriction equal to 75 and 50 % of ADFI, either for a 7- or a 14-day period, between the 7th and 14th and 7th and 21th day of age, respectively. The BW and carcass composition were determined on day 42. From the findings, neither of the two levels of restriction nor the two time intervals had significant effects (<i>P</i> > 0.05) on the BW or breast and leg weight and proportion, liver and most of the body components. However, the feeding treatments show a tendency (<i>P</i> = 0.078) to influence the BW, with birds fed 75 % of ADFI for 14 day being heavier than the control group. For eviscerated carcass weight, an effect (<i>P</i> = 0.002) was observed, with birds fed 75 % of ADFI for 14 day having heavier carcasses (<i>P</i> < 0.05) than those in control group. The abdominal fat, both with regard to weight and proportion, was slightly influenced by dietary treatments (<i>P</i> > 0.05). From our results, it can be concluded that the applied feeding restrictions have a neutral or slightly beneficial effect on broiler growth traits and carcass composition