Design and Synthesis of New Methyl 1,2-Diaryl-4-Hydroxy-5-oxo -2,5-Dihydro-1H-Pyrrole-3-Carboxylate Derivatives as Selective COX-2 Inhibitors

The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for the treatment of inflammation and pain is often accompanied by adverse gastrointestinal and renal side effects. Their anti-inflammatory activity results from inflammation of cyclooxygenase (COX), which catalyzes bioconversion of arachidonic acid to prostaglandins. Nowadays, it is well established that there are at least two COX isozymes, COX-1 and COX-2. COX-1 is responsible for the physiological production of prostaglandins while COX-2 is responsible for the elevated production of prostaglandins during inflammation. Thus, selective inhibition of COX-2 over COX-1 is useful for the treatment of inflammation and inflammation associated disorders with reduced gastrointestinal toxicities compared to NSAIDs. The withdrawal of some diaryl heterocyclic selective COX-2 inhibitors due to the adverse cardiovascular side effects delineates the need to explore and evaluate a new structural ring template possessing COX inhibitory activity. Therefore, in this study, new methyl 1,2-diaryl-4-hydroxy-5-oxo -2,5-dihydro-1H-pyrrole-3-carboxylate derivatives were designed and synthesized based on the structure-activity relationship of selective COX-2 inhibitors. Target compounds were synthesized in two steps. In the first step, 4-(methylthio)benzaldehyde, arylamine derivatives, and dimethylacetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD) in the presence of para-toluene sulfonic acid (PTSA) were stirred in ethanol for 72 hours. After the completion of the reaction, the resulting product was filtered off and recrystallized with ethanol. In the second step, a solution of Oxone and water was added to a well-stirred solution of the resulting product and diethylamine in acetonitrile. After the completion of the reaction, the resulting precipitates were filtered off and recrystallized with ethanol. In this study, new derivatives of new methyl 1,2-diaryl-4-hydroxy-5-oxo -2,5-dihydro-1H-pyrrole-3-carboxylate were designed, synthesized, and purified. The structure of the synthesized compounds was confirmed by FT- IR, 1HNMR, and MASS. We designed and synthesized some new methyl 1,2-diaryl-4-hydroxy-5-oxo -2,5-dihydro-1H-pyrrole-3-carboxylate derivatives as selective COX-2 inhibitors. The structure of synthesized compounds was confirmed by FT- IR, 1HNMR, and MASS. The COX-2 inhibitory activity of these compounds is under investigation

Fordyce happiness program and postpartum depression

Background: Postpartum depression is endangering the health of mothers and has negative impacts on the evolution of social communication and newborns evolution. This study was conducted to determine the effects of Fordyce Happiness program on the postpartum depression. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental intervention carried out on postpartum mothers that referred to 4 health centers in Isfahan. A total of 133 mothers were selected by convenient sampling and then randomly allocated in two groups (63 and 70 mothers for intervention and control respectively). Maternal depression 3 times before, immediate and 1 months after intervention in both groups was evaluated with Beck Depression Inventory-II-Persian standardized questionnaires. Educational sessions based on the Fordyce happiness program were conducted for intervention group. Data was analyzed in SPSS17 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, Illinois) descriptive and analytic statistical tests at significance level of 0.05. Results: No significant differences in demographic variables between the two groups (P >= 0.05). No significant differences in depression scores in the two groups before training. However after 2 months a significant difference in depression score was observed between two groups (control group: 19.38 +/- 3.94; intervention group: 16.24 +/- 4.8; P < 0.001). Furthermore in intervention group showed significant differences in depression scores before and after intervention (19.15 +/- 3.41 and 16.24 +/- 4.83; P < 0.001). However in the control group had not any significant change. Conclusion: Fordyce happiness program was effective in reducing postpartum depression in our study. With attention to the effectiveness and low cost of this program, it is recommended that this program might be considered for all mothers after childbirth in health centers or other community-based settings

Effect of educational intervention on self-efficacy for choosing delivery method among pregnant women in 2013

Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 130 pregnant women who attended urban health centers in Shahrekord city in 2013. Intervention was applied in the experimental group in three sessions in about 60-90 min while control group did not receive any intervention. Fear of childbirth and self-efficacy questionnaire was completed before and after training. Results: While mean scores of the fear of childbirth, expectations and childbirth self-efficacy before the intervention between the two groups were not significantly different (P > 0.05), mean scores of childbirth in intervention group was reduced and expectation and childbirth self-efficacy had a significant increase after intervention (P 0.05) and self-efficacy (P < 0.001) than those who chose normal method. Conclusions: Our findings showed that training-based self-efficacy procedure has been effective in encouraging mothers to choose natural childbirth. Therefore, the design and implementation of curriculum-based strategies for increasing self-efficacy is suggested for pregnant women. Background: Nowadays, there has been a growing trend of caesarean sections in Iran. One reason would be the mother’s desire. Increased maternal self-efficacy can be an important step to reduce percentage of cesarean. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of training-based strategies to increase the self-efficacy for choosing delivery method among pregnant women in Shahrekord city. © 2014, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved

Effect of garlic (Allium sativum) on male fertility: a systematic review

Introduction: Fertility in men mainly depends on the number, quality, motility, and morphology of the sperms, and disruption of each of these factors leads to infertility. A large number of couples suffer from infertility problems. Among the various therapies, medicinal herbs are used in many countries to treat male infertility. Current systematic review was conducted to study the effects of garlic on male fertility. Methods: The information of this systematic review was collected by searching the key words: treatment, fertility, infertility, male, herbal medicine, garlic, Allium sativum, medicinal plant, sperm, sex hormones, testis and spermatogenesis in international databases such as: Web of Science (ISI), PubMed, Scopus and Embase until March 2018. This study was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA statement for systematic reviews and meta- analysis. and the SYRCLE risk of bias tool was used for qualitative assessment. Results: A total of 18 experimental studies were included in the study. Thirteen studies evaluated garlic and 5 studies compared garlic effect with adriamycin, titanium dioxide, furan, vitamin E, N-acetylcysteine and cadmium. All studies were conducted in in vivo condition. The results of the studies indicated the potential effect of garlic on enhancing fertility and spermatogenesis, increasing the level of testosterone and improving the testicular structure. Conclusion: Garlic can increase fertility probably due to its antioxidant properties. However, more clinical trials are recommended

Association of dietary total antioxidant capacity, alternative healthy eating index, and dietary inflammatory index with semen quality in men seeking infertility treatment

BackgroundSince the association between dietary quality scores and semen quality remains unclear, we carried out a hospital-based cross-sectional study to investigate the association of Dietary Total Antioxidant Capacity (dTAC), Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), and Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) scores with semen quality in men seeking infertility treatment.MethodsThis study enrolled 210 men with unexplained or idiopathic infertility. Semen samples were collected and analyzed according to the WHO 2010 criteria. Dietary data was collected using a 168-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) developed for Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the relationship between dTAC, AHEI, and DII scores with abnormal semen in crude and adjusted models.ResultsThere were no significant differences across quartile categories of the dTAC, AHEI, and DII scores regarding semen parameters. There was a trend toward a significant direct association between DII and abnormal semen risk (p = 0.01). Infertile men in the highest quartile of DII had a 2.84 times higher risk of abnormal semen in the crude model (OR: 3.84; 95% CI: 1.64–8.95); such that remained after adjusting for several potential confounders. There was no significant association between dTAC or AHEI and the risk of abnormal semen in infertile men, either before or after adjusting for potential confounders. Total energy (p = 0.05), fat (p = 0.02), saturated fat (p = 0.02), mono-saturated fat (p = 0.009), Thiamine (Vitamin B1) (p = 0.02), Niacin (Vitamin B3) (p = 0.03), Calcium (p = 0.01), and Selenium (p = 0.01) were inversely associated with semen normality.DiscussionThe study suggests that certain dietary factors may affect semen quality, and the mechanisms underlying the observed associations are likely multifactorial, involving complex interactions between diet, oxidative stress, inflammation, and hormone levels. Further research is required to confirm the results, fully elucidate the mechanisms underlying the associations, and identify specific dietary interventions that may improve male fertility outcomes

Antigen-expressing immunostimulatory liposomes as a genetically programmable synthetic vaccine

Liposomes are versatile (sub)micron-sized membrane vesicles that can be used for a variety of applications, including drug delivery and in vivo imaging but they also represent excellent models for artificial membranes or cells. Several studies have demonstrated that in vitro transcription and translation can take place inside liposomes to obtain compartmentalized production of functional proteins within the liposomes (Kita et al. in Chembiochem 9(15):2403–2410, 2008; Moritani et al.in FEBS J, 2010; Kuruma et al. in Methods Mol Biol 607:161–171, 2010; Murtas et al. in Biochem Biophys Res Commun 363(1):12–17, 2007; Sunami et al. in Anal Biochem 357(1):128–136, 2006; Ishikawa et al. in FEBS Lett 576(3):387–390, 2004; Oberholzer et al. in Biochem Biophys Res Commun 261(2):238–241, 1999). Such a minimal artificial cell-based model is ideal for synthetic biology based applications. In this study, we propose the use of liposomes as artificial microbes for vaccination. These artificial microbes can be genetically programmed to produce specific antigens at will. To show proof-of-concept for this artificial cell-based platform, a bacterial in vitro transcription and translation system together with a gene construct encoding the model antigen β-galactosidase were entrapped inside multilamellar liposomes. Vaccination studies in mice showed that such antigen-expressing immunostimulatory liposomes (AnExILs) elicited higher specific humoral immune responses against the produced antigen (β-galactosidase) than control vaccines (i.e. AnExILs without genetic input, liposomal β-galactosidase or pDNA encoding β-galactosidase). In conclusion, AnExILs present a new platform for DNA-based vaccines which combines antigen production, adjuvanticity and delivery in one system and which offer several advantages over existing vaccine formulations

Does Spousal Support Can Increase the Women’s Physical Activity?

Background: Numerous benefits of physical activity are well-known for the prevention and treatment of various diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and cancers. However, the status of physical activities among women remains noticeably less than the recommended level. Considering the importance of the spouses’ participation in the promotion of women’s health, this study examined the impact of spousal support on women’s physical activity. Methods: This semi--experimental study was done in February 2015 on 100 couples in reproductive age referred to health centers of Falavarjan city. The participants were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. The information related to women’s physical activity in both groups was collected by aquestionnaire in two steps, before and three months after the intervention. The spouses of women in the intervention group were trained in the field of the importance of physical activity in women’s health in two sessions. The data were analyzed by the software SPSS21 and suitable statistical tests (Independent t, paired t, and Chi-square). Results: The mean and standard deviation of women’s age in the both groups were 28.76±5.51 and 30.38±5.31, respectively. The prevalence of obesity and overweight in the women under the study was generally estimated 44%. Physical activities of women in the intervention group were significantly increased after the intervention (P<0.0001). Also, the Body Mass Index in the intervention group was significantly decreased compared to before the intervention and control group (P<0.001). Conclusion: Spouses could encourage women to perform physical activities. It is recommended that the health care system should implement educational sessions for men to encourage women to exercise

Validity and reliability of the Persian version of mobile phone addiction scale

Background: With regard to large number of mobile users especially among college students in Iran, addiction to mobile phone is attracting increasing concern. There is an urgent need for reliable and valid instrument to measure this phenomenon. This study examines validity and reliability of the Persian version of mobile phone addiction scale (MPAIS) in college students. Materials and Methods: this methodological study was down in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. One thousand one hundred and eighty students were selected by convenience sampling. The English version of the MPAI questionnaire was translated into Persian with the approach of Jones et al. (Challenges in language, culture, and modality: Translating English measures into American Sign Language. Nurs Res 2006; 55: 75-81). Its reliability was tested by Cronbach′s alpha and its dimensionality validity was evaluated using Pearson correlation coefficients with other measures of mobile phone use and IAT. Construct validity was evaluated using Exploratory subscale analysis. Results: Cronbach′s alpha of 0.86 was obtained for total PMPAS, for subscale1 (eight items) was 0.84, for subscale 2 (five items) was 0.81 and for subscale 3 (two items) was 0.77. There were significantly positive correlations between the score of PMPAS and IAT (r = 0.453, P < 0.001) and other measures of mobile phone use. Principal component subscale analysis yielded a three-subscale structure including: inability to control craving; feeling anxious and lost; mood improvement accounted for 60.57% of total variance. The results of discriminate validity showed that all the item′s correlations with related subscale were greater than 0.5 and correlations with unrelated subscale were less than 0.5. Conclusion: Considering lack of a valid and reliable questionnaire for measuring addiction to the mobile phone, PMPAS could be a suitable instrument for measuring mobile phone addiction in future research

Assessment of educational intervention in enhancing parenting self-efficacy in parents of primary school students

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Parenting self-efficacy, which is one of the main determinants of effective and positive parental behavior, has been commonly defined as the parents' opinions and beliefs to develop their ability to affect their children in a way that raises their confidence development and adjustment. This study was performed to examine the effect of educational intervention on parenting self-efficacy in parents of primary school students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 104 parents of primary school students in Khomeini Shahr city, Isfahan province of Iran, in 2017. In this study, 104 parents (52 couples) of primary school students were selected and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Then, an educational intervention was implemented in the experimental group during 6 sessions of 2 h while the control group received only the usual family school education program. The parenting self-efficacy was measured before the intervention and 2 months afterward. The data were analyzed by independent t-test, paired t-test. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between the demographic variables of parents in both groups. Both the experimental and control groups were similar in terms of age, number of children, education, and employment as well as parenting self-efficacy. Two months after the intervention, the mean of total parenting self-efficacy, as well as play and entertainment with the child, discipline and boundaries, self-acceptance, learning and knowledge in the experimental group, were significantly higher than the control group, but the mean scores of other areas were not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Educational interventions that engage parents in group task and facilitate expression of experiences, are feasible in the primary school meetings and have a helpful effect on parenting self-efficacy

The relationship between media literacy and psychological well-being in adolescent girls in Semirom city

CONTEXT: In recent years, the media have had very massive effects on individuals, especially children and adolescents. Hence, they should be able to use media rationally also be able to create digital, multimedia texts, and attain media literacy. Media literacy is a skill based on understanding and gives the audience the opportunity to use the media appropriately and critically. AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between media literacy and mental psychology of high school students in Semirom city. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This correlational study was conducted with the participation of 139 adolescent girls selected using multi-stage random sampling, in Semirom city, Isfahan province, the Central of Iran, in 2017. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Data were measured using researcher-made media literacy questionnaire, psychological well-being Scales of Ryff. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Data were analyzed using SPSS software and descriptive statistics (Pearson correlations) were used. The statistical significant level was set as 0.05. RESULTS: There was no significant correlation between family economic situation, parental education, and media literacy score. Media literacy was significantly correlated with total psychological well-being (r = 0.165, P < 0.05), personal growth subscale (r = 0.216, P < 0.05), and self-acceptance subscale (r = 0.218, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Considering the importance of psychological well-being in adolescents' life, the design of educational interventions to increase media literacy is recommended