Malnutrition, Overweight, and Obesity among Urban and Rural Children in North of West Azerbijan, Iran

Introduction. Malnutrition is one of the most important causes for improper physical and mental development of children. Childhood obesity is a worldwide public health problem. The increasing prevalence of childhood obesity has become a growing matter of public health concern worldwide. The aim of the current study was to determine the prevalence of malnutrition and obesity in children under 5 years old in Salmas district. Methods. The current study is a cross-sectional study conducted on 902 of children under 5 years old to assess the nutritional status in Salmas district and performed from 16 until 30 October, 2011, with the cooperation of the Office of Community Nutrition Improvement and the United Nations Children’s Fund. ENA (Emergency Nutrition Assessment) and Spss software were used for data analysis. Results. 49.6% of children were boys and 50.4% were girls. The prevalence of malnutrition based on underweight, stunting, and wasting was estimated to be 2.3%, 7.3%, and 1.4% among children, respectively. Stunting was more common in rural areas and this difference was significant (P<0.001). Conclusion. In this area stunting, overweight and obesity were the most important priorities that health officials must pay more attention to. ENA software has a special ability to determine the samples and clusters and is a simple, rapid, and accurate method, especially in epidemiological studies in the country, and can be a convenient tool and its use is suggested for the same studies

Transplanted Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Improve Memory in Rat Models of Alzheimer's Disease

The present study aims to evaluate the effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) grafts on cognition deficit in chemically and age-induced Alzheimer's models of rats. In the first experiments aged animals (30 months) were tested in Morris water maze (MWM) and divided into two groups: impaired memory and unimpaired memory. Impaired groups were divided into two groups and cannulated bilaterally at the CA1 of the hippocampus for delivery of mesenchymal stem cells (500 × 103/μL) and PBS (phosphate buffer saline). In the second experiment, Ibotenic acid (Ibo) was injected bilaterally into the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM) of young rats (3 months) and animals were tested in MWM. Then, animals with memory impairment received the following treatments: MSCs (500 × 103/μL) and PBS. Two months after the treatments, cognitive recovery was assessed by MWM in relearning paradigm in both experiments. Results showed that MSCs treatment significantly increased learning ability and memory in both age- and Ibo-induced memory impairment. Adult bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells show promise in treating cognitive decline associated with aging and NBM lesions

Physical Training Status Determines Oxidative Stress and Redox Changes in Response to an Acute Aerobic Exercise

Objective. To assess the influence of different physical training status on exercise-induced oxidative stress and changes in cellular redox state. Methods. Thirty male subjects participated in this study and were assigned as well-trained (WT), moderately trained (MT), and untrained (UT) groups. The levels of cortisol, creatine kinase, plasma reduced glutathione to oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG), cysteine/cystine (Cys/CySS), and GSH/GSSG ratio in red blood cells (RBCs) were measured immediately and 10 and 30 min after exercise. Results. Following the exercise, plasma GSH/GSSG (p=0.001) and Cys/CySS (p=0.005) were significantly reduced in all groups. Reduction in plasma GSH/GSSG ratio in all groups induced a transient shift in redox balance towards a more oxidizing environment without difference between groups (p=0.860), while RBCs GSH/GSSG showed significant reduction (p=0.003) and elevation (p=0.007) in UT and MT groups, respectively. The highest level of RBCs GSH/GSSG ratio was recorded in MT group, and the lowest one was recorded in the WT group. Conclusion. Long term regular exercise training with moderate intensity shifts redox balance towards more reducing environment, versus intensive exercise training leads to more oxidizing environment and consequently development of related diseases

The methanolic extract of Cinnamomum zeylanicum bark improves formaldehyde-induced neurotoxicity through reduction of phospho-tau (Thr231), inflammation, and apoptosis

Accumulation of formaldehyde (FA) in the brain is linked to age-related neurodegenerative disorders, as it accelerates memory impairment through tau protein aggregation, inflammation, and nuclear damage. This study aimed to assess the possible effects of methanolic cinnamon extract (CE) on FA-induced neurotoxicity in rats. The animals were treated with CE (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg, P.O.) for 30 days following FA administration (60 mg/kg, I.P.) for 30 days. Briefly, spatial and inhibitory memory were examined by Morris water maze (MWM) and passive avoidance (PA) tasks, respectively. The Nissl, Hoechst, and Bielschowsky silver staining methods were also used to assess apoptosis and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in the hippocampal CA1 region, respectively. Brain tissues were probed with an anti-phospho-tau (Thr231) monoclonal antibody to assess tau hyperphosphorylation. Inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) were also measured by ELISA assay. Western blotting was performed to quantify the amount of phospho-tau (Thr231), caspase-8, and caspase-9. The results showed that FA injection significantly caused tau hyperphosphorylation at Thr231 residue, which in turn disturbed the MWM performance. The ratio of apoptotic to intact neurons increased following FA treatment. The results of Western blotting indicated that the hippocampal levels of phospho-tau (Thr231) and caspase-8 were significantly higher in the FA group compared to the control group. The hippocampal levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in the FA group were also higher than the control group. Administration of 200 mg/kg of CE significantly improved the rats’ MWM performance, decreased the levels of phospho-tau (Thr231), caspase-8, IL-6, and TNF-α, and reduced the ratio of apoptotic to intact neurons. Overall, cinnamon improved cognitive performance in FA-treated rats by eliminating tau hyperphosphorylation, inflammatory cytokines, and nuclear damage

Influenza vaccination coverage and obstacles in healthcare workers (HCWs) and the follow up of side effects: A multicenter investigation in Iran

Introduction. Influenza is a highly contagious acute respiratory illness. Due to the high exposure of hospital personnel, widespread vaccination of these high-risk groups seems to be a necessity in healthcare centers. To determine vaccination coverage in the personnel of four tertiary referral collegiate hospitals in 2019, and to further investigate individual obstacles for Influenza vaccination. Methods. In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 637 personnel were selected randomly from distinctive hospitals in a list-wised. Ones vaccinated filled the side effects questionnaire and who not vaccinated filled the vaccination obstacles questionnaire. Results. The mean vaccination coverage was 29.4% and the coverage difference among centers was not statistically significant (p=0.192). The following items had the most impact on personnel decision: confidence about one’s immune system (p&lt;0.05), the experience of side effects from previous vaccinations (p=0.011), attitude about vaccination in colleagues (p=0.021) and work experience (p&lt;0.05). About 23% of vaccinated individuals reported side effects following vaccination and the most common side effect was mild cold symptoms with 12.3% prevalence. Conclusion. The results of the current study revealed that influenza vaccination coverage among HCWs is not satisfactory in Iran. Hospital authorities and infection control units should plan to remove the obstacles of influenza vaccination

A Combination of Prebiotic Inulin and Oligofructose Improve Some of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Women with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Purpose: This trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of oligofructose-enriched inulin on some of cardiovascular disease risk factors in women with type 2 diabetes. Methods: 52 females (25<BMI<35 kg/m2) with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to two groups. Participants received 10g/d oligofructose-enriched inulin (n=27) or 10g/d placebo (n=25) for 8 weeks. Fasting blood samples were taken to measure metabolic profiles, malondialdehyd and antioxidant enzymes at baseline and after the 8 weeks intervention. Paired, unpaired sample t-test and analysis of covariance were used to comparison of quantitative variables. Results: After 8 weeks, in the oligofructose-enriched inulin group there was a significant increase in total antioxidant capacity (0.2 mmol/l, 20.0%) and a significant decrease in fasting plasma glucose (19.2 mg/dL, 9.4%) HbA1c (0.5%, 8.4%), total cholesterol (TC) (28.0 mg/dL, 14.1%), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) (22.0 mg/dL, 21.7%), TC/HDL-c ratio (0.73, 20.7%), LDL-c/HDL-c ratio (0.55, 27.5%) and malondialdehyd (1.7 nmol/ml, 39.7%) compared to the placebo group. Changes in concentrations of triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc), superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase were not significant in oligofructose-enriched inulin group compared to the placebo group. Conclusion: Oligofructose-enriched inulin may improve glycemic indices, lipid profile, antioxidant status and malondialdehyd in women with type 2 diabetes

Comparison of breast cancer survival in two populations: Ardabil, Iran and British Columbia, Canada

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Patterns in survival can provide information about the burden and severity of cancer, help uncover gaps in systemic policy and program delivery, and support the planning of enhanced cancer control systems. The aim of this paper is to describe the one-year survival rates for breast cancer in two populations using population-based cancer registries: Ardabil, Iran, and British Columbia (BC), Canada.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>All newly diagnosed cases of female breast cancer were identified in the Ardabil cancer registry from 2003 to 2005 and the BC cancer registry for 2003. The International Classification of Disease for Oncology (ICDO) was used for coding cancer morphology and topography. Survival time was determined from cancer diagnosis to death. Age-specific one-year survival rates, relative survival rates and weighted standard errors were calculated using life-tables for each country.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Breast cancer patients in BC had greater one-year survival rates than patients in Ardabil overall and for each age group under 60.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These findings support the need for breast cancer screening programs (including regular clinical breast examinations and mammography), public education and awareness regarding early detection of breast cancer, and education of health care providers.</p