The Analysis of Iranian EFL Learners' Acquisition of the American, British and Australian Accents

Farsi and English are both Indo-European languages with similarities in their roots. As such, this experiment was conducted to understand which English accent (i.e. American, British or Australian accents) would be easier for Iranians to adapt. To answer this question, 30 medical students performed three different activities of (I) listening to audio texts in three accents, (II) taking part in an oral interview and (III) completing an attitude questionnaire. The activities examined comprehensibility of the accents the participants were subjected to, type of accent they themselves produced and their attitude toward the accents under study. As for the audio texts, the order of presenting the three accents to the subjects was counterbalanced in order to control the order effect. The data on audio materials were analyzed for comprehensibility, accentedness, intelligibility and acceptability. Regarding comprehensibility, American accent was the most comprehensible (85%). Considering accentedness, intelligibility and acceptability, the participants found American accent the least accented (70%), the most intelligible 80% and the most acceptable (95%). In the interviews, students' accents were closer to the American accent. 85 percent of the participants used American accent in their conversational exchanges. Those with British and Australian accents formed 10% and 5% respectively. Regarding attitude, also, the participants mostly (90%) preferred American accent over the British or Australian accents. Students' tendency to adapt American accent more openly is mainly rooted in a mentality that American accent is easiest for the brain to digest.

knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Rational usage of antibiotics for Preoperative Prophylaxis Among Surgeons in Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences hospitals in 2014

Background: Optimal and appropriate antibiotic prescription for preoperative prophylaxis is an essential issue in hospitals. The nobility of the present study was to determine the rate of optimal antibiotic usage for preoperative prophylaxis in Shahid­ Beheshti University hospitals in 2014.Materials and Methods: In this observational cross­-sectional study, 200 physicians employed in Shahid­ Beheshti University hospitals who performed surgical procedures were enrolled in the study and the rate of optimal antibiotic utilization for preoperative prophylaxis was evaluated.Results: It was obtained that 64% of physicians had appropriate attitude and 41% had sufficient practice. The concordance rate according to the guidelines was medium in 52%, high in 29%, and low in 19%Conclusion: It was ultimately attained that optimal antibiotic for preoperative prophylaxis is used by nearly half of physicians and also two­ third have appropriate perspective regarding the antibiotic usage

Docetaxel Enhances the Expression of STING Protein in PC3 Cells, and cGAMP Attenuates this Effect

Background: The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) agonist (cGAMP) kills the cancer cells through the activation of the innate immune system. PC3 cells are high in BTK and low in STING. In this study, the effect of adding STING agonist, cGAMP, to docetaxel investigated. Materials and Methods: PC3 cells were treated with docetaxel, cGAMP, and a combination of the docetaxel and cGAMP. Cell toxicity was evaluated by MTT assay, and changes of STING, IRF3, BTK, and DDX41 genes’ expression were quantified by the real-time PCR. STING protein was also detected by Western blotting. Results: The IC50 of docetaxel was 31.1 nM, and cGAMP did not change it significantly but decreased docetaxel toxicity about 30%. Docetaxel increased IRF3, BTK, and DDX41 gene expression significantly, and STING protein about 5 folds. By adding cGAMP to docetaxel STING, IRF3, and BTK, expression decreased several folds. Conclusion: In this in vitro study, cGAMP potentiated docetaxel’s effects and alleviated it

The effect of video games on teenagers’ behavior and performance: A cross-sectional study in Tehran

Background: The novelty of the present study was to interpret the relation of the videogame usage in teenagers’ behaviors and their performance in schools and distinctive environments.Methods: A total of 508 male and female teenage students were randomly selected from secondary schools of Tehran, the Capital of Iran. The designed questionnaire was completed by student’s parents at the end of school year. School performance and students’ behavior and pattern of using videogames were asked. Descriptive statistics, Contingency coefficient and chi-squared tests were used for data analysis.Results: According to the results, almost all the teenagers were interested in video games and 76.8% of students played video games once in a while. Female students whose mothers were older used video games more often than teenagers whose mothers were younger. Also, male students, whose mothers were housewives and had handheld devices in their rooms, were observed to spend more time playing games. The male students who spent more time playing video games showed more aggression than the others. In addition, female students who played video games quite often, showed abnormal behavior and strange mental status. Both genders showed high percentage of shouting and overeating, when they spent more time playing video games. Conclusion: Playing videogames has a significant effect on teenagers’ behaviors but not on their school performance. Social determinants of health also have significant effect on playing videogames.Keywords: Adolescent; Educational Status; Students; Video Game

Evaluation of the Enzymatic Activity of Soluble CD13/APN and CD26/DPP4 in Serum and Urine Samples of Mice with Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

Background: Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV (DPP4/CD26) and Amino Peptidase N (APN/CD13) have essential roles in inflammatory diseases. The current study aimed to determine changes in APN and DPP4 enzyme activity in the serum and urine of mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Materials and Methods: In the present study, female C57BL/6 mice were studied in two groups (control and EAE). Twenty-sevendays after induction, the enzymatic activity of APN and DPP4 in urine and serum samples was measured using a spectrophotometric assay. Results: The enzyme activity of DPP4 was higher in serum and urine of EAE mice than in the control group (mean in serum: 1.04 ± 0.13 pmol/mL and 0.80 ± 0.12 pmol/mL, respectively, P=0.015; mean in urine: 0.26 ± 0.04 pmol/mL and 0.19 ± 0.04 pmol/mL, respectively, P=0.015). However, the enzymatic activity of APN in serum and urine of mice with EAE when compared to the control group had no significant difference (mean in serum: 9.20 ± 1.15 unit/mL and 10.25 ± 1.21 unit/mL, respectively, P=0.132, mean in urine: 0.23 ± 0.27 unit/mL and 0.15 ± 0.05 unit/mL, respectively, P=0.310). Conclusion: The increased DPP4 activity along with normal APN activity in urine and serum samples can be used as an indicator to detect or follow up on the course of MS disease. Confirmation of this finding needs further investigation

Evaluation of demographic features of acute drug poisoning with Benzodiazepines; a cross – sectional study

Background: Poisoning is one of the important social problems in developing countries, and acute poisoning due to suicide by drug overdose or toxins is one of the most common cases of poisoning that requires emergency care. This study was aimed to determine the demographics of benzodiazepines poisoned patients in one of the referral centers for poisoning in Iran.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on patients who referred to the poisoning emergency ward of Loghman Hakim Hospital from April 2015 to March 2016. Among 10624 patients who referred to the hospital at the study period, 2543 of them were poisoned by benzodiazepines. A total of 263 patients were selected randomly and were assessed for age, gender and the type of the benzodiazepine. The data were analyzed by version 15 of SPSS software.Results: Among 263 patients, 127 were males (48.2%) and 136 were females (51.7%). The mean age of patients was 31 years old with a range of 13 – 80 years old. In addition, most patients were in the age of between 18 to 35 years (n = 152). In this study, 91 patients (34.6%) were single-drug poisoned with benzodiazepines and 172 cases (65.4%) were poisoned by multi-drug regimens including benzodiazepines. Between different types of benzodiazepines, the most common type was Alprazolam and the least common benzodiazepine was Oxazepam. Almost 96% of patients (n = 252) were treated successfully and 8 patients (3%) got discharged with self-consent. Furthermore, the mortality rate was approximately 1% (n = 3).Conclusion: Benzodiazepines poisoning is common in younger patients; thus, close attentions are needed for the prescription of these drugs in young patients. Considering easy access to benzodiazepines in the community, periodic visits to psychiatrists may be useful for the reduction of benzodiazepine poisoning

Genetic Diversity Analysis of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains Isolated from Intensive Care Unit in Iran

Objectives: Staphylococcus aureus has emerged as a major public health concern. It is a common pathogen in high-risk hospital intensive care units (ICUs). We analyzed the molecular characteristics on the SCCmec and spa genes of S. aureus isolates gathered from ICUs. The antibiotic resistance patterns and carriage of resistance and virulence determinants were also identified. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 84 non-duplicated S. aureus strains isolated from ICU patients in were genotyped using SCCmec and spa typing. The Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion and micro-broth dilution methods were used to determine resistance patterns. Virulence and resistance gene profiling were also determined using the polymerase chain reaction technique. Results: All isolates were methicillin-resistant S. aureus and belonged to seven spa types: t388 (36.9%), t852 (14.3%), t924 (13.1%), t790 (11.9%), t064 (10.7%), t037 (9.5%), and t084 (3.6%). They differed in the carriage of resistance and toxin genes. The most common SCCmec type was III detected in 50 isolates (59.5%), followed by type IV in 34 isolates (40.5%). The pvl gene was detected in 14.3% (n = 12) of isolates, of which 66.7% (n = 8) belonged to t852 and 33.3% (n = 4) belonged to t790. Among the tested strains, 9.5% (n = 8) carried the mupA gene and belonged to the t064 spa type. Conclusions: The data revealed a high resistance rate to antibiotics, which could be a threat to ICU patients. It is necessary to detect antimicrobial resistance and resistance and toxin-encoding of gene profiles in different molecular types

Investigating Neurocranial Sizes And Cephalic Indices Of Male Newborns In North of Tehran Using Millimetric Cephalometry

Background: Anthropometric studies have been introduced as the second priority of research in the field of medical sciences in Iran. Information obtained from such studies are used in industry and medical sciences, including the manufacturing of prostheses, gas masks, and surgical instruments. Considering the effect of genetic, age, sexual, climatic, and geographical factors and their high importance on anthropometric sizes, the aim of the present project is to investigate the neurocranial sizes of the cephalic indices of one-day-old male newborns in north of Tehran.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out on 100 neurocranial sizes of one-day-old male newborns in Shohada-e-Tajrish Hospital in Tehran using millimetric cephalometry. Measurements were performed according to the protocol and by a ruler, cephalometer, and tape meter (0.5mm precision rate). The data were collected and recorded in the relevant forms and then processed and analyzed by a biostatistics software. Results: The present research showed that the mean head length, head width, ear height, head circumference, brain volume, brain weight, cephalic index, and the brain index was 118.2 mm, 94.3 mm, 71.3 mm, 348.5 mm, 415.1 ml, 429.2 g, 78.1%, and 12.8%, respectively. Frequency of different head phenotypes has been reported according to the cephalic index as follows: round head (65%), long head (20%), broad head (12%), and super-broad head (3%).Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that the cephalic index of one-day-old male newborns in Tehran was lower than those born in Kermanshah, Sistan and Baluchestan, and Qazvin, which can be explained by the impact of gender, climate, and geographical area on neurocranial dimensions and sizes

Minocycline Improves Memory by Enhancing Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity and Restoring Antioxidant Enzyme Activity in a Rat Model of Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion

Introduction: Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the impairment of synaptic plasticity following cerebral ischemia, ultimately resulting in memory dysfunction. Hence, the applying antioxidant agents could be beneficial in managing memory deficits after brain ischemia. Minocycline is a tetracycline antibiotic with antioxidant effect. The main objective of this work was to assess the minocycline effect on the impairment of synaptic plasticity and memory after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion in rats. Methods: Transient occlusion of common carotid arteries was used to induce ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats. Single or multiple (once daily for 7 days) dose(s) of minocycline were administered before (pretreatment) or after (treatment) brain ischemia. Seven days after ischemia-reperfusion, passive avoidance performance, long-term hippocampal potentiation, and the activity of antioxidant enzymes were assessed.  Results: The passive avoidance test showed that minocycline (20 and 40 mg/kg) significantly increased step-through latency while reducing the duration of staying in a dark chamber in the treatment (but not pretreatment) group. In electrophysiological experiments, the rats treated (but not pretreated) with minocycline (40 mg/kg) showed a significant increase in the amplitude of the field excitatory postsynaptic potentials in the dentate gyrus area of the hippocampus. The treatment (but not pretreatment) with minocycline (20 and 40 mg/kg) resulted in a significant increase in the activity of catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase in the hippocampus.  Conclusion: It was determined that minocycline attenuates memory dysfunction after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion in rats by improving hippocampal synaptic plasticity and restoring antioxidant enzyme activity