Yoga Effects on Physical Activity and Sexual Satisfaction among Iranian Women with Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic and disabling disease resulting in disabilities in young and middle-aged persons. In this study,researchers explored the effect of yoga techniques on physical activities and sexual function among some Iranian women with MS.Materials and Methods: In this study, 60 Iranian women with multiple sclerosis (MS) were placed in two equally divided control and case groupsthrough random selection to assess pre- and post- effects of yoga exercises on their physical activities and sexual satisfaction levels. Women in case group were offered a series of yoga training and exercises for 3 months, which consisted of 8 sessions per month for 60 to 90 minutes at each session. Yoga training program included the 3 principles of slow motions (Hatayoga), respiratory exercises (Pranayama) and centralization to control mind via meditation, expansion and stasis (Rajayoga). After 3 months both groups were surveyed using the initial questionnaire to evaluate and compare findings with the base-line data.Results: Researchers found significant statistical difference in physical activity and sexual satisfaction levels among the women in case group(P=0.001).Women in case group showed improvement in physical ability while women in control group manifested exacerbated symptoms.Conclusion: Yoga techniques may improve physical activities and sexual satisfaction function of women with MS.Key Words: Yoga; Multiple sclerosis; Quality of life; Sexual satisfactio

Phytoplankton of Aras dam reservoir (Iran): an attempt to assess water quality

The Aras reservoir, located in the north-west of Iran, plays an important role in fisheries, drinking and agricultural water supplies and recreational activities in the region. This study was performed to characterize the seasonal fluctuations of phytoplankton communities and their relationship with environmental factors in the Aras reservoir from August 2013 to May 2014. Sampling was carried out seasonally from 5 sampling locations. In each location three samples were taken for phytoplankton identification and enumeration, chemical analysis and chlorophyll a determination. In total, 72 species belonging to 5 divisions were determined. Cyanobacteria contained the highest density (74%) during the study period with Pseudanabaena limnetica as the most abundant species. This group retained its dominance the whole year round which indicated the poor quality and high nutrient load of the Aras reservoir, mainly due to human activities. On average, Trophic State Index (TSI) showed that water in the reservoir was eu-hypereutrophic. The results indicated that phytoplankton density negatively correlated with Secchi disc depth (R^2 = -0.479), total alkalinity (R^2 = -0.564), total hardness (R^2 = -0.727) and HCO_3 concentration (R^2 = -0.589). On the other hand, there was a positive correlation between the phytoplankton density and TP (R^2 = 0.734). A comparison between the present and a previous study indicated that the cyanobacterial bloom pattern in the Aras reservoir has shifted from warm season toward an all year round cycle which in addition to basin pollution due to anthropogenic activities, can be related to global warming and climate change

Evaluation of the Physicochemical, Antioxidant, and Antibacterial Properties of Tunichrome Released from Phallusia nigra Persian Gulf Marine Tunicate

The aim of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical, nutraceutical, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties of tunichrome released from Persian Gulf tunicate (Phallusia nigra). For this purpose, molecular weight (SDS-PAGE), amino acid profile, chemical composition (GC-MS), mineral composition, functional groups (FTIR), total phenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), antioxidant activity, and antimicrobial properties were investigated. The results showed that tunichrome contained a high amount of essential amino acids (i.e., Lys = 32.24 mg/100 g) and essential minerals. According to GC-MS results, tunichrome had different antioxidant and antimicrobial components. The TPC and TFC of tunichrome were 0.55 mg GA/g and 0.21 mg quercetin/100 g, respectively. Tunichrome showed higher antioxidant activity than ascorbic acid, and its radical scavenging activity values were increased from 30.28 to 82.08% by increasing concentration from 50 to 200 ppm. Inhibition zones of Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Salmonella enterica, and Escherichia coli O157:H7 were 14, 18, 17, and 15 mm, respectively. Moreover, the minimum inhibitory concentration values of tunichrome for S. aureus, Bacillus cereus, S. enterica, and E. coli O157:H7 were 1.17, 0.59, 0.59, and 1.17 mg/ml, respectively. The minimum bacterial concentrations were 2.34, 1.17, 1.17, and 2.34 mg/ml for S. aureus, Bacillus cereus, S. enterica, and E. coli O157:H7, respectively. These results showed that tunichrome of Phallusia nigra has excellent biological effects as a bioactive compound for food fortification

Effectiveness of smart phone application use as continuing medical education method in pediatric oral health care: a randomized trial

Background Continuing education aims at assisting physicians to maintain competency and expose them to emerging issues in their field. Over the last decade, approaches to the delivery of educational content have changed dramatically as medical education at all levels is now benefitting from the use of web-based content and applications for mobile devices. The aim of the present study is to investigate through a randomized trial the effectiveness of a smart phone application to increase public health service physicians’ (PHS physicians) knowledge regarding pediatric oral health care. Method Five of all seven DHCs (District Health Center) in Tehran, which were under the supervision of Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Iran University of Medical Sciences, were selected for our study. Physicians of one DHC had participated in a pilot study. All PHS physicians in the other four centers were invited to the current study on a voluntary basis (n = 107). They completed a self-administered questionnaire regarding their knowledge, attitudes, practice in pediatric dentistry, and background. PHS physicians were assigned randomly to intervention and control groups; those in the intervention group, received a newly designed evidence-based smartphone application, and those in the control group received a booklet, a CME seminar, and a pamphlet. A post-intervention survey was administered 4 months later and t-test and repeated measures ANCOVA (Analysis of Covariance) were performed to measure the difference in the PHS physicians’ knowledge, attitude and practice. Results In both groups, the mean knowledge scores were significantly higher (p-Value < 0.001) in post-intervention data compared to those at baseline. Similar results existed in attitude and practice scores. Although the scores in knowledge in the intervention group indicating potentially greater improvement when compared to those of the control group, the differences between the two groups were not statistically significant (dif: 0.84, 95% CI − 0.35 to 2.02). Conclusion In the light of the limitations of the present study, smart phone applications could improve knowledge, attitude and practice in physicians although this method was not superior to the conventional method of CME

Primary care nurses' awareness of and willingness to perform children's oral health care

Peer reviewe

Oral health behavior of drug addicts in withdrawal treatment

Peer reviewe

Qualitative exploration of barriers and facilitators of dental service utilization of pregnant women: A triangulation approach

Abstract Background Pregnant women are vulnerable to a wide range of oral health conditions that could be harmful to their own health and future child. Despite the usefulness of regular dental service utilization in prevention and early detection of oral diseases, it is notably low among pregnant women. In this qualitative study, we aimed to explore barriers and facilitators influencing pregnant women’s dental service utilization. Methods Using a triangulation approach, we included pregnant women (n = 22) from two public health centers, midwives (n = 8) and dentists (n = 12) from 12 other public centers in Tehran (Iran). Data was gathered through face-to-face semi-structured interviewing and focus group discussion methods. The analysis of qualitative data was performed using conventional content analysis with MAXQDA10 software. Results Reported barriers of dental service utilization among pregnant women were categorized under emerging themes: Lack of knowledge and misbelief, cost of dental care, physiological changes, fear and other psychological conditions, time constraint, dentists’ unwillingness to accept pregnant women treatment, cultural taboos and lack of interprofessional collaboration. Solutions proposed by dentists, midwives and pregnant women to improve dental care utilization during pregnancy were categorized under three themes: Provision of knowledge, financial support and establishing supportive policies. Conclusions Understanding perceived barriers of dental service utilization during pregnancy can serve as baseline information for planning and formulating appropriate oral health education, financial support, and legislations tailored for lower income pregnant women, midwives and dentists in countries with developing oral health care system

Oral Health of Drug Abusers: A Review of Health Effects and Care

Peer reviewe

Enhancement of an Air-Cooled Battery Thermal Management System Using Liquid Cooling with CuO and Al2O3 Nanofluids under Steady-State and Transient Conditions

Lithium-ion batteries are a crucial part of transportation electrification. Various battery thermal management systems (BTMS) are employed in electric vehicles for safe and optimum battery operation. With the advancement in power demand and battery technology, there is an increasing interest in enhancing BTMS’ performance. Liquid cooling is gaining a lot of attention recently due to its higher heat capacity compared to air. In this study, an air-cooled BTMS is replaced by a liquid cooled with nanoparticles, and the impacts of different nanoparticles and flow chrematistics are modeled. Furthermore, a unique approach that involves transient analysis is employed. The effects of nanofluid in enhancing the thermal performance of lithium-ion batteries are assessed for two types of nanoparticles (CuO and Al2O3) at four different volume concentrations (0.5%, 2%, 3%, and 5%) and three fluid velocities (0.05, 0.075, and 0.1 m/s). To simulate fluid flow behavior and analyze the temperature distribution within the battery pack, a conventional k-ε turbulence model is used. The results indicate that the cooling efficiency of the system can be enhanced by introducing a 5% volume concentration of nanofluids at a lower fluid velocity as compared to pure liquid. Al2O3 and CuO reduce the temperature by 7.89% and 4.73% for the 5% volume concentration, respectively. From transient analysis, it is also found that for 600 s of operation at the highest power, the cell temperature is within the safe range for the selected vehicle with nanofluid cooling. The findings from this study are expected to contribute to improving BTMS by quantifying the benefits of using nanofluids for battery cooling under both steady-state and transient conditions

Local eosinophils are associated with increased IgA subclass levels in the sinonasal mucosa of chronic rhinosinusitis with polyp patients

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) describes an inflammatory condition affecting the sinonasal mucosa. As the immune system players such as immunoglobulins play prominent roles in the development of CRS, we aimed to investigate the expression of IgA subclasses and factors involved in IgA class switching in the sinonasal mucosa of CRS patients. Methods: Specimens were collected from the sinonasal mucosa of the healthy controls and CRS patients. Histological assessments were performed by H&E and immunohistochemistry. Real-time PCR and ELISA methods were applied to measure gene expression and protein levels extracted from tissue samples, respectively. Results: We observed that total IgA and subclass-positive cells were higher in the patient groups than controls. There was a significant correlation between the number of eosinophils and total IgA and subclasses-positive cells (Pv < 0.0001). The expression of CXCL13, BAFF, AID, and germline transcripts were increased in CRSwNP patients. In contrast to IgA2 levels, IgA1 levels were significantly increased in the sinonasal tissue of CRSwNP patients (Pv < 0.01). TGF-β was significantly elevated in the sinonasal tissue of patients with CRSsNP. Conclusions: Increased protein levels of IgA subclasses and related antibody-producing cells were associated with elevated eosinophils in CRSwNP patients which may result in eosinophil pathological functions. Several therapeutic approaches might be developed to modulate the IgA production to ameliorate the inflammatory mechanisms in CRSwNP patients.Figure not available: see fulltext. © 2020 The Author(s)