Objective: To date, there has been little information published on the death of rural road accident deaths. This study uses burden of injury method to explore a more accurate estimate of years of life lost due to road traffic crashes occurring over a four-year period in Guilan province, northern Iran.
Methods: Rural road accident deaths from 2009 to 2013 were extracted from Iran’s Forensic Medicine System, Death Registry System and Road Trauma Research center database.
Results: During the study period, the average years of life lost due to motor vehicle crashes was 13.8 per 1 000 persons, ranging from 11.9 during March 2011-2012 to 15.8 per 1 000 persons during March 2012-2013.
Conclusion: Road accident deaths in 2013 remained at the same high level as in 2009. The information obtained from this study provides a new perspective on fatal road traffic crash victims in rural settings and show us that more attention is needed in this area.

Introduction: Water pipe use is becoming increasingly common among Iranian adolescents. This study examined the prevalence and predictors of water pipe use among public high schoolchildren aged 14-17 in Iran. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade public high schoolchildren in Sanadaj City, capital of Kurdistan province of Iran during the academic year 2012-2013. Cluster sampling was used to select a sample from 8 public high schools. The data were collected using validated self-administrated questionnaire that included questions on water pipe use, socio-demographic characteristics, smoking-related knowledge, attitude toward smoking, normative believes regards perceived prevalence water pipe use among peer and adults, perception of harm, self-esteem and refusal skill. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess predictors of water pipe use. Results: A total of 1837 students participated in this study. Students’ ages ranged from 14 to 17 years (mean age±15.09; SD±0.82 years). The overall prevalence of ever water pipe use was 36.2% (43.1% in male and 29.2% in female, (p<0.001). Age, gender, living arrangement, pocket money, academic grade, parental history of smoking, attitude, and normative believes regards perceived prevalence water pipe use among peer and adults were predictors of water pipe use among study participants. Conclusions: The overall prevalence of water pipe is high among high school children in Sanandaj. Age, gender, pocket money, academic grade, parents smoking, attitude toward smoking and normative believes were identified as the most important predictors increasing the risk of water pipe use in the studied students.
Smoking

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease of central nervous system (CNS). The mmune system plays an important role in its pathogenesis. Current treatments are unable to cure patients and prevent the progression of MS lesions. Stem cell-based cell therapy has opened a new window for MS treatment. Stem cells regulate immune responses and improve axonal remyelination. Stem cells can be obtained from different origins such as embryonic, neural, bone marrow, and adipose tissues. But yet there is a challenge for the selection of the best cell source for stem cell therapy. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a type of stem cell obtained from different origins and have significant immunomodulatory effects on the immune system. The increasing evidence have suggested that umbilical cord and adipose tissue can be a suitable source for isolation of MSCs. Moreover, human amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs) as novel stem cell origins by having immunoregulatory effects, regenerative effects, and less capacity of antigenicity can be a candidate for MS treatment. This review discussed the mechanistic effects of MSCs with a focus on human amniotic epithelial cells, which can be used to treatment and improvement of outcome in MS disease.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease of central nervous system (CNS). The mmune system plays an important role in its pathogenesis. Current treatments are unable to cure patients and prevent the progression of MS lesions. Stem cell-based cell therapy has opened a new window for MS treatment. Stem cells regulate immune responses and improve axonal remyelination. Stem cells can be obtained from different origins such as embryonic, neural, bone marrow, and adipose tissues. But yet there is a challenge for the selection of the best cell source for stem cell therapy. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a type of stem cell obtained from different origins and have significant immunomodulatory effects on the immune system. The increasing evidence have suggested that umbilical cord and adipose tissue can be a suitable source for isolation of MSCs. Moreover, human amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs) as novel stem cell origins by having immunoregulatory effects, regenerative effects, and less capacity of antigenicity can be a candidate for MS treatment. This review discussed the mechanistic effects of MSCs with a focus on human amniotic epithelial cells, which can be used to treatment and improvement of outcome in MS disease.

Translating progress in neuroscience into clinical benefits for patients with psychiatric disorders is challenging because it involves the brain as the most complex organ and its interaction with a complex environment and condition. Dealing with such complexity requires powerful techniques. Computational neuroscience approach to psychiatry integrates multiple levels and types of simulation, analysis and computation according to the different types of computational models to enhance comprehending, prediction and treatment of psychiatric disorder. This approach comprises two approaches: theory-driven and data-driven. In this review, we focus on recent advances in theory-driven approaches that mathematically and mechanistically examine the relationships between disorder-related changes and behavior at different level of brain organization. We discuss recent progresses in computational neuroscience models that relate to psychiatry and show how principles of neural computational modeling can be employed to explain psychopathology.

Transsexualism refers to a condition or belief which results in gender dysphoria in individuals and makes them insist that their biological gender is different from their psychological and experienced gender. Although the etiology of gender dysphoria (or transsexualism) is still unknown, different neuroimaging studies show that structural and functional changes of the brain result from this sexual incongruence. The question here is whether these reported changes form part of the etiology of transsexualism or themselves result from transsexualism culture, behaviors and lifestyle. Responding to this question can be more precise by consideration of cultural neuroscience concepts, particularly the culture–behavior–brain (CBB) loop model and the interactions between behavior, culture and brain. In this article, we first review the studies on the brain of transgender people and then we will discuss the validity of this claim based on the CBB loop model. In summary, transgender individuals experience change in lifestyle, context of beliefs and concepts and, as a result, their culture and behaviors. Given the close relationship and interaction between culture, behavior and brain, the individual's brain adapts itself to the new condition (culture) and concepts and starts to alter its function and structure.
Brain* ; Gender Dysphoria ; Gender Identity ; Life Style ; Neuroimaging ; Neurosciences ; Transgender Persons ; Transsexualism*

This study investigated the effect of ethanol extracts of horsetail, alfalfa, ortie, chêne and aleppo oak on blood coagulation in vitro. Extraction was performed by the maceration method. Extracts were mixed with platelet and plasma, then prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and platelet aggregation tests were conducted. Alfalfa extract had a dose-dependent effect on the PT. Ortie, and horsetail, reduced the PT significantly compared to control group. Alfalfa, horsetail, and ortie reduced the APTT, but their effect was insignificant compared to the control group. The pooled extract showed the highest effect compared to the single extracts in a dose-dependent manner. Horsetail and alfalfa induced platelet aggregation in response to arachidonic acid but not in response to collagen. In the case of ortie, no aggregation occurred regarding the arachidonic acid, and incomplete was observed in response to collagen. Interestingly, blood clotting occurred immediately after adding the chêne, aleppo oak and the pooled extract, and therefore platelet poor plasma (PPP) and platelet rich plasma (PRP) became jelly. Generally, chêne and aleppo oak, as well as pooled extract, were more effective in inducing both primary and secondary coagulation pathways via shortening the PT and APTT, and induction of platelet aggregation.

Preliminary studies have claimed that short term fasting would negatively affect school performance and cognition. In contrast some other studies have reported not important decline in cognition and executive function as a result of fasting. Also limited attention was generally devoted to dietetic regimens, nutritional status and body weight. Yet neuroscience and neuro-cognitive aspects of acute hunger on the electroencephalogram and differences between obese and non-obese cases is not well understood. Hence, we decided to design and perform a case study in a more controlled situation similar to reality. Therefore, we performed several examinations including subjective tests (for eating status) and objective tests (cognitive tests such as Stroop effect and Sternberg search and electroencephalogram measures such as steady-state visual evoked potential and auditory steady-state responses) for an obese and a non-obese academic case before and after a simple breakfast. The results showed that the breakfast effects on the neuro-cognitive functions depend on either obesity status, nutritional status of the case or the type of cognitive task (visual or auditory). This paper would open a new insight to answer some important questions about the neuro-cognitive implications of fasting and feeding in obese and non-obese human cases.
Body Weight ; Breakfast ; Cognition ; Eating ; Electroencephalography ; Evoked Potentials, Visual ; Executive Function ; Fasting* ; Humans ; Hunger ; Neurosciences ; Nutritional Status ; Obesity ; Stroop Test

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional. PURPOSE: To translate and culturally adapt an Iranian version of the Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire (PSQ) in Iran. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Instruments measuring patient reported outcomes should satisfy certain psychometric properties. METHODS: The PSQ was translated following cross-cultural adaptation guidelines. A total of 101 patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH), and 39 healthy cases were included in the study. All participants completed the PSQ and the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS). The internal consistency, test-retest reliability, known group comparison, criterion validity and item-scale correlations were assessed. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 51.7 years. Reliability, validity and correlation of PSQ and PCS showed satisfactory results. Cronbach's alpha coefficients were 0.81 for PSQ-total, 0.82 for PSQ-minor, and 0.82 for PSQ-moderate. The intraclass correlation coefficients value was 0.84 (0.616-0.932) indicating an excellent test-retest reliability. The instrument discriminated well between sub-groups of patients who differed in a standard predictive measure of LDH surgery (the Finneson-Cooper score). Total PSQ were also significantly correlated with the total scores of the PCS, lending support to its good convergent validity. Additionally, the correlation of each item with its hypothesized domain on the PSQ indicated acceptable results, suggesting that the items had a substantial relationship with their own domains. CONCLUSIONS: The adapted Iranian PSQ is a valid and reliable questionnaire for the assessment of pain in patients with LDH.
Catastrophization ; Humans ; Iran ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care)* ; Psychometrics ; Reproducibility of Results

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional. PURPOSE: To translate and culturally adapt an Iranian version of the Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire (PSQ) in Iran. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Instruments measuring patient reported outcomes should satisfy certain psychometric properties. METHODS: The PSQ was translated following cross-cultural adaptation guidelines. A total of 101 patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH), and 39 healthy cases were included in the study. All participants completed the PSQ and the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS). The internal consistency, test-retest reliability, known group comparison, criterion validity and item-scale correlations were assessed. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 51.7 years. Reliability, validity and correlation of PSQ and PCS showed satisfactory results. Cronbach's alpha coefficients were 0.81 for PSQ-total, 0.82 for PSQ-minor, and 0.82 for PSQ-moderate. The intraclass correlation coefficients value was 0.84 (0.616-0.932) indicating an excellent test-retest reliability. The instrument discriminated well between sub-groups of patients who differed in a standard predictive measure of LDH surgery (the Finneson-Cooper score). Total PSQ were also significantly correlated with the total scores of the PCS, lending support to its good convergent validity. Additionally, the correlation of each item with its hypothesized domain on the PSQ indicated acceptable results, suggesting that the items had a substantial relationship with their own domains. CONCLUSIONS: The adapted Iranian PSQ is a valid and reliable questionnaire for the assessment of pain in patients with LDH.
Catastrophization ; Humans ; Iran ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care)* ; Psychometrics ; Reproducibility of Results