Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic, progressive illness that causes considerable morbidity and premature mortality. Vanadium is a trace mineral that has been claimed to be effective in controlling blood glucose levels in diabetic patients. A randomised placebo-controlled study was conducted to evaluate the effect of sodium metavanadate on selected biochemical markers in type 2 diabetic patients. Forty patients were enrolled and half of them received 100 mg sodium metavanadate daily for 6 weeks while the other half were placebo subjects. The mean age of the patients was 53.1 ± 8.5 years. Body mass index (BMI), blood pressure(BP), fasting blood sugar (FBS), 2-h postprandial glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C), triglyceride(TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoproteins (LDL), high-density lipoproteins (HDL) were determined before the start and at the end of the study. Levels of FBS, HbA1C, TC and LDL in the diabetic subjects decreased after six weeks on sodium metavanadate, but the differences were not statistically significant on comparing between pre- and posttrial levels. Based on the results, this study did not find sodium metavanadate of beneficial use as a form of vanadium supplementation among patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: This study was carried out on Iranian female adolescents to understandhealth needs for the purpose of designing health promoting intervention in schools.Methods: In this exploratory qualitative study, two focus group discussion (15 teachers)and 30 individual in-depth interviews were conducted among female adolescents in the eighthgrade in Zahedan, Iran. Qualitative content analysis was used for data evaluation.Results: The views of students and teachers demonstrated nine of needs including:informing students about the schools’ health project aims, education and training all dimensionsof health with an emphasis on mental health, use of experts in various fields for education fromother organisations, employing capable and trusted counselors in schools, utilisation of a varietyof teaching methods, activating reward systems for encouraging students’ participation in groupactivities, teaching communication and the ability to establish good relationships with parents andstrategies for resolving family conflict, teaching parents and students high-risk behaviours andstrategies for handling them as well as reforming wrong attitudes and indigenous sub-culture.Conclusion: This study found the different needs of Iranian female students comparedto other cultures about a health promoting school programme. Therefore, their contribution canprovide an insight for formulating policies and intervention in schools.

Purpose: Colorectal cancer is becoming an increasing concern in the middle-aged population of Iran. This study aimed to compare the preliminary results of short-course and long-course neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy treatment for rectal cancer patients. Materials and Methods: Patients in group I received three-dimensional conformational radiotherapy with a dose of 25 Gy/5 fractions in 1 week plus concurrent XELOX regimen (capecitabine 625 mg/m2 from day 1–5 twice daily and oxaliplatin 50 mg/m2 on day 1 once daily). Patients in group II received a total dose of 50–50.4 Gy/25–28 fractions for 5 to 5.5 weeks plus capecitabine 825 mg/m2 twice daily. Both groups underwent delayed surgery at least 8 weeks after radiotherapy completion. The pathological response was assessed with tumor regression grade. Results: In this preliminary report on complications and pathological response, 66 patients were randomized into study groups. Mean duration of radiotherapy in the two groups was 5 ± 1 days (range, 5 to 8 days) and 38 ± 6 days (range, 30 to 58 days). The median follow-up was 18 months. Pathological complete response was achieved in 32.3% and 23.1% of patients in the short-course and long-course groups, respectively (p = 0.558). Overall, acute grade 3 or higher treatment-related toxicities occurred in 24.2% and 22.2% of patients in group I and II, respectively (p = 0.551). No acute grade 4 or 5 adverse events were observed in either group. Within one month of surgery, no significant difference was seen regarding grade ≥3 postoperative complications (p = 0.333). Conclusion For patients with rectal cancer located 5 cm above the anal verge, short-course radiotherapy with concurrent and consolidation chemotherapy and delayed surgery is not different in terms of acute toxicity, postoperative morbidity, complete resection, and pathological response compared to long-course chemoradiotherapy.

Purpose::Various organizations and institutions are involved in road traffic injury (RTI) and crash registration such as police, forensic medicine organization, hospitals and emergency medical services. But there is a substantial uncertainty in interpreting the data, duplicated data collection and missing data in relation to RTI in most systems. This study aims to identify data sources for RTI surveillance in Iran and to explore traffic safety data source domains, data elements and detailed information by each data source.Methods::This is a qualitative study which was conducted in 2017 in Iran. Data were collected employing semi-structured interviews with informants in road safety organizations in relation to traffic safety including Police, Ministry of Health and Medical Education as well as Forensic Medicine Organization and other authorities-in-charge. For completing the preliminary extraction information, the minimum data set was used and compared in each system.Results::Eight different organizations relevant to road traffic safety were identified. The main domain of data provided by each one consists of Emergency Medical System form, Police KAM114 form, Ministry of Transport and Road Administration, Red Crescent Organization/Disaster Management Information System, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Forensic Medicine Organization, Insurance Company and Ministry of Justice. Each system has its own database, based upon its scope and mainly at crash and post-crash status and little on pre-crash circumstance.Conclusion::All current registry systems are not surveillance systems for RTI prevention. Huge data have been collected in various registry systems in Iran, but most of the collected variables are duplicated in each system. On the other hand, some variables like alcohol and substance abuse, child seat belt, helmet use in relation to RTI prevention are missed in all systems. Accordingly, it is a critical need to integrate and establish a comprehensive surveillance system, with focus on the goal of each system and collection of minimum data in each organization, which currently is underway.