Background: Oral administration of pro-and prebiotics has recently been considered as an effective way for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) recovery. Objectives:The current study aimed at evaluating the effect of supplementation with probiotics and/or prebiotics on liver function tests in patients with NAFLD. Methods:In this double blind, placebo-control clinical trial, 75 subjects with NAFLD were voluntarily recruited from May 2013 to March 2014, in Iran. Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups using a block randomization procedure. Group 1 received probiotic capsules (Bifidobacterium longum (BL) and Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA): 2 × 10 7 CFU/day), group 2 received prebiotic inulin high performance (HP): 10 g/day, group 3 received probiotic and the prebiotic, and group 4 received a placebo for 3 months. The sample size was determined on the basis of a primary outcome of a change in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level.Results: An intergroup comparison indicated that the AST (P = 0.006) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (P = 0.04) levels decreased at the end of the study. Aspartate Aminotransferase (mean difference of group1 versus placebo with P value of 0.001, group2 versus placebo with P value of 0.045, group3 versus placebo with P value of 0.015) and ALT (mean difference of group 1 versus placebo with P value of 0.009, group 2 versus placebo with P value of 0.041, and group 3 versus placebo with P value of 0.046) serum levels decreased significantly in all of the intervention groups compared to the placebo. The grade of fatty liver in group 1 (P of 0.027, and number needed to treat (NNT) = 3) and group 3 (P = 0.019 and NNT = 3) decreased compared to the placebo group with no significant changes in group 2.Conclusions: Supplementation with probiotics and/or prebiotics improved aminotransferase enzymes, and supplementation with probiotics or pro-and prebiotics recovered the grade of fatty liver in NAFLD patients.

No abstract

We aimed to determine the effectiveness of a self-management program amongst older women with rheumatoid arthritis. The intervention group (n = 40) received a six-week arthritis self-management program. Assessments were recorded prior to and after the program using a demographic questionnaire, Visual Analogue Scale, Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale, and self- reported questions regarding mobility. Significant improvements in self-efficacy for functional ability and pain management were found in the intervention group compared to those before the intervention and the control group. Our trial indicates that the program used in conjunction with exercise interventions for aged patients may lead to benefits perceived self-efficacy.

Background: The newborn individualized developmental care and assessment program (NIDCAP) is a new multifaceted approach, which is developmentally and functionally supportive of health especially in premature newborns at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This study is designed for assessing the knowledge and perception of nurses as the most important members of the multidisciplinary team of NIDCAP about this program. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 120 nurses working in the NICUs of Alzahra, Taleghani, and Children hospitals affiliated to the educational and treatment centers of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences as well as 29 Bahman Hospital affiliated to Tabriz Social Security Organization in 2016 using census sampling method. Three questionnaires were employed to collect demographic data and to explore the nurses' perceptions and knowledge of the NIDCAP program. Results: Findings of the study indicated that the mean (SD) nurses' knowledge and perception scores for NIDCAP were 71.83 (1.64) and 76.80 (0.79), respectively. In the terms of knowledge, significant differences were found with regard to being married ( t = -2.39, p < 0.019), having an MSc degree ( t = -2.14, p = 0.034), and employment experience ( t = -3.38, p = 0.001). However, there was no significant relationship between perception and demographic variables ( p > 0.05), nor was there any significant relationship between perception and knowledge ( p = 0.275). Conclusions: The results of this study showed that the majority of nurses participating in the study had high knowledge about NIDCAP.

Background:Shift work is a well-recognized occupational health hazard in both industrialized and industrially developing countries. Prolonged working time, day/night shift rotation, circadian rhythm and sleep disorders, family and social problems are the most important features of shift working, which have serious complications.Objectives:The present study evaluated the fatigue and psychological distress and their relationship among shift workers, in a petrochemical plant (Southern Pars gas field) in Southwest Iran.Materials and Methods:In this cross-sectional field study, 400 shift workers from a plant were involved, with participation rate of 72.5% (290 persons). The multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI-20) and general health questionnaire (GHQ-28) were used to evaluate the level of fatigue and psychological distress, respectively.Results:The results showed that the fatigue and psychological distress (particularly social dysfunction, anxiety and insomnia) are frequent among 12-hour shift workers (the total MFI and total GHQ scores were 42.68 ± 17.88 and 34.66 ± 18.56). A relatively strong positive correlation was found between fatigue and psychological distress (r = 0.62). The results of the stepwise regression model indicated that the psychological distress was significantly related only to general fatigue, mental fatigue and reduced motivation, whereas it was not to the physical fatigue and reduced activity.Conclusions:The study findings highlight the importance of the mental aspect of fatigue in this working group. These results have possible implications for workers’ health and well-being and for the design of shift work systems, for industrial workers.