No abstract

No abstract

This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted to summarize the effect of selenium administration on glucose metabolism and lipid profiles among patients with diseases related to metabolic syndrome (MetS). We searched the following databases up to May 2017: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. The relevant data were extracted and assessed for quality of the studies according to the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Data were pooled using the inverse variance method and expressed as standardized mean difference (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Five studies were included in the meta-analyses. The results showed that selenium supplementation significantly reduced insulin levels (SMD -0.42; 95% CI, -0.83 to -0.01) and increased quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) (SMD 0.83; 95% CI, 0.58 to 1.09). Selenium supplementation had no beneficial effects on other glucose homeostasis parameters, such as fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (SMD -0.29; 95% CI, -0.73 to 0.15), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (SMD -0.80; 95% CI, -1.58 to -0.03), and lipid profiles, such as triglycerides (SMD -0.42; 95% CI, -0.83 to -0.01), VLDL- (SMD -0.42; 95% CI, -0.83 to -0.01), total- (SMD -0.42; 95% CI, -0.83 to -0.01), LDL- (SMD 0.02; 95% CI, -0.20 to 0.24), and HDL-cholesterol (SMD 0.16; 95% CI, -0.06 to -0.38). Overall, this meta-analysis showed that selenium administration may lead to an improvement in insulin and QUICKI, but did not affect FPG, HOMA-IR, and lipid profiles.

Background & Objective: The thymus gland significantly affects fetal immune system maturation. Additionally, there is a linear association between thymus gland size and its performance. Given the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Iran and scarce studies with conflicting results, subjecting maternal vitamin D concentration effect on fetal thymus, we decided to investigate maternal vitamin D concentration and its relation to fetal thymus size in mid-gestation. This study also aimed to generate a race-specific reference range. Materials & Methods:We performed a cross-sectional study of ultrasound measurements of the fetal thymus at 18-22 weeks of gestational age in 94 pregnant women and its correlation with maternal serum vitamin D levels from May to July 2021 at the tertiary center of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran, Iran. Results:The mean values of thymus perimeter, thymus-thoracic ratio, thymus transverse diameter, and thymus area in all participants were 4.18±0.56 cm, 0.37±0.04, 1.56±0.21 cm, and 1.11±0.76 cm 2 , respectively. There was a trend toward decreased thymus perimeter and transverse thymus diameter with decreasing level of maternal vitamin D. There was also a significant correlation between thymus perimeter and transverse thymus diameter with fetal biometric indices and gestational age. Furthermore, a significant correlation was observed between the thymus perimeter and transverse thymus diameter. Conclusion:We generated a race-specific nomogram for fetal thymus size in Iranian pregnant women. Moreover, the observed trend toward decreased fetal thymus size with decreasing maternal vitamin D levels requires further prospective investigations. A high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and low compliance with daily vitamin D intake during pregnancy was also shown, which requires a solution.

Background and Objective: Tokophobia is a manifestation of severe anxiety that causes fear for women. As a result, women tend to avoid having children and pregnancy due to their fear of childbirth, despite their great interest in having children and the beauty of motherhood. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between Vaginismus, Dysmenorrhea, and social support and tokophobia through the mediation of childbirth self-efficacy. Materials and Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional descriptive correlational study. The statistical population of the study consisted of all pregnant women referred to Taleghani Hospital. Out of the population, 146 pregnant women were selected as the research sample using the availability sampling technique. Research data were collected using the Tokophobia Questionnaire (2021), Multidimensional Vaginal Penetration Disorder Questionnaire (MVPDQ), Moos Menstrual Distress Questionnaire, Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and Lowe's Childbirth Self-Efficacy Questionnaire. The collected data were then analyzed using the Smart PLS software and statistical methods of correlation and path analysis. Findings: The results showed that there was a significant relationship between, vaginismus with child birth self-efficacy (B=0.341, t=4.145, p0. 05) . Conclusion: According to the fitting indices of the model, it can be concluded that the tokophobia model has an weak fit on the basis of vaginismus, dysmenorrhea, and social support and mediating role of child birth self-efficacy