Social competence of students with learning disability: advantages of verbal self-instructional package

Verbal self-instruction strategy is one of the useful techniques for treating individual with learning disability. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of Verbal Selfinstructional Package on the social competence of students with learning disability. The study was done in a quasi-experimental research and pre-test, post-test design with control group. The population included all male students with learning disability who were studying in two learning disability centers of Hamedan City from 3rd grade to 5th grade. The participants included of 40 male students diagnosed with learning disability who were selected through convenience sampling method and were placed in control group and experimental group [20 students in each group]. The verbal Self-instructional Package was held for 8 sessions in a month [2 sessions per week] for experimental group. To collect data, the pre-test and post-test scores of Social Competence Questionnaire were used. The findings of multivariate analysis of covariance showed that Verbal Self-instructional Package significantly affects social competence and it's components; cognitive skills and abilities, behavioral skills, emotional competence and set of motivations and expectations in students with learning disability. Using verbal self-instruction can enhance the social competence of students with learning disability, Thus it is recommended to use this adjusted package in schools and psychological clinics for these students

Reduction of kidney damage by supplementation of vitamins C and E in rats with deoxycorticosterone-salt-induced hypertension

We assessed whether cosupplementation of vitamins C and E has additive beneficial effects on reducing the kidney damage and attenuation of the arterial pressure elevation compared to administration of either vitamin C or vitamin E alone in deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt-induced hypertension. Forty rats were divided into 4 study groups and 1 sham-operated group. Unilateral nephrectomy was carried out in the study groups and hypertension was induced by deoxycorticosterone injection and 1% sodium chloride and 0.2% potassium chloride added to the drinking water. Vitamins C and E [200 mg/kg/day] or combination of them were administered with DOCA-salt for 4 weeks in 3 study groups. The effects of DOCA and salt and treatment with vitamins were compared in terms of blood pressure, urinary protein excretion, antioxidant activity of the kidneys, and renal histological changes. Four weeks of supplementations of vitamins C, vitamin E, and both in the DOCA-salt-treated rats had comparable significant effects in decreasing systolic blood pressure. Urinary protein excretion and histological damage did not significantly change with the combination therapy of vitamins C and E compared to the vitamin C or E alone. The renal levels of glutathione and ferric reducing/antioxidant power in combination therapy group were similar to the two other treatment groups and were significantly higher than non-treated group. Co-administration of vitamin C and E does not have an additive beneficial effect on reducing the kidney damage and hypertension compared to either vitamin C or E alone in DOCA-salt-induced hypertension