Effects of crocin supplementation on inflammatory markers, lipid profiles, insulin and cardioprotective indices in women with PCOS: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a multifactorial reproductive condition common in women of reproductive age. Hyperlipidemia, insulin resistance, obesity, and chronic low-grade inflammation are associated with PCOS. In a clinical trial study, women with PCOS were divided into two groups (n = 25 each): the intervention group receiving crocin (15 mg, twice daily) and the control group receiving a placebo. The duration of intervention in both groups was 12 weeks. Pre- and postintervention, demographic information, lipid profile, fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting insulin, and inflammatory markers (interleukin-6 [IL-6] and tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α]) were measured. Intervention with crocin significantly increased the mean high-density lipoprotein cholesterol postintervention compared to the placebo group, while exerting a suppressive effect on the increase in mean low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels. Intervention with crocin also exerted inhibitory effects on changes in FBG and insulin, so that crocin improved insulin and cardioprotective indices. Finally, despite the increased inflammatory markers (IL-6 and TNF-α) in the placebo group, crocin treatment had protective effects on their increased changes. Thus, crocin supplementation could be considered in the therapeutic targets of women with PCOS.

Relationship between communication skills and emotional intelligence among nurses.

AIM: Nurses' emotional intelligence (EI) affects many of their behavioural skills. Given the importance of communication skills, the aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between EI and the communication skills of emergency department nurses. METHOD: 253 nurses working in five hospitals affiliated to Ardabil University of Medical Sciences took part in this cross-sectional analytical study. Participants completed Goleman's EI Scale and a researcher-designed communication skills questionnaire. Validity and reliability of the tools were measured throughout the study. Data analysis was carried out using analysis of variance, Pearson correlation and Spearman correlation tests in SPSS v18. FINDINGS: The mean EI score was estimated to be 78.31 with the highest and lowest scores related to self-awareness (20.83) and self-management (18.19) dimensions respectively. The mean total score of communication skills was estimated to be 70.91. There was a significant relationship between total EI score and total communication skills score ( r =0.775, P <0.01) and a strong significant relationship between the four dimensions of EI and the total score of communication skills. CONCLUSION: Since EI and its dimensions have a positive effect on nurses' communication skills hospital managers can enhance EI by organising training sessions and promoting communication skills and provide the ground for continuous improvement of hospital services.

Prevalence of bacterial vaginosis in pregnant and non-pregnant Iranian women: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a vaginal disorder which occurs either symptomatic or asymptomatic because of an imbalance between H2O2-producing Lactobacillus and Gardnerella vaginalis in the vagina. This systematic review and meta-analysis is the first to determine the prevalence of BV in pregnant and non-pregnant women in Iran. METHODS: We used national (SID, Irandoc, Iranmedex and Magiran) and international (PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar and ISI web of knowledge) electronic databases to systematically search and collect available studies using related keywords (up to 1 December 2017). Inclusion and exclusion criteria were defined to select eligible studies. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of BV among Iranian women was 18.9% (95% CI 14-25). Gardnerella vaginalis was the most prevalent isolated bacteria. The prevalence of BV in non-pregnant women was 28% (95% CI 15.1-45.9) which was higher compared with pregnant women who had a prevalence of 16.5% (95% CI 12.5-21.6). CONCLUSION: The present review revealed a high prevalence of BV in non-pregnant women. Given that BV is associated with a series of reproductive complications such as infertility, taking preventive measures such as awareness of patients as well as monitoring and controlling of syndrome are essential.

Upregulation of microRNA processing enzymes Drosha and Dicer in gestational diabetes mellitus.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to play important roles in diverse cellular processes and linked to variety of disorders. Dicer and Drosha are two major enzymes in the miRNA biogenesis process. DGCR8 is the assistant of Drosha in the microprocessor complex. In this study, we evaluated the mRNA expression profiles of major miRNA processing machinery Drosha, Dicer, and DGCR8 in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), pregnant and healthy women. Our findings indicate that the expression levels of Drosha, Dicer and DGCR8 were upregulated in both pregnant and GDM patients compared to the control group. However, Drosha and Dicer were upregulated more than pregnant group. In conclusion, we detected dysregulation of Drosha, Dicer and DGCR8 expression in pregnant and GDM patients when compared to healthy control participants. Therefore, we favor the hypothesis that miRNAs are involved in the development of GDM.

Gastric cancer in Ardabil, Iran--a review and update on cancer registry data.

The incidence rate of gastric cancer in western countries has shown a remarkable decline in recent years while it is still the most common cancer among men in Iran. Ardabil, a North Western province, was found to have the highest rate of GC in Iran and one of the highest gastric cardia cancer rates in the world. We used the most recent data from Ardabil cancer registry to update on the incidence and mortality of GC and performed an extensive search of the English and Persian literature in Pub Med, Embase and all 5 Persian web-based databases, respectively, to summarize all possible risk factors for GC in Ardabil. The age-standardized incidence rate of gastric cancer was 51.8 (95% CI: 47.8-55.8) in men and 24.9 (95% CI: 21.5-27.2) in women per 100,000. Age-standardized mortality rates for gastric cancer in this population were 32.2 (95% CI: 29.1-35.3) and 16.3 (95% CI: 13.9-18.6). The gastric cardia sub-site was the most common location (32.7%) in Ardabil. According to our review H.pylori infection, gastroesphageal reflux symptoms, tobacco smoking, and high intakes of salt, red meat and dairy products increase the risk of GC while diets with a high content of allium vegetables and fruits, especially citrus fruits, and consumption of fresh fish, were significantly protective against GC. We conclude that Ardabil has the highest rate of GC in Iran and one the highest rates of gastric cardia cancer in the world, with no evidence of decline in incidence since 2000. In addition to H.pylori infection, the epidemic of gastroesphageal reflux disease and several dietary factors may be responsible for the very high incidence of gastric cardia cancer in Ardabil.