bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Information technology for career guidance of creatively gifted university students. Region aspect
Authors: Piyavsky S. A. , Kiryukov S. R. , Kuznetsov A. S. , Kulakov G. A.
Published: June 2021

The article continues the description of the functioning of the typical regional information and communication system “Student and Labor” (SAL), begun by the authors in No. 8-2020 of the “Informatics and Education” journal. This system is aimed at identifying and developing university students who are creatively gifted in the field of science, techniques and technology in the process of their gradual involvement in real labor activity in cooperation with the leading enterprises in the region. The algorithm of functioning and the organizational structure of the “Student and Labor” system, informational, scientific, methodological and motivational aspects of interaction between students and enterprises on the basis of continuous measurement of the index of the prospects of interaction between a student and an enterprise are considered in detail. This index includes 10 components, the main of which is the creative index of research works / projects carried out by the student, taking into account the interests of the enterprise. In turn, the creative index is calculated on the basis of a multi-criteria assessment of a work / project according to 15 particular criteria. “Convolution” into scalar values of individual components and criteria of the index of the prospects of the student’s interaction with the enterprise and the creative index of the work / project is carried out in the most objective way using the so-called universal coefficients of importance.
Tools for organizing teachers-students interaction using version control systems
Authors: Protasevich Yu. A. , Zmeev O. A. , Sokolov D. A.
Published: June 2021

The article describes an approach to organizing the teacher-students interaction in programming courses using the Git version control system. In order to select the most suitable and affordable system for educational needs a comparative analysis of different Git repository management systems was carried out. Based on the experience of various educational institutions that use version control systems in their courses, the advantages and disadvantages of using these systems in teaching were identified. Taking into account the existing problems, a software solution was developed based on the GitLab system. As part of this solution, a method is proposed for organizing the work of a teacher and students in disciplines that use version control systems. This approach implies using both GitLab and additional system, which serves as a manager for Git repositories and is designed to facilitate the work of the teacher and administrator by automating the tasks they perform. The main purpose of the article is a detailed description of this approach: limiting permissions to both teachers and students, GitLab organization and functionality, a list of use cases for each user. The article also presents common workflows of the additional system, its main entities and their relationships and an overview of the features that the system provides.
Approaches to the choice of tools for constructing a methodology for learning to work with Big Data
Authors: Stepanov A. G. , Plotnikov G. A. , Vasilyeva V. S.
Published: June 2021

The article actualizes the need for teaching students to work with Big Data technologies. Big Data is a promising and fundamental industry that requires a large number of qualified specialists in various fields. The aim of the work is to describe the concept of determining a set of hardware, software, algorithmic and methodological tools (taking into account the contingent of students and the capabilities of the educational institution) for building a methodology for teaching a discipline related to the study of Big Data processing methods. There are two main sectors of stakeholders who need specialists in the field of Big Data. A detailed comparative analysis of software solutions that support Big Data processing is carried out. The article describes the methodology for constructing a course for teaching students technologies for processing and analyzing Big Data. A plan for organizing a lecture course and laboratory practice with consideration of subtasks is proposed for students to perform during training. The composition and methodology of independent work of students in the discipline related to the study of Big Data, using a learning management system such as Moodle, are discussed. An example of implementing data processing by means of the RapidMiner Studio package using a multi-layer neural network training algorithm using the error back propagation method is presented.
Investigating the Cocaine-induced Reduction of Potassium Current on the Generation of Action Potentials Using a Computational Model
Authors:   School of Engineering Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran., Borjkhani Hadi , Borjkhani Mehdi ,   Department of Electrical Engineering, School of Industrial Technologies, Urmia University of Technology, Urmia, Iran., Sharif Morteza A. ,   Department of Electrical Engineering, School of Industrial Technologies, Urmia University of Technology, Urmia, Iran.
Published: June 2021

Introduction: Drugs of abuse, such as cocaine, affect different brain regions and lead to pathological memories. These abnormal memories may occur due to changes in synaptic transmissions or variations in synaptic properties of neurons. It has been shown that cocaine inhibits delayed rectifying potassium currents in affected brain regions and can create pathological memories. This study investigates how the change in the conductance of delayed rectifying potassium channels can affect the produced action potentials using a computational model. Methods: We present a computational model with different channels and receptors, including sodium, potassium, calcium, NMDARs, and AMPARs, which can produce burst-type action potentials. In the simulations, by changing the delayed rectifying potassium conductance bifurcation diagram is calculated. Results: By decreasing the potassium current for a fixed stimulatory signal, burst-type action potentials can be generated. In the following and with a further reduction of potassium conductance, produced action potentials exhibit non-linear and even chaotic behaviors. Conclusion: Results show that for a specific range of potassium conductance, a chaotic regime emerges in produced action potentials. These chaotic oscillations may play a role in inducing abnormal memories.
The Effect of Electrical Fields From High-voltage Transmission Line on Cognitive, Biological, and Anatomical Changes in Male Rhesus macaque Monkeys Using MRI: A Case Report Study
Authors:   Department of Psychology, Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States., Aliyari Hamed , Sahraei Hedayat ,   Neuroscience Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Gholabi Sahar ,   Department of Medical Physiology, School of Medicine, Abadan University of Medical Sciences, Abadan, Iran., Menhaj Mohammad Bagher ,   Department of Electrical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran., Kazemi Masoomeh ,   Neuroscience Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Hosseinian Seyed Hossein ,   Department of Electrical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.
Published: June 2021

Introduction: Living near high-voltage power lines and exposure to high-frequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs) is a potentially serious hazard to animal and human health. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of high-frequency EMFs from simulated high-voltage electric towers on cognitive, anatomical, and biological changes in the male macaque. Methods: In this study, two Rhesus macaque were recruited, one experimental and one control. The experimental subject was exposed to EMFs from 3 kV/m simulated electric towers with a specific protocol and the control subject was tested without irradiation (4h per day, for 30 days). All required tests were performed before and after the intervention on experimental and control monkeys. The anatomical alternation of the prefrontal area (PFA) was measured by MRI images. All tests were performed on irradiated and control animals before and after the intervention and the results were compared between irradiated and control animals. Results: The results of the present study indicated increased white blood cell counts after high-frequency EMFs irradiation. Also, the red blood cell counts showed a decreasing trend after irradiation. The plasma adrenaline level increased after irradiation. Besides, the blood glucose levels increased after irradiation. The PFA was different before and after the irradiation. Moreover, some behavioral disorders, such as fatigue, drowsiness, anorexia, and insomnia were observed after irradiation. Conclusion: The results of biological tests and MRI showed an elevated risk of immunodeficiency disorders, weakness, and behavioral disorders. People who live or work near high-voltage electric towers with high-frequency EMFs are warned.
Prenatal Stress-induced Spatial Memory Deficit in a Sex-specific Manner in Mice: A Possible Involvement of Hippocampal Insulin Resistance
Authors:   Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Azad Islamic University, Tehran, Iran., Mohammadi Masoomeh , Haeri Rohani Ali ,   Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Azad Islamic University, Tehran, Iran., Yaghmaei Parichehr ,   Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Azad Islamic University, Tehran, Iran., Sahraei Hedayat ,   Neuroscience Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Published: June 2021

Introduction: In the present study, the effects of prenatal stress on spatial learning and memory deficit and its relationship with hippocampal insulin resistance were examined in male and female offspring. Methods: Female NMRI mice were mated with males overnight, and the 0-day of pregnancy was detected (Gestational day 0-GD0). The pregnant mice were then randomly divided into stress and control groups. The stress group received stress from the GD0 to GD10. On post natal day 30 (PND30), the offspring were divided into 4 subgroups, namely: male-control, female-control, male-stress, and female-stress. Barnes maze method was used for spatial learning evaluation. Plasma cortisol and insulin levels were measured at the beginning of the experiments. At the end of the experiments, the animals’ brains were removed, and their hippocampus was extracted. The hippocampus was homogenized, and its insulin and insulin-receptor contents were evaluated. Results: The stressed animals needed more time for reaching to target hole. In addition, they spend more distance to find the target hole, which was more pronounced in the male offspring. Both plasma and hippocampal insulin content were reduced in the stressed groups. Moreover, the hippocampal insulin receptors protein was reduced in the stressed animals. There was a positive relationship between plasma and hippocampal content and memory deficit in the stressed groups. Conclusion: These results indicated that prenatal stress could induce spatial learning and memory deficit in offspring, which is associated with plasma and hippocampal insulin and receptor content reduction (hippocampal insulin resistance) in these animals.
Effects of Satureja Bachtiarica Essential Oil in Preventing Seizure in Pentylenetetrazol-Kindled Mice
Authors:   Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran., Rabiei Zahra , Shirchi Manouchehr ,   Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran., Rafieian-Kopaei Mahmoud ,   Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran., Asgharzade Samira ,   Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran.
Published: June 2021

Introduction: Epilepsy is a group of chronic neurological disorders characterized by seizures. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of Satureja bachtiarica essential oil in preventing epilepsy. Methods: In this experimental study, 50 mice were randomly assigned to five groups of 10 each. The control group received normal saline plus tween-80 and after 30 min pentylenetetrazol (PTZ). Groups 2 and 3 were treated first with S. bachtiarica essential oil at 50 and 100 mg/kg , respectively and then after 30 min received PTZ. Group 4 received diazepam and 30 min later PTZ. Group 5 received flumazenil and 30 min later PTZ. After the last injection of PTZ, the time of seizure onset, seizure severity and score, the completion time of each seizure (attack episode), and mortality rate in different groups were recorded and compared. Results: The administration of S. bachtiarica essential oil at 50 and 100 mg/kg to PTZ-treated mice caused a significant increase in latency to the first seizure and survival of mice, as well as a significant decrease in the frequency of the head and upper limbs seizure, total body seizures, tonic seizures, and jumping. S. bachtiarica essential oil at 100 mg/kg caused a significant decrease in the head tic frequency. The administration of flumazenil significantly inhibited S. bachtiarica essential oil-induced effects and increased the head and upper limbs seizures, tonic seizures, and jumping. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that S. bachtiarica essential oil could prevent PTZ-induced seizure and these findings authenticate the traditional claims about the use of S. bachtiarica in treating epilepsy.
Auditory Efferent System Influences the Auditory Overshoot Phenomenon- An Auditory Brainstem Response Study in Guinea Pigs
Authors:   Rehabilitation Research Center, Department of Audiology, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS)., Haddadzade Niri Hassan , Rahbar Nariman ,   Rehabilitation Research Center, Department of Audiology, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS)., Pourbakht Akram ,   Rehabilitation Research Center, Department of Audiology, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS)., Haghani Hamid ,   Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Published: June 2021

Introduction: Detection of a brief tonal signal at the beginning of a longer masking noise is difficult, but it becomes easier when the onset of signal is delayed. This phenomenon is known as overshoot or temporal effect. Aiming of our study was to investigate the effect of the auditory efferent nerves (AENs) function on the auditory electrophysiological overshoot, further introducing an objective tool examining one of the AENs performances. Therefore, the effect and the trend of changes induced by low and high-frequency stimuli on electrophysiological overshoot in different delay onset time (DOTs) between the signal and the noise before and after dissecting the AENs were studied. Methods: Right internal auditory canals were exposed in 16 young male guinea pigs weighing 250 to 350 g. The inferior and posterior vestibular nerves that are known to carry AENs were transected in half of the subjects. Then, the ABR waveforms were recorded at 16 & 8 kHz tone burst stimuli at 0, 30, 60, 100 ms DOTs relative to wide-band noise. The value of latency of ABR waves I and III were compared among the different DOTs and five signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) before and after the surgery. Results: By increasing DOTs, the latency of ABR waves I& III decreased in the control group before and after the surgery and the case group before surgery at 16 kHz. However, the observed overshoot-like effect disappeared after the surgery in the case group. The wave's latency I& III increased from 0 to 30 ms, remained approximately constant from 30 to 60ms, and then began to decrease toward 100 ms DOTs. However, none of the measurements at 8 kHz, before and after surgery at both groups showed an overshoot effect. Conclusion(s): By using the ABR paradigm, the overshoot phenomenon disappeared after the transection of AENs. The results confirmed the role of the efferent system on auditory overshoot. Therefore, an objective tool to measure auditory efferent function is provided.
Psychometric Evaluation of Self-assessment Persian Version of the Alzheimer Questionnaire (AQ)
Authors:   Department of Health Information Health Management, School of Management & Information Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran., Arshadi Montazer Mahsa Roozrokh , Zahediannasab Roohollah ,   Neuroscience Laboratory (Brain, Cognition, and Behavior), Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran., Nami Mohammad ,   Neuroscience Laboratory (Brain, Cognition, and Behavior), Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran., Tahamtan Mahshid ,   Neuroscience Laboratory (Brain, Cognition, and Behavior), Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran., Sharifian Roxana ,   Department of Health Information Health Management, School of Management & Information Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran., Nasiri Mahdi ,   Health Human Resources Research Center, School of Health Management & Information Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Published: June 2021

Introduction: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a primary disorder intensified by aging. Rapid diagnosis of MCI can prevent its progression towards the development of dementia. Thus, the present study was conducted to evaluate the psychometric features of the self-assessment Persian version of the Alzheimer questionnaire (AQ) in the elderly to detect MCI. Methods: First, the AQ was translated into the Persian language; then, its content validity was evaluated by the content validity index (CVI) and content validity ratio (CVR) method, and face validity was determined by two checklists for expert panel and the elderly. The convergent validity of the self-assessment AQ with the Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) was assessed using the Pearson correlation. The test-retest and internal consistency reliability were evaluated using intra-class correlation (ICC) and Kuder-Richardson coefficients, respectively. Moreover, the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to determine the optimal cut-off point of self-assessment AQ. Among 148 older people who took part in this study, 93 met our inclusion criteria (aged 60 years old or older, had reading and writing skills, and were able to speak and communicate). Results: A translated version of the questionnaire was named “M-check.” The developed test showed good content and face validity. Statistically significant correlations were found between M-check and MoCA (r=-0.83, P<0.05). The Kuder–Richardson and ICC coefficients were obtained as 0.84 and 0.92, respectively. Area under the curve presented satisfactory values (Area under curve [AUC]=0.852, sensitivity=0.62, specificity=0.94). Conclusion: The M-check can be used as a valid and reliable instrument for assessing cognitive state and screening MCI in older adults.
The Anti-nociceptive Effect of Ellagic Acid in Streptozotocin-induced Hyperglycemic Rats by Oxidative Stress Involvement
Authors:   Neurophysiology Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran., Shahidi Siamak ,   Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran., Komaki Alireza ,   Neurophysiology Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.,   Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran., Raoufi Safoura ,   Neurophysiology Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.,   Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran., Salehi Iraj ,   Neurophysiology Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.,   Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran., Zarei Mohammad ,   Neurophysiology Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.,   Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran., Mahdian Mohamadreza ,   Neurophysiology Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
Published: June 2021

Introduction: Hyperalgesia is among the current complications of diabetes mellitus; oxidative stress and inflammation were influential in its development. As an herbal component, Ellagic Acid (EA) has some biological activities, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. This study was designed to evaluate the possible beneficial effect of EA on hypernociception in Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced hyperglycemic rats. Methods: Forty-eight male Wistar rats were divided into the control (receiving vehicle), hyperglycemic, EA (25 mg/kg)-treated control, EA (50 mg/kg)-treated control, EA (25 mg/kg)-treated hyperglycemic, and EA (50 mg/kg)-treated hyperglycemic groups. Hyperglycemia was induced by a single Intraperitoneal (IP) injection of STZ (60 mg/Kg). EA was administered daily by oral gavage for four weeks. The nociceptive response was assessed using Tail-Flick (TF) and Hot-Plate (HP) tests. Also, oxidative stress markers, including Malondialdehyde (MDA), Total Oxidant Status (TOS), and Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) in the serum, were evaluated. Results: Hyperglycemic animals were found with significant changes, including a reduction in TF and HP latencies, an elevation in serum MDA level and TOS, and a decrease in serum TAC compared with controls. The treatment of hyperglycemic rats with EA facilitated the reduction of TF latency at the dose of 25 mg/kg and HP latency at 50 mg/kg. Furthermore, EA significantly increased TAC and decreased MDA level at a 50 mg/kg dose and reduced TOS at both doses in the serum of hyperglycemic animals. No significant alterations were found in the parameters studied in EA-treated normal rats. Conclusion: These results displayed the antinociceptive effect of EA in hyperglycemic rats via attenuating oxidative stress. Therefore, EA appears to be a promising agent for managing. Hyperglycemic hypernociception.
Risk-taking Behavior Under the Effect of Emotional Stimuli Among Children and Adults
Authors:   Institute for Cognitive & Brain Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran., Shahrabi Farahani Fatemeh , Khosrowabadi Reza ,   Institute for Cognitive & Brain Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran., Jaafari Gholamreza ,   Center for Complex Networks & Social Data Science, Faculty of Physics, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
Published: June 2021

Introduction: Risk-taking has an important role in human life, either positive or negative. Finding a method to control or drive this in a particular way can affect the health of individuals and communities by discouraging negative risks, such as reckless driving, or encouraging positive risks. It has been shown that emotion induction can enhance risk-taking behavior. Nonetheless, studies are mainly conducted on adults and a gap to focus on adolescents group as the peak age of risk-taking is required. Therefore, a new risk-taking task is introduced and development of risk-taking behavior in children is compared with a group male adults. In addition, influence of positive and negative emotional images on the risk-taking behavior is also evaluated. Methods: A total of 21 children and 20 adults participated in this experiment. Their risk taking behavior is obtained using a new version of the dice game task with emotional stimuli. Subsequently, performances of two groups before and after emotional priming are statistically compared. Results: The results showed that children have a higher tendency to choose riskier options when they are affected by positive emotion, while adults are more risk-averse after being primed by negative emotion. Conclusion: These findings can be helpful for policymakers and tutoring planners to control risk-taking behavior at different ages using the priming effect of positive and negative emotions.
Investigating the Glucagon-like Peptide-1 and Its Receptor in Human Brain: Distribution of Expression, Functional Implications, Age-related Changes and Species Specific Characteristics
Authors:   Department of Anatomy, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India., Gupta Tulika , Kaur Mandeep ,   Department of Anatomy, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India., Shekhawat Devendra ,   Department of Anatomy, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India., Aggarwal Ritu ,   Department of Immunopathology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India., Nanda Neha ,   Department of Immunopathology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India., Sahni Daisy ,   Department of Anatomy, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Published: June 2021

Introduction: Emerging evidence has shown that the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist can be used to treat Alzheimer disease; however, knowledge of its neural targets is limited. To understand the neural substrates of GLP-1, we have done whole brain mapping for GLP-1 and its receptor (GLP-1R), in 30 human brains. Methods: GLP-1 expression was studied by immuno-histochemistry and confirmed by the western blot method. The GLP-1R gene expression was studied by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results: GLP-1 expression was observed in most of the cortical areas (maximum in frontal, prefrontal and parietal cortex), diencephalon, and brainstem, but not in the cerebellum. Protein expression studies validated these results. The highest expression of GLP-1R was found in the frontal cortex. The orbitofrontal cortex and cerebellum had negligible expression. Hippocampus demonstrated a significant presence of GLP-1R but patchy immunoreactivity to GLP-1. GLP-1R presence in most of the human cortical regions and absence in the cerebellum is the major deviation from the animal brain. Sites that might be of interest in Alzheimer have been identified. GLP-1 demonstrated an age-related decline in most of the areas after the fifth decade. At 60 years, GLP-1 was not found in any of the cortical areas except in the prefrontal cortex; however, it was present in the sub-cortical areas. Conclusion: Age-related profiling of GLP-1 in various brain areas has been analyzed, which can have an important bearing on understanding Alzheimer disease. This study provides a detailed description of GLP-1 and an brain mapping for the first time and may lead to novel treatment options targeting the GLP-1 receptors.
Psychometric Properties of the Persian Word Pairs Task to Evaluate Declarative Memory
Authors:   Department of Speech Therapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Malekian Maryam , Kazemi Yalda ,   Department of Speech Therapy, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran., Zarifian Talieh ,   Department of Speech Therapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Published: June 2021

Introduction: According to the declarative/procedural (DP) model, the semantic aspect of language depends on the brain structures responsible for declarative memory. The word pairs task is a common tool to evaluate declarative memory. The current study aimed to design a valid and reliable task to evaluate declarative memory in Persian-speaking children at the learning and retention stages and investigate its relationship with the semantic aspect of language. Methods: A panel of experts agreed on the content validity of the proposed task. The reliability of the task was determined using internal consistency and test-retest reliability. A total of 31 typically developing children aged 7-9 years participated in this study. Results: The content validity of all the 42-word pairs was calculated as one. The test-retest reliability showed a correlation coefficient of 0.825 (P<0.001). The task showed acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha 0.880). The results of correlation analysis showed no significant relationship between declarative memory and semantic aspect. However, the regression analysis showed that the retention stage can explain 24.2% of the variations in the semantic aspect. Conclusion: It seems that the word pairs task has good validity and reliability to evaluate declarative memory. The task applied to evaluate the semantic aspect can be one of the potential causes of the lack of a relationship between the semantic aspect and declarative memory. The participants’ scores in the retention stage can be predicted concerning their performance at the semantic aspect.
The Effect of Rosmarinic Acid on Neural Differentiation of Wartons Jelly-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Two-dimensional and Three-dimensional Cultures using Chitosan-based Hydrogel
Authors:   Department of Material Engineering, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran., Salmanvandi Mohsen , Haramshahi Seyed Mohammad Amin ,   Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Mansouri Elahe ,   Laboratory of Research and Development of Tissue Engineering Products-Hazrat Fatemeh hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Alizadeh Akram ,   Department of Tissue Engineering and Applied Cell Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
Published: June 2021

Introduction: Numerous studies have shown the positive effects of rosmarinic acid on the nervous system.Rosmarinic acid as a herbal compound with anti-inflammatory effects can prevent thedestructive effect of inflammation on the nervous system. Furthermore, various studies haveemphasized the advantages of three-dimensional (3D) culture over the two-dimensional (2D) culture of cells. Methods: In this study, thermosensitive chitosan (CH)-based hydrogel as a 3D scaffoldwith the combination of chitosan, beta-glycerol phosphate and hydroxyl ethyl cellulose (CH-GP-HEC) loaded with rosmarinic acid was used to induce neuronal differentiation in humanWharton jelly stem cells. Also, cells were divided into eight groups to evaluate the effect of 3Dcell culture and to compare gene expression in different induction conditions. Results: The results ofgene expression analysis showed the highest expression of neuronal markers in Whartons jelly derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJMSCs) cultured in chitosan, beta-glycerol phosphate and hydroxyl ethyl cellulose (ch-gp-hec) loaded with differentiation medium androsmarinic acid. According to the results of gene expression, rosmarinic acid alone has a positiveeffect on the induction of expression of neural markers. This positive effect is enhanced by cellculture in 3D conditions. Conclusion: This study shows that rosmarinic acid can be considered an inexpensiveand available compound for use in neural tissue engineering. The results of this study indicatethat rosmarinic acid can be considered a cheap and available compound for use in neural tissueengineering.
Canonicity Effect on Sentence Processing of Persian-speaking Broca’s Patients
Authors:   Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities, University of Gonabad, Gonabad, Iran., Azad Omid
Published: June 2021

Introduction: Fundamental notions of mapping hypothesis and canonicity were scrutinized in Persian-speaking aphasics. Methods: To this end, the performance of four age-, education-, and gender matched Persian-speaking Broca's patients and eight matched healthy controls in diverse complex structures were compared via the conduction of two tasks of syntactic comprehension and grammaticality judgment. Results: The tested structures included subject agentive, agentive passive, object experience, subject experience, subject cleft, and object cleft constructions. Our results, while corroborating the predictions of the mapping hypothesis, showed that in structures, in which linguistic elements were substituted and dislocated out of their canonical syntactic positions, namely, agentive passive, subject experiencer, object experiencer, and object cleft constructions, Broca’s problems escalated. In contrast, in those structures whose constituent concatenations were aligned with canonical syntactic structures, namely subject agentive, and cleft structures, patients had above the chance performance. Ultimately, the theoretical and clinical implications of the study were discussed. Conclusion: The number of predicates in a sentence, predicate types (psychological and agentive), as well as semantic heuristics and canonicity all by all could be regarded as the major culprits for aphasics' poor performance.
The Comparison Between Positive and Negative Symptoms Severity in Prolonged Methamphetamine-induced Psychotic Disorder and Schizophrenia
Authors:   Research Center for Addiction and Risky Behaviors, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Ahmadkhaniha Hamidreza , Ayazi Nazanin ,   Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Alavi Kaveh ,   Department of Psychiatry, Mental Health Research Center, School of Behavioral Sciences & Mental Health (Tehran Institute of Psychiatry), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Najjarzadehgan Mohammadreza ,   Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Hadi Fatemeh ,   School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Published: June 2021

Introduction: This study aims to compare the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia in patients who had psychotic symptoms more than one month after discontinuation of methamphetamine abuse. These factors were analyzed by the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) questionnaire. Methods: Sixty participants were selected from patients referred to Iran Psychiatric Hospital with psychotic symptoms (delusions or hallucinations, disorganized behavior, and speech). The control group was 30 patients with schizophrenia based on a semi-structured interview according to DSM-IV-TR (SCID). Thirty patients with a prolonged methamphetamine-induced psychotic disorder were also placed in the case group. For both groups of patients, questionnaires of PANSS, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), and Global Assessment Of Functioning (GAF) were filled out after obtaining the companions’ consent. The scale scores were compared between groups. We used the Mann-Whitney and the Chi-square test to evaluate the mean values of PANSS, BPRS, and GAF scores between the two groups. Results: here was an insignificant difference in positive and general pathology scores between the two groups, but the total score of negative symptoms in the schizophrenia group was significantly higher than in the group of prolonged methamphetamine psychotic disorders (P=0.034). Average scores of uncooperativeness (0.008), difficulty in abstract thinking (0.004), motor retardation (0.002), unusual thought content (0.001), and hostility (0.011) in the schizophrenia group were significantly higher than those in the prolonged methamphetamine psychosis. Conclusion: The results showed that most of the disturbances in patients with schizophrenia might be more influenced by the expression of cognitive disabilities than those with methamphetamine psychosis. The difference in negative symptom scores suggests that schizophrenia and prolonged methamphetamine psychotic disorder can be two different disorders.
Investigating the Serotonergic Modulation of Orientation Tuning of Neurons in Primary Visual Cortex of Anesthetized Mice
Authors:   Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Rostami Sareh , Asgharzadeh Alvar Amin ,   Department of Biomedical Engineering and Medical Physics, Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Ghaderi Parviz ,   Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland., Dargahi Leila ,   Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Safari Mir-Shahram ,   Department of Neuroscience, Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Published: June 2021

Introduction: Sensory processing is profoundly regulated by brain neuromodulatory systems. One of the main neuromodulators is serotonin which influences higher cognitive functions, such as different aspects of perceptual processing. Accordingly, malfunction in the serotonergic system may lead to visual illusion in psychiatric disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia. This study aims to investigate the serotonergic modulation of visual responses of neurons to stimulus orientation in the primary visual cortex. Methods: Eight-week-old naive mice were anesthetized and a craniotomy was done on the region of interest in the primary visual cortex. Spontaneous and visual-evoked activities of neurons were recorded before and during the electrical stimulation of the dorsal raphe nucleus using in vivo whole-cell patch-clamp recording. The square-wave grating of 12 orientations was presented. The data were analyzed and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the data of two conditions that belong to the same neurons, with or without electrical stimulation. Results: The serotonergic system changed the orientation tuning of nearly 60% of recorded neurons by decreasing the mean firing rate in two independent visual response components, namely gain and baseline response. It also increased the mean firing rate in a small number of neurons (about 20%). Additionally, it left the preferred orientation and sensitivity of neurons unchanged. Conclusion: Serotonergic modulation showed a bidirectional effect. It causes predominately divisive and subtractive decreases in the visual responses of the neurons in the primary visual cortex that can modify the balance between internal and external sensory signals and result in disorders.
A Predictive Model for Emotion Recognition Based on Individual Characteristics and Autonomic Changes
Authors:   Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Imam Reza International University, Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan, Iran., Goshvarpour Ateke , Goshvarpour Atefeh ,   Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Sahand University of Technology, Tabriz, Iran., Abbasi Ataollah ,   Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Sahand University of Technology, Tabriz, Iran.
Published: June 2021

Introduction: Studies have repeatedly stated the importance of individual differences in the problem of emotion recognition. The primary focus of this study is to predict Heart Rate Variability (HRV) changes due to affective stimuli from the individual characteristics. These features include age (A), gender (G), linguality (L), and sleep (S). In addition, the best combination of individual variables was explored to estimate emotional HRV. Methods: To this end, HRV indices of 47 college students exposed to images with four emotional categories of happiness, sadness, fear, and relaxation were analyzed. Then, a novel predictive model was introduced based on the regression equation. Results: The results show that different emotional situations provoke the importance of different individual variable combinations. The best variables arrangements to predict HRV changes due to emotional provocations are LS, GL, GA, ALS, and GALS. However, these combinations were changed according to each subject separately. Conclusion: The suggested simple model effectively offers new insight into emotion studies regarding subject characteristics and autonomic parameters.
The Role of Cognitive Control in Paranormal Beliefs: A Study Based on Performance in Go/No-go Task
Authors:   Institute of Cognitive Sciences Studies, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran., Narmashiri Abdolvahed , Hatami Javad ,   Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology & Education, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran., Khosrowabadi Reza ,   Institute of Cognitive Sciences Studies, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran., Sohrabi Ahmad ,   Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology & Education, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran.
Published: June 2021

Introduction: Cognitive control plays a role in human behavior and mental processes and affects paranormal beliefs. This study aims to investigate the role of cognitive control in paranormal beliefs using the go/no-go task. Methods: A total of 92 people were selected based on low, middle, and high scores in the revised paranormal belief scale (R-PBS) and assigned to 3 groups. The groups included 30 severe paranormal believers (13 females with a mean age of 25.3 years), 31 mild paranormal believers (14 females with a mean age of 26.4 years), and 31 skeptics (16 females with a mean age of 25.8 years). All participants were tested on the go/no-go task. A multivariate analysis of variance was conducted with the given groups (severe paranormal believers, mild paranormal believers, and skeptics) as the independent variable and the go/no-go subscales scores as dependent variables. Results: The findings showed a significant difference between the mean scores in errors of go (F(2, 89)=7.20, P=0.01), errors of no-go (F(2, 89)=11.81, P=0.01), and reaction time (F(2, 89)=21.46, P=0.01) between the groups. Conclusion: The severe and mild paranormal believers had lower accuracy and slower reaction times than the skeptics group. Therefore, severe paranormal believers and mild paranormal believers had a weakness in all go/no-go subscale scores. This finding suggests that paranormal beliefs may be related to poor cognitive control.
The Network Analysis of Peripheral Diabetic Neuropathy Involved Genes
Authors:   Proteomics research center, Faculty of rehabilitation sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Mansouri Vahid , Rezaiee Tavirani Mostafa ,   Proteomics research center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Okhovatian Farshad ,   Faculty of rehabilitation sciences, Physiotherapy research center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Published: June 2021

Aim: Screening of candidate genes related to sural nerve diabetic neuropathy to find the critical ones is the aim of this study. Back Ground: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease causes by insulin uptake or deficiency. Side effects of diabetes are numerous according to severity of disease. Diabetes could harm the peripheral nerves with chronic pain, lead to nerve damage entitled diabetic neuropathy (DN). Signs and symptoms of DN are sharp pains, numbness, and tangling. Many patterns of nerve injuries could happen during DN but distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DSP) is most common. On the other hand, network analysis is a useful tool to assess incidences and progression of diseases. Methods: Expression of different genes in diabetic patients with and without progressive neuropathy of surreal nerve (GSE24290) is considered as including data. GEO2R was applied to first step analysis to find the significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The queried significant DEGs plus 100 first neighbors were included in a network by Cytoscape software. The network was analyzed by Network analyzed application of Cytoscape and the central nodes were determined. Results: The total 26 significant DEGs plus 100 first neighbors were interacted to form the network. INS, ALB, AKT1, APP, SNAP25, NEFL, GFAP, IL6, NEFM, TNF, MAPT, GAP43, and MBP were identified as 13 hubs of the network. NEFL and NEFM were highlighted as the queried hub genes. Insulin as the top hub node was determined among all interacted genes (the queried and added genes). Conclusions: INS, NEFL, and NEFM are key genes in DN which are involve in metabolism regulation and intra cellular transportation into axons and denderites respectively.
Comparison of Upper Limb Disability in Overhead Women Athletes of Handball, Volleyball, Softball, and Swimming
Authors:   Department of Health and Sport Medicine, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran., Arabi Elmira , Nazemzadegan Gholam Hossein ,   Department of Motor Behavior, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Shiraz, Shiraz, Iran.
Published: June 2021

Purpose: The shoulder joint is one of the most commonly injured joints in sports and may lead to disability, especially in the upper extremities of overhead players (handball, volleyball, softball, and swimming). Methods: This research is a causal-comparative study. After the approval of the Ethics Committee of the Medical University of Tehran, this study was conducted on 120 overhead athletes (Mean±SD height: 1.69±0.07 m, Mean±SD weight: 63.54±7.79 kg, Mean±SD age: 21.96±2.94 years, Mean±SD body mass index: 22.11±2.32 kg/m2). The inclusion criteria were elite female players in overhead sports with at least three years of experience in one of these sports (handball, volleyball, softball, and swimming). Samples with a history of surgery or cervical nerve problems, fractures in the shoulder area, and inflammatory joint disease were excluded from the study. The demographic information was obtained through a researcher-made questionnaire, and the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) Questionnaire was used to measure the degree of upper limb disability in daily activities. Results: In comparison between the study groups, a significant difference was observed between the dependent variable (DASH) and the research groups (F=6.067, df=3, P=0.002, Eta=0.342). Using the Bonferroni post hoc tests, the difference between volleyball and softball (P=0.44), volleyball and swimming (P=0.009), and handball and swimming players (P=0.022) were reported. In the next step, BMI characteristics, weekly training hours, and the number of training sessions per week were entered into the data analysis process as covariate variables (F=8.099, df=0.3, P=0.000, Eta=0.432). The Bonferroni post hoc test indicates the difference between volleyball and swimming athletes (P=0.001) and handball and swimming (P=0.002). Conclusion: The present study results indicate a high rate of upper limb disability in elite women athletes. The present study results showed no difference between volleyball and handball due to the nature of these two disciplines and handball, softball, and swimming.