The HIV epidemic continues to disproportionately affect young and active individuals in developing and low-income countries, including Iran. Among high-risk populations in Iran, HIV prevalence peaks at 3.5% among people who inject drugs and 2.5% among men who have sex with men. Despite progress in achieving the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets for HIV diagnosis, treatment, and viral suppression, significant gaps remain in early detection and reaching vulnerable populations, including pre-exposure prophylaxis and targeted outreach to key populations. Education and awareness campaigns are crucial for preventing the spread of HIV, particularly among young people. However, there is a need to improve education and access to information and HIV services for key populations. Expanding HIV testing and counselling services is vital for early diagnosis and treatment. Addressing the issue of late diagnosis, which can negatively impact treatment outcomes and mortality rates, is essential. Integrating HIV services into primary healthcare can improve access and outcomes. A holistic and multi-sectoral approach, encompassing education, prevention, treatment, and care, is necessary to curb the spread of HIV and improve the quality of life for individuals affected by HIV infection in Iran.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare immune-mediated rheumatic disease in which the skin, muscles, blood vessels, and internal organs are damaged through chronic inflammation. Interleukin-17 (IL-17) is a potent pro-inflammatory cytokine produced by T helper 17 (Th17) cells, and plays a critical role in many inflammatory conditions. This study aims to assess the salivary IL-17 levels in Iranian patients with SSc. In this cross-sectional study, unstimulated saliva samples were collected from patients with SSc (n=80) and age- and sex- matched healthy individuals (n=80). The salivary levels of IL-17 in all samples were measured using a commercially available enzyme–linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. The mean salivary levels of IL-17 in patients with SSc were significantly higher than the control group (199.6±38.9 pg/mL vs. 112.7±39.4 pg/mL, P<0.0001). IL-17 in the patient group had a significant positive correlation with anticentromere antibody (ACA) concentration (r=0.875, P<0.0001). The salivary levels of IL-17 showed no significant differences between males and females. Based on the results, salivary levels of IL-17 could be considered a good marker to differentiate patients with SSc from healthy subjects. Considering the role of this inflammatory cytokine in tissue inflammation and its association with ACA concentration, IL-17 might be involved in the pathogenesis of SSc; however, further comprehensive studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Breastfeeding (BF) is the natural way for infants’ nutrition, it provides the ideal nutrients they need for healthy development and growth. The purpose of this study was to evaluate mothers' knowledge and practice of BF and its determinants and to determine the association between knowledge and certain characteristics. 200 moms who were patients at the Bint Al-Huda teaching hospital between November 1, 2021, and February 1, 2021, were chosen at random with their consent for this cross-sectional study, and their answers to a standardized questionnaire were analyzed. Of the 200 women, 26% were between the ages of 20 and 25, with a mean and SD of 29.24±7.829 and 24.5% having completed elementary school. Prior to our study, nearly (67%) mothers had received education on BF. A mother who practices breast cancer has a low risk of developing the disease (62.5%). Proper positioning is also important for achieving effective breast cancer (68.5%). Breastfeeding should begin within 30 minutes of delivery (62%), and once the baby begins taking complementary foods (54.5%), mothers can combine breastfeed and formula feeding. We found that most mothers had engaged in exclusive BF and knew only a moderate amount about its benefits. Better educational initiatives are required to raise public awareness of its long-term benefits for the nation's health status.

To perform effective prevention programs, we need to know how well people follow prevention protocols, like mask use and social distancing, measuring using standard tools. This study aims to develop and validate a brief questionnaire to assess the compliance with prevention protocols against infectious respiratory diseases pandemics including COVID-19 in pedestrians. This cross-sectional study was conducted using convenience sampling method in May and June 2021. Construct validity of the questionnaire was assessed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). Content validity was evaluated by quantitative method, thus, Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and Content Validity Index (CVI) were calculated. For reliability of the questionnaire, the internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha, and test-retest reliability using Spearman-Brown correlation coefficient were assessed. A total of 324 persons from three provinces of Iran participated in this study. The mean age (SD) of participants was 41.5 (16.7). The CVR values resulted in the elimination of two questions. The Scale level CVI/Average (S-CVI/Ave) was equal to 0.992; and Scale level CVI/Universal Agreement (S-CVI/UA) was 0.889. One factor with five items emerged from principal component factor analysis accounting for 51.99% of the variance. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient equal to 0.76 indicated an acceptable internal consistency and the Spearman-Brown correlation coefficient of 0.939 depicted stability of the questionnaire. This questionnaire is a brief tool with acceptable validity and reliability to evaluate the compliance with preventive protocols during infectious respiratory diseases outbreaks in order for policy-makers to make effective interventions to slow down the spread of disease.

Although the production and use of educational materials have been accelerated, their quality and usability for students might have been overshadowed by the urgency to maintain the continuity of education at universities. Concerned with the provision of quality education, this study aimed to discover medical sciences students’ perceptions of the quality of teacher-made medical terminology flashcards used in university courses electronically. To do so, the students in the fields of laboratory sciences, radiology, anesthesia, operating room, nursing, medicine, and midwifery used the teacher-made flashcards in medical terminology and specialized English courses, and their perceptions of the quality of the flashcards were elicited in terms of appearance, content of information, and potential contribution to learning. The results showed that overall, the students evaluated the flashcards positively; they, however, indicated that the color choices, adequacy of information, and potential effects on students’ motivation for studying medical terms were three aspects of the flashcards that warranted more detailed consideration. Moreover, the students’ perceptions of the appearance of the flashcards and the potential contribution of the flashcards to learning did not differ across the disciplines; the students, however, had different perceptions of the content of information on the flashcards due to the type, degree, and specificity of the information they needed. The study concludes that how the flashcards are developed aesthetically, how exhaustively they embrace the students’ needs for information, and how potentially efficaciously they contribute to learning mattered to the students. The study recommends that although teacher-made materials can support the delivery of knowledge and continuity of education, considering students’ feedback on and perceptions of the materials can help secure the quality and usability of the materials and ensure quality teaching and learning.

Depression is a serious medical condition that affects a person’s feelings, thought, and how to behaves. It causes sadness, hopelessness, and helplessness, interfering with daily activities (1). Anxiety is a normal emotion that anyone experiences from time to time that range from mild to severe of worry or fear. The study's objective was to assess anxiety and depression in a sample of worker in an emergency Department worker in middle and south of Iraq. The workers in an emergency department in hospitals of middle and south of Iraq who deal with a lot of stress and under pressure most of day are sample of this study which designs to assess anxiety and depression in these workers, surely who accepted to participate in this study between Jan to May 2023 by using Hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADs) in Arabic was employed. The workers in an emergency department were more than half of them associated with significant anxiety and depression due to their works under pressure in hospitals. In conclusion, this study showed elevated risk of depression and anxiety among the emergency Department staff, and this elevated directly proportional to nature of work, Economic status, age and Level of education for worker.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common congenital abnormality in children and often requires surgical intervention. These children are vulnerable to nosocomial infections (NIs), particularly bloodstream infections (BSIs), after surgery. In this study, we aimed to investigate the incidence of bloodstream infections BSIs after cardiac surgery. This retrospective study was conducted on pediatric patients refered to Children’s Medical Center Hospital, affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences, from March 2022 to March 2023 for cardiac surgery. The records of 449 patients were reviewed, with 436 meeting inclusion criteria. Data were extracted from medical records, including age, weight, gender, clinical diagnoses, and blood culture results. Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive statistics (including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (including Chi-square and Independent t-test) in SPSS version 23. The results showed that the incidence of BSIs in pediatric CHD patients after cardiac surgery was 3.21%. Postoperative blood cultures revealed that Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most common pathogen (42.9%), followed by Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis (14.3% each). No significant association was found between BSIs and gender (P=0.70), weight (P=0.06), or diagnosis (P=0.44). However, age was significantly associated with BSI incidence (P<0.001). This study provides important insights into the incidence of nosocomial BSIs in pediatric CHD patients after cardiac surgery. Our results highlight the need for stronger infection control measures and targeted antibiotic therapies to effectively manage BSIs. Further research is recommended to validate these results and improve preventive measures in pediatric cardiac units.

Clopidogrel, a selective thienopyridine, is used for secondary prevention of major adverse cardiovascular events. Some studies have reported inflammatory arthritis as a rare adverse effect of Clopidogrel. A 47-year-old male underwent percutaneous coronary intervention and was subsequently prescribed a 600 mg loading dose of Clopidogrel, followed by a daily dose of 75 mg. After six days of taking Clopidogrel, the patient presented to the emergency department with right knee pain. The knee joint exhibited swelling, warmth, and tenderness, although there was no redness or crusting. After two and six days of hospitalization, despite receiving antibiotics and Indomethacin, he developed arthritis of the metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal joints, respectively. According to the laboratory investigation, cultures, synovial fluid analysis, and imaging, infectious, rheumatologic, and crystallopathy diseases were ruled out for the patient. Clopidogrel was discontinued, and the patient was switched to ticagrelor 90 mg twice daily. All symptoms and signs of joint inflammation had improved within five days of stopping the Clopidogrel. After one week and one and six months of follow-up, there has been no recurrence of symptoms.