Background and Objective: There is a high prevalence of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes in most populations. Therefore, interest in use of functional foods for the control of such diseases is of importance. The present study was designed to compare the effects of inulin and oligofructose-enriched inulin on glycemic indices and blood pressure in women with type 2 diabetes. Materials and Methods: In this clinical trial, 76 women with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to one of the three groups. The intervention groups received 10g/d oligofructose-enriched inulin (n=27) or inulin (n=24) and the control group (n=25) received 10g/d maltodextrin for 8 weeks. Dietary intakes, anthropometric measurements, glycemic index and blood pressure were measured at the baseline and after 8 weeks of supplementation. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version11.5). Paired, ANOVA and ANCOVA were used to compare quantitative variables. Results: At the end of the study significant decrease was observed in energy and carbohydrate intake, anthropometric indices, systolic blood pressure, HbA1c and serum insulin in intervention groups compared with the placebo group (P<0.05). Decrease in carbohydrate intake (16.50%), serum insulin (18.50%) and insulin sensitivity index (QUICKI) (16.70%) was significant in inulin as compared to oligofructose-enriched inulin group. Conclusions: Probably, supplementation of diabetic women with fructans in particular with long chain fructan (inulin) via improving food intake, glycemic indices and blood pressure contributes to the management of type 2 diabetes.

Background and Objective: Exact recognition of the needs of patients with leukemia and move to solve them will promote the health standards in the country. The aim of this study was to evaluate the needs and to assess the process of diagnosis and treatment of leukemia and their shortcomings according to experts’ views in this field. Materials and Methods: This study was a descriptive study and the population under study consisted of 101 specialists in Hemato-oncology and pathology across the country, who were selected by random cluster sampling. Data was collected by valid peer reviewed questionnaires with Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.80. The collected data were evaluated and analyzed using SPSS, and chi-square test. Results: According to specialists, lack of diagnostic facilities in small cities, timely diagnosis, especially in cases of chronic leukemia and inadequate attention to the mental state of patients during the treatment process was considered as the most important problems of health system in the diagnosis and treatment of leukemias. Conclusion: Shifting the health policies towards greater attention to equip the health care centers and reviewing the policies resulting in concentration of services in large cities, providing health care plans acceptable for the patient's mental state by counseling centers during the process of treatment and finally financial support of patients with leukemia (particularly low-income patients) by governmental and non-governmental organizations will certainly pave the way to achieve modern standards.

Background and Objective: According to physical disability progression in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), little data about concurrent training effectiveness with therapeutically aid approach, this study was designed to investigate the effect of concurrent aerobic-resistance training for eight-weeks on aerobic power and functional capacity in young female patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

Materials and Methods: 47 female patients with MS were randomly assigned to an experimental group
(27 subjects; 28.74 ± 3.07 yrs.; BMI of 31.9 ± 4.32 kg/m²; degree of disability (1-4) and a control group
(20 subjects; 28.20 ± 4.11 yrs.; BMI of 30.43 ± 4.57 kg/m²; degree of disability (1-4). The subjects were assessed in the pre-test and post-test using 10- and 500-m walking speed, balance, fatigue, and aerobic power tests. In addition to taking the prescribed medications, the experimental group participated in an 8-week concurrent training program (3 sessions per week including 10 min warm-up, 15 min aerobic exercise at 60-75% maximum heart rate, 25 min weight training exercises at 10-repetition maximum (10RM) and 5 min cool-down). The control group only took the prescribed medications. To analyze the collected data, T-tests for dependent and independent samples were used.

Results: The results indicated significant improvement in fatigue, balance, and walking speed of the experimental group (P<0.05), but there were no significant changes in their aerobic power.

Conclusion: The results suggest that concurrent training exercises such as aerobic-resistance program can improve walking speed, balance, and fatigue in women with multiple sclerosis. Therefore, such training exercises are recommended for movement and functional status of these patients.

Background and Objective: Tuberculosis (TB) is amongst the common infectious diseases in the world so that the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared it as a global emergency as well as an extremely contagious disease. Although the cause of the disease and its therapy are well known, TB is considered as a global dilemma. The present study was set to isolate and identify Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Complex by PCR-RD typing from TB patients in Zanjan province and to verify cases of zoonotic tuberculosis.

Materials and Methods: In this study, 27 positive samples were collected from center of pulmonary diseases and tuberculosis in Zanjan Province during 2013 and were grown on Lowenstein–Jensen medium (LJP and LJG). DNA was extracted from the bacterial isolates by Van Solengen method and at genus level identification was done by PCR-16SrRNA. To confirm the mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, PCR-IS6110 was used. Identification of species was performed by PCR-RD typing (RD1, RD4, RD9 and RD12).

Results: A total of 27 isolates were obtained which were identified as genus Mycobacterium belonging to Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Twenty five of the isolates were Mycobacterium tuberculosis while 2 isolates were identified as M.bovis.

Conclusion: The results of the study indicates that M.bovis species is present among the human TB cases in Zanjan province, which indicates the zoonotic potential of the species and the possible transmission of the species from animals to humans. These results might be alarming owing to the spread of the bovine strains among the human subjects. Thus, it is essential that during research on suspected human TB cases, the zoonotic species capable of transmission from animal to human be considered.

Background & Objective: Low birth weight is considered as one the causes of infant mortality across the world. Accordingly, paying attention to neonatal growth leads to mortality rate decrement and consequently prevents future physical and mental disabilities in this age group.
 Materials & Methods: This historic (retrospective) cohort study was conducted on 280 one-year-old male and female infants who were divided into two equal groups of low and normal birth weights. Then, the developmental status of the neonates at the corrected age of one year was assessed using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). Data analysis was performed using SPSS 19 via t-test and multiple regression analysis.
Results: Of the 280 infants examined, 142 (50.7%) of them were male and 138 (49.3%) were female with the mean weight of 640.9±2696.9 gr, and the mean gestational age of 37.8±2.4 weeks. Moreover, the findings revealed that the gross motor skills and the problem-solving areas had the highest levels of developmental delay in the subjects. In addition, a significant relationship was observed between the developmental delay of the neonates in different areas and the variables of birth weight, birth height, birth rate, duration of hospitalization in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), and some causes of neonatal hospitalization (P<0.05).
Conclusion: According to the results, health policymakers were recommended to pay much more attention to the assessment of the developmental status of low-weight neonates for timely diagnosis and treatment as well as the education of health care providers and parents.