Journal of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences

Emergencies, Disasters, and Health: The Need to Reconsider Health System Education and Preparedness

Ameneh Marzban — 2026-01-26

Introduction: Given the increasing occurrence and severity of disasters in recent decades, including earthquakes, floods, and pandemics, the health system’s responsibility for providing rapid, effective, and humane responses to crises has become more prominent than ever. In this context, emergency medical services and disaster preparedness, as crucial components of public health protection, require special attention in policymaking, education, and investment.

Effect of Neuromuscular Training on Biomechanical Variables of Athletes with a History of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury During Transitional Movements: A Systematic Review

Shirin Aali — 2026-01-26

Introduction: Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury is one of the most common sports injuries that often leads to disruption of biomechanical variables of transitional movements. This systematic review aimed to investigate the effect of neuromuscular training on improving these variables in athletes with a history of ACL injury.

Methods: This systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines and involved searching PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, SID, Noormags, and Google Scholar search engine from January 2005 to February 2025. Out of the 869 identified articles, 10 studies that fulfilled the inclusion criteria (clinical trials, semi-experimental and/or cohort studies) with a minimum of 6 weeks of intervention were selected, and quality was assessed using the Down and Black questionnaire.

Results: This systematic review examined only 10 studies that fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Neuromuscular and cross-training exercises for 6 to 12 weeks, conducted 3 times per week, resulted in significant improvements in neuromuscular control (increased muscle electrical activity, reduced knee proprioception error, and improved jumping mechanics), motor function, and knee biomechanics.

Conclusion: Neuromuscular training improved biomechanical variables in athletes with ACL injuries by improving neuromuscular coordination, dynamic balance, and proprioception. It was also effective in preventing re-injury by reducing knee flexion angle and destructive torques, although heterogeneity of protocols and individual differences limited the generalizability of the results.

Effect of Virtual Reality Rehabilitation on the Balance and Fall Risk of Elderly: A Systematic Review

Masoud Azizian — 2026-01-26

Introduction: Falling and balance disorders are the main causes of injuries in the elderly. Imbalance and the likelihood of falling are important health indicators. This research aimed to perform a systematic review of the effect of a virtual-reality rehabilitation protocol on balance and the risk of falling in the elderly.

Methods: Articles were searched in the databases of Jihad Daneshgahi, Magiran, Irandoc, Alamnet, PEDro, Trip PubMed databases, and Google Scholar search engine utilizing different keywords, including elderly, rehabilitation, virtual reality balance exercises, and fall risk in Persian, along with English keywords and fall risk in Persian, virtual-reality rehabilitation exercises in English, and virtual-reality-reality exercises. Additionally, the quality of the selected articles relied on the National Institutes of Health tool.

Results: Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 10 studies were selected from a total of 329 studies to examine the results. The quality of the selected studies, according to the National Institutes of Health tool, indicated that 5 studies were of high quality while 5 studies were of moderate quality. The results showed a statistically significant difference between virtual reality exercises and other rehabilitation protocols regarding balance and fall risk in the elderly.

Conclusion: Virtual reality exercises enhances balance and reduce fall risk in the elderly by strengthening the central nervous system. The elderly appear to show more interested in using virtual reality exercises for enhancing physical activity compared to traditional protocols, prompting physiotherapists and therapists to incorporate these exercises into rehabilitation.

Evaluation of Thesis of Medical Residents of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in Yazd City in 2019

Seyed Mehdi Eftekhari — 2026-01-26

Introduction: Theses are essential for educating students in research and, ultimately, for generating scientific knowledge. Evaluation of student theses can offer insights into their practical applicability, the extent to which they are converted into scientific articles, and their potential impact on enhancing the knowledge and awareness of other researchers and medical science students domestically and internationally. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the theses of medical residents at Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd City, in 2019.

Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study conducted in 2019 assessed a total of 61 theses. Initially, a questionnaire was developed for scoring the principles of academic writing. The theses were rated on a 100-point scale and categorized into four groups: excellent, good, moderate, and weak. Furthermore, the number of articles that were extracted from theses was surveyed, and the number of citations to each article in Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases were investigated. Data were analyzed via SPSS version 16.

Results: The mean total writing score was 69.25 ± 11.76, which was within the "good" category. The discussion and conclusion comprised the weakest part of the theses, whereas the abstract represented the strongest section. Moreover, 50% of the theses had been converted into articles. The citation-frequency distribution to those articles across citation databases was 3.1% in Scopus, 9.6% in Google Scholar, and 45.2% in all Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases.

Conclusion: Most of the writing scores fell into the “good” category. Although almost half of the theses were converted into articles, more than one-third of them received no citations.

Investigation of the Changes in CXCL-14 and EPDR1 Gene Expression in Response to Aerobic Exercise in an Induced Obesity Animal Model

Zahra Sharifi — 2026-01-26

Introduction: The diminished functionality of brown adipose tissue (BAT), a critical component for energy homeostasis, thermogenesis, and metabolic equilibrium, is intrinsically linked to obesity. Within BAT, the batokines CXCL-14 and EPDR1 are instrumental in orchestrating immune and metabolic processes. Accordingly, this study endeavor sought to investigate the changes in of CXCL-14 and EPDR1 gene expression patterns induced by aerobic exercise in a rodent model of diet-induced obesity.

Methods: This experimental study involved thirty-two male Wistar rats, which were subsequently divided into two groups: standard diet and high-fat diet containing fructose. Following a 24-week period designed to induce obesity, the animals were allocated into three subgroups: a control, high-fat diet, and high-fat diet group that also underwent aerobic exercise. Aerobic training was performed on a treadmill for 8 weeks. At the end of the intervention, the expression of CXCL-14 and EPDR1 genes was measured using Real-Time PCR. One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post hoc test was applied for statistical analysis.

Results: The findings showed that a high-fat diet with fructose significantly reduced the expression of CXCL-14 and EPDR1 compared to the control group (P<0.001). Conversely, the implementation of aerobic exercise demonstrated a statistically significant increase in the expression of these genes compared to the high-fat diet group (P<0.05). Moreover, significant improvements in anthropometric indices and lipid profile were observed in the exercise group.

Conclusion: Aerobic physical exercise, by upregulating CXCL-14 and EPDR1, improves the metabolic and anti-inflammatory functions of adipose tissue in obesity. This mechanism is accompanied by the remodeling and functional enhancement of adipose tissue, particularly BAT; therefore, aerobic exercise can be considered an effective approach for preventing and alleviating obesity-related complications.

Investigating the Synergistic Effects of Aspartic Acid and Tocopherol on Cytotoxicity and Oxidative Stress Caused by Etoposide on Hepg2 Cell Line by MTT and ROS Methods

Mahboube Rahmati Kukandeh — 2026-01-26

Introduction: Liver cancer ranks among the deadliest cancers globally. Etoposide, a chemotherapeutic agent frequently utilized in treatment, inhibits topoisomerase II, leading to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction. Nonetheless, etoposide generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), resulting in oxidative stress and cellular damage. This study aimed to investigate the combined effects of two antioxidant compounds, alpha-tocopherol and aspartic acid, on cytotoxicity and oxidative stress by etoposide in the HepG2 cell line.

Methods: HepG2 cells were pre-exposed to various concentrations of alpha-tocopherol and aspartic acid (10, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 µM). Following pretreatment, cytotoxicity was induced using etoposide at its IC50 concentration (7.08 µM). Subsequently, lipid peroxidation, ROS concentrations, and cell viability parameters were measured.

Results: Based on cell viability measurements and oxidative stress tests, the combination of alpha-tocopherol and aspartic acid with etoposide enhanced cell survival across all tested concentrations. Additionally, they reduced MDA and ROS concentrations.

Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that alpha-tocopherol and aspartic acid can mitigate the cytotoxic effects of etoposide and provide a protective role by enhancing the cellular antioxidant defense. These results highlight the potential use of this combination as a complementary therapeutic strategy in liver cancer treatment.

Antibacterial Activity of Bioactive Compounds of Lumbricus Rubellus Earthworm-Ectosymbiotic Bacterium Peribacillus Butanolivorans KG, against Some Gram-Negative and Gram-Positive Pathogenic Bacteria

Mohammad Bahrami-Nezhad — 2026-01-26

Introduction: This study aimed to identify Lumbricus rubellus earthworm ectosymbionts bacteria as inhibitors of the growth of some pathogenic bacteria.

Methods: Fifty earthworms (Lumbricus rubellus) were collected from soil samples (5–15 cm) of agricultural farmland in Khorramabad City and were taken to the laboratory in sterile polypropylene bags. Bacteria were isolated from Lumbricus rubellus earthworms using nutrient agar. To assess the antimicrobial activity of the isolated strains, an agar well diffusion assay was performed against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The best isolate selected based on the zone of inhibition was subjected to further genus and species levels characterization by phylogenetic, morphological and biochemical methods.

Results: In this study, out of 14 isolated Lumbricus rubellus earthworm ectosymbionts bacteria, just one isolate demonstrate the ability to form an inhibition zone against all four pathogenic bacteria. Phylogenetic analysis utilizing 16S rRNA gene sequences facilitated the assignment of the analyzed bacteria to the genus Peribacillus. Following morphological and biochemical analyses also assigned the analyzed bacteria with the respective genus. The bacteria identified as Peribacillus butanolivorans KG, along with its genome sequence and its annotation information were submitted to the NCBI database by accession number OR229899. 1.

Conclusion: Antibacterial activity observed for Peribacillus butanolivorans KG within Lumbricus rubellus earthworm ectosymbionts bacteria reflects its potential as a source of new antibiotic agent

Effect of Two Types of Resistance Training with and Without Blood Flow Restriction on Some Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines in Overweight Men

Ali Barzegari — 2026-01-26

Introduction: Cytokines are a group of proteins essential for inflammatory responses to pathological stimuli such as inflammation and for improving metabolic health in overweight individuals. The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of two types of resistance training with and without blood flow restriction on some pro-inflammatory cytokines in overweight men.

Methods: The present study was a semi-experimental interventional study. Fifty males with a mean age of 25.66±1.98 years and a body mass index of 28.1±3.34 kg/m2 were selected and randomly divided into 5 groups: resistance training 1 (n=10), resistance training 2 (n=10), resistance training 1 with blood flow restriction (n=10), resistance training 2 with blood flow restriction (n=10), and control groups (n=10). Resistance training 1 and 2, both with and without flow restriction, were performed for 6 weeks, 3 sessions per week. Before and after six weeks of training, blood samples were collected from the participants and serum levels of TNF-a, IL-1 β, and IL-6 were measured using ELISA. Subsequently, between-group changes were evaluated using the covariance test and within-group Bonferroni test.

Results: The results showed a significant difference among the 5 research groups regarding TNF-α and IL-6 levels (P=0.000), and the changes in TNF-α levels in resistance training groups 1 (P=0.003), resistance training 2 (P=0.004), resistance training 1 and 2 with blood flow restriction (P=0.000) were significantly reduced compared to the control group. Additionally, the changes in IL-6 levels in resistance training groups 1 and 2 utilizing flow restriction were also significantly reduced compared to the control group (P=0.001), while no significant difference was observed between the research groups in IL-1 β levels.

Conclusion: Our study shows that resistance training with and without blood flow restriction can be a useful non-pharmacological tool to reduce some chronic inflammatory factors.