Understanding how spectacle lens coating-types are distributed across retail channels is essential for anticipating demand and guiding inventory and service planning. In Iran, optical retail operates through distinct socioeconomic and purchasing channels, including high-income area stores, low-income area stores, and online shops, each associated with different levels of affordability and product assortment. This editorial summarizes coating-type selection patterns across these segments and interprets observed time trends and 10year logarithmic forecasts to outline plausible market evolution. Data from 4,615 ophthalmic lenses were analyzed, comprising 2,521 lenses from high-income area stores, 1,674 from low-income area stores, and 420 from online shops. Antireflex coatings constituted the dominant baseline option in physical retail settings, whereas Blue Cut lenses occupied a broadly accessible mid-tier position across income groups. In contrast, Blue Control lenses, representing a premium blue light filtering option, were minimally represented in low-income retail but accounted for nearly half of online sales, reflecting a strong afford ability and channel-specific gradient. Photochromic lenses formed a smaller but persistent share across all segments. Hard coating (CR-39) was observed exclusively in low-income stores, consistent with budget-constrained purchasing. Timetrend analysis and 10year forecasts suggest that premium feature growth will remain concentrated in affluent retail environments and the online channel, while low-income stores are likely to continue transitioning away from the lowest quality lens options. The pace of this transition is expected to depend on supply chain stability, inventory capability, and the availability of affordable mid-tier alternatives. Overall, coating-type selection in Iranian optical retail reflects durable socioeconomic segmentation, with implications for demand forecasting, inventory management, and service planning over the coming decade.

Duane retraction syndrome (DRS) is a congenital cranial dysinnervation disorder characterized by limitation of horizontal eye movements, globe retraction, and narrowing of the palpebral fissure on attempted adduction. First described by Duane in 1905, DRS accounts for approximately 1–4% of all strabismus cases and most commonly presents as a unilateral condition with lefteye and female predominance.

Duane retraction syndrome (DRS) is a congenital ocular motility disorder characterized by dysinnervation of the lateral rectus muscle, limited horizontal movement, and globe retraction with palpebral fissure narrowing on adduction. Many affected children adopt abnormal head posture (AHP) to maintain binocular single vision and avoid diplopia. When such postures appear early in life and persist through the years of rapid craniofacial growth, they may predispose the patient to facial asymmetry and musculoskeletal imbalance. Surgical correction can improve alignment and reduce AHP in selected cases but is often deferred in very young children or when primary position deviation is small. This short communication summarizes the patterns of AHP in the main clinical types of DRS, reviews key elements of non-surgical management (including amblyopia therapy, refractive correction, simple positioning strategies, and use of the patch test), and highlights the importance of early recognition and intervention to reduce the risk of permanent craniofacial changes.

Introduction: Learning disabilities (LDs) are among the most common developmental and educational challenges faced by school-age children worldwide. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to provide a pooled estimate of the prevalence of all types of LDs in elementary school students in Iran.
Materials and Methods: A comprehensive systematic search was performed in international and national databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Magiran, and SID, from January 1990 to March 2025. The quality of the articles was evaluated using the Joanna briggs institute (JBI). All analyses in this study were performed using the comprehensive meta-analysis (CMA) software, version 3.0.
Results: A total of 32 studies, comprising 81363 students, were included. The pooled prevalence of LDs among elementary school children in Iran was 5.6% (boys, 6.4%; girls, 5%). The prevalence of LDs in first-, second-, third-, fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students was 9.5%, 6.9%, 6.2%, 5.2%, 4.5%, and 3.1%, respectively. The pooled prevalence of dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia was 5.4%, 4.3%, and 3.4%, respectively.
Conclusion: This systematic review and meta-analysis reveal that at least one in 20 Iranian students has a learning disability, and this rate rises to one in ten in early grades.

Introduction: Hearing and balance are vital body functions that allow communication with our surroundings and effective participation in everyday activities. Various factors, including vitamins, influence these two functions. This study aimed to examine the role of vitamins in hearing and balance and the effects of deficiencies in these nutrients on ear and balance health.
Materials and Methods: This review examined the effects of vitamins on hearing. We identified 71 studies published since 2000 through searches of Medline (PubMed), Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, EBSCO, ASHA, Thieme, and ProQuest.
Results: Evidence suggests that Vitamins A, B, C, D, and E are associated with auditory and vestibular health. Vitamin deficiencies have been linked to hearing loss, tinnitus, dizziness, and impaired inner ear function. In particular, vitamins A and E support hair cell integrity and protect against oxidative stress, while vitamins B and C contribute to neural function. Vitamin D is also important for vestibular health through its role in calcium regulation.
Conclusion: Ensuring adequate intake of these vitamins through diet or supplementation may help prevent hearing and balance disorders and improve quality of life

Introduction: Ankle sprains are common in competitive sports, especially football, accounting for approximately 15–17% of collegiate athletic injuries. Lateral ankle sprains (LAS) occur frequently due to rapid directional changes, jumping, and intense landings. Plyometric training, involving explosive and dynamic movements, is gaining attention for its role in rehabilitation and injury prevention. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of plyometric training on balance and foot function among collegiate football players with LAS.
Materials and Methods: Collegiate football players with LAS completed a four-week plyometric training program consisting of three 30-minute sessions per week that included Pogo hops, lateral jumps, forward jumps, and single-leg split squats. The values of the star excursion balance test (SEBT) and foot function index (FFI) scores pre- and post-intervention were compared using a paired-samples t-test with significance set at P<0.05.
Results: The study showed significant improvements in SEBT scores in the right (anterior: 83.5±6.2% to 87.6±5.9%, P<0.001) and left limbs (anterior: 82.9±6.4% to 87±6.1%, P<0.001), with similar gains in the posteromedial and posterolateral directions. FFI total scores also improved significantly (23.4±6.8 to 15.9±5.7, t=8.62, P<0.001), indicating better balance and foot function.
Conclusion: Plyometric training is typically effective at enhancing balance and foot function in collegiate football players recovering from LAS.

Introduction: Lateral elbow tendinopathy is not merely a localized elbow condition and is often associated with proximal movement impairments, such as scapular dyskinesis, which may contribute to persistent pain and functional limitations in racket-sport athletes. This study aimed to compare the effects of scapular stabilization and elbow strengthening exercises on pain, disability, and functional performance in racket-sport athletes with lateral elbow tendinopathy accompanied by scapular dyskinesis.
Materials and Methods: In this single-blind randomized controlled trial with a pre-test–post-test control group design, 49 racket sport athletes aged 18–25 years and diagnosed with lateral elbow tendinopathy and scapular dyskinesis were randomly assigned to elbow strengthening exercises, combined training (elbow strengthening plus scapular stabilization), or a control group. Interventions were conducted over eight weeks, three sessions per week. Outcome measures included pain intensity, upper-limb disability, muscle strength, dynamic balance (YBT), upper-limb power, and functional movement performance.
Results: Both intervention groups showed reductions in pain and disability and improvements in functional performance, with greater and clinically meaningful improvements observed in the combined training group.
Conclusion: Incorporating scapular stabilization exercises into elbow strengthening programs leads to superior clinical and functional outcomes and supports a kinetic chain–based rehabilitation approach for racket sport athletes with lateral elbow tendinopathy.

Introduction: Islamic prayer has several components that enhance physical and mental health. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of prayer on balance control.
Materials and Methods: Thirty healthy elderly men were divided into two groups in the study: One group (n=15) consisted of people who regularly prayed (WP). Another group (n=15) who did not pray (WOP) was matched on various factors with the praying group, such as demographics, lifestyle, physical and psychological abilities, cognitive abilities, and heart rate variability (HRV) indices. Biodex recorded the balance indexes under simple and dual-task conditions. Mann-Whitney and Pearson chi-square tests were used for non-parametric analyses, while t-test and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were used for parametric analyses and to balance variables. The tests were conducted from 9:00 to 13:00.
Results: ANCOVA showed that the overall, Ant-Post, and Med-Lat balance index values in simple and dual-task conditions were significantly lower in the WP group than in the WOP group (P<0.05). Age was considered a covariate. Other variables that influence balance control, such as demographics, lifestyle, psychological and physical health, cognitive abilities, and changes in HRV during tests, did not differ significantly between the groups.
Conclusion: Islamic prayer is associated with improved balance control in elderly men, independent of other effective factors. It can be used as a physiotherapy intervention for the elderly.

Introduction: Stroke is a leading cause of adult disability. Spasticity is a neurological condition that occurs secondary to stroke and affects the patient’s quality of life. This study aimed to compare the effects of reactive and proactive exercises on spasticity in people with stroke.
Materials and Methods: In this single-blind clinical trial, 30 individuals with stroke were randomly divided into three groups: Control, reactive, and proactive, of which 27 patients completed the study. These individuals were treated for 12 sessions for 4 weeks (three times a week). The control group received conventional exercises, the reactive group received conventional exercises plus reactive exercises, and the proactive group received conventional exercises plus proactive exercises. The outcomes were clinical measures of spasticity at baseline and neural properties, evaluated using the Modified Modified Ashworth Scale and H-reflex latency and Hmax/Mmax ratio. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software, version 20.
Results: No significant differences were observed between the groups in H-reflex latency (F=0.404, P=0.672, ηp²=0.033) and Hmax/Mmax ratio (F=0.878, P=0.429, ηp²=0.071).
Conclusion: Intergroup comparisons did not show a significant advantage of proactive and reactive exercises over conventional exercises alone in improving neural properties of spasticity.

Introduction: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a cornerstone of secondary prevention following coronary revascularization; however, its utilization remains suboptimal in underserved regions. This study aimed to evaluate referral, participation, and completion rates of CR and their associated factors in Birjand, Iran.
Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 758 consecutive patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) between April 2022 and May 2023. Data on demographics, insurance status, education level, and physician CR familiarity were collected using a structured checklist and phone follow-up. The CR program was defined as 36 supervised sessions. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with referral, participation, and completion. All reported odds ratios were derived from fully adjusted models.
Results: Among 749 eligible patients, 19(26.3%) were referred to CR, 103(52.3% of referred) participated, and 69(67.0% of participants) completed the program. Multivariate analysis showed that higher education was the strongest predictor of referral (odds ratio [OR]=9.50, 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.9%, 18.27%, P<0.001), followed by male gender (OR=2.12, 95% CI, 1%, 4.49%, P=0.005). Furthermore, physicians familiar with CR had approximately a 3-fold higher referral rate compared to less-familiar colleagues. Insurance coverage was significantly associated with program completion (78% of insured vs 59% of uninsured completers; P=0.018).
Conclusion: Referral is the main systemic barrier to CR utilization in this underprivileged region. Participation and completion among referred patients reflect a selected group with adequate access, highlighting the need for system level interventions focused on physician referral practices—particularly for women and less educated patients—and improved insurance coverage to enhance equitable access to CR.