KNOWLEDGE AND HEALTH
Year:2015 | Volume:10 | Issue:1 |Papers Count:12

Introduction: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder, that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a natural disaster, serious accident or other life-threatening events. It's most important characteristics are memory disorders and hippocampus is one of the essential structure in this relation. Traumatic events cause apoptosis and alter the expression of neurotrophic factors in hippocampus. Therefore, the aim of this study was the examination of the fear memory and evaluation the effects of multiple b -Estradiol injections on behavioral responses in the rat hippocampus, after induction of PTSD. Moreover, we evaluated, the biochemical and histological mechanisms of b -Estradiol on hippocampus.Methods: We used single prolonged stress (SPS), for PTSD induction. One day after SPS, rats received electrical foot shock within shock chamber. To test the conditioned fear responses one week later, rats were placed back in the chamber without any shock, and freezing behavior was defined. Another fear test was done 4 days after the first test. Animals received multiple subcutaneous injections of b -estradiol (45 mg/kg) or sesame oil, immediately after shock and in these 7 days, between shock and test. Bcl-2 and BAX were detected by immunohistochemistry.Results: Main findings of the present study are: Exaggerated fear response was seen in PTSD group as compared with control group. Moreover, b -estradiol administration reduced behavioral responses, caused by PTSD induction. SPS decreased the Bcl2/BAX ratio and apoptosis induced by SPS in hippocampus. This effects reversed by b -estradiol injections.Conclusion: b -estradiol could be useful for treating the memory disorders in PTSD.

Introduction: Quality of life among patients with epilepsy is severely affected by consequences of physical, psychological, social of epilepsy. The aim of present study was to evaluate predictors of quality of life in epileptic patients and to determine the main effective factors.Methods: This is a comparative cross sectional study on 100 epileptic patients and 100 healthy people from patient's relatives who referred to neurology clinic of 22 Bahman hospital in Mashhad. Data were collected through the WHO quality of life (QOL) standard questionnaire. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine predictor factors of quality of life in patients with epilepsy.Results: The mean total score of quality of life in two groups of patients and healthy people showed no significant difference. Only in the physical (P<0.001), environment (P=0.002) and social domain (P<0.001) differences were statistically significant. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that age, sex, education level, type of epilepsy, and numbers of seizures in one month are effective factors. In all four domains of QOL, quality of life score decreased by increasing the episodes of seizures. Moreover, females compared with males had higher quality of life scores.Conclusion: Age, sex, education level, type of epilepsy, and number of seizures were important predictors of total QOL in patients with epilepsy. Number of seizures and female gender had higher effect on QOL. Based on our findings controlling numbers of seizures is the key factor in improving the quality of life among patients with epilepsy.

Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the nervous system in which a T-cell-mediated inflammatory process is associated with destruction of myelin sheaths. The most Common problems may include fatigue, cramps, tremor, diplopia, and unsteadiness of gait. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of aquatic training on psychological well-being of women with MS for a 12 week period.Methods: Methods include a quasi-experiment applied research among the female patients referred to Kashani MS clinic.38 women with MS (0<EDSS>4.5; 8±2 years disease; 20-40 years old) selected as a sample of reseach and were randomly assigned to treatment and control group. Aquatic training program for treatment group including, three times per week (each sessions one hour) for 6 weeks. Moreover patients' psychological well-being was measured using WLFOQOL-BREF test, before and after exercise and analysis of data obtained from 30 subjects.Results: Is done by using descriptive statistics and analysis of covariance and comparisons of adjusted averages. Findings indicate that aquatic training can improve psychological well-being in woman with multiple sclerosis (P=0.001).Conclusion: Aquatic training program increase psychological well-being in MS patients. According to these results, exercise therapy can be used as a complementary treatment alongside drug treatment to alleviate symptoms of MS in patients.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to compare the effect of vapor and nanosil on microbial contamination of traditional ice cream equipments.Methods: In this study, microbial load of equipments has been measured at first. Then, vapor and nanosil has been contacted with internal surfaces of the equipments for 5, 15 and 30 minutes. After each disinfection action, samples has been taken and cultured in controlled condition. The results have been entered into SPSS software and using two-way annova and Tukey statistical analysis. Finally, the effects of two disinfectants on microbial contamination removal have been compared.Results: In this study, vapor resulted in the highest removal rate of total microbial load including: Coliforms and E.coli at lowest contact time (5 minutes). Also, the results showed that the removal rate of microbial load increase with the increase of contact time with nanosil (2 and 6%). Statistical analysis showed that there are significant differences between removal rate at 5 and 15 minutes (P£0.01) and at 5 and 30 minutes (P£0.006). There are no significant difference between 15 and 30 minutes (P£0.21) with nanosil 2 and 6%.Conclusion: Both disinfectants have have excellent ability to remove total microbial load microbial load, moreover vapor needs lesser time for removal than nanosil (2 and 6%).

Introduction: Short tandem repeats (STRs), are DNA sequences that are uniquely scattered throughout the human genome. These markers are ideal candidates for diverse usages including gene mapping, phylogenetic reconstruction, forensic medicine and indirect diagnosis of genetic disorders. Another application of STRs is in PGD (Preimplantation genetic diagnosis) for single gene disorders. Due to wide applications and also huge number of STR markers interspersed in human genome, these markers must be selected among thousands upon thousands markers based on special applications.Methods: In this study, SMA (Spinal muscular atrophy) was used as a model of monogenic disorders. Then STR markers flanking to SMA gene region was searched. Among the hundreds of markers, 5 STRs were selected. The size ranges of the STR markers were determined. A sequence alignment was then performed. Primers were designed, PCR reactions were optimized. PCR products were then separated by capillary electrophoresis.Results: In order to accelerate optimization of a set of STR markers for divers applications, in this study a comprehensive strategy for design, selection and optimization of STR marker was presented. For simplicity, all steps were performed on 5 STR loci that are located in SMA region. These can be applied for PGD of SMA.Conclusion: The strategy presented in this study can be used as an example to design a set of STR marker for similar application in a short time and with a low cost.

Introduction: Helicobacter pylori infection is a major cause of chronic gastritis, peptic ulcers and gastric cancer in humans. By using inexpensive laboratory methods for diagnosis of H. pylori infection several complications can be prevented. This study compared two methods including, histology and serology tests for diagnosis of H. pylori in patients with dyspepsia which has been conducted in 2012.Methods: 395 patients with dyspepsia which referred to Imam Hossein hospital of Shahroud were participated in this study. All patients undergoing endoscopic procedures and 6 standard biopsy specimens were taken for histological examination. Giemsa stain used for histological detection of H. pylori in gastric biopsy specimens serology. H. pylori IgG ELISA method was also performed to measure IgG titers against H. pylori. Data were statistically analyzed and the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were calculated.Results: From 395 patients with dyspepsia, serological test were positive in 212 patients (53.7%), histological test were positive in 316 (80%) patients including 178 male patients (56.3%) and 138 female patients sensitivity and specificity were 63.9%, and 87.3% respectively. Moreover positive predictive value was 95.3% and negative predictive value was 37.7%.Conclusion: Due to the high specificity and the relative sensitivity of serological tests as well as simplicity, speed and low cost of these testin comparison with other diagnostic methods these tests could be, recommended for screening.

Introduction: Academic burnout results from mental fatigue and students uninterested to education is affected by various factors. Hope to work and educational interest are effective factors on academic burnout among students. The aim of this research is investigating the relationship between hope to work and education interest with student’s academic exhaustion at Shahroud university of medical science Methods: By using Kristi-Morgan table, 291 students are randomly selected. Three standard questionnaires were used including, sandier and worland academic motivation (AMS-HS28) and questionnaire of berso academic burnout. Data were statistically analyzed, using T-independent and regression.Results: There was found a significant inverse relationship between hope to work and academic burnout and also between academic motivation and academic burnout.Conclusion: It seems that The balance between student admission and labor market is an essential factor to increase the hope to work and academic motivation and could increase educational achievement and reduce academic burnout among students.

Introduction: The different behaviors of patients to maintain or enhance their dignity, is important to make them feel valuable. This study was conducted to investigate the dignity conserving repertoire and its related factors in heart failure patients.Methods: In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, 130 patients with class II to IV heart failure were selected upon to researcher characteristics and in unrandomized sampling (Purposive) among patients in Hazrate Rasoolakram, Imam Hossein and Shariati Hospital of Tehran in 2013. After obtaining written and oral consent from samples, demographic questionnaire and dignity conserving repertoire questionnaire (DCRQ) completed by the patients. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistic methods and analytical statistic tests such as: Pearson correlation, One-Way ANOVA and Independent-Sample T Test.Results: The results indicated that the average age of patients was 62±13.9 year and the majority (51.5%) of them were illiterate and the average of their monthly income were less than ten million IR. Rials per month (92.3 percent). The mean score of dignity conserving repertoire was 3.6±0.8. The highest mean score were obtained for the acceptance dimension and the lowest mean score were obtained for role performance dimension. ANOVA test with P<0.05 revealed a significant difference in the mean of dignity conserving repertoire score between two mentioned dimensions. Pearson statistic test with P<0.05 showed significant correlation between age and dignity conserving repertoire and between hospitalization number and dignity conserving repertoire.Conclusion: As the study showed that the patients with heart failure displayed intermediate level of dignity conserving repertoire, it seems that using strategies to improve their views and performance in order to increase their sense of value is recommended.

Introduction: Diabetes is a chronic disease, and one of the most important issues in the care of chronic patients is to evaluate their quality of life (QOL). This study aimed to determine the quality of life in patients with type II diabetes and its relationship with some demographic variables.Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive design, 80 diabetic patients admitted to Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran city were selected by constant sampling. Data collection tools included demographic information form and diabetic patients’ QOL questionnaire. Data was analyzed using performing ANOVA and independent t- test.Results: The lowest mean score of QOL was related to disease dimension and the highest mean score was related to the social dimension. There was a significant relation between ocular complications (P=0.02) and the disease duration (P<0.001) and physical aspects of quality of life. There was a significant relationship between individuals' income with quality of life in terms of mental health (P=0.02, economical (P<0.001) conditions, and the total quality of life score (P=0.02) was significant. In addition, there was a significant relationship was obtained between diabetic foot complications and total QOL score (P=0.04).Conclusion: Regarding the relationship between QOL and some demographic variables, using appropriate caring approaches such as executing educational programs for diabetic patients is recommended.

Introduction: Responsiveness is a concept introduced in the mid-eighties by bio-medical researchers. It is considered as a fundamental feature of health-related quality of life questionnaires, which was different from reliability and validity. Responsiveness is defined as the ability of an instrument to detect the minimal clinically important differences. Most authors agree that responsiveness focuses on the ability of a criterion in measuring changes, but there is a wide variety of opinions about the nature of quantified change. This review study was performed to determine the responsiveness by using the valid and available articles.Methods: key word of "responsiveness" and "quality of life" were searched in Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Pro Quest, Psyc INFO, Science Direct, Scopus, and Medline databases.Results: Multiple definitions for responsiveness and different procedures for calculating it were investigated in various studies. A total of 30 articles were used as references. Responsiveness has been divided into two groups: External and internal. “Internal responsiveness” is defined as the ability of a measure to change over a specified time frame. “External responsiveness” reflects the extent to which changes in a measure over a specified time frame relate to corresponding changes in a reference measure of health status.Conclusion: Despite the fact that some authors consider the responsiveness as the most basic characteristics for assessment of a tool, its measurement methodology is different. Meanwhile, there are different methods to assess responsiveness, but the researchers used one of them, and in development and validation of quality of life questionnaires must be regarded.