Journal of Knowledge & Health in Basic Medical Sciences
Year:2009 | Volume:4 | Issue:2|Papers Count:12

Article abstract:Introduction: Hospitals due to their huge range of activities generate vast amount of wastewater which because of its great pollution must be purified via appropriate procedures. Imam Hossein Hospital also has an extended aeration wastewater treatment plant. This investigation was done to determine the efficacy of this plant and the possibility of reusing the resulting effluent for green space irrigation or discharging it in the environment of the present study. Methods: This cross-sectional study was done upon Imam Hossein hospital wastewater treatment plant for 8 months from April to November 2008. In the study the parameters of COD BOD5 TSS pH Total and fecal coliform in the incoming and outgoing wastewater were determined through standard methods and were compared with standard values for green space irrigation set by the Environment Protection Organization through t-test. Results: Results show that the mean values of pH TSS COD BOD5 and the geometric means of total and fecal coliforms MPN/100ml in the effluent were: 6.95 179mg/lit 145 mg/lit 298mg/lit and 2.8×104 and 1.54×104 respectively. Removal percentages for TSS COD BOD5 Total and fecal coli forms were 46.11 30.1 39.99 99.37 and 99.39 respectively that show significant differences between these measurements and their standard values for green space irrigation set by the Environment Protection Organization.

Introduction: Chromium (VI) can be removed from aqueous solutions using different but expensive methods. In this study a new method using Liwatit exchange resin was developed to remove chromium (VI). Methods: Removing the chromium (VI) ion from the aqueous solution was studied via considering the effect of absorbent initial chromium concentration contact time and pH in batch phase. Equilibrium constant which depends on the capacity of change was calculated using Longmuir adsorption isotherm. Results: The Batch ion-exchange process was relatively fast and it reached equilibrium after about 90 minutes of contact. The ion-exchange process which is pH dependent show maximum removal of Cr(VI) in the pH range 5.0-8.0 for an initial Cr(VI) concentration of 0.5 mg L-1. Lewatit FO 36 shows high bonding constant. The equilibrium related to its ion-exchange capacity and the amount of the ion exchange was obtained by using the plots of the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. It was observed that the maximum ion-exchange capacity of 0.29 mmol of Cr (VI)/g for Lewatit FO 36 was achieved at optimum pH value of 6.0. The ion exchange of Cr (VI) on this cation-exchange resin followed first-order reversible kinetics. Conclusion: According to the results because of its regeneration characteristic Liwatit FO36 resin can be used as a convenient optimum to reduce the level of Cr(VI) from the aqueous solutions in the contaminated places throuhout the country particularly South Khorasan province where the problem of chromium in fresh water is ubiquitous

Introduction: Nowadays, no-drug treatments (medicinal plants) are novel therapeutic approaches in the treatment of diabetes. This study aimed at assessing the effect of Carthamus tinctorius (Compositae) extract on the blood glucose and lipid profile in diabetic rats. Methods: In this study, 18 male Wistar rats, with body weights of 180 – 220 g were randomly assigned to three groups with six rats per group: nondiabetic control; diabetic control; diabetic rats treated with hydroalcoholic extract of Carthamus tinctorius (200 mg/kg BW); Injections were done intraperitoneally. Rats were fasting for 16h, and then blood samples were collected in heparinated tubes for estimation of blood glucose, insulin, cholesterol and triglyceride.Results: Diabetic rats treated with extract showed a significant decrease in blood glucose level (P<0.05). Furthermore, compared diabetic group, in the extract -treated rats, there was a significant decrease in serum contents of total cholesterol (TC), but a significant increase in insulin level (P<0.05). Histological morphology examination showed that the extract restored the damage of pancreas tissues in rats with diabetes mellitus.Conclusion: These results show that the hydroalcoholic extract of Carthamus tinctorius may be effective in the treatment of diabetes. This effect can be due to the presence of flavonoides and their antioxidant features.

Introduction: Nowadays, using plant extracts as antimicrobial additives has got an important role in maintaining the quality of food products. Garlic is one of the plants the antimicrobial effect of which has been proved by biochemical investigation. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of different concentrations of garlic powder extract and garlic tablet extract on Salmonella typhimurium and Shigella dysenteric in the same conditions. Methods: To do this investigation, fresh garlic from Hamadan and garlic tablets from Kowsar Pharmacy Company was provided. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of garlic Powder extract and garlic tablet extract on the growth of two micro-organisms were tested through tube standard method. Results: The MIC of garlic Powder extract on the tested microorganisms was 12.5 mg/ml and the MBC was 25 mg/ml, while the MIC of garlic tablet extract was 40mg/ml and the MBC was 80 mg/ml. According to these results, the inhibitory effect of the extract of the garlic (GP &GT) on both bacteria was similar, but the inhibitory effect of the garlic powder was much more than that of garlic tablet (3.28 times), either on Salmonella or Shigella.Conclusion: Noticing the findings of the present study and other related reports in this field, the application of this extract in food preservative systems is useful for inhibiting food contaminations.

Introduction: Gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common gastrointestinal disorder all over the world. Some patients with GERD have no symptoms while others may have non-specific symptoms. The aim of this study was to define the frequency of non- specific symptoms of gastro esophageal reflux and to determine the association of these symptoms with GERD in a population- based study. Methods: This cross-sectional and population- based study was conducted on 782 subjects who were randomly selected from 2 cities of Firoozkooh and Damavand in the northeast of Tehran province. The relationship between non-specific symptoms and GERD was assessed through Chi-square and the odds ratios (OR) with 95% of certainty levels were calculated for each symptom.Results: In this study, 228 persons (29.2%) with GERD were diagnosed. The most common non-specific symptom in the subjects was abdominal pain with a distinct female preponderance. Globus sensation, cough and dyspnea, and halitosis were among the other symptoms having a direct relationship with GERD. No significant relationship was observed between age and non-specific symptoms of GERD.Conclusion: In sum, this study showed the prevalence of non-specific symptoms which are strongly related to gastro esophageal reflux disease. Therefore, considering these symptoms in diagnosis course of the disease seems necessary.

Introduction: Children, due to their lower immunity level and higher exposure to soil and other contaminated materials, are more prone to parasitological diseases than adult. This study aimed at determining the effect of individual health education on preventing re-infection with intestinal parasites in elementary school students.Methods: In this experimental study, two elementary girl schools were selected based on cluster sampling, from which 119 students were randomly selected. Three stool samples of the subjects were tested by direct, flotation and formalin-ether methods. Out of the 119 persons, 40 persons had parasite infection. The infected people were randomly assigned to two groups. In addition to treatment, the experimental group received instruction about parasite transition ways and prevention ways from parasitic infections. The control group, however, received only treatment. After two months, stool samples of the two groups were collected and analyzed through Chi-square and estimating the risk ratio.Results: Out of the 40 infected participants, 24.3% had pathogenic parasites and 9.2% had non- pathogenic parasites. After instruction, 35% of the cases and 75% of controls showed parasitic infection again. The experimental and control groups were significantly different in terms of infection with parasitic worms (P=0.02, RR= 2.1, 0.95 CI: 1.0 – 4.7). Conclusion: The results showed that individual health education reduces the risk of infection with intestinal parasites.

Introduction: Average life expectancy has improved in the last century. Currently about 7% of the world population is aged beyond 65 years old. Maintaining a high level of quality of life into advanced age is a growing public health concern as the older adult population continues to increase. Along theses lines, one of the primary goals of Healthy People 2010 is to improve both the quality and the number of years of healthy life.Methods: This interventional study aims to evaluate the effect of educational intervention in the improvement of health related quality of life in elderly people in Kahrizak nursing home. In this study, a sample of 60 healthy adults between the ages of 60 and 85 years old completed a SF-36 questionnaire before and ten weeks after of intervention. The reliability of the questionnaire was measures through retest method. The data were then analyzed with χ2 and t-test.Results: The statistical analysis of the results showed a significant difference for the effect of health education program on components of quality of life measures: physical functioning (P<0.05), physical role limitation (P<0.00001), bodily pain (P<0.001), general health (P<0.01), vitality (P<0.008), social functioning (P<0.001) and emotional role limitation (P<0.00001) and mental health (P<0.03). Conclusions: Health education program have positive effect on promoting the quality of life. Thus, it is recommended that health education be used in quality of life interventions.

Introduction: According to Piaget, children and adolescents pay more attention to films presenting novel and eccentric pictures, different from those of their normal daily life. This research aims at studying the influence of special effects in educational films on learning amount.Methods: In this study, using random cluster sampling method, from among 1777 fourth-graders in state elementary schools in Shahroud, eight classes (250 pupils), and from the practical sciences textbook, four chapters were selected. Eight content-relevant films with and without special effects were also produced. Having displayed the films, the researchers administered a post test including g20 questions (five items for each chapter). The results were analyzed using an independent t-test procedure in boy and girl groups.Results: The results indicated that the mean score of the boys who had seen the films with special effects was 3.64 and that of the boys having seen films with no special effect was 3.65 which do not show any significant difference. However, the mean score of the girls who had seen the films with special effects was 3.52 and that of the girls having seen films with no special effect was 3.29 which shows a significant difference.Conclusion: Creating attractive spaces in films is possible with the aid of special effect techniques, the simplest of which are picture effects such as dissolve, feed and superimpose. These techniques are even simply available on personal computers. Nowadays, computer has changed the society and the learning processes for ever. This study confirms the role of gender in the effectiveness of films with special effects. This fact indicates higher level of excitation in boys, due to their more exposure to computer games and action films.