QOM UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES JOURNAL
Year:2009 | Volume:3 | Issue:3|Papers Count:12

Background and Objectives: Immunologic rejection of the transplanted cornea is the major cause of human allograft failure with several risk factors contributing to it. Since in the corneal graft, most individuals do not reject the graft, we used the survival analysis with cure rate for the assessment of the factors influencing the cure rate at the time of data analysis. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the cure rate and assess the risk factors for corneal graft rejection in the keratoconus disease in Labafinejad Hospital, Tehran, Iran.Methods: This was a routine data base study in which the data were gathered from keratoconus patients’ files that had undergone penetrating keratoplasty operation. In the survival analysis, individuals who didn’t reject corneal were considered cured. To study the factors influencing the cure rate, we used the Weibull distribution for survival function and the logistic link function for the cure rate because of their tractability and accuracy.Results: Out of 119 patients 31 patients (26%) rejected grafts. Among the factors influencing cure rate, only in vascularization and in persons older than 25 years of age was ameaningful effect on decreasing cure rate. With this cure model, the expected cure rate in the non-vascularization and less than 25 year- old patients was 81, in non-vascularization and more than 25 year- olds it is 64, in the vascularization and less than 25 year- olds, the cure rate is 19 and in the vascularization and more than 25 years of age, the cure rate is 9 percent and the observed cure rate for Kaplan-Meier product limit estimator was 79, 61, 27 and 0 percent, respectively. The results showed that the estimate of cure rate in the survival analysis was near the Kaplan-Meier product-limits estimator.Conclusion: One of the benefits of modeling is its ability to generalize the results, using them in the prediction. According to the results obtained from the fitting cure model the vascularization is a major risk factor for decreasing cure rate in the keratoconus disease. We could use the cure rate model in the analysis of survival data with cure fraction.

Background and Objectives: Shallots are an important part of the diet of many populations and show some different pharmacological effects in different medical aspects. Some studies have been performed to evaluate the antimicrobial effects of shallots. The objective of this survey was to evaluate its antifungal activities in several fungal species.Methods: In this experimental study, after extracting  shallot by soxhlet's procedure, antifungal effects of alcoholic and aqueous extracts of shallot (Allium hirtifolium) against 5 saprophyte species (Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium gryseogenum and Alternaria) and 2 dermatophyte species (Microsporum canis and Trichophyton mentagrophytes) were evaluated in vitro. Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) were determined by broth macrodilution method and finally were compared with miconazole.Results: Allium hirtifolium showed antifungal effects against all the tested fungi with MIC ranged between 0.058 to 0.8 mg/ml for alcoholic extract and 0.26 to 3.84 mg/ml for aqueous extract, respectively. Minimum Fungicidal Concentrations (MFCs) of alcoholic and aqueous extracts ranged between 0.1 to 12.8 mg/ml and 0.6 to 68.26 mg/ml, respectively.Conclusion: This study indicated that shallot crude juice has antifungal activity and looks promising to be an alternatative for chemical antifungal agents that have sometimes serious side effects.

Background and Objectives: There are many reports about the glucose lowering effects of medicinal plants in animal models. There are some reports in Iranian traditional medicine about glucose lowering effect of septum water extract of Juglans Regia L. In the present study, effect of aqueous extract of the septum of Juglans Regia L. on plasma glucose is assessed.Methods: After preparing the water extract of Juglans Regia L. and concentrating of it the lyophilized extract, was tested in diabetic (ip injection of streptozocin) and normal rats. Comparison between groups was made by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the differences between the means assessed using student’s t test.Results: In an oral glucose tolerance test (OGGT), a single oral administration of the water extract at doses of 50, 250 and 750 mg/kg body weight didn’t lowered the plasma glucose level in the normal rats. Although that insulin administration (5IU/kg) caused a reduction of serum glucose (P<0.001), none of the extract doses (1000, 750, 500, 250mg/Kg) could cause a significant reduction in such level (P>0.005).Conclusion: These results demonstrated that the water extract of the septum of Juglans regia's fruit didn’t have a significant hypoglycemic effect in rats.

Background and Objectives: Fungi spores can be found everywhere. The amount and variety of fungal spores and their vast spread could be a preliminary step to the initiation of different diseases in people with different levels of health.Methods: In the present study six wards including nephrology, internal ward for women, surgery ward for men, operating theater for E.N.T., ophthalmology, infectious diseases ward and the laboratory were chosen for sampling on the basis of their types of activities and their in-patients. We used Anderson sampling method, collected samples within two minutes with flow rate of 28.3 L/Min in sabouraud medium.Results: Maximum contamination in the infectious diseases ward was 300 CFU/m3 and minimum contamination in E.N.T. was 94 CFU/m3. The maximum percentage of fungal spores in the hospital air was observed to be as follows: penicillin with 36.36%, Cladosporium 24.74%, A.niger 17.97%, Rhizopus 10.57% and A.flavus 2.74A%.Conclusion: Fungal contamination concentration in hospital indoor air in this study was higher than the recommended limits and other similar studies from a quantitative point of view, but it was similar to other studies in terms of identified species.

Background and Objectives: b-thalassemia trait (b-TT) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) are the most common forms of microcytic anemia. Screening of b-thalassemia trait is important for medical counseling before marriage and preventing b-thalassemia major birth results. The most common problem in screening -TT is differentiating it from IDA. The aim of this study was to define the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of some discrimination indices for screening of b-TT in a sample of such patients.Methods: A total of 82 patients with microcytic anemia (MCV< 80 fl) were selected from Namazi Hospital, Shiraz, Iran, and 9 discrimination indices were calculated for them. The patients were divided intotwo groups: 42 patients with b-TT and 40 patients with IDA. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and Youden's index of each discrimination index were calculated for screening b-TT.Results: None of the discrimination indices showed 100% of sensitivity and specificity. But the Shin and Lal index, RDW index and RBC count showed the highest and valuable value for screening b-TT.Conclusion: Some discrimination indices like Shin and Lal index, RDW index and RBC index are valuable indices in screening b-TT.

Background and Objectives: The examination of the research attractions in developed counties, and deficiencies and constraints in conducting researches can reveal invaluable implications. The researches carried out in recent decades are indicative of the fact that there have always been major constraints during the research conduction. Those countries which aspire to compete in the world should remove all the constraints and barriers, and attract the necessary attention on researches. Thus, the current study was intended to find the problems and limitations, and offer the needed interventions so as to overcome those problems.Methods: This study was a quasi-experimental (pre and post) one. The participants of the study included those faculty members and researchers who had conducted at least a project as an administrator or a major contributor before and after intervention. In order to gather data, a self-designed questionnaire was filled in two phases, before and after the interventions. The questionnaire included demographics and information about research problems in the four areas of Research Project Preparation (RPP), Research Project Conduct (RPC), Administrative-Management and Personal Problems. Descriptive statistics and various statistical procedures tests were utilized to analyze the data.Results: The findings revealed that the mean of the magnitude of the research problems in RPP, RPC, administrative management and personal problems was a significant difference (P<0.001) before and after intervention. In RPP, lack of beneficial database bank in university, in RPC lack of budget, in Administrative-Management lack of knowledge accountant about corresponding activity and in Personal Problems lack of enough motivation for research were all having the highest intensity. Thus, after intervention the magnitude of the problem was reduced.Conclusion: In conclusion, it seems that bureaucratic rules, shortage of research budget, heavy work load, lack of motivation, and personal skills are the reasons which hinder doing research activities. But the findings of this current study reveal that through reforming the administrative-management procedures and appropriate planning with regard to the current problems we can overcome the barriers and ameliorate the magnitude of the problems.

Background and Objectives: Low back pain is one of the most common complaints in pregnancy that interferes with work, daily activities and sleep. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of sitting pelvic tilt exercise on low back pain and sleep disorder during the third trimester in primigravidas.Methods: In this quasiexperimental study, 60 primigravidas who attended 3 prenatal clinics of Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran, were selected by simple sampling, then they were randomly allocated into two groups, case and control. The case group did the sitting pelvic tilt exercise for 8 weeks during the third trimester. The control group just received usual prenatal care. Data collection was done by interview, using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and a questionnaire which was carried out by the researcher on 0 and 56 days (pre and post intervention). T- Test and Chi Square were used for data analysis.Results: The intensity of low back pain in the case group after exercise was significantly decreased (P=0.0001), but in the control group, the intensity of low back pain increased as pregnancy advanced (P=0.0001). Also in the case group, sitting pelvic tilt exercise reduced the sleep disorders in comparison with pre treatment and control group (P<0.05).Conclusion: It seems that sitting pelvic tilt exercise is an imperative cure in pregnancy low back pain and sleep disorders that arise from it.

Background and Objectives: Depression is one of the main causes of debility all over the world. Its prevalence is reported to be 10% -64% in students. Various researches indicate that utilizing religious approaches play an efficient and effective role in treating mental disorders. The present study was conducted with the aim of determining the relationship between depression and religious attitudes in students of Qom University of Medical Sciences (QUMS), Qom, Iran.Methods: In this descriptive - analytical study, 250 students of QUMS were assessed by means of three questionnaires, a standard depression test questionnaire, and religious attitude questionnaire. The obtained data were analyzed using statistical procedures of Chi-Square, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal- Wallis test and Spearman Correlation Coefficient and P<0.05 was considered as the level of significance.Results: The study showed that 44.8%of the subjects had no depression, 37.2% had minor depression, 14.8% were moderately depressed, and 0.8% was intensely depressed while 2.4% very intensely depressed. The study also showed that 82% of the cases had positive attitudes toward religious beliefs and 18% had negative ones. Moreover, results showed that there was a meaningful but negative relationship between depression and religious attitudes (P<0.02).Conclusion: Regarding the positive effects of religious beliefs and practices on mental health, it is recommended to use this potential in community health planning especially when dealing with young adults.

Background and Objectives: Mucormycosis is a systemic killer fungal disease in diabetes resulting in immune deficiency and malignancies that can lead to death if left untreated. Its treatment includes eliminating background diseases, performing surgery, and using anti- fungal drugs such as Amphotripcin B. The aim of this study was to report a Tracheal Mucormycosis which was treated with surgery and anti- fungal drug.Case Report: The patient was a diabetic woman that had referred to the hospital complaining of dyspnea, nausea and vomiting. She had been suffering from fever, dyspnea, and vomiting for two weeks. She went to a public care center and was treated with Ceftriacxon, Dexamethasone and Diphenhydramin. Despite this treatment, her problem worsened, so she referred to the hospital again. On admission, she was suffering from fever, respiratory distress, tachycardia and tachypenea. Epiglottis was edematous and Erythematous. Diabetic ketoacidosis was diagnosed based on her laboratory tests. Because of worsening of the respiratory distress, tracheostomy was performed. Diagnostic Bronchoscopy and biopsy were on done on the patient on the second day of her admission and Mucormycosis was reported by the pathologist.