Journal of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences
Year:2012 | Volume:16 | Issue:1|Papers Count:15

Background: Diazinon (DZN) is one of the most organophosphates (OPs) insecticides that widely used in agriculture and industry. Some OPs are capable to produce free radicals and induce malfunction in body antioxidant systems. Enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) and glutathione (GSH) normally counteract damaging effects of free radicals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of DZN on spleen antioxidant system in male rat.Methods: Wistar male rats were randomly divided into four groups including: control group receiving corn oil as DZN solvent and three experimental groups receiving of different doses DZN (30, 50 and 100 mg/kg) by intraperitoneal injection. 24 hours after injection, animals were anesthetized and spleen tissue removed. After hemogenizing, SOD, CAT, GST and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities as well as GSH and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were determined by biochemical methods.Results: At doses level higher than 30 mg/kg DZN, SOD and GST activities were significantly increased, while CAT activity and GSH level were significantly decreased, when compared with the control.Conclusion: DZN induces the production of free radicals and oxidative stress in a dose- dependent manner. The alteration of antioxidant enzyme activities in spleen may result from increased detoxification capacity. Depletion of GSH can impair the cell’s defense against the toxic actions of free radicals and indicative of oxidative tissue injury.

Background: Adverse effect of sun rays mainly UV ray on the human eye documented and protection of eyes is necessary using different methods such as, Sun Glasses. Sunglasses are designed in different colors. The aim of this study was evaluation of the effect of different colors of sunglasses on the visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, stereopsis and color vision.Methods: 81 normal subjects were selected randomly from students of Zahedan medical university with average age of 21 years. Then we evaluated visual acuity by snellen chart, contrast sensitivity by Cambridge low contrast grating chart, stereopsis with TNO test and color vision with D15 test in the room ( normal space) with illumination of 991 lux and in the sun with illumination of 54000 lux with and without filters (Polaroid gray, green, brown and gray).Results: The mean of visual acuity was 10/10 in room and sun. Paired t test didn't show significantly difference between contrast sensitivity in room and sun condition (p>0.05). Anova analysis showed significantly difference between stereopsis with and without colored filter (p<0.05). There wasn’t significant different between color vision with and without colored filer in sun (p>0.05).Conclusion: Sunglasses increase contrast sensitivity in the sun and the gray and brown filter increase contrast sensitivity more than the others colors and also these colors had less effect in reduce of stereopsis.

Background: Personality characteristics are important factors, which have significant effects on marital adjustment. Since personality traits play silent roles in all aspects of human life, as well as social affairs, it can influence marital adjustment and living satisfaction. The present study investigated the role of personality trait dimensions and gender in predicting marital adjustment.Methods: Studding population included Art bachelor, master and PhD students in Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj branch. 224 couples were selected from students using two phases clustering sampling method. Short NEO-form tests and Lack-Wallas marital adjustment tests were used for data collection.Results: Findings showed significant correlation coefficient between extraversion (P<0.05), agreeableness (P<0.01), consciousness (P<0.01), neuroticism (P<0.01), and gender (P<0.05) to predict the marital adjustment characteristics. Also, impact factors of gender coefficient variable (B=0.436) with regard to T statistics, indicates that sexuality variable by 0/99 certainty could predict marital adjustment variation. Women's marital adjustment was more frequent than men in this study.Conclusions: Research findings of the role of personality trait dimensions and gender in predicting marital adjustment indicates that extraversion personality trait, agreeableness, consciousness, neuroticism, and gender all could predict marital adjustment.

Background: Acute appendicitis is the most common emergency operation in the world. Considering negative appendectomy, it is necessary to use accurate diagnostic methods to lower the rate. This study evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of abdominal sonography in comparison to clinical Alvarado criteria in patients with suspected appendicitis.Methods: 370 patients with suspected appendicitis selected from Imam Reza Hospital in Kermanshah, Western Iran. Clinical Alvarado score was calculated for each patient and then all of them followed by abdominal sonography and abdominal operation. Necessary data such as age, sex, weight and duration of symptoms were recorded. Diagnostic accuracy of sonography and Alvarado criteria was calculated in compare to pathology as a gold standard. Reducible rate of negative appendectomies with sonography was also calculated.Results: Sensitivity and specificity of sonography was 98.3% and 76.4% respectively. Positive Predictive Value and Negative Predictive Value of sonography was 95.7% and 89.4% respectively. Negative appendectomy rate was 14.9% (55 patients), which 42 patients (76%) had negative sonography. 11.4% of all operated patients could avoided according to sonography resulta. 10.9% of patients with Alvarado score of 9-10, 14% with score of 7-8 and 19.4% with score of 5-6 had negative appendectomy respectively.Conclusion: Abdominal sonography prior to operation can avoid unnecessary operation in patients with suspected appendicitis. Clinical Alvarado criteria can still be a good tool for screening of patients with abdominal pain.

Background: This study has been conducted in order to determine burnout and related demographic variables in the staffs of Tehran Province Welfare Organization during 2010.Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive-analytic study designed and 189 subjects were recruited through random sampling. Data collection was carried out using Maslach Burnout Questionnaire and a demographic questionnaire. Independent T-test, U Mann-Whitney, One-way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis data analysis tests were applied.Results: The sample consisted of 38.1% male and 61.9% who were married. The mean age of the subjects was 37.7+ 6.8 and the mean of employment duration was 12.9 + 6.9. Findings showed that burnout in emotional exhaustion and depersonalization subscales was low whereas in personal accomplishment, including frequency (36.16) and intensity (39.46), were in a medium level. Age, background, gender, educational level, occupation, and type of recruitment were not significantly related to burnout. There was significant relationship between frequency of personal under-accomplishment and marital status (P=0.03) as well as depersonalization and service-divisions (P=0.01).Conclusion: The findings showed mild to moderate level of burnout in the staffs of the Tehran province welfare organization; therefore continues educational programs and workshops need to conduct to prevent and lower the level of burnout.

Background: Pregnancy is often considered as a stressful period with physiological and psychological variations. These changes may reduce quality of life in many women. The present study was aimed to determine the quality of life in pregnant women referred to health centers of Izeh city, Central Iran.Methods: A descriptive and analytical study carried out on 300 pregnant women who had referred to health centers of Izeh city for prenatal care during 2010. Data collection tools were demographic and short form (sf-36) questionnaires that were completed by interviews. Data were analyzed using SPSS and chi-square, ANOVA and t-tests at 0.05 significant level.Results: The mean acquired score of quality of life of pregnant women was 62.9±17.3. The highest score of quality of life was related to social functioning dimension (82.2 ± 21.8) and lowest scores were related to Energy/ fatigue (50.6 ± 18.7) and Role limitations due to physical health dimensions (51.4 ± 42.7). There was no significant relationship between mean of quality of life and age, gestational age, parity, educational level and accommodation types. The quality of life score in wanted pregnancies was higher than unwanted pregnancies (P=0.002).Conclusion: Planning to improve various dimensions of quality of life during pregnancy especially in Energy/ fatigue dimension and its influencing factors highly recommended.

Background: Imaging studies performed in research centers suggest a high prevalence of brain structural abnormalities in patients with epilepsy. However, the results of research studies may not be directly applicable to general clinic, because they may perform on patients with high probability of cerebral abnormalities. On the other hand, more advanced modalities are likely to be used in research studies for the detection of such abnormalities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the brain CT scan findings in epileptic patients in neurological clinics.Methods: A cross sectional study was designed and medical records of 931 patients with the diagnosis of epilepsy was assessed. Data such as: age, sex, type of epilepsy and brain CT scan findings collected from 1996 to 2007.Results: The mean age of the patients was 24 years. 473 patients had generalized tonic colonic seizures and 325 patients had motor focal epilepsy. Among the 905 patients with brain CT scans, 125 scans reported as an abnormal (15.8%). Abnormalities were vascular (6.4%), space occupying lesions (2.5%), malformation of cortical development (2.5%) and nonspecific lesions (2.4%). The most prevalent abnormalities were among the focal motor epileptic patients.Conclusion: Although the rate of structural abnormalities in patients with focal motor epilepsy was higher but it is lower than other reports. This might represent technical errors in performing CT scans or differences in etiologies of focal motor epilepsy in various populations. More attention is recommended for performing CT scan in the patients with epilepsy.

Background: Aggressive personality changes are one of the most prevalent neuropsychiatric disorders after traumatic brain injury (TBI). It may lead to serious impairments in social relations and affect rehabilitation process. Present research was performed to identify the determinant factors of personality change of aggressive characteristics after TBI.Methods: 238 TBI patients (195 men and 43 women) were entered in a descriptive-longitudinal design study using nonprobability and consecutive sampling method. All subjects underwent neurosurgical examinations and psychological evaluations. After four months of follow-up, 65.1% (n=155) of patients referred to a psychiatrist to determine the personality change of aggressive type due to TBI using a structured clinical interview based on DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria.Results: 61 patients (55 men & 6 women) with mean age of 34.0±15.9 years showed personality change of aggressive type during four-month follow-up. Results of logistic regression analysis for calculating the model odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) indicated that the falling level of compatibility (OR‏=‏‎1.03), subcranial injury (OR‏=‏‎0.45) and incidence of depressive disorders after TBI (OR=3.18) could independently predict the incidence of personality change of aggressive type in these patients.Conclusion: The factors such as level of general compatibility, subcranial injury and incidence of depressive disorders after TBI are major determinants of personality change of aggressive characteristics. Regarding these factors, preventive and therapeutic interventions may reduce and modify the severity of this disruptive behavior.

Background: Quality of life is an important determinate of treatment effectiveness in diabetic patients. The aim of the study was quality of life determination in diabetic patients referred to the Research Center of Diabetes in Kermanshah (2006).Methods: In this descriptive–analytic study, 350 diabetic patients who referred to the Research Center of Diabetes in Kermanshah was selected using convenience sampling method. Data was collected with a three-section questionnaire including demographic information, basic variables and the Short Form Health Survey standardized Questionnaire (SF-36). ANOVA, t-test, Pearson Correlation and descriptive methods applied for data analyses.Results: The mean quality of life score was 56.8±22.7 in physical domain and 55.3 ±21.7 in mental domain. The results showed that quality of life was significantly associated with demographic variables such as age, sex, educational level, marital status (p<0.05) and biochemical factors such as FBS, 2hPPBS, HbA1c, LDL, HDL, cholesterol levels (p<0.05).Conclusion: The study indicated the quality of life in some of domains were significantly associated with clinical indices such as HbA1c that is most important in prediction of quality of life in diabetic patient. Improving quality of life and changing life style in diabetes patients is necessary by health providers.

Background: Oral white and red lesions are usually assumed as premalignant lesions. Epidemiological characteristics of these lesions seem to be important. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of the oral red and white lesions in patients referred to oral and maxillofacial pathology department in Isfahan School of Dentistry during last two decades.Methods: In this descriptive study, clinical profiles of oral pathology department from 1988 to 2008 were reviewed. Gender, age, location and type of lesions and referring time were recorded. Data was analyzed using Chi-square with SPSS 11.5 statistical software.Results: 6509 patients referred to oral pathology department, which 1047 (16.1%) cases recorded as red and white lesions. The most prevalence red and white lesions were Peripheral Giant Cell Granuloma (PGCG) and Lichen Planus respectively. The mean age of red lesions was 33.9 ± 17.9 year with a prevalence rate of 57.8% in women. The mean age of white lesions was 44.92 ± 13.09 with the most prevalence rate of 67% in women. The most prevalent red (18.5%) and white (31.8%) lesions were related to age ranges of 31-40 and 41-50 years old. Red lesion mainly located in Gingival (79%) and white lesion in buccal mucosa (57.4%).Conclusion: Prevalence of white and red lesions is increasing in the recent years. More studies are required to investigate the probability of white and red lesions malignancy.

Background: High intake of Nitrite and Nitrate may threat human health. Fruits and leafy vegetables are the major source of these chemicals in our diet. There are limited studies on Nitrite and Nitrate content of fruits and vegetables in Iranian and we need to conduct more research on daily-consumed foods. This study aimed to determine Nitrite and Nitrate contents of distributed fruits and vegetables in Kermanshah (2010).Methods: 108 fruit and vegetable samples were collected during three sessions from different socio–economic area of Kermanshah, Western Iran. Nitrite and Nitrate was assessed triplicate on each samples using Iranian standard protocols (NO.4106). Data was analyzed using one sample t-Test and ANOVA.Results: Nitrate concentration of potato was higher than the recommender level of WHO (347.7±45.4 mg/kg, p<0.05). Leafy vegetables contained the highest and non-leafy vegetables contained lowest level of Nitrate, 673.8±50.6 and12.5±0.9 mg/kg respectively. Leafy vegetables showed lowest concentration and non-leafy vegetables showed highest concentration of nitrite 0.25±0.05 and 4.3±0.2 mg/kg respectively.Conclusion: High level of nitrate in potato and vegetables may relate to extra consumption of fertilizer, environmental factors and non-mechanical agriculture in Iran. Periodical examination of nitrite and nitrate concentration in fruits and vegetables need to perform by Food and Drug Committee supervision to increase quality of foods.