Ebnesina
Year:2019 | Volume:21 | Issue:1 (66)|Papers Count:7

Background: A clinical tool for detecting early signs of cognitive degeneracy in the elderly population can help clinicians to identify dementia in the early stages. This research was aimed to validate the Persian version of Addenbrooke’ s Cognitive Examination-III (ACE-III) in patients with Alzheimer’ s disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in a group of Iranian population. Materials and methods: A total of 135 subjects (AD= 30, MCI=30 and 75 normal control) that met inclusion criteria participated in the study. All patients were diagnosed by neurologist using neuroimaging tools and routine clinical examination. Data were analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, Pearson’ s correlation analysis and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Results: ACE-III at cut-off point of 75 showed 99% sensitivity and 95% specificity in discriminating AD from the normal group and at cut-off point of 82 showed 92% sensitivity and 90% specificity in discriminating MCI from normal controls. Test-retest reliability showed a correlation of 0. 94 for both AD and MCI. Internal consistency using Cronbach’ s alpha was 0. 97. A significant difference was seen between AD and control group on total score and all ACE-III components (attention, memory, language, verbal fluency and visuospatial function). MCI group was differed from control group on memory and visiouspatial components. Conclusion: The Persian version of ACE-III is a reliable and useful cognitive screening tool for diagnosis of dementia and has a high specificity.

Background: Despite the recognition of reduced workload in exercise as a model to increase exercise performance in normal conditions, there is no information on the effect of this training pattern on internal organs in hypoxic conditions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the response of HSP70 and HSP90 proteins to taper in hypoxia. Materials and methods: The samples were twenty-four healthy male Wistar rats (8 control and 16 experimental rats) with no history of disease (four-weeks old, 72± 9 gr weight). The experimental group were participated in an interval training program for six weeks, and then remained in hypoxic conditions for three weeks. Half of the experimental samples performed taper technique during exposure to the hypoxic environment. At the end of experimental period, the lung tissues of all samples were removed and the expression level of HSP70 and HSP90 proteins were evaluated. One-way ANOVA method was used for data analysis and p≤ 0. 05 was considered as significant. Results: The expression levels of HSP70 and HSP90 were significantly increased in the hypoxia group in contrast to the control group (p≤ 0. 05). In the hypoxia-taper group, also, the expression of HSP70 and HSP90 was decreased significantly compared to the hypoxia group (p≤ 0. 05). Conclusion: The results show that hypoxia can causes biological stress in lung tissue, leading to lung protective response by increasing the expression of heat-shock proteins, and performing of interval exercise training with less intense in hypoxic conditions may help to maintain lung hemostasis.

Background: Malnutrition may be one of the greatest public health problems in emergency situations such as flood, earthquake, and war that results in higher mortality among survivors. The aim of this study was formulation and prototype development of an emergency, energetic, and nutrient ration with long shelf life to minimize the mortality rate among civilians or soldiers. Materials and methods: In this study, four new rations based on wheat and rice flour (carbohydrate source), milk powder and soy flour (protein source), shortening (fat source)were formulated by trial and error method with regard to appetizing characteristics, economical concerns, cultural affairs and reasonable weight. The qualities of sensory and microbial characteristics of samples were evaluated after six months incubation and collected data were statistically analyzed. Results: By comparison of rations, one sample containing wheat flour and milk powder yielded the best scores in the most evaluations. Such ration also scored 6. 37 in texture acceptance and achieved second rank (the first rank scored 6. 5 in a 9 point scale). No microbial growth was seen except mesophilic bacteria that were in standard range. Conclusion: It seems that the sample ration containing wheat flour and milk powder is appropriate to be introduced as an emergency ration with desired sensory and microbial characteristics that provides a healthy and safe diet for consumers.

Background: The role of physical activity on blood pressure through its effect on Arterial Natriuretic Peptide (ANP) Gene has been previously approved. However, it is not clear what type of physical activity is more effective. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 8 weeks resistance training (ladder-climbing) on ANP gene expression in male Wistar rats. Materials and methods: The study was performed on male Wistar rats in control and resistance training groups. The exercise was climbing of a ladder with 85 degrees slope. Exercise intensity was controlled by increasing the weight and closing it to the rat tail. The heart tissue samples were collected and analyzed for ANP gene expression at 72 hours after the last training. Results: The results showed a significant difference between the two groups in ANP gene expression (p<0. 05). The expression was higher in the heart tissue of training group compared to control group. Conclusion: The results of present study suggest that strength training with appropriate pattern and intensity can be a deterrent or control and management of hypertension. Probably the most important factor in resistance exercises is its effect on the structure and function of the heart, including ANP gene expression. Since the role of aerobic training was confirmed in previous studies, it is recommended that these two types of exercises be performed simultaneously.

Background: Nowadays, low back pain (LBP) is one of the common musculoskeletal disorders. In addition to suffering from general pain, people with LBP encounter with limited mobility, functional disability and failure to balance maintenance in physical activities. With regard to different treatment methods for LBP, the present study has analyzed the effects of water and land Pilates on female patient with Chronic Nonspecific LBP (CNLBP). Materials and methods: The study was performed on 24 participants with CNLBP. Participants were randomly divided into two groups each consisting of 12 members and were asked to perform water or land Pilates exercises for 24 sessions. The degrees of balance, pain, and disability were measured before and after the exercise using the Biodex balance system, the visual analogue scale, and the Oswestry disability questionnaire. Results: Significant decrease in pain severity and disability indices were seen in both groups after the Pilates exercises (p≤ 0. 05), but no difference were found between the two groups. Land Pilates also improved static balance in patients (p=0. 02), its effect on dynamic balance, however, was not statistically significant. The same exercises in water did not show significant effects on balance despite a decline in body sway. Conclusion: The land and water Pilates exercises were useful for the treatment of LBP; however, this treatment strategy can be implemented in accordance with patient preference. Nevertheless, the low impact of the exercise on balance improvement suggests for complementary exercises for patients with CNLBP.

Background: Healthcare costs in our economies have grown dramatically in the past few decades where inefficiency in healthcare operations has contributed to these rising costs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the technical efficiency of military hospitals in Iran by applying a nonparametric method, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Materials and methods: DEA's main advantages for health care application are its flexibility and versatility; it requires no information on relative prices, and can easily accommodate multiple inputs and outputs. The data for this study were obtained for the years 2016 and 2017 from military hospital documents in Iran. We have selected four output variables and six input variables. Results: In this study, the technical efficiency and inefficiency of the military hospitals was determined, for hospitals with technical inefficiencies, referral hospitals were identified as patterns that could be referred to them, for inefficient units, the amount needed to reduce data and increase the number of outputs in each hospital was determined to provide fair guidance for improving their technical efficiency. Conclusion: The results of this study provide a roadmap for both the policy makers and decision makers of the military, in order to be able to optimally utilize the available resources in conditions of resource shortage with reliance on knowledge and utilizing the latest scientific techniques, and consequently improve the performance of hospitals to the frontier of efficiency.

Background: Physiological and behavioral disorders such as diabetes and sleep disorders have been considered as vital issues for middle-aged adults; therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of aerobic exercise and garlic intake on insulin and glucose of prediabetic obese women with sleep disorders. Materials and methods: 32 non-active prediabetic obese women with mean age of 44. 33± 5. 59 were enrolled to the study and randomly divided into two groups of training with or without garlic supplement intake. The serum glucose and insulin levels, as well as sleep pattern of individuals were compered before and after the course. Results: the results suggested that fasting glucose levels were improved significantly in both training groups (respectively, t=7. 79, p=0. 001 and t=6. 85, p=0. 001), while Insulin was improved only in supplement-training group (t=7. 79, p=0. 001). Comparing the two groups showed that glucose levels were significantly different with a preference for supplement training group (p=0. 001), while no significant difference was found for insulin. Quality of sleep and its parameters were also improved significantly after intervention (p≤ 0. 05) except sleep efficacy in training group which it improvement was not significant. Conclusion: Training along with garlic supplement has an effective role in regulation of blood glucose and insulin in prediabetic obese patients and mere aerobic training will also result in glucose regulation.