Internal Medicine Today
Year:2011 | Volume:17 | Issue:2 (52)|Papers Count:14

Background and Aim: Streptococcus mutansare the most important factors of dental cavity in the mortal because the mutans have the ability to synthesize the extracellular polymers and biofilm formation. Biofilm formation from clinical Streptococcus mutans strains from dental plaque in vitro and our purpose was to study the resistance to antimicrobial agents.Materials and Methods: In this study, one strain was selected with prevalent ability in biofilm formation for testing antimicrobial agents from among the isolated Streptococcus mutans strains from dental plaque. Biofilms of Streptococcus mutans were constituted on polyacetiren micro plates. The efficacy scale of common antimicrobial agents such as Penicillin, Erythromycin, Tetracycline and Chlorhexidine was evaluated on the number of live biofilm cells in different occasions. MIC for planktonic cells of Streptococcus mutans was determined.Results: It was observed that chlorhexidine 0.2 % with 0.09 mg/ml MIC has the most bactericidal effects within a five-minute treatment on biofilm and Tetracycline with 0.3mg/ml MIC has the lowest effect. The OD a ratio of the untreated biofilm to OD of the biofilm containing biocide in the same strain (ODr) shows that untreated biofilm forms thicker biofilms than that of treated biofilm with effective microbial agents. A constant reduction was observed in the number of living biofilm cells within treatment by Erythromycin and Penicillin.Conclusion: This research demonstrated that to eradicatet the living biofilm cells, a density of over 5 MIC of antimicrobial agents is needed.

Background and Aim: Sleep is a physiologically important process that has profound effects on the physical and mental health of individuals. With attention to the effects of sleep on mental and physical performance in people, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a 30-hour sleep deprivation on reaction time, neuromuscular coordination and aerobic capacity in non-athlete male students.Materials and Methods: The present study was a semi-experimental one which used a pretest-posttest design. 18 healthy n on-athlete male students from the University of Gilan (age: 21 ±2 y, height: 174.6±6.5 cm, weight: 71.50±5.50 kg, and body fat: 13±5%) were selected randomly. Seven days before study and after 8 hours of sleep, the subjects performed the reaction time test by reaction time evaluation system, neuromuscular coordination by throwing dart and aerobic capacity by 800-and-1500 meter run. The subjects performed above the items again after one week and after a 30-hour sleep deprivation (6 am to 12 pm the following day). The data were analyzed through dependent t-test using SPSS software Version. 15.Results: There were significant differences between pre and post tests in left and right hand reaction times (p<0.05), throw dart scores (p<0.05) and 800 and 1500 meter run (p<0.05).Conclusion: Our study indicated that a 30-hour sleep deprivation can cause sloth and a decrease in physical performance. Therefore, athletes and non-athletes should get enough night sleep to prevent the performance decline on activities that need accuracy, coordination and specific attention.

Background and Aim: Estimation of the odds ratio (OR) with logistic regression is a widely used approach to identify the risk factors of hypertension. Based on a cut-off point for blood pressure, this method decreases the efficiency and precision of the analysis. An alternative is to calculate OR with linear regression analysis, which is a more precise approach. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of systolic and diastolic hypertension and the risk factors for hypertension by comparing the OR found with logistic and linear regression.Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional study in 2005, 3997 persons in Shiraz were selected by random multistage sampling. The relationship between blood pressure and explanatory variables of interest including sex, age and body mass index was investigated by calculating the OR with both logistic and linear regression without dichotomizing. The data produced with both methods were compared through SPSS V.13 and S-PLUS 2000.Results: The age range of all patients included in our analysis was 18-99 years; the prevalence of systolic hypertension was 10.8% and that of diastolic hypertension was 7.4%. Both OR calculation procedures detected a significant association with an increased risk of systolic and diastolic hypertension for sex, age and body mass index. Linear regression was more precise and had smaller confidence intervals than logistic regression.Conclusion: Linear regression can be used to calculate the OR to analyze risk factors for hypertension. This method may be more suitable than logistic regression because it does not involve a cut-off point to determine outcome or response variables.

Background and Aim: Lower extremity joint position sense (JPS) plays a significant role in the prevention of acute and chronic injuries and degenerative joint disease. It seems that subjects with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) have some impairments in knee JPS. The aim of this study was to evaluate the patellar taping effect on knee JPS in futsalist women suffering from PFPS.Materials and Methods: This study was conducted using a semi-experimental method and 30 female elite athletes (mean age=22 ± 2.37, year) participated in this research half of whom had PFPS. Electro goniometer instrument was used for the measurement of JPS. Absolute error of active angular reconstruction was calculated for 30 ° and 60 °. Finally, the data were analyzed with dependent paired t-test, based on the classification of participation into two groups, with and without PFPS and once based on having good (deviation from target angle ³ 5 °, number=21) and poor (deviation from target angle < 5 °, number=9) JPS.Results: The results showed that patellar taping cause JPS improvement in 30 ° for both groups with and without PFPS. However, according to the classification (participants in the two groups with poor and good JPS), the results showed that taping improved JPS in poor group (p=0.01), but taping in good group decreased JPS (0.04).Conclusion: Patellar taping can relatively develop knee JPS in futsalist women regardless of having PFPS; also in cases with poor JPS, it may be helpful and could improve knee JPS.

Background and Aim: The increase of quality of education depends on the improvement of educational groups. Internal evaluation is effective on the development of education quality. So, this study was designed to investigate the internal evaluation of department of basic sciences in medicine in one of the universities of medical sciences in Iran in 2010.Materials and Methods: This research was a descriptive cross-sectional study; the population included all faculty members of the department of basic sciences in medicine, the documents and resources. Sampling was based on purpose. A questionnaire was used to collect data which was also completed with interview, observation and document review. The obtained data were analyzed by descriptive statistical methods in the form of frequency distribution tables and indexes of central tendency and dispersion.Results: Evaluation results indicated that all factors except theses, study opportunities and seminars are satisfactory. The total score of the mission, goals, and organization was the highest (3 out of 3) and the lowest score belonged to theses, study opportunities and seminars (1.66 out of 3).Conclusion: The evaluation plays a fundamental role in quality improvement. Therefore, it is recommended that to preserve and promote the study factors which have favorable situation and plan a program to improve the factors that weren't good. Also, it is recommended that internal evaluation be repeated in certain time periods. The university administrators should provide conditions and resources to improve the situation.

Background and Aim: Verbalization of thought indicates a verbalizing process and strategies of thinking. The purpose of the present study is to identify the effect of verbalization of thinking on problem solving performance.Material and Methods: In this experimental study, fifty students of Zanjan University (18 females and 32 males with a mean age of 22.48 years old) were selected with random sampling. Then, they were assigned to two groups of aloud and mute thinking randomly. Missionaries and Cannibals Problem was used for evaluation and independent t-test was used for data analysis.Results: The findings showed that thinking aloud caused reducing the time of problem solving, and the number of legal and illegal moves (p< 0.05).Conclusion: Oral presentation of problem solving strategies can decrease errors and increase velocity of problem solving.

Background and Aim: Parenting style as one of the basic functions of parents has an important role at the laterstages of life. This research has been accomplished to determine the effect of parenting styles on self- efficacy and mental health of students.Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytical research has been done on 210 students (105 males and 105 females) among 3757 humanity students of Payam-e-Noor and Azad Universities in Neyshabour who were selected by multilayer cluster sampling method. The subjects were tested by child rearing self-efficacy and GHQ-28 questionnaires. The data were analyzed applying one-way ANOVA, two-factor (F), and Tukey test.Results: The results indicated that parenting styles had a significant influence on self-efficacy of students (p= 0.0064). There was a significant effect on increasing self-efficacy in authoritative style compared with permissive style (p=0.0001) and the authoritarian style (p=0.01). Also, parenting styles had a significant effect on mental health condition (p=0.027). Parenting styles had different significant effects on mental health of students. Authoritative style had an effect more than that of the authoritarian style (p=0.0078) and permissive style more than authoritarian style (p=0.018).Conclusion: Regarding the effect of parenting styles on self-efficacy and mental health which is of great importance in students, teaching programs about parenting styles is recommended for parents at different levels.

Background and Aim: Rehospitalization of patients with cardiovascular diseases is relatively high and is considered as a major health problem in spite of treatment advances in this field. Although this topic is studied in some cardiac diseases in other countries, it has not been considered enough in Iran. So, this study aimed to investigate the frequency of rehospitalization and its contributing factors in patient with cardiovascular diseases.Materials and Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 600 patients were chosen through a convenient sampling. The instruments were demographic and diseases data, stress event and adherence to medical regimen whose validity and reliability were verified. First, admission and readmission cardiac patients of the underlying factors were compared, as well as a direct factor leading to the readmission among patients. The data were analyzed using Fisher exact test, Chi-square and Mann-Whitney.Results: The frequency of cardiovascular diseases rehospitalization was 57% and CHF and valvular diseases had highest frequency (p=0.000). Stressful events and non-adherence to diet, drug, and exercise were the major related factors to rehospitalization. The demography and diseases contributing factors were also gender (p=0.043), age (p=0.015), education level (p=0.004), job (p=0.024), residency place (p=0.014), and comorbidity (p=0.010).Conclusion: According to the findings, some demographic data and disease characteristics are associated with rehospitalization. Also, stress events as a first and then not adherent to medical regimen have led to cardiac patient rehospitalization. Regarding the high percent of patients who have been hospitalized due to stress events, it seems that stress management strategies should be noticed in cardiac patients.

A hemothorax is a condition that results from blood accumulation in the pleural cavity. By far, the most common cause of hemothorax is trauma. However, a number of nontraumatic causes or spontaneous hemothorax may occur. Here are two cases of hemothorax during the immediate postpartum vaginal delivery period. Both cases were in term and admitted to hospital because of vaginal delivery. One case was complicated with sudden hypotension and cyanosis during transferring to delivery room. Delivery induction was preceded for both cases and vaginal delivery followed with continuity of vaginal bleeding, because of uterine inertia in one and cervical rupture in the other. Both cases were managed with massive transfusion of packed cell and FFP. Respiratory distress was progressed in both cases and CXRs were demonstrated pleural effusion. Diagnostic thorasynthesis was compatible with hemothorax in both cases. Chest tube was inserted for evacuation of blood and bloody effusion was taken out, and both patients fell in good condition after 6 hours. Despite the continuity of coagulopathy, the blood drainage was stopped and chest tube pulled out after 48 hours. The possible thesis is the rupture of engorged pleural vessels during forced vaginal delivery in well muscular young women’s. In addition, induced coagulopathy or other abnormalities of pleura result in exacerbating the blood accumulation. It is logical to have in mind the less aggressive vaginal delivery and prevent coagulopathy to prevent the condition.