Internal Medicine Today
Year:2012 | Volume:17 | Issue:4 (54)|Papers Count:13

Background and Aim: Municipal landfill leachate has pollutant and refractory matters. Advanced oxygen procrsses (AOPs) are one of the wastewater treatment methods which have refractory matters. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of ultrasound as AOP and ultrasound and H2O2 simultaneously on reduction of leachate organic load and VSS: FSS ratio. Materials and Methods: This was an experimental study. In the first stage, organic matters are determined in raw leachate collected randomly. Then samples are sonicated in an ultrasonic bath to determine sonication effect on leachate. Each 400 ml sample was sonicated in four sonication times: 10, 20, 30, and 40 minutes. In other sonication step, H2O2 is added in 0.05 and 0.1 mol per liter, and samples are analyzed. Each sample was analyzed before and after sonication to determine: COD, VSS and FSS.Results: The most COD reduction rate was 8.22% in 40 min sonication. When H2O2 was added (0.05 mol/lit), COD reduction was 19.60%. When H2O2 was added (0.1 mol/lit), COD reduction was 19.72%. The ratio of VSS: FSS was 2.06 in raw leachate. After 10 min sonication, VSS: FSS ratio was decreased to 1.67. When H2O2 was added (0.05 mol/lit) in raw leachate, VSS: FSS ratio is increased to 2.94. The ratio of VSS: FSS was decreased to 2.67 and 2.16 when sonication (10 and 40 min) and H2O2 (0.05 mol/lit) was used, respectively. The ratio of VSS: FSS was increased to 3.61 and 2.16 when sonication (10 and 40 min) and H2O2 (0.1 mol/lit) was used, respectively.Conclusion: The results show that ultrasound can reduce VSS in leachate as pretreatment. H2O2 as an oxidant agent can also reduce organic matters in leachate and can be affect efficiency in next step of leachate treatment.

Background and Aim: As a result of indiscrimate use of antimicrobial drugs in the treatment of infectious diseases, microorganisms especially gram negative bacteria, have developed resisrtance to many antibiotics and there is a need to develop antimicrobial drugs. One approach is use of local medicinal plants which represent a rich source of novel antimicrobial agents. Due to rapid increase of antibiotics resistance, fewer side effects of chemical drugs, antibacterial properties of oaks and other reasons, this study was carried out.Materials and methods: In this experimental study the antibacterial activity of methanolic extract of oak bark, fruit hull, fruit and leaves was evaluated and compared with some in-use antibiotics. Milled oak sample was extracted with methanol in Soxhleťs apparatus.Extracts in three concentration (25, 50, 75mg/ml) were tested using agar diffusion method on Escherichia coli.Results: Results showed that the effect of the extracts on E.coli was concentration-dependent. also antibacterial effect of fruit was better than leaf, bark, fruit hull and tested antibiotics. antibacterial effect of leaf, bark and fruit hull was similar together and often lesser than antibiotics.Conclusion: This results suggest that Quercus persica possesses compounds with antibacterial properties.Probably this antibacterial activity is due to presence of tannins in the plant extract.Because Tannin is one of the major components of Q. persica with contractive, disinfective, antimicrobial and... effects. Importance of oak trees is most due to presence of tannins in their different partes.

Background and Aim: Although the low-sodium diet is a fundamental nonpharmacologic component of heart failure (HF) care, most persons with HF have considerable difficulty in following such a diet. Despite the high prevalence of nonadherence to the low-sodium diet, little is known about HF atients’nonadherence. This information is vital to the design and implementation of effective interventions to enhance adherence to a low-sodium diet. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to explore the relations between self concept according to Roy’s self-concept mode theory and adherence to sodium restricted diet in heart failure patients.Materials and Methods: In a descriptive correlational design, a convenience sample of 108 heart failure patients from two major medical and academic centers, affiliated with Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran, were selected. Validity and reliability of questionnaires including cognitive perception of self concept according to Roy adaptation model and the adherence questionnaire were calculated after pilot study. Gathering data was done with questionnaires.Results: Direct relationship between challenge to self-concept and adherence to diet regimens (p=0.001) (r=-0.36) was noted; threat to self concept had an inverse relationship (r=0.35) (p=0.001). In other words, more challenge and less threat to self concept and its components were associated with more adherence to diet regimen.Conclusion: Through educational and counseling programs, nurses can help their clients to perceive heart failure regimes in ways that are less threatening. Additionally, they could work to empower patients to face heart failure as a challenge, which may enhance their adherence to diet regimens.

Helicobacter Pylori is well known as one of the important factors of inflammatory disease and gastro intestinal malignancies such as chronic active gastritis (type B), gastric ulcers and duodenal ulcers, gastric adenocarcinoma and mucosal associated lymphoid tissue (MALT). The epidemiology of the infection is different among developing and developed countries. This research is designed in Zahedan according to the importance of infection and different epidemiological dimensions in different areas of our country.Methods and Materials: This is a cross sectional study among 97 Zahedan health centers employees without gastrointestinal symptoms. The cases are selected by cluster random sampling design. The diagnosis was performed by ELISA test. The data was collected by the checklist including demographical characteristics.Finally, the SPSS software was used for the statistical analysis including descriptive and inference methods.Results: Total prevalence of the infections was 34 percent, 36.4 percent for male and 63.6 percent for female. There was no significant correlation between sex, age, number of family members and kind of drinking water with antibody titers. But, there was significant correlation between educational degrees and antibody titers.Conclusion: According to the results, for controlling epidemiology of antibody titers it is important that we assume the affect of the demographic factors on antibody titers. Further, according to the results and existence of the Helicobacter Pylori infection in asymptomatic persons, we advise to good control of drinking water sources and infection and increase the knowledge about hygiene.

Background: Plants are almost rich sources for phenolic compounds such as flavonoids, tannins and anthocyanins, which are the most important natural antioxidants. These diet antioxidants are important as they protect human body against oxidative stress and therefore maintain appropriate health. The purpose of this study is to evaluate quantitative and qualitative assessment and antioxidant activity of phenolic compounds in Pulicaria gnaphalodes as diet synthetic antioxidant substitutes.Methods: In this study, firstly the plant phytochemical investigation was conducted. Then total phenolic contents and total flavonoid contents were determined using spectrophotometery. The antioxidant activity (AOA) of extracts were evaluated with 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) method and the results were compared with synthetic antioxidant BHT.Results: The results showed that total phenolic contents, in water, ethanol and methanol were extracted 27.2, 26, 25.91 mg of GAE/g of dry sample respectively and also total flavonoid contents in water, ethanol and methanol were extracted 25.12, 21.32, 24.97mg QE/g of dry sample in due order. IC50 of Pulicaria gnaphalodes ether extract was 9/9±0/20 mg/ml. The phytochemical results indicated the presence of flavonoids, tannins and anthocyanins in total extract.Conclusion: Regarded to the above results, it could be concluded that the extracts of Pulicaria gnaphalodes have contain high amounts of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity. Therefore, this plant can be a potential source of antioxidant compounds for food and pharmaceutical industry.

Background and Objective: Menopause is a sign of the end of the reproductive capacity of women that It is caused by the permanent cessation of ovarian function and it Is a gradual process that Occurs for many women between the ages of 47 and 55 years, It has numerous side effects. This study was conducted to determine the age of natural menopause and compare The incidence of its complications in menopause transition stages in women from Gonabad city.Materials and Methods: This study is a cross-sectional study that was conducted in 1389 on the 398 women aged 40-55 from Gonabad city, Sampling was a stratified random. Inclusion criteria included: willingness to participate in the study-aged between 40-55 years- residing in Gonabad city, lack of physical illness, mental therapy, surgical removal of ovaries and uterus and no history of artificial menopause. The research instrument was a standard questionnaire (Greene Climacteric Scale). Data were analyzed by using spss software version 14 and Descriptive statistics, chi-square, t-student, ANOVA and Pearson Test. The level of statistical significance was p<0.05.Results: In the present study, the mean and median age of menopause was achieved 46.34±3.69, 47. 65.2% menopause women had at least one of the early complications of menopause.Nervousness was the most common complications of menopause (56%) and dizziness was lowest complication (20.4%). In pre-menopausal group, nervousness and headache, in Pre-menopausal group joint pain and hot flashes, and in post menopausal group hot flashes and joint pain, respectively, as the most common side effects were reported.Conclusion: Age of menopause in this study is lower than other studies and early complications of menopause were high. in order to correct the modifiable factors can increase the Age of natural menopause and reduce complications caused from it With proper planning.

Background and aim: Road traffic injury is one of the most significant global public health issues of the 21st century. The human factor appears as the most prevalent contributing factor of road traffic crashes. The purpose of this study was determining predictors unsafe driving in Yazd city, based on Protection Motivation Theory (PMT).Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, total number of 379, 19 years old and above people, entered in the study with a clustered random sampling from population under cover of urban health care centers of Yazd. Data was collected with a self-report questionnaire and analyzed using T, correlation coefficient and regression tests.Results: The mean score of unsafe driving was 14.49 out of 85. The most reported unsafe driving behavior was becoming impatient with a slow driver in the outer land and over take on the inside (43.48%). The occurrence of unsafe driving behaviors was higher among younger, male and single drivers. There was a significant correlation between unsafe driving with perceived self efficacy, response efficacy, severity, rewards, costs and unsafe driving intention. Protection Motivation Theory constructs explained 36.5% of the variances in unsafe driving behaviors.Perceived rewards was the most important predictor (b=0.317).Conclusion: The result of the present study supported the effectiveness of Protection Motivation Theory in prediction of unsafe driving behavior in 19 years old and above people in Yazd city; So it seems that PMT can be used as a conceptual framework for designing educational programs aimed to improve the driving style and decreasing road traffic accidents.

Background and Aim: There is a dearth of scientific data in sexual guilt and the factors that have influence on it in the academic literature. The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between attachment styles and age with sexual guilt in women.Materials and Method: This was a correlational study. Pearson Correlation Coefficient and Regression Analysis Methods were used to analyze the data. Subjects were 192 married female students with the age range of 18-40 from three universities in Tehran, who filled out Adult Attachment Styles Index and Mosher Revised Sex-Guilt Inventory. Method of sampling was multistage clustering.Results: The findings showed that there are significant relationships (, p<0.01) between sexual guilt and secure attachment style (r=-0.265), Insecure-ambivalent attachment style (r=0.241) and insecure-avoidant style (r=0.257), age (r=0.438) and marital duration (r=0.345).Age, insecure-ambivalent and insecure-avoidant attachment styles were able to predict 25.1 percent of the variance of sexual guilt (p<0.001).Conclusion: Women who have secure attachment style, report lower levels of sexual guilt and women who have insecure attachment styles report higher sexual guilt. Also age and marital duration are positively correlated with sexual guilt in women.

Background and Aim: Endothelial function deteriorates with aging. On the other hand, exercise training improves the function of vascular endothelial cells. Endothelin-1 (ET-1), which is produced by vascular endothelial cells, is a potent constrictor and therefore, has been implicated in regulation of vascular tonus and progression of atherosclerosis. hypothesized that plasma ET-1 concentration increases with age, even in healthy adults, and that lifestyle modification (i.e., exercise) can reduce plasma ET-1 concentration in previously sedentary old adults.Materials and Methods: measured plasma ET-1 concentration in healthy young (21-28 yr old), healthy middle-aged (31-47 yr old), and healthy old (61–69 yr old) women. The plasma level of ET-1 increased significantly with aging (1.02±0.08, 1.33±0.11, and 2.90±0.20 pg/ml in young, middle-aged, and old women, respectively). Thus plasma ET-1 concentration was markedly higher in healthy old women than in healthy young or middle-aged women (by 3-and 2-fold, respectively). In healthy old women, we also measured plasma ET-1 concentration after 3 month of aerobic exercise (cycling on a leg ergometer at 80% of HRR for 30 min, 5 days/wk).Results: Regular exercise significantly decreased plasma ET-1 concentration in the healthy old women (2.22±0.16 pg/ml, P<0.01) and also significantly reduced their blood pressure.Conclusion: The present study suggests that regular aerobic-endurance exercise reduces plasma ET-1 concentration in old humans, and this reduction in plasma ET-1 concentration may have beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system.

Edwards syndrome or trisomy 18 is one of the rare types of chromosomal abnormalities. Since this syndrome is easily diagnosed during pregnancy and cases of legal abortion is considered Therefore, early diagnosis is important during pregnancy. this article is a report of a case of this syndrome in a female neonate born in Gonabad. Due to her multiple congenital abnormalities including: overlapping fingers, rocker bottom feet, low set ears, recurrent apnea, sever intrauterine growth restriction, prominent occiput, cardiac murmur and microcephaly, we suspected to this syndrome in Echocardiography was reported ventricular septal defect, patent dactus arteriosus, whole cardiac chambers dilatation and aortic arch anomally And after application of karyotype this syndrome confirmed.