ARAK MEDICAL UNIVERSITY JOURNAL (AMUJ)
Year:2010 | Volume:13 | Issue:2 (51)|Papers Count:24

Background: Due to concerns over the negative impacts of PCB compounds on environment and their persistence, their production, use, and import has been banned in some countries. More recently, the Chemical Treaty on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) has listed PCBs among priority chemicals for eventual elimination by 2025. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of solvents on the photodegradation of askarel oils using photolysis for reducing their hazards.Materials and Methods: The photochemical reactor, used in this experimental trial, was based on photolysis through UV/ H2O2 with a 500 ml beaker and low-pressure mercury lamp with a wavelength of 254 nm. The lamp was immersed in the beaker. The temperature and PH of the samples were constantly monitored. The experiments were repeated three times. Askarel oils were analyzed by GC/ECD.Results: The means of degradation of total PCBs due to the use of lamp for ethanol solvent and isooctane were 88% and 77%, respectively. The mean degradation of total PCBs in terms of the applied solvent ratio to the oil transformer for 1:1, 2:1, and 3:1 values for ethanol and isooctane were 55%, 85%, and 88%, and 40%, 77%, and 78%, respectively.Conclusion: Photolysis of PCB compounds in the presence of ethanol solvents, isoocatnes with strong oxidants such as H2O2, indicated their degradation or reduction in oil transformers with lower energy, and no yield of toxic byproducts. There was a significant difference in the employment of ethanol solvent and isooctane in degradation of askarel oil.

Background: Colorectal cancer is one of the most important and most common fatal types of cancer in the world. Identifying new agents which individually or in combination with other agents induce apoptosis in tumor cells is surely of great significance in treatment of colon cancer. The aim of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of applying lovastatin and a-tocopherol individually or in combination with each other in the induction of apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells.Materials and Methods: In this trial, HT29 cells were exposed to various concenterations of lovastatin (5, 10, and 20 mmol) and/or alpha tocopherol (10, 20, and 25, and 30 mmol). After cell count, these cells were examined through trypan blue method and DNA fragmentation technique.Results: The findings of DNA fragmentation technique showed that each of the two drugs could induce apoptosis at all of the given concentrations. In the combination of 10 mmol concentration of lovastatin and 5 and 10 mmol concentrations of a-tocopherol, induction of apoptosis was not observed.Conclusion: Based on the extensive effects of statins, the concentration of lovastatin is seen as determining in its apoptosis function, and its combination with tocopheroles in high concentrations, by inducing apoptosis, can provide novel effective strategies for prevention of human colorectal cancer.

Background: Primary dysmenorrhea is one of the most prevalent disorders in women which results in their decreased efficacy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of pressure on the third liver point on involved liver channel symptoms in patients with primary dysmenorrhea.Materials and Methods: This clinical trial was conducted on 194 students that met the inclusion criteria. In the first cycle, symptoms of involved liver channel were identified. Accordingly, participants were randomly allotted to either treatment or control groups. In the second, third and fourth cycles, acupressure was applied to the third liver point and placebo point for 20 minutes 3-7 days before menstruation. With bleeding in the fourth cycle, the symptoms of involved liver channel were determined.Results: In the first cycle, there were no significant differences in symptoms of involved liver channel between the two groups; however, in the fourth cycle, the results of Chi2 test showed significant differences between the two groups in all symptoms of involved liver channel except the tongue with red spots (p<0.05). In the treatment group, a comparison of the first and the fourth cycle revealed significant differences in all symptoms of involved liver channel except for tongue with red spots (p<0.05).Conclusion: In this study, applying pressure to the third liver point was effective in the improvement of the majority of involved liver channel symptoms; therefore, acupressure is suggested as a practical, effective, non-expensive, and available method in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea.

Background Vancomycin resistant enterococcus (VRE) is the third major cause of nosocomial infections in hospitals after staphylococcus and E. coli. The aim of this study was to evaluate resistance pattern of VRE to the antibiotics recommended by CLSI.Materials and Methods: In this clinical trial, 833 enterococci, obtained from urine, wound, blood, and stool, were selectively collected from hospitals in Tehran. After verification of the VRE isolates through the use of 30µg vancomycin disc and agar dilution, VREs were isolated, and their inhibiting concentrations were determined. The sensitivity of these enterococci to antibiotics was assessed at CLSI’s M100 standard.Results: Of the 833 isolated enterococci, 4% had a high level of resistance to vancomycin, and 38.5% had a low level of resistance to vancomycin. Of the VREs, 8.5%, 85%, 50%, 42%, 94%, 30%, 70%, 24%, 6%, and 97% were resistant to vancomycin, ampicilin, erythromycin, tetracycline, rifampin, chloramphenicol, gentamicin, synercid, linozolid and penicillin, respectively. All these VRE isolates were sensitive to nitrofurantoin.Conclusion: In this study, all VRE isolates were sensitive to nitroforantoin, and this antibiotic, as a drug of choice for urinary tract infections, can also be recommended in the treatment of resistant enterococci.  

Background: Psychological interventions may improve the quality of life in females with temporal lobe epilepsy through affecting their bio-psycho-social dimensions. This aim of this study was to aim assess the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral stress management (CBSM) group education on improvement of quality of life in epileptic patients.Materials and Methods: This was a case-control study with pre-post-and follow-up tests. The sample population included 26 patients, already diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy by neurologist and through electro-encephalography, that were randomly selected and assigned to experimental and control groups. Data were collected through the Quality Of Life Questionnaire for Epileptic patients (QOLIE- 89) that was administered in the pre-test, post-test, and follow-up test. CBSM group education was given to the experimental group in ten sessions during two months.Results: The mean of QOLIE-89 score in the experimental group showed a significantly higher increase in comparison to that in the control group (p<0.05).Conclusion: The results demonstrated the effectiveness of CBSM group education on the improvement of quality of life in females with temporal lobe epilepsy.

Background: Memory is one of the main functions that is impaired by neurological disorders. Noticing the susceptibility of memory to emotions, the effect of emotional states on memory in patients with alzheimer, brain tumor, and normal individuals was investigated in this study.Materials and Methods: Through Causal-Comparative study, 26 patients with alzheimer, 38 patients with brain tumor, and 30 normal individuals were selected and tested by a memory-related computerized task on explicit recall memory and implicit memory.Results: Patients with alzheimer showed a poor performance in memory tasks. They recognized more sad and threatening words in their explicit memory. Overall, patients with alzheimer and tumor in comparison with normal individuals indicated poorer explicit/implicit memory functions, respectively.Conclusion: Cognitive processes of patients with alzheimer are influenced when they encounter simple emotional stimulus.

Background: One way of embryo preservation is cryopreservation, but this process may damage and lead to the loss of the embryos, and bring about chromosomal abnormality. This has led researchers to seek techniques for short term preservation of embryos in 0-10 oC temperatures. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of short time exposure to 4oC temperature on the expression profiles of mono-carboxylic transporter genes 1, 2, 3, and 4(MCT1-4) in 4-cell mouse embryos.Materials and Methods: In this fundamental study, forty 4-cell mouse embryos from NMRI strain were randomly divided into two groups. The first group consisted of fresh 4-cell embryos, and the second group included 4-cell mouse embryos that were exposed to 4oC temperature for 24 hours. After RT-PCR, the samples were electro-phoresised for expressing the MTC1-4 genes.Results: The expression of MCT 1-3 was observed in the first group, but the obtained results did not indicate their expression in the second group.Conclusion: Preservation of 4-cell embryos in 4oC for 24 hours inhibits the expression of MCT 1-3 genes. Keeping embryos in 4oC temperature is not a proper way for their short time preservation.

Background: Inappropriate feeding is one of the major causes of malnutrition in children. This study was carried out to get an insight into mothers’ views and beliefs about the role of complementary feeding in children under the age of two.Materials and Methods: In this qualitative study, data were collected through 11 focus-group discussions (FGDs) with mothers, who had children under the age of two, in urban and rural areas of Damavand in 2007. Each FGD was held in the presence of a moderator, two note takers, and an observer. At the end of field work, all notes were collected and coded according to the objectives of the study. Then the subgroups for each objective were obtained, and emerging themes were extracted and reported.Results: In the study, six general themes were identified:(1) The mothers viewed complementary feeding as simple, soft, light foods which are especially made for children; (2) the best time for introducing complementary feeding was 6 months of age; (3) there were no complementary local foods in Damavand; (4) for children under the age of one, a different type of food was separately prepared; (5) home-made complementary food was preferred over the ready made type, and (6) children were fed with table food from the first year of life.Conclusion: Despite their sufficient knowledge about the advantages of complementary feeding, the majority of mothers, due to some socio-cultural limitations, had a weak performance. In this regard, in addition to making revisions in current training programs and protocols, providing effective and goal-oriented educational programs for mothers and others who take care of children is strongly recommended.

Background: Microbial infections are important challenges to health, and health care officials have major difficulties dealing with them especially regarding their antibiotic resistance. The main aim of this study was to evaluate drug synergistic and anti-bacterial effects of cuminum cyminum essential oil on some pathogen bacteria.Materials and Methods: Cuminum cyminum essential oil was extracted from its fruit. For evaluation of antibacterial effects of the essential oil, disc diffusion method through the measurement of the inhibitory zone diameter and micro-broth dilution for determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) on several standard bacteria were used. In evaluation of the synergistic and antagonistic effects, standard bacteria were cultured in the media containing essential oil, and antibiotic discs were, then, placed on it.Results: According to the results of disc diffusion test in Agar, cuminum cyminum essential oil, with a 44 mm inhibition zone, had the greatest antibacterial activity against bacillus cereus. It had the greatest positive co-action with gentamicin (10 mg) on escherichia coli.Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that cuminum cyminum essential oil alone or in combination with antimicrobial agents may be useful in treatment of bacterial infections. Additionally, this component can enhance the effect of some antibiotics; this implies its application, especially in drug resistance cases.

Background: Positive electrocardiogram (ECG) changes in patients with unstable angina or non-ST elevation myocardial infarction are well known, but problem arises when no specific changes in ECG are identified. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of these changes in hospitalized patients at Amir Kabir Hospital of Arak.Materials and Methods: This study was a cross-sectional one that was conducted on 124 patients hospitalized at the heart emergency ward of Arak Amir Kabir Hospital with unstable angina and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction. ECG changes and serum cardiac enzyme levels were analyzed on admission and 12 hours after admission.Results: According to patients’ history and serum cardiac enzymes, 62 patients had undergone myocardial infarction without ST segment elevation, 98.4% of whom had ECG changes and 1.5% showed no ECG changes. Of the 60 patients, who had been hospitalized with unstable angina, 90% showed ECG changes and the rest 10% revealed no such changes.Conclusion: In comparison to other studies reporting that 50% of patients with unstable angina and non ST elevation myocardial infarction reveal no ECG changes, a high percentage of patients referring with a chest pain to the heart emergency ward of Amir Kabir Hospital, had no significant changes in their ECG and were not hospitalized.

Background: The aim of the present study was to determine the response of lung function indices to aerobic and anaerobic exercises in polluted air.Materials and Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 20 healthy men were randomly divided into two equal groups; experiment and control. The experiment group initially had one session of aerobic exercise and after a three-week break, received one session of anaerobic exercise on ergometer bicycle in polluted air. The control group did the same kind of exercise in healthy clean air. Lung function tests were run before, right after (the first post-test), and 24 hours after the exercises (the second post-test).Results: Aerobic exercise in unhealthy polluted air resulted in the significant reduction of FEV1, FVC, and FEF25-75% indices in the first and second post-tests. Following anaerobic exercises in polluted air, a significant decrease was observed in FVC and FEF25-75% indices in both the first and second post-tests. FEV1 and FEF25-75% indices in the first and second post-tests, and FEV1 and FVC indexes in the second post-tests underwent a remarkably greater reduction following aerobic exercise.Conclusion: While aerobic physical exercise in polluted air caused a reduction in the lung function indices (FEV1, FVC and FEF25-75%) in the first and second post-tests, it seemed that anaerobic exercises in polluted air induced a significantly smaller reduction in FEV1 and FEF25-75% in the first and second post tests, and FEV1/FVC in the second post test.

Background: Nursing caries is a developing and rampant form of caries in the primary dentition, which results from pooling of fermentable liquids on primary teeth. This study was carried out to determine the effect of feeding factors on the development of nursing caries in 2-4 year old children in kindergartens of Zahedan.Materials and Methods: In this analytical-cross-sectional study that was conducted in 2006, the social-economic status background (educational background of parents), past feeding practice (breast or bottle feeding and frequency of feeding in day or at night) of 230 2-4 year old in Zahedan, who had been selected in a multi-stage random manner, were examined. The children were examined by mirror and catheter. Diagnostic criterion for nursing caries was caries of at least two maxillary incisors.Results: Prevalence of nursing caries in the studied population was 13%. Factors such as breast feeding, frequency of bottle feeding at night, referring to dentist, and gender correlated with development of nursing caries (p<0.05). Bottle feeding during day or at night and the frequency of breast feeding did not have any significant effects on the development of nursing caries.Conclusion: The prevalence of nursing caries was less in children who had breast feeding, whereas it was higher in children who had frequent bottle feeding at night. Nursing caries was also more common in boys than girls.

Background: Identifying the problems which exist in clinical education and setting to solve them will lead to the improvement of quality of medical care services. This study was conducted to fulfill this goal.Materials and Methods: In this descriptive–analytic research which was carried out in 2008, the views of the medical trainees and interns, who had at least gone through two major clinical courses at Arak University of Medical Sciences, about the obstacles of clinical education, were evaluated. For achieving this purpose, a questionnaire containing 56 questions on 6 problem areas including clinical education spaces, educational facilities, cooperation of health and treatment personnel, clinical assessment and teaching methods, and clinical curriculum design methods was administered.Results: The quality of clinical education in the view of 41% of medical trainees and 48% of interns was seen to be at an average level. Assessment methods of clinical education, on the other hand, were rated as weak by 28.7% of trainees and 32% of interns. Also, 29.3% of trainees and 31.7% of interns evaluated the use of educational spaces to be at a weak level. Additionally, the quality of clinical teaching methods, educational facilities, cooperation of health and treatment personnel, and the design of clinical curriculum were seen at an average level.Conclusion: This study highlighted the importance of determining learning experiences, applying proper teaching methods, conducting continuous generative evaluations, using simulated environments and educational spaces congruent with graduates’ future employment opportunities, and enhancing students’ level of motivation, as effective strategies for the improvement of the quality of medical education.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) of unknown etiology. Vitamin D3 (1, 25(OH)2D3) has strong immune modulating potential. Nitric Oxide (NO) has been identified as one of the most destructive products of the immune system and is an important factor in demyelination. The effect of short-term vitamin D3 supplementation on NO level was assessed in MS patients.Materials and Methods: The study included 60 MS patients (male and female). Patients were randomized independently, in a double blind design, into one of two treatment groups. Controls (n=30) received current treatment. Vitamin D treated (n=30) individuals received current treatment plus 300000 IU vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 injection was repeated monthly for 6 months. Nitric oxide (NO) production was estimated by Griess reaction.Results: NO levels decreased following vitamin D3 treatment but the differences did not reach significance (12.4±11.1 mmol/L to 9.8±8.9 mmol/L). Control group was also associated with an increase in NO levels but not statistically significant (18.4±17.07 mmol/L to 22.07±16.8 mmol/L).Conclusion: Vitamin D3 has not significant effect on the level of nitric oxide. However, further studies should be done to evaluate the potential of vitamin D as an immune modulator in management of MS.

Background: From a physiologic point of view, memory is formed through changes in synaptic conductivity from one neuron to the next. These changes result in the formation of long-term potentiation for conducting a message. Cannabis sativa has more than 61 components that are called cannabinoid. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of aquatic extraction of cannabis sativa seed on spatial memory consolidation in rats.Materials and Methods: First, 40 Wistar rats, each nearly 250-320g, were divided into four experimental groups and a control group. Cannabis sativa seed was extracted with Soxhlet apparatus. To consolidate spatial memory, Morris water maze (MWM) test was administered in seven sessions, four trials for each session. Experimental groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 received 50mg/kg-1, 100mg/kg-1, 150mg/kg-1, 210mg/kg-1 peritoneal injections (IP), respectively. After memory consolidation, the position of platform area was changed and MWM was repeated for five days.Results: The results show that experimental groups 1, 2, and 3 had a significant decrease in learning time in the comparison to the control group (p<0.05), whereas experimental group 4 with a 210mg/kg-1 dose did not reveal any significant difference in comparison to the control group (p<0.05).Conclusion: It is likely that this long-term potentiation is done through depolarization-induced suppression inhibition (DSI) and depolarization-induced suppression excitatory (DSE) mechanisms in the CA1 area of Hippocamp that lead to neuro-plasticity through neurotransmitter regulation.

Background: Research indicates that physical exercise has a great impact on pulmonary rehabilitation in asthmatic patients, and improvement of lung function can play a great role in these patients’ health. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of physical exercises on lung function and clinical manifestations, signs, and symptoms of asthmatic patients.Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study, which followed a pretest-posttest design, was conducted on a group of 24 adult asthmatic patients referring to Bou Ali Hospital of Ardebil that participated in a physical exercise program in 2007. Data were collected using an asthma clinical manifestations questionnaire and Spirometery test.Results: Doing physical exercise was effective in the improvement of lung function of asthmatic patients and decreased such asthmatic signs as wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing.Conclusion: Physical exercise has a great role in the improvement of clinical manifestations of asmathic patients.

Background: This investigation was designed to determine the effects of a selective A1-AR antagonist (DPCPX) on renal hemodynamic and excretory dysfunctions induced during the early hours of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R).Materials and Methods: In this experimental research, rats were anaesthetized by sodium pentobarbital, and their renal arteries were, then, occluded for 30 min, four hours after the reperfusion period. There was a clearance period during the last one hour of reperfusion period throughout which urine was collected under 30-mm of paraffin, and arterial blood samples were taken during its beginning and end. Animals were divided into four groups; DPCPX (2 mg/kg) or normal saline were injected 30 min before renal ischemia to the two groups of I/R+DPCPX and I/R, respectively, and to DPCPX and Sham groups which were subjected to surgery without clamping of renal arteries, respectively.Results: I/R resulted in elevations of plasma osmolality, plasma concentrations of Na, K, creatinine, and urea, fractional excretions of Na, K, and bicarbonate, absolute bicarbonate excretion, and urinary pH, but it induced reductions in arterial bicarbonate concentration, pH and Pco2, creatinine clearance, absolute excretions of Na and urea, free-water re-absorption, and urinary osmolality in the I/R group in comparison to the Sham group. Comparison between I/R+DPCPX and I/R groups showed that applying DPCPX could improve I/R-induced alterations in most of these parameters.Conclusion: Activation of A1-AR during the early hours of reperfusion following renal ischemia definitely contributes to the development of disorders in hemodynamics, tubular Na re-absorption, as well as excretions of K, urea, and acid-base.

Background: Noticing the sensitivity and restlessness of medical centers, aggression in the workplace as an agitating factor is one of the dangers of medical profession that is threatening to the health and hygiene of the society. The aim of this study was to determine the types and contributing factors of aggression toward physicians and students of medicine in hospitals of Arak in 2009.Materials and Methods: This descriptive-cross-sectional study was conducted on 400 of accessible physicians and students of medicine working in hospitals of Arak in 2009. A self-made questionnaire, containing 14 questions which surveyed the status of aggressions, was used.Results: On the whole, 205 individuals returned the forms. Most of them (71.7%) had faced a form of oral, physical, or sexual aggression and had been violated by a male companion of patients. They also viewed the use of drugs or alcohol by patients or their companions, lack of security facilities, patients’ death, and lack of educational possibilities for the prevention, as influential factors in the occurrence of aggression. The majority of participants saw increasing the security personnel, presence of psychological counselors and psychologists of the ward, increasing the rest hours, decreasing the work hours of the physicians, and having a codified program for the prevention of aggression, as anti-aggression factors.Conclusion: Oral and then physical aggression toward physicians are quite prevalent. Hence, taking immediate actions and providing useful instructions for prevention are of priority in designing effective programs.