Journal of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences
Year:2018 | Volume:17 | Issue:3 |Papers Count:11

Background and Objectives: Since active life style causes metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors to be decreased and considering the increased incidence of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in the middle age, the present study aimed to investigate the blood lipid profile and insulin resistance index among middle aged overweight athletic women in rhythmic aerobics and yoga.Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, 42 over-weight middle-aged women in three groups of 14, including yoga and rhythmic aerobics athletes and sedentary women were selected through purposive sampling, from fitness clubs of Tehran city in 2015. Anthropometry characteristics, blood lipid profile, and insulin resistance index were measured. The study variables were compared using one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s post hoc test.Results: Plasmatic levels of triglyceride (p=0.038), total cholesterol (p=0.006), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p=0.025), fasting glucose (p=0.031), and insulin resistance index (p=0.001) were significantly lower and levels of high- density lipoprotein cholesterol were sinificantly higher in the rhythmic aerobics and yoga groups compared with the sedentary women (p=0.019). Nevertheless, in the aerobics group, triglyceride and total cholesterol levels were significantly lower than the yoga group (p<0.05).Conclusions: Both rhythmic aerobics and yoga programs proved to be effective in reducing risk factors of the cardiovascular and metabolic disease. It seems that yoga program has a more effective role in reduction of some cardio-metabolic risk factors such as triglyceride and total cholesterol levels than the rhythmic aerobics.

Background and Objectives: XPO5 is one of the important molecules that has been identified in the trophoblast cells of the placenta, which is involved in the miRNAs biogenesis and processing. RAN is the other protein, which is involved in the miRNAs processing. The presence ofRAN (rs 14035) and XPO5 (rs 2257082) genes may affect the genes expression adjustment in themother’s uterine and lead to the recurrent abortion. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the association of rs 14035 and rs 2257082 genes polymorphism with the recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) in women referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital of Ardabil during 2015-2017 Years.Materials and Methods: This descriptive study included 100 women with RPL with unknown reason and 100 women that had a successful pregnancy without abortion, and with an alive child, which referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital of Ardabil during 2015-2017 years. After DNA extraction, by PCR-RFLP method, the frequencies of these polymorphisms were evaluated and data were analyzed using chi-square test.Results: There was a significant association between the CC/CT+TT and CT/CC+TT genotypes in XPO5 gene polymorphism and the risk of abortion (p=0.041). Whereas, the genotypes frequency ofRAN gene polymorphism did not reveal any statistical significant difference across the two groups (p=0.516).Conclusion: The findings revealed that XPO5 gene polymorphism may be contributed as a predisposing risk factor to RPL in the pregnant women. Whereas, it seems that theRAN gene polymorphism cannot be considered as a risk factor for predisposing of RPL.

Background and Objectives: Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS) brings about an increase in excitation, evoking emotional states of anxiety, and experiencing negative emotions; and it seems individuals who have activeBehavioral Inhibition System, feel more anxiety in confrontation with stressful events. On the other hand, being exposed to stressful life can weaken various functions of immune system. Thus, the present study was conducted aiming to investigate the role of brain/behavioral systems (BIS/BAS), stressful life events, and disease duration in predicting disease symptoms severity in individuals suffering from Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in Shiraz city, 2014.Materials and Methods: The present research design was of descriptive type; and statistical population consisted of all the patients suffering from MS in Shiraz city in the first half of 1394, among whom 162 patients were included in this research through purposive sampling method. Jackson-5 scales, Stressful Life Events Scale, and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) questionnaires were utilised as the research tools. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean ± standard deviation), Pearson’s correlation coefficient test, and hierarchical regression.Results: According to the obtained results, BIS (p<0.001), stressful life events (p<0.001), and disease duration (p<0.001) were significantly effective on the disability severity score of MS disease.Conclusion: The findings are indicative of high scores of BIS in interaction with stressful life events during the disease period; some psychological devises reduce the anxiety caused by stressful life events, and can be regarded as influential steps toward the patients' mental health.

Background and Objectives: Despite the analgesic effects of morphine, its chronic use leads to tolerance and dependence, and duloxetine can change the rate of dependence and tolerance. This study aimed to investigate the effect of duloxetine on morphine-induced dependence and tolerance to its analgesic effects in mice.Materials and Methods: In the present experimental study, male mice were randomly put in 37 groups of 8.Jumping and diarrhea of the animals, at the time of withdrawal syndrome (naloxone prescription), was evaluated in two development (duloxetine±morphine) and expression (duloxetine prescription before withdrawal syndrome) factors at the 10, 20, and 30 mg/kg/bw doses of duloxetine. Moreover, open field and tail-flick test were utilized to examine the duloxetine effect on locomotor activity and tolerance to the analgesic effects of morphine, respectively. The data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Dunnett’s post hoc test.Results: Duloxetine at the dose of 30 mg/kg/bw decreased jumping and locomotor activity of the animal (p<0.05), and the dose of 20 mg/kg/bw reduced both jumping and diarrhea (p<0.05) in the expression of dependence test. At the same dose, it also reduced the animal’s locomotor activity (p<0.01) in the open field.Duloxetine at the dose of 10 mg/kg/bw was just effective in diarrhea in the development of dependence test (p<0.001). Moreover, duloxetine did not exhibit any effect on development of tolerance to analgesic effects of morphine.Conclusion: Duloxetine reduced withdrawal signs in the expression of dependence test, but it did not have any effect on tolerance to analgesic effects of morphine.

Background and Objectives: Hemodialysis as the most common treatment method for kidney replacement in patients with kidney disease, causes various physical and psychological problems and on the other hand, some studies indicated that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has been effective in improving quality of life and adjustment in patients. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of ACT on quality of life in patients undergoing hemodialysis.Materials and Methods: The current study was a randomized educational trial which conducted on 22 patients undergoing hemodialysis on Kosar Hospital of Semnan in 2016. First, the samples were selected by convenient sampling and randomly divided into two experimental and control groups. Then, the experimental group received ACT for eight weeks continuously. Data was collected by two questionnaires of demographic features and Kidney Disease Quality of Life (KDQOL), and was analyzed by using two-way repeated measures ANOVA statistical method.Results: The mean and standard deviation of the age of the control group was 52.27 ± 13.22 and the experimental group 47.90 ± 14.57 years (p=0.620). There were significant differences in the subscales of physical and emotional problems, General health, Mental health, Energy, Effects of kidney disease, Burden of kidney disease, Work status, and Quality of social interaction between the two experimental and control groups (p<0.05).Conclusion: According to the obtained results, it’s recommended to use ACT as an effective and complementary psychological intervention in hemodialysis patients to improve their quality of life.

Background and Objectives: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are essential for sperm physiological functions including capacitation, acrosome reaction, fertilization, and etc. Sperm cell in comparison with other cells is highly prone to oxidative attack due to high level of membrane unsaturated fatty acids and low volume of cytoplasmic space. Therefore, the aim of this review article was to understand the causes of oxidative stress production, the mechanisms involved in oxidative stress, its effects and therapeutic strategies for infertile men.Materials and Methods: For this review, all relevant information were collected via databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar, and totally, information were extracted from 60 articles.Results: Several studies showed that level of pathological ROS was significantly higher in infertile men in comparison to fertile men, and under these conditions, high level of sperm apoptotic, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, caspase activation, sperm phosphatidylserine exposure, oxidative DNA damage, and low quality of sperm parameters were observed. Oxidative damages can affect sperm DNA integrity and are associated to miscarriage and developmental abnormalities in the offspring.Conclusion: Oxidative stress is caused by several variable factors, and the use of an effective antioxidant can decrease the oxidative stress level and improve fertility potential in couples with male infertility factor.

Background and Objectives: Test anxiety is one of the most common psychological problems among students, which can disturb the academic performance of a person and the success of the exam. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the test anxiety in students of the Health School of Semnan University of Medical Sciences in 2017.Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 143 students from the Health School of Semnan University of Medical Sciences were studied by census method in 2017. The data collection tool was a questionnaire with 25 questions called Abolghasemi test anxiety. One-way ANOVA and idependent t-test were used for data analysis.Results: The mean and standard deviation of the students' age was 20.71±3.53.16 (11.2%) students did not have test anxiety, 68 (47.5%) had low anxiety, 38 (26.6%) had moderate anxiety, and 21 (14.7%) had high anxiety. A significant relationship was found between gender (p=0.003), semester (p=0.038), father's education (p=0.042), mother's education (p=0.033), taking sedative drugs (p=0.004), and quiz environment (p=0.039) and the level of exam anxiety.Conclusion: Given the high prevalence of anxiety among students and due to the negative impact of anxiety on academic performance of students, psychology classes before exams are recommended by supervisors and advisers. Considering the high level of anxiety in female students, they have got to get more attention.

The valuable Power Point software if apply correctly would be able to revolutionized learning process. The aim of the present article is therefore to provide some basic guidelines for using this software in teaching biomedical sciences.