Journal of Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences
Year:2007 | Volume:13 | Issue:4 (42)|Papers Count:8

Background and purpose: The role of learner’s strategies and skills in learning a foreign language has been investigated in the three last decades. However, the part it plays in ESP achievement tests is not seriously treated. Therefore, it seemed a good reason to conduct a study on the role of study strategies in successfully taking the final exam. Methods and Materials: In this quasi-experimental interventionist study, the SILL questionnaire was given to 253 students taking an ESP course (1384-85 / 2005-2006) to identify their use of language learning strategies. A few moments prior to taking their finals, they took Spielberger's anxiety test to estimate their test anxiety. Results: According to the findings, mean anxiety scores in boys and girls before the final exam were 146.72 and 120.46 respectively, which did not show any significant difference. However, a negative linear relationship was found to exist between SILL score (meta-cognitive strategies in particular) and test anxiety. Conclusion: Among many other outcomes, test anxiety is attributable to inappropriate study habits in adult ESP learners, which requires consideration by both instructors and textbook compilers. 

Background and Purpose: A wide spectrum of endocrine abnormalities including thyroid dysfunction has been observed in HIV-infected patients with different results. This study was conducted to determine the frequency of thyroid dysfunction and to identify factors affecting the development of hypothyroidism in HIV-infected patients.Methods and Materials: Free T4, FT3, TSH, and thyroglobulin levels of 88 HIV-infected patients receiving care at UT counseling center for Behavioral Disorders in Tehran, an out patient referral center, were measured and data on their age, sex, body weight, BMI, history of opium and injection addictions, duration of HIV infection, disease stage, history of opportunistic infection or malignancy, CD4 cell count, antiretroviral treatment with antiretroviral drugs (HAART), receipt of other drugs (TMP-SMX, antituberculosis drugs, and steroids), and hepatitis C virus Co-infection were collected. Inclusion of the subjects was simply random. Results:17% of subjects had hypothyroidism; 1.1% had overt hypothyroidism; 2.3% subclinical hypothyroidism and 13.6% had low FT4 levels. The multivariate analysis showed that none of the studied factors were associated with the development of hypothyroidism.Conclusion: As none of the above-mentioned factors are not associated with the development of hypothyroidism, hypothyroidism should be considered in HIV-infected patients.

Background and Purpose: Pain is a complicated phenomenon that has been ignored in newborn in the past. Researchers have demonstrated that newborns feel pain completely, so they should be considered more sensitive to pain. Recent researches demonstrated that non-pharmacological interventions such as Kangaroo Care could be useful in decreasing pain in newborn. The present research was conducted to determine the effects of kangaroo care on the pain intensity of vaccination in healthy newborns.Methods and Materials: This study was a randomized case-control clinical trial. The study subjects were 60 healthy full-term newborns delivered at 22 Aban hospital, Lahijan. 60 term newborns were randomly assigned into two groups of trial and control. The trial group received 30 minutes skin to skin contact, where as the control group were wrapped in their blanket, beside their mother bed. In two groups behavioral changes of newborns were evaluated and observed 2 minutes before, during and 3 minutes after the intervention. All procedures were filmed. A Researcher assistant who was blind to the research aim, scored behavior changes by NIPS. Heart rate and oxygen saturation levels as displayed on the pulse monitor and duration of crying were recorded by stop watch. Data was analyzed using chi-square, Fisher's Exact Test, paired t-test and independent t-test.Results: Mean pain intensity during intervention period was significantly lower in the trial than the control group (p<0.006). Mean pain intensity in 3 minutes after intervention was significantly lower in the trial than the control group, (p<0.021). Also, mean duration of crying was significantly lower in the trial than the control group (p<0.001).Conclusion: Kangaroo care method is a useful and cost-effective procedure. Therefore, it is recommended as a caregiving which reduces pain while doing painful procedures on newborns, who are helpless creatures.

Background and Purpose: Ankle injuries are among the most common muscular-skeletal injuries in atliletes so that they account for 10 to 15 percent of all injuries. The chances of ankle strain for an athlete during a sports career are 45% and 10 to 30 percent turn into chronic forms. The present study was conducted to study the ankle instability in the national team athletes (football, wrestling and basketball).Methods and Materials: In these descriptive- analytical and cross- sectional study, the population was 229 national team athletes who were invited to the national camp. Their mean age and height were 23 years and 185 cm respectively. For statistical analysis of the data, chi-square was used. Injury diagnosis was done through clinical examination and confirmed by Mortise view test.Results: Ankle instability in free and French wrestling athletes were 8.6% and 5.9% respectively. It was 14.7% in football players and 7.3% in basketball players. Also, a significant relationship was found between ankle instability, trauma and strain (p<0.01).Conclusion: The findings revealed that the injury cases were results of external pressure. Therefore, trauma and strain are the major causes leading to ankle instability and are related with sports history. The results were in line with findings in other studies as well.

Background and Purpose: The quality and quantity of learning are influenced by such factors as IQ, mental and physical health, motivation, environmental facilities, educational aids and technology and cognitive capabilities; however, psychologists have observed that, at least for university students, what affects educational performance for the most part are general study skills, learning and recall. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify the students, study habits and to diagnose possible deficits in their skills.Methods and Materials: The present study is a cross- sectional descriptive research. 297 students were selected through converient non- probability sampling, out of the whole study population of students studying in Sabzevar school of Medical Sciences in Sabzevar, Iran in 2004 (1383). PSSHI inventory of study skills was used for data collection. The inventory contains 45 questions in eight areas divided in to time allotment, physical conditions of studying reading ability, note taking, learning motivation, memory, examinations and health. The likert- type responses were "always or often, "sometimes", "Rarely or never". Test- retest and split- half methods rendered the reliability of the questionnaire as 0.88 and 0.65 respectively. Descriptive statistics in spss were used for data analysis.Results: Mean study habit in male and female students were 50.87 and 51.48, respectively, out of 90, with no significant difference. Results for eight respective areas were as follows: time allotment 5.36 (out of 10), physical conditions 6.9 (out of 12), reading ability 8.29, (out of 16), note taking 3.2 (out of 6), learning motivation 8.55 (out of 12), memory 4.6 (out of 8), examinations 10.26 (out of18), and general health 2.94 (out of 6). Significant differences were observed across gender in reading ability, learning motivation and examinations.Conclusion: University students do not have high quality study skills and this problem should be attended by the university officials in charge of students, education. It is necessary to plan for the improvement of their study habits.

Background and Purpose: This study was intended to record the number of endocrine cancer in four provinces of Iran. Methods and Materials: Patients in each province were classified according to their age, gender, sex, and tumor characteristics (site, morphology and behavior). The obtained data were coded according to ICD-O. High- risk age was calculated for each province and the results presented as incidence rates by sex, age, age- specific rates and ASR per 100,000 person – years using standard statistical methods to the world population.Results: Out of 319 cases of primary endocrine cancers found and recorded, 313 cases were thyroid carcinoma and 6 cases were adrensal cancers. In thyroid carcinoma group, the share of Papillary, follicular, medullary and anaplastic carcinomas accounted for 82.7%, 8.6%, 7.0% and 1.6% respectively. Also, the ASR of thyroid carcinoma for total, male and female cases were 1.289, 0.627 and 1.59 respectively. The highest incidence rate of the thyroid carcinoma was found in Kerman with the ASR of 1.643 for both genders and the lowest rate in Golestan with the ASR of 0.735. Mean age of patients was 43.9 years (SD=15.90) and their age ranged from 3 to 8 years. This figure for males was 45.21 (± 17.13) and for females 43.49 (±15.51) (P= 0.41). Also, the female - male ratio was 3.1 to 1. In adrenal cases (n=6), 4 cases (66.7%) had neuroblastoma and 2 cases were pheochromocytoma (33.3%). The mean diagnosis age was 16.17 (± 7.05) years for the whole population of cases; 13.00 (±3.46) years for males and 19.33 (±9.07) for females (P=0.32) Conclusion: Iran was considered as an endemic iodine-deficient region until fairly recently. However, iodinization of salt started 12 years ago and since then, this increase has caused an increase in the incidence of papillary cancer, compared to other thyroid carcinomas; its frequency and distribution closely correspond to the observed profile in areas with high iodine consumption.

Background and Purpose: Renal stones are usually treated through ESWL or through skin nephostomy. This study was conducted to compare between efficacy and safety of retrograde ureteroscopic lithotripsy with pneumatic lithotriptor plus extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy versus extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy alone for treatment of 2 to 3 cm renal pelvis stones.Methods and Materials: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on the population of patients with 2-3 cm renal pelvis stones admitted to the Imam Reza Hospital clinic for radiological patients from Shahrivar 1382 to Shahrivar 1384 (2004-2005). Sampling procedure included patients with such a diagnosis who had indications for the suggested treatment procedure. The final sample amounted to 55 patients. We divided our patients into two groups. In group 1, (22 patients) first we attempted to break the nidus of the stone with retrograde ureteroscopic pneumatic lithotripsy, and then we inserted a double J stent and after 2 to 4 weeks, send them for extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. Group II patients (33 patients), after cystoscopic insertion of double J stent, underwent extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy alone. Stone free rate and complication rate after three months were recorded. Results: The patients' mean age in two groups were 28.7 and 29.4 years respectively. There was no statistical differences between the age and sex of the two groups. In group 1, in two patients we could not reach to stone ureteroscopically. Stone free rate in group 1, was 77% (17/22). In group II, after two sessions of extracorporeal lithotripsy, stone free rate was just 45% (15/33). There was no significant complication in two groups.Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that ureteroscopy and breaking the stone nidus with pneumatic lithotripter before extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy is an acceptable treatment modality for relatively large renal pelvis stone.

Background and purpose: C-reactive protein is a sensitive, nonspecific marker of inflammation and its relationship with coronary vascular disease is already established. The present research was conducted to study the effect of resistance training on the rate of C-reactive protein in obese men.Methods and Materials: The present study was quasi-experimental and 24 male subjects (16 obese, 8 lean) with age range of 35 to 48 years voluntarily participated in the study. Obese men were randomly assigned into two groups: resistance training and control group. The third group included the lean men subjects. Fasting blood samples were taken from all subjects. The experimental subjects received resistance training for 13 weeks, 3 sessions per week. The resistance training was done in circuit fashion in 11 stations with a 50 to 60% intensity of one maximum repetition (IRM).Results: Resistance training significantly decreased the serum CRP levels of the obese men (from 1.65±0.6 to 0.53±0.73). In addition, serum CRP concentrations in obese men at baseline state were significantly higher than those in lean men (1.56±0.58 versus 0.26±0.21). In all subjects there was a significant and positive correlation between serum CRP levels and obesity markers (r=0.75) and different components of the metabolic syndrome.  Conclusion: Resistance training due to antinflammatory effects is likely to reduce the risk of future cardiovascular events in obese men.