Zahedan Journal of Research in Medical Sciences
Volume:20 Issue: 7, Jul 2018

Depression is one of the most prevalent mental disorders across the world and its prevalence has increased during the past decades. Literature shows that some lifestyle factors contribute to this rise and depression treatment. To identify these factors, Scopus, PsycINFO, and PubMed databases were searched for English-language articles published from 2007 to December 2017 using the combinations of the following keywords: "lifestyle", "depression" and "depressive symptoms". Of the 334 articles screened, 10 fully met our inclusion criteria. Research findings indicated that there are several lifestyle factors contributing to the development, maintenance, and improvement of depression. These were classified into five general categories, including (1) physical activity (exercise), (2) sleep (adequate and high-quality), (3) social relationships, (4) dietary modification, and (5) recreational activities. We investigated these lifestyle factors from Shia Muslim perspective about Islamic lifestyle using Islamic teachings (verses of Quran and Hadiths). Generally, it appears that adherence to Islamic lifestyle can be effective in depression management.

Vibrio (v.) vulnificus strains are a human pathogenic bacteria that reside innately in coastal seawaters and shellfish. The bacteria can cause severe skin infections and quickly develop a lethal septicemia in immunocompromised individuals, who have eaten raw shellfish. The goal of this investigation was to define the prevalence of V. vulnificus in seawater samples collected from coastal seawaters. Three hundred seawater specimens were prepared during spring and summer. Isolated bacteria were confirmed by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique and by sequencing of PCR products. The PCR technique of 276 presumptive V. vulnificus isolates showed two (0.72%) positive amplifications of the gyrB gene. Vibrio vulnificus was isolated from specimens collected during the summer months. In the present investigation, the presence of V. vulnificus was confirmed in the coastal waters of Babolsar. Owing to the existence of the bacteria in the coastal water of Babolsar, it appears that swimming with an open wound during summer can result in skin infection and sepsis.

The prevalence of obesity has led to an increase in research on obesity and cardiovascular disease and its metabolic risks. This research aimed at exploring the combined effect of resistance training and green tea supplements on the lipid profile and anthropometric indices of overweight and obese males in a definite period of time. In this clinical trial study, 60 males aged 34 ± 8 with a body mass index (BMI) of 29.88 ± 2.08 Kg.m-2 were randomly assigned to four groups of 15, namely the control group, green tea group, resistance training group, and group combining resistance training with green tea. Resistance training was done three times a week for eight weeks. The green tea supplement was a capsule containing 500 mg of powdered green tea leaves. The subjects were asked to take three capsules a day. The lipid profile comprised of cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Anthropometric indices consisted of the BMI, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and body fat percentage before and after the intervention. In order to analyze the results, descriptive and analytical statistical methods were employed. The combination of resistance training with green tea resulted in a significant reduction in the average body fat percentage, BMI, WHR, and triglyceride and also a significant increase in HDL (P < 0.05) yet had no effect on the average LDL and cholesterol. Combining resistance training with the consumption of green tea supplements for eight weeks can reduce the average of anthropometric indices and some lipid profile blood in overweight and obese males. Therefore, it is recommended for overweight and obese males to take benefit of the positive combined effects of resistance training and green tea to reduce their BMI, WHR, body fat percentage, and blood fats.

Malnutrition in hospitalized patients is a major health problem, which has devastating effects on the healthcare system. The main objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of malnutrition in adult patients on admission to the hospital. In a cross-sectional study, 450 adult patients (mean aged 44.6 ± 15.3 years), on admission to the hospital, were selected from a general teaching hospital in Zahedan, Iran. The assessment of malnutrition was performed based on the anthropometric parameters and using of malnutrition universal screening tool (MUST). In addition, serum albumin level was also measured. The prevalence of malnutrition, according to the MUST criteria, was 40%. The prevalence in age group > 50 years old was markedly higher compared to those < 30 years (56.2% vs. 37.7%, OR = 1.6; 95% CI: 0.71 - 2.5; P < 0.01). The patients with mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) < 5th (53.6% vs. 31.9%, OR = 2.6; 95% CI: 1.93 - 3.47; P = 0.009) and also those with serum albumin < 3 g/dL (71.9 % vs 50%, OR = 1.6; 95% CI: 0.93 - 2.2; P = 0.047) had significantly higher odds of malnutrition as compared to normal patients. The highest prevalence of malnutrition was observed in the nephrology ward (48%). The findings showed that the prevalence of malnutrition in patients admitted is relatively high. Since, nutritional status may be deteriorated during hospital stay, it is suggested that nutritional screening by a simple procedure are applied at admission to hospital.

Enterobacteriacea are able to cause urinary tract infections, and Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Klebsiella pneumonia are the most frequently isolated pathogens from urinary samples. Untreated urinary tract infections can cause upper and lower urinary tract infections. These are among the most common infectious diseases in children. Septicemia and antibiotic resistance of urinary bacteria are the most important concerns in the developed and developing countries. One of the solutions for antibiotic resistance is herbal therapy, which as a branch of traditional medicine, has served an important role in disease treatment during the past century. The advantages of herbal therapy include minimum complications, cost-effectiveness, and high popularity. Herbalism has had a significant role in disease treatment. In this study, the antimicrobial effect of Pistacia atlantica was investigated in 2014. This cross-sectional study was performed on 150 patients with positive urinary cultures in Imam Ali Hospital of Zahedan, Iran. All the cases of positive culture during three months were investigated. Extraction of ethanolic extract of Pistacia atlantica was performed by a rotary device. Firstly, the antibacterial effect of Pistacia atlantica was assessed with the disk diffusion method at four concentrations, and then for bacteria that were sensitive to this extract, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined. Antibacterial effect of Pistacia atlantica ethanolic extract on urinary tract infection was compared with some conventional antibiotics, and the data were analyzed using Chi-square test in SPSS. E. coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from urinary samples. Ethanolic extract of Pistacia atlantica created maximum non-growth halo at the concentration of 100 mg/mL, but at the 12.5 and 25 mg/mL concentrations the extract created minimum non-growth halo, indicating the bacteria were resistant in these concentrations. Overall, 27 of 150 bacteria showed sensitivity to Pistacia atlantica at the 50 and 100 mg/mL concentrations. The most sensitive bacteria to this extract were E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. The results presented the antibacterial effect of ethanolic extract of Pistacia atlantica is higher at higher concentrations.