مجله دانشگاه علوم پزشکی ایلام
سال بیست و هفتم شماره 4 (پیاپی 117، مهر 1398)

The identification of individuals' physical activity levels and different dietary patterns can play a leading role in reducing the incidence of hypertension. The present study aimed to investigate the correlation between physical activity level and dietary patterns with hypertension in elderly women with metabolic syndrome.

This descriptive study included 350 elderly women (mean age: 63.41±1.08 years, mean body weight: 85.33 ± 3.47 kg, mean height: 157.08±3.38 cm, and mean mass body index: 34.61±1.61 kg/m2) who participated in this study voluntarily. The metabolic syndrome was defined based on the International Federation of Diabetes. Data were collected using questionnaires, blood sampling, anthropometric measurements, and blood pressure values. All of the variables were measured following the standards of the World Health Organization and the Adult Therapy Panel. Moreover, the data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and multiple linear regressions.

According to the results, there was a significant reverse correlation between high physical activity level and healthy dietary pattern with elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressure (P<0.05). The results also showed that healthy dietary patterns correlated significantly with moderate (P<0.015) and high (P<0.009) physical activity levels. Moreover, there was a reverse significant relationship between western dietary patterns and low physical activity (P<0.013).

Based on the results of this study, an increase in physical activity levels and the adherence to healthy dietary patterns are effective in reducing hypertension.

Heavy metals are among the most stable and non-degradable biological pollutants in the environment that can enter the water, soil, air, and therefore, the food chain. In recent years, biological methods, especially with the help of bacteria, have been used to remove heavy metals from industrial waste. The purpose of this study was to identify nickel-resistant (Ni) bacteria in the chemical refinery of Mobarakeh Steel Complex in Isfahan, Iran.

Samples of wastewater and sludge were evaluated regarding bacterial species and Ni (II)-resistance after dilution and transfer on the culture medium. Ni-resistant strain (II) and Micrococcus luteus SEHD031RS strains were selected for morphological and biochemical tests as well as Ni (II) removal, respectively.

This study showed that five strains had high Ni (II) resistance. Moreover, Micrococcus luteus SEHD031RS and Paenibacillus lautus SEHD031MRA strains showed the highest resistance to Ni (II) with growth at the concentrations of 110 and 90 mg/l, respectively. In this study, the highest nickel (II) removal rate was at pH 6 with a yield of 75.39% and the lowest nickel (II) removal rate was at pH 2 with a yield of 3.22% for Micrococcus luteus SEHD031RS strain. Ethics code: ir.skums. irac.1396-37

It can be concluded that the detected strains can be suitable choices for Ni (II) removal from industrial wastewaters according to the features mentioned in this study.

Clostridium difficile bacterium is the leading cause of clinical infection and pseudomembranous colitis. Toxin B (TcdB) of C. difficile is regarded as one of the main virulence factors of this bacterium. Moreover, the receptor binding domain (RBD) of this toxin which is known as an immunogenic domain attaches to its receptor in intestine. This study aimed to clone and express the immunogenic domain of the Toxin B in Lactococcus lactis to provide a safe oral vaccine against colitis caused by C. difficile as an alternative treatment in future studies based on Lactococcus.

In order to clone this segment, at first, the DNA was extracted from C. difficile, and then, the RBD gene segment was amplified by the PCR method using designed primers. The amplified segment was attached to pTZ25R/T plasmid and transformed into Escherichia coli. Subsequently, the RBD segment was extracted from pNZ9418 plasmid using restriction enzymes, such as SacI and NcoI, and then it was purified in this study. Following that, the RBD segment was cut in pNZ8149 plasmid using the same enzymes and was attached under the proper condition. The pNZ8149 plasmid with segment was transformed into L. lactic competent cells by electroporation method.

After the screening of electro-transformed colonies, the accuracy of cloning was verified using PCR, enzyme digestion on the extracted recombinant plasmid, and sequencing.

According to the results, L. lactic which produces the immunogenic domain can be used as a safe oral vaccine and can be considered as an alternative therapy to reduce the incidence of Clostridium difficile infection in further investigations.

Busulfan-related oxidative stress reduces fertility; therefore, this study aimed to investigate the protective role of crocin on ovarian histological changes.

This study was conducted on 30 adult NMRI rats weighing 22-25 g in 6 equal groups in a 21-day period. The control group received a single dose (0.1 ml) of busulfan solvent (DMSO+PBS) intraperitoneally (IP) and the sham control group were subjected to a single dose of IP busulfan (10 mg/kg). Moreover, the experimental groups of 1, 2, and 3 received crocin intraperitoneally with doses of 100, 200, 400 mg/kg/day, respectively along with a single dose of busulfan (10 mg/kg). The positive control group received only crocin intraperitoneally at a dose of 400 mg/kg/day. After the end of the treatment period, animals were euthanized with a high-dose of ketamine. Left ovaries were used for the histomorphometric study. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (version19) through a one-way ANOVA and Bonferroni test. A P-value less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Ethics code: AECVU-192-2019   

This study showed that the antioxidant properties of crocin could neutralize the busulfan-related oxidative stress which resulted in the growth of more healthy ovarian follicles and reduced the mean number of Atretic follicles, compared to the group received busulfan. Moreover, this study revealed dose-depended effects of crocin which indicated a significant benefit on the majority of parameters with a dose of 200 mg/kg.  

The present study showed the remarkable ability of crocin in reducing the adverse effects of busulfan on the growth of ovarian follicles.

Many elderly people are now suffering from Parkinson's disease, and the number of patients is growing along with the increasing elderly population. Moreover, there is also a decrease in the concentration of nerve growth factor (NGF) and antioxidant enzymes in the central nervous system of patients with Parkinson's disease. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the effect of 6 weeks of continuous and interval exercises on the hippocampal NGF and catalase (CAT) enzyme of a rat model of Parkinson's disease. 

This study was conducted on 24 male rats weighing 250 to 350 g. Reserpine was induced to develop Parkinson's among rats, subsequently, they were divided into 6 groups (n=4 in each group). Following that, the training was performed for 6 weeks. At the end of the exercises, the rats were anesthetized with ketamine and xylazine, and the hippocampal tissues were removed from other parts of the brain followed by measuring NGF and CAT enzyme. The results were analyzed using a one way ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc test. Ethics code: EE/97.24.3.70013/scu.ac.ir

The results showed that continuous and interval training had no significant effect on NGF, and both types of exercises increased the significance of NGF. Moreover, no significant difference was observed between the two training methods regarding CAT; however, the interval exercise had more effects on the CAT enzyme.

According to the findings of the study, it can be concluded that the two types of continuous and interval aerobic training can be employed to improve the NGF. Moreover, interval exercises can be utilized to improve CAT enzyme in patients with Parkinson's disease.

The nurses' perception of their social responsibilities protects the hospital against environmental dynamic changes since a part of this responsibility is related to timely responses to environmental issues called organizational agility. In case of no organization agility, some issues are emerged known as burnout in the field of organizational behavior. The creation of job enthusiasm among the employees is the antidote to occupational burnout which leads them to achieve organizational goals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between social responsibility and organizational agility with a moderating role of job enthusiasm among nurses working at Imam Khomeini Hospital, Ilam, Iran.

The study population includes nurses working at Imam Khomeini Hospital, Ilam, Iran. Out of 300 nurses, 169 cases were selected using Morgan table and simple random sampling. The data were collected using a standard questionnaire and the research hypotheses were tested using Smart-PLS software (Version 2).

The results showed a significant relationship between social responsibility and organizational agility (52.354) which is more than a 1.96 confidence level. Therefore, the first hypothesis of the research was confirmed (i.e., there is a relationship between social responsibility and organizational agility). Moreover, job enthusiasm with a significant coefficient of 7.242 (more than a confidence level of 1.96) moderated the relationship between social responsibility and organizational agility.

Nowadays, the provision of good service cannot fulfill the satisfaction of the hospital stakeholders since by increasing the awareness of the people about the multiple tasks of hospitals in the social domains, responsibility towards the community is considered to be the least preference. Moreover, the mutual realization of organizational and social goals is the result of awareness and practice within the framework of social responsibility. Therefore, this critical issue depends on the agility of organizations to meet the growing expectations of stakeholders and create the groundwork for job aspirations to drive the individuals to achieve the identified organizational goals.

Distal radius fracture is one of the most common traumatic injuries of all ages. The majority of the complications are related to intra-articular fracture. Among the main treatments, one can name closed reduction and percutaneous pin fixation. The present study aimed to compare the complications and outcomes of using these treatments in patients with unstable distal radius fractures.

This prospective randomized clinical trial was conducted on patients between the ages of 18 and 65 with closed and intra-articular fractures of the distal radius who referred to Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Babol, Iran, during spring 2014 and summer 2015. It should be noted that the patients were candidates for fixation surgery, and they were randomly assigned into two groups (n=25) based on the type of fracture, age, and gender. Subsequently, group 1 underwent surgery using 4 pin Trans radioulnar and group 2 was treated with a three cross pin method. The radial length and inclination,Volar tilt, and Ulnar Variance were determined and compared after surgery and at 6, 12, and 24 weeks post-surgery. Ethics code: MUBABOL.HRI.REC.1394.125. Clinical Trial: IRCT2016112727797N1.

There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding radiographic changes. Moreover, no significant difference was observed between the studied variables in terms of surgery complications.

This study showed no difference between the treatment methods (i.e., three cross pin and 4 pin trans-radioulnar) regarding radiographic criteria and surgery complications.

The lavender is one of the most widely used medicinal plants in Iran, which has been used in traditional medicine since the past. This study aimed to identify the chemical compounds and antibacterial activity of Lavandula sublepidota essential oil which is an endemic species in Iran.

In this study, chemical compounds of Lavandula sublepidota essential oil were identified using gas chromatography. The inhibition zone diameter of the Lavandula sublepidota essential oil on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, and Escherichia coli was identified on a concentration of 12.5, 25, 50, and 100 mg/ml, respectively, by disk and well diffusion methods. Common antibiotics, including Ampicillin, Enrofloxacin, Gentamicin, and Kanamycin were used to compare the microbial inhibition zone diameters. Moreover, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) (diluted in liquid) and minimum bactericidal concentration of the aforementioned microorganisms were determined in this study.

In total, 99.41% of the essential oil compounds were identified using gas chromatography. Linalool was found to be the most abundant among the identified compounds (43.3%). The most sensitive and resistant bacteria to Lavandula sublepidota essential oil were S. aureus and P. aeruginosa with inhibition zone diameter of 30.70±0.40 and 10.10±0.68 in a concentration of 100 mg/ml, respectively. Moreover, the MICs of P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, B. cereus, and E. coli were estimated at 32, 8, 16, and 16 mg/ml, respectively.

The results of this study revealed that Lavandula sublepidota essential oil has an acceptable antibacterial activity against the pathogenic microorganisms. However, gram-positive bacteria obtained higher antimicrobial activity of the essential oil, compared to gram-negative bacteria. It is recommended that further studies be conducted to investigate the clinical application of Lavandula sublepidota essential oil.

Fatty liver can cause vascular damage due to metabolic syndrome. On the other hand, the onset of fatty liver disease is expected to lead to a change in the level of GFR or possibly the resistance of the renal artery. According to the above, we aimed to study the effect of fatty liver with or without hepatomegaly on the resistance of the renal artery by designing this study.

In this cross-sectional study, patients after diagnosis of fatty liver by ultrasound (hyper echogenic hepatomegaly with dorsal hypo echogenicity) and elevated liver enzymes enrolled the study. Also, as patients in the case group, healthy subjects with no liver problems that were matched for age and sex were included. Subsequently, patients were asked about demographic information and anthropometric information, and then the patients underwent sonography of B mode and Doppler. Renal length, kidney thickness, liver size and spleen size were also calculated by abdominal sonography. In this study, the renal artery resistance index was obtained based on the formula RI= [VmaxSystole-VminDiastole]/Vmax-Systole. All patients' information was entered into SPSS software and analyzed. Ethics code: IR.TBZMED.REC.1396.906

In this study,The mean age of all participants in the study was 42±11 years. Right kidney RI was 0.61±0.05 in the fatty liver group and 0.59±0.11 in the normal group (P=0.155). The RI value of the left kidney was 0.62±0.05 in the fatty liver group and 0.59±0.0.03 in the healthy subjects group. This difference was not statistically significant (P=0.389). Correlation coefficient between age and right renal RI was 0.249 (P=0.027) and this factor between age and left kidney RI was 0.325 (P=0.003). Both relationships were statistically significant.

There is no meaningful relationship between renal RI and fatty liver, and the use of renal RI in early diagnosis of kidney disease in patients with fatty liver is not beneficial.

Silymarin is effective in the treatment of various cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, blood lipids, liver disease, acute viral hepatitis, and gallbladder disease. It also has regenerative properties in several liver disorders, anti-diabetic effects, as well as anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant agents. Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate the effect of silymarin on Mafa gene expression and its association with insulin levels in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

This study included 42 rats which were selected randomly and divided into 7 groups (n=6 per group). Streptozotocin was induced to develop diabetes among rats. Subsequently, after 1 month, the blood samples were taken from the heart of each group of rats to measure insulin levels. Following that, the rats were sacrificed and their pancreatic tissues were examined to measure the expression of the Mafa gene using Realtime PCR. Ethics code: IR.IAU.SHK.REC.1397.035

According to the results, active ingredients found in silymarin enhance the expression of the Mafa gene, and the levels of Mafa gene expression differ in different doses. This increase in the expression of the gene was not dose-dependent; however, in the low- and high -dose groups, the expression levels were lower (P=0.018) and higher (P=0.003), respectively. Moreover, it led to an increase in insulin levels.

Active ingredients found in silymarin enhance the expression of the Mafa gene, and therefore, increases the level of insulin secretion by the pancreatic beta cells.