مجله دانشگاه علوم پزشکی شهید صدوقی یزد
سال بیست و نهم شماره 7 (پیاپی 179، مهر 1400)

The brachial plexus is the largest and most complex neural plexus in the body located in the neck and axilla. So far, there have been many reports of various variations in the brachial plexus that are of clinical significance. In the present study, while dissecting the upper limb of a 54-year-old man in the dissection room of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in Yazd, a rare variation was observed in the lateral cord branches of the plexus. In this case, the medial pectoral nerve, which normally separates from the medial cord, originated from the lateral cord. Awareness of this variation is important for anatomists, surgeons, anesthesiologists and radiologists to interpret the graphs, etc., and can help to reduce clinical complications during surgery and better interpret and diagnose the graphs.

With the development of hydrogels from half a century ago, their application in various medical fields, including drug delivery has been widely expanded. Hydrogels used in this field are produced with synthetic polymers such as polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohol, or natural polymers like chitosan, agarose, and hyaluronic acid to develop biocompatible, biodegradable, and non-immunogenic drug carriers. However, limitations such as inadequate response to stimulation, low homogeneity, and poor loading capacity for hydrophobic drugs have limited the use of hydrogels for drug delivery due to the hydrophilic nature of the hydrogel. The use of nanoparticles in the structure of hydrogels to produce hydrogel nanocomposites leads to more diverse interactions such as hydrogen and electrostatic bonds in addition to covalent interactions between hydrogel polymers. In addition to enhancing the mechanical properties of the hydrogel and further homogeneity, these interactions lead to the formation of platforms responsive to various stimuli, attaining sustained release, and ameliorating the poor loading of hydrophobic drugs used in cancer treatment and wound dressing.

A review of a research conducted in the last 20 years represents that the application of nanocomposite hydrogels in drug delivery includes a wide range of production methods, nanoparticles to create various stimulation mechanisms, and therapeutic applications. Indeed, research has been focused on developing smart systems for controlled release with stimuli to reduce side effects of conventional cancer treatment methods, such as chemotherapy, by targeting drug delivery and reducing drug administration frequency and mitigating chronic wound complications by the release of growth factors.

The aim of this study was to compare eating behaviors in the patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) with recurrence of the disease in the past year and the control group.

This analytical cross-sectional study was a comparison that was performed in the statistical population of two groups of people with MS in Guilan Province in the second half of 2018. The first group consisted of people with MS with a recurrence of the disease in the past year and the second group of people with MS without a history of recurrence of the disease in the past year that were selected by matching the variables of age, sex and duration of the disease. In each of these groups, 104 people were employed as a sample in a targeted method from medical centers in Rasht. In order to collect data demographic information form and Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire were used. Research data were analyzed by independent t-test using SPSS software version 16.

The results showed that among patients with MS with a history of recurrence and the control group there was a significant difference (P <0.05) in the variables of emotional eating (t = 3.03, P = 0.01), external stimuli (t=4.49, P=0.01) and inhibition in eating (t =3.81, P=0.01).

Inappropriate eating behaviors are one of the factors associated with recurrence and disease attacks in people with MS. Therefore, it is suggested that psychologists and nutritionists consider the role of eating behaviors in these individuals to reduce disease attacks.

Some studies have addressed the role of meta-cognitive beliefs and emotional schemes in the persistence of symptoms of post traumatic stress disorders. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the role of meta-cognitive beliefs and emotional schemes in predicting the symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder in people referred to the legal medicine of Khorramabad City.

The present study was descriptive-correlational. The statistical population of this study consisted of all individuals with symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder referring to the forensic medicine organization in Khorramabad City in 2017-2018. Among them, 200 individuals were selected as the statistical sample by available sampling method. The participants completed the PTSD Symptom Scale - Self report (PSS-SR, Foa et al, 1993), Meta-cognitive Beliefs Questionnaires (Wells and Carthage-Hatton, 2004), and Leahy Emotional Schema Questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using step by step regression analysis.

Results revealed that there was a positive and significant correlation between the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder with meta-cognitive beliefs and emotional schemes (exept consensus and rumination) (p<0.05). In addition, multiple regression analysis showed that positive metacognitive beliefs (β= 0.500, p= 0.001), cognitive self-awareness (β= -1.090, p= 0.001), uncontrollability (β= -4.162, p= 0.001) and expression of feeling (β= -1.572, p= 0.001) might predict the symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder.

With regard to the results of the current study attention should be directed to the relationship between symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder and meta-cognitive beliefs. Moreover, therapeutic interventions should be targeted at improving negative metacognitive beliefs and emotional schemes in patients.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among Iranian women. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of existential-humanity based therapy on psychological well-being and post-traumatic growth in women with breast cancer.

This was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test, post-test and follow-up design with a control group. The population of this study insisted all the patients with breast cancer that referred to Khorramabad Shahid Rahimi Hospital in 2020. 30 patients selected randomly and assigned in two groups (15 experimental and 15 evidence), and it was asked them to answer to the Reef psychological well-being scale and post-traumatic growth questionnaire by Tedachi et al. Afterwards, the experimental group was intervened in 8 sessions of 90 minutes. After the intervention, post-test was taken from both groups and both groups were followed up again after two months. The data were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA and SPSS version 16 software.

The results of analysis of repeated measures ANOVA showed that the interaction between group and time was significant. Therefore, psychological well-being variable increased significantly(F=77.98, P<0/01) and post- trauma growth variable increased significantly (F=27.46, P<0/01).

According to the results of the study, existential-humanity based therapy has a significant effect on psychological well-being and post- traumatic growth in breast cancer patients. It would be beneficial to offer, along with medication, psychological treatments, including existential-humanity based therapy to these patients should be considered.

Free radicals increase with age and disease, so the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of exercise and vitamin D on the expression of alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin genes in bone tissue of rats poisoned with hydrogen peroxide.

In this experimental trial, 36 adult male Wistar rats were randomized into six groups of six rats, 1) control; 2) hydrogen peroxide; 3) hydrogen peroxide + vitamin D; 4) hydrogen peroxide + exercise; 5) hydrogen peroxide + exercise and vitamin D and 6) Sham. For eight weeks, groups 2, 3, 4, and 5 were given daily dose of 1 mmol/kg hydrogen peroxide on even days, groups 3 and 5 received 0.5 mg / kg of Vitamin-D daily, and sham group received only vitamin D solvent intraperitoneally. Groups 4 and 5 performed aerobic exercise 3 day/week. Osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase gene expression were measured by PCR and were analyzed using independent t-test, two-way analysis of variance and Boferroni’s post hoc test with SPSS 16 (p≤0.05).

The interactive effect of exercise and vitamin D on increasing alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin was significant. (p≤0.05); exercise increased alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin (p ≤ 0.05); vitamin D was also associated with increased alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin (p=0.0001). The greatest effect on increasing osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase showed in groups 5 and 3, respectively (p=0.001).

Exercise and vitamin D had a positive effect on bone tissue, so that even the systemic effect of hydrogen peroxide could not change the results of this constructive effect.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder. Eating gluten, which is part of the cereals, can lead to intestinal mucosal injury and diarrhea. Although celiac disease is more common today with non-digestive symptoms, we sometimes encounter cases of chronic non-inflammatory diarrhea, which is one of the clinical manifestations of celiac disease. This study was performed to evaluate the prevalence of celiac disease in patients with chronic non-inflammatory diarrhea. Because diarrhea in celiac disease has distinct and efficient treatment we decided to do this study to evaluate the prevalence of celiac disease in patients with chronic non-inflammatory diarrhea.

This was a descriptive cross sectional study on 200 patients with chronic non-inflammatory diarrhea in Yazd in 2017. Stool exam and tissue transglutaminase Antibody (TTG Ab) was done for the patients; upper endoscopy and duodenum biopsy was done for the patients with high serum TTG Ab. Findings analyzed in SPSS.ver.17 statistical software. Chi-Square, t-test and Fisher Exact tests were used for statistical analysis. P-value less than 0.05 was considered significant.

Two hundred patients, including 93 (46.5%) men and 107 women (53.5%) participated in this study. The average age was 34.32 ± 17.84 years. Among these cases, 31 patients (15.5%) had celiac disease.  Among cases of celiac (16.1%), 15 (16.1%) were male and 16 (15%) were female. The relative frequency of celiac disease was the same in both sexes and in all age groups.

Significant portion of patients (15.5%) with chronic non-inflammatory diarrhea has celiac disease.