مجله مطالعات علوم پزشکی
سال سی و چهارم شماره 2 (اردیبهشت 1402)

Jumping and landing are important activities in performing sports movements that strongly affect muscle activity. People with Genu Valgum are prone to extensive damage to the knee joint due to structural changes. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of short-term use of protective knee brace on ankle and knee joint co-contractions in people with genu valgum during jumping and landing.

The present study was a quasi-experimental and laboratory study. 10 boys with genu valgum in the experimental group and 10 healthy boys who did not have any lower limb disorders were selected as the control group. The knee brace used was BeActive model 1031. Electrical activity of selected muscles was recorded by electromyography (Biometrics LTD, UK). For statistical analysis, SPSS V21 software and analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures were used at a significant level of P<0.05.

The results showed no significant difference between the pre-test and post-test of the genu valgum group (P = 0.063, t = 2.276). Examination of all general co-contractions of ankle joint in the control group who used knee brace showed a significant decrease in post-test during pre-test comparison (P = 0.001, t = 6.831).

According to the results of the research, it can be concluded that the decrease in co-contraction of the knee joint indicates a decrease in the simultaneous activity of the muscles supporting the knee joint. Probably, the knee brace has been able to play a supporting and protective role in the knee joint, and as a result, it has led to a decrease in the activity of the supporting muscles around the joint.

Study skills are among the factors affecting students' academic performance, and it is related to their success in future career. This study aimed to investigate the study skills and academic performance of medical students of Urmia University of Medical Sciences and factors affecting them.

In this cross-sectional study, 267 medical students participated who were selected by random cluster sampling. Data were collected using the study skills questionnaire. Based on their average grade point, students were classified into two groups of "good and average" and "poor" academic performances. The mean and standard deviation of study skill scores, also the proportion of the students with good, average, and poor study skills were estimated. The factors affecting students' study skills and academic performance were determined using logistic regression analysis.

In this study, 51% of students had good and average academic performance, and overall study skill score was moderate for 71.5% of students. The highest mean scores were obtained in the dimensions of "information organizing", "time management" and "concentration and memory". The lowest scores were obtained in the dimensions of "motivation and attitude" and "writing". Study skills were related to gender, father's education, grade and age. Academic performance was related to girl gender (OR=2.79, 95%CI: 1.56-4.97), being married (OR=4.69, 95%CI: 1.22-17.98), time management (OR=1.16, 95%CI: 1.05-1.24), and readiness to exam (OR=1.12, 95%CI: 1.01-1.24).

Academic performance and study skills of medical students are moderate. Improving study skills and identifying other factors affecting academic performance should be considered by university officials.

Fluoxetine-induced cytotoxicity involves multiple mechanisms, including increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reduced antioxidant capacity by decreasing levels of GSH and buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), which are associated with increased levels of protein carbonyls, malondialdehyde, GST activity, NO and NF-KB levels, and superoxide anions. The purpose of this study was the effect of lycopene and L-carnitine on cytotoxicity and oxidative stress caused by fluoxetine on normal gingival cell line.

In this study, 50, 100, and 200 µM concentrations of L-carnitine and lycopene were used as antioxidants to investigate the cellular toxicity caused by fluoxetine and by measuring oxidative stress factors such as ROS and lipid peroxidation (LPO). Statistical analysis was performed using Prism V8 software, and a p <0.05 was considered significant.

The results showed that fluoxetine induced cellular oxidative stress by impairing mitochondrial function. Co-treatment of cells with fluoxetine, lycopene, and L-carnitine effectively inhibited fluoxetine-induced cytotoxicity, scavenged free radicals, and prevented lipid membrane damage (p<0.05).

this study demonstrates that fluoxetine can induce cellular damage. Further investigations should be conducted on larger patient populations undergoing longer treatment periods with antidepressants to evaluate their cellular toxicity. The findings also indicate that lycopene and L-carnitine have potent antioxidant effects in mitigating fluoxetine-induced cytotoxicity by scavenging free radicals and preventing lipid membrane damage.

Taenia spp. and Echinococcus are important common zoonotic parasites in dogs. Dogs as the most important final hosts were infected with several species of these helminths simultaneously which are morphologically indistinguishable. The aim of the present study was to investigate Taenia spp eggs contamination in dogs of Urmia, Iran, by molecular method.

In this study, a total of 246 dog fecal samples were collected from Urmia, northwest of Iran, and examined using a flotation method followed by multiplex PCR for detection and identification of parasites’ eggs.

Taeniid eggs were observed in 12 (4.57%) of samples. Based on Multiplex PCR analysis, 1.62%, 2.03% and 1.21% of samples were infected with Echinococcus granulosus, Tenia spp and simultaneous infection of Tania and E. granulosus were observed, respectively. E. multilocularis was not seen in the samples.

Considering the observation of infection with Echinococcus granulosus and Taenia spp. in this study and their importance as zoonotic parasites, it is recommended to design and implement control programs.

In recent years, great interest has emerged in the development of nanocarriers, especially boron nitride nanostructures for targeted drug delivery. Chemical instability and structural stability of boron nitride nanocages are the two factors that have made these substances suitable as drug deliveries. Nanocages improve the performance of the drug and reduce its side effects by altering the pharmacokinetic properties and slowing the release of the drug. In this study, the interaction of levodopa with boron nitride nanocage and possibility of stable complex formation between them were investigated using the theoretical study.

The present study was evaluated with the purpose of investigating the performance of nanocage (B12N12) for the adsorption of levodopa (LD) using quantum computations of density functional theory at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,P) level of theory by the Gaussian 09W Program.

Using optimized structures, chemical activity parameters such as gap energy, chemical hardness, graphs of density of state, electronic properties, thermodynamic parameters and adsorption energy were discussed. The measured adsorption energy was -47.49 (kcal/mol). The distribution of electron charge also indicated the continuity of electron clouds between drug and nanocage.

It was found that the electronic properties of the B12N12 were very sensitive to the presence of levodopa molecules so that the energy gap of nanocage is changed about 35.8% after the adsorption process. The results of the charge analysis between two molecule showed that the most important charge transfer was from the electron pair of non-bonding orbital of oxygen of the drug molecule to the anti-bonding orbital of the boron atom of the nanocage. Also analysis of adsorption energy and thermodynamic functions showed that complex formed is stable. Based on the results of this research, it seems boron nitride nanocages can be considered as carriers of the anti-parkinson's drug levodopa within the biological systems.

Delirium can be dangerous for the patient and worsen the patient's prognosis. This study aimed to investigating the the delirium frequency and its outcomes after urologic surgeries admitted to Intensive Care Unit of Urmia Imam Khomeini Hospital.

In this Descriptive-cross-sectional study, whole 680 patients undergoing urology surgery who were admitted to the special care department of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Urmia during 2018-2019 were included. Demographic characteristics, underlying diseases, duration of mechanical ventilation, duration of hospitalization in the intensive care unit, duration of hospitalization, mortality and delirium were extracted from patient files and analyzed using SPSS version 23 software. The significance level in this study was considered 0.05.

12 patients (1.8%) had delirium. The average length of mechanical ventilation, length of stay in the hospital and in the intensive care unit was significantly higher in patients with delirium than in patients without delirium (p<0.05).

Psychosis has a relatively rare prevalence. However, in order to reduce it, the length of hospitalization should be reduced.