Zahedan Journal of Research in Medical Sciences
Volume:26 Issue: 1, Jan 2024

Premature ejaculation (PE) is acommonsexual dysfunction in men, affecting various aspects of life, including mental and emotional health and interpersonal relationships with spouses.

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the treatment of PE in men with sexual dysfunction.

This was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest control design and a two-month follow-up. The statistical population included all men with PE living in Tehran, Iran, in 2021. A total of 30 people within the 25 - 66 age group were selected and placed in the experimental and control groups. The experimental group underwent tDCS for one month (8 sessions), and the control group received no intervention. The research instrument included the international index of erectile function (IIEF). The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (ANCOVA) with SPSS.

The experimental and control groups had a significant difference in the components of PE, including orgasmic function and overall satisfaction (P < 0.001). The results suggested that tDCS improved orgasmic function and overall satisfaction in men with sexual dysfunction. Furthermore, this method remained effective for two months.

The tDCS method was influential in improving PE. Considering the effectiveness of tDCS in treating PE and increasing sexual satisfaction, it is recommended to use this method to treat this disorder.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a prevalent malignancy with a significant mortality rate. The epidemiology of CRC varies in different societies, and there are many risk factors. Information about epidemiological characteristics and factors associated with this cancer among Persian individuals is scarce.

We evaluated the frequency of CRC and its risk factors in patients referring to Shahid Rahimi and Shohada-ye Ashayer hospitals in Khorramabad, Iran, in 2017 - 2020.

This was a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study on 600 patients with gastrointestinal complaints. A researcher-made checklist was applied to collect the demographic characteristics, including age, gender, educational levels, marital status, and data related to the history of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), smoking status, drug abuse, and family history of CRC. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 21 at a significance level of 0.05.

In this study, 303 out of 600 patients (50.5%) were male, and 297 cases (49.5%) were female. The mean age of the patients was 55.06 ± 20.62 years. There was not a significant relationship between CRC and gender (P = 0.84), age (P = 0.13), history of IBD (P = 0.522), family history of CRC (P = 0.682), educational level (P = 0.37), smoking (P = 0.815), or drug abuse (P = 0.99). However, there was a significant relationship between marital status and CRC (P = 0.049).

Latent genetic disorders and environmental risk factors should be considered in the etiology of CRCs. Evaluation of these factors and precise screening of patients based on standard guidelines is crucial.

The current study aims to investigate the impacts of aerobic exercise with pumpkin seed oil and white pea extract supplementation on the gene expression of the liver zinc transporters of healthy male Wistar rats.

In this experimental study, 60 male Wistar rats (130 - 150 g, aged 4-6 weeks old) were divided into 6 groups (n = 10/groups) by randomization. These groups include (1) saline control, (2) saline training, (3) pumpkin seed oil control, (4) pumpkin seed oil training, (5) control-pea, and (6) training-pea. The aerobic exercise protocol consisted of running at a velocity of 25 m/min, 5 days a week and for 6 weeks. Supplement groups received 4 ml/kg/day of pumpkin seed oil and 2 g/kg/day of white pea extract through oral gavage. Gene expression levels of ZnT5, ZnT9, and ZIP14 of liver tissue were determined through real-time PCR, and serum levels of Zn were measured using the ICP-EOS technique approximately 48 hours after the final session of the training program. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Tukey post-hoc tests (P < 0.05).

Regarding the results of one-way ANOVA, there were no significant changes in serum Zn levels (P = 0.418) as well as gene expression levels of ZnT5 and ZIP14 among intervention groups (P = 0.586 and 0.677, respectively), but ZnT9 gene expression level was significantly changed among the study groups (P = 0.029). Also, the results of the Tukey test showed that six weeks of aerobic exercise along with pumpkin seed oil supplementation had the greatest effect on ZnT5 gene expression.

Findings showed that aerobic training along with pumpkin seed oil supplementation had the greatest impact on the up-regulation of ZnT5 as a Zn transporter to retain the blood Zn levels in healthy trained rats, suggesting that pumpkin seed oil can be an effective ergogenic aid for improving circulatory Zn levels.

Ménière’s Disease (MD) is rarely found in children, as only about 0.4 - 7% of allMDcases occur in children and around 97% in adults. Thus, a few studies have been conducted on children. Also, the disease progress in children is not well known.

We report a 14-year-old child referred to the Echo Hearing/Balance Clinic in Mashhad, Iran, with hearing loss and vertigo complaints. Audiological studies showed hearing loss at high frequencies, and history taking, balance, and electrophysiological tests confirmed MD.

Paying attention to signs and symptoms of hearing and balance disorders in childrenwhorefer to clinics and medical centers is very important. Accurate history taking and using a set of hearing and balance tests by an audiologist can often lead to a better diagnosis of MD.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory disease that can impair function and lower quality of life, which causes spinal bone fusion and new bone production. Several studies have been done on the differences in damage between women and men.

This study aimed to assess the differences between men and women with AS regarding clinical characteristics, structural damage, and treatment used by Algerian patients.

In this study, 292 patients diagnosed with AS at the Hassani Abdelkader Hospital Rehabilitation Department of Sidi Bel Abbes Region between 2018 and 2021 were enrolled. The studied parameters were age, disease duration, age at disease onset, morning stiffness, joint involvements, laboratory data, disease activity, and treatments. All data were processed and analyzed via Excel and SPSS 20.0 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, IBM Corporation, Chicago, IL, August 2011).

We assessed 166 females and 126 males. The mean age at disease onset was 31.69 ± 10.675 vs. 30.38 ± 10.250 years, and morning stiffness duration was 26.08 ± 26.977 vs. 23.80 ± 26.529 minutes in females and males, respectively. Positive HLA-B27 was noted more in 71.9% of women and 69.6% of men. Also, the female group suffered more from their lumbar (100%) and high inflammation (83.8% elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and 59.9% positive C-reactive protein (CRP)) rather than females who suffered from a long disease duration (7.28 ± 4.867 vs. 6.74 ± 3.584). Peripheral joints were primarily affected in males than females (knees involvement: 26.4% vs. 3.6% and hips involvement: 69.6% vs. 3%, respectively). In addition, high disease activity was more noted in men (52.8% vs. 41.9%, respectively). The most noted comorbidities, including uveitis, psoriasis, and diabetes, affected more females than males (40% vs. 29.9%, 4.8% vs. 2.4%, and 2.4% vs. 1.2%, respectively). Concerning the treatment, men used more sulfasalazine than women, 86.4% vs. 76%, while women used more Humira than men (88.6% vs. 74.4%, respectively).

According to our findings,womenhad a higher inflammation rate and more damage in their lumbar, requiring more sulfasalazine and Humira treatment than men who suffered from their peripheral joints and higher disease activity.

Nosocomial infections may result from intensive care unit pulse oximeters. The descriptive study examined pulse oximeter sensor microbiological contamination and the efficacy of manual disinfection with alcohol and sodium hypochlorite in five hospital intensive care units. Sixty-eight reusable pulse oximeter sensors were swabbed, cultured, and evaluated after decontamination. In private and public hospitals, 12 (35.2%) and 13 (37.2%) pulse oximeters tested positive for bacteria. Alcohol 70% reduced the microbial load and more than 10% sodium hypochlorite. The study found that purposeful cleaning and disinfection reduce microorganisms. Alcohol was more efficacious than sodium hypochlorite. Critical care facilities should regularly clean reusable pulse oximeter sensors.

Recent studies have shown that changes in environmental temperature may affect oxidative stress induced by exercise.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a prolonged running session in cold and warm environments on the catalase, malondialdehyde, and saliva total antioxidant capacity of young non-athlete men.

This semi-experimental study had a crossover design. Participants included 10 non-athlete young men aged 16 (±0.32) years, weight 65 (±3.59) kg, and with a BMI of 22.5 (±1.49) kg/m2 who were selected via the purposive sampling method. The exercise protocol included 2400 m of running on the treadmill with 50 to 60% of maximum heartbeat in the first step at 31°C and in the second step in a 15°C environment. Repeated measurement ANOVA was used at P  0.05 to analyze the data.

The results showed that malondialdehyde increased following a long-running session in cold and warm environments. In contrast, catalase and total antioxidant capacity following involvement in cold and warm environments showed no significant change. In addition, no significant difference was observed among the studied variables following involvement in hot and cold environments.

Considering the obtained results, it could be mentioned that to fulfill the profitable effects of aerobics exercise, continuous activity is necessary. At the same time, having individual exercise sessions can increase the danger of inducing oxidative stress in non-athlete people without reinforcing anti-oxidative defenses.

Self-care in health is a set of activities undertaken to promote and restore health, prevent disease, and limit illness.

This study assessed the self-care status of women in Zahedan, southeast Iran.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 15-60-year-old women in Zahedan. All the women were interviewed by an expert staff to obtain demographic data. In addition, they filled out a self-care assessment questionnaire that had 75 items in 5 dimensions, including physical health, mental and emotional well-being, management priorities, supportive relationships, and meaning.

A total of 250 women with a mean age of 40 ± 11.6 years completed the study. The total self-care score was 191.3 ± 44.9. About 64% of the women had an unfavorable self-care score, while only 6.4% and 30% had good and relatively good scores, respectively. There was a direct correlation between age, mental and spiritual well-being (r = 0.618, P <0.001), and meaning (r = 0.229, P < 0.001), but an inverse correlation was found between age, physical health (r = - 0.413, P < 0.001), and supportive relationship (r = - 0.204, P <0.001). The highest unfavorable self-care score was found among women with elementary education (77.2%), while the lowest was found among women with university education (39.5%) (P = 0.001).

About two-thirds of women had an unfavorable self-care score, which shows poor self-care in women in Zahedan. Therefore, appropriate educational and training programs should be administered to increase women's knowledge and promote self-care behaviors. 

Sepsis is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in humans. Understanding the common pathogens and the antibacterial susceptibility patterns of infections in each region is invaluable for effectively treating this life-threatening condition.

We studied the etiology and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of community-acquired sepsis in 3 large hospitals in Isfahan, Iran.

Clinical data were extracted from patients' medical files. Bacteria were identified by standard tests, and the data on antimicrobial susceptibility patterns were obtained from the WHONET database software.

Among 480 patients, Escherichia coli (26.3%), Klebsiella species (22.7%), and Staphylococcus aureus (14.8%) were the most frequent isolates. The susceptibility patterns of gram-negative isolates to various antibiotics were as follows: imipenem (92.4%), meropenem (78.6%), amikacin (76.4%), gentamicin (72.2%), and ciprofloxacin (66.5%). The sensitivity of these isolates to meropenem, amikacin, and cefepime was more remarkable in females. The sensitivity patterns of gram-positive organisms were as follows: linezolid (100%), amikacin (100%), rifampin (100%), teicoplanin (90%), vancomycin (87.5%), gentamicin (81.7%), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (71.2%). The susceptibility of these organisms to vancomycin was significantly higher in males.

Our data suggested that a combination of a carbapenem with linezolid, teicoplanin, or vancomycin is an appropriate empiric therapy in septicemic patients in the area. Besides, in females, linezolid or teicoplanin would be better than vancomycin for inclusion in the initial treatment.

Premature ejaculation (PE) is a common sexual dysfunction in men, affecting various aspects of life, including mental and emotional health and interpersonal relationships with spouses.

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the treatment of PE in men with sexual dysfunction.

This was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest control design and a two-month follow-up. The statistical population included all men with PE living in Tehran, Iran, in 2021. A total of 30 people within the 25 - 66 age group were selected and placed in the experimental and control groups. The experimental group underwent tDCS for one month (8 sessions), and the control group received no intervention. The research instrument included the international index of erectile function (IIEF). The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (ANCOVA) with SPSS.

The experimental and control groups had a significant difference in the components of PE, including orgasmic function and overall satisfaction (P < 0.001). The results suggested that tDCS improved orgasmic function and overall satisfaction in men with sexual dysfunction. Furthermore, this method remained effective for two months.

The tDCS method was influential in improving PE. Considering the effectiveness of tDCS in treating PE and increasing sexual satisfaction, it is recommended to use this method to treat this disorder.