Journal of Advances in Medical and Biomedical Research
Volume:22 Issue: 92, 2014

Poly D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) is known as biodegradable and biocompatible polymer. These polymers have recently received much attention in tissue engineering. The aim of this study was to investigate the biological behavior of the bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) in culturing with PLGA nanofibers coated with poly-L-lysine or gelatin. In this study, the electrospinning of PLGA nanofibers was performed with hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP) as solvent and coated with gelatin and poly-L-lysine, separately. The properties of polymers were investigated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis and contact angles were studied. After culturing BMSCs and reaching passage two, cells in the four groups of nanofibers, nanofibers PLGA, PLGA nanofibers coated with poly-L-lysine, and PLGA nanofibers coated with gelatin, were grown. Cell proliferation during the second, fourth and sixth days were examined by Acridin Orange and morphology of the cells seeded on nanofibers were investigated via SEM. The mean diameter of PLGA nanofibers were between 270 - 700 nm. The average contact angles were 107.66° for PLGA, 64.58 for PLGA coated with gelatin and 40.12 for poly-L-lysine-coated PLGA, respectively. The results showed significant reduction in cell proliferation in PLGA nanofibers alone (P <0.05). But this number increased in groups of nanofibers coated with poly-L-lysine and gelatin. Culture of Schwann cells with PLGA nanofibers coated with gelatin and particularly coated with poly-L-lysine provide a biodegradable scaffold associated with Schwann cells.

Shivering is one of the most common problems after general anesthesia. Meperidine is the drug of choice to treat and prevent shivering, but it has dangerous side effects, particularly cardio respiratory depression. Ondansetron is another effective drug that has no dangerous side effects. The aim of this study was to compare Ondansetron and Meperidine with each other, and with placebo to prevent post anesthetic shivering. In this clinical trial, patients were randomly divided into three groups of 35. After injecting premedication, and immediately before induction of anesthesia, SaO2 Pulse oximetry was recorded. Patients in group O received Ondansetron 4mg IV, patients in group M received Meperidine 25mg IV, and patients in control (C) group received Saline 2ml IV. Similar method of general anesthesia was performed to all patients, and following awake extubation all were immediately transferred to recovery room. Within minutes 5 and 15 and after entrance to the recovery room, SaO2 was measured with Pulse oxymetry, and shivering was evaluated and recorded on the basis of a similar grading system. We used ANOVA, K-Square, and Tukey subtest to analyze the data. Amount of shivering within minutes 5 and 15 after anesthesia was equal in groups O and M, and it was less than group C (P<0.05). In group O, the SaO2 did not drop during minutes 5 and 15 after anesthesia, while there was a slight reduction in groups M and C. It is concluded that Ondansetron 4mg IV, and Meperidine 25mg IV immediately before induction of anesthesia are equally effective to reduce post anesthetic shivering. Also, Ondansetron does not reduce SaO2. So, using Ondansetron instead of Meperidine is effective to prevent the post anesthetic shivering, especially in patients with cardio respiratory depression.

Attention has largely been focused on appearance of multiple drug resistance enterococci in the last 20 years. One of the methods to overcome this problem is to combine different antibiotics in order to increase antimicrobial activity and reduce toxicity. The combination of fluor quinolones with other antibiotics has been widely investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the synergistic effect of ciprofloxacin in several antibiotics Beta-lactam (piperacillin, ceftazidime and imipenem) on isolated enterococci. In this cross sectional study, 67 Streptococci strains were isolated from clinical samples from March to September 2012. The serial broth dilution method in test tubes was used for the MIC, and the check board Format was used for the synergistic effect of ciprofloxacin with Beta-lactam antibiotics. The synergistic effect was determined with four- fold reduction of initial MIC. Totally, 67 strains of Streptococci were used, in which 50 strains (74.6%) were enterococci, 6(9%) were group B streptococcus, 5(7.5%) were non-group A streptococci, 2 (3%) were pneumococci, and 2 were strains of alpha streptococci (3%), respectively. All results were determined by the MIC and MBC of each antibiotic individually and also in combination with ciprofloxacin. The effect of ciprofloxacin on other antibiotics was indifferent, and the synergistic effect was not observed.

Ischemia in the brain of rats causes intensive neural injuries leading to learning and memory disorders in addition to pain. Ellagic acid is a polyphenol compound with antioxidant properties which is found in fruits like pomegranate, blackberry and all types of mulberry. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of 14-day prescription of different doses of ellagic acid on memory, learning and pain followed by general ischemia in the brain of rats. In this study, 50 Wistar rats in weight range of 200-250 g were randomly placed in five different groups. To induce ischemia, common carotid arteries were separated from both sides, blocked from both parts and cut from the middle part. Memory was evaluated using passive avoidance learning test (shuttle box) and pain threshold was assessed using tail- flick device. Ischemia caused reduction of memory (p<0.01) and pain threshold (p<0.001). Prescription of 10, 25 and 50 mg/kg doses of ellagic acid, particularly 50 mg/kg, led to improvement of defects in memory (p<0.01) and reduction of pain (p<0.001). It seems that using ellagic acid can reduce intensity of neural disorders caused by ischemic hypo-perfusion due to its antioxidant property and inhibition of free radicals.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a degenerative disorder that leads to progressive cognitive decline. The memory dysfunction of AD has been associated with a cortical cholinergic deficiency and loss of cholinergic neurons of the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM). This study investigated the effect of ethanolic extract of Cyperus rotundu tubers (CRT) on motor activity in NBM-lesioned rat model of AD and intact rats. In this experimental study 49 Wistar rats were divided into 7 groups. For this purpose, Wistar rats received bilateral electric lesions of the NBM. The control and sham groups received distilled water while NBM-lesioned group received CRT extract for 20 days with doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg. Intact rats received CRT extract for 20 days without any surgery. The motor activity was assessed with Rotarod apparatus. Data were analyzed using one- way Anova and LSD test. Use of ethanolic extract of CRT for 20 days improved motor activity in NBM-lesioned rats that received extract with a dose of 100 mg/kg. Ethanolic extract of CRT in the intact rats for 20 days significantly reduced motor activity when compared with the control group. The results of this study suggest that ethanolic extract of CRT is useful in NBM-induced lesion rats via inducing some changes in acetylcholine levels in the brain.

It seems that using a combination of aerobic and anaerobic exercises (resistance exercises) can induce beneficial physical, psychological, and social effects on hemodialysis patients who are encountered with various stressors. This study aimed to determine the effect of combined aerobic and anaerobic exercises on quality of life in hemodialysis patients. In this study we used a pre and post semi-experimental design with two comparison groups. The subjects consisted of 74 patients from two hemodialysis centers affiliated to Zanjan University of Medical Sciences. All subjects were randomly allocated into two groups. Kidney Disease Quality of Life-Short Form (KDQOL-SF) was used to assess quality of life in patients with kidney disease. The results showed that the mean and standard deviation of quality of life before the intervention in the combined exercises group was 47.7 ± 15.56 and in the aerobic exercise group was 41.1 ± 11.51. But after the intervention, the mean and standard deviation of quality of life in the combined exercises group increased to 77.1±28.06 and in the aerobic exercise group increased to 56.4 ± 12.78 indicating significant differences between the two groups (P<0.0001). Both aerobic and combined exercises increased quality of life in hemodialysis patients. Though, the effect of the combined exercises during the hemodialysis was outstanding in enhancing quality of life in hemodialysis patients in comparison to aerobic exercises alone. The results of this study suggest that the aerobic exercises, especially combined exercises in hemodialysis patients may lead to an increase in their quality of life.

Pterygium is a common ocular surface disorder. A number of surgical procedures are used to remove it. The purpose of this study was to compare recurrent, visual acuity and intraocular pressure after pterygium surgery using mitomycin C during and after surgery. In this interventional study, 119 patients with indications for pterygium surgery were enrolled and randomly divided into two groups. In the first group, intraoperative 2% mitomycin C was used for 3 min and in the second group, 2% mitomycin C was given four times a day for 2 weeks The patients were followed up for 15 months after the surgery. The data was collected and analyzed by using SPSS software (version 16), and repeated measurement test at a significance level of 0.05. The mean visual acuity showed no significant difference in intraoperative and postoperative mitomycin (P=0.8). Also, the difference in the mean of intraocular pressure between the two groups was not significant (P=0.3). The use of intraoperative mitomycin-C in pterygium surgery was not correlated with visual acuity and intraocular pressure. It is recommended to use mitomycin C in intraoperative methods due to its fewer problems.

Postpartum depression in addition to the mother's health has a negative impact on infant development. Health Locus of Control (HLC) is the degree to which an individual believes that his behavior is controlled by external or internal factors. This study aimed to assess the postpartum depression and its relationship to HLC scale and some of demographic factors in Gonabad. In this cross-sectional study, the participants were 230 pregnant women visiting their obstetrician on a regular basis. The data collection instruments included a demographic questionnaire, multidimensional HLC and Edinburg depression scales. The collected data were analyzed with SPSS-20 using statistical tests of ANOVA, multiple regression, and Pearson coefficient correlation. The prevalence of depression was 21.5%. There was a significant correlation between age and postpartum depression. Delivery frequency affected postpartum depression, i.e., increasing the number of children also increased the risk of postpartum depression. EPDS score was positively correlated with neonatal sexuality, so that the occurrence of postpartum depression in mothers with newborn baby boys was more than girls. Inner confidence, acceptance of effective people and belief in chance were predictors of postpartum depression which exhibited significant effects of negative, positive and positive, respectively. Studies of health control beliefs, especially belief in chance can be valuable in identifying pregnant women who are at risk of postpartum depression. Since belief in chance was a significant predictor of depression symptoms, clinicians might assess this component to identify those women who are at risk of developing depression during their pregnancy and to develop prevention programs and treatment procedures.

The current study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the real neurofeedback treatment in comparison with mock neurofeedback in decreasing severity of major depression symptoms and changing α and β waves into a desirable pattern in major depression disorder. Using experimental single subject design، six individuals who were diagnosed as major depression sufferers were randomly selected and divided into two real neurofeedback and mock neurofeedback (placebo) groups. Both groups were treated for twenty sessions twice a week. Beck Depression Inventory II and Hamilton Depression Scale were used to assess both groups before، during and after the treatment. To analyze the collected data، effect size and improvement percentage were used. The results of the effect size، the improvement percentage and the graphs suggested that the real neurofeedback was more effective in regulating brain waves and in decreasing major depression disorder symptoms in comparison with the mock neurofeedback. Effect size in Alpha wave in right hemisphere in the experimental and control groups was 2. 21 and 0. 48. Effect size in Beta wave of experimental and control groups was 2 and 0. 51. Improvement quantity in the experimental group was 48% and in the control group was 23%. The effectiveness of real neurofeedback was not due to the changes in the placebo. It can be as a complementary treatment in treating major depression disorders. The findings of the current research were congruent with the previous research.

Physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and active lifestyle is known as an important factor for health in all ages. The aim of this study was to determine the factors that influence regular physical activity of female high school students in Hamadan using BASNEF model. In this cross-sectional study, while using cluster random sampling method, 622 female students from six high schools were voluntarily entered into the study. A demographic questionnaire, IPAQ and constructs of BASNEF model were used to collect the data. Validity and reliability of scales were assessed with a panel of experts and Cronbach's alpha. To analyze the data, Chi-square, ANOVA, T-test and correlation were used. 46.2% of the students had low physical activity, 28 percent of them had moderate and 25.8 % had severe physical activity. Grade of education, level of mother’s education and previous physical activity had significant correlation with student’s physical activity (p< 0.05). The attitude toward behavior, behavioral intentions and enabling factors statistically associated with physical activity status (p = 0.01). Subjective norms were effective on physical activity via behavioral intention (p < 0.001). Low rate of female students’ physical activity in Hamadan calls for an intervention based on models and theories of behavior change to promote and maintain physical activity.

Herpes Simplex Type 2 (HSV-2) causes vaginal and cervical infections in women. The diagnosis of this virus is not a routine test in medical laboratories and therefore in many cases this infection is not diagnosed and reported. Consequently, the majority of women have a little information about this infection. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of HSV-2 infection in women with cervicitis admitted to Kermanshah medical centers. After recording patient's information, cervical samples were obtained from 239 women with cervicitis using swab. Then, following DNA extraction from samples, PCR was done using specific primers to determine UL42 gene of HSV-2. Of 239 women tested, 13(5.4%) had HSV-2 infection who mostly belonged to the age groups of 26-35 and 36-68 years old. Women with the history of abortion and infertility had 9.1 and zero percent infection, respectively. From clinical symptoms point of view, women with dyspareunia and vaginal discharge had the maximum rate of infection whereas in women with tubectomy HSV-2 infection was not found. Our result for the rate of HSV-2 infection was lower than the rates in most developed and developing countries which is consistent with the Iranian culture and less unrestrained sexual activities. However, the age groups with more sexual activities showed higher prevalence for HSV-2 infection.

Staying away from the familiar surroundings and family supports, along with weaknesses in capabilities, skills and aging- related failures can lead to mental problems in the elderly residing in nursing homes. Therefore, it is necessary to identify and strengthen the factors that reduce the old people’s vulnerability to these problems. One of the factors neglected in this area is hope. Hence, the aim of the present study was to examine the role of hope in mental problems of the elderly residing in nursing homes. In this descriptive- correlational study, 60 elderly (28 females and 32 males) with normal IQ, without severe physical and cognitive problems from the nursing homes of Zanjan city were selected by using full census method. The data was collected using demographic researcher-made questionnaire, Snyder hopefulness and SCL-90-R measures. Data analysis using Pearson correlation coefficient and multivariate linear regression indicated significant relationship in general, operative and strategic hope and GSI and some of its dimensions. Operative, strategic and general hope exhibited significant and relatively high variance in GSI and dimensions of depression, somatization, anxiety, hostility and paranoid (7, 7, 14, 9, 21 and 17.5%, respectively). Beta coefficients showed that higher scores in predictive variables led to lower mental problems and better mental health in the elderly. Hopefulness toward the future through strengthening forbearance of the existing circumstances, is regarded as a key element in facing stressful situations and reduces the elderlys’ vulnerability to mental disorders.