فصلنامه کومش
سال شانزدهم شماره 2 (پیاپی 54، زمستان 1393)

One of the consequences of the worldwide population aging phenomenon is the increasing number of the neurodegenerative diseases, with Alzheimer's disease, as the most predominant one. The prevalence and etiology of Alzheimer's varies in different regions of the world, due to the structure of the aged populations in different countries. The social and economic burdens of geriatric diseases in the decade of the "demographic transition", have engaged the health systems in a serious challenge. Thus, it seems essential to identify the developing factors for neurodegenerative diseases in each country. In this review, the etiology of Alzheimer's disease has been investigated in different populations, also the possible factors that may explain the risk of developing Alzheimer’s in the future (such as vascular risk factors and depression) as well as protective factors that may reduce the risk of incidence (such as social, physical and cognitive activities, diet rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants, and controlled vascular risk factors). Studies have shown that beginning education in early life and being engaged with entertaining mental activities during adulthood, while trying to maintain on good vascular health or optimal controlling vascular diseases can be preventive strategies against Alzheimer’s disease.

Chronic renal failure produces physical and psychological problems in patients who are receiving hemodialysis, because of reducing the life standards. Selenium deficiency is common in hemodialysis patients. Selenium has antioxidant and cardio-protective effects, which can raise the quality of life in hemodialysis patients. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of selenium supplement on quality of life in hemodialysis patients.

In this one-blinded clinical trial, 80 hemodialysis patients were selected by random systematic sampling and divided into experimental and control groups. Experimental group received 200 micrograms of selenium supplement in the form of selenium yeast and control group received a placebo capsule every day for three months. Quality of life questionnaire (SF-36) specific to hemodialysis patients was completed for every patient at the beginning and at the end of the intervention.

quality of life improved in the group receiving selenium supplements, both in the physical and mental aspects (P<0.05), while no significant changes were seen in the control group. In comparing two groups after three months, significant differences were seen in the aspects of general health, social functioning and degree of limitations due to emotional problems and mental health.

Selenium has a significant effect on improving quality of life in hemodialysis patients and in this way it can affect general health in these patients. This study, for the first time, has taken into consideration the potential effects of selenium supplement on improving the quality of life in hemodialysis patients.

Academic achievement has been one of the efficiency indexes of every educational system that is influenced by many factors. This study has been conducted with the aim of surveying the views of Lecturers’ and students at Rehabilitation College of Semnan University of Medical Sciences on the factors influencing students’ academic achievement.

In the current study, which is a cross-sectional descriptive-analytic one, a census method was employed and it was conducted in the academic years of 2012 and 2013. The participants of the study were 130 sophomore and higher level university students majoring in physiotherapy, occupational therapy speech therapy at Bsc level and as many as 40 Lecturers at the Rehabilitation College of Semnan University. For the purpose of data collection, a 25-item self-developed questionnaire on Likert scale was developed and its reliability and validity was confirmed.

Among the five areas surveyed in the study based on the perspective of Lecturers and students, factors related to student (4.43±0.49) and (4.17±0.52) received the highest scores. Meanwhile, the lecturers assigned the lowest score to family factors (3.53± 0.53) and students scored facilities of the educational environment the lowest (3.84±0.90). A comparison of the views revealed that there is a significant difference between the lecturers and students’ perspectives on student (p=0.007), family (p=0/017) and socioeconomic factors (p=0.001). Like lecturers, the students perceived future job opportunity of the field, interest in the field and self-confidence as effective factors on academic achievement.

Considering learners and factors closely related to them as well as preparing grounds for increasing learners’ motivation, confidence and interest in the field have appreciable influence on learners’ academic achievement.

Listeria monocytogenes is the disease agent of listeriosis and creates primary meningitis, septicemia and food poisoning in due to consumption dairy in adults. In pregnant women usually causesbacterimia that lead to inflammation of the placenta, fetal infection and eventually abortion. Since today strains of L.monocytogenes have progressivily become resistant to various antibiotics and the antimicrobial materials, this makes it necessary to synthesize the nanopaticle which have antimicrobial effects. Purpose of this study was also to synthesize ZnO nanoparticle with magnesium doping (ZnO:Mg) and investigate its inhibitory effect on L.monocytogenes.

ZnO:Mg nanoparticle were prepared and synthesized using Sol-Gel method in Atomic Percents of 1%, 3%, 5%, 7%. Tests of XRD and transmission electron microscopy performed in order to study the structure of the nanoparticle and evaluation its quality and also measurement of Optical density and scanning electron microscopy was used to study antimicrobial effect of nanoparticle.

The results obtained from measurement of optical density and scanning electron microscopy showed that depending on the parameters of nanoparticle dilutions, atomic percent, temperature and duration, the amount of bacteria colonies has been significantly and mainly decreased and inhibited.

Due to the growing trend of drug resistance, suitable structural characteristics and purity crystalline nanoparticles ZnO:Mg, it can be inoculated, particularly in atomic percentages of 5% and 7% for the inhibition and destruction of L.monocytogenes.

Oral lesions are common in the adult population and can lead to soft tissue enlargement by different mechanisms. Prominent lesions in the oral cavity are generally reactive hyperplasia or neoplasia. The differential diagnosis between these lesions and other malignancies, specially their simultaneous occurrence were always a challenge for the practitioners. This study is a case report of a rare association of two relatively common lesions, irretentive fibroma and squamous papilloma in oral cavity of a 32 years old man. To our knowledge there was no other cases reported involving incidence of these two lesions in the oral mucosa, either at the same site or at different locations,