Journal of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences
Volume:18 Issue: 9, 2015

Green tea is a rich source of Epigallocatechingallate and has many antioxidant properties that can increase bone mineral content. On the other hand, people in current industrialized societies are in direct contact with contaminants such as bisphenol A that, in addition to causing environmental problems, are harmful to human�s health. In this study, following extraction and cultivation of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, third passage cells were divided into 13 groups, control, different doses of bisphenol A (250 and 1000 nM) and different doses of Epigallocatechingallate (5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 M) + bisphenol A, and were treated in an osteogenic environment for 21 days. Afterward, viability and mineralization of bone matrix were assessed. To continue the study, 250 nM dose ofbisphenol A and 30 M dose of Epigallocatchingallate were selected. Simultaneous effect of bisphenol A and Epigallocatchingallate on osteogenic differentiation of cells through MTT tests, alizarin red, evaluation of intracellular and extracellular calcium deposition content, alkaline phosphatase enzyme activity and morphology of differentiated cells was analyzed by florescent colors. Based on two-way ANOVA, 250 and 1000 nM doses of bisphenol A caused a highly significant reduction in the viability of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (P<0.05). Moreover, Epigallocatchingallate (30 M) was able to reduce the destructive effect of bisphenol A on bone marrow stem cells. The present study showed that Epigallocatechingallat can compensate for the destructive effects of bisphenol A on mesenchymal cells.

Selenium is a micronutrient that plays an important role in immunological mechanisms and body's resistance to pathogens, and may drastically impact the outcome of pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to compare selenium level in maternal blood and neonatal umbilical cord between term and preterm neonates.

In this cross–sectional analytical study, the study population consisted of term and preterm neonates that were born at Imam Reza hospital, Kermanshah, and their mothers in 2013. 82 samples were selected, and selenium level in maternal blood and neonatal umbilical cord was measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Data were analyzed by SPSS-21 software using independent t-test, U Mann-Whitney and Pearson correlation coefficient.

Serum selenium levels in the umbilical cord blood of term and preterm neonates were 70.11±11.6 and 56.98±13.13 μg/L, respectively, that showed a statistically significant difference (P<0.001). Serum selenium levels in the maternal blood of term and preterm neonates were 92.77±12.87 and 81.29±15.89 μg/L, respectively, which indicated a significant difference (P<0.001). However, in both term and preterm infants, there was a significant correlation between serum selenium level of maternal blood and neonatal umbilical cord blood (P<0.001).

Serum selenium level in maternal blood and neonatal umbilical cord blood of preterm neonates was lower than that of term neonates. Moreover, there was a significantly direct correlation between serum selenium level of maternal blood and neonatal umbilical cord blood.

Family is a basic institution of society whose structure and relationships it affect the community. Obviously, studying the factors contributing to maintaining the family and strategies to deal with family problems are very important. The aim of the present study was to compare the type of irrational beliefs, marital conflicts and coping styles in divorce-seeking women and women with intact marriages in Tabriz, Iran.

The study method was descriptive, causal-comparative. The study sample included all 18-30 year-old married women seeking divorce and all 18-30 year-old married women with intact marriages in Tabriz, Iran. 200 women (2 groups of 100 women, one seeking divorce and one with intact marriage) were selected through convenience sampling in the first group and via simple random sampling in the second group. The instruments for data collection were standardized scales: Jones Irrational Beliefs Test, Sanaei’s Marital Conflict and Endler and Parker coping styles. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and MANOVA test.

The results showed a significant difference between the couples seeking divorce and women with intact marriages in terms of irrational beliefs, marital conflicts and coping strategies (P<0.001). The women seeking divorce had irrational beliefs, marital conflicts and emotion-oriented coping strategies.

Irrational beliefs, marital conflicts and coping strategies in couples seeking divorce are important to be taken into account.

Given the high prevalence of diabetes and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and conflicting reports about bone mineral density in type 2 diabetes, this study was conducted to compare bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with and without type 2 diabetes. In this case-control study, 64 postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes and 64 healthy postmenopausal women (matched for age) were selected. Then lumbar spine and femoral bone mineral density measurements were performed using DXA. Data were analysed by SPSS-14 software using t-test and chi-square tests. No statistically significant difference was reported between both groups in terms of body mass index, parity, menopausal age, calcium intake, serum levels of calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase. Also, postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes had a slightly higher mean of bone mineral density in lumbar and femoral regions than non-diabetic women. But this difference was not statistically significant (P≥0.05). Based on the findings of this study, type 2 diabetes mellitus is not a risk factor for osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.

Parenting a child with cerebral palsy is associated with a number of challenges. The purpose of the present research was to compare the life quality in mothers of children with cerebral palsy and normal children. In this case-control study, 105 mothers of children with cerebral palsy were randomly selected as the experimental group and 105 mothers of normal children that were matched with the first group in terms of demographic variables were selected as control group. The participants answered the quality of life questionnaire)SF-36). The collected data were analyzed by SPSS-18 statistical software and independent t-test. Analysis of findings showed that there was a significant difference between whole life quality of mothers of normal children and mothers of children with cerebral palsy (t=6.324, p=0.001). Also, there was a significant difference between groups in other domains of quality of life except physical health domain (p=0.001). The research findings showed that whole life quality level of mothers of children with cerebral palsy was lower than that of mothers of normal children. Thus, clinical professionals should be concerned about poor quality of life in parents of children with cerebral palsy and provide the required resources to support these children.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the predictive power of anxiety, depression, stress and self-concept dimensions (Mental ability, job efficiency, physical attractiveness, social skills, and deficiencies and merits) as predictors of nicotine dependency among university students in Isfahan. In this correlational study, 110 male nicotine-dependent students at Isfahan University were selected by convenience sampling. All samples were assessed by Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS), self-concept test and Nicotine Dependence Syndrome Scale. Data were analyzed by Pearson correlation and stepwise regression. The result showed that anxiety had the highest strength to predict nicotine dependence. In addition, the self-concept and its dimensions predicted only 12% of the variance in nicotine dependence, which was not significant. Emotional processing variables involved in mental health play an important role in presenting a model to predict students’ dependence on nicotine more than identity variables such as different dimensions of self-concept.

Quality of life is an important and applicable concept in the realm of social health and welfare. This study was carried out to investigate the health-related quality of life of women living in marginal areas of Kermanshah and some related factors. This cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 555 people that were selected from 6 marginal areas of Kermanshah city by multistage sampling method, and completed WHOQOL-BREF and Security Sense questionnaires. Data were analyzed by SPSS- 18 software using independent t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation and multiple regression tests. The mean age of respondents was 32.5±12.7 and 65.9% of them were married. The highest and lowest mean scores of the respondents’ quality of life were reported for physical health domain (55.6±17.4) and environmental health domain (44.7±16.0), respectively. The results of regression test showed that women’s QOL domains were explained by "security sense" and "health status" followed by "marital status" and "physical activity" variables. The health-related quality of life of women in marginal areas of Kermanshah was not in an acceptable level, and their QOL was explained by some variables such as "security sense", "health status", "marital status" and "physical activity".