Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely applied for examination and diagnosis of brain tumors based on its advantages of high resolution in detecting the soft tissues and especially of its harmless radiation damages to human bodies. The goal of the processing of images is automatic segmentation of brain edema and tumors, in different dimensions of the magnetic resonance images. Methods: The proposed method is based on the unsupervised method which discovers the tumor region, if there is any, by analyzing the similarities between two hemispheres and computes the image size of the goal function based on Bhattacharyya coefficient which is used in the next stage to detect the tumor region or some part of it. In this stage, for reducing the color variation, the gray brain image is segmented, then it is turned to gray again. The self-organizing map (SOM) neural network is used the segmented brain image is colored and finally the tumor is detected by matching the detected region and the colored image. This method is proposed to analyze MRI images for discovering brain tumors, and done in Bu Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran, in 2014. Results: The results for 30 randomly selected images from data bank of MRI center in Hamedan was compared with manually segmentation of experts. The results showed that, our proposed method had the accuracy of more than 94% at Jaccard similarity index (JSI), 97% at Dice similarity score (DSS), and 98% and 99% at two measures of specificity and sensitivity. Conclusion: The experimental results showed that it was satisfactory and can be used in automatic separation of tumor from normal brain tissues and therefore it can be used in practical applications. The results showed that the use of SOM neural network to classify useful magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and demonstrated a good performance.
Background: Jaundice is the most common cause of neonatal admission within the first month after birth. Therefore, by identifying the causes of jaundice based on the infant’s age at disease onset and age at hospital admission and providing the required training, jaundice can be managed and its associated complications can be prevented. This study was performed to evaluate the causes of neonatal jaundice, based on the infant’s age at disease onset and age at hospital admission.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, out of 3,130 infants with jaundice, referring to Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad, Iran, from 2003 to 2015, 2,658 newborns were selected. Causes of jaundice are determined based on hematocrit, direct and indirect bilirubin, Coombs test, reticulocyte count, blood group and Rh of mother and neonate, thyroid tests, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) enzyme testing, urinalysis, urine culture, and If necessary, Na, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and other tests depending on the doctor's supervision. After confirming jaundice in infants, based on the physician’s diagnosis and laboratory results, a researcher-made questionnaire including the infant’s characteristics, was completed.
Results: Based on our study, 27.9% of infants had identified as causes of jaundice. Known causes of jaundice were blood group incompatibility (40%), infection (19%), G6PD enzyme deficiency (12%), endocrine disorders (8%), neonatal hypernatremic dehydration (7%), polycythemia (6%), congenital heart disease (CHD) (4%), occult bleeding (3%) and Crigler-Najjar syndrome (2%). The most common time of hospital admission of jaundice was 4-6 days after birth due to blood incompatibilities, occult bleeding, endocrine disorders, hypernatremic dehydration, CHD, polycythemia and G6PD enzyme deficiency. Moreover, the most common time of admission due to infection was after the first week of birth.
Conclusion: The most common age of onset of jaundice was first three days of birth for blood incompatibility, although they were admitted two days later. Therefore, neonatal admission at appropriate time at onset of jaundice and receiving prompt treatments can reduce the probable complications (e.g., kernicterus).
Background: Sexual dysfunction could be under the influence of some underlying medical problems. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between medical problems and sexual function in post-menopausal women.
Methods: This is a community-based, descriptive-correlation study of 405 post-menopausal women residing in Chalus and Nowshahr cities, North of Iran, aged 40 to 65 years old from October 2013 to May 2014. A multistage, randomized sampling was conducted. The data was acquired through interviews using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire and a researcher-made questionnaire, and was analyzed using descriptive and analytical tests such as multiple linear regression and logistic regression models.
Results: 51.4% of the subjects had medical conditions. Cardiovascular disorders were the most common diseases among the subjects. 61% of the women were suffering from female sexual dysfunction (FSD). Sexual dysfunction in patients with medical conditions was significantly higher (P= 0.037). Scores of arousal (P= 0.000), orgasm (P= 0.018), and satisfaction (P= 0.026), as well as the FSFI total score (P= 0.005), were significantly lower in subjects with cardiovascular disorders. Scores of desire (P= 0.001), arousal (P= 0.006), lubrication (P= 0.010), orgasm (P= 0.004), and satisfaction (P= 0.022), as well as the FSFI total score (P= 0.017), were significantly lower in subjects with diabetes. Scores of pain were significantly lower in subjects with musculoskeletal disorders (P= 0.041), they experienced more pain during intercourse. In domains of arousal (P= 0.030), satisfaction (P= 0.040), and pain (P= 0.044), the scores of those taking antihypertensive medications were significantly lower than the scores of the rest of the subjects. Scores of desire (P= 0.001), arousal (P= 0.006), orgasm (P= 0.006), and satisfaction (P= 0.048), as well as the FSFI total score (P= 0.006), were significantly lower in those taking antidiabetic drugs. And lastly, the mean satisfaction score in women whose spouse had medical conditions was significantly lower (P= 0.040).
Conclusion: Cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, and musculoskeletal disorders could have a negative impact on sexual function in post-menopausal women. Thus, these diseases must be considered and treated in order to improve women’s health, particularly their sexual function.
Background: Self-immolation is a common method for suicide among women in developing countries. Culture is considered as an influential factor for attempting suicide by selfimmolation. Better understanding of the influence of culture will be useful to develop specific prevention strategies. Therefore, the study aimed to explore how the culture can influence on
attempting suicide by self-immolation among women.
Methods: The study was performed by a qualitative approach using directed content analysis in Imam Khomeini Hospital, Kermanshah, Iran, 2011- 2013. Our participants were selected purposefully among patients who attempted suicide by self-immolation (n= 9), their relatives (n= 6), and treatment staff (n= 6). We used semi-structure interview
for data gathering. The interviews were tape recorded and transcribed. Then, transcribed interview was analyzed by constant comparison.
Results: The main extracted theme was self-immolation sub-culture. Two main categories and 6 sub- categories were also emerged that explored the effect of culture on attempting suicide by self-immolation. The main categories were cultural restriction, and cultural acceptation. Marriage- divorced related traditions, living in extended family, and cultural
conversations and cultural meanings of self-immolation were among extracted subcategories. The category of cultural restriction described the role of culture in the occurrence of family conflicts as a predictor of attempting suicide by self-immolation, and cultural acceptation, the second category, explained how self-immolation is accepted as a
method of choice of suicide in the understudied culture.
Conclusion: Our finding showed that subculture of self-immolation provides influential conditions for attempting suicide by self-immolation. According to the findings, cultural restriction may facilitate conditions to occurrence of attempting self-immolation, and cultural acceptance provides conditions to perdurability of self-immolation as a method of
suicide. Considering these conditions is recommended in designing prevention programs.
Viruses are important causes of acute and chronic diseases in humans. Newer viruses are still being discovered. Apart from frequently causing infections in the general community, many types of viruses are significant nosocomial pathogens that with emerging viruses has become a real issue in medical field. There are specific treatments, vaccine and physical barrier to fight some of these infections. Health care-associated viral infections are an important source of patient’s morbidity and mortality. The method of sterilization or disinfection depends on the intended use of the medical devices (comprising critical, semicritical and noncritical items) and failure to perform proper sterilization or disinfection of these items may leads to introduction of viruses, resulting in infection. Disinfection is an essential way in reducing or disruption of transmission of viruses by environmental surfaces, instruments and hands which achieves by chemical disinfectants and antiseptics, respectively. This review discusses about chemical agents with virocids properties (e.g. alcohols, chlorine compounds, formaldehyde, phenolic compounds, glutaraldehyde, ortho-phthaldehyde, hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid, iodophor, ammonium compounds quaternary, bigunides and so on.), mechanisms of action and their applications in health care-associated viral infection control. As well as, we described an overview for hierarchy of viruses in challenge with disinfantans, effective agents on viral inactivation, i.e.targect viruses, viral stability or survival duration time in enviromental surfaces and hands. We explained disinfection of surfaces, challenges in emerging viral pathogens inactivation, viral resistance to chemical disinfectants and antiseptics. Because, there are laboratory studies and clinical evidences for some viruses which viral resistance to biocide or failure to perform proper disinfection can lead to infection outbreaks. Also, we described virucidal properties of antiseptics and introduced selected antiseptics with extensive virucidal action, because hands play an important role in the spread of many viral diseases, and regular proper hands hygiene is essential to decontaminate hands and can interrupt the spread of viruses. Here, we compared the currently available laboratory methods, standard methods from many countries and kinds of viruses in these methods for evaluation of virocide activity. Finally, it’s good to know: any disinfectant is not virocide unless it confirms by laboratory methods.
Background: It is reported that high frequency of chromosomal aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes of individuals is a marker of cancer predisposition. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro frequency of chromosomal damage in lymphocytes of patients with head and neck cancer against gamma irradiation compared with those in healthy individuals.
Methods: In a case and control study, peripheral blood lymphocytes of 101 patients with head and neck cancer were collected before the onset of radiotherapy. Lymphocytes of 40 healthy individuals were also collected as controls. Head and neck cancer patients and the control group were consecutively recruited between April 2012 and February 2015 from Clinics of Cancer Institute, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran, Iran. Lymphocytes of patients or control group were cultured and exposed to gamma radiation in G2- and G0- phase of the cell cycle. The induced chromosomal aberrations such as chromosome and chromatid breakages, chromosome and chromatid gaps, chromatid exchanges and micronuclei were scored in one-hundred metaphase cells of each individual. The mean of each chromosomal aberration was compared in patient and control groups. Early and late tissue reactions were scored during radiotherapy treatment or thereafter.
Results: There was no significant difference in demographic characterization between the two study groups. The frequency of radiation- induced G2 aberrations in lymphocytes of patients was significantly higher than in those of healthy donors (P= 0.001 for chromosomal breaks). The frequency of radiation-induced micronuclei in G0 assay was also higher in patients than in those in controls (P= 0.05). The results also indicate that there is no correlation between the two assays. No significant correlation was also observed between aberration frequencies in lymphocytes and the degree of both early and late normal tissue reactions.
Conclusion: The results indicate that the in vitro chromosomal radiosensitivity of peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with head and neck cancer against gamma irradiation was significantly higher than that in healthy individuals.
Background: Anembryonic gestation (blighted ovum) is the most common identifiable pathology in the first trimester of pregnancy, always leads to miscarriage. Early pregnancy failures from blighted ovum are often due to chromosomal abnormalities and a poor quality of sperm or egg. Oxidative stresses as a factor of disturbance balance between the production of free radicals and antioxidant defenses is involved in the pathogenesis of many diseases, including mouth and throat cancer and cardiovascular disease. Catalase is one of the defensive systems against damages caused by oxidative stress in human. The aim of this study was to compare the activity of salivary catalase in women with blighted ovum and women with history of normal pregnancy.
Methods: This case-control study was performed on 34 patient women with blighted ovum and 34 healthy women as a control group. The study was performed in biochemistry laboratory at the University of Guilan from October 2015 to July 2015. The age range was 20-44 years and 18-45 years in patient and control groups, respectively. Unstimulated saliva samples were collected using spitting method. Catalase activity was measured by evaluating the constant rate of hydrogen peroxide decomposition in patient and control groups.
Results: The patient group matched with healthy subjects in average age and having no other diseases history. The biochemical enzymatic assays indicate that the average catalase activities of saliva in patient and control groups were 14.47±3.8 and 16.42±3.48, respectively. Therefore, the catalase activity was significantly reduced in patient group as compared to the control group (P=0.03).
Conclusion: The obtained results suggested that oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of blighted ovum. Therefore, determination the activity of other antioxidant enzymes, in addition to catalse, may be used as a marker for diagnosis of blighted ovum. More studies with larger studied-population is recommended to confidently comment on the results of this study.
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Background: The genome of the bacteria has considerable diversity in terms of sequence of nucleotide bases and change over the time. With the advancement of bioinformatics science possibility of the vast comparison to living organisms has risen. During the last two decades many information about genome sequencing of pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria have been published. Using this information and to find connections between them and many phenotypic characteristics and behavior of bacteria could be used in many studies. In this study we compared some of the genetic, phenotypic and behavioral properties of archaebacteria and eubacteria. Methods: In this analytical study, genomic Information of 286 species of archaebacteria and 122 species of eubacteria were collected from the NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) site which was conducted in April to June 2015. Mean of gene size, gene number, protein number and C+G content compared in the two groups of archaebacteria and eubacteria. Association of genomic characterization of bacteria with several other characteristics were analyzed using SPSS statistical software version 19 (Chicago, IL, USA). For this purpose, the Pearson correlation coefficient (Pearson), Student’s t-test and ANOVA test (One-way analysis of variance) was used. The P values less than 0.05 was considered as significant level. Results: There was significant association between means discrepancy in two group (P= 0.01). The genome size of eubacteria and archaebacteria have significant association with some of the characteristics of bacteria, such as the C+G content, the number of proteins, genes and habitats of the bacteria (P= 0.01). As well as there was significant association between genome size and features such as number of pseudogene, mobility and type of breathing in eubacteria (P= 0.01) but not in archaebacterial (P˃ 0.05). |
Conclusion: Many characteristics of eubacteria and archaebacteria are significantly associated with genomic properties. Comparison genomics of bacteria will help in identification of evolutionary origins as well as differences between different categories of bacterial.
It was assumed that the loss of cardiomyocytes is irreversible. The main goal is to develop widely available and clinically applicable treatments for heart diseases. The several studies have showed that the use of stem cells can improve complicacies such as cardiovascular diseases. Stem cells have a potential benefit of the self-renewal and cell differentiation into the cell types that can play an important role in the organogenesis and the embryonic development. In a lifetime, the heart muscle has a population of cardiac stem cells (CSCs) in which a dramatically increase after cardiovascular damages. So far, seven types of CSCs have been discovered with the different molecular phenotype and the cell differentiation potential. In this regard, the proliferation and the differentiation increase of CSCs in the cardiac ischemic areas can be a key factor to improve heart complicacies. Paracrine and/or autocrine factors, the extracellular matrix and the genetic mediators including microRNA can control the function of CSCs. It has clearly been understood that the factors mentioned previously have the ability to improve these complicacies. The differentiation, the survival and the self-renewal of CSCs are largely under the control of factors in the heart microenvironment. Several studies showed that the cytokines and the growth factors play the important role in the proliferation and the migration of CSCs. Taking advantage of these factors together CSCs to repair damaged heart can enhance this method efficiency. This review will discuss the different kinds of CSCs, their molecular phenotype and cardiac regeneration potential in order to improve cardiovascular diseases. It seems that CSCs-based therapy is emerging as a novel approach for myocardial repair over conventional cardiovascular therapies. Therefore, understanding the new aspects on the molecular mechanisms and the signaling pathways involving CSCs is critical for the development of the therapeutic strategies in cardiac patients that would be valuable for researchers in both fields of molecular and clinical cardiology.
Background: Cancer diagnosis is the biggest stress for the child and his family. Diagnosis and treatment of cancer in children can cause stress, which often has a negative effect on the health of parents. Psychological reactions such as anxiety, depression, denial and loss of confidence in parents observed that because of the fear of recurrence and future of children. This study aimed to determine the level of stress and anxiety and depression in parents of children with leukemia who were in the maintenance phase of treatment.
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Methods: This cross-sectional study has been conducted on 48 parents have referred to the clinic of Dr. Sheikh Hospital of Mashhad City, Iran, whom selected using easy sampling method. DASS-21 questionnaire was used for data collection. Another questionnaire containing demographic information such as age, sex, income, educational level and duration of illness was filled under supervision of the psychologist and pediatric physician. Data with SPSS software, ver. 20 (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA), descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis was performed. Results: The results showed that in this study, 37% had abnormal stress levels (33% and 2% of mild stress, moderate stress and severe stress 2%) and 79% had abnormal anxiety level (mild 19%, moderate 31% and severe 29%) and 67% had abnormal depression level (mild 33%, moderate depression 33%) tests, respectively. In our study, there was no relationship between age, sex and duration of illness with these variables. |
Conclusion: According to this study, in addition to the classic treatment of patients, parent’s mental performance should be paid attention.
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Background: Schizophrenia (SC) and bipolar disorder (BD) are two chronic psychiatric illnesses with worldwide distribution. People could be involved at any age, particularly in early adolescence. Main symptoms of SC are non- affective symptoms such as auditory hallucination and illogical thinking. In contrast, BD represents affective symptoms such as depression and mania. Although the main cause of these mood disorders has been remained elusive, there are some potential contributing factors that could be considered in the pathogenesis of mentioned illnesses including, genetic and environmental factors. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is one of the probable contributing factors in SC and BD. CMV is a prototype of herpesviridae family which may infect different cell types such as endothelial and differentiated hematopoietic cells. CMV infections in immunocompromised patients as well as congenitally infected children represent CNS complication such as microcephaly and hearing loss. This virus has capability to impair the limbic structures in brain. Methods: This descriptive study was designed to evaluate the role of CMV in these illnesses. We investigated the level of serum IgG antibody and the presence of CMV DNA in serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) samples of 46 SC and BD patients admitted to Iran Psychiatry Hospital Tehran, Iran from 2014 to 2015 as well as 46 healthy control groups at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. First, the level of CMV IgG antibody was evaluated in serum samples, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Then, DNA extraction conducted by using the high pure viral nucleic acid kit (Roche, Germany). Serologically positive sera along with PBMC samples were tested by Real-time PCR, to investigate the presence of CMV DNA. Results: Results indicated higher levels of CMV IgG antibody in psychiatric patients, compared with a healthy control group. Afterward, we did not observe the presence of CMV DNA in either case or control groups. Conclusion: According to the CNS impairment mediated by CMV infection, this virus has been supposed to play an important role in pathogenesis of mental disorders such as SC and BD. We suggest further investigation to be conducted, particularly on other samples such as cerebrospinal fluid. |
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Background: Hyperbilirubinemia is the most common cause for readmission in the early neonatal period 5 to 36 percent of healthy term infants who are discharged from hospital are again hospitalized due to severe to moderate hyperbilirubinemia. Detection of major and minor risk factors associated with neonatal jaundice helps to identify high-risk infants and prevent neonatal jaundice. This study was performed aiming to evaluate the major and minor risk factors associated with jaundice in infants hospitalized. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 2207 term infants (<15 days) with hyperbilirubinemia (>15 mg/dl) in neonatal clinic or emergency unit or neonatal intensive unit, of Mashhad Ghaem Hospital, Iran, from April 2010 to May 2016. The jaundice of infants was confirmed by the pediatrician and laboratory tests. Then the researcher-made questionnaire containing maternal information and neonatal characteristics was completed. Values were expressed as mean±SD. Student t-test and Mann-Whitney test were used as appropriate. P-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Sixty one percent of neonates had major risk factors and 80% of neonates had minor risk factor for jaundice. For neonatal jaundice, the most common major risk factors were significant weight loss (27.5%), jaundice visible in the first 24 hours (16.3%), history of treatment with phototherapy and exchange transfusion in sibling (14.8%), Gestational age of 35 to 36 week (9.9%), ABO incompatibility (9.2%), RH incompatibility (3.3%) and G6PD deficiency (3.33%), and the most common minor risk factors were age over 25 years (51.4%), male (49.7%), history of hyperbilirubinemia in sibling (22.3%), diabetic mother's infants (1.5%). Conclusion: The major risk factors for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia were significant weight loss, jaundice visible in the first 24 hours, history of treatment with phototherapy and exchange transfusion in sibling, gestational age of 35 to 36 week, ABO incompatibility, RH incompatibility and G6PD deficiency. |
| Results: After analyzing the mutation cluster region (MCR), we have identified five germline mutations with 5bp deletion at codon 1309 of the APC gene (c.3927_3931delAAAGA), that it is equivalent to 15.2% (5.33). This mutation has been known as a small deletion, that it is a variant of frameshift mutation. Mutation at codon 1309 has significant association with clinical and pathological features including the number of polyps (P=0.001), duodenum demonstration (P=0.008), fundic gland polyp (P=0.002) and congenital hypertrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium (P=0.021). Conclusion: The analysis of the findings has shown that mutation in Codon 1309 of adenomatous polyposis coli gene may be associated with severe polyposis and extracolonic manifestations. In conclusion, there may be a correlation between a specific germline mutation and the extracolonic manifestations. |
| Results: In this study, the prevalence of jaundice due to maternal diabetes was 2.10 percent. Birth weight (P=0.02), current age (P=0.003), parity (P=0.000), maternal age (P=0.000), age of recovery (P=0.04), cesarean section (P=0.001), prematurity (P=0.000), maternal problems during pregnancy (P=0.000), abnormal physical examinations (P=0.001) in diabetic mother's infants and Bilirubin (P=0.000), length of hospitalization (P=0.003), in infants with unknown jaundice were higher. Conclusion: The infant of diabetic mother are at increased risk of maternal and neonatal complications. Neonatal complications consist of high birth weight, preterm labor, more jaundice and late recovery, abnormal physical examinations. Also, maternal complications during pregnancy and cesarean section were high. |
| Results: The data showed enhanced level of the expression of AXIN2 gene in the colonic polyps in comparison to the normal tissues (RQ>2), which was significantly upper in adenoma polyps compared to the hyperplastic group (P=0.015). Also, unlike the rectum, the AXIN2 gene activity in colon area was higher than normal tissue. |
| Results: In this study, the birth weight of infants and the age of mothers did not differ between two groups (Respectively P=0.56, P=0.08) However, HbA1c was significantly higher in the infants of mothers with impaired glucose tolerance test (GTT) (P<0.001). In infants of mothers with impaired GTT, ventricular septal thickness was significantly higher than the healthy controls (P=0.03), Also there was a significant difference between two groups in tissue Doppler criteria (Ea) (P=0.04), In other echocardiographic criteria, no significant differences were reported (The LA/AO, LVPWT, LVEF, LVEF, LVFS, LVFS, LVEDd, LVESd, Sa and Aa, All P-values were ≥ 0.05). Conclusion: Diabetes mellitus of mothers causes several complications in their infants. The prevalence of cardiomyopathy hypertrophy is higher in babies whose mothers have higher levels of HbA1c and a sign of poor control of blodd glucose level during pregnancy. |
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