Mahmoud Salami, Gholam Ali Hamidi, Zahra Aghanouri, Mozhgan Dadkhah,
Volume 11, Issue 4 (12-2008)
Abstract
Background: Sensory signals and intrinsic activity of the neuronal circuits deeply influence on developing the sensory systems in early life. Light deprivation of animals is known as an established method in assessment of environmental signals in development of the nervous system. Methods and Materials: In this experimental study eighteen male rats at 75 days of postnatal age were used. The animals were divided in two groups, one reared in a cycle of 12light/12dark (light reared-LR) and the other keep in darkness since birth through experiment (Light deprived- LD). The animals were trained in a Morris water maze for spatial memory. They must navigate the maze until finding a platform hidden 1 cm below of water. Then, the time required and the distance spent to find the platform were measured for assessment of the animal behavior. Each animal was given 4 trials/day and the experiment lasted for 6 days. This stage was followed by probe and postprobe tests to evaluate how the learning is consolidated. Results: The results indicated that, compared to their LD counterparts, the LR group was superior in finding the platform where they required a noticeable shorter time to hit the platform(p<0.009). Also, animals in the LR group steered a shorter distance to find the target than did the LD animals(p<0.034). While the two groups elicited a considerable difference during the first half of the experiment both LR and LD rats demonstrated a similar behavior over the second half of the study. Conclusion: The light deprivation negatively influences the spatial navigation in water maze so that the visually deprived rats show less ability in searching the maze based on the spatial cues.
Nahid Salarkia, Maryam Amini, Maryam Eslami, Monireh Dadkhah, Telma Zoghi, Homa Haidari, Morteza Abdollahi,
Volume 13, Issue 2 (6-2010)
Abstract
Background: Inappropriate feeding is one of the major causes of malnutrition in children. This study was carried out to get an insight into mothers’ views and beliefs about the role of complementary feeding in children under the age of two. Materials and Methods: In this qualitative study, data were collected through 11 focus-group discussions (FGDs) with mothers, who had children under the age of two, in urban and rural areas of Damavand in 2007. Each FGD was held in the presence of a moderator, two note takers, and an observer. At the end of field work, all notes were collected and coded according to the objectives of the study. Then the subgroups for each objective were obtained, and emerging themes were extracted and reported. Results: In the study, six general themes were identified:(1) The mothers viewed complementary feeding as simple, soft, light foods which are especially made for children (2) the best time for introducing complementary feeding was 6 months of age (3) there were no complementary local foods in Damavand (4) for children under the age of one, a different type of food was separately prepared (5) home-made complementary food was preferred over the ready made type, and (6) children were fed with table food from the first year of life. Conclusion: Despite their sufficient knowledge about the advantages of complementary feeding, the majority of mothers, due to some socio-cultural limitations, had a weak performance. In this regard, in addition to making revisions in current training programs and protocols, providing effective and goal-oriented educational programs for mothers and others who take care of children is strongly recommended.
Seyed Amir Dadkhahi, Ali Arash Anoushirvani, Reza Aghabozorgi,
Volume 20, Issue 2 (5-2017)
Abstract
Background: Most of the current regimens in the treatment of multiple myeloma include thalidomide. Thalidomide is a modulator of the immune system and according to several studies, its main complication is thromboembolism. The aim of this study is to compare the thromboemboli prophylactic effect of aspirin and low dose warfarin in standard risk multiple myeloma patients that treated with regimens containing thalidomide.
Materials and Methods: In this double- blind clinical trial study, sixty-six patients with multiple myeloma under treatment with thalidomide-containing regimens with standard risk for thromboembolism who were admitted to Khansari hospital, entered the study according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The incidence of thromboembolism in these patients was evaluated.
Results: Five patients in the warfarin group and 2 patients in the aspirin group had thromboemboli. Chi square analyses showed no significant difference between groups (p=0.635).
Conclusion: The results showed that both drugs are effective in preventing thromboembolism and can be used as a prophylactic treatment.
