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Background: Aspirin (ASA) and helicobacter pylori infection are two major known risk factors for peptic-ulcer. This research aims to examine the interaction between helicobacter pylori and low dose ASA in inducing gastro-intestinal complications. Materials and Methods: The target group consisted of patients with cardiovascular disease who were under low dose ASA therapy. Patients, who had symptoms of dyspepsia, were placed in the case group and those who did not have these symptoms were placed in the control group. 5cc blood samples, required for conducting ELISA Ab., were taken simultaneously in both of the groups. ELISA positive patients underwent UBT test. UBT positive patients were categorized as helicobacter pylori positive and those with negative UBT were placed in the helicobacter pylori negative group. Finally, the ratio of dyspepsia incidence probability to Aspirin usage and helicobacter pylori infection was analyzed. Results: Of the 129 individuals present in the control group and 71 individuals who were in the case group, 72(36%) were UBT positive, and the rest were UBT negative. Of all the patients, 35.5% had dyspepsia and there was a significant difference between UBT positive and UBT negative individuals (p=0.001, OR=6.54). of 43 patients who had signs of intensified dyspepsia 23 persons under went endoscopy assessment which 20 of them were diagnosed with peptic ulcer. Eighty percent of the patients who had developed peptic ulcer, were UBT positive which revealed a significant difference with UBT negative (p=0.001, OR=8.86). Conclusion: In order to reduce gastro-intestinal complications, it is suggested that long term low dose Aspirin takers be subjected for screening and to receive treatment in terms of infection with helicobacter pylori and clinical manifestations.

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Background: Positive electrocardiogram (ECG) changes in patients with unstable angina or non-ST elevation myocardial infarction are well known, but problem arises when no specific changes in ECG are identified. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of these changes in hospitalized patients at Amir Kabir Hospital of Arak. Materials and Methods: This study was a cross-sectional one that was conducted on 124 patients hospitalized at the heart emergency ward of Arak Amir Kabir Hospital with unstable angina and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction. ECG changes and serum cardiac enzyme levels were analyzed on admission and 12 hours after admission. Results: According to patients’ history and serum cardiac enzymes, 62 patients had undergone myocardial infarction without ST segment elevation, 98.4% of whom had ECG changes and 1.5% showed no ECG changes. Of the 60 patients, who had been hospitalized with unstable angina, 90% showed ECG changes and the rest 10% revealed no such changes. Conclusion: In comparison to other studies reporting that 50% of patients with unstable angina and non ST elevation myocardial infarction reveal no ECG changes, a high percentage of patients referring with a chest pain to the heart emergency ward of Amir Kabir Hospital, had no significant changes in their ECG and were not hospitalized.

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Background: Live attenuated Shigella vaccines have shown promise in inducing protective immune responses in human clinical trials. The aim of this study was to design and construct pDS132::∆icsA as a suicide plasmid for targeted deletion of a region of icsA gene in Shigella. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, species and serotypes of Shigella isolated from diarrhea samples of children at Firozabadi and Milad Hospitals of Tehran were confirmed by using serological and PCR tests. Identification primers of icsA gene were designed and then cloned to the pGEM-5zf vector and sequenced. According to icsA restriction enzyme map, 1751 bp of icsA gene was deleted by HincП restriction enzyme and the ∆icsA was constructed successfully. The pGEM∆icsA vector was digested by use of SphI and SalI enzymes and was then cloned to a suicide vector (pSD132). Precision of the process was confirmed by phenotype and genotype tests. Results: The Shigella dysenteriae type 1 strain was verified by serological tests and PCR. Sequence of the icsA gene in the native strain was identical to the strains submitted in the gene-bank database. Since the pDS132::∆icsA contains 1484 bp derived from icsA gene, it can be used to disrupt icsA gene as a specific suicide vector. Conclusion: Application of suicide systems facilitated mutant construction in more specific and effective methods in comparison with the other primary techniques such as serial passage.

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Background: Taxol is a diterpenoid compound that was first isolated from yew tree (Taxus brevifolia) and later from other plants such as Corylus avellana. Studies have shown that some of the endophytic fungi isolated from these plants are also capable of producing taxol. DBAT gene is one of the key genes in taxol biosynthesis pathway that catalyzes the synthesis of Baccatin III, one of the main precursors in taxol biosynthesis. The aim of this study was to investigate taxol production by endophytic fungi isolated from Corylus avellana.

Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, endophytic fungi were isolated from hazelnut trees in the Fandoghlo area, Ardabil province, and purified through hyphal tip method. Genomic DNA was extracted using CTAB method. The presence of DBAT gene was examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Taxol production in fungal media was investigated via TLC (Thin Layer Chromatography) method.

Results: After purification, 60 fungi were isolated from different organs of hazelnut trees and the presence of DBAT genes in 12 isolates was proved by PCR with specific primers. Investigation of taxol production in culture of these isolates showed that 7 isolates were capable of producing taxol in laboratory conditions.

Conclusion: A group of endophytic fungi isolated from hazelnut, grown in the North West of Iran, had DBAT gene, encoding a key enzyme in the taxol biosynthesis pathway, and some were able to produce taxol in vitro.

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Background: Primary dysmenorrhea is chronic cyclical pelvic pain associated with menstruation in absence of an identifiable pathological condition. The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence and severity of dysmenorrhea among athletes and non-athlete girls and its relation with body composition.

Materials and Methods: In this cross sectional study 223 healthy students aging 20-30 years old from Guilan university randomly divided to two groups (72 athletes and 151 non-athletes). The athletes group engaged in regular physical activity for at least one year, three sessions a week and the non-athletes group were not engaged in any sports activity.  Data were collected by questionnaire and anthropometric measurements.

Results: The prevalence of dysmenorrhea was lower in athletes than non-athletes group (61.1% vs. 88.8%, p<0.001). A significant difference was observed in mood symptoms, physical symptoms and severity of pain between two groups (p<0.05). Also there was statistically significant relationship between body fat and physical symptoms of dysmenorrhea in both groups. However, no statistically significant relationship was observed between physical symptoms of dysmenorrhea, BMI and WHR.

Conclusion: It seems that performing regular exercise can be used as a preventing, treating or supplementary method in control of the early dysmenorrhea.

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Background and Aim: There exists increased demineralization risk of enamel adjacent to fixed orthodontic attachments by cariogenic bacterias (e.g., Streptpcoccus mutans, Streptpcoccus sobrinus) and inadequate data about commonly used orthodontic cements. Thus, we evaluated the antibacterial effects of three common domestic and foreign orthodontic cements (Glass ionomer, Zinc phosphate, & polycarboxylate) on two cariogenic pathogens (S. mutans & S. sobrinus).
Methods & Materials: In this laboratory study, after culturing two standard strains of Streptococcus mutans and Subrinus bacteria and concentrating and diluting them, a direct contact test was used to evaluate the antibacterial properties of types of cement. The study groups (n=5) included the following: three types of glass ionomer resilience cement, Hoffman’s zinc phosphate and Hoffman’s polycarboxylate, and three glass ionomer cement, zinc phosphate, and carboxylate from Aria Dent factory in Iran. The acquired data were analyzed using SPSS v. 17.
Ethical Considerations: The present study was approved by Babol University of Medical Sciences (Code: MUBABOL.REC.1391.7).Results: In both types of culture media, containing Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus subrinus bacteria, there was a significant difference between culture media containing 3 groups of cements respecting bacterial growth inhibition zone (P<0.001). In general, The mean diameter of the inhibition zone was greater in Iranian polycarboxylate, compared to its foreign counterpart (P<0.001).
Results: Regarding to zone of inhibition, there was statistically significant difference between three tested cements in both S.mutans and S.sobrinus culturing media (P<0.001). The mean diameter of inhibition zone was greater for Iranian polycarboxylate compared to its foreign counterpart (P<0.001).
Conclusion: Glass ionomer cement demonstrated better antibacterial effect compared to zinc phosphate and polycarboxylate cements. There was also greater antibacterial effect of three tested cements on S.sobrinus than S.mutans. Iranian polycarboxylate showed stronger inhibition on both mentioned bacterias compared to the foreign one.

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Background: Today, infertility is a major concern for public health and one of the most important crises in life, which leads to many psychological problems. Since cognitive-behavioral therapy emphasizes empowering and educating the patient to solve problems, this study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy on marital self-regulation and uncertainty intolerance in infertile women.

Methods:  This clinical trial study was performed on 30 infertile women referring to the infertility center of Sari city in two groups of case and control (15 patients in each group). Cognitive-behavioral therapy was performed in 12 sessions of 45 minutes, once a week for the experimental group, while the control group received the routine treatment. After the follow-up period, the control group also underwent psychotherapy. Both groups completed the questionnaires of marital self-regulation by Wilson et al. (2005) and uncertainty intolerance by Friston et al. (1994) in the pre-test, post-test and follow-up (45 days after the post-test) and were compared.

Finding: The results showed that in the two subscales of marital self-regulation in the experimental group, the average scores in the three stages of pre-test, post-test and follow-up respectively for the subscale of communication self-regulation (24.266 ± 6.273), (41.000 ± 3.207) and (35.266 ± 3.899) there was a significant increase in the post-test and follow-up compared to the pre-test stage(P<0.05). And the sub-scale of communication effort(19.333 ± 5.094), (8.666 ± 1.914) and (12.000 ± 2.449), and intolerance of uncertainty 92.600 ± 9.302), (67.400 ± 7.585) and (75.200 ± 10.975), had a significant decrease in the post-test and follow-up compared to the pre-test stage (P<0.05).

Conclusion: The results of the study showed that cognitive-behavioral therapy can be an effective intervention in improving marital self-regulation and reducing intolerance of uncertainty in infertile women.


 

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Introduction: Imaging of the vascular system supplying the brain parenchyma is a diagnostic tool in the evaluation of stroke patients. This study aimed to compare the results of digital subtraction angiography with color Doppler ultrasound of the carotid arteries in patients with ischemic stroke.
Methods: In this cross-sectional-analytical study, the medical records of patients with ischemic stroke admitted to Imam Khomeini Hospital from July 1401 to July 1402 were reviewed to collect data. Demographic information, along with the results of color Doppler ultrasound and digital subtraction angiography of the patients, were extracted and evaluated.
Results: This study included 48 patients with ischemic stroke with a mean age of 12.8 ± 0.67 years. Hypertension was present in 68.8%, diabetes mellitus in 20.8%, and smoking in 25% of patients. Based on the results of digital subtraction angiography and color Doppler ultrasound, the most common vascular abnormality was plaque (79.2%). Vascular stenosis and occlusion were present in 91.7% of patients. Color Doppler ultrasound in examining the right and left internal carotid arteries had a sensitivity of 94.9% and 92.8%, specificity of 66.7% and 38.9%, positive predictive value of 92.1% and 70.3%, and negative predictive value of 75% and 77.8%.
Conclusions: Color Doppler vascular ultrasound demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity in detecting the presence and severity of stenosis in internal carotid arteries of ischemic stroke patients, supporting its use as a non-invasive and cost-effective method in clinical practice.