Background: Wharton's Jelly Mesenchymal Stem Cells (WJMSc) are potential renewable source of cells in replacement therapies of many diseases. Different biomaterials have been used as a scaffold to mimic the stem cell niche, which is important for promoting cellular interactions, cell proliferation and differentiation. Encapsulation involves entrapment of living cells within the semi-permeable membrane for the exchange of nutrients, oxygen and stimuli, whereas antibodies and host immune cells are kept out. In this study, a new approach for culturing and differentiating Wharton's Jelly Mesenchymal Stem Cells to definitive endoderm in a three dimensional environment using alginate capsules is presented.

Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, Wharton's Jelly Mesenchymal Stem Cells were capsulated and Trypan blue exclusion method was applied to determine cells viability. Then, encapsulated cells have been cultured in medium contain differentiating factors and to investigate the expression of definitive endoderm related genes, Real- time PCR was performed.

Results: The encapsulation procedure did not alter the morphology and viability of the encapsulated cells. Post-differentiation analysis confirmed the expression of FOXa2 and SOX17 as definitive endoderm specific markers.

Conclusion: Alginate has potential to be used as a three dimensional scaffold for culturing and differentiation of WJMSCs to definitive endoderm.

Background: Brucellosis is a major cause of zoonosis disease and is endemic in hamadan Province in Iran. The purpose of this study was to isolate Brucella species from brucellosis patients and identify different species of this bacterium in order to determine the prevalence of the species.

Materials and Methods: This study was descriptive- cross sectional and fifty blood samples were obtained from brucellosis patients with clinical symptoms. The samples were cultured in BACTEC system and incubated for 14 days. Then, the samples were cultured on Brucella agar and biochemical tests were done for identification of bacteria. Finally, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) applied for confirmation and isolated identification with specific primers.

Results: Seven Brucella strains were isolated from 50 blood samples of the patients with brucellosis by blood culture and PCR. The PCR results on blood specimens showed 4 positive in spite of the negative results of blood culture. PCR and biochemical methods revealed that all the 11 isolated bacteria were Brucella Melitensis.

Conclusion: This study was designed to evaluate PCR technique as a diagnostic tool for brucella spp in comparison to conventional techniques. This study showed a high prevalence of brucellosis due to Brucella Melitensis in Hamadan Province and efforts in this region should be aimed at the eradication of this bacterium.

Background: Gentamicin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic that broadly is used to treat gram negative bacteria infections, although it has side effects such as nephrotoxicity. According to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and vasodilatory properties of Zataria Multiflora, the effects of co-treatment with zataria Multiflora and hydroalcholic extract on gentamicin induced nephrotoxicitj were investigated.

Materials and Methods: In this study, male rats of Vistar race were divided into 4 groups: control group, co-treatment with gentamicin and vehicle group, co-treatment with gentamicin and zataria Multifiora extract group, and co-treatment with zataria Multiflora extract and normal saline solution group. Zataria Multiflora hydroalcoholic extract was added to drinking water as 800 PPm concentration. They, systolic blood pressure and renal blood flow (RBF) were measured. Also, the amounts of urea, creatinine, sodium, potassium and osmolarity were measured in plasma and urine samples

 Results: In co-treatment group with zataria Multiflora extract, the amounts of urea, creatinine, absolute sodium excretion and relative sodium and potassium excretion and malondialdehyde (MDA) that have been inceased in treatment with gentamicin, significantly were reduced. Creatinine clearance, urine osmolarity, RBF and FRAP that was decreased in gentamicin group in compare to control group, significantly increased.

Conclusion: Co-treatment prevents nephrotoxicity induced by gentamicin and attenuates oxidative-stress associated renal injury by reducing oxygen free radicals and lipid peroxidation, So it can be effective to cure rats receiving gentamicin.

  Background: The prevalence of constipation in childhood is 0.7% to 29.6%. Inorganic causes are considered as the most common cause of constipation in children. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is the most effective and safest laxatives which is usable in children in the long-term. This study was conducted to evaluate and compare the effect of PEG treatment and probiotic bacilluscoagulans and bifidobacterium and probiotic to enhance the growth of probiotics.

  Materials and Methods: In this double blind clinical trial study(interventional study), 120 children aged 2-16 years with chronic functional constipation enrolled the study based on ROME III criteria. The bowels became empty by using liquid paraffin. Then, children were randomly divided into three groups of polyethylene glycol+placebo and Probiotics+placebo and polyethylene glycol+probiotics recipients. After 6 weeks of treatment, treatment success rates between the three groups were compared before and after the study Data analyzed by SPSS 20 software.

  Results: The results of the study conducted on the three groups for treatment of constipation showed that the effect of polyethylene glycol and probiotic on treatment was considerable before and after treatment but the levels of effect was similar in the comparison of groups. The simultaneous use of two drugs was more effective than a single drug.

Conclusion: Overall, the results of our study showed that concurrent use of polyethylene glycol and probiotics is much more effective in the treatment of constipation.

Background: Many of key problems in students with attention deficit disorder are related to executive dysfunction that in this field neurofeedback training and computer games are effective. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of neurofeedback training and computer games on continuous attention and planning ability in students with attention deficit disorder.

Materials and Methods: This study was a quasi-experimental with a pre-test and post-test design and with a control group. The statistical population was included all elementary students with attention deficit disorder that referred to counseling centers of Mashhad city in 2013. Totally, 45 students were selected through available sampling method and randomly assigned to three groups. The experimental groups were educated 12 sessions of 60 minutes by neurofeedback and computer games methods. To assess continuous attention and planning, the CPT and Tower of London computerized tests were used, respectively. Data were analyzed by using the SPSS-19 software and multivariate analysis of covariance (MONCOVA) methods.

Results: The findings showed that both methods of neurofeedback training and computer games significantly lead to increase continuous attention and planning in students with attention deficit disorder. Also, there wasn't any significant difference between two methods in continuous attention and planning (P<0/05).

Conclusion: The results showed that neurofeedback training and computer games methods were effective in improving continuous attention and planning for students with attention deficit disorder. Therefore, counselors and therapists can use mentioned methods in treatment of students with attention deficit disorder.

Background: The efflux pumps are one of the main mechanisms of resistance to antibiotics in E. coli and K. pneumoniae strains. The aim of this study is to study the association between genes coding efflux pumps AcrAB and Qep A and ciprofloxacin resistance among E. coli and K. pneumoniae clinical strains

Materials and Methods: This study was done on 100 strains of E. coli isolated from Taleghani and Labbafinejad Hospitals and 100 strains of K. pneumoniae isolated from Taleghani and Mofid Children Hospitals. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed by disk diffusion method based on CLSI guidelines. Identification of genes encoding efflux pumps Acr AB and Qep A was done by PCR technique.

Results: In this study, fosfomycin and imipenem had the best effect against E. coli clinical isolates and fosfomycin and tigecycline had the best effect against K. pneumoniae clinical isolates. PCR assay demonstrated that the prevalence of AcrA, AcrB and QepA genes among E. coli isolates were 92%, 84% and 0%, respectively and among K. pneumoniae isolates were 94%, 87% and 4%, respectively.

Conclusion: The prevalence of genes encoding efflux pumps in E. coli and K. pneumoniae clinical strains, which causes resistance to fluoroquinolones, is cause for concern. Therefore, controlling infection and preventing the spread of drug-resistant bacteria needs to manage medication carefully and identify resistant isolates.

Background: Gentamicin (GM) is one the aminoglycoside antibiotics which isroutinelyused to treatinfections gram-negative, either alone or insynergistic withbeta-lactamantibioticsused. However, frequent useleads toserious side effectssuch asrenal toxicity, ototoxicity. Coenzyme Q₁₀ has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and vasodilatory properties. According to these properties of Coenzyme Q₁₀ and tissue damage mechanism in GM induced-nephrotoxicity, in this study, the effects of these two substances for the co-treatment and post -treatment on renal injury induced by gentamicin were investigated.

Materials and Methods:  Experiments has been done on 77 male Wistar rats in weight range of 200 to 250 g. Animals were divided randomly into 5 groups of 7 numbers. Renal nephrotoxicity induced by i.p injection of gentamicin (100mg/kg) Therapeutic effect of coenzyme Q₁₀ (10mg/kg)in the two protocols co-treatment  and post-treatmentwas investigated.The animals after the last injectionon the ninth day of co-treatment andthe seventeenth day of post-treatmentwere placed into individual metabolic cages so as to collection urine and urine volume was measured gravimetrically. Afteranesthesia, systolic blood pressure and renal blood flow was measured. Then blood sampling was done. Amount of urea, creatinin, sodium, potassium and osmolarity was measured in plasma and urine samples. Left kidney, for doing histological experiments in 10% buffered formaldehyde and right kidney for biochemical experiments in fluid nitrogen was preserved.

Results: Co-treatment with Coenzyme Q10 significantly decreased fractional excretion of sodium (6.37±1.33 %; p<0.001) and decreased fractional excretion of potassium(219.14±83.8 %; p<0.001) MDA levels (2.13 ±0.24µmol/gkw; p<0.001), and significantly increased renal blood flow (6.38 ±0.1ml/min: p<0.01) and FRAP levels (24.44±0.42mmol/gkw; p<0.001). Post-treatment with coenzyme Q10 significantly decreased fractional excretion of sodium (3.58 ±0.57 %; p<0.001), potassium (111.77±29.4%; p<0.001) and MDA levels (3.08 ±0.12µmol/gkw; p<0.001) and significantly increased renal blood flow (6.74±0.15ml/min: p<0.001) and FRAP levels (24.34±0.75mmol/gkw; p<0.001) that is reduced by gentamicin.

Conclusion: According to the results, this study showed thatpost- treatment with coenzyme Q₁₀more protective effect on the kidney tissue andAnda greater increase inantioxidant defensecreated.

Abstract

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS) is the most common endocrine aberration in women. PCOS is characterized by ovarian hyperandrogenism and anovulation resulted from a disorder of follicular maturation. Apoptosis is a regulatory mechanism for oocyte maturation and survival. Several studies have shown a possible role of Fas in ovarian apoptosis. The present study is the first investigation to examine the possible association of Fas rs1800682gene polymorphism with PCOS risk in Iranian women.

Materials and Methods: This case-control study was conducted on 251 patients with PCOS and 213 healthy control women. The Fas rs1800682 gene polymorphism genotypes were analyzed using the Tetra-ARMS-PCR method. Also, logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association between genotypes and PCOS risk.

Results: There was a significant association between A allele and susceptibility to PCOS(OR =1.4, %95CI=1.08-1.83, p=0.011). Moreover, in the recessive genetic model for A allele, the AA genotype increased the risk of PCOS after adjusting age and body mass index(OR=1.6, %95CI=1.02-2.51, p=0.041).

Conclusion: For the first time, this study showed that Fas rs1800682 polymorphism is associated with PCOS risk in Iranian women and the A allele may act as a recessive allele for increasing the risk of PCOS.

Abstract

Background: The present research aimed to measure the effectiveness of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) on reducing the severity of symptoms of post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Stuttering in a four-year-old child post-traumatic stress disorder in children is one of the disorders relating to trauma and stressful factors, also, stutterring or word fluency disorder is a nerve growth disorder.

Materials and Methods: This research design was conducted as a case study with a multiple baseline design. Participant in this research was a four-year- old child with Diagnostic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Psychogenic Stuttering. He had been placed under the intervention with EMDR at Shahid Birjand Counseling Center. The instruments used for this research included demographic researcher-made questionnaire, the third edition of stuttering severity test, the scale of parents’ report of post-traumatic Symptoms and child’s report of posttraumatic Symptoms. Data analysis was done through graphic and descriptive analysis. The data was collected as base line and during the treatment as well as after the treatment and follow-up (in terms of 3 and 24 months).

Results: Means percentage improvement (MPI) to reducing the severity of post-traumatic symptoms was achieved as %74.66 and it was %56.06 for reduction of the severity of stuttering and they continued to maintain in the follow-up period.

Conclusion: Results showed that EMDR method had affected on reduction of the severity of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and stuttering intensity.

Background and Aim: Coping with stress is one of the most important research areas in health psychology. Researching in this regard requires a tool with strong psychometric properties and validation in Iranian culture. The purpose of this study was to investigate the most commonly used short-scale factor structure, the Carver’s Brief Cope.
Methods & Materials: This study was a cross-sectional and methodological study of test type. The statistical population consisted of all students studying at Birjand University in 1977-98. Sampling was available by the method. The condition for entry into the study was the experience of a stressor for at least 6 months. After receiving a medium or high score on the perceived stress level, 629 students completed the 28-question form. Data was analyzed using SPSS V. 15 and laser software V. 8.8. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to determine the factor structure of the questionnaire. A confirmatory factor analysis was used to confirming the factors. Reliability was established through retesting and internal consistency.
Ethical Considerations: This study is part of a PhD. thesis, registered (Code: IR.UM.REC. 3/50099) at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. Before entering the study, an informed consent was obtained from the subjects.
Results: After confirming the face and content validity quantitatively and qualitatively, the exploratory factor analysis results after varimax rotation showed 55.139% of the total variance explained by the first eight factors with a higher than one specific value. However, in confirmatory factor analysis, the first two factors, 4 and 7, were omitted due to insufficient power to explain the present variables. Finally, the goodness-of-fit indices of the RMFIA, PFI, GFI, IFI, IFI, CFI, AGFI confirmed the fit of the six-factor structure with the data. Reliability of the instrument was also confirmed by internal consistency (α=0.73) and test-retest reliability (r=0.59).
Conclusion: The highly abbreviated 6-item form of Carver’s Brief Cope showed good validity and reliability in the student sample and can be used in health psychology studies.