Effect of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Pain Severity and Mindful Awareness in Patients With Tension Headache: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Background: Programs to improve the pain and health status in illnesses with pain such as headache are still in their infancy. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a new psychotherapy that appears to be effective in treating chronic pain. Objectives: This study evaluated efficacy of MBSR in improving pain severity and mindful awareness in patients with tension headache. Patients and Methods: This study was a randomized controlled clinical trial that was conducted in 2012 in Shahid Beheshti Hospital of Kashan City. Sixty patients who were diagnosed with tension-type headache according to the International Headache Classification Subcommittee were randomly assigned to treatment as usual (TAU) or MBSR groups. The MBSR group received eight weekly treatments. Any session lasted 120 minutes. The sessions were based on MBSR protocol. Diary scale for measuring headache and Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) were administered at pretreatment, and posttreatment, and three-month follow-up in both groups. The data was analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance. Results: The mean of pain severity was 7.36 ± 1.25 before intervention that was significantly reduced to 5.62 ± 1.74 and 6.07 ± 1.08 after the intervention and follow-up (P < 0.001). In addition, the MBSR group showed higher scores in mindful awareness in comparison with the control group at posttest session. The mean of mindful awareness before intervention was 34.9 ± 10.5 and changed to 53.8 ± 15.5 and 40.7 ± 10.9 after the intervention and follow-up sessions (P < 0.001). Conclusions: MBSR could reduce pain and improve mindfulness skills in patients with tension headache. It appears that MBSR is an effective psychotherapy for treatment of patients with tension headache

Reconnecting Magnetic Flux Tubes as a Source of In Situ Acceleration in Extragalactic Radio Sources

Many extended extragalactic radio sources require a local {\it in situ\/} acceleration mechanism for electrons, in part because the synchrotron lifetimes are shorter than the bulk travel time across the emitting regions. If the magnetic field in these sources is localized in flux tubes, reconnection may occur between regions of plasma \be (ratio of particle to magnetic pressure) $<<1$, even though $\beta$ averaged over the plasma volume may be \gsim 1. Reconnection in low $\beta$ regions is most favorable to acceleration from reconnection shocks. The reconnection X-point regions may provide the injection electrons for their subsequent non-thermal shock acceleration to distributions reasonably consistent with observed spectra. Flux tube reconnection might therefore be able to provide $in\ situ$ acceleration required by large scale jets and lobes.Comment: 14 pages, plain TeX, accepted to Ap.J.Let

Effects of environmental parameters and nutrients on phytoplankton communities around the shrimp farm complexes in Bushehr Province, in the Persian Gulf

The aim of this work was to be informed and aware of the red tide conditions before the entering of algal blooms in seawater supply canals of the shrimp farm and hatchery complexes in Bushehr Province. Field investigations and monthly samplings have been carried out to determine environmental parameters, nutrients, chlorophyll–a and phytoplankton in the southern part of the input water channels of Mond, Delvar and Heleh farmed shrimp complexes from April to December 2011. The identified phytoplankton belonged to three classes of Bacillariophyceae, Dinophyceae and Cyanophyceae. 12 genera belonging to Dinophyceae, 25 genera to Bacillariophyceae and two genera to Cyanophyceae were observed during the study. The highest average density of total phytoplankton was recorded at Heleh station at 18374 cells/lit. The maximum density of phytoplankton was at Delvar station in December. The highest density of Dinophyceae was observed in August. Alexandrium sp., Ornithocercus and Prorocentrum sp. were the predominant species of Dinophyceae class. Bacillariophyceae are thermo-tolerant and halo-tolerant while Dinophyceae and Cyanophyceae are thermo-intolerant and halo-intolerant. Bacillariophyceae are silica limited while Dinophyceae are phosphorus limited phytoplankton

Intrapelvic Lumbosacral Fracture Dislocation in a Neurologically Intact Patient: A Case Report

Introduction: Lumbosacral fracture dislocation is a rare entity mainly occurred in high-energy trauma accidents. In this unstable injury, anatomical separation of the spinal column from pelvis is usually associated with severe neurological deficits. Case Presentation: We described a 16-year-old girl with extremely severe axial trauma to the lumbosacral spine who presented with fracture dislocation of the lumbosacral spine and its intrusion to the pelvic space. Despite violent lumbosacral joint dissociation on imaging studies, the patient was neurologically intact. She was treated with spinopelvic fusion and instrumentation. Conclusions: Although spinopelvic fracture dislocation injuries are severe high-energy entities, in cases with traumatic spondylolytic spondylolisthesis due to widening of the vertebral canal, neurologic deficit may not be seen at all

Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Mood States of Veterans With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Background: Mood and negative emotional states and their regulation in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder have family, social and employment problems. Practices that could be helpful in this area are highly important. Objectives: The current study aimed to investigate the influence of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in improving mood state of combat veterans. Patients and Methods: In this randomized clinical trial study, participants were selected from the patients referring to the counseling center of the veterans. The participants had post-traumatic stress disorder according to diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fourth edition, text review (DSM-IV-TR). Sixty- two patients were randomly assigned into 2 groups: (31 for MBSR and 31 for the control group). Results: Analysis showed that there were no significant differences between the groups at baseline (P < 0.05). Comparison of the results between the two groups before the two-step test showed that anger and vitality scales between the two groups have no significant differences, but on the other scales (depression, dizziness, fatigue and tension), differences between pre and post-test groups were significant in the two groups. Conclusions: It was concluded that mindfulness-based stress reduction is a useful method to regulate the mood state in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who have difficulties in mood and emotions in Kashan

Expression, Tissue Distribution and Function of miR-21 in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Objective:MiR-21 is an oncomir expressed by malignant cells and/or tumor microenvironment components. In this study we focused on understanding the effects of stromal miR-21 on esophageal malignant cells.Design:MiR-21 expression was evaluated in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples from patients with esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC) by quantitative RT-PCR. MiR-21 tissue distribution was visualized with in situ hybridization. A co-culture system of normal fibroblasts and esophageal cancer cells was used to determine the effects of fibroblasts on miR-21 expression levels, and on SCC cell migration and invasion.Results:MiR-21 was overexpressed in SCCs, when compared to the adjacent non-tumor tissues (P = 0.0007), and was mainly localized in the cytoplasm of stromal cells adjacent to malignant cells. Accordingly, miR-21 expression was increased in tumors with high versus low stromal content (P = 0.04). When co-cultured with normal fibroblasts, miR-21 expression was elevated in SCC cells (KYSE-30), while its expression was restricted to fibroblasts when co-cultured with adenocarcinoma cells (OE-33 and FLO-1). MiR-21 was detected in conditioned media of cancer cell lines, illustrating the release of this miRNA into the environment. Co-culturing with normal fibroblasts or addition of fibroblast conditioned media caused a significant increase in cell migration and invasion potency of KYSE-30 cells (P<0.0001). In addition, co-culturing cancer cells with fibroblasts and expression of miR-21 induced the expression of the cancer associated fibroblast (CAF) marker S100A4.Conclusions:MiR-21 expression is mostly confined to the SCC stroma and its release from fibroblasts influences the migration and invasion capacity of SCC cells. Moreover, miR-21 may be an important factor in "activating" fibroblasts to CAFs. These findings provide new insights into the role of CAFs and the extracellular matrix in tumor microenvironment formation and in tumor cell maintenance, and suggest miR-21 may contribute to cellular crosstalk in the tumor microenvironment. © 2013 Nouraee et al

Personality Types and Emotional Intelligence as Predictors of Academic Achievement in Students at Kashan University of Medical Sciences

Background: Type of personality and emotional intelligence affects a person’s mental function and capabilities, which can influence academic achievement. Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between emotional intelligence, type of character and academic achievement. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study on students of Kashan University of Medical Sciences in 2012. In total 221 students participated in the study. In addition to demographic information, a Five Factor Personality Questionnaire and Emotional Quotient Inventory were used. Participants completed questionnaires in their classrooms. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 16. Descriptive statistics were calculated and analysis of variance and regression analysis were used. Results: Students in the various disciplines were not statistically different in terms of personality. Students with different grade point averages were significantly different in relation to: problem-solving, happiness, self-actualization, optimism, self-respect, flexibility and total emotional quotient (EQ) scores (P < 0.05). However, no statistically significant differences were observed between personality types in students with different grade point average. All variables (EQ, agreeableness, extroversion, openness, consciousness) except neuroticism were excluded from the regression model. Conclusions: Some components of personality types and emotional intelligence are predictors of academic achievement. Therefore, attention to these issues in students is needed to ensure the best achievement gains

Role of public sector in developing agricultural biotechnology in Iran

Agricultural experts in the field of biotechnology in Iran were surveyed in order to explore their perception  about factors influencing the participation of public sector in developing agricultural biotechnology in Iran.  Based on the results of the study, policy making, marketing, infrastructural, educational and research factors determined about 74% of variance of factors influencing the participation of public sector in developing agricultural biotechnology.Key words: Biotechnology, agriculture, Iran, public sector

A narrative review of thallium toxicity; preventive measures

Thallium (Tl) toxicity is an important clinical disease and its effects on the human body are devastating. Tl poisoning is an important health issue in many countries in the world. Thallium is a toxic heavy metal that exists in nature. Tl toxicity may occur in food and drinking water, occupational exposure, environment (air, industrial combustion of coal, water, and plants), arable soils and vegetables, aquatic and terrestrial animals, prenatal thallium exposure, illicit drugs, cigarette smokers. Adding lead to the opium is a recently health hazard that has been observed among opioid poisoned patients. The clinical manifestation of Tl poisoning has a wide spectrum but painful ascending peripheral neuropathy, gastrointestinal, and dermatologic manifestations are major characteristics in Tl toxicity. The toxicity of thallium based compounds is mainly caused by the similarity between TL ions and potassium ions, which results in the disorder of potassium associated metabolic processes due to thallium interference. The aim of this review is to assess identify eliminate, sources or control sources, and environmental exposures and hazards to prevent thallium toxicity. © 2019, Advanced Scientific Research. All rights reserved