تجربیات زیسته یک مادر دارای کودک مبتلا به سندرم وردینگ هافمن: مطالعه موردی کیفی The Lived Experiences of the Mother of a Child with Werdnig-Hoffman Syndrome: A Qualitative Case Study

مقدمه: سندوم وردینگ هافمن جزء بیماری‌های تحلیل برنده و پیش‌رونده عصبی- نخاعی محسوب می‌شود که به صورت اتوزومی نهفته به ارث می‌رس

Prevalence and genetic characterization of Cryptosporidium spp. In diarrheic children from Gonbad Kavoos city, Iran

Background: Cryptosporidium is an intestinal protozean parasite causing water-borne and foodborne outbreaks of diarrheal diseases. The present study was per-formed in order to find prevalence and subtypes of Cryptosporidium among children with diarrhea in Gonbad Kavoos City, Northern Iran. Methods: Diarrheic samples were collected from 547 children. The initial parasi-tological diagnosis was made based on detection of oocysts using the modified Ziehl-Neelsen acid-fast staining method. The positive microscopically samples were selected for sequence analysis of partial 60 kDa glycoprotein (gp60) gene. Results: Out of 547 collected samples, 27 (4.94) were positive for Cryptosporid-ium oocysts. Fifteen from 27 positive samples successfully amplified in PCR. Se-quences analysis of gp60 gene in 15 Cryptosporidium isolates revealed that all of them (100) were C. parvum. The results showed three subtypes of IIa subtype family (7 cases) including IIaA16G2R1, IIaA17G1R1, IIaA22G3R1 and one subtype of IId subtype family (8 cases). The most common allele was IId A17G1d (53.3). Conclusion: The predominance of zoonotic subtype families of C. parvum species (IIa, IId) in the present study is in concordance with previous studies in Iran and emphasizes the significance of zoonotic transmission of cryptosporidiosis in the country. © 2015, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS). All rights Reserved

The effect of quinapril on the aortic contractile response of streptozotocin-diabetic rats

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors appear to correct many of the abnormalities associated with the vascular dysfunction found in diabetic patients. In this respect, quinapril is a unique ACE inhibitor with multiple protective effects. The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of intraperitoneal administration of quinapril on the aortic reactivity of streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats. For this purpose, male Wistar rats received one injection of streptozotocin (STZ), 60 mg/kg, to induce diabetes. Three days after STZ injection, rats were treated with quinapril (2 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks, after that aortic reactivity to vasoactive agents were compared with those of untreated diabetic rats or non-diabetic control rats. For this purpose, contractile response to phenylephrine (PE) was obtained from aortic rings. Concentration-response curves from quinapril-treated diabetic rats to PE in the presence and absence of endothelium were attenuated as compared to vehicle-treated diabetics. Therefore, the 4-week treatment of diabetic rats with quinapril could prevent the functional changes in vascular reactivity in diabetic rats

Discrimination of Entamoeba spp. in children with dysentery

Aim: The present study was performed in order to differentiate E. histolytica and E. dispar in children from Gorgan city, using a PCR method. Background: Differential detection of two morphologically indistinguishable protozoan parasites Entamoeba histolytica and E. dispar has a great clinical and epidemiological importance because of potential invasive pathogenic E. histolytica and non-invasive parasite E. dispar. Patients and methods: One hundred and five dysentery samples were collected from children hospitalized in Taleghani hospital in Gorgan city. The fecal specimens were examined by light microscopy (10X then 40X) to distinguish Entamoeba complex. A single round PCR amplifying partial small-subunit rRNA gene was performed on positive microscopy samples to differentiate E. histolytica/ E. dispar and E. moshkovskii from each other. Results: Twenty-five specimens (23.8%) were positive for Enramoeba complex in direct microscopic examination. PCR using positive controls indicated E. histolytica and E. dispar in two (2/25, 8%) and three (3/25, 12%) samples, respectively. Conclusion: There is a warrant to performing molecular diagnosis for stool examination at least in hospitalized children in order to prevent incorrect reports from laboratories and consequently mistreating by physicians. © 2014 RIGLD, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases

Teaching Scholarship: An Opportunity for Faculty Development or a Threat دانش‌پژوهی آموزشی فرصتی برای رشد و بالندگی اساتید است یا تهدیدی به شمار می رود؟

اعضای ‌هیأت‌علمی ‌به ‌عنوان ‌سرمایه‌های ‌ارزشمند‌ جامعه،‌ نقش ‌بسیار‌ حساس‌ و ‌ارزشمندی ‌در ‌تربیت ‌نیروی ‌انسانی ‌متخصص ‌ایفا‌ می‌نمایند(1). قلمرو نقش‌های اعضای هیأت‌علمی، گسترده و برخاسته از کارکردهای آموزش عالی است(2). موضوع دانش‌پژوهی آموزشی و استفاده از آن در ارتقای اعضای هیأت‌علمی همواره دست‌خوش تلاطم‌هایی بوده است، از این رو نویسندگان حاضر بر آن شدند تا به گوشه‌ای از چالش‌های موجود اشاره نمایند. دانش‌پژوهی هر نوع فعالیت برجسته علمی در حیطه‌های کشف، آموزش، کاربرد نتایج پژوهش‌های اصیل، یکپارچه‌سازی اطلاعات به دست آمده از اجزاء مختلف یک رشته یا رشته‌های مختلف، تحقیق و نوآوری در هر یک از موارد فوق، انجام فعالیتی برجسته در جهت حل مسأله، گسترش مرزهای دانش و ورود به عرصه‌های جدید است(3). فعالیت‌های دانش‌پژوهی آموزشی شامل کلیه فعالیت‌هایی است که در حوزه آموزش و در سطوح مختلف صورت می گیرد و شامل تدریس، برنامه‌ریزی آموزشی، راهنمایی و مشاوره، مدیریت و رهبری آموزشی و ارزیابی فراگیران (به شرح آنچه در آیین‌نامه ارتقا آمده است) می‌شود(4). وجه مهم دانش پژوهی آموزشی آن است که با انتشار و گسترش فرایند و نتایج فعالیت‌های صورت گرفته، از یک سو امکان نقد و ارزیابی آن توسط سایرین فراهم گردد و این امکان فراهم شود که جامعه آموزشی بتواند اقدامات بعدی خود را بر مبنای این نتایج به پیش برد. اگرچه اعضای هیأت‌علمی ابتدا به عنوان معلم استخدام می‌شوند اما در نقش پژوهشگر ارزیابی می‌گردند و کارکردهای تدریس و یادگیری در سایه پژوهش محوری حاکم بر دانشگاه کم رنگ می‌شود. حاکمیت پژوهشی و کم رنگ شدن سایر نقش‌های اعضای هیأت‌علمی در اغلب دانشگاه‌های دنیا وجود دارد(5). این مسأله سبب شده است تا سیاست‌گذاران آموزشی در پی آن باشند به نحوی فعالیت اساتید را جهت‌دهی کرده و این فعالیت‌ها را در راستای اهداف نظام علم و فناوری کشور قرار دهند. آیین‌نامه‌های ارتقـای مرتبـه اعضـای هیـأت‌علمـی یکـی از مهم‌ترین ابزارهای تحقق چنین هدفی است. این آیین‌نامه از سال 1387 در کشور اجرا شده است، اما علی‌رغم چالش‌هایی که بر آن وارد است هنوز هم همه اساتید از معیار و نحوه نمره‌دهی آن اطلاع دقیقی ندارند. نویسنده حاضر با توجه به تجربه یک دهه کار در مرکز مطالعات و توسعه آموزش دانشگاه، در سال‌هایی که آیین‌نامه دانش‌پژوهی آموزشی اجرا می‌شده است همواره با اظهار مواردی از قبیل "وقت نداریم، دانش‌پژوهی آموزشی به حجم کارهای ما اضافه کرده است" از طرف اعضای هیأت‌علمی به ویژه اساتید بالینی و همچنین شرطی شدن و حذف شرطی بودن دانش‌پژوهی آموزشی در آیین‌نامه ارتقا مواجه بوده است. شواهد غیررسمی دال بر آن است ممکن است اعضای هیأت‌علمی به دانش‌پژوهی آموزشی به مانند تکلیفی تحمیلی بر مجموع وظایف یک استاد بنگرند و به جای ایجاد نقش توسعه و بالندگی آن را تهدیدی بدانند. بررسی‌ها نشان می‌دهد دانشگاه‌ها از رویکردهای مختلفی برای مقابله با این چالش استفاده کرده اند؛ برگزاری دوره‌های توجیهی برای اساتید به خصوص اساتید تازه کار و برگزاری دوره‌های آموزشی برای به روز نمودن اساتید جهت تهیه مواد آموزشی و کمک آموزشی نوین و ساده‌سازی فرایند ثبت اجرای دانش‌پژوهی از جمله این اقدامات است که به نظر می‌رسد از اثرگذاری چندان مطلوبی برخوردار نبوده‌اند. در برخی از دانشگاه‌ها از مدل‌های خاصی برای دانش‌پژوهی آموزشی مانند مدل EQ2 شامل چهار جز اصلی "تدریس، مشاوره و منتورینگ، توسعه کوریکولوم و ارزشیابی فراگیر"(6) استفاده شده است و در ارتقای عضو هیأت‌علمی نیز به کار گرفته می‌شود. شواهدی نیز حکایت از آن دارد که داشتن انگیزه شخصی و داشتن زمینه و تجربه در آموزش به تنهایی کافی نیست و حمایت مؤسسه برای انجام دانش‌پژوهی آموزشی بسیار ضروری می‌رسد(7). در مجموع می‌توان گفت علی‌رغم این که چندین سال است موضوع دانش پژوهشی آموزشی در دانشگاه‌ها مطرح شده است اما به نظر می‌رسد همچنان این موضوع در میان اعضای هیأت علمی غریب است و برای بهینه سازی آن باید از خرد جمعی و تجربیات موفق داخل و خارج کشور استفاده نمود

First Report of Vannellidae Amoebae (Vannella Spp.) Isolated From Biofilm Source

Background: Members of the Vannellidae family are free-living amoebae (FLA) distributed mainly in water and soil sources. The present study reports the first isolation of this genus in the biofilm source from hospital environment in Tehran, Iran.Methods: Biofilm samples were collected from hospital environment. Cultivation was performed in non-nutrient agar covered with a heat-killed Escherichia coli. Cloning of the suspected amoe­bae was done. PCR amplification and Homology analysis using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLASTn) was performed to search for the most similar reference sequences.Results: Microscopic examination showed numerous fan-shaped amoebae and peculiar cysts differ­ent to the usual shape of typical FLA. Sequence analysis of the PCR- product revealed that the suspected amoebae are highly homologous with Vannella spp. gene (99% identity and 100% query coverage) available in the gene bank database.Conclusion: Although Vannella spp. is not proved to be pathogenic itself, but they are capable of har­boring pathogenic intracellular organisms such as Microsporidian parasites. Thus, identifica­tion of such amoebae can be of clinical importance, as they could lead to transmission of other pathogens to human

Prevalence of Intestinal Parasites in Bakery Workers in Khorramabad, Lorestan Iran

Background: Food contamination may occur through production, processing, distribution and prepara­tion. In Iran especially in Khorramabad, 33° 29' 16" North, 48° 21' 21" East, due to kind of nutrition, cul­ture and economic status of people, bread is a part of the main meal and the consumption of bread is high. In this study, the bakery workers were studied for determining of intestinal parasites prevalence.Methods: The study was carried out during September to November 2010 in Khorramabad. All the 278 baker­ies and the bakery workers including 816 people were studied in a census method and their feces were examined for the presence of parasites by direct wet-mount, Lugol's iodine solution, and formalde­hyde-ether sedimentation, trichrome staining, and single round PCR (For discrimination of Entamoeba spp).Results: Ninety-six (11.9%) stool specimens were positive for different intestinal parasites. Intestinal para­sites included Giardia lamblia 3.7%, Entamoeba coli 5.5%, Blastocystis sp. 2.1%, Entamoeba dispar 0.4%, Hymenolepis nana 0.1%, and Blastocystis sp. 0.1%.Conclusion: In order to reduce the contamination in these persons, some cases such as stool exam every three months with concentration methods, supervision and application of accurate health rules by health ex­perts, training in transmission of parasites are recommended

Perfect Reflection of Light by an Oscillating Dipole

We show theoretically that a directional dipole wave can be perfectly reflected by a single point-like oscillating dipole. Furthermore, we find that in the case of a strongly focused plane wave up to 85 % of the incident light can be reflected by the dipole. Our results hold for the full spectrum of the electromagnetic interactions and have immediate implications for achieving strong coupling between a single propagating photon and a single quantum emitter.Comment: 3 figure

Kinetic investigation on extrinsic spin Hall effect induced by skew scattering

The kinetics of the extrinsic spin Hall conductivity induced by the skew scattering is performed from the fully microscopic kinetic spin Bloch equation approach in $(001)$ GaAs symmetric quantum well. In the steady state, the extrinsic spin Hall current/conductivity vanishes for the linear-$\mathbf k$ dependent spin-orbit coupling and is very small for the cubic-$\mathbf k$ dependent spin-orbit coupling. The spin precession induced by the Dresselhaus/Rashba spin-orbit coupling plays a very important role in the vanishment of the extrinsic spin Hall conductivity in the steady state. An in-plane spin polarization is induced by the skew scattering, with the help of the spin-orbit coupling. This spin polarization is very different from the current-induced spin polarization.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, to be published in JPC

Interplay between edge states and simple bulk defects in graphene nanoribbons

We study the interplay between the edge states and a single impurity in a zigzag graphene nanoribbon. We use tight-binding exact diagonalization techniques, as well as density functional theory calculations to obtain the eigenvalue spectrum, the eigenfunctions, as well the dependence of the local density of states (LDOS) on energy and position. We note that roughly half of the unperturbed eigenstates in the spectrum of the finite-size ribbon hybridize with the impurity state, and the corresponding eigenvalues are shifted with respect to their unperturbed values. The maximum shift and hybridization occur for a state whose energy is inverse proportional to the impurity potential; this energy is that of the impurity peak in the DOS spectrum. We find that the interference between the impurity and the edge gives rise to peculiar modifications of the LDOS of the nanoribbon, in particular to oscillations of the edge LDOS. These effects depend on the size of the system, and decay with the distance between the edge and the impurity.Comment: 10 pages, 15 figures, revtex