558 research outputs found
SAG2 locus genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii in meat products of East Azerbaijan Province, North West of Iran During 2010-2011
Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular obligate parasite. Its transmission is usually attributed to ingestion of undercooked or raw meat. The aim of this study was the detection and genotyping of T. gondii in meat products using the molecular method in East Azerbaijan. DNA was extracted from 164 meat products sample obtained from 15 commercial establishments. Nested polymerase chain reaction with specific primers for Toxoplasma gondii SAG2 locus was used for detection of the parasite in samples. Genotyping was carried out by digestion of PCR products with restriction enzymes Cfo1 and Sau3AI. T. gondii DNA was detected in 16.6, 19.1, 15 and 56.6%, in salami, sausages, and hamburger and kebab samples, respectively. Genotyping by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of SAG2 locus revealed that all of the samples belonged to genotype I. The detection of the parasite in uncooked meat and commercial meat products, and the high ratio of seropositive slaughtered animals, emphasis that the risk still exists for food -born toxoplasmosis.Key words: Toxoplasma gondii, SAG2, genotyping, meat products
Effect of Music Therapy on Patients' Anxiety and Hemodynamic Parameters During Coronary Angioplasty: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Background: A cardiac catheterization laboratory can be a frightening environment and music can be a supportive source of environmental sound that stimulates and maintains relaxation. However, the results of studies are conflicting in this regard.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of music therapy on patients’ anxiety and hemodynamic parameters during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.
Patients and Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial, conducted in the Catheterization Laboratory Unit of Baqiyatallah Hospital, in Tehran, Iran. A sample of 64 patients, who were planned to undergo coronary angioplasty, was recruited. Patients were randomly allocated to either the control or the experimental groups. In the experimental group, patients received a 20 to 40-minute music therapy intervention, consisting of light instrumental music albums by Johann Sebastian Bach and Mariko Makino. Patients in the control group received the routine care of the study setting, which consisted of no music therapy intervention. Study data were collected by a demographic questionnaire, the Spielberger’s State Anxiety Inventory, and a data sheet for documenting hemodynamic parameters. Chi-square, independent-samples t tests, paired-samples t-test and repeated measures analysis of variance were used to analyze the data.
Results: Before the intervention, the study groups did not differ significantly in terms of anxiety level and hemodynamic parameters. Moreover, the differences between the two groups, regarding hemodynamic parameters, were not significant after the intervention (P > 0.05). However, the level of post-intervention anxiety in the experimental group was significantly lower than the control group (32.06 ± 8.57 and 38.97 ± 12.77, respectively; P = 0.014). Compared with the baseline readings, the level of anxiety in the control group did not change significantly after the study (41.91 ± 9.88 vs. 38.97 ± 12.77; P = 0.101); however, in the experimental group, the level of post-intervention anxiety was significantly lower than the pretest readings (32.06 ± 8.57 vs. 41.16 ± 10.6; P = 0.001).
Conclusions: Music therapy is a safe, simple, inexpensive, and non-invasive nursing intervention, which can significantly alleviate patients’ anxiety during coronary angioplasty
Numerical modelling for nanoparticle thermal migration with effects of shape of particles and magnetic field inside a porous enclosure
Computational modelling for nanoparticle migration inside a permeable space has been reported. Impacts of shape factor and radiation were included in the mathematical model. CVFEM was employed to analyse magnetic force impact. Impacts of magnetic radiative parameters, buoyancy forces and nanoparticle shape on nanomaterial behaviour were demonstrated. Utilizing the Darcy model helps us to predict the behaviour of porous media. Outputs revealed higher convective mode can be achieved with augmenting buoyancy force while opposite outcome appears when magnetic field is imposed. Thermal plume vanishes with the rise of conductive mode which is gained as Hartmann increases
Socioeconomic Inequalities in Child Malnutrition in Bangladesh: Do They Differ by Region?
Socioeconomic inequality in child malnutrition is well-evident in Bangladesh. However, little is known about whether this inequality differs by regional contexts. We used pooled data from the 2011 and 2014 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey to examine regional differences in socioeconomic inequalities in stunting and underweight among children under five. The analysis included 14,602 children aged 0-59 months. We used logistic regression models and the Concentration index to assess and quantify wealth- and education-related inequalities in child malnutrition. We found stunting and underweight to be more concentrated among children from poorer households and born to less-educated mothers. Although the poverty level was low in the eastern regions, socioeconomic inequalities were greater in these regions compared to the western regions. The extent of socioeconomic inequality was the highest in Sylhet and Chittagong for stunting and underweight, respectively, while it was the lowest in Khulna. Regression results demonstrated the protective effects of socioeconomic status (SES) on child malnutrition. The regional differences in the effects of SES tend to diverge at the lower levels of SES, while they converge or attenuate at the highest levels. Our findings have policy implications for developing programs and interventions targeted to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in child malnutrition in subnational regions of Bangladesh
Conceptualising lifestyle “choices:” a qualitative study of GP attitudes towards patients living with “obesity” in the UK
As a complex condition that often arises due to numerous social, environmental and political factors, “obesity” can be understood by healthcare providers as a health outcome that is directly linked to issues that are outside of individual control. UK GPs who participated in a series of focus groups examining attitudes about the role of individual responsibility in weight loss often demonstrated contradictory beliefs when asked about the relationship between obesity, personal responsibility and their patients’ (in)ability to take individual action. Whilst GPs who practised in affluent areas were more likely to draw connections between poverty and high rates of obesity, GPs who practised in disadvantaged areas were more likely to discuss the need for all patients to assume personal responsibility for their health behaviours regardless of their individual circumstances. This article examines how GPs from both groups conceptualised personal responsibility in relation to their patients’ weight and socioeconomic circumstances. We conclude by outlining the need for GPs to demonstrate empathy when engaging in weight-loss discussions with patients and offer practical support for patients who seek it that is mindful of their material circumstances
comparison of three adjuvant chemotherapy regimes using an extended log-logistic model in women with operable breast cancer
Objective: The main objective of the present study was to compare the effects of three common chemotherapy regimes in terms of disease-free survival (DFS) of breast cancer (BC) patients; the three explored regimes were taxane-based, anthracycline-based and CMF (cyclophosphamide methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil). Materials and methods: In this historical-cohort study, we obtained the information of 62 patients with confirmed BC in non-metastatic stage and followed them for 8 years. All the patients had undergone modified radical mastectomy surgery and had received adjuvant chemotherapy in three medical centers in Tehran, Iran. DFS was considered as the end-point. Afterwards, an extended log-logistic regression model was used to compare these regimes. Results: The mean (SD) age of patients was 49.0 (10.3) years. The median time of follow-up was 20.0 months and the probability of 5-years DFS was 0.48. Survival analysis indicated that the type of chemotherapy (OR(CMF vs. taxane) = 0.33, OR(anthracycline vs. taxane) = 0.74), grade (OR(III vs. I or II) = 0.35), tumor size (OR(>5cm vs. <5cm)= 0.179) and nodal involvements (OR(Yes vs. No)= 0.36) affected DFS. Conclusion: The current study revealed that the efficacy of taxane-based, in terms of DFS, was more than CMF (p = 0.05). Moreover, taxane-based chemotherapy prolonged DFS more than anthracycline-based one although the difference was not significant (p= 0.63). Finally, considering the importance of tumor size, histological grade and number of involved lymph nodes in lengthening DFS, it is crucial to highlight the role of public education and screening programs in order to detect tumor in its early stages
Effects of an Osteoporosis Prevention Program Based on Health Belief Model Among Females
Background: Several studies reported the efficacy of osteoporosis prevention interventions in improvement of people’s preventive behaviors. However, there are reports that the interventions were not successful in altering osteoporosis health beliefs and preventive behaviors.
Objectives: The current study aimed to assess the effect of a program based on health beliefs model (HBM) on females’ health beliefs and performances about osteoporosis preventive behaviors.
Patients and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 120 patients registered in two healthcare centers of Fasa, Fars Province, Iran in 2014. A questionnaire including demographic information and HBM constructs was employed to measure the females’ beliefs regarding nutrition and walking performance in prevention of osteoporosis bone mineral density (BMD) measured at the lumbar spine and femur before, immediately after the intervention, and six months after the intervention. Data were analyzed using Chi-square, independent samples t-, Mann-Whitney U tests and repeated measures ANOVA.
Results: Immediately and six months after the intervention, a significant increase was found in the intervention group’s health beliefs, nutrition, and walking performances to prevent osteoporosis. Six months after the intervention, lumbar spine BMD T-score increased to 0.127 ± 0.061 in the intervention group but reduced to -0.043 ± 0.059 in the control group. Also, hip BMD T-score increased to 0.125 ± 0.088 in the intervention group, but decreased to -0.028 ± 0.052 in control group.
Conclusions: The current study showed the effectiveness of HBM in adoption of nutrition and walking behaviors as well as the increase of bone density to prevent osteoporosis
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