The comparison of heavy metals (Hg, Cd, Pb) in the muscle of Otolithes ruber in Abadan and Bandar Abbas Ports, the Persian Gulf

A comparative study was conducted on concentration of heavy metals including: Hg, Cd and Pb in the muscle of Otolithes ruber in Abadan and Bandar Abbas Ports in the Persian Gulf. In this study, a total of 42 specimens of Otolithes ruber were collected from coastal waters of Abadan and Bandar Abbas Ports in 2010. Heavy metals were extracted from the muscle tissues using wet digestion method and concentration of metals were measured by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The results showed that mean (±SD) accumulation of Hg, Cd and Pb in the muscles of Otolithes ruber in Bandar Abbas were 0.058±0.001, 0.279±0.056 and 0.668±0.077mgKg-1 wet weight, and in Abadan were 0.056±0.007, 0.25±0.038 and 0.638±0.087mgKg-1 wet weight respectively. No significant differences were found in concentrations of Hg, Cd and Pb in the muscle of Otolithes ruber between Abadan and Bandar Abbas ports. Accumulation of these metals were higher in the muscle of Otolithes ruber than that Bandar Abbas Port. Concentration of Hg in the muscle of Otolithes ruber was lower than acceptable limit suggested by WHO, MAFF, NHMRC. However concentrations of Pb and Cd were higher

The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Group Cognitive Therapy in Reducing Depression and Obsessive Rumination among Women under Methadone Treatment

Objective: The present study was an attempt to examine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based group cognitive therapy in reducing depression and obsessive rumination among women under methadone treatment. Method: A quasi-experimental research design along with pretest-posttest design and a control group were employed to conduct this study. Considering inclusion criteria, a total of 24 female substance abusers who were under methadone treatment were selected from Omide Farda and Javeneh Sabz clinics in Mashhad via purposive sampling method. The experimental group received eight training sessions of mindfulness-based group cognitive therapy, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Two scales, namely obsessive rumination scale and Beck’s depression questionnaire were used for data collection purposes. Results: Results of analysis of covariance showed that mindfulness-based group cognitive therapy has reduced obsessive rumination and depression scores. Conclusion: Mindfulness-based group cognitive therapy can be included in intervention programs for substance abusers

Detection of Epstein- Barr virus infection in lymphoma: ELISA and PCR method

"n Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Background: Latent Epstein- Barr virus (EBV) genomes are found in the malignant cells of approximately one-third of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) cases. Detection of EBV viral DNA could potentially be used as a biomarker of disease activity. Our goal was to compare of EBV DNA detection in samples obtained from lymphoma patients versus controls."n"nMethods: One milliliter uncoagulated and 1ml coagulated blood sample for DNA extraction and serum analysis using ELISA for IgG anti EBNA-1 were obtained from 44 lymphoma patients and from 44 normal controls, respectively. EBV genome, EBNA-2, was examined from DNA extracts of paraffin embedded and blood samples using Nested PCR with type specific inner primers."n"nResults: Positive results for ELISA, Blood and biopsy PCR in study group were, 84.1%, 27.3% and 13.6%, respectively. However, these results in control group were 47.7% and 16% for ELISA and Blood PCR assays, respectively. Positive results in ELISA, Blood PCR and Biopsy PCR in Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin patients were found in 21(84%), 6(24%), 4(16%) and 16(84.2%), 6(31.6%), 2(10.5%) of specimens, respectively. No significant differences in EBV detection were found between these two patient groups (p values for ELISA, Blood PCR and Biopsy PCR were 0.26, 0.73 and 0.68, respectively)."n"nConclusion: Comparison of ELISA and Blood PCR results in children and adult patients with the same age of controls have showed difference in ELISA results of children, only. None of the test results have showed statistically significant difference between Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin patients. However, the mean of ELISA results in Hodgkin patients was higher as compared with controls. Blood PCR assay cannot be recommended as a biomarker of disease activity in EBV positive Hodgkin's lymphoma patients