Effectiveness of Short-term Cardiac Rehabilitation on Clinical Manifestations in Post-MI Patients

Background & Aim: Cardiac rehabilitation is one of the most effective ways of secondary prevention in patients with myocardial infarction manifestations. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation on clinical manifestations of myocardial infarction in post-MI patients. Methods & Materials: In this interventional study, 66 patients (58 males and eight females) with myocardial infarction who were hospitalized in public hospitals of Ahwaz were selected using purposeful sampling. The participants were randomly allocated into intervention and control groups. Data was collected using a self-structured valid and reliable instrument. The intervention group participated in an 8-week cardiac rehabilitation program. Data on the clinical manifestations were collected eight weeks later. Data were analyzed in SPSS. Results: The results showed that there was significant differences between two groups in hypertension crisis (P=0.03), chest pain, dyspnea, fatigue and palpitation after the cardiac rehabilitation (P<0.001). Conclusion: Cardiac rehabilitation program decreased the clinical manifestations of myocardial infarction in post-MI patients. It is recommended to perform this procedure in the post-MI patients

On the routines of wild-type silk fibroin processing toward silk-inspired materials: a review

For years, silk fibroin of a domestic silkworm, Bombyx mori, has been recognized as a valuable material and extensively used. In the last decades, new application fields are emerging for this versatile material. Those final, specific applications of silk dictate the way it has been processed in industry and research. This review focuses on the description of various approaches for silk downstream processing in a laboratory scale, that fall within several categories. The detailed description of workflow possibilities from the naturally found material to a finally formulated product is presented. Considerable attention is given to (bio-) chemical approaches of silk fibroin transformation, particularly, to its enzyme-driven modifications. The focus of the current literature survey is exclusively on the methods applied in research and not industry

Effects of Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes on Micro-Anatomical Changes of Adrenal Gland in Male Wistar Rats

Abstract: Background & Aims: Changing the hormonal output of endocrine glands, diabetes leads to the occurrence of secondary metabolic disorders. Neuropathy, on the other hand, is the most common neurological complication of diabetes which affects the neuroendocrine system, in addition to peripheral and autonomic nervous system, contributing to exacerbation of disease severity. In this line, the present study was conducted to comparatively evaluate the effects of hyperglycemia, induced by experimental type 1 and type 2 diabetes, on micro-anatomical changes of adrenal gland in male Wistar rats. Methods: Eighteen male Wistar rats were allocated into three groups including control (healthy), experimental type 1 diabetes (subcutaneous injection of 135mg/kg alloxan), and experimental type 2 diabetes (treated with drinking water containing 10% fructose for 8 weeks). Two months after the induction of both types of diabetes, levels of blood biochemical factors such as glucose, insulin, cortisol, triglycerides, cholesterol, LDL and HDL were measured. One of the adrenal glands was randomly removed from each rat and, following tissue preparation and staining, was evaluated in terms of structural changes of the adrenal cortex and medulla using stereological techniques. Results: Serum biochemical and hormonal analysis indicated a significant difference in levels of glucose, triglycerides, insulin and cortisol between control and experimental groups. The results achieved by the evaluation of adrenal volume showed increased volume of adrenal cortex in type 1 and type 2 diabetes and also reduced volume and neuronal density of adrenal medulla in type 1 diabetes compared with control. Conclusion: Due to increased activity of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, enhanced ACTH secretion in diabetes-induced hyperglycemia leads to increased growth of adrenal cortex and secretion of adrenal hormones. Reduced volume and neuronal density of adrenal medulla in diabetic condition may be resulted from the development of abnormal metabolic pathways such as those in hyperglycemia-derived oxidative stress. Late incidence of structural and functional impairments in type 2 diabetes can be ascribed to occurrence rate of hyperglycemia and insulin resistance, and, thus, the disease complications largely depend on the disease duration. Keywords: Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, Adrenal, Ra

The Frequency of Post-Stroke Depression in An Outpatient Elderly Population

The purpose of the present study is to determine the frequency and severity of depression in post-stroke patients.Methods:Based on a cross-sectional research design,30 recent stroke outpatients were assessed with DSM-IV interview for depression and two self-rating depression scales,CES-D and BDI.Sex differences in depression, the relationship between depression and the location of the brain lesion and other clinical manifestations (sensory,motor and verbal) were also determined.Results:68% of the patients reported depression on CES-D,among them 64% suffered from moderate to severe depression according to BDI and interview-based information.Women were more depressed than men (63% and 37% respectively).Differences were found in lesion side,with patients with lesions in right side reporting higher levels of depression than patients with left side lesions. Motor disturbances were the most prevalent clinical features.Conclusion:There seems to be an increased incidence of depression in stroke patients.The mechanism of pathophysiological processes underlying this association is poorly understood and is an important area for full investigation.Since depression is a significant risk factor for stroke it is important that psychiatric examination of post-stroke patients be conducted