Lack of Pathogenic Mutation in the Human CAII Gene in an Individual Suffering Renal Tubular Acidosis

Renal tubular acidosis (RTA) is a rare genetic disorder. It has four clinical types, and type 3 demonstrates a mixed pattern of tubular dysfunction. The causative gene for type 3 RTA (CAII) is located on the 8q22 locus and encodes a protein called carbonic anhydrase II. In this study, we analyzed the entire exons and flanking regions of the CAII gene in a child suffering renal tubular acidosis with an autosomal recessive pattern that was diagnosed with type3 RTA. DNA was extracted from the blood sample of the patient and his parents by the salting out extraction method. The exons and flanking regions of the CAII gene were amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We performed exon direct sequencing by forward and reverse primers, which were designed by primer3 program. No mutation was found following the screening of the entire coding sequence of the CAII gene. It is likely that another gene might be involved in this case. In other words, other types of RTA have to be considered.Keywords: Renal Tubular Acidosis, distal, type 3; Gene; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Sequence Analysis, DNA

Radiographic Evaluation of Root Canal Fillings Accomplished by Undergraduate Dental Students

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the radiographic quality of root canal fillings by fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-year undergraduate students at Tabriz Faculty of Dentistry between 2006 and 2012. Methods and Materials: A total of 1183 root canal fillings in 620 teeth were evaluated by two investigators (and in case of disagreement by a third investigator) regarding the presence or absence of under-fillings, over-fillings and perforations. For each tooth, preoperative, working and postoperative radiographs were checked. The Pearson’s chi-square test was used for statistical evaluation of the data. Inter-examiner agreement was measured by Cohen’s kappa (k) values. The level of significance was set at 0.05. Results: Total frequencies of over-filling, under-filling and perforation were 5.6%, 20.4% and 1.9%, respectively. There were significant differences between frequencies of over- and under-fillings (P<0.05). Unacceptable quality, under- and over-fillings were detected in 27.9% of 1183 evaluated canals. Conclusion: The technical quality of root canal therapies performed by undergraduate dental students using step-back preparation and lateral compaction techniques was unacceptable in almost one-fourth of the cases

Adherence to hemodialysis treatment and some related factors in hemodialysis patients admitted in Shahrekord Hajar hospital

Background and aims: Non-adherence to treatment is a common problem among hemodialysis patients and was considered as a responsible factor in patients deteriorating, increasing admission chance and inappropriate responding to hemodialysis treatment. Regarding to multiple factors related to non-adherence to hemodialysis treatment and its importance in patients' quality of life, this study aimed to determine the treatment adherence condition among hemodialysis patients referred to Hajar Hospital, Shahrekord, Iran. Methods: In this descriptive analytic study, 71 hemodialysis eligible patients among 118 hemodialysis patients who referred to Hajar Hospital in Shahrekord, were selected according to goals center sampling method. The data were gathered by demographic, laboratory and end-stage renal disease adherence questionnaire (ESRD-AQ). Results: The mean score of adherence to hemodialysis treatment was 858.60 ± 192.45. Majority of patients had moderate adherence to hemodialysis treatment in four adherence dimension: medication (56.3%), diet (78.9%), fluid restriction (70.4%), and hemodialysis schedule (78.9%). Intradialytic weight gain was abnormal in 88.7% of patients. Furthermore, age and gender of patients had significant relationship with treatment adherence (P<0.05). Conclusion: Regarding to finding of this study, treatment adherence condition in hemodialysis patients referred to Hajar Hospital in Shahrekord is moderate and probably related to chronic nature, economic problem and their knowledge deficit of them. Therefore, paying more attention to causes of non-adherence to treatment in hemodialysis patients is necessary

Effect of the Individual Multi- Stage Care on the Treatment Adherence among Hemodialysis Patients

Background and Objective: Treatment adherence has an essential role in improving quality of life, survival, decreasing cost and side effects of treatment in patients underwent hemodialysis. This study aimed to determine the effect of individual multi-stage care on the treatment adherence in hemodialysis' patients, ShahrekordHajar hospital. Material and Methods: This clinical trial was conducted on 66 Hemodialysis patients in 2013. They were randomly allocated into two equal groups of intervention and control. The instrument was the end-stage renal disease adherence questionnaire (ESRD-AQ). The patients in intervention group were participated in 8-session individual care program for one hour in addition to routine treatment. The data was analyzed using Mann–Whitney , Wilcoxon and Spearman (P<0.05). Level. Results: The study indicated a significant difference between two groups in all dimensions of treatment adherence except dietary and food adherence. Adherence to treatment was better in intervention group (P<0.05). Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between adherence treatment and age of patients (P<0.05, r=0.245). Conclusion: based on the findings, multi-stage care is effective on different aspects of treatment adherence

بررسي مقادیر فلزات سنگين در تخم مرغ های عرضه شده درشهر تهران و محاسبه ميزان دريافت روزانه آنها

ackground and Aims: Chicken eggs, owing to richness in protein and essential minerals, are used in many communities and for all age groups. Metals are considered as one of the most important environmental pollutants which may lead to egg contamination. The consumption of contaminated eggs can harm humanhealth. The aim of this study was to evaluate heavy metal (arsenic, cadmium, lead, nickel, copper, zinc and iron) contents in chicken eggs supplied in Tehran. Daily intake rates of heavy metals were also calculated.Materials and Methods: A total of 29 chicken eggs were sampled from various food stores in Tehran. Sample preparation was performed using wet acid digestion. Heavy metals concentrations were determined using ICP-OES. Data analysis was carried out by means of the statistical software SPSS as well as Excel (V.2.26). Kruskal Wallis and ANOVA tests were executed to compare heavy metal concentrations between different brands.Results:&nbsp;Mean concentrations of cadmium, lead, arsenic, nickel, copper, iron and zinc in collected chicken eggs were 0.01, 0.074, 0.03, 0.014, 1.46, 34.37 and 12.55 mg/kg, respectively. Iron and cadmium respectively showed the highest and lowest daily intake through chicken egg consumption.Conclusion: It was concluded that the levels of heavy metals in sampled chicken eggs were less than permissible limits and thus are considered safe. However, due to the importance of food contamination in public health, the continuous monitoring of these contaminants in food is recommended.زمينه و هدف: تخم مرغ به دليل غني بودن از پروتئين و املاح ضروري، مورد استفاده زيادي در ميان جوامع مختلف دارد و مصرف آن، تقريبا تمام گروه‌هاي سني را شامل مي‌شود. يکي از آلاینده‌های مهم محیطی که باعث آلودگی تخم مرغ مي‌شود، فلزات هستند. هدف از اين تحقيق بررسي فلزات سنگين آرسنيک، کادميوم، سرب، نيکل، مس، آهن و روي در تخم مرغ‌های عرضه شده در شهر تهران و محاسبه ميزان دريافت روزانه آنها است. مواد و روش‌ها: تعداد 29 نمونه تخم مرغ از برندهاي مختلف از فروشگاه‌هاي مواد غذايي شهر تهران جمع آوري شد. پس از آماده سازي نمونه‌ها، مقادير فلزات سنگين آرسنيک، کادميوم، سرب، نيکل، مس، آهن و روي با استفاده از دستگاه ICP-OES&nbsp; سنجيده شد. آناليز داده‌ها با استفاده از برنامه نرم افزار آماري SPSS و (Excel (V.2.26 انجام گرفت. جهت مقايسه ميزان فلزات سنگين بين برندهاي مختلف از آناليز واريانس و کروسيکال واليس استفاده شد.&nbsp; يافته‌ها: نتايج نشان داد که ميانگين غلظت فلزات برحسب ميلي‌گرم بر کيلوگرم در تخم مرغ به ترتيب براي کادميوم 01/0، سرب 074/0، آرسنيک 03/0، نيکل&nbsp; 014/0، مس 46/1، آهن 37/34 و روي 55/12 است. فلز آهن بیشترین و کادمیوم کمترین مقدار دريافت روزانه را از طریق مصرف روزانه تخم مرغ به همراه دارد. نتيجه گيري: مقادير فلزات در نمونه‌هاي تخم مرغ از حد مجاز پايين‌تر است و این تخم مرغ‌ها از اين جهت ايمن مي‌باشند. اما نظر به مهم بودن آلودگي مواد غذايي به فلزات از نظر سلامت همگاني، لزوم توجه به پايش مداوم آنها در تخم مرغ توصیه می‌گردد

Women's Blood Donation: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Reasons for Non-Donation of Blood among Female Staff at Tehran Blood Transfusion Center

Background: The blood donation proportion of women to men is 1 to 9 in Iran. Lack of time, fear of needling and difficult access to donation sites were main reasons for not donating blood in previous studies. The aim of this study was to assess barriers of blood donation by women working in Tehran blood transfusion center.Methods: To achieve the aim of this study we designed a qualitative research. The study population came from female personnel in Tehran Blood Transfusion Center (TBTC) they were recruited by qualitative purposeful sampling with no history of blood donation. Results: Twenty-seven female personnel of TBTC aged 21-55 years old were entered to two focus group discussions. In the focus group discussion, knowledge of participants about the needs and importance of blood donation and donor acceptance criteria was desirable. There were common fears and beliefs about blood donation, similar to the results of  previous study in general female population, including weakness, concerns of having or developing anemia, fear of needling, being in reproductive age, menstruation cycle, pregnancy and childbearing stage. Some of participants believed that working in TBTC, especially in technical units, acts as a deterrent  For few females who worked in TBTC, concern of a positive test result either true or false was another cause of not blood donation. A few donors mentioned that derived plasma from female bloods was not used and also some others experienced complicated blood donation in clients. So they did not attempt to donate blood.Conclusions: At first, it seemed that female staff working in TBTC might have different perceptions about blood donation because of greater awareness than women in the general community. However the results of this study showed that reasons of not donating blood in this group of women was not different from females in the general population

Women's Blood Donation: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Reasons for Non-Donation of Blood among Female Staff at Tehran Blood Transfusion Center

Background: The blood donation proportion of women to men is 1 to 9 in Iran. Lack of time, fear of needling and difficult access to donation sites were main reasons for not donating blood in previous studies. The aim of this study was to assess barriers of blood donation by women working in Tehran blood transfusion center.Methods: To achieve the aim of this study we designed a qualitative research. The study population came from female personnel in Tehran Blood Transfusion Center (TBTC) they were recruited by qualitative purposeful sampling with no history of blood donation. Results: Twenty-seven female personnel of TBTC aged 21-55 years old were entered to two focus group discussions. In the focus group discussion, knowledge of participants about the needs and importance of blood donation and donor acceptance criteria was desirable. There were common fears and beliefs about blood donation, similar to the results of  previous study in general female population, including weakness, concerns of having or developing anemia, fear of needling, being in reproductive age, menstruation cycle, pregnancy and childbearing stage. Some of participants believed that working in TBTC, especially in technical units, acts as a deterrent  For few females who worked in TBTC, concern of a positive test result either true or false was another cause of not blood donation. A few donors mentioned that derived plasma from female bloods was not used and also some others experienced complicated blood donation in clients. So they did not attempt to donate blood.Conclusions: At first, it seemed that female staff working in TBTC might have different perceptions about blood donation because of greater awareness than women in the general community. However the results of this study showed that reasons of not donating blood in this group of women was not different from females in the general population

Genomic palaeoparasitology traced the occurrence of Taenia asiatica in ancient Iran (Sassanid Empire, 2th cent. CE-6th cent. CE)

Palaeoparasitology investigates parasitological infections in animals and humans of past distance by examining biological remains. Palaeofaeces (or coprolites) are biological remains that provide valuable information on the disease, diet, and population movements in ancient times. Today, advances in detecting ancient DNA have cast light on dark corners that microscopy could never reach. The archaeological site of the Chehrabad salt mine of Achaemenid (550-330 BC) and Sassanid (third-seventh century AD) provides remains of various biotic and abiotic samples, including animal coprolites, for multidisciplinary studies. In the present work, we investigated coprolites for helminth eggs and larvae by microscopy and traced their biological agents' DNA by Next Generation Sequencing. Our results revealed various helminths, including Taenia asiatica, the species introduced in the 1990s. Implementing advanced modern molecular techniques like NGS gives a paramount view of pathogenic agents in space and time

TRPV1 receptor-mediated expression of Toll-like receptors 2 and 4 following permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats

Objective(s): Stroke is known as a main cause of mortality and prolonged disability in adults. Both transient receptor potential V1 (TRPV1) channels and toll-like receptors (TLRs) are involved in mediating the inflammatory responses. In the present study, the effects of TRPV1 receptor activation and blockade on stroke outcome and gene expression of TLR2 and TLR4 were assessed following permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats Materials and Methods: Eighty male Wistar rats were divided into four groups as follows: sham, vehicle, AMG9810 (TRPV1 antagonist) -treated and capsaicin (TRPV1 agonist) -treated. For Stroke induction, the middle cerebral artery was permanently occluded and then behavioral functions were evaluated 1, 3 and 7 days after stroke. Results: TRPV1 antagonism significantly reduced the infarct volume compared to the stroke group. Also, neurological deficits were decreased by AMG9810 seven days after cerebral ischemia. In the ledged beam-walking test, the slip ratio was enhanced following ischemia. AMG9810 decreased this index in stroke animals. However, capsaicin improved the ratio 3 and 7 days after cerebral ischemia. Compared to the sham group, the mRNA expression of TLR2 and TLR4 was significantly increased in the stroke rats. AMG9810 Administration significantly reduced the mRNA expression of TLR2 and TLR4. However, capsaicin did not significantly affect the gene expression of TLR2 and TLR4. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that TRPV1 antagonism by AMG9810 attenuates behavioral function and mRNA expression of TLR2 and TLR4. Thus, it might be useful to shed light on future therapeutic strategies for the treatment of ischemic stroke

Psychological distress among Bam earthquake survivors in Iran: a population-based study

BACKGROUND: An earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale struck the city of Bam in Iran on the 26th of December 2003 at 5.26 A.M. It was devastating, and left over 40,000 dead and around 30,000 injured. The profound tragedy of thousands killed has caused emotional and psychological trauma for tens of thousands of people who have survived. A study was carried out to assess psychological distress among Bam earthquake survivors and factors associated with severe mental health in those who survived the tragedy. METHODS: This was a population-based study measuring psychological distress among the survivors of Bam earthquake in Iran. Using a multi-stage stratified sampling method a random sample of individuals aged 15 years and over living in Bam were interviewed. Psychological distress was measured using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). RESULTS: In all 916 survivors were interviewed. The mean age of the respondents was 32.9 years (SD = 12.4), mostly were males (53%), married (66%) and had secondary school education (50%). Forty-one percent reported they lost 3 to 5 members of their family in the earthquake. In addition the findings showed that 58% of the respondents suffered from severe mental health as measured by the GHQ-12 and this was three times higher than reported psychological distress among the general population. There were significant differences between sub-groups of the study sample with regard to their psychological distress. The results of the logistic regression analysis also indicated that female gender; lower education, unemployment, and loss of family members were associated with severe psychological distress among earthquake victims. CONCLUSION: The study findings indicated that the amount of psychological distress among earthquake survivors was high and there is an urgent need to deliver mental health care to disaster victims in local medical settings and to reduce negative health impacts of the earthquake adequate psychological counseling is needed for those who survived the tragedy