A randomized controlled clinical trial evaluating quality of life when using a simple acupressure protocol in women with primary dysmenorrhea

Objective: To evaluate a simple acupressure protocol in LIV3 and LI4 acupoints in women with primary dysmenorrhea. Methods: This paper reports a randomized, single blinded clinical trial. 90 young women with dysmenorrhea were recruited to three groups to receive 20 minutes acupressure every day in either LIV3 or LI4, or placebo points. Acupressure was timed five days before menstruation for three successive menstrual cycles. On menstruation, each participant completed the Wong Baker faces pain scale, and the quality of life short form -12 (QOL SF-12). Results: Intensity and duration of pain between the three groups in the second and third cycles during the intervention (p<0.05) differed significantly. Significant differences were seen in all domains of QOL except for mental health (p=0.4), general health (p=0.7) and mental subscale component (p=0.12) in the second cycle, and mental health (p=0.9), and mental subscale component (p=0.14) in the third cycle. Conclusion: Performing the simple acupressure protocol is an effective method to decrease the intensity and duration of dysmenorrhea, and improve the QOL. Key words: Dysmenorrhea, acupressure, quality of life Registration ID in IRCT: IRCT2016052428038N

Antimicrobial activities of semi polar-nonpolar and polar secondary metabolites of sponge Dysidea pallescens from Hengam Island, Persian Gulf

Sponges are the simplest multicellular animals that lack defense mechanisms and rely on chemical defense that have been used by mankind to develop antimicrobial drugs against diseases. The present study was designed to demonstrate the antibacterial and antifungal activities of marine sponge Dysidea pallescens semipolar and nonpolar extracts. In this study, D. pallescens were collected from Hengam Island in the Persian Gulf. The extracts were produced by Bligh and Dyer method. Broth Dilution Methods were used to check the antimicrobial activity of D. pallescens extracts against Escherichia coli (ATCC 15224), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 25619), Staphylococcus aureus aureus (ATCC 1764), Bacillus subtilis pizizenii (ATCC 6633), Candida albicans (ATCC 10231) and Aspergillus fumigates (PTCC 5009). The results showed diethyl ether extract has bactericidal activity against S. aureus aureus (MBC=10mg/mL) and B. subtilis spizizenii (MBC=20mg/mL). D. pallescens diethyl ether extract showed a very weak antifungal activity but methanol extract showed fungicidal activity against A. fumigates (MFC=5mg/mL) and C. albicans (MFC=1.5 mg/mL). Therefore nonpolar-semipolar secondary metabolites of D. pallescens solutions in diethyl ether have shown significant antibacterial activity and polar-secondary metabolites solutions in methanol have shown significant antifungal activity

Organizational Pathology in Staff Department of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences based on Three-branch Model

Introduction: Pathology of organizations is one of the most key actions that make the university officials aware of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges of an organization and allows these officials to take the right actions accordingly. Therefore, this study examined the pathology of human resources in staff departments of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. Two hundred employees participated in this study. Random sampling was used and the data were collected by an organizational pathology questionnaire based on the three branch model. Data analyzed by SPSS software. Results: The results showed that behavioral factors (mean = 2.73) and contextual factors (mean= 3.34) had the highest and the lowest impacts on human resources malfunction in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Among subsets of structural factors, the payment system (average rank of 2.5, mean=2.21±0.72 and p-value ≤0.001), behavioral factors, and job security (mean rank = 2.03, mean=2.28±0.93 and p-value ≤0.001) and among subsets of contextual factors, customer-orientation (mean rank= 1.31, mean=3.07±0.70 and p-value 0.19) had the most impact on organizational pathology in this university. Conclusion: Considering that the behavioral factors had the greatest impact to the damages, it seems that the university has to adopt programs and policies in terms of creating appropriate organizational culture, increasing motivation and job satisfaction, adopting effective leadership, providing opportunities for training and development of employees and improving job security for the staff. Indeed, it is worth mentioning that solving some of these issues is beyond the powers of the executive organs, so solving these types of problems at macro-organizational level in the country is of vital importance

The influence of infertility on sexual and marital satisfaction in Iranian women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a case-control study

Background: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate sexual and marital satisfaction in couples with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). A case-control study was conducted on 90 couples with PCOS and 90 healthy couples as a control group. Three measures were used to evaluate sexual function and marital satisfaction: the female sexual function index (FSFI), the Larson sexual satisfaction, and the ENRICH marital satisfaction measures. Results: The results of this study show that the mean scores of sexual function, sexual satisfaction, and marital satisfaction were significantly lower in PCOS couples compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Infertility was reported as the strongest predictive factor for sexual function and marital satisfaction in couples with PCOS (P < 0.05). Compared to the control group, sexual and marital satisfaction was lower in patients with PCOS and their partners. Conclusion: Since infertility is the strongest predictive factor for the sexual health of couples with PCOS and sexual health is important in family health and marital life, sexual counseling may prove beneficial for these patients

The inappropriateness of brain MRI prescriptions: a study from Iran

Background: Inappropriate prescriptions can lead to adverse consequences for patients. It also imposes excessive cost on the patients, payers and health systems. The current study aimed at estimating the rate of inappropriate brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) prescriptions and their financial burden in Iran. Methods: Using systematic stratified sampling method, this cross-sectional study recruited 385 participants from three public teaching hospitals in Shiraz, Iran. Demographic information, questions related to brain MRI prescription and its indications checklist were collected using study-specific data collection tools. The completed indications checklist was compared to the appropriateness status table of indications and scenarios to detect the percent of the appropriateness of prescriptions. Results: About 21 percentage of total brain MRI prescriptions are inappropriate. Previous treatment, number of referrals to physician, having other diagnostic tests and the applicant of MRI (P < 0.01) had significant relationships with prescription appropriateness. The estimated financial burden of inappropriate brain MRIs in Shiraz teaching hospitals was 99,988 US dollar in 2017. Conclusions: More than one-fifth of brains MRIs were inappropriate (i.e. prescriptions without medical indications). It caused 99,988 United States Dollar (USD) financial burden which is 17 times that of Iran's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita. To better allocate resources for the provision of MRI services to health system, rationing policies for controlling moral hazard and reducing provider induced demand can be helpful

Parent-only group cognitive behavioral intervention for children with anxiety disorders: A control group study

Objective: Parents play an important role in development and continuation of anxiety disorders in children. Yet the evidence on parent contribution in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for childhood anxiety is limited. This open randomized trial examined the effectiveness of a parent-directed group CBT to manage children with anxiety disorders. Method: Parents of 42 children aged 6-12 with primary anxiety disorders were allocated to a six, two-hour weekly intervention and a wait-list (WL) control. The Revised Children�s Manifest Anxiety, Children�s Depression Inventory, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire-Home Version, Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale, Children Global Assessment Scale, and Global Relational Assessment of Functioning were used to assess children�s and parents� functioning and emotional symptoms. Parents completed consumer satisfaction questionnaire. Results: Parents in the CBT group reported significant improvement in their depressive symptoms (p=0.006) and the family functioning (p=0.04), as well as reduction in children�s emotional symptoms (p=0.007). Clinician rating of children�s functioning showed significant improvement in the CBT group(p=0.001). There was no significant difference in children rating of their anxiety within groups from pre- to post-intervention. Parents were satisfied mostly with the intervention. Conclusion: A brief parent-only CBT based intervention can be effective in the management of childhood anxiety. © 2018, Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. All rights reserved

Parent-only group cognitive behavioral intervention for children with anxiety disorders: A control group study

Objective: Parents play an important role in development and continuation of anxiety disorders in children. Yet the evidence on parent contribution in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for childhood anxiety is limited. This open randomized trial examined the effectiveness of a parent-directed group CBT to manage children with anxiety disorders. Method: Parents of 42 children aged 6-12 with primary anxiety disorders were allocated to a six, two-hour weekly intervention and a wait-list (WL) control. The Revised Children�s Manifest Anxiety, Children�s Depression Inventory, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire-Home Version, Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale, Children Global Assessment Scale, and Global Relational Assessment of Functioning were used to assess children�s and parents� functioning and emotional symptoms. Parents completed consumer satisfaction questionnaire. Results: Parents in the CBT group reported significant improvement in their depressive symptoms (p=0.006) and the family functioning (p=0.04), as well as reduction in children�s emotional symptoms (p=0.007). Clinician rating of children�s functioning showed significant improvement in the CBT group(p=0.001). There was no significant difference in children rating of their anxiety within groups from pre- to post-intervention. Parents were satisfied mostly with the intervention. Conclusion: A brief parent-only CBT based intervention can be effective in the management of childhood anxiety. © 2018, Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. All rights reserved

Cloning of the GH gene from the beluga sturgeon (Huso huso) into a lentivial & none viral constructs and it’s expression in HEK cell lines

Caviar-producing fish with their economically valuable product are important in fisheries. The cDNA growth hormone (GH) of Beluga sturgeon (Huso huso) was constructed using total RNA from pituitary glands. To construct the recombinant and active lentiviruses carring GH gene, this DNA sequence was inserted into the cloning vector pTZ57R/T and subsequently cutted from pTZ57R/T by endonuclease enzyme and incorporated into lentivirus vector pNL-EGFP/CMV-WPRE on upstream of an IRES cassette. We also insert a reporter EGFP gene downstream of IRES so transfection and transduction steps can be traced. Using this vector plus virus packaging and envelope vectors, HEK293T cells was co-transfected by DNA-Lipofectamine complexes method. Cell supernatant full of virions was collected 48 hours later and concentrated using Amicon columns to obtain a high-titer virus stock. Nearly 1/5 of this stock was applied to a new batch of cultured HEK-293T. After 72h expression of EGFP gene was detected and the cells was collected for further analysis. Total RNA of these transduced cells was extracted and GH mRNA expression was revealed by RT-PCR. Results showed that, lentiviral vectors (LV) as a gene transfer system provide efficient delivery, integration and long-term expression by establishing a stable provirus in target cells and could be important tool in aquaculture and fisheries biotechnology research to increase the growth rate of farmed fish by transferring growth hormone (GH) transgenes into fish