[Comparison of attachment styles and coping strategies in irritable bowel syndrome and healthy female students]

The relation between stress and gastrointestinal diseases, particularly irritable bowel syndrome [IBS], has received consideration for years. This research was conducted to compare the attachment styles and coping strategies in IBS and healthy female students. This case - control study was conducted on 50 female students with irritable bowel syndrome and 50 healthy students in Gorgan, Iran during 2011. Age, grade and major were similar in both cases and controls. ROME III criteria questionnaire, together with a physician report confirmation were used to diagnose IBS. All attendants in the study filled in Rass adult attachment scale questionnaire and Lazarus coping strategies questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS-17 and student t-test. In the IBS group the level of ambivalent [9.78 +/- 2.72] and avoidance [7.68 +/- 1.76] attachments were higher than the control group [8.1 +/- 2.65 and 6.56 +/- 1.82 respectively] [P<0.05]. The most prevalent attachment style in control group was the secure style [11 +/- 3.89]. There was a significant statistical difference between female of IBS group and control group regarding the mean +/- SD of coping strategies including: isolation [7.04 +/- 2.44, 5.9 +/- 1.95], self-control [9.62 +/- 2.39, 8.32 +/- 1.6], demanding social support [5.54 +/- 1.6, 6.92 +/- 2.42], evasion - avoidance [9.64 +/- 2.81, 6.8 +/- 1.37], solving the problem [8.2 +/- 1.85, 6.66 +/- 1.7], re-evaluation [16.2 +/- 1.81, 14.3 +/- 1.61] and taking responsibility [5.67 +/- 1.41, 4.5 +/- 1.58] [P<0.05]. The direct coping strategy in IBS and control groups was 63.76 +/- 9.76 and 67.58 +/- 10.78. This difference was not significant. This study showed that in comparison to healthy female students, subjects with IBS use more ambivalent and avoidant attachment styles

[Karyological study on persian gulf banana shrimp, Penaeus [Fenneropenaeus] merguiensis]

Because of limits in applicable karyological techniques and also the presence of a large number of small chromosomes in Penaidae family, the study on the number, structure, and the formula of the chromosomes in these shrimps in difficult. The present cytogenetic study was conducted on Penaeus [Fenneropenaeus] merguiensis native to Persian Gulf and Oman Sea by preparing spreads from various early stages of this species including embryos, nauplii, protozoa, myses, postlarvae as well as adult tissues such as gill, hepatopancreas, testis and ovary. For this purpose, two methods of splashing of cell suspension and squashing of tissues on warm and cold slides were used. Different doses of colchicines and incubation periods on obtaining and the quality of chromosomes were examined as well. It was only possible to obtain acceptable quality metaphase chromosomes using adult testis. The testicular tissue contained both mitotic and meiotic cells, so diploid and haploid chromosome numbers could be counted, respectively. The modal diploid number of this species was found to be 2n=88 which was confirmed by the modal haploid chromosome number of n=44 in the adult testes. Tentative karyotype of Penaeus [Fenneropenaeus] merguiensis contained 21 pairs of meta- and submetacentric chromosomes and 23 pairs of acro- and telocentric chromosomes. The chromosome arm number was calculated NF=130

[ evaluation of the effect of maternal blood lead concentration on the incidence of delivery of low birth weight neonates]

Low birth weight of the neonates is one of the most common problems in neonatology and its incidence is 7.6% of all live births. Several risk factors including lead exposure during pregnancy have been considered as predisposing factors. Thus, we decided to study the relationship between maternal blood lead level and the incidence of delivery of the low birth weight neonates. In this case-control study, 40 mothers with low birth weight newborns [<2500gr] and 40 mothers with normal weight newborns [>2500gr] were considered as case and control groups respectively and admitted in Emam Reza Hospital, Mashad Medical University, in 2005. Blood lead level was measured by use of atomic absorption spectrophotometry. There were no significant differences in the mean values of age, BMI and place of residence between the 2 groups [P values were 0.17 for age, 0.9 for place of residence]. Mean neonatal weight in case and control groups were 2001 +/- 437gm and 3156 +/- 422.7gm respectively. Mean maternal blood lead level was 144.6 +/- 28.5 micro g/lit. Mean maternal blood lead level in control and case groups were 124.6 +/- 17.5 micri g/lit and 104.9 +/- 26.4 micri g/lit respectively which showed a significant difference [P=0.02]. In addition, blood lead level in 68.8% of mothers was higher than 100. Blood lead levels in the mothers of our study were significantly higher than those of other studies in other countries. Although elevated blood lead level during pregnancy did not lead to low birth weight deliveries, it may give rise to nervous system disorders in the future

Khorasan posterior circulation stroke registry: a hospital-based study

Clinical information about stroke in the vertebrobasilar territory has lagged behind that for anterior circulation syndrome. This is the first report from posterior circulation syndrome registry in Iran. Consecutive patients with brain infarction in vertebrobasilar territory admitted to Ghaem hospital, Mashhad were enrolled in a prospective study during 2006-2007. Diagnosis of ischemic stroke in the posterior circulation was made by a stroke neurologist based on the clinical manifestations and neuroimaging. Vertebrobasilar territory infarcts were classified into five groups according to the location involved: brainstem, thalamus, cerebellum, posterior cerebral artery, and mixed categories. All of the stroke patients underwent a standard battery of diagnostic investigations and the etiology of ischemic stroke was determined by the Practical Iranian Criteria classification. The 72-hour stroke course determined as regressive, stable, and deteriorative. Total of 302 patients [147 females, 155 males] with mean age 62.5 years [ +/- 17.2] were investigated. Posterior cerebral artery, thalamus, brain stem, cerebellum, and mixed categories consisted 31.3%, 4.3%, 32.8%, 17.9%, and 13.9% of the stroke topographies respectively. Atherosclerosis consisted 50.6% of etiologies in our patients followed by uncertain [25.5%], cardioembolism [12.5%], both atherosclerosis and cardioembolism [6.3%], and miscellaneous causes [4.6%]. Rheumatic mitral stenosis was the cause in 34.2% of our patients with cardiac emboly. The distribution of stroke etiologies based on its localization was not significantly different [df = 16, and P = 0.421]. Stable status was the most common early stroke course [57.7%] followed by deteriorative [22.1%], and regressive [20.2%]. A significant association between stroke localization in the vertebrobasilar territory and its course was not found [df = 8, and P = 0.901]. Atherosclerosis is the most common cause of posterior circulation syndrome in Iranian patients. The cause of stroke in the posterior circulation could not reliably be derived from infarct topography

[Determination of factors related to depression in cancer patients of the oncology ward in Kerman]

Depression is one of the most frequent behavioral disorders characterized with disenjoyment, lack of motivation, sexual disorders, sleeping disorder and depressed mood. Depression is a prevalent complication in cancerous patients that mostly occurs as a result of social function impairment. In this cross-sectional study on cancerous patients hospitalized during a 6-month period in the radiooncology ward of Kerman University of Medical Sciences, the relationship of depression severity with variables of age, sex, marital status, educational statues, life region and frequency of chemoradiotherapy sessions were studied and the predictive factors were determined. The prevalence or severity of depression showed significant relation with age increase [OR=10.8, P<0.05], low education [OR=6.4, P<0.05], being single [OR=2.8, P<0.05], and undergoing more than six therapeutic sessions [OR=3.2, P<0.05], while there was not such a relation for variables of sex and life region. Logistic regression model showed that, age over 45 [OR=8.1, P<0.05], being illiterate [OR=6.5, P<0.05] and being single [OR=4.3, P<0.05], are good predictors for depression in patients with cancer, while the number of therapeutic sessions was not a significant risk factor. Treatment of depression as a part of therapeutic plan of cancerous patients especially in high risk cases seems to be so important in decreasing the period of disease and patient's disability

[ etiological study of optic atrophy]

Purpose: to assess the etiologic profile of optic atrophy in patients referred to Farabi Medical Center

Methods: in this descriptive study, exisiting data of 100 cases of optic atrophy were studied. The etiology of optic atrophy were divided into eight groups based on symptoms and paraclinic studies: compressive, ischemic, traumatic, toxic, hereditary, inflammatory, miscellaneous, and undetermined

Results: the most common cause of optic atrophy was compression [33%] and the most common compressive lesion was pituitary adenoma [33% of all compressive lesions]. The second prevalent etiology were ischemic lesions [25%] with ischemic optic neuropathy as the main disease entity [96% of all ischemic lesions]. Compressive lesions were the most common cause of bilateral optic atrophy and ischemic lesions were the most common cause of unilateral optic atrophy

Conclusion: compressive lesions are the most common cause of optic atrophy under 40 years age and ischemic lesions are the most common cause above 40 years age