Occupational lead poisoning in workers of traditional tile factories in Mashhad, northeast of Iran

Occupational lead poisoning is a health problem in Iran. It has not previously been studied in traditional tile makers. To determine the prevalence of lead poisoning and its complications in traditional tile workers in Mashhad, Northwest of Iran, We visited workers in two traditional tile factories and collected data by direct history taking and physical examination. Blood and urine lead concentrations were measured by heated graphite atomization technique. Overall, 108 men with mean +/- SD age of 37 +/- 7.8 years were studied. The mean +/- SD length of daily lead exposure was 9.8 +/- 6 years. The mean +/- SD blood lead concentration was 520.5 +/- 323, 2 M9/L. The main objective clinical findings were the presence of lead line [64.8%], peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities [37%], depressed deep tendon reflexes in the upper extremities [25.7%], tremor [23.3%], peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities [17%] and abdominal tenderness [15.1%]. The subjective findings were mainly attributed to the central nervous system and included loss of memory [57%], moodiness [56.1%], agitation [47.7%], drowsiness [36.4%] and headache [29.9%]. There was no statistically significant correlation between the blood lead concentration and glomerular filtration rate. However, there were significant correlations between the blood lead concentration and each of the urine lead concentration [p<0.001], diastolic blood pressure [p=0.04], serum triglyceride level [p=0.043], high density lipoprotein level [p=0.012], and basophilic stippling [p=0.048]. Blood lead level, however, did not have any significant correlation with the presence of lead line. In traditional tile workers, lead toxicity is not uncommon and the toxic effects of lead were found more often on the teeth [bone], central and peripheral nervous system, hematological and lipid profiles than on the renal function

[Molecular identification of mycoplasma agents in suspected contagious caprine pleuropneumonia]

Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia [CCPP] is one of the common infections in the middle east regions. So far, there has not been received any report about isolation and identification of these agents in Iran. The aim of this study is to diagnose and isolate mycoplasma agents in suspected goat flocks. Total of 100 pneumonic lung specimen from 20 CCPPsuspected flocks were collected from abbatoirs close to Kermanshah during 1384-1386 and had been sent to Microbiology Lab. Gross lesions showed hepatization with grey and white lesions [consolidation] and motley appearance with or without fibrin. The minced tissue were inoculated to PPLO broth agar. After multiple passages, typical mycoplasma colony was isolated from 4 flocks [22/2%]. Mycoplasma DNA was also extracted based on phenolchloroform method and subjected to generic PCR with specific primers. In addition to the perivious positive samples from tissue culture, 5other flocks also showed contamination with Mycoplasma organisms in PCR tests[45%]. Then, the samples were determined for Mycoplasma mycoides cluster infection, M. capricolum capripneumonia and M. mycoides mycoides [L.C], using M. agalactia as negative control, with specific primers in PCR, there has showed no contamination to these strains. However, to declare "free status " from CCPP in goat flocks requires more developed researches and much more samples in further investigation

[ effect of mothers' depression on children's oral health]

The mother's mood and her attitude towards health services, dental treatment and their effects on her child's oral health have already been studied. To the best of our knowledge, no research evaluating the direct effect of mothers' depression on the child's oral hygiene was found. Considering the fact that maintaining the child oral hygiene may depend on the mother's willingness and attitude, the issue of maternal depression's effect on the child's oral health is a subject for research. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of mothers' depression on their 5-12 year old children's oral health. For this descriptive and cross- sectional study, 358 mothers and their children aged from 5 to 12 years [mean=8.7 +/- 1.96] were selected through convenient sampling from the department of pediatric dentistry of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. The children's oral hygiene was determined, using OHI-S index. The mothers' depression was assessed using 21 items Beck depression questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed, using SPSS Ver. 7.5. Descriptive and analytic outputs were obtained. Analysis of variance, t-student, and Chi-Square tests were performed to analyze the data. There was a statistically significant difference between the means of Debri Index [Dl] in the two groups of children with mothers with and without clinical depression [1.37 +/- 0.37 and 1.25 +/- 0.38 respectively] [p<0.05]. These results were confirmed by Chi-square test based on the frequency of children with good and poor debri Index. Based on the above results, oral hygiene in children of mothers with clinical depression is poorer than those with mothers without clinical depression. Children need emotional support, education, supervision and help of their mothers in order to perform their routine oral hygiene practice. Therefore, for improvement of the children's oral health, their mothers' mood is of great significance

Bronchoalveolar lavage and bacteriological findings in calf pneumonia

This study was done for identification of bacterial agents in calf pneumonia and determination of their antimicrobial susceptibility. Bronchoalveolar lavage was done on fourteen pneumonic and seven normal Holstein calves between 1-3 month old. In bacteriological examination on the fluid of bronchoalveolar lavage, Mycoplasma spp. were isolated from 4 [28.6%] pneumonic calves and 1 [14.3%] healthy calf. Furthermore, Arcanobacterium pyogenes was isolated from 3 [21.5%] pneumonic calves and 1 [14.3%] healthy calf. However, Fusobacterium necrophorum, Actionobacillus [Pasturella] urea, Neisseria mucosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Cardiobacterium hominis were isolated from one pneumonic calf. This is the first report of Cardiobacterium hominis from the lung of a pneumonic calf. All of the isolated bacteria had the highest susceptibility to florfenicol

[ effects of plyometric and strengthening exercises on the quadriceps muscle strength in girl students in Zahedan University of Medical Sciences in 2005]

Varieties of exercise therapy methods are used in rehabilitation in order to improve muscle function. Optimal function of muscles results in improvement of functional activities; as a result, these activities would be achieved in a shorter time with the reduction of energy wasting. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of plyometric and strengthening exercises on the quadriceps muscle strength in girl students of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences. This experimental study was performed in Zahedan in 2005. Thirty six girl students aging 20 +/- 1.2 years among residents of Mojtameh dormitory of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences were studied through simple non-probability sampling. Subjects were randomly assigned to either a plyometric exercises group or a strengthening exercises group. The quadriceps muscle strength [kg] was measured using hand-held dynamometer before and after 10 sessions of intervention. The first group received plyometric exercises. Strengthening exercises were given to the second group. Independent and paired t-tests were used for comparison between the pre-treatment and post treatment results between groups and within groups, respectively. The strength of quadriceps muscle was increased from 12.1 +/- 3 to 14.7 +/- 3.8 [kg] in the plyometric exercises group and from 12.4 +/- 3.7 to 14.9 +/- 3.9 [kg] in the strengthening exercises group [P<0.0001]. No significant difference was seen between two groups after and before intervention. Independent-samples t-test identified that there was no significant difference between two groups with respect to mean difference of the quadriceps strength. The results, in spite of conventional opinions, showed that there was no difference between plyometric and strengthening exercises regarding quadriceps muscle strengthening. Both types of exercises increased the quadriceps muscle strength. Therefore, according to patient conditions, either type of these exercises can be used for exercise therapy in knee pathologies and the quadriceps muscle strength deficit

[ study on the presence of Escherichia coli, Coccidia and Cryptosporidium in stool samples of under one month age diarrheic calves in Ghaernshahr and Babol and antibiotic sensitivity of isolates]

Objective: study on the presence of Escherichia coli, Coccidia and Cryptosporidium in stool samples of neonatal diarrheic calves in Ghaemshahr and Babol, simultaneous shedding of Coccidia and Cvyptosporidium with Escherichia coli in these calves, serotyping of Escherichia coli, comparison of antibiotic sensitivity of K99+ and other serotypes of Escherichia coli

Animals: ninety three diarrheic neonatal calves [under one month]

Procedure: taking stool sample from rectum of the diarrheic calves, using standard methods for detection of Coccidia and Cryptosporidium, isolation of Escherichia coli canied out by using standard bacteriological methods and serotyping and antibiotic sensitivity test of isolates

Statistical analysis: results were reported by descriptive scales

Results: Escherichia coli were isolated from 40.8% of diarrheic calves from which only one isolate were K99+ [1.07%]. In 12 samples two pathogens have been diagnosed simultaneously which in 6 samples E. coli and Coccidia [6.4%] and 6 samples E. coli and Cryptosporidium [6.4%] have been isolated. Isolated Escherichia coli were resistant to many antibiotics which routinely used in treatment of diarrhea and there was no significant difference between K99+ and other isolates of Escherichia coli in antibiotic sensitivity test

Clinical implications: from the results of this study it seems that K99+ Escherichia coli is not a common isolate in neonatal diarrheic calves in Ghaemshahr and Babol