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OBJECTIVE@#To assess the effect of valerian root extract on the sleep quality of patients after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.@*METHODS@#The patients who participated in this triple-blind clinical trial were selected by permuted block randomization. The participants were assigned to the valerian (n=36) and placebo (n=36) groups. The valerian group received 530 mg of valerian capsules for 30 nights after CABG surgery, and the placebo group received 530 mg of the placebo capsules containing wheat flour. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the prothrombin time (PT) and partial thromboplastin time (PTT) were assessed on four occasions, including the baseline, the 3rd, 14th and 30th days following intervention.@*RESULTS@#The odds ratio of worsened sleep quality significantly varied over time (the interaction of time and group) in the valerian group compared to the placebo group in various dimensions including total sleep quality (P=0.001), sleep latency (P<0.01), sleep duration (P=0.020), sleep efficiency (P=0.001) and daytime dysfunction (P=0.025). No significant difference was observed in the alterations of the odds ratio of PT in the two groups over time. (P=0.371).@*CONCLUSION@#The consumption of oral valerian root extract over 30 nights could significantly improve the patients' sleep quality safely after CABG surgery.
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STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive cross-sectional study. PURPOSE: To validate the Persian version of the Million Visual Analogue Scale Questionnaire (MVAS), a self-administered low back pain (LBP) questionnaire. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: The majority of LBP questionnaires translated into Persian evaluate the impact of LBP on daily living. The MVAS is one of the most commonly used self-administered LBP questionnaires, and was developed to assess a different direction and effect of activities of daily living on LBP intensity. METHODS: The questionnaire was translated into Persian with the forward-backward method and was administered to 150 patients randomly sampled from an occupational medicine clinic in Tehran in 2017. RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha for all subscales ranged between 0.670 and 0.799. Confirmatory factor analysis showed adequate construct validity of the Persian version of the MVAS, with root mean square error of approximation 0.046, goodness of fit index 0.902, and comparative fit index 0.969. Other indexes were satisfactory. CONCLUSIONS: The Persian MVAS is a valid and reliable instrument that can assess the effect of various daily activities on the intensity of LBP.
Subject(s)
Humans , Activities of Daily Living , Cross-Sectional Studies , Low Back Pain , Methods , Occupational Medicine , Pain MeasurementABSTRACT
Background: The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 [HIV-1] is an infectious viral agent that gradually extinguishes the immune system, resulting in acquired immune deficiency syndrome [AIDS]. The aim of this study was to construct an RNA-positive control based on armored [AR] RNA technology, using HIV-1 RNA as a model
Methods: The MS2 maturase, a coat protein gene [at positions 1765 to 1787] and HIV-1 pol gene were cloned into pET-32a plasmid. The prepared plasmid was transformed into Escherichia coli strain BL2 [DE3], and the expression of the construct was induced by 1 mM of isopropyl-L-thio-D-galactopyranoside [IPTG] at 37 °C for 16 h to obtain the fabricated AR RNA. The AR RNA was precipitated and purified using polyethylene glycol and Sephacryl S-200 chromatography
Results: The stability of AR RNA was evaluated by treatment with DNase I and RNase A and confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and gel agarose electrophoresis. Tenfold serial dilution of AR RNA from 101 to 105 was prepared. Real-time PCR assays had a range of detection between 101 and 105. In addition, R2 value was 0.998, and the slope of the standard curve was -3.33
Conclusions: Prepared AR RNA, as a positive control, could be used as a basis for launching an in-house HIV-1 virus assay and other infectious agents. It can be readily available to laboratories and HIV research centers. The AR RNA is non-infectious and highly resistant to ribonuclease enzyme and can reduce the risk of infection in the clinical laboratory
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Objective: Hepatitis C virus [HCV] is considered to be a worldwide health problem. In most cases, HCV infection becomes chronic and may proceed to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Many pathological effects in cells may occur by viral proteins. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of the HCV core protein on cells to induction of the fibrogenesis process
Methods: We use the LX-2 cell line that originated from hepatic stellate cells. Plasmid which expressed HCV core protein was transfected to the cells. After 72 h, RNA was extracted and treated with DNase, followed by synthesis of cDNA. Positive control cells were treated with the leptin fibrotic hormone. We used real-time PCR to measure and statistically analyze alpha-SMA gene expression
Results: The HCV core protein significantly increased alpha-SMA gene expression [p<0.05]. There was more alpha-SMA gene expression in cells treated with leptin compared to cells treated with the HCV core protein
Conclusion: HCV infection is an impressive factor in the development of chronic hepatitis to hepatic fibrogenesis. The HCV core protein can induce a fibrogenesis process in HCV infection
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This research was carry out with aim of study of factors affecting the IQ of children 4-6 years old born preterm. This analytical-cross sectional study was carried out on 102 premature children with age 4-6 years old during years 2004 to 2006. The tools used in this study were Wechsler intelligence scale for children and questioner including demographical characteristic. In this study we used t-test and spearman correlation and also SPSS-18 was used to analyze data. In this study there was statistical relationship between normal child development and gestational age, birth weight, maternal education, multiple pregnancies, but there were not any statistical significant relationship between the history of preterm birth and child s gender, consanguinity parents, apgar, mother job. IQ in preterm babies who admitted in the NICU was lower than non-admitted preterm or term babies
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It is important that biological and health effects from the induction of currents and fields in the body by extremely low frequency [ELF] fields are fully explored to determine the effects produced at the molecular, cellular and organ levels. The objective of this study was to evaluate the intensity of ELF electromagnetic fields and its probable relationship with hematological changes among operators in a heavy metal industry site. This is a case study. In the present study, 205 workers exposed to electromagnetic fields [EMF] were working in four categories:[1] induction furnace workers, [2] induction hardening workers, [3] welders, [4] computer operators. A variety of methods for exposure assessment have been devised and applied to epidemiological studies of the effects of EMF in occupational settings. The methods range from rather crude job-classification methods, to sophisticated job-exposure matrix [JEM] modeling based on personal exposure measurements and reconstruction of past exposure. Monitoring procedures were carried out to measure the levels of exposure to ELF electric and magnetic fields. The strength of the electric and magnetic fields was measured by a dosimetric method [NIOSH 203]. Workers' blood samples were collected and analyzed for identifying different blood parameters. The results of hematological changes of workers in their medical files were also used for evaluation. Measurements showed a high strength of ELF filed at the induction furnace workplace. Total electric field ranged from 2.3 to 2452.3 V/M and magnetic field from 1 to 325.1 micro T. In other workshops including induction hardening, total electric field ranged from 2.45 to 68.5 V/M, magnetic field from 1.3 to 20.4 micro T, total electric filed from 1.02 to 11.23 V/M, magnetic field from 0.12 to 3.25 micro T in the welding department and finally for computer operators this range was 20.1 to 186.2 V/m for electric field and 0.07 to 0.25 mirco T for magnetic field. Mean value of WBC and MCV increased significantly among exposed induction furnace workders group [P<0.05], but RBC decreased. Mean value of WBC, MCHC and MCV increased significant among the exposed induction hardening workers group [P<0.05], but RBC and Hgb decreased. Mean value of WBC, MCV and Hgb increased significantly among the exposed welders group [P<0.05], but Hgb in relation with age decreased. Mean value of RVc and MCH decreased significantly among exposed computer operators group / [P<0.05]