Religious teachings and sexuality of women living in Rafsanjan: a qualiattive inquiry

Background: Islamic doctrine and related teachings play a seminal role in constructing the sexual performance of followers, women in particular

Objective: the aim was to explore women's understandings of Islamic Shiite principles related to their sexuality

Materials and Methods: in a qualitative content analysis approach, four individual interviews and seven focus groups conducted in Rafsanjan, a big city in Kerman province in Iran. Content analysis was used to extract meanings and themes

Results: three major themes were emerged describing the sexual concepts and religious-related teachings concerning women's sexual understandings and performances: "unconditional sexual submission" [Tamkin], "paradox between virtue and unconditional sexual submission" and "misconceptions"

Conclusion: religious teachings have a basic and comprehensive role in sexuality construction and sexual health of women. However, occasional inconsistency between beliefs, learning and sexual expectations, practices, and situations would lead to jeopardize the psychological and somatic health of women. Religious-related misconceptions have essential role in creating sexual problems

Investigation of histone lysine-specific demethylase 5D [KDM5D] isoform expression in prostate cancer cell lines: a system approach

Background: It is now well-demonstrated that histone demethylases play an important role in developmental controls, cell-fate decisions, and a variety of diseases such as cancer. Lysine-specific demethylase 5D [KDM5D] is a male-specific histone demethylase that specifically demethylates di- and tri-methyl H3K4 at the start site of active gene. In this light, the aim of this study was to investigate isoform/transcript-specific expression profiles of KDM5D in three prostate cancer cell lines, Du-145, LNCaP, and PC3

Methods: Real-time PCR analysis was performed to determine the expression levels of different KDM5D transcripts in the prostate cell lines. A gene regulatory network was established to analyze the gene expression profile

Results: Significantly different expression levels of both isoforms were found among the three cell lines. Interestingly, isoform I was expressed in three cell lines while isoform III did only in DU-145. The expression levels of both isoforms were higher in DU-145 when compared to other cell lines [P<0.0001]. The observed expression profile was determined by using regulatory network analyses

Conclusion: The present study, for the first time, not only showed the expression profiles of KDM5D isoforms in prostate cancer cell lines but also evaluated the effects of the gene regulatory network on the expression profile of this gene

Laboratory based diagnosis of leishmaniasis in rodents as the reservoir hosts in southern Iran, 2012

Objective:To examine the fauna of rodents as zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis reservoir hosts in Zarqan County, Fars Province, south of Iran, during 2012. Methods:During 2012, wild rodents from different parts of this region were caught by Sherman traps and checked by the examination of liver and spleen smears, for Leishmania infection, to see which species were acting as reservoir hosts;the slides were then processed to extract DNA for molecular test using PCR assay. Results:From 108 rodent species caught, 63%were male and 37%identified as female. Meriones libycus was the most abundant species caught (80.5%) and 5.7%of them were found to be smear-positive for Leishmania amastigotes. The other species were Rattus rattus (14.8%) and Mus musculus (4.7%), but none of them were found positive. Leishmania infection was observed in male and female samples microscopically. Moreover, molecular results revealed Leishmania major in three male and two female specimens. Conclusions:Based on our knowledge, Meriones libycus is incriminated as the main reservoir hosts of Leishmania major in the rural area of Zarqan.

Serum ox-LDL level is reduced with the extent of stenosis in coronary arteries

Oxidized LDL [ox-LDL] lipoproteins are proposed as important modified particles triggering pro-inflammatory evertts through receptor-mediated pathways. We evaluated the circulating ox-LDL level on the concept that the chronic immune events may affect ox-LDL clearance as the vessel stenosis develops in coronary arteries. One hundred sixty five subjects underwent coronary angiography and then, subdivided into four subgroups controls [n=85]; SVD, 2VD and 3VD [n=80]. The serum ox-LDL level and other biochemical parameters were measured using ELISA method and routine laboratory techniques, respectively. The serum ox-LDL level in the control group [4.81 +/- 1.41 mU/mg] was significantly higher than patients [4.28 +/- 1.73 mU/mg, P<0.05]. The ox-LDL/LDL ratio was conversely reduced with the extent of stenosis as compared with the controls [P<0.05]. Furthermore, no difference was observed in the ox-LDL/LDL ratio between the 2VD and 3VD patients. We suggested the atherosclerosis process increases the total clearing capacities of the circulating ox-LDL particles

in vitro study of mesiobuccal root thickness of maxillary first molars

Understanding the internal anatomy of root canal system can significantly influence outcomes of root canal treatment. The aim of this in vitro study was to measure the thickness of mesiobuccal root at different levels in maxillary first molars. In this cross-sectional study, forty extracted human maxillary first molars were radiographed; accordingly, the mesial and distal root thicknesses of mesiobuccal [MB] roots were measured at four parallel horizontal levels. The samples were sectioned at the measured levels and then sections were scanned and saved in the computer. Buccal [B], Palatal [P], Mesial [M] and Distal [D] aspects of root thicknesses in single-canalled roots were measured. In two-canalled mesiobuccal roots, Distobuccal [DB] and Distopalatal [DP] aspects were evaluated alongside other measurements. Average radicular thickness in each aspect and each level was compared using ANOVA and t-test. A total of 25 had two canals and 15 had one canal in MB root. In single-canalled roots M and D aspects were the thinnest whereas in two-canalled samples, the thicknesses of DP and DB aspects were significantly less than others [P<0.001]. The B and P had the greatest thicknesses in all the samples. The results showed that special attention should be paid to "danger zone" areas of mesiobuccal maxillary first molar roots in order to avoid technical mishaps

Plasma total antioxidant capacity and its related factors in Iranian pregnant women

To determine the plasma total antioxidant capacity [TAC] and its related factors in pregnant Iranian women attending maternity clinics. In a cross-sectional study carried out in Naghavi Maternity Clinic, Shaheed Beheshti Specialty and Subspecialty Polyclinic and 10 antenatal centers, affiliated to Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran, we determined the plasma TAC and its related factors including maternal age, weight, and body mass index [BMI] at the beginning, thirteenth, and twenty-first to twenty-fourth weeks of pregnancy, and gestational age at the twenty-first to twenty-fourth weeks of pregnancy in 137 primigravid pregnant women, 18-30 years old from October 2010 to March 2011. We used multiple linear regression to assess the relationship between TAC and its related factors. Plasma TAC in the twenty-first to twenty-fourth weeks of pregnancy was 0.75 +/- 0.11 mmol/l. The BMI at the beginning was 25.06 +/- 4, 25.72 +/- 4.13 at the thirteenth, and 26.95 +/- 4.19 kg/m[2] at the twenty-first to twenty-fourth weeks of pregnancy. Multiple regression analysis showed that gestational age was inversely associated with the plasma TAC [beta: -0.234, p=0.007]. Regression analysis also suggested a trend toward significant association between maternal age and plasma TAC [beta: 0.150, p=0.080], but there was no association between other variables and plasma TAC. Gestational age was inversely correlated with plasma TAC and maternal age had a trend toward significant association with TAC in 18-30 year-old Iranian pregnant women in their sixth month of pregnancy

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy with and without retrograde pyelography: Preliminary results of a randomized controlled trial

Since the introduction of percutaneous nephrolithotomy [PNL], many modifications to entering the pyelocalyceal system have been made. One alternative is to insert a needle pointed to an opaque stone as a landmark. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of managing kidney calculi by PNL with and without retrograde pyelography. In this randomized controlled trial, 55 candidates for PNL with a single opaque kidney calculus in the calyx alone, the pelvis alone, or both the calyx and the pelvis were assigned into 2 groups. Twenty-seven patients underwent PNL with a ureteral catheter, and 28 patients underwent PNL without a ureteral catheter. Clinical outcomes were compared between the 2 groups using plain radiographs taken on the first day after the procedure. Patients had similar distributions regarding sex, age, operative time, hospital stay, past surgical history on the kidneys, and stone size. There was a significantly greater decrease in postoperative hemoglobin level in patients having PNL with a ureteral catheter [P<0.001] than in those having the procedure without a ureteral catheter. No differences were seen among patients in the 2 groups in terms of stone-free rate, and number of patients with insignificant residue, and those needing extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, a second PNL procedure, or transurethral lithotripsy. Percutaneous nephrolithotomy without ureteral catheterization has specific benefits: urine leakage is lower and there is no need to perform cystoscopy. Patients with a single kidney calculus are good candidates for PNL without previous ureteral catheter insertion

Expression of alpha-crystalline protein in the in- vitro model of hypoxically induced nonreplicating persistence of mycobacterium tuberculosis strains

Latent tuberculosis infection [LTBI] is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis [MTB] in a state of non-replicating persistence [NRP]. Recent evidence suggests that some very specific adaptations to oxygen depletion occur so that MTB undergoes hypoxic NRP state. In this study the modified slowly stirred, limited Head Space Ratio [0.5HSR] method was used to investigate the physiological response of MTB to different oxygen tension levels. For setting up the various NRP stages, some susceptible and drug resistant clinically isolated strains of MTB were cultivated in Dubos Tween-Albumin medium via hypoxically, slow stirring 0.5 HSR methods. Additionally, the effects of isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, ciprofloxacin and metronidazole against MTB were examined during NRP-1 and NRP-2 stages. The alpha-crystalline protein was detected during NRP-1 stage of the MTB cultures via performance of the suitable procedures for pellet preparation, washing and cell disruption and SDS-PAGE[Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis] technique. NRP-1 and NRP-2 stages of MTB were assessed. The first three of the four drugs mentioned above affected the MTB at actively replicating period and the rifampin effect was continued slightly during NRP-1 stage. Metronidazole affected the MTB at anaerobic NRP-2 stage. Alpha-crystalline protein was detected in NRP -1 stage but was not detected at aerated cultures. Induction of the alpha-crystalline protein during hypoxic shift-down of MTB metabolism, and its function as a chaperone, suggests a critical role for this protein in the ability of MTB to persist without replicating in the hostile regions of the host's tissues. Therefore, for an effective TB control program, it is critical to understand the mechanisms of factors induction associated with the hypoxic condition of tubercle bacilli and some strategies for the identification of new drug targets must be developed and the persistence states in human lesions should be prevented as well