[Effect of atorvastatin on indices of chronic asthma in patients under treatment with high dose inhaled steroid or oral steroid]

Statins are the most common type of cholesterol- lowering drugs which have anti-inflammatory properties that may be beneficial in the treatment of inflammatory diseases such as asthma. Regarding to examine new medications for asthma management due to the side effects of existing routine asthma treatments, statins are one of drugs which have been suggested recently. Effect of atorvastating on lung function and airway inflammation. In this triple blind clinical trial study sixty seven patients with moderate to severe asthma were entered. They were divided to two groups randomly. Case group were treatment by oral atorvastatin 40 mg daily and control group were treatment by placebo on lung function. Patients were visited and their lung volumes [FEV1, FVC, FEV1/ FVC, FEF25-75%] and inflammatory biomarkers [ESR, Hs-CRP] and asthma control questionnaire score were measured every 4 weeks during the course. Fifty patients completed the study. Data was analyzed by chi[2], t-test and Mann-Whitney test. P value <0.04 was significant. There were no significant differences in lung volumes and inflammatory biomarkers between atorvastatin and placebo groups. We observed significant differences in the trend of lung volumes include FEV1, FEV1/FVC and FEF 25-75% in each of the atorvastatin and placebo groups during the course of study [p<0.001] but there were no significant difference between them. There were significant differences in the trend of asthma control according to asthma control questionnaires in each of atorvastatin and placebo groups during the course [p<0.001]. According to this study, atorvastatin does not show any significant anti-inflammatory activity in patients with moderate to severe asthma therefore it could not be beneficial for the short term treatment of asthma. But it seems that regular visit and patient education could lead to better asthma control

[Survey the attitudes towards thesis writing process among students of Guilan university of medical sciences]

Determining students' attitudes towards the goals of doctoral dissertation writing, topic selection, choosing the supervisor, and their opinion about problems in conducting a research project, can be helpful in assisting programmers to better reform and improve the quality of this course. Survey the attitudes towards thesis writing process among students of guilan university of medical sciences, in the year of 2009.In this descriptive-cross sectional study, 164 medical and dental students who being in the last two years of their education or graduated in recently years, were surveyed. We used a self-made questionnaire comprised of 54 questions, which its validity and reliability were tested prior to initiation of the study. The questions were designed in three bases. Data were analyzed as frequency distribution, mean and standard deviation, and X[2] test, using SPSS software. Within the thesis process and topic selection domain, most of the students agreed with the need for learning how to write and collect a thesis [66.4%], guidance in topic selection [71.4%], and access to the resources and facilities [76.2%]. Most of the students [76%] responded that they would refuse to write a dissertation if it was elective, and 71.4% were willing to write an article based on their work. Availability of the supervisor had the highest priority for the students, within the domain of supervision. 12.9% of medical and 22.5% of dental students were satisfied from thesis process there was a statistically significant relationship between the field and satisfaction of performance process [P=0.002]. This preliminary research showed that students inquired to learn basics of dissertation and article writing in the form of a credit course. Encouraging students to attend research methodology workshops, teaching supervision skills to the mentors, providing research funds and laboratory equipments has positive influence to attitudes of students and improve the performance of the doctoral dissertation course

[ article publication status among faculty members of Guilan university of medical sciences]

Bibliometrics as a method of annual evaluation of research performance in Iranian Universities of Medical Sciences involves determination of scientific activities of faculty members. A wide range of scientific performances are evaluated in this way and determination of number of publications is an important indicator of this evaluation. Determination of number of article published by Guilan University of Medical Sciences [GUMS] faculty members. Using a descriptive design based on biblometrics methods, four eminent scientific databases including Scientific Information Database [SID], Iranmedex, Web of Knowledge [WOK]; and Scopus has been searched and the number of articles published by GUMS faculty members has been determined. Data obtained in this research indicates the number of Persian and Latin articles published by GUMS faculty members shows a rapid increase in recent five years as the number of Latin articles increased from 9 in 2003 to 41 in 2008. Of 879 articles published by GUMS members in this period, the medical faculty members contributed the highest percentage [77.47%], with Internal group as rank one with 69 articles. The current trend of article publication by GUMS members is favorably increasing, although this tendency has no equality in all faculties. Conducting more researches to discover the potential causes of this situation and providing sophisticated resolutions seems be necessary

[Comparison of neonatal bacterial septicemia in 2007 and 1998-2000 years]

Septicemia is an important and common cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity. Several factors such as genetic, social, hygienic and nutritional factors are effective on the frequency of bacterial pathogens in neonatal septicemia, several studies have performed to determine common pathogens in the different parts of the world. Comparison of neonatal bacterial septicemia in 2007 and 1998-2000 in the 17 Shahrivar hospital of Rasht. In this descriptive and comparative study, 298 files of the newborns who were admitted had hospitalized with the probable diagnosis of septicemia in 2007 were collected; we defined the cases with positive blood culture, the pathogens and antibiotic resistance to different antibiotics. We compared these results with the results of study which was performed between 1998-2000. Among 298 hospitalized newborns, 31 cases had positive blood culture [10.4%]. The most common pathogens were Entrobacter [77.4%], Klebsiella [6.5%] respectively. In the study of 1998, the most common pathogens were Ecoli 111 cases [59.7%], Entrobacter 47 cases [25.3%] klebsiella 1.7 cases [9.2%]. There wasn't any significant relationship between mortality and sex, age, maturity and kind of delivery, but there was significant relationship between the pathogen and mortality, delivery, maturity, birth weight. There wasn't any significant relationship between sex and pathogen. According to the results of 2007 the most common pathogen was Entrobacter and treatment with effective antibiotics like Gentamycine [cost effective and easily available] and hygienic care in the neonatal care recommended to the eliminate the infectious factors especially Entrobacter

[Evaluating curvilinear hypothesis in quality of life and glycemic control in diabetic patients]

Quality of life [QOL] has become an important concept in medical research. Some research has shown a curvilinear relationship between QOL and glycemic control, but some did not so. The aim of this study is to investigate different aspects of QOL and also assess the hypothesis in diabetic patients. In a cross-sectional study, a random sample of adult diabetic outpatients [n=110] were selected and completed the WHO-QOL assessment instruments. In addition HbA1c was measured in these patients by calorimetric method. Patients were divided in to 3 groups: 1-good control [HbA1c<7], 2-fair control [7 >= HbA1c<9] and 3-poor control [HbA1c >= 9]. QOL was assessed by measuring physical, psychological, social and environmental domains. Data were analyzed with one way ANOVA [Tukey as post hoc], Chi2 and Mann-Whitney, and correlation tests. A significant correlation was seen between BMI and glycemic control, physical and social aspects, physical and environmental aspects, psychological and environmental aspects, and social and psychological aspects. No significant difference was seen between mean score of different dimensions of QOL in relation to HbA1c changes. The mean score of each dimension in relation to glycemic control showed that, better score of psychological, environmental and social dimensions is seen in patients with fair glycemic control. But regarding the overall score of QOL this is completely reverse. The mean score of physical dimension is decreased with increasing HbA1c. There was no correlation between other domains of QOL and glycemic control. In this survey higher quality of life was seen in fair glycemic control in social, environmental and psychological dimensions, but physical dimension in patients was decreased when HbA1c was increased. Regarding the overall score of QOL it can be seen that the lowest score of QOL is in patients with fair glycemic control which is in contrast with curvilinear hypothesis