Sustainability in local public health nutrition programmes: beyond nutrition education, towards community collaboration

The present paper presents the approach, results and outcome of an innovative piece of action research amongst professionals (health and non-health) and the public (women and young people from low-income families in one of the deprived areas of Birmingham, UK). A cooperative inquiry approach was used and data were collected on concerns about health of professionals (n 15) and the public (n 19), as well as dietary practices, smoking pattern and access to healthy foods amongst the public (n 49). The methods of data collection were: desk research; observation; semi-structured individual and focus-group interviews; structured individual interviews. The findings highlight diverse views and expectations about health amongst the public and the professionals, and suggest the existence of tensions between the partnership and the ownership of inter-agency collaboration. It argues the importance of having a shared vision amongst health and non-health professionals regarding health strategy and the way forward for working together to promote the public's health. It recommends that by using the tenet of action research, and adapting a cooperative inquiry approach, members of a partnership project could learn through reflection on action and achieve personal development and social action.     

Physical trauma and substance abuse: a comparative study on substance abuse in patients with physical trauma versus general population

AIM: To evaluate the prevalence of substance abuse in a sample of patients with acute physical trauma in comparison with the general population. METHOD: Prospective study using structured interview based on DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed) criteria for substance dependence and abuse. SETTING: Hospitals at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, and the general population in Shiraz. PARTICIPANTS: 1,324 subjects selected randomly (324 subjects from patients with acute physical trauma, and 1,000 subjects from general population). RESULTS: The mean age was 37 (SD=15.5, age range=15-83 yr.) In the general population, the mean age was 36.5 (SD=14.29, age range=15-83). Substance use was much more prevalent among patients with acute physical trauma than in the general population. It should be mentioned that drug use precedes the trauma in the patient population and may contribute to the occurrence of trauma or disease. CONCLUSIONS: Substance use was significantly more prevalent in males than in females. Cultural attitudes toward usage of substances were found to affect the type and amount of the used substance. These findings should be considered when planning preventive and therapeutic programs.     

Shock wave induced cytoskeletal and morphological deformations in a human renal carcinoma cell line

Effects of shock waves on the morphology and cytoskeleton of a human renal carcinoma cell line (ACHN) were investigated in vitro. ACHN monolayer cultured on a cover slide glass was treated with 10 shots of focused underwater shock waves, with 16 MPa peak pressure at the focal area of a piezoceramic shock wave generator. After exposure to the shock wave, based on the severity of morphological deformations of the treated cells, the monolayer was divided into three morphological areas; focal, marginal and intact. Morphological deformations were found to be associated with disorganization of the intracellular cytoskeletal filaments. Deformation of the cytoskeletal proteins in the treated cells were separately studied with respect to the location of the cells within the three morphological areas. Among three major cytoskeletal proteins, actin and tubulin, but not vimentin, were affected by the shock waves. The deformed cells reorganized their cytoskeletal network within 3 h with a pattern similar to the control, indicating the transient characteristic of the shock wave induced cytoskeletal damage in the surviving cells. The remaining cell fragments on the slide glass, which contained short actin filaments, indicated the important role of shear stress in damaging the cytoskeletal fibers by shock waves.     

Sinus CT scan findings in patients with chronic cough following sulfur mustard inhalation: a case-control study

Sinusitis is one of the most common causes of chronic cough, which is the most common manifestation among patients exposed to sulfur mustard (SM). We conducted our study on exposed victims to SM with chronic cough for evaluation of probable sinus abnormality. In a case-control study, among referred patients for evaluation of persistent chronic cough, 39 patients with previous and 35 patients without previous history of exposure to SM underwent paranasal sinus computed tomography (CT) scans (Somatom CR CT scanner) in coronal planes. A well-designed standard pro forma was used for reporting sinus CT abnormalities. Data was analyzed with chi-square and Fisher exact test. Except one, all obtained CT scans findings showed some abnormalities. Mucosal abnormality was detected in 30 chemical-exposed cases (CEs) (76.9%), and 8 cases were categorized as severe types. In general, mucosal thickening in right (left) frontal, sphenoid, and maxillary sinus were observed in 12.8% (7.7), 5.1% (7.7), and 25.6% (30.8) of CEs, respectively; these proportions were 11.4% (11.4), 2.9% (2.9), and 45.6% (60) in non-chemical-exposed cases (NEs), respectively. Air fluid level in the right (left) frontal sinus was 10.3% (7.7) and in the right (left) maxillary sinus was 10.3% (15.4) in CEs; it was 2.9%(0) and 20%(20) in NEs for these locations, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences between findings of two groups (p > .05). Also, comparison of related data to osteomeatal complex obstruction, bulla ethmoidalis, haller cell, agger nasi, and pneumatized crista galli were not significant (p > .05). Thus; various types of sinus abnormalities were highly prevalent in both CEs and NEs with chronic cough and there was no specific pattern. Consequently, current approaches to chronic cough just based on conventional etiologies in this setting can lead to delay in diagnosis and mismanagement.     

Immunohistochemistry assessment of p53 protein in Basal cell carcinoma

The most frequently mutated tumor suppressor gene found in human cancer is p53. In a normal situation, p53 is activated upon the induction of DNA damage to either arrest the cell cycle or else induce apoptosis. However, when mutated, p53 is no longer able to properly accomplish these functions. Our aim was to investigate p53 protein alteration in cases of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and compare it with the control group. We investigated P53 gene expression in 41 cases of basal cell carcinoma and 20 patients with benign skin disease as control group. The alteration of p53 protein was investigated by immunohistochemistry method. The Data were analyzed using SPSS package, T and Chi-Square tests.Twenty eight out of 41 basal cell carcinoma and 3 out of 20 control were p53-mutated, and there was a statistically significant difference in cases of BCC in comparison with controls (x2 test; p= 0.0001).Taken together, showing alteration of p53 protein, our findings could add to the knowledge that might contribute to the self-maintenance of cancer cells and development of basal cell carcinoma.     

Anxiolytic effects of Salvia reuterana Boiss. on the elevated plus-maze model of anxiety in mice

The anxiolytic and sedative effects of hydroalcoholic extract (HE) of Salvia reuterana Boiss. was evaluated in mice. The HE of Salvia reuterana (100 mg/kg), increased the percentage of time-spent and the percentage of arm entries in the open arms of the elevated plus-maze. Spontaneous locomotor activity count measured in 15 min of the test was significantly decreased in animals pretreated with diazepam and 100 mg/kg of Salvia reuterana extract. Results of the present study provide support for the traditional usage of Salvia reuterana as a sedative and anxiolytic medicinal plant.     

Remote ischemic preconditioning to reduce contrast-induced acute kidney injury in chronic kidney disease: a randomized controlled trial

Background

The impact of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) on patients with chronic renal disease is well-known. Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) is a non-invasive method that can reduce the risk of CI-AKI, but studies on RIPC have had different results. The aim of the present study was to assess the potential impact of RIPC on CI-AKI.

Methods

In a randomized, double blinded, controlled trial, 132 patients with chronic renal dysfunction (glomerular filtration rate?<?60?mL/min/m²) who underwent coronary angiography or angioplasty received adequate hydration. RIPC was performed in 66 patients by applying an upper arm blood pressure cuff. The cuff was inflated four times for 5?min to 50?mmHg above the systolic blood pressure, followed by deflation for 5?min. In the control group, the blood pressure cuff was inflated only to 10?mmHg below the patient’s diastolic blood pressure. The primary endpoint was an increase in serum cystatin C?≥?10% from baseline to 48–72?h after exposure to the contrast.

Results

The primary endpoint was achieved in 48 (36.4%) patients (24 in each group). RIPC did not show any significant effect on the occurrence of the primary endpoint (P?=?1). In addition, when the results were analyzed based on the Mehran risk score for subgroups of patients, RIPC did not reduce the occurrence of the primary endpoint (P?=?0.97).

Conclusions

In patients at moderate-to-high risk of developing CI-AKI when an adequate hydration protocol is performed, RIPC does not have an additive effect to prevent the occurrence of CI-AKI.

Trial registration

The clinical trial was registered on (Identification number IRCT2016050222935N2, on December 19, 2016 as a retrospective IRCT).

     

A novel variant of SLC26A4 and first report of the c.716T>A variant in Iranian pedigrees with non-syndromic sensorineural hearing loss

The autosomal recessive non-syndromic hearing loss (ARNSHL) can be associated with variants in solute carrier family 26, member 4 (SLC26A4) gene and is the second most common cause of ARNSHL worldwide. Therefore, this study aims to determine the contribution of the SLC26A4 genotype in the hearing loss (HL) of 40 ARNSHL pedigrees in Iran. A cohort of the 40 Iranian pedigrees with ARNSHL, having no mutation in the GJB2 gene, was selected. The linkage analysis with five short tandem repeat (STR) markers linked to SLC26A4 was performed for the 40 ARNSHL pedigrees. Then, two out of the 40 pedigrees with ARNSHL that linked to DFNB4 locus were further screened to determine the variants in all exons of SLC26A4 gene by direct DNA sequencing. The 21 exons of SCL26A4 were analyzed for the two pedigrees. A known variant (c.716T>A homozygote), it is the first reported incidence in Iran, a novel variant (c.493A>C homozygote) were detected in the two pedigrees and pathogenesis of c.493A>C confirmed in this study with review 100 hearing ethnically matched controls by PCR-RFLP analysis. The present study suggests that the SLC26A4 gene plays a crucial role in the HL occurring in Iranian pedigrees. Also, the results probably support the specificity and unique spectrum of SLC26A4 variants among Iranian HL patients. Molecular study of SLC26A4 gene may lead to elucidation of the profile of the population-specific variants which has importance in diagnostics of HL.