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  Background & Objective: Yersinia spp is from Enterobacteriacea family. The members of this group are all gram negative bacilli or cocobacili and non-spore and negative heme-oxidase which casuses a vast spectrum of diseases in humans the commonest one of which is gastroenteritis. Other diseases and clinical syndromes are septicemia, mesenteric lymphadenitis, Appendicitis, pharyngitis and rarely Reiter's syndrome. Due to frequent reports of febrile gastro-enteritis from Health centers of Ardebil, the probability of gastroenteritis resulted from Yersinia in this cold province is predictable. Thus this study was done to determine the role of Yersinia spp in the diarrhea of children under 5 in the cold seasons of the year in Ardebil.

  Methods: Stool samples from 490 children under 5 with diarrhea in a 7-month period were collected, and transferred in carry-Blair to the laboratory. Stool samples were cultured on Mac-Conkey agar and Salmonella-Shigella agar and Yersinia selective agar, TCBS agar and selenate agar. After adequate incubation, the growing colonies were identified according to the standard biochemical methods.

  Results: of 490 samples, only 405 were suitable to be cultured of which 9.38% pathogenic bacteria were isolated. The frequency distribution of the separated bacteria were as follows Y.enterocolitica, 13 species vibrio, 11 species Enteropathogenic E.coli, 6 species Salmonella, 5 species Shigella, 2 species and plesiomonas, one species.

  Conclusion: The findings of this study are the indicator of the role of Yersinia spp in diarrhea in the cold seasons of the year in the cold and mountainous province of Ardebil. On the other hand, the frequency of isolated vibria was due to simultaneous cholera epidemy in this area.

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  Background & Objective: Tuberculosis is more prevalent in developing countries and death from tuberculosis meningitis is strongly associated with delays in diagnosis and treatment. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been incorporated as a diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of tuberculosis. The rapid results and greater sensitivity compared to traditional microbiological methods makes PCR a suitable technique in tuberculosis, especially in tuberculosis meningitis, when diagnosis is difficult or when rapid diagnosis is needed. However, the possibility of false positive and false negative results must be considered. The aim of this study was to compare the conventional bacteriology (culture Ziehl- Neelsen staining) with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique for rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis meningitis.

 Methods: This study included 25 clinically diagnosed patients that were suspected to have tuberculosis meningitis and 10 other bacterial or viral meningitis patients were investigated. DNA was extracted from CSF and the NESTED PCR using specific primers were done.

 Results: In 25 samples, Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA was detected in 9 (36%) by PCR, 2(8%) and 1(4%) with culture and direct smear was obtained, respectively. whereas no DNA bands were detected in patient with the other 10 meningitis. The entire procedure was repeated and the same result was obtained.

 Conclusion: The findings of this study indicated that PCR is a powerful method for rapid and sensitive diagnosis of tuberculosis meningitis. In a way that it decreases obtaining the results from several weeks in bacteriological methods to one to two days, especially in smear negative patients. This is very important in tuberculosis meningitis because it is a medical urgency and needs rapid diagnosis and early treatment.

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  Background & objectives: Patients with bulimia nervosa may have impaired mental image of their body and fear of weight gain. The aim of current research is study the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on improving body image of female students with bulimia nervosa.

  Methods: The design of current study is as quasi-experiment research with pre-test and post-test with control group . Statistical population consists all 12-16 years old female students with bulimia nervosa of Ardabil city in the 2013-13 academic years. In order to select the sample, at first 400 students were selected by multi stage cluster sampling method. Then between the students with bulimia nervosa, 40 subjects were selected randomly and were put in two experimental and control groups. The experimental group participated in 8 sessions of acceptance and commitment based training. Thecontrol group received no intervention. The gathered data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA).

  Results: The results show that acceptance and commitment therapy improved body image and reduced the symptoms of bulimia nervosa subjects of experimental group in comparison with the control group in the post-test (P<0.001).

Conclusions: The results indicated that acceptance and commitment therapy by therapeutic strategies, improved body image of female students with bulimia nervosa. Thus, interventions based on this approach in schools for students lead to decreasing the psychological problems

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Background & objectives: Epidemiological and clinical studies have shown a close relationship between asthma and obesity. The present study examined the effect of obesity on the airway response to methacholine and the number of inflammatory cells in the bronchoalveolar fluid of ovalbumin-sensitized male rats.
Methods: Twenty-four male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups: normal diet (C+ND), OVA‐sensitized with the normal diet (S+ND), high-fat diet (C+HFD) and OVA‐sensitized with high‐fat diet (S+HFD). All animals were fed for 8 weeks with standard diet or high-fat diet, and then were sensitized with ovalbumin or normal saline for another 4 weeks while receiving the designed regimens. At the end of the study, the number of inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar fluid (BALF) and tracheal responsiveness to methacholine were examined.
Results: In diet-induced obesity groups, weight and obesity indices increased (p<0.05 to p<0.001). The results also showed that tracheal responsiveness to methacholine in S+HFD group compared to S+ND group, was significantly increased (p<0.05). In addition, the number of inflammatory cells in the BAL, in the S+HFD group was higher than other groups (p<0.001).
Conclusion: the results of this study suggest that the response of the airways to methacholine and the number of inflammatory cells are increased in obese-asthmatic male rats.
 

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Background & objectives: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by irreversible airflow limitation and systemic inflammation which is also associated with pulmonary and extra-pulmonary complications. COPD Diagnostic Questionnaire (CDQ) is a valid questionnaire that is used to identify patients with COPD. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the severity of airflow limitation and the CDQ score in COPD patients.
Methods: In this study, 100 patients with COPD and smoking history were included. The diagnosis of COPD was established based on American Thoracic Society (ATS) guidelines: cough and expulsion of phlegm, chronic dyspnea, obstructive spirometric pattern (forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) <70%). Disease severity was classified according to GOLD criteria. After obtaining consent, demographic data, history of smoking, the exacerbation rate in the past year, arterial oxygen saturation (Spo2) and spirometer variables were recorded. Then, CDQ and Modified Medical Research Council (MMRC) dyspnea score were completed. Also, the associations of the CDQ score with FEV1% predicted and clinical parameters of patients were tested.
Results: All studied patients were male. There was a significant relationship between CDQ score with FEV1% (p<0.001), GOLD stage (p<0.01), Spo2 (p<0.01), exacerbation rate (p<0.01) and severity of dyspnea according to MMRC dyspnea scale (p<0.01).
Conclusion: The CDQ can be used to determine airflow limitation, severity of dyspnea and exacerbation rate in COPD patients. Therefore, it is recommended that this questionnaire can be used in primary health centers for identifying and referring of COPD patients.
 

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Background and objectives: The respiratory system is one of the areas that are most vulnerable to unhealthy workplace injuries. One of the most common occupational diseases, are illnesses and respiratory complications in employees who exposed to harmful pollutants in the workplace. Flour powder is a complex organic particle with different components. These ingredients include wheat bran, pollen, starch particles and a variety of bacteria. The high temperature of the bakery oven and the flour in the bakers' work environment can cause allergic and respiratory disorders. Evaluation of pulmonary function tests (spirometry) plays an important role in the diagnosis and management of lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and threatening disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate pulmonary function tests and compare it with non-bakers and healthy people in Ardabil traditional bakers.
Methods: Lung function tests including forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), maximal expiratory airflow velocity (PEF), maximal expiratory airflow velocity at 75%, 50%, and 25% of vital capacity (MEF75, MEF50, MEF25) and respiratory and allergic symptoms of 51 traditional male bakers and 51 non-bakers in the same age with other occupations were compared. Respiratory and allergic symptoms using a standard questionnaire including job-related respiratory symptoms such as cough, sputum, shortness of breath, and job-related allergic symptoms. In each phase, in addition to calculating the mean and standard deviation, t-test used to compare the means, the probability of error less than 5% considered significant.
Results: In the present study, there was a significant difference between the case group and the control group in pulmonary parameters. In addition, there was no significant difference between the level of education, type of bakery, number of working hours per day and BMI of bakers. There was a significant relationship between work experience (year) and FVC, FEV1, FEV1 percentage and FEF50%. There was also a significant relationship between the age of bakers and the all parameters above, except FVC, and there was a significant difference between different tasks in bakeries only in the case of FEF50%.
Conclusion: In control subjects, pulmonary parameters decreased with age, but in bakers, this trend is more severe and needs to follow up. The present study showed that traditional bakers in Ardabil are at risk for obstructive respiratory diseases. High oven temperature and exposure to irritants such as wheat flour may play an important role. Preventive tools such as proper ventilation and protective equipment needed.