Background: Noise as a harmful physical agent for factory workers is one of the most important causes of neurosensory hearing loss. In this study, workers of noise-polluted factories were assessed by audiometric equipment to determine their frequency and intensity of hearing loss (HL). Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study 2004 workers from five factories in Zanjan and suburbs (including Iran-transfo, Pars-switch, Foolad-agfa, Zanjan-choob & Shir-e-pasturizeh) were selected through total sampling and assessed for audiometry. Cases with history of hearing impairment and conductive hearing loss were excluded from the study. Hearing of at least 30 dB in the band of 4KH was considered as the threshold of H.L. The results were classified and presented through descriptive statistics. Results: Out of 2004 cases 1395 (69.6%) were in normal range of hearing (threshold), 1 with previous history of H.L, 58 (2.9%) conductive H.L. and 7 with mixed H.L. 543 (27%) had isolated neurosensory H.L. of whom 311 cases had bilateral involvement and 124 and 108 cases had unilateral involvement of left and right ears, respectively. After excluding the cases with neurosensory H.L. probably related to old age, the final rate of frequency of noised-induced H.L. was obtained as 22.5%. The intensity of H.L. in each one of the ears was as follows: 53.6% mild H.L., 27.3% moderate H.L., 14.9% moderate to severe H.L, 2.9% severe H.L. and 1.3% of cases profound deafness. Conclusion: Similar internal and foreign studies have shown different results which are mainly due to various levels of noise and different cultural conditions of noise control in different factories. The results of this study indicate the necessity of care for utilizing protective instruments against noise in factories. More research concerning the change in temporary or permanent hearing threshold is recommended.

Background and Objective: Ischemia plays a major role in development of pathological changes in various neuropathies. Reperfusion amplifies physiological and pathological abnormalities in ischemic nerves. In this research, we studied ischemic-reperfusion (IR) injury of sciatic nerve up to 14 days of reperfusion.
Materials & Methods: IR was produced by ligation and release of nooses around supplying vessels to the sciatic nerve. 30 rats were assigned into 5 groups of 6. Group 1 (control) did not undergo IR while the 4 remaining groups after three hours of complete hind leg ischemia underwent reperfusion within 0hr, 3hrs, 7 days and 14 days.
Results: Pathologically, two phases were identifiable. During phase 1 (0- 3 hrs) fiber degeneration and endoneurial edema were observed. During phase 2 ( 7 days and, 14 days) prominent fiber degeneration and prominent endoneurial edema were observed. Loss of function occurred in more than 75% of the rats with ischemia alone, in comparison with the control group the maximum reduction in activities was observed amongest the group of rats reperfused within 3 hours.
Conclusion: IR injury depends on duration of reperfusion. Microvascular events during reperfusion may enhance the nerve fiber damage following the ischemia period.

Background and Objective: There are many chemical, physical and biological hazards which are threatening the dentists' health. In this study we assessed the effect of noise on Zanjan dentists hearing loss as one of the dentistry physical hazards. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was performed on all zanjan dentists in 2006-7. All dentists were examined by audiometer (CA76 and AC40). The exclusion criteria were hearing accidents and diseases. The data were statistically analyzed by T test ( =0.05). Results: Noise induced hearing loss was observed in most cases. Left ear was more susceptible than right ear. The men had more hearing loss than the women. (P value on Freq 8000 HZ= 0.001). Deutists with seniority of 10 years and over had more hearing loss than who have seniority of less than 10 years (P value on Freq 8000 HZ= 0.004). The dentists in the age of 40 years old and over had more hearing loss than the ages below 40 year (P value on freq 8000 HZ in the left ear = 0.007, in the right ear = 0.019). Left ear had more hearing loss than right ear. Noise induced hearing loss in extra–speech frequencies was more than speech frequencies. The noise frequency of dental equipments was between 70 to 105 db. Conclusion: Noise induced hearing loss which has threatened the dentists' health is an incurable problem that must be prevented. Regular audiometric exam, use of hearing protection devices and also the occupational health regulations must be implemented for dentists in order to reduce the risk of noise induced hearing loss.

Background and Objective: Post operative pain is one of the important factors affecting recovery from surgery and anesthesia. Gabapentin is used as an anticonvulsant drug that acts through voltage-dependent calcium channels. In some recent studies, oral gabapentin has been reported to reduce post operative pain and morphin consumption following mastectomy and hysterectomy. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of gabapentin on postoperative pain after abdominal hysterectomy. Material and Methods: In a double-blinded clinical trial design, 50 women aged 35- 50 years old, whom were candidate for hysterectomy referred to Shabih Khani Hospital in 1389, were signed up for the study. Patients received randomly either oral gabapentin 1200 or placebo 1 hr prior to the surgery. Pain was assessed on a visual analogue scale (VAS) at 2, 6, 12, and 24 hr intervals after the operation. Morphine consumption and drug-induced complications such as nausea and vomiting were recorded and compared between the two groups. Results: Factors including age, mean operative time, mean anesthesia time, and BMI were not significantly different between the test and control groups. However, the mean pain scores at 2, 6, 12, and 24 hr after operation were significantly lower in the gabapentin group in comparison to the controls (P<0.0001). The morphin consumption was also significantly lower in the gabapentin group (P<0.0001). Furthermore, the average time before the first to walk following the operation was significantly shorter in the gabapentin group (P=0.002). Conclusion: Preoperative oral gabapentin decreases the pain scores in the postoperative period and lowers the morphine consumption in patients following abdominal hysterectomy.

Background and Objectives: Stress and stressful situations can be a prelude to fatal diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and hypertension. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between perceived stress with five major characteristics of the heart disease in patients with myocardial infarction. Materials and Methods: In this cross sectional descriptive-analytical study that was conducted from May 2005 till October 2009, a total of 3,200 patients with myocardial infarction, from cardiovascular care unit of Gha'em and Imam Reza hospital, Mashhad, were randomly selected. A demographic questionnaire, an instrument for recording laboratory and electrocardiograph finding, and the Perceived Stress Scale were used for data collection. Results: The results of this study show that while 35% of all cases suffer from moderate stress, 65% percent of them suffer from high level of stress. The level of perceived stress in different categories of variables such as gender, educational level, hypertension, history of hypertension, depression, cigarette smoking, exercising, job, level of incoming, location of living, and family history of cardiovascular disease was significantly different from each other. Conclusion: Considering the high levels of stress among patients with myocardial infarction, design and implementation of interventions for identifying stressors, as well as their management seem to be crucial.

Background and Objective: Nosocomial infections, with their associated increased hospital mortality and hospitalization costs, are discussed as one of the major health problems in communities. Urinary tract infections are known as the most common nosocomial infection that makes up over 40% of all hospital infections. In this study, the role of antibiotics usage before admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and the frequency of urinary tract infections during ICU stay were studied. Materials and Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was done on 353 patients admitted to the ICUs of Besat and Ekbatan Hospitals in Hamedan. Following up their weekly visits to the ICU, the Patients with urinary tract infections were identified during weekly visits to the ICUs, and variables including the type of antibiotic taken prior to the occurrence of UTI, and the organisms causing the infection were recorded. Data analyses were performed by SPSS program Chi-Square and Fisher exact tests. Results: Among the 353 patients studied, with mean age of 51.2 ± 21.9 years, 61 (17%) were suffering from nosocomial UTI. Most of them [19 patients (31.1%)] were over 65 years. The urine cultures were positive in 20% of the patients. Gram-negative and -positive bacteria, and fungi made up 41.7%, 33.3%, 25%of the infection cases, respectively. Eighty-five percent of the cases had received antibiotics prior to developing nosocomial UTI, and 55% of the taken antibiotics belonged to the cephalosporin group. Furthermore, 44% of the cases had taken more than one type of antibiotics. There was a significant relationship between the type of microorganism responsible for the infection and the type of antibiotic taken before admission to the ICU (P=0.011). Conclusion: In this study, the frequency of nosocomial UTI was estimated at 17%, and it was found that taking inappropriate/unnecessary antibiotics before entering the ICU had a significant relationship with occurrence of nosocomial UTI. Therefore, educating the public for avoiding unnecessary consumption of antibiotics seems necessary.

Background and Objective: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is caused by the entrapment of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel of the wrist. CTS is a rather frequent complication in pregnancy. Thud, the prevalence of CTS is higher in women compared to men. However, the percentage of CTS related to pregnancy is not known in some countries such as Iran. The main aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and severity of CTS in pregnant and non-pregnant women of Boyerahmad township. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study was done during the period of February 2010 to January 2011 in OB&GYN clinics among 2,656 non-pregnant and 1,508 pregnant women. Among the women whom were referred to the OB&GYN specialists, 175 exhibited the clinical symptoms of CTS and were subjected to standard electrodiagnostic studies performed for either ruling in or out CTS by a Physiatrist. Results: The prevalence of CTS in women who had clinical symptoms was 2.7%. The prevalence of CTS in pregnant and non-pregnant women was 3.4% and 2 .3%, respectively. Overall, out of a total of 51 pregnant women who were suffering from CTS, 59.4% had mild, 18.8% had moderate, and 21.9% had severe CTS. Sixty one non-pregnant women had CTS that 73.6% of whom had mild, 20.8% had moderate, and 5.6% had severe CTS. Conclusion: The prevalence of CTS in pregnant women is higher than non-pregnant women. Also the rate of severe CTS is higher among pregnant women.

Background and Objective: Studies indicate that emotions are effective psychological factors in cardiovascular diseases that may contribute to the incidence or exacerbation of the disease. Increase in level of negative emotions is associated with deterioration of cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to compare the process of emotion regulation strategies in cardiovascular patients and normal individuals.

Materials and Methods: In this causal-comparative study, 90 subjects were assigned to three groups of 30 persons including patients with coronary heart diseases, implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients and normal subjects.  Convenience sampling was used for patients who had referred to a private clinic and Lavassani Hospital in Tehran. They completed the process model of emotion regulation questionnaire and the data were fed to SPSS to be analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis of variance.

Results: The results pointed out significant differences between two formerly mentioned patient groups and normal subjects (p<0.001). The findings asserted that patients with coronary heart diseases and implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients used suppression of negative emotional experience strategy more than normal individuals, while they used reappraisal strategy less frequently.

Conclusion: Psychological preventive interventions with an emphasis on cognitive emotion regulation strategies in cardiovascular patients could bring about effective results.

Bisphenol A, as a primary substance used for making many plastic devices enters the body through various routes such as skin penetration, oral ingestion, and inhalation and is among the chemicals leading to the disruption of the endocrine system. It exerts its destructive effects on the various tissues through estrogen, androgen, thyroid, pregnane X, and aryl hydrocarbon receptors. This review study was conducted to evaluate the pharmacological effects of bisphenol and its signaling pathways especially in the adipose tissue. Studies have shown that the disruption in the level of adipocytokines can contribute to the formation and progression of the chronic diseases such as cancers. Decreased level of adiponectin (as an adipokine secreted from white adipose tissue) and increased levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and leptin are among the disruptions caused by bisphenol which can develop different types of cancers. Accordingly, it seems that the use of bisphenol and contact with it should be reconsidered with regard to its destructive effects on the endocrine system.

Background and Objective: Genetic modifications in the adiponectin receptor 2 (AdipoR2) gene can affect phenotypes associated with insulin resistance and diabetes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possible role of genetic modifications in the AdipoR2 gene, to determine the frequency of genotypes and polymorphism alleles of this gene at rs11061971 (+219 A>T), and to investigate its correlation with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and its related metabolic profile.
Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of AdipoR2 in 116 T2D patients and 102 controls was evaluated using RFLP PCR and FOK 1 enzyme. Fasting blood sugar, cholesterol, triglyceride, insulin, HDL-C, LDL-C and HbA1c were also measured and their correlation with the studied genetic modifications was assessed. The collected data were analyzed using Chi-square test and Hardy-Weinberg equation.
Results: There was a significant association in AT and TT genotypes in rs11061971 (+219 A>T) with T2D. However, no significant difference was observed in the frequency of alleles between the case and control groups. In addition, in LDL-C and total cholesterol in the control group, there was a significant difference between AA and TT genotypes as well as with AA and AT genotypes. However, no correlation was found between the other studied serum parameters and the genotype of individuals in the rs1106197171 polymorphism.
Conclusion: It can be concluded that rs11061971 (+219 A>T) polymorphism is associated with T2D incidence. The findings suggest that AT and TT genotypes in this gene compared to AA genotype increase the risk of diabetes.