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Background: Considering some contraversies in performing anterior cervical discectomy with fusion and particularley several methods of fusion (interbody cage and autograft iliac crest bone fusion), we performed this study between 1383-1384 in order to compare these two type of fusion. Materials and methods: In this randomized clinical trial study we divided forty sequentially enrolled patients into two distinct groups. Diagnosis Was made based on clinical examination and MRI findings. All patients underwent anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, using cervical interbody cage or outograft iliac crest bone. Efficacy of fusion, complications relate with bone graft harvested site and also the time between operation and returning to daily activity was evaluated. Results: two groups were fairly similar in variables such as age, sex, clinical presentation and involved disc level distribution. In the first post-opertive day, 90% of patients in the cage group complained of Neck pain which was reduced to 60%, 25% And 5% at the end of the first week, first month and first post-operative year, respectively. These result were 95%, 55%, 35% and 10% in iliac group patients, respectively. Although segmental kyphosis was observed in one patient in cage group and two patients in iliac bone group, there was no evidence of progression requiring further surgical intervention. Time of operation was shorter in cage group. Conclusion: Regarding the soild fusion achieved in cage group and lack of any significant pain corresponding bone graft harvested site complications in this group, cervical interbody cage can be a reasonable alternative method for iliac crest bone graft in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.

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Background: Cervical interbody cages have been developed to provide anterior structural support. Limited numbers of investigations have focused on results of anterior cervical fusion, using cage implants considering the material used for filling the cage. The objective of this study is to report the surgical results of anterior cervical fusion using interbody cages filled with Novabone and autologous bone graft and, moreover, to compare these results with other series applied autologous graft, solely, as the filler material. Materials and Methods: Demographic and clinical characteristics of 33 cases with cervical degenerative disc disease, who underwent fusion using interbody cages filled with Novabone and autologous bone graft in Mehrad Hospital from 2003 to 2006 were evaluated and the outcome was determined by assessing the improvement of postoperative axial and radicular pain and fusion success by radiographic assessment including sagittal alignment and kyphosis and the results were compared with other series applied autologous graft as the cage filling material. In follow up visits, complications related to cage implants were reported, as well. Results: Thirty three patients with cervical degenerative disc disease underwent fusion procedure with interbody cages filled with Novabone mixed with autologous bone graft in Mehrad Hospital between 2003 and 2006. Nineteen cases were male (57.6%) and fourteen ones (42.4%) were female. The mean age at the time of diagnosis was 47.1 y. One-level fusion was performed in 23 cases, 10 patients underwent two-level fusion, and in one patient three-level fusion was performed. The mean follow-up period was 13 months. After one year, successful fusion occurred in 91.3% of cases with one level fusion and 80% in cases with multiple level fusions. Conclusion: According to this study, the early-phase fusion success rate of Novabone-filled cervical cages mixed with autologous bone graft, are inferior to the results obtained from cages filled with pure autologous bone. Neveretheless, after one year, the results in both groups are same. Therefore, it is advocated to use the bone fragments obtained from resection of osteophytes, as the filler material mixed with synthetic bone grafts not only to achieve more appropriate fusion, but also to obviate harvesting bone from iliac crest.

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Background and Aim: In recent years, the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is established and different methods including ischemic preconditioning and postconditioning (POC) are introduced to reduce the damage. One of the possible protective mechanisms of POC is a reduction in ROS formation. According to the significance and prevalence of renal IRI, in the present study, the protective effect of POC on the reduction of IR-induced renal injury was evaluated. Materials and Methods: After right nephrectomy, male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into three groups (n= 6). In IR group, with the use of bulldog clamp 45 min of left renal artery was induced followed by 24 hours of reperfusion. In sham group, all of the above surgical procedures were applied except that IR was not induced. In POC group, after induction of 45 min ischemia, 4 cycles of 10 seconds of intermittent ischemia and reperfusion were applied before restoring of blood to the kidney. At the end of the experiments, serum and renal tissue samples were collected for renal functional monitoring and oxidative stress evaluation. Results: POC prevented the IR-induced increase in blood urea Nitrogen and serum creatinine and improved the kidney oxidative status demonstrated by a decrease in malondialdehyde level and an increase in superoxide dismutase. ‍Conclusion: POC has a protective role on renal function by a reduction in IR-induced oxidative stress.

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Abstract:

Background and Aim:  Considering the widespread use of serum and syringe infusion pumps, known side effects of their performance and the lack of information about its status in the respective university hospitals and to evaluate the performance of these pumps. The study was carried out in 2015.

Materials and Methods: Method of study was cross sectional. This survey was performed in 10 SBMU hospitals with ICU, CCU and NICU wards. Performance of serum injection pumps was evaluated with 14 indexes such as injection volume error, injection timing error, air sensors, alarms, completion of the injection, and battery status. The performance of syringe infusion pumps was evaluated with 12 indexes such as injection timing error, injection volume error, needle sensor, battery status, and alarms. Statistical analysis of data collected was done by SPSS18 software.

Results: 55 devices of serum infusion pump and 151 devices of syringe infusion pumps were evaluated.. Regarding the serum injection pumps the unacceptable performance of serum injection pump related to errors is such as: injection volume error 53.8%, internal battery failure 40%, injection time error 32.1%, and damage drop sensor 29.1%. In the case of poor performance syringe infusion pumps, injection volume error 58.2%, injection time error 45%, damage the internal battery 40.5% and failure alarms injection completed 17.6%.

Conclusion: It seems that unacceptable performance serum and syringe infusion pumps have been high and a big concern. Insistently demands investigate the causes and the necessary measures to reduce the problem.

Abstract:

Background and Aim:  Considering the widespread use of serum and syringe infusion pumps, known side effects of their performance and the lack of information about its status in the respective university hospitals and to evaluate the performance of these pumps. The study was carried out in 2015.

Materials and Methods: Method of study was cross sectional. This survey was performed in 10 SBMU hospitals with ICU, CCU and NICU wards. Performance of serum injection pumps was evaluated with 14 indexes such as injection volume error, injection timing error, air sensors, alarms, completion of the injection, and battery status. The performance of syringe infusion pumps was evaluated with 12 indexes such as injection timing error, injection volume error, needle sensor, battery status, and alarms. Statistical analysis of data collected was done by SPSS18 software.

Results: 55 devices of serum infusion pump and 151 devices of syringe infusion pumps were evaluated.. Regarding the serum injection pumps the unacceptable performance of serum injection pump related to errors is such as: injection volume error 53.8%, internal battery failure 40%, injection time error 32.1%, and damage drop sensor 29.1%. In the case of poor performance syringe infusion pumps, injection volume error 58.2%, injection time error 45%, damage the internal battery 40.5% and failure alarms injection completed 17.6%.

Conclusion: It seems that unacceptable performance serum and syringe infusion pumps have been high and a big concern. Insistently demands investigate the causes and the necessary measures to reduce the problem.

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Abstract:

Background and Aim: Contamination of soil and water resources with selenium oxyanions is a serious public health and environmental threat. Long-term exposure to high selenite concentrations can result in skin disorders, hair loss, liver and kidney necrosis, breathing problems, deformed nails and cell death.  In this regard, isolation and identification of indigenous selenite-resistant yeast strains can be used as safe and natural catalysts in the bio-remediation of the toxic selenite (SeO₃^-2).

Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, collected wastewater effluent and activated sludge samples are cultured into the selective Rose Bengal Chloramphenicol Agar medium containing selenite for selective screening of target strains of yeast. Agar dilution method and disk diffusion testing was performed to determine the intrinsic tolerance isolated yeast strains to selenite. The doubling time and the percentage of growth inhibition of the resistant isolated yeast strains in the presence of selenite were determined from standard growth curves. A colorimetric method using 3, 3-Diaminobenzidine hydrochloride has been developed for the microbial selenite removal. Phenotypic and phylogenetic analyses were used in the characterization of the potent yeast strain.

Results: Confirmation of the results from selenite tolerance pattern was performed on turbidity growth curves of the isolated yeast strains. The results showed that the strain se29w, isolated from waste rubber plant, exhibited maximum tolerance of 18 g/l to selenite. The strain se29w was classified as Candida tropicalis (GenBank accession number KR150680).  Reduction of selenite to elemental red selenium was also observed in the strain se29w.  Based on the results of selenite removal experiments, the resting cells of C. tropicalis se29w is capable remove 92.5% of selenite with initial concentration of 1 g/l at 30 C, pH 7.2, agitation 180 rpm, 20 g/l of wet biomass and after 60h incubation.

‍Conclusion: The present research is the first report on the removal and reduction of selenite with C. tropicalis. The current project have proposed a variety of screening methods for identifying targeted microbial catalysts for bio-remediation of selenite and to improve environmental and human health.

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Background and Aim: The purpose of the present study was to examine psychometric properties of the Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire (CFQ) in Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences students.
Materials and Methods: To this end, 324 university students from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences were selected via cluster sampling method and participated in the present study through complete cognitive fusion questionnaire (CFQ), believability of anxious feelings and thoughts questionnaire, acceptance and action questionnaire-II, social anxiety-acceptance and action questionnaire, social interaction anxiety scale, valued living questionnaire and quality of  life. Factor analysis by principle component analysis method and convergent and divergent validity was conducted to examine the validity of the CFQ. To calculate the reliability of the CFQ, Cronbach’s alpha and test-retest reliability were used.
Results: Results from factor analysis by principle component analysis method yielded one factor that explained 54.89% of the variance. Support for the convergent and divergent validity of the CFQ via its positive correlations with the believability of anxious feelings and thoughts questionnaire, acceptance and action questionnaire-II, social interaction anxiety scale, and negative correlations with social anxiety-acceptance and action questionnaire, valued living questionnaire and WHOQOL-BREF was obtained. The reliability of the CFQ via calculating Cronbach’s alpha and test-retest coefficients yielded 0.86 and 0.86, respectively.
‍Conclusion: The Iranian version of the CFQ has acceptable levels of validity and reliability in university students. The CFQ is a valid and reliable measure to be utilized in research investigations and therapeutic interventions.