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Mohammad Reza Sedghipour, Rana Sorkhabi, Abdollah Shenasi, Hassan DehghanDepartment of Ophthalmology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, IranBackground: Corneal ulcers often lead to scarring and astigmatism, and significant loss of vision is a common consequence.Objective: To determine the rate of graft rejection, one of the most serious concerns with this procedure, and to evaluate the recovery of visual function in those patients for whom the operation was successful.Methods: We describe a retrospective study of 33 corneal ulcer patients undergoing penetrating keratoplasty (PK) at the Tabriz Nikookari Eye Hospital.Results: Mean age of the patients was 44 ± 14 years. Most common risk factors for active keratitis were trauma, dry eye, and malnutrition. Culture-positive results included bacterial keratitis (n = 15) and fungal keratitis (n = 5). Perforation was a significant risk factor for therapeutic failure (P < 0.05). Age or gender had no statistically significant effects on the PK outcome (P > 0.05). Postoperative visual acuity had a significant association with preoperative visual acuity (P < 0.01). Graft rejection rate (27.2%) was similar to that reported in the literature.Conclusion: Although lamellar keratoplasty has recently been established, there are practical reasons for continuing the use of PK in centers such as ours, with due attention to the requirement for topical immunosuppression to diminish the rate of graft rejection and antimicrobial treatment to prevent postoperative infection.Keywords: keratitis, ulcerative, graft rejection, perforation

Background: Nowadays herbal therapy for pain relevance is the matter of considerable propensity. Artemisia sieberi Besser is one of the herbal medication which has been consider as a pain reliever in Iranian traditional medicine, which needs further scientific investigations. Objective: In this study the antinociceptive effect of hydro alcoholic Artemisia sieberi Besser extract (AE) was assessed by using formalin test in mice. Methods: 42 male mice were divided into 7 groups. Interaperitoneal administration of distilled water to control group, vehicle to negative sham group, 1, 2 mg/kg morphine to positive sham groups and 40, 400, and 4000 mg/kg AE to test groups were performed. 25 µl of 2% formalin was then injected into the plantar surface of animalchr('39')s hind limb and the animalchr('39')s pain behavior for one hour was assessed. Mean pain scores in each five minute time block calculated for each animal were statistically analyzed. Results: in acute phase mean pain score animals receiving 4000 mg/kg AE was significantly less than control groups p

Exudative retinal detachment (ERD) may be seen with many ocular pathologies including malignancies. Among malignant causes, metastases of breast and lung carcinoma are most common. A 50-year-old woman referred to our clinic with history of decreased visual acuity in her right eye since 3 months before referral. The visual acuity was counting fingers at 2 meters and 6/10 in the right and left eyes, respectively. On slit lamp examination, 2+ anterior chamber and vitreous reaction was detected. On funduscopy, advanced ERD of the right eye and multiple subretinal masses with ERD in the left eye were detected. On systemic work up, bilateral multiple breast masses were found on mammography. Her breast biopsy showed advanced invasive intraductal adenocarcinoma. Any patient with ERD with undetermined cause should undergo a thorough systemic work up. Prompt intervention is imperative and may be life saving.

We report on the magnetic exchange coupling behavior in hard-soft Mn52Al45.7C2.3-α-Fe nanocomposite magnets synthesized by high-energy ball milling at room temperature followed by post-annealing treatment at temperatures 300 to 600 °C. The analysis of hysteresis loops showed effective exchange coupling Mn52Al45.7C2.3-α-Fe nanocomposite particles with smooth demagnetizing curves when annealed at 400 °C. But higher annealing temperatures pose kink in the hysteresis loop highlighting a weak exchange coupling with more magnetostatic interaction between hard and soft components. This trend was confirmed by the results on (BH)max, which had the highest value for nanocomposite particles annealed at 400 °C. More detailed information on magnetic exchange coupling in nanocomposite particles was obtained by derivative magnetic curves and Henkel plots. Hard-soft Mn52Al45.7C2.3-α-Fe magnets showed the sharpest high-field maximum in derivate magnetic curves when annealed at 400 °C as a signature of effective exchange coupling between Mn52Al45.7C2.3 and α-Fe grains. In addition, Henkel plots display the dominance of positive peak for nanocomposite particles annealed at 300 and 400 °C, indicative of magnetic exchange-coupling. But the negative-peak dominated curves of those annealed at higher temperatures as well as single-phase Mn52Al45.7C2.3 imply a significant magnetostatic interaction in the components owing to non-magnetic phases formed at elevated temperatures. Also, quantitative information obtained from recoil curve measurements assigned a higher degree of exchange coupling to nanocomposite magnets when annealed at 400 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we introduce a new mapping given by a finite family of multivalued monotone mappings in a CAT(0) space. We further propose a modified Halpern-type algorithm for the mapping and prove a strong convergence theorem for approximating a common solution of finite family of monotone inclusion problems in a complete CAT(0) space. We also applied our results to solve a finite family of minimization problems in a complete CAT(0) space. Some non-trivial examples of monotone mappings in complete CAT(0) space setting were also studied and a numerical example of our algorithm to further show its applicability is also presented. Our numerical experiment shows that our algorithm converges faster than that proposed in [42] by Takahashi and Shimoji, Mathematical and Computer Modelling32 (2000), 1463–1471. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Working under hot climatic conditions, especially in summer, has a high potential for inducing heat strain in workers. The wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index has an inherent limitation to estimate the heat strain due to not taking into account the nonenvironmental factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the combined application of WBGT index and a physiological strain index (PSIHR) based on heart rate in the estimation of the heat strain under hot climatic conditions. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 122 men in the center and south of Iran (51 and 71 workers from Isfahan steel company and Assaluyeh national petrochemical company, respectively) between July and September 2010. The WBGT index, heart rate and the auditory canal temperature were measured at rest and during the work. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results: Results of the logistic regression analysis revealed that the WBGT index is a poor predictor for heat strain with a sensitivity and specificity of 53% and 65%, respectively. However, the combined application of the WBGT and PSIHR indexes was a better predictor for heat strain and its sensitivity and specificity were 75% and 69%, respectively. Conclusion: A combined application of the WBGT and PSIHR indexes can be a valid estimator of heat strain for hot climatic conditions in the center and south of Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Noise pollution is one of the risk factors of the human environment that may seriously threat physical and mental health of human beings. One of the main sources of this type of pollution is the noise produced by urban transportation and traffic, particularly subway in the environment. This article aims at study and evaluation of the noise condition in drivers' cabin and inside wagons of the subway of Tehran and the suburbs. Methods: Noise level and noise frequency analysis in the trains of lines one, two, four and five of the subway which are among the active lines of Tehran subway and the suburbs have been measured and evaluated at 345 points within one week over two days while the train was moving and stopped of which 96 points were located inside the driver's cabin and 258 points were in wagons. Noise was evaluated based on Free Air Standard approved by the Environment Higher Council of Iran and ACGIH Organization. The subway trains were also compared regarding noise pollution based on type of the train (TM, DC, AC). Calibrated analyzer instrument, model CEL-450/490 was used to measure noise and the data were analyzed by statistical descriptive methods, t-test and analysis of variance by SPSS18 software. Results: Mean equivalent noise level measured in the moving wagon was equal to 71.9 dBA that is significantly higher than the standard level (65 dBA) (p<0.01). In case the mean equivalent noise level measured in the moving cabin is equal to 73.3 dBA, that is significantly less than the standard level (85 dBA) (p<0.01). There is a significant difference between mean noise pressure level in wagon and in driver's cabin while moving and stoppage (p<0.01). However, there is no significant difference between noise pressure level in the wagon and driver's cabin while moving (p=0.5). There is no significant difference between the mean noise pressure level while moving and stoppage in different frequencies inside the wagon (p=0.5). However, there is a significant difference between the mean noise pressure level while moving and stoppage in 250 and 500 frequencies in the cabin (p<0.01). TM1 and TM2 trains are in the same class considering mean noise equal level and noise pressure (p=0.667) and AC and DC trains are in the same class (p=0.5) and their mean noise is equal to 69.5 and 73, respectively. Conclusion: The results obtained in this research showed that the mean equivalent noise level in the cabins is less than the authorized limit; however, it is higher than the authorized limit in the wagon. Therefore, it seems necessary to take control and prevention measures for noise reduction inside wagons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Objectives : Shift work has been recognized as an important tool for organizing of work in developing countries. The disturbed sleep, fatigue and accident is the most common health ‐ related effects of shift work. The aim of this study was to evaluate the severity of fatigue and sleepiness between shift and non-shift workers and its relation to occupational accidents. Methods : This cross-sectional study was carried out in Sugar Factory located in Isfahan city. Using simple randomized sampling technique, 120 workers with an average age of 32 years for night work and 33 years for day work were selected. ISI and Epworhth questionnaires and Fatigue Scale were used to determine the prevalence of symptoms of Sleepiness and fatigue. The data was analyzed using SPSS20 software and applying descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation test and t-test. Results : Results showed that the fatigue score among shift workers was 4.41. In all symptoms associated with fatigue average scores of night shift were higher than day shift and there was a significant difference between them. There was a significant relation between the symptoms of fatigue with insomnia severity index and accidents. Conclusion : The rate of fatigue and the number of the work accidents was more in the shift workers compared with non shift workers. The rate of accidents was more common in people who had more severe drowsiness.