The Effect of Positive Thinking Training on Reduction of Depression, Stress and Anxiety of Juvenile Delinquents

Background: The positive psychology always seeks to recognize and describe the pleasure and subjective well-being. The main issue of this field is to improve the well-being and recognize the positive aspects in order to reinforce them to prevent and develop the mental health. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of positive thinking training workshop on reduction of depression, stress and anxiety of juveniles at Correction and Rehabilitation Centers.Methods: The quasi-experimental method was used in this study and the depression, anxiety and stress scale (DASS-21) was used. Forty one subjects participated in this research and were divided into two homogeneous groups based on their pretest scores and were randomly included in the experimental and control groups. The positive thinking training workshop was performed for 10 sessions within three weeks on experimental group and after that the posttest and after one month the follow up test were performed.Results: The results have shown that the positive thinking training courses have effects on reduction of depression and anxiety. But it had not effects on stress in the follow up study.Conclusion: Thus, this training can be used for reduction of depression and anxiety of juvenile at Correction and Rehabilitation Center

Role of Feeling of Loneliness and Emotion Regulation Difficulty on Drug Abuse

Background: The Risk behaviors such as drug abuse are prevalent anxiously in youth. Thus investigation and recognition risk behaviors are important.  The aim of the study was to investigate on relationship between loneliness and the difficulties in emotion regulation with drug abuse.Methods: This research was descriptive correlation. The sample was comprised of students of University of Sistan and Baluchestan, southeastern of Iran. Participants were selected by cluster sampling. The instruments were the loneliness scale, the difficult in emotion regulation scale and the drug abuse. For statistical analysis, Pearson correlation and regression analysis methods were used.Results: The results showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between loneliness and the difficulties in emotion regulation with drug abuse. The Enter regression analysis for prediction of the drug abuse showed that the loneliness predicted 0.09 and the difficulties in emotion regulation predicted 0.08 of the drug abuse variances.Conclusion: Regard to the results, it is recommended to university and cultural instructional planners to pay attention to variables of loneliness and emotional self-regulation as drug abuse risk factors and introduce especial and preventer programs in this subject

Heparan Sulfate Regrowth Profiles Under Laminar Shear Flow Following Enzymatic Degradation

The local hemodynamic shear stress waveforms present in an artery dictate the endothelial cell phenotype. The observed decrease of the apical glycocalyx layer on the endothelium in atheroprone regions of the circulation suggests that the glycocalyx may have a central role in determining atherosclerotic plaque formation. However, the kinetics for the cells’ ability to adapt its glycocalyx to the environment have not been quantitatively resolved. Here we report that the heparan sulfate component of the glycocalyx of HUVECs increases by 1.4-fold following the onset of high shear stress, compared to static cultured cells, with a time constant of 19 h. Cell morphology experiments show that 12 h are required for the cells to elongate, but only after 36 h have the cells reached maximal alignment to the flow vector. Our findings demonstrate that following enzymatic degradation, heparan sulfate is restored to the cell surface within 12 h under flow whereas the time required is 20 h under static conditions. We also propose a model describing the contribution of endocytosis and exocytosis to apical heparan sulfate expression. The change in HS regrowth kinetics from static to high-shear EC phenotype implies a differential in the rate of endocytic and exocytic membrane turnover.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (Grant HL090856-01)Singapore-MIT Allianc

Investigation of biofilm formation among methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from children

Background: The aim of the present study was to investigate biofilm formation among Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from children referring to a pediatric hospital in Tehran. Methods: In total, 98 MRSA isolates were collected from children referring to a pediatric hospital during 2014 - 2015. All the isolates were confirmed to be MRSA using PCR amplification of the mecA gene. The antibiotic susceptibility patterns of the isolates were determined using the Kirby-Bauer disk-diffusion and E-test methods. In order to assess the ability of biofilm formation among the isolates, Congo red agar (CRA) and Microtiter Plate (Mtp) methods were used. Results: All the isolates were found to be susceptible to linezolid and vancomycin and, likewise, the majority was susceptible to minocycline and rifampicin. CRA and Mtp methods showed that 81.6 and 63.3 of the MRSA isolates, respectively, were biofilm producers. Conclusions: The early identification of S. aureus and detection of biofilm formation by the Mtp method are essential steps towards the prevention of the most serious nosocomial infections. © 2017, Archives of Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Investigation of biofilm formation among methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from children

Background: The aim of the present study was to investigate biofilm formation among Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from children referring to a pediatric hospital in Tehran. Methods: In total, 98 MRSA isolates were collected from children referring to a pediatric hospital during 2014 - 2015. All the isolates were confirmed to be MRSA using PCR amplification of the mecA gene. The antibiotic susceptibility patterns of the isolates were determined using the Kirby-Bauer disk-diffusion and E-test methods. In order to assess the ability of biofilm formation among the isolates, Congo red agar (CRA) and Microtiter Plate (Mtp) methods were used. Results: All the isolates were found to be susceptible to linezolid and vancomycin and, likewise, the majority was susceptible to minocycline and rifampicin. CRA and Mtp methods showed that 81.6 and 63.3 of the MRSA isolates, respectively, were biofilm producers. Conclusions: The early identification of S. aureus and detection of biofilm formation by the Mtp method are essential steps towards the prevention of the most serious nosocomial infections. © 2017, Archives of Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Candida africana and Candida dubliniensis as causes of pediatric candiduria: A study using HWP1 gene size polymorphism

Background: Candida species cause a wide spectrum of disease entities. Candida africana and Candida dubliniensis-members of Candida albicans complex-are currently gaining both clinical and epidemiologic significance. Materials and methods: Totally, 150 pediatric isolates that had previously been identified as C. albicans species complex based on a positive germ tube test were included. The isolates were cultured on CHROMagar Candida medium to ensure their purity and the results of germ tube test. For definitive speciation, PCR amplification and size polymorphism of the hyphal wall protein 1 (HWP1) gene was used. The results of HWP1-PCR were confirmed by sequencing the amplified fragments for randomly selected isolates of C. africana and C. dubliniensis. Results: All 150 isolates included in this study were reconfirmed as C. albicans complex on chromogenic media. Based on the HWP1 gene size polymorphism, 141 (94) isolates were identified as C. albicans, 2 (1.33) as C. africana, and 1 (0.67) as C. dubliniensis. The remaining 6 (4) C. albicans complex isolates were a mix of C. albicans and C. africana. All isolates of C. africana and C. dubliniensis have been recovered from cases of candiduria. Conclusion: C. africana, either alone or mixed with C. albicans, could be a cause of candiduria among pediatric patients and should not be ignored

Serum IL-17, IL-23, and TGF-β levels in type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients and age-matched healthy controls

Type 1 diabetes is recognized as an autoimmune inflammatory disease and low grade inflammation is also observed in type 2 diabetic patients. Interleukin 17 (IL-17) is a new player in inflammation. Th17 cells, as the main source of IL-17, require transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) and interleukin 23 (IL-23). The aim of this study was to investigate serum IL-17, IL-23 and TGF-β levels in diabetic patients and controls. In this case-control study, serum levels of IL-17, IL-23, and TGF-β were measured in 24 type 1 diabetic patients and 30 healthy controls using the ELISA method. Simultaneously, the same methodology was used to compare serum concentration of these three cytokines in 38 type 2 diabetic patients and 40 healthy controls. There was no significant difference between serum levels of IL-17 and IL-23 cytokines between cases and controls. However, TGF-β was significantly lower in type 1 diabetic patients (P<0.001). Serum IL-17 and IL-23 levels demonstrate no association with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, but, in line with previous studies, TGF-β levels were lower in type 1 diabetic patients. © 2014 Azam Roohi et al

Opium use, cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption in relation to pancreatic cancer

Background and Aims: Although several studies have suggested opium as a risk factor for cancers of the esophagus, stomach, larynx, lung, and bladder, no previous study has examined the association of opium with pancreatic cancer. We aimed to study the association between opium use and risk of pancreatic cancer in Iran, using a case-control design. We also studied the association of cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption with pancreatic cancer, for which little information was available from this population. Methods: Cases and controls were selected from patients who were referred to 4 endoscopic ultrasound centers in Tehran, Iran. We recruited 316 histopathologically (all adenocarcinoma) and 41 clinically diagnosed incident cases of pancreatic cancer, as well as 328 controls from those with a normal pancreas in enodosonography from January 2011 to January 2015. We used logistic regression models to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95 confidence intervals (CIs). Results: After adjustment for potential confounders, opium use (OR 1.91; 95 CI 1.06-3.43) and alcohol consumption (OR 4.16; 95 CI 1.86-9.31) were significantly associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. We did not find an association between ever tobacco smoking and pancreatic cancer risk (OR 0.93; 95 CI 0.62-1.39). Conclusion: In our study, opium use and alcohol consumption were associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer, whereas cigarette smoking was not. Copyright © 2016 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved

The Effect of Positive Thinking Training on Quality of Life, Depression, Stress and Anxiety in Delinquent Juveniles

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of positive thinking training on quality of life and reduction of depression, stress and anxiety in delinquent boys of Zahedan Juvenile Correction and Rehabilitation Center (ZJCRC). Method of this research was a quasi-experimental with a design of pretest- posttest- follow up test and with a control group. The sample comprised of 29 boys (17 subjects in experimental group and 12 in control). Method of sampling was the census. That is, all of statistical population were be studied as sample group. Positive thinking training was conducted on the experimental group during 8 sessions with 90 minutes. After the last session the post-test, was conducted and one month after it, the follow-up test. For data gathering, the Quality of Life of Parkerson, Broadhear & Tse et al. and the Depression, Anxiety Stress of Lovibond & Lovibond were used. The results of co-variance analysis showed that the positive thinking training effected on reducing of depression, stress and anxiety and increasing quality of life. Therefore, in regard to effectiveness of positive thinking training on reducing of depression, stress and anxiety and increasing quality of life, it is recommended for Juvenile delinquent trainers to use of the positive thinking training for increasing quality of life and reducing of depression, stress and anxiety in these juveniles