A study on staphylococcus aureus and bacillus cereus contamination in pastry products in Gorgan

Background and purpose: Pastry products are an important part of food products in Iran. They are highly consumed now and there is high risk of bacterial contamination in these products. The present study investigated bacterial contamination of creamy pastries with Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus. Materials and methods: A total of 945 pastry cream (jelly, fruit and plain) samples were randomly taken. All samples were tested according to Iran national standards for microbial tests and data was analyzed in SPSS V.18. Results: The highest level of contamination was found to be with Staphylococcus aureus in summer in pastries with fruit cream (19%). No significant difference was observed in contamination of pastry cream (jelly, fruity and plain) in different seasons (P≥0.05). Conclusion: High level of bacterial contamination in pastry cream calls for more personal and workplace hygiene. © 2015, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Urologist-operated ultrasound and its use in urological outpatient clinics

Mohammad Kazem Moslemi1, Behnam Mahfoozi21Department of Urology, Kamkar Hospital, School of Medicine, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran; 2Department of Radiology, Shahid Chamran Hospital, Tehran, IranIntroduction: Ultrasonograghy plays an important role in the evaluation of urinary tract disorders in cases of medical or surgical renal disorders, because of its lower cost, availability, and lack of ionizing radiation and because with it there is no need for contrast material injection or ingestion. It needs no intervention or preparation and specifically can differentiate between the multiple causes of flank pain. Urologist-operated sonography is a quick, cost-effective, and time-saving modality for both the physician and patient for obtaining first or final diagnosis. Based on its results, patients can be selected for appropriate management and further assessment.Materials and methods: The efficacy of ultrasound examination by a trained urologist in the differentiation of urological emergencies admitted in a district private clinic was studied. Between April 2008 and April 2010, a total of 724 patients (1448 renal units) had renal ultrasound performed by a trained urologist on acute admission. The sonographic findings were compared with subsequent definitive radiological investigations performed as needed, such as KUB (kidney, ureter, bladder) or IVP (intravenous pyelogram). Patient satisfaction and permission for ultrasonography were evaluated by oral consent. Loin pain was the presenting symptom in 45% of the patients (n = 326 cases).Results: Diagnosis was achieved in 96% of patients. Further evaluations were requested as needed in suspicious cases. If any hydronephrosis was detected and patients' history and/or complaints were suggestive of renal or ureteral stones, an outpatient KUB was requested. For more complex situations, IVP was the next option. Abnormal findings were recorded in 184 cases (25.5%). Mild to moderate unilateral hydronephrosis with or without hydronephrosis was the most common finding observed sonographically. The sensitivity of our ultrasonography evaluation was 99.7%.Conclusion: Office urologist-operated sonograghy may supplement the information available through routine history, physical examination, and laboratory studies. Our study shows that urological trainees can use ultrasound with high levels of accuracy, thereby improving patient management with a high level of patient satisfaction.Keywords: ultrasonograghy, kidney, bladder, urologist, CT scan, cystourethroscopy, KUB (kidney, ureter, bladder), urologist-operated sonography (UOS

Factors affecting the earnings response coefficient: An empirical study for Iran

The overall goal of this research is to identify the factors that influence earnings response coefficient. The data were gathered using library and corporate documents methods. Thus the dependent variable in this study is the earning response coefficient which was tested based on the market response to the unexpected parts of profit coefficient and the market response to the profit changes coefficient models. Then in order to test the hypotheses, one of the proposed models which had a higher explanatory power was chosen. A total sample of 202 companies listed in Tehran Stock Exchange for the period of 7 years (the years 2006 to 2012) was studied in order to perform the analysis and hypotheses testing. In this research, the combined regression model was used to investigate the research hypotheses. The results of this study suggests that the earning response coefficient has a positive and direct relationship with the quality of earnings, growth opportunities and profitability, a negative and inverse relationship with systematic risk and no relationship with financial leverage

Factors affecting the earnings response coefficient: An empirical study for Iran

The overall goal of this research is to identify the factors that influence earnings response coefficient. The data were gathered using library and corporate documents methods. Thus the dependent variable in this study is the earning response coefficient which was tested based on the market response to the unexpected parts of profit coefficient and the market response to the profit changes coefficient models. Then in order to test the hypotheses, one of the proposed models which had a higher explanatory power was chosen. A total sample of 202 companies listed in Tehran Stock Exchange for the period of 7 years (the years 2006 to 2012) was studied in order to perform the analysis and hypotheses testing. In this research, the combined regression model was used to investigate the research hypotheses. The results of this study suggests that the earning response coefficient has a positive and direct relationship with the quality of earnings, growth opportunities and profitability, a negative and inverse relationship with systematic risk and no relationship with financial leverage

Performance Evaluation of Bank Branches by the DEA-Tobit Model: The Case of Agricultural Bank Branches in Guilan Province

This paper uses data envelopment analysis (DEA) to examine the technical, pure technical, and scale efficiencies of 12 branches of the agricultural bank in Guilan province, Iran over the period of 2012-2016. The first results indicated that scale inefficiency contributed more to overall technical inefficiency than pure technical inefficiency over the studied period. Results of return to scale reveal that decreasing return to scale is the main form of scale inefficiency. Then, overall technical efficiency scores obtained from DEA was regressed over four factors determining bank efficiency (including bank size, profitability, capital adequacy, and liquidity) by the Tobit method. These four variables influenced efficiency differently. Branch size showed a negative, insignificant relationship with technical efficiency. So, it had no impact on efficiency. Profitability was the main parameter in branch efficiency following by liquidity. Profitability and liquidity influenced efficiency positively and significantly. In other words, larger and more profitable branches have higher technical efficiency

The Effect of Teaching through Simulation of the Performance of Nurses in Neonatal Resuscitation in Farideh Behbahani Hospital, Iran

Background & Objective: Nursing staff can prevent asphyxia and neonatal mortality by learning the correct resuscitation principles. Therefore, this study was performed with the aim to determine the effectiveness of teaching through simulation and filming of the performance of nurses in neonatal resuscitation. Methods: In this experimental study, 40 nursing staff were divided into teams of 2 nurses through simple randomization. The level of knowledge before and after the intervention was evaluated using a written exam. To assess performance before and after the intervention, simulated environment and scenario building were used. All stages of resuscitation of the teams were filmed. Before training, the experimental group participants viewed their videos and were trained through error analysis, practicing on manikin, and viewing educational videos of resuscitation (2011). The videos were evaluated and scored by two instructors through double-blind techniques and using a standard checklist. Data were analyzed in SPSS software using independent sample t-test, paired ttest, repeated measurement, and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: The level of knowledge in the control and experimental groups increased by 9 and 10 scores, respectively. This difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.830). Before the training, no statistically significant difference was observed in terms of performance (P = 0.109). However, one month after training, a significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of performance (P < 0.001). This reflects the effect of training on performance of the experimental group. Conclusion: The results showed that the simultaneous use of simulation and filming for training will be more effective in the learning process. Thus, it is better that both techniques be used for training to be more effective. Key Words: Resuscitation, Neonate, Nursing performance evaluation, Simulatio

Chest CT scan findings six months after COVID-19 pneumonia: A prospective cross-sectional study

The severity of pulmonary complications in survivors of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia is not well understood, but there are concerns about potential long-term effects. In a prospective cross-sectional study, 43 consecutive patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection and respiratory symptoms were eligible. They were followed-up in Razi Hospital in Rasht, Iran from February 20, 2020, to September 22, 2021. These patients underwent chest CT scans six months after disease onset. The average age of the patients included in this research was 51.72±14.25. Out of the 43 examined patients, 25 patients (58.1%) had no residual radiological manifestations of COVID-19 pneumonia (complete recovery), 11 patients (25.6%) had remainingground glass opacities (GGO), and 7 patients (16.3%) had residual lung disease (Sub-pleural line). The statistical test did not show a significant relationship between age groups, gender, underlying diseases, duration of hospitalization, the extent and type of involvement, number of involved lobes, degree of involvement, average preliminary O2 saturation, and the O2 therapy method with the remaining pulmonary radiologic appearances caused by COVID-19 pneumonia. The study’s findings suggest that half of the patients develop chest CT-scan finding, with the most common being GGO followed by subpleural lines. We believe that if patients are followed up for more than six months, it is possible to gradually decrease the residual pulmonary manifestations in their CT scan findings

The influence of vernalization and daylength on expression of flowering-time genes in the shoot apex and leaves of barley (Hordeum vulgare).

Responses to prolonged low-temperature treatment of imbibed seeds (vernalization) were examined in barley (Hordeum vulgare). These occurred in two phases: the perception of prolonged cold, which occurred gradually at low temperatures, and the acceleration of reproductive development, which occurred after vernalization. Expression of the VERNALIZATION1 gene (HvVRN1) increased gradually in germinating seedlings during vernalization, both at the shoot apex and in the developing leaves. This occurred in darkness, independently of VERNALIZATION2 (HvVRN2), consistent with the hypothesis that expression of HvVRN1 is induced by prolonged cold independently of daylength flowering-response pathways. After vernalization, expression of HvVRN1 was maintained in the shoot apex and leaves. This was associated with accelerated inflorescence initiation and with down-regulation of HvVRN2 in the leaves. The largest determinant of HvVRN1 expression levels in vernalized plants was the length of seed vernalization treatment. Daylength did not influence HvVRN1 expression levels in shoot apices and typically did not affect expression in leaves. In the leaves of plants that had experienced a saturating seed vernalization treatment, expression of HvVRN1 was higher in long days, however. HvFT1 was expressed in the leaves of these plants in long days, which might account for the elevated HvVRN1 expression. Long-day up-regulation of HvVRN1 was not required for inflorescence initiation, but might accelerate subsequent stages of inflorescence development. Similar responses to seed vernalization were also observed in wheat (Triticum aestivum). These data support the hypothesis that VRN1 is induced by cold during winter to promote spring flowering in vernalization-responsive cereals

Identification of genomic regions determining the phenological development leading to floral transition in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Autumn-seeded winter cereals acquire tolerance to freezing temperatures and become vernalized by exposure to low temperature (LT). The level of accumulated LT tolerance depends on the cold acclimation rate and factors controlling timing of floral transition at the shoot apical meristem. In this study, genomic loci controlling the floral transition time were mapped in a winter wheat (T. aestivum L.) doubled haploid (DH) mapping population segregating for LT tolerance and rate of phenological development. The final leaf number (FLN), days to FLN, and days to anthesis were determined for 142 DH lines grown with and without vernalization in controlled environments. Analysis of trait data by composite interval mapping (CIM) identified 11 genomic regions that carried quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for the developmental traits studied. CIM analysis showed that the time for floral transition in both vernalized and non-vernalized plants was controlled by common QTL regions on chromosomes 1B, 2A, 2B, 6A and 7A. A QTL identified on chromosome 4A influenced floral transition time only in vernalized plants. Alleles of the LT-tolerant parent, Norstar, delayed floral transition at all QTLs except at the 2A locus. Some of the QTL alleles delaying floral transition also increased the length of vegetative growth and delayed flowering time. The genes underlying the QTLs identified in this study encode factors involved in regional adaptation of cold hardy winter wheat