Background: Watermelon is a fruit with the thirst-quenching effect and especially is consumed in summer. In this study, the effect of consumption of watermelon extract (in drinking water) on thyroid hormone level (TT4), animals' weight, water and food consumption, nerve conduction velocity (NCV), and memory in Wistar rats were investigated. Materials and Methods: Twenty-four male Wistar rats were divided into three groups: control, CT 1500 mg/kg, and CT 3000 mg/kg (n = 8, in each group). Watermelon extract was administered for 42 days. The results measured in this study were analyzed with repeated measures or one-way analysis of variance and compared by the least significant difference post hoc. P < 0.05 was considered as significant difference. Results: The results showed that animals' weight in both the treatment groups decreased compared to the control group (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively). Water and food consumption and the level of TT4 increased when compared to the control group in both the treated groups (both P < 0.001). NCV in both the treated groups decreased in comparison with the control group (both P < 0.001). Spatial memory did not change significantly, but passive avoidance memory in both the treated groups significantly decreased in comparison to the control group (respectively, with P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). Conclusion: Based on these finding, in spite of increase in food and water consumption in the treated groups, animal weight did not increase significantly. Impairment in memory and decrease in NCV were also occurred, but TT4 level was increased in animals treated with watermelon extract.

Background: Hamstring graft tendon for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is a common approach worldwide. Tibial side graft fixation to achieve appropriate stability is a serious concern, worldwide. The current study aims to compare the outcomes of mere use of interference screw for fixation of hamstring tendon graft versus the use of interference screw plus supplementary staple. Materials and Methods: This is a randomized clinical trial conducted on 53 patients who underwent ACL reconstruction from 2016 to 2018. The study population was randomly divided into two groups: graft fixation with interference screw only and interference screw plus supplementary staple. Postoperative recovery time, postoperative clinical examinations, and the scale of the International Knee Documentation Committee were assessed for participants and compared between two groups. Results: Comparison of two groups regarding demographic information, including age, gender distribution, postoperative recovery time, and body mass index, showed no statistical difference (P > 0.05). Postoperative Pivot test was insignificantly positive in 4 (16.7%) cases of screw interference with supplementary staple while it was positive in 3 (10.7%) cases with screw interference only approach (P = 0.98). IKCD index was not statistically different between two groups postoperatively (P = 0.72), while IKCD scores changed significantly following the surgical procedure, regardless of the type of the surgical procedure (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Use of supplementary staple beside interference screw was as successful as mere use of interference screw for fixation of hamstring tendon autologous graft of the ACL reconstruction, regarding force withstanding. The comparison of the two approaches revealed no remarkable difference.

Background: Blood pressure (BP) measurement being a part of clinical examination gives a fair idea about the hemodynamic status. The auscultatory method is considered as a gold standard, a simple, noninvasive way to measure BP in patients as well as in the healthy controls. The present study was designed to compare systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) readings using a newer palpatory method with the standard auscultatory method and further assessing the reliability of the newer palpatory method. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study comprising of a total of 400 (240 males and 160 females) individuals in the age range of 20–60 years were included in this study. BP measurement was done by the standard auscultatory method by one observer. Another observer blinded with BP records of the auscultatory method, measured BP using the newer palpatory method on the same individuals. The two methods were compared for the inter-rater reliability using intraclass correlation (ICC) statistics and agreement between two methods using Bland–Altman analysis. Results: The present study observed excellent reliability of the newer palpatory method with the standard auscultatory method with an ICC value of 0.997 and 0.993 for SBP and DBP, respectively. Bland–Altman plot for both SBP and DBP using the auscultatory and newer palpatory method has shown minimum variability and good reliability when both methods are used by independent observers. Conclusions: With practice and experience newer palpatory method can be used to assess BP with accuracy.

Background: Oral candidiasis is a common disease in cancer patients subject to chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors of rising oral candidiasis incidence and to identify the Candida species isolated from oral lesions of cancer patients and their antifungal sensitivity. Materials and Methods: A total of 645 patients with cancer were examined. Several Candida species were isolated from specimens and identified by morphological and molecular methods. The susceptibility of isolates to amphotericin B, fluconazole, and nystatin was also investigated. Results: A total of 74 isolates of Candida were recovered from oral cavity of 61 cancer patients with oral candidiasis. The isolates included Candida albicans (n = 56; 75.5%), Candida glabrata (n = 4; 5.4%), Candida krusei (n = 5; 7%), Candida tropical (n = 7; 9.4%), and Candida kefyr (n = 2; 2.7%). A total (n = 72; 98.65%) of isolates were susceptible to nystatin, (n = 58; 78.4%) of them were susceptible to fluconazole, and (n = 8; 10.8%) of susceptible dose-dependent isolates were specified, (n = 46; 62.16%) of isolates were susceptible to amphotericin B. Conclusion: Finally, in addition to emphasis on topical nystatin application in the first stage of oral candidiasis in these patients, using alternative systemic drugs such as fluconazole and amphotericin B can be considered for the resistant candida isolates to nystatin.

Background: Conjunctivitis is a very common ocular disease, which can be caused by a wide variety of microorganisms. This study was aimed to assess the bacterial etiology and antibiotic susceptibility of conjunctivitis patients' isolates from Central Iran. Materials and Methods: This study was performed in 180 patients referred to the Department of Ophthalmology in Kashan University with symptoms of conjunctivitis from July 2017 to December 2017. To detect of different bacteria, Gram staining, morphological characterization, pigment production, biochemical characteristics, coagulase test, optochin and PYR tests, oxidase test, and culture on specific media were used. Antibiotic susceptibility of the bacteria isolated was done using the Kirby–Bauer method. Methicillin resistance in staphylococci isolated from the patients was identified using polymerase chain reaction technique. Results: Of the 195 bacteria isolated, about 81.5% were Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus and the remaining 19.5% included other species. In the present study, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was most resistant to ampicillin. In the case of S. epidermidis and S. aureus, the highest resistance was observed against erythromycin and the least resistance was against rifampicin and linezolid. Conclusion: In this study, S. aureus and S. epidermidis are the most common causes of conjunctivitis in all age groups, however, this condition decreases with age and is also influenced by other factors such as season and weather conditions. The results of this study can be helpful in planning more prudent treatment strategies for patients with conjunctivitis in Kashan.

Background: Chronic alcohol consumption carries a high risk for oral and pharyngeal cancers among persons who have never smoked. Excessive alcohol consumption displays cytogenetic changes in oral mucosa cells. Cytomorphometric analysis of oral mucosal cells helps in the early detection of cytomorphological transformations in alcoholics before and after the onset of carcinoma. Materials and Methods: A prospective, hospital-based, comparative study was done after written informed consent. Smears were obtained from the clinically normal buccal mucosa of 102 randomly selected alcoholic patients attending the medicine outpatient department aged above 25 years who consumed a minimum of 45 ml alcohol per day for at least 10 years and of 102 nonalcoholics as control. The slides were immediately fixed in absolute methanol and stained by the Papanicolaou (Pap) staining technique. PAP-stained smears were examined under the light microscope. Using the image J 1.47 image analysis software, a morphometric analysis of around 50 cells/case was done. Results: A statistically significant increase in mean cytoplasmic area (P < 0.001), mean nuclear area (P < 0.01), and cell-to-nuclear parameter ratio (P < 0.001) was seen in the alcohol group in comparison with the control group. Conclusion: Prolonged consumption of alcohol produces cytomorphometric changes in buccal mucosal cells before the onset of premalignant lesions.

Background: Intrauterine growth factor (IUGR) is one of the most important causes of neonatal mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of utrogestan on the treatment of IUGR and its complications. Materials and Methods: In this clinical trial, 66 pregnant women with idiopathic IUGR embryos were enrolled. Patients in the intervention group, in addition to receiving routine treatment of control group (high-protein diet, resting), took utrogestan capsules (100 mg) twice daily. The primary and secondary outcomes of the disease were recorded in a checklist. Data were analyzed using SPSS 18 using an independent t-test, Chi-square test, and Fisher's exact test. Results: In the intervention group, mean neonatal weight (P = 0.003), mean neonatal Apgar score (P = 0.001), and mean gestational age at birth (P = 0.001) were significantly higher than those in the control group. There was no neonatal death in the intervention group, whereas in the control group, four cases of neonatal death were observed (P = 0.03). In the majority of subjects in the intervention group, resistance index, and pulsatility index of the umbilical artery decreased (P = 0.002). The difference in abdominal circumference and gestational age in the intervention group decreased (P = 0.01). In the intervention group, the diastolic flow of the umbilical artery increased (P = 0.002). Conclusion: Utrogestan was effective as an inexpensive and effective way to treat IUGR and improve pregnancy outcomes.

Background: The increasing incidence of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection among nonpregnant adults has become of growing clinical and public health concern. The current study investigated the distribution of important virulence determinants and antibiotic susceptibility of GBS isolates causing community acquired (CA) and hospital acquired (HA) infections among nonpregnant adults. Materials and Methods: A total of 62 GBS, including 31 CA GBS and 31 HA GBS, were collected from a teaching hospital in Isfahan, Iran. Capsular polysaccharide genotypes (CPS), PI 1, PI 2a, PI 2b, and hypervirulent GBS adhesin (hvgA) virulence genes and antibiotic resistance profiling were determined. Results: There were 19 (30.6%) cases of underlying disease that diabetes mellitus (20.9%) was most common. The rate of multidrug resistant GBS strains was accounted for 29%. Distribution of macrolide resistant phenotypes was as follows: constitutive macrolides, lincosamides, and streptogramin B (MLSB) (15 isolates); inducible resistance to MLSB; and L phenotype (each 5 isolates) and M phenotype (1 isolate). V and Ia serotypes were the most predominant capsular type in HA GBS and CA GBS isolates, respectively. The most frequent pilus types were PI 1, PI 1+PI 2a, PI 1+PI 2b, and PI 2a. PI 1 and PI 1+PI 2a had significantly different distributions between CA and HA GBS isolates. Three CA GBS isolates (9.6%) were positive for hvgA gene that belonged to clonal complex 17/sequence type 17/CPS III/PI 1+PI 2b lineage. Conclusion: There was a significant difference in the distribution of PIs among CA GBS and HA GBS isolates in our region.