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Introduction & Objective: Calcium is a micronutrient and now receiving much attention for its doubtful effects on weight and body fatness. A few mechanisms has been suggested for calcium effects on body fatness and the most emphasized one is the reducing of lipolysis and increasing lipogenesis via reducing parathyroid hormone levels. The present study is designed to evaluate the effects of nondairy dietary calcium on adipogenesis and adipocyte size in male Sprague dawley rats. Materials & Methods: This experimental study was done from November to September of 2005 at Tehran school of health, nutrition department. 48 male Spragu-Dawley rats from Damgostar Company were used in three randomly selected groups. The rats were fed low (0.2% W/W), usual (0.5% W/W) and high (1.2% W/W) dietary calcium based on AIN-93M purified diet. Rats were housed in 12 hours light-dark cycle, 22-25°C room temperature with free access to their respective diets. At the end of the experiment, rats were decapitated and carcass fat content, carcass ash content and mean adipocyte size in testis, peritoneal and subcutaneous fat pads were compared in three groups. The SPSS 11.5 was used as statistical software, running analysis of variance for comparing the effects. Results: weight gain, carcass fat content and adipocyte size, in groups were not significantly different, while serum parathyroid hormone concentrations in high calcium group was significantly lower than low calcium group (p<0.05) and insignificantly lower than usual calcium group [12.36, 23.57 and 42.2 pg/dl respectively]. Serum concentrations of 25-hydroxy cholecalciferol were also insignificantly lower in high calcium group. Conclusion: Our findings suggested that physiological concentration of dietary calcium is not effective on weight gain, body fatness and adipocyte size. Relatively equal fat content beside significant difference in serum parathyroid hormone levels is against the parathyroid theory of calcium effects on body fatness. Finally we do not suggest any effect for calcium on body fatness and adipocyte size.

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ABSTRACT: Introduction & Objective: There are different methods for improving hypercholesterolemia, insulin resistance and hypertriglyceridemia, the major risk factors of cardio-vascular disease. Calcium, a nutrient essential for many vital functions of the body is now receiving much attention for its possible hypolipidemic effects. The large bodies of studies on the effects of calcium on the serum lipids have shown conflicting results and also there is little evidence for its effects on serum insulin and glucose. Materials & Methods: In this study, the researchers evaluated the effects of three levels of dietary calcium (0.2, 0.5 and 1.2 gram% diet) on serum cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-Cholesterol and serum insulin and glucose in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The amount of fecal fat excretion was measured to determine the possible mechanism of lipid lowering effects of calcium. Results: Findings showed that increasing dietary calcium lowerd the serum cholesterol (p=0.04), LDL-cholesterol (p=0.02) but had no significant effects on HDL-cholesterol, serum insulin and glucose. There was a dose dependent increase in fecal fat excretion but was not statistically different on a percent basis. Conclusion: It can be concluded that calcium is an effective hypocholesterolemic nutrient but its effects on serum triglycerids, glucose and insulin need to be evaluated.

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ABSTRACT: Introduction & Objective: Heterotopic pregnancy refers to the simultaneous occurrence of pregnancy intrauterine and outside of uterine corpus. It is most often manifested in women who have undergone artificial reproductive technology (ART) but rarely occurs spontaneously. Heterotopic pregnancy still remains as a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to practitioners. In this situation physicians should have high suspicion for diagnosis and intrauterine pregnancy protection. This study reported a case of ruptured spontaneous heterotopic pregnancy. Case: A 32 year-old woman with abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and hypovolumic shock in 1386 referred to emergency department in Sanandaj hospital. She reported one previous cesarean section. On examination, the patient's abdomen was distended. She had generalized tenderness and rebound tenderness in abdomen. The ultrasonographic examination revealed large amount of fluid in pelvic and abdominal cavity with a large hematoma in right adnex but there was intrauterine pregnancy at 7 weeks with normal fetal heart activity. She underwent laparotomy for heterotopic pregnancy and ruptured tube with tubal pregnancy removed. Intrauterine pregnancy continued without problem and led to birth of a healthy female neonate. Conclusion: Physicians should be quite cautious of heterotopic pregnancy in woman at reproductive age. Any abnormality on physical examination or ultrasonography of a patient with intrauterine pregnancy and abdominal pain should heighten the clinician's suspicion for heterotopic pregnancy

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Background & aim: Brucellosis is considered as a significant health threat worldwide. The disease has been reported in more than a half-million people each year in 100 countries, according to the World Health Organization. This study aimed to determine the predictive factors of a needs assessment and prioritization of interventions to prevent brucellosis using the Precede - Proceed Model in Isfahan rural areas in 2015.

 

Methods: The present cross-sectional study (needs assessment by Delphi method) was conducted on 402 people aged 15 years and older in 20 villages of 44 villages which were randomly selected in the rural Regions of Tiran and Karvan county of Isfahan Province. The data were collected through questionnaires and a Self-made checklist based on the Precede-Proceed Model which its content and face validity was approved by experts and pilot projects. Data collected by the survey techniques agreement using chi-square and t tests were analyzed by the use of SPSS version 18 software.

 

Results:This study indicated that the subjects' awareness of the possibility of transmission of brucellosis by skin, breathing contaminated dust, the use of personal protective devices at the time of contact with animals were not appropriate. Increasing the access to veterinary services and vaccination of livestock herders in rural areas and helping in creating storage areas for livestock backcountry villages and moving the livestock to rural areas outside was one of the demands of the population. The present study revealed that between knowledge, attitude and performance of the participants with their educational level was a significant association (p≤0.05). Also, there was a significant relationship between enabling factors, reinforcing factors and skill and practice in the prevention of brucellosis and having cattle(P≤0.05).

 

Conclusion: Needs assessment performance before implementation of any intervention in the prevention of brucellosis could help the researchers, planners and policy makers to assist the design and implementation of interventions as well as supplying educational materials situation and priorities of influential disease control and prevention considerations to be put into targeted action that will have more impact and also be more effective.

 

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Background & aim: Nanotechnology is a new research field with wide applications in cancer management. Among the various metal nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles have been used to treat many cancers due to their high antitumor potential. Despite the potential benefits of these nanoparticles, the extent to which they affect normal cells has become a challenge. In addition, their anti-cancer effects on 5637 bladder cancer cells have not been well established. The aim of the present study was to determine the anti-cancer effects of silver nanoparticles on the survival of 5637 bladder cancer tumor cells in comparison with normal embryonic kidney cells HEK-293.
 

Methods: In the present experimental study performed in 2021, the survival of 5637 cells of bladder cancer and normal cells of embryonic kidney (HEK-293) 24 hours after treatment with 30-50 nm silver nanoparticles with concentrations (0-125). Micrograms per milliliter was evaluated by MTT(dimethyl thiazole-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) test. Morphological changes were also assessed by light microscopy. VEGFA gene expression level and cell migration rate were evaluated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and scratch testing, respectively. The collected data were analyzed using Shapiro-Wilk statistical tests, one-way and two-way analysis of variance, Tukey post hoc test.

 
Results: The results of the present study indicated that the reduction in survival in 5637 and HEK-293 cells after treatment with silver nanoparticles was dose-dependent, which significantly decreased in 5637 tumor cells. HEK-293 was more than normal cells (p <0.05). In addition, treatment with concentrations of 50 and 60 μg / ml silver nanoparticles significantly reduced VEGFA gene expression (p<0.05) and inhibited the migration of 5637 bladder cancer cells (p<0.001).
 
Conclusion: AgNPs could reduce the viability of 5637 and HEK-293 cells as their inhibitory effects on 5637 cells viability were significantly more than HEK-293. Furthermore, AgNPs suppressed the 5637 cells migration.
 
 
 

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Background & aim: Evaluation of training courses has an effective role to prevent wastage of resources and improve the quality of work. So far, the evaluation of the short-term electronic training course for medical students to prepare for the clinical competency exams of the general medicine course has not been done. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the electronic training course for medical students to prepare for the clinical competency exams.
Methods: The present cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in 2020-2021 and Kirkpatrick's model was used to evaluate the course. The statistical population included 69 students in the internship stage, who entered the study. Students' satisfaction was determined by means of a valid and reliable researcher satisfaction form, their learning rate was determined by using 17 tests designed by the academic staff of the university and its validity and reliability were confirmed, their behavior was designed by analyzing the results of the clinical competence test. Its validity was confirmed by preparing a two-dimensional table for the supply and reliability test. The study population was medical students of the internship stage of Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, who were selected by the full number method. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software and descriptive statistics including mean and standard deviation.
Results: The total satisfaction of the course in the first period of the course was 4.03 with a standard deviation of 0.12 and in the second period was 4.11 with a standard deviation of 0.15. A total of 35 students participated in 8 exams in the first course and 34 students participated in 17 exams in the second course. The number of admissions in the first clinical competency test was 15 and in the second clinical competency test was 25.
Conclusion: Students' satisfaction with participating in this course was appropriate and participation in this course increased the acceptance rate of students in the clinical competency test. It is suggested to provide conditions for students of other universities to participate in this course.