Trade Liberalization and Economic Growth in Developing and Developed Countries

The development of international trade can provide the ground for economic growth of a country. In this research we have tried to examine the impact of trade liberalization on economic growth in two groups of developed and developing countries to account for the development level as well as income level of countries using the Sachs–Warner index of trade liberalization during 1985-2014. The results of Houseman-Taylor (HT) estimation indicate that liberalization has a positive impact on the growth of per capita GDP; however the extent of this impact differs to the stage of economic development and income level of a country .The findings also indicate that developed countries are in less advantageous position due to liberalization compared to developing countries

A boy with oral hair : case report

In personal communication we have never seen or heard of hair being detected in the oral cavity. Even Julia Pastrana, the famous ?Bearded Lady? of the 1800?s, had no record of oral hair, although her entire body was covered with hair. Extensive records of her oral condition, including plaster models of her teeth have been preserved in the Odontological Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons in London city. She suffered from excessive gingival hyperplasia, but apparently no hair existed within the mouth. Some rodents have oral hair as a normal occurrence, but the condition is apparently limited in the animal kingdom. A case of hair occurring naturally in the mouth has been reported only twice previously. A third case of this rare anomaly is reported here. In this case, multiple hairs were found at the gingival sulcus in the labial, buccal, lingual and palatal tooth surfaces in an 11-year-old boy

Correlation of serum and salivary CA15-3 levels in patients with breast cancer

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between serum and saliva levels of cancer antigen (CA) 15-3 and to compare them between women with and without breast cancer. Study design: A case-control study was carried out on 61 women aged 28-69 years, including women with and without breast cancer (26 as part of the case study and 35 as part of the control group) conducted at the Emam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences. CA15-3 levels were assayed in serum and unstimulated whole saliva by EIA. Unpaired t-test, one-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation were used as statistical analysis. Results: The salivary and serological levels of CA15-3 in the cancer patients were significantly higher (P <0.01) than the salivary and serum levels of healthy controls. They were also higher in stage 2 than in stage 1 in cancer patients. However, the saliva flow rate was significantly lower in the cancer patients (P <0.01). There was a significant positive correlation between serum and saliva CA15-3 concentration (r = 0.614) and also between serum concentration and saliva output of CA15-3 (r = 0.541). Conclusion: The results of the study suggest that salivary CA15-3 may have potential use in the initial detection of breast cancer in women

Evaluation of Xerostomia and salivary flow rate in Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

Background: One of the most common causes of hypothyroidism is Hashimoto´s Thyroiditis (HT). Early detection of dry mouth is critical in preserving and promoting systemic and oral health. In this study we have assessed, for the first time, salivary function and xerostomia in HT patients who have not been involved with Sjögren´s syndrome. Material and Methods: HT was diagnosed in 40 patients based on clinical findings and positive anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies (anti-TPO). Controls, matched by sex, age and body mass index (BMI), and with no history of thyroid disease, were selected. A questionnaire was used for diagnosis of xerostomia. Saliva samples were taken between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., and at least 2 hours after the last intake of food or drink. The flow rate was calculated in milliliters per minute. Results: Xerostomia was significantly higher in patients with HT. Unstimulated salivary flow rate was significantly lower in the HT group. Stimulated salivary flow rate was lower in HT group, but the difference was not significant. Conclusions: The patients with HT experienced xerostomia, and their salivary flow rate was diminished. Spitting the saliva then assessing salivary flow rate based on milliliter per minute is non-invasive, fast, and simple for chair-side diagnosis of dry mouth. Autoimmune diseases can be accompanied by salivary gland dysfunction. This may be due to the effect of cytokines in the autoimmune process or because of thyroid hormone dysfunction

THE EFFECT OF ENDURANCE, RESISTANCE AND CONCURRENT TRAINING ON THE HEART STRUCTURE OF FEMALE STUDENTS

he aim of this study was to compare the effect of endurance, resistance and concurrent training on the heart structure. Thirty-nine untrained female students (mean age 24±2.58 yrs) were randomly divided into four groups: Control (C; n=9), Endurance (E; n=10), Strength (S; n=10) and Concurrent (SE; n=10).E group training consisted of running at 65% of maximum heart rate (MHR) for 16 min per training unit during the first week, reaching 80% of MHR for 30 min during the 8th week. S group training consisted of performing four leg presses, bench presses, pull down curls, and leg curls. During the first week, the training was performed at 50% of one repetition maximum (1RM) in 2 sets with 10 repetitions. The intensity of training increased to 80% 1RM in 3 sets and 6 repetitions during the 8th week. The SE training included the sum of the training performed by the E and S training groups. Left ventricular end diastolic and systolic diameters, post-wall thickness, left ventricular mass and mass index and septum wall thickness were measured by m-mode and 2-D echocardiography as the structural parameters. The end diastolic diameter in E and SE groups, the ventricular end systolic diameter, left ventricular mass and mass index of the SE group after the training increased (P≤0.05). In comparing the groups, only the increase of the end diastolic diameter in the SE group was significant (P≤0.05). The 8 weeks of concurrent training compared with endurance or resistance training alone resulted in a significant increase in left ventricular end diastolic diameter. However, no significant differences were found for any other measured variables

The Role of Interleukin (IL-22) in immune response to human diseases

Background and aims: IL-22 is an alpha- helical cytokine. IL-22 binds to a heterodimeric cell surface receptor composed of IL-10R2 and IL-22R1subunits. IL-22R is expressed on tissue cells, and it is absent on immune cells. L-22 and IL-10 receptor chains play a role in cellular targeting and signal transduction to selectively initiate and regulate immune responses. The aim of this study was to investigate the Role of Interleukin (IL-22) in Immune Response in human diseases. Methods: This study was a mini-review research to investigate the role of T helper 22 (Th22) in immune response. Results: IL-22 contributes to immune disease through the stimulation of inflammatory responses, S100s and defensins. IL-22 also promotes hepatocyte survival in the liver and epithelial cells in the lung and gut similar to IL-10. In some contexts, the pro-inflammatory versus tissue-protective functions of IL-22 are regulated by the often co-expressed cytokine IL-17A. IL-22 confirms regulation of antimicrobial proteins. Targeting the IL-22–IL-22R pathway may yield new therapeutic potential for the treatment of certain human diseases. Conclusion: IL-22 is expressed constitutively by LTi-like cells within the small intestine, a tissue that is under the careful immune balance between inflammation and tolerance. Gaining a better understanding of the expression and role of IL-22 in health and disease is important for development of IL-22 as a potential drug target IL-22 is expressed constitutively by LTi-like cells within the small intestine, a tissue that is under the careful immune balance between inflammation and tolerance. Obtaining a better understanding of the expression and role of IL-22 in health and disease is important for development of IL-22 as a potential drug target

Level of Moral Distress in Operating Room Technologist Students in Iran: A Cross‑Sectional Study

AbstractIntroduction: Moral distress is one of the issues considered in the educational environment. That it can affect the physical, psychological, and social dimensions of individuals and access to ethical and educational goals. This study aimed to investigate the moral distress in operating room technologist students of Iran University of Medical Sciences.Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on Iran University of Medical Sciences' operating room technologist students in 2017. Data were collected with two questionnaires, including demographic information and a moral distress questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS software using an independent t-test and one-way ANOVA (P &lt; 0.05).Results: In this study, 121 operating room technologist students participated. The mean score of moral distress in the scores' severity and frequency dimensions was (3.5 ± 1.76) and (3.11 ± 1.6), respectively. The results showed that only age and semester had a significant relationship with the total score of moral distress, and with increasing age and semester, students’ moral pain has decreased.Conclusions: This study's results indicated that the moral distress in operating room technologist students was moderate, which requires investigating the factors involved in creating moral distress and providing strategies and measures to reduce its adverse effects in the educational setting

Effect of the Picture Archiving and Communication System Implementation on the Diagnosis Accuracy of Emergency Physicians in CT Scan Examinations

Introduction: Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) allows the processing, archiving, and sharing medical images electronically with different parts of the hospital, especially the emergency department. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of PACS on the diagnosis accuracy of emergency department physicians before and after its implementation. Method: In this analytical study, the diagnosis of emergency physicians was compared with that of radiologists in each period. Eventually, the data obtained in the two periods were compared. In this study, 380 and 509 CT scans were analyzed before and after the PACS implementation, respectively. Data analysis and comparison of the accuracy and agreement of diagnosis in the pre- and post-PACS implementation periods were performed using Chi-square test, and statistical significance level was calculated using SPSS version 24. Results: The accurate diagnosis of CT scan examinations increased from 284 examinations (75.9%) before PACS implementation to 428 examinations (84.4%). The diagnostic agreement also increased from 306 examinations (81.8%) before PACS implementation to 452 examinations (89.2%). Statistical significant level was considered at P<0.05. Conclusion: The accuracy and agreement of the diagnosis of emergency physicians in CT scan examinations in the post-PACS implementation period increased compared to the pre-PACS implementation period; as a result, the implementation of PACS increases the diagnostic agreement between emergency physicians and radiologists, followed by an increased diagnosis accuracy of emergency physicians

Treatment of oral lichen planus with photodynamic therapy mediated methylene blue : A case report

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a common chronic disease of uncertain origin. Many patients with OLP are refractory to all available therapies. The photodynamic therapy (PDT) was used as a possible alternative method in the treatment of lichen planus. Two patients with five oral lichen planus lesions were treated using topical PDT mediated by methylene blue (MB-PDT). The patients were followed up on sessions 3, 7, 15 days and 1 to 9 months after PDT. Clinical improvement was achieved in four lesions. Two lesions showed complete remission, and another two lesions had about 50% clinically improvement 3-9 months after a single session of PDT. No response detected in one lesion. MB-PDT blue seems to be an effective alternative treatment for control of OLP. In our opinion, this preliminary result warrant further studies in order to show the efficacy of MB-PDT in control of OLP for a longer period of time