The effect of cooperative learning on students' social skills in the experimental science course

Present study is about the effects of cooperative learning on development of guidance school first grade students' social skills in the experimental science course in Hashtrood. The study method is quasi-experimental with pre- and posttests. The universe includes she- and he-students of first grade of guidance schools in Hashtrood of them one hundred ones (Four classes) were selected by random cluster sampling method ; 49 ones of them (One she- and one he-students class) were selected randomly as the test group to apply the independent variable (Cooperative learning) namely 25 he-students and 24 she-students . Also 51 ones (One she- and one he-students class) were selected as the control group for traditional learning including 23 he- and one 28 she-students . The measurement device included 40 questions to test the development of the students' social skills. The subjects attended in pre- and posttests about the social skills six weeks after performing the tentative variable and their social skills were measured. T-test and dependent T were used to analyze the data the study data indicated that the social skills of the test group who had learned by cooperative method were more than the control group who had learned by traditional method and the differences of their means were significant. In addition, the he-students had high social students than the she- ones in the cooperative attitude. Keywords: Cooperative learning, traditional learning, social skills development

Frequency of myasthenic crisis in relation to thymectomy in generalized myasthenia gravis: A 17-year experience

BACKGROUND: Myasthenic crisis is the most serious life-threatening event in generalized myasthenia gravis (MG) patients. The objective of this study was to assess the long-term impact of thymectomy on rate and severity of these attacks in Iranian patients. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical records from 272 myasthenic patients diagnosed and treated in our neurology clinic during 1985 to 2002. Fifty-three patients were excluded because of unconfirmed diagnosis, ocular form of MG, contraindication to surgery, concomitant diseases and loss to follow-up. The Osserman classification was used to assess the initial severity of the disease. Frequency and severity of the attacks were compared between two groups with appropriate statistical tests according to the nature of variables. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the predictors of myasthenic crisis in the group of patients without thymoma. RESULTS: 110 patients were in thymectomy group and the other 109 patients were on medical therapy. These two groups had no significant differences with respect to age at onset, gender, Osserman score in baseline and follow up period. 62 patients (28.3% of all 219 patients) had reported 89 attacks of myasthenic crisis. 20 patients of 62 (32%) were in thymectomy group and 42 (68%) were in the other group. There was significant difference between the two groups in number of patients with crisis (P = 0.001; odds ratio = 2.8 with 95% CI of 1.5 to 5.2). In addition, these attacks were more severe in group of non-thymectomized patients as the duration of ICU admission was longer and they needed more ventilatory support during their attacks. Regression model showed thymectomy and lower age at onset as two predictors of decrement in myasthenic crisis rate in non-thymomatous MG patients. CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that frequency and severity of myasthenic attacks as important endpoints in evaluation of MG patients. Thymectomy seems to have a preventive role on rate and severity of these attacks

Investigating the relationship between organizational agility stimuli and organizational agility capabilities in Iran's mining industry

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between organizational agility stimuli and organizational agility capabilities in Iran's mining industry. Therefore, to identify the dimensions and features of organizational agility stimuli and organizational agility capabilities in the mining industry, these dimensions were determined. This survey is a descriptive study and content analysis (review of existing status) that was conducted using an organizational survey of library or documentary studies and analysis of initial data. We used the viewpoints of 10 expert professors, prominent experts in agility and industry and mining experts (senior and middle managers) by Delphi method, in order to determine the components of agility (stimuli and capabilities). The statistical population of this study was all the staff of Iron Ore Sangan and Chadermolou centers that are active in the Iran's mining industry.The result of the research shows a significant relationship between the dimensions of organizational agility stimuli (need for agility, strategic design and agility strategy) and organizational agility capabilities. The results of the research based on the provided agility model indicate that there is a meaningful relationship between organizational agility stimuli and organizational agility capabilities

Medical therapy versus percutaneous coronary intervention in ischemic heart disease: A cost-effectiveness analysis

Background: Ischemic heart disease is categorized into two acute and chronic groups, and its treatments include revascularization and medical therapy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the economic burden of medical therapy compared to percutaneous coronary intervention in ischemic heart disease. Methods: This study has been done in two steps. The first was a systematic review and meta-analysis to measure the effectiveness of two interventions and the second step was a cost-effectiveness analysis from the perspective of society. The data analysis included a meta-analysis and the Markov cohort simulation. RewMan v5 and tree age software were utilized. Uncertainties related to the model parameters were evaluated using one-way and two-way sensitivity analyses. Results: Regarding the effectiveness of interventions, the odd ratio of the quality of life in the medical therapy group (CI: 0.76-1.10) was 0.91 times the PCI group (p=0.34). This rate for mortality in medical therapy (CI: 0.52-9.68) was 2.23 times more than the PCI group; this result was not significant (p=0.02). In the cost-effectiveness analysis, the cost-effectiveness threshold was 16,482; ICER in increasing the QoL and reduction in the mortality rate was 25320.11 and 562.6691, respectively. Regarding the sensitivity analysis, the model was not sensitive in changing parameters in a specific domain. Conclusion: According to this study, PCI is more cost-effective than medical therapy in the reduction of mortality rate and in the field of increasing quality of life. MT strategy is more cost-effective than the PCI. This study considers controversies regarding the most appropriate treatment for patients with ischemic heart disease that is helpful for health policymakers, cardiologists and health managers. © 2020 Iran University of Medical Sciences. All Rights Reserved

Filaggrin Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic Dermatitis (AD) is a relapsing chronic pruritic inflammatory disease of skin in which no monogenic cause has been identified so far. Meanwhile Filaggrin (FLG) gene is considered as the most important gene associated with predisposition to the disease.One hundred and six patients with AD and 105 healthy individuals were enrolled in this study. Real time polymerase chain reaction was performed to determine frequencies of alleles and genotype in six variants of FLG gene.Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a relapsing chronic pruritic inflammatory disease of skin for which no monogenic cause has been identified so far. Meanwhile, the filaggrin (FLG) gene is considered as the most important gene associated with predisposition to the disease.One hundred and six patients with AD and 105 healthy individuals were enrolled in this study. Real time polymerase chain reaction was performed to determine frequencies of alleles and genotype in six variants of the FLG gene. The frequencies of allele A in variants of rs3126065, rs2786680, and rs1933063 as well as allele C in variant rs3814300 were 100%. There was no significant difference between allele frequencies in variants rs2485518 and rs3814299. The only genotypes in variants of rs3814299 and rs2485518 were GG and CC, respectively, with no significant difference between the patients and controls. This study demonstrated that there was no significant association between polymorphisms of FLG gene variants and AD.</p