Effect of Powder/Liquid Ratio on Fluoride Release of Glass Ionomers

Objective: Evidence shows that the powder/liquid mixing ratio recommended by the manufacturers  is often not respected when mixing the glass ionomer (GI) powder and liquid, yielding a GI cement with disproportionate powder/liquid ratio. Considering the confirmed effect of powder/liquid ratio  on the GI properties, and more importantly, its fluoride release potential, this study aimed to assess the effect of powder/liquid  ratio on fluoride release of GI cements.Methods: Fuji II, Fuji II LC Improved and Fuji IX GI cements were used in this experimental study. Of each material, three groups with powder 20% less than recommended, the exact recommended ratio and powder 20% more than recommended, were prepared. To assess the fluoride release potential, 45 disc-shaped specimens measuring 2×4mm were prepared (5 per each group). After fabrication, the specimens were immersed in 5 mL of distilled water. The amount of fluoride  released into distilled water was measured at days 1 to 7, and also at 13, 14, 15, 28, 29, 30, 58, 59, 60, 88, 89, and 90 days, using Ion Selective Electrode (ISE). After each time of measurement, distilled water was replaced. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA. Tukey’s post hoc test was used for pairwise comparison of groups and powder/liquid mixing ratio. For pairwise comparison of time points, the Bonferroni adjustment was applied (p<0.05).Results: Based on the results, although the amount of fluoride released from Fuji IX was higher than Fuji II, this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.589). The lowest fluoride release was seen in Fuji II LC and this difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). Change by 20% in the powder/liquid mixing ratio in the three GI cements had no significant effect on fluoride release (p=0.650, p=0.103, p=0.082).Conclusion: Fluoride release from GI was time-dependent and the amount of released fluoride decreased over time. Fuji II LC resin-modified GI (RMGI) released less fluoride than Fuji II and  Fuji IX. Also, 20% change in powder/liquid mixing ratio had no significant effect on fluoride release in different groups

The Viewpoints of Faculty Members of Khorramabad School of Medicine, Iran, about the Horizontal Integration of Basic Medical Sciences Courses

Introduction: Integration, is the combination of curriculum content areas, which is separate in traditional curriculum of educational system. This study aimed to investigate the viewpoints of faculty members of school of medicine about the horizontal integration of basic medical sciences. Method: This was a qualitative content analysis study. The study population consisted of faculty members of Khorramabad School of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, and research environment was the school of medicine. Depth interviews with 7 faculty members, who played role in the application of horizontal integration of basic medical sciences, were done. At the end, interview transcripts were analyzed using Graneheim and Lundman content analysis method. Results: Among the advantages of this plan was that a number of faculties preferred to teach based on integration method. Problems related to integration consisted of four categories, “problems related to the courses”, “professors’ problems”, “problems related to rules and regulations of the plan”, and “problems related to the courses”. Conclusion: According to our findings, it seems the program can be useful in medical education, but first, it should be revised, and related problems should be solved. Keywords: Natural sciences, Curriculum, Medical student

Challenges in the design, conduct, analysis, and reporting in randomized clinical trial studies : A systematic review

This study was funded by Iran University of Medical Sciences (grant number 97-01-27-33259).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Seasonal variation in the prevalence of preeclampsia

Introduction: Hypertension in pregnancy is one of the three factors of maternal mortality. Etiology of the disease is unknown, but the many factors contributing to the identification and control of it can be taken a step to prevent and reduce the symptoms of the disease. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of preeclampsia (high-blood pressure) in different seasons of the year. Methods: The present retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on more than 8,000 pregnant women visiting Assali specialized hospital from 2011 to 2013. Required data was collected through questionnaire checklist. The Chi-square test with multiple comparisons was used to compare the frequencies of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) according to the month of year, and adjustment of multiplicity was conducted using Bonferroni's method. Student's t-test was used to compare the means of PIH prevalence rates. In all analyses, P < 0.05 was taken to indicate statistical significance. Results: In these 8000 woman admitted to labor, overall prevalence of PIH was 3.8 ± 0.6%. The prevalence rate of PIH was highest in the summer (4.5%) and lowest frequent in the winter (2.7%), respectively. In July, the prevalence rate was significantly higher than those for any other month (4.7%), and in March, it was lower prevalence than for any month (2.2%), respectively. Using the Chi-square test, a significant difference between the incidence of disease was observed in summer and winter (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The prevalence rate of PIH was higher for delivery in summer and early spring and lowest for winter delivery among Khorramabad women based on these results; it seems that changes in temperature and humidity in different seasons can affect preeclampsia, and preeclampsia increases with increasing frequency temperature

The effect of glucomannan on pregnancy constipation

Introduction: Constipation is a common complication among pregnant women; it refers to hard and infrequent bowel movements where the stools defected from body becomes hard and dry, as well. various medical interventions are nowadays implemented to treat constipation, Some of which are either banned or not willingly implemented by pregnant women; thus, doctors try to avoid such methods. Glucomannan, a combination of a few simple sugars, is an effective substance for treating constipation. According to the results of studies conducted in this area, glucomannan has been greatly welcomed and approved by pregnant women. Thus, the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of glucomannan on pregnancy constipation and to compare it with other common treatment methods. Materials and Methods: This study is a clinical trial in which 64 pregnant women with constipation were investigated in the two groups of intervention and control (32 participants in each group). All participants were in their third trimester of pregnancy. The intervention group was treated with glucomannan, while the control group was treated with magnesium hydroxide. After 1 month, the participants were investigated and the questionnaires were responded to. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS software and Chi-square tests. Results: The post-treatment frequency of bowel repulses increased in both the groups. However, the increase was different in the two groups. About 75% of the participants in the glucomannan group reported having at least 6 times of bowel movements. Moreover, 25% of the participants in the glucomannan group reported having >6 times of bowel movements. Using a Chi-square test, it was found that there is a significant difference between pre- and post-treatment frequency of bowel movements per week (P = 0.002). Moreover, there was a significant difference between the post-intervention frequency of bowel movements in the two groups (P = 0.001). Discussion: In the present study, it was attempted to investigate the effect of glucomannan on pregnancy constipation. The findings indicated that glucomannan is likely to improve constipation symptoms in pregnancy and reduce pregnant women's complaints to a significant level through increasing the frequency of bowel movements and affecting the stool consistency. Conclusion: Along with other treatment methods, glucomannan is recommended as a healthy medicinal plant for treating pregnancy constipation

The Appropriateness of Educational Programs\' Objectives for Professional Needs: The Viewpoints of Khorramabad School of Nursing and Midwifery Graduates

Introduction: Evaluating the educational programs from the viewpoints of graduates may identify the weaknesses of such programs and provide the opportunity for their improvement. This study was performed to determine the appropriateness of educational programs for professional needs from the viewpoints of graduates of Khorramabad School of Nursing and Midwifery. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed in the years 2006-2007 on 407 nursing and midwifery graduates who had graduated during 1999-2005. A questionnaire containing items about demographic data, appropriateness of educational programs objectives for professional needs, and factors influencing the quality of educational programs was sent to participants by mail and completed by them. The data was analyzed by SPSS software using descriptive statistics and Chi-square. Results: Most of the nursing (72.9%) and midwifery (72.4%) graduates evaluated their competencies in taking care of patients as high. They also evaluated the training courses more effective on professional efficacy compared to practical and theoretical courses. From the graduates' points of view, the acquired skills during their academic years fulfilled their professional needs moderately, and lacking the essential skills made the nurses more strained than the midwives (37.1% and 22.4%, respectively). Factors affecting the quality of educational programs were reported by the graduates to be qualified faculty members and instructors, facilities for clinical education, educational environment, used teaching methods, educational facilities of the school, and the availability of scientific resources. Conclusion: professional needs of nursing and midwifery graduates are not fully covered by educational programs. It seems necessary to change the educational programs and provide required means and facilities in order to achieve the professional objectives and train skilled and productive human resources

The effect of clindamycin vaginal cream on prevention of preterm labor

Background: Preterm delivery is one of the most common causes of perinatal mortality around the world. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of clindamycin vaginal cream in the prevention of preterm labor. Materials and Methods: This study was a control trial carried out on 236 pregnant women, referred to private practice office of a physician,with 13-20 weeks of gestational age. Samples of vaginal smear were gathered, and in the case of abnormal results, subjects were randomly assigned to either a control or case group. Clindamycin group treated with vaginal cream for three nights in the first turn and seven night at the second turn. But the control group received no treatment. Then, all subjects were followed up. Data wero collected using a questionnair and analyzed. Results:The incidence of premature birth in the control group was higher than the group under treatment with clindamycin (12% vs 7%), but this difference was not enough to be statistically significant.&nbsp;It was also shown that the higher incidence of preterm delivery in the control group was lower than the age of pregnancy termination. Mortality in the control group was significantly higher than the control group. Conclusion: Although no significant difference was observed in the rate of preterm labor between the two groups, but in control group gestational age was less and mortality rate was high. It seems that clindamycin in decreasing prenatal mortality is associated with preterm labor effectively

Induction of Apoptosis and Cytotoxic Activities of Iranian Orthodox Black Tea Extract (BTE) Using in vitro Models

Purpose: Plant-derivate therapeutic agents can perform cancer chemotherapeutic activity through triggering apoptotic cell death. Our aim was to investigate the cytotoxic effects, induction of apoptosis, and the mechanism of cell death of Iranian orthodox black tea extracts (BTEs) and hydro methanolic purified fractions (40, 60, 80 and 100%) in KB cells (oral squamous cell carcinoma). Methods: In order to analyze the cytotoxic activity of the BTEs, MTT (3-(4, 5- dimetylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5 diphenyltetrazolium bromide) and Trypan-blue assays were performed in oral squamous cell carcinoma (KB). Furthermore, the apoptosis inducing action of the extracts was determined by TUNEL, DNA fragmentation and cell death detection analysis. Results: Dichloromethane BTE and hydro methanol fractions (40 and 60%) extract showed no cytotoxic effects; however, hydro methanol crude and hydro methanol fractions of BTE (80 and 100%) significantly inhibited cell growth and viability in a dose and time dependent manner. In addition, Cell death assay, TUNEL, and DNA fragmentation indicated induction of apoptosis by hydro methanol 80 and 100% fractions of BTE in KB cells. Statistical significance was determined by analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by Duncan test and p value ≤0.05 was considered significant. Conclusion: The results from the present study suggests that the hydro methanol crude and hydro methanol fractions of BTE (80 and 100%) are significant source of compounds with the anti proliferative and cytotoxic activities, and this may be useful for developing potential chemo preventive substances

HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men in Iran:A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: The need for informed policymaking highlights the importance of data on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence on key populations. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to provide an overview of HIV prevalence in men who have sex with men (MSM) in Iran. Methods: We searched literature published between January 2008 and December 2019 to identify studies reporting the prevalence of HIV infection or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in a population of adult Iranian men with history of sexual contact with other men. We employed Metaprop command in Stata to pool proportions from different studies. Results: Among the 16 studies retrieved, 2 were performed on MSM population directly, 7 among people who inject drugs, 4 among prisoners, 2 among the homeless, and 1 among methamphetamine users. HIV prevalence was 7% (95% CI, 5%-10%) based on the meta-analysis, although noticeable heterogeneity existed because of target population, study year, and study location, which imposed limitations to provide a robust summary measure for the prevalence of HIV. Conclusion: There is a potential risk of observing a high prevalence of HIV in MSM that could hamper the results of various preventive strategies and their achievements in other subpopulations