Evaluation of Problem-based Learning Method for Teaching Islamic Education Courses to Students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences

Emphasis on teaching religious education in the university and raising the level of religious awareness of students in parallel with specialized education, raises attention to the important point that the set of Islamic education courses was in line with the demands and desires of students? The aim of this study is to an increase of the analytic mood among the students and faculty members of the department of Islamic education by the teaching method of Problem-based learning. The present study was performed cross-sectionally on students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in Islamic education courses that they had taken as a general course. One of the strengths of this method is the student-centered and process-oriented instead of text-centric and moving from central memorization to research-oriented

Collaborative Research: Mechanics of Growing Bodies: A Riemannian Geometric Approach

The research objective of this grant is to elucidate a differential/Riemannian geometric formulation for the mechanics of growing bodies. The proposed work is based on the concept of a changing material manifold whose dynamics predicts the evolution of the relaxed state of a material body. This theory is applicable to biological tissues in which growth and remodeling are coupled with large deformations. To achieve the research objective of this proposal, a theory of continuum mechanics based on a dynamic material manifold is introduced that couples the growth/remodeling of biological tissues with their large deformations. The proposed research will put growth and similar nonlinear problems into a unified geometric theory that has a dynamic material manifold. One of the goals of this project is to promote the use of geometric techniques in the mechanics community by demonstrating some of their advantages and applications. The results of this project will be presented in a language accessible to engineers, and they will demonstrate the conceptual clarifications and modeling advantages brought by the geometric approach. A major educational impact of this research is the establishment of a general framework for learning and teaching growth mechanics in biology using the language of mathematics and mechanics, a context, which is currently missing in the biophysics. This project will foster opportunities for collaborative research between the University of Maine and Georgia Institute of Technology and facilitate broadening the participation of undergraduate students in the cutting edge research in the field of biomechanics

The effect of Atorvastatin and Endurance training and their Combination on Testosterone Levels, Leydig, Spermatogonia, Spermatocyte cells numbers, Diameter and Thickness of Seminiferous Tubules and testicular morphology in rats

Many drugs and regular exercise may have effect on male fertility. Therefore in the present study we investigated the effect of Atorvastatin and Endurance training on serum levels of testosterone,Leydig ,spermatogonia, Spermatocyte cells numbers and testicular morphology and  morphometric evaluation in rats. 30Wistar rats(230±10g)were randomly divided into 6 groups:control, endurance training,atorvastatin(5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg),the endurance training + atorvastatin (5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg),5 rats per group. Drug intervention groups received atorvastatin for 4 weeks using gavage.Training groups also run a rodent treadmill 5 days a week for 4 weeks(speed of 10 m/min for 10 min in first week and other week: 16 m/min for 50 min) Serum testosterone level was measured by ELISA Kit.The results showed in the endurance training+atorvastatin 10 mg/kg, morphological disruption of testicular was observed.The number of Leydig, spermatogonia and Spermatocyte as well as blood testosterone level and germinal epithelium thickness were significantly decreased in the endurance training+atorvastatin 10 mg/kg compared to the control group(p< 0.05). In conclusion,the results of this study showed the negative effect of the combination of endurance training and  high dose atorvastatin (10 mg/kg ) on testicular tissue and male reproductive system due to decreased levels of testosterone in rats

Investigating the Effect and Immunity of Tissue Plasminogen Activator in the Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background and Objective: Although current evidence has demonstrated the efficacy and immunity of Alteplase, further studies are needed to evaluate its functioning in the therapeutic system. This study aims to assess the effect and immunity of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS).Methods: This study was conducted as a retrospective observational study on patients with AIS referred to Ahvaz Golestan Hospital in 2017-2018. By using the hospital database, demographic information, the cause of lack of thrombolytic therapy, the onset of symptoms and admission were extracted. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at the time of referral, 24 hours after treatment, and at the time of discharge, the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at discharge time and 3 months after discharge, complications and mortality at the time of admission and 3 months after discharge were recorded.Results: The mean of the event to needle (hrs) was significantly lower in the tPA group (P <0.0001), and delay in visiting time and loss of golden time were of the main reasons for not receiving tPA in the control group. The mean difference and the decrease in NIHSS score 24 hours after admission and discharge in the tPA group was significantly higher (P <0.0001). At the time of discharge, the mean score of mRS in the two groups was not significantly different. Three months after treatment, the mean score of mRS in the tPA group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P <0.05). The percentage of patients with bleeding complications was higher in the tPA group (7.27%) than that in the control group (4.89%). The percentage of deaths during the hospital stay in the tPA group (3.64%) was higher than that in the control group (1.63%).Conclusion: Patients with AIS under intravenous thrombolytic therapy with tPA showed improvement in functional measurements and neurological outcomes compared with the control group. Lack of significant difference in the rate of complications and mortality between the two groups indicated the safety and high efficacy of thrombolytic therapy in patients with AIS

Comparing Mental Health of School-Age Children with and without Epilepsy

How to Cite This Article: Shamsaei F, Cheraghi F, Zamani Ghr. Comparing Mental Health of School-Age Children with and without Epilepsy: A Case Control Study. Iran J Child Neurol. Summer 2016; 10(3):35-41. AbstractObjectiveMental health problems frequently occur in children with epilepsy but the diagnosis is frequently missed and therapeutic opportunities are often lost. The aim of this study was to compare mental health statues between school-aged children with epilepsy and the healthy group.Materials & Methods In this case, control study, 120 children aged 6 to 12 years with idiopathic epilepsy and 240 healthy control groups were followed up. Children with epilepsy were enrolled from Iranian Epilepsy Association in 2014. The parent version of Child Symptom Inventory-4 questionnaire was used. Mean comparisons were performed using Student’s t test while effect sizes were estimated by Cohen’s d coefficient. The Chi-Square test was used to assess the difference between frequency distribution of demographic variables in both groups. The significance level was considered less than 0.05.ResultsThere were statistically significant differences between children with epilepsy and control group as for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, major depression, separation anxiety, social phobia, motor and vocal tics and oppositional defiant disorder.ConclusionThe carefully evaluating and prospectively following the psychopathology symptom of children with epilepsy are critical for early identification, prevention and treatment.ReferencesValizadeh L, Barzegar M, Akbarbegloo M, Zamanzadeh V, Rahiminia E, Ferguson CF. The relationship between psychosocial care and attitudes toward illness in adolescents with epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav 2013; 27(1):267-71.Russ SA, Larson K, Halfon N. A national profile of childhood epilepsy and seizure disorder. Pediatrics 2002; 129(2):256-264.Kotsopoulos IA, van Merode T, Kessels FG, de Krom MC, Knottnerus, JA. Systematic review and meta-analysis of incidence studies of epilepsy and unprovoked seizures. Epilepsia 2002; 43(11):402–1409.Sayehmiri K, Tavan H, Sayehmiri F, Mohamadi I, Carson KV. Prevalence of Epilepsy in Iran: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review. Iran J Child Neurol 2014; 8(4): 9–17.Salpekar JA, Dunn DW. Psychiatric and psychosocial consequences of pediatric epilepsy. Semin Pediatr Neurol 2007; 14(4): 181-8.Ott D, Siddarth P, Gurbani S, Koh S, Tournay A, Shields WD, Caplan R. Behavioral disorders in pediatric epilepsy: unmet psychiatric need. Epilepsia 2003; 44(4): 591-597.Davies S, Heyman I, Goodman R. A population survey of mental health problems in children with epilepsy. Dev Med Child Neurol 2003; 45(5):292-295.Maia Filho HS, Costa CRM, Gomes MM. Epilepsia e Saúde Mental na Infância. J Epilep Clin Neurophysiol 2006; 12(2):79-88.Gaitatzis A, Carroll K, Majeed A, Sander J. The epidemiology of the comorbidity of epilepsy in the general population. Epilepsia 2004; 45(2):1613-1622.Jones JE, Watson R, Sheth R, Caplan R, Koehn M, Seidenberg M, Hermann B. Psychiatric comorbidity in children with new onset epilepsy. Dev Med Child Neurol 2007; 49(7):493-7.Gadow KD, Sprafkin J. Child symptom inventory-4 Screening and norms manual. Stony Brook, NY: checkmate Plus Ltd, 2002.Dulcan MK, Mina K. Dulcan’s Textbook of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 1st ed, American Psychiatric Pub, 2010.Jafari N, Mohammadi MR, Khanbani M, Farid S, Chiti P. Effect of Play Therapy on Behavioral Problems of Maladjusted Preschool Children. Iran J Psychiatry 2011 6(1): 37–42.Hermann B, Jones J, Dabbs K, Allen CA, Sheth R, Fine J, McMillan A, Seidenberg M. The frequency, complications and etiology of ADHD in new onset pediatric epilepsy. Brain 2007; 130(Pt 12):3135-48.Kaner AM. Psychiatric Comorbidity in Children with Epilepsy … or Is It: Epilepsy Comorbidity in Children with Psychiatric Disorders? Epilepsy Curr 2008; 8(1): 10–12.Williams J Steel C, Sharp GB, DelosReyes E, Phillips T, Bates S, Lange B, Griebel ML. Parental anxiety and quality of life in children with epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav 2003; 4(5): 483–486.Stefanello S, Marín-Léon L, Fernandes PT, Li LM, Botega NJ. Depression and anxiety in a community sample with epilepsy in Brazil. Arq Neuropsiquiatria 2011; 69 (2):342-348.Dunn DW, Austin JK, Perkins SM. Prevalence of psychopathology in childhood epilepsy: categorical and dimensional measures. Dev Med Child Neurol 2009; 51(5):364-372.McDermott S, Mani S, Krishnaswami S. A population-based analysis of specific behavior problems associated with childhood seizures. J Epilepsy 1995; 8(2):110–118.Davies S, HeymanI Goodman R. Apopulation survey of mental health problems in children with epilepsy. Dev Med Child Neurol 2003; 45(5):292-295.Parisi R, Moavero R, Verrotti A, Curatolo P. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children with epilepsy. Brain Dev 2010; 32(1):10–16

Evaluation of different techniques in estimating orientation of crack initiation planes and fatigue lifetime under complex multiaxial loading paths

In the present investigation, the accuracy of two methods, i.e., the Shear Strain-Maximum Variance Method (γ-MVM) and the Maximum Damage Method (MDM), in predicting the orientation of the crack initiation planes was checked by considering several results taken from the literature and generated by testing five different metallic materials under complex multiaxial loading. The γ-MVM postulates that the critical plane is that material plane containing the direction experiencing the maximum variance of the resolved shear strain. In contrast, the MDM defines the critical plane as that material plane on which the accumulated damage reaches its maximum value. In the present investigation, the MDM was applied in conjunction with Fatemi-Socie's (FS) multiaxial fatigue criterion, Bannantine-Socie's (BS) cycle counting method, and Miner's linear rule. The validation exercise being performed demonstrated that both the γ-MVM and the MDM were capable of accurately predicting the orientation of the crack initiation planes in the selected metals. Subsequently, the reliability of three different design methodologies suitable for estimating fatigue lifetime of metals subjected to variable amplitude multiaxial loading was assessed quantitatively by using a number of experimental results taken from the literature. In more detail, Methodology A was based on the MDM applied along with the FS criterion, the BS cycle counting method, and Miner's rule. Methodology B made use of the γ-MVM, the FS criterion, the BS cycle counting method, and Miner's linear rule. Finally, Methodology C involved the γ-MVM, the Modified Manson Coffin Curve Method (MMCCM), the classical Rain-Flow cycle counting method, and Miner's linear rule. According to this systematic validation exercise, the usage of these three design procedures was seen to result in satisfactory predictions, with the estimates falling within an error band of three

On the uncertainty quantification and non-linear hyper elastic simulation of biological tissues

In this dissertation, a computational structural mechanics capability is developed for the simulation of biological tissues. These tissues may exhibit either linear or nonlinear material responses and, therefore, the resultant theory and computational implementation are presented. Various discretization methods of the systems of equations are possible, and in the current work Continuous Galerkin (CG) and the Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) approaches are employed. Additionally, due to natural variations in biophysical properties from person to person, uncertainty quantification may be used to ascertain the impact on deterministic simulation results when assuming mean values of these properties. To this end, a hyper elastic formulation for the nonlinear, transversely isotropic behavior of soft and hard tissue is utilized for the simulation and failure analysis of the proximal femur. Both linear and nonlinear material results are compared. The uncertainty in the failure analysis due to the selected biophysical properties is then examined using the First-Order Second-Moment (FOSM) method. Additionally, within Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) it is often necessary to adaptively move the mesh (e.g. moving boundary simulations, shape design optimization, generation of higher-order grids near curved boundaries, etc.). In these regards, linear elasticity is commonly used for adaptation by viewing the mesh as a solid. In some cases, such as for anisotropic meshes or for extremely large boundary movement, this approach to mesh movement has experienced difficulties in producing valid grids for simulation purposes. Thus, using the developed capability, the potential benefits of utilizing nonlinear material behavior for mesh movement is additionally examined

Effects of Inter-Layer Time Interval on Temperature Gradients in Direct Laser Deposited Ti-6Al-4V

Parts fabricated via additive manufacturing (AM) methods are prone to experiencing high temperature gradients during manufacture resulting in internal residual stress formation. In the current study, a numerical model for predicting the temperature distribution and residual stress in Directed Energy Deposited (DED) Ti–6Al–4V parts is utilized for determining a relationship between local part temperature gradients with generated residual stress. Effects of time-interval between successive layer deposits, as well as layer deposition itself, on the temperature gradient vector for the first and each layer is investigated. The numerical model is validated using thermographic measurements of Ti-6Al-4V specimens fabricated via Laser Engineered Net Shaping® (LENS), a blown-powder/laser-based DED method. Results demonstrate the heterogeneity in the part’s spatiotemporal temperature field, and support the fact that as the part number, or single part size or geometry, vary, the resultant residual stress due to temperature gradients will be impacted. As the time inter-layer time interval increases from 0 to 10 second, the temperature gradient magnitude in vicinity of the melt pool will increase slightly.Mechanical Engineerin

Emergency Medical Service Providers’ Perception of Health- Threatening Stressors in Emergency Missions: A qualitative Study

BACKGROUND: Unknown and unpredictable situations cause emergency medical service (EMS) providers to experience various stressful factors. These factors are affected by sociocultural conditions and expectations of the casualty and affect EMS providers' performance and health at the incident scene. The present study was conducted to explore EMS providers' perception of stressful and health-threatening factors in emergency missions.METHOD: This qualitative conventional content analysis was conducted in 2020. The participants included 16 EMS providers working at the Emergency Medical Services Department in Hamadan Province, Iran. The participants were selected using purposive sampling and underwent semi-structured interviews until data saturation. Data were analyzed using the Graneheim and Lundman method.RESULTS: Analysis of the interview data yielded six subcategories (i.e., incident scene hazards, violence-related injuries, physical injuries caused by patient care/handling, ambulance crash-related injuries, emotional impact of patients' suffering and ailments, and highly stressful missions), two main categories (i.e., physical injuries and psychological tensions), and a theme of occupational injuries.CONCLUSIONS: According to the results, in addition to having concerns about caring for patients and saving the injured, EMS providers also worry about potential threats to their own health. The present study identified and described some major stressors in emergency missions. Thus, for a better and more effective efficiency, the present study results can be used to reduce or modify stressors in EMS providers

The Effect of Uric Acid as a Predisposing Factor on Polyneuropathy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Background: Since serum uric acid is a controllable and modifiable factor in diabetic patients, identifying the risk factors and accelerating the incidence of neuropathy in these patients plays an important role, and can reduce its level, and the patient's disability, as well as additional therapeutic costs for the patient and the health system in the country. Method: In this retrospective cohort study conducted at the Golestan Hospital in 2015-2017, the study population was 100 type 2 diabetic patients based on NCS of 54 patients with polyneuropathy. First, the demographic data on clinical examinations, lab tests, and uric acid levels in these patients were recorded on a checklist. Then, in 2017, patients were reassessed for clinical investigations and lab tests, and all data entered on the previous checklist. Finally, all the data were analyzed using the SPSS v23. Results: The mean age of patients with polyneuropathy was 51.77 years, and there was a significant relationship between age, BMI and duration of diabetes with neuropathy, but there was no significant difference in gender, smoking and hypertension. The mean serum level of uric acid in the two years ago was 3.85 mg/dl, and at the time of the study, it was 4.18 ±1.55 mg/dl. There was no significant difference in serum levels of this substance after two years of follow up in patients with polyneuropathy (P=0.139). The incidence of polyneuropathy was reported by NCS findings of 54%. In other words, 54% of diabetic patients developed diabetic polyneuropathy for two years. Conclusion: Polyneuropathy is a common complication in diabetic patients, and the serum levels of uric acid over time cannot have a significant effect on the incidence of this disorder