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

The relationship between anthropometric parameters and bone mineral density in an Iranian referral population

Osteoporosis is a common health concern in both developed and developing countries. In this study the association between anthropometric measures and osteoporosis was investigated in 3630 males and females visiting BMD clinic of Shariati Hospital, Tehran, Iran, a teaching hospital and referral center for osteoporosis affiliated to the Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Anthropometric measurements obtained and also Bone Mineral Density (BMD) measurement was done using a Lunar DPXMD densitometer. Data were analyzed using SPSS with Chi-square and ANOVA with post-hoc tests. Results showed that the weight, BMI and age had the strongest correlation with the BMD values in the studied people. While age is negatively correlated with BMD in all the studied people, a positive association was noted between weight, height and BMI and BMD parameters (P<0.01). It was concluded that certain anthropometric parameters (BMI and weight) can considerably affect one's risk of developing osteoporosis. Further research on the effect of these variables on the association of weight and BMD is needed

Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry diagnostic discordance between Z scores and T scores in a young Iranian population

Background: Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) is considered the gold standard for non-invasive measurement of bone mass. T-scores and Z-scores are used to present the results of bone mass. The present study was designed to evaluate the discordance between T-scores and Z-scores calculated at a same level and its relation with age, gender and body mass index (BMI) in a representative sample of normal population. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted as a part of a comprehensive survey, Iranian Multicenter Osteoporosis Study (IMOS), designed to assess bone health among healthy adults. Each individual underwent both L1–L4 antero-posterior lumbar spine and hip DXA scan. The difference between the T- and Z-scores measured at each of the four skeletal sites was then calculated. Results: A -1.21 to 1.21 point difference was noted in the Z- and T- scores measured at each site. While the difference between the T- and Z-scores was less than 0.5 SD in most of the cases, the difference was higher than 1 SD in about 5% of the subjects. Conclusion: Standardization of Z-score definition and calculation techniques as well as developing an ethnicity-matched reference population is needed to improve the reliability of DXA-generated Z-scores

The Relationship between Information Literacy Skills and Evidence-based Medicine Competencies in Clinical Residents

Introduction: The emergence of new information and communication technologies has emphasized the importance of obtaining reliable and up-to-date information. There is a need to encourage clinical residents to use up-to-date medical evidence in clinical decision-making, which could empower their information literacy skills. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between possessing information literacy skills and competencies of evidence-based medicine by clinical residents at Kerman University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Iran. Methods: The present study was survey-based. The study population consisted of all clinical residents at KUMS. One hundred fifty participants were selected at random to participate in completing the questionnaire. The data were presented using descriptive statistics (mean; SD) and analyzed using statistical tests: Pearson correlation coefficient; linear regression; independent t-test. Results: Pearson Correlation Coefficient between information literacy and evidence-based medicine was obtained 0.529 (p-value=0.001(. Also, there was a significant relationship between information literacy skills and evidence-based medicine competencies by the clinical residency. With a mean score equal to 3.22, the clinical residency’s ability as to the components "information need" and "information organization" was more than that with other information literacy skills. The clinical residents' ability to use pieces of evidence (3.09) in the evidence-based approach was also higher than that of other components in this approach. Conclusion: Improving clinical residents' ability to apply information literacy skills to gain medical evidence improves their clinical decision-making performance and may lead to the improvement of health in society

Rzadki przypadek współwystępowania nadczynności przytarczyc i zespołu Turnera - opis przypadku

Przedstawiony przez autorów opis przypadku zawiera ocenę kliniczną, wyniki badań laboratoryjnych, radiologicznych, patomorfologicznych 37-letniej kobiety, u której początkowo rozpoznano osteomalację przebiegu zespołu Turnera i zastosowano suplementację wapnia i witaminy D. Ze względu na szybką progresję Ca we krwi rozszerzono diagnostykę, rozpoznając dodatkowo nadczynność przytarczyc spowodowaną gruczolakiem tego narządu.We present the clinical, laboratory, radiological and pathological findings in the case and review the literature. Our patient, a 37-year-old woman of short stature, was referred because of musculoskeletal pain. After primary evaluation, she underwent treatment with calcium and vitamin D supplement with the diagnosis of osteomalacia in Turner’s syndrome. The rise of serum calcium during medical therapy, which was an unusual finding, attracted the clinician’s attention to another underlying disorder. Further evaluation revealed primary hyperparathyroidism due to an adenoma of the parathyroid gland. Even though this is a rare diagnosis, its presence should be considered in any patient with Turner’s syndrome presenting with severe osteoporosis and a rise in serum calcium during treatment

Effect of Self-care on Quality of Life of Multiple Sclerosis Patients.

مولتیپل اسکلروزیس به عنوان یک بیماری غیرقابل درمان و دارای معلولیتهای فراوان، تا حدود زیادی زندگی طبیعی مبتلایان را تحت تأثیر قرار می دهد. با آموزش مراقبت از خود می توان از بروز یا پیشرفت بسیاری از عوارض کاست، زندگی مطلوب را افزایش داد و در تحمل بسیاری از مشکلات بوسیله سازگاری با شرایط به وجود آمده، خانواده را یاری داد؛ لذا این پژوهش با هدف بررسی تاثیر خودمراقبتی بر کیفیت زندگی مبتلایان به مولتیپل اسکلروزیس صورت گرفته است. این پژوهش به صورت نیمه تجربی، یک گروهی و دو مرحله ای انجام شده است. تعداد کل نمونه ها 28 بیمارمبتلا به مولتیپل اسکلروزیس مراجعه کننده به یکی ازدرمانگاه های خصوصی ونیز درمـانگاه بیمارستان الزهرا بوده اند که با روش نمونه گیری آسان انتخاب شده اند. اطلاعات مورد نیاز با استفاده از پرسشنامه خود ساخته کیفیت زندگی جمع آوری گردیده است. نتایج حاصل با استفاده از آمار توصیفی و استنباطی با نتایج قبلی مورد مقایسه قرار گرفت. یافته های پژوهش نشان داد که افزایش چشمگیری در میانگین امتیازات کیفیت زندگی در حیطه های عملکردجسمانی، روانشناختی ،حیطه عملکرد اجتماعی و سلامت عمومی بعد از اقدام به خودمراقبتی ایجاد شده است. همچنین یافته های پژوهش نشان داد که میانگین امتیازات کلی کیفیت زندگی بعد از خودمراقبتی افزایش بارزی نسبت به قبل از خودمراقبتی داشته است. نتایج حاصل از پژوهش نشان می دهد که انجام خودمراقبتی تاثیر مثبتی بر روی اجزای کیفیت زندگی دارد. امید است با ایجاد و تقویت انجمن های آموزشی و حمایتی، امکان انجام اقدامات خود مراقبتی برای بیماران مبتلا به مولیتپل اسکلروز فراهم گردد

Effect of Self-care on Quality of Life of Multiple Sclerosis Patients.

Long term diseases and their psycho-cognitive physiologic defects or signs affect life quality of the patients in different life stages and threaten their health resulting in their disabilities. Multiple sclerosis (MS) as a long-term life threatening disease can make acute disabilities affecting patients’ life trend. Unknown manner of disease, poor prognosis and treatment on one hand and hard prevention on the other hand have all limited the treatment to a supportive one although patients can have almost a normal length of life with appropriate self-care. Self care can well diminish the disease extension and complications provides the patient with a better life quality and his family with a better coping ability against new conditions. So this study was carried out with the above title. This study was quasi-experimental and the method of data gathering was questionnaires which included two sections as follows 26 MS patients referring to private and clinic of Isfahan Alzahra hospital were selected by convenient sampling. After that, the subjects started self-care programs for three weeks and then life quality questionnaire was filled either with the patients or the researcher. The findings were analyzed and compared with former findings through descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings showed a noticeable increase in life quality mean score in domain of physical function (P<0.001), psycho cognitive domain (p<0.001), social function (P<0.001) and general health (p<0.001) after self care program. There was also a sharp increase in total life quality score after self-care program compared with before that. The findings showed that self-care could positively affect life quality items. It is hoped that by formation of educational supportive associations or at least a well equipped rehabilitation center for the patients, the patients can be provided with facilities of self-care as well as a condition in which the patients themselves carry out their self care