JOURNAL OF ISFAHAN MEDICAL SCHOOL (I.U.M.S)
Year:2013 | Volume:31 | Issue:261|Papers Count:5

Background: Community-based initiatives including community-based health promotion (CBHP) programs have more than three decades of history in Iran. However, due to inadequate dissemination of the reports of such interventions, there is limited information or analysis of them accessible easily for health researchers and decision-makers at national or international level. This study, partially reported here, aimed to perform a situation analysis of community-based health promotion programs and interventions in Iran commissioned by WHO office in Tehran.Methods: Different data collection strategies were utilized to collect the relevant published and unpublished data such as the reports, papers, books and also electronic data available on the website of the funding organizations. Data were analyzed using qualitative analysis techniques such as thematic analysis to provide answer for research questions. A SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis conducted to identify the overall situation of community-based health promotion programs in Iran.Findings: There were hundreds of different types of community-based health promotion programs in different communities across the country which the researcher categorized them in 10 major groups.Little dissemination of the information regarding the process and the outcome of the programs, weak link between academia and the programs, and the lack of adequate evaluation of the majority of the programs, and also limited resources ad creation of unrealistic expectation of country participants were among the identified weaknesses and threats of community-based health promotion programs in Iran; while the strong organizational and political supports and developed structures due to these programs were identified to be among strengths and opportunities.Conclusion: Future community-based health promotion programs in Iran should benefit from a stronger scientific base and more effective participation of community members. Sharing the existing experiences should be paid attention.

Background: The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a key component during regeneration and maintenance of tissues and organs and has inductive effects on the behaviors of cells. The objective of this study was to investigate the interactions between rabbit's esophageal scaffold with blastema tissue cells obtained from the pinnas of New Zealand white rabbits. Blastema is a collection of undifferentiated cells that are able to propagate and differentiate in a manner similar to embryonic cells.Methods: In this experimental study, after removing the esophagus, physical and chemical decellularization methods including snap-freeze thaw and treatment with Triton X-100 and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), as detergents, were performed. To prepare the blastema tissue, the pinnas of New Zealand white rabbits were punched and after 48 hours, the blastema tissue was obtained by a second punch. After washing, the scaffolds were assembled inside the blastema rings and cultured in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium (DMEM).Findings: Histological studies demonstrated that using snap-freeze thaw and then treatment with 1% Triton X-100 for 24 hours followed by 0.5% SDS for 48 hours was the best decellularization procedure for preparing scaffolds from rabbit's esophagus. Furthermore, adhesion and migration of blastema tissue cells to esophageal scaffold were observed after two weeks of culture.Conclusion: It can be concluded that the extracellular matrix of the decellularized esophagus can have inductive effects on the proliferation, migration and adhesion of the blastema tissue cells.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of chronic liver disease and a public health problem. Therefore, rapid detection and management is important. This study aimed to compare the efficiency of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), nested polymerase chain reaction (nested PCR), and loop mediated isothermal amplification assay (LAMP) for detection of HCV.Methods: This experimental study conducted on 50 serum samples suspected to HCV in Chaharmahal-va-Bakhtiari province, Iran. HCV Ab detected by ELISA and genomic RNA evaluated by nested PCR and LAMP techniques. Then, efficiency of ELISA and LAMP was calculated in comparison with nested PCR.Findings: Out of total samples, 45 (90%) samples were positive for HCV by nested PCR and LAMP. All samples (100%) were positive by ELISA, but 10% (5 samples) was false positive. In addition, in comparison with nested PCR, efficiency of LAMP and ELISA were 100% and 91%, respectively.Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that based on high efficiency, speed and cost effectiveness of LAMP assay, it could be used as a fast alternative method for diagnosis of HCV.

Background: As physicians have a significant role in promoting health of society, it is necessary that physicians themselves not only have suitable level of mental and physical health, but also stay in higher level of positive characteristics of well-being. This study aimed to investigate and compare mental health and some positive psychology factors including happiness, hope and spirituality among students of medicine during years of education.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 332 students of medicine at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, were randomly selected during 2013. The students' spirituality, mental health, happiness, and hope were measured using Elison questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), Oxford questionnaire, and Synder questionnaire, respectively. Data were analyzed using t, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and Logistic regression tests.Findings: The mean scores of Elison questionnaire of Spirituality (90.201±15.678), GHQ-28 questionnaire (27.798±15.678), Oxford questionnaire of Happiness (68.385±17.274), and Synder questionnaire of Hope (23.373±3.154) were calculated. Pearson correlation coefficient showed a statistically significant decrease in Happiness score form primary to final years of medicine. In addition, Pearson correlation coefficient showed a statistically significant relationship between happiness, hope, spirituality and mental health questionnaire and its subscales but there was only significant relationship between Elison questionnaire of spiritual wellness and students' grade point average (GPA).Conclusion: According to significantly decrease of happiness among students during years of education, and significant relationship between happiness, hope, spirituality and mental health, need for more serious attention to these issues in educational planning is necessitated.

Cardiovascular problem is the major cause of mortality and morbidity in patients under hemodialysis for chronic kidney disease. Increased lipid peroxidation and depletion of chain-breaking antioxidants may be related to increased risk of atherosclerosis. Oxidative stress and acute phase inflammation are now defined to be highly prevalent in the hemodialysis patients, and several lines of evidence point to their contribution in atherosclerosis development. Antioxidants have been used as therapies to decrease oxidative stress and improve risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in hemodialysis patients. However, plants and fruits antioxidants are reliable ones. Probably, because plants antioxidants are a mixture of several substances with antioxidant activity, which each one supports the other one.