Historically، tuberculosis has been the leading cause of death throughout human history. Tuberculosis infection (TB) causes by Mycobacterium tuberculosis that is very dangerous and can affect any parts of the body، especially lungs. Tuberculosis infection still remains a serious threat to human public health due to its contagious nature، capability to stay latent form in host for indefinite time and then appear as active disease. It is estimated that one third of world’ s population، nearly 2 billion persons are infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Transmission occurs among people through inhalation of infected droplets. Lungs and especially alveolar macrophage are primary sites of infection. Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacilli by preventing fusion of phagosome with lysosome can remain alive inside the macrophages. Such situation defined as latent infection. In fact، persons with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) are only infected with M. tuberculosis without any sign of infectious. Latent infection in compared with active infection is not contagious، but in about 10-5 percent of people will develop active tuberculosis especially in elderly and people who use immunosuppressive drugs. Pulmonary TB is an active form of tuberculosis infection in which bacteria can spread among people by infected droplets. So identifying and treating people with latent TB infection can significantly reduce the progression of latent form to active infection. The tuberculin skin test (TST) is the most widely used test in worldwide that is applied to determine a person who is infected with M. tuberculosis. TST provide valubale information for diagnosis LTBI however its specificity can be reduced by bacillus Calmette-Gué rin (BCG) vaccination and infected with non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). In TST test host hypersensitivity responses to Purified protein derivative (PPD) from mycobacterium are evaluated. TST positive reaction indicates the presence of high risk for acquiring TB infection or progression of latent tuberculosis to active form. Previous studies indicated that there is correlation between TST response and subsequent risk of active TB. Experimental evidence has shown that treatment of latent infection in the basis of positive TST reduces the risk of active TB. Although TST is far from gold standard but it's low cost and simplicity make it a suitable laboratory test especially in developing country.

Introduction: Osteoporosis is a metabolic disease with decrease bone density and abnormality in bone mass that could effect on pathologic fracture in the people. The main aim of this research is evaluating the criteria for simple estimation of osteoporosis and its relationship with bone densitometry. Method & Material: This cross-sectional study was done in 250 women patients in pre – and postmenopausal stage referred to Shiraz Central Hospital. Risk factors determined by questionnaire with demographic information and questions about osteoporosis risk factor. Results: Out of 250 patients that enter the study, 39.4% had normal and 60.6% had abnormal bone osteoporosis. There was a significant correlation between osteoporosis score and hip densitometry (p<0.05). Relationship between the score and patient with rheumatic disease or previous fracture was significant (p<0.05). Relationship between vertebral densitometry and cigarette smoking, inadequate daily ingestion of vitamin D, inadequate daily products of calcium, post menopausal age and high tea or coffee intake were statistically significant (p<0.05). Vertebral bone densitometry sensitivity and specificity were 64.5% and 48.1% respectively. Conclusion: Simple osteoporosis risk estimation score can be used as a primary method for screening and prevention of osteoporosis. The score of more than 6 is and indication for bone densitometry.  

Erosion due to cavitations has been studied with several methods in many countries. In this paper, test methods which has more applications than other methods are investigated and their advantages and disadvantages are introduced. Followed by discussion of results, the causes of difference between results obtained from cavitations tests and practical cases are mentioned. Effort to eliminate this difference can be a base for future development of these tests. The results of the present study is used for cavitations testing in centrifugal pumps. The test rig is designed and the installation is under construction.