ABSTRACT
Background: Postpartum bilateral femoral neck fracture [BFNF] is a rare condition. We here report a case of BFNF due to excessive corticosteroid consumption, twin pregnancy, immobility, and vitamin D deficiency
Case: This is a report of a 32-yr-old woman with bilateral femoral insufficiency fracture five days after emergency cesarean section due to preterm labor, twin pregnancy, and the history of a previous cesarean section at 33 wk. Antenatal repeated courses of betamethasone injections for fetal lung maturity, daily oral use of prednisolone for the history of miscarriage, immobilization, and vitamin D deficiency were the important contributing factors in her past medical history and lab investigations. The bone mineral density examination showed low bone density for the expected age
Conclusion: Clinicians, who deal with pregnant women, should consider the diagnosis of bilateral femoral insufficiency fracture in any pregnant women with pelvic pain. Awareness of risk factors of BFNF might help to reduce the rate of this complication
ABSTRACT
Objective: Colorectal cancer [CRC] is one of the most common cancers and a major cause of cancer-related death worldwide. The early diagnosis of colorectal tumors is one of the most important challenges in cancer management. MicroRNAs [miRNAs] have provided new insight into CRC development and have been suggested as reliable and stable biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis. The aim of this study was to analyze the differential expression of miRNAs at different stages of CRC searching for possible correlation with clinicopathological features to examine their potential value as diagnostic biomarkers
Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, plasma and matched tissue samples were collected from 74 CRC patients at stage II-IV as well as blood samples from 32 healthy controls. After exhaustive study of the current literature, eight miRNAs including miR-200c, 20a, 21, 31,135b, 133b,145 and let-7g were selected. The expression level of the miRNAs was assayed by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction [qRT-PCR]. Statistical analysis, including t test , Mann-Whitney U, Kruskall-Wallis tests and receiver operating characteristic [ROC] curve was applied, where needed
Results: Significantly elevated levels of miR-21, miR-31, miR-20a, miR-135b, and decreased levels of miR- 200c, miR-145 and let-7 g were detected in both plasma and matched tissue samples compared to the healthy group [P<0.05]. However, no significant differences were observed in the expression level of plasma and tissue miR-133b [P>0.05]. ROC for tissue miRNAs showed an area under the ROC curve [AUC] of 0.98 and P<0.001 for miR-21, 0.91 and P<0.001 for miR-135b, 0.91 and P<0.001 for miR-31, and 0.92 and P<0.001 for miR-20a
Conclusion: Our results indicate that the expression levels of microRNAs are systematically altered in CRC tissue and plasma. In conclusion, detection of miR-21, miR-135b, miR-31 and miR-20a levels in the tissue might be helpful to illuminate the molecular mechanisms underlying CRC carcinogenesis and serve as tumor-associated biomarkers for diagnosis
ABSTRACT
Student evaluation of the quality of instruction is considered as one of the most widely used methods for assessing faculty in universities. This study aimed to identify and compare faculty and students' views about the evaluation system of the quality of faculty teaching in 2011-2012 in Ilam University of Medical Sciences. In this descriptive - analytical study, statistical population was included faculty members [n = 92] and students [n=1,100] that their viewpoint in three fields: competence of students for evaluation, assessment tools quality and factors affecting the results of the evaluation using two designed questionnaires and descriptive and inferential statistics analyzing data, were studied. Scores of participants' viewpoint was as follows: Students capacity to do faculty proficiency evaluation [3.62+/-0.91], evaluation of teaching methods[1.01+/-3.72] evaluation and scoring methods[3.41+/- 1.01] and their suitability for evaluation of designing of the course content [3.16+/- 0.99], the number of questionnaire questions [3.25 +/- 0.9] Matching evaluations tools to evaluation goal or validity [3 +/- 0.96] how to design questions [3.20+/- 0.96] and the rate of bias in the questionnaire [3.16+/- 1.02], In addition, the effect of factors on student evaluations was as follow: factors related to the student [3.62+/- 1.06], factors related to the course and class [3.29 +/- 1.06], factors related to the instructor [3.64 +/- 1.01], and factors related to the evaluation system [3.18+/- 1.11]. Compare the viewpoints of faculty and students also showed significant differences in two groups' viewpoints [p <% 5].
Despite the current evaluation system is partially confirmed by the study subjects but due to the influence of the results of variety of factors, significant objections have been raised, particularly from faculty, when it is used as the only source, so that in order to reduce weaknesses and strengthen the evaluation system, the review of evaluation form and methods of designing in line with increasing the validity and reliability should be done