[ model for health tourism development using fuzzy topsis and interpretive structural modeling in Yazd province]

Introduction: Health tourism, due to its capability and competitive advantages has attracted a lot of attention among the various areas in tourism. The purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive framework to identify and assess the direct and indirect effects of the factors affecting health tourism development in Yazd province

Method: After a literature review, the most important factors affecting health tourism were determined by fuzzy TOPSIS technique using interpretive structural modeling [ISM]

Results: The results of this study showed that factors associated with information update of hospital personnel and the relevance of physicians' specialty to their duties are fundamental factors in the development of health tourism

Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that the development of health tourism in Yazd province was associated with patient satisfaction from the services. In this regard this objective could be met through the investment in updating hospital facilities and improving personnel's skills

Development and ELISA-based detection of anti-M2e IgY antibodies using an encoding plasmid for M2e-Hsp70 c-terminal gene

The use of IgYs in a variety of methods in different areas of research, diagnostics, medical application and biotechnology should be considered widely. Development of antibodies against extra cellular domain of influenza M2 [M2e] protein in egg yolk of laying hens. A Fusion construct harboring C-terminal of bovine heat shock protein 70 [Hsp70] and influenza M2e coding genes was injected to laying hens. Serum and egg yolk antibodies were screened for the presence of anti-M2e antibodies by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]. Anti-M2e antibodies were detected in egg yolks and sera of injected hens from 13 and 7 days post injection [PI], with the peak titer detected on 41 and 35 days PI, respectively. Anti-M2e IgY titers could be an index for expression potential of pcDNA3.1-M2e-HspCterminal construct in laying hens. This construct could be considered as a promising tool in production of anti-M2e polyclonal, monospecific IgY antibodies. Such anti-M2e antibodies could be exploited for influenza diagnostic and therapeutic measures

Dedifferentiated chordoma: a case report

Sarcomatous transformation [dedifferentiated chordoma] in chordoma is a very rare condition and has been emphasized as a distinct entity because of its more aggressive clinical course. Here we describe a case of dedifferentiated chordoma arising from the sacrococcygeal region of a 60-year-old man, in third tumor recurrence. This tumor showed features of sarcoma with areas more typical of chordoma The chordoma-like areas expressed cytokeratin, epithelial membrane antigen and S-100 protein in all tumor cells and the spindle-cell component exhibited vimentin positivity in all of them but negative for other markers. The results showed that the sarcomatous areas as seen in the recurrent chordoma lack epithelial cell features of chordoma and suggest the possibility of altered differentiation pathway of the tumor stem cell or emergence of a new malignant cell population within the recurrent tumor

Changing epidemiology of esophageal cancer in Fars province, Iran

Esophageal carcinoma is one of the most lethal gastrointestinal [GI] malignant tumors worldwide. The disease is known to have a high incidence in northern Iran; however, its condition in the South is not much clear. In this retrospective study we investigated the epidemiology and time trends of esophageal carcinoma in Fars Province, South of Iran. In a retrospective study, we reviewed pathologic reports of all laboratories in Fars Province, South of Iran, from March 1997 to March 1999 to find cases of esophageal carcinoma. Annual and average incidence in different age groups were calculated for both sexes, based on four censuses results. Esophageal carcinoma was the third most common GI cancer in Fars, with an average incidence of 2.95 per 100,000 in the population older than 15 years. The incidence of esophageal carcinoma was found to drop by 64% during the study period. This was mainly due to the decreased incidence of squamous cell carcinoma. Females developed squamous cell carcinoma in relatively younger age as compared to males. Our region in the South of Iran is one of the low incidence areas of esophageal carcinoma as compared to that of northern borders of the country and other parts of the world with some special features