[Effects of the lower leg tapping on H reflexes recruitment curve parameters: a comparison of soleus and lateral gastrocnemius muscles motor neurons]

The application of tapping has been widely used by physiotherapists for many years as a useful rehabilitation program in the treatment of a wide variety of neuron musculoskeletal disorders. Therefore the aim of this study was to answer whether Tapping has the same effects on fast jerking muscles motor neurons as it affects slow muscle or not? In this semi-experimental study, Fifteen non-athletic healthy volunteers with the age of 27.7 +/- 3.4 ?years old in the way of available sampling were assessed. After cutting and preparing, the Y-strip Kinesiotape was applied on insertion of Achill Tendon toward medial and lateral head of Gastrocnemious muscles. The H-Reflex was used for assessment of motor neurons recruitment curve of soleus and lateral gastrocnemious muscles. Percutaneously 40 electrically pulses with duration of 1 millisecond and 3 stimulations per each stimulus intensity were induced on Tibial nerves and H-Reflex recruitment curve were recorded in 4 phases. In order to compare the parameters between two muscles the ANOVA repeated measurement was used. The required intensity to record the last H-Reflex in recruitment curve was significantly decreased in lateral Gastrocnemious compare with Soleus, 5 minutes after tapping [P=0.01] and 15 minutes after stopping the tap [P=0.03]. There was a significant difference in the average changes in other variables. But There was a significant difference in all other variables in lateral gastrocnemious compare with soleus muscle [P<0.05]. Tapping has more facilitative effects on lateral Gasterosoleus muscle specially type I motoneurons and to some lesser extent in soleus motoneurons. Therefore it seems that Tapping can be more used to facilitate fast muscles

Learning critical thinking in virtual medical education: a qualitative study of faculty members' and students' experiences

Background and Purpose: Critical thinking is a high priority outcome of higher education. With the ever-increasing spread of virtual courses, enhancement in the critical thinking in distance learning has become the center of attention for the stakeholders

The present study was conducted to qualitatively examine the experiences of teachers and students in teaching and learning critical thinking in medical education

Methods and Materials: In this qualitative study, 7 E-teachers and 11 postgraduate E-students of medical education were interviewed using a semi-structured method. All interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed and then analyzed through constant comparison based on Strauss and Corbin's method

Results: Three themes were identified in this study; nature of critical thinking, critical thinking within the framework of medical education discipline; and the teaching-learning process of critical thinking in the virtual environment

Conclusion: The participants' experiences indicated that the learning-teaching of critical thinking in virtual education is affected by teaching strategies, the features of course management software, creation of a learner-centered environment and the role of critical thinking as one of the objectives of curriculum and evaluation

[Evaluation of the effect of external load activation of periarthicular shoulder muscles]

In new prospect of motor control, the effect of muscle force is considered important not only in producing movement but also in inducing stability and control of activity. The aim of present study was to evaluate the electrical activity of periarthicular shoulder muscles by surface EMG in order to identify the muscular activity during series of static and dynamic pattern of movements. This Quasi experimental study was performed on 30 healthy male and female volunteers with age of 20-30 years and mean age of 23.2 +/- 2.9. The subjects were enrolled into this study by simple non-probability sampling and were exposed to different movement patterns randomly. During the experiment the surface EMG of every muscle was recorded. The external load applied to shoulder was assessed at three levels in static as well as dynamic situations. According to the results of this study, increasing the external load on the scapulothoracic muscles caused a significant increase in the activity of the muscles; except for upper trapezious muscle in descending phase of the movement [p<0.05]. After increasing the external load on shoulder in ascending phase, most of the investigated muscles showed significant differences in their activities. [p<0.05]. In static situation by application of external load only teres major muscle showed significant difference in its activity compared to the reference position [p=0.01]. It can be concluded that application of external load during ascending phase of push up is more effective than its application during descending phase. It can be claimed that during ascending phase slight increase in external load as low as 2% of body weight, would induce more alterations in muscular activity compared to higher external load such as 4% of body weight, but in static situation no significant change could be detected

[Attitudes of nursing and midwifery school's faculty toward blended E-learning at Tehran University of Medical Sciences]

Blended E-Learning is an educational method which has been used recently in higher education worldwide. So, it seems that it is crucial for the Iranian academic members to accept it as a new educational method. This study was conducted to investigate attitudes of the faculty of Nursing and Midwifery School at Tehran University of Medical Sciences toward blended E-learning. In this cross-sectional study, all faculty members of Tehran University of Medical Science [n=60] were recruited to the study. Data were gathered using validated and reliable self-designed questionnaires. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software. The response rate was 93.33% [n=56]. Most of the respondents [85.7%] were female. The mean age was 44.88 [SD=5.6]. The years of teaching ranged from 5-30 years [mean=16.75]. The majority of the respondents [66%] had positive attitude toward blended e-learning; thirty four per cent had completely positive attitude and none of them had negative attitudes. About 41% reported that they were eager to provide their course syllabuses according to this approach and 87.5% said that they were willing to attend the blended e-learning education workshops. There were no significant relationships between demographic variables and the attitudes. There was a significant relationship between willing to attend the workshops and positive attitude toward blended e-learning [P=0.012]. According to the positive attitude of the respondents toward blended e-learning, it is recommended that further studies take place in order to design and implement the approach in formal education in the school of Nursing and Midwifery of Tehran University of Medical Science

[Comparison of effectiveness and durability of two stretching methods [Hold-Relax, Static Stretching] for treatment of hamstring muscle tightness]

It is quite obvious that stretching techniques enhance the joint range of motion. However the permanency of these techniques after the treatment period remains questionable. So this randomized clinical trial was done to determine and compare the permanency of Hold-Relax and static Stretching techniques on extensibility of short hamstring during 4 weeks. Twenty non-athlete girls with 18-26 years old with bilateral hamstring muscles shortness [SLR /= 0.05]. These findings revealed that there is no clear difference in terms of effects and permanency between the two techniques, so the results of our study enable clinicians to provide the more simple technique in their stretching activities that is [static stretch]

Prevalence of clinical and subclinical mastitis, antibiotic resistance and determination of minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] in staphylococus aureus and Escherichia coli isolated from cases of Bovine mastitis

To examine the prevalence of clinical and subclinical bovine mastitis and determination of minimum inhibitory cocentration [MIC] in the original bacteria [such as staphylococus auteus [S. aureus] and Escherichia coli [E. coli] responsible for this disease. Three hundred thirty eight cows from 8 herds. Cross sectional study. Descriptive study. Samples were collected from 1352 quarters of 338 cows in eight farms at the morning milking. California mastitis test [CMT] was carried out on each sample. Isolation, identification of bacteria and determination of minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] were carried out in the laboratory. The MIC and MBC of antibiotics [Chloramphenicol, Cephalexin, Amoxicillin, Ampicillin, Tetracycline, Streptomycin, Enrofloxacin, Gentamicin] were carried out against 200 bacterial isolates including 118 E. coli and 82 S. aureus isolated from bovine mastitis. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed that all the isolates were sensitive to Gentamicin and Enrofloxacin and resistant to Penicillin. The occurrence of clinical and subclinical mastitis were 6.80 and 67.45 percent in herds, respectively.While the MIC values higher than 100 microg/ml for 9 antibiotics [Chloramphenicol, Cephalexin, Amoxicillin, Ampicillin, Penecillin, Tetracycline, Streptomycin, Enrofloxacin, Gentamicin] against E.coli were 11.0, 0, 12.2, 20.7, 100, 22, 15.9, 0 and 0%, these values against S.aureus were!5.3,0, 30.3,0,100, 38.1,48.3, 0 and 0%, respectively. On the other hand, while, the MBC levels for these antibiotics against E.coli were 40.2, 19.5, 96.3,48.7, 100, 74.4, 29.3, 0 and 0% these values against S. aureus were 46.6, 13.5, 84.7, 100, 100, 100, 89, 0%, respectively