[Quantifying the biomechanical forces applied on the vertebral column during praying]

Vertebral column or spine is the main part of the upper torso of human skeleton. The vertebral enables body to bend and turn in all directions, and supports the body and vital structures such as nerves and spinal cord. The aim of this research is to quantify and measure the moment and force on the L4 and L5 vertebrae in different races and genders, during praying. The necessity of performing this type of research on the spine is to show the effects of religious activity on physical health of people with different anthropometry. In this study, for biomechanical analysis of vertebral column, two methods were used: modeling and analysis in CATIA [Computer Aided Three-dimensional Interactive Application] V5R20 software and torque calculations based on inverse dynamics. The amount of torque and force which are applied on the spine during praying among different races were evaluated and compared by using these methods. In addition, by application of occupational health and safety standards in software, the motor position of manikin limbs was judged. Comparison between the compressive force exerted on the L4 and L5 vertebrae and standards in software indicated the amount of force on the L4 and L5 is less than NIOSH AL, which is 3433 N. In addition, in all nationalities, compressive force and moment about L4 and L5 in woman were lower than men. Also, results showed that the relative error of the torque calculated by inverse dynamics and CATIA software was 4.6 to 20.9 percent and the maximum percentage of population who were unable to perform bowing wasbelow 1% for all nationalities. The results of this study compared with international standards such as NIOSH, indicate that applying forces on the spine during daily praying task, contrary to the statements of some articles, does not create any problems for prayer

[Evaluation of the energy expenditure during walking in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients]

Scoliosis is one of the musculoskeletal disorders which influences the energy expenditure of patients during walking. In previous studies, metabolic cost of walking measured by oxymetry. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the energy expenditure of walking of the adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients by use of monitoring the heart rate. This was observational comparative cross sectional study. Ten scoliotic patients and 10 normal subjects with comparable age, height and weight were recruited for this study. Energy consumption of walking in scoliotic and in normal subjects was evaluated using polar Electro Finland heart rate monitor. The heart rate during resting and walking and the walking speed were the parameters used for energy consumption based on the physiological cost index. The energy consumption of scoliotic subjects during walking based on PCI and THBI was higher than that of normal subjects, however, the difference was not statistically significant [p>0.05]. The results of this research showed that there was no significant difference between the PCI and THB index of normal and scoliotic subjects. Moreover, the walking speed of scoliotic patients did not influence by spinal deformation [p>0.05]

[ association between food insecurity, socio-economic factors and dietary intake in mothers having primary school children living in ray 2010]

Presently 20-40% of Iranians suffer from food insecurity. Since factors associated with food insecurity vary in different communities, this study was initiated to determine the factors influencing food insecurity in mothers having primary school children living in Ray [a District of Tehran], Iran. A cross-sectional survey was conducted, in spring 2010, on 430 mothers having primary school children, selected by two-stage cluster sampling. A general information questionnaire was used to collect data on economic status and socio-cultural characteristics, and data on food intake and food security were collected using the 24-hour food recall and the USDA food security questionnaire, respectively. The statistical tests used for data analysis included the chi-square test, one-way analysis of variance, and simple regression. The prevalence of food insecurity among the mothers was 50.2%. The education level of the mothers and of the heads of households, ownership of residential unit, and having better home facilities were inversely associated with food insecurity. On the other hand, food insecurity increased with an increase in family size. The intakes of all the macronutrients except fat was statistically significantly lower in the food-insecure group. Based on the findings of this study the following recommendations can be made to improve household food security: increasing education level of family members, promoting family economic status, and adopting and implementing better population control policies

effects of various kinds of lateral wedge insoles on performance of individuals with knee joint osteoarthritis

Knee joint osteoarthritis [OA] is one of the most incapacitating diseases affecting older population, which is associated with pain and functional limitation. Various kinds of conservative treatment have been used to decrease knee pain and to improve the quality of life of the subjects suffering from this disease. There are discrepancies in the clinical effects reported for the use of lateral wedge insole in spite of being used as one of the first conservative mechanical treatments for patients with medial compartments of knee OA. A total of 36 subjects with medial knee compartment OA were recruited in this research project. Subjects were randomized into two groups to receive 3- and 7-mm lateral wedge insoles based on the date of birth of the participants. Some parameters such as severity of knee pain, Tibiofemoral angle [TFA], severity of OA, and quality of life were selected in this research project. The use of both 3-mm and 7-mm lateral wedge insole improves the quality of life and decreases knee joint pain. However, the effect of 7 mm lateral wedge insole was more than that of 3 mm. Using lateral wedge insole is a simple, inexpensive therapy for decreasing pain and improving quality of life; however, most research must be carried out to find the effects of lateral wedge on severity of knee joint OA and aligning TFA

[ relationship between personality traits and academic motivation in nursing students]

Academic motivation plays an important role in acquiring knowledge and skills. The role of personality in educational success is beyond intelligence. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between personality traits and academic motivation in nursing students. It was a descriptive- correlational study. The sample consisted of 250 undergraduate nursing students in Najafabad branch of Azad University who were recruited during 2010-2011 academic year by census. Data related to personality traits and academic motivation was collected by the Persian version of Neo Big Five Inventory [NEO-BFI] and Hurter's Academic Motivation Questionnaire respectively and analyzed by SPSS-PC [v.16] using stepwise regression. There was a direct significant correlation between academic motivation and conscientiousness trait [P=0.000, r= 0.234] and also extroversion trait [P= 0.001, r= 0.202]. There was an inverse significant correlation between academic motivation and neuroticism trait [P= 0.000, r= - 0.219].no significant relationship was seen between academic motivation and openness and agreeableness traits. This study showed that some Personality traits explain academic motivation in nursing students. Therefore it is suggested that those involved in teaching nursing students consider the role of personality traits when recruiting this students in nursing schools

[Evaluation and comparison of performance perseveration and mental flexibility in children with autism spectrum disorder, mentally retarded and normal children]

Executive function is a concept which denotes the mental process and the ability to control the mind and body, cognition and emotion to guide behavior toward the goal and generally includes planning, working memory, impulse control, inhibition and flexibility. This study compared children with autism spectrum disorders, mentally retarded and normal children with one another in regard to mental flexibility [variability] and performance perseveration. In this cross-sectional study 15 child with autism spectrum disorder, 15 mentally retarded and 15 normal children were selected by using simple sampling method and examined by means of Neuro-psychological Wisconsin card sorting test. Data analysis was performed by means of descriptive statistics [mean and standard deviation] and inferential statistics i.e. one way ANOVA, post hoc analysis [LSD] and Kruscal Wallis test. Data analysis showed a significant difference among the 3 groups in regard to the component categories achieved [p=0.000] and perseveration [p=0.000]. The comparison of the groups two by two showed significant differences. Comparison of the children with autism spectrum disorders with normal children [p=0.01] and also comparison of the mentally retarded with normal children showed significant differences [p=0.01]. The results showed that children with autism spectrum disorders and children with mental retardation had more problems in regard to executive function than the normal group. Considering comorbidities among children with autism spectrum disorder and children with mental retardation, children with mental retardation showed more fundamental impairment in executive function. The results of this study support the hypothesis that IQ has a strong role in executive function

Study of telomerase activity, proliferation and differentiation characteristics in umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cells

In recent years, considerable advances have been made in the field of regenerative medicine. Unlike embryonic stem cells, which pose the problems of ethical concerns and cause severe immunological reactions as well as neoplasma formation after transplantation, umbilical cord blood is a primitive source of mesenchymal stem cells that covers the benefits of both embryonic and adult stem cells

It has been determined that the proliferation capacity of cells is critically linked to the maintenance of the length of telomeres by telomerase activity. Since there is no information accessible regarding the pattern of telomerase activity in UCB-MSCs through several passages, the aim of this study was the evaluation of telomerase activity in UCB-MSCs, as a predisposing factor for cell immortalization

No telomerase activity was detected in UCB-MSCs from several passages applying telomerase rapid amplification protocol [TRAP]

Since there is a direct correlation between the activation of telomerase expression and neoplasma formation in adult somatic cells, UCB can be assumed as an excellent source of MSCs for therapeutic application with a high level of safety. According to the histological results, RT-PCR and biochemical assays, MSCs derived from UCB showed high differentiation capacity to bone and cartilage. UCB-MSCs showed very low level of differentiation potential to adipocytes. Our results showed that UCB-MSCs maintain their self-renewal and differentiation potential through several passages. Since a large number of metabolically active cells must be available in cell therapy, high proliferation capacity through several passages is a great advantage for large scale expansion of UCB-MSCs?

[Factors influencing the selection of study field in students of Qazvin university of medical sciences]

One of the important choices of the young people after high school period is to make decision about their future field of study. The aim of this study was to assess the factors affecting the selection of educational field among the students of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences. In this a cross-sectional study, 400 students [24.4% male and 75.6% female] were interviewed in 2009-2010. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and Fisher exact test. Of total students, 71.6% mentioned the reason to choose their field of study was the need of the society, 70.8% interested in the future income of the field, and 34.2% for personal interests. Students should be properly oriented toward their fields of study during pre-university period

effect of ovalbumin and mannose-conjugated ovalbumin on the prevention of salmonella adherence to the intestinal epithelium of chickens

This investigation was designed to determine the effect of intact ovalbumin and mannose-conjugated ovalbumin on the prevention of Salmonella typhimurium adherence to the epithelium of small intestine of chickens. Mannose-conjugated ovalbumin was produced by Maillard-type reaction between chicken ovalbumin and D-mannose at 60[degree]C. The results revealed that incubation up to 96 hrs caused the highest amount of covalent attachment of mannose to the ovalbumin. In order to determine the effect of native ovalbumin and mannose-conjugated ovalbumin on the prevention of S. typhimurium adherence to chicken small intestine, 60 one-day-old chicks were randomly assigned to 3 groups, with two replicates and ten birds per pen. Groups 1, 2 and 3 received normal diet, diet containing 0.5% native ovalbumin and diet containing 0.5% mannose-conjugated ovalbumin, respectively, for 12 days. On day 3, all groups received 1.3 x 10[6] CFU of S. typhimurium orally. On days 4, 7 and 10, two chicks from each group were killed and mean log 10 of CFU [colony forming unit] of Salmonella per 1 g tissues of cecum, liver and spleen was determined. Four chickens from each group were killed on day 12 and were examined as described above. The results showed that in group 3, number of viable Salmonella in cecum, liver and spleen was lower than groups 1 and 2. However, the difference was significant only in cecum on days 4 and 7 [P<0.05]. These preliminary results suggest that mannose-conjugated ovalbumin might be effective in prevention of Salmonella colonization in the epithelium of small intestine if incorporated in the diet of chicks