khadijehfarrokhfall

Due to the significant developments and unforeseen crises in public health, doctors must be lifelong learners to respond to these challenges. Considering the role of art in medical education, the purpose of this study is to determine the internal (Strengths and Weaknesses) and external (Opportunities and Threats) factors in the integration of medical humanities and arts into medical curricula.

This study employed a descriptive-analytical design. The target population was faculty members knowledgeable in arts and medical education. The research instrument was a researcher-made valid questionnaire (α=0.78). SWOT analysis was conducted by matrix. An independent t-test was used to compare the mean scores of the SWOT based on demographic characteristics. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.

Presence of active faculty members and relevant experts and Proven track record in arts and medical education as special mission were the most effective strengths, while lack of a fixed and forward-looking program was the primary weakness. The presence of the Faculty of Arts at Birjand was the best opportunity, and the instability of managers and some programs in upstream institutions was the biggest threat. The average score of strengths and weaknesses was 2.62 and opportunities and threats were 2.42.

The SWOT matrix analysis indicated a strength-opportunity or developmental position. This finding is not influenced by demographic characteristics. In this position, internal strengths outweigh weaknesses, and opportunities exceed external threats. Thus, it is possible to integrate humanities into medical education with strong developmental strategies.

In medical education, the successful implementation of a well-designed curriculum is critical for the development of competent healthcare professionals. The basic medical sciences can provide a foundation for physicians and a comprehensive understanding of the basic concepts in clinical practices. As such, the quality of curriculum implementation in this vital area requires careful evaluation. This study endeavored to evaluate the quality of the curriculum implementation of basic medical sciences from the view of medical students.

This descriptive-analytical study was conducted among students at Birjand University of Medical Sciences in 2021-2022 academic years. Stratified random sampling was employed. The sample size was 183 medical students. The instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire and after completing the questionnaire, the results were analyzed.

It was found that the quality of the goals (3.038±0.66, p=0.43) and teaching strategies (2.91±0.76, p<0.1) of basic science is in the intermediate level. The educational content (3.156±0.65, p<0.01), facilities, and equipment of the curriculum (3.18±0.74, p<0.001) were evaluated as favorable. However, the quality of learner activities (2.85±0.93, p=0.03), time (2.62±0.84, p<0.0001), educational space (2.88±0.81, p=0.04), learning groups (2.64±0.97, p<0.0001), and evaluation (2.83±0.67, p<0.001) was unfavorable. Although the students' gender did not affect the evaluation of the curriculum, the students with a higher academic grade evaluated the quality of the curriculum significantly more favorably.

The results of the evaluation indicated the undesirability of some evaluation components, from the student's view. It seems indispensable to make an educational policy regarding the educational environment and the development of teachers for the optimal implementation of the curriculum.

The present study aimed to investigate the impact of cinnamon on liver regeneration in a rat model of partial hepatectomy (PH). Thirty-two old male Sprague-Dawley rats (12 weeks old) were randomly divided into two equal groups (n=16). One group was fed with a standard diet (control) while the other group was fed with the same diet containing 1% cinnamon for 41 weeks. Then, all animals were subjected to the PH procedure and their livers were studied on postoperative days 2, 10 and 28. The liver contents of hepatic growth factor (HGF), insulin, malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide metabolites (NOx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were evaluated. Also, the serum levels of liver function markers (alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), MDA, NOx and SOD activity were measured. The regenerated liver weight was significantly higher in cinnamon-treated animals than the controls on both day 10 and 28 post hepatectomy. The hepatic MDA levels in the cinnamon-treated animals were significantly lower than the control rats. Cinnamon led to a significant increase of SOD on day 2 after hepatectomy in serum and liver content. The basal level of HGF in the liver of cinnamon-consuming rats was significantly higher than in the control rats. Hepatic insulin level was significantly increased relative to baseline and control on day 2 in the cinnamon-consuming rats. Hepatic TNF-α levels dramatically decreased on postoperative days (POD) 2 relative to baseline in the control and cinnamon-treated rats. Long-term cinnamon consumption enhanced liver regeneration outcomes in old rats.

Visual thinking strategy (VTS) is an interdisciplinary education that focuses on art. In this method, all students think about complex artistic elements. VTS uses visual literacy to teach communication skills and thinking.

This study aims to compare the educational effectiveness of Persian pictures with classical painting, which leads to teaching the concepts of medical humanities using medical students’ perspective.

In this cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study, medical students of clinical course (trainees and interns, 4th - 7th year of medicine) in the second semester of the 2021 academic year attended a VTS discussion session, which contained thinking about three paintings, including a classical western painting, a Safavid era miniature, and a contemporary painting. At the end of the session, an opinion poll on the effectiveness criteria was completed by the students separately for each painting, and the results were analyzed.

According to the findings, our intervention improved visual and auditory sensitivity, accuracy and attention, interaction and cooperation with others, teamwork, and an understanding of their share in the group. In addition, from the perspective of contemporary miniature students, this field played a prominent role in reducing job exhaustion, anxiety, and stress, and created a sense of calm and aesthetics in students by applying topics and issues of the day and paying attention to socio-cultural issues. Classical western painting conveyed a sense of calm and discomfort to the students. Based on the results of interpretive content analysis, this kind of painting had a profound effect on themeaning transmission so that it exposed the comprehensive views on the subject to the viewer’s sight. Given that the Safavid miniature contains various symbols that express the details of the social context and cultural traditions related to human beings, it conveys a variety of senses. On the other hand, the use of classical painting and contemporary Persian painting in VTS discussions in medical education was more prominent than the Safavid era miniature.

Miniature can have helpful effects on improving medical professional skills similar to classical painting in VTS topics.

Medicine is not only a biological science, but also includes the art of dealing with human and spiritual dimensions. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the views of medical education professionals and students regarding the integration of art in the medical science curriculum.
In this multi-method research, 22 prominent experts in the field of education and 35 medical education students participated. The research tool was a researcher-made questionnaire with seven questions about the need to combine art in medical education, which was done simultaneously with quantitative study, qualitative study and data analysis. Quantitative study method was used descriptively-analytically and content analysis was used in the qualitative part .The face validity and content of the instrument were confirmed by professors and its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α = 0.832).
Basically, 100% of the experts and 80% of the medical students agreed with the integration of art in medical education. They also acknowledged that it does not officially exist in the country's universities and it is necessary to include in the medical curriculum. Also, art has many applications in medical education, including improving teaching and learning, promoting creativity and emotions, keeping content in mind, applied learning, and fostering critical and creative thinking.
The results emphasized the integration of art in the medical curriculum as well as the use of art-based teaching-learning in medical sciences. But it is better to be in such a way that does not impose more educational burden on students.

 Recently, the study of the impact of art on human performance has attracted many researchers. Also, art can improve academic performance and personal growth of medical graduates. At the same time, little attention has been paid to the role of art in medical education. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of art in medical education from the viewpoint of Birjand University of Medical Sciences students, and to analyze the studentschr('39') practical approach to using art and their different attitudes about the successful and effective impact of the art on education.

 Material & methods:

 The descriptive-analytical research was performed on Birjand University of Medical Sciences students in 2018-2019. Valid and reliable questionnaires were made available to students electronically (mobile application). 

 Totally, 101 students including 38 male students and 63 female students were included in the study. The results showed that 27% of students were pursuing a particular artistic discipline. Over 80% of students were engaged in artistic activity while studying, in this issue the music was introduced as the most effective art. The students also agreed to integration of art in the curriculum and its infrastructure development. 

  taking advantage of the arts to learn is part of the studentschr('39') daily schedule; yet no formal action has been taken. On the other hand, medical humanities as the basis of the art integration in medical education require serious introduction and practical attention

Crocus sativus (C. sativus) petals attenuates smooth muscle tension and blood pressure in control animals. However the antihypertensive effect and its mechanisms haven’t been recognized. This study investigates the antihypertensive effects of C. sativus petals’ aqueous extract in hypertensive rats and also responses of the rat isolated perfused mesenteric bed.

The interventional experimental study was performed on 20 male rats (divided to 5 and 15 rats for in vivo and in vitro studies respectively). Hypertension was induced by DOCA-salt injection (20 mg/kg, twice weekly, for 5 weeks, S.C) and water was replaced by NaCl (1%). Five weeks later, animals were anaesthetized with sodium thiopental (30 mg intraperitoneal). Then systemic arterial blood pressure was measured by cannulation of carotid artery following administration of different doses of aqueous extract of C. sativus. Isolated mesenteric beds precontracted with KCl (40 mM), and the tension was measured in presence of different concentrations of the aqueous extract. Finally, various doses of C. sativus extract were applied after incubation by L-NAME or indomethacin. The mesentry was perfused with pump and the recordings were done by physiograph.

Mean arterial blood pressure in hypertensive rats was 231±6 mmHg. Administration of aqueous extracts of C. sativus reduced the blood pressure in a dose–dependent manner. In mesenteric beds preparation, addition of C. sativus reduced the contractile effects of KCl. Incubation with L-NAME but not indomethacin abolished hypotension effect of the extract.

It was proposed that the antihypertensive effects of C. sativus petals’ extract are through the reduction in total peripheral resistance following nitric oxide production.

Aging undoubtedly is associated with organ function failure and affects medical/surgical treatments. Free radicals are considered as one of the most common causes of senescence. Liver damage frequently occurs by advance age. Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) is one of the well-known spices in the world tend its antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects have been approved. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of cinnamon consumption on the recovery of partial hepatectomy.

 In this experimental study, thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats (57 weeks) randomly divided into two equal groups; control (normal diet) and cinnamon (received diet with 1% cinnamon by weight) for 45 weeks. Then, partial hepatectomy (30% of total liver weight) was performed.  (Blood collection and weighting were performed prior to hepatectomy and on the 2nd, 10th, and 28th days after the operation. The concentrations of nitric oxide metabolites (NOx), malondialdehyde (MDA), insulin, and glucose were assayed in serum.

The results showed that cinnamon consumption prevented postoperative weight loss. The cinnamon was significantly lowered serum MDA concentration 48 hours after hepatectomy as well as it significantly decreased weight loss due to partial hepatectomy on 2nd day after surgery. Change in serum NOx (% of no surgery animals) was dramatically increased following cinnamon consumption on the 2nd and 28th days after surgery. However, cinnamon did not affect serum glucose and insulin concentration.

cinnamon improved postoperative outcomes after hepatic resection in rats by attenuation oxidative stress as well as nitric oxide content. It might be considered as a useful dietary recommendation for elderly patients with hepatic resection.

Advancement in science and technology is one of the axioms of the general policies stated by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Along with the Development and Innovation Program in Medical Education, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, as one of the country’s higher education institutions in healthcare, has identified its peculiar potentials for the position of scientific authority in the 9th macro-region.

This descriptive study built on the scientific hegemony model to collect data. The scientific activity of the faculty members was determined based on the number of published articles, citations received, and the faculties’ H-index. Subsequently, the faculty members of Birjand University of Medical Sciences with an H-index of 10 or higher in their respective specialty were compared with their counterparts on both national and macro-regional scales in terms of the H-index. The source of data extraction was the Ministry of Health scientometrics system available on the website isid.research.ac.ir.

At the macroregional level, Birjand University of Medical Sciences has attained the highest H-index in the five specialties of clinical toxicology, infectious diseases, molecular medicine, epidemiology, and parasitology. On the national scale, the university ranks among the 8 to 9-percent top universities in the fields of clinical toxicology and poisoning, infectious diseases, and molecular medicine.

In Birjand University of Medical Sciences, there is potential to assume scientific authority in clinical toxicology and poisoning, infectious diseases, and molecular medicine at the person level. The potential avails at the institutional level in case of support from officials. Given the less than ten years of tenure of the faculties and the currently desirable recruitment policies, the university is capable of turning into a scientific pole in one or more of these specialties in case the scientific staff are empowered further and organized into teams.

Pancreatic islet transplantation is one of the most promising strategies for treating patients with type I diabetes mellitus. We aimed to assess the immunoisolation properties of the multilayer encapsulated islets using alginate-chitosan-PEG for immunoprotection and insulin secretion from the encapsulated islets induced under different glucose concentrations in vitro. In this study, the islets were isolated from Wistar rats. The biological function (insulin secretion) of the immunoisolated islets following to PEGylation and encapsulation in the alginate-chitosan-PEG, separately, in addition to their immuno-protection in a co-culturing with the lymphocytes isolated from the male C57BL/6 mice were investigated, respectively. Alginate-chitosan-PEG decreased IL-2 secretion from the lymphocytes co-cultured with islets. Also, insulin secretion from the encapsulated and PEGylated groups was stimulated by glucose (i.e., 5.6 and 16.7 mM of glucose, respectively); showed insulin secretion similar to the naked islets, without coating, after 30 and 60 min of incubation. In conclusion, encapsulation and PEGylation have no negative effect on the insulin secretion and glucose sensitivity of the islets for all of the groups. Also, encapsulation decreased IL-2 secretion from the lymphocytes.

  The existence of a gap between theory and practice in nursing is a problem that is rooted in the history of nursing education, which means that there is a difference between what the student at the college and the behavior that appears in the clinic, and this discrepancy is of concern to community health educators. A coherent understanding of the learning and practice gap is a crucial step in dealing with this gap and thus promoting nursing and community health. This study aimed to determine the factors affecting the gap between education and practice from the three viewpoints of nurses in Shohada Medical Center and nursing students and trainers of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery of Qaen. This descriptive-analytic study was carried out at the Faculty of Nursing and Shohada Hospital in Qaen. The instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire, completed by a census sampling method, completed by 107 nurses and 16 instructors and 105 nursing students from the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery of Qaen, and analyzed. The greatest impact on the gap between training and practice in terms of students, the use of experienced mentors, self-confidence, coaching support, and the greatest impact from the mentors' view, coach's conscience, motivation, weak mentor supervision, the use of experienced coaches, educational perspective Managers and most impact from nurses' perspective: self-esteem, experienced mentors, nurse motivation and nursing shortages. The results also showed that students had more faith in the training and practice gap than instructors and nurses. It seems that, given the gap between education and practice, managers of educational centers should take the necessary measures to reduce this gap in management, decision making and educational planning