The prevalence of cervical human papillomavirus increases with increasing numbers of sexual partners, leaving the impression that this infection is acquired only as a result of high risk sexual behaviour. Using longitudinal data from 242 women who had only had one sexual partner, we found that the risk of acquiring cervical human papillomavirus infection was 46% (95% CI 28 -64) at three years after first intercourse and that the median time from first intercourse to first detection of human papillomavirus was only three months.

Objective. To investigate the possible association of calcium and vitamin D deficiency with hypoadiponectinemia in women with PCOS. Subjects and Methods. In this case-control study, 103 PCOS cases and 103 controls included. The concentrations of calcium, 25-OH-vitamin D (25OHD), adiponectin, insulin, glucose, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), and androgens were measured in fasting blood samples. Results. Adiponectin (8.4 ± 2.7 ng/mL versus 13.6 ± 5 ng/mL in control group, P : 0.00), calcium (2 ± 0.1 mmol/L versus 2.55 ± 0.17 mmol/L in controls, P : 0.00), and 25-OH-Vit D (30 ± 2.99 nmol/L versus 43.7 ± 5.2 nmol/L in control group, P : 0.00) levels were decreased in women with PCOS. Subjects with PCOS had higher concentrations of TG (1.4 ± 0.77 mmol/L versus 1.18 ± 0.75 mmol/L in control group, P : 0.019) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) (10.7 ± 11 mmol/L versus 9.7 ± 10.4, P : 0.02 in control group). There were significant correlations between adiponectin concentrations with calcium (r : 0.78, P : 0.00) and 25OHD levels (r : 0.82, P : 0.00). The association of hypoadiponectinemia and PCOS was not significant considering 25OHD as a confounding factor. Conclusion. The present findings indicate that the association of hypoadiponectinemia with PCOS is dependent on vitamin D. A possible beneficiary effect of vitamin D on the metabolic parameters in PCOS may be suggested.

Background:Problem-based learning (PBL) is one of the most commonly used educational methods in medical schools of different countries. By working through this method, students think critically, generate ideas, and acquire the knowledge and skills required to become a doctor.Objectives:This study aimed to compare problem-based learning with lecture-based learning in the education of medical students.Materials and Methods:This crossover interventional study was conducted on 40 medical students in pediatric ward of Zanjan University of Medical Sciences. All of the students were enrolled in the study and divided into two groups by simple randomization. Then two topics in pediatric courses were chosen. One of the topics was presented as LBL for the first group and as PBL for the second group. The other topic was presented as PBL for the first group and as LBL for the second group.Results:The median score of the exam was higher in the intervention group compare to the control group for both topics. However, the difference was not statistically significant. Students preferred problem-based learning over lecture-based learning because of motivation boost, a higher quality of education, knowledge retention, class attractiveness, and practical use.Conclusions:Students’ knowledge was similar in both methods.

Cross-sectional studies have suggested that compared with women who delay the start of their sexual career, those who first have intercourse soon after menarche are more susceptible to cervical human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and thus have a greater risk of cervical neoplasia. We describe, using longitudinal observations, how the risk of infection with HPV varies with the interval between menarche and first intercourse in 474 women aged 15-19 recruited within 12 months of first intercourse and before the acquisition of a second sexual partner. One hundred forty-five women became HPV-positive; the cumulative risk of HPV infection 3 years after first intercourse was 45.0% (95% CI ‫؍‬ 37.9 -51.2). In univariate analyses, the hazards ratio (HR) of HPV infection increased significantly with age at first intercourse (HR ‫؍‬ Key words: sexual behavior; longitudinal study; human papillomavirus; partner age; interval between menarche and first intercourse Cross-sectional studies have suggested that compared with women who delay the start of their sexual career, those who first have intercourse soon after menarche are more susceptible to cervical human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and thus have a greater risk of cervical neoplasia. 1,2 However, these studies are limited in so far as outcomes are first defined some years after the first sexual experience and therefore the first exposure, when it is not possible to distinguish the effects of early, late and cumulative exposures to HPV. The longer the interval between first intercourse and first sampling, the more likely it is that a woman will have acquired and then cleared at least one HPV infection before first sampling, or possibly have established a latent infection, following which HPV may be only transiently detectable in cervical samples. 3 Clearly, the occurrence of outcomes of interest in the interval immediately following the onset of sexual activity, and those factors that bear on it, can only be described when observations are made during this interval. In order to measure the susceptibility of the adolescent cervix to HPV infection, we describe, using longitudinal data, the risks associated with the proximity of first intercourse to menarche during the first sexual relationship in women who were first sampled within 12 months of the start of their sexual career. Material and methodsBetween 1988 and 1992, 2,011 women aged 15 to 19 were recruited from a family planning clinic for a longitudinal study of the natural history of early cervical neoplasia. 4 At recruitment, a detailed social and sexual history and 2 cervical samples were taken, 1 for immediate cytologic assessment and the other for virologic examination after all clinical follow-up had ended. Women were asked to reattend at intervals of 6 months, when sexual histories were updated and further samples taken. Follow-up ended on 31 August 1997. The study protocol had ethical committee approval and informed oral consent was obtained from all women.The study population for this analysis is a subset ...

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to assess the status of knowledge translation (KT) in Iranian medical science universities in order to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the most important organizations responsible for producing knowledge in the country.MethodsThe KT activities were assessed qualitatively and quantitatively in nine universities using the Self-Assessment Tool for Research Institutes.ResultsThe strengths and weaknesses of universities were determined using seven main themes: priority setting; research quality and timeliness; researchers’ KT capacities; interaction with research users; the facilities and prerequisites of KT; the processes and regulations supporting KT; and promoting and evaluating the use of evidence.The quantitative and qualitative results showed that the Iranian universities did not have an appropriate context for KT. There were significant shortcomings in supportive regulations, facilities for KT activities, and the level of interaction between the researchers and research users.ConclusionsThe shortcomings in KT were mostly in the area of stewardship and policymaking (macro level), followed by planning and implementation at the universities. In order to strengthen KT in Iran, it should occupy a prominent and focused role in the strategies of the country’s health research system.