Shiraz Emedical Journal
Volume:24 Issue: 9, Sep 2023

 Nowadays, creativity is emphasized in different aspects of teaching and learning. Different educational conditions, such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), have directed attention to this issue.

 The current study was an attempt to investigate creative teaching behaviors in medical classrooms and propose solutions for its promotion.

 This mixed-method study was conducted at the Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (2020 - 2021). It was conducted in two phases, including quantitative (to determine the status quo) and qualitative (to provide solutions for its promotion). In the quantitative phase, 168 students were selected by simple random sampling. The data collection instrument was a standard creative teaching questionnaire. The qualitative phase included semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis and parametric tests.

 The mean scores of creative teachings in higher-grade classes were significantly higher (P = 0.001). The highest mean score was reported for the fourth year (204.6 ± 0.58). The fourth-year students also had the highest mean scores in each component compared to other years. Except for the freedom component, the highest score was related to the third-year students (21.42 ± 0.89). In the qualitative phase, the strategies were classified into two categories: Developing software factors (3 subcategories) and upgrading and developing hardware factors (2 subcategories).

 According to the current study, a creative class will provide an appropriate environment for fostering creativity in students. Therefore, the use of appropriate instructional designs and motivational models that are compatible with the educational environment can be a suitable strategy.

 An effective technique for inducing bone formation without using an autograft has yet to be established. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which can be obtained easily from whole blood, contains substantial growth factors (GFs) that can facilitate bone regeneration and growth.

 This study aimed to evaluate the effect of PRP combined with a Marburg bone bank-prepared bone graft in a rabbit bone defect model.

 This study utilized 32 rabbits (n = 16 in each group). Bone defects were intentionally made in the femur, and the bone allograft used was the human femoral head prepared according to the Marburg bone bank. Rabbits were divided into Marburg bone graft (MBG) and MBG+PRP groups. Histopathological and histomorphometric analyses were conducted 14 and 30 days post-surgery.

 A greater new bone formation was detected in both groups on the 14th and 30th days (P = 0.001). Furthermore, more pronounced angiogenesis was found in the MBG+PRP group than in the MBG group (P = 0.001).

 The MBG-PRP complex significantly enhanced bone tissue repair in bone defects. The inclusion of PRP was found to promote angiogenesis and stimulate the formation of new bone tissue, further supporting the beneficial effects of this combination in the healing process.

 Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease in the central nervous system (CNS) that affects the development and physiological function of the brain and causes memory impairment.

 Due to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant role of levothyroxine (L-T4) on myelin production and adult cerebral function, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of L-T4 on the improvement of cognitive deficits and cerebral inflammation.

 Forty Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups: (1) sham, (2) L-T4, (3) MS, (4) MS receiving L-T4, and (5) Betaferon. For MS induction, lysolecithin was injected into the CA1 of the hippocampus. Rats received L-T4 intraperitoneally at a dose of 100 μg/kg in the second and fourth groups. The shuttle box and Morris water maze tests were used to investigate passive avoidance and spatial memory, respectively. Also, the hippocampal concentrations of total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and c-reactive protein (CRP) were measured to investigate molecular changes.

 Path length (P < 0.001, P = 0.0015, and P = 0.002 on days 1 to 3, respectively) and latency time (P < 0.001 on the second and third days) increased, but the speed of movements (P < 0.001) and time spent in goal quarter decreased in MS-induced groups (P < 0.001). Treatment with L-T4 for 14 days significantly reversed path length and speed (P < 0.001 and P = 0.0315 on the second and third days), latency time (P < 0.01), speed (P < 0.001 and P = 0.0038 on the second and third days), and time spent in goal quarter (P = 0.1203) in the MS group. The hippocampal concentrations of MDA (P = 0.0010), TNF-α (P = 0.0251), and CRP (P = 0.0065) were significantly lower in the MS group treated with L-T4 than in the MS group. Also, the hippocampal concentration of TAC was significantly increased (P = 0.0375) in the MS group receiving L-T4.

 It seems that treatment with L-T4 can prevent cognitive impairment caused by MS induction. Ameliorative effects of L-T4 may be due to the reduction of inflammation and oxidative stress. Therefore, L-T4 can be used as an effective agent in the treatment of MS.

 Despite many studies on children’s physical literacy, less attention has been paid to adolescents’ physical literacy.

 The objective of this study was to develop and assess the psychometric features of a questionnaire for measuring physical literacy in 16 - 18-year-old Iranian adolescents.

 This study was conducted in Tehran and employed a two-step mixed method. In the first part, the concept of adolescents’ physical literacy was identified using a content analysis approach. At this stage, 15 specialists and eleven 16 - 18-year-old adolescents were selected by the convenient sampling method. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. In the Second part of the study, in order to describe the psychometric properties of the tool, its validity, reliability (internal consistency and test-retest), and factor analysis were assessed.

 In the first stage, the analysis of the data obtained from the interviews emerged a definition for the concept of adolescents’ physical literacy as a set of skills to acquire, comprehend, and assess information and self-care skills to make the right decision and promote physical activities. In the second step, according to the qualitative analysis of the opinions of specialists and adolescents, as well as the review of the existing literature, the initial questionnaire was developed consisting of 62 questions in the dimension of physical literacy, which was subsequently abridged to 40 questions as some questions were omitted due to conceptual similarities. After the content was validated and the recommended corrections were made, the tool’s questions were further reduced to 34 items. In exploratory factor analysis, these 34 items were loaded into 5 factors, which, in total, represented 61.60% of the observed changes. However, based on the research team’s decision, the items of Factor 5 were transferred to Factor 2 due to conceptual similarities. Finally, a 34-item questionnaire with 4 factors was developed. The reliability of the tool was approved by α = 0.93, and the test-retest method with two-week intervals indicated appropriate reliability for the questionnaire (ICC = 0.97).

 The adolescents’ physical literacy questionnaire with 34 items and 4 dimensions was approved as a valid and reliable tool to measure adolescents’ physical literacy.