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This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of constructivist education on participants’ satisfaction and learning in web-based continuing medical education courses. The study followed an experimental pretest-posttest control-group design. The sampling frame of the study included general dentists (N=1750) who participated in web-based continuing medical education in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS). They enrolled in one of the 30 Web-based continuing education courses in the summer of 2012. From among the participants، a sample of 40 was selected randomly and then using random numbers were assigned to two groups of 20 as the experimental and control group. A trainer-made test with approved face and content validity and Kuder-Richardson reliability of 0. 80 was used to evaluating the participants’ learning rate. In addition، in order to assess their satisfaction، a use was made of a validated researcher-made questionnaire with Cronbach’s alpha of 0. 93. Data was analyzed employing descriptive and inferential statistics (MANOVA and ANCOVA). The results revealed that there was a significant difference between the posttest scores of the control and experimental groups. Thus، it was concluded that applying the constructivist theory for medical education in a web-based continuing education could enhance the learning rate and satisfaction of participants. It was indicated that the constructivist education could make the course more effective because of its capability to create an attractive، interactive and cooperative learning environments and also by taking into account the learning needs of participants and their characteristics.

The current state of whitefish population and their organisms have been investigated in subarctic Lake Chuna exposed to long-term air pollution from copper-nickel industry. Both annual and long-term heavy metals and acid oxides loads on the lake have been determined. A qualitative assessment has been made for water and bottom sediments. The investigation results have been compared with those of the archived data (the 1950s -1960s studies) to reveal a number of changes. The lifetime of whitefish has shortened, with early maturity and spawning. Pathological changes of whitefish inner organs occur more frequently. Assessment was made for the Cu and Ni concentrations in whitefish organs and tissues, the seasonal dynamics and peculiarities of metal accumulation in two different species. The revealed changes of the biological constituent of the lake ecosystem alongside with hydro-chemical indices of air-borne load is suggestive of adverse impact of longterm air-borne pollution on the Lake Chuna ecosystem.

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are widespread in Fasciola. hepatica parasite and sheep liver tissue. Study of GSTs inhibition assays in F. hepatica and sheep liver tissue are a priority of chemotherapeutic targets in parasitic liver diseases including human fascioliasis in Iran. In this research, the whole extract of F. hepatica and sheep liver tissues were purified and eluted for sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) pattern and GSTs inhibition assay. GSTs inhibition was detected by hexachlorophene as an inhibitor and 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) as secondary substrate. The purified GSTs from F. hepatica and liver tissue contained comparable components and showed a molecular weight of 26kDa. The inhibitor concentration of hexachlorophene, for the remaining 50% activity (IC50%) of GST enzymes from F. hepatica and liver were graphically calculated, and the results were 0.25 µM and 1 µM, respectively. GSTs of F. hepatica may be more sensitive than sheep liver tissue to hexachlorophene.