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Background and Aim: One of the most important challenges in the field of research information management is the use of reliable and qualified software to manage research resources in health domain. This study aimed to develop a validation tools for research information management systems in Iran to utilize by universities in the process of using existing research information management systems. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive study conducted in two stages. In the first stage, a validation tool for research information management systems (Pajoohan, Pajooheshyar, Jiro, Yektaweb, Kuiper) was designed, and in the next stage, in order to ensure the validity of the produced tool, a self-assessment survey was conducted by users of research information management systems in medical sciences universities. Therefore, this tool was completed by 104 researchers from all over the country. The collected data were analyzed by Excel and SPSS software. Results: The developed validation tool of research information management systems included four components and 82 indicators: software design and architecture (17 indicators), usability and user environment (16 indicators), professional use (36 indicators) and management (13 indicators). Based on the self-declared results of the users, this tool has 57 mandatory features, 26 preferred and 4 optional features. The results of the validation of research information management systems based on this tool showed that the highest rank in the component of architecture, professional use and software management was related to the Kuiper system, and in the component of usability and user environment was related to the Pajoohan system. In the self-declaration done by the users ,12 cases of Jiro system ,11 cases of Kuiper system ,11 cases of Pajoohan system ,7 cases of Pajooheshyar, and 5 cases of Yektaweb system have received confirmation above 75%. Conclusions: The validation tool which developed by this study can be used in the evaluation of current research information management systems and the selection of new systems for use in the research field. In addition, it can be used to improve current systems and purchase new systems by academic universities and research centers.

Background: Gender differences in scientometric indicators among medical faculty members in Iran was investigated. Methods: The Research performance of the faculty at all universities and institutes of medical sciences in Iran was assessed using the Iranian Scientometric Information Database (ISID) on June 12, 2021. Selected variables in our study were name, gender, university, degree, academic rank, type of faculty, the total number of articles, the total number of citations, self-citation percentage, h-index, citation per article, international cooperation percentage, and the number of research collaborators. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used. The extracted data were analyzed using R v4.0.1 statistical software. Results: A total of 21064 faculty members in 77 universities and institutes of medical sciences were registered in the ISID database, of which 12093 (57.4%) were men. Men faculty members outnumbered women in all academic ranks, except for the “instructor” rank (1134 female instructors against 835 male). In both sexes, most faculty members were assistant professors. There were more articles (346837 vs. 146024) and citations (5177060 vs. 1639246) by men than women. Among the 1789 faculty members with zero articles, 902 (50.4%) were men. One-hundred-and-fifty-four people were among ESIchr('39')s top researcherschr('39') list, with a majority of men (124 people equal to 80.5%). The medians of all the scientometric indicators were higher in men than women. Men had a higher number of articles, the number of citations, h-index, citation per article, percentage of international articles, and co-authors, however, women had lower self-citations (1.56% vs. 2.51%). In all academic ranks, men had higher scientometric indicators. The only exception was the associate professors’ self-citation, in which women’s citations were higher than that of men (3.5 vs. 3.3). The highest mean h-index was in men with a Ph.D. in Pharmacy (13), men with a Ph.D. by Research (12) and women with a Ph.D. by Research (8.5), respectively. Conclusion: Gender differences were evident in research performance in Iran. Women faculty members of medical sciences in Iran generally had lower scientometric indicators.

Abstract Background Research misconduct is a global concern in biomedical science. There are no comprehensive data regarding the perception and situation of scientific misconduct among the Iranian medical faculty members. We conducted a nationwide survey to assess the research misconduct among the medical faculty members in Iran. Methods We used the Persian version of the research misconduct questionnaire (PRMQ) on the Google Forms platform. We sent the survey link to a systematic random sample of medical faculty members in Iran (N = 4986). Descriptive analyses were performed on the individual items of the PRMQ, with frequencies and percentages for categorical and Likert-type response items, and means and standard deviation (S.D.) for continuous variables. Chi-square analysis was conducted to test hypotheses examining differences in the frequency of responses related to factors influencing misconduct. We also defined four tenure categories (TC) based on the working years of the participants as tenured faculty members. All the analyses were performed using R 3.6.0. Results The response rate was 13.8% (692 responses). Nearly 70% of the respondents agreed that their publication output would be of higher quality if there were no publication pressure. Approximately three-quarters (N =499, 72.1%) of the respondents had been aware of some instances of research misconduct during the previous year according to their understanding of misconduct. Among the participants, 18.5% perceived the effectiveness of their associated organisation’s rules for reducing research misconduct to be high or very high. Pressure for tenure was identified as the item most frequently perceived with a strong behavioural influence on engaging in research misconduct (80.2%). Conclusions This study confirms that research misconduct needs to be actively addressed among the medical faculty members. Making policies with a focus on boosting awareness regarding the occasions of scientific misconduct and its management seems to be indispensable in the future in Iran.

Healthcare decision-making is a process that mainly depends on evidence and involves increasing numbers of stakeholders, including the consumers. Cochrane evidence responds to this challenge by identifying, appraising, integrating and synthesizing high-quality evidence. Recently, a collaborative effort has been initiated in Iran with Cochrane to establish a representative local entity. A variety of multifaceted interventions were conducted according to Cochrane’s strategy to 2020, such as producing evidence, making Cochrane evidence accessible, advocating for evidence and building an effective and sustainable organization. In this report, the authors present the two and half year performance and achievements of Cochrane Iran based on a comprehensive and systematic approach. This case might be an example of health diplomacy, which is initiated by a successful international collaboration and proceed with recognizing the importance of adherence to the strategic action plans and goals.

Assessment of scientific misconduct is considered to be an increasingly important topic in medical sciences. Providing a definition for scientific research misconduct and proposing practical methods for evaluating and measuring it in various fields of medicine discipline are required. This study aimed at assessing the psychometric properties of Scientific Research Misconduct-Revised (SMQ-R) and Publication Pressure Questionnaires (PPQ). After translation and merging of these two questionnaires, the validity of the translated draft was evaluated by 11-member expert panel using Content Validity Index (CVI) and Content Validity Ratio (CVR). Reliability of the final questionnaire, completed by 100 participants randomly chosen from medical academic members, was assessed by calculating Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The final version was named Persian Research Misconduct Questionnaire (PRMQ) and consisted of 63 question items. The item-level content validity indices of 61 questions were above 0.79, and reliability assessment showed that 6 out of 7 subscales had alpha values higher than 0.6. Hence, PRMQ can be considered an acceptable, valid and reliable tool to measure research misconduct in biomedical sciences researches in Iran.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the present study was to investigate physical activity by socioeconomic status (SES) and sex in an Iranian adult population. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, 6622 adults, who participated in the Isfahan Healthy Heart program (IHHP) surveys in 2004 and 2005 and were living in urban areas, were studied. Daily leisure time, household, occupational, and transportation physical activity, and total physical activity were calculated and compared in 3 socioeconomic status groups classified by the two-step cluster analysis procedure. RESULTS: Statistically significant variations were found in all physical activity levels, except transportation, by sex. Men were more active than women in all fields, except household physical activity. Leisure time physical activity of men and women were significantly higher in higher SES levels. There was an opposite correlation between SES and total physical activity in men. CONCLUSION: Considering the importance of physical activity as a component of a healthy lifestyle, differences among varying socioeconomic status and sex must be considered while planning for healthy lifestyle programs. Women with low SES, in particular, may need more attention. Keywords: Physical Activity, Socioeconomic Status, Leisure Time, Gender, Cluster Analysis

Background: This study was done to determine the prevalence of publication misconduct among Iranian authors. Methods: Data were collected through an email survey of corresponding authors of papers published in Iranian journals indexed in Scopus during 2009-2011. Using the double list experiment, these individuals were indirectly questioned about committing one of the five misconducts including duplicate publication, falsification, guest authorship, plagiarism, and fabrication over the past year. Results: The survey was sent to 2321 individuals; 100 emails bounced, and of the remaining, 813 (36.60%) people responded to the questions. The prevalence rates were 4.15% for fabrication, 4.90% for plagiarism, 18.10% for guest authorship, 12.65% for falsification of the study methods, and -5.40% for duplicate publication. Among respondent 56.50% trusted the method and confidentiality of the survey and 6.50% did not trust the method or confidentiality at all. Conclusion: We found that the double list experiment method is simple and reliable for use in the academic community, and it can be conducted easily in an e-survey. According to our results, the most common misconducts among Iranian authors are guest authorship and falsification of the methodology. In light of the negative and maleficent impact of publication misconduct in the scientific society, we recommend raising awareness and educating authors and investigators in this regard. To determine the accuracy of the method used in this study, further studies on publication misconduct using a control group and direct questioning, as well as other indirect methods are suggested.

Background: The clinical use of antibiotics in treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections causes resistant to multiple drugs increasingly. P. aeruginosa could produce beta lactamase enzyme to beta lactam antibiotics that causes many problems. The purpose of this study is analysis of the isolated of Pseudomonas from clinical specimens and this was done for the first time in Isfahan. Methods: A total of 98 isolates of P. aeruginosa from various clinical samples collected, then identified by biochemical tests. The antibiotic sensitivity of strains was performed by Kirby-Bauer method. Findings: The pattern of resistance to antibiotics showed that the greatest strength was in the burn specimen and 30 samples of the strains isolated from burns. In the 30 strains (%100) were resistances to more than three antibiotic (multi-drug resistant). Maximum resistance to Cefodoxime, amoxiclave, Cefexime, Cefotaxime and ceftizoxime respectively and the most sensitive to Ciprofloxsazine and gentamicin. In this study 63 strains showed the full resistance to ceftazidime and Cefotaxime s and ESBL test was done that revealed 23 strains of ESBL were negative and 40 strains did not inhibit by Clavulanic acid. All of the burn samples resistant to ceftazidime and did not inhibit by Clavulanic acid. Conclusion: In regarding to the high prevalence of P. aeruginosa with Multiple Drug Resistant, increased resistance to antibiotics and the high incidence of ESBL in the strains in clinical samples, it is essential, extended control measures to reduce this pathogens.

Background and Aim: This study was performed to evaluate the impact factors (IFs) and total citations of ISI-indexed nutrition journals in a 10-year period from 1999 to 2008 in order to assess the quality of nutrition journals. Materials and Methods: For this retrospective study, the IF and total citation data from 1998 to 2008 were collected through Journal Citation Reports of Thomson Scientific Corporation Web of Knowledge. We selected five highly cited journals in the "nutrition and dietetics" category for our analysis. These journals include Annual Reviews in Nutrition (ANNU REV NUTR), American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN), Progress in Lipid Research (PROG LIPID RES), Journal of Nutrition (J NUTR), and International Journal of Obesity (INT J OBESITY Results: All five selected journals were ranked as one of the top ten "nutrition and dietetics" journals between 1999 and 2008 in ISI database. Most of selected journals′ IF had an upward trend during the 10-year period with fluctuation in some cases. AJCN consistently received the greatest number of total citations during the study period, although its IF was not the highest among the five journals studied. Conclusion: The IF illustrated changes in relative rankings of five highly cited journals included in the "nutrition and dietetics" category of the Web of Knowledge. Rank according to the absolute number of citations received, however, did not correlate with rank according to IF.

• مقـدمـه: پزشكی مبتنی برشواهد فرآیند دریافت، نقد و به‌ کارگیری نتایج تحقیقات بر بالین بیماران می‌باشد. با وجود انتشار مقالات متعدد پیرامون میزان تطابق عملکرد پزشکان با شواهد علمی در سایر کشورها، هنوز مطالعه‌ای در ایران صورت نگرفته است. هدف این مطالعه، تعیین این مطلب بود که چند درصد از خدمات بالینی ارایه شده در بخش‌های داخلی یک بیمارستان آموزشی منتخب، منطبق با شواهد معتبر علمی است. • روش‌ها: پرونده‌ی 103 بیمار که در مدت یک ماه در هفت بخش داخلی بیمارستان آموزشی الزهرا (س) دانشگاه علوم پزشکی اصفهان بستری شده بودند، وارد مطالعه گردید. برای هر بیمار دو شاخص تشخیص و درمان اولیه مشخص شد. سپس منابع علمی پزشکی مبتنی بر شواهد جهت یافتن کارآزمایی‌های بالینی، مقالات مروری و راه‌کارهای طبابت بالینی جستجو شد و میزان تطابق درمان ارایه شده به بیمار با درمان منتخب بر مبنای بهترین یافته‌های پژوهشی مبتنی بر شواهد محاسبه و استخراج شد. • یافته‌ها: بر اساس جستجوی انجام شده 71 مورد (9/68 درصد) از بیماران، مداخلات اولیه‌ی منطبق با سطح یک شواهد علمی و 32 مورد (1/31 درصد) منطبق با شواهد سطح دو علمی را دریافت کرده بودند. هیچ بیماری مداخله‌ی منطبق با شواهد سطح سه دریافت نکرده بود. • نتیجه گیری: بیش از نیمی از مداخلات انجام شده در بخش‌های داخلی بیماستان آموزشی منتخب، منطبق بر شواهد معتبر علمی بوده است. تکرار این مطالعه برای سایر رشته‌ها و پزشکان غیر هیأت علمی ضروری است.

Introduction: With regard to attributes of taking herbal medications considering multiplicity of efficacious chemicals existing in herbal drugs and needed cautions to be exerted, and also considering medicinal safety, the associated points must be precisely observed by consumers. Holding the undeniable role of pharmacists in this field, the current study was performed with the aim of evaluating knowledge, attitude performance of pharmacists of Isfahan concerning herbal drugs consumption. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, using clustering method, 100 were selected out of total number of 350 community pharmacist occupied in pharmacies of Isfahan (year 2008). A questionnaire made by researcher (which its reliability and validity were separately completed through focus group method) was used for evaluating knowledge and attitude and also scientific scenarios (WWHAM-type question) were used for performance evaluation. After data gathering, the collected facts were analyzed by SPSS software Version 11.5 and using descriptive statistics, chi², and correlation tests (concerning significance level of p≤0.05). Results: There was a significance relation between pharmacists' knowledge on herbal drugs features and number of their graduation years (r= 0.38 and p. value= 0.0001). Meanwhile, female and male pharmacists' knowledge showed no significant difference. The range of pharmacists' attitude scores was 51 to 107 and its mean was 88.85±13.44 and considering the mean of 75 for the mentioned questionnaire, 91% of pharmacists had positive attitude to herbal drugs. The relationship between pharmacists' attitude and their knowledge on herbal drugs was not significant. A correlation (r= 0.09) was observed between pharmacists' performance and knowledge but no significant relationship was detected. No considerable relationship was observed between pharmacists' attitude and their performance as well. Conclusion: Paying attention to the objectives and classic educational curricula of pharmaceutics and making some revisions on them seems to be necessary in presenting herbal drug services. It is highly recommended to pay special attention to this topic in educational programs of continuing education of pharmacists in an applicable manner and change the traditional methods.

In Iran, the number of published articles has increased significantly in the basic and applied sciences including medicineand its subspecialties during the recent years. The present study reviewed Iranian science production in medicine, focusingon Iranian medical journals and assessing the current status of Iranian medical journals in several information databases.The study revealed that only a few number of Iranian biomedical journals were indexed by Web of Science, Medline, Scopus and Biological abstract, but most of them have been covered by Index Copernicus and Index Medicus for Eastern Mediterranean Region. Observing some important factors such as journal's basic publishing standards may increase the number of Iranian medical journals indexed by reputable information databases and improve Iranian contribution to the world science.KEYWORDS: Scientific Productivity, Research Performance, Medical Journals, Information Databases, Iran.

Introduction: Several studies indicate a significant growth in research activities and scientific achievements in Iran during recent years. Isfahan University of Medical Sciences as a main university has had a special situation in this regard. The aim of this study was to determine science productions of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences since its establishment, during1985 till 2007. Methods: This was a descriptive study, performed based on the data retrieved from ISI Web of Science and Medline databases. Results: Researchers of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences indexed 313 scientific article in Medline and 350 in ISI. Among all schools and centers affiliated to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, school of medicine was ranked in the first place regarding scientific productions indexed in the 2 mentioned databases. Conclusion: This study demonstrates a significant growth in producing scientific articles in this university especially after the year 2000. Establishing the rewarding system for article writers, developing and expand-ing the infrastructures for internet, providing on-line services in this university, subscribing scientific databases and electronic journals, and running workshops in research methodology and scientific writing were among the most important factors causing this progress.

Background: Scoliosis may be due to neuromuscular or congenital diseases or occur in idiopathic forms. Today, disorders of the paraspinal muscles are viewed as a possible cause of scoliosis. Idiopathic scoliosis is considered as the consequence of primary connective tissue disorders by some researchers; others maintain that muscle deformities are secondary to compensation of the physical deformity and/or treatment of the patients. This study was performed to determine the primary or secondary nature of paraspinal muscle disorders in scoliosis. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, all patients with scoliosis undergone surgery two hospitals in Tehran, from November 2006 to June 2007, were included. To determine the degree of muscle atrophy, paraspinal muscle biopsies were obtained during the operation from the curvature at apex, on both concave and convex sides. In this study atrophy defined as pathology report of any degree of atrophy in any side. Other data including the degree of deformity according to the Cobb's angle, the use of brace and duration of its use were collected. Findings: 19 (59.4%) and 13 (40.6%) of 32 patients displayed some degrees, and no prominent signs of atrophy, respectively. All the patients with neuromuscular, 43.8% of Idiopathic and 33.4% of congenital scoliosis displayed signs of atrophy. Atrophy percentage in neuromuscular was significantly different comparing two others. Mean deformity in the atrophy and normal groups was 97.82 ± 21.09 and 68.80 ± 25.91 degrees, respectively, with a significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: It seems that the atrophy in idiopathic and congenital scoliosis is much lower than neuromuscular. We conclude that idiopathic scoliosis is not due to primary disorders of the paraspinal muscles and other factors such as vestibular disorders, melatonin secretion, platelet microstructure, and other postural control disorders are likely involved in its etiology. Further, the multifactorial nature of scoliosis should not be overlooked. Key words: Scoliosis, Spinal muscular atrophy, Braces.

Background: Postoperative pancreatitis in addition to surgeries involving the biliary ducts, the pancreas, or the surrounding organs, occurs in scoliosis surgery, with prevalence rates of 16-19%. This study was designed and conducted to determine the prevalence of pancreatitis following scoliosis surgery and its associated risk factors. Methods: In a cross-sectional descriptive study, we enrolled 50 patients underwent surgery for correction of scoliosis at two hospitals in Tehran, Iran, between November 2006 and June 2007. Levels of serum amylase and lipase were measured before and two days after surgery. Duration of fasting after surgery, clinical signs of pancreatitis, duration of hospital stay, length of surgery, original curvature of the spine and degree of correction after surgery, and demographic data were recorded. The diagnosis of subclinical or biochemical pancreatitis was established with trebling of serum amylase and lipase. Findings: Twenty-seven of patients (54%) developed postoperative pancreatitis following scoliosis surgery. Sex, type of scoliosis, type of surgery, correction of Cobb's angle, and length of surgery were not found to correlate with the incidence of pancreatitis, whereas a significant relationship was found between the volume of hemorrhage and the incidence of pancreatitis (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The higher prevalence of pancreatitis in this study (54%) may be due to pancreatic ischemia. Patients are prone to ischemia owing to massive intraoperative bleeding and hypotensive anesthesia directed to reduce it. In this study patients developed pancreatitis were found to have lost more blood during surgery. This study demonstrated that pancreatitis can develop as a complication of the single-stage or two-stage surgery for correction of scoliosis and can dramatically affect patient outcome; hence we recommend that patients undergoing scoliosis surgery be monitored for increase in serum amylase and lipase, as well as any suggestive signs of clinical pancreatitis. Key words: Pancreatitis, Scoliosis

BACKGROUND: The Syndrome of Inappropriate Anti-Diuretic Hormone (SIADH) secretion is the most common etiology of normovolemic hyponatremia, which occurs following non-physiologic release of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) from the posterior pituitary, or an ectopic source. SIADH has been reported as a complication of cardiothoracic, brain, and spinal surgeries. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of SIADH following spinal surgeries and to identify the underlying risk factors. METHODS: Samples were patients undergoing any spinal surgery at the Hospitals of Shafa Yahyaian and Rasoul Akram, Tehran, Iran in a 2-year period. Blood and urine sodium concentrations and osmolarity were measured before and after surgery. The amount of hemorrhage, as well as the patients' fluid input and output during surgery were recorded. Fluid input and output was also recorded on the first postoperative day. RESULTS: The prevalence of SIADH following spinal surgeries was 60.3%. Mean duration of surgery in SIADH patients was longer than in others. Mean amount of hemorrhage and total fluid loss during surgery were significantly higher in SIADH patients than in healthy individuals. CONCLUSIONS: SIADH is the principal cause of hyponatremia following spinal surgeries; the reported prevalence rates vary widely from 5 to 100%. SIADH following surgery has been attributed to stress, and in spinal or neurological surgeries to dural damage or traction of neuronal pathways. Time is of the essence in the treatment of hyponatremia and prevention of complications that may increase the mortality and morbidity of spinal surgeries. KEYWORDS: Inappropriate ADH Syndrome, spinal surgeries, hyponatremia.

Increasing access to the softwares and hardwares for electronic learning (e-learning), especially World Wide Web (WWW), has opened a new horizon to educational institutions. It seems that using these facilities helps to attain several goals as educational quality indicators, including student-centeredness, life-long learning, active and interactive learning, and using multimedia in learning. Although some educational institutions have provided all their courses electronically, only little evidence has been published indicating the evaluation results of such programs. Considering the general advantages of e-learning and its specific potentials in medical education, its integration into current university curricula seems to be inevitable, in a way that current curricula contain a blend of traditional and electronic learning situations. This is more demanding for continuing medical education programs, which face a huge number of learners with a vast diversity in learning needs, expertise, and interests. The importance of change in university programs, as well as high expenses for preparing e-learning infrastructures, especially soft wares, necessitates a long term programmed approach to the integration of e-learning in traditional curricula. To do this, using the experiences of other universities, organizing resources and activities, and using the existing capabilities in the public and private sectors is essential. This approach requires a scientific insight about different aspects of e-learning as well as a change plan according to the present situation and justified goals in medical education. If it is complemented with a serious intention on the policymakers' side, it will be expected to accomplish valuable steps towards quality improvement and efficiency of medical education in the near future.

Introduction: Ergonomics is the science of improvement of the work environment, job and equipment and adapting them to the human capabilities and limitations. Observing ergonomic principles of computer application is essential for the computer users. Lack of attention to these principles would decrease efficiency and cause irreparable somatic complications. The present study assesses the knowledge of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences Librarians about ergonomics principles of computer application. Methods: This is a cross-sectional analytic study. The study population was all the librarians who worked in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences at the time of the study. The data was gathered using a knowledge measurement researcher- made questionnaire, consisting of 28 questions which its content validity were checked and revised. The data were analyzed by T-test and ANOVA using SPSS software version 15. Results: Mean score of correct answers to the questions was reported as 5.65 ± 4.45 of 18. There was no significant relationship between the total questionnaire score and the variables sex, educational level, type of education, employment status, educational Course for the proper use of the computer and the number of hours of computer use per day however there was significant relationship between total score and the study for the proper use of computer. Conclusion: The findings indicated that the knowledge of the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences librarians about ergonomic principles of computer application was low. This can be due to disregard of authorities, librarians or both of them that it can be harmful to their health and the University should also pay the heavy cost of reduced staff productivity. Therefore, it is recommended that the responsible organizations promote the librarians' knowledge about ergonomic principles of computer application through training courses, conferences, consized brochures. It is also recommended that librarians expand their studies on this topic. Keywords: Human Engineering; Occupational Health; Awareness; Librarians; Universities.