Objective: To ascertain the effects of soy [in the forms of Textured Soy Protein (TSP) and soy-nut] on lipid profiles, apolipoproteins, inflammatory and prothrombotic markers and blood pressure in elderly women with the metabolic syndrome.
Materials and methods: The study is a 12-week parallel randomized controlled trial that was conducted in rural health centres of Babol, Iran. The participants were 75 women 60-70 years old with the metabolic syndrome who were randomized to one of the three groups of soy-nut (35g/d), TSP (35g/d) and control. Blood pressure and blood biochemical markers were measured at baseline and at the end of the study including, triglyceride, cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, VLDL-C, ApoB100, ApoAI, CRP and fibrinogen.
Results: The soy-nut improved significantly LDL-C, VLDL-C and Apo B100 (P<0.05) while fewer improvements but significant were observed in these variables in the TSP group only when compared with the mean changes from the baseline (P<0.001). Similar result was found for Apo AI in the treatment groups (P<0.01). Serum total cholesterol decreased significantly in the  treatment groups compared with control group (P<0.005). The differences from control for triglyceride, HDL-C, fibrinogen, CRP and blood pressure were not significant.
Conclusion: Both forms of soy while improved lipids profiles the soy-nut contribution was more to this improvement than the TSP. Therefore, moderate daily intake of soy may be a safe, cheap and practical method to improve cardiovascular disease risk and also reduce the need for medical treatment.

Objective: To evaluate the potentiality of OVCAR–3 cell line of ovarian adenocarcinoma as a xenograft model for ovarian adenocarcinoma in nude mice.
Materials and methods: The cell line isolated from advanced human ovarian adenocarcinoma, were inoculated to eight nude mice and two months later. Established tumors were transferred to pathology laboratory to be prepared by H&E staining and immunohistochemical staining with CA125 antibody.
Results: Study of H&E slides showed advanced adenocarcinoma. The CA125 Tumor marker was also positive in tumoral tissue.
Conclusion: Established tumors showed excellently the characteristics of ovarian adenocarcinoma. This model can be used to evaluate new treatment strategies.

Objective: Pelvic organ prolapse is a common disorder in women over the world and its general treatment is surgery. Therefore it is important to consider if vaginal symptoms, quality of life and sexual function after surgery improve. The purpose of this study was to assess vaginal symptoms in women 3 months after surgery for pelvic organ prolapse.
Materials and methods: In this study 50 eligible women were evaluated between March 2007 and May 2008. These women underwent physical examination for prolapse staging and medical status and completed the ICIQ–VS questionnaire pre– and post operation 3 months later).
Results: Mean age was 44.86 (31–74) years and %72 were premenopausal. Vaginal symptoms, sexual function and quality of life scores improved in order (8.88 Vs 18.04, 17.16 Vs 34.48, 2.76 Vs 4.8, all P<0.05).
Conclusion: Vaginal symptoms, sexual function and quality of life after surgery improved. It appears that in Iranian patients, the performance of reconstruction surgery alone results in satisfaction.

 Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence, type, location, and risk factors of accidental fetal lacerations during caesarean delivery.
Material and Methods: Total deliveries, caesarean deliveries, and neonatal records for documented accidental fetal lacerations were reviewed retrospectively in four university hospital. Thegestational age, the presenting part of the fetus, the type of incision, and maternal age and parity were recorded. Caesarean deliveries were divided into elective and emergency procedures. Fetal lacerations were grouped according to the location and the need for surgical intervention.
Results: Of 19217 deliveries, 8840 women were delivered by caesarean birth (46%). Neonatal records documented 87 accidental fetal lacerations. Of these accidental lacerations, 16 needed surgical repair and 62 recovered by dressing. Head and neck was the most common site of laceration (64.1%). The overall rate of accidental fetal laceration per caesarean delivery was 0.88%. The rate of emergency caesarean was 45 (56.69%) and for elective procedures was 33 (42.4%). The risk for fetal accidental laceration was higher in foetuses who underwent emergency caesarean birth (P<0.001).
Conclusion: Fetal accidental laceration may occur during caesarean delivery and its incidence is significantly higher during emergency caesarean delivery. The patient should be counselled about the occurrence of fetal laceration during caesarean delivery to avoid litigation.

Objective: Regardless of three decades of implementation of family planning program in Nepal, need of family planning services is largely unmet. Systematic studies, evaluating the impact of family program on several ethnic groups of Nepal has not been carried out in large scale. This study sheds light on the
investigation of, whether the use of contraceptives varies among different ethnic groups in Nepal and what are the predictors of contraceptive variance in ethnic groups in Nepal.
Materials and methods: The study is based on data collected from Nepal Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) 2006. Multilevel logistic regression analyses of 10793 married women of reproductive age nested within 264 clusters from the surveys were considered as the sample size. Individual, household, and program variables were set and a multilevel logistic regression model was fitted to analyze the variables, using GLLAMM command in STATA-9.
Results: Multilevel logistic regression analysis indicated that Muslims, Dalits and Terai madheshi women were significantly less likely to use modern contraceptives compared to the Brahmins and Chhetries (Higher Castes). Women who were exposed to family planning information in radio were more likely to use modern contraceptives than women not exposed to radio information (OR=1.22, P> 0.01). An odd of using contraceptives by Newar was (OR 1.09, P>0.05), the highest among all ethnic groups. Exposure of women to family planning messages through health facilities, family planning workers, and means of communication, increased the odds of using modern contraceptives. However, impact of the family planning information on contraceptive use varied among ethnicity.
Conclusion: Special attention need to be paid, in particular to the ethnicity, while formulating family planning policies in Nepal, for better success rate of family planning intervention programs.

Objective: This study aimed to compare irrational beliefs, defense mechanisms and marital satisfaction in fertile and  infertile women.
Materials and methods: This study was a causal comparative survey performed on 30 fertile and 30 infertile women chosen by available and simple random sampling out of the whole clients referred to Vali-e-Asr Reproductive Health Research Center from February 2009 to September 2009. The instruments of measurement included 3 questionnaires: Jones irrational beliefs, defense mechanisms and ENRICH marital satisfaction which were performed on samples. Data were analyzed by SPSS-16 software.
Results: The scale of subtests of Jones irrational beliefs, defense mechanisms and marital satisfaction were significantly different in fertile and infertile women.
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that infertile women use irrational beliefs and defense mechanisms more than fertile women and their marital satisfaction is less than fertile women.

Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the frequency of preterm birth (PTB) and premature rapture of membranes (PROM) and their associations with maternal factors.
Material and methods: This cross sectional study was carried out at Akbar-Abadi hospital in Tehran during January 2009-Aprile 2010. Four hundred sixty six primiparous women with gestational age more than 20 weeks and singleton pregnancy were enrolled in the study. Data were analyzed using SPSS-16. P<0.05 was considered as being significant. maternal age, maternal height ,maternal education, pre- pregnancy maternal weight, occupation and smoking during pregnancy were compared between two groups (with or without PTB/PROM).
Results: This study shows the incidence of PTB to be 27.9% and PROM to be 34.7%. None of maternal factors in this study showed significant relation with PTB. Significant relation was found between maternal age and PROM, p<0.001. PROM was related to PTB significantly (p=0.040).
Conclusion: Findings highlighted the importance of maternal age as a cause of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Since this study showed PROM and PTB to be two common adverse pregnancy outcomes in Iran assembling appropriate services can lead mothers to improved pregnancy outcomes especially among older pregnant women.