Predictors of general well being among Army wives

Predictors of general well being were examined in a sample of Army wives who participated in the second and third iterations of the Unit Manning System Family Health Study. Nine variables measured at time 1 (including social supports, personality, domains of life satisfaction, and military life stress) and two aspects of husbands' duty schedule measured at time 2 were regressed on general well being (GWB) measured at time 2. Significant predictors of GWB at time 2 included GWB at time 1, personality, and predictability of husband's schedule at time 2. When GWB at time 1 was excluded from the model, other significant predictors emerged, including financial satisfaction, marital satisfaction, and number of days in the past 6 months that husband was away in the field.     

Successful mandibular reconstruction using a BMP bioimplant

A bone morphogenetic protein bioimplant was used for primary reconstruction of a 6-cm mandibular discontinuity defect, after a segmental resection of an ameloblastoma. Radiographic evidence of new bone induction was seen at 3 and 9 months, postoperatively. A biopsy was taken at 9 months demonstrated viable new bone formation at the bioimplant site. This is the first reported case using a bone morphogenetic protein bioimplant in a human, followed by histological confirmation of new bone.     

Weaknesses and challenges of primary healthcare system in Iran: a review

While the primary healthcare (PHC) services in Iran were appropriate to the needs of the population in the late 1970s and 1980s, the changing burden of disease and shifting demand patterns have rendered the existing PHC system no longer suitable for meeting current and emergent needs. This has serious implications for the PHC system in Iran, which has clearly succeeded in addressing high levels of communicable diseases, maternal deaths and infant mortality, but appears less well prepared to address the emerging challenges of noncommunicable diseases (NCD). We conducted a systematic review of the available literature in the past 10 years related to the PHC system in Iran to assess its weaknesses and challenges. This paper categorizes PHC system weaknesses from the studied articles into two groups: (i) those related to the key functions of PHC, and (ii) others, which refer to health system weaknesses existing with the current PHC model. Iran can draw on international experience and evidence regarding interventions, which can be used to develop an effective and responsive PHC system designed to address current and emerging needs, in particular the NCD burden.