Background & Objective: Gene therapy and administration of recombinant protein are common approach in treatment of genetic disorders. But many obstacles including frequent administration of desired gene, random integration into the host genome and low expression of protein encourage scientists to design an episome which remains in high copy number in eukaryotic cells and produces desired protein in suitable manner by viral proteins. The aim of this study is designing and construction of a plasmid containing mutated large T antigen of SV40 to develop a safe vector with high replication.

  Methods: Suitable mutant for creating large T antigen was analyzed by MODELLER software and finally appropriate structures were selected. Target mutation was created in the nucleotide sequence of large T antigen by PCR method. Mutated large T antigen gene was cloned in to the IRES2-EGFP. All clones were analyzed by PCR, restriction analysis and sequencing. HEK293 and CHO cell lines were transfected by final construct and transfected cells were observed by fluorescent microscope for 40 days. Plasmid and genomic DNA were extracted from remained cells and overlap PCRs performed on them to confirm their circularity.

  Result: This plasmid, containing a mutated large T antigen of SV40, can be replicated in eukaryotic cells and then can be used in gene therapy and recombinant protein production with high safety.�

  Conclusion: The results of PCR, restriction analysis and sequencing confirm the authenticity of construct. The transfection of HEK293 and CHO cell lines showed replication of constructed plasmid in them.

  Background & objectives: At the present time, health care services have been increasingly transformed to a competitive issue and many factors influence usage of hospital services and selection of a hospital by the patients. This study has been performed for surveying effective factors on selecting a public or private hospital among non-emergent patients of Ardabil hospitals in 2012.

  Method: This research was a cross-sectional descriptive-correlational study and the statistical population was non emergent patients of four public and two private hospitals of Ardabil in 2012. The samples (598 patients) were collected by stratified random sampling method. Data-gathering tool was a researcher-made questionnaire and data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, frequency [distribution] tables, and logistic regression analysis.

  Results: The results depicted a direct interdependence between selecting a hospital (public or private) and the three factors of social elements, hospital services, and hospital facilities with a confidence coefficient of 92%. Based on logistic regression analysis and Exp(B) coefficient, the patients’ priorities for hospital choosing were hospital services, social elements, and hospital facilities with Exp(B) of 1.932, 1.332, and 0.338, respectively.

  Conclusion: The most important factor for choosing public hospitals was lower cost of services and for private hospitals was physician’s recommendation. The strong effects of these two factors have overshadowed other variables.