Western feminist consciousness in Buchi Emecheta's The joys of motherhood

Feminism is a collection of movements which struggles for women's rights. Focusing on gender as a basis of women's sexual oppression, feminist scholarship attempts to establish equal rights for women politically, economically, socially, personally, etc. The Joys of Motherhood highlights Buchi Emecheta's critical view toward colonialism and racism affecting Third world women's lives. Besides this, Emecheta goes further to display African women's invisibility and marginalization-which were out of sight for a long time-in terms of some aspects of Western feminist discourse. Her creative discourse, in this regard, casts further light upon the issue of gender oppression in African feminist study. Hence, this study attempts to examine the way in which Emecheta furthers Western feminist ideology

Margaret Atwood in the second and third waves of feminism on the basis of Julia Kristeva's theories

Although Margaret Atwood started writing in the second phase of feminism, some of her works show the features of the second and the third wave of feminism. It's clear in Atwood’s Cat’s Eye. Elaine, protagonist of the novel, and other female characters indicate these features. Some of Atwood’s works imply Kristeva's theories. Unlike the second wave of feminism, Julia Kristeva as a postmodern feminist rejects the distinction between sex and gender believing that these two terms respectively represent biology and culture which cannot be separated from each other. This idea can be examined in Margaret Atwood's novel, Cat's Eye, as a feature of the third wave of feminism. The authors of this article seek to analyze Atwood's famous novel, Cat's Eye, in the second and third waves of feminism based on Julia Kristeva's theories

Pragmatic Failure in Cross-Cultural Communication: Scrutinizing the Causes and Challenges Involved in Iranian EFL Context

Pragmatic failure is an issue usually occurring in cross-cultural communication when L2 learners cannot express themselves appropriately. This study aimed to discern the factors leading to cross-cultural pragmatic failure (CCPF) and the challenges EFL learners face in trying to overcome miscommunication problems. Following a qualitative research design, in the first study phase, one of the researchers observed 10 EFL teachers’ classes for 90 minutes each, twice a week during the term to take the required field notes for further analysis. To obtain more in-depth information, in the second phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 EFL teachers and learners, and the data were collected. The EFL teachers were from private English language institutes, and the student participants were EFL learners studying either in state-run universities or private language centers. The results of the thematic analysis revealed that EFL classroom context, time and budget, assessing pragmatic knowledge, ELT textbook, and teacher education were perceived as the causes of CCPF by the interviewees. Moreover, the extracted themes associated with learners’ challenges included linguistic incompetency, investing insufficient time and effort, psychological factors, cultural and sociocultural differences, inappropriate teaching methodology, and teachers’ pragmatic competence

Use of Health Information Technology in Patient Care Management: a Mixed Method Study in Iran

Introduction: New computerized system, including health information technologies (HITs), plays an important role in the efficacy of management and nursing care services. Objective: This study was aimed to determine the use of HIT in patient care management, in a case study in Iran. Methods: This mixed method study was conducted in 2018 at the Kowsar Hospital of Semnan, Iran. Data collection was performed, using an observational checklist, and a questionnaire, including two main parts, one demographic and other assessment of information technology (IT) application in the care management of inpatients. The researcher prepared the questionnaire and its validity was verified. The data were organized and analyzed in the form of a descriptive analytic report. In the process of data collection 10 participants, including nurses, head nurses, physicians, radiology experts and IT managers were interviewed, and data analysis was performed, using conventional content analysis. Results: Nurses were satisfied with the computerized system and believed it can expedite the job. From the nurse’s viewpoint, the most common use of the HIT was to have access (observation) to patient admission and discharge information (100%), providing medicine and equipment, and transfer of patients (92.3%). The least use of IT was the retrieval of evidence in the care process (0%), and judgment and analysis related to radiological diagnostic procedures (0%). The potential of electronic record is still not applicable. Conclusion: Use of modern information and communication technology in hospitals facilitates access and transfer of information, and also accelerates patient’s admission and discharge process, relation between hospital units, simplifying the administration of current affairs and providing the necessary medical supplies and diagnostic procedures. However, modifying organizational policies improves the infrastructure, and enhances nurses' motivation in documentation of nursing reports, which can be effective in increasing the impact of IT in care management processes, especially in electronic record and nurse’s clinical judgment and evidence-based care

Use of Health Information Technology in Patient Care Management: a Mixed Method Study in Iran

Introduction: New computerized system, including health information technologies (HITs), plays an important role in the efficacy of management and nursing care services. Objective: This study was aimed to determine the use of HIT in patient care management, in a case study in Iran. Methods: This mixed method study was conducted in 2018 at the Kowsar Hospital of Semnan, Iran. Data collection was performed, using an observational checklist, and a questionnaire, including two main parts, one demographic and other assessment of information technology (IT) application in the care management of inpatients. The researcher prepared the questionnaire and its validity was verified. The data were organized and analyzed in the form of a descriptive analytic report. In the process of data collection 10 participants, including nurses, head nurses, physicians, radiology experts and IT managers were interviewed, and data analysis was performed, using conventional content analysis. Results: Nurses were satisfied with the computerized system and believed it can expedite the job. From the nurse’s viewpoint, the most common use of the HIT was to have access (observation) to patient admission and discharge information (100%), providing medicine and equipment, and transfer of patients (92.3%). The least use of IT was the retrieval of evidence in the care process (0%), and judgment and analysis related to radiological diagnostic procedures (0%). The potential of electronic record is still not applicable. Conclusion: Use of modern information and communication technology in hospitals facilitates access and transfer of information, and also accelerates patient’s admission and discharge process, relation between hospital units, simplifying the administration of current affairs and providing the necessary medical supplies and diagnostic procedures. However, modifying organizational policies improves the infrastructure, and enhances nurses' motivation in documentation of nursing reports, which can be effective in increasing the impact of IT in care management processes, especially in electronic record and nurse’s clinical judgment and evidence-based care

Effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction program on quality of life in cardiovascular disease patients.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiovascular disease is one of the most fatal physical illnesses that impose many financial losses on societies every year. AIM: This study was to investigate the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program on self-efficacy and quality of life in patients with cardiovascular disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The samples of this clinical trial were 60 patients who were selected by convenience sampling from patients were diagnosed, clinically interviewed by a cardiologist and randomized to two groups; experimental and control, and then completed Sherer et al. General Self-Efficacy Scale and 36-item Short Form Survey three times; pre-test, post-test, and after 3 months of follow-up. MBSR Program includes the methods that patients learn to calm their minds and body to help them cope with disease that was based on self-efficacy and quality of life. Data analysis was performed by the SPSS v22 using t-test and ANOVA. RESULTS: The results show that the mean pre-test scores of self-efficacy and quality of life of patients were not significantly different between the experimental and control groups (P > 0.05). However, the mean scores of the two variables were found to be significantly different between the experimental group and the control group on the post-test and follow-up as the research hypotheses were examined (P < 0.01). So that the means of self-efficacy were 60.80 ± 5.91 and 60.40 ± 7.03 and quality of life were 103.80 ± 9.35 and 101.10 ± 9.13 at post-test and 3 months later respectively in experimental group. CONCLUSION: Self-efficacy and quality of life of cardiovascular patients could be improved by providing an MBSR program. KEYWORDS: CVD, Cardiovascular disease; Coping; Heart diseases; MBSR; MBSR, mindfulness-based stress reduction; Psychological interventio

The Effect of Family Empowerment Model on Quality of Life in Children with Epilepsy in South of Iran, 2018: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Abstract Objectives:Epilepsy is a chronic disease of the nervous system that significantly affects the performance and behavior of children. Epileptic children are at greater risk of cognitive and behavioral disorders than healthy children. Various factors associated with this disease affect the patients’ family. Materials &amp; Methods:The present study is a randomized controlled clinical trial conducted to evaluate the effect of family empowerment on quality of life of epileptic children referred to the desired centers (Bessat Clinic affiliated to Kerman University of Medical Sciences and Imam Reza Clinic of Shiraz) in two experimental and control groups. 80 parents of these children were selected and studied, if they met the inclusion criteria of study. In this study, Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy Questionnaire (QOLCE) was used. It is completed by parents of these children. Results:The age of the studied children was 4 to 8 yrs. According to these results, there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups in the level of changes in all dimensions, so that the mean score of quality of life in different factors increased in the experimental group compared to the control group (P &lt;0.05 in all dimensions). Conclusion:Implementing the family-centered care plan by care providers, based on patient-family support relationships, identifying their strengths and weaknesses, prioritizing the services provided, and an effective interaction with the health team increase the family and staff satisfaction, reduce the costs, and improve the outcome of the disease. &nbsp

Responsiveness of Minimal Clinically Important Change for the Persian Functional Rating Index in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain

Study Design A prospective, within-group cohort study of 46 patients with chronic low-back pain (CLBP). Purpose To assess the responsiveness of the Persian Functional Rating Index (PFRI) and to determine the minimal clinically important change (MCIC) of the PFRI in a cohort of patients with CLBP. Overview of Literature The FRI is an instrument for assessing pain and disability in patients with low-back pain. No study so far has examined the responsiveness of the PFRI. Methods Forty-six patients with CLBP with a mean age of 50.33±14.28 completed the PFRI, the Persian Roland–Morris Disability Questionnaire (PRMDQ), and a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) before and after 10 physiotherapy sessions. A Global Rating of Change Scale (GRCS) was completed after treatment. Results The changes in PFRI scores were statistically significant using the paired t-test (p<0.001). The PFRI revealed high effect sizes (range, 0.93–1.82). The PFRI showed significant correlations with the VAS (0.86), the PRMDQ (0.66), and the GRCS (0.45). The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve for the PFRI was good (0.76; 95% confidence interval, 0.56–0.95). The MCIC for PFRI was 10.63 points. Conclusions The results supported the responsiveness of the PFRI in patients with CLBP and showed the amount of change in PFRI scores perceived as worthwhile by the patients

Association between dietary glycemic index and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

ObjectiveManaging dietary glycemic index (GI) deserves further attention in the interplay between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between dietary GI and the odds of NAFLD in patients with T2DM.MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out between April 2021 and February 2022, including 200 participants with T2DM aged 18-70 years, of which 133 had NAFLD and 67 were in the non-NAFLD group. Cardiometabolic parameters were analyzed using standard biochemical kits and dietary intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Binary logistic regression was applied to explore odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for NAFLD according to tertiles of dietary GI.ResultsHighest vs. lowest tertile (&lt; 57 vs. &gt; 60.89) of energy-adjusted GI was not associated with the odds of having NAFLD (OR 1.25, 95% CI = 0.6-2.57; P-trend = 0.54) in the crude model. However, there was an OR of 3.24 (95% CI = 1.03-10.15) accompanied by a significant trend (P-trend = 0.04) after full control for potential confounders (age, gender, smoking status, duration of diabetes, physical activity, waist circumference, HbA1c, triglycerides, total cholesterol, dietary intake of total carbohydrates, simple carbohydrates, fat, and protein).ConclusionHigh dietary GI is associated with increased odds of NAFLD in subjects with T2DM. However, interventional and longitudinal cohort studies are required to confirm these findings