Sexual health education priorities: Perspective from engaged couples in Rasht

Background and aims: Sexual health is a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being of individuals, couples and families, and sexual health promotion, like other dimensions of health needs to complete and continuous access, learning opportunities for achieving better health. The present study aimed to determine the sexual health education priorities. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study that conducted on 420 engaged male and female for marriage in 2015. Sampling was done through a continuous method with pre-marriage couples were referred to a health care center No 8 in Rasht city to get premarital education services. In this study, the data collection tool was “sexual health need of education” questionnaire. Data was analyzed by SPSS and descriptive and inferential methods. The statistical significance level was P<0.05. Results: The first priority of education from the perspective of contributors was to "qualified educators" with an average of 76.91 %. Other priorities respectively includes: Appropriate educational features (75.68%), suitable educational technologies (74.37%) and educational content (72.47%). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the most important priority for engaged couples in the sexual health education is qualified educator. Therefore, health policy makers should pay more attention to this issue. Determining the most important priority of engaged couples in the "educator" dimension will also be a guide for health educators, especially premarital education

A qualitative study of sexual health education among Iranian engaged couples

Background: Sexual health education for Iranian engaged couples is always ignored in the premarital education program.Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the necessity of sexual health education for Iranian engaged couples.Materials and methods: This qualitative study was conducted in Rasht, Iran. The studied sample consisted of 38 engaged men and women; and also 9 health experts and policymakers. We used interview guides to collect data. The data was analyzed through content analysis method.Results: Analyzing participants’ perspectives revealed six themes including: (1) socio-cultural changes, (2) emerging social pathologies, (3) inadequate sexual knowledge; (4) challenges in providing sexual health services, (5) individual consequences and (6) social consequences.Conclusion: Most participants emphasized the necessity of sexual health education not only because of medical concerns, but also from the perspective of social issues. Providing these services should be considered a priority.Keywords: Sexual health, health education, qualitative study, Ira

Explaining sexual health education needs of pre-marriage couples: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: Knowledge about sexual health is one of the basic needs of young couples. Knowledge of sexual health is effective on the individual's health and family stability. However, a comprehensive sexual health education program does not exist in the health care system. The present study aimed to explore the sexual health education needs of engaged couples. Method: This qualitative study was conducted using conventional content analysis. Subjects were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through in-depth individual interviews and 1 focus group discussion, with 38 individuals and 9 interviews with the key informants. All interviews were recorded and transcribed. The data were analyzed using content analysis method and the MAXQDA software. Results: Through extraction of main codes, the couples’ needs were classified in 4 main categories of bio-psychological, social-moral, religious-moral, and educational-cultural. The main categories also included several subcategories that were explained with the statements of participants. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that engaged couples require particular knowledge and skills in bio-psychological, social-moral, religious-moral, and educational-cultural dimensions that are ignored in the current premarital educational programs. Therefore, presentation of this study results to health authorities for the implementation of need-based educational programs can increase the effectiveness of premarital education. Keywords: Sexual health, Qualitative study, Needs assessmen

A qualitative study of sexual health education among Iranian engaged couples.

Background: Sexual health education for Iranian engaged couples is always ignored in the premarital education program. Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the necessity of sexual health education for Iranian engaged couples. Materials and methods: This qualitative study was conducted in Rasht, Iran. The studied sample consisted of 38 engaged men and women; and also 9 health experts and policymakers. We used interview guides to collect data. The data was analyzed through content analysis method. Results: Analyzing participants\u2019 perspectives revealed six themes including: (1) socio-cultural changes, (2) emerging social pathologies, (3) inadequate sexual knowledge; (4) challenges in providing sexual health services, (5) individual consequences and (6) social consequences. Conclusion: Most participants emphasized the necessity of sexual health education not only because of medical concerns, but also from the perspective of social issues. Providing these services should be considered a priority

An Explanation of Empowerment-based Sexual Health Education Strategies: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: Empowerment-based sexual health education is the best way to ensure the learning, implement safe and healthy sexual behavior, and confine the unhealthy sexual behavior. This study aimed to explore strategies for empowerment-based sexual health education. Method: Conventional content analysis approach was recruited in this qualitative study. Participants were selected purposefully. Data were collected through 38 in-depth interviews with engaged and married men and women and 9 key informants. All the interviews were recorded and transcribed. The data were analyzed using content analysis method and using qualitative data analysis MAXQDA software. Results: Code extraction revealed strategies for empowerment-based sexual health education in two main themes including use all capacities to educate (with two subthemes of formal and non-formal education), and structure of optimal education (with four subthemes of education for all, educational objectives, education on pillars, and commensurate with the characteristics of the target group). Conclusion: The ultimate goal of educational development and sexual health promotion in the country is individuals and community empowerment. To achieve this goal, using all capacities to take advantage and rearrangement of sexual health education structure is essential. The results of this project would allow us to design sexual health education programs with the aim empowerment of individuals, especially youth. Keywords: Education, Sexual health, Empowermen

Bio-Molecular Characteristics of Whey Proteins with Relation to Inflammation

Whey proteins in bovine milk are a mixture of globular proteins manufactured from whey which is a byproduct of cheese industry. Whey protein is categorized to contain plethora of healthy components due to wide range of pH, promising nutritional profile with cost effective and diverse functionality. Reportedly there are three categories of whey protein, whey protein concentrate (WPC) (29–89%); whey protein isolate (WPI) 90% and whey protein hydrolysate (WPH) on the basis of proteins present in them. Whey proteins is composed of β-lactoglobulin (45–57%), immunoglobulins (10–15%) α-lactalbumin (15–25%), glicomacropeptide (10–15%), lactoperoxidase (<1%) and lactoferrin nearly (1%). Whey protein plays an important role and is validated to confer anti-inflammatory and immunostimulatory roles related to all metabolic syndromes. According to molecular point of view whey proteins decrease inflammatory cytokines (IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-10 and TNF- α); inhibits ACE and NF-κB expression; promotes Fas signaling and caspase-3 expression; elevates GLP-1, PYY, CCK, G1P and leptin; chelate and binds Fe+3, Mn+3 and Zn+2. In this chapter we will discuss significant biological role of whey proteins related to inflammatory health issues

Finite element methods for finding the complex Floquet propagation constant of three dimensional periodic structures

Periodic structures have been widely used in the radio frequency (RF) and microwave industries in the past few decades. Understanding the modal behavior of these structures requires an eigenvalue study called dispersion analysis, to which the finite element method (FEM) has been successfully applied. The classical FEM approach is to specify a purely imaginary propagation constant and find the corresponding frequency. This method provides information regarding the behavior in the passband, but not in the stopband, and moreover cannot accommodate lossy or frequency-dependent materials. Recently a new FEM was reported that allows the user to specify the frequency and find the complex propagation constant. However, the method is computationally inefficient and unable to handle realistic 3D problems. The focus of this thesis is on improving the efficiency, in three steps. In the first step, the quadratic matrix eigenvalue problem is turned into a linear eigenproblem of the same size without loss of generality and a sparse method is used to solve it. This reduces the computational cost from O(n^3 ) to O(n^(1.6) ), where n is the matrix dimension. With this dramatic improvement, the method is able to analyze realistic 3D geometries for the first time. In the second step, a model order reduction (MOR) technique is applied. With MOR, only two full-size eigenproblems need to be solved, at a single "expansion point" frequency, in order to generate the dispersion diagram over a range of frequencies. Since the full-size analysis does not need to be repeated at a large number of frequency points, the overall computational cost is lowered considerably. Despite the efficiency of this approach, it suffers from a limited bandwidth because the error increases as the frequency moves further from the expansion point. In the third step, an adaptive algorithm is developed which uses multiple expansion points and a smart error estimator which indicates where a new expansion point needs to be employed so that the error does not exceed a given threshold. Also, an adaptive mode tracking system is developed which adjusts the frequency step size to guarantee that the same propagation mode is being tracked over the whole frequency range.At each step, the new methods are applied to four periodic structures: a triply periodic array of metallic cubes and three planar structures used for noise suppression in high-speed digital circuits. In addition, the adaptive method is applied to a singly-periodic iris-loaded waveguide. The computational cost for these cases is at least an order of magnitude lower than even the cost of solving the full size linear eigenvalue problem at each frequency.Dans les dernières décennies Les structures périodiques ont connu un très grand succès dans les domaines technologiques comme la radiofréquence (RF) et les micro- ondes suite à une large utilisation. La compréhension du comportement modal de ces structures nécessite une étude des valeurs propres appelée analyse de la dispersion, à laquelle la méthode des éléments finis (FEM) a été appliquée avec succès. L'approche classique consiste à spécifier une constante de propagation purement imaginaire et de trouver la fréquence correspondante. Cette méthode fournit des informations concernant le comportement dans la bande passante, mais pas dans la bande d'arrêt, et en outre ne permet pas d'appliquer des matériaux avec pertes ou qui dépendent de la fréquence.Récemment, une nouvelle variante de la FEM a été rapportée et qui permet à l'utilisateur de spécifier la fréquence et de trouver la constante de propagation complexe. Cependant, la méthode est arithmétiquement inefficace et incapable de gérer les problèmes réels en 3D. L'objectif de cette thèse porte sur l'amélioration de l'efficacité, en trois étapes. Dans la première étape, le problème de la forme quadratique de matrice à valeurs propres est transformé en un problème linéaire qui a la même taille de la matrice sans perte de généralité, une méthode pour matrices creuses a été utilisée pour le résoudre. Ce qui a permis de réduire le coût du calcul de O(n^3 ) à O(n^1.6 ), où n est la dimension de la matrice. Grâce à cette amélioration spectaculaire, la méthode est capable d'analyser les géométries réalistes 3D pour la première fois. Dans la deuxième étape, une technique de réduction d'ordre du modèle (MOR) est appliquée. Avec MOR, à un seul «point d'expansion» fréquentiel, seulement deux solutions complètes de valeurs propres doivent être obtenues afin de générer le diagramme de dispersion sur toute une bande de fréquences. Puisqu'il n'est plus nécessaire de refaire une résolution complète du système en entier à chaque point de fréquence, le coût global de calcul est considérablement réduit. Malgré l'efficacité de cette approche, la méthode souffre d'une bande de convergence réduite, car l'erreur augmente au fur et à mesure que la fréquence s'éloigne du point d'expansion. Dans la troisième étape, un algorithme adaptatif a été développé. Cet algorithme utilise des points d'extension multiples et un estimateur d'erreur intelligent qui nous indique l'endroit où on doit utiliser un autre point d'expansion de telle sorte que l'erreur ne dépasse pas un seuil donné. De plus, un système de suivi adaptatif a été élaboré, qui ajuste la valeur du pas fréquentiel pour garantir que le même mode de propagation est suivi sur toute la bande de fréquence.A chaque étape, les nouvelles méthodes ont été appliquées pour quatre structures périodiques: un tableau triplement périodique de cubes métalliques et trois structures planaires utilisées pour la suppression du bruit dans les circuits numériques à grande vitesse. En outre, la méthode adaptative a été appliquée à un guide d'ondes à période unique chargé d'iris. Le coût de calcul pour ces cas est d'au moins un ordre de grandeur plus faible que le même coût de la résolution de la taille linéaire du problème au complet aux valeurs propres et à chaque fréquence

Reconfigurable Modular Platform for Prolonged Sensing of Toxic Gases in Particle Polluted Environments

The prolonged sensing of toxic gases in polluted particles and harsh environments is a challenging task that is also in high demand. In this work, the proof of principle of a sensitive, low-cost, and low-maintenance reconfigurable platform for filter-free and continuous ammonia (NH3) sensing in polluted environments is simulated. The platform can be modified for the detection of various toxic gases and includes three main modules: a microfluidic system for in-line continuous dust filtering; a toxic gas adsorption module; and a low-frequency microwave split-ring resonator (SRR). An inertia-based spiral microfluidic system has been designed and optimized through simulation for the in-line filtration of small particles from the intake air. Zeolite Y is selected as the adsorbent in the adsorption module. The adsorption module is a non-metallic thin tube that is filled with zeolite Y powder and precisely fixed at the drilled through-hole into the 3D microwave system. For the sensing module, a low-frequency three-dimensional (3D) split-ring resonator is proposed and optimally designed. A microwave resonator continuously monitors the permittivity of zeolite Y and can detect small permittivity alterations upon the presence of ammonia in the intake air. The microwave resonator is optimized at a frequency range of 2.5&ndash;3 GHz toward the detection of ammonia under different ammonia concentrations from 400 to 2800 ppm. The microwave simulation results show a clear contrast of around 4 MHz that shifts at 2.7 GHz for 400 ppm ammonia concentration. The results show the proof of principle of the proposed microfluidic-microwave platform for toxic gas detection

Sexual health education priorities: Perspective from engaged couples in Rasht

Background and aims: Sexual health is a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being of individuals, couples and families, and sexual health promotion, like other dimensions of health needs to complete and continuous access, learning opportunities for achieving better health. The present study aimed to determine the sexual health education priorities. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study that conducted on 420 engaged male and female for marriage in 2015. Sampling was done through a continuous method with pre-marriage couples were referred to a health care center No 8 in Rasht city to get premarital education services. In this study, the data collection tool was “sexual health need of education” questionnaire. Data was analyzed by SPSS and descriptive and inferential methods. The statistical significance level was P<0.05. Results: The first priority of education from the perspective of contributors was to "qualified educators" with an average of 76.91 %. Other priorities respectively includes: Appropriate educational features (75.68%), suitable educational technologies (74.37%) and educational content (72.47%). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the most important priority for engaged couples in the sexual health education is qualified educator. Therefore, health policy makers should pay more attention to this issue. Determining the most important priority of engaged couples in the "educator" dimension will also be a guide for health educators, especially premarital education