The Analysis of the Internal and External Environments of Private Institutions of Higher Education in Iran and Providing Optimal Strategies Based on SWOT

The government policies of Islamic Republic of Iran in the framework of Development Plan Law, on the one hand, and the activaion of private sector in the country's educational structure, the sphere of higher education in Iran is faced with dramatic changes in the last decade. Meanwhile, the rapid development of non-governmental private institutions of higher education due to the increasing social demand for entry to higher education in Iran is important. But soon the problems and challenges faced by institutions such as the reduced quality of education, seats left empty and financial losses incurred eventually lead to bankruptcy and closing of a number of them. In this research, due to the special role of private higher education institutions in providing educational services, the need of the country to establish specialized institutions and also the wave of migration of students to the universities with poor quality abroad, the current situation of the country and the challenges faced by private higher education institutions in Iran are descrobed. Through interviews with 10 expert teachers, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of these institutions based on SWOT are determined and the optimal strategies for the excellence of them are introduced that Defensive position non-profit institutions of higher education in Iran have been achieved. Keywords: Private Higher Education Institutions, Analysis of SWOT, Optimal Strategie

Laser in Situ Keratomileusis Outcomes among Myopic and Myopic Astigmatism Patients with Thin Cornea

Purpose:To evaluate refractive results after laser in situ keratomileusis among patients with thin corneas.Patients and Methods: Three hundred and two eyes from 168 patients with thin corneas undergoing laser in situ keratomileusis in Basir Eye Clinic, Tehran, Iran, were retrospectively studied. We included patients with best corrected visual acuity of better than 6/12, age of more than 18 years, and corneal thickness of less than 499 μm.Results: The mean age of patients was 30.7 ± 8.6 years and the mean preoperative spherical equivalent was - 4.61 ± 2.37 D. The results after at least one year of follow-up were as follow: 86.6 % of patients with low myopia, 71.8 % of patients with mild myopia, 50.0 % of patients with moderate myopia and 51.8 % of patients with high myopia achieved a ± 0.5 D spherical equivalent postoperatively. General linear model indicated a significant effect for the remaining stromal bed on final uncorrected visual acuity after adjustment for age, sex, and degree of myopia. No important complication occurred.Conclusion: No important complications occurred after laser in situ keratomileusis among myopic patients with corneal thickness of less than 499 μm, and most of the patients achieved satisfactory refractive results.Keywords: Laser in Situ Keratomileusis; outcome; myopia; thin cornea; Iran

Developing an Impact Model in Construction Companies During Pandemics

The distinctive traits of COVID-19, which were different from other viral pathogens, quickly compelled the World Health Organization (WHO) to announce a pandemic. Many affected countries responded with different approaches to the pandemic. The disease became prevalent in the U.S. with a short delay after Asian and European regions were infected; however, the initial impacts of COVID-19 were massive, and its effects were beyond anyone’s expectations. The pandemic caused new situations for various markets, including the construction industry, and demanded additional health and safety regulations. In addition, the economic effect of COVID-19 on the construction industry became another medium- and long-term challenge for construction managers and executives. In order to examine the initial perceptions of construction professionals about the COVID-19 impacts, a study was conducted during its early appearance in the U.S. during the spring of 2020. The objective of this study was to evaluate the construction professionals’ perceptions of pandemics and further investigate the possibility and characteristics of an impact model during pandemics. A model was developed to highlight areas and aspects that are impacted by COVID-19 related to construction companies. The model examination was followed by a quantitative method to gather data and analyze the responses. An online survey was conducted in 2020 to verify the validity of the proposed model. The model maps out environments, domains, and factors impacting construction companies during pandemics. The implication of this paper is to realize the early perceptions of construction professionals about pandemics and the necessity of an impact model to handle the negative effects of any global disturbances. The results of this paper will help construction managers to recognize potentially affected areas and more effectively manage crisis response plans

Developing Professional Ethics for Rehabilitation Professionals: A Qualitative Study

Codes of ethics are a set of moral standards based on a value system widely accepted by members of a profession. In order to choose the right course of action and resolve potential ethical challenges, these codes will need to be developed so that ethical values can be identified and prioritized. Medical ethics covers all areas of medicine, and surely, rehabilitation is not an exception. This study aims to codify the ethics of the rehabilitation profession while considering the cultural and religious issues in Iran. For this purpose, we used a qualitative research method, including literature review, questionnaire, targeted interviews, content analysis, group discussion, and code extraction. The results were categorized into seven sections: “respect and empathy”, “autonomy”, “offering responsible care and reducing suffering”, “doing the right thing”, “beneficence”, “privacy and confidentiality”, and “social responsibility”. The development of ethical codes for rehabilitation determines moral norms in order to protect the rights of people who need rehabilitation services. These codes can also be used as a guide to the ethical challenges of the profession

Development of sandwich-form biosensor to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in clinical sputum specimens

AbstractMycobacterium tuberculosis, the causing agent of tuberculosis, comes second only after HIV on the list of infectious agents slaughtering many worldwide. Due to the limitations behind the conventional detection methods, it is therefore critical to develop new sensitive sensing systems capable of quick detection of the infectious agent. In the present study, the surface modified cadmium-telluride quantum dots and gold nanoparticles conjunct with two specific oligonucleotides against early secretory antigenic target 6 were used to develop a sandwich-form fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based biosensor to detect M. tuberculosis complex and differentiate M. tuberculosis and M. bovis Bacille Calmette–Guerin simultaneously. The sensitivity and specificity of the newly developed biosensor were 94.2% and 86.6%, respectively, while the sensitivity and specificity of polymerase chain reaction and nested polymerase chain reaction were considerably lower, 74.2%, 73.3% and 82.8%, 80%, respectively. The detection limits of the sandwich-form fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based biosensor were far lower (10fg) than those of the polymerase chain reaction and nested polymerase chain reaction (100fg). Although the cost of the developed nanobiosensor was slightly higher than those of the polymerase chain reaction-based techniques, its unique advantages in terms of turnaround time, higher sensitivity and specificity, as well as a 10-fold lower detection limit would clearly recommend this test as a more appropriate and cost-effective tool for large scale operations

Simultaneous bilateral rupture of patellar tendons in diabetic hemodialysis patient: A case report

Background: Bilateral rupture of the patellar tendon is a very rare injury, which takes place in relation to chronic systemic diseases. These injuries are known causes. Some of these causes are particular in patellar tendon rupture and another are in quadriceps tendon rupture. Case presentation: 70-year-old diabetic man with simultaneous bilateral patellar tendon disruption of proximal insertion without trauma, receiving long-term hemodialysis. Conclusions: In the present study, we report a case of patellar tendon rupture that has two differences with literature: first, renal failure is a known risk factor for quadriceps tendon rupture, and secondly, the prevalent age of patellar tendon rupture is less than 40 years. Clinical picture, diagnosis, pathogenesis and treatment are discussed. Finally, the literature is reviewed based on previous studies

Comparison of Propofol and Isoflurane Effects on Intraocular Pressure among Patients Undergoing Lumbar Disc Surgery

Purpose: Blindness is a catastrophic complication of surgeries performed in prone position which occurs mainly due to hemodynamic alterations and the relevant effects on optic nerve perfusion. In this study, we compared the effects of Propofol and Isoflurane on intraocular pressure among patients undergoing lumbar disk surgery.Patients and Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, 60 patients who were candidates for lumbar disk surgery were randomly assigned into two groups: Propofol and Isoflurane groups. Intraocular Pressure was measured before and after induction of anesthesia in supine position, immediately after prone positioning of the patient and at the end of operation in prone position and also after turning the patients back to supine position. Mean arterial pressure, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rates were also assessed.Result: The baseline Mean Intraocular Pressure among awake patients in supine position in Isoflurane and Propofol groups were 15.8 ± 3.1 and 18.2 ± 5.4 mmHg respectively. At the end of operation intraocular pressure in prone position in these two groups of patients changed to 18 ± 5.8 and 17.2 ± 4.9 mmHg respectively (P = 0.024) indicating a statistically significant difference in change. According to mixed analysis, mean arterial pressure, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, end tidal Co2 and heart rate did not show statistically significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05).Conclusion: Propofol better controls the intraocular pressure compared to Isoflurane in prone position among patients undergoing lumbar disk surgery with no significant difference in hemodynamic responses. Keywords: Intraocular pressure; prone; position; surgery; Propofol; Isoflurane

Sexual Risk Behaviors and Condom Use Barriers in Iranian Men with Substance Use Disorders

Background: We aimed to investigate risky sexual behaviors (RSBs) and condom use barriers in Iranian men with substance use disorders (SUDs).Methods: Of the total 1800 outpatient drug free (ODF) and methadone maintenance treatment program (MMTP) active centers in Tehran, Iran, six were selected to participate in the current study. Data were collected (n = 300 men) using three questionnaires including a demographic questionnaire, the Risky Sexual Behavior Questionnaire (RSBQ), and the Condom Barriers Scale (CBS). The statistical software R, analysis of variance post hoc and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) logistic regression tests were used in data analysis.Findings: The majority, (n = 194, 64.7%) reported at least one lifetime episode of RSBs. Compared to married participants (23.1%), 88.5% of single and 87.0% of divorced men had a history of RSB. Generally, the lowest and highest subscale scores of the CBS were related to sexual experience (2.60 ± 0.71) and access/availability structure (3.77 ± 0.54), respectively. The results of MANOVA analysis showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the CSB subscales based on the participants' education and marital status (P < 0.001). Only the partner barrier subscale had a significant negative relationship (P = 0.003) with RSB.Conclusion: Sexual dynamic of Iranian men with SUDs is different. Barriers to condom use seem to be socio-culturally determined. Culturally acceptable strategies need to be utilized in Iranian clinical settings reaching beyond simply condom accessibility for this at risk population

IFI27 transcription is an early predictor for COVID-19 outcomes, a multi-cohort observational study

PurposeRobust biomarkers that predict disease outcomes amongst COVID-19 patients are necessary for both patient triage and resource prioritisation. Numerous candidate biomarkers have been proposed for COVID-19. However, at present, there is no consensus on the best diagnostic approach to predict outcomes in infected patients. Moreover, it is not clear whether such tools would apply to other potentially pandemic pathogens and therefore of use as stockpile for future pandemic preparedness.MethodsWe conducted a multi-cohort observational study to investigate the biology and the prognostic role of interferon alpha-inducible protein 27 (IFI27) in COVID-19 patients.ResultsWe show that IFI27 is expressed in the respiratory tract of COVID-19 patients and elevated IFI27 expression in the lower respiratory tract is associated with the presence of a high viral load. We further demonstrate that the systemic host response, as measured by blood IFI27 expression, is associated with COVID-19 infection. For clinical outcome prediction (e.g., respiratory failure), IFI27 expression displays a high sensitivity (0.95) and specificity (0.83), outperforming other known predictors of COVID-19 outcomes. Furthermore, IFI27 is upregulated in the blood of infected patients in response to other respiratory viruses. For example, in the pandemic H1N1/09 influenza virus infection, IFI27-like genes were highly upregulated in the blood samples of severely infected patients.ConclusionThese data suggest that prognostic biomarkers targeting the family of IFI27 genes could potentially supplement conventional diagnostic tools in future virus pandemics, independent of whether such pandemics are caused by a coronavirus, an influenza virus or another as yet-to-be discovered respiratory virus