Geoprodutos em Geoparques Mundiais da UNESCO: um estudo aplicado ao Platåbergens Geoparque Aspirante (Suécia)

Dissertação de mestrado em Geociências Património Geológico e GeoconservaçãoWith the arrival of geoparks around 20 years ago, the geoproducts topic was introduced due to its close connection with local communities' sustainable development through geotourism. Geoparks are territories with sites with international geological significance and with a development strategy to promote the whole heritage of the area and better living conditions to local communities. Since 2015 that geoparks are recognized by UNESCO with the Global Geopark label. Geotourism is an approach to attract visitors to geoparks, offering them the possibility to buy geoproducts that has the potential to generate income for local communities. However, this is not the only benefit that people and geoparks receive of the selling of geoproducts. Geoproducts also have educational and conservation benefits as they can contribute to raise public awareness for all geopark assets. Geoproducts are not limited to geology, they can be related with any type of heritage of the territory and have different types of usages. Although there are some studies about geoproducts, its definition is still unclear and varied. This dissertation proposes a clear definition of geoproducts and of their different types based on their tangible, intangible or service character. The main purpose of this study is to propose some ideas of geoproducts for Platåbergens Aspiring Geopark in Sweden. This is the first geopark in Sweden and this situation provides it the opportunity to be followed later as a model by new future aspiring geoparks in the country. After a literature review about this Geopark, some local features with the potential to inspire geoproducts were selected. The proposed geoproducts for Platåbergens Geopark were based on local natural and cultural features, and also on the profile of visitors and their interests. Some geoproducts proposed for Platåbergens Geopark can be adapted to other geoparks, using other local materials. The effective implementation of geoproducts in a geopark should be made in a dialogue with the local community in order to assess their capacity and interest to implement and sell these geoproducts. Their involvement can contribute to strength the community's commitment with the geopark project in their territory.Com a chegada dos geoparques há cerca de 20 anos, foi também introduzido o novo conceito de geoprodutos devido à sua estreita ligação com o desenvolvimento sustentável das comunidades locais através do geoturismo. Os geoparques são territórios com sítios de importância geológica internacional e com uma estratégia de desenvolvimento para promover todo o património da área e melhores condições de vida para as comunidades locais. Desde 2015 que os geoparques são reconhecidos pela UNESCO com a designação Geoparque Mundial. O geoturismo é uma abordagem para atrair visitantes aos geoparques, oferecendo-lhes a possibilidade de comprar geoprodutos com potencial para gerar rendimentos para as comunidades locais. Contudo, este não é o único benefício que as pessoas e os geoparques recebem da venda de geoprodutos. Os geoprodutos também têm benefícios educacionais e de conservação, uma vez que podem contribuir para a sensibilização do público para todo o património do geoparque. Os geoprodutos não estão limitados à geologia, podem estar relacionados com qualquer tipo de património do território e têm diferentes tipos de utilizações. Embora existam alguns estudos sobre geoprodutos, a sua definição é ainda pouco clara e variada. Esta dissertação propõe uma definição clara de geoproduto e dos seus diferentes tipos com base no seu carácter tangível, intangível ou de serviço. O principal objectivo deste estudo é o de propor algumas ideias de geoprodutos para o Platåbergens Aspiring Geopark na Suécia. Este é o primeiro geoparque na Suécia e esta situação constitui uma oportunidade de ser seguido, mais tarde, como modelo por futuros geoparques aspirantes no país. Após uma revisão bibliográfica sobre este geoparque, foram selecionadas algumas características locais com potencial para servir de inspiração para criar geoprodutos. Os geoprodutos propostos para o Geoparque Platåbergens basearam-se em características naturais e culturais locais, e também no perfil dos visitantes e nos seus interesses. Alguns geoprodutos propostos para o Geoparque Platåbergens podem ser adaptados a outros geoparques, utilizando outros materiais locais. A implementação efetiva de geoprodutos num geoparque deve ser feita em diálogo com a comunidade local, a fim de avaliar a sua capacidade e interesse em implementar e vender estes geoprodutos. O seu envolvimento pode contribuir para reforçar o compromisso da comunidade com o projeto do geoparque no seu território.This dissertation was supported by national funding awarded by FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P. (projects UIDB/04683/2020 and UIDP/04683/2020) to the Institute of Earth Sciences

Evaluation of Active aging condition in the elderly in Tehran and its relative factors

Scientific and international assemblies now consider active aging as an important concept in an aging positive approach. The goal of this study is to evaluate active aging condition in the elderly in Tehran and its relative factors. This study is a cross-sectional descriptive research, which is performed in June and July 2018. The sample includes 131 old adults (people with the age of 60 or more than 60) living in Shemiranat area of Tehran. These people are selected via two-stage cluster sampling. Data- gathering tool includes “active aging” questionnaire, “life satisfaction in elderly” questionnaire  and demographic data of old adults. Data analysis is performed by SPSS software and also using descriptive statistics, t-test and Pearson correlation. In this study, data suggest that only 9.2 % of case study were at the higher level of aging. According to six index of active aging, most respondent status were weak in “active mind maintenance” and “social-institutional participation” and were average in  “agent attitude”, “physical-functional activity”, “social contacts” and “productive engagement”.  There were reverse and meaningful relation between age and number of children variables and active aging (    and there were positive and meaningful relation between education, occupation and income level variables ( . However, there were no meaningful relation between sex and marital status . The results of this study also suggest that there is positive and meaningful relation between “life satisfaction of elderly” and “active aging” ( . According to low level of active aging in old adult of Tehran, this issue needs to be addressed by the authorities. Therefore, it is necessary to consider and modify the needed solutions to improve the level of active aging and special services for this group in the future planning of the country. On the other hand, considering the concept of active aging has recently been raised in the scientific community, researchers need to plan and implement more extensive studied in this area. &nbsp

Spiritual Health in the Iranian Elderly: A Systematic Review

For downloading the full-text of this article please click here.Background and Objective: Considering the increase in the elderly population of the country, it is essential to pay attention to different aspects of their health including their spiritual health and the factors affecting it. The present study is an attempt to achieve a comprehensive outlook of the status of spiritual health in the Iranian elderly and the influential factors in this regard.Methods: This is a systematic review and search. At the end of July, 2019, English and Persian articles were searched and read on the PubMed, Google Scholar, Iranian journals database, Jahad Daneshgahi Database Center, and Noormags using the keywords ‘elderly’, ‘spiritual well-being’, ‘elderly’, ‘older people’, ‘older adult’, ‘aged’, ‘senior’, ‘Iran’, and ‘spiritual health’. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 34 related articles were included in the study. The authors reported no conflicts of interest in the present study.Results: Out of the articles included in the study, 17 articles had examined the relationship between spiritual health and psychological factors, seven studies had described the status of spiritual health, four had examined the relationship between spiritual health and the quality of life and three studies had studied the relationship between successful old age, prayers and blood sugar control. Three studies were interventional examining the effect of telling memories, spiritual care and spiritual intervention on spiritual health of the elderly. Furthermore, in more than 90% of the studies, Palotzin and Ellison’s Spiritual Health questionnaire had been used for assessing spiritual health and in most of the studies the spiritual health score has been evaluated as medium.Conclusion: Based on the findings, it can be stated that promoting spiritual health in the elderly can be effective in improving their mental health, quality of life and sense of satisfaction in life. The results related to the relationship between demographic features and spiritual health were paradoxical in some cases. Therefore, there is a need to develop and use a more appropriate instrument well-suited to this age group and the Iranian-Islamic culture for evaluating and assessing spiritual health in the elderly.For downloading the full-text of this article please click here.Please cite this article as: Kashanimovahhed B, Hosseinian-sarajehloo F, Bahrami AR, Shokri-Khoubestani M, Abdoljabari M.Spiritual Health in the Iranian Elderly: A Systematic Review. Journal of Pizhūhish dar dīn va salāmat. 2020;6(2):129-147. https://doi.org/10.22037/jrrh.v6i2.2687

The Safety and Effectiveness of a Polysaccharide Extracted from Rosa Canina in Patients with NAFLD: A Randomized Trial

Objective: Non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) is a common pathology of hepatocytes due to the accumulation of fat which is predominantly implicated in obesity. Due to the multifaceted characterization of fatty liver and no effective treatment, this study was aimed to assess the protective effect of a polysaccharide in NAFL patients. Materials and methods: Polysaccharide fraction was isolated from Rosa canina and administered to 33 NAFL patients for 90 days. Demographic information, liver ultrasonography, and the activity of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) enzymes were studied. Data were analyzed with the use of SPSS version 21 (SPSS, Inc.) All data were shown as means ± SDs and p < 0.05 was considered as significant. Results: After 90-day prescription, the weight loss, reduced activity of ALT and AST as well as changing the echogenicity of the liver from grades of 3, 2, and 1 to 2, 1 and normal, respectively, were observed in patients compared to the baseline (p ≤ 0.05). In addition, there were no visible side effects in patients during drug consumption. Conclusions: The data indicated that polysaccharide fraction with no obvious side effects is significantly able to protect the liver from steatosis in patients with NAFL disease. However, further information is required to better conclude on the effectiveness of the isolated polysaccharide as a promising fatty liver drug

Supportive needs of women who have experienced pregnancy termination due to fetal abnormalities: a qualitative study from the perspective of women, men and healthcare providers in Iran

Abstract Background Extensive application of screening tests for early diagnosis of fetal abnormalities would justify support for women who are facing pregnancy termination due to fetal abnormalities. Considering the lack of available information regarding supportive sources for these people, the present study was conducted to determine the supportive needs of women who have experienced pregnancy termination due to fetal abnormalities. Methods The present research was a qualitative study. The participants were selected using a purposeful sampling method with maximum variation. Data were collected through in-depth personal interviews and taking of field notes and were analyzed simultaneously using conventional content analysis. Results The main categories that appeared in the present study included “support from the husband” with sub-categories of “mental support and necessary accompaniments”, “participating in planning for future pregnancy” and “financial support to pay the costs of diagnosis and follow-up”, “support from the family and friends” with sub-categories of “helping in taking care of other children”, “help in performing daily activities” and “empathy, companionship and necessary support to maintain mental peace” and finally “support from peers” with sub-categories of “communicating with the peers and receiving information from them” and “creating a sense of confidence and hopefulness”. Conclusions Results of the present study, by determining and highlighting the supportive needs of women who have experienced pregnancy termination due to fetal abnormalities, could be an appropriate basis for providing effective strategies to improve constant participation of the husbands, family members and the peers along with other professional care

The needs of women who have experienced pregnancy termination due to fetal anomalies: A literature review

Background: Pregnancy termination due to fetal anomalies is associated with emotional, psychological, and social injuries for women. Determining the needs of women with these experiences is the key for programming to provide high quality and desirable care. Hence, the present study was conducted to determine the needs of women who have experienced pregnancy termination due to fetal anomalies. Materials and Methods: The present literature review was conducted in March 2018 by searching databases such as Irandoc, SID, MagIran, Iranmedex, Cochrane, Science Direct, ISI Web of science, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus. The used keywords for the search included “fetal anomalies,” “pregnancy termination due to fetal anomalies,” “therapeutic abortion,” “need assessment,” and “care program.” Publication date was restricted to 2004–2017, and publication language was restricted to English and Farsi. Article search was conducted by two independent reviewers, and all of the studies were evaluated by these two individuals. The searches resulted in finding 88 articles related to the subject from which 16 articles that had more appropriately covered the topic were selected for the present study. Results: From the results, the needs of these women could be categorized into two groups of “needs related to the care system” and “needs related to the husband, family members, friends, and peers.” Conclusions: Considering that women who have experienced pregnancy termination due to fetal anomalies have different needs, educating healthcare providers and husbands, family members, friends, and peers for providing comprehensive care tailored to the needs of these individuals seems necessary