A new data embedding method for mpeg layer III audio steganography

A new method of MP3 steganography is proposed with emphasis on increasing the steganography capacity of the carrier medium. This paper proposes a data embedding algorithm to hide more information for compressed bitstream of MP3 audio files. The sign bits of Huffman codes are selected as the stego-object according to the Huffman coding characteristic in region of Count1. Embedding process does not require the main MP3 audio file during the extraction of hidden message and the size of MP3 file cannot be changed in this step. Our proposed method caused much higher information embedding capacity with lower computational complexity compared with MP3Stego tools. Experimental results show an excellent imperceptibility for the new algorithm

Bedaquiline: Current status and future perspectives

The development of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is a major threat worldwide. Based on World Health Organization (WHO) reports, it is estimated that more than 500 000 new cases of drug-resistant TB occur annually. In addition, there are alarming reports of increasing multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and the emergence of extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) from different countries of the world. Therefore, new options for TB therapy are required. Bedaquiline (BDQ), a novel anti-TB drug, has significant minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) both against drug-susceptible and drug-resistant TB. Moreover, BDQ was recently approved for therapy of MDR-TB. The current narrative review summarises the available data on BDQ resistance, describes its antimicrobial properties, and provides new perspectives on clinical use of this novel anti-TB agent. © 2021 The Author(s

Efficacy of Carboplatin Alone and in Combination with ABT888 in Intracranial Murine Models of BRCA-Mutated and BRCA-Wild-Type Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Patients with breast cancer brain metastases have extremely limited survival and no approved systemic therapeutics. Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) commonly metastasizes to the brain and predicts poor prognosis. TNBC frequently harbors BRCA mutations translating to platinum sensitivity potentially augmented by additional suppression of DNA repair mechanisms through poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP) inhibition. We evaluated brain penetrance and efficacy of Carboplatin +/− the PARP inhibitor ABT888, and investigated gene expression changes in murine intracranial (IC) TNBC models stratified by BRCA and molecular subtype status

A new speaker change detection method in a speaker identification system for two-speakers segmentation

Speaker change detection is done in many speaker and speech identification applications that the speech is from two speakers. However, the standard metric-based methods performance is not suitable and stable owing to the amid window distance calculation stability. Therefore, a new method is proposed to improve the stability and enhance the performance of the system according to speakers' characteristics using between window correlations. Moreover, reference speaker models set that shows the space of the entire speaker model are trained in this approach. A metric is defined as the between window correlation of scores likelihood vectors versus the reference models. The Peak and Valley information and gender information are also used. In this paper, we look at telephone conversations where it is known a priori that there are two speakers, but the identity of the speakers is not known. Experiments over Farsdat Database show better performance In comparison with the GLR and the BIC approaches. This new approach has more effect rather than the GLR and the BIC approaches in the broader value of defined thresholds

Infrastructures Required for the Expansion of Family Physician Program to Urban Settings in Iran

Introduction: Following the implementation of Family Physician (FP) Program in rural areas and cities with populations under 20000 in 2005, the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education in 2012 decided to implement urban FP in large cities with populations more than 20000. Along with the development and implementation of urban FP in Iran, local websites and newspapers reflected the viewpoints of experts in various levels of health system regarding the various stages of Family Medicine (FM) development (from agenda setting to initial stages of implementation). This study aimed to explore the major infrastructures perceived to be required to achieve desirable implementation of urban FP through analyzing experts' viewpoints reflected in the media and interviews. Methods: In a qualitative study, we analyzed the contents of health related national websites as well as transcribed interviews with key informants. Documents were collected from December 2011 to January 2014 and interviews were conducted from February 2014 to June 2015. We used mixed thematic approach (inductive and deductive) for analysis that was assisted by MAXQDA 12 software. Results: Infrastructures needed for the implementation of FP were categorized in five main themes and 23 subthemes. The themes are: 'Stewardship/governance', 'Actors and stakeholders', 'structural infrastructure', 'technical infrastructure and needed resources', and 'information and communication infrastructure'. Conclusions: Expansion of FP program to urban settings needs appropriate attention to the principles of policy implementation as well as provision of robust infrastructures. Well-defined stewardship, revised approach to financial regulation and payment system, stakeholder's commitment to collaboration, policy for conflict resolution, and universal insurance coverage are pivotal for the expansion of family physician program to the urban settings in Iran

The association between moral distress and moral courage in nurses: A cross-sectional study in iran

Background: Moral distress and moral courage among healthcare professionals have received considerable attention in recent years. However, there is a paucity of studies investigating these topics among nurses. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the association between moral distress and moral courage among nurses in an Iranian sample population. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted during February–December 2018. Corley’s Moral Distress (MDS-R) and Sekerka’s moral courage scales were used to collect the data. MDS-R is a 21-items scale which includes frequency and intensity ranges from 0 (never) to 4 (very frequently) and 0 (none) to 4 (great extent), respectively. In addition, the moral courage scale contains 15 items ranging from “never true” (1 point) to “always true” (7 points). In total, 225 eligible nurses were entered into this study. Finally, SPSS-16 was used for statistical analysis at the α = 0.05 level. Results: The mean scores of the frequency and intensity of moral distress and moral courage were 45.41 (95 CI = 43.37-47.45), 44.24 (95 CI = 42.98-45.42), and 59.63 (95 CI = 58.50-60.87), respectively. Eventually, a significant relationship was found between the moral courage and frequency of moral distress (r = 0.46, p < 0.001) and the intensity of moral distress (r = 0.73, p < 0.001). Conclusions: In general, encouraging healthcare managers and administrators is considered as crucial for developing supportive structures and highly sensitive management which promotes moral courage while reducing moral distress in nurses’ work setting. © 2020 Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Researc

The prevalence of sexual violence during pregnancy in Iran and the world: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Domestic violence during pregnancy is a public health crisis, because it affects both mother and fetus simultaneously, resulting in irreversible consequences for mothers and their newborns. This study was performed to determine the prevalence of sexual violence during pregnancy in the world and Iran as meta-analysis. METHODS: This study is a meta-analysis on the prevalence of sexual violence during pregnancy in the world and Iran that was conductedon Persian and English published articles up to 2015. To this end, through searching the information by key words and their compounds at SID, Medlib, Irandoc, Google scholar, Pubmid, ISI, Iranmedex, Scopus and Magiran, all related articles were extracted independently by two trained researchers. The results of studies analyzed using the STATA and Spss 16 software. RESULTS: In the initial searching of 167 articles, 33 articles related to Iran, 40 articles related to other parts of the world and totally 73 articles met inclusion criteria for study. The prevalence of sexual violence during pregnancy were estimated in the world 17 (CI 95: 15 -18) and in Iran 28 (CI 95: 23-32). The prevalence of sexual violence during pregnancy in Iran is 11 percent more than the world. CONCLUSIONS: According to the present meta-analysis results, the prevalence of sexual violence during pregnancy in Iran is high. Given that sexual violence during pregnancy causes damage to the mother and infant, it is recommended that the relevant authorities with the implementation of intervention and educational programs reduce the prevalence of sexual violence during pregnancy

Environmental Related Risk Factors to Road Traffic Accidents in Ilam, Iran

Introduction: Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are the most serious health issue in the world and the main cause of death after the first year of birth. Environmental factors are among the most important and effective aspects of RTIs occurrences and their human consequences. Aim: This study aimed to identify the environmental factors associated with road traffic accidents (RTAs) in Ilam province. Methods: All crash data in Ilam province in 2012 were investigated. RTI's data was collected using COM 114 form which included some human, environmental and vehicle related factors. Through Chi-Square test and logistic regression model, the association between environmental factors and RTIs was examined. For all statistical analyses we used the package Stata 13.1. Results: A total of 2314 traffic accidents were investigated. The highest 1659 (72.3) and lowest 19 (0.83) frequency of RTAs occurred during day and sunrise respectively. The majority of RTAs took place in July and September. The maximum number of RTAs was when the day was clear (91.7) 2103 and the minimum when it was cloudy (3.5) 81. A significant relationship was found between fatal RTAs and factors such as; the sort of the road, the hindered visibility, the location of the accident, the accidents' place, the climate, and lighting of the day (P<0.05). The adjusted chance of traffic accidents causing death or injuries in main streets was 9.7 times more than in highways; in sidetracks it was 3.54 times more. And when it was cloudy, the chance was 2.60 times more than when was clear (P<0.05). Conclusion: Regarding the standards of road construction, development of the roads, and educating drivers how to adjust their driving behavior to the environment and road conditions could have a great role in decreasing RTAs causing death or injury

The impact of Health Sector Evolution Plan on the performance of hospitals in Iran: Evidence from the Pabon Lasso model

Purpose The Health Sector Evolution Plan (HSEP) is the most recent reform in Iran's health care system that was launched in May 2014 in all university-affiliated hospitals to reduce health care expenditure for patients, while improving the efficiency and quality of hospital services. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of the HSEP on the performance of 15 hospitals affiliated with Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), located in the western region of Iran. Design/methodology/approach The Pabon Lasso model was used to measure the performance of hospitals before and after the implementation of the HSEP in 2013-2014 and 2015-2016, respectively. Three indicators of average length of stay (ALoS), bed occupancy rate (BOR) and bed turnover rate (BTR) were analyzed by the Pabon Lasso model. Findings The results showed that the average ALoS, BTR and BOR before the introduction of the HSEP were 2.59 days, 92 times and 57 percent, respectively, and the corresponding figures for these indicators after the implementation of the HSEP were 2.61 days, 98.9 times and 59.9 percent. The results indicated that before the introduction of the HESP, 40 percent of hospitals were in zone 1 (poor performance: low BTR and BOR and high ALoS), 27 percent in zone 2, 20 percent in zone 3 (good performance: high BTR and BOR and low ALoS) and 13 percent in zone 4. After the HSEP, the proportion of hospitals in zones 1-4 was 33, 27, 20 and 20 percent, respectively. Originality/value This study is the first to use the Pabon Lasso model technique to evaluate the impact of the HSEP on hospitals affiliated with KUMS

Tendency to Rhinoplasty in University Students Based on the Level of Self-Esteem and Body Image Concern

Objective: The increasing tendency of the Iranian people, especially the youth to cosmetic surgery has become one of the major psychosocial challenges. The aim of this study was to determine tendency to rhinoplasty in terms of self-esteem and body image concern among university students of Ilam city. Methods: Two hundred and eighty-six students from Ilam city universities were entered into cross-sectional study using two-stage random sampling method. Data were collected using a 34-item questionnaire that includes demographic information, Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSES) and Body Image Concern Inventory (BICI) by self-reported data gathering method. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software and for analyzing data, the descriptive statistics, chi-square test, t-tests and One Way ANOVA were used. Results: The participants Mean +/- SD of age was 21.15 +/- 2.28. Most of them were female (58.74 ), single (90.9 ) and studying in non-medical fields(57.34 ). The results of the study showed the significant differences between students tendency to rhinoplasty by gender (P=0.001), Field of Study (P=0.046) and economic conditions (P=0.027). In addition, there were significant differences between mean scores of self-esteem and body image concern in our study population in terms of rhinoplasty status, (P=0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study show that the intention of having rhinoplasty surgery among university students is affected by level of their Self-esteem and also their concerns about their body image. In addition, the social determinants of health such as gender and economic conditions play a significant role in the tendency of university students to undergo rhinoplasty