Evaluation of parenteral nutritional support in the surgical and medical wards of a referral teaching hospital

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Malnutrition is a common problem in patients who are hospitalized in surgical and medical wards. Surgical patients, geriatric populations and individuals with severe illness are more vulnerable to malnutrition during their hospitalization course. The purpose of this study was evaluation of parenteral nutrition services in a referral teaching hospital, Tehran, Iran. METHOD: Medical records of 72 patients who received parenteral nutrition during one year period in different surgical and medical wards of Imam Khomeini hospital were reviewed retrospectively by clinical pharmacists. Criteria for initiation of parenteral nutrition, selection of appropriate formulation and monitoring parameters were assessed based on the American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition recommendations. RESULTS: Based on the patients' anthropometric parameters and serum albumin levels, 4.2%, 75% and 20.8% of the patients were well-nourished, moderately malnourished and severely malnourished respectively at the hospital admission and before nutritional support. Adequate calorie, protein, carbohydrate and lipid supports were achieved in 21.1%, 32.4%, 23.7% and 10.5% of the patients respectively. About 91% of the patients experienced at least one complication of the nutritional support. CONCLUSION: In this evaluation, several errors in assessment, establishing goals, and monitoring of parenteral nutrition regimens have been detected. Approximately all of the patients did not receive to the trace elements supports goals

Reviewing role of Corporate governance regarding transactions with related parties and company performance among companies admitted into Tehran Stock Exchange

This research reviews the role of corporate governance regarding transactions with related parties and company performance. 85 companies admitted into the TSE were studies during a six months period between 2008 and 2013. Transaction with related parties is a usual trait of commercial activities. For example, some businesses conduct their activities via subsidiary businesses, particular partnerships and related businesses. Transactions with related parties can affect financial situation, financial performance and flexibility of the business. In this research the ratio of non-executive members of the board of directors to total members, membership or non membership of the managing director in the board, size of board and shares of institutional owners have been used as corporate governance variables. Finally, Eviews and Excel software and multi variable regression were used to test the research hypothesis. Results indicate a significant correlation between transactions with related parties and returns on assets. Results also showed that by importing corporate governance variables into the model, explanatory power of model increases and negative effect of transactions with related parties on performance reduces

A Review of Medicinal Herbs Capable of Preventing Blood Coagulation and Platelet Aggregation

Blood coagulation is a process carried out to prevent blood loss when a person is wounded. The blood coagulates in the wound place and creates a barrier which prevents bleeding. The blood coagulation process is one of the most important and vital physiological processes in the human body which is affected by many factors. Many congenital and acquired defects in each of these factors can affect the coagulation process and cause many problems for humans. Related articles were searched from Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, High Wire, MD Consult and Scopus data bases, and finally 19 articles were included in this study. In this study, 19 anti-coagulant medicinal plants were diagnosed and evaluated. Finally, it follows from this study that there are many medicinal herbs that have different effective substances to prevent blood coagulation by various mechanisms. These plants can be used as highly efficient resources in the production of valuable drugs against diseases caused by blood coagulation

A Study of Life Skill Components in Clients Referred to Health and Counseling Centers

Background: Life skills include a set of abilities to increase the power of adaptability and positive behavior. The objective of this study was to determine the distribution of ten life skill components and their related factors among individuals referring to veterans' health and counseling centers in the city of Tehran. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among participants over the age of 20. The sample size was estimated based on the Morgan table and Cochran sampling formula. The present study utilized the shortened life skills scale including 10 subscales.  Data were analyzed using statistical t-test, Pearson correlation, and one-way analysis of variance. Results: The total mean of life skills was significantly higher among women (P value=0.01). Age had a significant direct correlation with total life skills (r=0.19). There were significant differences between the three educational levels in 8 out of 10 components. The decision-making power had a significant correlation with "problem solving" and "creative thinking". "Critical thinking" had a high correlation with "effective communication", "coping with stress" and "attracting social support". "Coping with emotion" had a direct and high correlation with "coping with stress" and "self-awareness" but its correlation was reversed with "creative thinking". Conclusions: The mean score of life skills among clients of veteran`s health and counseling centers was slightly higher than the average population; while the rate of enjoyment of life skills was different in this subpopulation. The results implicate an urgent need to improve life skills, especially for highly educated people. Keywords:  Life skills, Veterans, Cross-sectional study, Iran

A Study of Life Skill Components in Clients Referred to Health and Counseling Centers

Background: Life skills include a set of abilities to increase the power of adaptability and positive behavior. The objective of this study was to determine the distribution of ten life skill components and their related factors among individuals referring to veterans' health and counseling centers in the city of Tehran. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among participants over the age of 20. The sample size was estimated based on the Morgan table and Cochran sampling formula. The present study utilized the shortened life skills scale including 10 subscales.  Data were analyzed using statistical t-test, Pearson correlation, and one-way analysis of variance. Results: The total mean of life skills was significantly higher among women (P value=0.01). Age had a significant direct correlation with total life skills (r=0.19). There were significant differences between the three educational levels in 8 out of 10 components. The decision-making power had a significant correlation with "problem solving" and "creative thinking". "Critical thinking" had a high correlation with "effective communication", "coping with stress" and "attracting social support". "Coping with emotion" had a direct and high correlation with "coping with stress" and "self-awareness" but its correlation was reversed with "creative thinking". Conclusions: The mean score of life skills among clients of veteran`s health and counseling centers was slightly higher than the average population; while the rate of enjoyment of life skills was different in this subpopulation. The results implicate an urgent need to improve life skills, especially for highly educated people. Keywords:  Life skills, Veterans, Cross-sectional study, Iran

Deconstructing phallogocentrism in Shahrnush Parsipur’s Touba and the meaning of night: a psycho-feminist study

Shahrnush Parsipur (1946) is a celebrated and courageous Iranian novelist. This study deals with her controversial, epic novel Touba and the Meaning of Night (1989). The novel is analyzed based on Lacanian theory of subject formation and Cixousian concept of ‘ecriture feminine. In this essay a psychoanalytic-feminist discourse is used to intervene between a phallogocentric discourse and a feminist discourse. The pivotal aims of the study are to deconstruct Lacan’s concept of phallogocentrism, to redefine the concept of womanhood and to reconstruct feminine identity. According to the French psychoanalyst, Jacque Lacan, it is language that ultimately structures our conscious and unconscious mind and our identity. He introduced a tripartite scheme of psychic development: imaginary, symbolic and real. The symbolic order and its accompanying concept of phallogocentrism is the main focus of this study. By deconstructing symbolic phallus as the transcendental signified which signifies everything including female identity, the researcher’s aim is to focus on the need for a female framework and a feminine discourse free from male assumptions in order to reconstruct feminine identity. Helene Cixous, in her essay The Laugh of Medusa (1975), introduces a particular kind of female writing and tries to reconstruct the women’s shattered, colonized and marginalized identities in order to deconstruct the dominant symbolic order and phallocentric discourse. The task of this studyis to deal with and to follow the trace of masculine ideology and discourse in women’s identity in the novel Touba and the Meaning of Night. The study also, inspired by Helene Cixous’sprophecy of women’s experience of writing in a male dominated atmosphere claims that through deconstruction and break down of phallogocentrism, female subjects are constructed and a new discourse for women is established based on which they can reconstruct and forge their new identities

Effect of filler material and foaming agent on practical properties of wood plastic composites

In this study, feasibility of foaming wood plastic composites using injection molding process was investigated. The effect of lignocellulosic raw material (Poplar saw dust and soybean straw flour) on the properties of composites was examined. Wood plastic composite boards with 3.2 mm thickness, 105 mm width and 105 mm length were prepared using high density polyethylene granules.  The foaming agent (Azodicarbonamide) at 2 wt % was also used. The scanning electron microscope micrographs confirmed that foaming process has been successfully carried out. The Results showed that all mechanical properties (except the impact strength) decreased while water absorption increased as the microcellular foaming method was used. Adding soybean straw flour to the foam structure led to​​ the decrease in flexural strength, flexural modulus of elasticity and tensile strength. Water absorption and thickness swelling were negatively affected with the addition of soybean straw flour

Adherence to Empiric Antibiotic Therapy Guideline in a Referral Teaching Hospital, Tehran, Iran

Antibiotic guidelines have proven to be a simple and effective intervention to guide the choice of appropriate empiric antibiotic regimens. The goals of this study were to evaluate adherence to guidelines and streamlining of antibiotics. Hospital records of hospitalized patients in infectious diseases ward Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran, Iran, from May 2008 to September 2009 were reviewed. Adherence to guideline was defined as the use of empiric antibiotic in accordance with the clinical diagnosis and local guideline recommendations. In this study, 528 patients with a confirmed infectious disease diagnosis were considered for analysis. The four most frequent diagnoses were skin and soft tissue infections, tuberculosis, respiratory tract infections, and HIV associated opportunistic infections. The most frequent prescribed antibiotic was ceftriaxone. Overall adherence to guideline was 70.8% and the adherence for the most frequent diagnosis was 68%. Frequency of compatibility with the guidelines for were administrated regimes on the basis of drug selection, dosage form and drug dosing were 86.2%, 97% and 84.7%, respectively. The mean lag time between patients' hospital admission and starting empiric therapy was 1.69±4.9 days. In general, physicians' adherence with guidelines for empiric antibiotic therapy was high in infectious disease ward with a justified delay. Larger studies are required to establish these conclusions