User fee removal for the poor:a qualitative study to explore policies for social health assistance in Iran

INTRODUCTION: Removal of user fee for vulnerable people reduces the financial barriers associated with healthcare payments, which, in turn, improves health outcomes and promotes health equity. This study sought to provide policy strategies to reduce user fee at the point of service delivery for the poor in Iran. METHODS: This is a qualitative study carried out in 2018. The purposive sampling method was applied, and 33 experts with relevant and valuable experiences and maximum variation to obtain representativeness and rich data were interviewed. Trustworthiness criteria were used to assure the quality of the results. The data were analyzed based on thematic analysis using the MAXQDA10 software. RESULTS: The most important issue regarding financial protection against user fee for the poor in Iran is policy integration and cohesion. Differences in access to financial support for user fee coverage among different groups of the poor have led to inequalities in access and financial protection among the poor. The suggested protection policies against the user fee at the point of service delivery in Iran can be categorized into three main categories: 1) basic health social insurance instruments, 2) free health services to the poor outside of the health insurance system, and 3) complementary insurance mechanisms. CONCLUSION: Implementing a cohesive social assistance policy for all disadvantaged groups is needed to address inequalities in financial protection against user fee payment among the poor in Iran. Reducing user fee through mechanisms such as deductible cap, stop-loss, variable user fee and sliding fee scale can improve financial protection and enhance healthcare utilization among the poor. A user fee exemption is not enough to remove barriers to access to service for the poor, as other costs such as transportation expenditures and informal payments also put financial pressure on them. Therefore, financial support for the poor should be designed in a comprehensive protection package to reduce out-of-pocket payments for healthcare services, and indirect costs associated with healthcare utilization

Comparison of athletes’ personality characteristics in individual and team sports

AbstractThis study compared athletes’ personality characteristics in individual and team sports. 134 athletes (92 team, 42 individual, 88 males, and 46 females) completed the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO-PI-R) and the Sociotropy-Autonomy Scale (SAS). The results revealed that individual sport athletes scored significantly higher on conscientiousness and autonomy than did team sport athletes. The team sport athletes scored significantly higher on agreeableness and sociotropy than did the individual sport athletes. No significant difference was found between the two groups on neuroticism, extraversion, and openness. It can be concluded that athletes’ personality characteristics are different for individual and team sports

Involvement of auxin in the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis

Most land plant species live in symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. This is a very ancient symbiosis dating back to 450 million years. AM fungi are soil fungi that belong to the Glomeromycota. They are present in most terrestrial ecosystems. Thus they can be considered as an integral root component of plants. They form essential functional structures called arbuscules in root cortical cells at which mineral nutrients are released to the plant in exchange of sugars. The phytohormone auxin is involved in many developmental processes in plants, including apical dominance, tropisms, vascular patterning and lateral root formation. The main objective of our work was to investigate further the role of auxin in the mycorrhizal developmental process. We already know that AM symbiosis stimulates the lateral root formation in host plants, which could be due to modification of auxin metabolism, transport or perception. The microRNAs (miRNAs) are ~21-nucleotides noncoding RNAs that target corresponding mRNA transcripts for cleavage and transcriptional repression. Several miRNAs interact with auxin signaling and among them miR393 that targets auxin receptors. We investigated the role of miR393 in AM root colonization. In Solanum lycopersicum (Solanaceae), Medicago truncatula (Fabaceae) and Oryza sativa (Poaceae), expression of the precursors of the miR393 was down-regulated during mycorrhization. In addition DR5-GUS, a reporter for auxin response, was found to be preferentially expressed in root cells containing arbuscules. By over-expressing miR393 in roots and therefore down-regulating auxin receptor genes, arbuscules could not develop normally. As components of auxin receptor complexes, Aux/IAA proteins play a major role in auxin signaling pathway by repressing the activity of ARF type transcription factors. We checked the expression of 25 AUX/IAA genes in AM roots. Among them, we focused on IAA27 that was significantly up-regulated during the early stages of AM symbiosis. IAA27 down-regulation in plants led to a strong decrease of AM colonization and arbuscule abundance. We showed by different approaches that the positive regulation of mycorrhization by IAA27 was linked to strigolactone biosynthesis. Overall these results strongly support the hypothesis that auxin signaling plays an important role both in the early stage of mycorrhization and in the arbuscule formation

Involvement of auxin in the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis in tomato

La plupart des espèces végétales terrestres vivent en symbiose avec les champignons mycorhiziens à arbuscules (MA). Il s’agit d’une symbiose très ancienne datant de plus de 400 millions d’années. Les champignons MA sont des champignons du sol qui appartiennent aux Gloméromycètes. Ils sont présents dans la plupart des écosystèmes terrestres. Ainsi, ils peuvent être considérés comme une composante intégrale des racines des plantes. Ils forment dans les cellules racinaires corticales des structures fonctionnelles essentielles appelées arbuscules où ils apportent à la plante des minéraux nutritifs en échange de sucres. L’auxine est une phytohormone impliquée dans de nombreux processus de développement des plantes, y compris la dominance apicale, les tropismes, la structuration vasculaire et la formation de racines latérales. Le principal objectif de notre travail était d’étudier de manière approfondie le rôle de l’auxine dans le processus de développement des mycorhizes. On sait déjà que la symbiose MA stimule la formation de racines latérales dans les plantes hôtes, ce qui pourrait être due à une modification du métabolisme de l’auxine, de son transport ou de sa perception. Les microARNs (miARNs) sont des molécules d’ARN non codantes de ~ 21 nucléotides capables de réprimer l’expression de gènes en ciblant et clivant spécifiquement leur ARNm correspondant. Plusieurs miARNs interagissent avec la signalisation de l’auxine et parmi eux miR393 qui cible les récepteurs à l’auxine. Nous avons étudié le rôle de miR393 dans la colonisation mycorhizienne. Nous mettons en évidence que chez Solanum lycopersicum (Solanacées), Medicago truncatula (Fabaceae) et Oryza sativa (Poaceae), l’expression des précurseurs de miR393 diminue lors de la mycorhization. En outre nous montrons que DR5-GUS, un gène rapporteur de réponse à l’auxine, est préférentiellement exprimé dans les cellules de la racine contenant les arbuscules. En sur-exprimant miR393 dans les racines et donc en régulant négativement l’expression des gènes de récepteurs à l’auxine, nous montrons également que les arbuscules ne se développent pas normalement. En tant que composantes des complexes récepteurs d’auxine, les protéines Aux/IAA jouent un rôle majeur dans la voie de signalisation de l’auxine en réprimant l’activité des facteurs de transcription de type ARF. Nous avons vérifié dans des racines de tomate mycorhizées l’expression de 25 gènes AUX/IAA. Nous nous sommes concentrés sur IAA27 dont l’expression est induite lors des premiers stades de la symbiose MA. Nous observons qu’une répression par ARNi de l’expression de IAA27 dans des plants de tomate conduit à une forte diminution de la colonisation MA et du nombre des arbuscules. Puis nous montrons par des approches différentes que la régulation positive de la mycorhization par IAA27 est liée à la biosynthèse des strigolactones. Globalement, ces résultats appuient fortement l’hypothèse selon laquelle la signalisation de l’auxine joue un rôle important aussi bien dans le stade précoce de la mycorhization que dans la formation des arbuscules. ABSTRACT : Most land plant species live in symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. This is a very ancient symbiosis dating back to 450 million years. AM fungi are soil fungi that belong to the Glomeromycota. They are present in most terrestrial ecosystems. Thus they can be considered as an integral root component of plants. They form essential functional structures called arbuscules in root cortical cells at which mineral nutrients are released to the plant in exchange of sugars. The phytohormone auxin is involved in many developmental processes in plants, including apical dominance, tropisms, vascular patterning and lateral root formation. The main objective of our work was to investigate further the role of auxin in the mycorrhizal developmental process. We already know that AM symbiosis stimulates the lateral root formation in host plants, which could be due to modification of auxin metabolism, transport or perception. The microRNAs (miRNAs) are ~21-nucleotides noncoding RNAs that target corresponding mRNA transcripts for cleavage and transcriptional repression. Several miRNAs interact with auxin signaling and among them miR393 that targets auxin receptors. We investigated the role of miR393 in AM root colonization. In Solanum lycopersicum (Solanaceae), Medicago truncatula (Fabaceae) and Oryza sativa (Poaceae), expression of the precursors of the miR393 was down-regulated during mycorrhization. In addition DR5-GUS, a reporter for auxin response, was found to be preferentially expressed in root cells containing arbuscules. By over-expressing miR393 in roots and therefore down-regulating auxin receptor genes, arbuscules could not develop normally. As components of auxin receptor complexes, Aux/IAA proteins play a major role in auxin signaling pathway by repressing the activity of ARF type transcription factors. We checked the expression of 25 AUX/IAA genes in AM roots. Among them, we focused on IAA27 that was significantly up-regulated during the early stages of AM symbiosis. IAA27 down-regulation in plants led to a strong decrease of AM colonization and arbuscule abundance. We showed by different approaches that the positive regulation of mycorrhization by IAA27 was linked to strigolactone biosynthesis. Overall these results strongly support the hypothesis that auxin signaling plays an important role both in the early stage of mycorrhization and in the arbuscule formation

Morphological Characterization of Gadik Sheep in North East Part of Afghanistan

The Gadik sheep, the local breed in Afghanistan, is reared mainly for meat. The sheep is a native breed in Badakhshan and Panjshir provinces of Afghanistan and has good adaptation to cold weather and mountainous regions. It also plays a vital role in the income of households, this study investigated the documentation and morphological traits of the sheep, a survey was conducted during the research that examined the sheep\u27s habitat, body biometry, management procedures, and reproductive and productive performance. To examine the sheep\u27s morphological characteristics, 40 sheep 20 ewes and 20 rams from one to four years old had their morphological features measured. Morphological characteristics that are included in measurements are: head and neck traits; back and tail traits; teats and testes; height, length, and depth traits; coat covert; and coloring. Gadik had a characteristically three-color coat: brown, white, and black. All data were collected from 40 flocks, with an average of 28.1±1.9 heads per flock. They lambed twins at about 45.0±3.33% and remain single, and they also followed a restricted breeding pattern, i.e., they got just one lambing per year in the spring but others lambed twice per year. The flocks graze for 10±0.2 h daily during the summer. Shearing was done twice a year, in spring and fall, with an average wool production of 0.4±0.02 kg/clip animal. Gadik is a small breed among other sheep breeds in Afghanistan and possesses a small, thin, short-tail sheep with an average weight of 25.35±0.0 kg (males: 26.6±0.40 kg; females: 24.1±0.40 kg) and a slightly convex nose. Males had horns, Females were hornless. Birth weight averaged 1.2±4.39 kg. The average body length was 50.85±0.03 cm. Sex and age were important contributors to differences in most traits; however, location differences also affected a few of the traits. Location differences existed for weight traits, and animals at Wiyar and Bashar were slightly bigger and heavier as compared to Shedoj, Dashar, and Sarchashma villages. Animals had medium-sized heads with a slightly bulging forehead, a tapering face, and shining eyes. Rams carried horns, 21.9±0.44 cm long, affected by sex and age. In mature males, horns run backward and grow outward somehow spirally. The adult population had fully developed, floppy (semi-pendulous), laterally protruded, and free of any pricks, small-sized ears with an average length of 7.00±0.13 cm and a blade width of 7.00±0.12 cm, and was affected by age and sex factors. Lambs in Wiyar and Bashar had higher respective body weights, while lambs in Shedoj, Dashar, and Sarchashma were inferior to those in the remaining villages

Comparative survey of intellectual capital in cement industry, pharmaceutical and food products accepted in Tehran Stock Exchange

In this study, a comparative survey of intellectual capital and its components which are the physical, human and structural capital among the companies of cement industry, pharmaceutical and food products accepted in Tehran Stock Exchange has been addressed. For this purpose, in the time interval of 2006 to 2014, 43 companies were selected among the abovementioned industries. ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) test was chosen using SPSS software to analyze the hypotheses of the research. The results of the analysis showed that cement and pharmaceutical companies have a significant difference in their structural capital and the structural capital of the cement industry is more than that of pharmaceutical industry. Pharmaceutical and food industries are significantly different in terms of their Physical capital and the physical capital of pharmaceutical industry is more than that of food industry and ultimately, there is a significant difference between cement and the pharmaceutical industry in terms of their human capital and human capital in the industry Cement is more than that of pharmaceutical industry

Feeding habits of Bigeye Houndshark, Iago omanensis (Elasmobranchii; Triakidae); a typical deep water shark from the Gulf of Oman

In this study, the feeding habits of Bigeye Houndshark, Iago omanensis, a typical deep water shark, were examined in the Gulf of Oman by analyzing of stomach contents. In addition, the effects of sex and seasons (spring and summer) on its feeding habits were evaluated. Bigeye Houndshark diet consists of mostly teleost fishes, and to a lower extent on crustaneans, molluscs and sea snakes. The great importance of teleost in the diet of Bigeye Houndshark may be due to the fact that teleosts are the dominant in terms of biomass and abundance in the area where Bigeye Houndshark exist, allowing them to exploit food resources available in the environment. No significant differences were found between sexes and seasons. This species occupy high trophic position within the food webs. These results present new data that will allow us to understand the role of Bigeye Houndshark in the deep water of Gulf of Oman to effect of fishing activity on its population dynamics in the future

Estudar o uso dos sistemas de cálculo de custos e seu impacto no desempenho das gerentes na Bolsa de Teerã

This study examines the effect of managers’ use of costing systems, through the power of psychology, on their performance. In this research, the four-dimensional conceptual psychological strength (meaning, competence, self-determination and impact) has been considered, and the term "performance" has been used to refer to the individual performance of managers in relation to their tasks. We consider managers’ performance as a subset of individual performance, and specifically focus on how well people do their tasks.To test the hypotheses, we conducted at first a survey of mid-level managers, including 107 financial managers and production managers of active companies in the Tehran Stock Exchange; then the results were analyzed using the PLS model.The results indicated that despite the confirmation of a significant relationship between the managers’ use of costing systems and all four dimensions of psychological strength, none of these variables affect the performance of managers. The current research extends previous researches of costing systems and increases our understanding of the role in improving effectiveness of costly systems. Este estudio examina el efecto del uso de los administradores de los sistemas de cálculo de costos, a través del poder de la psicología, en su desempeño. En esta investigación, se ha considerado la fuerza psicológica conceptual cuatridimensional (significado, competencia, autodeterminación e impacto) y el término "desempeño" se ha utilizado para referirse al ejercicio individual de los gerentes en relación con sus tareas. Consideramos el desempeño de los gerentes como un subconjunto del desempeño individual y específicamente nos enfocamos en cuán bien las personas hacen sus tareas.Para probar las hipótesis, realizamos al principio una encuesta de gerentes de nivel medio, que incluía 107 gerentes financieros y gerentes de producción de compañías activas en la Bolsa de Teherán; luego los resultados fueron analizados usando el modelo PLS.Los resultados indicaron que a pesar de la confirmación de una relación significativa entre el uso de los administradores de los sistemas de costos y las cuatro dimensiones de la fortaleza psicológica, ninguna de estas variables afecta el desempeño de los gerentes. La investigación actual amplía las investigaciones previas de los sistemas de costos y aumenta nuestra comprensión del papel en la mejora de la efectividad de los sistemas onerosos.Este estudo examina o efeito do uso de sistemas de cálculo de custos pelos gestores, através do poder da psicologia, em seu desempenho. Nesta pesquisa, nós consideramos o conceitual psicológica vigor cuatridimensional (significado, competência, auto-determinação e impacto) e o termo "performance" tem sido usado para se referir ao desempenho individual dos gestores em relação às suas tarefas. Consideramos o desempenho dos gerentes como um subconjunto do desempenho individual e nos concentramos especificamente em como as pessoas fazem sua lição de casa.Para testar a hipótese, foi realizada uma pesquisa no início de gerentes de nível médio, incluindo 107 gerentes financeiros e gerentes de produção das empresas ativas na Bolsa de Teerão; Em seguida, os resultados foram analisados usando o modelo PLS.Os resultados indicaram que, apesar de confirmação de uma relação significativa entre a utilização do sistema de administradores de custo e os quatro dimensões de resistência psicológica, nenhuma destas variáveis afecta o desempenho dos gestores. A pesquisa atual estende investigações anteriores de sistemas de custos e aumenta nossa compreensão do papel na melhoria da eficácia de sistemas dispendiosos

Scanning Electron Microscope Comparative Evaluation of Feldspathic Porcelain Surfaces under Irradiation by Different Powers of Neodymium-Doped Yttrium Aluminium Garnet (Nd:YAG) Laser

Introduction: Recent use of lasers for porcelain surface treatment for adhesion of brackets to restorations has not only showed some promising results, but is also accompanied with less undesirable effects among other advantages. The purpose of this study is the comparative electron microscope evaluation of feldspathic porcelain surfaces under irradiation by Neodymium-Doped Yttrium Aluminium Garnet (Nd:YAG) with different powers (0.75, 1.5 and 2W) via the acid etching with hydrofluoric acid (HF) technique.Methods: The glazed porcelain samples were obtained by duplicating labial surfaces of maxillary central incisor teeth. The specimens were randomly treated by 4 different methods. Group1 was etched with hydrofluoric acid 9.6%. Samples in group 2 to 4 were also irradiated by Nd:YAG laser with different powers: 0.75, 1.5 and 2W. Then the samples were prepared for evaluation by scanning electron microscope (SEM).Results: Etching quality from a porosity point of view was similar for group2 and HF group. Laser with power of 0.75W has little potential to create mechanical porosity.Conclusion: In regard of the results of this study, it is possible to benefit from Nd:YAG laser with appropriate parameters for surface conditioning

Sl-IAA27 gene expression is induced during arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis in tomato and in Medicago truncatula

Aux/IAA genes play a pivotal role in auxin transcriptional regulation. Their functions were mainly studied in Arabidopsis through analysis of gain-of-function mutants. In the tomato, the Solanaceae reference species, different studies on Sl-IAA down-regulated lines showed specific role for Sl-IAA genes. Our recent work revealed that the Sl-IAA 27 gene displays a distinct behavior compared with most Aux/IAA genes, being down-regulated by auxin. Interestingly, the silencing of Sl-IAA27 leads to altered chlorophyll accumulation in leaves, reduced fertilization, altered fruit development and altered root formation. Here we report that IAA27 could be a key auxin signaling gene involved in AM in tomato and also in Medicago model plant. Indeed both Sl-IAA27 and its closest homolog in Medicago truncatula, Mt-IAA27, are overexpressed in mycorrhized roots. These data are in line with the putative role of auxin in arbuscular mycorrhization