Investigating Iran Airline Customers’ Responses in Crisis Situations and Identification of Adopted Strategies

In fierce competition of airline industry, due to sensitive nature and vital rule of crisis management, viability of companies in this industry is highly depended on skillful handling of crisis situations. The aim of this study is to first determine the different strategies of airline companies in dealing with crisis situations in Iran and then to identify the effect of Customer's perception of danger on repurchase intention for Iran's airline industry. Data obtained from 500 survey questionnaire were analyzed using the structural equation modeling (SEM). The results revealed that Denial has a significantly negative effect on Customer's perception of danger. Involuntary product recall has a significantly negative effect on Customer's perception of danger. Voluntary product recall has a significantly positive effect on Customer's perception of danger. Supper effort has a significantly positive effect on Customer's perception of danger. Customer's perception of danger has a significantly positive effect on Repurchase intentions. In addition results show that Denial was the best negative predictor of their Customer's perception of danger and Supper effort was the best positive predictor of Customer's perception of danger. Keywords: customers’ perception- response strategies- denial- involuntary product recall- voluntary product recall - supper effor

The efficiency of life skill training on emotional intelligence in chronic addicted women with a history of spousal abuse

BACKGROUND: Low emotional intelligence (EI) could affect individuals' coping strategies and make them vulnerable to violence and addiction. This study aims to study the effect of life skill training to improve EI in chronic addicted women with a history of spousal abuse.METHODS: The study was semi-experimental with a pre-test, post-test design. Conducted between October 2016 and January 2017, this study included women addicted to cannabis with a history of spousal abuse referring to some addiction intervention clinics in Tehran, Iran. 30 individuals were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria and also cut-off point for EI using the convenience sampling method. They were then assigned to two groups randomly (each group n = 15). In six sessions, the experimental group received life skill training and the control group were in the waiting list. Both groups were evaluated in baseline and after the intervention by Ghahari’s domestic violence questionnaire and Bar-on Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i). Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) in SPSS software.RESULTS: The experimental group had improvements in total score and components of EI including interpersonal EQ (F = 312.30, P < 0.050) and intrapersonal EQ (F = 295.04, P < 0.050).CONCLUSION: Life skill training could improve EI in addicted women with a history of spousal abuse

Baseline and decline in device‐derived activity level predict risk of death and heart failure in patients with an ICD for primary prevention

BackgroundImplanted defibrillators are capable of recording activity data based on company‐specific proprietary algorithms. This study aimed to determine the prognostic significance of baseline and decline in device‐derived activity level across different device companies in the real world.MethodsWe performed a retrospective cohort study of patients (n = 280) who underwent a defibrillator implantation (Boston, Medtronic, St. Jude, and Biotronik) for primary prevention at the University of Michigan from 2014 to 2016. Graphical data obtained from device interrogations were retrospectively converted to numerical data. The activity level averaged over a month from a week postimplantation was used as baseline. Subsequent weekly average activity levels (SALs) were standardized to this baseline. SAL below 59.4% was used as a threshold to group patients. All‐cause mortality and death/heart failure were the primary end‐points of this study.ResultsFifty‐six patients died in this study. On average, they experienced a 50% decline in SAL prior to death. Patients (n = 129) who dropped their SAL below threshold were more likely to be older, male, diabetic, and have more symptomatic heart failure. They also had a significantly increased risk of heart failure/death (hazard ratio [HR] 3.6, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 2.3‐5.8, P < .0001) or death (HR 4.2, 95% CI 2.2‐7.7, P < .0001) compared to those who had sustained activity levels. Lower baseline activity level was also associated with significantly increased risk of heart failure/death and death.ConclusionSignificant decline in device‐derived activity level and low baseline activity level are associated with increased mortality and heart failure in patients with an ICD for primary prevention.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156452/2/pace13981.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156452/1/pace13981_am.pd

Global burden of chronic respiratory diseases and risk factors, 1990–2019: an update from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: Updated data on chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) are vital in their prevention, control, and treatment in the path to achieving the third UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a one-third reduction in premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by 2030. We provided global, regional, and national estimates of the burden of CRDs and their attributable risks from 1990 to 2019. Methods: Using data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, we estimated mortality, years lived with disability, years of life lost, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), prevalence, and incidence of CRDs, i.e. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, pneumoconiosis, interstitial lung disease and pulmonary sarcoidosis, and other CRDs, from 1990 to 2019 by sex, age, region, and Socio-demographic Index (SDI) in 204 countries and territories. Deaths and DALYs from CRDs attributable to each risk factor were estimated according to relative risks, risk exposure, and the theoretical minimum risk exposure level input. Findings: In 2019, CRDs were the third leading cause of death responsible for 4.0 million deaths (95% uncertainty interval 3.6–4.3) with a prevalence of 454.6 million cases (417.4–499.1) globally. While the total deaths and prevalence of CRDs have increased by 28.5% and 39.8%, the age-standardised rates have dropped by 41.7% and 16.9% from 1990 to 2019, respectively. COPD, with 212.3 million (200.4–225.1) prevalent cases, was the primary cause of deaths from CRDs, accounting for 3.3 million (2.9–3.6) deaths. With 262.4 million (224.1–309.5) prevalent cases, asthma had the highest prevalence among CRDs. The age-standardised rates of all burden measures of COPD, asthma, and pneumoconiosis have reduced globally from 1990 to 2019. Nevertheless, the age-standardised rates of incidence and prevalence of interstitial lung disease and pulmonary sarcoidosis have increased throughout this period. Low- and low-middle SDI countries had the highest age-standardised death and DALYs rates while the high SDI quintile had the highest prevalence rate of CRDs. The highest deaths and DALYs from CRDs were attributed to smoking globally, followed by air pollution and occupational risks. Non-optimal temperature and high body-mass index were additional risk factors for COPD and asthma, respectively. Interpretation: Albeit the age-standardised prevalence, death, and DALYs rates of CRDs have decreased, they still cause a substantial burden and deaths worldwide. The high death and DALYs rates in low and low-middle SDI countries highlights the urgent need for improved preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic measures. Global strategies for tobacco control, enhancing air quality, reducing occupational hazards, and fostering clean cooking fuels are crucial steps in reducing the burden of CRDs, especially in low- and lower-middle income countries

Global investments in pandemic preparedness and COVID-19: development assistance and domestic spending on health between 1990 and 2026

Background The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted gaps in health surveillance systems, disease prevention, and treatment globally. Among the many factors that might have led to these gaps is the issue of the financing of national health systems, especially in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), as well as a robust global system for pandemic preparedness. We aimed to provide a comparative assessment of global health spending at the onset of the pandemic; characterise the amount of development assistance for pandemic preparedness and response disbursed in the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic; and examine expectations for future health spending and put into context the expected need for investment in pandemic preparedness. Methods In this analysis of global health spending between 1990 and 2021, and prediction from 2021 to 2026, we estimated four sources of health spending: development assistance for health (DAH), government spending, out-of-pocket spending, and prepaid private spending across 204 countries and territories. We used the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)'s Creditor Reporting System (CRS) and the WHO Global Health Expenditure Database (GHED) to estimate spending. We estimated development assistance for general health, COVID-19 response, and pandemic preparedness and response using a keyword search. Health spending estimates were combined with estimates of resources needed for pandemic prevention and preparedness to analyse future health spending patterns, relative to need. Findings In 2019, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, US$9·2 trillion (95$7·3 trillion (95% UI 7·2–7·4) in 2019; 293·7 times the $24·8 billion (95$43·1 billion in development assistance was provided to maintain or improve health. The pandemic led to an unprecedented increase in development assistance targeted towards health; in 2020 and 2021, $1·8 billion in DAH contributions was provided towards pandemic preparedness in LMICs, and$37·8 billion was provided for the health-related COVID-19 response. Although the support for pandemic preparedness is 12·2% of the recommended target by the High-Level Independent Panel (HLIP), the support provided for the health-related COVID-19 response is 252·2% of the recommended target. Additionally, projected spending estimates suggest that between 2022 and 2026, governments in 17 (95% UI 11–21) of the 137 LMICs will observe an increase in national government health spending equivalent to an addition of 1% of GDP, as recommended by the HLIP. Interpretation There was an unprecedented scale-up in DAH in 2020 and 2021. We have a unique opportunity at this time to sustain funding for crucial global health functions, including pandemic preparedness. However, historical patterns of underfunding of pandemic preparedness suggest that deliberate effort must be made to ensure funding is maintained

Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundDisorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditions in 2015 and 2016, but these analyses did not include neurodevelopmental disorders, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, or a subset of cases of congenital, neonatal, and infectious conditions that cause neurological damage. Here, we estimate nervous system health loss caused by 37 unique conditions and their associated risk factors globally, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2021.MethodsWe estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), by age and sex in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2021. We included morbidity and deaths due to neurological conditions, for which health loss is directly due to damage to the CNS or peripheral nervous system. We also isolated neurological health loss from conditions for which nervous system morbidity is a consequence, but not the primary feature, including a subset of congenital conditions (ie, chromosomal anomalies and congenital birth defects), neonatal conditions (ie, jaundice, preterm birth, and sepsis), infectious diseases (ie, COVID-19, cystic echinococcosis, malaria, syphilis, and Zika virus disease), and diabetic neuropathy. By conducting a sequela-level analysis of the health outcomes for these conditions, only cases where nervous system damage occurred were included, and YLDs were recalculated to isolate the non-fatal burden directly attributable to nervous system health loss. A comorbidity correction was used to calculate total prevalence of all conditions that affect the nervous system combined.FindingsGlobally, the 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were collectively ranked as the leading group cause of DALYs in 2021 (443 million, 95% UI 378–521), affecting 3·40 billion (3·20–3·62) individuals (43·1%, 40·5–45·9 of the global population); global DALY counts attributed to these conditions increased by 18·2% (8·7–26·7) between 1990 and 2021. Age-standardised rates of deaths per 100 000 people attributed to these conditions decreased from 1990 to 2021 by 33·6% (27·6–38·8), and age-standardised rates of DALYs attributed to these conditions decreased by 27·0% (21·5–32·4). Age-standardised prevalence was almost stable, with a change of 1·5% (0·7–2·4). The ten conditions with the highest age-standardised DALYs in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancer.InterpretationAs the leading cause of overall disease burden in the world, with increasing global DALY counts, effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies for disorders affecting the nervous system are needed

Simultaneous reduction of Cr (VI) and degradation of azo dyes by F-Fe-codoped TiO2/SiO2 photocatalysts under visible and solar irradiation

A new TiO2/SiO2 photocatalyst codoped with fluorine and iron was synthesized using sol-gel process and immobilized onto glass beads using coupling two methods of dip-coating and heat attachment. The prepared samples were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, DRS-UV/Vis, FESEM, EDX, TEM and N2 Adsorption/Desorption analysis. The effective parameters of pH, flow rate and photoreactor vesselsâ angle against solar irradiation on degradation performance were optimized. Subsequently, the photocatalytic activity of the prepared nanocomposites was investigated in an innovative fabricated photoreactor using a four-component pollutant mixture of Cr (VI), basic red 29, basic blue 41 and basic yellow 51, under visible and solar irradiation. Furthermore, the effectiveness of photoreactor performance was assessed under various outdoor climate conditions as natural irradiation source. Consequently, UV/Vis spectrophotometry results showed significant efficiency of photocatalytic removal of the pollutants mixture. TOC results of 74.39% and 78.04% for removal of organic content of the sample under visible and solar light, respectively, were also confirmed the great capability of the designed system for the simultaneous removal of some hazardous inorganic and organic contaminants under natural light sources.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Evaluation of the Efficiency of Animal Manures in the Production of Thyme (Thymus daenensis L.)

Introduction1 The sustainability of production in agricultural lands is directly related to soil fertility management. In this regard, the application of livestock manure is a very important method for improving soil fertility without adversely affecting the environment. Although the efficiency of these manures could be sustained for several growing seasons, however, their efficiency in the first year is principally more important due to the direct relationship with the production of that year. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of the source and amount of manure on the growth and production of thyme. Materials and methods The experiment was performed as a split-plot design in time and in the form of a randomized complete block with three replications at the model cultivation site of medicinal plants of Koohrang Agriculture-Jahad in 2018 and 2019. Experimental treatments included three levels of poultry manure (100, 143, and 250 kg N/ ha; PM100, PM143, PM250), three levels of sheep manure (100, 143, and 250 kg N/ ha; SM100, SM143, SM250)), three levels of cattle manure (100, 143 and 250 kg N/ ha; CM100, CM143, CM250) and chemical fertilizer (CF) and no fertilizer application (C) as positive and negative controls, respectively, which in two cutting were compared. The measured traits included photosynthetic pigments, leaf area index, aerial biomass, essential oil content, and essential oil yield. Data were analyzed by SAS software, and means were compared by LSD test. Results and Discussion In both cuttings, the amount of chlorophyll a in plots that received a medium and high level of animal manure were similar to the plot that received chemical fertilizer. Except for CM250 treatment, chlorophyll b in all manure treatments was similar to CF treatment. In the first cutting, the leaf area index in PM250, SM143, and SM250 treatments had a significant advantage compared to CF treatment, but in the second cutting, manure treatments (except SM100) did not show a significant difference compared to CF treatment. Thyme biomass obtained from PM250, SM143, and SM250 treatments had a significant advantage compared to CF treatment in the first cutting, but in the second cutting, there was no significant difference among manures and CF treatments. In the first cut, the essential oil content of medium and high levels of poultry manure and also high levels of sheep and cattle manure were significantly higher than the CF treatment. However, in the second cutting, the amount of essential oil under all levels of poultry manure and medium and high levels of sheep and cattle manure were higher than the CF treatment. In the first cutting, the essential oil yield of medium and high levels of poultry and sheep manure and high levels of cattle manure was higher than that of the CF treatment, but in the second cutting, only high levels of poultry manure had a significant advantage in comparison with CF treatment. The fertilizer application efficiency regarding biomass production was similar for all fertilizer treatments except SM143. The highest fertilizer use efficiency in the production of essential oil was obtained with SM143 and PM143, respectively. Conclusion Applying a medium amount of sheep manure could be more effective in the crop ecosystem due to its superior efficiency in comparison with other levels of this fertilizer and other studied animal manure and chemical fertilizers. However, if the essential oil yield of the thyme is the gold of the farmer, the high level of poultry manure has priority over the balanced level of sheep manure, although the efficiency of this level of poultry manure is 35% lower than the balanced level of sheep manure. Therefore, in addition to producing essential oils, the efficiency of fertilizers could also be considered an important factor in achieving sustainable aspects in medicinal plant's ecosystems. Keywords: Thyme, Organic manure, Fertilizer efficiency, Essential oil, Aerial biomas

Effective Factors on Food Companies Brand Equity: Evidence From Iran Food Industry

Brand equity is one of the most cited concepts in marketing literature and internal brand equity is one of the newest derived factors of this concept in internal environment of firms. The aim of this study is to provide insights into how job satisfaction, internal marketing and brand orientation shape employees internal brand equity. Empirical data were collected by a questionnaire distributed to food and pharmaceutical firms. The empirical results indicated that while brand orientation and internal marketing were found to have impact on internal brand equity, job satisfaction has no effect on internal brand equity. Additionally, it was observed that job satisfaction and internal marketing has direct and positive impact on brand orientation and therefore indirect and positive impact on internal brand equity through brand orientation. Results of this study can help organizations to improve their financial performance through more awareness of the determinants of internal brand equity