Representation of a ‘positive experience’ of surrogacy in Yazd, Iran: A qualitative study

Background: The social and cultural challenges facing surrogate mothers have been explored in several studies. However, few studies have discussed the motivations of surrogate mothers, their expressions and interpretations of their lived experiences, and their feelings of personal and spiritual satisfaction. Objective: This study aims to present the positive experiences of surrogate mothers from a phenomenological perspective. Materials and Methods: Using a phenomenological approach, this study was conducted from September 2020 to January 2021 in the city of Yazd, Iran. Participant observation and semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data among 12 participants with at least 1 experience of surrogate motherhood. Results: Our findings showed that, despite having had harsh physical and socio-cultural experiences such as fear of social labeling and stigma, participants felt a kind of inner satisfaction and a positive view of their actions. A core theme found in the study was mothers’ satisfaction. The main categories included feminine self-sacrifice and positive rewards. Feminine self-sacrifice included 2 sub-categories: creating happiness and conveying motherly feelings, while positive rewards included good childbirth, family acceptance, and halal income. Conclusion: This study showed that surrogate mothers experience conflicting feelings of inner satisfaction and social stigma during surrogacy. Some of those interviewed were willing to go through surrogacy again, but they feared social labeling and stigma, being misunderstood by others who are not fully informed about surrogacy, and being subjected to family and social disapproval. Key words: Surrogate mothers, Emotions, Personal satisfaction, Infertility

Joint frailty model for recurrent events and a terminal event in the presence of cure fraction

The observations of repeated or recurrent events occur in many longitudinal studies. Furthermore, sometimes there may exist a terminal event such as death, which is strongly correlated with recurrent events. In many situations, a fraction of subjects who will never experience the event of interest during a long follow-up period is considered to be cured. In this article, we proposed a joint frailty model in the presence of cure fraction. The dependency is modeled by shared frailty that is contained in both the recurrent andterminal events hazard functions. It allows to estimate two separate sets of parameters on the recurrent, death, and cure model. We applied the maximum likelihood method under a piecewise constant hazard function for model fitting. The proposed model is evaluated by simulation studies and an application to a breast cancer data is provided

Survival Analysis of Iranian Patients with Breast Cancer Using Joint Frailty Model with a Cure Rate

Background: Breast cancer is a common disease among women around the world. In Iran, it is the most prevalent cancer diagnosed in women. The objective of this study was to assess the cure rate of patients and the associated risk factors. Method: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 446 patients with breast cancer admitted to the Shahid Ramezanzadeh Radiotherapy Center. Using R 3.2.2 software, the Kaplan-Meier curve, log-rank test, and cure joint frailty model were utilized in the analysis. Results: Of the 446 patients, 17.3% died, 20% experienced relapse, and 62.7% were censored. The 1-5-7-year disease-free survival rates were 95.3%, 73.4%, and 69.3%, respectively. In the cure model, stage, involved lymph node, and surgery were statistically significant. In the recurrence model, stage, involved lymph node, lymphovascular invasion, and hormone therapy were statistically significant. In the death model, stage, lymphovascular invasion, and involved lymph node had a statistically significant effect on the survival time. Conclusion: The cure joint frailty model is a good model when there is a high fraction of patients who do not experience any recurrence or death. In addition, this model allows for the separate estimation of explanatory variable effect on recurrence, death, and cure. The findings of our study can be conducive to preventing the unfavorable effects of breast cancer and increasing the survival of patients

Toward an energy-efficient high-voltage compliant visual intracortical multichannel stimulator

ABSTRACT: We present, in this paper, a new multichip system aimed toward building an implantable visual intracortical stimulation device. The objective is to deliver energy-optimum pulse patterns to neural sites with needed compliance voltage across high electrode–tissue interface impedance of implantable microelectrodes. The first chip is an energy-efficient stimuli generator (SG), and the second one is a high-impedance microelectrode array driver (MED) output stage. The fourchannel SG produces rectangular, half-sine, plateau-sine, and other types of current pulse with stimulation current ranging from 2.32 to 220 μA per channel. The microelectrode array driver is able to deliver 20 V per anodic or cathodic phase across the microelectrode–tissue interface for ±13 V power supplies. The MED supplies different current levels with the maximum value of 400 μA per input and 100 μA per output channel simultaneously to 8–16 stimulation sites through microelectrodes, connected either in bipolar or monopolar configuration. Both chips receive power via inductive link and data through capacitive coupling. The SG and MED chips have been fabricated in 0.13-μm CMOS and 0.8-μm 5-/20-V CMOS/double-diffused metal-oxidesemiconductor technologies. The measured dc power budgets consumed by low- and mid-voltage chips are 2.56 and 2.1 mW consecutively. The system, modular in architecture, is interfaced with a newly developed platinum-coated pyramidal microelectrode array. In vitro test results with 0.9% phosphate buffer saline show the microelectrode impedance of 70 Ωk at 1 kHz

Limnological survey on the most important rivers in the Iranian southern soasts of the Caspian Sea in the Guilan Province with emphasize on the pollutants (Hevigh, Karkanrud and Shafarud rivers)

In order to create a reliable ecological database for Guilans running waters(north Iran near the Caspian sea), at the first step 3 important rivers containing Hevigh, Karkanrud and Shafarud, were selected and limnological survey, during autumn 1380 and summer1381 were seasonally carried out for them. Results showed that the key physico-chemical parameters such as dissolved O2, BOD5, pH, Phosphate, Nitrate, Nitrite, ammonium and in all of the three rivers water were in their normal range suggesting good water quality. Chrysophyta, Chlorophyta, Cyanophyta and Euglenophyta were respectively the most prevalent phytoplankton taxa and Zooplankton fauna of the rivers were fixed and sessile species belong to Protozoa and Rotatoria. 42 benthic macroinvertebrates taxa(Hevigh:36,Karkanrud:22 and Shafarud:30) were identified in these 3 rivers which individuals belong to order Diptera compromise the most divers and frequent one. Regarding macroinvertebrates diversity and indicator groups, it seems that Hevigh river has relatively better water quality than the two other. 23 fish species belong to 9 family,7 order and 2 class , were identified in these rivers during the study period which cyprinid were the most diverse and prevalent of them. Albornoides sp., Capoeta capoeta and Neogobios sp. were the most widespread and frequent species of the identified fishes in all of them. Bacteriological survey including Coliform and E.Colie count showed that the lower parts of the rivers near the estuaries were more infected and the bottom sediments had more bacterial count during the all sampling period. However the total coliform count never exceed of 200 colonies per 100cc , suggesting no risk for direct contact (swimming and washing), according to EPA standards. Chromium, Cadmium and Mercury had very low concentrations in the rivers water but Cupper had relatively high concentration (up to 1.788 mg/l in Hevigh river) amongst the studied heavy metals. The maximum and minimum concentrations of detergent materials or surfactant (LAS) were respectively observed in Shafarud (0.047 mg/l) and Hevigh (0.014 mg/l). According to the results of the study even though all the three rivers water had an overall reasonable quality, but some signs of destructions and degradations such as sedimentation, relatively increase of nutrient, increased concentrations of some pollutants, which all results in the low diversity of macroinvertebrates and prevents migration of anadromous fishes, calls for a continuing monitoring program and precise control for these regions

The study and feasibility of Cheshmeh-Ali River and downstream area of Shahid Shah-Charaghy dam in Damghan for aquaculture development

To reveal the fisheries productivity and to get the maximum possible exploitations of the running water resources, existing potentials for aquaculture in Shit and Kordabad rivers in Tarom of Zanjan province were surveyed in a one year round study. In this way 4 and 3 sampling site were respectively selected in Shit and Kordabad rivers and benthic macroinvertebrates and water samples were collected and analyzed at least two times a season and fish fauna were also sampled and studied only two times during the period. All the measured water quality characteristics(such as O_2, water temperature, pH, nutrients, NH_3, BOD_5 and . . . ) were within the normal range suggested for the cold water fish culture. In both rivers no significant differences (p≤95%) were detected for physicochemical parameters within the study sites except for electrical conductivity and total hardness which differed in the firs and last station. Depletion of Agricultural run off and residual from the adjacent farmlands and municipal drainages into the water body of the rivers, were certainly effective in these changes However none of water quality parameters exceed the maximum permitted level for aquaculture. According to the benthic macroinvertebrates study 38 family of 12 taxa and 26 family of the 11 taxa were identified in Shit and Kordabad rivers respectively, most of them belonged to the aquatic insect larvae of the sensitive groups. Community structure indices and Hilsenhof family level biotic index proved a "very good" to "good" water quality criteria for the study sites in both rivers .One fish species in Shit and five species (4 of them were endemic) were identified in Kordabad river. Despite acceptable water quality in Shit river, some inhibiting factors such as adjacent farmlands and dense agricultural land use, high slope of river valley in most region which cause rare suitable lands for locating aquaculture sites, very limited access to road and electricity supply and lack of acceptability to manipulate or divert river water for fish farms, by the local people, are the major constrains for constructing trout farms in Shit river. However constructing a 15 mt capacity rainbow trout farm is possible at first 2 kilometers of the upstream where the water quality and quantity are relatively better and there are some lands with low slope and access to road and electricity supply. Kordabad river has a similar criteria and water quality and quantity at upstream is desirable for rainbow trout culture. The first 2 kilometer of this river is capable of constructing trout farms in some non cultivated lands. Moreover the Kordabad natural dam reservoir is available to conduct its water for further demands. In addition a total of 75mt rainbow trout production in the form of 2 or 3 separate site is possible in this river. Even though the local climate particularly in Kordabad river is acceptable for carp fishes, however land limitations, soil texture and the high volume of water demands, make warm water fishes commercial production impossible

Studying the impacts of the rainbow trout farms effluents on Sabzkooh River in Charmahal-O-Bakhtiari Province

Sabzkooh in Ardal and Gandoman region in Charmahal province with annual production of 1300 metric tons of rainbow trout, is one of the most important rivers in the province. The effects of fish farms effluent on the river water quality and the possibilities to develop or limit the existing ones were studied. Flora and fauna of the river including Phyto and zooplankton, macroinvertebrates and fishes were sampled and studied. Moreover some key physico-chemical water quality parameters, concentrations of stable pollutants (heavy metals: Zn, Cu, Fe, Pb, Cd and agricultural poisons (herbicides or pesticides: DDT, Lindane, Alderine and indosulfate) and Coliform contamination were also measured. All phytoplankton genus were of tow taxa, Cianophyta and Chrysophyta and zooplankton fauna belonged to Rotatoria, Protozoa and meroplanktonic chirinomids and nematodes. Four fish species from 3 families were identified of which rainbow trout had the highest relative frequency (94.6%).All the measured heavy metals including Zn, Cu, Fe, Pb, Cd and the agricultural poisons concentrations such as DDT, Lindane, Alderine and indosulfate were lower than the hazardous level suggested for the surface waters. According to the benthic macroinvertebrates populations study, stations at downstream (no. 6 and 7) which received the Chartakhteh and Rudarud farms effluent had least EPT richness and the hilsenhof family level biotic index at this locations was greater than 5.25, classifying them as having organic pollution. Even though measured key physico-chemical parameters such as nutrients (N and P compounds and BOD5) in the receiving stations and effluent water never exceed the maximum permitted range but in downstream stations these factors were very close to the range. One way analyze of variance (P 95%) for TN, TP, No_2, NH_4, BOD_5, pH, PO_4 and Ec revealed no significant differences between stations before and just after receiving the effluents, however these parameters in the effluents themselves significantly differ from upstream stations 1,2 and 3 proving relatively lower organic pollution and the potential for constructing new farms or expanding the existed ones in upstream region from Chartagh to Dehnoo. At downstream from Dehnoo to Rudarud and lower parts, dense trout farm effluents in addition with point and non point pollution (municipal, agricultural and other coming run off from the catchments area) had remarkable effects on the river water quality and as a result no farm construction or expansion is recommended. To avoid or reduce the existing farms effects on the river system there should be certainly some remediation actions carried out. Constructing sedimentation ponds before releasing the effluents, obeying the rule of water extracting, preventing fish escape, increasing feeding efficiency and controlling the lateral inlets from catchments area which are potentially pollutant, should be considered to improve the situation and prevent further environmental problems caused by fish farms effluent in these area

Method of Seeking Modern Concepts in Religious Texts (Relation between the Concept of Ummah in the Holy Quran and that of Culture)

Today, the concept of culture is used in close association with other terms in various fields of humanities such as philosophy, psychology, semiotics, and policy making. Meanwhile, when it comes to human and Islamic sciences point of view, it becomes necessary to adopt a method which, next to an accurate understanding of it in humanities, could seek it in religious texts as well. In other words, understanding the concepts developed in humanities, together with a knowledge of religious texts' view of those existing concepts and ultimately, a recognition of the relations between these hold a high importance. The aim of this study is, therefore, explaining the method of seeking modern concepts in humanities and sociology in religious texts. We have here a case study of expounding on culture as a modern concept in the Holy Quran. Additionally, we try to comprehend the concept of Ummah as a Quranic term that has common features with culture. This is a significant step towards adapting humanities to our own conditions through seeking modern concepts in religious texts. The process we have gone through from the point of content and methodology is as follows: 1-   Step one: use of historicity in expounding on culture in order to recognize its constituents' development. 2-   Step two: Seeking extracted components from the Holy Quran using traditional semantics (dictionaries) and coming across the concept of ummah. 3-   Step three: structural semantics of ummah in order to reach the main constituents and semantic system of the concept. 4-   Step four: an analysis of the relation between ummah and culture concepts

The role of innovation characteristics in the adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices by paddy farmers in Iran

The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of innovation characteristics in adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) practices by paddy farmers in three provinces of Iran. A total of 190 paddy farmers were selected by using proportional stratified sampling. Data collection was done by a set of questionnaires that was administrated through personal interview. Validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by a panel of experts. To assess the reliability of the questionnaire, Cronbach’s alpha was used. The results of structural equation modelling showed that the hypothesized model fit the data. There are positive and direct relationship between compatibility and trial ability of and adoption of IPM practices