Evaluating the Effectiveness of Entrepreneurship Training Courses in a Developing Country

Purpose- Today, entrepreneurship has become a necessity for economic development in different countries. Therefore, entrepreneurship training could be a solution in order to reach this goal. But it should be considered that for being more successful, these courses should be effective and efficient. Design/methodology/approach- In this study, a survey is conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of these courses between 265 trained individuals between in a two years period. Random sampling is done and then 113 individuals were selected to conduct the survey. Cronbach's alpha was calculated (0.967) and some hypotheses were tested. Findings- Results reveal that output effectiveness was significant, and the courses were considered to be at an acceptable level. But there were some limitations as follows: (i) lack of access to a large number of trainers, which might affect the generalization level of the findings; and (ii) finding appro-priate measures to test the mentioned hypotheses. Research Implications- The findings of this research might be used by policy makers, trainers and even tutors in the field of entrepreneurship. Originality/value- The research is among the first studies in the area of evaluating entrepreneurship training courses conducted in Iran. Research Paper Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Hosseinzadeh, M., Razavi, S. M., Hosseinzadeh, D. (2014). “Evaluating the Effectiveness of Entrepreneurship Training Courses in a Developing Country”, Journal of Entrepreneurship, Business and Economics, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 63–73

Digit-Level Serial-In Parallel-Out Multiplier Using Redundant Representation for a Class of Finite Fields

Two digit-level finite field multipliers in F2m using redundant representation are presented. Embedding F2m in cyclotomic field F2(n) causes a certain amount of redundancy and consequently performing field multiplication using redundant representation would require more hardware resources. Based on a specific feature of redundant representation in a class of finite fields, two new multiplication algorithms along with their pertaining architectures are proposed to alleviate this problem. Considering area-delay product as a measure of evaluation, it has been shown that both the proposed architectures considerably outperform existing digit-level multipliers using the same basis. It is also shown that for a subset of the fields, the proposed multipliers are of higher performance in terms of area-delay complexities among several recently proposed optimal normal basis multipliers. The main characteristics of the postplace&route application specific integrated circuit implementation of the proposed multipliers for three practical digit sizes are also reported

Examining the Relationship between Public Health and Social Security among the Students in Azad University of Rafsanjan

Considering the significant role of public health and its components, including integrity, acceptance, participation, prosperity and solidarity in explaining the sense of insecurity in the society, the present study aims to investigate the relationship between public health and social sense of security among residents of Rafsanjan. The study was conducted through a survey, in which 150 persons of male and female students in Islamic Azad University of Rafsanjan were selected using a stratified random sampling and were studied by using a questionnaire. Reliability of the instrument was established and the high Cronbach's alpha coefficients for variables indicate that the reliability of the questionnaire was desirable. The findings of the study demonstrated a significant positive relationship between social health and its five dimensions integration, acceptance, participation, prosperity and social solidarity with a sense of security. Coordinating the finding of this study with other studies reveals the importance of domains to create and strengthen society's social health

Investigating the Relationship Between Intellectual Capital Efficiency and Corporate Performance in Accepted Firms of Tehran Exchange

The increasing gap between market value and book value of firms leads many researches to recognize removed factors of financial statements in the firms. Among factors affecting firms but not represented in financial statements, there are brand equity, intellectual capital etc. This study aims to investigate the relationship between intellectual capital efficiency and corporate performance in accepted firms of Tehran Stock Exchange. Statistical population included 111 firms whose financial information was available from 2006 to 2011. According to performance evaluation measures in previous researches, return of asset (ROA), return of equity (ROE), and return on sale (ROS) explain financial measures of performance evaluation and Tobin Q, market value added (MVA), and economic value added (EVA) are economic performance evaluation measures. Next, to examine intellectual capital’s components (human capital, structural capital, and communicative capital) as independent variables, added value coefficient of intellectual capital proposed by Pulic (2000) was used. Correlation and regression tests were used to test hypotheses. The findings of tests showed that there is a positive and significant correlation between intellectual capital’s efficiency and firms’ performance.

گرافی ساده در مقایسه با سی تی اسکن در تشخیص ضایعات تروماتیک ستون فقرات گردنی؛ یک مطالعه دقت تشخیصی

Introduction: Although some physicians insist on performing plain radiography for all trauma patients, some others recommend performing it for symptomatic ones. Therefore, the present study has been designed with the aim of evaluating the screening performance characteristics of plain radiography in identifying traumatic neck injuries. Methods: The present diagnostic accuracy study was performed on injured patients presenting to the trauma unit of emergency departments of hospitals affiliated with Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (Imam Hossein and Shohadaye Tajrish), Tehran, Iran, during March 2015 to March 2016. Results: 180 patients with the mean age of 32.30 ± 11.32 (16-68) years were evaluated (76.7% male). Most patients (73.3%) were in the 16-40 years age range and the most common mechanism of injury was motor vehicle collision (83.3%). Fracture of the 7th cervical vertebrae was the most prevalent fracture seen in radiography (7.2%) and computed tomography (CT) scan (17.2%). Based on the findings of cervical radiography and CT scan, respectively, 54 (30.0%) and 139 (77.2%) of the patients had at least 1 pathological finding (fracture or dislocation) in their cervical spine. Area under the ROC curve, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, and positive and negative likelihood ratio of plain radiography in detection of traumatic cervical injuries and with 95% confidence interval were 0.568 (0.472-0.664), 33.09 (25.48-41.64), 80.48 (64.63-62.90), 85.18 (72.32-94.62), 26.16 (18.95-34.91), 5.75 (3.00-11.00) and 2.81 (2.43-3.26), respectively. Conclusion: Accuracy of plain radiography in detection of traumatic cervical injuries is very low. This is due to the very low sensitivity of plain cervical radiography in detection of fractures and dislocations of the cervical spine. Therefore, it seems that plain radiography cannot be considered as a proper tool for ruling out cervical spine injuries following head and neck trauma. مقدمه: علی رغم اینکه بعضی پزشکان اصرار به انجام گرافی گردن برای تمام بیماران ترومایی دارند، برخی دیگر انجام آن را برای بیماران علامت دار توصیه می کنند. لذا مطالعه حاضر با هدف ارزیابی ویژگی های غربالگری گرافی ساده گردن در تعیین ضایعات تروماتیک گردن طراحی شده است. روش کار: این مطالعه دقت تشخیصی بر روی مصدومان مراجعه کننده به واحد ترومای بخش اورژانس بیمارستان های وابسته به دانشگاه علوم پزشکی شهید بهشتی (امام حسین و شهدای تجریش)، تهران، ایران طی فروردین تا اسفند سال 1394 انجام شد. نتایج: مجموعا 180 بیمار با میانگین سنی 32/11 ± 30/32 (68-16) سال مورد بررسی قرار گرفتند (7/76 درصد مرد). بیشتر بیماران (3/73 درصد) در رده سنی 16 تا 40 سال بودند و شایعترین مکانیسم آسیب تصادف با وسایل نقلیه موتوری (3/83 درصد) بود. شکستگی مهره هفتم گردنی شایعترین شکستگی مشاهده شده در گرافی (2/7 درصد) و سی تی اسکن گردن (2/17 درصد) بود. بر اساس یافته های گرافی و سی تی اسکن گردن به ترتیب 54 (0/30 درصد) و 139 (2/77 درصد) بیمار دارای حداقل یک یافته پاتولوژیک (شکستگی یا دررفتگی) در ستون فقرات گردنی بودند. سطح زیر منحنی راک، حساسیت، ویژگی، ارزش اخباری مثبت و منفی و درستنمایی مثبت و منفی گرافی ساده در تشخیص ضایعات تروماتیک گردن به ترتیب و با حاشیه اطمینان 95 درصد معادل (664/0 – 472/0) 568/0، (64/41-48/25) 09/33، (90/62-63/64) 48/80، (62/94-32/72) 18/85، (91/34-95/18) 16/26،  (00/11-00/3) 75/5 و (26/3-43/2) 81/2 بود. نتیجه گیری: دقت گرافی ساده گردن در مقایسه با سی تی اسکن در تشخیص ضایعات تروماتیک گردنی بسیار پایین می باشد. این موضوع ناشی از حساسیت بسیار پایین گرافی ساده گردن در تشخیص شکستگی و دررفتگی های گردن می باشد. بنابراین به نظر می رسد گرافی ساده نمی تواند به عنوان ابزار مناسبی برای رد کردن آسیب های ستون فقرات گردنی به دنبال ترومای سر و گردن در نظر گرفته شود

Acute and subchronic toxicological evaluation of Echinophora platyloba DC (Apiaceae) total extract in Wistar rats

OBJECTIVE: Echinophora platyloba DC is a widely used herbal medicine and food seasoning in Iran. It is claimed to exert antimicrobial, antifungal, and antispasmodic effects. Despite the prevalent use of this plant as a food and medicine, there are no reports on its possible toxic effects. To evaluate the safety of E. platyloba, we tested its acute and sub-chronic toxicity in male and female Wistar rats. METHODS: Rats were orally treated with four different single doses of E. platyloba total extract and screened for signs of toxicity two weeks after administration. In the sub-chronic toxicity study, E. platyloba was administered for 45 days. Mortality, clinical signs, body weight changes, hematological and biochemical parameters, gross findings, organ weights, and histological markers were monitored during the study. RESULTS: We found no mortality and no abnormality in clinical signs, body weight, or necropsy findings in any of the animals in the acute study. The results of the subchronic study showed no significant difference in hematological parameters in either sex. There was a significant increase in lactate dehydrogenase in the female groups. A significant increase in the relative lung weight of female rats was noted at 500 mg/kg. Histopathological examinations revealed intra-alveolar hemorrhage in the male rats (500 mg/kg). In the females, congestion of the alveolar capillaries (at 500 mg/kg) and liver bridging necrosis (at 200 mg/kg) were significantly increased. CONCLUSION: The no observed adverse effect level of E. platyloba was determined to be 200 and 50 mg/kg for male and female rats, respectively

Studying Customer Satisfaction of Mashhad Airport Customs Based on Kano and Servqual Models

Over the past two decades, developed countries were shadowed by moving toward service-based economics, which is recently affecting developing countries. Due to such transformation, scientific parties became interested in and managers tried to increasingly recognize effective factors of quality of service (QoS) and customer satisfaction. The present study made efforts to cover each model weaknesses using strengths of the other through integrating the two well–known models of Kano & Servqual. The survey was conducted at Customs of Mashhad Airport trying to identify customer satisfaction effective factors. 120 questionnaires were randomly distributed among the customs’ clients. The effect of SERVQUAL model dimensions on client satisfaction was identified t=using five research hypotheses; next, each dimension was classified in one of the three requirement categories of KANO model; then, the relationship between factors of quality of service model with the requirements was examined. Research result revealed that more than 50% of changes in dependent variable (satisfaction) are explained by quality of service model components and 75% of changes in customer satisfaction were predicted by functional and motivational requirements. Moreover, There was seen a significant relationship between quality of service model components and Kano functional and motivational requirements. Finally, some suggestions are recommended to improve the organization quality of services and to advice for future research

Moderate to low knowledge and Positive Attitude towards Medicinal Plants leads to High Consumption of these Plants during Pregnancy

Background: In recent years, the use of medicinal plants in developing countries has increased significantly. However, these plants can cause adverse effects on the mother and fetus. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of use, knowledge, and attitude towards the use of medicinal plants in pregnant women. Methods: This descriptive–analytical study was performed in 2020 on 290 pregnant women referring to Shahroud health center. The first part of the questionnaire included demographic information and the second part included information related to knowledge, attitude, behavior, reasons for using medicinal plants, source of information, etc. The significant level was set at 0.05. Results: 61% of the participants had used the medicinal plants at least once during pregnancy. Most pregnant women had moderate knowledge (50%) and a positive attitude (73.1%) towards the use of medicinal plants. Behavior was significantly associated with knowledge (Pvalue=0.011) and attitude (Pvalue=0.014). The most common problem during pregnancy that caused the use of medicinal plants was heartburn (43.4%) and the main reason for the use of these plants was the availability of them at home or taking from acquaintances (36.6%). 57.2% had obtained their information about medicinal plants from the family. Conclusions: Due to the relatively high frequency of the use of medicinal plants during pregnancy and low knowledge about it, informing and increasing knowledge about medicinal plants during pregnancy is very important. Keywords: Pregnancy, Pregnant women, Medicinal plants, knowledg

Evaluation of Cytotoxicity, Cell Cycle, and Apoptosis Induction of Methyl Thiosemicarbazone Complex with Copper on K562 Cell Line

Background & Aims:  Chronic human myeloid leukemia (CML) is caused by mutations and changes in stem cells. This study aimed to investigate the toxicity, apoptosis, and cell cycle of thiosemicarbazone complex with copper on the human chronic myelogenous K562 leukemia cell line. Materials & Methods:  After culturing the human K562 cell line, it was exposed to the combination of methyl thiosemicarbazone complex with copper in different concentrations and durations. Trypan blue dye exclusion test and MTT were used to determine cell viability and cell growth inhibition. The occurrence of apoptosis was examined by dual acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) fluorescent staining and fluorescence microscopy, cell cycle analysis, and dual PI/AnnexinV staining using flow cytometry. Results:  The data obtained from the present study showed morphological changes resulting from apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in Sub G1 in the presence of phosphatidylserine in the outer leaflet of the cell membrane due to treatment with thiosemicarbazone compound. It also decreased the biological growth of the K562 cell line in a concentration-/ and time-dependent manner. Conclusion:  effective at low concentrations and short duration of action, this compound can be a suitable candidate for future pharmacological studies on treating CML

Modelling impacts of climate change and anthropogenic activities on inflows and sediment loads of wetlands : case study of the Anzali wetland

Understanding the effects of climate change and anthropogenic activities on the hydrogeomorpholgical parameters in wetlands ecosystems is vital for designing effective environmental protection and control protocols for these natural capitals. This study develops methodological approach to model the streamflow and sediment inputs to wetlands under the combined effects of climate and land use / land cover (LULC) changes using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The precipitation and temperature data from General Circulation Models (GCMs) for different Shared Socio-economic Pathway (SSP) scenarios (i.e., SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5) are downscaled and bias-corrected with Euclidean distance method and quantile delta mapping (QDM) for the case of the Anzali wetland watershed (AWW) in Iran. The Land Change Modeler (LCM) is adopted to project the future LULC at the AWW. The results indicate that the precipitation and air temperature across the AWW will decrease and increase, respectively, under the SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5 scenarios. Streamflow and sediment loads will reduce under the sole influence of SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 climate scenarios. An increase in sediment load and inflow was observed under the combined effects of climate and LULC changes, this is mainly due to the projected increased deforestation and urbanization across the AWW. The findings suggest that the densely vegetated regions, mainly located in the zones with steep slope, significantly prevents large sediment load and high streamflow input to the AWW. Under the combined effects of the climate and LULC changes, by 2100, the projected total sediment input to the wetland will reach 22.66, 20.83, and 19.93 million tons under SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5 scenarios, respectively. The results highlight that without any robust environmental interventions, the large sediment inputs will significantly degrade the Anzali wetland ecosystem and partly-fill the wetland basin, resulting in resigning the wetland from the Montreux record list and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance