Students' experiences of the consequences of social networks: A qualitative study

Introduction: With the advent of the internet, social networks also emerged. These networks have become an integral part of many students' lives and affect all aspects of their lives. The use of virtual social networks has adversely affected students’ lifestyles. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of determining the experiences of students of Islamic Azad University, Tuyserkan Branch, Iran, regarding the consequences of social networking. Method: This qualitative study was conducted using the conventional content analysis approach. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with 11 students of Islamic Azad University, Tuyserkan Branch. The participants were selected from among both sexes using purposive sampling method. The participants consisted of students who used social networks for more than 4 hours daily. All interviews were simultaneously recorded and transcribed. Data were analyzed using content analysis method. Data strength was confirmed by participants and researchers. Results: Data analysis resulted in extraction of the three main themes of "change in family and social relationships", "change in physical, psychological, and academic conditions of individuals", and "replacing virtual network in life". These themes were determined by 10 subthemes in students. The subthemes consisted of being entertained by virtual networks, changes in relationships with family and friends, easy communication with others due to anonymity, unfamiliarity of close relatives with these networks, less speech communication and coming together, stress and anxiety, deterioration of academic status and inability to marry, ease of communication, and lower costs in comparison to other communications. Conclusion: The results of this study confirm the need for designing and providing education and interventions for guidance, correct use, and assisting students when using social networks, and appropriate replacements. Authorities can use the findings of this study in planning and appropriate interventions for this group. Keywords: Student, social networks, qualitative stud

Generalized α − ψ-geraghty multivalued mappings on b-metric spaces endowed with a graph

In this paper, we provide some conditions for the existence of a coincidence point of single-valued and multivalued mappings involving generalized α − ψ-Geraghty contractions endowed with a graph. Our main results improve the existing results in the corresponding literature. We also present examples to support the obtained results.Publisher's Versio

INFORMATION MEASURES FOR RECORD RANKED SET SAMPLES

Salehi and Ahmadi (2014) introduced a new sampling scheme for generating record-breaking data called record ranked set sampling. In this paper, we consider the uncertainty and information content of record ranked set samples (RRSS) in terms of Shannon entropy, Rényi and Kullback-Leibler (KL) information measures. We show that the difference between the Shannon entropy of RRSS and the simple random samples (SRS) is depends on the parent distribution F. We also compare the information content of RRSS with a SRS data in the uniform, exponential, Weibull, Pareto, and gamma distributions. We obtain similar results for RRSS under the Rényi information. Finally, we show that the KL information between the distribution of SRS and distribution of RRSS is distribution-free and increases as the sample size increases.Salehi and Ahmadi (2014) introduced a new sampling scheme for generating record-breaking data called record ranked set sampling. In this paper, we consider the uncertainty and information content of record ranked set samples (RRSS) in terms of Shannon entropy, Rényi and Kullback-Leibler (KL) information measures. We show that the difference between the Shannon entropy of RRSS and the simple random samples (SRS) is depends on the parent distribution F. We also compare the information content of RRSS with a SRS data in the uniform, exponential, Weibull, Pareto, and gamma distributions. We obtain similar results for RRSS under the Rényi information. Finally, we show that the KL information between the distribution of SRS and distribution of RRSS is distribution-free and increases as the sample size increases

Shear bond strength of metal brackets to ceramic surfaces using a universal bonding resin

Assure Plus is a recently introduced universal adhesive with the ability to bond to various restorations. This study compared the shear bond strength of brackets bonded to two types of ceramics using conventional bonding agent and Assure Plus. Surface damage caused by debonding was also evaluated. In this in vitro study, 40 feldspathic and lithium disilicate ceramic discs were sandblasted, etched with 9.6% hydrofluoric acid and divided into two groups. In group 1, silane was applied and air-dried followed by application of Transbond XT primer, which was light-cured. In group 2, Assure Plus was applied and air-dried. In both groups, maxillary central incisor brackets were bonded. After incubation in distilled water at 37°C for 24 hours and 2000 thermal cycles, bond strength was measured using a universal testing machine, and the adhesive remnant index (ARI) and failure modes were determined. ANOVA and LSD tests were used to compare bond strength values; chi-squared test was used to compare ARI scores. Bracket bond to lithium disilicate by Assure Plus was significantly stronger than that to Feldspathic porcelain (P=0.041). Only in the Assure Plus/lithium disilicate group did some adhesive remain on the surface following debonding (40% of samples, P<0.05). Cohesive porcelain fracture had the lowest frequency in the lithium disilicate/Assure Plus group. Assure Plus provided high bond strength between ceramic and brackets and minimized damage to lithium disilicate ceramic during debonding. Assure Plus is recommended for use in orthodontic treatment of adults with ceramic restorations

Comparison of Lasix and Methyldopa in Controlling Hypertension in preeclampsia patients: A Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial

Introduction: Preeclampsia is a specific gestational syndrome that reduces organ perfusion due to vascular spasm and endothelial activation. Despite the use of magnesium sulfate, the patient's blood pressure sometimes remains uncontrolled, and therefore, it is necessary to use other medications, especially diuretics and Methyldopa. Hence, the aim of this study was to compare Lasix and Methyldopa in controlling postpartum hypertension in preeclampsia patients after magnesium sulfate treatment. Material and Methods: This double-blind randomized clinical trial was carried out on 100 women with preeclampsia referred to Akbar Abadi Hospital-Iran. In the first 24 hours after the termination of pregnancy, the participants’ blood pressure was measured and those with a blood pressure of 140/90 to 160/100 were divided into two groups. In the first and second 24 hours, and then one week after the intervention, systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as diuresis and drug complications in the two groups were assessed and compared. &nbsp;The present&nbsp;study&nbsp;was&nbsp;registered&nbsp;in&nbsp;the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) under the ID of IRCT20180114038349N1. Results: The mean age of individuals was 29.93 ± 6.65 in the Methyldopa group, and 32.35 ± 4.85 in the Lasix group (P = 0.479). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure had a substantial reduction in both groups, but there was no significant difference between the two groups (P&gt; 0.05). Systolic blood pressure was reduced by 31 mmHg (reduction from 146 to 115) in the methyldopa group and 30 mmHg (reduction from 145 to 114) in the Lasix group. Furthermore, the reduction in diastolic blood pressure was 25 mmHg (from 95 to 70) in the methyldopa group, and 21 mmHg in the Lasix one (from 91 to 70). Conclusion: The present study showed that using Lasix and methyldopa was effective enough in changing blood pressure in patients with preeclampsia, and the effects observed in the two groups were the same. Therefore, it could have a great impact on the wellbeing of couples

Evaluating the Knowledge, Attitude and Safety Performance in the Prevention of Occupational Accidents among Workers in One of Iran Khodro's Piece Making Companies

Occupational accidents are one of important events in the world. Individual affecting factors on accidents are knowledge, attitude and perception of risk. So this study aimed to determine knowledge, attitude and safety performance in prevention of occupational accidents at one of Iran Khodro's piece making companies' workers. In this cross-sectional study, 212 workers from Mehrcam Pars Company selected by stratified random method at each working site in 2015. By simple random sampling, subjects were enrolled. Questionnaire was completed by workers through self-reporting. Questionnaire consisted of demographic and underlying information and questions about safety knowledge, attitude and performance in the workplace. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21 software. The average workers' age was 34.3 year with a standard deviation of 4.7%. 35.8% were not trained in terms of performing their job. 48.1% of participants had no history of injuries in site, but others reported suffers from mild to severe intensity. There was significant relationship between educational situation with attitude and safety performance. There was significant relationship between job experience with safety knowledge, attitude and performance. Age and workers' safety attitude was a predictive of safety performance. The results showed that there is significant relationship between safety knowledge, attitude and performance in the workplace with some variables. So in order to improve the overall situation of safety, some measures can be effective such as raising the knowledge of personnel, safety staff's participation management, balancing work and time

Effectiveness of interventions in the prevention of home injuries among children under 5 years of age: A systematic review

Background: Injuries caused by home injuries in children under 5 years of age is one of the main causes of death in this group and also constitutes a significant public health burden. This review aimed at summarizing the literature on the effectiveness of interventions to prevent home injuries in children under 5 years of age. Methods: Magiran, Iran Medex, and SID in Persian Scientific databases and BioMed Central, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Scopus were systematically searched for articles published up to June 2016. Then, two researchers reviewed the papers independently and finally, 14 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Results: The results showed the effectiveness of intervention measures including training sessions at home, home visit, group discussions, and interviews as the educational tools. The educational approach was used as the intervention in 11 studies; legislative/incentive approach and engineering/technology approaches had not been used in papers; and three studies had used the educational intervention and engineering/technological approaches. Conclusions: Most of the effective inventions included studies that used the combination of effective methods to reduce the risk of injuries. Since the accidents are preventable, the appropriate intervention strategies, especially active intervention or a combination of interventional measures are effective to reduce the risk of home accidents and injuries in children

The Impact of Communication Skills Training on Social Empowerment and Social Adjustment of Slow-paced Adolescents

The present study was an attempt to investigate the effect of communication skills training on social empowerment and social adjustment of so-called «slow-paced» adolescents (ie those whoo need psychological, physical and emotional drivers to actualize their potential abilities). The research method was a control-Group Pretest-Posttest Quasi-Experimental design. The population of the study consisted of all slow-paced female students aged 13-15 years in Ghaenat city (South Khorasan Province) during 2019. 24 samples selected from the population through convenient sampling were randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups (12 individuals in each group). Teachers or parents of both subject groups were asked to fill the questionnaires (pre-test). In the next step, the experimental group was presented with ten 45-minute sessions on communication skills, and the control group did not receive any training. In the end, both groups responded to the research instrument (post-test). Vineland social maturity scale was used as the data collection instrument. The collected data were analyzed through covariance analysis using SPSS software version 22. The results showed that communication skills training has a significant impact on social empowerment (F = 15.47, p = 0.001) and social adjustment (F = 49.64, p = 0.001). In other words, it can be argued that the experimental and control groups significantly differ from each other in terms of the communication skills training impacts on social empowerment and its components as well as social maturity. In conclusion, communication skills training significantly improves the social empowerment and social maturity of slow-paced female adolescents in the experimental group

Homesickness, Depression and Happiness in University Students of Hamadan, Iran

Background and aims: Students are exposed to multiple various mental disorders. One of the most important difficulties the students encounter are homesickness and depression the occurrence of which cause less happiness in the students. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship among 3 factors of homesickness, depression, and happiness in dormitory students of Hamedan University of Medical Sciences. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 387 dormitory students of Hamedan University of Medical Sciences from January to April 2016. The participants of the study were selected through stratified random sampling technique with proportional allocation. Data were collected through self-reporting and four questionnaires including demographic data questionnaire, homesickness Benfleet questionnaire, University Students Depression Inventory (USDI), and Oxford happiness questionnaire. A quantitative analysis of the inquiry was performed using SPSS software, version 23. Results: The results showed that depression had an indirect relationship (-0.6) with happiness. That is, by increasing the depression scores happiness will decrease. In addition, depression had a significantly direct relationship (0.3) with homesickness. It implies that an increase in homesickness score leads to an increase in depression score. Moreover, homesickness had a significantly indirect relationship (-0.2) with happiness. Namely, an increase in homesickness, results in a decrease in happiness. Conclusion: In view of the results obtained and given the importance of mental health of the students in dormitories, it seems that the reasons related to homesickness and depression should be recognized and included in intervention and prevention programs. Besides, appropriate interventions must be designed and implemented in this regard