Spatial Integration and Asymmetric Price Transmission in Selected Iranian Chicken Markets

This study evaluates pattern of price adjustments in selected spatially separated chicken markets in Iran using weekly price data from 1998:17 to 2006:41 including 441 observations in total. The results of Tsay’s test suggest that threshold behavior characterize spatial price linkages among the selected markets that imply on using the threshold models. We use the multi-dimensional (two and three regime) threshold cointegration of TAR and M-TAR models. Our results confirm the different speed of adjustment in response to positive and negative shocks in every case. We also utilize impulse response function to investigate dynamic patterns of adjustments in response to shocks.Spatial Integration, Price Transmission, Threshold Autoregression, Chicken, International Relations/Trade, Marketing,

Asymmetric Price Transmission and Non-linear Adjustment in the Iranian Mutton Market

This paper analyses the asymmetric price transmission and non-linear adjustment at the farm and retail levels in the Iran’s mutton market. We applied a multivariate threshold error correction mechanism for monthly price data. We tested the non-linear adjustment using sup-LR, sup-LM and sup-Wald tests. The results confirm the presence of non-linear cointegration relationship between the retail and farm prices. In short-run, the price transmission behavior reveals that reactions of both the retail and farm prices to positive and negative deviations from the long-run price spread are asymmetric. More specially, the retailers show more strong responses to the both positive and negative shocks imposed to the farmers.Threshold Cointegration, Non-linearity, Mutton, Price, Iran, Livestock Production/Industries,

Investigating the quality control of laboratory information

      Clinical laboratory results play an important role in helping physicians in diagnosis and treatment. In view of the direct effect of the working methods on the quality of data in the laboratory, quality control of data and results in the Biochemistry Ward of Laboratory includes taking into account all the factors and variables relating to all the pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical steps at this ward. The objective of this study was to examine the quality control of data and results in the biochemistry departments of hospital laboratories in universities of medical sciences in Tehran.Current study was a descriptive research, and 40 biochemistry laboratories in universities of medical sciences in Tehran constituted the settings of the study. Data were collected by a checklist and a questionnaire using observation and interview. Using the checklist, 33 effective factors in the pre-analytical step; 18 effective factors in the analytical step and 8 effective factors in post-analytical step were examined. The questionnaire included questions relating to biochemical factors in the laboratories, while the factors affecting the quality of the results were examined by using checklist. Data from questions and observations were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and by determining the absolute and relative frequencies.Results showed that in all settings of the study, 58%, 68% and 87% of the factors affecting the pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical data and results were taken into consideration respectively. However, the biochemistry directors remarked that they considered 77% and 89% of the first two groups of factors respectively, and the third groups of factors were considered only by observation.according to the findings by the checklists, sufficient attention  was paid to 58% of the factors effective on pre-analytical data quality (Identifying the patient; Labeling the sample while collecting the sample; etc.), 68% of the factors effective on analytical data quality (Analyzing the samples during the 1 to 4 hours following the collection of the samples; Using control samples for evaluating the operation of instruments once in every 8 hours; etc.) and 87% of the factors effective on the post-analytical data quality (Legibility of the hand-written reports; Similarity of the hand-written reports to the typewritten report, in terms of patient ID data record; etc.) while there is no enough attention paid to other factors in pre-analytical step (Preparing the patient; Paying attention to the physiological changes of the patient’s body; etc.), analytical step (availability of written guidelines for performing certain work where the samples are analyzed; Calibrating the instruments according to the standard program; etc.) and post-analytical step (precision in recording distinguishing features in real values). Also, by comparing the findings obtained using the two tools, it can be found out that the findings do not match each other in certain factors and that the amount of findings obtained from the questionnaire is more than the findings obtained from the checklists

Error Detection in Patients’ Pharmaceutical Data: Application of Ontology-Based Text Miner

 Introduction: Medication errors in patients’ medical records can influence the healthcare quality and cause risks for them. It is, therefore, crucial to apply appropriate procedures to reduce these errors. This study sought to develop a software for detecting medication errors through qualitative analysis of patients’ medical records. Materials and Methods: The software was developed using object-oriented analysis and Java. The text was first pre-analyzed using a framework known as Stanford Core NLP. In the next stage, the text was turned into a semi-structured passage to be connected to Dr Onontology using Apache Jena framework. The name and dosage of available drugs were then extracted in the physician order forms and the patient progress notes. The areas of mismatch were identified through comparing the data obtained from these two forms. Results: Software assessment was conducted in two stages. In the first stage, the capability of the software in proper recognition of medicine’s name was measured, as100 completed forms containing physician order forms with a total number of 1014 drugs were used for text mining and error detection. After running the analysis in the error detection software, 93% of the drugs were properly recognized. In the next stage, comparisons were made between the physician order forms and the patient progress notes to find possible mismatches. Out of 1000 recorded drugs in the analyzed forms, the software was able to properly detect mismatches in 91.8% of the cases. The medication data available in i2b2 were used for conducting the assessment. Conclusion: Given that medical records are of paramount importance and their human analysis is a complicated and time-consuming process, deployment of a text miner with the capability of quality analysis could facilitate error detection efficiently and effectively

Impacts of Efficiency Change on the Productivity Growth of Iran Agriculture

The aim of this paper is to study the impacts of technological progress and efficiency change on the productivity growth of Iran agriculture separated by Provinces. The period of this study is from 2005-2014. First of all, the impacts of efficiency change and technology change were separated using DEA and Malmquist model. Then, their impacts on productivity growth were studied. It was concluded that the impact of efficiency change on productivity is stronger than that of technology change. Then, the impacts of production inputs change on three variables i.e. efficiency, technology and productivity were assessed. According to results, labor change has a positive impact on productivity growth while capital change has a negligible impact on the factors of production productivity

Political Stability and FDI in OIC Countries

The purpose of the present paper is to investigate the impact of Political stability on foreign direct investment (FDI) revenues in Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) countries. To do so, we have concentrated on a sample of 16 countries for which the necessary data were available for the period 2002-2009. We have used a panel data regression analysis. Our empirical results indicate that Population, openness and gross domestic product (GDP) have positive impact on FDI, whereas Political Stability has a detrimental effect on FDI in OIC countries

National Health Information Network: Lessons Learned From the USA and the UK

National Health Information Network (NHIN) is a network in which all health care organizations, government agencies and other health-related organizations are connected to each other to exchange information about health. Due to the necessity of a framework for NHIN development, in this paper, according to the literature review, a definition for NHIN framework was provided, and then the NHIN related projects were reviewed in the United States of America (USA) and the United Kingdom (UK), NHIN and National Programme for Information Technology in the NHS (NPfIT), respectively. The Review of NHIN framework in the countries studied show some similarities and differences in each dimension that are discussed in this framework. NHIN guiding principles in the NHS NPfIT were not regarded or were considered incomplete, compared to the US. NHIN architecture in the US is decentralized while it is centralized in the UK. Based on the review of NHIN framework, these two countries represent important points that can be used in many other countries. However, it can be said that the development of NHIN does not only mean the implementation of national system or systems, or the binding of local health information systems, but It also needs to build on a framework in which many of the issues related to the formation of NHIN would be considered; including the cooperation between government, private sector and stakeholders with regard to local, national and international needs

A Survey on Intensive Care Unit Information Systems in Hospitals Affiliated with Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences

Introduction: The information system of the intensive care unit has been designed and established in order to manage patients’ data and quickly retrieve patients’ information in this unit. This research was carried out to study the information system of the ICU and reporting capabilities in the hospitals affiliated with Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU). Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, the study population included ICU information systems in seven hospitals that had the system in place. Data gathering tools were a questionnaire and a checklist. The content validity was performed to ensure the validity of the checklist and questionnaire. The test-retest method was used to determine the questionnaire reliability (r = 0.89). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Data collection in the ICU information system in all hospitals understudy is done both in the form of paper forms and electronically. Regarding reporting capability,  patients’ demographic information reports, admission reports, discharge reports, transfers, diagnoses, mortality, and management reports, none of the studied hospitals, the automatic reporting capability scores (GCS), reporting patient safety indicators through alerts and reminders, reporting the cost of medications, reporting disease severity, including Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA), and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE), were not observed. Conclusion: Implementing comprehensive and integrated ICU information systems can be an effective step towards organizing patient information and improving the quality of service provided to them. Therefore, the deployment of an ICU information system is necessary to improve care delivery in ICUs

Electronic Health Record Architecture: A Systematic Review

Numerous advantages are derived from the electronic health record (EHR).Though achieving such advantages depends on its architecture, at present no unique understanding of the architecture dimensions and specifications is available. Therefore, the aim of the present study is a systematic review of architecture perception of the electronic health record. The authors searched the literature in Science Direct, Scopus, PubMed and Proudest Databases (2000 to Jun 2015).  Data extraction was done by 2 reviewers on content, structure, content/structure relationship, confidentiality and security of the EHR. Subsequent to refining the 87 retrieved studies, 25 studies were finally included in the study. In the studies and paradigms so far proposed for the EHR, a unique comprehensive architecture model from the viewpoint of research criteria has not been investigated and it has been considered only from some dimensions. Hence, we provide a new definition of the EHR architecture

Health websites visual structure: the necessity of developing a comprehensive design guideline

Using health-related websites and their information increasingly develops and some concerns on its quality arise as well. Different factors affect the quality of health websites which visual structure is one of the most important factors. The aim of the current study is to explain the role of health websites` visual structure in users’ views on their quality and reliability as well as its role in obtaining health information by users. Furthermore, the need for a comprehensive guideline for designing such websites is discussed. The review showed that health website’s appearance has an important role in users view on its credibility. Furthermore, it was revealed that there is no comprehensive national or international guideline to health websites design. Considering the importance of visual structure of health websites, there is an emergent need to develop a national guideline to obviate the problems of non-consistent, poor or personalized design of health websites.