THE ENCOUNTERS OF DEVELOPMENT AND ROLE OF HUMAN RESOURCES

The current financial crisis, which has engulfed East Asia since July 1997 and has subsequently spread to Russia and Brazil, is one of the most pressing challenges facing countries and businesses in today's global business environment. Development represents the structural making of the world characterized by the free flow of technology and human resources across national boundaries as well as the spread of Information Technology (IT) and mass media presenting an ever-changing and competitive business environment. Two major limitations are observed in the treatment of the twin issues of the responses to the East Asian economic crisis and the coverage of the literature on Development. While the response to the crisis has focused on macroeconomic aspects, the issue of Development has been addressed predominantly in and with respect to the developed economies of Western Europe, North America and Japan. This paper is an attempt to address these two limitations. Since the human factor is the key in the new era of Development, the primary objective of this paper is to present a conceptual framework for effective management of human resources as a response to the growing interaction of Development and business performance. Three central arguments are made in this paper. (1) That a growing body of evidence converge to suggest that changes taking place in the global business environment often are not accompanied by complementary changes in human resource management practices leading to a situation whereby the failure of some firms is due to the mismanagement of people rather than to problems with technical systems per se. (2) That this is because organizations have achieved relatively low levels effectiveness in implementing Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) practices especially in emerging economies of South East Asia and other developing countries like Nigeria that are exposed to the challenges and opportunities of Development. (3) That in order to manage employees for competitive edge in a period of Development, human resource personnel must possess competencies relevant for implementing such strategic HRM policies and practices. Guided by theoretical perspectives such as the firm’s resource-based theory of competitive advantage and empirical evidence, this paper develop propositions draws implications for the strategic management of human resources to prepare organizations for the challenges of Development.  Article visualizations

Serogroups, virulence genes and antibiotic resistance in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli isolated from diarrheic and non-diarrheic pediatric patients in Iran

Background: From a clinical perspective, it is important to know which serogroups, virulence genes and antibiotic resistance patterns are present in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli strains in pediatric patients suffering from diarrheic and non-diarrheic infections. This is the first study in Iran that has comprehensively investigated the Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli -related infection characteristics in diarrheic and non-diarrheic pediatric patients of 0-60 months of age. Methods. Two-hundred and twenty four diarrheic and 84 non-diarrheic stool specimens were collected from the Baqiyatallah hospital of Tehran, Iran. The stool samples were cultured immediately and those that were E. coli-positive were analyzed for the presence of antibiotic resistance genes and bacterial virulence factors using PCR. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using disk diffusion method. Results: One-hundred and fifty four out of 224 (68.75%) diarrheic stools and 31 out of 84 (36.90%) non-diarrheic stools harbored E. coli. In addition, children in 13-24 month-old age group had the highest incidence of infection with this bacterium (77.63%). A significant difference was found between the frequency of Attaching and Effacing Escherichia coli and Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (P =0.045). The genes encoding Shiga toxins and intimin were the most commonly detected virulence factors. Among all serogroups studied, O26 (27.04%) and O111 (18.85%) had the highest incidences in the diarrheic and non-diarrheic patients. The incidence of genes encoding resistance against sulfonamide (sul1), gentamicin (aac(3)-IV), trimethoprim (aadA1), cephalothin (blaSHV) and tetracycline (tetA) were 82.78%, 68.03%, 60.65%, 56.55% and 51.63%, respectively. High resistance levels against penicillin (100%), tetracycline (86.88%), gentamicin (62.29%) and streptomycin (54.91%) were observed. Marked seasonality in the serogroup distributions was evident, while STEC infections were more common in summer (P =0.041). Conclusions: Our findings should raise awareness about antibiotic resistance in diarrheic pediatric patients in Iran. Clinicians should exercise caution when prescribing antibiotics, especially during the warmer months of the year

The Effect of Prenatal Exposure to 2.4 GHz Radio Frequency on the Histology and Expression of the osteocalcin and RUNX2 Gene of the Forelimb in an NMRI Mouse

Introduction: Today the use of electromagnetic waves has dramatically increased in modern industrial societies. This study aimed to investigate the effect of prenatal exposure to 2.4 GHz wireless frequency on forelimb development in an NMRI mouse in vivo.Methods: A total of 21 female mice weighing 25-30 g were included in the present study. They were randomly assigned to three groups, namely control (n=7), sham (n=7), and experimental (n=7). After mating, the experimental group was exposed to 2.4 GHz radio frequency at a distance of 20-30 cm from the device, 4 h per day until the delivery. The sham group was placed at a distance of 20-30 cm from the device every day without exposure to electromagnetic waves, and the control group had a pregnancy period without any stress and electromagnetic wave exposure. After giving birth, the forelimbs were isolated from the infants and examined by stereological studies and RT-PCR for the evaluation of osteocalcin and RUNX2 gene expression.Results: Although, at first glance, there was no macroscopic teratogen effect in forelimbs in all groups, via a stereological method, we showed that bone and cartilage volume decreased in the experimental group compared to the other groups. We also found that the experimental group had lower expression of the osteocalcin and RUNX2 gene than the control and sham groups did. However, there were no significant differences between the control and sham groups in terms of bone and cartilage volume and gene expression.Conclusion: Although teratogen effect of prenatal exposure to 2.4 GHz radio frequency on forelimbs was not demonstrated macroscopically, further studies showed negative effects on the forelimb bone, cartilage volume, and gene expression.    

Chromosome Structural Alteration an Unusual Abnormality Characterizing Human Neoplasia

Background and Aim: Ring chromosomes are rare cytogenetic abnormalities that occur in less than 10% of hematopoietic malignancies. They are rare in blood disorder. The present review has focused on the ring chromosome associated with oncology malignancies. Materials and Methods: By reviewing the web-based search for all English scientific peer review articles published, was initiated using Medline/PubMed, Mitelman database (http://cgap.nci.nih.gov/Chromosomes/Mitelman), and other pertinent references on websites about ring chromosomes in Oncology. The software program as End Note was used to handle the proper references for instruction to author. Karyotype descriptions were cited according to ISCN.Conclusion: Ring chromosomes are rare chromosomal aberrations, almost many times are of de novo origin, presenting a different phenotype regarding the loss of genetic material. The karyotype represents the main analysis for detection of ring chromosomes, but other molecular technics are necessary for complete characterization. The information of this review article adds to the spectrum of both morphology and genetic rearrangements in the field of oncology malignancies

Deoxyguanosine Factors and Protein Carbonyl Groups as Markers ofOxidative Stress in the Fasting Individuals in Tehran

For downloading the full-text of this article please click here.Background and Objectives: Oxidative stress represents an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species and a biological system's ability to readily detoxify the reactive intermediates or to repair the resulting damage. Calorie restriction canreduce the damages caused by oxidative stress.Materials and Methods: The subjects, who were healthy males and females able to fast for a month, were randomly selectedfrom the staff of Hippocrates and Imam Khomeini hospitals. Samples of their serum and urine were collected three times, i.e. 4 days before fasting as control, on the 14th day of fasting, and on the 29th day of fasting. Plasma malondialdehyde levels were measured using HPLC technique, while the levels of protein carbonyl groups in plasma, and the levels of 8-iso prostaglandin F2α and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine in urine were measured by ELISA technique. The data were analyzed using SPSS, t test  paired samples, Independentttest the level of statistical significance was considered to be p <0.05.Results: Totally, 60 subjects participated in the study, where seven participants were male (11%) and 53 subjects (89%) were female. Mean and SD of the age of the participants were 37±10 years. Concentrations of plasmamalondialdehyde and 8-iso prostaglandin F2α in urine showed a significant decrease during fasting in Ramadan in all subjects compared with the control samples; moreover, their levels in the third sampling round were significantly lower than that in the second one (p < 0.01).Conclusion: Since plasma levels of MDA and urin levels of 8-isoPGF significantly were decreased during fasting in Ramadan.It seems that fasting a month decreased  oxidative stress.  we hope that with more study in future ,we can use  Ramadan fasting as a natural way to protect human against  different disease which  oxidative stress is involved.Keywords: Fasting, Malondialdehyde, 8-iso prostaglandin F2α, 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine, Protein carbonylFor downloading the full-text of this article please click here

Stimulation Effect of Low Level Laser Therapy on Sciatic Nerve Regeneration in Rat

Introduction: Recent studies exhibited that low-level laser therapy (LLLT) accelerates regeneration process of injured peripheral nerve tissue. The objective  of  this study  was investigat the effect of LLLT (780 nm) on regeneration of the injured right sciatic nerve of male Wistar rat.Methods: In this research work, the effect of LLLT (780nm) on the regeneration process and reconstruction of peripheral in injured right side sciatic nerve was investigated. Twelve adult male Wistar rats underwent surgery in aseptic condition under general anesthesia to induce a lesion to their right side sciatic nerve. Only the experimental group was treated by laser, before suturing the location. The damaged nerve was directly irradiated with (2J, 100 mW, 40 s). Irradiation procedure terminated on 21 days with little improvement (4 J, 200 mW, 40 s) across the skin surface of experimental group. Rats were selected randomly from each group to be sacrificed on different periods and histopathological examination was carried out on the extracted   nerves.Results:  Significant acceleration of revascularization and angiogenesis of the injury site was observed in the experimental group. Furthermore, a reduction of hemorrhages and increase in blood supply was observed. Also, Wallerian degeneration decreased while higher axonal density compared to the control rats was  observed. Moreover, the cross-section analysis of the injured area on the 14th and 21st days as  post-surgery showed that the nerve sheath diameter in the lesion area of the experimental group was reduced.  While the ratio between thicknesses increased in the control group.Conclusion: The current study suggests that laser phototherapy at 780 nm could accelerate the regeneration process of injured peripheral nerves tissue

Effect of general health status on chronicity of low back pain in industrial workers

Recognizing patients at a higher risk of developing chronic low back pain (LBP) is important in industrial medicine. This study aimed to assess the power and quality of General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) for prediction of the odds of chronicity of acute LBP. This study was conducted on industrial workers. All subjects with acute LBP who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled. Demographic characteristics, occupational, physical, and mental parameters and the general health status of subjects were evaluated; they were followed up for developing chronic LBP for one year. Cigarette smoking, high body mass index, job stress, physical load and high GHQ scores were found to be the risk factors for the progression of acute LBP to chronic LBP (P0.05). High GHQ score can be a risk factor for progression of acute LBP to chronic LBP. The GHQ in combination with the Job Content Questionnaire can be used as a quick and simple screening tool for detection of subjects at high risk of chronic LBP when evaluating acute LBP in an occupational setting. © 2016 Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.

Molecular epidemiology, antibiotic resistance profile and frequency of integron 1 and 2 in adherent-invasive Escherichia coli isolates of colorectal cancer patients

This study explores the prevalence of adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and investigates the potential of effective intracellular antibiotics as a therapeutic strategy for CRC patients with AIEC infections. Considering the pivotal role of integrons in bacterial antibiotic resistance, the frequency of class 1 and 2 integrons in AIEC isolated from CRC patients, in one of the referenced 3 gastroenterology clinics in Isfahan, Iran was examined. AIEC strains were isolated from the colorectal biopsies and their antimicrobial sensitivity was assessed using the disc diffusion method. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed to detect intl1 and intl2. The multilocus sequence typing (MLST) method was utilized to type 10 selected isolates. Of the 150 samples, 24 were identified as AIEC, with the highest number isolated from CRC2 (33.4%) and CRC1 (29.16%), and the least from the FH group (8.3%) and control group (12.5%). int1 in 79.2% and int2 in 45.8% of AIEC strains were found and 41.6% of strains had both integrons. AIEC isolates with int1 exhibited the highest sensitivity to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (57.9%), while those with int2 showed the highest sensitivity to ciprofloxacin (63.6%). A significant association between resistance to rifampin and integron 2 presence in AIEC isolates was observed. Furthermore, a significant correlation between integron 1 presence, invasion, survival, and replication within macrophages in AIEC strains was identified. MLST analysis revealed ST131 from CC131 with integron 1 as the most common sequence type (ST). The emergence of such strains in CRC populations poses a serious public health threat. The distribution pattern of STs varied among studied groups, with pandemic STs highlighting the importance of examining and treating patients infected with these isolates. Comprehensive prospective clinical investigations are warranted to assess the prognostic value of detecting this pathovar in CRC and to evaluate therapeutic techniques targeting drug-resistant AIECs, such as phage therapy, bacteriocins, and anti-adhesion compounds, for CRC prevention and treatment

Efficacy of low-fat milk and yogurt fortified with vitamin D<inf>3</inf> on systemic inflammation in adults with abdominal obesity

Background The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is increasing globally and is associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome, autoimmune disease, and cardiovascular disease. Vit D deficiency is also associated with increased systemic inflammation. The current study aimed to determine the efficacy of low-fat milk and yogurt fortified with 1500 IU nano-encapsulated vitamin D, on systemic inflammation in abdominal obese participants. Method This multi-center study was conducted using a 2.5-month parallel total-blind randomized clinical trial design. Two hundred and eighty nine subjects were allocated to four groups: low-fat milk fortified by 1500 IU nano-encapsulated vitamin D3 (200 mL/day). Simple milk (200 mL/day), low-fat yogurt fortified by 1500 IU nano-encapsulated vitamin D3 (150 g/day), and simple yogurt (150 g/day). Results The results showed that serum levels of neutrophils, lymphocytes, platelets and red blood cell distribution width (RDW) were significantly lower before and after the intervention in fortified dairy groups. The results showed that serum levels of neutrophils, lymphocytes, platelets, and RDW before and after intervention in the fortified dairy groups were significantly lower (p < 0.05). The values of = neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelets to lymphocyte ratio, and RDW to platelets ratio (RPR) reduced significantly in the fortification group (p < 0.05). Conclusion Fortification with nano-encapsulated vitamin D3 of dairy products may decrease inflammation in individuals with abdominal obesity

Phenotype and Genotype Heterogeneity of PLA2G6-Associated Neurodegeneration in a Cohort of Pediatric and Adult Patients

BACKGROUND: Phospholipase-associated neurodegeneration (PLAN) caused by mutations in the PLA2G6 gene is a rare neurodegenerative disorder that presents with four sub-groups. Infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy (INAD) and PLA2G6-related dystonia-parkinsonism are the main two subtypes. In this cohort, we reviewed clinical, imaging, and genetic features of 25 adult and pediatric patients harboring variants in the PLA2G6. METHODS: An extensive review of the patients\u27 data was carried out. Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy Rating Scale (INAD-RS) was used for evaluating the severity and progression of INAD patients. Whole-exome sequencing was used to determine the disease\u27s underlying etiology followed by co-segregation analysis using Sanger sequencing. In silico prediction analysis based on the ACMG recommendation was used to assess the pathogenicity of genetic variants. We aimed to survey a genotype-genotype correlation in PLA2G6 considering all reported disease-causing variants in addition to our patients using the HGMD database and the chi-square statistical approach. RESULTS: Eighteen cases of INAD and 7 cases of late-onset PLAN were enrolled. Among 18 patients with INAD, gross motor regression was the most common presenting symptom. Considering the INAD-RS total score, the mean rate of progression was 0.58 points per month of symptoms (Standard error 0.22, lower 95% - 1.10, and upper 95% - 0.15). Sixty percent of the maximum potential loss in the INAD-RS had occurred within 60 months of symptom onset in INAD patients. Among seven adult cases of PLAN, hypokinesia, tremor, ataxic gate, and cognitive impairment were the most frequent clinical features. Various brain imaging abnormalities were also observed in 26 imaging series of these patients with cerebellar atrophy being the most common finding in more than 50%. Twenty unique variants in 25 patients with PLAN were detected including nine novel variants. Altogether, 107 distinct disease-causing variants from 87 patient were analyzed to establish a genotype-phenotype correlation. The P value of the chi-square test did not indicate a significant relationship between age of disease onset and the distribution of reported variants on PLA2G6. CONCLUSION: PLAN presents with a wide spectrum of clinical symptoms from infancy to adulthood. PLAN should be considered in adult patients with parkinsonism or cognition decline. Based on the current knowledge, it is not possible to foresee the age of disease onset based on the identified genotype