Assessment of the Business Environment and Strategies for Developing Busıness Processes: the Case of Iran’s West Azarbaijan Province

Accurate, comprehensive and credible performance management systems, as one of the benchmarks of the development of organizations and communities, require the provision of specific infrastructures and requirements. The present study consists of a mixed approach of fuzzy hierarchy analysis and balanced scorecard to assess the business environment in the West Azarbaijan province of Iran. This research is applied in terms of purpose and has been prepared in terms of method with analytical and descriptive approach. Analytical Hierarchy Process Analysis (AHP) technique was used to measure the variables of the research and indicators are weighted by analyzing the fuzzy hierarchical process as well. Based on this, the growth and learning field with a priority weight of 0.467 is the most important and secondarily, the internal processes area with a priority weight of 0.277 is considered. The financial area with priority weight of 0.160 is considered important in the third order and finally the client area with a priority of 0.095 is considered

Effect of plant density on yield and physiological characteristics of six canola cultivars

An experiment was performed in the Seed and Plant Improvement Institute, Karaj, Iran to study the influence of plant densities on physiological traits of six canola cultivars. Treatment conditions included three different plant densities (40, 60, and 80 plants m-2) for triplicates of six canola cultivars, namely, Ahamadi, Opera, Okapi, L72, Karaj1, and Sw102. Results indicated that L72 cultivar exhibited the highest yield at the lowest plant density (40 plants m-2). For all cultivars, both plant densities of 60 and 80 plants m-2 resulted in lower relative water content than 40 plants m-2. Proline and carbohydrate content significantly increased with increasing plant densities. The highest proline content was obtained from L72 under the highest plant density, whereas the lowest was also detected in this cultivar at the lowest plant density. All cultivars grown at the lowest density showed higher amounts of photosynthetic pigments chlorophylls a and b than those at the highest density. Glucosinolate increased with increasing plant densities, with L72 yielding the highest quantity when grown at the highest density. In conclusion, a density of 40 plants m-2 is recommended for growing L72 in this region.&nbsp

Global age-sex-specific mortality, life expectancy, and population estimates in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1950–2021, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Estimates of demographic metrics are crucial to assess levels and trends of population health outcomes. The profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on populations worldwide has underscored the need for timely estimates to understand this unprecedented event within the context of long-term population health trends. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 provides new demographic estimates for 204 countries and territories and 811 additional subnational locations from 1950 to 2021, with a particular emphasis on changes in mortality and life expectancy that occurred during the 2020–21 COVID-19 pandemic period. Methods: 22 223 data sources from vital registration, sample registration, surveys, censuses, and other sources were used to estimate mortality, with a subset of these sources used exclusively to estimate excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2026 data sources were used for population estimation. Additional sources were used to estimate migration; the effects of the HIV epidemic; and demographic discontinuities due to conflicts, famines, natural disasters, and pandemics, which are used as inputs for estimating mortality and population. Spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression (ST-GPR) was used to generate under-5 mortality rates, which synthesised 30 763 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 1365 surveys and censuses, and 80 other sources. ST-GPR was also used to estimate adult mortality (between ages 15 and 59 years) based on information from 31 642 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 355 surveys and censuses, and 24 other sources. Estimates of child and adult mortality rates were then used to generate life tables with a relational model life table system. For countries with large HIV epidemics, life tables were adjusted using independent estimates of HIV-specific mortality generated via an epidemiological analysis of HIV prevalence surveys, antenatal clinic serosurveillance, and other data sources. Excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 was determined by subtracting observed all-cause mortality (adjusted for late registration and mortality anomalies) from the mortality expected in the absence of the pandemic. Expected mortality was calculated based on historical trends using an ensemble of models. In location-years where all-cause mortality data were unavailable, we estimated excess mortality rates using a regression model with covariates pertaining to the pandemic. Population size was computed using a Bayesian hierarchical cohort component model. Life expectancy was calculated using age-specific mortality rates and standard demographic methods. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were calculated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered values from a 1000-draw posterior distribution. Findings: Global all-cause mortality followed two distinct patterns over the study period: age-standardised mortality rates declined between 1950 and 2019 (a 62·8% [95% UI 60·5–65·1] decline), and increased during the COVID-19 pandemic period (2020–21; 5·1% [0·9–9·6] increase). In contrast with the overall reverse in mortality trends during the pandemic period, child mortality continued to decline, with 4·66 million (3·98–5·50) global deaths in children younger than 5 years in 2021 compared with 5·21 million (4·50–6·01) in 2019. An estimated 131 million (126–137) people died globally from all causes in 2020 and 2021 combined, of which 15·9 million (14·7–17·2) were due to the COVID-19 pandemic (measured by excess mortality, which includes deaths directly due to SARS-CoV-2 infection and those indirectly due to other social, economic, or behavioural changes associated with the pandemic). Excess mortality rates exceeded 150 deaths per 100 000 population during at least one year of the pandemic in 80 countries and territories, whereas 20 nations had a negative excess mortality rate in 2020 or 2021, indicating that all-cause mortality in these countries was lower during the pandemic than expected based on historical trends. Between 1950 and 2021, global life expectancy at birth increased by 22·7 years (20·8–24·8), from 49·0 years (46·7–51·3) to 71·7 years (70·9–72·5). Global life expectancy at birth declined by 1·6 years (1·0–2·2) between 2019 and 2021, reversing historical trends. An increase in life expectancy was only observed in 32 (15·7%) of 204 countries and territories between 2019 and 2021. The global population reached 7·89 billion (7·67–8·13) people in 2021, by which time 56 of 204 countries and territories had peaked and subsequently populations have declined. The largest proportion of population growth between 2020 and 2021 was in sub-Saharan Africa (39·5% [28·4–52·7]) and south Asia (26·3% [9·0–44·7]). From 2000 to 2021, the ratio of the population aged 65 years and older to the population aged younger than 15 years increased in 188 (92·2%) of 204 nations. Interpretation: Global adult mortality rates markedly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, reversing past decreasing trends, while child mortality rates continued to decline, albeit more slowly than in earlier years. Although COVID-19 had a substantial impact on many demographic indicators during the first 2 years of the pandemic, overall global health progress over the 72 years evaluated has been profound, with considerable improvements in mortality and life expectancy. Additionally, we observed a deceleration of global population growth since 2017, despite steady or increasing growth in lower-income countries, combined with a continued global shift of population age structures towards older ages. These demographic changes will likely present future challenges to health systems, economies, and societies. The comprehensive demographic estimates reported here will enable researchers, policy makers, health practitioners, and other key stakeholders to better understand and address the profound changes that have occurred in the global health landscape following the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, and longer-term trends beyond the pandemic

بررسی میزان دانش و عملکرد پرستاران اورژانس بیمارستان امام خمینی جیرفت از نحوه تریاژ داخل بیمارستانی

Introduction: Hospital triage is part of the structure of the emergency department, which is performed by nurses. Little information is available about the level of nurses' knowledge of triage. The present study was performed with the aim of evaluating the knowledge of nurses in the emergency department of Imam Khomeini Hospital, Jiroft, Iran, on hospital triage. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional (descriptive-analytical) study. Census method was used for sampling and 60 of the emergency personnel of Imam Khomeini Hospital, Jiroft, Iran in 2019 were selected entered the study. Data were gathered using a valid and reliable questionnaire. After codifying and entering the data, they were analyzed using STATA statistical software and descriptive and analytical statistical tests. Results: 60 of the emergency personnel of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Jiroft entered the study. The mean age of the staff was 30.43 ± 8.23 years, the minimum age of the participants was 23 years and the maximum was 51 years. The mean score of nurses' knowledge was 11.2 ± 3.84. Among the studied staff, 39 (65%) had poor scores, while only 21 (35%) had moderate scores. There was no significant correlation between demographic variables and knowledge score. Conclusion: Nurses' poor knowledge on hospital triage can be due to the lack of formal specialized triage training courses and the lack of obligation for emergency departments to make evidence-based decisions. Considering that guidelines in this regard are very important and necessary and not adhering to them might put the life of the patients at risk, workshops need to be held for the personnel in this regard to improve the level of knowledge of nurses.مقدمه : تریاژ بیمارستانی جزیی از ساختار بخش اورژانس است که توسط پرستاران صورت می­گیرد، اطلاعات کمی از میزان آگاهی پرستاران از تریاژ در دست است، مطالعه حاضر با هدف ارزيابي اگاهي پرستاران اورژانس بیمارستان امام خمینی(ره) جیرفت در زمينه ترياژ بيمارستاني انجام شد. روش کار: اين پژوهش به صورت مقطعی (توصیفی-تحلیلی) بود. جهت جمع­آوری داده­ها از روش سرشماری استفاده شد و 60 نفر از پرسنل اورژانس بیمارستان امام خمینی شهرستان جیرفت در سال 1398 انتخاب و وارد مطالعه شدند. در این پژوهش جهت جمع­آوري اطلاعات از پرسشنامه استانداردی که روایی و پایایی آن سنجیده شده است، استفاده گردید. داده­ها جمع­آوری شد و پس از کدبندی و ورود داده­ها با نرم افزار آماری stata و با استفاده آزمون­های آماری توصیفی و تحلیلی تجزیه و تحلیل شد. یافته ها: 60 نفر از پرسنل اورژانس بیمارستان امام خمینی شهرستان جیرفت وارد مطالعه شدند. میانگین سنی پرسنل 23/8 ± 43/30 سال، حداقل سن شرکت کنندگان 23 سال و حداکثر 51 سال بود. میانگین نمره­ی آگاهی و عملکرد پرستاران 84/3 ± 2/11 بود. 39 نفر (65%) از پرسنل در سطح ضعیفی بودند در حالی که تنها 21 نفر (35%) در سطح متوسطی بودند. بین متغیرهای دموگرافیک و نمره آگاهی و عملکرد تریاژ ارتباط معنی داری وجود نداشت. نتیجه گیری: آگاهی کم پرستاران در مورد تریاژ بیمارستانی می­تواند ناشی از نبود دوره­هاي آموزش رسمی تخصصی تریاژ و عدم الزام بخش­هاي اورژانس به تصمیم­گیري مبتنی بر شواهد باشد. با توجه به این که تدابیر لازم در این خصوص بسیار لازم و ضروری می باشد و در صورت عدم رعایت آنها گاها ممکن است جان بیمار به خطر بیافتد،‌ نیازمند برگزاری کارگاه­هایی در این خصوص برای این افراد می­باشیم تا سطح آگاهی و عملکرد پرستاران را بالاتر ببریم

Phage therapy as a renewed therapeutic approach to mycobacterial infections: a comprehensive review

Mycobacterial infections are considered to a serious challenge of medicine, and the emergence of MDR and XDR tuberculosis is a serious public health problem. Tuberculosis can cause high morbidity and mortality around the world, particularly in developing countries. The emergence of drug-resistant Mycobacterium infection following limited therapeutic technologies coupled with the serious worldwide tuberculosis epidemic has adversely affected control programs, thus necessitating the study of the role bacteriophages in the treatment of mycobacterial infection. Bacteriophages are viruses that are isolated from several ecological specimens and do not exert adverse effects on patients. Phage therapy can be considered as a significant alternative to antibiotics for treating MDR and XDR mycobacterial infections. The useful ability of bacteriophages to kill Mycobacterium spp has been explored by numerous research studies that have attempted to investigate the phage therapy as a novel therapeutic/diagnosis approach to mycobacterial infections. However, there are restricted data about phage therapy for treating mycobacterial infections. This review presents comprehensive data about phage therapy in the treatment of mycobacterial infection, specifically tuberculosis disease

Genetic Variations of Tumor Necrosis Factor –α-308 and Lymphtoxin-α+252 in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Patients

Objective(s): Non- Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are two main hematological malignances which have been driven from lymphoid tissue. Genetic polymorphisms in tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) -308 and lymphotoxin-α (LT-α) +252 may affect their transcription and expression which leads to their high plasma level. The frequency of the TNF-α (-308) and LT-α (+ 252) polymorphisms are different for NHL and ALL cases in various populations with different ethnicity. This research is designed to investigate the prevalence and association of TNF-α (-308) and LT-α (+ 252) polymorphisms from NHL and ALL in Azarian patients and healthy individuals from Northwestern part of Iran.   Materials and Methods: Seventy subjects with ALL and 68 NHL, along with another 130 healthy subjects as control group took part in this study. Genomic DNA was extracted, then genetic polymorphisms in TNF-α and LT-α genes were analyzed with the PCR-RFLP and NCOI as restriction enzyme. A statistical analysis was performed by chi-square test using SPSS software. A P-value o

Conversion of Industrial Sludge into Activated Biochar for Effective Cationic Dye Removal: Characterization and Adsorption Properties Assessment

This paper presents an in-depth characterization of a raw industrial sludge (IS-R) and its KOH-activated biochar pyrolyzed at 750 °C (IS-KOH-B) followed by their application to remove a cationic dye from aqueous solution. Materials characterization shows that compared to the IS-R, the IS-KOH-B has improved structural, textural, and surface chemical properties. In particular, the IS-KOH-B’s BET surface area and total pore volume are about 78 and 6 times higher than those found for the IS-R, respectively. The activated biochar efficiently retained the cationic dye under wide experimental conditions. Indeed, for an initial dye concentration of 50 mg L−1, removal yields were assessed to be more than 92.5%, 93.5%, and 97.8% for a large pH range (4–10), in the presence of high contents of competing cations (3000 mg L−1 of Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, and K+), and a low used adsorbent dose (1 g L−1), respectively. The Langmuir’s adsorption capacities were 48.5 and 65.9 mg g−1 for of IS-R and IS-KOH-B, respectively, which are higher than those reported for various adsorbents in the literature. The dye removal was found to be monolayer, spontaneous, and endothermic for both the adsorbents. Moreover, this removal process seems to be controlled by chemical reactions for IS-KOH-B whereas by both physico–chemical reactions for IS-R. This study demonstrates that the raw industrial sludge and especially its KOH-activated derived biochar could be considered as promising adsorbents for the removal of dyes from aqueous solutions