Analysis of nitrofurantoin sensitivity in multi drug resistant gram negative bacilli causing UTI in a teaching hospital – A cost effective option

Background Antimicrobial resistance is a growing concern globally, leading to more difficult-to-treat infections and higher mortality rates. Urinary tract infections (UTI) are one of the major indications for prescribing antibiotics, with multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacilli being responsible for a growing proportion of community-acquired uncomplicated UTIs. Our goal is to determine nitrofurantoin, a less costly effective substitute in treating uncomplicated UTI caused by multidrug resistant gram negative bacilli

Analysis of nitrofurantoin sensitivity in multi drug resistant gram negative bacilli causing UTI in a teaching hospital – A cost effective option

Background Antimicrobial resistance is a growing concern globally, leading to more difficult-to-treat infections and higher mortality rates. Urinary tract infections (UTI) are one of the major indications for prescribing antibiotics, with multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacilli being responsible for a growing proportion of community-acquired uncomplicated UTIs. Our goal is to determine nitrofurantoin, a less costly effective substitute in treating uncomplicated UTI caused by multidrug resistant gram negative bacilli

http://www.agrimet.ir/article_69413_1f753aa38d785ddda126e4772b34e416.pdf

The aim of this research is to evaluate the temperature outputs of climate forecasting systems over Iran. The analysis is provided based on Atmosphere-Ocean Coupled General Circulation Models from North America Multi Model Ensemble (NMME). The skill of NMME individual models are evaluated in different initializations, of lead times (0-month, 1-month and 2-month) for October-December (OND), December-February (DJF), and February-April (FMA) target seasons. Temperatures at 2m from Climate Research Unit (CRU) dataset are used as reference observation over 1982-2010. Pearson correlation, Mean Error and Root Mean Squared Error are calculated as deterministic verification criteria for seasonal forecast verification. In addition, Relative Operating Characteristic (ROC) score is calculated as a categorical measure for below-normal and above-normal conditions. The results suggest that correlation between NMME forecasts and CRU is higher in FMA (compared to DJF and OND). CFSv2 has a significant skill in the south of Iran in FMA (correlation ≥ 0.9, ROC≥ 0.7). Spatial pattern of NMME biases is similar in three target seasons. GFDL-FLOR-B01 bias is lowest among all evaluated NMME models. At longer lead times; skill of some models is dropped for forecasting temperature in some river basins in Iran. Given large temperature biases found in NMME individual models, applying Model Output Statistics is recommended. Developing Multi-model Ensemble (MME) can also help to improve seasonal forecasts in Iran’s river basins for agriculture and water resources management applications

From formal employment to street vending: Women’s room to maneuver and labor market decisions under conditions of export-orientation – the case of Penang, Malaysia.

This study is a compilation thesis consisting of an introduction and four separate papers. It is an inquiry into women‟s working lives in Penang, Malaysia. The export-oriented development model adopted in Malaysia stimulated women‟s large-scale entry to the formal labor force. However, export-orientation has not been able to sustain women‟s long terms participation in the formal labor market and female labor force participation rates in Malaysia have never exceeded 50 percent. This means that despite the expansion of the Malaysian economy, declining fertility rates and increased female educational attainment, over half of working aged women in Malaysia remain „outside the labor force‟. This thesis aims to investigate women‟s room to maneuver in the labor market by scrutinizing women‟s move from the formal to the informal economy over the life course. It also aims to contribute further knowledge relating to women‟s work in the informal economy – in particular its spatial aspects. The empirical study is based on field work conducted in Penang between 2009 and 2011. The 80 women interviewed in Penang share the common feature that they make their living in the informal economy – mostly as street vendors (hawkers). The majority used to work in the formal economy as machine operators or assembly workers in factories or in low-skilled jobs the tourism industry. An important reason for the low female labor force participation rates in Malaysia is that women‟s engagement in the formal labor market has a strong one-peaked pattern with many permanently leaving the labor force at a relatively young age. However, although women who leave the formal labor market tend to go missing statistically – they continue to work in the informal economy. This study suggests that while women‟s formal labor force participation has one peak, their full work participation over the life course can be more accurately described as two-peaked. This study has found that women‟s decisions to leave formal employment were often made under the simultaneous influence of marriage, child-birth and unsustainable labor conditions. In a similar fashion their decisions to not (re)engage in formal employment but rather to opt for informal work were influenced by the lack of institutional support for working mothers, norms around gender, work and place and an unwillingness to (re)engage in exploitative work in the formal economy. Issues of distance (to formal employment opportunities) and proximity (to informal work) were key features in their room to maneuver and labor market decisions

Setting research priorities to achieve long-term health targets in Iran

Background: In 2015, it was estimated that the burden of disease in Iran comprised of 19 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), 74% of which were due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The observed leading causes of death were cardiovascular diseases (41.9%), neoplasms (14.9%), and road traffic injuries (7.4%). Even so, the health research investment in Iran continues to remain limited. This study aims to identify national health research priorities in Iran for the next five years to assist the efficient use of resources towards achieving the long-term health targets. Methods: Adapting the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI) method, this study engaged 48 prominent Iranian academic leaders in the areas related to Iran's long-term health targets, a group of research funders and policy makers, and 68 stakeholders from the wider society. 128 proposed research questions were scored independently using a set of five criteria: feasibility, impact on health, impact on economy, capacity building, and equity. Findings: The top-10 priorities were focused on the research questions relating to: health insurance system reforms to improve equity; integration of NCDs prevention strategy into primary health care; cost-effective population-level interventions for NCDs and road traffic injury prevention; tailoring medical qualifications; epidemiological assessment of NCDs by geographic areas; equality in the distribution of health resources and services; current and future common health problems in Iran's elderly and strategies to reduce their economic burden; the status of antibiotic resistance in Iran and strategies to promote rational use of antibiotics; the health impacts of water crisis; and research to replace the physician-centered health system with a team-based one. Conclusions: These findings highlight consensus amongst various prominent Iranian researchers and stakeholders over the research priorities that require investment to generate information and knowledge relevant to the national health targets and policies. The exercise should assist in addressing the knowledge gaps to support both the National General Health Policies by 2025 and the health targets of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals by 2030