Omega-3 fatty acid supplements improve the cardiovascular risk profile of subjects with metabolic syndrome, including markers of inflammation and auto-immunity

OBJECTIVE Fish-oil contains high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids that have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. We have evaluated the effects of purified omega-3 fatty acid supplements on several anthropometric and biochemical parameters, including heat shock protein (Hsp) 27 antibody titres in subjects with metabolic syndrome. METHODS Subjects (n = 120) with metabolic syndrome (mean age of 52.9 +/- 11.9 years) were randomly allocated to one of two groups: sixty subjects were given 1 gram of fish oil as a single capsule, containing 180 mg eicosapentaenoic acid and 120 mg docosahexaenoic acid daily for 6 months. Control subjects did not receive any supplementation over the same period. RESULTS The study was completed by 47 subjects in the intervention group and 42 subjects in the control group. Treatment with omega 3 supplements was associated with a significant fall in body weight (P < 0.05), systolic blood pressures (P < 0.05), serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol (P < 0.05), and total cholesterol (P < 0.05), triglycerides (P < 0.05), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (P < 0.01), and Hsp27 antibody titres (P < 0.05). No significant changes were observed in the control group. CONCLUSION It appears that omega 3 improves the cardiovascular risk profile of subjects with metabolic syndrome, having effects on weight, systolic blood pressure, lipid profile and markers of inflammation and autoimmunit

Internalised Values and Fairness Perception: Ethics in Knowledge Management

This chapter argues for ethical consideration in knowledge management (KM). It explores the effect that internalised values and fairness perception have on individuals’ participation in KM practices. Knowledge is power, and organisations seek to manage knowledge through KM practices. For knowledge to be processed, individual employees—the source of all knowledge—need to be willing to participate in KM practices. As knowledge is power and a key constituent part of knowledge is ethics, individuals’ internalised values and fairness perception affect knowledge-processing. Where an organisation claims ownership over knowledge, an individual may perceive being treated unfairly, which may obstruct knowledge-processing. Through adopting ethical KM practices, individual needs are respected, enabling knowledge-processing. Implications point towards an ethical agenda in KM theory and practice

The interval of educational services' quality in 17 universities of medical sciences in Iran

Background and purpose: The process of improving the quality of services in healthcare and treatment has a special place in terms of organizational complexity and importance of efficiency. Models of organizational growth have provided an appropriate context for evaluating the performance and quality of organizations by using Total Quality Management (TQM) method. It should be noted that all parts of society benefit from services of educational environments. Therefore the aim of this research was to measure quality of services in order to constantly improve the quality of services in 17 universities of medical sciences in Iran. Methods: This research was a cross sectional descriptive survey. SERVQUAL standard questionnaire was used as research tool. After questionnaires were collected, the data was fed into APSS21 software. Descriptive statistics and advanced statistical tests were used to measure the interval of educational services. Result: 2767 samples were collected in this study. In general the average level of students’ expectations was 3.85±.93 and the average level of their perception was 3.16±.55. By subtracting this average level of average level of expectation, the interval was-.69±1.02. In all samples total interval in assurance dimension was-.735±1.12, responsiveness-.650±1.16, reliability-.605±1.04, empathy-.739±1.22, and in physical dimension was-.590±1.23. Conclusion: Yasuj university of medical sciences had the highest interval of educational services quality and north Khorasan had the lowest interval. It is generally recommended that each university form a unit called “quality improvement” in order to evaluate regularly and improve the quality of services. © 2018, Editorial office of Journal of International Pharmaceutical Research. All rights reserved