A study on measuring the quality of university website

During the past few years, many organizations try to provide some of their services through their websites. This would help them provide fast and reliable services to various people around the world. In this paper, we present an empirical survey to measure the relative performance of a university website in Iran using Parasuraman's technological readiness index. The proposed study uses a standard questionnaire and distributes it among 387 active website users and the results are analyzed using structural equation modeling. The proposed study of this paper considers the effects of four factors including efficiency, accessibility, achievement and security on customer loyalty via two variables of trust and satisfaction. The results demonstrate that three components of trust, efficiency and achievement play essential role on customer loyalty

Cancer chemoprevention by oleaster (Elaeagnus angustifoli L.) fruit extract in a model of hepatocellular carcinoma induced by diethylnitrosamine in rats

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a frequent and fatal human cancer with poor diagnosis that accounts for over half a million deaths each year worldwide. Elaeagnus angustifolia L. known as oleaster has a wide range of pharmacological activities. This study aimed to investigate the chemopreventive effect of aqueous extract of E. angustifolia fruit (AEA) against diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced HCC in rats. HCC was induced in rats by a single injection of DEN (200 mg/kg) as an initiator. After two weeks, rats were orally administered 2-acetylaminofluorene or 2-AAF (30 mg/kg) as a promoter for two weeks. Oleaster-treated rats were orally pretreated with the increasing doses of AEA two weeks prior to DEN injection that continued until the end of the experiment. In the current study, a significant decrease in serum biomarkers of liver damage and cancer, including alfa-fetoprotein (AFP), gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), alanine transaminase (ALT), and aspartate transaminase (AST) was observed in AEA-treated rats when compared to HCC rats. Furthermore, the oleaster extract exhibited in vivo antioxidant activity by elevating reduced glutathione (GSH) contents as well as preventing lipid peroxidation in the liver tissues of DEN-treated rats. The relative weight of liver, a prognostic marker of HCC, was also reduced in oleaster-treated rats. To conclude, our results clearly demonstrated that oleaster fruit possesses a significant chemopreventive effect against primary liver cancer induced by DEN in rats. It can be suggested that the preventive activity of oleaster against hepatocarcinogenesis may be mediated through the antioxidant, anti-inflammation, and antimutagenic effects of the fruit

Cancer chemoprevention by oleaster (Elaeagnus angustifoli L.) fruit extract in a model of hepatocellular carcinoma induced by diethylnitrosamine in rats

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a frequent and fatal human cancer with poor diagnosis that accounts for over half a million deaths each year worldwide. Elaeagnus angustifolia L. known as oleaster has a wide range of pharmacological activities. This study aimed to investigate the chemopreventive effect of aqueous extract of E. angustifolia fruit (AEA) against diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced HCC in rats. HCC was induced in rats by a single injection of DEN (200 mg/kg) as an initiator. After two weeks, rats were orally administered 2-acetylaminofluorene or 2-AAF (30 mg/kg) as a promoter for two weeks. Oleaster-treated rats were orally pretreated with the increasing doses of AEA two weeks prior to DEN injection that continued until the end of the experiment. In the current study, a significant decrease in serum biomarkers of liver damage and cancer, including alfa-fetoprotein (AFP), gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), alanine transaminase (ALT), and aspartate transaminase (AST) was observed in AEA-treated rats when compared to HCC rats. Furthermore, the oleaster extract exhibited in vivo antioxidant activity by elevating reduced glutathione (GSH) contents as well as preventing lipid peroxidation in the liver tissues of DEN-treated rats. The relative weight of liver, a prognostic marker of HCC, was also reduced in oleaster-treated rats. To conclude, our results clearly demonstrated that oleaster fruit possesses a significant chemopreventive effect against primary liver cancer induced by DEN in rats. It can be suggested that the preventive activity of oleaster against hepatocarcinogenesis may be mediated through the antioxidant, anti-inflammation, and antimutagenic effects of the fruit

Investigation into the Behavior of an Open Web Steel Joist Bridge

Open web steel joists (OWSJ) have been extensively used in the building industry due to numerous advantages when compared with other structural systems. They are lighter than comparable rolled steel shapes, allowing for faster and less costly construction, in addition to their reduced material costs. However, OWSJ are rarely used for bridge structures. This paper examines the behavior of an OWSJ system in a bridge located at the Nucor plant in Brigham City, Utah

Evaluation of Anti-depressant and Anti-anxiety Activity of Methanol Extract of Stachys annua L. in Mice

Background and objectives: Development of new medicines with fewer side effects and more efficacy is needed for treatment of depressive and anxiety disorders. The present study was designedto investigate the antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects of Stachys annua L. methanol extract in mice.Methods: The extract was prepared by maceration method and the total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride methods, respectively. Elevated plus-maze (EPM) and open field tests (OFT) were applied to evaluate the anti-anxiety and locomotor activity of animals treated with the intraperitoneal (i.p.) extract (12.5, 25, 50, and100 mg/kg), respectively. Antidepressant activity was evaluated by forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test(TST). Results: The total phenolic content of the extract was 54.13±0.01 mg of gallic acid equivalents per gram of dry extract and total flavonoid content was 67.89±0.005 mg of quercetin as equivalents/ g of extract. Intraperitoneal administration of the extract (50 and 100 mg/kg) significantly increased thepercentage of time spent and the percentage of arm entries into the open arms of EPM and decreased locomotor activity, compared with the vehicle control group. In addition, the immobility time of animals significantly decreased in both FST and TST with doses of 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg of the extract, compared with the vehicle control group. Conclusion: The extract of Stachys annua L. might be used as an adjunct therapy in clinical studies for the treatment of depressive and anxiety disorders. However, determination of active ingredients needs further evaluation.<br/

The Effectiveness of the Anteroom (Vestibule) Area on Hospital Infection Control and Health Staff Safety: A Systematic Review

The emergence of SARS-CoV2 in 2019 showed again that the world's healthcare system is not fully equipped and well-designed for preventing the transmission of nosocomial respiratory infections. One of the great tools for preventing the spread of infectious organisms in hospitals is the anteroom. Several articles have investigated the role of the anteroom in disease control but the lack of a comprehensive study in this field prompted us to provide more in-depth information to fill this gap. Also, this study aimed to assess the necessity to construct an anteroom area for hospital staff members at the entrance of each ward of the hospital, and specify the equipment and facilities which make the anteroom more efficient. Articles were identified through searches of Scopus, Web of Sciences, PubMed, and Embase for studies published in English until May 2020 reporting data on the effect of the anteroom (vestibule) area in controlling hospital infections. Data from eligible articles were extracted and presented according to PRISMA's evidence-based data evaluation search strategy. Also, details around the review aims and methods were registered with the PROSPERO. From the database, 209 articles were identified, of which 25 studies met the study criteria. Most studies demonstrated that an anteroom significantly enhances practical system efficiency. The results showed that the equipment such as ventilation system, high-efficiency particulate absorption filter, hand dispensers, alcohol-based disinfection, sink, mirror, transparent panel, UVC disinfection, and zone for PPE change, and parameters like temperature, door type, pressure, and size of the anteroom are factors that are effective on the safety of the hospital environment. Studies demonstrated that providing an anteroom for changing clothing and storing equipment may be useful in reducing the transmission of airborne infections in hospitals. Since the transmission route of SARS-CoV2 is common with other respiratory infectious agents, it can be concluded that a well-designed anteroom could potentially decrease the risk of SARS-CoV2 transmission during hospitalization as well.publishedVersio

Incontinence and quality of life in ulcerative colitis patients after total proctocolectomy with an ileal pouch anal anastomosis

Objective: Total proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is a surgical procedure performed on patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) to avoid the need for permanent stoma. The objective of this study was to assess the quality of life and fecal incontinence in UC patients after IPAA and compare the quality of life among different subgroups. Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional study included all UC patients who had underwent IPAA between 2017 and 2021 at Shahid Faghihi Hospital, Iran. Data were collected from medical records and through direct contact with the patients. Fecal incontinence was evaluated using Wexner questionnaire, while quality of life was assessed using the inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire (IBDQ). Patients were categorized into groups based on the severity of their fecal incontinence, classified as no/mild (0-4) or moderate to severe (≥5), according to their Wexner scores. Results: A total of 138 patients completed the Wexner questionnaire, and 119 completed the IBDQ questionnaire. The mean age of participants at the time of questionnaire completion was 43.39 years (±11.16). Among the included patients, 19% experienced moderate to severe fecal incontinence. These patients had lower scores across all domains and the total score of IBDQ compared to patients with no/mild fecal incontinence. Additionally, those who underwent IPAA more than four years ago had significantly lower scores in the social function domain (P-value=0.047) and total score of IBDQ (P-value=0.027). Conclusions: Patients with fecal incontinence and those who have undergone IPAA for a longer duration have better quality of life scores

Drawing Knowledge Map & Skills of the Librarians Based on Max Weber's Ideal Type Model: A case study

Knowledge map is a knowledge management tool, through which information about the location of knowledge deployment and knowledge resources ranging from people possessing knowledge, documents, and databases is given to the organization's users. Knowledge map determines the expertise and knowledge required by people with the location of its deployment in the organization. The main purpose of this study was to map the knowledge and skills of the librarians of Astan Quds Razavi central library based on Max Weber's Ideal Type Model. This study was of applied form and its procedure was descriptive-analytic survey. The population included 39 librarians working at the central library of Astan Quds Razavi with an Associate degree in Knowledge and information science and had a librarian position. Researcher’s made questionnaire was used as the data collection instrument with a return rate of 100 percent. In addition to the questionnaire, the checklist created by Shamsi (2012) was used by the researcher in order to collect data. The findings showed that in the librarians’ general skills section, the highest mean was of administrative abilities such as office automation, text editing ability, etc. (mean 2.53), and language skills (mean 1.03), accounting (mean 0.55) and computer (mean 2.33). In examining the specialized knowledge and skills required of the librarians of different sections of the central library of Astan Quds Razavi, it was found that the librarians had the knowledge and skills needed to work in the study halls sections (3.89 on average), and the library (with an average of 3.89). Also found library circulation (4.2), membership (mean 3.77), cataloging (mean 3.42), collection (mean 3.25) and audiovisual mean (mean 3.79), and librarians have a knowledge vacuum for working in the digital library (2. 63 average) and stencils (1.68 average). Findings from the Librarian Knowledge and Skills Index based on the Ideal Model showed that most librarians (22) were in Type 1 (High Knowledge and Skills). Also found that none of the librarians are in Type 2 (high knowledge and low skill), but 12 in Type 3 (low knowledge and high skill), and 5 in Type 4 (low knowledge and skill)