Child abuse reporting barriers: Iranian nurses� experiences

Background: Although in many countries child abuse reporting is mandated, Iranian nurses report abused cases voluntary. Some of the cases are reported to the police and others are referred to welfare organizations or other non-governmental organizations. Absence of a uniform reporting system along with a lack of legal support in the specific cultural context of Iran has resulted challenges for the reporters of child abuse. Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the Iranian nurses� experiences of reporting child abuse as well as to explore the existing barriers. Patients and Methods: A qualitative study with conventional content analysis was conducted to explore the barriers of reporting child abuse. Individual interviews between 30 and 45 minutes in duration were conducted with a purposive sample of 16 nurses with direct experience of dealing with children who had been abused. Graneheim and Lundman�s method was used for data analysis. Results: The data were classified to five themes including �knowledge deficit�, �previous unpleasant experiences about child abuse reporting�, �ethical challenges�,� legal challenges� and �cultural beliefs�. Conclusions: According to the findings, enhancement of nurses and public knowledge about child abuse, legal issues and jurisprudence along with legislation of clear and simple laws, are mandatory to protect abused children in Iran. © 2015, Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal

Desenvolvendo um quadro teórico para escolas empreendedoras no sistema educacional do Irã

Nowadays, increasing attention is paid to entrepreneurship education by universities, education system and higher education institutions, governments and companies and entrepreneurship as well as its related studies are being globally developed. Since a major part of country's development is based on the education system, communicating general policies of Article 44 of the Constitution has faced educational institutions, including Ministry of Education with several challenges. Appropriate strategies, approaches and practices should be selected and implemented to respond to these challenges. One of these approaches is entrepreneurship education in the education system. Entrepreneurship development in economic and business activities is a process that plays a vital role in continued national development of countries. For this reason and due to the importance of subject, the purpose of present study was to provide a coherent theoretical framework of entrepreneurship in education system of the country through explaining the concepts and definitions and considering dimensions of entrepreneurship. Therefore, the main components of entrepreneurial schools were identified through reviewing previous studies and library and documentary researches and its theoretical framework was developed in education system of the country.Hoy en día, se presta mayor atención a la educación empresarial por parte de las universidades, el sistema educativo y las instituciones de educación superior, los gobiernos y las empresas, así como los estudios relacionados que se están desarrollando a nivel mundial. Dado que una parte importante del desarrollo del país se basa en el sistema educativo, la comunicación de las políticas generales del Artículo 44 de la Constitución ha enfrentado a las instituciones educativas, incluido el Ministerio de Educación, con varios desafíos. Las estrategias, los enfoques y las prácticas apropiadas deben seleccionarse e implementarse para responder a estos desafíos. Uno de estos enfoques es la educación para el emprendimiento en el sistema educativo. El desarrollo empresarial en actividades económicas y empresariales es un proceso que desempeña un papel vital en el desarrollo nacional continuo de los países. Por esta razón y debido a la importancia del tema, el propósito del presente estudio fue proporcionar un marco teórico coherente de emprendimiento en el sistema educativo del país a través de la explicación de los conceptos y definiciones y considerando las dimensiones del emprendimiento. Por lo tanto, los componentes principales de las escuelas empresariales se identificaron a través de la revisión de estudios previos e investigaciones de bibliotecas y documentales, y su marco teórico se desarrolló en el sistema educativo del país.Hoje em dia, cada vez mais se presta atenção à educação para o empreendedorismo por parte das universidades, instituições de ensino e instituições de ensino superior, governos e empresas, assim como seus estudos relacionados estão sendo desenvolvidos globalmente. Como grande parte do desenvolvimento do país é baseado no sistema educacional, a comunicação das políticas gerais do Artigo 44 da Constituição enfrentou instituições educacionais, incluindo o Ministério da Educação, com vários desafios. Estratégias, abordagens e práticas apropriadas devem ser selecionadas e implementadas para responder a esses desafios. Uma dessas abordagens é a educação para o empreendedorismo no sistema educacional. O desenvolvimento do empreendedorismo em atividades econômicas e de negócios é um processo que desempenha um papel vital no desenvolvimento nacional contínuo dos países. Por esse motivo e pela importância do tema, o objetivo do presente estudo foi fornecer um referencial teórico coerente do empreendedorismo no sistema de ensino do país, explicando os conceitos e definições e considerando as dimensões do empreendedorismo. Portanto, os principais componentes das escolas empreendedoras foram identificados através da revisão de estudos prévios e pesquisas bibliográficas e documentais e seu arcabouço teórico foi desenvolvido no sistema de ensino do país

Advanced MEMS Microprobes for Neural Stimulation and Recording

The in-vivo observation of the neural activities generated by a large number of closely located neurons is believed to be crucial for understanding the nervous system. Moreover, the functional electrical stimulation of the central nervous system is an effective method to restore physiological functions such as limb control, sound sensation, and light perception. The Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is being successfully used in the treatment of tremor and rigidity associated with advanced Parkinson's disease. Cochlear implants have also been employed as an effective treatment for sensorineural deafness by means of delivering the electrical stimulation directly to the auditory nerve. The most significant contribution of this PhD study is the development of next-generation microprobes for the simultaneous stimulation and recording of the cortex and deep brain structures. For intracortical applications, millimetre length multisite microprobes that are rigid enough to penetrate into the cortex while integrated with flexible interconnection cables are demanded. In chronic applications, the flexibility of the cable minimizes the tissue damage caused by the relative micro-motion between the brain and the microprobe. Although hybrid approaches have been reported to construct such neural microprobes, these devices are brittle and may impose severe complications if they break inside the tissue. In this project, MEMS fabrication processes were employed to produce non-breakable intracortical microprobes with an improved structural design. These 32 channel devices are integrated with flexible interconnection cables and provide enough mechanical strength for penetration into the tissue. Polyimide-based flexible implants were successfully fabricated and locally reinforced at the tip with embedded 15 µm-thick gold micro-needles. In DBS applications, centimetre long microprobes capable of stimulating and recording the neural activity are required. The currently available DBS probes, manufactured by Medtronic, provide only four cylindrical shaped electrode sites, each 1.5 mm in height and 1.27 mm in diameter. Although suitable for the stimulation of a large brain volume, to measure the activity of a single neuron but to avoid measuring the average response of adjacent cells, recording sites with dimensions in the range of 10 - 20 µm are required. In this work, novel Three Dimensional (3D) multi channel microprobes were fabricated offering 32 independent stimulation and recording electrodes around the shaft of the implant. These microprobes can control the spatial distribution of the charge injected into the tissue to enhance the efficacy and minimize the adverse effects of the DBS treatment. Furthermore, the device volume has been reduced to one third the volume of a conventional Medtronic DBS lead to significantly decrease the tissue damage induced by implantation of the microprobe. For both DBS and intracortical microprobes, the impedance characteristics of the electrodes were studied in acidic and saline solutions. To reduce the channel impedance and enhance the signal to noise ratio, iridium (Ir) was electroplated on gold electrode sites. Stable electrical characteristics were demonstrated for the Ir and gold electrodes over the course of a prolonged pulse stress test for 100 million cycles. The functionality and application potential of the fabricated microprobes were confirmed by the in-vitro measurements of the neural activity in the mouse hippocampus. In order to reduce the number of channels and simplify the signal processing circuitry, multiport electrostatic-actuated switch matrices were successfully developed, fabricated, and characterized for possible integration with neural microprobes to construct a site selection matrix. Magnetic-actuated switches have been also investigated to improve the operation reliability of the MEMS switching devices

Threshold Voltage Instability and Relaxation in Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Thin Film Transistors

This thesis presents a study of the bias-induced threshold voltage metastability phenomenon of the hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin film transistors (TFTs). An application of gate bias stress shifts the threshold voltage of a TFT. After the bias stress is removed, the threshold voltage eventually returns to its original value. The underlying physical mechanisms for the shift in threshold voltage during the application of the bias and after the removal of the bias stress are investigated. The creation of extra defect states in the band gap of a-Si:H close to the gate dielectric interface, and the charge trapping in the silicon nitride (SiN) gate dielectric are the most commonly considered instability mechanisms of threshold voltage. In the first part of this work, the defect state creation mechanism is reviewed and the kinetics of the charge trapping in the SiN is modelled assuming a simplified mono-energetic and a more realistic Gaussian distribution of the SiN traps. The charge trapping in the mono-energetic SiN traps was approximated by a logarithmic function of time. However, the charge trapping with a Gaussian distribution of SiN traps results in a more complex behavior. The change in the threshold voltage of a TFT after the gate bias has been removed is referred to threshold voltage relaxation, and it is investigated in the second part of this work. A study of the threshold voltage relaxation sheds more light on the metastability mechanisms of a-Si:H TFTs. Possible mechanisms considered for the relaxation of threshold voltage are the annealing of the extra defect states and the charge de-trapping from the SiN gate dielectric. The kinetics of the charge de-trapping from a mono-energetic and a Gaussian distribution of the SiN traps are analytically modelled. It is shown that the defect state annealing mechanisms cannot explain the observed threshold voltage relaxation, but a study of the kinetics of charge de-trapping helps to bring about a very good agreement with the experimentally obtained results. Using the experimentally measured threshold voltage relaxation results, a Gaussian distribution of gap states is extracted for the SiN. This explains the threshold voltage relaxation of TFT after the bias stress with voltages as high as 50V is removed. Finally, the results obtained from the threshold voltage relaxation make it possible to calculate the total charge trapped in the SiN and to quantitatively distinguish between the charge trapping mechanism and the defect state creation mechanisms. In conclusion, for the TFTs used in this thesis, the charge trapping in the SiN gate dielectric is shown to be the dominant threshold voltage metastability mechanism caused in short bias stress times

Emergency Department Bedside Ultrasonography for Diagnosis of Acute Cholecystitis; a Diagnostic Accuracy Study

Introduction: Using bedside ultrasound in diagnosing acute cholecystitis in the emergency department (ED) can save time, help the decision making process and allocate resources wisely. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of bedside right upper quadrant (RUQ) ultrasonography in detection of acute cholecystitis. Method: In this diagnostic accuracy study, patients presenting to ED, suffering from RUQ pain in favor of acute cholecystitis underwent RUQ ultrasonography in emergency and radiology departments and interrater agreement between reports was calculated. Results: 342 patients with the mean age of 53.92 ± 11.18 (20 – 83) years were studied (63.2% female). The number of patients with at least one sonographic finding of acute cholecystitis were 53 (15.50%) and 48 (14.00%) based on ED and radiology reports (Kappa = 0.826). Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, as well as positive and negative likelihood ratios of bedside sonography were 89.58 (95%CI: 76.55 – 96.10), 96.59 (95%CI: 93.63 – 98.29), 81.13 (95%CI: 67.58 – 90.11), 98.26 (95%CI: 95.77 – 99.36), 4.30 (95%CI: 2.42 – 7.62) and 0.017 (95%CI: 0.007 – 0.041), respectively. Conclusion: There was a very good agreement between ED and radiology departments’ sonography reports regarding the presence or absence of acute cholecystitis. Sensitivity and specificity of bedside RUQ sonography were 89.58 and 96.59, respectively

Pneumomediastinum, pneumopericardium pneumothorax and subcutaneous emphysema in Iranian COVID-19 patients

Recently, spontaneous pneumomediastinum (PM), pneumopericardium (PP), pneumothorax (PT), and subcutaneous emphysema (SE) were reported as infrequent complications in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients in intensive care (ICU). Here we report these complications in nine Iranian patients of COVID-19. Nine patients with reported PM, PP, PT, and SE in COVID-19 who were hospitalized in Arya hospital, Rasht, Iran, for three months, were followed to record demographic data and clinical characteristics of these patients. In nine PM-developed patients, six cases represented PT, one patient with PP, and four patients with PT and SE. Four patents expired and only five patients survived. PM, PP, PT, and SE are uncommon complications in COVID-19 patients and were reported frequently in male patients. Early diagnosis and treatment could save the patients since these complications are related to poor prognosis and prolonged hospitalization. Patients with mild COVID-19 and mild pulmonary damage have a favorable outcome.

A predictive study between anxiety and fear of COVID-19 with psychological behavior response: The mediation role of perceived stress

Published: 22 March 2022Objective: Despite the abundance of studies linking fear and anxiety to Covid-19, there are limited studies that examine how these elements impact psychological behavioral responses, especially in Iran. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between anxiety and fear of COVID-19 with psychological behavior response, whether this relationship is mediated by role of perceived stress among Iranian population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A predictive cross-sectional study was used to investigate the relationships between COVID-19 anxiety syndrome, fear of the COVID-19 with psychological behavioral responses due to the pandemic and the mediating role of the COVID-19 perceived stress in these relationships. Results: The current study revealed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, fear and anxiety of COVID-19 can influence the psychological behavioral responses of the individuals, however this can be explained through perceived stress. Conclusion: As such, the current study points to the individuals who perceived high stress due to COVID-19 were more likely to comply with guidelines, which was contrary to the findings of previous studies. The current study findings are applicable for health policy-makers in order to help them in understanding human behavior for developing health promotion programs and also for fostering resilience among the general population.Hamid Sharif Nia, Long She, Harpaljit Kaur, Christopher Boyle, Fatemeh Khoshnavay Fomani, Esmaeil Hoseinzadeh, Daniyal Kohestani and Pardis Rahmatpou

Student satisfaction and academic efficacy during online learning with the mediating effect of student engagement: A multi-country study.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented changes to educational institutions, forcing their closure and a subsequent shift to online education to cater to student learning requirements. However, successful online learning depends on several factors and may also vary between countries. As such, this cross-sectional study sought to investigate how engagement of university students, a major driver of online learning, was influenced by course content, online interaction, student acceptance, and satisfaction with online learning, as well as self-efficacy across nine countries (China, India, Iran, Italy, Malaysia, Portugal, Serbia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a questionnaire-based approach, data collected from 6,489 university students showed that student engagement was strongly linked to perception of the quality of the course content and online interactions (p < .001). The current study also indicated that online interactions are a major determinant of academic efficacy but only if mediated by engagement within the online learning context. A negative correlation between student engagement and satisfaction with online learning was found, demonstrating the importance of students being engaged behaviorally, emotionally, and cognitively to feel satisfied with learning. Academic efficacy and student satisfaction were explained by course content, online interaction, and online learning acceptance, being mediated by student engagement. Student satisfaction and, to a lesser degree academic efficacy, were also associated with online learning acceptance. Overall, the structural equation model was a good fit for the data collected from all nine countries (CFI = .947, TLI = .943; RMSEA = .068; SRMR = .048), despite differences in the percentage variations explained by each factor (no invariance), likely due to differences in levels of technology use, learning management systems, and the preparedness of teachers to migrate to full online instruction. Despite limitations, the results of this study highlight the most important factors affecting online learning, providing insight into potential approaches for improving student experiences in online learning environments

Coupled Excited-State Dynamics in N-Substituted 2-Methoxy-9-Acridones

Fluorophores of the acridone family have been widely employed in many applications, such as DNA sequencing, the detection of biomolecules, and themonitoring of enzymatic systems, as well as being the bases of intracellular sensors and even antitumoral agents. They have been widely used in fluorescence imaging due to their excellent photophysical properties, in terms of quantum yield and stability. However, frequently, the fluorescence emission data from acridones are not easily interpretable due to complex excited-state dynamics. The formation of p-stacking aggregates and excimers and excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) reactions usually result in emission features that are dependent on the experimental conditions. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of the dynamics involved in the excited-state transients of these dyes is mandatory for their appropriate application. Herein, we synthesized and fully characterized different 2-methoxy-9-acridone dyes. Their transient fluorescence emission spectra exhibited a complex dynamic behavior that can be linked to several excited-state reactions. We performed a thorough study of the excited-state dynamics of these dyes by means of time-resolved fluorimetry supported by computational calculations. All this allowed us to establish a multistate kinetic scheme, involving an ESPT reaction coupled to an excimer formation process. We have unraveled the rich dynamics behind this complex behavior, which provides a better understanding of the excited states of these dyes.This work has been funded with Grant CTQ2017- 85658-R (Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness; Agencia Estatal de Investigacion, AEI; and European Regional Development Fund, ERDF) and P12-FQM-790 (Junta de Andalucia)

Controlling Nerve Growth with an Electric Field Induced Indirectly in Transparent Conductive Substrate Materials

N.C.-P., A.M.R., and C.D.M. conceived and designed the study. N.-C.P., J.M.-V., and A.M.C. prepared the substrate materials and conducted electrochemical and AFM analysis. Z.Z. performed time lapse nerve growth experiments and analysis under the supervision of A.M.R. A.M.R. and N.C.-P. drafted the manuscript from an early draft prepared by Z.Z. All the authors participated in refining drafts. Equal contribution from the University of Aberdeen and Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona-CSIC is acknowledged. This work was funded by the European Commission FP6 NEST Program (Contract 028473), MAT2011-24363 and MAT2015-65192-R from the Spanish Science Ministry, La Marato de TV3 Foundation (Identification Number 110131), and Severo Ochoa Programme for Centres of Excellence in R&D (SEV-2015-0496).Peer reviewedPostprin