Sustainable Development and Migration in Iranian Frontier Counties

The socio-economic changes of recent decades in Iran, accompanied by the lack of regional balance and over-concentration of facilities in some areas, have caused regional inequality in Iranian society and determined the direction of migration flows. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between four dimensions of sustainability (social, economic, physical-access and environmental) in the border counties of Iran and the net migration in these areas. This study used the data of general population and housing censuses, and other related findings to measure sustainability and net migration. The findings of this study show that the general status of social, economic and especially environmental indicators in Iranian border counties is not good. Also, most of the indicators – except for social – are in a poor condition in the southern counties, especially those in southeast, south, and southwest of Iran. The results also show that there is a significant relationship between economic sustainability and migration. In general, southeastern, western and southwestern border regions of Iran have poor conditions in terms of both sustainable development indicators and negative migration rate

Sustainable Development and Migration in Iranian Frontier Counties

The socio-economic changes of recent decades in Iran, accompanied by the lack of regional balance and over-concentration of facilities in some areas, have caused regional inequality in Iranian society and determined the direction of migration flows. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between four dimensions of sustainability (social, economic, physical-access and environmental) in the border counties of Iran and the net migration in these areas. This study used the data of general population and housing censuses, and other related findings to measure sustainability and net migration. The findings of this study show that the general status of social, economic and especially environmental indicators in Iranian border counties is not good. Also, most of the indicators – except for social – are in a poor condition in the southern counties, especially those in southeast, south, and southwest of Iran. The results also show that there is a significant relationship between economic sustainability and migration. In general, southeastern, western and southwestern border regions of Iran have poor conditions in terms of both sustainable development indicators and negative migration rate

Rapamycin protects testes against germ cell apoptosis and oxidative stress induced by testicular ischemia-reperfusion

Objective(s):Rapamycin is an immunosuppressant compound with a broad spectrum of pharmaco-logical activities. In recent years, it has been used successfully to decrease ischemia-reperfusion injury in several organ systems. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of rapamycin on testicular ischemia-reperfusion injury. Materials and Methods: Seventy-two adult male Wistar rats were divided into six groups: control (group1), sham-operated (Group2), T/D + DMSO as vehicle group (group3), and groups 4–6; respectively received 0.5, 1, and 1.5 mgkg-1 of rapamycin , IP 30 min before detorsion. Ischemia was achieved by twisting the right testis 720o clockwise for 1 hr. The right testis of 6 animals from each group were excised 4 hr after detorsion for the measurement of lipid peroxidation, caspase-3, and antioxidant enzyme activities. Histopathological changes and germ cell apoptosis were determined by measuring mean of seminiferous tubules diameters (MSTD) and TUNEL test in right testis of 6 animals per group, 24 hr after detorsion. Results: Testicular T/D caused increases in the apoptosis, malondialdehyde (MDA), and caspase-3 levels and decreases in the superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities in ipsilateral testis (

Renal Function and Risk Factors of Moderate to Severe Chronic Kidney Disease in Golestan Province, Northeast of Iran

Introduction: The incidence of end-stage renal disease is increasing worldwide. Earlier studies reported high prevalence rates of obesity and hypertension, two major risk factors of chronic kidney disease (CKD), in Golestan Province, Iran. We aimed to investigate prevalence of moderate to severe CKD and its risk factors in the region. Methods: Questionnaire data and blood samples were collected from 3591 participants (≥18 years old) from the general population. Based on serum creatinine levels, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was estimated. Results: High body mass index (BMI) was common: 35.0 of participants were overweight (BMI 25-29.9) and 24.5 were obese (BMI ≥30). Prevalence of CKD stages 3 to 5 (CKD-S3-5), i.e., GFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2, was 4.6. The odds ratio (OR) and 95 confidence interval (95 CI) for the risk of CKD-S3-5 associated with every year increase in age was 1.13 (1.11- 1.15). Men were at lower risk of CKD-S3-5 than women (OR = 0.28; 95 CI 0.18-0.45). Obesity (OR = 1.78; 95 CI 1.04-3.05) and self-reported diabetes (OR = 1.70; 95 CI 1.00-2.86), hypertension (OR = 3.16; 95 CI 2.02-4.95), ischemic heart disease (OR = 2.73; 95 CI 1.55-4.81), and myocardial infarction (OR = 2.69; 95 CI 1.14-6.32) were associated with increased risk of CKD-S3-5 in the models adjusted for age and sex. The association persisted for self-reported hypertension even after adjustments for BMI and history of diabetes (OR = 2.85; 95 CI 1.77-4.59). Conclusion: A considerable proportion of inhabitants in Golestan have CKD-S3-5. Screening of individuals with major risk factors of CKD, in order to early detection and treatment of impaired renal function, may be plausible. Further studies on optimal risk prediction of future end-stage renal disease and effectiveness of any screening program are warranted. © 2010 Najafi et al

Konflikthantering i skolan

Vårt syfte med denna uppsats är att synliggöra de elevkonflikter som förekommer i skolan och vilka konflikthanteringsmetoder de arbeta med samt genom att redogöra för pedagogernas erfarenheter och åsikter bidra till en bättre förståelse för konflikt elever sinsemellan. Vi har valt att intervjua sex lärare i tre olika skolor i Göteborgs stadsdelar. Vår tanke bakom valet av de tre olika skolorna är att synliggöra vilka faktorer som kan bidra till elevkonflikter i skolan alltså hur konflikt uppstår, vilka orsaker kan finnas bakom konflikt i skolan samt hur pedagogerna hanterar förekommande konflikter. Vårt arbete ger en översikt av hur pedagoger handskas med konlikt i skolan och vilka metoder som används i skolan, samt att de faktorer som är vållande till konflikt i skolan. Vi intervjuade våra informanter alltså de sex verksamma pedagoger genom våra frågor kring konflikt och de faktorer som vållar till konlikt samt de metoder som används i skolan. Vi genomför vårt arbete med en kvalitativ undersökning, som består av frågor kring konflikt och konflikthantering och lärarnas erfarenheter kring ämnet konflikt i skolan. Vi vill även belysa hur lärarna upplever konflikter i skolan och vad de anser att konflikt kan bidra till. Kan konflikt vara bara destruktiv eller kan man med hjälp av konflikthantering skapa en god lärandemiljö för alla inblandade? Vilka är de vanligaste konflikterna som uppstår i skolan och på vilka platser och i vilka sammanhang förekommer flest konflikter eleverna emellan, enligt lärarnas långa erfarenheter. Vi som blivande lärare kommer givetvis att hamna i sådana omständigheter och därför är det väsentligt att ha tillräckliga kunskaper om hur vi ska handskas med de konflikter som kan uppkomma, speciellt när det gäller olika kulturer, så att vi kan använda våra olikheter på ett positivt sätt och försöka dra lärdom av dem. Vi skall kunna använda våra olikheter som en tillgång. Resultaten av vår studie visar att de skolor som deltagit i vår undersökning arbetar varierande med konflikt och konflikthantering. I ett område där våra informanter säger sig arbetar medvetet med konflikt och de anser att personalen går ständigt på kurs om konflikt och konlikthantering, medan en annan skola går mest efter känsla och handskas med uppkomna konflikter med sina tidigare erfarenheter. I den tredje skolan visar sig att verksamma pedagoger arbetar med konflikt men inte har något specifikt program att gå efter

Southern Women in vulgar tales (Case study: Lamerd vulgar tales)

The aim of this study is to investigate the role and the place of women and men in vulgar tales in the 60 selected vulgar tales exploiting Parsons’ role theory and the infra- analysis method.The case tales are among which are narrated by people older than 50 years old. This paper aims, first to review the cultural elements which are verbally transferred from generation to generation, and, second, to analyze the role and the place of men and women in these folk tales. To analyze these tales by content and compare the gender roles, then, are the main concerns of the present study. The research findings state that; however, the recent statistics show that women’s role in society is not limited to the domestic ones, and some women undertake the political and economical roles, the women in these tales are mostly represented in the family with its traditional stereotypes. So, these women are characterized by weakness, inability, kindness, lack of instruments of power and the power, itsel

Validity and Reliability of Persian Version of Craig Hospital Inventory of Environmental Factors (CHIEF) in Children with Cerebral Palsy

Objectives: The aim of this study was to translate the Craig Hospital Inventory of Environmental Factors (CHIEF) into Persian language and to evaluate the validity and reliability of Persian version of CHIEF to use for children with cerebral palsy. Methods: The CHIEF was translated from English into Persian based on the International Quality of Life Assessment (IQOLA) approach. The Persian version of the CHIEF has been completed with a convenience sample of 75 caregivers of children with cerebral palsy. Two weeks after the first completion, 20 caregivers completed CHIEF again in the retest session. The CHIEF questionnaire consists of 25 items divided in to 5 subscales. Its item discriminant validity was calculated using spearman's rank correlation, test-retest reliability using Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and Standard Error of Measure (SEM), and Internal consistency using Cronbach's coefficient α. Results: The results demonstrated that more than 96% of items correlated strongly with its own subscale rather than other subscales (r>0.40). The values of the ICC were >0.70 and the values of the SEM were ≤1 for the score of subscales and total score. Cronbach's coefficient α for the overall scale was 0.86. Discussion: The Persian version of the CHIEF has acceptable levels of face validity, construct validity, item discriminant validity, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency to use for children with cerebral palsy

Nurses Communication Skills Training and Its Effect on Patients’ Satisfaction in Teaching Hospitals of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences

Background and purpose: Communication skill is a key ability and an integral part of the nursing profession. This study aimed to investigate the effect of communication skills training of nurses on patients’ satisfaction with nursing staff in teaching hospitals affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Method: This Cross-sectional study was carried out in 2017. The research population consisted of the patients visiting 13 SUMS-affiliated hospitals, 581 nurses who participated in communication skills training courses, and 2,207 nurses who did not receive this training. From this population, a total of 400 patients were selected through convenience sampling and 50 trained nurses and 50 untrained nurses were chosen randomly. The data collection instruments were the Nurse Quality of Communication with Patient Questionnaire (NQCPQ) and La Monica-Oberst Patient Satisfaction Scale (LOPSS). Data were analyzed in SPSS using T-test, ANOVA, Tukey test, and Pearson correlation coefficient at α = 5%. Results: A significant correlation was found between nursing-patient commination score and patient satisfaction (LOPSS) score (P=0.021, r = 0.647). Patients under the care of trained nurses were also found to be more satisfied with nursing services than those served by untrained nurses (P=0.011, t=2.56). The results showed that patient satisfaction had a significant relationship with age and marital status (p =0.027). Conclusions: The results of the present study showed that the implementation of communication skills training courses for nurses can lead to improved patient satisfaction. Hospital directors were then recommended to hold regular communication skills training courses for their nursing staff

The Effect of Using Bovine Colostrum and Probiotics on Performance, Egg Traits, Blood Biochemical and Antioxidant Status of Laying Japanese Quails

Simple Summary In addition to proteins and carbohydrates, colostrum contains antibodies. Quails can benefit from the consumption of colostrum as a source of probiotics and as a reduction in antibiotic usage, which helps improve their performance and reduce their environmental impact. In the current study, we found that the continuous use of bovine colostrum (BC) in the diet of laying Japanese quails during the late laying period improved egg production performance, egg traits, carcass characteristics, blood biochemistry, and antioxidant status. The present paper aims to evaluate the effect of different levels of bovine colostrum and probiotic dietary supplementation on egg production performance, egg traits, carcass characteristics, blood biochemistry and antioxidant status of laying Japanese quails. For the trial, 240 laying quails, aged between 24 weeks and 30 weeks, were involved in a 3 x 2 factorial experimental design, with 3 levels of bovine fresh colostrum (0, 2, and 4 percent of the total ratio) and 2 levels of probiotics (0 and 0.01 percent of the total ratio) administration. The colostrum supplementation improved the egg production performance, egg traits, carcass characteristics, blood biochemistry, and antioxidant status (p < 0.01). Probiotics used without colostrum did not affect the investigated traits of laying Japanese quails (p > 0.05), but a synergistic effect was observed when combined with colostrum. The overall results recommended that using 4% of bovine colostrum in laying Japanese quails, with the addition of 0.01% of probiotic feed additive results in positive effects on egg production performance, egg traits, carcass characteristics, blood biochemistry, and antioxidant status of laying Japanese quails in the late laying period

Sandwich-like electro-conductive polyurethane-based gelatin/soybean oil nanofibrous scaffolds with a targeted release of simvastatin for cardiac tissue engineering

Abstract Cardiac tissue engineering (CTE) is a promising way for the restoration of injured cardiac tissue in the healthcare system. The development of biodegradable scaffolds with appropriate chemical, electrical, mechanical, and biological properties is an unmet need for the success of CTE. Electrospinning is a versatile technique that has shown potential applications in CTE. Herein, four different types of multifunctional scaffolds, including synthetic-based poly (glycerol sebacate)-polyurethane (PGU), PGU-Soy scaffold, and a series of trilayer scaffolds containing two outer layers of PGU-Soy and a middle (inner) layer of gelatin (G) as a natural and biodegradable macromolecule without simvastatin (S) and with simvastatin (GS), an anti-inflammatory agent, were fabricated in the sandwich-like structure using electrospinning technique. This approach offers a combination of the advantages of both synthetic and natural polymers to enhance the bioactivity and the cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix intercommunication. An in vitro drug release analysis was performed after the incorporation of soybean oil (Soy) and G. Soy is used as a semiconducting material was introduced to improve the electrical conductivity of nanofibrous scaffolds. The physicochemical properties, contact angle, and biodegradability of the electrospun scaffolds were also assessed. Moreover, the blood compatibility of nanofibrous scaffolds was studied through activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), and hemolytic assay. The results showed that all scaffolds exhibited defect-free morphologies with mean fiber diameters in the range of 361 ± 109 to 417 ± 167 nm. A delay in blood clotting was observed, demonstrating the anticoagulant nature of nanofibrous scaffolds. Furthermore, rat cardiomyoblast cell lines (H9C2) were cultured on scaffolds for 7 days, and the morphology and cell arrangement were monitored. Data indicated an appropriate cytocompatibility. Of note, in the PGU-Soy/GS nanofibrous scaffold, a high survival rate was indicated compared to other groups. Our findings exhibited that the simvastatin-loaded polymeric system had positive effects on cardiomyoblasts attachment and growth and could be utilized as a drug release carrier in the field of CTE. Graphical Abstrac