Controlling and characterising the deposits from polymer droplets containing microparticles and salt

It is very well known that as suspension droplets evaporate, a pinned contact line leads to strong outwards capillary flow resulting in a robust coffee ring-stain at the periphery of the droplet. Conversely tall pillars are deposited in the centre of the droplet when aqueous droplets of poly(ethylene oxide) evaporate following a boot-strapping process in which the contact line undergoes fast receding, driven by polymer precipitation. Here we map out the phase behaviour of a combined particle-polymer system, illustrating a range of final deposit shapes, from ring-stain to flat deposit to pillar. Deposit topologies are measured using profile images and stylus profilometery, and characterised using the skewness of the profile as a simple analytic method for quantifying the shapes: pillars produce positive skew, flat deposits have zero skew and ring-stains have a negative value. We also demonstrate that pillar formation can be disrupted using potassium sulphate salt solutions, which change the water from a good solvent to a thetapoint solvent, consequently reducing the size of the polymer coils. This inhibits polymer crystallisation, interfering with the bootstrap process and ultimately preventing pillars from forming. Again, the deposit shapes are quantified using the skew parameter

The challenges and achievements in the implementation of the natural childbirth instruction program: A qualitative study

Background: The natural childbirth instruction program, which aims to reduce the cesarean section (C-section) rates in the country and pay attention to demographic policies, has achieved significant accomplishments in the short time span since it was implemented throughout the country. In the present study, the advantages and challenges of the implementation of this program have been analyzed. Materials and Methods: This qualitative study carried out with the participation of 32 knowledgeable individuals who were selected using purposeful sampling and snowball sampling methods among the personnel of Kerman University of Medical Sciences, and it�s affiliated educational (university) hospital. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews based on the research objectives, review of texts, and experts� experiences. Data analysis was performed using content analysis method in MaxQDA software. Results: Data analysis provided the 5 main categories of implementation instructions� strengths, implementation instructions� defects, implementation instructions� achievements, implementation instructions� challenges and threats, and suggestions. Conclusions: Accountability in the system that provides health care services for pregnant mothers in public hospitals has been created through the implementation of the natural childbirth promotion package. If managerial barriers and executive and legal inefficiencies are followed up and suitable measures are taken for solving the intra-system conflicts, we can hope that the package, which has been one of the most serious efforts made by the Ministry of Health over the past decades to reduce cesarean delivery, will achieve significant accomplishments. © 2020 Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Researc

Identifying the factors influencing the re-admission of hospitalized patients in the internal wards of educational hospitals: A qualitative study

Background: Currently many hospitals around the country face increasing demands of their patients and readmission. The rate of readmission is a useful indicator for determining the performance of healthcare system and it shows the quality of services in the medical institutions. Readmissions have high economic, social and financial impact and studying the related factors seems to be high priority for healthcare systems. Methods: This qualitative study performed by phenomenological method in three educational hospitals in Kerman from April to September of 2017. Data collection was performed through semi-structured interviews using targeted sampling among all patients who were hospitalized at internal medicine wards, nurses who were working in those wards, and in charge physicians. In total twenty patients, fifteen nurses, and five physicians were selected for interviews. The including criteria were for patients, the history of hospitalization at least once, during one month after the initial hospitalization, and for service providers, familiarity with the subject, work experience in the relevant department of at least three years for nurses and five years for physicians. A seven-step clustering method was used to analyze the data. Results: The analysis of the interviews led to the identification of three main themes and 11 sub-themes. The main themes included patients' characteristics, manpower and clinical factors, hospital, and environmental factors. Some of the sub-codes included economic and living conditions, marriage status, insurance coverage, patients' beliefs and expectations, the presence or absence of underlying disease, education, lifestyle habits, dietary beliefs of hospitalized patients, lack of trust in medical staff, communication and cultural barriers, ignorance of service providers in treatment, lack of facilities, lack of motivation in medical staff, stressors and finally lack of hospital equipment. Conclusion: By providing practical solutions and implementing them through the healthcare system of our country, the necessary baseline must be designed to reduce the rate of re-hospitalization in our communities. © 2020 Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved