Investigation into the relationship between knowledge management process and strategic thinking capacity in Mazandaran Gas Company

The main object of this research is investigation into the relationship between knowledge management process and strategic thinking capacity in Mazandaran Gas Company. The object of this research can be considered in development and application of two angles. This research is an extended study because of its new subject especially in management studies since the results of its analysis results can help in practice, this research can be an applied research too. This research is descriptive and correlational from method view point. The results indicated there is a relationship between knowledge management process and strategic thinking capacity in Mazandaran Gas Company. Pearson's correlation between two variables of knowledge management process and capacity for strategic thinkingis 0/41 with the significance level lower than 0/05, indicating that the relation between them is positive .Knowledge management causes organization find strategic problem-solving ability and also apart from the ability to identify key issues The organizations can achieve their objectives through understanding the relationships and implementing effective mechanisms at risk management, planning, definition of performance indicators and achievements, performance evaluation, comparison, and providing information

Investigation into the relationship between knowledge management process and strategic thinking capacity in Mazandaran Gas Company

The main object of this research is investigation into the relationship between knowledge management process and strategic thinking capacity in Mazandaran Gas Company. The object of this research can be considered in development and application of two angles. This research is an extended study because of its new subject especially in management studies since the results of its analysis results can help in practice, this research can be an applied research too. This research is descriptive and correlational from method view point. The results indicated there is a relationship between knowledge management process and strategic thinking capacity in Mazandaran Gas Company. Pearson's correlation between two variables of knowledge management process and capacity for strategic thinkingis 0/41 with the significance level lower than 0/05, indicating that the relation between them is positive .Knowledge management causes organization find strategic problem-solving ability and also apart from the ability to identify key issues The organizations can achieve their objectives through understanding the relationships and implementing effective mechanisms at risk management, planning, definition of performance indicators and achievements, performance evaluation, comparison, and providing information

Explanation of women’s and family health care personnel’s perception of the barriers of pre-pregnancy care coverage: a qualitative study

AbstractBackground and Aims: Pre-pregnancy care is a set of interventions through prevention and treatment to identify and modify biomedical, behavioral and social hazards. The current study aimed to explain ideas ofwomen about reproductive age and the personnel of family health centers about barriers of pre-pregnancycare coverage in the healthcare centers supervised by Iran University of Medical Sciences.Materials and Methods: In this qualitative study, 32 mothers and the personnel of family health unit (experts of midwifery and family heath) working in health centers affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences were interviewed both individually and in group. A purposeful sampling was exploited. Data were gathered through interviews and focused on group discussion with open questions until data saturation was reached and data were analyzed using conventional content analysis approach and based on the Graneheim and Landman’s model (2004). Before each interview, mothers were informed regarding the aim of research, interview style, freedom to leave the interview and the way interview content would be kept private.Results: After analyzing the data, the perceived obstacles of pre-pregnancy care coverage were achieved in three main formats including: Organizational obstacles, communicative obstacles and personal obstacles.Conclusions: Thorough explanation participants’ experiences, structural, communicative and personal factors were shown to be effective on pregnancy care coverage in healthcare centers supervised by IranUniversity of Medical Sciences. Better quality services could be obtained by prioritizing and implementing proper interventions.Keywords: Pre-pregnancy care, Barriers or obstacles, perceptions, Mothers’ health, women’s healthFor downloading the full text please click her

Measuring self-rated social health of Iranians: a population based survey in three cities

Abstract:Background and objectives: Social health as third dimension of health, along with physical and mental health, has drawn more attention in recent years among policy makers and health system managers. No other study, to our knowledge, has documented measuring individual-level social health in Iran. In response to this need, our study tends to assess Iranians self-rated social health through conducting a survey in 3 cities of Iran. Methods: We conducted a survey using cross sectional method in three cities of Iran included people more than 18 years old. We use a random sample size of 800 people. The scale provides a total score of social health and three sub-scores. Total score was calculated by summing all 33 items, so the range was between 33 to 165, considering that higher score indicating better social health. Psychometric parameters of scale were acceptable. To interpret scores, respondents were categorized into five ordered groups as quintiles for amount of social health. To compare social health scores in different demographic groups multiple linear regression was employed to interpret association between demographic variables and social health score. Results: From a pool of 800 persons, 794 (99%) agreed to participate and filled out the questionnaire completely.  The mean of self-rated social health score was 105.0 (95% confidence interval, 103.8 to 106.2). 50% of participants had medium level of social health. social health score was higher for those who live in Urmia as a small city in comparison with big cities- Tehran and Isfahan (P V< 0.001) and was lower for unemployed people (PV= 0.029). There was no association between social health score and other factors such as sex, age and educational level (PV>0.05) Conclusion:This study may be considered as the first step in evidence-based policy-making in the field of social health in Iran. Certainly, it is necessary to conduct more studies to measure social health and its determinants in a nation-wide approach

The Effect of Rhythmic Movements on Mild Anxiety in Children of 7 to 12 Years Old with Cancer

 Background and Aim: Cancer is a chronic childhood disease with many unpleasant psychological consequences such as anxiety. The study conducted to assess the effect of rhythmic movement on mild anxiety of children with cancer.Material and Methods: This study was a Quasi-experimental study. The study population included all children aged 7 to 12 years old diagnosed with cancer who were hospitalized in oncology ward of a pediatrics hospital affiliated with Shahidbeheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran. Sampling was through convenient sampling and based on the inclusion criteria. 31 children with mild anxiety chosen according to ʺSpielberger Anxiety Inventoryʺ were recruited. Rhythmic movements with hip-hop style along with playing music performed in the playing room for 45 minutes during 6 sessions. Questionnaires were recompleted on the final day of intervention (sixth day) and 3 weeks later through reading the items for children and filling by researcher. Data analyzed using SPSS V.18 by repeated analysis of variance (ANOVA).Results: The results showed significant differences between the mean values of anxiety (P<0.05) score before intervention and at the end of day 6 and weeks 3.Conclusion: Rhythmic movements as a non pharmacologic intervention reduce mild anxiety in children with cancer. It is recommended that nurses use non pharmacological approaches such as rhythmic movements to reduce the psychological effects of cancer instead of using drugs

Preparation and evaluation of a thermosensitive liposomal hydrogel for sustained delivery of danofloxacin using mesoporous silica nanoparticles

BACKGROUND: Sustained release delivery system can reduce the dosage frequency and maintain the therapeutic level of drugs for a longer time. Biodegradable, biocompatible and thermosensitive chitosan-beta-glycerophosphate (C-GP) solutions can solidify at body temperature and maintain their physical integrity for a longer duration. OBJECTIVES: To develop a novel delivery system based on the integration of liposomes in hydrogel using mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) for sustained release of danofloxacin in farm animals. METHODS: The MSNs were prepared using N-cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and tetraethylortho silica. The liposomes were prepared by thin film hydration method. C-GP solution containing danofloxacin-loaded MSN liposomes underwent different in-vitro tests, including evaluation of the entrapment efficiency, gelation time, morphology, drug release pattern as well as antimicrobial activities against S. aureus and E. coli. RESULTS: The mean pore size of MSNs was 2.8 nm and the mean MSN entrapment efficiency was 45%. Kinetics of danofloxacin release from liposomal hydrogel followed the Higuchi’s model. This formulation was capable of sustaining the danofloxacin release for more than 96 h. The FTIR studies showed that there were no interactions between danofloxacin and hydrogel excipients. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the formed gel had a continuous texture, while the swelled gel in the phosphate buffer had a porous structure. Microbiological tests revealed a high antibacterial activity for lipomosal hydrogel of danofloxacin-loaded MSN comparable with danofloxacin solution. CONCLUSIONS: The liposomal hydrogel solidified at body temperature, effectively sustained the release of danofloxacin and showed in vitro antibacterial effects

Process Challenges in Palliative Care for Cancer Patients: A Qualitative Study

Background: Quality assessment and service delivery processes for cancer patients are the major components of palliative care. This study intends to explore stakeholder’s perceptions of palliative care process challenges for cancer patients in Iran. Method: In this qualitative study, we conducted 22 semi-structured interviews from February 2016 to August 2017 in hospitals located in Tehran, Iran. Participants were selected through purposive sampling and included cancer patients, their family caregivers, healthcare providers, and policy-makers. The interviews were analyzed by qualitative directed content analysis based on the Donabedian model. In order to assess the accuracy and validity of the study, we used Lincoln and Guba’s four criteria. Results: After analysis of the interviews, we categorized the codes into a main category, “process”, and three identified subcategories – “weakness of stakeholders’ engagement policies”, “standardized care”, and “applying educational and research approaches”. Conclusion: Palliative care in Iran is a recent discipline. The results have shown that the process of providing services requires the attention of the health system to the standard models for providing palliative care services. In addition, it is necessary to train human resources in generalist and specialist palliative care groups, design palliative medicine curricula, inform general public about cancer, and empower patients and caregivers

Preparation and in vitro evaluation of chitosan-based films for the sustained delivery of enrofloxacin

The implantable drug products are developed mainly to sustain the drug release. This study was conducted to formulate and evaluate cross-linked films of chitosan/β-glycerophosphate (β-GP) for the sustained delivery of enrofloxacin (ENR). Two types of formulations, single-layer (F1 and F2) and triple-layer (F3 and F4) films, were prepared. In vitro drug release, kinetic modelling, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra, morphological and microbiological studies were performed. Drug release from F1 and F2 continued up to 5 hours but from F3 and F4, it was extended over 96 and 168 hours, respectively. The cumulative drug release for F1, F2, F3 and F4 were 72.6, 70.1, 90.5 and 82.4%, respectively. The inhibition zones of bacterial growth by using positive controls and single layer films were significantly greater than those of triple-layer films (p < 0.05), indicating sustained drug release pattern of the multi-layer films.These findings suggest that the triple-layer chitosan/ β-GP films could be effective to deliver ENR for a long period