Search results

The purpose of this paper is to introduce and discuss 11 strategies and 11 sets of tools to provide a knowledge background on how native people of Iran have come up with innovative solutions to create a sustainable and comfortable living environment within the confinement of their homes, in harsh environment of Iran’s hot-arid and hot-humid regions.

These strategies include density, building orientation, introversion, design for four seasons, using local materials, using the ground’s thermal capacity, natural wind induced ventilation, using walls’ thickness and porosity, Panãm (insulation), using special native additive elements and integration of water and plants into the building. Discussed tools include water, courtyard, Showãdãn, Bahãr-khãb, roof, korsi room, ratio and Pãyãb, Sardãb and Howz-khãneh, Shanãshil, Bãdgir and Eivãn.

In conclusion, interrelations between these strategies and tools are illustrated in order to provide a collection of guidelines and inspirations for those involved in the building industry in Iran and Middle East to come up with innovative solutions for creating a sustainable and comfortable living environment in this region’s climates.

This paper provides a collection of guidelines and inspirations for those involved in the building industry in Iran and Middle East to come up with innovative solutions for creating a sustainable and comfortable living environment in this region’s climates.

This paper aims to evaluate the association between carbohydrate quality index (CQI) and nutrient adequacy in Iranian adults.

A total of 268 men and women with ages ranged from 18 to 70 years were evaluated in a cross-sectional study. The CQI was calculated by adding together the three components, namely, the ratio of solid to total carbohydrate, dietary fiber and glycemic index. The scores of three components were summed to calculate the CQI, with a higher score indicating a higher dietary carbohydrate quality. The odds ratios (ORs) of nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR), defined as the ratio of intake of a nutrient to the age- and gender-specific recommended dietary allowance, for the intake of energy and 10 nutrients across quartiles of the CQI were calculated by logistic regression analysis and expressed with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

CQI ranged between 3 to 15 (mean ± SD: 9 ± 1.9). Being in top versus bottom quartile of the CQI was associated with a higher NAR of folic acid (OR: 3.20, 95% CI: 1.06–9.62; P-trend: <0.001), vitamin A (OR: 3.66; 95% CI: 1.46–9.17; P-trend: <0.001), magnesium (OR: 5.94; 95% CI; 1.71–20.53; P-trend: <0.001), vitamin C (OR: 7.85; 95% CI; 2.99–20.59; P-trend: <0.001).

A higher CQI was associated with greater micronutrient consumption adequacy in Iranian adults. The results suggest that increasing the consumption of total fiber and solid carbohydrates and decreasing the glycemic index of the diet and liquid carbohydrates can improve micronutrient intake adequacy.

The regulation defines patients’ rights as a reflection of fundamental human rights in the field of medicine and incorporates all elements of patients’ rights accepted in international texts. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between patients’ safety, medical errors and patients’ safety rights with patients’ security feeling in selected hospitals of Mazandaran Province, Iran.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in selected hospitals of Mazandaran Province in public, social and private hospitals in 2016. In total, 1,083 patients were randomly selected for the study. The developed tool (questionnaire) was used for data collection. Questionnaire validity was verified through experts and its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach’s α coefficient (95 percent). Data were analyzed through multiple regressions by SPSS software (version 21).

The findings of this paper showed that the mean (standard deviation) medical error, patient’s safety, patient’s rights and patient’s security feeling were 2.50±0.61, 2.22±0.67, 2.11±0.68 and 2.73±0.63, respectively. Correlation testing results showed that medical error, patient’s safety and patient’s rights simultaneously had a significant relation with patient’s security feeling in the selected hospitals (p<0.05).

A simultaneous correlation between patient’s safety, patient’s rights and medical errors with patient’s security feeling in social security hospitals was higher than other hospitals. Hence, the authorities and officials of hospitals and healthcare centers were advised to make effective attempts to perceive the patient’s safety, medical errors and patient’s rights to improve the patient’s security feeling and calmness and also to make better decisions to promote the healthcare and therapeutic services.