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Background and objective:Equality in distribution of health care facilities is the main cause for access and enjoyment to the health. The aim of this study was to examine the regional disparities in health care facilities across the Markazi province.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study. Study sample included the cities of Markazi province, ranked based on 15 health indices. Data was collected by a data collection form made by the researcher using statistical yearbook. The indices were weighted using Shannon entropy. Finally, technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) was used to rank the towns of the province in terms of access to health care facilities.Results:There is a large gap between cities of Markazi province in terms of access to health care facilities. Shannon entropy introduced the number of urban health centers per 1000 people as the most important indicator and the number of rural active health house per 1000 people as the less important indicator. According to TOPSIS, the towns of Ashtian and Shazand ranked the first and last (10th) respectively in access to health services.Conclusion:There are significant inequalities in distribution of health care facilities in Markazi province. We propose that policy makers determine resource allocation priorities according to the degree of development for a balanced and equal distribution of health care facilities.

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The effect of Tragacanth gum (T) coating containing (100, 500, and 1,000 mg/L) Satureja khuzistanica essential oil (S), Zataria multiflora Boiss. essential oil (Z), and (1,000 mg/L) sodium metabisulfite (M) on mushroom ( Agaricus bisporus ) enzymatic browning and postharvest quality was examined throughout 16 days of cold storage. Mushroom respiration rate, soluble solids content (SSC), percentage of open caps, and sensory quality as well as factors related to browning such polyphenol oxidase (PPO), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), and peroxidase (POD) activities were figured out. The significant decrease in respiration rate, cap opening delay, and SSC enhancement was observed after treating mushrooms with TZ and TS. Moreover, TZ‐ and TS‐treated mushrooms prevented enzymatic browning through inhibiting PPO and POD activities and increasing activity of PAL over the storing term. Additionally, the influence of TZ5 and TS5 (containing 500 mg/L essential oil) coatings was validated by sensory evaluation through protecting the overall quality of button mushrooms over the storage. Thus, Tragacanth coating enriched with essential oils might be an encouraging nomination for improving the modality of button mushroom and expanding its shelf life.

Equal distribution of healthcare facilities in order to increase the accessibility of the individuals to services is one of the main pillars in improvement of health. This study was aimed to examine the disparities in access to health care services across the cities of Lorestan province located in west of Iran. This study is a descriptive study. Data related to indicators of institutional and manpower was collected using statistical yearbook of Statistical Centre of Iran (SCI) and analyzed by Scaogram Analysis Model. The results revealed distinct regional disparities in health care services across Lorestan province. According to Scalogram analysis model, Khorramabad and Delfan towns were ranked as the first and the last according to access to health care services. Overally, 44% of the cities are undeveloped and only 22% are credited as developed. Taking the advantage of development-oriented programs, reduction of the gap in health care services in the must be considered in the health policy. Therefore, Delfan, Dorood, Koohdasht and Selseleh are characterized as the underdeveloped and consequently urgently should be considered in planning and deprivation programs.

One of the newest and most effective strategies to empower staff is building the infrastructure and platform for strengthening organizational learning. This study has conducted about the relationship between organizational learning and staff empowerment. This correlational study was conducted among the staff of a Children's Hospital affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran in 2012. Numbers of 145 staff in this hospital has selected and enrolled by simple random sampling. The data collection tools were tow questionnaires for organizational learning and staff empowerment which approved their validities and reliabilities. Finally, collected data were analyzed by Spearman correlation test. Among the dimensions of organizational learning, knowledge transfer and integration with 3.47 and system perspective with 3.16 obtained highest and lowest scores respectively. Generally, overall rating of organizational learning and the staff empowerment variables were determined 3.25±0.71 and 3.74±0.59 respectively. Between the four dimensions of organizational learning (managerial commitment, system perspective, openness and experimentation, knowledge transfer and integration) and staff empowerment, was observed a significant correlation. According to the findings, the current situation of organizational learning and staff empowerment in studied hospital is relatively acceptable. It recommended that hospital systems can improve staff empowerment by developing organizational learning environment, creating experience and knowledge exchange platforms, using material incentives and specially focusing on the intrinsic motivation.

The experiment was done in the Citrus Research Organisation located in Ramsar (North of Iran) and was conducted through two successive seasons of 1997 and 1998. We have studied the effect of harvest time on fruit growth and hesperidin content of 4 Citrus species. Weight, diameter and peel thickness were characteristic to the species. The highest hesperidin content in different Citrus species, used in those investigations, was obtained 50 to 60 days after full bloom. Citrus species had been differentiated according to their hesperidin content. As the local sweet orange is cultivated on large scale in the North of Iran, therefore it is a suitable source to produce hesperidin.

The effect and the potential application of stinging nettle exudates in controlling plant nematodes were investigated. The effect of root exudates of the stinging nettle interplanted with tomato and bean and its potential application as green manure for reducing the population of plant nematodes were also investigated. The results showed that the counts of the nematodes in the base of stinging nettle were significantly lower than those in the 2 m radius from the plant. Comparison of mean counts of the nematodes showed a differential controlling effect of stinging nettle exudates on the nematodes. The counts of the nematodes in pots pre-sown with stinging nettle were reduced, while in pots planted with tomato plants the reductions were significantly lower. The application of stinging nettle as green manure in nematode-infected pots planted with tomato/bean caused significant reductions in the counts of the nematodes.