Jorjani Biomedicine Journal

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Background and objectives: Performance assessment is a powerful management tool in the development of human resources. For their survival in a competitive environment, universities should enhance their management knowledge and performance. Thus, the present study evaluated the application of performance management in Golestan University of Medical Sciences (Iran) from the viewpoint of faculty members.

Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in 2012. A total of 136 faculty members of Golestan University of Medical Sciences were randomly selected. Data were collected using a reliable questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.76) developed by the researchers in Shiraz University (Iran). The questionnaires, comprising two dimensions of benefits and applicability of performance management in the university, were distributed among the participants and collected after completion. The obtained data were analyzed using inferential statistics.

Results: The studied faculty members reported the benefits of performance management and its dimensions, i.e. performance evaluation of faculty members and groups, support and improvement of performance of faculty members and groups, management of the groups, and comparison and ranking of the groups, to be at a desirable level. They considered “comparison and ranking of faculty members as acceptable. The applicability of performance management and its dimensions were also rated as acceptable. However, the benefit of performance management and its dimensions were rated significantly higher than the mean applicability and its dimensions in the university (P = 0.0001).

Conclusion: The participating faculty members suggested the applicability of performance management in the current conditions of the university. Meanwhile, the benefit of performance management was scored more favorably than its application.

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Background & Objective: Self-care means enabling individuals to manage special circumstances, such as illness, chronic diseases and having more control over life. Women are more susceptible to serious health risks such as obesity and overweight compared to men, therefore this study was conducted in the city of Gorgan to determine the knowledge, attitude and behavior of women regarding the self-care behavior. Method: In this descriptive- analytical study, 420 women referred to health centers of Gorgan were recruited through cluster random sampling. Data were collected using the standard general self-care questionnaire. Information such as barriers and facilitators of self-care behavior, knowledge, desire and performing self-care behaviors of individuals were evaluated. Data were then analyzed using descriptive statistics and analytical tests in SPSS software (version16). Results: The mean age of samples was 33.07 ± 12.2 years. Among all the tested individuals, 49% (n=206) had a satisfactory knowledge about Self-care, 36.4% (n=152) had a tendency to perform self-care and 21.8 percent (n=92) were performing self-care related activities. There was a significant relationship between knowledge and performing self-care (P= 0.0001), attitudes and performing self-care (P=0.0001) and between knowledge and behavior (P=0.0001). Conclusion: Due to the relative knowledge, attitude and unfavorable performance of individuals, appropriate educational interventions are recommended to increase knowledge. Moreover the awareness and attitude of the participants should also be changed using attitude change techniques such as in-depth interviews and subsequently its improvements will occur.

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For decades, researchers have tried to develop non-invasive mechanisms for monitoring pathological conditions within the body of patients. Emerging nanotechnology enabled us to reach this aim. Scale of nano has the potential to increase early detection of pathological conditions among abnormal cells before diseased tissue or tumor development can be considerable which is helpful in disease treatment. In recent years, “Theranostics” has been emerged as a novel nano approach which performs diagnostic detection, therapy and follows up simultaneously. Therefore, Theranostics can be considered as an appropriate therapeutic approach for personalized medicine, pharmacogenomics and molecular imaging which can open a gate to develop novel therapies. Additionally, with a deeper molecular understanding, choosing drugs that are more effective will be possible. Finally, researchers believe that Theranostics has the potential to monitor treatments by increasing drug effectiveness and preventing inappropriate treatments and consequently reducing the cost of national health burden. In this review, structure and some applications of Theranostics and nano drug delivery systems have been discussed briefly.