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A conflict of interest is one of the most important issues in Public Administration. This occurs at a time when the finger of corruption always points to officials, and a conflict of interest can be the underlying cause of corruption among officials. The objective of this study is to propose rather comprehensive actions to manage conflict of interest in the public sector in terms of reviewing the existing studies and sources in this field. By investigating valid databases, 106 studies were found as such. In the analyzed studies of this research, prevention, confrontation, and punishment strategies in cultural, legal, and structural approaches with 21 effective actions for handling this phenomenon are delineated. The study finds that the conflict of interest phenomenon is subject to more critical attention as neo-liberalism is spreading in the world. A person drawn into a conflict of interest presumably overlooks public interest, hence it is advisable to avoid conflict of interest situations. While most of the reviewed studies focus on disclosure of conflict of interest situations, there are other effective actions to prevent this phenomenon. Researches are expected to propose a variety of penalties for officials and staff who decide while drawn into the conflict of interest situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) is considered a serious agricultural pest worldwide. We explored the effects of artificial diets containing ten legumes, including broad beans (Shadan, Feyz, Saraziri, Barekat, and Mahta cultivars), white kidney beans (Dehghan cultivar), red kidney beans (Goli cultivar), common beans (Khomein cultivar), cowpeas (Mashhad and Arabi cultivars) on the feeding responses of H. armigera by quantifying specific primary and secondary metabolites in the studied legumes and determining larval nutritional indices and digestive enzyme activities. The results showed that the highest efficiency of conversion of digested food (ECD) and relative growth rate values (RGR) of whole larval instars were obtained in the Dehghan and Goli cultivars. However, the lowest values of ECD and RGR were observed in the larvae fed on the Khomein and Mahta cultivars. The highest proteolytic and amylolytic activities of larvae were found on the Dehghan and Mashhad cultivars. The highest and lowest values of standardized insect-growth index and index of plant quality were observed in larvae feeding on the Dehghan and Khomein cultivars, respectively. Additionally, significant variations in phytochemical metabolites were recorded among the studied legume cultivars. Significant negative or positive correlations were also found between feeding characteristics and enzymatic activities of H. armigera with the biochemical composition of the studied legumes. The cluster analysis results revealed that artificial diets containing Mahta and Khomein cultivars were unsuitable for H. armigera , and can be used as candidates for integrated pest management programs or for screening insect inhibitors to produce genetically modified pest-resistant plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Prescribing prophylactic antibiotics before surgery is one way to prevent infection at the surgical site. The aim of this study was to compare the pattern of prescribing prophylactic antibiotics with the standard instruction in the general surgery ward of Shahid Sadoughi Hospital in Yazd. Methods. A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed to conduct the study. The sample was selected through random stratified sampling method using Morgan and Krejcie sampling table. Descriptive statistical tests including frequency, frequency percentage, mean, standard deviation and Chi-square were used for the analysis of data by SPSS software version-23. Results. Out of 236 cases reviewed, 27.1% met the practice guidelines regarding the time, 39.4% regarding the type of preoperative prophylaxis and 58% with respect to the duration of the prescribed postoperative antibiotics (Up to 24 hours after surgery). Conclusion. The most important reasons for the inconsistency of prophylactic antibiotics with the standard guideline are the inappropriate timing of prophylactic antibiotics and the use of antibiotics that are not recommended in the clinical guidelines. Informing and educating the public on the content of the notification instructions, establishing a monitoring system and increasing the participation level of the hospital pharmacy in the distribution of medicine can be effective in prescribing prophylactic antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Todays, using wireless sensor networks including a large number of sensor nodes located in the target environment to monitor physical and environmental activities has widely expanded due to their benefits and applications in numerous contexts. The most important part of a sensor node is its power supply coming from the battery, and since these batteries cannot be recharged in complex environments, optimum consumption of energy has turned into a harsh challenge facing applications which require a long lifetime of the network. The present research set out to use the sensor node clustering method to reduce energy consumption. Using density-based clustering is one of the most effective methods in this field, which can help to obtain this goal. The proposed method is inspired by the OPTICS density-based clustering environment, which is an efficient algorithm and can create clusters with different dimensions. In this method, the clusters are first formed, and then cluster-head nodes are selected. In the next stage, that nodes which do not belong to any cluster, join to the nearest cluster to their cluster-head node. Finally, the related data are collected by the sensors and sending them to the cluster-head nodes. Simulation results revealed that the proposed method based on OPTICS density-based clustering algorithm has better performance, compared to similar algorithms such as LEACH, SEP, EEHC, and DBSCAN and could increase network lifetime and the number of packets sent by reducing energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malalignment in the pelvic and spinal column disturbs the balance and decreases the postural control ability. Malalignment is known as one of the main causes of back pain particularly the nonspecific chronic low back pain (NSCLBP). The aim of the study is to compare the effect of muscle energy technique (MET), craniosacral therapy (CST), and sensorimotor training (SMT) on postural control in patients with NSCLBP. Materials and Methods: In this randomized clinical trial study, 45 NSCLBP patients were accidentally allocated in three groups including CST (n = 15), MET (n = 15), and SMT (n = 15). Clinical interventions including CST, MET, and SMT were performed in 10 sessions in 5 weeks (2 sessions per week). The parameters of center of pressure (COP) were assessed in 8 positions such as standing position on double or single leg with open or closed eyes or half squat position on double or single leg with open or closed eyes. Results: The results of this study showed that all three methods of CST, MET, and SMT are effective in postural control in patients with NSCLBP, although it seems that CST is effective on more balance factors. CST has a greater effect on balance in standing position on a single leg with closed eye. It was also found that the effect of CST was continuous after follow-up. Conclusion: Moreover, MET and SMT methods were effective in balance control in NSCLBP patients and postural control was more affected by CST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Muscle fatigue affects the precision of the subjects' performance and limits the range of physical and sports activities. There is limited scientific evidence to support the use of soft tissue manipulation for enhancing muscle performance and its recovery. The aim of this study is to compare the effects of soft tissue manipulation and rest on the knee extensor muscle fatigue after maximal isokinetic contractions. Methods: Fifteen healthy females 20–30 years of age were selected for this research. This study implemented a semi-experimental test–retest measurement method. The subjects then either rested or received soft tissue manipulation on the knee extensors for a duration of 15 min. After intervention (soft tissue manipulation or rest), the parameters were evaluated for the third time. Results: The stability of the average of peak torque (APT), average power (AP), and visual analog scale (VAS) before performing fatigue protocol was 85%, 83%, and 31.9%, respectively. The stability after fatigue was 43%, 50%, and 93%, respectively. After maximal fatigue and a decrease in torque output to below 50% maximal torque, 15 min of soft tissue manipulation could change the APT after fatigue from a mean of 58.3 (nm) to 91.5 (nm), the AP from 39.4 to 63.6 (nm/s), and the VAS, from 90.0 to 12 (mm). But 15 min of rest could change the APT from 52.5 to 68.1 (nm), the AP from 37.6 to 48 (nm/s), and the VAS from 90.0 to 27.3 (mm). Conclusion: The study showed that soft tissue manipulation was more effective than rest as a strategy to return muscles to a normal state and caused more relief in perceived fatigue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]