Intellectual and Cultural Communication of Ancient Iraqi Civilizations in the Arab and Islamic Society: A Study of Some Religious Phenomena Dating Back to 7000 BCE

Introduction: Cost analysis can lead to optimal utilization of the resources and can improve the performance of the health care system. The present study was carried out to analyze, and compare the costs of the services provided in urban and rural health care centers in Shahroud. Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study. All urban and rural health care centers in Shahroud were studied in this study in 2009. The required data were collected through more than 70 forms. The data were analyzed through EXCEL and SPSS software programs. Results: Out of the 496 health care personnel, 42.5 % of the personnel were working in urban centers and 57.5 % were working in rural centers. Among all the urban and rural centers, 66.1% of the costs were personnel costs and 33.9% were other costs. The number of services provided in urban canters was 777383 and in rural centers it was 828888. The mean cost of one service provided in urban centers was 27228 rials and in rural centers it was 34354 rials. The mean cost of one case of coverage in urban centers was estimated to be 29601 rials and in rural centers it was 37266 rials. In general, the number of the services and the coverage provided in urban centers was less than the ones provided in rural centers. Conclusion: The most important factor influencing the total cost of the services is the personnel cost, thus staff cutback and optimal use of the work force, using modern technologies and utilizing the capabilities of the private sector in providing health care services in urban centers can lead to better and more efficient productivity of the resources.

Although rural settlements play a crucial role in understanding the settlement history of Anatolia, historical and archaeological studies have generally neglected these areas and focused more on urban centers. How rural Anatolia adapted to changing political regimes, environmental conditions, and socio-economic transformations throughout history, and how these processes affected cultural continuity, remains largely unknown. In this context, by examining the historical development and spatial memory of the village of Murtaza in the Melendiz region of Central Anatolia, the study aims to contribute to the understanding of the dynamics of rural settlements in Anatolia shaped by historical, environmental, and cultural interactions and to fill the knowledge gap in this field. The study emphasizes the strategic importance of the village of Murtaza as a military and defensive settlement during the Byzantine period. Archaeological surveys, historical documents, Byzantine castle ruins, and local narratives indicate that the region functioned as a buffer zone against eastern invasions. Abundant water resources and pastures supported the sustainability of the settlement and enabled the development of animal husbandry in the village. During the Seljuk and Ottoman periods, the village underwent a demographic and cultural transformation with the arrival of Turkish nomadic groups. Ottoman cadastral records show the continuity of settlement and the integration of Turkish groups with Greek communities. Today, the village of Murtaza continues to carry the spatial and cultural memory of its historical past. The adaptation of traditional water management systems to modern agricultural needs and the continuation of pastoral practices demonstrate the impact of historical processes on contemporary village life. Particularly striking is the architectural texture that has emerged with vaulted masonry structures that reflect the interaction of Greek and Turkish builders. These architectural features demonstrate local craftsmanship shaped by historical interactions, environmental conditions, and the practical needs of rural life. The community's connection to its historical roots is also evidenced by the maintenance of oral traditions and the continued use of old place names. This study shows that Murtaza village is a remarkable case study of how rural settlements adapt to environmental and socio-economic changes while maintaining cultural continuity. Such studies will provide a broader perspective on the historical dynamics of the Melendiz region and the rural past of Anatolia.

Rural service centres and settlement stabilisation in Nigeria

Although previous research has considered the unique treatment needs of rural residents, little research has investigated the potential differences in the availability of treatment services in rural and urban areas. Using three waves of longitudinal data from a nationally representative sample of privately-funded substance abuse treatment centers, this research compared rural and urban treatment centers with regard to the availability of clinical levels of care, the offering of specialty treatment tracks, the adoption of treatment innovations, and the average costs of care. Results indicate that rural and urban centers were similar in their increasing provision of inpatient psychiatric levels of care and their decreasing offering of more intensive levels of chemical dependency services between 1995 and 2001. Rural and urban centers were increasingly likely to offer specialty treatment tracks for women, adolescents, clients with HIV/AIDS, and relapsing clients over time, but rural centers were less likely to offer a treatment track tai lored to substance-abusing women. The use of treatment innovations was similar at rural and urban treatment centers with the exception of lesser use of acupuncture at rural centers. Rural and urban centers did not differ in their average charges for treatment services.

Background: While previous research has added to the understanding of rural residents’ unique health challenges, much remains to be learned about the provision of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment in rural areas. A key question is difference in structural resources and quality of care between rural and urban treatment centers. Objective: To examine differences in treatment quality in rural and urban centers and to determine if differences in treatment quality are contextualized by centers’ structural resources. Methods: Utilizing combined data from two representative samples of SUD treatment centers (n = 591), we used a series of multivariate regressions to analyze the association between center rurality and various indicators of structural characteristics and treatment quality. Interaction effects were further examined between structural characteristics and treatment quality indicators. Results: We found that structural and quality differences between rural and urban treatment centers were present. Rural centers had reduced access to highly educated counselors, were more likely to be non-profit and dependent on public funding, offered fewer wraparound services, and had less diverse specialized treatment options. Our results also indicated that rural centers were less likely to prescribe buprenorphine as part of their treatment but were more likely to employ nursing staff and offer specialized treatment for adolescents. Rural center access to a physician contextualized the association between center rurality and the more limited provision of wraparound services. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that treatment quality differs between urban and rural centers in complex ways that are subject to resource availability.

Differences in trauma care among pediatric and nonpediatric trauma centers

P135 Differential Effectiveness of Go NAP SACC in Urban and Rural Childcare Centers

Waste management is paramount to town planning and ancient civilizations across the world have spent resources and mobilized labor for waste disposal and reuse. The study of waste management practices offers a unique window into the daily lives, social organization, and environmental interactions of ancient societies. In the Indus Valley Civilization, known for its urban planning, understanding waste disposal in rural settlements provides crucial insights into the broader socio-economic landscape. While extensive research has documented sophisticated waste management systems in urban Indus centers, little is known about practices in rural settlements. This gap limits our understanding of regional variations and rural-urban dynamics within the civilization. In this paper, using isotopic and microscopic proxies, we characterize the waste disposed of at the rural Indus settlement of Kotada Bhadli to reconstruct the sources of waste, including heated animal dung, and burned vegetation. We propose that rural agro-pastoral settlements in Gujarat during the Indus Era systematically discarded such waste in specific locations. By characterizing waste produced at Kotada Bhadli, we are also able to reconstruct the natural environment and how the natural and cultural landscape around the settlement was exploited by the residents of the settlement for their domestic and occupational needs. Our identification of the attention paid to waste disposal by the inhabitants of Kotada Bhadli adds significant data to our understanding of waste disposal as an insight into past lives.

ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to evaluate the ability and practice of spirometry, training of technicians, and spirometry features in primary care centers in Spain, evaluating those located in a rural environment against those in urban areas.MethodsAn observational cross-sectional study was conducted in 2012 by a telephone survey in 970 primary health care centers in Spain. The centers were divided into rural or urban depending on the catchment population. The survey contacted technicians in charge of spirometry and consisted of 36 questions related to the test that included the following topics: center resources, training doctors and technicians, using the spirometer, bronchodilator test, and the availability of spirometry and maintenance.ResultsAlthough the sample size was achieved in both settings, rural centers (RCs) gave a lower response rate than urban centers (UCs). The number of centers without spirometry in rural areas doubled those in the urban areas. Most centers had between one and two spirometers. However, the number of spirometry tests per week was significantly lower in RCs than in UCs (4 [4.1%] vs 6.9 [5.7%], P<0.01). The availability of a specific schedule for conducting spirometries was higher in RCs than in UCs (209 [73.0%] vs 207 [64.2%], P=0.003). RCs were more satisfied with the spirometries (7.8 vs 7.6, P=0.019) and received more training course for interpreting spirometry (41.0% vs 33.2%, P=0.004). The performance of the bronchodilator test showed a homogeneous measure in different ways. The spirometer type and the reference values were unknown to the majority of respondents.ConclusionThis study shows the differences between primary care RCs and UCs in Spain in terms of performing spirometry. The findings in the present study can be used to improve the performance of spirometry in these areas.

Developments in the Urban communities has become issue of great concern. Urban development has been rapid with urban centres springing up from rural communities and sometimes creating an imbalance in environmental systems with attendant consequences and advantages. The study therefore explored the urban system housing development within the context of formulating framework for development, renewal and upgrading in order to achieve sustainable development in urban and rural communities. The aim of the study was to carry out a longitudinal survey of selected areas where there is occurrence of concentration of rural-urban, urban-rural settlement within the selected study areas. Survey was conducted on some parameters as part of the calibrated questionnaire that was designed in Likert Scale 1-5 used for the study. The parameters include evaluation of existing renewal and upgrading pattern, upgrading system, renewal strategies, features of rural-urban growth, challenges of urban renewal and regenerations, influence of urban and rural upgrading system on employment availability, health challenges associated with urban-rural settlement and post occupancy study of satisfaction level of residents of urban and rural settlement housing facilities.The study engaged population of 5 different locations with 100 residents drafted from various selected locations classified as urban and rural settlement as respondents. The data was analysed using Mean Item Score, Simple percentages and regression analysis. Some of the striking contribution in this study includes: System to formulate good renewal and resuscitating, it also include resuscitating decayed component of rural setting at urban location. The study also contribute to knowledge in advocating strategies for urban and renewal strategy like compilation of plans for physical development of the area, development of identified locations, re-accommodation and resettlement of displaced settlements, re-accommodation and resettlement of displaced settlements and reconstruction of the areas devastated by development programmes. Similarly, rural and urban development would bring employment opportunity for all classes of trade either skill labour, un-skill labour and semi-skill labour. Construction activities would attract and provide fortune to different workers category there creating prosperity for all. Finally, the study developed a system framework that could be used for urban and rural settlement regeneration, revitalization, redevelopment and reconstruction. The developed framework would assist in eliminating accommodation challenges, employment problems and health care issues often associated with disparity in settlement growth when rural settlement metamorphosed into urban settlement.

Objectives: Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is an important factor required to suppress viral activities and its load in the human body. There are identified factors that determine adherence to ART and these factors have been noticed based on environments. This study compared predictors of ART adherence between the urban and rural centers within the same State in Nigeria. Material and Methods: The study was a cross-sectional analytic study involving 322 participants. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20. Descriptive and inferential statistics were done with the data collected. Results: There were more adherent participants in the urban than the rural center in a ratio of 2.2:1. There was also significant difference in the predictors of adherence to ART in these two centers. The factors that were not present in both centers were: Stigma experience, family support, and sex. Conclusion: Predictors of treatment adherence vary between the urban and rural treatment centers even within the same senatorial district of a state. Therefore, it is advisable to always determine factors that predicts adherence to ART which would serve as a guide to proper treatment of the patient.

Level III, retrospective cohort analysis.

Community health centers are a vital part of the primary and behavioral health care systems in rural areas. We compared behavioral health care staffing and services in rural and urban centers. In the period 2013-17 the overall staff-to-patient ratio in behavioral health rose by 66percent in rural centers, faster than growth in urban centers (49percent). Growth in both settings was mostly driven by clinical social workers and other licensed mental health providers; staffing by psychiatrists and psychologists changed only slightly. In rural centers the average adjusted increase in annual visits per additional behavioral health staff member was 411 for substance use disorders, slightly higher than at urban centers. Additional annual visits per additional staff member in rural centers were 539 for depression, 466 for anxiety, and 300 for other mental disorders, similar to the numbers in urban centers. Behavioral health staff currently participating in the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) contributed more to visits for depression and anxiety in rural centers, compared to both their urban counterparts and non-NHSC staff in rural centers. Enhancing behavioral health staffing in rural community health centers could help reduce the urban-rural gap in the availability of behavioral health services, but still more could be done.

The lowest administrative-territorial unit in Serbia is a settlement, whereby the administrative criterion of dividing settlements into “urban” and “other” is inadequate for describing the rural area, which is extremely differentiated in Serbia due to various factors. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the typology of settlements in accordance with different development characteristics, with a special emphasis on areas that are lagging in development. The goal of this research is to present a rural index of Serbia. The importance of this research is reflected in the methodological improvement of the classification of rural settlements in Serbia. This approach indicates the development potential and limitations of local areas in Serbia, which is the basis for support and financing of local development programs. The results point to different categories of rural settlements: rural settlements heavily influenced by the urban center; transitional rural settlements, i.e., rural centers; socio-economically devastated rural settlements; “retired”, abandoned, disappearing rural settlements, where it is necessary to adapt strategies and policies to different types. The results of the research provide important information to policymakers where specific development strategies for different types of settlements are proposed.

Using nighttime light data to identify the structure of polycentric cities and evaluate urban centers