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Background & Aims Caring for a patient undergoing hemodialysis is a stressful experience that causes a heavy care burden. With the outbreak of COVID-19, family caregivers of these patients had increased worry about the risk of infection in the dialysis centers. This fear can make their care burden heavier. This study aims to investigate the impact of coping skills training on the care burden experienced by family caregivers of patients undergoing hemodialysis. Materials & Methods This quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2020 on 60 family caregivers of patients undergoing hemodialysis at the Comprehensive Treatment Center for Special Diseases in Birjand, Iran. Participants were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The intervention group received coping skills training in six sessions. All participants completed the Zarit burden interview before, immediately after, and one month after the intervention. The data were analyzed in SPSSsoftware, version 19. Results The two groups were homogeneous regarding demographic information (P>0.05). Both groups had a moderate to severe care burden before the intervention. A significant difference was reported in the care burden score of the intervention group after training (P<0.001). Conclusion Coping skills training can reduce the care burden of the family caregivers of patients undergoing hemodialysis. Therefore, coping skills training can be used by nursing managers to reduce the care burden of family caregivers of patients with hemodialysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The incidence of diabetes disrupts the regular flow of life and affects the quality of life in different aspects. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of acceptance and commitment therapy on the quality of life and physical indices of patients with diabetes. Materials and Methods: This semi-experimental study was conducted based on a pre- and post-test design. The statistical population consisted of all patients with diabetes who referred to Alzahra Hospital and Kourosh Clinic in Isfahan during 2018. A targeted sampling method was used to perform the sampling. In total, 24 patients with diabetes were selected and assigned randomly into two groups of control and experimental. The experimental group was subjected to acceptance and commitment therapy during eight 90- min sessions. The data were collected before and after the intervention using a questionnaire, physical indices, and urine samples. Data analysis was performed in SPSS software (version 23) through analysis of covariance, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and Fisher's F-test. Results: The results showed that acceptance and commitment therapy had a significant effect on the quality of life, physical and mental health, and physical indices of patients (P<0.05). Conclusion: According to the results of this study, acceptance and commitment therapy can be used to improve the quality of life and physical indices among diabetic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Oral cancers are the eighth most common cancers in males and the 15th in females. Squamous cell carcinoma comprises approximately 94% of oral malignancies. Oral cancer develops and progresses during two important biological stages. The aim of the present study was to determine the expression of E-cadherin protein in different stages of oral mucosa SCC after evaluation of the role of this protein in the tumorigenesis of oral mucosa squamous cells. Materials & Methods: In the present retrospective, descriptive- analytical study, 20 paraffin blocks fixed with formalin, consisting of 10 samples with a diagnosis of well-differentiated oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and 10 samples with a diagnosis of poorly differentiated OSCC, were selected and stained with immunohistochemistry technique, irrespective of the patient age and gender. In addition, 5 samples of normal oral mucosa were selected as controls. Then the stained samples were evaluated by two pathologists. Data were analyzed with Chi-squared, McNemar and Fisher’s exact tests using SPSS 20 (α = 0.05). Results: The expression of E-cadherin marker exhibited a significant decrease with a decrease in histological differentiation of OSCC at different differentiation levels in terms of location, staining and presence and absence of staining homogeneity of the marker. In addition, the staining of the marker exhibited significant differences between poorly and well-differentiated cells. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that the expression of E-cadherin protein decreased with poor histological differentiation of squamous cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Periapical diseases are the end result of untreated pulpitis or failure of root canal therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the prevalence of different periapical lesions in terms of demographic variables in patients referring to the Department of Oral Pathology of Isfahan Dental School in three different time periods from 1988 to 2015. Materials & Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, biopsy samples available in the archives of Oral Pathology Department of Isfahan Dental School from1988 to 2015 were studied. Periapical (PA) lesions were evaluated and compared in terms of age, sex, type, etiology and location. Data were analyzed with SPSS. After data collection, data were analyzed with chi-squared test, Fisher’s exact test, ANOVA and Tukey test (α = 0.05). Results: Of 10686 oral biopsies, 582 (5.44%) were PA lesions. Of 582 PA lesions, 71.1% were dental granulomas and 15.3% were radicular cysts and the other cases were other lesions with lower prevalence rates; 41.4% of the lesions belonged to males and 58.1% to females. The most common frequency was detected in the 21‒30-year age group. The most common site of involvement was the mandibular molars with 48.3%, maxillary incisors with 32.5% and maxillary molars with 21.4%, respectively. Distribution frequencies of PA lesions were 11%, 23.9% and 65.1% in the first, second and third periods, respectively. Conclusion: The results showed that the prevalence of PA lesions has increased significantly in recent years. Increased incidence of periapical lesions secondary to root canal therapy (RCT) in the second and third periods in comparison with the first period is an indication of inadequate RCT treatment in patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The tooth pulp reacts to local and systemic stimulation, which might appear as calcified centers or pulp stones. The prevalence of pulp stones has been reported to be different in different studies. The present study was conducted to assess the prevalence of pulp stones in patients referring to Isfahan Dental School. Materials and methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, all the digital panoramic radiographs in the archives of the Department of Radiology of Isfahan Dental School were assessed and 500 radiographs which met the inclusion criteria were included in the study and evaluated based on tooth number, sex and age of the patients. Data were recorded in special forms and analyzed using SPSS 11.5 with chi-squared test, Fisher's exact test and Spearman's rank correlation (α=0.05). Results: The prevalence of pulp stones was estimated at 25.6%, with 27.2% and 24.5% in males and females, respectively. There was no significant predilection for any sex (p value = 0.488). The difference between the right and left sides was not significant (p value = 0.680); however, chisquared test showed a significantly higher prevalence in maxillary teeth compared to the mandibular teeth (p value = 0.001). In addition, Fisher's exact test revealed significant differences between different age groups (p value < 0.001). Conclusion: Under the limitations of the present study, there were no significant differences in the prevalence of pulp stones between the two sides and the two genders; however, there was a higher prevalence in the maxilla compared to the mandible. Subjects with pulp stones had higher mean ages than those without pulp stones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims: The necessity for providing appropriate services in hospitals during an earthquake is imperative that is needful comprehensive preparedness of hospitals. This study was performed to assess the preparedness of hospitals affiliated to the Urmia University of Medical Sciences against earthquake risk in 2011. Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in all hospitals affiliated to Urmia University of Medical Sciences that located in province centers. Data were collected using checklist and the interview and observation existing documents. The data was Analyzed by SPSS 19 and using Fisher's exact and Spearman correlation coefficient tests. Result: From 8 surveyed themes, the highest level of preparedness against earthquake risk was in management disaster plan and the least level of preparedness was in the planning efforts in the field of environmental health. Results showed that six hospitals were located in very poor level, three hospitals in poor level and one hospital in the middle level of preparedness against earthquakes risk. Overall average mean of hospital preparedness against earthquakes was 20.07 percent. Based upon Spearman correlation coefficient test, a statistically significant relationship was seen within the area of the planning essential equipment and supplies and planning to support vital services (r=0.824, p=0.003). Conclusion: Based upon the results, the overall level of preparedness rate of hospitals against earthquake risk was assessed in the poor level. It is recommended while developing short term educational programs in crisis management and continuing that implement, where possible retrofitting non-structural hospitals to be considered as a priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]