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Mojtaba Hoseini-Ghahfarokhi,1,2 Soroush Mirkiani,3 Naeimeh Mozaffari,4 Mohamad Amin Abdolahi Sadatlu,5 Amir Ghasemi,6,7 Somayeh Abbaspour,6 Mohsen Akbarian,8 Fatemeh Farjadain,8 Mahdi Karimi9 1Nano Drug Delivery Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; 2Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Department, School of Paramedical Sciences, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; 3Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada; 4Research School of Electrical, Energy and Materials Engineering, The Australian National University, Canberra 2601, Australia; 5Department of Engineering and Science, Sharif University of Technology-International Campus, Kish, Iran; 6Department of Engineering, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, United Kingdom; 7Advanced Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine Research Group (ANNRG), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 8Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran; 9Iran Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranCorrespondence: Fatemeh FarjadainPharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, P.o. Box 71345-1583, Shiraz, IranTel +987132424127 (302)Fax +987132424126Email farjadian_f@sums.ac.irMahdi KarimiDepartment of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranEmail m_karimy2006@yahoo.comAbstract: Graphene, a wonder material, has made far-reaching developments in many different fields such as materials science, electronics, condensed physics, quantum physics, energy systems, etc. Since its discovery in 2004, extensive studies have been done for understanding its physical and chemical properties. Owing to its unique characteristics, it has rapidly became a potential candidate for nano-bio researchers to explore its usage in biomedical applications. In the last decade, remarkable efforts have been devoted to investigating the biomedical utilization of graphene and graphene-based materials, especially in smart drug and gene delivery as well as cancer therapy. Inspired by a great number of successful graphene-based materials integrations into the biomedical area, here we summarize the most recent developments made about graphene applications in biomedicine. In this paper, we review the up-to-date advances of graphene-based materials in drug delivery applications, specifically targeted drug/ gene delivery, delivery of antitumor drugs, controlled and stimuli-responsive drug release, photodynamic therapy applications and optical imaging and theranostics, as well as investigating the future trends and succeeding challenges in this topic to provide an outlook for future researches.Keywords: graphene, graphene oxide, drug delivery, gene delivery, cancer therapy, photodynamic therapy more...

The light scattering and harvesting effects in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is studied by controlling morphology, phase composition, and thickness of monolayer and double-layer TiO2 photoanode electrodes. The starting materials for preparation of TiO2 cells, including 25 nm mesoporous anatase nanoparticles, 200 nm anatase microspheres, 10 µm dandelion-like rutile particles and 40 nm nanoparticles containing 80% anatase-20% rutile, are synthesized by evaporation-induced self-assembly, sol-gel, and hydrothermal processes. It was found that the mesoporous anatase nanoparticles may improve light harvesting and dye-sensitization due to their high surface area and small particle size, whereas the microspheres and dandelion-like particles can enhance light scattering effect. The improvement of light harvesting efficiency is obtained by controlling the microstructure and thickness of photoanode electrode to increase dye adsorption. This is achieved by preparation of high surface area TiO2 monolayer film with optimum thickness and good connections between the particles using mesoporous anatase nanoparticles. The influence of film's thickness on photovoltaic characteristics of monolayer DSSCs shows that the optimal thickness around 30 μm results in the highest cell efficiency of 6.31%. The enhancement of light scattering is acheieved by design of a proper scattering layer with desired morphology and phase composition. The dye loading property of the scattering layer is also considered simultaneously. The photovoltaic characteristics of double-layer DSSCs, with total thickness of 30 µm, reveal that the cell efficiency enhances up to 7.54 and 8.91% using a mixture of dandelion-like particles and mesoporous nanoparticles and microspheres and mesoporous nanoparticles, respectively. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 35: 1818-1826, 2016 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

A new facile strategy for preparation of mesoporous anatase-TiO films by a combination of sol-gel and evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) processes aided by tri-block Pluronic F127 is reported. Two major parameters, sol preparation and EISA processing parameters, are identified for preparation of mesoporous crack-free films with desired thickness. The mesoporous crack-free films with thickness of 650 nm can be obtained with low water: precursor molar ratio (e.g., 2.5:1) under aging in 10 % relative humidity for 72 h at the low temperature of 5 °C. Although template: precursor molar ratio and annealing temperature show little influence on preparation of crack-free films the optimum values are determined 0.005:1 and 350 °C, respectively. Reducing the aging temperature down to 5 °C not only hinders the anatase-to-rutile phase transformation but also retards crystal growth. Furthermore, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller and Barrett-Joyner-Helenda results show that the isotherm corresponding to synthesized powders represents a combination of types II and IV corresponding to mesoporous materials with average pore size in the range 5.8-8.8 nm and BET surface area of 72-99 m/g. UV-Vis absorption spectrum of prepared mesoporous TiO film displays a blue shift relative to that of bulk TiO due to the quantum size effect. The mesoporous TiO film prepared under optimized conditions has good microstructural and optical properties for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) applications. The DSSC made of optimized mesoporous TiO film shows cell efficiency and short circuit current density of 6.31 % 15.23 mA/cm, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background&Objective: Vibrio species are oxidase positive, gram negative bacilli that predominantly reside in surface waters such as lakes , rivers. They cause predominantly intestinal diseases as well as a few extra-intestinal complications. Vibrio-related diseases often rise during natural disasters such as floods. Vibrio cholerae cause cholera in humans. In this study, the occurance of Vibrio cholerae in the surface waters of Golestan province, was investigated. Materials&Methods: The APW and TCBS agar culture media were used for primary isolation of Vibrio cholerae and the exact species identification were done by performing the following tests oxidase reaction, growth in 0% , 1% , 3% , 6% salt solution, lysine and ornithine decarboxylase, Arginine dehydrolase, ONPG and VP test, simmon citrate, bile esculin, indole, CAMP reaction, string test and specific antisera to V.cholerae 01. to confirm the findings, the special antiserum Ogawa and Inaba, were used. Results: We were able to isolate 42 Vibrio spp. from a total of 54 water samples collected. The species included 35 non-01 V.cholerae (84.2%), 2 V.mimicus (2.63%) and 5 V.cholerae 01 (13.1%) isolat. Conclusion: This study confirmed the existence of Vibrio cholerae 01 in 9% of samples from surface waters of Golestan province. more...

The aim of the current study was to systematically review and quantify the findings of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effect of fermented soy products on anthropometric indices, body composition, and metabolic outcomes. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched to identify the relevant articles from inception until March 2024. The weighted mean differences (WMD) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated as effect sizes and analyzed using the random-effects method. A total of 2205 records were found, of which 15 RCTs were eligible. Results demonstrated significant beneficial effects of fermented soy on body mass index (WMD = -0.14 kg m -2 , 95% CI: -0.28, -0.01, P = 0.039), waist circumference (WMD = -1.50 cm, 95% CI: -2.94, -0.07, P = 0.04), visceral fat (WMD = -692.17 mm 2 , 95% CI: -1011.58, -372.77, P < 0.001), fasting plasma glucose (WMD = -6.39 mg dL -1 , 95% CI: -10.38, -2.40, P = 0.002), and total cholesterol (WMD = -5.0 mg dL -1 , 95% CI: -6.60, -3.39, P < 0.001) compared with controls. However, the responses of other parameters to fermented soy were not significant. Overall, fermented soy may confer health benefits on certain metabolic outcomes, anthropometric indices, and body composition. more...

The sequencing batch reactor has emerged as a promising technology in treating wastewater; however, its application in the treatment of generated water still needs to be explored. This research gap led to the investigation of various carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratios in a column-type sequencing batch reactor (cSBR). The resulting data and model demonstrated that augmenting the SND process with an external carbon source is effective until the C/N ratio reaches 15, ultimately eliminating nitrogen in the produced water. Conversely, a reduced C/N ratio can limit the ability of polyphosphate-accumulating organisms to incorporate carbon into polyphosphate synthesis, thereby decreasing phosphorus removal efficiency within the cSBR. When the C/N ratio ranged from 6 to 8, and the mixed liquor suspended solids concentration was high, the average phosphate removal was approximately 55%, compared to only around 25% when the C/N ratio was less than 6., (© 2024. The Author(s).) more...

Wound healing is an orderly sequence of events restoring the integrity of the damaged tissue. It consists of inflammatory, proliferation, and remodeling phases. The objective of the current study was to investigate the effect of local transplantation of cultured macrophage loaded with mesenchymal stem cell/macrophage culture supernatants on wound healing. Sixty-four healthy adult male Wistar rats were randomized into 4 groups of sixteen animals each: 1) SHAM group. 2) MAC-MSC/SN group: One-milliliter application of a mixture comprising mesenchymal stem cell and macrophage culture supernatants in a 1:1 ratio was administered locally to the wound bed. 3) MAC group: Local transplantation of macrophage cells cultured in the wound bed. 4) MAC + MAC-MSC/SN group: Local transplantation of cultured macrophage in combination with mesenchymal stem cell/ macrophage culture supernatants in the wound bed. An incisional wound model was used for biomechanical studies, while an excisional wound model was used for biochemical, histopathological, and planimetric assessments. The wound area was significantly reduced in the MAC + MAC-MSC/SN group compared to other groups (P < 0.05). Biomechanical measurements from the MAC + MAC-MSC/SN group were significantly higher compared to other experimental groups (P < 0.05). Biochemical and quantitative histopathological analyses revealed a significant difference between MAC + MAC-MSC/SN and other groups (P < 0.05). MAC + MAC-MSC/SN showed the potential to improve wound healing significantly. This appears to work by angiogenesis stimulation, fibroblast proliferation, inflammation reduction, and granulation tissue formation during the initial stages of the healing process. This accelerated healing leads to earlier wound area reduction and enhanced tensile strength of the damaged area due to the reorganization of granulation tissue and collagen fibers., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interests None declared., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.) more...

Despite attractive cost-effectiveness, scalability, and superior stability, carbon-based printable perovskite solar cells (CPSCs) still face moisture-induced degradation that limits their lifespan and commercial potential. Here, the moisture-preventing mechanisms of thin nanostructured super-repellent coating (advancing contact angle >167° and contact angle hysteresis 7°) integrated into CPSCs are investigated for different moisture forms (falling water droplets vs water vapor vs condensed water droplets). It is shown that unencapsulated super-repellent CPSCs have superior performance under continuous droplet impact for 12 h (rain falling experiments) compared to unencapsulated pristine (uncoated) CPSCs that degrade within seconds. Contrary to falling water droplets, where super-repellent coating serves as a shield, water vapor is found to physisorb through porous super-repellent coating (room temperature and relative humidity, RH 65% and 85%) that increase the CPSCs performance for 21% during ≈43 d similarly to pristine CPSCs. It is further shown that water condensation forms within or below the super-repellent coating (40 °C and RH 85%), followed by chemisorption and degradation of CPSCs. Because different forms of water have distinct effects on CPSC, it is suggested that future standard tests for repellent CPSCs should include rain falling and condensate formation tests. The findings will thus inspire the development of super-repellent coatings for moisture prevention., (© 2024 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.) more...

In this case report, we present an unusual clockwise torsion of left colon around mesenteric root in a 10-month-old Arab filly, highlighting the clinical presentation, diagnostic approach and successful surgical intervention. A 10-month-old Arab filly weighing approximately 250 kg was referred with signs of acute abdominal pain. The history revealed anorexia, restlessness and severe abdominal pain that had begun the previous day. The local practitioner had previously administered flunixin meglumine, an analgesic, but it proved ineffective in relieving the pain. Upon physical examination, the filly exhibited sweating, a body temperature of 38.5°C, tachycardia (65 beats per minute) and tachypnea (25 breaths per minute). Due to the severity of the colic and the lack of response to the conservative treatments, surgical intervention was deemed necessary. An exploratory midline celiotomy was performed to evaluate the abdominal organs. During the examination, no obvious primary lesions were identified in the evaluated organs. However, a restriction in exteriorizing the left colon's length was observed. Further examination revealed an unusual clockwise torsion of the left colon that displaced in left to the right side around the mesenteric root; thereby, pelvic flexure was located in the normal anatomical position with a short length. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of clockwise torsion and an atypical displacement of the left colon in horses. The surgical correction of the displacement was successfully performed. The filly showed improvement post-surgery and did not exhibit any complications during the recovery period., (© 2024 The Author(s). Veterinary Medicine and Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.) more...

Background: Unfavorable leadership practices are a growing concern in the field of healthcare and nursing that have adverse consequences on nurses' career outcomes. One of the undesirable leadership styles is the toxic leadership style. Considering the importance of nursing managers' leadership style and its impact on nurses' performance and the scarcity of studies in this field, the present study was conducted to determine toxic leadership behaviors in nursing managers and their relationship with the turnover intention among nurses., Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional correlational study. This study involved 551 nurses from 5 educational-medical centers in Ardabil province, north-western Iran. Three self-report scales, including The demographic and occupational information form, the Toxic Leadership Behaviors of Nurse Managers Scale (ToxBH-NM), and the turnover intention questionnaire were adopted for assessment purposes in this study. Data were analyzed using SPSS (Version 22) software using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient test, t-test, ANOVA test, and multiple linear regression analysis., Results: Overall, 551 nurses participated in this research. There was a significantly positive relationship between Turnover intention and Toxic leadership behavior Subscales (r = 0.475, p < 0.001). Furthermore, multiple linear regression analysis showed Toxic leadership behavior Subscales (Intemperate behavior, Narcissistic behavior, Self-promoting behavior, and Humiliating behavior), Hospital, unit, Age, and Marital status predict Turnover intention when other variables are controlled., Conclusion: A leader who directly and indirectly adopts toxic behavior toward their employees destructively affects both individuals and organizations. Nurses who work for a manager exhibiting toxic leadership behaviors demonstrated higher turnover intention., (© 2023. The Author(s).) more...

The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Escapism Scale among Iranian adolescents aged 14-18. Between January 2021 and August 2021, cross-sectional study was conducted using a convenience sampling method to select 566 participants (340 girls and 226 boys) to investigate the relationship between physical activity and mental health in adolescents. The participants completed several questionnaires, including the Escapism Scale, Erikson Psychosocial Stage Inventory (EPSI), Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Hope Scale (AHS), Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV), and General Self-efficacy (GSE). Construct validity, reliability using Cronbach's alpha, and concurrent validity were used to evaluate the Escapism Scale's validity and reliability. Results of the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) indicated that a two-factor model provided a good fit for the data: sbX2 = 179.99 (p < 0.01); SRMR = 0.07; RMR = 0.56, CFI = 0.91; NFI = 0.89; IFI = 0.91; NFI = 0.89; GFI = 0.93; AGFI = 0.90, RMSEA = 0.076). The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for escapism was 0.73. The study found a significant positive relationship between escapism and smartphone addiction (r = 0.19). Additionally, a significant negative relationship was observed between escapism and hope (r=-0.31), satisfaction with life (r=-0.34), and general self-efficacy (r=-0.33). Furthermore, a significant relationship was found between escapism and gender. Lastly, the study found a significant relationship between escapism and identity confusion (r = 0.164, P < 0.01) and identity coherence (P < 0.01, r = 29). In conclusion, the Escapism Scale is a valid and reliable tool for assessing escapism and psychological evaluations in Iranian adolescents. These results may inform future research and suggest re-testing in clinical populations., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.) more...

Background: The evaluation of geriatric care in the emergency departments is necessary to improve the quality of care. This study aimed to determine the status of geriatric nursing care from the perspective of nurses working in the emergency department of hospitals., Materials and Methods: This study was a cross-sectional research study. Through census sampling, 252 nurses working in the emergency departments of hospitals of Ardabil Province were selected. The status of elderly care was assessed using the Geriatric In-Hospital Nursing Care Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using independent and one-sample t-tests and analysis of variance., Results: The mean (GerINCQ) score of the participants [mean (SD): 237.30 (75.30)] was significantly higher than the criterion score (201) (p = 0.001). The scores of the sub-scales of perception of elderly care [mean (SD): 45.42 (7.53)], aging-sensitive care delivery [mean (SD): 41.55 (10.25)], professional responsibility [mean (SD): 39.62 (9.86)], and attitude toward caring for elderly [mean (SD): 56.14 (12.53)] were significantly higher than the standard score (p = 0.001). However, the score of performed intervention [mean (SD): 38.36 (8.42)] was significantly (p = 0.02) lower than the criterion score (39). The score of professional responsibility and attitude toward elderly care was higher in women than men, and this difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05)., Conclusions: The results showed that aging-coordinated care delivery, professional responsibility, and attitudes and perceptions of nurses toward elderly care were satisfactory, but performed intervention was unfavorable. According to the results of this study, nursing service managers can improve the quality of elderly nursing care through appropriate policies, fixing the workforce shortage, and closely monitoring elderly care in the emergency departments., Competing Interests: Nothing to declare., (Copyright: © 2023 Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research.) more...

Background: Previous studies have shown that a disease outbreak may cause high stress among healthcare workers. However, the vast majority of those studies applied a variable-centered approach, in which relationships between the variables are believed to be identical across the studied population. The main purpose of this study was to identify latent profiles of healthcare workers with similar combinations of levels of various work-related stressors during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to examine their predictors., Methods: A cross-sectional paper-and-pencil study was conducted among a convenience sample of 297 emergency department (ED) nurses and 219 emergency medical services (EMS) staff members working in 10 hospital EDs and 52 EMS centers in Ardabil province, Iran. Data were collected using the Health and Safety Executive Management Standards Indicator Tool (HSE-MS IT)., Results: Using the latent profile analysis (LPA), five work-related stress profiles were identified: "high stress with a good understanding of one's job role" (11.1%), "moderate stress" (41.9%), "relatively high stress with average demands and a very low understanding of one's job role" (23.8%), "low stress" (18.0%), and "generally low stress but with very high job demands and relational conflicts" (5.2%). Age, marital status, service location, workplace, and the number of overtime hours significantly predicted profile membership., Conclusion: The results of the study suggest the importance of incorporating various sources of stress and using the person-centered approach when investigating the work-related stress of healthcare workers during disease outbreaks. Identifying sociodemographic and work-related predictors of profile membership may be useful for preparing interventions that will be better suited to healthcare workers' needs., (© 2023. The Author(s).) more...

Introduction: Following the global spread of the Covid-19 infection, the Iranian government adopted measures to control the spread of the disease, but they were not applicable without the acceptance and interaction of the general population. This study used the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) components to attempt to determine risk communication and risk perception along with its influencing factors in Covid-19 disease among the population of northwestern Iran., Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted among the general population of the province. Demographic characteristics and extended parallel process model questionnaires were used to collect data, which was then analyzed based on descriptive (frequency, mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics ( t -test, analysis of variance, regression, chi-square) in SPSS-25 software., Results: This study showed that 63.8% of the participants continually followed Covid-19 news, and 34% of participants used social media to get the news and warnings related to the Covid-19 pandemic. Among the domains of participants' risk perception for Covid-19 disease, the three domains of self-efficacy, response effectiveness and intention had the highest means compared with other domains. Significant correlations were found between risk perception and the dimensions of age, gender, marriage status, number of family members, place of residence, underlying disease, history of Covid-19, and family history of Covid-19 disease ( p  < 0.05). Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that perceived sensitivity, perceived severity, self-efficacy, fear, defensive avoidance, intention, and behaviors were independent predictors of response efficacy ( p  < 0.001)., Conclusion: More than two years after the onset of the spread of Covid-19 disease, the risk perception of the disease among the study population was still insufficient in many areas. Risk of communication refers to the point of interaction between the government and the people, and the need to improve public trust in this issue is strongly felt., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.) more...

Background and Aims: Pre-hospital emergency technicians face many problems in the workplace daily, so the ability to solve or overcome them in the workplace is essential. This article aimed to assess the predictors of problem-solving skills among emergency medical services staff in Iran., Methods: This study was cross-sectional correlational research. Using convenience sampling methods, 140 emergency medical services (EMS) staff were enrolled in the study. Response time was assessed using ASAYAR software, problem-solving skills (PSS) were measured using the Hepner Petersen Problem Solving Questionnaire (PSI), and cognitive emotion regulation strategies were assessed using the Garnfsky Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, t -test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson's r correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression analysis were applied using SPSS 14.0., Results: The results of our study showed that the total mean score for problem-solving skills was 136.84 (14.65) (range, 175-107 points). Multiple linear regression indicated that refocusing on planning, positive evaluation, stress management courses, delays and their causes, positive refocusing, catastrophizing, and acceptance were effective predictors of problem-solving skills in emergency personnel, accounting for 54% of the total variances., Conclusion: This study is one of the first studies in this field. Based on our findings, individuals who consider their emotions and feelings when solving problems are better able to use the process of thinking and problem-solving skills. Therefore, by training people in the field of emotional regulation skills, the skills to solve problems technicians can be increased., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Saeedyan, Mohammadi, Mirzaei and Mozaffari.) more...

The sport presents an opportunity for young people to experience the joys of success and cope with setbacks to develop resilient behaviors. However, there is a lack of clarity about how sport can cultivate resilience, particularly among adolescent girls. This study investigated the psychometric properties of Farsi version of the Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and its role in predicting aggression in Iranian athletic adolescent girls. The method of the present study was cross-sectional. The population of this study was Iranian athletic adolescent girls, and 475 Iranian athletic adolescent girls were selected through the convenience sampling method. The participants completed the Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), Quality of Mindfulness, General Self-efficacy (GSE), Alexithymia, and Aggression Scale. The CD-RISC's psychometric properties were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis, while reliability was tested using Cronbach's alpha. Discriminant validity was measured by examining the relationship with alexithymia, and convergent validity was assessed with the quality of mindfulness and GSE. In addition, multiple regression analysis was conducted on the prediction of aggression by the CD-RISC subscales. The five-factor structure provided a good fit for the data. CD-RISC had significant negative associations with alexithymia, and there was a significant positive correlation between CD-RISC and Quality of Mindfulness, GSE. The results indicate that CD-RISC significantly predicts aggression in athletic adolescent girls. The CD-RISC has good validity for athletic adolescent girls in Iran and can be used in psychological evaluations in the Iranian context. CD-RISC significantly predicts aggression among athletic adolescent girls., (© 2022. The Author(s).) more...

Introduction: Emergency Department (ED) nurses and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Staff are faced with several stressors daily, such as the COVID 19 pandemic situation, which affects the health and the quality of services to patients. Spiritual coping with stress is an attempt to overcome the stress on the basis of what is transcendent. The use of spiritual coping strategies helps a person to overcome tensions caused by the work environment., Objective: The current study aimed to investigate occupational stress and its relationship with spiritual coping among ED nurses and EMS staff., Materials and Methods: This study was descriptive-correlational research. Using convenience sampling methods, 516 ED nurses and EMS staff were enrolled in the study. The study instruments included demographic information, HSE Occupational Stress, and spiritual coping questionnaires. Data were analyzed using SPSSv.22 software and the descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation test, t-test, ANOVA, and multiple linear regression., Results: The highest and lowest levels of occupational stress were the dimensions of "demand" (2.96 ± 0.65) and "role" (3.89 ± 0.81) respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that positive spiritual coping, negative spiritual coping, workplace, service location, type of employment, and work position were important factors affecting the occupational stress of ED nurses and EMS staff, which accounted for 0.34% of the variance., Conclusion: The findings showed the need to improve the work environment for ED nurses and EMS staff, including changes in physical working conditions, salaries, and better employment conditions. Training programs are recommended to reduce stress through the use of positive spiritual coping strategies., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.) more...

Emergency department (ED) nurses and emergency medical services (EMS) staff have been recently exposed to high levels of stress due to the new Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This increased stress level may influence the physical and mental health of ED nurses and EMS staff and the quality of caregiving to the patients. A spiritual coping approach is one of the most commonly used strategies to help healthcare workers manage stressful events or situations. This study explores the spiritual coping (positive or negative) among ED nurses and EMS staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 494 ED/EMS nurses in Ardabil Province in the northwest of Iran, using a convenience sampling method. The spiritual coping questionnaire (SCQ) was used to assess spiritual coping in the subjects. The results of this study showed that ED nurses and EMS staff generally used positive spiritual coping methods to reduce stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple linear regression indicated that workplace (β = 0.22, p < 0.001), service location (β = 0.16, p < 0.001), and type of employment (β = - 0.13, p = 0.012) were significant predictors of positive spiritual coping, and older age (β = 0.13, p = 0.045), overtime work (β = 0.12, p = 0.01), and marital status (β = - 0.12, p = 0.021) were predictors of negative spiritual coping. Our findings indicated that positive religious behavior was the main spiritual coping strategy used by healthcare workers. The findings could help emergency nurse managers to propose future strategies to minimize stress based on the use of spiritual coping strategies and provide time and facilities to pray., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.) more...

Background: Nursing is considered a hard job and their work stresses can have negative effects on health and quality of life. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between job stress with quality of life and care behaviors in nurses., Methods: This cross-sectional survey design study was performed with the participation of 115 nurses working in two hospitals. The nurses were selected via the availability sampling method and data were collected by demographic characteristics, nurses 'job stress, quality of life (SF12), and Caring Dimension Inventory questionnaires., Results: The mean (SD) total scores of job stress, quality of life and caring behavior were 2.77 (0.54), 56.64 (18.05) and 38.23 (9.39), respectively. There was a statistically significant and negative relationship between total job stress scores with quality of life (r = -0.44, P < 0.001, Medium effect) and caring behaviors (r=-0.26, P < 0.001, Small effect). Univariate linear regression showed that job stress alone could predict 27.9% of the changes in the total quality of life score (β =-0.534, SE = 0.051, R 2adj  = 0.279, P < 0.001) and 4.9% of the changes in the total score of caring behaviors (β =-0.098, SE = 0.037, R 2adj  = 0.049 P < 0.001)., Conclusions: Job stress has a negative effect on the quality of life related to nurses' health. It can also overshadow the performance of care and reduce such behaviors in nurses, which may be one of the factors affecting the outcome of patients., (© 2022. The Author(s).) more...

One of the most critical emergencies in dogs is esophageal foreign bodies. The most important foreign body reported in the esophagus is bone; however, there are also reports of fish hooks lodged in the esophagus. This case report describes the history, clinical signs, radiographic findings and surgical management of an esophageal foreign body due to a single-barbed fish hook in a 4-month-old Siberian Husky female dog with regurgitation, pain, anorexia and lethargy. In this case, plain radiography was taken to determine the type and location of the foreign body and it was confirmed that a single-barbed fish hook was lodged in the heart base of thorax. Depending on the type of foreign body, penetrable or non-penetrable as well as the location, a variety of methods including endoscopy, fluoroscopy, and surgery are used for its removal. For treatment, for the first time, a covault hook was utilized to remove the foreign body via gastrotomy. Case follow-up during two weeks showed no postoperative complications and the patient was healthy., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest. more...

Dimensional engineering of perovskite solar cells has attracted significant research attention recently because of the potential to improve both device performance and stability. Here, a novel 2D passivation scheme for 3D perovskite solar cells is demonstrated using a mixed cation composition of 2D perovskite based on two different isomers of butylammonium iodide. The dual-cation 2D perovskite outperforms its single cation 2D counterparts in surface passivation quality, resulting in devices with an impressive open-circuit voltage of 1.21 V for a perovskite composition with an optical bandgap of ≈1.6 eV, and a champion efficiency of 23.27%. Using a combination of surface elemental analysis and valence electron spectra decomposition, it is shown that an in situ interaction between the 2D perovskite precursor and the 3D active layer results in surface intermixing of 3D and 2D perovskite phases, providing an effective combination of defect passivation and enhanced charge transfer, despite the semi-insulating nature of the 2D perovskite phase. The demonstration of the synergistic interaction of multiple organic spacer cations in a 2D passivation layer offers new opportunities for further enhancement of device performance with mixed dimensional perovskite solar cells., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH GmbH.) more...

Background: This study was carried out to reveal the effect of individual and group education done by a nurse on smoking dependency and smoking cessation motivation in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD)., Methods: The present randomized controlled trial study was conducted in Iran. A total of 255 patients were randomly divided into three groups: 1) individual education, 2) group education, and 3) control. Data were collected using the Fagerstrom Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND) and Smoking Cessation Motivation Questionnaire (Q-MAT) one time before the intervention and two times after intervention (1 st and 3 rd months)., Findings: The mean scores of motivation for smoking cessation and smoking dependency in patients in the individual and group education were significantly better than the control group after the intervention (1 st and 3 rd months) (P < 0.05). Although there was no significant difference in the mean scores of smoking cessation motivation and smoking dependency in patients in the individual education and group education groups after education, the status of the patients in the group education was slightly better., Conclusion: Education by nurses might have a significant impact on smoking cessation motivation and smoking dependency in patients with CAD. Further studies are recommended., (© 2020 Kerman University of Medical Sciences.) more...

Introduction: Music and massage therapy are among the approaches of complementary medicine. Patients with cancer have been hugely encouraged in recent years to use complementary medicine to relieve chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. The present study was conducted to determine the effect of music and periorbital massage therapy on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in patients with gastrointestinal cancers. Methods: The present single-blind clinical trial study was conducted on 60 patients with gastrointestinal cancer undergoing chemotherapy who were randomly assigned to control and music plus massage therapy groups. Two interventions were concurrently carried out on patients in music plus massage therapy group while receiving chemotherapy medication, but the control group received no intervention. Rhodes questionnaire was used to assess nausea and vomiting before and 24 hours after chemotherapy. Data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistical tests (Chi-square and t-tests). Results: Music plus periorbital massage therapy significantly reduced nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing chemotherapy compared to the control group. Conclusion: According to the results, using music plus periorbital massage improves nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing chemotherapy, and can be considered as a complementary medicine method in conjunction with other medicinal therapies to relieve symptoms of patients with cancer., (© 2019 The Author(s).) more...

Background: Motivational interviewing (MI) is a strategy for promoting adherence to treatment regimens among patients with diabetes. However, limited evidence exists regarding its effectiveness in reducing A1C., Objective: To identify and synthesize evidence about the effectiveness of patient, provider, and health system interventions to improve diabetes care among patients with type 1 diabetes., Design: This was a systematic review of randomized controlled trials., Methods: A search was conducted of the scientific databases MEDLINE, Elsevier, CINAHL, Google Scholar, ProQuest, Ovid, and PubMed without imposing any time limit. Only four documents met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. The methodological quality of these four articles was reviewed by three reviewers using the Jadad Scale. The main intervention and the primary outcome in this study were MI or motivational enhancement therapy and A1C, respectively., Results: The retrieved studies reported that MI promotes self-monitoring of blood glucose and reduces A1C., Conclusion: MI is effective in enhancing patients' adherence to the treatment regimen and thereby decreasing A1C. Given the fact that the reviewed studies had not eliminated the effects of confounding factors, further studies are needed to assess the pure effects of MI on adherence to treatment regimens and A1C levels. more...

The target of rapamycin (TOR) is a eukaryotic serine/threonine protein kinase that functions in two distinct complexes, TORC1 and TORC2, to regulate growth and metabolism. GTPases, responding to signals generated by abiotic stressors, nutrients, and, in metazoans, growth factors, play an important but poorly understood role in TORC1 regulation. Here we report that, in budding yeast, glucose withdrawal (which leads to an acute loss of TORC1 kinase activity) triggers a similarly rapid Rag GTPase-dependent redistribution of TORC1 from being semi-uniform around the vacuolar membrane to a single, vacuole-associated cylindrical structure visible by super-resolution optical microscopy. Three-dimensional reconstructions of cryo-electron micrograph images of these purified cylinders demonstrate that TORC1 oligomerizes into a higher-level hollow helical assembly, which we name a TOROID (TORC1 organized in inhibited domain). Fitting of the recently described mammalian TORC1 structure into our helical map reveals that oligomerization leads to steric occlusion of the active site. Guided by the implications from our reconstruction, we present a TOR1 allele that prevents both TOROID formation and TORC1 inactivation in response to glucose withdrawal, demonstrating that oligomerization is necessary for TORC1 inactivation. Our results reveal a novel mechanism by which Rag GTPases regulate TORC1 activity and suggest that the reversible assembly and/or disassembly of higher-level structures may be an underappreciated mechanism for the regulation of protein kinases. more...

Context: Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) was developed to assess objective and subjective symptoms in patients with cancer in all stages of their disease., Aim: The aim of the study was to translate and determine the psychometric properties of ESAS in an Iranian population., Materials and Methods: The current study was carried out to determine reliability and validity of ESAS using 246 patients with cancer in Imam Khomeini Hospital, Ardabil, Iran. After translating the instrument to Persian, content and face validity, discriminant validity, internal consistency, and test-retest were done to determine psychometric properties of ESAS. Furthermore, the construct validity was determined using confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate factor structure of the tool in two models: single factor and three factor., Results: With regard to goodness of fit indices including comparative fit index, incremental fit index, and normed fit index, factor structure of ESAS was confirmed with one factor and nine items. Because the values of average variance extracted of each dimension were less than the square of correlation coefficients between the three dimensions of ESAS, three-factor model was not confirmed. Discriminant validity was confirmed by finding significant differences between the two groups, patients with good general and critically ill conditions. Cronbach's alpha for the overall ESAS was 0.88, and correlation between test-retest with 4-6 h interval was 0.86 ( r = 0.86 P < 0001)., Conclusions: This study showed that Persian version of ESAS with same factor structure mentioned in the original version is an applicable tool for assessing objective and subjective symptoms in Iranian patients with cancer., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest. more...

Introduction: Social well-being is one of the important aspects of health. In fact, this is a reflection of experience in a social environment, indicating how social challenges are determined. In other words, social well-being is an explanation of people's perception and experience of being in a good situation, satisfaction with the structure, and social interaction. This qualitative study intended to explore nurses' experience of social well-being., Methods: Qualitative content analysis was used to conduct the study. Through purposive sampling, a total of 18 nurses with various clinical experiences participated in semi-structured interviews. The data were analysed using the five-step, qualitative content analysis introduced by Graneheim and Lundman., Results: The main theme extracted from the data analysis was "thirst for a holistic support" in nurses. It consisted of two subthemes including internal support (family's support, colleague's support, and organizational support) and external support (society's support and media's support)., Conclusions and Discussion: Nurses' experiences in shaping their social well-being show that nurses need support in order to rebuild their social well-being. It is supported in partnership with the media, the community, health-related organizations, and by nurses and family. This improves job satisfaction, hope, motivation, commitment, and confidence so as to ultimately facilitate improvement of social well-being of nurses. more...

Hanging is known not only as a common method of suicide but also as a capital punishment method in some countries. Although several cases have been reported to survive after the attempted suicidal/accidental hanging, to the extent of our knowledge, no modern case of survival after judicial hanging exists. We reported a case of an individual who revived after modern judicial hanging despite being declared dead. The case was admitted with poor clinical presentations and the Glasgow Coma Scale of 6/15. The victim received all the standard supportive intensive care and gained complete clinical recovery. more...

Introduction: Social well-being is one of the important aspects of individual's health. However, the social aspect of health, or social well-being, has not been attended to as equally as the other aspects. Social well-being is people's perceptions and experiences in social circumstances as well as the degree of successful responses to social challenges. The aim of the study was to investigate the social well-being of a sample of Iranian nurses., Methods: This study was a cross- sectional conducted in 2013. The study population consisted of all 1200 staff nurses working in all hospitals located in Ardabil, Iran. We invited a random sample of 281 practicing nurses to respond to the 33-item Keyes's Social Well-Being Questionnaire and the possible range of the total score is 33-165. Higher score reflect better SWB. The quantitative analysis of this study used the Statistical Package for Social Science SPSS version 13.0., Results: The results showed that Participants' mean score of social well-being was 105.45 (15.87). Social well-being was significantly related to participants' age, gender, work experience, satisfaction with working in hospital and with income, familiarity with nursing prior to entering it, official position, and type of employment. However, there was no significant relationship between nurses' social well-being and their marital status, their parents and spouses' educational status, as well as the type of hospital., Conclusion: Nurses' social well-being deserves special attention. Effective well-being promotion strategies should be executed for promoting their social well-being particularly in areas of social integration and social acceptance. Moreover, nurses, particularly female nurses, need strong financial, emotional, informational, and social support for ensuring their social well-being. more...

Background: We aim to provide evidence that despite not administering epinephrine, (1) the amount of hemorrhaging during surgery will not change, (2) surgery time will not increase and may even be shorter, and (3) there would be fewer cardiovascular-related consequences., Methods: One hundred thirteen patients were enrolled and randomized into the control (n = 74) and intervention groups (n = 39). During the primary open or closed rhinoplasty operation, anesthesia was managed by continual infusion of remifentanil (14-20 μg/h) and propofol (4-6 mg/kg/h) with an infusion pump, in addition to N(2)O-O(2) (50%). Atracurium was repeated (5 mg every 20 min). Patients in the control group received an epinephrine (1/100,000) injection to the nose, and patients in the intervention group did not. All patients received dexamethasone (8 mg IV) and metoclopramide (10 mg IV). At the end of the operation and before extubation, the muscle relaxants were reversed with prostigmine (0.35 mg/kg) and atropine (0.175 mg/kg)., Results: We found (1) no statistically significant association between epinephrine injection and hemorrhage during or after surgery (P = 0.949), (2) a statistically significant association between epinephrine injection and complications, and (3) the group that did not receive the injection had fewer complications (P = 0.01). With respect to the duration of surgery, we did not detect any statistically significant associations between the groups., Conclusion: Elimination of epinephrine during rhinoplasty as an alternative procedure may lead to the same surgery outcomes if not a better one. Studies with a larger sample size are needed to further substantiate these findings. more...