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Background: Equitable care is a fundamental value in the nursing profession. Healthcare workers have both a moral and professional duty to ensure that they do not discriminate. Aim: This study aimed to explore how patients perceive equitable nursing care. Research design, participants, and research context: This descriptive phenomenological qualitative research study used purposeful sampling to select 17 patients from various departments of a general hospital in southern Iran. The participants were then interviewed using a semi-structured in-depth interview format, which aimed to delve into their experiences with equitable nursing care. The collected data were analyzed using Colaizzi's seven-step method and MAXQDA20 software. Ethical considerations: Oral and written information about the study was provided before the participants gave their written consent. The transcribed interviews were de-identified. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Jiroft University of Medical Sciences. Findings: The data analysis of the study identified three main themes and six subthemes that were related to the experiences of patients with equitable nursing care. The first theme, equitable care, encompassed subthemes such as nurses' dedicated efforts to facilitate patient recovery and adherence to ethical behavior. The second theme, unconscious causes of inequitable nursing care, included subthemes such as unintentional discrimination stemming from organizational constraints and unconscious biases resulting from a lack of knowledge and skills. The third theme, discriminatory care, comprised subthemes such as deliberate discrimination based on personal traits and selective discrimination. Conclusion: The study findings indicate that achieving equitable nursing care requires a multifaceted approach. This includes effective hospital management, organizational reforms, and regulatory enhancements. Additionally, it is crucial to pay close attention to the needs of patients, enhance nurses' theoretical and practical skills in providing equitable care, fostering a culture of equality within healthcare settings, and consider the personality dimensions and moral characteristics of nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hospitals, as one of the core elements of healthcare service delivery, should pave the way for more efficient compliance with the Patient Rights Charter (PRC). The COVID-19 pandemic affected the interactions between healthcare providers and patients. The present study aimed to investigate the importance and practice of PRC from the perspective of hospitalized patients in surgical wards during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The participants in this cross-sectional study were 355 patients who underwent surgery at Imam Khomeini Hospital in southern Kerman, Iran, in 2021. Data was collected by convenience sampling. The data in this study were collected using Justification and Practice of Patient Rights (JPPR). Data analysis was performed with SPSS-16 software using the Kruskal-Wallis, Wilcoxon, and Spearman correlation tests. Results: The total mean score for the justification of patient rights (PR) was 69.12 ± 58.44, which was significantly higher than the total mean score of PR practice (61.02 ± 1.32) (p < 0.001). In addition, the mean scores for all PR justification dimensions were significantly higher than the mean scores for PR practice (p < 0.05). A comparison of the dimensions of the PR justification showed service facilitation had the highest score and handling patient complaints had the lowest score. Furthermore, an analysis of the dimensions of PR practice indicated that handling patient complaints had the lowest score and other dimensions had the same score. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that despite the great importance of PR from the patients' perspective, PR is not still practiced optimally. The findings from this study can have some clinical implications and help hospital managers to take measures to better adapt to the PRC with staff training and developing a strong policy to comply with the PRC, especially by paving the way for handling patient complaints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Significant changes have occurred in education, including the emergence of E-learning which appeared to be an alternative method of carrying out teaching and learning activities. This research seeks to examine the correlation between Kolb's learning styles and readiness for e-learning. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Jiroft University of Medical Sciences (southern Iran) in 2021. 247 eligible medical students were selected using convenient sampling. Data were collected using the Watkins standard e-learning questionnaire and Kolb's learning styles questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 23 using descriptive and inferential statistics (ANOVA and post hoc LSD tests) which were all used to find connections. A P-value<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The participants' mean age was 21.5 (SD: 1.69) years and average score in the e-learning readiness tests was 127.54 (SD: 27.05). According the findings of this study, the learning style of most students was divergent (104 (42.1%)). One-way analysis of variance, showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the average e-learning readiness ratings for various learning styles (F=3.20, P=0.024). Converging style is the top favored learning style among students who are ready for online learning, according to researchers. Conclusion: According to the findings of the study, students' learning styles were statistically relevant to their readiness for e-learning. The study may be useful for a balanced pedagogical system in both pandemic and post-pandemic situations. University planners need to pay special attention to the students' learning styles because one of the ways to increase preparation for e-learning is to know the students' learning style. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although almost three years have passed since the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19), this unprecedented situation is still not under control. Since COVID-19 has the potential to harm the human body, this systematic review aimed to evaluate the outbreak of post-traumatic stress disturbance (PTSD) during the COVID-19 epidemic. We used the search strategy of "novel coronavirus" OR "2019 novel coronavirus" OR "novel coronavirus pneumonia" OR "new coronavirus" OR "coronavirus disease 2019" OR "SARS2" OR "2019-n CoV" OR "SARS-CoV-2" OR "COVID-19" AND "PTSD" OR "PTS" OR "post-traumatic stress" OR "mental disorders". The exclusion criteria included: a) articles that were not in English or Persian language; b) articles whose full text was not available, c) articles that did not report the prevalence of PTSD, d) articles that were not specific to COVID-19 or included other diseases, e) duplicate publications; f) reviews, abstracts, case reports, case series, and g) studies with target groups other than healthcare workers (HCWs), patients with COVID-19 and general population. After reviewing the articles and checking the exclusion criteria, the full text of 27 articles was reviewed. The studies showed the prevalence of PTSD in the HCW, general population and COVID-19 patients varied from the lowest to the highest as 3.8% to 56.6%, 4.6% to 67.09% and 5.61% to 96.2%, respectively. Given the prevalence of PTSD associated to COVID-19 in the investigated groups, it is recommended to design and implement educational and interventional programs to manage stress and deal with stressful situations such as epidemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Each medicinal herb contains one or more effective materials that are defined for therapeutic use according to the active ingredient of the plant. Since chemical drugs have side effects the value of medicinal plants is still preserved after several centuries. One of these spectroscopic methods for identifying functional groups in medicinal plants is (FTIR). This study aimed to identify the functional groups of Mentha longifolia medicinal plants native to Ilam by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) method so that by recognizing the main and effective compounds of plants we can more easily step towards, recognizing and producing biomolecules and herbal medicines. According to the results of spectroscopy, it was found that this plant has 15 spectra, including groups O-H, C-H, C = C, N-O, C-O, S = O, C-Br, and C-I. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many countries, cancer is the second leading cause of fatality after cardiovascular disease. Cancer is a growing problem worldwide and is one of the most important reasons for fatality in human societies. The problems of chemotherapy and radiation therapy and the many side effects that result from their use for the patient, as well as the resistance of cancer cells to common treatments, have led researchers to new drugs with greater effectiveness and less toxicity. One of the best ways to reduce the risk of cancer is to use natural materials. The purpose of this study is the effect of medicinal herbs on cancer in Iran. This study aims to search the types of herbs that are beneficial for the health of body tissues from cancer, today to be able to provide a suitable way to prevent the types of cancer that are more common in humans and has become a major problem in the medical world. In the treatment of cancers from medicinal plants such as Trachyspermum ammi, Crocus sativus, Silybum marianum, Nigella sativa, Cornus mas, Aloe vera, Zingiber officinale, Urtica dioica, Allium cepa, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Peganum harmala, Plantago ovate, Thymus vulgaris and Elkhorn fern. Some of the most important traditional natural anti-cancer substances known include Catharanthus roseus, Podophyllum peltatum, Combreturn cafrum, Campetotheca acuminate and Brucea antidysenterica. The use of herbal medicines with anti-cancer properties can be used as a substitute or supplement to chemical drugs effective in treating cancers. Many unique plant species need to be further studied to find anti-cancer compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Topnotch services provided through preserving high quality is a prerequisite to the success of service organizations including maternity hospitals. Since maternity hospitals play an important role in providing services and promoting women’s health and that of the entire society, this study attempted to assess the quality of services provided in the maternity ward of Ayatollah Kashani Hospital in Jiroft (Iran). Method: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study conducted on 234 women who went through vaginal delivery in Ayatollah Kashani Hospital. After 2 hours of delivery, convenience sampling was carried on the subjects in 2019. Data were collected through SERVQUAL standard questionnaire (1988), the validity and reliability of which were confirmed. Data were analyzed by SPSS using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The results indicated that there is a negative gap in all dimensions of service quality. The largest gap was observed in assurance (-5.69) while the lowest gap was in the physical dimension (-3.2). There was a significant difference between women’s expectations and perceptions across all five SERVQUAL dimensions (P<0.001). Conclusions: From the women’s perspective, the quality of services was not satisfactory and the significant difference between expected and received services indicates that managers should pay more attention to quality improvement programs in maternity hospitals so that increasing the quality of services will promote women’s health and eventually that of the entire society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder that affects one in every 15 women worldwide. This disorder is mainly characterized by increased levels of male hormones (androgens), acne, and hirsutism, and can lead to long-term insulin resistance, miscarriage, or even infertility in women. PCOS is a disorder that can be treated with natural and allopathic remedies that work against the PCOS mechanism. The present study reviews previous studies on the treatment of PCOS using natural drugs., Methods: The data in this study were collected from articles published in reputable databases including ScienceDirect, PubMed, Google Scholar, and SID in the field of medicinal plants from 1990 to 2021., Results: A review of the literature showed that plants such as aloe vera and chamomile improve fertility by increasing the number of ovarian follicles. Besides, Vitex agnus-castus and octane reduce hirsutism by reducing testosterone and androgen levels. It was also shown that liquorice, ginseng, cinnamon, and de chiro Inositol improve the adverse effects of diabetes caused by PCOS by lowering lipid and blood glucose levels. Moreover, Stachys lavandulifolia and fennel are effective in changing endometrial tissue parameters in PCOS by reducing estrogen and hyperplasia., Conclusions: Various studies have shown that herbal medicines can improve PCOS symptoms in women with minimal side effects but a longer treatment cycle.

Background: Sexual assertiveness plays a crucial role in the quality of sex, as well as in investigating and treating sexual problems. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of assertiveness-based sexual training on the quality of marital relationships of married female students., Methods: This quasi-experimental study was done in southeastern Iran in the academic year of 2017. A total of 80 married women were chosen from university students through convenience sampling, and they were assigned to the intervention ( n = 40) and control ( n = 40) groups. Data were collected using the Perceived Relationship Quality Components Inventory. For the intervention group, assertiveness-based sexual counseling was provided in four sessions (90-120 min each session). The posttest was performed 12 weeks after the last counseling session. Independent t -test and covariance analysis were employed to analyze data using SPSS version 21 software., Results: After the intervention, the two groups revealed a significant difference in their respective mean total score of the quality of various dimensions of marital relationships ( P = 0.0001). This indicates that assertiveness-based sexual counseling has improved this mean total score in the intervention group compared to the control group., Conclusion: Given the positive impact of assertiveness-based sexual training on the quality of students' marital relationships, the integration of sexual training with focus on assertiveness in usual sexual counseling will help therapists to improve the quality of marital relationship from the perspective of women., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.