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The reported fatality rate of COVID-19 was significantly differ between different countries, provinces in a country, and hospitals in a province. It is important to find and analysed the source of variation in fatality rates to control future epidemics of infection disease. This study propose an approach to investigates the hospital quality of care and its impact on the in-hospital fatality rates of COVID-19 among over 30 years old patients in Iran. The study included 78,217 COVID-19 hospitalized patients over 30 years old from 34 hospitals in Razavi Khorasan province between January 20, 2020, and June 20, 2021. Attribute control charts were employed to evaluate the quality of care in hospitals during four peaks of COVID-19. To account for the impact of hospital quality on in-hospital fatality rates by adjusting on patient characteristics, two predictive models; Poisson and Binomial regression were utilized. The adjusted odds ratio of COVID-19 fatality in no quality confirmed (NQC) hospitals to the quality confirmed (QC) hospitals is 3.48 C.I.95% (2.38, 5.10) at the first peak among patients without other risk factors. The significant negative interactions with QC and peaks indicates that the provision of quality care serves to mitigate the risk of fatality in NQC hospitals during these peaks. The significant negative interaction between diabetes and QC demonstrated that the relative risk in NQC hospitals for no diabetes patient is higher than diabetic patients. There is no significant interaction between age, SaO2, and ARDS with QC; it means that the odds of fatality in NQC hospitals is not depends to these factors. The use of attribute control charts facilitated timely identification of trends and outliers, enabling proactive interventions to enhance patient care. This research underscores the critical role of hospital quality in managing patient outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasizes the necessity for continuous monitoring and quality improvement initiatives in healthcare settings. The findings advocate for collaborative efforts among healthcare providers to implement best practices, particularly during surges in cases, to optimize resource allocation and improve overall quality of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We aimed to explore the association between peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (pRNFL), macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (mGCIPL), and cognitive impairment (CI) in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). Method: In this cross-sectional study, 38 (28 aquaporin-4 (AQP4) IgG-seropositive) NMOSD patients and 20 healthy controls (HC) underwent cognitive assessment using Minimal Assessment of Cognitive Function in Multiple Sclerosis (MACFIMS) battery. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) was performed for both eyes of all NMOSD patients. First, we examined the association of pRNFL and mGCIPL with cognitive function in all patients, regardless of the history of previous optic neuritis (ON). We then included only eyes without a prior history of ON, incorporating non-ON eyes in patients with unilateral ON and the average of OCT measures for both non-ON eyes in patients without a history of ON. Results: Sixteen (42.1%) NMOSD patients exhibited global CI. There was a significant decrease in pRNFL (Δ: 24.33 μm, p = 0.002) and mGCIPL (Δ: 9.20 μm, p = 0.009) in NMOSD patients with CI compared to those without. The atrophy of pRNFL showed an inverse association with CI before (OR = 1.059, 95% CI: 1.015, 1.105) and after adjustment for age, sex, and disease duration (OR = 1.072, 95%CI: 1.009, 1.139). An inverse significant association was observed between mGCIPL atrophy and CI before adjustment (OR = 1.102, 95% CI: 1.017, 1.194), but not after adjustment (OR = 1.106, 95%CI: 0.999, 1.224). After narrowing our analysis to non-ON eyes, the same results for pRNFL and CI were observed (unadjusted: OR = 1.054, 95% CI: 1.004, 1.106; adjusted: OR = 1.081, 95%CI: 1.000, 1.168). There was no significant association found between mGCIPL thickness and CI in both unadjusted and adjusted models. In sensitivity analyses, we observed no significant association between pRNFL and mGCIPL with CI in AQP-IgG-seropositive NMOSD patients. Conclusion: This study, for the first time, provide a preliminary evidence for a possible relation between pRNFL atrophy and occurrence of cognitive impairment in NMOSD patients. Further studies are required to explore the possible association of OCT parameters with cognition function in NMOSD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study employs advanced technologies, specifically remote sensing (RS) and geographic information systems (GIS), to investigate the impact of earthquakes on critical infrastructure in Kahramanmaraş. Critical infrastructure encompasses physical and digital systems crucial for national security, economic stability, and public well-being. Disruption or failure of these interdependent systems, including energy, transportation, communication, water supply, healthcare, and emergency services, can have profound impacts on regional security and societal necessities. Protecting and prioritizing critical infrastructure during disaster response is vital for minimizing damage and expediting recovery. The study employs an innovative approach by integrating building damage assessment results with Point of Interest (POI) data to swiftly assess earthquake effects on critical infrastructure in Kahramanmaraş. Real-time earthquake vulnerability of 57 critical infrastructure elements in 15 POI categories is analyzed. Results indicate financial institutions and commercial areas as the most damaged POIs, while muster points exhibit the least damage. Historical facilities, health facilities, governmental institutions, road facilities, and sports facilities also show varying degrees of damage. Overall, 34% of critical infrastructure structures experienced damage. The proposed method offers a pragmatic approach for rapidly identifying damaged critical infrastructure POIs during disaster-based assessments, addressing a research gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abortion can be a very stressful experience for women, and many social and psychological factors can influence this stress. The present study aims to investigate the impact of perceived social support on the marital satisfaction of women who have undergone an abortion. The study also explored whether resilience played a mediating role in this relationship. Data were analyzed from the cross-sectional study. The Perceived Social Support (including Social support, friend support, and other support subscales), ENRICH marital satisfaction, and Connor-Davidson Resilience questionnaire were completed by 150 women who had undergone an abortion and were referred to hospitals and clinics of Jahrom University of Medical Sciences from April 2021 to June 2021. The structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was used to obtain the direct and indirect effects of Perceived Social Support subscales and Resilience on marital satisfaction. The study found that the women who participated had high marital satisfaction and social support scores, while their resilience scores were moderate. The results indicated a positive correlation between social support dimensions and marital satisfaction and resilience. The study also revealed that family support (β = 0.41, p < 0.001), other supports (β = 0.46, p < 0.001), and resilience as a mediating variable (β = 0.15, p < 0.001) had a direct and significant positive impact on marital satisfaction. However, none of the three domains of perceived social support showed any indirect significant relationship with marital satisfaction. The study's findings demonstrate that the perception of social support from family members and other individuals can significantly impact the level of satisfaction in a marriage. Appropriate social support can increase resilience and help couples better cope with the stress associated with abortion. This study suggests that educating families, healthcare providers, and other individuals can help women experiencing this issue by providing them with counseling and support. This can ultimately help women maintain their mental and sexual health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Green chemistry" describes the development of new technologies that reduce or eliminate the need for hazardous compounds or the production of them. In order to accomplish this goal, we have developed a new magnetic recyclable biocatalyst in this study by successfully applying aspartic acid to magnetic nanoparticles. Aspartic acid's molecular makeup made it possible for it to stabilize on magnetic nanoparticles using a straightforward method. We characterized the synthesized catalyst using microscopic and spectroscopic techniques such as Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The catalytic activity of this organocatalyst was evaluated for the synthesis of benzo[b]pyran and pyrano[3,2–c] chromene derivatives, exhibiting excellent efficiency. This protocol offers several benefits, such as using a low-cost biocatalyst, nontoxicity, high product yield, easy separation, short reaction times, catalyst reusability, and H2O/EtOH solvent. In summary, our research indicates a feasible approach towards developing a novel magnetic biocatalyst suitable for application in organic synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to develop a structural model for the relationship between sexual schemas, marital adjustment, sexual self-disclosure, and sexual anxiety in female sexual pain disorder by mediating social exchange styles. The statistical population included all women referred to sexual health clinics in Tehran. Using cluster sampling 220 eligible women were selected. The results of structural equation modeling showed a relatively good fit of the model. The results also showed that marital adjustment and sexual anxiety have a positive relationship and passionate-romantic gender schema and self-disclosure have a negative relationship with sexual pain disorder. The results indicate that the passionate-romantic and the embarrassed-conservation gender schema with the mediation of fairness style has an indirect effect on sexual pain disorder, while marital adjustment and sexual anxiety are directly involved in sexual pain disorder without the mediation of social exchange styles. The findings of the present study provide a useful framework for identifying the major components of sexual pain disorder which should be considered in prevention and treatment programs. Training and intervention based on the theory of social exchange, especially the fairness style, is proposed to sexual health practitioners for reducing the sexual problems of women with sexual pain disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

General and electronic health literacy are important factors engaging in healthy behaviors and maintaining good health. The present study explored demographic factors associated with general and electronic health literacy in the Iranian adult population. Via stratified cluster sampling, trained interviewers visited adult residents in Qazvin Province, Iran between January, and April 2022. The participants (N = 9775; mean age = 36.44 years; 6576 [67.3%] females) completed the Health Literacy Instrument for Adults (HELIA) assessing health literacy and the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) assessing electronic health literacy. Demographic data, including age, gender, educational level, marital status, and living location (city or rural), were collected. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to classify the participants into different health literacy/electronic health literacy levels. The relationships between health literacy/electronic health literacy levels and demographic factors were examined using χ2 or analysis of variance. The LCA used HELIA scores to suggest five classes of health literacy and eHEALS scores to suggest three classes of electronic health literacy. For general and electronic health literacy, similar relationships were with demographic factors: females as compared with males had better general/electronic health literacy; younger people as compared with older people had better general/electronic health literacy; higher educational level was associated with better general/electronic health literacy; and city residents as compared with rural residents had better general/electronic health literacy. In conclusion, Iranian governmental agencies may wish to target on males, older adults, people with low educational level, and rural residents to improve their health literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compared the expression of TP53 in lymphocytes from malignant melanoma (MM) patients with positive sentinel nodes to healthy controls (HCs) following exposure to various doses of UVA radiation. The Lymphocyte Genome Sensitivity (LGS) assay indicated significant differences in DNA damage in lymphocytes between MM patients and HCs. qPCR data demonstrated an overall 3.4-fold increase in TP53 expression in lymphocytes from MM patients compared to healthy controls, following treatment with 0.5 mW/cm2 UVA radiation. Western blotting confirmed that p53 expression was increased in MM lymphocytes following UVA exposure compared to healthy individuals. Genome transcriptome profiling data displayed differences in gene expression between UVA-treated lymphocytes from MM patients and HCs. Peripheral lymphocytes from MM patients are more susceptible to the genotoxic effects of UVA compared to healthy individuals. Our previous studies showed that UVA exposure of various intensities caused significant differences in the levels of DNA damage between lymphocytes from cancer patients compared to HCs through the LGS assay. The present study's results provide further credibility to the LGS assay as a screening test for cancer detection. Peripheral lymphocytes could be a promising blood biopsy biomarker for staging of carcinomas and prevention of carcinoma progression at early stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between dietary patterns, derived through latent class analysis (LCA), with visceral adiposity index (VAI), Triglyceride-Glucose Index (TyG), inflammation biomarkers, and body composition in overweight and obese Iranian women. For this cross-sectional study, dietary exposure was assessed using a validated 147-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Dietary patterns were derived through LCA. Binary logistic was performed to test the associations of dietary patterns with VAI, TyG, inflammation biomarkers, and body composition. Health centers in Tehran, Iran. 376 obese and overweight women, aged > 18 years. Two dietary patterns were identified using LCA modeling: healthy and unhealthy. Women in the unhealthy class were characterized by higher consumption of fast food, sweetened beverages, grains, unhealthy oils, butter and margarine, and snacks. Compared with the healthy class, the unhealthy class was associated with an increased risk of higher fasting blood sugar (FBS) (OR = 6.07; 95% CI: 1.33–27.74, P value = 0.02), c-reactive protein (CRP) (OR = 1.72; 95% CI: 1.05–2.80; P value = 0.02), and lower fat free mass index (FFMI) (OR = 0.56; 95% CI: 0.35–0.88, P value = 0.01), after adjusting for confounders. We found that adherence to an unhealthy dietary pattern was associated with decreased FFMI and increased FBS and CRP using LCA, but not with the rest of the variables. Further studies should be conducted to confirm the veracity of these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing interest in attached algae cultivation systems because they could provide a more cost- and energy-efficient alternative to planktonic (suspended algae) cultivation systems for many applications. However, attached growth systems have been far less studied than planktonic systems and have largely emphasized algae strains of most interest for biofuels. New algal biorefinery pathways have assessed the commercial potentials of algal biomass beyond biofuel production and placed more emphasis on value-added products from that biomass. Therefore, algal strain selection criteria and biomass cultivation methods need to be updated to include additional strains for improved efficiency. One possible way of improving attached cultivation systems is through engineering substrate surface characteristics to boost algal adhesion and enable strain selective algal colonization and growth. This review explores the effect of substrate chemical and topographical characteristics on the cultivation of attached algae. It also highlights the importance of considering algal community structure and attachment mechanisms in investigating attached algae systems using the example of filamentous algae found in algal turf scrubber (ATS™) systems. Key points: • Attached algal cultivation is a promising alternative to planktonic cultivation. • Performance increase results from tuning surface qualities of attachment substrates. • Attachment adaptation of periphytic algae has innate potential for cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silica-bonded ionic liquids is employed as a recyclable catalyst for the synthesis of spiro[indoline-3,4′-pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazoles] via one-pot condensation reaction of isatin, activated methylene reagents, and 3-methyl-l-phenyl-5-pyrazolone in refluxing aqueous medium in good to high yields. Also, these silica-bonded ionic liquids were used as catalysts for the synthesis of spiro[indoline-3,4′-pyrano[2,3-c]chromene derivatives in refluxing aqueous medium in high yields. Catalyst could be recycled for several times without any additional treatment. Graphical Abstract: Silica-bonded ionic liquids is employed as a recyclable catalyst for the synthesis of spiro[indoline-3,4′-pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazoles] and spiro[indoline-3,4′-pyrano[2,3-c]chromene via one-pot condensation reaction of isatin, activated methylene reagents, and 3-methyl-l-phenyl-5-pyrazolone or 4-hydroxy coumarin respectively in refluxing aqueous medium in good to high yields.[Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a new nanocomposite comprising 4-(2-Aminoethyl)-morpholine, an organic catalyst, was prepared on the surface of silica. The absence of metal in the catalyst structure contributes to its environmental friendliness. This novel nanocatalyst was used for multi-component reactions (MCRs). Having a nano size for the composite enhances the contact between the raw materials and the catalytic surface, leading to significant advancement in the reaction. The synthesized composite was identified and evaluated using FT-IR, EDX, EDX-Mapping, TGA, XRD, BET, TEM, and FE-SEM analysis. The characteristic analysis confirmed the synthesis of both nano-silica/4-(2-Aminoethyl)-morpholine catalyst and polyhydroquinoline. The composite's catalytic properties for synthesizing some polyhydroquinoline derivatives were investigated, yielding promising and remarkable results with high 95% yields and short reaction times. The antibacterial properties of the synthesized compounds were also examined against four types of pathogenic bacteria. The highest inhibitory effect was attributed to the compound Ethyl-4-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-2,7,7-trimethyl-5-oxo-1,4,5,6,7,8-hexahydroquinoline-3-carboxylate exhibited the highest antibacterial properties., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)