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Guided by affective events theory (AET), our inquiry aims at examining the relationships among affective work events, affective states, affect-driven behaviors, and attitudes of international faculty working in the Malaysian institutions of higher learning. Specifically, the impacts of interpersonal conflict, as a work event, on international faculty's affective states were in focus. In addition, the mediating role of job performance, as an affect-driven behavior, on the relationship between affective states and job satisfaction, as an attitude, was examined. Data were collected from 152 respondents and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied to estimate the proposed theoretical model. Our model was examined from an explanatory-predictive perspective and exhibited a high level of out-of-sample predictive power. In addition, the results of the analysis highlighted the role of interpersonal conflict in causing affective states and affective states in causing job satisfaction. However, empirical evidence was not provided for the mediating role of job performance within the proposed model. Finally, given the fluctuating nature of the affective states, a robustness check verified the nonlinear relationship between positive affect and job performance. Implications of the findings, limitations, and recommendations were elaborated.

Objective: Emotional divorce refers to a state of emotional disengagement from one's spouse, which can lead to marital dissatisfaction. Gender role conflict is a predictor of marital dissatisfaction and ultimately, divorce. The literature suggests that rigid adherence to traditional gender roles may contribute to emotional divorce. In this article, the authors aim to investigate the moderating effect of gender roles in the relationship between emotional divorce and marital satisfaction by using two multivariate methods in statistical analysis. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 539 women aged 18-65 years. The standard questionnaires used include 1) Bem Sex Role Inventory (Short form), 2) Gutman's Emotional Divorce Questionnaire, and 3) Evaluation and Nurturing Relationship Issues, Communication and Happiness (ENRICH) Marital Satisfaction (EMS) Scale. To achieve the purpose of the study, PLS and PLSc methods have been used. Results: The mean age and time of marriage were 33.88 ± 6.6 and 13.03 ± 7.29 years. There is a significant negative relationship between emotional divorce and marital satisfaction. The gender role of most participants in the study has been androgenic and feminine, which has increased the moderating effect of this relationship. Also, when there is a common (reflective) factor model, Consistent Partial Least Square is more likely to provide a better fit than Partial Least Square. Conclusion: The results showed that higher women's marital satisfaction would be associated with lower emotional divorce. On the other hand, the role of gender is a mediating factor in marital satisfaction and emotional divorce. Having good male and female characteristics can have a positive impact on marital satisfaction, so increasing couples' knowledge of gender roles and trying to reduce traditional extreme roles can help increase marital satisfaction and reduce emotional divorce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Echium amoenum (EA) and Foeniculum vulgare (FV) might be beneficial for the management of Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) due to their possible effects on sex hormones and neurotransmitters such as serotonin. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a combination of Echium and Fennel on the severity of physical and psychological symptoms of PMS. Materials and Methods: This triple-blinded, randomized, controlled trial was conducted on 80 women. The subjects were assigned to two groups of intervention (receiving EA 2 g/day and FV 1 g/day, in the second two weeks of the cycle, in two consecutive cycles) and placebo control. The data collection tools included the PSST, DRSP, and SF36 questionnaires. Results: Between-group differences in all subscales of DRSP were significant at one- and two-month time points (p<0.05). Bleeding volume was significantly increased in the intervention group, compared to the placebo group, two months after the intervention (p<0.05). Between-group comparison of the changes demonstrated significant differences in all subscales of SF36, except for limitations in usual role activities due to emotional problems (p=0.07). Conclusion: Consumption of EA and FV combination improved the quality of life in women with PMS and exerted favorable changes in PMS symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The entrance of heavy metals through human activities causes pollution of water, soil, and plants. The aim of this study was to measure the heavy metals concentration (Hg, Pb, As, and Cd) and their ecological impacts on water, soil, and vegetables in the Kashaf Roud River basin. Hence, 72 samples of irrigation water, 72 samples of soils, and 216 samples of vegetables (dill, leek, and basil) were collected. The contamination levels were evaluated by several ecological indices including Ecological Risks index (ERI), Heavy Metal Evaluation Index (HEI), Contamination factor (Cf), Pollution Index (PI), geo-accumulation index (Igeo), Potential ecological risk index (RI), Pollution load index (PLI), and modified degree of contamination (MDC). Based on obtained results, concentrations of heavy metals in water and soil samples were in the order of Pb>As>Cd>Hg. In addition, Pb and As had the highest concentration in vegetables with the mean total concentrations of 1.60 and 0.08 mgkg−1 wet weight, respectively. According to ERI value (238), water sampling site no. 3 had higher pollution than other places and was classified in the considerable ecological risk. Among the soil samples, the Cf average values followed the declining order of Cd (7.78)>Pb (6.91)>Hg (4.26)>As (2.68), so that Pb and Cd presented high contamination levels. Moreover, all soil samples of the studied region possessed PLI>1, which confirms their contamination with heavy metals. Finally, the trends in the BAF values for heavy metals in various vegetables were in order of Hg>Cd≈Pb>As for Leek and Hg>As> Pb>Cd for Dill and Basil. Concentrations of heavy metals in soil and water samples were within the national and international standard ranges. However, the concentrations of these metals in some vegetable samples exceeded the national and international levels. The utilisation of standard quality effluent for agricultural irrigation requires control measures and good organisational performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children's rights must be realized in all children-related settings, such as hospitals. This study aimed to assess children's rights in hospital settings in Afghanistan in 2021. A cross-sectional survey using the World Health Organization questionnaire was conducted. It was distributed among the randomly selected healthcare providers in the studied hospital. One hundred forty-two hospital managers, physicians, and nurses participated in the study. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used to analyze the results in SPSS. In this study, 54.2% of participants were men, 59.9% had a bachelor's degree, and most were 20–30 years old (56.7%). The total score of the hospital in fulfilling children's rights was 1.71 ± 0.46. Among different children's rights, "equality and non-discrimination" received the highest score (2.01 ± 0.59), and the lowest was for "play and learning" (1.1 ± 0.46). There was a meaningful relationship between education level, years of work experience, and the scores given to children's rights. Various dimensions of the rights had significant relationships (p < 0.05). The hospital has taken action to fulfill children's rights. The main gaps include the lack of adolescent-friendly health services, opportunities to play and learn, and child protection. Hospital managers, staff, and the public should be educated on children's rights. Moreover, protocols for improving children's rights and a monitoring system are needed. Children's rights should receive special attention in hospitals. Educating children, parents, service providers, health policymakers, and society about children's rights is essential. They should know their responsibilities regarding children. • In hospital setting of Afghanistan, children rights and child protection system need to improve. • Hospitalized children's rights to play and learn are among the neglected rights. • Hospital managers, staff and the public should be educated on children's rights in Afghanistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The possible effects of refractive errors on vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) has been a conflicting issue. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of induced myopia on VOR using the ocular Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential (oVEMP). Methods: In this cross-sectional quasi-experimental study, 35 emmetropic and normal subjects with the mean age of 23.89 ± 3.93 (range, 20-40 years) without any ocular, nervous system, and vestibular disorders, underwent the oVEMP test in the comprehensive rehabilitation center of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. The oVEMP was performed under five different conditions of testing binocularly, monocularly, and when myopia was induced with the use of spherical lenses of +1.00, +3.00, and +5.00 diopters, respectively. There were 2 to 5 min of rest with closed eyes after each condition to avoid adaptation, fatigue, and any other sources of bias. Mean latencies of oVEMP waves (N1 and P1) and amplitudes of N1-P1 complex were measured. Results: There was no significant difference between the right and left sides (P > 0.05). The induced myopia significantly increased the N1 and P1 latencies using lenses of +1.00, +3.00, and +5.00 diopters but the amplitudes of N1-P1 complex were not influenced by the different amounts of induced myopia. There was no significant difference among the different conditions of induced myopia either (P >0.05). Conclusion: Induced myopia could affect the VOR due to prolonging the latencies of oVEMP waves. However, the amplitudes were not affected and the effects of multiple degrees of induced myopia were not significantly different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Internalized transphobia (IT) is influenced by societal norms and expectations, and it can have significant negative effects on the well-being and mental health of transgender individuals. The aim of this study was to translate and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Persian 8-item IT scale among Iranian transgender individuals in order to enhance the quality and quantity of research in this field. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional and methodological study utilized convenience sampling to recruit 119 transgender individuals in Mashhad, the second most populous city in Iran, in 2021. The Persian translation of the IT scale was developed using the backward-forward translation method. Subsequently, various types of validity and reliability were assessed, including content validity using the content validity index (CVI) and content validity ratio (CVR), face validity based on the impact score, construct validity through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), internal consistency measured by Cronbach's alpha, and test-retest stability analyzed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: The CVR ranged from 0.600 to 1, the CVI ranged from 0.800 to 1, and the impact score exceeded 1.5, indicating the appropriate content and face validity of the 8-item IT scale. The construct validity analysis revealed that the questionnaire is one-dimensional. The internal consistency, as measured by Cronbach's alpha, was 0.917, and the ICC for test-retest stability was 0.871. Conclusion: The Persian version of the IT scale demonstrated high and acceptable psychometric properties. The brevity of this scale facilitates its dissemination and utilization in clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Health literacy organizations are doing a series of things in a health and healing environment to bring that environment to a level that makes it easier for people to understand and interpret health information. These items are designed in the checklist of Health Literacy Organization, so this study was conducted with the aim of validating the checklist of Health Literacy Organization in Iran. Materials and Methods: This research was a cross-sectional descriptive analytic study that was conducted on the tool of the Health Literacy Organization that was designed during previous studies. First, the face validity assessment of the checklist was checked by 22 experts. Then, the content validity was done using the relative coefficient of content validity rate and the content validity index by 22 experts in the field of health literacy who have favorable clinical and technical university experiences. In the third stage, in order to evaluate the calculation of the reliability coefficient, the instrument was performed by two evaluators in 12 environments, including three hospitals, two clinics, five comprehensive health service centers and two pharmacies. Results: During the content validity phase, 6 questions were removed from the list of 67 questions, and 3 questions were structurally modified. The questionnaire had a CVI of 0.919 and a CVR of 0.781. The score of the reliability coefficient for the checklist was 0.94, and if this index is higher than 0.8, it indicates a very favorable reliability. Ultimately, the checklist of 10 attributes and 61 questions was approved. Conclusion: The evaluation checklist of Health Literacy Organization has the necessary psychometric features. Hence, it is suggested to use this tool, which is a native tool and has been prepared during various studies in Iran, to design and measure the organization of health literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Health and safety literacy is an essential aspect of the employees' awareness level. Since an estimate of the literacy level can be effective in increasing the level of personnel awareness of safe and health behavior, the purpose of this study is to provide a tool in the form of a valid and reliable questionnaire in the field of occupational health and safety literacy. Materials and Methods: The current research was conducted to examine feasibility of the Persian version of the occupational health and safety literacy assessment questionnaire in employees in 2023. After translating the tool using the translation-retranslation, quantitative and qualitative validity of the questionnaire were assessed by 10 experts. Repeatability and internal consistency were examined by 30 employees, and item analysis as well as construct validity by 410 employees. Results: The impact score, CVR and CVI of the questionnaire were 3.51, 0.96 and 0.91, respectively. The construct validity confirmed the final version of the questionnaire contains 34 questions in 4 dimensions including access, review, evaluation, and use of health and job information. The ratio of the chisquare test to the degree of freedom (χ²/df) was equal to 3.71. The RMSEA index was 0.08. The internal consistency of the questionnaire was (α=0.923), and repeatability (ICC= 0.98) which were within the acceptable range. Conclusion: The Persian version of occupational safety and health literacy questionnaire with 34 items and 4 dimensions was confirmed by the concept of Iranian occupational safety and health literacy. Iranian occupational health and safety specialists can use this valid and reliable tool to assess the occupational health and safety literacy and the findings can be applied for occupational health and safety interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Unwanted pregnancy has many negative consequences in terms of women's physical and mental health. Resilience is a process of utilizing important resources to maintain mental health in the face of stress. In addition, resilience can be promoted through. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of resiliency training on the mental health and resilience of pregnant women with an unwanted pregnancy. Materials and Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 66 women in Sabzevar, Iran, in 2020 with unwanted pregnancies, mild or moderate mental health problems, and low resilience. The participants were randomly divided into two groups through a simple lottery. In the intervention group, resilience training was performed once a week in groups of 10-15 people in six training sessions, each lasting 60 to 90 minutes. Mental health and tolerability were measured using the 28-item General Health Questionnaire and the Connor-Davidson Resilience scale before the intervention, and immediately after and 1 month after the intervention. Results: The mean (SD) of mental health immediately 35.46 (5.59) and 1 month after the intervention 33.73 (3.85) in the intervention group (F = 91.23; p < 0.001) was reduced significantly compared to the control group (F = 94.02; p < 0.001). The results of the mean (SD) showed that the resilience training intervention significantly increased the resilience score in the intervention group 84.36 (8.49)(compared to the control group (49.13) 6.67)((p < 0.001). Conclusions: Resilience training was effective in promoting the mental health and resilience of pregnant women with unwanted pregnancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) culture is a part of the general culture of the organization, and it is considered a management tool for reducing incidents and controlling unsafe behaviors in the organization. The present study aimed to present a valid and reliable tool in the field of HSE culture based on the Oil and Gas Producers (OGP) guide in process industries. Materials and Methods: The current research is an instrument-making study that was conducted to determine the validity and reliability of the HSE culture questionnaire among the employees of Shahid Hashminejad Gas Refinery. After studying various texts and using the World Association of Oil and Gas Producers (OGP) guide to design related questions, quantitative and qualitative content validity by 10 experts, face validity (comprehensibility), reproducibility, and internal consistency by 30 employees, and construct validity was checked by 410 employees. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis of the final version of the questionnaire confirmed 34 items in six dimensions of the observable program of HSE management, competence and awareness of the situation, communication, training of work procedures and human factors, incident management, and HSE evaluation and audit. The average impact score, validity ratio, and validity index were 3.81, 0.82, and 0.92, respectively (a =0.94 and ICC=0.975), which was within the acceptable range. Conclusion: Based on the obtained findings, Iranian HSE specialists can use this valid and reliable tool to evaluate the HSE culture of employees, especially in process industries, and use the findings as guidelines for effective health, safety, and environmental interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present study aimed to identify the social cognitive predictors of regular dental visits and mouth self-examination behaviors among the elderly population, based on the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) model. Background: Regular dental visits and mouth self-examination can prevent oral and dental problems among the elders. Little information is available regarding the social cognitive predictive factors of these two behaviors. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 24 municipality centers in Tehran, Iran in 2021. The centers were selected randomly using a multi-stage cluster sampling method and 301 elderly attendants aged 60≥years participated in the study. Data collection was done using a researcher-made questionnaire including demographic characteristics and the HAPA model constructs for two target behaviors. Data were analyzed using the Smart-PLS version 3.3.9 via correlation and PLS-SEM analysis. Results: The mean age of the participants was 65.3±5.33 years and 79.7% were female. The SEM analysis showed that Action Self-Efficacy [b (SD) = 0.595 (0.065), P< 0.001] and Risk Perception [b (SD) = 0.218 (0.070), P< 0.002] were predictors of Intention for mouth self-examination but only Action Self-Efficacy [b (SD) = 0.651 (0.043), P< 0.001] was predictor of Intention for regular dental visits. Recovery Self-Efficacy and Planning directly contributed to the prediction of Mouth Self-Examination. The relationship between Maintenance Self-Efficacy and both behaviors is mediated by Planning. Also, the mediating role of Planning between Intention and target behaviors was confirmed. Conclusion: Action self-efficacy predicted the intention for regular dental visits and mouth self-examination behaviors. The relationship between intention and both behaviors was mediated by Planning. Emphasis on improving Action Self-Efficacy and Intention formation will enhance the effectiveness of interventions aiming at promoting the oral health of the elderly population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to the inflammatory factors in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, Pentoxifylline, as anti-inflammatory medication, seems to improve the symptoms of schizophrenia. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of Pentoxifylline as an adjunctive therapy on cognitive deficits and symptoms of schizophrenia. Methods: This randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted on 52 patients diagnosed with chronic schizophrenia. All patients were divided into two, treatment and control groups. They received a 400 mg dose of Pentoxifylline and the placebo in the treatment and control groups, respectively, twice a day for 8 weeks. Then, they were tested with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), digit span, Stroop test, and Rey Auditory and Verbal Learning Test at baseline and the end of the weeks 4 and 8. Data analysis was done by Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, t -test, Mann–Whitney test, chi-square test, and generalized estimating equation model. Results: After analyzing the data, it was revealed that the positive symptoms of PANSS, the number of errors in the incongruent Stroop test, and reaction time in the congruent Stroop test were significantly lower in the treatment group (p < 0.05). Moreover, the number of categories of WCST was significantly higher in the treatment group (p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in other parameters between the control and treatment groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions: As evidenced by the results of this study, Pentoxifylline can help alleviate schizophrenia cognitive deficits and can reduce psychotic symptoms. Therefore, it can potentially be useful for schizophrenia treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to identify the behavioural pattern of psychological distress (PD) in the population of 18 to 65 years old people in Mashhad, Iran, using latent class regression and evaluate the related factors. PD is a unique emotional state with suffering in response to a stressor or specific need that leads to temporary or permanent impacts. Due to its negative effects on several features of life like the quality of life, health, performance and productivity of individuals, PD and its consequences are considered a public health priority. Methods: A crosssectional study was performed on 425,286 individuals aged 18 to 65, who were referred to health centres in Mashhad, northeastern Iran in the first half of 2018. The information required for this study, including a checklist of demographic information and the six-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-6), was obtained from the Sina System. Results: Latent class regression identified three latent patterns of PD in answering the questions of the K-6 questionnaire, including severe PD (14%), low PD distress (40%) and no PD (46%). Statistical variables of this study due to the results are considered as the following: women, illiterate people, unemployed and divorced people, individuals aged between 50 and 59 years and people with low weight were more likely to be in the severe PD class than in the no PD class. Conclusion: Although a small percentage of people were classified as severely disturbed, the findings showed a high rate of symptoms of distress and sadness even in the no PD class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given high and growing prevalence rate of urolithiasis in most societies as well as the problems caused by this issue, it is necessary to apply more cost-effective and safer therapeutic methods, which are accessible for all the individuals worldwide. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate efficacy of herbal medicines named Cynodon dactylon and Dolichos biflorus on solving and excretion of renal and urinary tract stones in patients with urolithiasis. This study included 96 patients with urolithiasis who were randomly allocated into three groups. The first group received the extract of D. biflorus seeds (1,600 mg), the second group received extract of C. dactylon rhizome (1,600 mg) and the third group received placebo for 21 days. In this study, we used an hydroalcoholic extract of D. biflorus and C. dactylon prepared by Soxhlet method. For each patient, the size of the stones, the amount of calcium in the urine, the number of stones excreted and their chemical substance type were measured. In this study, changes were observed at the significance level in the interventions groups of 1 and 2, and the placebo group in the left kidney, so that changes in size of the stone in left kidney as intergroup were significantly different in these three groups (p=0.02). The mean of changes in stone size in left kidney in the group C. dactylon was 3.78 ± 7.1 and in the group D. biflorus, it was 0.27 ± 0.6. A significant difference in the results of this study show that C. dactylon rhizome and D. biflorus seed extracts are able to decrease the size of the stone and can be effective on kidney stones excretion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Non‐technical skills are component features of human factors whose defects can lead to surgical errors and adverse events. Circulating nurses need to deploy non‐technical skills for safe and efficient performance. This study aimed to identify circulating nurses' non‐technical skills. Methods: This interview study was conducted on 29 operating room personnel. Semi‐structured interviews were used for data collection. The prepared annotated transcripts were analysed using the content analysis method by a human factors specialist under the supervision of two other researchers. The extracted behaviours were grouped based on meaning and similarity. Results: Six categories of non‐technical skills including leadership, communication, task management, situational awareness, teamwork, and coping were identified as the circulating nurses' key non‐technical skills. The related behaviours were also noted. Conclusion: Non‐technical skills are incorporated in circulating nurses' tasks from the onset to the end of surgery. Thus, these nurses should be aware of the necessary non‐technical skills and positive behaviours to assure a safe surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]