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Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate a smartphone-based online electronic logbook used to assess the clinical skills of nurse anesthesia students in Iran., Methods: This randomized controlled study was conducted after tool development at Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in Ahvaz, Iran from January 2022 to December 2022. The online electronic logbook involved in this study was an Android-compatible application used to evaluate the clinical skills of nurse anesthesia students. In the implementation phase, the online electronic logbook was piloted for 3 months in anesthesia training in comparison with a paper logbook. For this purpose, 49 second- and third-year anesthesia nursing students selected using the census method were assigned to intervention (online electronic logbook) and control (paper logbook) groups. The online electronic logbook and paper logbook were compared in terms of student satisfaction and learning outcomes., Results: A total of 39 students participated in the study. The mean satisfaction score of the intervention group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P=0.027). The mean score of learning outcomes was also significantly higher for the intervention than the control group (P=0.028)., Conclusion: Smartphone technology can provide a platform for improving the evaluation of the clinical skills of nursing anesthesia students, leading to increased satisfaction and improved learning outcomes.

Introduction: On entry into the clinical environment, nursing students are confronted with many challenges. It is a common problem throughout the world, including Iran. Although many studies have been conducted on the problems of nursing students in the clinical environment, limited information is available on nursing students' experiences of the clinical learning environment and the way they respond to these experiences. Identifying nursing students' experiences is essential to develop interventions to reduce challenges., Objective: This study aimed to explore nursing students' experiences in a clinical learning environment and the way they responded to these experiences., Design: The present study was conducted based on the qualitative research design of the grounded theory methodology., Setting: This study was conducted at schools of nursing in academic settings in Iran., Participants: The participants included 19 nursing students, 4 nursing instructors and 3 clinical nurses., Methods: The data were collected using semistructured interviews, field notes and observation, and were analysed using Strauss and Corbin's approach., Results: Students, as a result of the inadequacy of the educational environment, were faced with 'confusion of identity', stating this as their main concern. When confronted with this concern, they employed specific strategies, some of which prevented them from getting into unpleasant conditions. These strategies did not help students solve their problems and also prevented them from accepting their professional roles and responsibilities. Conversely, some other strategies led them to advanced professional development and enabled them to accept their role and the clinical environment., Conclusion: According to the results of this study, educational policymakers should focus on improving the clinical environment. Identifying professional models and increasing their influence on management, education and clinical education, as well as teaching positive and constructive strategies, will promote positive strategies in coping with inadequate educational contexts. This is necessary for the professional development of nursing students., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Coronary angiography is a widely used invasive procedure for diagnosis of coronary artery diseases. The patients benefit from information about an invasive diagnostic procedure., Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of two educational methods (video information vs. verbal information) on the level of satisfaction, comfort, tolerability and on the heart rate and blood pressure of patients undergoing coronary angiography., Methods: A randomized controlled trial design was employed in this study. 128 patients candidate for coronary angiography were randomly assigned to experimental (n = 64) and control (n = 64) groups. The data were collected from January to April 2009. The experimental group watched an informative video about the procedure of coronary angiography as well as pre- and post-angiography care, while the control group received only routine verbal education by nurses. Heart rate and blood pressure were obtained at baseline and after educational intervention. The levels of comfort, satisfaction, and tolerability were measured after the procedure. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS soft ware (Version, 11.5)., Results: The experimental group showed a statistically significant decrease in the heart rate and blood pressure after the educational intervention compared to the control group (P < .001). The patients in the experimental group had significantly higher levels of comfort, satisfaction, and tolerability than the control group (P < .001)., Conclusions: Patients' education using an informative video before coronary angiography can effectively maximize the patients' outcome. The results of this study confirm the usefulness of video information prior to an invasive coronary angiography procedure.

The findings gathered from the Northern Iranian Central Desert (NICD) over the past two decades suggest the significance of the region during the Pleistocene, indicating that different and fluctuating environmental conditions governed the region in the past, contrary to the hot and dry conditions of today. From an archaeological perspective, this means that human populations might have been able to live here during milder times. Based on this assumption and the escalating number of Paleolithic localities, the hypothesis of considering the NICD as a significant Pleistocene dispersal corridor was put forward. However, the available information regarding the Pleistocene human populations in the region was limited only to its eastern and western parts. Up until recently, the Pleistocene "plain dwellers" in the more central parts of the NICD (corresponding to the modern-day Alborz, Tehran, and western Semnan provinces) were not known to us. The picture took a turn when Showr-e Qazi, a paleolithic surface lithic scatter, located about 18km southwest of Eyvanekey, came to light. Following this discovery, the authors embarked on a comprehensive investigation of Eyvanekey. Doing so, a systematic intensive pedestrian field survey was conducted in the vicinity of Eyvanekey County to tackle questions regarding the role of the central parts of the NICD for the dispersal of Pleistocene human populations and the degree of connectivity and relatedness of the landscapes, and resultantly, strengthening or weakening the mentioned hypothesis. As a result, extensive Paleolithic surface scatters were recorded using a combined method of proportionate stratified random and adaptive sampling. The lithic assemblage from Boulan, one of these scatters, has been examined here using techno-typological approach. The preliminary results suggest Middle and Upper Paleolithic affinities. In addition, in general terms, the lithic tradition in Boulan is geared toward the expedient and opportunistic end of the spectrum. Lastly, the discovery of extensive Paleolithic localities in the central parts of the NICD provides additional support for the hypothesis of a Northern dispersal corridor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Undergraduate nursing students often work part-time or even full-time while studying at university completing their bachelor's degrees. The aim of this study is to explain the meaning of the lived experiences of nursing students working as students in clinical field. Methods: A phenomenological study was conducted at the nursing and midwifery school of Tabriz, Iran. Purposefully, 20 baccalaureate nursing students with experience working as student worker nurses were recruited. The sample size was determined according to data saturation. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were held with the participants over 3 months (April 2020 to June 2020), and Van Manen's hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to analyze the data. Results: Five main themes extracted from the data analysis, including "students' clinical competency", "nurse-student relationships", "shift work", "mislearning", and "chaotic wards". A further 12 sub-themes extracted under the five main themes. Conclusion: The work of nursing students in clinical environments as student worker nurses is a two-dimensional phenomenon with advantages and disadvantages. The benefits are improving the nursing students' clinical and communication skills, increasing their self-confidence, learning and practicing discipline and nursing responsibilities, and the disadvantages are facing reality shock stress, and mislearning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nursing students are given opportunities to develop critical thinking disposition, caring behaviors, and professional commitment through clinical training. Therefore, nurse educators should move away from traditional methods toward new ones, such as internship programs in clinical training. This study assessed the effect of nursing internship programs on senior undergraduate nursing students' critical thinking disposition, caring behaviors, and professional commitment. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted using a pretest-posttest design but with no control group. The study sample included 46 senior students enrolled in nursing internship programs. A demographic questionnaire, the Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CTDI), the Caring Assessment Report Evaluation (Care-Q), and the Nursing Professional Commitment Scale (NPCS) were used to collect data before and five months after the nursing internship programs were implemented. Results: The study findings revealed that the senior nursing students' caring behaviors improved, but the total scores of critical thinking disposition and professional commitment did not change significantly after the nursing internship programs (p > 0.05). Conclusion: According to the results, nurse educators are recommended to adopt strategies to improve the effectiveness of internship programs on critical thinking disposition and professional commitment among senior undergraduate nursing students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Clinical education is a fundamental part of nursing professional education. One method of education is the implementation of the preceptorship program, in which clinical nurses are responsible for educating nursing students. The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the preceptorship training program for the participation of clinical nurses in the education of nursing students. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2023 at the teaching hospital in Tehran, Iran. The sample consisted of 66 nurses from a teaching hospital selected using the accessible method and randomly were put into two groups. The workshop addressed the educational needs of preceptors and students, their readiness for their role, and strategies to effectively support students. Prior to the study, the nurses' level of participation was assessed utilizing a valid IMSOC questionnaire that gauged their involvement in guiding nursing students. The participation rate was reassessed after one month using the same questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 19. Findings: The two groups were homogeneous in terms of demographic characteristics. The average score for nurses' participation in the education of students before the intervention was 101.84 ± 15.42 in the test group and 107.24 ± 10.53 in the control group; these two groups were not significantly different (P = 0.10). After the intervention, the scores reached 118.90 ± 15.11 in the test group and 106.21 ± 11.96 in the control group, indicating a significant difference (P < 0.001). A comparison of the nurses' participation scores in the test group indicated a significant difference from the pretest to the posttest, with the improvement in all nurses's participation scores (P < 0.001). However, in the control group, this difference was not significant (P = 0.41). Conclusion: The preceptorship training program is effective in light of increasing the participation of clinical nurses in the education of nursing students. This program can improve various aspects, such as motivation, satisfaction, commitment, implementation, and obstacle removal. Considering the importance of clinical training for nursing students and the essential role of preceptors, it is recommended that managers and health trustees in all university hospitals implement a preceptorship training program to increase the participation of clinical nurses in the education of nursing students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The emergence of Covid-19 has many psychological effects on teenagers, one of which is depression, anxiety and stress, and it has brought physical and psychological effects. Aim: The purpose of this study is to investigate the prevalence of anxiety and depression in students of Sanandaj city during the epidemic of the Covid-19 virus in 1401. Method: This study was conducted in a cross-sectional descriptive analytical way. The studied population included all middle school students of Sanandaj city in 1401 with a sample size of 270 people and an age range of 13-15 years. DASS-21 questionnaire was used to collect data. The data was analyzed using SPSS-24 software. Results: The results of the study showed that the average scores of depression, anxiety and stress were 14.68 ± 3.39, 14.56 ± 2.99 and 14.74 ± 2.989, respectively. There is a significant relationship between the mean score of depression, anxiety and stress with sleep time, duration of daily activity and body mass index (P<0.05). Also, there is a statistically significant relationship between gender, history of covid-19 in the student and their family, having daily activities and economic status with the average score of depression, anxiety, stress (P>0.05). Conclusion: The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic causes anxiety, depression and stress in students. This phenomenon is intensified when children are confined at home and do not have outdoor activities. As the spread of covid-19 increases, the level of anxiety, stress and depression also increases. Therefore, increasing public awareness of this disease and providing positive psychological programs can reduce anxiety in society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Clinical environments create unpredictable conditions that affect the professional excellence of learners. This study aimed to explore and elucidate the lived experiences of clinical lecturers in creating a supportive learning environment necessary for developing the professional identity of medical students. Methods. To conduct this qualitative study, a conventional content analysis approach was adopted. The data were collected by conducting semi-structured interviews with clinical instructors and students of medical sciences, which continued until data saturation was reached. Four criteria of credibility, confirmability, dependability, and transferability were adopted to maintain the study's trustworthiness, and MAXQDA 10 software was used for data management. The interviews were analyzed employing the content analysis method. Results. Three themes were extracted and listed under the headings of "Clinical Professor as an architect of a learning environment", "creating a supportive atmosphere", and "a holistic view of the education process and students' needs" based on the results from the interview analyses. Conclusion. Clinical educators may pay special attention to the students' needs and provide them with appropriate learning opportunities to shape their professional identity, show their respect for professional values by creating a supportive atmosphere, concentrate their attention on different human dimensions, and show their respect for the principles of conduct and professional obligations. Clinical educators, as professional advisors and role models, may have also helped the students improve their metacognitive skills and enhance their professional competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nursing interns often face the serious challenges and stress of clinical training. Identifying effective strategies in reducing medical errors can improve student performance and decrease patient risk and injury from errors. The purpose of this study was to identify strategies to prevent medical errors by nursing interns in Medical Universities in Sistan and Baluchistan, Southeast of Iran. Methods: This is a qualitative study using a content analysis approach. Purposive sampling was used. The study was conducted in 3 medical universities. Ten nursing interns participated in this study. Open-ended, semi-structured, and face-to-face, interviews were used to explore the experience of nursing interns about strategies to prevent medical errors during their internship. Results: Findings include 20 subcategories, 6 categories and one theme. The main theme is "strategies to prevent medical errors during internship". Six categories included "strategies to prevent medical errors during internship". These included "Professional acceptance and support", "Revision of the implementation of the educational curriculum", "Retraining courses for challenging skills", "Creating learning opportunities" "Professionalization", and "Facilities and requirements". Conclusions: Preventing medical errors requires different strategies before and during nursing internship. Error prevention strategies include retraining and preparatory courses for challenging areas, evaluation of students' performance, and accepting students as members of the health care team, respecting and supporting them and protecting their rights. Learning from medical errors, analysis and reflection on errors should be part of the curriculum during the internship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to evaluate depression, anxiety and stress in university students of a large university in Tehran. Iranians witnessed an extraordinary combination of natural and man-made disasters last year; the last of which was the outbreak of COVID-19. Participants: 234 students from Iran University of Medical Sciences. Methods: We designed an online survey to gather data related to General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)-28, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS)-21, and demographic data. Results: The mean score of GHQ-28 was 34.4 (SD = 15.5, n=195), and 73.8% (n=144) of the sample had a score of higher than cut-point (23). According to DASS-21, varying degrees of depression, anxiety, and stress existed in 51%, 32%, and 56% of the students. Conclusions: Negative effects of stressful life events on mental health seems to be additive. More often than not, students need some kind of mental health care at the time of COVID-19 outbreak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Knowing study and learning strategies is a basic step for educational interventions, especially in the field of medical sciences. This study was conducted with the aim of determining the study and learning strategies in the dental clinical course students of Islamic Azad University of Tehran in the academic year of 2021-2022. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on all students from the 5th to 12th semesters of the faculty of dentistry of the Islamic Azad University of Tehran (n=141). The Third English edition of the study and learning strategies Instruments(LASSI) questionnier was completed by the students after cross- culture adaptation and confirming its face validity, quantitative content validity and construct validity and reliability was observed by test – retest. Data analysis was done using SPSS software and descriptive statistics, regression and Pearson correlation coefficient. Result: The average score of study and learning strategies in dental students was 123.05±9.00 out of 240 scores with a minimum of 104 and a maximum of 148. The highest average score of study and learning strategies was related to the areas of concentration, selection of the main idea, and processing, respectively. The lowest average score of study and learning strategies was related to the fields of attitude, motivation and anxiety, respectively. The average score of study and learning strategies in dental students had no significant relationship with gender and marriage of students (p<0.05). But there was a direct and significant relationship between the average score of study and learning strategies with age (p<0.05). Also, there was a direct and significant relationship between the average score of study and learning strategies and academic performance (p=0.048, r=0.350). Conclusion: The average score of study and learning strategies in dental students indicated moderate scores revision. It seems that dental students need counseling and guidance in some areas of study and learning strategies, especially in the areas of anxiety, attitude and motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Students are a significant source of data for the evaluation of clinical instructors' performance. This study was undertaken with the aim of adaptation and validation of the Persian version of the Maastricht Clinical Teaching Questionnaire (MCTQ). The main objective of the researchers in this study was to evaluation the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Maastricht Clinical Training Questionnaire (P MCTQ) in Iran, considering cultural and social differences. Materials and Methods: This methodological study was conducted from 2019 to 2021 at four teaching hospitals affiliated with Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Qualitative and quantitative face and content validity, and construct validity methods were used for the validity evaluation. Stability and internal consistency methods were used, respectively, for the reliability evaluation of the questionnaire. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) stage, 264 students studying in the fields of nursing, midwifery, anesthesiology, operating room, emergency medicine, and laboratory sciences completed the P MCTQ. Results: The value of scale content validity index (0.92) is indicative of the overall content validity of the questionnaire. EFA extracted a single factor structure that could explain the overall variance of the clinical education structure at about 76.61%. The alfa and intraclass correlation values were equal to 0.98 and 0.82, respectively, indicating the excellent internal consistency and high overall stability of the questionnaire. Conclusions: The P MCTQ is a valid and reliable tool for the evaluation of the teaching performance of clinical instructors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are always at risk of experiencing occupational needle stick injuries (NSIs). The primary aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of NSIs among Iranian HCWs in military hospitals in Tehran. Design: This cross‐sectional study was conducted in four military hospitals in the summer of 2019 in Tehran. Method: By Census, 802 HCWs were included. Data were collected through a questionnaire consisting of vaccination history, safety equipment, use of safety box, history of NSIs and demographic variables. The logistics regression was used to estimate the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). The statistical significance level was set at 5%. The data were analysed using the SPSS software version 23. Results: A total of 203 (25.3%, CI: 22.3–28.4) of the participants reported a history of NSIs at least once during the past year. Single HCWs had a higher risk of NSIs compared to married HCWs (OR: 1.59, 95% CI (1.09, 2.30)). Also, the night shift working (OR: 1.91, 95% CI (1.18, 3.12)), higher educational degree (OR: 2.25, 95% CI (1.21, 4.20)), working overtime (OR: 1.50, 95% CI: (1.07, 2.12)), older age (OR: 1.02, 95% CI (1.01, 1.04)) and needle recapping (OR: 2.90, 95% CI: (1.98, 4.22)) were identified as significant associated factors. The study draws attention to a relatively high prevalence of NSIs as well as high‐risk activities among military HCWs. The primary source of NSIs is needle recapping. Measures such as setting up training courses for the military HCWs are needed to be planned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nurses who are involved in the caring of COVID-19 patients, are at risk of mental distress. The present study was conducted with the purpose of demonstrating the relationship between stress, anxiety, depression and characteristics of nurses who provide care to COVID-19 patients. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using the census method from May to June, 2020 on 224 clinical nurses who were working in hospitals affiliated with Babol University of Medical Sciences and were involved in caring for COVID-19 patients. The data collection instruments included the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - 21 items (DASS-21) and the individual characteristic questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate binary logistic regressions were computed to identify the associated factors. Results: The mean and the standard deviation for stress, anxiety and depression scores were 9.47±7.30, 9.29±7.51 and 8.84±7.22 respectively. 17.4% had stress, 54% had anxiety and 43% had a degree of depression. There were significant relationships between the nurses' stress level and characteristics including age (OR =3.009, 95%CI 1.46-6.16, P=0.003), having children (OR=0.26, 95%CI 0.11-0.63, P=0.003), work experience (OR=4.50, 95% CI 2.17-9.96, P=0.000) and employment status (OR=0.39, 95% CI 0.16-0.95, P=0.04). Moreover, along with these characteristics, job satisfaction (OR =3.03, 95%CI 5.64-1.63, P=0.000), level of physical activities (OR =0.26, 95%CI 0.08-0.82, P=0.02), exercising (OR =2.27, 95%CI 1.31-3.90, P=0.003) and violence in the workplace (OR =0.27, 95%CI 0.12-0.56, P=0.001) also had significant relationships with the nurses' anxiety level. Furthermore, the relationships between the nurses' level of depression and characteristics including age (OR =2.07, 95%CI 1.15 - 3.72, P=0.014), work experience (OR =21.79, 95%CI 1.04 - 3.10, P=0.03), job satisfaction (OR=3.03, 95%CI 1.63-5.64, P=0.000), exercising (OR =1.76, 95%CI 1.02-3.04, P=0.04), having chronic diseases (OR =0.35, 95%CI 0.15-0.81, P=0.014), violence in the workplace (OR =0.39, 95%CI 0.20-0.75, P=0.005) and sleep (OR =1.77, 95%CI 1.00-3.16, P=0.050) were significant. Conclusion: The authorities should consider a number of the individual characteristics of nurses including age, work experience, gender, marital status, having children, job satisfaction, sleep, violence in the workplace and history of chronic disease in their planning and provide psychological support for them. Psychological support services may be needed for nurses in order to protect and promote their mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The internship setting is a highly challenging one for nursing students, and working in such an environment requires adjustment. Knowledge of the adjustment strategies used by students enhances the body of nursing knowledge and can help nursing officials adopt appropriate decisions to strengthen the students' effective adjustment skills and increase the benefits reaped from their internship. The present study was conducted to explore the strategies used by nursing students to adjust to internship. Methods: A total of 19 senior nursing interns (7 Female, and 12 Male) were selected by purposive sampling with maximum variation from one of the nursing and midwifery schools affiliated to a large metropolitan medical university in northern Iran. Data were collected using audio-taped semi-structured face-to-face interviews over an 18-month period and were carefully transcribed and analyzed using the Graneheim & Lundman qualitative conventional content analysis approach. The researchers analyzed the data in MAXQDA 10 software. Results: Four main categories and eight subcategories emerged from the data analysis. Main categories include efforts to achieve clinical competency, efforts to be sociable or accepted, self-management and reaction to conflicts. Conclusion: All the participants attempted to attain adjustment by adopting strategies such as achieving clinical competence, trying to be sociable or accepted, self-management, and reaction to conflicts depending on the conditions of internship. Officials should help nursing students use effective strategies and achieve adjustment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims: Among psychological issues, anxiety is a "futuristic state of mind" in which a person is ready or preparing for the negative events of the future, indicating that there is a distinction between present and future dangers that alienate fear. Separates from anxiety (2). In fact, normal reaction anxiety is considered to be stress that may help a person cope with difficult situations. When anxiety is excessive, it may be so great that it is placed in the categories associated with anxiety disorders (2). Another variable that can be different in different situations between individuals and students is the individual self-efficacy of students. Self-efficacy refers to a person's personality strength in dealing with problems in achieving his goals and success, and more than it is influenced by the student's intelligence and learning ability, it is influenced by personality traits such as self-confidence, diligence and submission, self-esteem, Is self-regulation and self-direction. In the age of information explosion, cultivating selfsufficient people, people who can overcome their own anxiety and learn and solve problems independently is much more important than transferring a huge amount of information (3). Humans, on the other hand, are constantly solving problems throughout their lives. Problem solving helps people deal effectively with life's problems and challenges. When an issue is not clearly defined, ambiguity tolerance is used to construct and reconstruct solutions and interpretations. When an issue is not clearly defined, ambiguity tolerance is used to construct and reconstruct solutions and interpretations (4). Due to the above and the impact of anxiety on students' lives on the one hand, the identification of important factors and factors related to anxiety on the other hand and considering that research in the field and research was not found in the field The researcher seeks to answer the questions of whether there is a relationship between students' tolerance of ambiguity, anxiety and self-efficacy? Can tolerance of ambiguity and anxiety be able to predict anxiety in students? Methods: To conduct the present descriptive research, which is a type of basic and applied research, among male and female students of Farhangian University (former teacher training), Tehran in the academic year 1394-2014, based on multi-stage sampling of 150 people with a minimum of Undergraduate education was selected as a sample and then the questionnaires of McDonald (1970), Beck Anxiety (1998) and the self-efficacy of Scherer et al. (1982) were distributed and collected among the sample. After removing incomplete and invalid questionnaires, a total of 142 questionnaires were collected. Finally, descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation and linear regression tests were used simultaneously with the help of SPSS software for statistical analysis of data. Results: The results showed that the sum of the variables used (self-efficacy and ambiguity tolerance) predicted 18% of the variance of students' anxiety. Given that F calculated at the level less than 0.01 is significant, so the linear regression model is significant. The results of regression analysis show that self-efficacy at the level (= = 0.01) is able to significantly predict students' anxiety and t-test is significant for the significance of regression coefficients at the level less than 0.01. In other words, with increasing self-efficacy score, students' anxiety score decreases and vice versa. Given that β is the standardized coefficient of regression, it is clear that self-efficacy with an coefficient of explanation (0.393) is more effective in predicting student anxiety. Conclusion: The results showed that the variables of self-efficacy and ambiguity tolerance predict 18% of the variance of anxiety in students. Also, the results of regression analysis showed that self-efficacy is able to significantly predict students 'anxiety. In other words, with increasing self-efficacy score, students' anxiety score decreases and vice versa. It was also found that self-efficacy was more effective in predicting student anxiety. Explaining this finding, it can be said that tolerating the ambiguity of a personality variable is perceptual-emotional. In the clinical literature, ambiguity tolerance is a cognitive characteristic that can predict the risk of anxiety disorder. Tolerance of ambiguity is associated with negative anxiety and expectation about the future and is therefore always considered in research on anxiety disorders (11).Self-efficacy also refers to a person's perceived ability to perform a desired action. This means that evaluating one's abilities in a situation influences one's decision to act or avoid that situation, and because fear of judgment and negative evaluation prevents anxious people from displaying their abilities, The person is drawn to avoidance, passivity, and ultimately the inability to perform functional activities. Therefore, it is likely that a common factor in the structure of anxiety and low self-efficacy is the inability to understand individual competencies and adequacy and the misconception about the failure of activities (13). Beliefs about strong self-efficacy have been suggested as a powerful personal resource in dealing with stressful situations. Much evidence has been reported on the effect of selfefficacy beliefs on blood pressure with heart rate in heart patients. According to Bandura, self-efficacy related to one's judgments can affect one's actions in future situations. When a person is examining behavior or performing a task, he or she also makes judgments about his or her ability to perform the task and its circumstances. These judgments about self-efficacy affect a person's thinking about the ability or inability to do work and the individual's excitement and performance (14). The main focus of social cognitive theory is that self-efficacy beliefs strongly influence human performance. According to Graham and Wiener, self-efficacy is the most consistent predictor of behavioral outcomes relative to any other motivational structure (15). In predicting student anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pre-hospital emergency medicine (PHEM) personnel are at risk of developing psychological disorders during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study aimed to investigate depression, anxiety, and stress levels of the Iranian PHEM personnel during the Covid-19 pandemic.Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 544 PHEM personnel chosen by purposive sampling in North Khorasan, Khorasan-Razavi, South Khorasan, Sistan-Baluchestan, and Kerman provinces in eastern Iran from August to September 2021. Data collection tools included a demographic information questionnaire and the standardized 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Data were analyzed in SPSS 16 using one-way analysis of variance and linear regression.Results: The mean scores of depression, anxiety, and stress were 8.7 ± 9.2, 7.0 ± 7.8, and 11.6 ± 9.2, respectively. Depression, stress, and anxiety were more prevalent in the age group of 41-55 years, people with master's and higher degrees, people with a history of underlying diseases, and people with over 10 years of work experience(p < 0.05). Depression and stress also showed a significant relationship with the type of employment. Stress alone was also significantly associated with working less than 35 hours a week and living separately from family(p < 0.05).Conclusions: PHEM personnel suffer from significant levels of depression, anxiety, and stress during the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, in order to improve the mental condition, it is recommended that the work schedule and services provided to these people be designed in such a way that they have more time for rest and communication with their family members. The personnel should also have easier access to the expert team in the fields of counseling and psychiatry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important professional value, dignity has always been an ethical concern in nursing education and practice. However, the dignity of nursing students in clinical environments has remained a little-discussed topic. This study aims to explore and describe nursing students' dignity in clinical learning environments. This study is a qualitative descriptive work in which data were collected via semi-structured, in-depth, individual interviews and subsequently analyzed according to conventional content analysis. Based on the inclusion criteria of the study, nursing students were selected from different departments of university hospitals in the south of Iran from October 2019 to December 2020 (n = 21). Sampling continued to the point of data saturation. This study has been approved by the institutional review board of the university. Two themes emerged from the data collected in the interviews: trust-based relationships and formation of professional identity. The findings of the study show that nursing students need to be supported by their instructors and perceive that the personnel and patients believe in their ability. In an effectively supportive, trust-based atmosphere, these factors can contribute to maintaining nursing students dignity. Also, showing respect for their personal identity, projecting a positive image of nursing, and giving them authority to perform executive and clinical tasks in hospital departments play a major role in the formation of nursing students' professional identity and development of their dignity. Accordingly, it is recommended that in cultural contexts and clinical learning environments, more attention should be given to nursing students' dignity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence rate and determinants of SU in adolescents based on the social development model (SDM). In 2018, applying a cross-sectional design, cluster multistage random sampling was employed to recruit 600 adolescents in Bam County, Iran, to participate in the study. A valid and reliable SDM-based instrument was used to collect data. The prevalence rate of using at least one substance was 42% (in girls 33.6% and in boys 50.3%). Adjusted for covariates, having close friends with SU was found as the factor with the highest risk. Higher scores in involvement in prosocial activities and interactions (OR: 0.47; 95% Confidence interval (CI): 0.33–0.66, p < 0.001), attachment and commitment to prosocial others (family and school) (OR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.58–0.93, p < 0.05), and skills for interaction/involvement (OR: 0.51; 95%CI: 0.39–0.67, p < 0.001) reduced the odds of ever use of SU among adolescents. Also, higher levels of perceived rewards for antisocial interaction/involvement (OR: 2.22; 95% Confidence interval (CI): 1.53–3.22, p < 0.001) and belief in antisocial values (OR: 2.24; 95% CI: 1.67–2.94, p < 0.001) increased the odds of ever use SU among the respondents. In community-based interventions to prevent SU among adolescents, a great focus should be firstly on identifying the probability of SU in close friends. Moreover, the involvement of adolescents in prosocial activities and interactions, attachment and commitment to prosocial others (family and school), and skills for interaction/involvement should be core categories while designing community-based interventional studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quaternary sediments of the Haji Arab River catchment located in Qazvin Plain, northwestern Iran, were studied in terms of sedimentology and geochemistry to determine the sedimentary environment and rock weathering. Discrimination diagrams show that the source rock of these sediments is granite and their tectonic setting is the active continental margin. These rocks show a negative Eu anomaly and a high ratio of light rare earth elements to heavy rare earth elements, suggesting that these sediments are originated due to the weathering of felsic rocks. Regarding the descending trend of chemical index of weathering, chemical index of alteration values, and the increase in coarse-grained particles, it was concluded that the sediments from the depth of 6 to 2.6 m formed under arid and high-energy conditions; however, this trend for sediments from 2.6 m depth to surface changes slightly toward semi-humid up to semiarid climate. Hence, it can be stated that the conditions of sedimentation environments in the Haji Arab basin are not constant at least in the Upper Holocene (Schmidt et al. in Holocene, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683610385961) and this has led to changes in river sedimentation. These results indicate the changes in river regime conditions probably because of the changes in weather conditions during the Quaternary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prehospital emergency staff usually encounter patients in situations that can affect the mental health of the medical staff and cause symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. This study aimed to determine depression, anxiety, and stress in prehospital emergency personnel during the COVID-19 epidemic in Ardabil City, Iran, 2020. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2020 to April 2020 with the participation of 138 working staff in the prehospital emergency department of Ardabil City. The samples were selected by the census method. Necessary information was collected with a two-part questionnaire: a demographic questionnaire and the DASS-21 standard questionnaire. DASS-21 is a 21-item questionnaire that consists of three subscales of 7 questions: depression, anxiety, and stress. The obtained data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including mean and standard deviation, and inferential analysis, including analysis of variance, independent t test, and multiple regression using SPSS software v. 22 statistical software. Results: The results showed that 45.7% of the staff had moderate depression, 44.9% moderate anxiety, and 77.5% normal stress. There was a significant relationship between work experience and stress level (P=0.03). There were significant associations between age with depression (P=0.04), anxiety (P=0.00) and stress (P=0.01). There was also a significant relationship between gender and variables of stress (P=0.00) and anxiety (P=0.01). Multiple regression results showed that gender and education variables are predictors of anxiety and stress, and age and education variables are predictors of depression (P<0.05). Conclusion: More than half of the staff had moderate to severe depression and anxiety. Considering that prehospital emergency personnel has a vital role in improving and promoting people’s health in the community, eliminating the underlying factors that cause emotional reactions in them is considered a health priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objective This study was conducted to investigate the strategies used by visually impaired and blind people in Iran to cope with difficulty performing daily living activities. Materials & Methods This research is a qualitative study using a content analysis method. The participants were 18 visually impaired and blind people who were purposefully selected from those referred to the Visual Aid Research Center of Iran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran City, Iran. A semistructured interview was first used using general questions about some daily living activities to discover the participants' experiences. Attempts were made to allow participants to express their experiences independently without the help of the interviewer. The interviews were recorded as an audio file. After the interview, the audio files were transcribed and analyzed using thematic content analysis. The key sentences were extracted from the main texts, and the strategies or concepts extracted from those sentences were identified. Common strategies were put under one category. After the data saturation, when no new concept was found in the sentences, the interviews ended. By examining similar strategies in a category, subcategories were defined, and finally, similar subcategories were placed in a more general category, and the main themes or strategies were identified. Results The Mean±SD age of the participants was 39.5±11 years, ranging from 22 to 66 years. Of 18 participants, 7 were blind, 7 had severe visual impairment, and 4 had moderate visual impairment. Their duration of blindness or visual impairment was more than five years. In terms of education, 7 had no high school diploma, and 11 had a high school diploma or higher degree. Vision loss was congenital in some subjects and acquired in others. We extracted 8 main themes or strategies used by the subjects to cope with difficulty performing daily living activities. These themes are trust in others, use of alternative senses, efficient vision care, use of technology, optimization of the living environment, avoiding a specific activity, increasing emotional intelligence, and use of intelligence and memory. Conclusion The strategies used by the visually impaired and blind people in Iran are entirely personal and innovative and play an influential role in increasing their quality of life. According to their own statements, these strategies can solve their many problems in performing daily living activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiments have proven that the temperature level of subsoils in the summer and winter is, respectively, lower and higher than the ambient air temperature. The buried tubes in the soil can use this potential to cool or heat the ambient air. The spiral tube heat exchanger is a good choice for earth-air heat exchangers as they are buried in a fixed buried depth, and they serve higher heat transfer coefficient due to the existence of secondary flow in the cross section of tube. In this research, the spiral tube, in an earth-air heat exchanger, has been analyzed, and the performance has been evaluated in different eras and areas of use. Cities have been selected under different climatic conditions in Iran and thus the system had been simulated in both heating and cooling modes. Furthermore, the effects of various factors, such as the depth level of buried heat exchanger in soil, the velocity and the temperature of inlet air on the exhaust air temperature, as well as the thermal load absorbed by the heat exchanger, are all being investigated. Higher buried depth of the heat exchanger increases the transferred heat, while the increase in the inlet air velocity reduces the heat exchange between the soil and the air. Tabriz which is a city located in a semi-arid climate in Iran, serves the best heating and cooling loads; whereas Babolsar another city in Iran which has a humid subtropical climate, indicates the poorest performance of all in comparison to other cities and climate levels in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nursing education programs are designed to decrease the gap between theory and practice. It is believed that internship programs can decrease this gap. An internship program has newly been implemented in Kermanshah Nursing School. However, the efficiency of this program has not been assessed. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to explore the challenges related to the internship education of nursing students. Methods: The study was conducted as qualitative research. The participants were eight nursing students who had at least one semester of experience in internship. They were selected through purposive sampling. Data gathering was done through semi-structured interviews, which were recorded and analyzed through a three-stage content analysis approach. For data management, MAXQDA-10 was used. Results: Out of the eight participants, three were male, and all were in the final year of their education. In total, 423 primary codes emerged after analyses, which were placed in seven categories, including: education before internship, lack of support, planning difficulties, interaction with staff, invisible evaluation, welfare defects, and professional identity. Conclusion: The study revealed the challenges of the internship program for nursing students in Iran. Some of the problems were related to educational background, others were associated with the shortcomings of the cultural aspects of the context. Therefore, it is recommended to optimize the clinical training of nursing students in the internship program by addressing these challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Coronary artery angiography using radial artery is one of the methods used for diagnosis of coronary artery disease, which causes physical and psychological problems in patients despite its precise and definite diagnosis. The present study is aimed at investigating the effect of peer group-based education on physical and psychological outcomes of patients undergoing coronary artery angiography through the radial artery. Methodology. The present clinical study was conducted on 60 patients undergoing coronary angiography through the radial artery in Vali-e-Asr educational hospital of Fasa during 2018 to 2019. The participants were divided into peer training and control groups (n = 30 in each group) using permutated block randomization. In the peer training group, the patients received the necessary precare training through peer training during and after angiography care. In the control group, the patients received the routine care by the nurse of the related ward. The peer group's stress, anxiety, and depression levels were evaluated before and after the training. Indeed, their comfort, tolerance, satisfaction, and pain levels were measured by a nurse after angiography at the time of entering the ward. Findings. The results indicated no significant difference between the two groups regarding the mean scores of stress, anxiety, and depression before the intervention (p > 0.05). After the intervention, however, there was a significant difference between the two groups concerning the mean score of anxiety (p < 0.05). Nonetheless, no significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of tolerance, comfort, satisfaction, and pain levels (p > 0.05). Finally, the level of pain decreased in both groups over time (p < 0.001). Conclusion. Peer group-based training was effective in decreasing the mean score of anxiety in the patients undergoing coronary angiography. Thus, this method is recommended to be utilized alongside other methods to train patients before coronary angiography due to its inexpensiveness and lack of side effects as well as not increasing the nurses' workload. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to identify the ethical challenges of novice nurses in the first year of clinical practice. Background: Novice nurses experience a lot of ethical complications in the clinical workplace, especially in the first year of clinical practice. These ethical challenges are scarcely studied. Methods: Current research was a descriptive qualitative study conducted on twelve novice nurses in educational hospitals affiliated to Arak University of Medical Sciences (from August to December 2018)in Iran. Data were collected through semi‐structured in‐depth interviews, and informed consent was obtained from all participants. Data were analysed using content analysis. Results: A total of 12 nurses participated, the majority of whom were female (8; 66.6%), and their average age was 23.6 years. Findings of this study revealed four main themes: patient: the forgotten part, exposure to inequalities, inattention to professional ethics and facing a state of quandary. Several sub‐themes also appeared in this study. Conclusion: These findings can reveal a clear picture of the ethical challenges of novice nurses in Iran. They can be used as a guidance for managers, authorities and nursing stakeholders in order to protect and support these nurses. Further research on each concept is suggested. Implications for nursing and health policy: These findings can be used to inform nursing education, research, management and clinical practice. Meanwhile, the results of this study may be used to formulate a strategy for training nursing managers in order to protect and support the next generation of nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Investigacion & Educacion en Enfermeria is the property of Universidad de Antioquia, Facultad de Enfermeria and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Aim: This study aimed to conceptualize and explain the core clinical competencies of nursing students in Iran. Background/Introduction: Despite the national and international efforts to modify nursing curricula such that the students' clinical competencies are improved, there is still a widespread concern about this issue, perhaps due to the impact of factors other than the curriculum itself, such as the lack of a clear definition for the concept of clinical competency and its main components in nursing students. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted using conventional content analysis. The participants were selected through purposive sampling and included 14 senior students of bachelor of nursing, four nurses working in teaching hospitals and six clinical instructors. Individual semi‐structured interviews were used for data collection. After recording and transcribing the interviews, content analysis was used to extract the concepts. Findings: The main theme of the study was 'multidimensionality of the concept of clinical competency,' which had six main categories, namely 'adoption of and adaptation with the nursing practice,' 'nursing knowledge,' 'self‐direction in clinical learning,' 'patient care skills,' 'professional ethics' and 'the development of professional behaviours.' Discussion/Conclusion: Clinical competency and its dimensions among students comprise a multidimensional concept. Having a clear and comprehensive understanding of this concept and focusing on its core axes may be the most important step in improving students' clinical competency. Implications for nursing, health and education policy: Policymakers and nursing education authorities can identify the problems existing in the students' clinical competency and provide them with practical solutions for a standard professional education through a clear understanding of the concept of clinical competency and its dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nursing students experience ethical conflicts and challenges during their clinical education. These may lead to moral distress and disturb the learning process. Objectives: This study aimed to explore and to evaluate the nursing students' ethical challenges in the clinical settings in Iran. Research design: This was a mixed-methods study with an exploratory sequential design. Participants and research context: A total of 37 and 120 Iranian nursing students participated in the qualitative and quantitative phases, respectively. Ethical considerations: The ethical committee of Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Iran, approved the protocol of the study. Findings: Three main categories were extracted from qualitative data including Low attention of nurses to the patients' preferences; Lack of authority; and Inadequate support. A total of 97% of the students had more than one ethical challenge in clinical settings and 48% of them stated that their challenges did not resolve. The total score of perceived ethical challenges was 62.03 ± 9.17, which was moderate. The highest mean score related to the "Low attention of nurses to the patients' preferences" subscale. Discussion: The finding confirmed most of the existing results of other international researches about the frequency and kinds of baccalaureate nursing students' ethical challenges. Conclusion: Identifying student ethical challenges helps teachers to manage their clinical learning process better. This study may provide a view for the nurses, clinical educators, and managers toward nursing students' ethical challenges and their impact on nursing students' clinical experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The extensive and inappropriate use of quinolones, which are frequently used as an effective treatment for urinary tract infection (UTI) patients, has led to resistance to these antibiotics. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of quinolones resistance and the presence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes among extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli isolates., Methods: One hundred and fourteen E. coli isolates were collected from patients' urine samples. The susceptibility of isolates to selected antibiotics was tested by the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. ESBL-producing isolates were identified phenotypically using a combination disk test. Using specific primers, the frequency of aac (6')-Ib, qnrA, qnrB, qnrC, qnrD, qnrS, and qepA genes was investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)., Results: Among 26 ESBL-producing isolates, the highest resistance rate was observed toward nalidixic acid (80.8%) and ciprofloxacin (61.5%), respectively. Ninety-seven (85%) of all isolates harbored at least one PMQR gene, the most frequent one being aac(6')-Ib-cr variant (47.4%). Coexistence of aac(6')-Ib-cr variant and qnrB were the most broadly distributed genotype among quinolone resistance isolates. Notably, none of the isolates contained the qnrC, qnrD, and qepA genes., Conclusions: Our results highlight the significant prevalence of PMQR genes in ESBL-producing E. coli isolates in this region. Also, the aac (6')-Ib-cr variant was the most frequent gene, particularly in ESBL positive isolates. A regular periodic monitoring program is needed to control and hinder the more spread of antibiotic resistance phenomenon and contributed genes among UTI-causing E. coli isolates., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Establishing therapeutic communication with patients is considered as one of the most important duties of nursing students. Although therapeutic communication is a fundamental part of nursing education, its various attributes have not been clearly determined in nursing literature. Therefore, this qualitative study was conducted to explore therapeutic communication between patients and nursing students in the Iranian context through perceptions of nursing students, nursing instructors, and patients. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of six nursing students, six nursing instructors, and six patients as per the inclusion criteria. The data collection process continued in the field until theory saturation was reached. Data analysis was conducted by using a conventional content analysis approach over 8 months in 2016. Data analysis revealed three categories: "a measure to deliver patient-centered care," "emotional companionship," and "a phenomenon affected by values." These categories were considered as therapeutic communication defining traits. Putting more emphasis on therapeutic communication instruction and facilitating the recruitment of more men into the nursing career are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Urmia Salt Lake (USL) is a hypersaline lake located at the NW corner of the Iran platform. The lake area is estimated to have been over 5000 km2 at one point, but has now decreased to <1000 km2 in the last two decades. It contains 4.6×109 tons of halite and other detrital and evaporative minerals such as calcite, aragonite, dolomite, quartz, feldspars, augite and sylvite. This study examined the mineralogy and geochemistry of bed sediments along the mid‐east toward NE bank sediments collected from 1.5 meters depth and nearby augite placer. Due to the diverse lithology of the surrounding geology, bed sediments vary from felsic in the mid‐east to mafic in the northeast. Weathering of tephrite and adakite rocks of the Islamic Island at the immediate boundary has produced a large volume of augite placer over a 40 km length, parallel to the shoreline. Based on the study result, weathering increases from south to north and the geochemistry of the sediments shows enrichment of MgO, CaO, Sr and Ba associated with Sr deployment in all samples. Rare earth elements (REE) patterns normalized to the upper continental crust (UCC) indicated LREEs enrichment compared to HREEs with an elevated anomaly of Eu, possibly due to surface absorbance of Mn and Fe minerals, associated with Sr elevation originating from adakites in the lake basin vicinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Investigacion & Educacion en Enfermeria is the property of Universidad de Antioquia, Facultad de Enfermeria and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Clinical teaching is at the core of the nursing profession. However, clinical teaching may not empower students to gain clinical competency and skills. In this context, the performance of instructors is one of the main determinants of effective clinical teaching. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the relationship between nursing instructors' clinical teaching behaviors and students' learning. Methods: This descriptive, correlational study was conducted with 267 nursing students selected through convenience sampling. The data were collected using the Nursing Clinical Teacher Effectiveness Inventory, developed by Knox and Morgan. The questionnaire included two parts: the extent to which nursing instructors used teaching behaviors and the effectiveness of these behaviors on students' learning. The data were entered into the SPSS statistical software, version 19, and were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and the Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results: The results showed a significant positive relationship between the extent to which nursing instructors used teaching behaviors and the effectiveness of these behaviors on students' learning (P = 0.001). In terms of the utilization of teaching behaviors, the highest average rates were related to the dimensions of interpersonal relations and teaching abilities, while the lowest average rates were found for the evaluation dimension. With regard to the effectiveness of these teaching behaviors on learning, the dimensions of teaching ability and evaluation gained the highest and lowest average rates, respectively. Discussion: Instructors' capabilities have to be improved regarding the effective utilization of some behaviors related to evaluation, personal characteristics, and nursing competency. In this respect, the use of comprehensive teaching programs can be quite beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Listeria monocytogenes can be found in many processed foods, raw milk, dairy products, meat and meat products such as sausages, beef and fish products, seafoods, eggs, fruits, and vegetables such as radish and cabbage. This article is a review study on the Iranian medicinal plants applied for treatment of listeriosis. Information of this review article was obtained by searching various key words such as Listeria monocytogenes, medicinal plants, plant extracts and essential oils among scientific articles published in databases of Google scholar, ISI Web of Knowledge, PubMed, Scopus, SID and Magiran. Thyme, German chamomile, great chamomile, yarrow, onion, oregano, nutmeg, sage, sagebrush, hyssop, rosemary, St John’s wort, safflower, ajowan, cumin, peppermint, shallot, anise, and parsnip are known antilisteriosis medicinal plants. Bioactive phytochemicals, antioxidants and monoterpenes, sesquiterpene, coumarin, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, alkaloids, and terpenoids are the main ingredients of antilisteriosis medicinal plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Patients experience moderate to high level of anxiety before cardiac catheterization. This study aimed to investigate the effect of voice of Quran on anxiety before cardiac catheterization. Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 60 patients who met the inclusion criteria were conveniently sampled and randomly allocated to the experimental and control groups. In the experimental group, patients received 18 minutes of voice of Quran, whereas in the control group, patients had 18 minutes of rest in bed. The level of anxiety was measured immediately before, and immediately after the study using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Results: Before the study, there was no significant difference between the study groups in terms of the mean score of state and trait anxiety as well as the mean scores of total STAI. However, after the study, the mean scores of state and trait anxiety as well as the mean scores of total STAI in the experimental group were significantly lower than those of the control group. Conclusion: The findings of the study demonstrated that the voice of Quran can significantly improve patients' anxiety before cardiac catheterization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the modifiable risk factors among patient with three vessels disease (3VD) who are candidate for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Methodology: This study investigated one thousand coronary patient with 3VD (660 males and 340 females) with mean age 54.8±9.01 years. Information regarding outcome variable such as demographic and coronary risk factors parameters in patients referred to Jamaran Heart Hospital were collected. We used a questionnaire for collecting data from patients and their medical records. Results: About 66% of patients were male and 34% were female. Mean age of patients' were 54.8±9.01 years. History of diabetes, Hypertension and smoking was positive in 38%, 32% and 40%, respectively. About 11% had BMI >30, 45.6% of patient had O+ (blood group), 87% of patient had total cholestrol >200, 81% had TG >200 and about 70% had LDL>100. There was statistically significant difference between sex with cigarette smoking, HTN, DM (P<0.05) and age with TG (P<0.05). Conclusion: Results of this study showed that hyperlipidemia, diabetes and smoking are most common modifiable risk factors of CAD in tripple vessel disease. Findings of this study provide more information on the database of the risk factors among patients with progressive coronary artery disease in Iran. Therefore, applying education for changing lifestyle including smoking cessation, controlling diabetes, healthy diet and exercise is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large amount of the Iranian energy demand is related to the building sector, mainly due to its obsolescence. In this paper, a second-skin system has been implemented as a retrofit action for an office building, evaluating the effect of a tensile material as second-skin in terms of primary energy saving, carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, and simple payback period. The analysis was carried out through numerical simulations across a whole year and for four Iranian cities (Tabriz, Teheran, Yazd, and Bandar Abbas) in four different climates (cold, temperate, hot-dry, and hot-wet), and with the building aligned at either north-south or east-west. Moreover, an economic analysis was carried out suggesting different incentive policies to promote building energy refurbishment. The simulation results highlighted a favorable orientation for buildings in Iran, suggesting a guideline for new constructions. Indeed, the best results were achieved for an east-west orientation of the building (up to a primary energy saving of 13.6% and reduction of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions of 45.5 MgCO2,eq, in Yazd), with a decrease of the annual specific total (cooling and thermal) energy demand of 37.9 kWh/m2/year. The simple payback period values were also lower in the east-west orientation than the north-south one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) has a rich history of human use, and the therapeutic importance of compounds produced by this species is recognized by the medical community. The active constituents of cannabis, collectively called cannabinoids, encompass hundreds of distinct molecules, the most well-characterized of which are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), which have been used for centuries as recreational drugs and medicinal agents. As a first step to establish a cannabis breeding program, we initiated this study to describe the HPLC-measured quantity of THC and CBD biochemistry profiles of 161 feral pistillate cannabis plants from 20 geographical regions of Iran. Our data showed that Iran can be considered a new region of high potential for distribution of cannabis landraces with diverse THC and CBD content, predominantly falling into three groups, as Type I = THC-predominant, Type II = approximately equal proportions of THC and CBD (both CBD and THC in a ratio close to the unity), and Type III = CBD-predominant. Correlation analysis among two target cannabinoids and environmental and geographical variables indicated that both THC and CBD contents were strongly influenced by several environmental–geographical factors, such that THC and CBD contents were positively correlated with mean, min and max annual temperature and negatively correlated with latitude, elevation, and humidity. Additionally, a negative correlation was observed between THC and CBD concentrations, suggesting that further studies to unravel these genotype × environment interactions (G × E interactions) are warranted. The results of this study provide important pre-breeding information on a collection of cannabis that will underpin future breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]