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Abstract Background Sleep disorders can be harmful to our health and treating them can also be expensive. Due to the widespread occurrence and impact of sleep disorders, it is valuable to investigate and study them from an epidemiological perspective. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of sleep disorders among Iranian adults in 2022. Method This is a cross-sectional study that examines the prevalence of sleep disorders and problems in Iranian society. The participants were selected using a mixed sampling approach (utilizing virtual space and cluster sampling). A two-part package was used for evaluating participants sleep problems, which included a demographic profile form and the Holland Sleep Disorders Questionnaire. After collecting the data, appropriate statistical tests in SPSS version 25 were utilized for analysis. Results A total of 6013 questionnaires were fully filled out for this research, with participants answering the specific questions. The participants’ score on sleep disorders was 1.94, which means 44.1% of them suffer from sleep disorders. The results indicated that the prevalence of sleep disorders in this study was as follows: insomnia (35%), parasomnia (35.3%), circadian rhythm sleep disorder (38.4%), hypersomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness (39%), restless leg syndrome and leg movements during sleep (43%), and breathing disorders related to sleep (38.4%). The prevalence of sleep disorders among the study participants demonstrated a significant relationship with most of their demographic variables (P

Abstract Objective The present study was investigate parents’ experiences of children with Epidermolysis bullosa. So, this descriptive phenomenological qualitative study was conducted on 17 parents of children with EB from five hospitals affiliated with the University of Medical Sciences, west of Iran. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. COLAIZZI’s method was also used to analyze the data. Results Three main themes were extracted in this study: invasion of psychological crisis, alive but no living, and comprehensive support, including 10 categories. The parents of these children are the target of psychological crises that severely reduce their quality of life. In this regard, they need extensive support to improve their living conditions. Therefore, it is suggested to provide cultural and institutional contexts in which all components of the children’s dignity are emphasized.

Management of sickle cell disease complications in the setting of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is complicated with little published pediatric data. We report the first documented case of a 9-year-old boy with sickle cell disease, presenting with fever, cough, and shortness of breath, diagnosed to have acute chest syndrome and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia with inflammatory storm requiring ventilation, exchange blood transfusion, immunomodulatory agents, and prophylactic anticoagulation. The patient responded satisfactorily to the management of the acute illness and was found to be well at the next visit to the pediatric hematology outpatient department following hospital discharge.

Due to the superior physical properties and high-level alignment of the nanoscale building blocks, assembly of high-quality two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets into macroscopic engineering structure materials can achieve many unexpected performance. Natural mica nanosheets (MNSs) are abundant and with superlative properties, showing huge prospect for engineering structural materials. However, the difficulty of the mass production with large size and high aspect ratio are the current factors that limit this. Inspired by the well-known scotch-tape exfoliation, herein we develop a gummy-tape exfoliation (GTE) method by using liquid oligomers as mediums in ball-milling process to massively produce large-size and ultrathin MNSs. As a confirmation, the obtained MNSs show a record high aspect ratio of ≈1320 and a large actual yield of ∼ 80 %. A transparent biobased aromatic polyester nanocomposite film made of such MNSs and polyethylene furandicarboxylate (PEF) matrix possesses remarkably improved mechanical, barrier properties, and UV-shielding performances at an extremely low filler loading (≤0.5 vol%), making it a novel potential engineering material for packing fields in foods, drugs, and electronic products, etc.

ABSTRACT: Objectives: Antimicrobial resistance and biofilm formation are increasingly significant public health concerns. This study aimed to examine the antibacterial and antibiofilm properties of carbon dots (C-dots) alone and in combination with antibiotics against biofilm-forming isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Methods: The antibacterial property of C-dots was investigated by broth microdilution method against ATCC PAO1 and P. aeruginosa clinical isolates. The antibacterial effect of the C-dots and ciprofloxacin combination was investigated using the checkerboard method. The antibiofilm effect of the C-dots alone and its combination with ciprofloxacin was evaluated using the microtiter plate method. Subsequently, the toxicity of each agent was tested on L929 fibroblast cells. In the end, the effects of C-dots on the expression levels of pslA, pelA, and ppyR genes were determined using real-time quantitative PCR. Results: The combination of C-dots and ciprofloxacin exhibited a synergistic effect. Additionally, this compound substantially decreased bacterial growth (P < 0.0001) and inhibited biofilm formation at MIC (96 µg/mL) and sub-MIC (48 µg/mL) concentrations (P < 0.0053, P < 0.01). After being exposed to C-dots at a concentration of 1mg/mL for 24 hours, the survival rate of L929 cells was 87.3%. The expression of genes pslA, pelA, and ppyR, associated with biofilm formation in P. aeruginosa, was significantly reduced upon exposure to C-dots (P < 0.0023). Conclusions: The findings demonstrate a promising new treatment method for infections. Furthermore, reducing the dosage of antibiotics can lead to an improvement in the toxic effects caused by dose-dependent antibiotics and antimicrobial activity.

Background: Lifestyle modification through dietary interventions and exercise training is still one of the most effective ways to treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a high-intensity interval training along with Portulaca oleracea supplementation on Irisin and TLR4 in the liver tissues of rats with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 30 male Wistar rats were divided into two groups: non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (n=25) and healthy control (n=5). Non-alcoholic fatty liver was induced by 12 weeks of high-fat diet. After confirming non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, rats (n=20) were assigned into four subgroups; non-alcoholic fatty liver control group (n=5), Portulaca oleracea supplement group (n=5), training group (n=5) and training group + Portulaca oleracea supplement (n=5). Portulaca oleracea supplement was given daily and a high-intensity interval training was presented for 8 weeks, 5 sessions per week. The amounts of Irisin and TLR4 in liver tissue were measured using the sandwich ELISA method. Results: Irisin levels were significantly higher in the training+Portulaca oleracea supplement group compared to the fatty liver control group (P=0.001), the interval training group (P=0.018) and Portulaca oleracea supplement group (P=0.033). The TLR4 levels in the training+Portulaca oleracea supplement group (P=0.007) and the high intensity interval training group (P=0.045) were significantly lower than the fatty liver control group. Conclusion: High-intensity interval training along with Portulaca oleracea supplementation leads to increases in Irisin release and decreases in the TLR4 levels in the liver tissue of rats with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which may be effective in improving non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Myasthenia in the infancy and toddler age group is rare and often presents a challenge to treating pediatric neurologists. Our report addresses the challenges encountered when distinguishing myasthenia in infants and toddlers from similar illnesses, as well as the differentiation between congenital myasthenia, transient myasthenia, and autoimmune myasthenia. We present four cases of myasthenia between the ages of 10 and 30 months. The diagnosis and management of these cases were challenging due to the variability in clinical presentation. Four cases of myasthenia were diagnosed, with three having autoimmune myasthenia and one having congenital myasthenic syndrome. One patient initially tested negative for acetylcholine receptor antibodies, but later tested positive after 4 months and had a rare facial diplegia finding. The patient with congenital myasthenic syndrome had a novel genetic mutation, DPAGT1 homozygous variants, and also had false positive acetylcholine receptor antibodies. These cases highlight the importance of genetic testing for all infants and toddlers suspected of having myasthenia.

One of the most important issues that teenagers face is the problems related to the dysregulation of emotions and its effect on people's self-concept. In this research, the effectiveness of mode deactivation therapy and emotion regulation on the negative self-concept of teenagers with emotion dysregulation was compared. 30 teenagers referring to the clinics of Isfahan city were selected through interviews and obtaining a high score (90) in the emotion regulation difficulty questionnaire and placed in three groups (10people), of mode deactivation therapy, emotion regulation, and control. The intervention groups received 8 sessions of 90 minutes in a period of 8 weeks, and the control group did not receive intervention. Before and after the intervention, all people answered the Rogers self-concept questionnaire. The obtained data were tested using univariate covariance analysis. The findings of the research showed that the emotion regulation therapy was able to reduce the negative self-concept of teenagers, while mode deativation therapy was not effective. The results of the research showed that emotion regulation intervention is more effective than mode deactivation in reducing the negative self-concept of teenagers

Matthew Parker et al. use the ARTIC network tiled amplicon PCR and Oxford Nanopore sequencing of thousands of SARS-CoV-2 samples to detect subgenomic RNA changes in the B.1.1.7 lineage endemic in the UK in late 2020/early 2021. They discovered higher subgenomic RNA in B.1.1.7 compared to previous lineages, and find a noncanonical subgenomic RNA that could encode ORF9b.

Introduction: The present study aimed to investigate the change of air pollutants in 2020 in Qom compared to the same period in 2019 in five scenarios. Materials and Methods: The hourly air quality data was obtained from air quality monitoring stations of Qom Environmental Protection Organization (EPO). The meteorological parameters were obtained from Iranian Meteorological Organization website. The data were analyzed using Excel, SPSS, and WRPLOT view. Results: In the first month of the COVID-19 crisis, NO2, SO2, and CO decreased by 26.4, 39, and 0.2 µg/m3 compared to same period in 2019, respectively; however, PM2.5 and O3 increased by 7.1 and 2.3 µg/m3, respectively. In Iranian Nowruz holidays, an increase of 2.9 µg/m3 in O3 mean concentration and a decrease of 8.1, 23.8, 22.8, and 0.2 µg/m3 in mean concentration of PM10, NO2, SO2, and CO were experienced. The prevailing wind direction during the 2020 in each scenario was from the west of Qom city. Conclusion: Gaseous pollutants decreased during the crisis, but particulate pollutants increased slightly compared to the same period in 2019. The lockdown may have had the most impact in decreasing pollutants. A slight increase in wind speed from the west could be a factor in increasing particles. This crisis provided an opportunity to assess the role of policies, such as traffic reduction plans or discarding worn-out cars or urban management to improve air quality.

SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in multiple outbreaks in hospitals, but identifying transmission events is challenging. Here, the authors combine whole genome sequencing and epidemiological data from the first two waves of the pandemic at a UK hospital trust and characterise transmission chains.

There is a knowledge gap regarding the factors that impede the ruminal digestion of plant cell walls or if rumen microbiota possess the functional activities to overcome these constraints. Innovative experimental methods were adopted to provide a high-resolution understanding of plant cell wall chemistries, identify higher-order structures that resist microbial digestion, and determine how they interact with the functional activities of the rumen microbiota. We characterized the total tract indigestible residue (TTIR) from cattle fed a low-quality straw diet using two comparative glycomic approaches: ELISA-based glycome profiling and total cell wall glycosidic linkage analysis. We successfully detected numerous and diverse cell wall glycan epitopes in barley straw (BS) and TTIR and determined their relative abundance pre- and post-total tract digestion. Of these, xyloglucans and heteroxylans were of higher abundance in TTIR. To determine if the rumen microbiota can further saccharify the residual plant polysaccharides within TTIR, rumen microbiota from cattle fed a diet containing BS were incubated with BS and TTIR ex vivo in batch cultures. Transcripts coding for carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) were identified and characterized for their contribution to cell wall digestion based on glycomic analyses, comparative gene expression profiles, and associated CAZyme families. High-resolution phylogenetic fingerprinting of these sequences encoded CAZymes with activities predicted to cleave the primary linkages within heteroxylan and arabinan. This experimental platform provides unprecedented precision in the understanding of forage structure and digestibility, which can be extended to other feed-host systems and inform next-generation solutions to improve the performance of ruminants fed low-quality forages.

Background: In the “treating to target” strategy for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) management, “cognitive” beyond “physical” measures allow a more comprehensive assessment. Objective: This study reported a predictive analysis of patients on disease activity and the degree to which these predictions could be uniquely attributable to Illness Perception (IP), pain, and sex differences. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 108 patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis aged 18 to 65 years old, selected via convenience sampling. Measurements were done using Disease Activity Score in 28 Joints (DAS28), patient’s Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R), and Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) for perceived pain. Data were analyzed applying Spearman and Pearson correlation coefficients and Multiple Stepwise Regression (MSR). Results: In correlation analysis, the sex- Disease Activity association (0.40, P

Introduction: Reducing noise pollution has become an essential issue due to the increase in public concern and also social demands for a better lifestyle. Using sound absorption materials is a preferred method to reduce the noise pollution. Undesirable properties of pure polyurethane such as poor absorption of mechanical energy in narrow frequency ranges can be improved by providing polymeric nanocomposites. The main purpose of this study is to synthesize the polyurethane nanocomposite foams in order to improve its acoustic properties. Material and Methods: At the first steage, pure polyurethane foam was synthesized using the pre-polymer method. Afterwards, nanocomposite foams were synthesized with different mass fractions of Nano silica. The cellular morphology of prepared nanocomposite foams was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM (.Utilizing a two-microphone impedance tube, sound absorption coefficient (α) was calculated in the frequency ranges of 100 Hz to 1600 Hz in order to investigate the acoustic properties of the new absorbant. Results: According to the microscopic investigations, morphology of the cells changed after adding silica nanoparticles. Also, the cell sizes were observed to be decreased by increasing the amount of silica nanoparticles. Furthermore, the acoustic analysis of nanocomposite foams indicated that the sound absorption increased by enhancing the load of silica nanoparticles. Conclusion: In the current study, the effect of silica nanoparticles additive amount on acoustic properties of the polyurethane-based nanocomposite was investigated. Our findings depicted that the polyurethane-based nanocomposites were able to promote the sound absorption coefficient.

The purpose of this study was to study teachers 'lived experiences in identifying students' talents based on the dimensions and components of effective teaching model. The research method was qualitative phenomenological. The participants of the study were all teachers of elementary schools in Isfahan province education districts in the academic year 1398-1989. Purposeful and saturated sampling method was used to select participants, which included 38 individuals. Research tool was in-depth and semi-structured interviews. The method of data analysis was reflective analysis using van Manen's (1990) six-step method. Results showed that, by analyzing the data, 5 main themes (Engaging students), Learners, Opportunity to Existence, Objective-Free Evaluation, and Development of Perceptions of Learned Content) and 15 sub-themes on the dimensions and components of an effective teaching model were identified to identify students' talents. Therefore, it is suggested that teachers use these techniques with active techniques to identify gifted students.

Background and Objective: Candida species are the second most common cause of vaginitis in worldwide after bacterial agents. This study was performed to determine the etiological factors of Candida vulvovaginitis in pregnant women. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study, was performed on 100 pregnant women with vaginal discomfort that referring to gynecologic and obstetric clinics of the Sanandaj Social Security Hospital, Kurdistan province, Iran during 2016. After obtaining informed consent and collecting background information using a questionnaire, the patients were examined by a specialist physician and samples were collected. Identification of isolates was done based on colony color and also using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Results: Candida vulvovaginitis was seen in 29% of women. Candida albicans were the most common cause of the disease (86.2%) followed by Candida paraposilosis (10.43%) and Candida glabrat (45.3%) . There was no significant relationship between diabetes and candida vulvovaginitis. There was a significant relationship between the history of antibiotic usage, age over 35 and third trimester of pregnancy with Candida vulvaginitis (P

BACKGROUND: Theoretical work posits that drug-related risk behaviour increases during armed conflict; however, few studies have been conducted in conflict settings. The objective of this analysis is to determine whether conflict or local displacement impact risk behaviours among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Kabul, Afghanistan. METHODS: Consenting PWIDs aged ≥18 years completed interviews at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months of follow-up. Quarters with peak conflict or local displacement exposure were defined and associations with injecting drug use and sexual risk behaviours analysed with generalized estimating equations. RESULTS: Of 483 PWID enrolled, 385 completed ≥1 follow-up visit (483.8 person-years) between 2007 and 2009. All participants were male, with 35% initiating injecting as a refugee. Sharing syringes (Odds Ratio (OR))=8.53, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 2.58 – 28.2) and sexually transmitted infection (STI) symptoms (OR=1.72, 95% CI: 1.00 – 2.96) increased significantly during peak conflict quarters, while odds of STI symptoms (OR=0.06, 95% CI: 0.02 – 0.20) and arrest (OR=0.61, 95% CI: 0.40 – 0.93) were significantly lower during periods of displacement. CONCLUSION: Syringe sharing significantly increased during peak conflict periods amongst PWID in Kabul. Programming should include instruction for coping with conflict and prepare clients for harm reduction needs during conflict.