fatemeh samiei

Nurses, due to the demands of their profession, are frequently exposed to high-stress clinical situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which can lead to moral distress and affect their resilience, ultimately contributing to job burnout. This study aims to investigate the relationship between moral distress, resilience, and burnout among nurses.

Methods & Materials:

 In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, 188 nurses working in hospitals affiliated with the Birjand University of Medical Sciences during the years 2021-2022 were selected through simple random sampling. The data collection tools included demographic information, the Moral Distress Scale, the Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics in SPSS software version 21.

The results indicated that the nurses experienced low moral distress (30.28±12.59), high resilience (63.70±13.44), and high levels of burnout (54.98±12.30). A direct and significant relationship was found between moral distress and burnout, while a weak and significant inverse relationship was observed between moral distress and resilience (P<0.001).

Given the significant relationship between moral distress, resilience, and burnout, it is recommended that policymakers develop strategies to enhance resilience, which could lead to a reduction in moral distress and burnout among nurses.

 The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increasing worldwide, and this issue is one of the major concerns in the pending years. T2DM causes numerous complications, including cognition, learning, and memory impairments. The positive effect of physical exercise as a popular approach has been shown in many chronic diseases. Further, the improvement effects of exercise on cognition and memory impairment have been noticed.

 This study examines the possible preventative effects of physical exercise on spatial memory attenuation and brain mitochondrial dysfunction caused by T2DM.

 Male Wistar rats received treadmill exercise (30 min per day, five days per week for two or four weeks). Then, T2DM was induced by a high-fat diet and an injection of streptozotocin (30 mg/kg). Spatial learning and memory were assessed by the Morris water maze test. Further, brain mitochondrial function, including reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), mitochondrial swelling, outer membrane damage, cytochrome c release, and ADP/ATP ratio, were measured.

 Impaired spatial memory in T2DM rats was observed. Furthermore, brain mitochondrial dysfunction was demonstrated proved by increased ROS generation, MMP collapse, mitochondrial swelling, outer membrane damage, cytochrome c release, and ADP/ATP ratio. Conversely, physical exercise, before diabetes onset, significantly ameliorated spatial memory impairment and brain mitochondrial dysfunction.

 This study reveals that physical exercise could prevent diabetes-induced spatial memory impairment. Moreover, it could ameliorate brain mitochondrial dysfunction as one of the possible underlying mechanisms of spatial memory impairment in T2DM.

The aim of the present study is to compare the two indicators of interoceptive awareness and equanimity between yoga practitioners and non-practitioners. This is fundamental research conducted using a post-event methodology. During April and May of 2022, the research was conducted in Tehran and the laboratory of the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at Tehran University. The sample consisted of women who routinely practiced yoga (n=17) and women who did not (n=16). The target population consisted of Tehran-dwelling women. Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA) was among the instruments utilized in this study. This instrument was utilized to assess interoceptive awareness and its eight subscales. In addition, the physiological index of heart rate variability (HRV) was used to accurately and objectively measure the equanimity component. The obtained data were then compared using an analysis of covariance test (with anxiety and depression scores as controls) and IBM SPSS Statistics 26 software. Interoceptive awareness and four of its subscales (attention regulation, self-regulation, listening to the body, and trust differ significantly between these two groups, according to the results. This indicates that, compared to the other group, those who practice yoga have a more conscious perception of their inner emotions and a general understanding of their inner physiological conditions. LF-HRV index differed significantly between the two groups based on comparison of HRV in the quiescent state. This information demonstrates various autonomic nervous system activities, which could be interpreted as evidence for the effect of equanimity. Various applications of the results are discussed in conclusion.

Bacteriophage refers to viruses that specifically infect bacteria. Bacteriophages are mainly used in medicine and veterinary medicine and have recently been considered for the control of plant diseases. The use of phages in the biocontrol strategy of plant pathogens is due to their ability to kill bacteria, as well as the observation of phages in the same bacterial host environment, which indicates their ability to survive in the same host environment. Phages have been used as a part of the integrated management of diseases due to their easy and convenient use, the possibility of being combined with other bactericides or alternating use with pesticides, and having a relatively low price. Although there are considerable doubts about the use of bacteriophages as effective biological control agents, the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the concern about the possibility of transferring antibiotic resistance from plant pathogens to human pathogens and the emergence of copper-tolerant strains among plant bacteria have led to a renewed desire to control disease based on bacteriophages in modern agriculture. So far, phage therapy has been successfully used against agents such as bacterial spot of edible mushrooms (Pseudomonas tolasi), bacterial leaf spot of mango beans, soft rot caused by Pectobacterium species, apple and pear blight (Erwinia amylovora), potato scab (Streptomyces scabies), geranium bacterial blight (Xantomonas hortorum pv. Pelargonii), tomato bacterial spot (Xantomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria) have been used. It is true that bacteria can become resistant to phages in a manner similar to that seen in antibiotics, but the advantage of phages over antibiotics for treating pathogens is their ability to mutate and infect new hosts. The major problem of phage-based biological control is the conversion of successful laboratory experiments into effective control methods against the pathogen at the field level. For this purpose, it is necessary to gain a complete understanding of the ecology and the complex host-phage interaction in different plant environments in order to maximize the use of phages as a biocontrol method. In this article, an attempt has been made to review the potential of bacteriophages in the biological control of plant pathogens and introduce its advantages and challenges

During last half a century, particularly after the Islamic Revolution, Islamization of science and particularly humanities has been among important philosophical discussions, and still a lot is being published on this issue. This paper attempts to identify the exact subject of the discussion, and to show although objective science tries to make distance from every biases, even according to the realists who give priority to the correspondence, the impact of different worldviews on the objective theories they offer still can remain. Islamic worldview is no exception, and as sciences of different historical periods have been effected by the prevalent worldview of the time, it can be effected by the Islamic worldview. Then the theory of impossibility of Islamic science is refuted by the case of mind body dualism in psychology believed differently in Islamic and materialist worldviews. It is noteworthy that science can become Islamic in a natural way and not according to policymaking. Science cannot be Islamized using censorship or mixing it with propositions from the Quran and Hadith. At the end it is concluded that although science can become Islamic, Islamization of science based on censorship and similar artificial means is not fruitful.

The unique properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have led to their use in various fields. But, the toxicity of CNTs has been reported in biological and environmental systems. The aim of this research is to study the effect of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) through inhalation chamber on the mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress using the mitochondria obtained from the skin and heart. Rats were exposed to 5 mg/m3 of MWCNTs (10 nm) aerosol for 5 hours /day, 5 days/week for 2 weeks in a whole-body exposure chamber. After 2-weeks exposure, Heart and skin mitochondria were evaluated for evaluation of toxicity parameters. The results showed that nanoparticles significantly decreased mitochondrial succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity and increased the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), collapse in mitochondria membrane potential (MMP), swelling in mitochondria, and cytochrome release. In conclusion, we suggested that 5 mg/m3 of MWCNTs (10 nm) induce ROS mediated cytotoxicity by directly targeting mitochondria in both skin and heart tissue.

Today, due to the growing population and increasing agricultural and food production, the use of toxins and organophosphate and organochlorine pesticides, especially Edifenphos, is increasing in the agricultural sector. One of the most effective ways to remove such toxins is to use the adsorption method. Therefore, the present study investigated the removal of Edifenphos fungicide from aqueous solution using polypyrrole composite on natural perlite zeolite. It is notworthy that each experiment was performed in a discontinuous system. For this purpose, after removing possible impurities in perlite through heating at 550 °C and then activating perlite with 0.06 N sulfuric acid, PPy/perlite nanocomposite was prepared. The structure of the adsorbents synthesized was identified using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Then, the effect of experimental parameters of pH, contact time, adsorbent mass, and temperature on adsorption was studied. The results showed that the optimal conditions for adsorption of Edifenphos by PPy/Perlite were pH 6, contact time 18 min, and adsorbent amount of 0.3 g/100 ml. Examination of the effect of temperature also showed that increasing the temperature has a positive effect on the removal efficiency. Finally, the study of the process thermodynamics showed a spontaneous and endothermic process.

 Imaging, cytological examination of ascites (if present), laparoscopy, and peritoneal lavage are performed before surgery for gastric cancer staging. Peritoneal lavage aims to diagnose the microscopic presence of tumor cells on the peritoneal surface. Positive cytology may have a prognostic value that classifies the disorder as stage IV, in which the patient is no longer an elective surgical candidate. Thus, our study was designed to assess the ability of peritoneal lavage to stage gastric cancer in non-ascitic patients based on cytological evaluation and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level measurement.

 In our prospective study, we examined gastric cancer patients who were candidates for elective surgery. Upon entering the abdominal cavity and before tumor manipulation, normal saline (500 ml) was applied, and the abdominal cavity was thoroughly dispersed. After three minutes, the fluid was drained and addressed to cytological analysis and CEA measurement by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Study variables including age, sex, family history, tumor position, pathology, staging, grading, the original tumor size, regional lymph node involvement, and distant metastases were recorded during the pre-and postoperative staging. The association between positive peritoneal lavage cytology and various patients’ characteristics was investigated.

 In this study, 94 patients were screened. Due to lymphoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), two patients were excluded. We examined 92 patients, including 63 males (68.5 %) and 29 females (31.5 %). The mean age of patients was 58.52 ± 11.87 years. The most common tumor location was the esophagogastric junction. Moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma was the most frequent microscopic diagnosis. T3 was the most prevalent primary tumor size in 51 patients. Seventy-two patients (78.26%) were operable, of whom 18 (19.6 %) were positive for peritoneal lavage cytology. Positive cytology of peritoneal lavage was significantly related to tumor size, tumor grade, serosa/adjacent organ invasion (T4), laparoscopic staging findings, locally advanced disease (R0), and stage of the disease (P < 0.05). In the peritoneal lavage fluid, elevated CEA titers were significantly related to the high-grade tumor (P = 0.012).

Our study demonstrated that positive cytology and high CEA titers in peritoneal lavage fluid of gastric cancer patients without ascites are significantly correlated to the advanced stages.

Amiodarone is used in treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. Therapeutic use of amiodarone is limited by its side effects, including pulmonary toxicity. Human Placenta Extract (HPE) contains a variety of bio-active substances. Thus, the present study aimed to quantitatively evaluate the protective effects of HPE on the structural lung changes induced by amiodarone using stereological methods. Sprague-Dawley male rats were divided into four groups. The first, second, and third groups received no treatment, amiodarone (100 mg/kg, i.p.), and HPE (500µl/kg, i.p.), respectively. The fourth group was treated with amiodaroneᳱ. The animal's lungs were removed after 10 days. The lung volume was estimated using the Cavalieri principle on the embedded and cut tissue and corrected for shrinkage. The volume density of the parenchyma, alveolar space, and septa were estimated using point-counting method. The surface area of the alveoli, the volume-weighted means alveoli volume, and mean septum thickness were also estimated in all groups. The total volume and thickness of the alveolar septum were increased by 40% and 28%, respectively. However, the total volume of the alveolar space was decreased by 31% in the amiodarone treated-rats. The mean alveolar volume was decreased by 64% on the average in the amiodarone treated group. Yet, these changes were not detected in the amiodaroneᳱ group. Moreover, RBC accumulation in the alveolar space and septa was ameliorated after HPE treatment. HPE can protect the lung tissue from the structural changes induced by amiodarone.

Educational software is a learner-centered approach. By creating a collaborative environment, it provides a rich resource of learning opportunity for learners and allows learners and teachers to search and study about variety of issues. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of educational software designed about fundamental of nursing skills on nursing student's learning of practical skills. In this semi-experimental study, 164 nursing students of the first semester were recruited through simple random sampling, they were allocated into intervention and control groups (82 people in each group).First, both groups were trained in the traditional way and their practical skills were examined by means of appropriate check lists. Next, the educational software was given to student's assigned to intervention groups. In this period, students of control group had time to review and practice their skills as routine. After 1 month; practical skills of both groups were re- evaluated. Results showed that educational software designed about fundamental of nursing skills was effective on nursing student's learning of practical skills. Student's scores of practical skills were significantly different in the intervention group compared with the control group (P<0.05). Educational software can be used as an effective teaching strategy to improve nursing students’ practical skills.

The present study investigated the future occupational position of police officer among young children in preparatory schools of Isfahan. In fact, it examined if children of Isfahan consider the job of police as their first priority in choosing their occupation in future. For this purpose, 57 male and 17 female preparatory school children were selected from among 75 subjects of Isfahan via cluster sampling. Data gathered through semi-structured interviews and analyzed utilizing chi-square and Cramer compatibility coefficients. The results showed that being a police officer is the first wish of future occupation of young children. Boys’ tendencies toward police job were more than those of girls. Most children considered police job as a masculine occupation and few of them believed on both masculinity and femininity of the job. There was a significant relationship between gender and occupational path expectations (p>0.05).