The Effect of Mindfulness on Posttraumatic Growth of Mothers of Premature Infants Admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) in mothers of premature infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Iran. Sixty mothers were selected by convenience sampling and assigned to the intervention and control groups. The intervention group received two MBSR sessions each week over the course of three weeks. The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) was used to collect data before, immediately after, and 1 month after the intervention. Based on repeated measures ANOVA, group-by-time interaction effect was significant and there was a statistically significant difference in the mean PTG scores of mothers in the two groups over time (p = 0.004). MBSR increased PTG in mothers. As a result, it is suggested that this approach be used in psychological support programs for mothers who have premature infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units.

Age-related histopathological and biochemical testicular damages were ameliorated by vitamin C administration.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Aging is an irreversible process associated with decreased biological functions that can lead to the reduction of reproductive organs capacities in males and females. Paternal age is a significant predictor of offspring health and development. So, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of vitamin C on histopathological and biochemical testicular changes following aging process with a focus on stereological methods. MATERIAL AND METHODS: For this study, 48 adult male NMRI mice were divided into two control and experimental groups. Mice in experimental group were supplemented with vitamin C (150mg/kg) including 24-h interval by oral gavage for 33 weeks. Same regime was performed for animals in control group except that vitamin C was replaced by water. Then, right testes were extracted for stereological and left testes were used for molecular analyses on weeks 8, 12, and 33. RESULTS: Our findings showed low semen quality, decreased level of serum Luteinizing hormone (LH), Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and testosterone along with increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and higher apoptotic gene expression following aging. Stereological studies showed that the volume of testes, the length of seminiferous tubules, and the number of spermatogenic and none-spermatogenic cells decreased significantly during aging. Also, vitamin C consumption for 33 weeks significantly improved biochemical and histological indices. The impact of aging on male reproduction seems to be inevitable worldwide. Therefore, the use of protective and preventive remedies conserving male fecundity is very important and based on our results, vitamin C is a beneficial candidate for improving age-related testicular changes due to aging process.

The Relationship Between Nurse's Professional Quality of Life, Mindfulness, and Hardiness: A Cross-Sectional Study During the COVID-19 Outbreak.

Background: In the pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease, various factors, such as workplace factors, and psychological variables, can affect the occupational status of nurses. This study aimed to assess the relationship between nurses' professional quality of life, mindfulness, and hardiness during the outbreak of COVID-19. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 239 nurses from two medical centers in Rafsanjan, Iran. Quota sampling was performed from August to November 2020. A demographic form, the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL), the Freiburg Mindfulness Questionnaire-Short Form (FMI-SF), and the Occupational Hardiness Questionnaire (OHQ) were used to collect data. Results: The mean age of the participants was 33.20 ± 6.85 years. The majority of the participants were female, married, and employed. Compassion Satisfaction (CS), Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS), and Burnout (BO) were all moderate among nurses. Hardiness was the best predictor of compassion satisfaction. Mindfulness was the best predictor of both secondary traumatic stress and burnout. Psychological hardiness and mindfulness had the greatest impact on nurses' quality of professional life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: Caring for COVID-19 patients may lead to BO, CF, and STS; identifying predictors of these can inform the development of interventions to mitigate or minimize BO, CF, and STS in nurses caring for these patients. Furthermore, in order to improve nurses' quality of professional life, psychological hardiness, and mindfulness, necessary psychological programs and interventions should be designed and implemented.

The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Posttraumatic Stress of Mothers With Premature Neonates Admitted to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Mothers experience posttraumatic stress disorder with the birth of a premature neonate. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction on posttraumatic stress of mothers with premature neonates in Iran. Sixty mothers with premature neonates were selected by using convenience sampling and stratified random allocation. Mindfulness-based stress reduction was trained and mean posttraumatic stress disorder was measured. Mean posttraumatic stress scores of the 2 groups were statistically significant immediately and 1 month after the intervention (independent t test, P < .05). Posttraumatic stress of both groups reduced over time, but this reduction was more significant in the intervention group (repeated-measures analysis of variance, P < .05). Concerning the positive role of mindfulness-based stress reduction in posttraumatic stress disorder of mothers, it is recommended to use this approach in care programs of mothers with premature neonates.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine in general population during COVID-19 outbreak: A survey in Iran.

OBJECTIVE: Some epidemic diseases such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have caused many physical, psychological, and social challenges, despite the existence of treatment strategies. Many people are looking for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to prevent such diseases. The present study was performed to determine how some types of CAM were being used during the COVID-19 epidemic in Iran. METHODS: The present study had a cross-sectional descriptive correlational design. All Iranian residents above 17 years old were eligible to participate in the study. A total of 782 participants completed a demographic information questionnaire, a questionnaire about their use of CAMs and a questionnaire about their satisfaction with the CAMs they used. Web-based sampling was conducted from 20 April 2020 to 20 August 2020. RESULTS: Of the participants, 84% used at least one type of CAM during the COVID-19 outbreak. The most used CAMs were dietary supplements (61.3%), prayer (57.9%), and herbal medicines (48.8%). The majority of the participants (50%-66%) have used CAMs to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 or to reduce anxiety caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. CAM use was associated with sex, having children, place of residence, COVID-19 status, and source of gathering information about CAM (P < 0.05). All 32 participants who had been infected with COVID-19 used at least one type of CAM for treatment or alleviation of the disease symptoms. CONCLUSION: During the COVID-19 outbreak, some types of CAM, particularly nutritional supplements, medicinal herbs, and prayer, were commonly used to prevent COVID-19 and reduce pandemic-related anxiety.

The Effect of Abdominal Massage on Gastrointestinal Functions: a Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: abdominal massage with regular and rhythmic movements has been used to treat some symptoms of diseases. OBJECTIVES: to review data collected from randomized controlled trials regarding the effect of abdominal massage (AM) on gastrointestinal functions (GFs). METHODS: we conducted a systematic review of articles accessible through PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Web of Science. All eligible English RCT- published articles related to the effect of AM on GFs were included in the study from the time of their acceptance until June 2019. RESULTS: ten studies with 464 patients met the inclusion criteria. Three studies reported that AM alleviated constipation symptoms in patients with multiple sclerosis, cancer, and elderly adults. In three studies, AM increased bowel movements in people with constipation and patients undergoing skeletal traction. The results of three studies conducted on intensive care patients showed that AM improved GFs, and decreased abdominal circumference and distension. Two studies showed the effectiveness of AM in reducing the gastric residual volume. However, one study indicated no significant difference between the intervention and control groups. The results of two studies showed that AM did not affect laxative intake, nausea or vomiting, frequency of defecation, and food intake. Furthermore, AM did not decrease ventilator-associated pneumonia in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation. The studies reported no adverse effects of AM. CONCLUSIONS: there was promising evidence for the effect of AM on GFs. However, further studies are needed to measure the unknown dimensions of AM in patients.

Versatile Process for the Preparation of Nanocomposite Sorbents: Phosphorus and Arsenic Removal.

Nanomaterials are being increasingly utilized for environmental remediation. The use of these materials, however, is greatly hindered due to challenges in material handling and deployment. Here we present a novel nanocomposite synthesis method based on the direct growth of nanoparticles on and within solid support materials, referred to as Crescoating. In this work, iron and copper nanoparticles have been grown on polyurethane support materials using this process and applied as sorbents for dissolved phosphorus and arsenic in water, respectively. These nanocomposite sorbents exhibit rapid sorption with saturation occurring in less than 5 min. The loading capacity is 104.8 mg PO43- g-1 and 254.4 mg As(III) g-1 for the iron and copper nanocomposite sorbents respectively, which is up to four times higher than commercially available alternatives. In addition, phosphorus can be recovered from the iron nanocomposite sorbent. This coating by growth process produces nanocomposites that do not emit particles and has the capability to be scaled and applied to other nanoparticles for diverse pollutant sorption applications.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Usage and Its Determinant Factors Among Infertile Men in Iran.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the use of some Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) techniques in infertile men. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 102 infertile men referred to the only center of infertility in Kerman, Iran using convenience sampling. Data were collected using a two-part researcher-made questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics (chi-square test and logistic regression) with SPSS 16. Results: According to the present study, 72.5% of subjects used at least one of the CAM methods in the past year. Among them 28.4% of the subjects have used one CAM technique, 13.7% have used two techniques, 8.8% have used three techniques, 9.8% have used four techniques, and 11.8% have used more than four techniques since the last year. None of the socio-demographic characteristics had significant association with being the user of complementary and alternative medicines. Conclusion: The results showed that almost three quarters of the infertile men used CAM indicating a high prevalence of CAM usage among them.

Environmental Risk Factors for Multiple Sclerosis: A Case-control Study in Kerman, Iran.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have addressed the environmental risk factors for multiple sclerosis (MS). Concerning contradictory results and change of epidemiologic patterns and the role of environmental factors, in the present study, some risk factors, especially environmental factors, on MS were studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective case-control study conducted among 120 patients with MS and 360 healthy individuals in Kerman, Iran. Inclusion criteria included (1) MS disease, diagnosed by a neurologist according to the McDonald criteria, and (2) tendency to participation in the study. Exclusion criteria included (1) suffering from cognitive disorders; (2) incomplete questionnaire; and (3) continuous migration. Data were collected using a questionnaire consisting of personal information and some environmental factors. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: The results showed that diet was associated with a higher risk of MS with the odds ratio (OR) of 14.46 and 95% confidence interval (CI) of 3.02-69.21 (p < 0.001) for vegetarian and OR of 11.74, 95% CI of 4.66-29.57 (p < 0.001) for animal diets. Similarly, vitamin D supplementation contributed to MS risk (OR: 2.27, 95% CI: 1.32-3.89; p < 0.001). In contrast, history of using cow's milk during infancy resulted in a lower risk of MS (OR: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.20-0.52, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that different lifestyles including using cow's milk during infancy and avoiding only vegetarian and animal diets may reduce MS risk in southeastern Iran. More studies are suggested to investigate the controversial finding of the negative effect of vitamin D supplementation in this area.

Complementary and alternative medicine usage and its determinant factors among Iranian infertile couples.

Background The aim of this study was to determine the status of utilizing some complementary and alternative medicine techniques in infertile couples. Methods This was a cross-sectional study conducted on 250 infertile couples referred to a hospital in Kerman using convenience sampling. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to study the prevalence and user satisfaction of complementary and alternative medicines. Results Results indicated that 49.6% of the infertile couples used at least one of the complementary and alternative medicines during the past year. Most individuals used spiritual techniques (71.8% used praying and 70.2% used Nazr) and medicinal plants (54.8%). Safety is the most important factor affecting the satisfaction of infertile couples with complementary treatments (couples think that such treatments are safe (54.8%)). Discussion Concerning high prevalence of complementary and alternative treatments in infertile couples, incorporating such treatments into the healthcare education and promoting the awareness of infertile individuals seem crucial.

Synbiotic Supplementations for Azotemia in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: a Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive and irreversible impairment of kidney function; if it progresses to the end-stage of CKD, dialysis or kidney transplant is needed. In general, there are no definitive treatment to slow the progression of CKD. This study aimed to determine the effect of synbiotic supplementations on azotemia in patients with CKD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted on 66 patients with CKD (stages 3 and 4). The participants were randomly divided into 2 groups to receive synbiotic supplement, 1000 mg/d, and placebo (2 capsules a day) for 6 weeks. At the beginning and end of the study, blood parameters and kidney function were evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 66 patients studied, 16 patients (24.2%) were women and 50 (75.8%) were men. The mean age and body mass index of the participants were 61 ± 7.65 years and 28.52 ± 4.06 kg/m2, respectively. The level of blood urea nitrogen showed a significant reduction following the intake of synbiotic supplement (from 40.80 ± 22.11 mg/dL to 36.14 ± 20.52 mg/dL, P = .01). Serum creatinine, uric acid, and other indicators of kidney function showed no significant change. CONCLUSIONS: The intake of synbiotic supplement could reduce blood urea nitrogen in patients with CKD in stages 3 and 4; however, it had no effect on the other markers of kidney function.

Estimation of salivary sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and urea in type II diabetic patients.

PROBLEM: Diabetes mellitus is an endocrine disease due to insufficiency production of insulin that is associated with altered quantity and quality in salivary secretion. Alteration in saliva can reflect the changes in patients' blood. The collection of saliva is easy therefore; the assessment of saliva is suitable for screening tests of large population. The study aimed at evaluate some elements in diabetic patients' saliva. METHODS: A total of 25 diabetic patients and age-sex matched control group enrolled into the study. Absorbance spectrophotometer technique was used for assessment of some salivary elements. RESULTS: The assessment of saliva showed that diabetics had unstimulated salivary flow rate of 0.18 ± 0.14 mL/min compared to 0.30 ± 0.12 mL/min for healthy individuals (P<0.01). Secretion of potassium and urea to saliva was significantly higher in diabetics compared to healthy group (P<0.05). In contrast calcium, sodium and phosphorus concentration was not significantly different in two groups. The level of salivary urea, potassium and phosphorus was significantly elevated in diabetic males compared to healthy males and the level of salivary calcium in diabetic females was significantly reduced compared to healthy females (P<0.05). There was not any significant difference in salivary sodium of healthy and diabetic persons according to gender (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The finding showed that there were some alterations in salivary elements in diabetic patients even in well-controlled subjects compared to healthy group. Moreover, some salivary elements concentrations were various in diabetic and healthy subjects regarding to the sex. Assessment of salivary composition could be beneficial in oral health evaluation.