Exploring medical students' perceptions of empathy after cinemeducation based on Vygotsky's theory.

BACKGROUND: Medical students' empathy toward patients with Alzheimer's is rarely found in formal medical curricula. Based on Vygotsky's theory, watching films and reflection can be considered as effective methods to improve empathy. The present study aimed to explore medical students' perceptions of empathy toward patients with Alzheimer after participating in an educational program by using interactive video based on Vygotsky's theory. METHODS: This qualitative study was conducted at Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 2022. The population included all 40 medical students. Firstly, the Still Alice movie which is about the feelings of a professor who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease was shown to the students. Secondly, the students reflected on their experiences of watching the movie. Thirdly, a session was held for group discussion on the subject of the movie, the patient's feelings, the doctor's attitude, the social environment surrounding the patient shown in the movie, and the necessity of empathy toward patients with Alzheimer's disease. The reflection papers were analyzed using the conventional qualitative content analysis method. RESULTS: After analyzing 216 codes from 38 reflection papers, four categories, including communication with a patient with Alzheimer's, understanding the patient with Alzheimer's as a whole, medical science development, and the student's individual ideology, were extracted. CONCLUSION: Reflection and group discussion after watching movie by providing opportunities for social interaction about personal interpretations will lead to active role in enhancing empathy. Based on the perceptions of the medical students, they gained a perspective to consider the patient as a whole and pay attention to establishing a proper relationship with the patient.

Dimethyl fumarate attenuates paraquat-induced pulmonary oxidative stress, inflammation and fibrosis in mice.

Paraquat (PQ) is the most important cationic bipyridyl herbicide in the agricultural industry, which is very toxic to humans and animals and causes disruption in many organs, mainly in the lungs. Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is an immune-modulating drug used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis and psoriasis shows antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antifibrotic effects. In this study, the ameliorative effects of DMF (10, 30 and 100 mg/kg, orally) on PQ (30 mg/kg) model of lung damage were evaluated in male mice. DMF was given daily for 7 days and PQ was administrated in the fourth day in a single dose. On the eighth day, the animals were sacrificed, and their lung tissue were removed. The results indicated that DMF can ameliorate PQ-induced the significant increase in lung index, hydroxyproline, as well as TBARS, TGF-ß, NF-κB and decrease in the amount of total thiol, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, Nrf-2, and INF-γ. The histopathological results confirmed indicated findings. The results showed that the protective effect of DMF on PQ-induced toxicity is mediated through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic activities.

Exploring the viewpoint of faculty members of medical sciences universities about effective factors on their organizational retention: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Faculty retention in medical sciences universities is one of the most important values for the survival of the educational system. This study aimed to explore the viewpoint of faculty members of medical sciences universities in Iran about effective factors affecting their organizational retention. METHODS: Qualitative study using deep interviews collected by maximum variation sampling. A purposively selected sample of 15 faculty members was recruited throughout two Iranian medical sciences universities (Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Kerman University of Medical Sciences) during 2021-22. RESULTS: Qualitative data analysis provided 3 main categories and 10 sub-categories. Three main categories were identified that affected the faculty's organizational retention included individual factors, institutional factors, and socio-political factors. CONCLUSION: Factors that contribute to the improvement of faculty retention encompass various aspects. These include consideration given to the personal and social requirements of faculty members, support provided by the organization along with effective resource management, a fair and transparent organizational structure, and the maintenance of political stability both within the university and the nation.

Faculty Development in the COVID-19 Era: A Rapid Systematic Review.

Background: The coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a worldwide evolving situation that has resulted in rapid adaptations of faculty development interventions in medical education. The present rapid systematic review aims to provide a narrative synthesis of the evidence concerning focus, intervention type, instructional methods, duration, and the evaluations results of the faculty development interventions in the medical education area in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This was a systematic study conducted on 5 databases (Medline/PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, ERIC, and Scopus) from December 2019 to November 2021. We used specific keywords such as faculty development, COVID-19, and medical education on electronic databases. To find additional relevant studies, we conducted a forward and backward searching strategy by checking the reference lists and citations of the included articles. Studies reporting the educational faculty development interventions in medical education during the COVID-19 era and those articles published in English were included. Titles, abstracts, and full texts were screened and the data were extracted by 2 authors. Results: Ten articles were included, most of which were focused on the improvement of online teaching and learning skills. The findings are organized into 2 main categories, including a description of the interventions, and the special aspects of the studies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: This review explores the evidence concerning faculty development programs in the medical education area in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These interventions may develop individual abilities and organizational capacities of health professions educators to enable them to sustain academic vitality and cope with the pandemic crisis. Also a rapid movement to online faculty developments, which will likely continue after the pandemic, was argued and it is required to direct the adaptations and innovations of educational developments to an organized structure in the future.

Exploring clinical educators' perceptions of role modeling after participating in a role modeling educational program.

INTRODUCTION: Role modeling significantly affects medical students' values, attitudes, and professional behaviors. Role modeling is a complex and multidimensional process that necessitates accurate perception and adequate knowledge and skills. However, most clinical educators do not have adequate awareness and knowledge about the positive and negative effects of role modeling. We aimed to explore clinical educators' perceptions of role modeling after participating in a role modeling educational program. METHODS: This qualitative study was conducted on eighteen clinical educators who were voluntarily participated in a three-month role modeling educational program. Data were collected using reflection paper writing and were analyzed through conventional content analysis. RESULTS: Data analysis resulted in the development of three main categories, namely closer attention to role modeling and effort for its promotion, deliberate effort to display role modeling, and creating a positive environment to increase the effectiveness of role modeling. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical educators have limited role modeling knowledge and skills, and hence, educational programs are required to improve their role modeling knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Role modeling educational programs should aim at developing educators' awareness and knowledge about role modeling, develop their reflection and self-control abilities, and sensitize them to the importance of deliberate use of role modeling.

Clinical teachers' perceptions of role modeling: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Role modeling has been significantly considered in medical education in recent decades. In the clinical course, students learn necessary skills and accordingly their professional identity is formed by observing and working among clinical educators. Given the importance of the role modeling in medical education, in the present study, it was attempted to explore the clinical teachers' perceptions of being a role model for medical students using a qualitative method. METHODS: A qualitative design, based on the content analysis approach, was used to analyze the perspectives of 15 clinical teachers. Participants were chosen by purposeful sampling. Data were collected using reflection paper writing. RESULTS: During the data analysis, five main categories emerged: influencing others, developing different dimensions of student, situational self-awareness, feedback and continuous effort. CONCLUSIONS: This study will be useful to form role modeling educational programs. Encouraging clinical teachers to make continuous efforts to improve role modeling and educating time management and self-control skills can help reduce the challenges of role modeling for clinical teachers.

Enhancement of role modelling in clinical educators: A randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: Role models have an important impact on the professional behavior of medical students. Previous investigations help us understand how to improve role modelling. However, studies aiming at enhancing role modelling among clinical educators are very limited and generally lack comprehensive evaluations of the designed programs. We intended to gather robust evidence on the effectiveness of a longitudinal program for enhancing role modelling.Methods: Clinical educators were divided into intervention and control groups. The longitudinal program, developed based on the exposure phase of the 'Positive Doctor Role Modelling' framework, was delivered during three months of onsite and online sessions. The effectiveness of the program was assessed in three levels of reaction, learning, and behavior.Results: In the intervention group (N = 18), the mean score of satisfaction was 4.7 (SD = 0.5), and the learning (awareness about role modelling) improved significantly after the program (3.33-4.34), comparing to the control group (3.53-3.63). There was no significant difference in terms of behavior improvement between the two groups, before and after the program.Conclusions: Our findings indicate that our longitudinal faculty development program on role modelling was highly appreciated by clinical educators, and improved their awareness and deliberate role modelling.

Development and psychometrics of script concordance test (SCT) in midwifery.

Background: Clinical reasoning plays an important role in the accurate diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Script Concordance test (SCT) is one of the tools that assess clinical reasoning skill. This study was conducted to determine the reliability and concurrent and predictive validity of SCT in assessing final lessons and gynecology exams of undergraduate midwifery students. Methods: At first, 20 clinical scenarios followed by 3 questions were designed by 2 experienced midwives. Then, after examining the content validity, 15 scenarios were selected. The test was used for 55 midwifery students. The correlation of SCT results with grade point average (GPA) was measured. To evaluate the concurrent validity of SCT, the correlation between SCT scores and the final exam of the gynecology course was measured. To measure predictive validity, the correlation of SCT scores with comprehensive exams of midwifery was calculated. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and coefficient Cronbach's alpha were used for analysis. The test's item difficulty level (IDL) and item discriminative index (IDI) were determined using Whitney and Sabers' method. Results: The internal reliability of the test (calculated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient) was 0.74. All questions were positively correlated with the total score. The highest correlation coefficient was related to GPA and comprehensive test with the score of 0.91. The correlation coefficient between SCT and the final test (concurrent validity) was 0.654, and the correlation coefficient between SCT and comprehensive test (predictive validity) was 0.721. The range of item discriminative index and item difficulty level in this exam was 0.39-0.59 and 0.32-0.66, respectively. Conclusion: SCT shows a relatively high internal validity and can predict the success rate of students in the comprehensive exams of midwifery. Also, it showed a high concurrent validity in the final test of gynecology course. This test could be a good alternative for formative and summative tests of clinical courses.

Reproductive Toxicity of Nanoparticles: A Comprehensive Review.

The unique characteristics of nanoparticles (NPs) have captivated scientists in various fields of research. However, their safety profile has not been fully scrutinized. In this regard, the effects of NPs on the reproductive system of animals and humankind have been a matter of concern. In this article, we will review the potential reproductive toxicity of various types of NPs, including carbon nanomaterials, dendrimers, quantum dots, silica, gold, and magnetic nanoparticles, reported in the literature. We also mention some notable cases where NPs have elicited beneficial effects on the reproductive system. This review provides extensive insight into the effects of various NPs on sperm and ovum and the outcomes of their passage through blood-testis and placental barriers and accumulation in the reproductive organs.

Intimacy, home, and emotions in the era of the pandemic.

While much of the sociological scholarship on intimacy has been understood in the normative sense of foregrounding and supporting human closeness, this article points to the role intimacy has as a sociological concept to better understand regulatory ties between the subject and the institution. While subject and institution are treated by modernity as distinct entities, separated by the boundary between private and the public, the article elucidates their mutual engagements by reviewing the work on intimacy in the sociology of emotions. Discussing the scholarship on intimacy from this perspective enables us to understand private suffering as a social problem linked to the collective recognition of subjective feelings. To illustrate the point, the article briefly reflects the public discourse on home upended by world-wide stay-at-home orders to contain the spread of coronavirus disease 2019. While this article neither analyzes these orders, nor judges their legitimacy, it takes the particular situation as a chance to review the sociological discussion on the emotional boundaries of home, foregrounding the concept of intimacy. Intimacy is presented as a key sociological category for understanding collective recognition of people's emotions, which impacts the way emotions are seen as relevant and legitimate in public discussions of social problems.

Improving Role Modeling in Clinical Teachers: A Narrative Literature Review.

INTRODUCTION: Students observe role models and learn from them in a variety of educational settings. Although it is known that role models impact on professional and character development of students, some clinical teachers are poor role models. We conducted a review to summarize evidence that could help clinical teachers promote their role modeling. METHODS: We performed a review search and by using specific keywords (curriculum, role model*, faculty development, teach*, program* and education), through electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, and ERIC). We obtained 320 qualitative and quantitative studies. Having removed the duplicate references, we read 244 titles and excluded irrelevant ones. Eighty-two articles were retained and the abstract of each was read. Finally, 20 articles were included. RESULTS: According to the results of our review, three major themes were identified: 1) features of a good role model composed of teaching, clinical, and personal-interpersonal skills 2) self-improvement of role modeling, and 3) faculty development programs. CONCLUSIONS: Role models have a profound effect on the attitudes and behaviors of medical students. It is important for clinical teachers to make an intentional effort to articulate what aspects they are modeling. This study can help faculty members be an effective role model. Also, finding of this review could form the foundation of a faculty development program in order to foster role modeling in clinical settings.

Protective effect of crocin against d-galactose-induced aging in mice.

OBJECTIVE: Aging is a multifactorial phenomenon, which attribute to different diseases and abnormalities in living systems. Oxidative stress, which is an important factor in aging, exacerbates this process via different mechanisms. Crocin (CR), one of the active components of saffron showed strong antioxidant effects. In the present study, anti-aging property of crocin was investigated in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The model of aging was induced using administration of d-galactose (500 mg/kg, s. c.) for 42 days. Animals were treated with crocin (10, 20, 40 mg/kg, i.p.) during treatment with d-galactose. At the end of treatment, levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) as a lipid peroxidation marker and glutathione content (GSH) in the liver and brain were measured. Also, biochemical factors including liver enzymes (ALT and AST), male sex hormones including testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-SO4) and pro-inflammatory markers such as tumor necrosis factor -α (TNF-α) and interlukine-6 (IL-6) in serum, were evaluated. RESULTS: Administration of d-galactose led to induction of lipid peroxidation in liver and brain tissues, as well as elevation of AST, ALT, and pro-inflammatory cytokines and reduction of male sex hormones levels in serum. Interestingly, treatment of animals with crocin (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg) diminished lipid peroxidation in the liver and brain tissues while elevated GSH content. Also, a decline in serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 and an elevation of male sex hormones were observed following treatment with crocin. CONCLUSION: Administration of crocin reduced d-galactose-induced aging in mice through inhibition of oxidative stress, reduction of inflammation and elevation of sex hormones.

Increase in the Th1-Cell-Based Immune Response in Healthy Workers Exposed to Low-Dose Radiation - Immune System Status of Radiology Staff.

OBJECTIVES: Radiation is one of the most important sources of free radical (such as reactive oxygen species) production, which plays an essential role in the etiology of over hundred diseases. The aim of the study was to investigate some immune parameters and hematological indices in healthy workers of the Radiology Department, University Hospital of Mashhad, Iran. METHODS: The study was performed on 50 healthy workers: 30 radiology staff as the case group and 20 laboratory workers as the control group. The radiation dose received by the radiology staff participating in the study was less than the annual maximum permissible level, 50 millisievert. Hematological parameters, lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine production were studied in both groups. RESULTS: Among healthy radiology workers, the hematological indices did not differ statistically; however, their proliferation indices and IFN-γ levels showed significant increases in parallel with decreases in the IL-4 levels as compared to controls. The immune system of workers exposed to low-dose ionizing radiation was found to be shifted from a Type 2 to a Type 1 response to promote cellular immunity. CONCLUSION: Based on our data, exposure to low-dose ionizing radiation may decrease the prevalence, frequency, and recurrence of various cancers and infectious diseases because of an increase in Th1-cell-based response, thus leading to more protection of the human body against tumor cells and foreign agents and possibly increased longevity. However, due to high rate of fluoroscopy use for interventional radiology, we suggest continuing research projects on radiation protection and hazards to prevent irreversible damage. As a recommendation, in future studies, radiology staff with a weakened immunity due to high radiation exposure should be considered as good choices to be treated using acupuncture techniques because acupuncture has been demonstrated to enhance the function and the number of immune cells.

Safranal as a safe compound to mice immune system.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to investigate immunotoxic effect of safranal (SAF), a main component of Crocus sativus essential oil, using Balb/c mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SAF was administered intraperitoneally at doses of 0.1, 0.5 and 1 ml/kg for 3 weeks. Hystopathological examination of spleen and bone marrow, cellularity of spleen, delayed type of hypersensitivity (DTH) response, hemagglutination titer (HA), cytokine production and lymphocyte proliferation assay were studied in various groups of animals. RESULTS: Spleen cellularity for SAF groups (0.1 ml/kg SAF: 6.68 [± 0.88] × 10(7), 0.5 ml/kg SAF: 8.16 [± 1.33] × 10(7), 1 ml/kg SAF: 6.12 [± 0.59] × 10(7)) did not significantly differ as compared to vehicle control (8.52 [± 1.36] × 10(7); p > 0.05). In addition, SAF at all doses could not produce any significant changes in hematological parameters, HA titer, DTH and lymphoproliferation responses, as well as in release of cytokines by isolated splenocytes (p > 0.05). Despite a few studies demonstrating some immunomodulatory effects for saffron extract, SAF as a major constituent of saffron did not induce any marked effects in immune system parameters of mice. CONCLUSION: Contrary to the toxicological studies which have indicated that SAF is more toxic than other active constituents in saffron stigma, at least it was found to be safe to mice immune system and has no toxicity on humoral and cellular immune responses.

A study on the quality of study skills of newly-admitted students of Fasa University of Medical Sciences.

INTRODUCTION: Some students attribute their academic failure to such factors as low aptitude, unavailability of resources, and bad luck. However, we can dare to say that the most important factor playing a role in academic success is students' little acquaintance with learning and study skills. This study aimed at examining the quality of study skills in newly-admitted students of Fasa Medical University so that the results can be used in holding teaching courses in study skills. METHODS: The present study is a cross-sectional descriptive study. The sampling was done of all the newly-admitted students in the first semester of 2012 academic year including 94 students of Medicine, Nursing and Laboratory Technology. The data were collected through a questionnaire, consisting of two parts. The first part included items on demographic information of the subjects (such as sex, field of study, number of hours dedicated to studying, student's rank in Konkour, and the National University entrance exam. The second part was composed of 19 special items on such domains as 'Time management', 'Concentration', 'Class note-taking', 'Studying' and 'Taking exams' with 4, 5, 4, 3, 3 items, respectively. The checklists were filled in using Likert Scale. The collected data was then analyzed using an SPSS 14, through which descriptive statistics as mean, standard deviation and multiple regressions were obtained. Moreover, the data were analyzed using Independent Sample t and ANOVA tests. RESULTS: The results showed that the range of the students' study skills was 2.35, being rather below the normal level; the highest mean belonged to 'concentration' (2.56), but the lowest mean was that of 'time management' (2.05).Through ANOVA test, it was also shown that there was no significant difference between the students of Medicine, Nursing and Laboratory Sciences regarding their scores on 'study skills' as (p=0.646). In addition, through independent sample t-test, it was shown that there was no significant difference between the subjects' 'sex' and 'study skills' as the p-value was 0.584. On the other hand, through multiple regressions, the results indicated that there was a significant difference between 'taking exams' and 'studying' (p=0.003), between 'class note-taking' and ''taking exams' (p=0.004), between 'concentration' and ''taking exams' (p=0.002), and between 'time management' and 'taking exams' (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: Regarding the very important role of study skills in learning, it is recommended that 'study skills' and 'study habits' courses be included in the students' curriculum formally or implemented as workshops for students.

Spectrophotometric Determination of Cu(2+) and Monitoring of Hg(2+) and Ni(2+) in some Iranian Vegetables Using 6-(2-Naphthyl)-2, 3-Dihydro-as-triazine-3-thione.

Recently, 6-(2-naphthyl)-2, 3-dihydro-as-triazine-3-thione (NDTT) was synthesized in laboratory and used successfully for the spectrophotometric determination of nanogram levels of Cu(2+) in aqueous solution. This reagent forms a specific red complex with Cu(2+) ions after the extraction by chloroform at alkaline pH. The absorption of the complex in the UV region (313 nm) is about 8 times as strong as in the visible one (510 nm). Mercury and nickel ions form yellow complexes with NDTT under the same conditions which interfere in the UV region and without effect on Cu (II) absorbance in the visible region. The studied vegetables include Mentha pipereta L., Anethum graveolens L., Beta vulgaris L., Coriandrum sativum, Petroselinum hortense H., Ocimum basilicum L., Spinacia oleracea L., Lactuca sativa L., and Brassica oleracea L.