Extending the theory of planned behavior to predict the behavior of farmers in choosing low-water-intensive medicinal plants.

Water scarcity has become a serious challenge in many parts of the world due to increasing demands and the impacts of climate change. The agriculture sector globally accounts for a major portion of water consumption, yet it also holds substantial potential for water conservation. Among the most effective ways to conserve water is to cultivate low-water-demanding crops, such as medicinal plants (MPs), instead of water-demanding crops (WDC). However, the voluntary participation of farmers, largely influenced by socio-psychological drivers, is crucial for successfully implementing most water conservation programs and needs to be addressed. Therefore, the main objectives of this paper were: (1) to identify the determinants that explain farmers' intention and behavior in cultivating MPs instead of WDC; and (2) to examine the effectiveness and performance of an extended version of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in predicting farmers' intention and behavior toward cultivating MPs by innovatively incorporating four new variables into the original TPB model: perceived barriers, moral norms, compatibility, and relative advantage. The applicability of the theoretical framework was evaluated in the Sojasroud Plain, Zanjan province, Iran. The results of the structural equation modeling revealed that: (1) farmers' intention to cultivate MPs instead of WDC is significantly influenced by perceived barriers, moral norms, subjective norms, and perceived behavior control (the strongest predictor); and (2) farmers' behavior in cultivating MPs instead of WDC is predicted by relative advantage, compatibility, and intention (the most prominent determinant). The R2 values for predicting intention and behavior were 55% and 53%, respectively. Based on the results, some practical policies were proposed to increase the cultivation of MPs in the study area.

A 16-year-old adolescent with a history of minor abdominal trauma diagnosed with a giant isolated primary splenic hydatid cyst: a case report.

Introduction: Hydatosis is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by echinococcosis larval infection. South America, Africa, the Middle East, South Europe, India, and Australia are endemic to this disease. Splenic involvement is a rare and complicated hydatid disease presentation. A splenic hydatid cyst is an infrequent clinical occurrence, even in regions where the disease is endemic. Case presentation: A 16-year-old male, having a background of mild abdominal trauma and non-resolving dull abdominal pain attended a paediatric surgical outpatient office and following a thorough examination, was diagnosed with a giant solitary isolated splenic hydatid cyst. Subsequently, the patient received albendazole and underwent total splenectomy, necessitated by the considerable size of the cyst, classified as a giant. Clinical discussion: Splenic involvement of hydatid disease is a rare presentation (0.5-8%.). With the initial clinical finding often involving the accidental discovery of a palpable mass, the most frequently reported symptoms and signs include the presence of a palpable mass, fever, dull pain, or splenomegaly. Ultrasound and computed tomography are the most helpful tools for evaluating focal splenic diseases. The preferred treatment involves the use of antihelminthic drugs such as albendazole or mebendazole in conjunction with splenectomy. Total splenectomy is the preferred approach and is associated with decreased hospital stay, reduced healthcare costs, and a lower likelihood of recurrence. Conclusion: in endemic areas, in patients with splenic cysts, hydatidosis should be contemplated.

Comparison of cystectomy and lobectomy of lung hydatid cyst in pediatrics: a retrospective study.

Objective: Hydatid cyst is an endemic disease in Iran. The treatment of choice for paediatric lung hydatid cysts is surgical removal of the cyst. However, due to its high prevalence the risk of recurrence after the surgery, cystectomy with capitonnage, which preserves the lung tissue, is a favourable surgical approach compared to lobectomy. Herein, the authors compared the outcome of cystectomy and lobectomy of lung hydatid cysts. Methods and materials: This is a retrospective study conducted in the paediatric surgery department. Paediatric patients who had undergone surgery due to pulmonary hydatid cysts were enroled. The patients were divided into two groups including cystectomy and non-anatomic lobectomy. Then, the length of surgery, length of hospitalization, postoperative complications, and the time required to remove the chest tube were calculated in each group. Results: A total of 32 patients were enroled in this retrospective study. Age, sex, location, and size of cysts were not significantly different between the two groups. The duration of surgery in the lobectomy and cystectomy groups was 116.3±33.7 versus 116.1±28.2 min, respectively (P=0.53). Surgery complications including the need for blood transfusion, pneumothorax, need for bronchoscopy and atelectasis were not different between the study groups. The mean time for first chest tube removal was significantly different between the groups with the lobectomy group having a shorter time (P=0.02). The length of hospital and ICU stay were not different between the two surgical procedures. The time to remove the first chest tube was significantly higher in cystectomy compared to lobectomy (P=0.02). Conclusion: The complications and outcome of the cystectomy are comparable to the lobectomy technique. However, the cystectomy method has the advantage of preserving the lung tissue, therefore it's a favourable technique in endemic areas for hydatid cysts where reoperation may be indicated.

Ileal atresia and total colonic hirschsprung disease in a 36-week neonate: A case report.

Intestinal atresia and hirschsprung disease are two common causes of bowel obstruction in neonates; simultaneous occurrence is rare. This report delineates a 36-week newborn with ileal atresia and total colonic hirschsprung who was referred to our unit due to failure of meconium passage during the first 48 h after birth.

Evaluating the utility of cystoscopy, distal colostography, and sonography for locating the fistula in patients with anorectal malformation: a case series.

Anorectal malformations are congenital conditions ranging from a simple perianal fistula to a complex cloacal malformation. Since the precise determination of the location of the fistula is the central pillar in choosing the type of surgery, this study aims to evaluate and compare the efficacy of three techniques, transperineal ultrasound, distal colostography, and cystoscopy. Materials and methods: This study was performed on patients with anorectal abnormalities who had undergone decompressive colostomy and were planned for anorectoplasty in the period from September 2017 to March 2019 in a pediatric surgical center. To answer our question, all three mentioned methods were conducted before the surgery and were compared with the intraoperative findings. Results: Sonography, distal colostography, and the second cystoscopy findings were similar to intraoperative conclusions concerning the presence of a fistula in patients, whereas blind cystoscopy had 30% accuracy and similarity. Regarding the type of fistula sonography, distal colostography, and second cystoscopy each had 50, 37.5, and 10 inconsistency with the intraoperative findings. In all cases where a fistula was detected in blind cystoscopy, the location of the fistula was correctly determined by this modality. Data analysis on the pouch to perineum distance measurements obtained from sonography and colostography were significantly different from that of surgery. Conclusion: The results of this study emphasize the need to perform several diagnostic modalities to determine the location and type of fistula to improve diagnostic accuracy.

A life-threatening encounter: an uncommon case of ruptured hydatid cyst presenting as anaphylactic shock and respiratory distress in a 12-year-old boy.

Introduction and importance: Although rare, the spontaneous rupture of a lung hydatid cyst or its perforation into the pleural cavity can give rise to an abrupt onset of symptoms, including cough, fever, hemoptysis (coughing up blood), and hypersensitivity reactions, and can ultimately lead to respiratory failure. Case presentation: A 12-year-old boy was brought to the emergency room with a loss of consciousness. Symptoms included tachypnea, fever, low blood pressure, and overall respiratory distress. After resuscitation, a chest X-ray revealed a distinct, well-defined round opacity located in the lower region of the right lung, leading to mediastinal displacement. After confirmation of the disease, the child was hospitalized in the ICU care and consequently underwent surgery. Treatment was successful and there was no recurrence on the follow-up. Clinical discussion: Studies have demonstrated that the right lower lobe of the lung is the most frequently affected area of the lung by hydatid cysts. Symptomatic and complicated hydatid cysts are a rare concept in children, and only a small percentage, are diagnosed in patients younger than 16 years. Surgery remains the preferred treatment for the majority of patients with pulmonary hydatid disease. It is important to note that combined surgery and chemotherapy represents the current gold standard in managing pulmonary hydatid cyst. Conclusion: Although anaphylactic shock caused by a ruptured lung hydatid cyst is rare, it should be taken into consideration by physicians as a differential diagnosis in patients who also have respiratory symptoms, particularly in endemic areas.

Investigating the effect of sudden occlusion of the testicular vessels on the testicular tissue in rat models.

One of the ways to treat undescended testicles is to use orchiopexy surgery, which is modified into the two-stage Fowler-Stephens technique in cases of short or immobile testes. The disadvantage of using this technique is the probability of testicular ischaemia following the sudden closure of the testicular artery; although the collateral arteries prevent atrophy, the testis loses its germ cells during this stress and may no longer be functional. Therefore, this study aims to examine the changes in testicular tissue regarding necrosis and infarction after the occlusion of the vessels. Methods and materials: In this experimental study 15 male rats weighing 200-250 g were prepared and first, one of the rats was sacrificed and testicles on both sides were used for pathology control. After general anaesthesia vascular ligature was performed with the left testes undergoing both venous and arterial occlusion and the right testes only arterial occlusion. After 1 month, all specimens were killed and the testes were completely removed and sent for histopathological evaluation. Results: A total of 14 rats and 28 testes were studied in two equal groups of case and control. There was no significant difference between the case and control groups in terms of testicular volume, consistency, and viability. Microscopic findings revealed that necrosis, infarction, and state of inflammation were significantly higher in the case group than in the control group. Conclusion: The results of this study show that abrupt closure of the testicular artery in rats is associated with necrosis and infarction, decreased spermatogenesis, and more inflammation. However, no significant differences were found in terms of macroscopic findings including volume, consistency, and viability.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy in pediatric Wilms tumor.

INTRODUCTION: Although the sentinel lymph node Biopsy (SLNB) is well stablished in solid tumors among adults but the experience on SLNB in pediatrics is still limited. In this article we report our experience of sentinel lymph node detection that is applied on pediatric solid renal tumors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty 1-16 year old children with non-metastatic primary Wilms tumor regarding the radiological studies were enrolled. Radio tracer injection was carried out after renal vein, artery and ureter ligation, at the time of radical nephrectomy. Sentinel node detection and sampling was performed in every location with radiotracer count of 3 times more than background. Finally lymph node sampling was completed following the standard current discipline in Wilms tumor surgery. RESULTS: A single SLN was detected in 16 patients. 4 patients had more than one SLN. The most common site of SLN was inter aortocaval space. Histopathologic studies revealed tumor involvement in 3 sentinel nodes (15%). All other lymph node samples were also studied histologically and LN involvement was not detected in any of the cases with tumor free sentinel lymph node (no false negative case). Multiple LN involvement was reported in two patients with positive SLN in which, other involved lymph nodes were removed with the tumor during radical nephrectomy. CONCLUSION: Intraoperative SLNB is a safe and feasible tool to improve the accuracy of staging in pediatric Wilms' tumor. We suggest to ligate renal artery and vein prior to radiotracer injection to diminish the background confounding effect. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II (development of diagnostic criteria in a consecutive series of patients and a universally applied "gold standard") TYPE OF STUDY: Study of Diagnostic Test.

Deep Learning for Massive MIMO Channel State Acquisition and Feedback.

Massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems are a main enabler of the excessive throughput requirements in 5G and future generation wireless networks as they can serve many users simultaneously with high spectral and energy efficiency. To achieve this massive MIMO systems require accurate and timely channel state information (CSI), which is acquired by a training process that involves pilot transmission, CSI estimation, and feedback. This training process incurs a training overhead, which scales with the number of antennas, users, and subcarriers. Reducing the training overhead in massive MIMO systems has been a major topic of research since the emergence of the concept. Recently, deep learning (DL)-based approaches have been proposed and shown to provide significant reduction in the CSI acquisition and feedback overhead in massive MIMO systems compared to traditional techniques. In this paper, we present an overview of the state-of-the-art DL architectures and algorithms used for CSI acquisition and feedback, and provide further research directions.

Depression in patients with pemphigus: is it a major concern?

It is suggested that some dermatological diseases due to their chronicity, impact on the body image, unlikelihood of complete recovery and frequent recurrences are one of the major predisposing factors towards depression. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the rate and level of depression among pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus patients, two of the most common causes of hospitalization in dermatology units. This research was conducted on 55 patients with active pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus referring to pemphigus clinics or admitted as inpatients to the dermatology ward of Qaem and Imam Reza hospitals, Mashhad, Iran, from April 2008 to September 2009. The research tool was the Beck Depression Inventory. Collected data was analyzed by χ(2)-test Student's t-test. Twenty-six (47.3%) patients were female and 29 (52.7%) were male. The mean age was 42.34 ± 18.98 years. The prevalence rate of clinical depression was 28% in pemphigus vulgaris and 20% in pemphigus foliaceus cases. Depression prevalence showed no significant difference between these two groups (P = 0.873). In conclusion, pemphigus patients are at risk for mild depression.