EFFECT OF NURSE-LED GROUP EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS ON THE QUALITY OF LIFEAMONG PATIENTS WITH IMPLANTED PACEMAKERS

Background & Aims : Cardiac arrhythmia is one of the most common cardio-vascular diseases and pacemaker is a curative method which reduces most of problems in patients with arrhythmia. In spite of benefits of pacemaker, it may lead to some complications such as physical and psychological problems that can affect patients’ quality of life. Thusfollow up is necessary for pacemaker users after discharge. The aim of this study was to detect effects of nurse-led group educational sessions on the different dimensions of quality of lifeamong patients with implanted pacemakers. Materials & Methods : In this clinical trial study sixty patients with pacemaker implantation divided into two groups. Case group patients participated in the group educational sessions while participants in the control group receivedtheir routine care (educational material) for four weeks. We used Assessment of Quality of Life (AQOL) and Short Form Questionnaire (SF36) for assessing the quality of life and semi structure interview was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using Statistical Program for the Social Science (SPSS 13.0) for windows. Independent and Paired-T test also Fisher test analyses were used in this study. Alpha was set at p<0.05 for all data analyses. Results: Prior to the intervention, mean quality of life scores was same between two groups [(57/44 ± 19/27 for intervention group and 52/23 ± 15/84 for control group), p=0/20]. After 4 weeks intervention independent-t-test showed a significant differences among the mean scores between two groups in all aspects of quality of life [76/19 ± 15/62 for intervention group and 54/11 ± 14/86 for control group, (p<0/001)]. Conclusion: Our results confirmed the effect of group educational session to improve the different aspects of quality of life among patients with implanted pacemakers. Consequently employing post-dischargegroup educational session can improve the quality of life among these patients as a cost effectiveness method

Effect of La³⁺ ions on the habit of KDP crystals

A few KDP (KH2PO4) and KDP: La³⁺ (LaCl₃) single crystals were grown being based on the temperature reduction method. Investigations show that the presence of three valent ions like La³⁺ could be a cause of retarded growth rate and induced crystalline lattice defects. Here the pure KDP crystals are compared with KDP: LaCl₃ before and after their exposure to gamma irradiation. Both types of crystals also were studied in aspect of other structural and optical properties

Human Wharton�s jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells express oocyte developmental genes during co-culture with placental cells

Objective(s): The present day challenge is how to obtain germ cells from stem cells to treat patients with cancer and infertility. Much more efforts have been made to develop a procedure for attaining germ cells in vitro. Recently, human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (HUMSCs) have been introduced with higher efficacy for differentiation. In this work, we tried to explore the efficacy of HUMSCs and some effective products of placental cells such as transforming growth factors. This study is aimed to optimize a co-culture condition for HUMSCs with placental cells to obtain primordial germ cells (PGCs) and reach into oocyte-like cells in vitro. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, HUMSCs and placental cells were co-cultured for 14 days without any external inducer in vitro. Then HUMSCs were assessed for expression of PGC markers; Octamer-binding transcription factor 4(OCT4), Tyrosine-protein kinase Kit (CKIT), Stage specific embryonic antigen 4 (SSEA4), DEAD (Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp) box polypeptide 4(DDX4) and oocyte specific markers; Growth differentiation factor-9(GDF9), Zona pellucida glycoprotein 3(ZP3). The pertinent markers were assessed by immunocytochemistry and Q-PCR. Results: Co-cultured HUMSCs with placental cells (including amniotic and chorionic cells) presented Oct4 and DDX4, primordial germ cells specific markers significantly, but increment in expression of oocyte-like cell specific markers, GDF9 and ZP3 did not reach to statistically significant threshold. Conclusion: Placental cell supplements Transforming growth factor (TGF α, β) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in a co-culture model can provide proper environment for induction of HUMSCs into PGCs and expression of oocyte-like markers. � 2015, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

A Possible Connection Between Plant Longevity and the Absence of Protein Fibrillation: Basis for Identifying Aggregation Inhibitors in Plants

The ability of proteins to aggregate to form well-organized β-sheet rich amyloid fibrils is increasingly viewed as a general if regrettable property of the polypeptide chain. Aggregation leads to diseases such as amyloidosis and neurodegeneration in humans and various mammalian species but is also found in a functional variety in both animals and microbes. However, there are to our knowledge no reports of amyloid formation in plants. Plants are also the source of a large number of aggregation-inhibiting compounds. We reasoned that the two phenomena could be connected and that one of (many) preconditions for plant longevity is the ability to suppress unwanted protein aggregation. In support of this, we show that while protein extracts from the sugar maple tree Acer saccharum fibrillate readily on their own, this process is efficiently abolished by addition of small molecule extracts from the same plant. Further analysis of 44 plants showed a correlation between plant longevity and ability to inhibit protein aggregation. Extracts from the best performing plant, the sugar maple, were subjected to chromatographic fractionation, leading to the identification of a large number of compounds, many of which were shown to inhibit aggregation in vitro. One cautious interpretation is that it may have been advantageous for plants to maintain an efficient collection of aggregation-inhibiting metabolites as long as they do not impair metabolite function. From a practical perspective, our results indicate that long-lived plants may be particularly appropriate sources of new anti-aggregation compounds with therapeutic potential

Using intervention mapping to develop a home-based parental-supervised toothbrushing intervention for young children

BACKGROUND: Dental caries in young children is a major public health problem impacting on the child and their family in terms of pain, infection and substantial financial burden on healthcare funders. In the UK, national guidance on the prevention of dental caries advises parents to supervise their child's brushing with fluoride toothpaste until age 7. However, there is a dearth of evidence-based interventions to encourage this practice in parents. The current study used intervention mapping (IM) to develop a home-based parental-supervised toothbrushing intervention to reduce dental caries in young children. METHODS: The intervention was developed using the six key stages of the IM protocol: (1) needs assessment, including a systematic review, qualitative interviews, and meetings with a multi-disciplinary intervention development group; (2) identification of outcomes and change objectives following identification of the barriers to parental-supervised toothbrushing (PSB), mapped alongside psychological determinants outlined in the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF); (3) selection of methods and practical strategies; (4) production of a programme plan; (5) adoption and implementation and (6) Evaluation. RESULTS: The comprehensive needs assessment highlighted key barriers to PSB, such as knowledge, skills, self-efficacy, routine setting and behaviour regulation and underlined the importance of individual, social and structural influences. Parenting skills (routine setting and the ability to manage the behaviour of a reluctant child) were emphasised as critical to the success of PSB. The multi-disciplinary intervention development group highlighted the need for both universal and targeted programmes, which could be implemented within current provision. Two intervention pathways were developed: a lower cost universal pathway utilising an existing national programme and an intensive targeted programme delivered via existing parenting programmes. A training manual was created to accompany each intervention to ensure knowledge and standardise implementation procedures. CONCLUSIONS: PSB is a complex behaviour and requires intervention across individual, social and structural levels. IM, although a time-consuming process, allowed us to capture this complexity and allowed us to develop two community-based intervention pathways covering both universal and targeted approaches, which can be integrated into current provision. Further research is needed to evaluate the acceptability and sustainability of these interventions

Oleuropein derivatives from olive fruit extracts reduce α-synuclein fibrillation and oligomer toxicity

Aggregation of α-synuclein (αSN) is implicated in neuronal degeneration in Parkinson's disease and has prompted searches for natural compounds inhibiting αSN aggregation and reducing its tendency to form toxic oligomers. Oil from the olive tree (Olea europaea L.) represents the main source of fat in the Mediterranean diet and contains variable levels of phenolic compounds, many structurally related to the compound oleuropein. Here, using αSN aggregation, fibrillation, size-exclusion chromatography–multiangle light scattering (SEC-MALS)-based assays, and toxicity assays, we systematically screened the fruit extracts of 15 different olive varieties to identify compounds that can inhibit αSN aggregation and oligomer toxicity and also have antioxidant activity. Polyphenol composition differed markedly among varieties. The variety with the most effective antioxidant and aggregation activities, Koroneiki, combined strong inhibition of αSN fibril nucleation and elongation with strong disaggregation activity on preformed fibrils and prevented the formation of toxic αSN oligomers. Fractionation of the Koroneiki extract identified oleuropein aglycone, hydroxyl oleuropein aglycone, and oleuropein as key compounds responsible for the differences in inhibition across the extracts. These phenolic compounds inhibited αSN amyloidogenesis by directing αSN monomers into small αSN oligomers with lower toxicity, thereby suppressing the subsequent fibril growth phase. Our results highlight the molecular consequences of differences in the level of effective phenolic compounds in different olive varieties, insights that have implications for long-term human health

Psychological experiences of families with adopted child

Aim and Background: Adoption is a subject with prolix antecedent in historical society and culture. Child acceptation affects on partner and family relation; so recognition of these families experience help nurses to have a deep knowledge about the individual and social relationship of these families. Methods and Materials: In this phenomenological qualitative study, 15 families with adopted child were selected by target based method, in Shahrekord, Iran. Data collected by in-depth semi-structured face-toface interviews. Data analysis was conducted using the phenomenological analytic method defined by Colaizzi. Findings: Totally, 160 codes were extracted. Nine main themes were obtained related to psychological experiences including; parent role acceptation, adoption tools, interaction with others, child specification, mental changes, family relation, life changes, child acceptation and relation with child. Conclusions: Based on our findings, mental changes were the most important experience mentioned by families. Adoption has some compensation for the adopted child and consolidates the family basis. Nurses should consider these findings in the psychological interventions for solving related problems

Inhibitory effects of Iranian Cuminum Cyminum Against Amyloid Fibril Formation and Cytotoxicity of Hen Egg white Lysozyme (HEWL) on SK-N-MC Cells

Background and Objective: Protein fibrils are deposited in different tissues as amyloid plaques, and it is strongly believed that they contribute to the pathogenesis of disorders, called amyloidosis. Cuminum cyminum has been used traditionally for dementia, which is a related disease to protein fibrillation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effects of Iranian herbal medicinal essential oils, as sources of small molecules, on the protein fibrillation process and their cytotoxicity effects. Materials and Methods: Fibrillation was characterized using circular dichroism spectroscopy, fluorescence assay with thioflavin T, and atomic force microscopy. Cytotoxicity studies were examined on SK-N-MC cell lines by MTT, lactate dehydrogenase and glucose consumption assays. Results: The study showed that the C. cyminum essential oil inhibited fibrillation of the hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL), representing the protein model for fibrillation. This effect was specific, although, other herbal medicinal oils did not demonstrate similar inhibitory effects on protein fibrillation, in fact, sometimes they induced fibrillation. Cytotoxicity assays indicated that the oil alone destroyed the cultivated cells. Conclusion: It is concluded that although C. cyminum have a significant effect on the inhibition of protein fibrillation but causes cell death