Comparing Cognitive Failures and Metacognitive Beliefs in Mild Traumatic Brain Injured Patients and Normal Controls in Kashan

Background: Head trauma is associated with multiple destructive cognitive symptoms and cognitive failure. Cognitive failures include problems with memory, attention and operation. Cognitive failures are considered as a process associated with metacognition. Objectives: This study aimed to compare cognitive failures and metacognitive beliefs in mild Traumatic Brain Injured (TBI) patients and normal controls in Kashan. Patients and Methods: The study was performed on 40 TBI patients referred to the Shahid Beheshti Hospital of Kashan city and 40 normal controls in Kashan. Traumatic brain injured patients and normal controls were selected by convenience sampling. Two groups filled out the demographic sheet, Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ) and Meta-Cognitions Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30). The data were analyzed by the SPSS-19 software with multivariate analysis of variance. Results: The results of this study showed that there were no significant differences between TBI and controls in total scores and subscales of CFQ and MCQ (F = 0.801, P = 0.61). Conclusions: Based on these findings, it seems that mild brain injuries don't make significant metacognitive problems and cognitive failures

The effect of Fig on antioxidant and oxidative parameter of normal young men in a clinical trial study

Background and aim: Today, due to the increased production of free radicals such as pollution, there is a need to a good antioxidant resource. Fig which is one of the fruit mentioned in the Qur'an, may prevent increased production of free radicals because of its rich content of antioxidants. This study was aimed to study the effect of using figs on oxidant and antioxidant parameters on healthy young men. Materials and methods: In this clinical trial, 74 healthy male students were chosen randomly and divided into two groups of test and control. Age range was 18- 40, and residency in university’s dormitories were entry criteria and disease, smoking and taking other complements were exclude criteria. The test group receive daily 120 g dried fig for four weeks. Blood samples were obtained from two groups at beginning of study and after 4 weeks. Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) was measured by FRAP method, activity of GGT and the rate of Fe were matured by auto analyzer system BT 3000. Results: results indicate that Fe level has a significant decrease as an oxidative parameter in the test group (N= 37) after four weeks of interference (p=005/0). GGT and TAC levels showed a significant increase as antioxidant parameters in the test group after four weeks of interference (p= 0/001). Conclusion: Considering the significant decrease in Fe level as the oxidative parameter and substantial increase in GGT and TAC level as the antioxidant parameters, Figs can play an effective and useful role in increasing the antioxidant defend of the body against free radicals and so decrease damages caused by oxidative stress

Mental Health Status of Patients With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Admitted to Shahid Beheshti Hospital of Kashan, Iran

Background: Planning for providing mental health services to the mentally patients due to brain injury need awareness of mental health status of the patient. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the mental health of patients with mild TBI. Patients and Methods: The descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 286 patients with mild TBI who were admitted to department of neurosurgery of Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Kashan, Iran, during the first eight months of 2013. Enrolled patients were 15 to 70 years old who able to respond to questionnaires. The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) questionnaire is used to assess the mental health status of the patients. The data were presented using logistic regression and descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 286 patients, 79.7% males and 20.3% females with male to female ratio of 4:1, completed the study. Female had significantly higher Global Severity Index (GSI) compared to males. There was a significant association between, psychologic disorders’ symptoms and age (P = 0.00). The mean (SD) of GSI on the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) was 1.39 (0.58). Conclusions: This study showed that 36% of the patients with mild TBI symptoms had mental health problems. Given the high rates of psychologic disorders among patients with mild TBI, it is necessary to reduce the factors that caused the disorder

Comparison of Artificial Neural Network and Logistic Regression Models for Prediction of Psychological Symptom Six Months after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Background: Nowadays, outcome prediction models using logistic regression (LR) and artificial neural network (ANN) analysis have been developed in many areas of healthcare research. Objectives: In this study, we have compared the performance of multivariable LR and ANN models, in prediction of psychological symptoms six months after mild traumatic brain injury. Methods: In a prospective cohort study, information of 100 mild traumatic brain injury patients, during a six months period between 2014 and 2016 were included. Data were divided into two training (n = 50) and testing (n = 50) groups, randomly. 300 ANNs and LRs were studied in the first group and then the predicted values were compared in the second group using the two final models. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and accuracy rate were used to compare these models. Results: The results showed that accuracy rate for the neural network model was 90.65, while it was 75.96 for the LR model. Conclusions: The ANN models appeared to be more powerful in predicting psychological symptoms versus the LR models

Organizing Work on Creative Crowdwork Platforms: A Practice Perspective

The world of work is changing fast with the increasing popularity of platform-mediated work. Despite platform workers being the fastest growing segment in the alternative workforce, there is little known about how work is organized on gig economy platforms that operate under conditions of employment, scheduling and location flexibility. This paper explores how work is organized on crowdwork platforms with Topcoder serving as a case of a successful platform. Our findings demonstrate that professional socialization and career development are the main practices that organize employment relationship flexibility; time, budget, and task management are the main practices that organize scheduling flexibility; and virtual communication and cultivating work friendships are the main practices that organize location flexibility. Furthermore, we find that the combination of these practices can generate psychological safety for both workers and job providers, despite the usual risks involved in the gig and crowdwork arrangements

Relapse coping strategies in young adults addicts: A quantitative study in Iran

Background: Cognitive-behavioral coping approach is known as an effective strategy to preventing relapse. Its goal is to forget incompatible behaviors and replaces them with the compatible answers. Objectives: This study examines relapse coping strategies in young adults in selected substance abuse treatment centers in Iran. Patients and Methods: The present is a descriptive cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of 70 self-referred young addicts (18-24 years). Adolescence Relapse Coping Questionnaire was used to assess relapse coping strategies. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data. Results: The findings revealed that 71.2 have experienced a relapse totally. It was hard to control the hypothetical high risk situation and they greatly wanted to use the substance (mean 7.39 of 10). Addicts have used of all three coping skills in »definitely would do» level. Conclusion: Enhancing self-efficacy through training coping skills, especially abstinence - focused coping skills to react properly in high risk situation can be useful. © 2016 Indian Psychiatric Society | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow

Identification of chemical compounds of <em>Nardostachys Jatamansi </em>essence available in Iran

Introduction: With regard to using drugs with plant origin and with the aim of suitable use of these types of drugs and preventing them to be abused, it is necessary to determine the standards of these plants. The aim of the present study was to identify and study chemical compounds of Nardostachys Jatamansi essence in Iran and define monograph of this plant for the Iranian plant pharmacopeia. Methods: In an experimental study the Nardostachys Jatamansi specimen was prepared from the market in Iran. The essence of the plant was prepared by the hydro-distillation in Clevenger apparatus. Essence was obtained as a greenish yellow oil layer with the 0.07 yield. The essence compounds were identified quantitatively by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC/MS) method. Results: Totally, 29 compounds were identified in Nardostachys Jatamansi essence. The retention indexes (RI) were only similar with overall standard values in two compounds like mesitylene and P-cymene. In this line the RI values about three compounds of valerenic acid, palmitic acid, and valerenyl isovalerate were determined significantly higher than standard values of RI. Conclusion: The essence prepared from the Nardostachys Jatamansi plant in Iran was different in terms of some compounds and components including valerenic acid, palmitic acid, and valerenyl isovalerate and so it is necessary to identify and register quality and quantity characteristics of compounds available in this plat in the Iranian medicinal plants pharmacopeia.</p

Comparison of domestic violence and its related factors in pregnant women in both urban and rural population in Zarand city, 2014

Background and aims: Domestic violence is a public cultural and health-related problem that its prevalence varies among different societies and affects pregnancy outcomes in direct and indirect fashions. The aim of this study was to compare domestic violence and its related factors in rural and urban pregnant women in Zarand. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 400 pregnant women referred to Zarand’s urban and rural healthcare centers during 2014 were included by simple (convenient) sampling method. Demographic and CTS-2 questionnaires were given to the samples. Data was analyzed by means of the independent t-test, Kruskal-Wallis and Friedman’s statistical tests. Results: The study results showed that domestic violence the mean of violence in urban and rural pregnant women was 1.82±2.86 and 1.00±1.60 in physical domain, 2.93±1.61 and 2.04±1.46 in psychological domain, 3.87±2.93 and 1.99±2.89 in sexual domain, and 1.43±1.89 and 2.29±2.36 in injury-resulted violence, respectively. A significant difference between urban and rural groups in physical, psychological and sexual violence was observed (P<0.01), but there was no statistically significant difference in injury-resulted violence between two groups. Woman’s age, spouse’s age and education level, economic (financial) status, number of pregnancies and children, marriage duration and spouse’s addiction (drug/substance abuse) were significantly related to the types of domestic violence (P<0.05). Conclusion: According to project results about high domestic violence, it is recommended screening violence in the all health and therapy centers