Developing and validating a measurement tool to self-report perceived barriers in substance use treatment : The substance use treatment barriers questionnaire (SUTBQ)

Background Substance using often cause a wide range of social, health, and psychological problems. This study aimed to develop and validate a questionnaire of barriers of treatment in substance users. Methods In this cross-sectional study, the initial questionnaire was designed based on the evaluation of previous studies. The preliminary tool including 35 Likert-scaled items. After assuring the face validity of the questionnaire, 13 experts’ opinions were obtained for assessing or improving the content validity. The reliability was investigated by internal consistency methods using Cronbach’s alpha. For measuring the structural validity, the exploratory factor analysis was performed to determine the dimensionality of the questionnaire using principal components extraction and Varimax rotation. Results The preliminary questionnaire consisted of 35 items. After completing the face validity and summarizing the experts’ suggestions, 8 items were removed. By calculating the content validity ratio and coefficient, 11 questions were deleted. The internal consistency was calculated to be 0.84 using Cronbach’s alpha. In the last stage and according to the results of the factor analysis, three factors fear of or unawareness of treatment, doubt or inefficiency, and social stigma were identified from the 10-items questionnaire, which explained 67.34% of the total variance. Conclusion Considering the necessity of using a validated tool for planning and evaluating effective interventions on people who use substance is inevitable. The Substance use Treatment Barriers Questionnaire is designed with 10 items and 3 dimensions, which has appropriate validity and reliability and can be used to determine the obstacles for treatment or factors that lead to discontinuing treatment

Bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons by vermicomposting process bioaugmentated with indigenous bacterial consortium isolated from petroleum oily sludge

Finding a sound ecological-based approach for the removal of petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs) from petroleum oily sludge (POS) generated in oil refinery plants is still a challenge. This study investigated the removal of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) using bioaugmentated composting (BC) by hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria (HDB) and vermicomposting (VC) by Eisenia fetida, individually and in combination (BCVC). After isolating two native bacterial strains from POS prepared from an oil refinery plant in Iran, the degradation capability of their consortium was initially assessed in mineral Bushnell-Haas medium (MBHM). Then, the biodegradation rates of POS in the BC, VC, and BCVC treatments containing different concentrations of TPHs (5, 10, and 20 g/kg) were determined by measuring TPHs before and after the biodegradation. The results showed that the consortium degraded 20–62% of TPHs contents of Kerosene (1–5%) in the MBHM after 7 days. After 12 weeks, the TPHs removal percentages in the BC, VC, and BCVC treatments were respectively found to be 81–83, 31–49, and 85–91 indicating the synergistic effect of bacteria and worms in bioremediation of POS. The PHCs biodegradation in the BC, VC, and BCVC experiments was fitted to 1st order model kinetics. The results of toxicity tests indicated that the values of the no observed lethal concentration (NOLC) and median lethal concentration (LC50) of TPHs were 2–5 and 14.64 g/kg, respectively after 28 days of earthworm exposure. Morphological impairments such as swelling, coiling, and curling were observed when TPHs concentration was even lower than NOLC. The study verified the effectiveness of vermicomposting bioaugmentated with the indigenous bacterial consortium for POS bioremediation

Hepatoprotective and antifibrotic effects of trans-chalcone against bile duct ligation-induced liver fibrosis in rats

Objective(s): Several lines of research have shown that hepatic fibrosis is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Trans-chalcone is a flavonoid precursor with anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The present study was conducted to examine the antifibrotic properties of trans-chalcone on bile duct ligation (BDL)-induced liver cholestasis in rats. Materials and Methods: Following the BDL operation, trans-chalcone at doses of 12, 24, and 50 mg/kg was administered orally once a day for 45 consecutive days. Serum levels of liver indices, including alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total and direct bilirubin, and lipid profile in addition to blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine, were measured. Additionally, catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were assessed in liver homogenates. Histopathological evaluations were performed using Masson trichrome (MT) and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Results: The elevated levels of liver enzymes, total and direct bilirubin, BUN, creatinine, cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) induced by BDL were significantly reduced following trans-chalcone administration; while serum level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) increased. Besides, treatment with trans-chalcone elevated the activities of CAT and SOD in the liver tissues of the animals with BDL surgery. According to MT and H&E staining, BDL-induced histopathological changes, including infiltration of inflammatory cells, hepatocyte necrosis, ductal hyperplasia, and collagen deposition were ameliorated using trans-chalcone administration. Conclusion: It can be concluded from the present study that trans-chalcone, possibly by its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, may exert hepatoprotective and antifibrotic effects in BDL-induced liver fibrosis.

Alterations in the Expression Level of mir-1246 and mir-224 in Breast Cancer Cell Lines After Treatment with Taxol Chemotherapeutic Agent

Background & objectives: Breast cancer is one of the most important cancers in women worldwide. Taxol as a chemotherapeutic agent, is used for treatment of breast cancer.The aim of this study was to investigate alterations in the expression of mir-1246 and mir-224 in four breast cancer cell lines after Taxol treatment with the goal of introducing them as a biochemical marker for determining response or resistance of breast cancer to the Taxol therapy. Methods: In this in vitro study, four breast cancer cell lines including MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, SKBR-3 and BT-474 were cultured in RPMI1640 medium supplemented with 10% FBS and antibiotics. Then, MTT assay was performed to determine IC50 concentration of Taxol. Cells were treated for 24 hours and then RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis were performed. Alterations in the expression level of mir-1246 and mir-224 were quantitated using qRT- PCR. Results: After treatment with Taxol, the expression level of mir-1246 was significantly up-regulated in two HER2-overexpressing cell lines, BT-474 (113 fold) and SKBR-3 (1.4 fold), and down-regulated in two HER2-negative cell lines, MCF-7 (45.5 fold) and MDA-MB-231 (7.7 fold). Expression of mir-224 was detected only in two cell lines including SKBR-3 and MDA-MB-231, and was down-regulated after treatment with Taxol (2.1 and 17.2 fold, respectively). Conclusions: According to the different pattern of alteration in the expression level of mir-1246 in HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cell lines compared to HER2-negative cell lines after treatment with Taxol, this miRNA could be a useful biomarker for responsiveness to Taxol in  different types of HER2-positive and -negative breast cancers

Modeling Structural Equations for Predicting Death Anxiety Associated with COVID-19 Based on Mediating Roles of Emotion Regulation and Meaning in Life

Background and purpose: Life and death became significant issues with the outbreak of the COVID-19 and its aftermath. Previous studies have shown that having meaning in life and the ability to regulate emotion can play effective roles in coping with death anxiety. The present study investigated the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and death anxiety with the mediating roles of emotion regulation and meaning in life. Materials and methods: In this correlational study, the study population included all adults aged 18 to 60 years in Mashhad, Iran 2020-2021, of whom 583 were selected via convenience sampling. Data were collected using Persian version of Templer Death Anxiety Questionnaire, Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), and Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ). Correlation and causality relationships were investigated using path analysis in SPSS V25 SPSS and AMOS V24. Results: A significant positive correlation was found between death anxiety and COVID-19 anxiety (r=0.31) and difficulty in emotion regulation (r=0.47). On the other hand, there was a significant negative correlation between death anxiety and meaning in life (r=-0.43). COVID-19 anxiety could indirectly predict death anxiety due to the difficulty in emotion regulation and presence of meaning in life. Conclusion: COVID-19 anxiety, emotion regulation, and meaning in life play key roles in death anxiety. Therefore, teaching emotion regulation techniques and having deeper meaning in life play major preventive roles in development of death anxiety associated with COVID-19

Effect of Cognitive Pain Self-Management Program on Depression, Anxiety, and Stress in Women with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Pilot Study

Background: Chronic musculoskeletal pain is a worldwide health problem. Anxiety and depression are common among patients suffering from chronic pain. Self-management strategies are used to help patients manage the emotional distress associated with pain. Aim: To evaluate the effects of cognitive pain self-management program (CPSMP) on depression, anxiety, and stress in women with chronic pain. Method: This pilot study with a pretest-posttest design performed on 20 women with chronic pain, who were referred to Imam-Reza and Qaem Clinic Centers and Clinical Psychology Center of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran, during June-October 2014. The participants randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The intervention comprised of eight 120-min weekly group sessions. CPSMP employs the principles of cognitive therapy and self-management program strategies. The control group received regular treatment sessions. At pre-and post-test, the participants completed Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). The data were analyzed using Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney U tests. Results: The mean ages of the intervention and control groups were 35.2±9 and 32.5±11 years, respectively. After the intervention, Mann-Whitney U test did not reflect a significant difference between the intervention and control groups in terms of depression (P=0.14). Moreover, the results of Mann-Whitney test revealed a significant difference between the groups regarding anxiety (