A Comparison of Test Anxiety Between Normal Students and Students With Learning Disorders in Lordegan County During Academic Year 2015-2016

Background and aims: Anxiety can be defined as a state of fear and worry. Test anxiety is one of the students’ constant fears that produces destructive and negative effects on students’ educational performance and mental condition. There is not an exception among students with learning disorders and they all experience such type of anxiety. Therefore, in this research the test anxiety was compared in these two mentioned types of students. Methods: The present analytical-descriptive study was conducted on a sample of 129 students composed of 86 normal and 43 cases with learning disorders in Lordegan county. The cases were selected by simple random sampling and Sarason Anxiety Questionnaire was used for gathering data and finally the collected data was analyzed via analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and SPSS 16.0. Results: The mean of anxiety level among students with learning disorders was 24.21 (±4.33) and 20.65 (±6.81) before and after the test respectively, and the measured mean for normal students was 18.52 (±5.56) before the test and 16.7 (±5.47) after the test. This result showed a significant difference between these two types of students (P<0.001), but there were no significant differences between control and test groups’ sex and anxiety level (P>0.05). Conclusion: In these 2 studied groups, the test anxiety was decreased sharply after the test in comparison with that before it. As well, it was concluded that the normal students’ anxiety was less than the anxiety of students with learning disorders in both phases. Keywords: Test anxiety, Learning disorders, Studen

A comparative study about the impact of sensory stimulation performed by family members and nurses on vital signs of patients at ICU: A randomized clinical trial

Some studies have shown the effects of sensory stimulation on vital signs of patients at intensive care unit (ICU). However, little knowledge is available about family role compared to the role of nursing staff in this issue and current results are controversial. The aim of this study is to compare the impact of sensory stimulation performed by family members and nurses on vital signs of patients at ICU. In this study, 9669 patients were categorized into two intervention groups and one control group by stratified block randomization method. Dyang sensory stimulation was provided by family members and nursing staff. No intervention was performed for control group. Sensory stimulation was performed 2 hours a day for 6 consecutive days. The vital signs were assessed 5 minutes before and 30 minutes after intervention. Data analysis was performed by ANCOVA, ANOVA and repeated measures. The results showed that there was significant difference between the experimental groups in terms of vital signs before and after the intervention (p<0.001). Of this aspect, family group was the best, nursing group was the second and control group was the last group in classification. The effect of sensory stimulation on vital signs of comatose patients was greater when provided by family members

Ibactericidal and bacteriostatic in vitro effects of teucrium chamaedrys hydroalcoholic extract on two bacterial causative agents of tooth decay

Tooth decay is a prevalent dental disease and Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus rhamnosis are the most important bacterial causes of tooth decay. Because of the increased antibiotic resistance of bacteria and the side effects of antibiotics, this study was conducted to investigate the antibacterial effect of hydroalcoholic Teucrium Chamaedrys extraction S.mutans and L.rhamnosis. In this experimental-laboratory study, T.chamaedrys was extracted by maceration, and the standard strains of lyophilized S.mutans and L.rhamnosis were provided from Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology for investigation of T.chamaedrys effect on their growth. The antibacterial effect of hydroalcoholic T.chamaedrys was investigated on S.mutans and L.rhamnosis and then minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined. The MIC of T. chamaedrys was obtained 128 and 32 μg/L against S.mutans and L.rhamnosis, respectively. The MBC of T.chamaedrys was obtained 256 and 64 μg/L against S.mutans and L.rhamnosis, respectively. T.chamaedrys bactericidal and bacteriostatic effects on L.rhamnosis and S.mutans, two bacterial causative agents of dental cavity show that it might be used for prevention of dental cavity due to these patogens

Study of the bactericidal and bacteriostatic effects of olive oil, sesame oil and their synergism on Pseudomonas aeruginosa in vitro

Background and aims: Nosocomial infections are common problems in developing and developed countries. One of the pathogens that causes these infections is Pseudomonas aeruginosa. According to the antibiotical resistance of this bacteria, It is essential to find new treatments like new herbal medicine. This study was aimed to determine in vitro antibacterial effects of sesame oil, olive oil and their synergism on P. aeruginosa. Methods: In this experimental study, first, olive oil and sesame oil were obtained by cold-pressing assay. Then, P.aeruginosa ATCC 27853 was prepared from Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology. Oils and their mixture with the same proportion were made in concentrations from 2 to 1024 mg/ml and the antibacterial character of these oils on P.aeruginosa was investigated by broth micro dilution method and then the amounts of the MIC and the MBC were demonstrated. Results: The MIC of olive oil, sesame oil and their synergism on P.aeruginosa were reported; 16 mg/ml, 128 mg/ml and 128 mg/ml and the MBC of these oils were indicated; 64 mg/ml, 512 mg/ml and 512 mg/ml, respectively. Conclusion: This study showed that sesame oil, olive oil and their synergism can inhibit bacterial growth. Olive oil has more antibacterial effect on this bacteria than sesame oil and their synergism. So, we conclude that there was no synergistic effect in these oils

Bactericidal and Bacteriostatic effect of sesame oil, olive oil and their synergism on Escherichia coli in vitro

Background and aims: Escherichia coli is one of the important bacteria in nosocomial infections and its resistance to a wide range of antibiotics caused many problems for doctors and patients. So, it was attempted to find new substitution for these antibiotics. The aim of the present study was to determine the antimicrobial effect of olive oil, sesame oil and their synergism on E. coli. Methods: In this study, olive oil and sesame oil were extracted by cold press assay and standard strain of lyophilized E. coli ATCC 25922 was prepared from the Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology. Olive oil, sesame oil and their synergism, with the same proportion, in concentrations of 2 mg/ml to 1024 mg/ml were made individually and their MBC and MIC amounts were determined by broth micro dilution. Results: This study declared MIC and MBC for olive oil; 16 mg/ml and 64 mg/ml, for sesame oil and their mixture; 64 mg/ml and 265mg/ml, respectively. Conclusion: The study showed that both oils and their synergism inhibits the growth of bacteria and the antibacterial properties of sesame oil is approximately equal to the mixture of olive oil and sesame oil and although the oils have good antibacterial effect, there was no synergetic effect in these oils

Evaluation of antibacterial effect of sesame oil, olive oil and their synergism on Staphylococcus aureus in vitro

Background and aims: Nosocomial infections are the main cause of the problems related to health and health care costs. One of the pathogens that causes these infections is Staphylococcus aureus. Its resistance to antibiotics forced researchers to find herbal substitution such as Sesame and Olive. This study was aimed to determine antibacterial effect of sesame oil, olive oil and their synergism on S. aureus. Methods: In this experimental study, at first, olive oil and sesame oil was extracted by cold press assay and the mixture of them was prepared with equal proportion of both oils, and then the standard strain of lyophilized S. aureus ATCC 25923 was prepared from the Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology. To determine minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the oils, micro-broth dilution method was used. Results: This study indicated the amounts of MIC for sesame oil, olive oil and their synergism; 32 mg/ml, 32 mg/ml, 8 mg/ml and the amounts of MBC; 128 mg/ml, 128 mg/ml, 32 mg/ml, respectively. Conclusion: The results showed the same antibacterial activity for olive oil and sesame oil. It also showed that mixture of these oils enhances the growth inhibitory and bactericidal properties of the oils compared to using them individually

The Relationship between Spiritual Well-being and Family Cohesion in Patients with Thalassemia Major

Introduction: This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between spiritual well-being and family cohesion among people with thalassemia Major. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 101 patients with thalassemia major of Dezful Large Hospital in 2015. Data were collected by three questionnaires: demographic data, Standard Spiritual Well-being Scale by Daaleman and Frey and Moos Family Cohesion Scale. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 18 statistical test, Pearson correlation and linear regression with a significance level of p< 0.05. Results: The average score of spiritual well-being and self-efficacy subscales were 9.66 +/- 34.58 and 9.66 +/- 14.68, respectively; which indicates the average level of these variables. Linear regression test results also showed that there was a statistically significant (p< 0.05) relationship between spiritual well-being and family cohesion (B=0.25) and between selfefficacy and family cohesion (B=0.24); but there was no significant relationship between life scheme and family cohesion (B=0.16) (p=0.10). Conclusion: In this study it was observed that a significant direct correlation exists between spiritual well-being and family cohesion. The role of the family as the main supportive institution against the challenges of life is undeniable. Hence, by increasing the level of spiritual well-being of the patients some steps can be taken to promote the cohesion of patients' families in order to decrease their spiritual and physical problems

The Prevalence of Iron Deficiency Anemia among High School Students in Iran: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Iron is one of the most important elements forming the body and an essential metal for many biological processes in mammals. According to studies, anemia can cause numerous side effects in the body. Because of the effectiveness of iron in myelinated nerves, this illness can cause hearing loss and vision problems as well, and in students, it can even cause academic failure and learning problems and intensify behavioral disorders. Therefore, to collect the statistics of the prevalence of the disorder in order to inform parents, the present study was conducted to assess the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in high school students in Iran using meta-analysis method.Method: This study was continued in review form using the key words anemia, iron deficiency anemia, and anemia prevalence with a review of the articles in Pubmed, Iranmedex databases and Scientific Information Database of SID in related topics with 89 articles. Time domain for searching articles and related books and was mainly from 1991 onwards.Results: Studies on the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in high school students show different results. Recent statistics based on published articles at home and abroad show the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia equal to 10.6%, (with a 95% confidence interval: 9.7 to 11.5) until 2014.Conclusion: The disease can cause hearing and vision disorders in adolescents. Moreover, it can cause academic failure and learning problems and intensify behavioral disorders in students.  Given that children's health is an indicator of health planning of family for them, attention to the factors preventing iron deficiency anemia and its treatment is essential for students. Following this study, it is suggested that by correcting diet as the first step of prevention of catching this diseases, we take a step towards preventing it

Use of multidimensional item response theory methods for dementia prevalence prediction : an example using the Health and Retirement Survey and the Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study

Background Data sparsity is a major limitation to estimating national and global dementia burden. Surveys with full diagnostic evaluations of dementia prevalence are prohibitively resource-intensive in many settings. However, validation samples from nationally representative surveys allow for the development of algorithms for the prediction of dementia prevalence nationally. Methods Using cognitive testing data and data on functional limitations from Wave A (2001-2003) of the ADAMS study (n = 744) and the 2000 wave of the HRS study (n = 6358) we estimated a two-dimensional item response theory model to calculate cognition and function scores for all individuals over 70. Based on diagnostic information from the formal clinical adjudication in ADAMS, we fit a logistic regression model for the classification of dementia status using cognition and function scores and applied this algorithm to the full HRS sample to calculate dementia prevalence by age and sex. Results Our algorithm had a cross-validated predictive accuracy of 88% (86-90), and an area under the curve of 0.97 (0.97-0.98) in ADAMS. Prevalence was higher in females than males and increased over age, with a prevalence of 4% (3-4) in individuals 70-79, 11% (9-12) in individuals 80-89 years old, and 28% (22-35) in those 90 and older. Conclusions Our model had similar or better accuracy as compared to previously reviewed algorithms for the prediction of dementia prevalence in HRS, while utilizing more flexible methods. These methods could be more easily generalized and utilized to estimate dementia prevalence in other national surveys

Mapping development and health effects of cooking with solid fuels in low-income and middle-income countries, 2000-18 : a geospatial modelling study

Background More than 3 billion people do not have access to clean energy and primarily use solid fuels to cook. Use of solid fuels generates household air pollution, which was associated with more than 2 million deaths in 2019. Although local patterns in cooking vary systematically, subnational trends in use of solid fuels have yet to be comprehensively analysed. We estimated the prevalence of solid-fuel use with high spatial resolution to explore subnational inequalities, assess local progress, and assess the effects on health in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) without universal access to clean fuels.Methods We did a geospatial modelling study to map the prevalence of solid-fuel use for cooking at a 5 km x 5 km resolution in 98 LMICs based on 2.1 million household observations of the primary cooking fuel used from 663 population-based household surveys over the years 2000 to 2018. We use observed temporal patterns to forecast household air pollution in 2030 and to assess the probability of attaining the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target indicator for clean cooking. We aligned our estimates of household air pollution to geospatial estimates of ambient air pollution to establish the risk transition occurring in LMICs. Finally, we quantified the effect of residual primary solid-fuel use for cooking on child health by doing a counterfactual risk assessment to estimate the proportion of deaths from lower respiratory tract infections in children younger than 5 years that could be associated with household air pollution.Findings Although primary reliance on solid-fuel use for cooking has declined globally, it remains widespread. 593 million people live in districts where the prevalence of solid-fuel use for cooking exceeds 95%. 66% of people in LMICs live in districts that are not on track to meet the SDG target for universal access to clean energy by 2030. Household air pollution continues to be a major contributor to particulate exposure in LMICs, and rising ambient air pollution is undermining potential gains from reductions in the prevalence of solid-fuel use for cooking in many countries. We estimated that, in 2018, 205000 (95% uncertainty interval 147000-257000) children younger than 5 years died from lower respiratory tract infections that could be attributed to household air pollution.Interpretation Efforts to accelerate the adoption of clean cooking fuels need to be substantially increased and recalibrated to account for subnational inequalities, because there are substantial opportunities to improve air quality and avert child mortality associated with household air pollution. Copyright (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewe