Set-theoretical entropies of weighted generalized shifts

In this paper for a finite field $F$, a nonempty set $\Gamma$, a self--map $\varphi:\Gamma\to\Gamma$ and a weight vector $\mathfrak{w}\in F^\Gamma$, we show that the set--theoretical entropy of the weighted generalized shift $\sigma_{\varphi,\mathfrak{w}}:F^\Gamma\to F^\Gamma$ is either zero or $+\infty$, moreover it is equal to zero if and only if $\sigma_{\varphi,\mathfrak{w}}$ is quasi--periodic. On the other hand after characterizing all conditions under which $\sigma_{\varphi,\mathfrak{w}}:F^\Gamma\to F^\Gamma$ is of finite fibre, we show that the cotravariant set--theoretical entropy of the finite fibre $\sigma_{\varphi,\mathfrak{w}}:F^\Gamma\to F^\Gamma$ depends only on $\varphi$ and $\rm{supp}(\mathfrak{w})$. In final sections we study the restriction of $\sigma_{\varphi,\mathfrak{w}}$ to the direct sum $\mathop{\bigoplus}\limits_{\Gamma}F$

Impairment of sperm efficiency in mice following short-term nano-titanium dioxide exposure: An experimental study

Background: Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) are widely used in many compounds. Recent evidence has displayed some cytotoxic effects of TiO2NPs on male reproduction. Objective: The effects of TiO2NP administration on sperm parameters and chromatin and seminiferous histopathology of male mice were investigated. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 32 NMRI male mice (35 ± 3 gr, 8-12-week-old) were divided into four groups (n = 8/each): treated groups were fed orally with 2.5 (group I), 5 (group II) and 10 (group III) mg/kg/day TiO2NPs for 40 days and the control group received phosphate buffered saline. Sperm parameters, DNA integrity and chromatin quality were assessed using chromomycin A3, aniline blue, toluidine blue staining and TUNEL. Hematoxylin eosin staining was performed to measure spermatogenic cells and the total diameter of seminiferous tubules. Also, sex hormone and malondyaldehyde levels were measured. Results: Abnormal sperm tails rose in group III (28.87 ± 4.91) in comparison with the control group (12.75 ± 3.95). However, chromomycin A3 staining and TUNEL showed higher levels in group III in comparison with the control group, whereas aniline blue and toluidine blue staining showed no differences. A significantly lower spermatogenesis index and lumen parameters were observed in group III. Leydig cell numbers, cellular diameters and the area of the seminiferous tubules were lower in the treated groups. The testosterone level was also lower in these groups and the percentage of malondyaldehyde in the seminal fluid was higher. Conclusion: Exact mechanisms of TiO2NPs are not clear; however, cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of TiO2NPs may relate to oxidative stress. Given their widespread use, TiO2NPs should be a public health focus of attention. Key words: Titanium dioxide, Spermatogenesis, Histology, Mouse, Chromatin, TUNEL

Non-thermal plasma radiation-induced changes in antibiotic susceptibility and protein profile of Staphylococcus aureus

Background and Objectives: Plasma radiation is a widely used technique for sterilization or decontamination in various industries, as well as in some healthcare settings such as dentistry. The primary aim of this study was to assess the potential of plasma radiation to create a new population of Staphylococcus aureus cells with distinct characteristics that could lead to novel healthcare challenges. Materials and Methods: A homemade non-thermal plasma apparatus was applied and the effects of plasma treatment on S. aureus ATCC25923 was assessed. Plasma radiation was applied under controlled conditions to ensure that some bacterial cells remained viable. The treatment was repeated 10 times, with each round followed by a recovery phase to collect any surviving bacterial cells. To assess the potential changes in the bacterial population, we examined the antibiotic susceptibility pattern, micro-structural characteristics using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and total protein profile using the matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) technique. Results: The experimental results revealed slight variations in the antibiotic susceptibility patterns of certain cell wall agents (imipenem, cephalothin, and cefepime), as well as in the MALDI-TOF spectra. However, no changes were observed in the SEM images. Conclusion: The insufficient application of non-thermal plasma in bacterial decontamination may lead to physiological changes that could enrich or select certain subpopulations of S. aureus

Development and validation of the care challenge scale in family caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease

BackgroundAlzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive and debilitating disorder that strongly affects people with AD and their families. The changes in signs of the disease and its treatment lead to many challenges in people with AD that affect the performance and the ability of caregivers, their social life, and physical, emotional, and psychological aspects of caregivers' health. Therefore, this study was designed to develop and validate the Care Challenge Scale (CCS) for family caregivers of people with AD in the care context of Iran.MethodThis is a cross-sectional study, and the primary scale was based on 14 semi-structured interviews with family caregivers of Iranian people with AD. In the next phase, the psychometric features were assessed, including the face validity (qualitative and quantitative), content validity (qualitative and quantitative), item analysis, structural validity (exploratory and confirmatory factors), and construct validity (convergent and discriminant validity). Finally, the reliability was assessed using internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's omega coefficient, and the average inter-item correlation), stability (intraclass correlation coefficient), and absolute reliability.ResultsTotally, 435 Iranian family caregivers filled out online questionnaires, with a mean age of 50.26(±13.24) years. Based on the results of the qualitative phase, an item pool was generated with 389 items, and after deleting overlapping and unrelated items, the CCS with 14 items was created. The results of the quantitative phase showed that the CCS consists of two factors with 10 items each, which are named effective role-play challenge and lack of social–financial support, and they explained 42.23% of the total variance. Furthermore, the results of confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fitness of the scale structure model, and it had convergent and discriminant validity. The reliability indexes showed this scale has internal consistency and stability.ConclusionThe most care challenge among Iranian family caregivers of people with AD is effective role-play challenges and lack of social–financial support. The scale as designed has good validity, internal consistency, and stability that can be used by therapists, nurses, and researchers for the assessment of the challenges of this population

Opium use and risk of bladder cancer : A multi-centre case-referent study in Iran

Background: Bladder cancer (BC) is the 10th most common type of cancer worldwide and the fourth most common type of cancer in Iran. Opium use is considered as one of the risk factors for BC. We aim to assess the association between various parameters of opium use, which in Iran is mainly ingested or smoked in various forms, and the risk of BC. Method: In this multi-centre case-referent study in Iran, 717 BC cases and 3477 referents were recruited to the study from May 2017 until July 2020. Detailed histories of opium use (duration, amount, frequency) and potential confounders were collected by trained interviewers. Multivariable unconditional logistic regression models were used to measure adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). The ORs were adjusted for age, gender, place of residence and pack-years of cigarette smoking. Results: Regular opium consumption was associated with an increased risk of BC (OR 3.5, 95% CI: 2.8, 4.3) compared with subjects who never used opium. Compared with continuous users, the risk decreased to one-Third for those who stopped opium more than 10 years ago. The adjusted OR for those who used both crude opium (teriak) and opium juice was 7.4 (95% CI: 4.1, 13.3). There was a joint effect of opium and tobacco (OR for users of both opium and tobacco 7.7, 95% CI: 6.0, 9.7). Conclusions: Regular opium use is associated with an approximately 4-fold risk for BC. The OR decreases along with the increasing time since stopping opium use.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

Psychometrics of Persian version of the 11 items De Jong Gierveld loneliness scale among an Iranian older adults population.

BackgroundOlder adults duo to circumstances of aging such as relationship losses, medical morbidities, and functional declines, are prone to social isolation and loneliness more than any other age group. Furthermore, with The recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to quarantine, the possibility of feelings of loneliness, especially in older adults, became an important nursing priority. Therefore, it is important to quickly identify loneliness and respond appropriately to prevent, reduce, or treat it. The aim of this study was to translate the De Jong Gierveld loneliness scale into Persian for older adults.MethodsThe sample was 400 adults aged 65 and older with a mean age of 71.32 (SD= ± 6.09) years. Recruitment and data collection was done via online methods. The original scale was translated into Persian using the World Health Organization (WHO) protocol of forward-backward translation technique. Face validity and content validity; was followed by exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Lastly, reliability was assessed using the Average Inter-Item Correlation, Cronbach's alpha, and McDonald's Omega.ResultsThe results showed that the Persian version of the loneliness scale had two factors namely social loneliness (5 items) and emotional loneliness (3 items) and the combined score explained 45.66% of the total variance of this scale. In addition, all goodness of fit indices confirmed a two factors model fit and all of the reliability indices were excellent.ConclusionsThe Persian version of the loneliness scale is useful and suitable for detecting social loneliness and emotional loneliness in older Iranian adults

Development and validation of care stress management scale in family caregivers for people with Alzheimer: a sequential-exploratory mixed-method study

BackgroundCaring for a person with Alzheimer's disease is stressful for caregivers. So that, considering all the emotional and financial costs imposed on the families of Alzheimer's patients, stress from caring is an issue that cannot be ignored and plans need to be developed to help these caregivers to manage the care properly. The current study was designed to develop a valid and reliable care stress management scale for family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's.MethodsThis study is a methodological study with a sequential-exploratory mixed-method approach that was performed in two-phase: develop the caring stress management scale and evaluate the psychometric properties of the scale. In the first phase, 14 semi-structured face-to-face interviews were performed with family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's. The interviews were transcribed immediately and an item pool with 275 items was prepared. After removing the duplicate or overlapping code, the initial format of the caring stress management scale (CSMS) was designed. In the second step, the items of the CSMS were evaluated using face and content validity. After that, the construct validity was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and convergent and divergent validity respectively. Finally, the reliability was assessed by stability and internal consistency. The sample size was 435 and data was gathered via an online form questionnaire.ResultsThis study designed the CSMS with two factors including emotional-focused coping (4 items) and problem-focused coping (4 items) that explained 51.00% of the total variance. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis showed a good model fit. Furthermore, the internal consistency and stability of this scale were acceptable.ConclusionThe results showed that the care stress management scale has two factors in Iranian family caregivers and it is valid and reliable and can be used by therapists and researchers

Evaluation of Psychometric Properties of Hardiness Scales: A Systematic Review.

BackgroundHardiness is one of the personality traits that can help individuals in stressful situations. Since human beings are constantly under stressful situations and the stresses inflicted on people in each situation are different, various scales have been developed for assessing this feature among different people in different situations. Hence, it becomes necessary for researchers and health workers to assess this concept with valid and reliable scales. This systematic review aims to rigorously assess the methodological quality and psychometric properties of hardiness scales.MethodIn the first step, the databases including Scopus, PubMed, Web of science, and Persian databases were searched using suitable keywords without limitation time. We select eligible suitable studies after screening titles and abstracts. The quality of studies was evaluated using the Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) checklist and the Terwee quality criteria.ResultOf the 747 articles identified, 33 articles were entered in this study. Based on the COSMIN checklist, the most reported properties were as following structural validity (84%), hypothesis testing (56%), content validity (42%), and internal consistency (39%). Furthermore, 12 studies reported cross-cultural validity, three studies criterion validity, and one study reported measurement error.ConclusionThe "family caregivers' hardiness scale," "Japanese Athletic Hardiness Scale," "Occupational Hardiness Questionnaire," and "Children's Hardiness Scale" are the best tools for assessing hardiness in family caregivers, athletes, employees, and children respectively. In addition, the "Dispositional Resilience Scale" (DRS-15) and The Personal Views Survey (PVS III-R) are the most frequently used scales with suitable features for measuring hardiness in the general population