Bibliotheraphy Among Psychologists: Familiarity, Aattitude and Use

Introduction: Bibliotherapy is a low-cost and safe way to treat mental health problems. Given that the success of bibliotherapy depends on the positive attitude and familiarity of those involved in this therapy method, this study aims to investigate the familiarity, attitude, and use of bibliotherapy by psychologists working in counseling centers and the barriers and limitations in using bibliotherapy. Methods: In this practical research, conducted using an analytic survey method in 2020, 101 psychologists working in counseling centers in Hamadan province, Iran, were selected by the census. The survey response rate was 100 %. All data for this study were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire. Its reliability (using the indicator of Cronbach's alpha) and validity (using two indicators of CVI and CVR) were confirmed. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 25 using frequency distribution, Mann-Whitney, Chi-square, and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results: The results showed that more than half of the participants (53.5%) were moderately familiar with the bibliotherapy, and their level of familiarity was less than average; more than half of the participants (55.4%) used moderate bibliotherapy to treat their patient's problems, and their use rate was low to medium levels. However, psychologists' attitudes toward bibliotherapy are positive and higher than average. Conclusion: Despite bibliotherapy's effectiveness and psychologists' favorable view of it, awareness and utilization remain low, highlighting the need for strategies to enhance the adoption of this therapeutic approach

Eco-friendly approach to improve traits of winter wheat by combining cold plasma treatments and carbonization of subtropical biomass waste

This study aims to improve the quality and quantity of winter wheat by using the potential of combining the use of cold plasma and waste biorefinery products for improving wheat yield. Plasma was applied by a radio frequency (RF) plasma reactor operated with air for 180 s and 50 W. The waste biorefinery products, including pyroligneous acid, biochar, and azolla compost, were used as plant nutrition. The effects of cold plasma treatment and waste biorefinery products were determined by measuring plant photosynthesis, grain yield, and content of chlorophyll, carotenoids, anthocyanin, protein, and starch. The experiment was conducted during the cropping seasons 2016−18 in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The combination of cold plasma and pyroligneous acid increased the grain yield up to 40.0%. The photosynthesis rate was improved up to 39.3%, and total chlorophyll content up to 48.3% in both years. Seed plasma treatment combined with biochar application increased the starch content by 36.8%. Adding azolla compost increased the protein content by 35.4%. Using seed plasma treatment with biochar increased the microbial biomass carbon by 16.0%. The application of plasma and azolla compost increased the microbial biomass nitrogen by 29.0%

The Prevalence of Asthma in Children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and Relationship between Control of Diabetes and Severity of Asthma

Background: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is by far the most common metabolic disease in children. Asthma is the most common chronic disease in pediatric population, and its prevalence has increased in the last decades. In this study, the prevalence of asthma among these children with T1DM has been described and its association with the demographic and clinical characteristics of Iranian children has been evaluated. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out on children with T1DM who referred to pediatric endocrinology clinics of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. The participants were classified as a group with asthma and the second group as diabetic children without asthma. After selection and evaluation of the diabetic patients with asthma, their glycemic status was evaluated three times in the past year. All data were analyzed using the SPSS version 23.0 statistical software package. Results: A total of 419 patients (49.4% male and 50.6% female) diagnosed with T1DM were included in the study. The mean age of patients at the time of recruitment was 12.65 ± 3.9 years with a range from 3.8 to 18 years. The mean of disease duration was 5.3 ± 2.7 years. Among all participants, asthma was detected in 24 children with T1DM (5.7%). Glycemic control was significantly poorer among asthmatic patients with diabetes compared with diabetic patients without asthma. Conclusion: The study demonstrated a lower prevalence of asthma among T1DM children rather healthy ones. Hence, diabetic child patients with asthma experience poorer glycemic control in comparison with T1DM patients without asthma