Nanocellulose-based sensors in medical/clinical applications: The state-of-the-art review

In recent years, the considerable importance of healthcare and the indispensable appeal of curative issues, particularly the diagnosis of diseases, have propelled the invention of sensing platforms. With the development of nanotechnology, the integration of nanomaterials in such platforms has been much focused on, boosting their functionality in many fields. In this direction, there has been rapid growth in the utilisation of nanocellulose in sensors with medical applications. Indeed, this natural nanomaterial benefits from striking features, such as biocompatibility, cytocompatibility and low toxicity, as well as unprecedented physical and chemical properties. In this review, different classifications of nanocellulose-based sensors (biosensors, chemical and physical sensors), alongside some subcategories manufactured for health monitoring, stand out. Moreover, the types of nanocellulose and their roles in such sensors are discussed.This work was supported by the University of the Basque Country (Training of Researcher Staff, PIF 20/197)

An investigation into the relationship between parents’ attitudes towards gender roles and the social isolation of female adolescents

Background and aims: This study investigated the relationship between parents’ attitudes toward gender roles and the social isolation of female adolescents in Iran in 2021. Methods: This descriptive study of a correlational type and its statistical population included all female adolescents studying in secondary schools in the city of Isfahan in 2021, out of whom 133 were selected by convenience sampling. They answered the following questionnaires: the Homami et al Questionnaire on Attitudes toward Gender Roles in Family Life and the Modarresi Yazdi et al Social Isolation Questionnaire. Research data were analyzed through the independent t test, a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), the Kruskal-Wallis test, and the Spearman correlation coefficient using SPSS-12 software. Results: An analysis of the present data showed that the mean score of social isolation was significantly lower in students whose parents had a justice-seeking attitude in the domain of parental roles than in students whose parents had a feminist attitude in this domain (P=0.005, t=-2.876). The mean scores of social isolation in the dimensions: of loneliness (P=0.040, t=-2.073) and social despair (P=0.036, t=-2.124) were also significantly lower in students whose parents had a justice-seeking attitude in the domain of parental roles than in students whose parents had a feminist attitude in this domain. The mean score of social isolation was significantly higher in students whose parents had a feminist attitude in the domain of general marital roles than in students whose parents had a justice-seeking or masculinist attitude. The mean score of loneliness was significantly higher in students whose parents had a feminist attitude in this domain than in students whose parents had a justice-seeking attitude. But no significant difference was observed between students whose parents had a feminist attitude and those with a masculinist attitude. Conclusion: Parents’ attitudes and behavior in gender behaviors are essential factors in mental health, especially social isolation in female adolescents. When parents’ attitudes towards their children’s gender roles are justice-seeking; they can better communicate with their children, so their children feel less lonely and socially isolated

A Comparative Study of BETTER and PLISSIT Approaches in the Treatment of Common Sexual Dysfunction among Women in Isfahan, Iran

Background and Objective: Healthy sexual performance leads to well-being with a high quality of life. The present study aimed to compare BETTER and PLISSIT approaches in the treatment of common sexual dysfunction among women referred to selected treatment centers in Isfahan, Iran in 2022. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 60 women with common sexual dysfunction (30 in the BETTER group and 30 in the PLISSIT group) who met the inclusion criteria, using a convenient sampling method. The female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) was the data collection tool. The members of the two groups individually participated in face-to-face counseling sessions. A follow-up test and completion of the questionnaires were performed one month and six months after the intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 12). Results: No significant difference was observed in the overall level of sexual function between the two groups before the intervention (P<0.05). However, one month and six months after the intervention, this level was significantly higher in the BETTER group than that in the PLISSIT group (P<0.05). The scores of sexual desire, sexual arousal, orgasm, and sexual satisfaction were significantly higher in the BETTER group one and six months after the intervention compared to those before the intervention, and the score of painful intercourse was significantly lower than that before the intervention. Conclusion: The present study indicated that education and counseling in the form of a BETTER model can have better results on sexual function

Mother-infant attachment behaviors and related psychological factors in covid-19 pandemic: a review study

Introduction: Covid-19 epidemic and the fear of its infection in infants as a global threat is a challenge for mother-infant attachment behaviors. Methods: The present study was a review study conducted based on the information collected from searches in SID, PubMed, Science Direct, Elsevier, Scopus databases and Google Scholar search engine using the conjunctions of “AND” and “OR” between the keywords. The articles were searched using systematic search with the keywords of attachment behaviors, mother-infant bonding, maternal attachment, Covid-19, and neonates, with all possible combination of important words from December 2019 to April 2021. The initial search for relevant sources related to mother-infant attachment and Covid-19 led to 65 articles. Then, by applying the time filter, this number was reduced to 31 articles. In the final stage, by excluding duplicate articles and examining the relationship of articles with the subject of study, 7 articles were selected as relevant and final sources. Results: The results of reviewing of the studies showed low to moderate level of mother-infant attachment behaviors during Covid-19 crisis. Mothers with lower levels of attachment to their infants were more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and peritraumatic distress. Women who gave birth during quarantine had lower levels of attachment to their infants compared to other women. Conclusion: Covid 19 epidemic caused a high prevalence and a wide range of psychological disorders and a reduction in the level of attachment in mothers of infants under 12 months. Providing timely psychological support is essential to improve the level of attachment of mothers to their infants

Comparative analysis of machine learning and numerical modeling for combined heat transfer in Polymethylmethacrylate

This study compares different methods to predict the simultaneous effects of conductive and radiative heat transfer in a Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) sample. PMMA is a kind of polymer utilized in various sensors and actuator devices. One-dimensional combined heat transfer is considered in numerical analysis. Computer implementation was obtained for the numerical solution of governing equation with the implicit finite difference method in the case of discretization. Kirchhoff transformation was used to get data from a non-linear equation of conductive heat transfer by considering monochromatic radiation intensity and temperature conditions applied to the PMMA sample boundaries. For Deep Neural Network (DNN) method, the novel Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) method was introduced to find accurate results in the least processing time than the numerical method. A recent study derived the combined heat transfers and their temperature profiles for the PMMA sample. Furthermore, the transient temperature profile is validated by another study. A comparison proves a perfect agreement. It shows the temperature gradient in the primary positions that makes a spectral amount of conductive heat transfer from a PMMA sample. It is more straightforward when they are compared with the novel DNN method. Results demonstrate that this artificial intelligence method is accurate and fast in predicting problems. By analyzing the results from the numerical solution it can be understood that the conductive and radiative heat flux is similar in the case of gradient behavior, but it is also twice in its amount approximately. Hence, total heat flux has a constant value in an approximated steady state condition. In addition to analyzing their composition, ROC curve and confusion matrix were implemented to evaluate the algorithm performance.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figure

Changes to the gut microbiome in young children showing early behavioral signs of autism

The human gut microbiome has increasingly been associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which is a neurological developmental disorder, characterized by impairments to social interaction. The ability of the gut microbiota to signal across the gut-brain-microbiota axis with metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids, impacts brain health and has been identified to play a role in the gastrointestinal and developmental symptoms affecting autistic children. The fecal microbiome of older children with ASD has repeatedly shown particular shifts in the bacterial and fungal microbial community, which are significantly different from age-matched neurotypical controls, but it is still unclear whether these characteristic shifts are detectable before diagnosis. Early microbial colonization patterns can have long-lasting effects on human health, and pre-emptive intervention may be an important mediator to more severe autism. In this study, we characterized both the microbiome and short-chain fatty acid concentrations of fecal samples from young children between 21 and 40 months who were showing early behavioral signs of ASD. The fungal richness and acetic acid concentrations were observed to be higher with increasing autism severity, and the abundance of several bacterial taxa also changed due to the severity of ASD. Bacterial diversity and SCFA concentrations were also associated with stool form, and some bacterial families were found with differential abundance according to stool firmness. An exploratory analysis of the microbiome associated with pre-emptive treatment also showed significant differences at multiple taxonomic levels. These differences may impact the microbial signaling across the gut-brain-microbiota axis and the neurological development of the children

The Relationship between Nutritional Knowledge and Food Habits and Some Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Patients with Diabetes in Shiraz, Iran

Background: Diabetes is an increasing health problem. Diet and nutritional knowledge are the most important factors in diabetes. This study was done to investigate the association between nutritional knowledge and food habits in relation to cardiometabolic risk factors in the patients with diabetes. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 260 subjects with diabetes in Motahhari Diabetes Clinic in Shiraz, southern Iran. Dietary intakes were evaluated using a 147-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Also socio-economic, demographic and nutritional knowledge questionnaires were completed. Weight, height and waist circumference were measured. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high density lipoproteincholesterol (HDL) and triglyceride TG were extracted from patients’ medical records. Results: Of 73 male and 187 female patients, 39.2% were overweight and 33.5% were obese. There was a significant correlation between nutritional knowledge and vegetables intake. Also, getting more dairies and fats were significantly correlated to the levels of FBS. A positive significant correlation was seen between serum HDL and beans and cereals intake. Conclusion: Nutritional awareness cannot lead to a healthy diet alone because socioeconomic status, motivation, and other factors also affect dietary intake. Dietary habits can affect blood lipids and FBG. Therefore, improving the diet of diabetic patients is essential