Job Stress and Work Ability Among Emergency Nurses in Isfahan, Iran

Background: Job stress is one of the most common health problems with clinical and psychological consequences, which can affect work ability among emergency nurses. Nevertheless, more studies are needed to shed light on the status of this disorder and its relevance to work ability in nurses in the emergency departments (EDs). Objectives: The current study aimed to determine job stress among emergency nurses and its association with work ability. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2013 in hospitals affiliated to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. Two hundred nurses who worked in the EDs were asked to complete a demographic questionnaire and special scales to assess their job stress and work ability. T-tests, analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression were used to analyze the data. Results: The mean job stress and work ability scores were 151.09 ± 0.01 and 26.9 ± 8.2, respectively. Fifty-five percent of the subjects had high job stress and fifty-seven percent showed low work ability. A significant indirect correlation was found between job stress and work ability scores in the subjects (P = 0.015). Conclusions: Nurses working in the EDs experience a high level of job stress and low work ability. This may decrease the quality of care and patients’ safety. Fulfilling the staff shortage in ED and improving management behaviors are important in this regard

Modified Heider Balance on Sparse Random Networks

The lack of signed random networks in standard balance studies has prompted us to extend the Hamiltonian of the standard balance model. Random networks with tunable parameters are suitable for better understanding the behavior of standard balance as an underlying dynamics. Moreover, the standard balance model in its original form does not allow preserving tensed triads in the network. Therefore, the thermal behavior of the balance model has been investigated on a fully connected signed network recently. It has been shown that the model undergoes an abrupt phase transition with temperature. Considering these two issues together, we examine the thermal behavior of the structural balance model defined on Erd\H{o}s-R\'enyi random networks. We provide a Mean-Field solution for the model. We observe a first-order phase transition with temperature, for both the sparse and densely connected networks. We detect two transition temperatures, $T_{cold}$ and $T_{hot}$, characterizing a hysteresis loop. We find that with increasing the network sparsity, both $T_{cold}$ and $T_{hot}$ decrease. But the slope of decreasing $T_{hot}$ with sparsity is larger than the slope of decreasing $T_{cold}$. Hence, the hysteresis region gets narrower, until, in a certain sparsity, it disappears. We provide a phase diagram in the temperature-tie density plane to observe the meta-stable/coexistence region behavior more accurately. Then we justify our Mean-Field results with a series of Monte-Carlo simulations.Comment: 10 Pages, 5 Figure

The promising applications of ultrasound in emergency medicine and critical care related to in cancer: A review

The referral of critically ill cancer patients to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a matter of controversial debate. During the past decade, ultrasound imaging performed by emergency physicians and critical care providers has gained significant clinical importance. A number of researches reported the ability of emergency physicians and critical care providers to carry out and interpret bedside assessments exactly, along with a great effect on the quality of care. It is possible assessing ultrasound-mediated subjects who are very much instable to be evaluated through alternative imaging methods. Furthermore, ultrasound in the emergency medicine and critical care open a new way towards facilitate diagnosis, simplify rapid dispositions, and influence management decisions. The primarily perspective of bedside ultrasound by emergency physicians and critical care providers was limited to a few applications. However, it was observed a number of new applications due to the universal and extensive adaptation of ultrasound in emergency uses. In this review, we discussed the promising applications of ultrasound for emergency medicine and critical care that encompass telemedicine, prehospital setting, soft tissue, fractures, ocular, paracentesis, pneumothorax, foreign bodies, bladder and arthrocentesis ultrasound. © Oncology and Radiotherapy

Cyclability in Lahore, Pakistan. Looking into Potential for Greener Urban Traveling

Measuring perceived or objective cyclability or bikeability has drawn less attention compared to walkability, particularly in developing countries like those in South Asia and the Middle East. This paper presents the results of a survey about cyclability in Lahore, Pakistan, focusing on human perceptions rather than the built environment. The overall sample included a total of 379 respondents from three socio-economic classes: those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds accessing traditional/older bazaars, respondents from the middle socio-economic class accessing uptown bazaars, and respondents of higher socio-economic status accessing pedestrian shopping malls. The exploratory data collection was conducted in spring 2018 in Lahore by means of a short standard questionnaire with 19 questions, resulting in 17 categorical/dummy variables, two openended variables, and two continuous variables targeting socio-economics, bike trip characteristics, biking barriers, and preferred travel specifications. The results showed that the middle socio-economic group was more inclined, flexible, and willing to bike compared to the lower and higher socioeconomic- groups. The lower socio-economic group used the bicycle more frequently than the middle socio-economic group. Around half of the middle socio-economic group commutes via bike compared to the lower socio-economic group. There was little to no representation of 55-64 and 65+ age groups in the data. The descriptive findings of this survey indicate some preliminary signs of differences of decisions and perceptions about biking compared to high-income and European countries. These differences need to be tested in future statistical analyses

Effect of different dosages of nitroglycerin infusion on arterial blood gas tensions in patients undergoing on- pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Background: On-pump coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery impairs gas exchange in the early postoperative period. The main object on this study was evaluation of changes in arterial blood gas values in patients underwent on pump CABG surgery receiving different dose of intravenous nitroglycerin (NTG). Materials and Methods: sixty-seven consecutive patients undergoing elective on-pump CABG randomly enrolled into three groups receiving NTG 50 μg/min (Group N1, n =67), 100 μg/min (Group N2, n = 67), and 150 μg/min (Group N3, n = 67). Arterial blood gas (ABG) tensions were evaluated just before induction of anesthesia, during anesthesia, at the end of warming up period, and 6 h after admission to the intensive care unit. Results: Pao2 and PH had the highest value during surgery in Group N1, Group N2, and Group N3. No significant difference was noted in mean values of Pao2 and PH during surgery between three groups (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in HCO 3 values in different time intervals among three groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion: our results showed that infusing three different dosage of NTG (50, 100, and 150 μg/min) had no significant effect on ABG tensions in patients underwent on-pump CABG surgery

Determinants of patient satisfaction with ultrasound-assisted liposuction

Background: Liposuction is one of the most common aesthetic procedures and a number of options are available to practitioners in terms of surgical technique. One of those options is ultrasound-assisted liposuction (UAL), which has garnered considerable attention in the literature and from patients themselves. Because the role of ultrasound in body sculpting is continuing to increase over time, the authors believe that a comprehensive assessment of patient satisfaction after the procedure is essential. Currently, there are very few reports in the literature examining patient satisfaction with UAL, and to the authors' knowledge, no reports in the literature have successfully outlined the determinants and predictors of long-term satisfaction with the procedure. Objective: The authors examine the correlates and predictors of patient satisfaction after UAL. Methods: The authors conducted a prospective cross-sectional study on 609 consecutive patients who underwent UAL from 2002 to 2008. One hundred and sixty (54) out of 300 patients with whom the authors could make contact agreed to answer a standardized questionnaire regarding their overall satisfaction. Results: Nearly 80 of the patients were completely or mostly satisfied with UAL. Seventy-five percent reported that they had or would recommend UAL to others. Women (P =.009), patients who did not gain weight after their UAL procedure (P <.001), patients who were content with their body appearance (P <.001), patients whose dress sizes decreased after UAL (P =.001), and patients with confidence in their body (P <.001) showed statistically significant higher rates of satisfaction with UAL. Among these correlates, confidence in body (odds ratio OR = 24.4; 95% confidence interval CI: 6.8-83.3) and contentment with body appearance (OR = 5.5; 95% CI: 1.5-19.4) were found to be reliable independent predictors of patient satisfaction. Conclusion: Most patients were satisfied with UAL, but certain patient responses were more highly correlated with overall satisfaction than others and therefore can be considered predictors of long-term patient satisfaction with this procedure. The results of this study may provide plastic surgeons with valuable clues that can enhance preoperative planning and therefore enable further improvement of patients' satisfaction with UAL. © 2010 The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Inc

Auto Calibration and Optimization of Large-Scale Water Resources Systems

Water resource systems modelling have constantly been a challenge through history for human being. As the innovative methodological development is evolving alongside computer sciences on one hand, researches are likely to confront more complex and larger water resources systems due to new challenges regarding increased water demands, climate change and human interventions, socio-economic concerns, and environment protection and sustainability. In this research, an automatic calibration scheme has been applied on the Gilan's large-scale water resource model using mathematical programming. The water resource model's calibration is developed in order to attune unknown water return flows from demand sites in the complex Sefidroud irrigation network and other related areas. The calibration procedure is validated by comparing several gauged river outflows from the system in the past with model results. The calibration results are pleasantly reasonable presenting a rational insight of the system. Subsequently, the unknown optimized parameters were used in a basin-scale linear optimization model with the ability to evaluate the system's performance against a reduced inflow scenario in future. Results showed an acceptable match between predicted and observed outflows from the system at selected hydrometric stations. Moreover, an efficient operating policy was determined for Sefidroud dam leading to a minimum water shortage in the reduced inflow scenario

Candidemia and its risk factors in neonates and children

Objectives: The present study was conducted to raise attention to the frequency of Candida spp. and evaluation of risk factors of candidemia in hospitalized neonates and children. Methods: Identification of Candida at species level was done using the PCR-RFLP method. The Candida albicans complex and Candida parapsilosis complex were differentiated using the HWP1 gene amplification and PCR-RFLP with NlaIII restriction enzyme, respectively. Results: Out of 75 blood culture specimens, 42 (84) cases were positive for Candida spp. of whom 30 (71.42) and 12 (28.57) cases were female and male, respectively. Thirty-two (76) candidemia were presented in pediatrics with 6 years up to 12 years, 10 (23.80) in neonates of one month or less. In the present study, Candida parapsilosis (n =25; 59.52) was the most prevalent isolated species followed by C. albicans (n =11; 26.19), C. tropicalis (n =4; 9.52), and Candida glabrata (n =2; 4.76). Conclusions: According to potentially dangerous complications of bloodstream infection by Candida spp. in neonates and children, it is necessary to identify and eliminate the underlying conditions and risk factors of this disease. © 2020, Author(s)

Correlation of clinical signs and symptoms of Behçet�s disease with mean platelet volume (MPV) and red cell distribution width (RDW)

Background: A strong correlation was previously found between mean platelet volume (MPV), red blood cell distribution width (RDW), and the severity of signs and symptoms in patients suffering from inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The current study evaluated these correlations in patients with Behçet�s disease (BD) as well the relationship between MPV and RDW and disease activity score on the Iranian Behçet�s Disease Dynamic Activity Measurement (IBDDAM). Methods: This cross-sectional study included 319 patients with BD for whom demographic and epidemiological data, IBDDAM scores, and duration of illness was recorded. Blood samples were then obtained and the relationships between their disease status and manifestations and their laboratory parameters were evaluated with statistical models to find possible correlations. Results: Our analysis showed a significantly higher RDW in patients with BD who had ocular manifestations (p < 0.001) and oral aphthae (p = 0.004). Patients with active BD had higher RDW (p < 0.001) and MPV (p < 0.001) in comparison to those with currently inactive BD. Similarly, patients who had any type of ocular manifestation had higher RDW (p < 0.001) and MPV (p < 0.001). Regression analyses identified a statistically significant model for the effect of RDW and MPV in predicting active BD status (p < 0.001), as well as its significant relationship with active ocular manifestations (p < 0.001). Conclusion: BD was found to be associated with an increase in MPV and RDW, particularly during active phases. RDW and MPV were also found to have predictive value for screening to detect BD activity and its ocular complications. © 2020, The Author(s)