The effects of relationship enrichment program on compatibility and marital satisfaction of infertile couples

Background and objective: Infertility as a crisis in couples' life, not only creates psychological problems, but also, it can act as a powerful impact on the relationships between couples. The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of relationship enrichment on compatibility and marital satisfaction of infertile couples. Methods: This is a semi experimental study with pre-test and post-test on control group. Statistical population of this study was an infertile couple in Birjand. The couples were randomly divided to control groups (17 couples) and experimental groups (15 couples). The research instrument was marital adjustment questionnaire. That completed before, immediately and 3 months after intervention. The intervention consisted of 6 training session. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 16). Results: Before the intervention, mean scores were matched the two groups. After the intervention, the experimental group increased average compatibility from 101.5±22/4 to 129.33±10.6 , marital satisfaction from 33/8±8 to 44±4.8 , marital solidarity from12±3.8 to 16.1±2.2 , couples agreement from 44.6±10.5 to 54.8±6.1 , expression of love from 11±3.7 to 14.2± 1.(

Noninvasive optical inhibition with a red-shifted microbial rhodopsin

Optogenetic inhibition of the electrical activity of neurons enables the causal assessment of their contributions to brain functions. Red light penetrates deeper into tissue than other visible wavelengths. We present a red-shifted cruxhalorhodopsin, Jaws, derived from Haloarcula (Halobacterium) salinarum (strain Shark) and engineered to result in red light–induced photocurrents three times those of earlier silencers. Jaws exhibits robust inhibition of sensory-evoked neural activity in the cortex and results in strong light responses when used in retinas of retinitis pigmentosa model mice. We also demonstrate that Jaws can noninvasively mediate transcranial optical inhibition of neurons deep in the brains of awake mice. The noninvasive optogenetic inhibition opened up by Jaws enables a variety of important neuroscience experiments and offers a powerful general-use chloride pump for basic and applied neuroscience.McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT (Razin Fellowship)United States. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Living Foundries Program (HR0011-12-C-0068)Harvard-MIT Joint Research Grants Program in Basic NeuroscienceHuman Frontier Science Program (Strasbourg, France)Institution of Engineering and Technology (A. F. Harvey Prize)McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT. Neurotechnology (MINT) ProgramNew York Stem Cell Foundation (Robertson Investigator Award)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (New Innovator Award 1DP2OD002002)National Institute of General Medical Sciences (U.S.) (EUREKA Award 1R01NS075421)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant 1R01DA029639)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant 1RC1MH088182)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant 1R01NS067199)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Career Award CBET 1053233)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant EFRI0835878)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant DMS0848804)Society for Neuroscience (Research Award for Innovation in Neuroscience)Wallace H. Coulter FoundationNational Institutes of Health (U.S.) (RO1 MH091220-01)Whitehall FoundationEsther A. & Joseph Klingenstein Fund, Inc.JPB FoundationPIIF FundingNational Institute of Mental Health (U.S.) (R01-MH102441-01)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (DP2-OD-017366-01)Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Simons Center for the Social Brai

Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: In an era of shifting global agendas and expanded emphasis on non-communicable diseases and injuries along with communicable diseases, sound evidence on trends by cause at the national level is essential. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) provides a systematic scientific assessment of published, publicly available, and contributed data on incidence, prevalence, and mortality for a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive list of diseases and injuries. Methods: GBD estimates incidence, prevalence, mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) due to 369 diseases and injuries, for two sexes, and for 204 countries and territories. Input data were extracted from censuses, household surveys, civil registration and vital statistics, disease registries, health service use, air pollution monitors, satellite imaging, disease notifications, and other sources. Cause-specific death rates and cause fractions were calculated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model and spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression. Cause-specific deaths were adjusted to match the total all-cause deaths calculated as part of the GBD population, fertility, and mortality estimates. Deaths were multiplied by standard life expectancy at each age to calculate YLLs. A Bayesian meta-regression modelling tool, DisMod-MR 2.1, was used to ensure consistency between incidence, prevalence, remission, excess mortality, and cause-specific mortality for most causes. Prevalence estimates were multiplied by disability weights for mutually exclusive sequelae of diseases and injuries to calculate YLDs. We considered results in the context of the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator of income per capita, years of schooling, and fertility rate in females younger than 25 years. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered 1000 draw values of the posterior distribution. Findings: Global health has steadily improved over the past 30 years as measured by age-standardised DALY rates. After taking into account population growth and ageing, the absolute number of DALYs has remained stable. Since 2010, the pace of decline in global age-standardised DALY rates has accelerated in age groups younger than 50 years compared with the 1990–2010 time period, with the greatest annualised rate of decline occurring in the 0–9-year age group. Six infectious diseases were among the top ten causes of DALYs in children younger than 10 years in 2019: lower respiratory infections (ranked second), diarrhoeal diseases (third), malaria (fifth), meningitis (sixth), whooping cough (ninth), and sexually transmitted infections (which, in this age group, is fully accounted for by congenital syphilis; ranked tenth). In adolescents aged 10–24 years, three injury causes were among the top causes of DALYs: road injuries (ranked first), self-harm (third), and interpersonal violence (fifth). Five of the causes that were in the top ten for ages 10–24 years were also in the top ten in the 25–49-year age group: road injuries (ranked first), HIV/AIDS (second), low back pain (fourth), headache disorders (fifth), and depressive disorders (sixth). In 2019, ischaemic heart disease and stroke were the top-ranked causes of DALYs in both the 50–74-year and 75-years-and-older age groups. Since 1990, there has been a marked shift towards a greater proportion of burden due to YLDs from non-communicable diseases and injuries. In 2019, there were 11 countries where non-communicable disease and injury YLDs constituted more than half of all disease burden. Decreases in age-standardised DALY rates have accelerated over the past decade in countries at the lower end of the SDI range, while improvements have started to stagnate or even reverse in countries with higher SDI. Interpretation: As disability becomes an increasingly large component of disease burden and a larger component of health expenditure, greater research and developm nt investment is needed to identify new, more effective intervention strategies. With a rapidly ageing global population, the demands on health services to deal with disabling outcomes, which increase with age, will require policy makers to anticipate these changes. The mix of universal and more geographically specific influences on health reinforces the need for regular reporting on population health in detail and by underlying cause to help decision makers to identify success stories of disease control to emulate, as well as opportunities to improve. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licens

Global age-sex-specific fertility, mortality, healthy life expectancy (HALE), and population estimates in 204 countries and territories, 1950-2019 : a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: Accurate and up-to-date assessment of demographic metrics is crucial for understanding a wide range of social, economic, and public health issues that affect populations worldwide. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 produced updated and comprehensive demographic assessments of the key indicators of fertility, mortality, migration, and population for 204 countries and territories and selected subnational locations from 1950 to 2019. Methods: 8078 country-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 938 surveys, 349 censuses, and 238 other sources were identified and used to estimate age-specific fertility. Spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression (ST-GPR) was used to generate age-specific fertility rates for 5-year age groups between ages 15 and 49 years. With extensions to age groups 10–14 and 50–54 years, the total fertility rate (TFR) was then aggregated using the estimated age-specific fertility between ages 10 and 54 years. 7417 sources were used for under-5 mortality estimation and 7355 for adult mortality. ST-GPR was used to synthesise data sources after correction for known biases. Adult mortality was measured as the probability of death between ages 15 and 60 years based on vital registration, sample registration, and sibling histories, and was also estimated using ST-GPR. HIV-free life tables were then estimated using estimates of under-5 and adult mortality rates using a relational model life table system created for GBD, which closely tracks observed age-specific mortality rates from complete vital registration when available. Independent estimates of HIV-specific mortality generated by an epidemiological analysis of HIV prevalence surveys and antenatal clinic serosurveillance and other sources were incorporated into the estimates in countries with large epidemics. Annual and single-year age estimates of net migration and population for each country and territory were generated using a Bayesian hierarchical cohort component model that analysed estimated age-specific fertility and mortality rates along with 1250 censuses and 747 population registry years. We classified location-years into seven categories on the basis of the natural rate of increase in population (calculated by subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate) and the net migration rate. We computed healthy life expectancy (HALE) using years lived with disability (YLDs) per capita, life tables, and standard demographic methods. Uncertainty was propagated throughout the demographic estimation process, including fertility, mortality, and population, with 1000 draw-level estimates produced for each metric. Findings: The global TFR decreased from 2·72 (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 2·66–2·79) in 2000 to 2·31 (2·17–2·46) in 2019. Global annual livebirths increased from 134·5 million (131·5–137·8) in 2000 to a peak of 139·6 million (133·0–146·9) in 2016. Global livebirths then declined to 135·3 million (127·2–144·1) in 2019. Of the 204 countries and territories included in this study, in 2019, 102 had a TFR lower than 2·1, which is considered a good approximation of replacement-level fertility. All countries in sub-Saharan Africa had TFRs above replacement level in 2019 and accounted for 27·1% (95% UI 26·4–27·8) of global livebirths. Global life expectancy at birth increased from 67·2 years (95% UI 66·8–67·6) in 2000 to 73·5 years (72·8–74·3) in 2019. The total number of deaths increased from 50·7 million (49·5–51·9) in 2000 to 56·5 million (53·7–59·2) in 2019. Under-5 deaths declined from 9·6 million (9·1–10·3) in 2000 to 5·0 million (4·3–6·0) in 2019. Global population increased by 25·7%, from 6·2 billion (6·0–6·3) in 2000 to 7·7 billion (7·5–8·0) in 2019. In 2019, 34 countries had negative natural rates of increase; in 17 of these, the population declined because immigration was not sufficient to counteract the negative rate of decline. Globally, HALE increased from 58·6 years (56·1–60·8) in 2000 to 63·5 years (60·8–66·1) in 2019. HALE increased in 202 of 204 countries and territories between 2000 and 2019

Predictors of breast self-examination behavior in housewives based on trans-theoretical model

Background and Aim: Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer among women. Monthly breast Self-Examination is an important screening strategy for early detection of breast cancer, but few women do this. The purpose of this study was to determine predictors of breast self-examination behavior in housewives based on the trans-theoretical model. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytic study was incorporated 450 housewives aged between 20 to 40 years old referring to health centers in Birjand. Sampling was through the Stratified Sampling method. Data collection was carried out through a researcher-made questionnaire including demographic information and dimensions of the meta-theory model and knowledge questions whose validity and reliability were confirmed. The data were analyzed by SPSS 19 software and analyzed by multivariate logistic regression and Pearson correlation coefficient test. Results: Mean age of the housewives was 30.75±5.24 years. As regarding the stages of transition in breast self-examination (BSE) behavior, 32.9% were in the pre-contemplation stage, 19.6% in contemplation, 23.3% in preparedness, 18.2% in action, and 6% in maintenance stages. Regression analysis showed that self-efficacy, knowledge, and education level were predictors of BSE. Conclusion: The findings of the study showed that self-efficacy and knowledge were predictors of BSE. Therefore, BSE behavior can be reinforced via educational programs that aim at increasing awareness and self-efficacy among women

The effects of relationship enrichment program on compatibility and marital satisfaction of infertile couples

Background and objective: Infertility as a crisis in couples' life, not only creates psychological problems, but also, it can act as a powerful impact on the relationships between couples. The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of relationship enrichment on compatibility and marital satisfaction of infertile couples. Methods: This is a semi experimental study with pre-test and post-test on control group. Statistical population of this study was an infertile couple in Birjand. The couples were randomly divided to control groups (17 couples) and experimental groups (15 couples). The research instrument was marital adjustment questionnaire. That completed before, immediately and 3 months after intervention. The intervention consisted of 6 training session. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 16). Results: Before the intervention, mean scores were matched the two groups. After the intervention, the experimental group increased average compatibility from 101.5&plusmn;22/4 to 129.33&plusmn;10.6 , marital satisfaction from 33/8&plusmn;8 to 44&plusmn;4.8 , marital solidarity from12&plusmn;3.8 to 16.1&plusmn;2.2 , couples agreement from 44.6&plusmn;10.5 to 54.8&plusmn;6.1 , expression of love from 11&plusmn;3.7 to 14.2&plusmn; 1.(p<0.05) Conclusion: Relationship enrichment increased the marital compatibility and marital satisfaction. Therefore recommended using relationship enrichment program to increase compatibility and marital satisfaction. Paper Type: Research Article

Efficiency and kinetic modeling of removal of nutrients and organic matter from a full-scale constructed wetland in Qasre-Shirin, Iran

Background: This study assessed the removal of organic material and nutrients from full-scale subsurface flow (SSF) constructed wetlands (CWs) followed by anaerobic stabilization ponds under environmental conditions. Methods: The effluents were distributed evenly in 12 reed beds. Samples were taken twice monthly for a total of 6 months from several points in the wetland. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), and nutrient removal from the system and the longitudinal effect of the reed beds for removal of pollutions were determined. A full-scale model of flow, BOD, and nutrients in SSF in the CWs is presented. Results: The flow rate and concentrations of parameters indicated that removal of organic matter and nutrients in the cold months decreased rather than in the hot months, as expected. The removal efficiency for BOD, COD, and TSS and the strongest biological interactions showed no uniform trends. The beds showed the highest removal rates in the first few meters of bed. The hybrid Monod-Plug flow regime and the Stover-Kincannon models showed the best fit for the kinetics of the processes. Umax in the Stover-Kincannon model was 3.64 mg/l.d for nitrogen and 0.24 mg/l.d for phosphorus. These values are very low, which indicates lower consumption and inefficiency of the system for removing nitrogen and phosphorus. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the SSF in CWs are able to treat average wastewater as effectively as common mechanical systems at lower cost

Performance Evaluation of Combined Process of Powdered Activated Carbon-Activated Sludge (PACT) in Textile Dye Removal

Introduction: The Powdered Activated Carbon Treatment (PACT) has been proposed as an alternative in wastewater treatment and wastewater biomass protection against toxic substances. This study aims to evaluate PACT performance in treating dyes, acid orange, and remazol brilliant reactive blue. Materials and Methods: This empirical- applied research was carried out in pilot scale in which different dye removal systems were tested: activated sludge, PAC, and the combined activated carbon&ndash;biomass system. The degradability of selected dyes was evaluated through Zahn-Wellens method. Also, tests continued by adding different concentrations of powdered activated carbon and it&rsquo;s effect on activated sludge in different operating conditions was investigated. American Dye Manufacture Institute (ADMI) method was utilized for determination of dye removal in samples. Results: Results revealed that dye removal in combined carbon&ndash;biomass system was faster and more efficient than activated sludge individually. So, in the wastewater with the dye concentration of 100 ppm, the dye removals through biological process alone were equal to 60 % and 12.5 % for acidic and reactive dyes, respectively. The best PAC efficiency in activated sludge process was obtained in 1500 mg/L PAC concentration. Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT) and the optimum temperature of dyes' removal were determined 28 hours and 30 &deg;C, orderly; in these conditions the dye removal efficiency of 98.18 % was obtained. Also the dye removal using activated carbon&ndash;biomass system was adequately described by combining the kinetic equations. Conclusion: PACT could be considered as an acceptable and highly efficient method for removal of different dyes in textile industry. &nbsp

Brain Metastasis in Wilms' Tumor: a Case Report

Wilms’ tumor is the most common abdominal tumor of childhood, and its cerebral metastasis is apparently very rare. The authors report an 18-month-old girl with Wilms’ tumor and brain metastasis

Cognitive predictors of cervical cancer screening’s stages of change among sample of Iranian women health volunteers: A path analysis

<div><p>Introduction</p><p>The uptake of Pap smear among Iranian women is low, resulting in a high rate of casualties from cervical cancer in Iran. The present study used the Health Belief Model (HBM) and the Stages of Change theory as theoretical frameworks for understanding the predictors of the behaviour of Iranian Women Health Volunteers (WHVs) with respect to cervical cancer screening.</p><p>Methods</p><p>Data from the 1,253 WHVs were analyzed using path analysis to assess the effects of cognitive factors (including knowledge, perceived susceptibility to cervical cancer, perceived severity of cervical cancer, Pap smear benefits, Pap smear barriers, and Pap smear self-efficacy) on the stages of change for Pap-smear behaviour.</p><p>Results</p><p>The majority of the respondents (71.5%) reported that they had not taken previous Pap smear tests; only 3% had received a regular Pap test. The perceived benefits to cervical cancer screening, the perceived barriers to cervical cancer screening, and the perceived self-efficacy to perform cervical cancer screening emerged as the predictors of cervical cancer screening’s stages of change; perceived threat to cervical cancer, however, did not.</p><p>Discussion</p><p>Uptake of regular cervical screening for Iranian WHVs was very low. Different interventions, such as media campaigns and educational interventions could provide an opportunity to improve women's knowledge on cervical cancer and Pap test benefits, address any misconceptions or fears about the procedure of the Pap test, and finally increase the cervical screening uptake by Iranian women.</p></div