Effect of awareness and reassurance on anxiety of dental implant candidates

Objectives Dental anxiety can be potentially problematic. Anxiety must be controlled in highly anxious patients in order to ensure a smooth procedure and prevent potential complications. Awareness and reassurance are believed to be efficient for anxiety control in patients undergoing dental procedures especially dental implant treatment. This study sought to assess the effect of awareness and reassurance of patients undergoing dental implant treatment on their level of anxiety.Methods In this experimental study, 40 dental implant candidates with a mean age of 37.5 years were selected and randomly assigned into two groups (n = 20). Case group patients received awareness and reassurance through a standard interview while controls only received routine information. Level of anxiety of the patients was determined pre- and postoperatively using the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The anxiety scores of the patients in the two groups were statistically analyzed by Mann-Whitney U test.Results The preoperative anxiety scores of cases and controls were not significantly different (54.73 vs. 57.55; P > 0.05). However, the anxiety score of the case group was significantly lower than that of the control group postoperatively (52.30 vs. 60.64; P = 0.004). Also, male patients had a significantly lower anxiety score than females (P < 0.05).Conclusion Awareness and reassurance through a standard interview can efficiently decrease the level of anxiety of dental implant candidates. Furthermore, female patients often experience higher level of anxiety than males

Technology push without a patient pull: examining Digital Unengagement (DU) with online health services

Purpose Policymakers push online health services delivery, relying on consumers to independently engage with online services. Yet, a growing cluster of vulnerable patients do not engage with or disengage from these innovative services. There is a need to understand how to resolve the tension between the push of online health service provision and unengagement by a contingent of health-care consumers. Thus, this study aims to explore the issue of digital unengagement (DU) (i.e. the active or passive choice to engage or disengage) with online health services to better inform service design aligned to actual consumer need. Design/methodology/approach Adopting a survey methodology, a group of 486 health services consumers with a self-declared (acute or chronic) condition were identified. Of this group, 110 consumers were classified as digitally unengaged and invited to write open-ended narratives about their unengagement with online health services. As a robustness check, these drivers were contrasted with the drivers identified by a group of digitally engaged consumers with a self-declared condition (n = 376). Findings DU is conceptualized, and four levels of DU drivers are identified. These levels represent families of interrelated drivers that in combination shape DU: subjective incompatibility (misalignment of online services with need, lifestyle and alternative services); enactment vulnerability (personal vulnerabilities around control, comprehension and emotional management of online services); sharing essentiality (centrality of face-to-face co-creation opportunities plus conflicting social dependencies); and strategic scepticism (scepticism of the strategic value of online services). Identified challenges at each level are the mechanisms through which drivers impact on DU. These DU drivers are distinct from those of the digitally engaged group. Research limitations/implications Adding to a nascent but growing literature on consumer unengagement, and complementing the engagement literature, the authors conceptualize DU, positioning it as distinct from, not simply a lack of, consumer engagement. The authors explore the drivers of DU to provide insight into how DU occurs. Encapsulating the dynamic nature of DU, these drivers map the building blocks that could help to address the issue of aligning the push of online service provision with the pull from consumers. Practical implications This paper offers insights on how to encourage consumers to engage with online health services by uncovering the drivers of DU that, typically, are hidden from service designers and providers impacting provision and uptake. Social implications There is a concern that there will be an unintentional disenfranchisement of vulnerable segments of society with a generic policy emphasis on pushing online services. The paper sheds light on the unforeseen personal and social issues that lead to disenfranchisement by giving voice to digitally unengaged consumers with online health services. Originality/value Offering a novel view from a hard-to-reach digitally unengaged group, the conceptualization of DU, identified drivers and challenges inform policymakers and practitioners on how to facilitate online health service (re)engagement and prevent marginalization of segments of society

Underexpression of hsa-miR-449 family and their promoter hypermethylation in infertile men: A case-control study

Background: Post-transcriptional microRNAs (miRNAs) have an important pattern in the spermatogenesis process. Objective: Study of the expression and methylation of hsa-miR-449 family in sperm samples of infertile men. Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, we recruited 74 infertile men (with asthenozoospermia, teratozoospermia, asthenoteratozoospermia, and oligoasthenoteratozoospermia) and 30 control samples. Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) method was used for methylation evaluation of hsa-miR-449 a, b, c promoter. By Real time PCR (qRT-PCR) method,we showed downregulation of hsa-miR-449 a, b, c in the sperm samples of infertile men and compared it to their fertile counterparts. Results: There was significant underexperssion, in hsa-miR-449-b in oligoasthenoteratospermic samples (p = 0.0001, F = 2.9). About the methylation pattern, infertile men showed high frequency of methylation in the promoter of hsa-miR-449 a, b, c in comparison to controls (60.8% vs 23.3%), the highest amount of methylation was observed in oligoasthenoteratospermia samples (81.2%). Conclusion: In this study, low expression and high methylation of hsa-miR-449-b were observed in infertile men in compared to control samples, which can be one of the causes of defective spermatogenesis. Key words: Spermatogenesis, miR-449, Expression, Epigenetic

Midazolam-induced learning and memory impairment is modulated by cannabinoid CB1 receptor agonist and antagonist

Background: Memory impairment is a well-known effect of many benzodiazepine compounds which is mediated through their action on gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptors. On the other hand, cannabinoids can affect learning and memory process through presynaptic modulation of the release of both excitatory glutamate and inhibitory GABA transmitters in brain regions involved in learning and memory. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of cannabinoids on memory impairment and long-term potentiation (LTP) reduction properties of the short acting benzodiazepine midazolam.Materials and Methods: One week after insertion of guide cannula by stereotaxic surgery, cannabinoid compounds or midazolam were administered by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection into lateral ventricle of male rats. Spatial memory task was evaluated using Morris water maze (MWM) test. Electrophysiological evaluation was done by field potential recording of hippocampal neurons in unconscious rats.Results: In MWM test, while i.c.v. administration of AM251 (200 and 500 ng) per se could not change learning and memory function in rats, pretreatment of rats with AM251 (500 ng; i.c.v.) attenuated midazolam-induced memory impairment. In field potential recording, while i.c.v. administration of AM251 (500 ng) and WIN55212-2 (10 μg) did not have any effect on population spike amplitude, pretreatment of rats with both AM251 and WIN55212-2 significantly diminished midazolam-induced PS amplitude reduction in hippocampal neurons.Conclusion: OurOur results suggest the involvement of cannabinoid CB1 receptors in both memory impairment and LTP reduction in hippocampal neurons which was produced by midazolam. This interaction is likely through their effect on both GABAergic and glutamatergic receptors in hippocampus

Maxillary canine‒second molar transposition: A rare case report

Tooth transposition, which is a rare condition, is ascribed to the disturbance of tooth eruption and the subsequent abnormal occlusal relationships. Transpositions mostly involve the upper jaw and more frequently occur between the maxillary canine and first premolar. Herein, we present a case of a maxillary canine‒second molar transposition in a thalassemic patient

The effectiveness of combined therapy on overcompensation coping strategies in histrionic personality disorder patients

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a combination of Schema Therapy and ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) in reducing overcompensation coping strategies associated with early maladaptive schemas in patients diagnosed with histrionic personality disorder (HPD). Methods: A randomized quasi-experimental design with a comparison group was used, involving pre-test, post-test, and a two-month follow-up assessment. Participants were 30 HPD patients selected from three psychology centers in 2021–2022 in Tehran who met the inclusion criteria for HPD diagnosis based on clinical interviews and Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III). Patients were randomly assigned to either the intervention or waitlist group. The intervention group received ten 90-minute sessions of combined therapy. MCMI-III and the Young Compensation Inventory (YCI) were used as research instruments. Multivariate analysis of covariance was used to control for pre-treatment differences between the intervention and waitlist groups and to assess the effect of the intervention on the outcome measures. Results: The intervention group had significantly lower MCMI-III Disclosure scores and lower YCI levels immediately post-treatment and at the two-month follow-up assessment compared to the waitlist control group. The effect sizes for these comparisons were large to very large, indicating a significant and clinically meaningful improvement in the intervention group. Conclusions: The findings suggest that combined Schema Therapy and ACT may be effective in reducing overcompensation coping strategies in HPD patients. The study's limitations included the absence of random sampling in the first stage of screening. Future research should aim to replicate these findings with larger samples and diverse populations

The effect of chitosan nanoparticles coated with folic acid to feed on growth parameters in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fingerlings

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of chitosan nanoparticles containing folic acid in the diet of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss on growth and survival indices. For this purpose, rainbow trout with an average weight of 30 ± 2 g were divided into five experimental treatments: 0, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg of chitosan/folic acid nanoparticles per kg of diet. Each treatment containing 25 fish in 3 repetitions in 15 tanks (500 liter) was designed into a closed-circuit breeding system. After making a manual diet and adapting the fish to the new conditions they were fed for 8 weeks. At the end of the experiment period, growth and survival indices were evaluated. The highest growth rate was recorded in the treatment of 1 mg/kg of chitosan/folic acid nanoparticles at the rate of 69.23 ± 4.34 g. With increasing Ch/FA nanoparticles levels in the formulated diets, the feed conversion ratio decreased linearly, which in fish fed with 1 mg/kg diet supplemented with chitosan / folic acid nanoparticles reached to 1.29 ± 0.08 (p < 0.05). On the other hand, the survival rate was the same in all treatments, but at the end of the period, losses were clearly observed in the control. The results showed that increasing the level of chitosan/folic acid nanoparticles in formulated diets will increase the growth rate and have a positive effect on growth index

Determining the Concentration of Particulate Matters and Microbiological Quality of Indoor Air in Intensive Care Units of Kashan Hospital, Iran

Introduction: Maintaining hospital air quality is very important, especially in intensive care units (ICUs), where patients undergo invasive procedures. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of determining the relationship between particulate matters (PMs) and bioaerosols in pediatric ICU (PICU), neonatal ICU (NICU), and ICU open heart (ICU OH) of Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Kashan. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted for six consecutive months, i.e., autumn and winter of 2021. PM samples were taken using a Grimm Dust Monitor and microbial samples were taken using a Quick Take 30 sampler. Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used for analysis and then ANOVA and LSD were used for further tests. Results: The maximum and minimum PM10 concentrations in the PICU and ICU OH were 59.19 and 9.71 μg/m3, respectively; and the maximum and minimum PM2.5 concentrations were 20.23 μg/m3 in the NICU and 4.69 μg/m3 in PICU. The mean PM concentration and the number of bacterial and fungal colonies were consistent with the WHO and EPA guidelines. Gram-positive Staphylococcus were the most abundant bacteria (90.96%). The most abundant fungi were Aspergillus (54.23%), Penicillium (15.64%), and Cladosperium (12.17%) species. There was also no significant relationship between PMs and bioaerosols. Conclusion: The mean concentrations of PMs and bioaerosols match with the guidelines, which can be attributed to more observance of health protocols and restrictions on the movement of people into ICUs due to the COVID-19 outbreak

Human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and syphilis co-infections among patients with anogenital warts in Tabriz, Iran

Introduction: Genital infection with papilloma virus is the most common sexually-transmitted disease (STD). It is recommended that individuals who have a sexual risk factor, should be screened for syphilis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and hepatitis B and C. However, this strategy is often not carried out in Iran. In the present study, patients with genital warts were screened for syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C. Methods: We evaluated 311 patients with anogenital warts visiting dermatology clinics from June 2016 to June 2017. In addition, demographic data were collected using a pre-designed questionnaire. Patients who presented to Sina Hospital, Tabriz, Iran, were examined for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and C, urethral and vaginal discharge, and history of painful genital lesions, while patients presenting to Bahar Behavioral Disease Counseling Center of Tabriz were examined only for HIV. Data were analyzed using chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests via SPSS software. Results: Out of 263 cases with genital warts presenting to Sina Hospital, 1, 1, and 2 cases were positive for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B, respectively. At the same time, one of the patients presenting to Bahar Center showed HIV infection. Conclusion: We found two HIV-positive, two hepatitis B virus (HBV)-positive, and one syphilis cases in 311 patients with genital warts, so it is recommended to assess these tests routinely in high-risk individuals with genital warts, including multi-partner and addicted patients

Clinical Features and Risk Factors of Relapse and Mortality in Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura Patients: A Seven-Year Experience

Background: Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is associated with microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and microvascular thrombosis. No comprehensive report exists on clinical characteristics and risk factors of relapse and mortality in Iranian TTP patients. In this study, we aimed to report clinical features of Iranian TTP patients, to evaluate disease relapse and mortality rate and their associated risk factors. Materials and Methods: This study was a cohort study of patients diagnosed with microangiopathic hemolytic anemia admitted to the Shariati Hospital, Tehran, a referral center for TTP patients, from 2010 to 2017. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were recorded and patients were followed for 3 years regarding disease relapse and mortality. Results:  114 patients (80 female, 34 male) with a mean age of 39.3 ± 14.99 years were included.  Hematologic and neurologic symptoms were the most common manifestations. Abnormal laboratory findings at the presentation included thrombocytopenia, anemia, and elevated LDH. All patients were treated with plasma exchange, and 75.5% of them had a response to treatment, while the 3-year relapse and mortality rate was 23.6 and 26.3%.  Lower platelet count was a predictor of disease relapse. Age, hematological, or neurological initial presentation were associated with TTP mortality. Conclusion: Based on the largest study of TTP patients ever in Iran, the demographic and clinical characteristics of Iranian TTP patients are similar to other existing reports. Knowledge of the risk factors for TTP relapse and mortality could be useful to alert hematologists for prompt therapeutic actions when necessary