Organizational Activities in Nursing Research Transfer from Viewpoint of Nurse Educators in Iranian Universities of Medical Sciences

Background: Transferring research-based knowledge into practice would help to maximize the quality of health care. However, the role of knowledge producers and the organizational roles related to knowledge transfer have been largely ignored. Objectives: This study was accomplished with the aim of describing the organizational activities needed to transfer the findings of nursing research from the viewpoint of nurse educators in Iranian Universities of Medical Sciences. Patients and Methods: This descriptive study was carried out with participating 279 nurse educators of medical sciences universities. Data were collected using Knowledge Translation Self-Assessment Tool for Research Institutes (SATORI). Results: Nursing faculty members evaluated the organizational activities of transferring the knowledge of nursing research at the “medium” level and for the domains of “the question of research” and “promoting the use of evidence” at a “weak” level and in the domains of “knowledge production” and “knowledge transfer” at a “medium” level. Conclusions: Organizational activities related to the knowledge transfer of nursing research are demonstrably low (medium at best). It is recommended that in each faculty and with the participation of all faculty members, the research transferring procedure should be assessed and all necessary changes needed to improve the research transferring procedure should be implemented

Dopamine Neuron-Specific Optogenetic Stimulation in Rhesus Macaques.

Optogenetic studies in mice have revealed new relationships between well-defined neurons and brain functions. However, there are currently no means to achieve the same cell-type specificity in monkeys, which possess an expanded behavioral repertoire and closer anatomical homology to humans. Here, we present a resource for cell-type-specific channelrhodopsin expression in Rhesus monkeys and apply this technique to modulate dopamine activity and monkey choice behavior. These data show that two viral vectors label dopamine neurons with greater than 95% specificity. Infected neurons were activated by light pulses, indicating functional expression. The addition of optical stimulation to reward outcomes promoted the learning of reward-predicting stimuli at the neuronal and behavioral level. Together, these results demonstrate the feasibility of effective and selective stimulation of dopamine neurons in non-human primates and a resource that could be applied to other cell types in the monkey brain.This work was supported by the Wellcome Trust (Principal Research Fellowship and Programme Grant 095495), European Research Council (ERC Advanced Grant 293549), and NIH Caltech Conte Center (P50MH094258)

Green space and the health of the older adult during pandemics: a narrative review on the experience of COVID-19

IntroductionAging is an inevitable process that leads to changes in various dimensions of older adult life, including physical, psychological, and social aspects. Unfortunately, older adults are more susceptible to health problems caused by adverse experiences such as the Corona outbreak.AimThe current study examines the lived experience of older adults in facing the conditions of the Corona epidemic to see how green spaces at various scales can influence the physical and mental health of this group.MethodRelevant articles published, from 2019 to February 17, 2023, were searched using in the Scopus and Web of Science databases. Eligible studies published in English and all studies passed a quality evaluation.ResultIn the final search, 40 articles were selected and analyzed. The majority of studies conducted during the pandemic categorized the impact of green spaces on the health of older adults into three main categories: Place-based attribute, Process, and Function.ConclusionThe findings of this study demonstrated that people were using private green spaces (gardens, balconies, etc.), small local green public spaces, sitting and gathering spaces in the neighborhood, nearby open spaces, and urban green-blue spaces throughout the epidemic era. They visited green spaces outside the city and urban areas, including urban gardens, agricultural areas, forestlands, and pastures. In this research, we investigated the characteristics of these spaces and classified them into four physical categories: urban landscape, land use, activity, movement, and accessibility. The results showed that exposure to nature or green space improved physical and mental health and increased attention and decision-making quality in older people. We have proposed design implications recommendations for crises to improve safety, security, and social capital by increasing the safe access of older adults to diverse and high-quality green spaces on different scales, which will ultimately enhance the physical and mental health of people in different age groups

An extension of weighted generalized cumulative past measure of information

In this paper, we consider a shift-dependent measure of generalized cumulative entropy and its dynamic (past) version in the case where the weight is a general non-negative function. Our results include linear transformations, stochastic ordering, bounds and aging classes properties and some relationships with other survival concepts. We also define the conditional weighted generalized cumulative entropy and weighted generalized cumulative Kerridge inaccuracy measure. For these concepts, we obtain some properties and characterization results under suitable assumptions. Finally, we propose an estimator of this shift-dependent measure using empirical approach. In addition, we study large sample properties of this estimator

Molecular Characterization of Circulating Tumor DNA in Pediatric Rhabdomyosarcoma: A Feasibility Study

PURPOSE Rhabdomyosarcomas (RMS) are rare neoplasms affecting children and young adults. Efforts to improve patient survival have been undermined by a lack of suitable disease markers. Plasma circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has shown promise as a potential minimally invasive biomarker and monitoring tool in other cancers; however, it remains underexplored in RMS. We aimed to determine the feasibility of identifying and quantifying ctDNA in plasma as a marker of disease burden and/or treatment response using blood samples from RMS mouse models and patients. METHODS We established mouse models of RMS and applied quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) to detect ctDNA within the mouse plasma. Potential driver mutations, copy-number alterations, and DNA breakpoints associated with PAX3/7-FOXO1 gene fusions were identified in the RMS samples collected at diagnosis. Patient-matched plasma samples collected from 28 patients with RMS before, during, and after treatment were analyzed for the presence of ctDNA via ddPCR, panel sequencing, and/or whole-exome sequencing. RESULTS Human tumor-derived DNA was detectable in plasma samples from mouse models of RMS and correlated with tumor burden. In patients, ctDNA was detected in 14/18 pretreatment plasma samples with ddPCR and 7/7 cases assessed by sequencing. Levels of ctDNA at diagnosis were significantly higher in patients with unfavorable tumor sites, positive nodal status, and metastasis. In patients with serial plasma samples (n = 18), fluctuations in ctDNA levels corresponded to treatment response. CONCLUSION Comprehensive ctDNA analysis combining high sensitivity and throughput can identify key molecular drivers in RMS models and patients, suggesting potential as a minimally invasive biomarker. Preclinical assessment of treatments using mouse models and further patient testing through prospective clinical trials are now warranted

The relationship between serum vitamin D level and premenstrual syndrome in Iranian women

Background: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is among the most unfavorable problems in women in reproductive age; however its pathophysiology is still not fully confirmed. Vitamin D as an immunomodulator could prevent inflammatory state before and during menstruation. Objective: The aim was to investigate whether there is any relationship between serum vitamin D levels and PMS. Materials and Methods: In total, 82 women participate in this case-control study which was conducted in Shahid Akbar-abadi hospital from November 2013 to March 2015. Categorization was based on an Iranian version of the premenstrual symptoms screening tool (PSST). Levels of 25 hydroxy-vitamin D3 (25OHD) were determined by using 25-OH Vitamin D ELISA kit in luteal phase. Characteristics of participants and vitamin D levels were compared between two groups by using independent sample t-test. Results: Menarche age of women with PMS was significantly lower than normal women (p=0.04). Body mass index was not statistically different between groups. We observed a high rate of vitamin D deficiency and also its severe deficiency in both PMS and non-PMS groups. However, our study demonstrated no significant difference in the levels of serum 25OHD between the two groups. Conclusion: It seems there is no association between PMS and serum levels of vitamin D3; however, the high rate of vitamin D deficiency among young Iranian women emerges special health care considerations in this group. � 2016, Research and Clinical Center for Infertitlity. All rights reserved

Retrospective model-based inference guides model-free credit assignment

An extensive reinforcement learning literature shows that organisms assign credit efficiently, even under conditions of state uncertainty. However, little is known about credit-assignment when state uncertainty is subsequently resolved. Here, we address this problem within the framework of an interaction between model-free (MF) and model-based (MB) control systems. We present and support experimentally a theory of MB retrospective-inference. Within this framework, a MB system resolves uncertainty that prevailed when actions were taken thus guiding an MF credit-assignment. Using a task in which there was initial uncertainty about the lotteries that were chosen, we found that when participants’ momentary uncertainty about which lottery had generated an outcome was resolved by provision of subsequent information, participants preferentially assigned credit within a MF system to the lottery they retrospectively inferred was responsible for this outcome. These findings extend our knowledge about the range of MB functions and the scope of system interactions

All-sky upper limit for gravitational radiation from spinning neutron stars

We present results of the all-sky search for gravitational-wave signals from spinning neutron stars in the data of the EXPLORER resonant bar detector. Our data analysis technique was based on the maximum likelihood detection method. We briefly describe the theoretical methods that we used in our search. The main result of our analysis is an upper limit of ${\bf 2\times10^{-23}}$ for the dimensionless amplitude of the continuous gravitational-wave signals coming from any direction in the sky and in the narrow frequency band from 921.00 Hz to 921.76 Hz.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Proceedings of 7th Gravitational Wave Data Analysis Workshop, December 17-19, 2002, Kyoto, Japa