Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Reducing High-risk and Harmful Behaviors in Students

Introduction: The prevalence of high-risk behaviors in young people is one of the concerns of societies. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment therapy in reducing high-risk and harmful behaviors among high school students in Mobarakeh City.Methods: The research method was quasi-experimental with a pretest and posttest design and a control group. The statistical population of the present study included high school students with high-risk behaviors in Mobarakeh city, referred to the education counseling center of this city. Participants included 30 students randomly assigned into two experimental and control groups of 15 students. The Iranian Adolescents’ Risk-taking Scale was administered as a pretest and posttest (2 weeks after the end of the experiment). The experimental group received a 6-session intervention based on acceptance and commitment therapy, with each session lasting 90 to 100 minutes. The control group did not receive any intervention.Results: The data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and the results indicated a 56% reduction in risky behaviors (excluding alcohol consumption) among the participating students in the study (P<0.01). Furthermore, the acceptance and commitment therapy intervention led to a 56% reduction in risky behaviors among the students in the experimental group (P<0.01).Conclusion: Acceptance and commitment therapy can enhance students' ability to cope with high-risk behaviors

Designing a Novel high-speed ternary-logic multiplier using GNRFET Technology

Abstract:This paper presents a novel design of a ternary multiplierbased on graphene nanoribbon field-effect transistor(GNRFET). GNRFET, as a new material with superiorphysical and electronic properties, can be a good choiceinstead of conventional devices such as metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) andCNTFET. Moreover, multiple-valued logic (MVL) canhelp to reduce area and decrease the computational stepcompared with binary logic. We proposed a ternarymultiplier with the resistors to produce ternary logic. Theproposed multiplier performances are analyzed byevaluating the delay, power, and power-delay product(PDP), with 15 nm process technologies based onGNRFET. The simulation results with HSPICEdemonstrate that the proposed design frameworkoutperforms state-of-the-art designs in circuit parameters

The Clinical Nature of Medical-Surgical Nursing Care

Introduction: Integration of theoretical knowledge and nursing practice has led to the creation of four central concepts in nursing including individual, health, nursing, and environment. Currently, greater emphasis is placed on the two concepts of health and care as the core of nursing. Thus, the purpose of the present qualitative study was to explain the concept of clinical care in internal-surgical nursing and its changes through time. Method: This study was part of an extensive grounded theory research on 14 clinical nurses, clinical educators, and nursing students of the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran. The participants were selected, first, using purposive sampling method, and then, theoretical sampling. Data were collected through individual semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Data were codified using MAXQD 2007 software (VERBI GmbH, Berlin, Germany) and analyzed using grounded theory approach (Strauss & Corbin, 1998). Results: Data analysis revealed the 3 main themes of "essence of care in internal-surgical nursing", "clinical origin of care", and "the decline in nursing". Moreover, 9 subcategories were extracted including "clinical essence of internal-surgical nursing", "patient-centered care", "peaceful conscience of nurses", "meeting the basic needs of the patient", "perception of the patient", "specialization", "alienation with role", "detachment from clinical care", and "dependency". Conclusion: Care is the essence of nursing, in particular internal-surgical nursing, and the clinical environment is the care delivery site. The changes and challenges in providing nursing care necessitate the use of moral approaches, such as designing targeted educational programs and a student-centered curriculum, with emphasis on moral conscience Keywords: Care, Medical-surgical nursing, Clinical practice, Grounded theory, Qualitative researc

The spiritual experiences of students of Iran University of Medical Sciences in 2020

Background: Psychologists consider the acceptance of spirituality as a cultural reality and by acknowledging the positive effects of spirituality on mental health, the World Health Organization also considers the spiritual dimension as the physical, social and emotional dimensions of human existence. Spirituality is a genuine and inner experience that It lies in the nature of every human being. The purpose of this study was to investigate the spiritual experiences of students of Iran University of Medical Sciences in 2020. Methods: The present study was descriptive-analytical. The sample size of 500 students of Iran University of Medical Sciences in 2020 was estimated. For sampling, a list of students was prepared from the faculty education and the sample was selected by regular random sampling method through random number generation software. The data collection tool was a questionnaire with demographic questions and spiritual experiences. The collected data were analyzed after completion with SPSS 20 software. A significance level of 0.05 was considered. Results: The mean score of the meaning-finding component in life was obtained at 57.98. There was a significant relationship between spiritual experiences and gender, age and educational level of students, while no significant relationship was found between spiritual experiences and marital status and residence. Conclusion: In order to ensure the spiritual health of students, it is necessary to plan properly to create a meaningful atmosphere in universities for different age and gender groups

Effect of growth hormone on muscle strength, tone and mobility of children with Prader-Willi syndrome

ObjectivePrader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is a genetic syndrome presenting with severe hypotonia and decreased agility. Growth Hormone (GH), which is often used in these patients to treat short stature and obesity, seems improve hypotonia, physical strength, activity, and locomotor developmental ability. The aim ofthis study was to find the effects of growth hormone on agility and strength of these patients.Material & MethodsIn a prospective randomized controlled clinical trial in an out-patient pediatric endocrine clinic in Tehran, 21 PWS children (12 boys and 9 girls, 4 to 9 years old) were divided into either GH-treated or control groups and followed for two years. Agility run, sit ups, weight lifting, and inspiratory and expiratory strength were considered as the main outcome measures.ResultsAll the outcome measures of the GH treated group showed a significant improvement compared to the control group.ConclusionGH causes a significant improvement in agility and strength of PWS children.Key words: Preder-willi syndrome; PWS; growth hormone;agility; strengt

Normal Values of Nerve Conduction Studies in Children Aged 7 Days to 14 Years Referred to Electrodiagnosis Clinic of Iranian Children’s Medical Center

Background: The normal values of nerve conduction studies (NCS) are different in children compared to adults. Moreover, racial and geographical factors can affect these values. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the normal NCS values in children of different ages. Methods: The present cross-sectional study included children referred to the Electrodiagnosis Clinic of the Children’s Medical Center in Iran, who had normal NCS results based on the references and had no exclusion criteria. The patients were divided into 8 age groups (7 days to one month, 1 - 3 months, 3 - 6 months, 6 - 12 months, 1 - 2 years, 2 - 4 years, 4 - 6 years, and 6 - 14 years), and the NCS was performed using a Nihon Kohden electromyogram. The NCS values in the normal range were included in the analysis. Results: The normal ranges of amplitude and conduction velocity of 4 motor nerves (median, ulnar, deep peroneal, and tibial) and 2 sensory nerves (median and medial plantar), as well as the F-wave latency values of 2 nerves (ulnar and tibial), were established as the reference values for the pediatric patients. Conclusions: The NCS parameters of Iranian children were slightly different from the normal references reported by studies in other countries. Moreover, the SNAP and CMAP amplitudes and motor conduction velocity of these children usually reached the normal values of the adult population earlie

A study on the bacterial infections of freshwater crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus) in the Aras reservoir

Astacus leptodactylus is an important economical fisheries resource of Aras dam reservoir, in Iran. The infection of freshwater crayfish by gram negative and gram positive bacteria is often observed in natural and cultural environments which are considered as secondary disease agents or opportunities. This study was conducted to investigate infection conditions on 70 crayfish from the Aras reservoir regarding the bacterial agents by culturing from hemolymph in aseptic condition on Blood Agar, Trypton Soya Agar (TSA) and Cytophaga Agar The study was performed by biochemical tests. In this study Aeromonas hydrophila, Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus and Flavobacterium johnsonaewere isolated and determined. According to the results of this study which was performed for first time on Aras reservoir freshwater crayfish, the percentage of crayfish which carried bacteria in hemolymph were variable ( 20-58.5%). Also, the gram negative bacteria particularly Aeromonas hydrophyla were dominant among the bacteria isolated from studied crayfishes

Phenotype and Genotype Heterogeneity of PLA2G6-Associated Neurodegeneration in a Cohort of Pediatric and Adult Patients

BACKGROUND: Phospholipase-associated neurodegeneration (PLAN) caused by mutations in the PLA2G6 gene is a rare neurodegenerative disorder that presents with four sub-groups. Infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy (INAD) and PLA2G6-related dystonia-parkinsonism are the main two subtypes. In this cohort, we reviewed clinical, imaging, and genetic features of 25 adult and pediatric patients harboring variants in the PLA2G6. METHODS: An extensive review of the patients\u27 data was carried out. Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy Rating Scale (INAD-RS) was used for evaluating the severity and progression of INAD patients. Whole-exome sequencing was used to determine the disease\u27s underlying etiology followed by co-segregation analysis using Sanger sequencing. In silico prediction analysis based on the ACMG recommendation was used to assess the pathogenicity of genetic variants. We aimed to survey a genotype-genotype correlation in PLA2G6 considering all reported disease-causing variants in addition to our patients using the HGMD database and the chi-square statistical approach. RESULTS: Eighteen cases of INAD and 7 cases of late-onset PLAN were enrolled. Among 18 patients with INAD, gross motor regression was the most common presenting symptom. Considering the INAD-RS total score, the mean rate of progression was 0.58 points per month of symptoms (Standard error 0.22, lower 95% - 1.10, and upper 95% - 0.15). Sixty percent of the maximum potential loss in the INAD-RS had occurred within 60 months of symptom onset in INAD patients. Among seven adult cases of PLAN, hypokinesia, tremor, ataxic gate, and cognitive impairment were the most frequent clinical features. Various brain imaging abnormalities were also observed in 26 imaging series of these patients with cerebellar atrophy being the most common finding in more than 50%. Twenty unique variants in 25 patients with PLAN were detected including nine novel variants. Altogether, 107 distinct disease-causing variants from 87 patient were analyzed to establish a genotype-phenotype correlation. The P value of the chi-square test did not indicate a significant relationship between age of disease onset and the distribution of reported variants on PLA2G6. CONCLUSION: PLAN presents with a wide spectrum of clinical symptoms from infancy to adulthood. PLAN should be considered in adult patients with parkinsonism or cognition decline. Based on the current knowledge, it is not possible to foresee the age of disease onset based on the identified genotype