Medication Management Skills of Nursing Students: Comparing the Students and Their Instructors' Evaluation in two Universities

Background: Nurses have critical roles in the process of medication. Evaluating the process of medication helps nursing educators and students to determine the present status and then, improve the quality of care. Objective: The current study was conducted to compare the self-evaluation of nursing students in their own medication skills with the evaluation done by clinical instructors, in Qom’s Azad University and Arak University of Medical Sciences, in 2011. Materials and Methods: A descriptive study was conducted. Data gathered using a self-report questionnaire and an observation checklist. A total of 141 students and 10 instructors participated in the study. SPSS software (version 13) was employed to analyze the data. Descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon rank test were used. Results: The mean scores for the domain of medication preparation were 2.51 ± 0.55 and 2.58 ± 0.57 based on the students’ self-evaluation and the instructors' evaluation of the students, respectively. No significant difference was observed between the total mean scores of ‘medication preparation’ in the two evaluation methods (P > 0.05). The highest mean score was achieved in the domain of drug administration both in the self-evaluation and evaluation by the instructors. A significant difference was observed between the total mean scores of ‘drug administration’ in the two evaluation methods (P < 0.05). The domain ‘post medication nursing care’ has got the lowest mean score among the three domains both from the perspective of the students and that of the instructors. The mean scores of different domains of medication management were close in the two universities. Conclusions: The present study showed that the nursing students are not quite competent in the process of medication therapy both from their own and their clinical instructors’ perspectives. This finding shows the urgent need to implement some actions to strengthen the students’ skills in medication therapy

Callus production and regeneration of the medicinal plant Papaver orientale

Papaver orientale is an important medicinal plant and source of the valuable alkaloids. In this study, callus production and regeneration of P. orientale under in vitro conditions was investigated with different levels of kinetin (Kin), 6-benzylamine purine (BA) and α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) on Murashige and Skoog (MS) and Gamborg's B5 (B5) media. For callogenesis, explants as cotyledonshypocotyls were placed on the solidified MS andB5media with hormones under 16-h photoperiod and 20°C conditions. Results showed that the best media for callus induction of P. orientale consisted of the MS basic media supplemented with 0.5 mg/l BA and 0.5 or 1 mg/l NAA. Shoots were regenerated in cultures grown on MS medium containing 0.5 mg/l Kin and (0.5 or 1.0 mg/l) NAA and were induced to root on B5 medium containing 1 mg/l Kin and 1.0 mg/l NAA.Key word: Callus induction, in vitro regeneration, Papaveraceae, Papaver orientale

Effect of pulsed power on particle matter in diesel engine exhaust using a DBD plasma reactor

Nonthermal plasma (NTP) treatment of exhaust gas is a promising technology for both nitrogen oxides (NOX) and particulate matter (PM) reduction by introducing plasma into the exhaust gases. This paper considers the effect of NTP on PM mass reduction, PM size distribution, and PM removal efficiency. The experiments are performed on real exhaust gases from a diesel engine. The NTP is generated by applying high-voltage pulses using a pulsed power supply across a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor. The effects of the applied high-voltage pulses up to 19.44 kVpp with repetition rate of 10 kHz are investigated. In this paper, it is shown that the PM removal and PM size distribution need to be considered both together, as it is possible to achieve high PM removal efficiency with undesirable increase in the number of small particles. Regarding these two important factors, in this paper, 17 kVpp voltage level is determined to be an optimum point for the given configuration. Moreover, particles deposition on the surface of the DBD reactor is found to be a significant phenomenon, which should be considered in all plasma PM removal tests

Nano-Fe3O4/O2: Green, Magnetic and Reusable Catalytic System for the Synthesis of Benzimidazoles

Magnetic nano-Fe3O4 was applied in the presence of atmospheric air as a green, efficient, heterogeneous and reusable catalytic system for the synthesis of benzimidazoles via the reactions of o-phenylenediamine (1 eq) with aryl aldehydes (1 eq) in excellentyields (85–97 %) and short reaction times (30–100 min) with a proposed mechanism.Keywords: Benzimidazole, benzene-1,2-diamine, aldehyde, nano-Fe3O4, heterogeneous catalyst, magnetite, O

A preliminary study of the role of nickel in enhancing flowering of the nickel hyperaccumulating plant \u3ci\u3eAlyssum inflatum\u3c/i\u3e Nyár. (Brassicaceae)

Alyssum inflatum is a native of serpentine soils and is able to hyperaccumulate nickel (Ni), but the importance of Ni to reproduction in the species is unknown. We investigated if reproductive fitness is enhanced by Ni in the growth medium, and included a treatment involving a relatively high level of Mg to provide a comparison with elevated levels of another metal. Seedlings were grown in a modified Hoagland solution culture in an inert medium of Perlite and were treated with Ni (100 μM), a high concentration of Mg (5 mM), or under control conditions (solution culture without Ni or the addition of high Mg) for 14 months. We documented survival, as well as the proportion of individuals that flowered. We also quantified flower production as an indicator of plant fitness. Survival was not affected by treatment (87–90% for all treatments), but significantly more Ni-treated plants (63%) flowered compared with Mg-treated (19%) or control plants (12%). In addition, inflorescences per plant, inflorescence length, and number of open flowers per inflorescence were all significantly greater for Ni-treated plants relative to plants from the other treatments. Although high levels of Ni are not essential for growth and reproduction of the species, we suggest that Ni stimulates flowering in A. inflatum and may result in greater fitness for the species on serpentine soils

Role of Steroid Therapy after Ischemic Stroke by N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Gene Regulation

Background: Stroke is the main cause of cerebrovascular disease mortality. Prolonged stimulation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subtypes by the accumulation of glutamate neurotransmitter in the extracellular space after a stroke could activate cell death pathways. It is reported that progesterone provides different mechanisms of neuroprotection and could be considered as a candidate for stroke treatment. This study aimed to investigate progesterone impact on the expression of NMDA receptor subunits NR1, NR2(A and B), NR3 (A and B) after an experimental model of ischemic stroke which is followed by an in silico analysis. Methods: Progesterone was introduced subcutaneously after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion in male rats. After a period of reperfusion, a set of behavioral tests was performed to evaluate the postischemic neurological deficits. The 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining method was done for quantification of infarct volume and gene expression analysis was performed in the penumbra region using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for NMDA receptor subunits. An AutoDock tool was employed to perform molecular docking analyses for evaluation of progesterone interaction with NMDA receptor. Results: Cerebral ischemia caused a significant downregulation in NR1, NR2A, NR2B and a profound upregulation of NR3B in cortical penumbraregion. Treatment with progesterone resu lted in upregulation of NR1, NR2A, and NR3B which could explain a possible the neuroprotection of steroids via binding to NMDA glutamate receptor. In addition, in silico analysis revealed that progesterone could strongly interact with NR1/NR2B and NR2A. Conclusion: The findings elucidate a new aspect of the neuroprotective mechanism of progesterone via NMDA receptors gene regulation. Keywords: Stroke NMDA receptor Progesterone Gene expressio

Effect of Melissa officinalis Capsule on the Intensity of Premenstrual Syndrome Symptoms in High School Girl Students

Background: Several studies are conducted on Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS). However, a few herbal surveys exist on the treatment of PMS in Iran. Due to the sedative effects of Melissa officinalis (M. officinalis), this question comes to mind that “can it be used in the treatment of PMS symptoms?” Objectives: The current study aimed to assess the effect of M. officinalis capsule on the intensity of PMS in high-school girls. Materials and Methods: A double-blind randomized, placebo-controlled trial was performed on 100 high school girls from 2013 to 2014. The intervention group (n = 50) received 1200 mg of M. officinalis essence daily from the first to the last day of their menstrual cycle for three consecutive cycles. The second group (n = 50) received the placebo. The premenstrual symptoms screening tool was used to assess the intensity of PMS symptoms in the two groups before and one, two, and three months after the intervention. The data were analyzed using paired t-test and repeated measures analysis of variance. Results: The results of repeated measures test revealed a significant reduction (P < 0.001) in PMS symptoms. Overall, the mean score of PMS intensity in the intervention group was 42.56 + 15.73 before the intervention and changed to 32.72 ± 13.24, 30.02 ± 12.08, and 13.90 ± 10.22 at the three consecutive months after the intervention, respectively (P = 0.001). Conclusions: M. officinalis capsules were effective in reduction of the PMS symptoms. Yet, application of this medication requires further investigations