The Effectiveness of Matrix Interventions in Reducing the Difficulty in Cognitive Emotion Regulation and Craving in Methamphetamine-Dependent Patients

Background:  Craving is a persistent factor in addictive behaviors. The aim of study was to investigate the effectiveness of matrix interventions in reducing the difficulty in cognitive emotion regulation and craving in methamphetamine-dependent patients.Methods:  The research method was experimental and the research design was pre and posttest with the control group. The statistical population of the study consisted of all methamphetamine-dependent patients who visited the Golestan hospital of Ahvaz in 2019. Among them, 40 ones were selected by a purposive sampling method and were randomly classified into experimental and control groups (n = 20 per group). The Cognitive Emotion Regulation and Craving Questionnaires were used for data collection. The experimental group received the matrix program (24 fifty-minute sessions), but the control group did not receive any intervention. Data were analyzed by the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Significant level was set at 0.05.Results: The results indicated that the matrix program was effective in reducing the difficulty in cognitive emotion regulation (F = 13.483, Pvalue < 0.001). The research results also indicated that the matrix program was effective in reducing craving in methamphetaminedependent patients (F = 60.716, Pvalue < 0.001).Conclusions: According to results, the therapy could be used to reduce the difficulty in cognitive emotion regulation and craving in methamphetamine-dependent patients. Keywords: Matrix model, Cognitive emotion regulation, Craving, Methamphetamine

The Effectiveness of Matrix Interventions in Reducing the Difficulty in Cognitive Emotion Regulation and Craving in Methamphetamine-Dependent Patients

Background:  Craving is a persistent factor in addictive behaviors. The aim of study was to investigate the effectiveness of matrix interventions in reducing the difficulty in cognitive emotion regulation and craving in methamphetamine-dependent patients.Methods:  The research method was experimental and the research design was pre and posttest with the control group. The statistical population of the study consisted of all methamphetamine-dependent patients who visited the Golestan hospital of Ahvaz in 2019. Among them, 40 ones were selected by a purposive sampling method and were randomly classified into experimental and control groups (n = 20 per group). The Cognitive Emotion Regulation and Craving Questionnaires were used for data collection. The experimental group received the matrix program (24 fifty-minute sessions), but the control group did not receive any intervention. Data were analyzed by the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Significant level was set at 0.05.Results: The results indicated that the matrix program was effective in reducing the difficulty in cognitive emotion regulation (F = 13.483, Pvalue < 0.001). The research results also indicated that the matrix program was effective in reducing craving in methamphetaminedependent patients (F = 60.716, Pvalue < 0.001).Conclusions: According to results, the therapy could be used to reduce the difficulty in cognitive emotion regulation and craving in methamphetamine-dependent patients. Keywords: Matrix model, Cognitive emotion regulation, Craving, Methamphetamine

Cone beam computed tomography functionalities in dentistry

The present article evaluates various clinical applications of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Among scientific articles, research was conducted by PubMed on the dental application of CBCT, containing many articles, in general, among which most of them were clinically about dentistry and its related analyses. Different functionalities of CBCT, including oral and maxillofacial surgery, root treatment, implantology, orthodontics, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, periodontics, and forensic dentistry have been indicated in the study. The aim of this review paper is to summarize the CBCT applications in various fields of dentistry. Also, this review article illustrates that diff erent CBCT indicators have been used concerning the need for the certain discipline of dentistry and the kind of conducted procedure

Knowledge and Practices of Safe Use of Pesticides among a Group of Farmers in Northern Iran

Background: The unsafe use of chemical pesticides, along with the lack of appropriate preventive protocols and equipment may damage the health of users. Objective: To determine the knowledge and practice of the safe use of chemical pesticides by farm workers in northern Iran. Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted on 300 farmers in Mazandaran province, in 2017. The data collection instrument was a two-part questionnaire: The first part was concentrated on demographic and agricultural characteristics of the participants; the second part dealt with the farmers' knowledge and practice of the safe use of pesticides. Results: The mean knowledge and practice scores (out of 100) of the participating farmers in the safe use of pesticides were 84.8 (SD 13.5) and 50.8 (13.2), respectively. There was a significant positive correlation (r=0.466, p<0.001) between their knowledge and practice. Wearing protective clothes, while applying pesticides, was among safe practices. Although more than 60% of farmers had a sufficient level of knowledge of the safe use of pesticides, they did not implement their knowledge in practice. There was a significant (p<0.001) association between the education level and knowledge of the safe use of pesticides. Conclusion: There was a significant correlation between knowledge and practices of the safe use of pesticides among farmers in northern Iran. There was a clear know-do gap—although the majority of the participants possessed a sufficient level of knowledge of the safe use of pesticides, they did not implement it in practice

Frequency Assessment of OXA-10 and PER beta-Lactamase Genes and Determination of Minimum Inhibitory Concentration in Klebsiella Strains Isolated from Urinary Tract Infections

Background: Klebsiella is one of the Enterobacteriaceae family that causes infections such as pneumonia, urinary tract infections (UTI), and meningitis. Klebsiella strains are capable of producing enzymes that can degrade the third-generation of cephalosporins known as broad-spectrum beta-lactamase enzymes. The resistance of Klebsiella strains to beta-lactam antibiotics is related to the presence of beta-lactamase genes. Methods: In this study, 90 isolates of Klebsiella were isolated from two inpatient and outpatient groups, each of them was 45 isolates, which were collected from patients with urinary tract infection in educational hospitals of Shahrekord. The isolates were identified using phenotypic agar diffusion, disc phenotypic confirmation tests, and E-test of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL). The PCR molecular method was used to diagnose and determine the strains containing broad-spectrum beta-lactamases. Results: Thirty (66%) inpatients and 8 (17.8%) outpatients had broad-spectrum beta-lactamase enzymes. The frequency of beta-lactamase OXA-10 genes and PER in inpatients were 90% and 33%, respectively and also in outpatients were 50% and 12.5%, respectively. Conclusions: This study showed that the prevalence of isolated Klebsiella producing broad-spectrum beta-lactamases is higher in in-patients in comparison to outpatients. Therefore, the rapid and accurate identification of bacteria and their resistance genes in clinical microbiology labs are highly recommended. Keywords Author Keywords:Klebsiella; Minimum Inhibitory Concentration; Extended Spectrum beta-Lactamases; OXA-10; PER Gen

Lamellipodin tunes cell migration by stabilizing protrusions and promoting adhesion formation

Efficient migration on adhesive surfaces involves the protrusion of lamellipodial actin networks and their subsequent stabilization by nascent adhesions. The actin-binding protein lamellipodin (Lpd) is thought to play a critical role in lamellipodium protrusion, by delivering Ena/VASP proteins onto the growing plus ends of actin filaments and by interacting with the WAVE regulatory complex, an activator of the Arp2/3 complex, at the leading edge. Using B16-F1 melanoma cell lines, we demonstrate that genetic ablation of Lpd compromises protrusion efficiency and coincident cell migration without altering essential parameters of lamellipodia, including their maximal rate of forward advancement and actin polymerization. We also confirmed lamellipodia and migration phenotypes with CRISPR/Cas9-mediated Lpd knockout Rat2 fibroblasts, excluding cell type-specific effects. Moreover, computer-aided analysis of cell-edge morphodynamics on B16-F1 cell lamellipodia revealed that loss of Lpd correlates with reduced temporal protrusion maintenance as a prerequisite of nascent adhesion formation. We conclude that Lpd optimizes protrusion and nascent adhesion formation by counteracting frequent, chaotic retraction and membrane ruffling.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper

Pre-Hospital and Post-Hospital Quality of Care in Traumatic Spinal Column and Cord Injuries in Iran

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study.OBJECTIVES: The quality of care (QoC) for spinal column/cord injury patients is a major health care concern. This study aimed to implement the QoC assessment tool (QoCAT) in the National Spinal Cord/Column Injury Registry of Iran (NSCIR-IR) to define the current state of pre- and post-hospital QoC of individuals with Traumatic Spinal Column and Spinal Cord Injuries (TSC/SCIs).METHODS: The QoCAT, previously developed by our team to measure the QoC in patients with TSC/SCIs, was implemented in the NSCIR-IR. The pre-hospital QoC was evaluated through a retrospective analysis of NSCIR-IR registry data. Telephone interviews and follow-ups of patients with SCI evaluated the QoC in the post-hospital phase.RESULTS: In the pre-hospital phase, cervical collars and immobilization were implemented in 46.4% and 48.5% of the cases, respectively. Transport time from the scene to the hospital was documented as &lt;1 hour and &lt;8 hours in 33.4% and 93.9% of the patients, respectively. Post-hospital indicators in patients with SCI revealed a first-year mortality rate of 12.5% (20/160), a high incidence of secondary complications, reduced access to electrical wheelchairs (4.2%) and modified cars (7.7%), and low employment rate (21.4%).CONCLUSION: These findings revealed a significant delay in transport time to the first care facilities, low use of immobilization equipment indicating low pre-hospital QoC. Further, the high incidence of secondary complications, low employment rate, and low access to electrical wheelchairs and modified cars indicate lower post-hospital QoC in patients with SCI. These findings imply the need for further planning to improve the QoC for patients with TSC/SCIs.</p

Predictors of Death in the Liver Transplantation Adult Candidates: An Artificial Neural Networks and Support Vector Machine Hybrid-Based Cohort Study

Background: Model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) is currently used for liver transplantation (LT) allocation, however, it is not a sufficient criterion. Objective: This current study aims to perform a hybrid neural network analysis of different data, make a decision tree and finally design a decision support system for improving LT prioritization.Material and Methods: In this cohort follow-up-based study, baseline characteristics of 1947 adult patients, who were candidates for LT in Shiraz Organ Transplant Center, Iran, were assessed and followed for two years and those who died before LT due to the end-stage liver disease were considered as dead cases, while others considered as alive cases. A well-organized checklist was filled for each patient. Analysis of the data was performed using artificial neural networks (ANN) and support vector machines (SVM). Finally, a decision tree was illustrated and a user friendly decision support system was designed to assist physicians in LT prioritization. Results: Between all MELD types, MELD-Na was a stronger determinant of LT candidates’ survival. Both ANN and SVM showed that besides MELD-Na, age and ALP (alkaline phosphatase) are the most important factors, resulting in death in LT candidates. It was cleared that MELD-Na <23, age <53 and ALP <257 IU/L were the best predictors of survival in LT candidates. An applicable decision support system was designed in this study using the above three factors.  Conclusion: Therefore, Meld-Na, age and ALP should be used for LT allocation. The presented decision support system in this study will be helpful in LT prioritization by LT allocators