Spiritual Well-Being, Social Support, and Financial Distress in Determining Depression: The Mediating Role of Impact of Event During COVID-19 Pandemic in Iran

This study investigates the relationship between spiritual well-being, social support, and financial distress with depressive symptoms due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A path analysis was used to analyze data collected from 1,156 Iranian participants via an online survey. The results showed that spiritual well-being and social support were negatively related to depressive symptoms and financial distress. The impact of COVID-19 events showed negative associations with depressive symptoms. In addition, the link between spiritual well-being and financial distress with depressive symptoms was partially mediated by the impact of events. Copyright © 2021 Sharif Nia, Gorgulu, Naghavi, Robles-Bello, Sánchez-Teruel, Khoshnavay Fomani, She, Rahmatpour, Allen, Arslan and Pahlevan Sharif

Fracture of a Tempofilter II: an Initial Case Report

Tempofilter II is a device that is used for pulmonary embolism prophylaxis. Since the appearance of the Tempofilter II following withdrawal of the Tempofilter I, it has been reported that the Tempofilter II is safe, effective and useful. Here we report on the first case of a fracture of one leg of the filter and this leg was embedded in the inferior vena cava wall in a 62-year-old man with deep vein thrombosis

A psychometric lens for e-learning: Examining the validity and reliability of the persian version of University Students’ Engagement Inventory (P-USEI)

Student engagement is a critical component of e-learning, which became an important focus for most academic institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. University students’ engagement is measured using various scales with diferent subscales. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the University Student Engagement Inventory (P-USEI). A cross-sectional methodology study was conducted among Iranian university students (n =667) from April to May 2020. After forward–backward translation, the content, and construct validity, and reliability of the scale were assessed. The results obtained from the confrmatory factor analysis confrmed that the P-USEI has three factors: cognitive, emotional, and behaviour. The fndings of the study supported the adequate reliability, factorial, convergent, and discriminant validities of P-USEI in a sample of Iranian students. The P-USEI dimensions have predictive value for important academic variables that can be generalized by developing the research through a psychometric evaluation on student engagement.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Near full-length genome analysis of low prevalent human immunodeficiency virus type 1 subclade F1 in São Paulo, Brazil

Background: The genetic diversity of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is critical to lay the groundwork for the design of successful drugs or vaccine. In this study we aimed to characterize and define the molecular prevalence of HIV-1 subclade F1 currently circulating in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Methods: A total of 36 samples were selected from 888 adult patients residing in Sao Paulo who had previously been diagnosed in two independent studies in our laboratory as being infected with subclade F1 based on pol subgenomic fragment sequencing. Proviral DNA was amplified from the purified genomic DNA of all 36 blood samples by 5 fragments overlapping PCR followed by direct sequencing. Sequence data were obtained from the 5 fragments of pure subclade F1 and phylogenetic trees were constructed and compared with previously published sequences. Subclades F1 that exhibited mosaic structure with other subtypes were omitted from any further analysis Results: Our methods of fragment amplification and sequencing confirmed that only 5 sequences inferred from pol region as subclade F1 also holds true for the genome as a whole and, thus, estimated the true prevalence at 0.56%. The results also showed a single phylogenetic cluster of the Brazilian subclade F1 along with non-Brazilian South American isolates in both subgenomic and the full-length genomes analysis with an overall intrasubtype nucleotide divergence of 6.9%. The nucleotide differences within the South American and Central African F1 strains, in the C2-C3 env, were 8.5% and 12.3%, respectively. Conclusion: All together, our findings showed a surprisingly low prevalence rate of subclade F1 in Brazil and suggest that these isolates originated in Central Africa and subsequently introduced to South America.Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP)[06/50096-0

Protein kinase B controls transcriptional programs that direct cytotoxic T cell fate but is dispensable for T cell metabolism

SummaryIn cytotoxic T cells (CTL), Akt, also known as protein kinase B, is activated by the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) and the cytokine interleukin 2 (IL-2). Akt can control cell metabolism in many cell types but whether this role is important for CTL function has not been determined. Here we have shown that Akt does not mediate IL-2- or TCR-induced cell metabolic responses; rather, this role is assumed by other Akt-related kinases. There is, however, a nonredundant role for sustained and strong activation of Akt in CTL to coordinate the TCR- and IL-2-induced transcriptional programs that control expression of key cytolytic effector molecules, adhesion molecules, and cytokine and chemokine receptors that distinguish effector versus memory and naive T cells. Akt is thus dispensable for metabolism, but the strength and duration of Akt activity dictates the CTL transcriptional program and determines CTL fate

Behavioral Pain Indicators in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury Admitted to an Intensive Care Unit

Introduction: A consistent approach to pain assessment for patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) is a major difficulty for health practitioners due to some patients’ inability, to express their pain verbally. This study aimed to assess pain behaviors (PBs) in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients at different levels of consciousness. Methods: This study used a repeated-measure, within-subject design with 35 patients admitted to an ICU. The data were collected through observations of nociceptive and non-nociceptive procedures, which were recorded through a 47-item behavior-rating checklist. The analyses were performed by SPSS ver.13 software. Results: The most frequently observed PBs during nociceptive procedures were facial expression levator contractions (65.7%), sudden eye openings (34.3%), frowning (31.4%), lip changes (31.4%), clear movement of extremities (57.1%), neck stiffness (42.9%), sighing (31.4%), and moaning (31.4%). The number of PBs exhibited by participants during nociceptive procedures was significantly higher than those observed before and 15 minutes after the procedures. Also, the number of exhibited PBs in patients during nociceptive procedures was significantly greater than that of exhibited PBs during the non-nociceptive procedure. The results showed a significant difference between different levels of consciousness and also between the numbers of exhibited PBs in participants with different levels of traumatic brain injury severity. Conclusion: The present study showed that most of the behaviors that have been observed during painful stimulation in patients with traumatic brain injury included facial expressions, sudden eye opening, frowning, lip changes, clear movements of extremities, neck stiffness, and sighing or moaning

Intense versus standard regimens of intermittent occlusion therapy for unilateral moderate amblyopia in children: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: We reported that in our previous study that wearing intermittent occlusion therapy glasses (IO-therapy) for 4 hours (h) was non-inferior to patching for 2 h in 3 to 8-year-old children with amblyopia. We hypothesize that an intense regimen of 12-h IO-therapy per day for 4 weeks could be as effective as the standard regimen of 4-h IO-therapy per day for 12 weeks in treating moderate amblyopia in 3 to 8-year-old children. Methods/design: A total of 56 children between 3 and 8 years of age with amblyopia in association with anisometropia and/or strabismus will be enrolled. All participants will be prescribed IO-therapy glasses (Amblyz™), set at 30-s opaque/transparent intervals (i.e., occluded 50% of wear time). They will be randomized to receive the standard regimen for 12 weeks or the intense regimen for 4 weeks. Adherence to using the IO-therapy glasses will be objectively monitored in each participant by means of a microsensor dose monitor. The primary study objective is to compare the effectiveness of an intense regimen to a standard regimen of IO-therapy in 3 to 8-year-old children with moderate amblyopia. The secondary study objectives are to determine whether adherence differs between an intense regimen and a standard regimen of IO-therapy, and to determine the dose-response relationship of IO-therapy. Discussion: In addition to testing the effectiveness, this study will test for the first time the association between treatment adherence and the visual outcome of IO-therapy, which will enhance our understanding of the dose-response relationship of IO-therapy. If an intense regimen is shown to be effective, it would alter amblyopia treatment strategies and improve visual outcomes. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02767856. Registered on 10 May 2016

Clinical and morphological features including expression of ßig-h3 and keratan sulphate proteoglycans in Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome type B and in normal cornea

ABSTRACT Aim: To carry out a detailed morphological study of the cornea of a 16 year old female with a Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome (MLS). Methods: Following a penetrating keratoplasty in July 1999, ultrastructural changes in the cornea were examined using electron microscopy. Proteoglycans were visualised using cuprolinic blue dye; and ßig-h3 and keratan sulphate were detected by immunoelectron microscopy. Results: The epithelial cells were degenerate and contained apoptotic nuclei. Proteoglycans were present in epithelial cells, intercellular spaces, and in swollen desmosomes. An abnormally large quantity of proteoglycans was present throughout the stroma. Keratocytes throughout the stroma had no cell organelles, were vacuolated, and contained a large quantity of abnormal proteoglycans. Labelling for ßig-h3 was intense around electron lucent spaces in stroma. No labelling was seen in keratocytes or endothelial cells. In normal cornea, keratan sulphate labelling was regular throughout the stroma. In MLS VI type B cornea, keratan sulphate labelling was weak in the anterior stroma but very intense in the posterior stroma and in keratocyte lysosomes and vacuoles. Conclusion: A deficiency of aryl sulfatase B results in the deposition of keratan sulphate proteoglycan and other proteoglycans in lysosomes, causing the death of keratocytes and an abnormal build-up of proteoglycans in the stroma. This might be responsible for the lateral aggregation of collagen fibrils and impaired fibrillogenesis in MLS VI. Degenerate swollen keratocytes, together with gross changes in epithelial, stromal, and endothelial cells, would be expected to increase light scattering significantly in these corneas