The Effect of Continuous Care Model on Sleep Quality in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic and unpredictable disease and is a growing trend and, like other chronic diseases, affects one's quality of life and since sleep quality is one of the dimensions of quality of life, this study aimed to investigate the effect of applying continuous care model on sleep quality of patients with MS in 2013. This clinical trial study was performed on 80 patients with multiple sclerosis who were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Data collection tools included demographic information questionnaire, PSQI questionnaire and model implementation in four stages (familiarization, sensitization, control, evaluation). Model stages were performed individually and in groups for three weeks according to patients' educational needs (sleep, activity, medication and nutrition) and after two months follow up, control and evaluation were performed. Data were analyzed using Chi-square test, independent t-test and repeated measures ANOVA and spss16 software. Statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures showed a significant difference between the mean of total score and the scores of sleep quality dimensions in three times between the two groups (p<0.05). It can be concluded that the implementation of continuous care model causes a significant difference in the sleep quality of patients with MS

Transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to animals: An updated review

COVID-19 caused by a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) originated in Wuhan (Hubei province, China) during late 2019. It has spread across the globe affecting nearly 21 million people with a toll of 0.75 million deaths and restricting the movement of most of the world population during the past 6 months. COVID-19 became the leading health, economic, and humanitarian challenge of the twenty-first century. In addition to the considerable COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in humans, several cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections in animal hosts (dog, cat, tiger, lion, and mink) have been reported. Thus, the concern of pet owners is increasing. Moreover, the dynamics of the disease requires further explanation, mainly concerning the transmission of the virus from humans to animals and vice versa. Therefore, this study aimed to gather information about the reported cases of COVID-19 transmission in animals through a literary review of works published in scientific journals and perform genomic and phylogenetic analyses of SARS-CoV-2 isolated from animal hosts. Although many instances of transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 have been reported, caution and further studies are necessary to avoid the occurrence of maltreatment in animals, and to achieve a better understanding of the dynamics of the disease in the environment, humans, and animals. Future research in the animal–human interface can help formulate and implement preventive measures to combat the further transmission of COVID-19

Plant products with antifungal activity. From field to biotechnology strategies

In this chapter, informations on the recent advances regarding antifungal activity of natural products obtained from plants collected directly from their natural habitat or from plant cell and organ, cultures have been reported. The biotechnological approaches could increase uniformity and predictability of the extracts and overcome problems associated with geographical, seasonal, and environmental variations. Human fungal pathogens are the cause of severe diseases associated with high morbidity and mortality. The major human fungal pathogens are Candida species, dermatophytes, Aspergillus species, and Cryptococcus neoformans. Side effects and resistance are frequently attributed to the current antifungal agents. Moreover, the treatments often require long-term therapy and are not resolving. Plants represent a source of antifungal agents, but up to date, the number of new phytochemicals reaching the market is very low. This review attempts to summarize the current status of botanical screening efforts, as well as in vitro and in vivo studies on antifungal activity of plant products. Despite the currently non-uniform regulatory framework in all the states, the plant-derived products are increasingly in demand for their effectiveness. The basic conclusion from these studies is that rigorous, well-designed clinical trials are needed to validate the effectiveness and safety of plant extracts for their use as antifungals