The effect of escitalopram in treating mild to moderate depressive disorder and improving the quality of life in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting - a double-blind randomized clinical trial.

Introduction: Chronic depression and anxiety can be a risk factor for coronary aArtery bypass grafting (CABG) and is an emerging factor after coronary artery disease when the patient is admitted to the hospital and after surgery. We aimed to assess the effect of Escitalopram in treating mild to moderate depressive disorder and improving the quality of life in patients undergoing CABG. Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, 50 patients undergoing CABG referred to Tehran Heart Hospital from January 2021 to May 2021 and were suffering from mild to moderate depression were randomly assigned to one of the two groups of Escitalopram or placebo. The level of depression was assessed based on Beck's depression inventory and the quality-of-life status and its domains were assessed based on the SF-36 questionnaire in 2 groups. Measurements were obtained at baseline and at four and eight weeks after treatment. Chi-square, Fisher's exact, paired, and Wilcoxon tests or ANOVA were used as appropriate. Results: There was no significant difference between the level of depression between the two study groups at baseline (P=0.312). There was no significant difference between the quality of life and its domains in the two study groups at baseline (P=0.607). However, the most important effect of Escitalopram was reducing depression scores in the intervention group at weeks 4 and 8 after treatment compared to the placebo group (P<0.001). The quality of life and its domains were significantly higher in the Escitalopram group eight weeks after treatment (P=0.004). The amount of drug side effects at 2 and 4 weeks after treatment had no significant difference between the groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: Escitalopram was effective in treating mild to moderate depressive disorder and improving quality of life in patients undergoing CABG. Clinical trial registration: https://irct.behdasht.gov.ir/, identifier IRCT20140126016374N2.

The effectiveness of Balint group work on the quality of work life, resilience, and nurse-patient communication skills among psychiatric nurses: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Balint group training has gained popularity in medical practices as an intervention designed to enhance the quality of life, well-being, and communication skills of healthcare practitioners. Psychiatric nurses, in particular, encounter distinct challenges and stressors inherent in their profession, necessitating the development and implementation of effective interventions to assist them in coping with the difficulties they experience. In this vein, the current study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Balint group training on quality of work life, resilience, and nurse-patient communication skills among psychiatric nurses. Methods: Thirty psychiatric nurses from Razi Hospital in Tehran were recruited via the purposeful sampling method in 2022 and were randomly assigned to either the Balint group, consisting of eight weekly one-hour training sessions, or a control group. Participants completed the Walton Quality of Work Life Questionnaire, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and Communication Skills Scale before and after the intervention. The data were analyzed using the Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). Results: The study found no significant differences between the Balint group and the control group in terms of quality of work life, resilience, and nurse-patient communication skills. Conclusion: Findings suggest that Balint group training was not an effective intervention for improving the well-being and communication skills of psychiatric nurses. However, the study highlights the need for further investigation into the potential factors that may explain the lack of significant gains and offers insights for future research in this area.

Distribution, source and ecological risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the sediments of northern part of the Persian Gulf.

Distribution, sources, and ecological risk of 43 compounds of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surficial sediments of the Persian Gulf were investigated. The sediments were sampled from 60 offshore stations during an oceanographic cruise in the winter of 2012. Gas chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry was used for the PAHs determinations in sediment samples. The concentrations of 21 parent PAHs, 7 methylated PAHs, 11 oxygenated PAHs and 4 nitrated PAHs were 9.0-201.5 ng g-1 dw, 3.3-60.3 ng g-1 dw, 15.2-172.7 ng g-1 dw and 0.1-8.3 ng g-1 dw, respectively. Among 21 parental PAHs, naphthalene (29.35 ng g-1 dw), phenanthrene (4.6 ng g-1 dw), and pyrene (3.18 ng g-1 dw) were the most abundant compound. 1-acenaphthenone (43.41 ng g-1 dw) and 2-methylnaphthalene (7.15 ng g-1 dw) showed the highest concentration in the oxy- and methyl-PAHs, respectively. The concentrations of nitro-PAHs were between not detected to 4 ng g-1 dw. According to the ecological risk assessment, the calculated total toxicity of PAHs was at below the lethal level on benthic organisms in all stations in the Persian Gulf, but there is risk of toxicity for the benthic organism in the Gulf of Oman (from the Strait of Hormuz to Jask). In general, nitrogenated and oxygenated derivatives did not show a significant risk in the study area. Based on the diagnostic ratios, the mixed sources (both petrogenic and pyrogenic) and pyrogenic sources have been identified for PAHs. Biomass combustion source has been identified for the stations near flares and gas fields. Principle component analysis-multivariate linear regression analysis for source identification shows that maritime traffic, abundant flares that burn the gas in oil, gas fields and dust storms have a major impact on the production of PAHs in this area.

Occurrence of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners in marine sediment of Makran region, Chabahr bay, Iran.

In this study, selected PCB congeners (IUPAC numbers 28, 52, 101, 138, 153, and 180) were quantified in 34 stations of Chabahr bay and around it in the Makran region of Iran. The sum of total PCB concentrations varied from below the detection limit to 485 ng kg-1 dry weight of sediment. Based on the Canadian Sediment Quality Guidelines, the effect of detected PCBs was negligible for aquatic organisms. According to the dominance of PCB 28 and 52 with average range of 62 to 100% of total PCBs, maritime transportation and atmospheric deposition appear to be the important source of PCBs in this region. Further, the presence of components of commercial products such as ClophenA50 appears to be one of the probable sources.

A Narrative Review of Stigma Related to Infectious Disease Outbreaks: What Can Be Learned in the Face of the Covid-19 Pandemic?

Infectious disease pandemics are associated with social consequences and stigma that are noticeably similar in various health conditions, health systems, and cultures. Stigma impacts health-related outcomes, not only as a barrier to receiving the timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment but also as an important variable that increases mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. The COVID-19 outbreak has been associated with stigma too. Studying similarities as well as differences in the features of stigma observed in each outbreak can provide us with the knowledge and deeper understanding of the situation, which is necessary for approaching the issue comprehensively. The stigma needs to be addressed rigorously by professionals and health care providers as well as authorities. Here, we narratively review stigma due to some well-known infectious diseases and how it parallels to the current COVID-19 situation. After discussing its effects on both individuals and societies, we provide solutions to manage this important issue.

Assessment of land cover changes & water quality changes in the Zayandehroud River Basin between 1997-2008.

Water quality of rivers is strongly influenced by landscape characteristics of their watershed, including land use /cover types, and their spatial configuration. This research evaluates the effects of land cover changes on the water quality of the Zayandehroud River, which is the most important river in the center of Iran. The main goal of this study was to quantify the change in rangelands, forests, and bare lands in the Zayandehroud river basin, which suffered intense human interference, in a period of 11 years (1997-2008), and to evaluate how landscape patterns (including the number of patches, edge density, percentage of rangelands, forests, and bare lands) influence on the 14 water quality indices (including BOD5, EC, NO3, P, and TDS) measured in 10 stations along the river. Results showed that from 1997 to 2008, bare lands increased from 5.8 to 20%, while rangelands decreased from 70 to 55% in the whole basin. The results indicated that water quality was significantly correlated with both the proportions and configuration of rangeland and bare land areas. The total edge (TE) of rangeland area had positive effects on water quality, especially on BOD5 and EC. Percentage of landscape (PLAND) and largest patch index (LPI) metrics of rangeland had positive effect on decreasing nutrient (NO3, PO4). The results showed that water quality was more likely degraded when there was high edge density (ED) of bare lands. Results of this study also revealed that degradation of rangeland lead to the degradation of water quality. Finding of this study highlights the importance of rangeland conservation in water quality management at landscape scale.