Game-based vs. Case-based Training for Increasing Knowledge and Behavioral Fluency of Nurse Students Regarding Crisis and Disaster Management; a Quasi-Experimental Study.

Introduction: Nurses play an active role in disaster response, and the ability of nurses to appropriately apply management principles during large-scale disasters or mass casualty incidents is of critical importance. This study aimed to compare the effect of game-based Training (GBT) and case-based training (CBT) on nursing students' knowledge and behavioral fluency regarding Crisis and Disaster Management. Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design. Convenience sampling was used to select third-year nursing students who had completed their clinical clerkship at the time of the study (n=60). In the intervention group, disaster-themed games were used, while in the control group, CBT was used. The emergency and crisis management course consisted of this study's theoretical and clinical training phases. After completion of the theoretical phase (five weeks), the practical part (four weeks) is completed as an internship. The data was collected from the disaster Nurses' Knowledge Questionnaire, demographic survey, and measurement checklists for disasters and crises at five stations. Results: GBT students achieved significantly higher knowledge scores than CBT students after training (p< 0.001). CBT and GBT groups had no significant differences in Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)1 pretest scores. Posttest1-OSCE2 and posttest2-OSCE3 scores showed significant differences after one week (P < 0.001) and one month (P < 0.001). The mean pretest and posttest1 scores were statistically significant in both groups. A comparison of posttest scores between one month after GBT training (69.03 ± 6.09) and one week after it (69.23 ± 6.14) revealed no statistical significance (p = 0.056). Conclusion: Nursing students' knowledge and behavioral fluency regarding crisis management were more effectively improved by using the disaster and crisis game than by using a case-based method.

Evaluation of the cytotoxic effects of Cyperus longus extract, fractions and its essential oil on the PC3 and MCF7 cancer cell lines.

Cyperus longus is one of the Iranian endemic species. However, to date, and to the best of our knowledge, there are no availale academic reports on the cytotoxicity of this plant. Thus, this study was carried out to examine the in vitro anti-proliferative and anti-apoptotic effects of Cyperus longus extract, fractions and essential oil (EO) on MCF7 and PC3 cell lines. The chemical constituents of EO were identified using gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) analysis. The cells were cultured in RPMI-1640 medium and incubated with various concentrations of the plant extract and fractions. Cell viability was quantified by MTT assay following 24, 48 and 72 h of exposure to (12.5-200 µg/ml) of the methanol extract, the dichloromethane (CH2Cl2), ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and water fractions, as well as the EO of the plant. The percentage of apoptotic cells was determined using propidium iodide staining of DNA fragments by flow cytometry (sub-G1 peak). The most effective fraction in the MCF7 cell line was the CH2Cl2 fraction (IC50 after 48 h, 25.34±2.01). The EtOAc fraction (IC50 after 48 h, 35.2±2.69) and the methanol extract (IC50 after 48 h, 64.64±1.64) were also found to be effective. The IC50 values obtained for the PC3 cell line were 37.97±3.87, 51.57±3.87 and 70.33±2.36 for the CH2Cl2 fraction, the EtOAc fraction and the methanol extract, respectively. Based on these data and due to the partial polarity of the most effective fraction (the CH2Cl2 fraction), we also examined the cytotoxicity of the plant EO. The IC50 values after 48 h were 22.25±4.25 and 12.55±3.65 in the PC3 and MCF7 cell lines, respectively. DNA fragmentation assay also confirmed these data. Performing GC-MS analysis for the plant EO revealed that ß-himachalene (10.81%), α-caryophyllene oxide (7.6%), irisone (4.78%), ß-caryophyllene oxide (4.36%), humulene oxide (12%), viridiflorol (4.73%), aristolone (6.39%) and longiverbenone (6.04%) were the main constituents. Our results demonstrated that two of the constituents of Cyperus longus, viridiflorol and longiverbenone, should be investigated further as possible promising chemotherapeutic agents in cancer treatment.

Synthesis, Anti-Inflammatory and Anti- Nociceptive Activities and Cytotoxic Effect of Novel Thiazolidin-4-ones Derivatives as Selective Cyclooxygenase (COX-2) Inhibitors.

OBJECTIVE(S): Nowadays, COX - 2 inhibitors such as valdecoxib are removed from the market because of their cardiovascular toxicity and their potential to increase the risk of strokes. In response to this, medicinal chemists have attempted to synthesize new classes of COX-2 Inhibitors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, three novel analogues of thiazolidin-4-ones derivatives 2a-c were synthesized. The ability of these compounds to inhibit ovine COX-1 and COX-2 (0.2- 0.8 µM) was determined using a colorimetric method. The cytotoxic effect of the synthesized compounds (25-100 M) was also investigated by measuring their cytotoxicity against Caco-2 and MCF-7 cell lines using MTT assay. Cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. Writhing test (7.5-75 mg/kg) was used to examine the antinociceptive effects in mice. The effect of the analogues against acute inflammation (7.5-75 mg/kg) was also studied using xylene-induced ear edema test in mice. RESULTS: The synthesized compounds showed a weak capacity to inhibit the proliferation of Caco-2 and MCF-7 cell lines. The COX-2 inhibition potency and selectivity index for test compounds 2a-b were as follows; celecoxib > 2b > 2a. On the other hand, all three analogues exhibited strong antinociceptive activity against acetic acid-induced writhing. The anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects of the analogues were markedly more than positive control, celecoxib. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activity profiles exhibited by the novel synthesized compounds are independent from their COX-2 inhibitory potencies. The found antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects can be caused by interaction with other target; independent from COX-2. Accordingly, the compounds 2a-c could serve as lead compounds to develop novel anti-inflammation and antinociceptive drugs.

Role of apoptosis in HESA--a teratogenicity in mouse fetus.

HESA-A is a natural compound of herbal-marine origin with cytotoxic and antitumor effects. The anticancer effects of HESA-A has been the subject of both in vivo and in vitro studies. This study was to investigate the mechanism of HESA-A teratogenicity. We assessed the HESA-A-induced apoptosis in mouse fetus in vitro by using the vital staining and TUNNEL methods. HESA-A, in lower doses, had no significant effect on apoptosis but, in higher doses of 20 and 40 muL, increased cell death. A dose of 100 muL induced the cell death with both apoptosis and necrosis mechanisms. HESA-A changed the cell-death pattern; in moderate doses of the drug, the apoptosis-to-necrosis ratio was more than 1, and in higher doses, this ratio was less than 1.