Effect of exercise therapy on quality of life of patients with multiple sclerosis in Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic and progressive disease charachterized by disabilities which adversely affect individuals' quality of life (QOL). In the present study, the effect size of exercise therapy on patients' QOL in both physical and mental dimensions were investigated and the moderator effect of a number of selected theoretical and significant practical variables were assessed. Relevant studies, published before July 2015, were identified by searching PubMed, Scopus, Google scholar, and Persian medical databases including IranMedex, Irandoc, Magiran, Scientific Information Database (SID), and Medlib. Supplementary searches were also performed manually by reviewing the reference lists of the relevant articles. Next, using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design, English and/or Persian-language articles conducted in Iran and evaluating the effect of exercise therapy on physical and/or mental aspects of QOL of MS patients were pooled. Afterwards, two competent reviewers in the field extracted the required data and rated the quality of the studies. Twenty-one journal articles were identified and reviewed, but only 13 of them contained the as much data as required to serve the purpose of the study. The mean effect size of exercise therapy on mental, physical, and overall QOL of the patients were 1.021 (95%CI 0.712-1.331, P < .001), 1.040 (95%CI 0.730-1.349, P < .001), and 0.846 (95%CI 0.508-1.184, P < .001), respectively. Based on the investigated Iranian studies, there is strong evidence confirming the effect of exercise therapy on QOL of patients with MS; there, however, exists a need for more studies to identify and establish effective exercise programs due to the heterogeneity of the studies conducted in this area.

Antimicrobial and bond strength properties of a dental adhesive containing zinc oxide nanoparticles

Aim: To assess the effect of adding zinc oxide nanoparticles to dental adhesives on their antimicrobialand bond strength properties. Methods: 45 human premolars were cut at the cementenamel junction (CEJ) and the crowns were sliced into buccal and lingual halves. The specimenswere classified into three groups, etched with 37% phosphoric acid for 15 s and rinsed for 30 s.Single Bond, Single Bond+5% zinc oxide and Single Bond+10% zinc oxide were used in the first,second and third groups. A cylinder of Z250 composite was bonded and cured for 40 s. For antibacterialtesting, 10 samples of each group were assessed by direct contact test; 10 ìL of bacterialsuspension was transferred into tubes containing adhesives and incubated for one hour; 300 ìL ofbrain heart infusion (BHI) broth was added to each tube and after 12 h, 50 ìL of bacteria and brothwere spread on blood agar plates and incubated for 24 h. Results: The colony count decreasedsignificantly in the second and third groups compared to the first. Conclusions: Incorporation ofzinc oxide nanoparticles into dental adhesives increases their anti-microbial properties withoutaffecting their bond strength.

Nursing support for parents of hospitalized children.

BACKGROUND: Having a child in hospital is a stressful experience for most parents. Support from nurses can assist parents to maintain their parenting role and promote quality pediatric nursing care. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study is to describe the quality of nurse-parent support in Iranian parents of hospitalized children in pediatric sites. METHODS: This was a descriptive study using a convenience sample. Two hundred and thirty parents (183 mothers and 47 fathers) with hospitalized children took part in this survey that used the Nurse Parent Support Tool (NPST). This validated instrument has 21 items and 4 subscales (Informational Giving and Communication Support; Emotional Support; Appraisal Support and Instrumental Support), and was translated into Farsi. RESULTS: The total mean of the NPST was M = 4.1 (SD = 0.7). There was a significant difference between gender of the parents and the Instrumental Support subscale. Also, there was significant difference between among education level of parents and Emotional Support. In addition, there was significant difference related to the gender of the child and Information Giving and Communication Support and Appraisal Support. There was no significant difference in any of the subscales when analyzed for length of hospitalization, kind of diseases and age of children. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that parents received a high level of support from nurses. Nurses can promote the quality of family care and should be aware of the importance of the several types of nursing support in meeting the requests of parents. It is important that nurses continue to develop their knowledge about types of communication with the family, especially in providing support for the parent role.