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BACKGROUND: Attitudes toward childhood disability have historically focused on biomedical efforts on 'fixing'. The introduction of WHO's ICF framework for health and Canadian researchers' 'F-words' (functioning, fitness, fun, friends, family and future) have significantly changed the field. To explore whether the F-words ideas influenced parents' perspectives on their child's abilities and rehabilitation goals, this qualitative pilot study introduced the F-words to Iranian parents with a child with a developmental disability. METHODS: This study was conducted in Tabriz, Iran, in 2023, using Iranian educational F-words materials built on ideas available on the CanChild F-words Knowledge Hub. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with five mothers of children <5 years old with a developmental disability before and after attending an 'F-words Awareness Session' and analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: In the preinterviews, six themes (and 20 subthemes) were identified: (i) routines (5); (ii) challenges (4); (iii) parental concerns (3); (iv) child's needs and priorities (3); (v) the role of parents in satisfying needs and challenges (2); and (vi) expectations of rehabilitation (3). In the postinterview, the same six themes and four additional subthemes emerged. CONCLUSION: Findings from the pilot study showed that the intervention had an impact on the attitudes and behaviours of participants. Specifically, teaching about the F-words reduced parents' emphasis on the concept of 'normality'. Families' positive response to the 'F-words Awareness Session' indicates their openness to incorporating this approach into their daily lives. These findings highlight the potential benefits of utilizing the F-words in rehabilitation in Iran. Studies like these can serve as a foundation for developing effective strategies for integrating the F-words into existing rehabilitation practices in Iran.

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Background: Systemic sclerosis is an autoimmune disease characterised by endothelial dysfunction and fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. Cardiac involvement during systemic sclerosis can be primary or secondary to pulmonary arterial hypertension and renal pathology. Among the disorders in systemic sclerosis, prolongation of QTc time is also associated with more anti-RNA polymerase III antibodies, longer duration, and severity of disease. Methods: This case-control study was performed on 35 patients with systemic scleroderma who filled in the American Society of Rheumatism (ACR / EULAR criteria) and 35 healthy subjects prior to entering the study. Then, the QTc distance was extracted from the electrocardiogram and calculated using the formula. The measured QTc distance in the electrocardiogram, QTc> 440ms in men and QTc> 460ms in women, was defined as QTc long. The patients and the control group then underwent echocardiography, and changes in QTc interval and their relations with echocardiographic findings were evaluated. Results: The results of this study indicated a significant relationship between QTc distance in patients with scleroderma compared with healthy controls. There was also a significant relationship between QTc and Skin Score of patients. However, there was no significant correlation between QTc distance and age, duration of disease, Anti-Centromere, Anti-Scl70, and pulmonary artery pressure. Conclusion: This study concludes that patients with scleroderma are at high risk for cardiac conduction impairment. The only factor that significantly correlated with QTc was the Skin Score of the patients.

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Typically, the killed form of microorganisms in combination with alum does not produce strong cellular immune responses. A recent investigation has indicated the role of dopamine D2 receptor antagonists like metoclopramide in reducing the polarization of immune responses toward Th2 immunity. This study was performed to evaluate the effects of a combination of alum and metoclopramide on the induction of cellular and humoral immunity in response to a heat-killed preparation ofSalmonella typhimurium(HKST). Wistar rats were immunized with the HKST vaccine alone or in combination with alum, metoclopramide, or the alum-metoclopramide mixture twice with a two-week interval. Fourteen days after the last vaccination, immune responses against S. typhimurium and the protective potential of the vaccines were assessed. The combination of alum and metoclopramide as an adjuvant augmented the potential of the HKST vaccine to enhance lymphocyte proliferation, delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction, and antibody titer. These results were concurrent with the polarization of immune response towards the Th1 response and improving protective immunity against S. typhimurium. Overall, the combination of alum and metoclopramide as an adjuvant synergistically enhanced cellular and humoral immunity after immunization with the HKST vaccine.

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Ewing sarcoma/peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor (ES/PNET) typically occurs in long or flat bones, soft tissues, or less often, solid organs. Ewing sarcoma/peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor arising from the adrenal gland is extremely rare, especially in children, and only limited cases are reported previously. Herein, we review a case of a 22-month-old girl who presented to our department with abdominal pain, bulging of the left flank, and a nonfunctioning adrenal lesion which was found to be an adrenal ES/PNET. The patient was successfully treated with surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. Since delayed diagnosis may result in metastatic lesions, this case underscores the importance of considering ES/PNET in the differential diagnosis of large adrenal masses.

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OBJECTIVE: Cancer is one of the four leading causes of death in children. Its courses of diagnosis and treatment can cause physiologic symptoms and psychological distress that secondarily affect children's quality of life and participation in daily activities. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of play-based occupational therapy on pain, anxiety, and fatigue in hospitalized children with cancer who were receiving chemotherapy. METHODS: Two hospitalized children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at least 4 months after diagnoses who received two courses of chemotherapy participated in this pilot study. Takata Play History and Iranian Children Participation Assessment Scale were used to develop intervention protocol. Nine, 30-45 min play-based occupational therapy sessions took place for each child. Children filled out the Faces Pain Scale, Visual Fatigue Scale, and Faces Anxiety Scale before and after each intervention session. RESULTS: Pain, anxiety, and fatigue levels decreased in both participants. Furthermore, the results showed a relationship between pain, anxiety, and fatigue variables in these children. CONCLUSIONS: Play-based occupational therapy can be effective in improving pain, anxiety, and fatigue levels in hospitalized children with cancer receiving chemotherapy.

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The Rho-family GTPase Cdc42 regulates cell polarity and localizes to the cell division site. Cdc42 is activated by guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs). We report that Cdc42 promotes cytokinesis via a unique spatiotemporal activation pattern due to the distinct action of its GEFs, Gef1 and Scd1, in fission yeast. Before cytokinetic ring constriction, Cdc42 activation, is Gef1 dependent, and after ring constriction, it is Scd1 dependent. Gef1 localizes to the actomyosin ring immediately after ring assembly and promotes timely onset of ring constriction. Gef1 is required for proper actin organization during cytokinesis, distribution of type V myosin Myo52 to the division site, and timely recruitment of septum protein Bgs1. In contrast, Scd1 localizes to the broader region of ingressing membrane during cytokinetic furrowing. Scd1 promotes normal septum formation, andscd1Δcells display aberrant septa with reduced Bgs1 localization. Thus we define unique roles of the GEFs Gef1 and Scd1 in the regulation of distinct events during cytokinesis. Gef1 localizes first to the cytokinetic ring and promotes timely constriction, whereas Scd1 localizes later to the ingressing membrane and promotes septum formation. Our findings are consistent with reports that complexity in GTPase signaling patterns enables exquisite precision over the control of cellular processes.

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Sarcocystis is an obligatory intracellular protozoan parasite which can infect humans and animals. Sheep are intermediate hosts of four Sarcocystis species: Sarcocystis tenella, Sarcocystis gigantea, Sarcocystis arieticanis, and Sarcocystis medusiformis The purpose of this study was to perform a molecular identification of the macroscopic and microscopic cysts of Sarcocystis in sheep. In this investigation, the macroscopic and microscopic cysts of Sarcocystis were assessed in slaughtered sheep. The digestion method was used for bradyzoites observation in heart, liver, diaphragm and muscle samples. PCR analysis was conducted on macroscopic and microscopic cysts and also all other samples. Sequencing was performed for ten PCR products. Genotypes were identified by BLAST search and homology analysis. Macrocysts were seen in two muscle tissues. Digestion method and PCR analysis revealed positive results in all samples taken from heart, liver, diaphragm, and muscle. Genotyping of ten tissue samples proved that the genotype of macroscopic belonged to Sarcocystis gigantea and microscopic cysts to Sarcocystis tenella. Microscopic cysts are more prevalent than macroscopic cysts and they can cause enormous economic losses.

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OBJECTIVES: In clinical practice, internal urethrotomy is an easy procedure and is offered as a first modality for treatment of short urethral strictures. Internal urethrotomy refers to any procedure that opens the stricture by incising or ablating it transurethrally. The most common complication of internal urethrotomy is stricture recurrence. The curative success rate of internal urethrotomy is approximately 20%. Triamcinolone has antifibroblast and anticollagen properties. This study evaluated the efficacy of triamcinolone in the prevention of anterior urethral stricture recurrence after internal urethrotomy. METHODS: Fifty male patients with anterior urethral stricture were randomized to undergo internal urethrotomy with or without urethral submucosal injection of triamcinolone. Using general anesthesia urethrotomy was performed. Triamcinolone (40 mg) was injected submucosally at the urethrotomy site in 25 patients. The patients were followed for at least 12 months and the stricture recurrence rate was compared between the two groups. RESULTS: 23 patients in the triamcinolone group and 22 in the control group completed the study. There were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics of the patients or the etiology of the stricture between the two groups. Mean follow-up time was 13.7 ± 5.5 months (range: 1-25 months). Urethral stricture recurred in five patients (21.7%) in the triamcinolone group and in 11 patients (50%) in the control group (P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Injection of triamcinolone significantly reduced stricture recurrence after internal urethrotomy. Further investigations are warranted to confirm its efficacy and safety.

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We have extended the contour-path effective-permittivity (CP-EP) finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) algorithm by A. Mohammadi, et al., Opt. Express 13, 10367 (2005), to linear dispersive materials using the Z-transform formalism. We test our method against staircasing and the exact solution for plasmon spectra of metal nanoparticles. We show that the dispersive contour-path (DCP) approach yields better results than staircasing, especially for the cancellation of spurious resonances.

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We investigate the accuracy of the two-dimensional Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) method in modelling Surface Plasmon Polaritons (SPPs) in the case of a single metal-dielectric interface and of a thin metal film showing that FDTD has difficulties in the low-group-velocity region of the SPP. We combine a contour-path approach with Z transform to handle both the electromagnetic boundary conditions at the interface and the negative dispersive dielectric function of the metal. The relative error is thus significantly reduced.

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Effective permittivities for the two-dimensional Finite- Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) method are derived using a contour path approach that accounts for the boundary conditions of the electromagnetic field at dielectric interfaces. A phenomenological formula for the effective permittivities is also proposed as an effective and simpler alternative to the previous result. Our schemes are validated using Mie theory for the scattering of a dielectric cylinder and they are compared to the usual staircase and the widely used volume-average approximations. Significant improvements in terms of accuracy and error fluctuations are demonstrated, especially in the calculation of resonances.