The Effect of Spiritual Self-care Training on the Quality of Life of Mothers of Preterm Infants: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The present study was carried out with the aim of determining the effect of spiritual self-care training on the quality of life of mothers of preterm infants. This trial was carried out on 60 mothers with premature infants. Mothers were randomly divided into two intervention and control groups. Training for increasing awareness about the condition of the infants was carried out in both groups. In the intervention group, spiritual self-care training was also done. Data were completed in both groups before, immediately after, and two weeks after the intervention by using the standard WHO quality of life questionnaire. Data were analysed using statistical tests, including ANOVA and Repeated Measures. The results showed that the average quality of life of mothers under study was significantly different at different points of measurement in the intervention group (first, second, and third time-points) (P = 0.016). An increase was observed in the intervention group at the second time-point compared to the first time-point (84.2–88.4, P < 0.001) and in the third time-point compared to the first time-point, (87.9), which was also statistically significant (P < 0.001). According to the results of post hoc tests, there was a decrease in quality of life in the control group at the second time-point compared to the first time-point and the average score of mothers decreased from 82.9 to 75.3, which was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Spiritual self-care training can increase the quality of life and can be used as a form of holistic nursing care for mothers with premature infants in neonatal intensive care units.

     

Management Strategies of Sexual Dysfunctions

The purpose of this essay is to discuss on the possible impact on a couple's sexual relationships when the male partner's erectile problems contribute to a sexual dysfunction on the part of the female. The complex reciprocal nature of sexual interactions emphasizes the importance of the relationship for sexual function and dysfunction. The treatment of sexual dysfunction then takes into account the contribution of factors from the couple and the system. An integrated behavioural-systems approach is applied to address both sexual and non-sexual aspects of the interaction in the marital unit. This approach outlines a range of methods that may be used during the treatment of sexual dysfunctions in order to bring about relevant changes in sexual functioning and general relationships.     

A Japanese treatment used in major depressive disorder in adolescence

The purpose of the present report is to study the efficacy of a Dohsahou, a Japanese Psychorehabilitation method, in a treatment of major depression in three men (M age = 20 yr.), selected randomly for treatment. Initially, participants' baseline condition was assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, and the Family Assessment of Depression Questionnaire. Each subject had 12 sessions of 45 min. training over 4 wk. Postassessment and follow-up assessment were done. Findings for pre- and posttreatment test data indicated depression was reduced, being mainly evident in cognitive, somatic, and affective symptoms related to lower depression.     

Mental health of medical students: a cross-sectional study in Tehran

Medical students are subject to stress from sources related to medical training in addition to personal problems, resulting in significant mental distress. This study evaluates the scope of the problem in Tehran medical schools and sheds light on some of its associations. Students (604) of medicine from four medical schools in the city of Tehran responded to the Persian version of 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) in conjunction with a data collection sheet asking about age, sex, marital status, current training level, living place, grade point average in previous semester, and perceptions of their financial status. Of 602 students, 40.7% had mental distress (45.7% of female and 36.7% of male students). Distress was associated with being a woman (female to male odds ratio: 1.55) and very poor financial status (OR: 18.0).     

N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptors in the ventral tegmental area are involved in retrieval of inhibitory avoidance memory by nicotine

The interaction of opiate, cholinergic, glutamatergic and (possibly) dopaminergic inputs in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) influencing a learned behavior is certainly a topic of great interest. In the present study, the effect of intra-VTA administration of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor agents on nicotine's effect in morphine state-dependent learning was investigated. An inhibitory avoidance (IA) task was used for memory assessment in male Wistar rats. Subcutaneous (s.c.) administration of morphine (5 and 7.5mg/kg) immediately after training decreased IA response on the test day, which was reinstated by pre-test administration of the same doses of the opioid; this is known as state-dependency. Moreover, pre-test administration of nicotine (0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 mg/kg, s.c.) also reversed the decrease in IA response because of post-training morphine (5mg/kg). Here, we also show that when infused into the VTA before testing, NMDA (0.01 and 0.1 microg/rat) reverse the post-training morphine effect on memory. In addition, the sub-effective doses of NMDA (0.0001 and 0.001 microg/rat) in combination with a low dose of nicotine (0.1mg/kg) which had no effects by themselves, synergistically improved retrieval of IA memory on the test day. In contrast, pre-test administration of a competitive NMDA receptor antagonist D-AP5 (0.5, 1 and 2 microg/rat) which had no effect alone prevented the nicotine reversal of morphine effect on memory. Our data indicate that NMDA receptors in the VTA are involved in the reversing effect of nicotine on morphine induced state-dependency.     

Does digital content marketing affect tourism consumer behavior? An extension of technology acceptance model

With the rapidly dramatic environmental change and intensive competition, tourism organisations are required to adopt advanced marketing strategies and techniques. Recently, digital content marketing (DCM) has become one of the most prominent marketing tools that has substantial benefits and influences in different settings and domains. To this end, it is crucial to understand the effect of DCM on consumer behavior within the tourism context. Therefore, this research empirically examines an extended technology acceptance model (TAM) model to investigate and compare the influence of DCM on travel and tourism consumer behavior in two distinct countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. A quantitative approach was adopted by collecting surveys from a convenience sample of 285 and 122 participants in Egypt and Oman, respectively. The findings of PLS‐structural equation modelling revealed that the TAM major constructs were good elucidating the attitude and behavior toward using of DCM for tourism purposes. It is also found that perceived enjoyment and perceived convenience are antecedents of customers' attitudes, which in turn, influence their intention and behavior of using DCM to buy or select a certain tourism product/service. The current study contributes to knowledge of DCM literature in the tourism field in general and within the MENA region in particular. It also adds to studies on TAM and digital technologies by extending two critical constructs related to tourism consumer behavior. The practical implications will greatly support tourism marketers and authorities to develop their tourism strategies and marketing activities. Future research can be expanded to study different target groups comprehending region differences.     

Emotion Efficacy Improves Prediction of HIV/AIDS Risky Behaviors: A Modified Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model

Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy - Although the information-motivation-behavioral (IMB) skills model is a functional and well-known model for HIV/AIDS prevention, there...     

Elephant or Elebird?: dialogic formation of truth and subjectivity in Dr. Seuss’s Horton Hatches the Egg & Horton Hears a Who!

The voice of the other seems to become more than just a marginal voice in Dr. Seuss’s Horton stories. Throughout these two narratives the character of this big elephant constantly reinforces the marginal voice of the other through a dialogic relationship. Horton the elephant cannot and will not stand a ruling voice. He persistently searches for the other. He is big and he does big things for small things. His acts of compassion and solicitude can best be explained through Mikhail Bakhtin’s views on dialogism and language. The aim of this essay is to analyse the mentioned stories in the light of Bakhtin’s theories on discourse and subjectivity. All through both of these books in children’s literature, readers can detect the dialogic formation of truth and subjectivity as Horton experiences the clash of marginal with dominant. Margin crosses the borders of the centre and therein lies the rub.     

Not so unfortunate: carnivalisation,metafiction & the elements of grotesque realism in The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

As the harbinger in Lemony Snicket’s children’s novel series, A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Bad Beginning unfolds subversively from the outset. This woeful tale is a far cry from what we traditionally expect to be a story written for children. Klaus, Violet and Sunny, the orphaned protagonists of the story, are literally the ‘magnets for misfortune’. As they experience the tragic events, the Baudelaires’ talents and abilities are constantly put to the test. A series of unfortunate events, this essay argues, leads to a fortunate and spiritual insight in the Baudelaires that underlines a sense of connectedness in the children who go through traumatic calamities, a spiritual sense that deals with both the bright and dark sides of the events. To substantiate this argument, Mikhail Bakhtin’s carnivalisation and degradation are utilised to shed a different and, of course, a spiritual shade of light on the seeming unfortunate events. Hierarchies are reversed and grotesque imageries reinforce degradation. This degradation, however, sparks off a new genesis in the life of the Baudelaires. Turning to the metafictional side of the novel and its conflicting relations with didacticism, this essay verifies the claim that Lemony Snicket provokes children into a critical reading of their own choice. Ultimately, the essay examines the mentioned Bakhtinian elements to gain a richer understanding of the melancholic narrative of the Baudelaires in the context of an upside down genre. This is when a tragic tale is read like a fairy tale.