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Aim: This study was designed to investigate the perceptions of hospitalized older adults and nurses regarding the importance and observance of dignity, and, in addition, to address the relationship between the importance and observance of dignity and individual social variables in nurses and hospitalized older adults, and the relationship between importance and observance of dignity in older adults and hospital wards and bed layouts. Design: A cross-sectional study. Methods: Convenience sampling was used to select 400 hospitalized older adults and 146 nurses in Kashan University of Medical Science hospitals, Iran. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, and a dignity scale including three fields: privacy, communication, and autonomy. The data were described using descriptive statistics, and analyzed via the one-way ANOVA, t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient, and linear regression model. Results: Over half of the older adults were female (57%), and 76.5% were married. More than 60% of older adults believed that dignity had a high degree of importance and that observance of dignity was at a good level. The majority of nurses rated the importance and observance of dignity at weak to moderate levels (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Due to the difference in viewpoints between older adults and nurses regarding dignity, barriers to the observance of dignity as perceived by nurses should be surveyed.

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BackgroundDiabetic foot ulcer is a worldwide health care concern affecting tens of thousands of patients. If these ulcers left untreated, they can create severe complications.ObjectivesThis study was designed to examine the effect of infrared radiation on the healing of diabetic foot ulcer.Patients and MethodsThis clinical trial was performed on 50 patients referred to Dr. Ganjavian hospital in Dezful city, Iran, with diabetic foot ulcer degree 1 and 2 (based on Wegener Scale). Sample size was determined based on relevant studies of the recent decade. Patients were classified into the intervention and control groups (n = 25 in each group) in terms of age, gender, degree of ulcer, ulcer site and body mass index. In this study, work progress was evaluated according to the checklist of diabetic foot ulcer healing evaluation.ResultsThe results of the current study showed that there was a statistically significant difference in healing ulcers (P < 0.05) and mean healing time (P < 0.05) between the two groups.ConclusionsUsing the infrared plus routine dressing is more effective than using merely routine dressing.

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Type I diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients are at risk of osteoporosis and fracture due to the osteoblast and osteoclast malfunction. Osteopontin (OPN) as the major non-collagenous bone matrix protein is produced by osteoblasts and osteoclasts and involve in bone resorption, formation and remodeling. To evaluate the serum levels of OPN, bone mineral density (BMD) and correlation in patients with T1DM this study was designed. In this case-control study, 87 children with T1DM and 87 age/sex-matched healthy subjects were enrolled. Blood samples were tested for OPN levels by ELISA. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to measure BMD. The mean levels of BMD in patients was significantly lower than control group (p<0.0001). There was no significant difference between patients and healthy subjects regarding the levels of OPN. However, in patients with high levels of OPN (mean+1.5 standard deviation) the BMD was significantly lower than other patients (p<0.0001). Totally there was a negative correlation between serum levels of OPN and BMD in patients with T1DM (p<0.016). These results indicated that the BMD in T1DM is less than healthy children and elevated level of OPN in patients could be associated with low BMD. A linear negative correlation between serum OPN and total BMD of T1DM patients compared to control group was noticed in this study indicating that the amount of serum OPN could be effective on BMD and a good predicting factor for osteoporosis in patients.

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We consider a complex singlet scalar in the spectral action approach to the standard model. It is shown that there is a range of initial values at the unification scale which is able to produce Higgs and top quark masses at low energies. The stability of the vacuum and the deviation of gauge couplings from experimental values are discussed and compared at the two-loop level with a real scalar singlet and the pure standard model.