Background:Surgery, as a treatment, is a stressful experience. The anxiety is more severe in open-heart surgery patients due to its risk and complications. The present study aimed to determine the effect of lavender essence on the levels of anxiety and blood cortisol in candidates for open-heart surgery.Materials and Methods:This was a single-blind clinical trial, a random allocation study with a control group conducted on 90 candidates for open-heart surgery in two groups of study and control. The study and control groups inhaled two drops of lavender and distilled water for 20 min, respectively. Spielberger questionnaire was filled by the patients. A 2 ml blood sample was taken to measure the cortisol level and patients’ vital signs were recorded before and after intervention. Data were analyzed by chi-square in the form of mean, SD, and frequency distribution, independent t-test, paired t-test, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), with a significance level of P = 0.05 to modify the pre-test scores.Results:Results showed a significant reduction in mean anxiety score from 56.73 (5.67) to 54.73 (5.42) after intervention in the study group, compared to the control group [1.11 (1.17)] (P < 0.001). There was also a higher difference in cortisol level in the study group compared to the control group [1.88 (0.56) vs. 0.42 (0.45)]. ANCOVA test showed that the 10.8% variance in anxiety score and 69.6% decrease in blood cortisol resulted from inhalation of lavender.Conclusions:Results showed the positive effect of lavender essence on anxiety and blood cortisol level among the patients. Aromatherapy with lavender is suggested to be considered as a nursing intervention in clinical settings.
Fusion cross sections of light nuclei are calculated by a complex potential and taking into account of conservation of angular momentum and parity. The nuclear potential is assumed to be as simple as a spherical complex square well with a rigid core. Then, the nuclear phase shift is extracted from continuity condition of inverse of the logarithmic derivative of the wave functions as a complex quantity. The quantum tunneling probability and cross section are obtained via real and complex components of nuclear phase shift. The obtained results for the two most important light nuclei reactions, T(d, n) 4 He, 3 He(d, p) 4 He are compared with other theoretical formulas and experimental data. Despite that the theory is simplified as much as possible and the complexities and details of nuclear interactions has been ignored, excellent agreements with experimental data are achieved.
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