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This work discusses surface modification of cellulose paper specimens for compatibility with nitrogen and sulfur co‐doped carbon dots (NSCDs) for lead ion sensing. The interaction of carbon dots (CDs) and cellulose fibers was investigated using silane or chitosan‐modified cellulose papers. It was found that modified papers could reduce undesirable redistribution of CDs, during paper drying. Also, only chitosan‐modified filter paper was suitable for the successful immobilization of NSCDs. The effect of paper type, chitosan amount, pH, and NSCDs concentration was also studied, and a Whatman No. 42 filter paper modified with chitosan (1% w/v), pH 8.0, and an NSCD concentration of 2.5 g L−1 being selected for further studies. The sensor exhibited high selectivity for lead(II) compared with other metal ions because lead(II) resulted in the most significant changes in the emitted light intensity. Variations in NSCDs fluorescence were measured using a fluorescence imaging system. The NSCDs‐paper sensor showed a linear relationship between mean fluorescence intensity and lead(II) in the concentration range of 5.00–1.25 × 102 μmol L−1 with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.9988 and a detection limit of 4.50 μmol L−1. The suggested method showed satisfying results for lead(II) determination in different samples as a fast and low‐cost approach with on‐site application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes the possibility of applying first order calibration methods for unknown sample(s) with unmodeled component(s) using the differential spectra obtained from subtracting of the absorbance spectra of sample that are recorded in two different environments. The main interest is that the method can be performed to quantify systems if the spectra of their unmodeled component(s) are the same in two different phases using first order calibration methods. The procedure demonstrates simultaneous determination of new fuchsine, crystal violet and malachite green in the presence of sunset yellow, tartarazine and amaranth as unmodeled interferences, whose spectra differ in aqueous and nonionic micellar solution of Triton X-100. The obtained satisfactory results indicate the successful applicability of the proposed method in complex samples. Keywords: differential spectra, unmodeled interferences, PLS, triphenylmethane dyes DOI: 10.1134/S1061934815010190, Triphenylmethane (TPM) dyes are an important class of commercial dyes that have potential applications in the textile industry as sensitizers for photoconductivity and in medicine as antibacterial and sterilization agents [...]

Objective(s): A new binary mixture containing mometasone furoate (MF) and calcipotriol (CP) is suggested to manage psoriasis; since the combined stability profile of these drugs is poorly understood. Materials and Methods: Herein MF, CP, and their mixtures were subjected to various stress conditions. Also, stability-indicating HPLC was developed and validated according to ICH guidelines with Box-Behnken design. The degradation products (DPs) were predicted in silico and identified using LC-MS. The bioactivity and toxicity of DPs were studied using molecular docking and alamarBlue assay, respectively. Spectroscopic techniques of the first derivative, first-derivative ratio, and the meancentering of ratio spectra were also used to determine MF and CP in the mixture because of spectra overlapping. Results: The major degradants for MF in alkaline conditions were DP1, DP2, and DP3, while in thermal and UV conditions, only DP1 was generated. CP gave one degradant in all conditions. No new impurity was observed in the MF and CP mixtures. The results of spectrophotometry showed good linearity in the range of 4-50 and 2-20 µg/ml, while linearity for HPLC was in the range of 4-50 and 0.5-2.5 µg/ml for MF and CP, respectively. Recovery was 99.61-100.38% for UV and 100.4% for HPLC methods of MF and 100.6-101.4% for UV and 99.5% for HPLC methods of CP. Conclusion: The developed methods can be used as simple, accurate, precise, and rapid techniques for routine quality control of MF and CP mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Providing quality care is of the fundamental elements of holistic nursing practice, and burnout and moral intelligence of nurses be mentioned as the important factors influencing the quality of nursing care. The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between moral intelligence, burnout, and the quality of nursing care. Methods: This descriptive-correlative study was conducted on 125 nurses working in Sari-based Educational hospitals affiliated to Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Iran, between June and August 2020. The sample was selected via random sampling. The data were collected by the Maslach Burnout Inventory, Lennick and Kiel Moral Intelligence Scale, and Quality of Patient Care Scale. The data were analyzed by SPSS-21 and Amos-24. Results: A direct and significant relationship was found between the quality of nursing care and moral intelligence (r = 0.285, p = 0.001). Quality of care had an inverse relationship with subscales of frequency of burnout including emotional exhaustion (r = −0.369, p < 0.001) and depersonalization (r = −0.471, p < 0.001) and also, a direct relationship with personal accomplishment (r = 0.226, p = 0.011). The findings also showed an inverse relationship between quality of care and subscales of the intensity of burnout. Amos software yielded results that demonstrated moral intelligence as a robust mediator between burnout and the quality of care. Conclusion: The findings implied the necessity for more attention to moral intelligence as a mediator in order to come up with properly managing the personality traits influencing the nurses' burnout reduction, which can ultimately lead to improved quality of nursing care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This manuscript reports an investigation on the effect of four major components CTAB, AgNO3, ascorbic acid, and seed content on three important characteristics of synthesized Au nanorods (Au-NRs), including aspect ratio (AR), monodispersity, and hydrodynamic diameter. Additionally, the effect of these major components on the mean intensity of color obtained by a scanner is investigated. Au-NRs were synthesized using the seed-mediated growth method. The results demonstrated that AR, hydrodynamic diameter, and a polydispersity index of Au-NRs could be satisfactorily predicted by the scanner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Considering the importance of family participation in patients' treatment and the positive effects of simultaneous patient and family education, this study was conducted to determine the effect of a family and patient-oriented empowerment program on depression, anxiety, and stress in patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and their caregivers' burden. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 50 OCD patients along with their primary caregivers. The intervention group participated in eight sessions of training, each lasting from 60 to 90 min (twice a week), and the control group received the usual treatment. The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, Maudsley's Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory, Goldberg's General Health Questionnaire, and Zarit's Burden Inventory were used to collect the data before, immediately after and 1 month after the intervention, and then the gathered data were analyzed with t-test and analysis of variance using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software, version 21. Results: The changes in the mean scores of depression (F2,48 = 21.02, p < 0.001), anxiety (F2,48 = 29.72, p < 0.001), and stress (F2,48 = 16.52, p < 0.001) of the patients in the intervention group showed significant decrease over time; however, in the control group, there was no significant decrease in the mean scores of depression (F2,48 = 1.69, p = 0.19), anxiety (F2,48 = 0.47, p = 0.62), and stress (F2,48 = 1.09, p = 0.34) over time. The changes in the caregiver's burden score in both groups indicated a significant decrease over time in the intervention group (F2,48 = 24.70, p < 0.001) and the control group (F2,48 = 33. 30, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The findings of this study revealed that concurrently training the patients and caregivers could reduce the negative emotions of the patients and their caregivers' burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]