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Introduction Constipation can be one of the biggest health problems for the older people that has negative effects on their quality of life. Some studies have reported that new non-pharmacological interventions such auricular acupressure have promising results in the management of constipation. This study was performed to investigate the effect of auricular acupressure on constipation and health-related quality of life in the older people living in the residential care home. Methods Sample of this randomized clinical trial consisted of 53 older people with chronic constipation living in a residential care home in the southeast of Iran (Kerman city). The participants were randomly assigned to intervention ( n  = 27) and control ( n  = 26) groups. Auricular acupressure was applied to seven auricular acupoints (large intestine, rectum, San Jiao, spleen, lung, sympathetic, and subcortex) using Vaccaria seeds for the intervention group and for the control group, seedless auricular plasters were used at the seven auricular acupoints for 10 days. Data were collected before the intervention, end of the intervention, and 10-day follow-up using demographic and clinical, Patient Assessment of Constipation-Symptom, and Patient Assessment of Constipation-Quality of Life questionnaires. The SPSS-22 software was used for data analysis. Results The difference between groups and times was significant in constipation and related quality of life and scores. The mean score of constipation at the end of intervention was 0.41 less in the intervention group than the control group ( P  < 0.0001). This mean score, in the intervention group also on the 10-day follow-up was 0.09 less than the control group ( P  = 0.004), which indicates a decrease in the severity of constipation symptoms. In the intervention group, mean score of quality of life related to constipation at the end of intervention and the 10-day follow-up was 0.56 and 0.19 less than the control group (Decrease in the mean score of quality of life related to constipation indicates an improvement in the quality of life) ( P  < 0.0001). Conclusion The results showed the positive effect of auricular acupressure on reducing the severity of constipation symptoms and improving the quality of life in old patients living in the residential care home. This non-pharmaceutical practice can be used by nurses as an inexpensive, safe, acceptable, and non-invasive nursing care for older people with constipation in homes, medical centers, or nursing homes.

Background Healthcare providers are at high risk of anxiety due to their responsibilities and workplace conditions. This issue may worsen over time, especially when the work duration is prolonged. One innovative approach to reducing healthcare providers anxiety, while enhancing the quality of care and improving patient safety, is the implementation of educational programs and the utilization of these resources through a mobile application. This study aimed to develop an anxiety management application to enhance the quality of care and improve patient safety. Methods An application prototype was developed based on a systematic review and refined through semi-structured interviews with healthcare workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, and medical informatics specialists. The application was developed using the Flutter framework in both web-based and mobile formats for Android and iOS. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Results A systematic review, along with interviews with treatment staff, psychologists, and psychiatrists, was conducted to develop the program. The application included strategies such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), meditation, yoga, mindfulness, breathing therapy, and nature therapy. Additional features included a user chat room and a ‘My Medications’ section. The validated Beck Anxiety Inventory was used to assess the anxiety level. Conclusions This study led to the development of a specialized anxiety reduction application that provides evidence-based strategies to significantly reduce anxiety among healthcare providers. This application can greatly improve the mental health of healthcare staff, leading to enhanced patient care quality and safety. The findings of this research offer a valuable foundation for future studies and the development of similar applications to manage and reduce mental health disorders in diverse populations.

Background and Aims Kidney transplantation aims to enhance the quality of life (QOL) of individuals suffering from end‐stage kidney disease. The evaluation of the QOL and effective factors in improving the QOL is of particular importance in kidney transplant recipients. Some studies have reported the high prevalence of the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in these patients. This study aims to measure QOL in kidney transplant patients and its relationship with the use of CAM in southeast Iran. Methods A cross‐sectional and descriptive correlational study was performed on 209 kidney transplant recipients referred to the office of medical specialists and Shafa Hospital in Kerman city from February to August 2021. Data were collected using demographic and clinical questionnaire, Kidney Transplant Questionnaire (KTQ‐25) for the assessment of QOL and questionnaire on the use of CAMs. Results Over half of the participants (52.2%) reported using at least one form of CAMs. The mean score of QOL was 3.22 (1.21). The highest mean score was related to physical symptom subscale 3.65 (1.58) and the lowest mean score was related to appearance subscale 2.22 (1.29). A significant correlation was found in the quality‐of‐life score and physical symptoms subscale between CAMs users and non‐users (p < 0.05). Multiple linear regression models showed that socio‐demographic information including addiction, job, location, marital status and living condition predict 12% of the variance of QOL, and addiction is the best predictor (p < 0.01). Conclusions Many kidney transplant recipients had a low QOL. The most important socio‐demographic variables predicting and affecting the QOL in these patients included addiction, job, location, and marital status. Individuals who have received kidney transplants commonly use CAM. Users of CAM reported a higher QOL and fewer physical symptoms compared to non‐users.

Parasitic diseases are among the most widespread infections worldwide, causing millions of deaths and illnesses each year. So rapid and accurate diagnosis is essential, requiring highly sensitive and specific tests. Biosensors can provide significant advantages over traditional diagnostic methods because of their specificity, sensitivity, speed, simplicity, ease of use, repeatability, and capacity for early-stage disease detection. Recent advances in modern diagnostic tools for detecting parasitic infections use nanomaterials such as gold nanoparticles, carbon nanofibers, and carbon nanotubes. These developments have significantly lowered detection limits to the picogram and femtogram levels. This review will cover recent advancements in biosensor-based diagnostic techniques in parasitology.

Background: Malaria, a life-threatening parasitic disease, exhibits diverse clinical manifestations influenced by para­site species, host immunity, and treatment access. Emerging evidence suggests that individual biological factors, such as ABO blood group and liver enzyme status, may also affect disease severity. This study investigates the relationship between blood type, liver enzyme levels, and malaria severity in affected patients. Methods: A case-control study was conducted on malaria patients at the National Malaria Laboratory, Tehran Univer­sity of Medical Sciences, from May 2022 to October 2024. Blood samples were analyzed for ABO blood grouping and liver enzymes: alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Malaria severity was classified according to WHO criteria. Statistical analyses, including chi-square tests and logistic regression, evaluated associations between blood group, liver enzyme levels and disease severity. Results: A total of 100 participants were included: 50 malaria-positive patients and 50 healthy controls, with a mean age of 38.10±16.40 years. Malaria patients showed significantly higher AST, ALT and ALP levels compared to controls (p= 0.001). No significant association was found between ABO blood group and liver enzyme levels in either group (p> 0.05). Liver enzyme levels correlated significantly with parasitemia (p< 0.001), with higher parasite loads linked to greater hepatic dysfunction. Conclusion: This study highlights the significant impact of parasitemia levels on liver function in malaria patients, while the ABO blood group appeared unrelated to liver enzyme alterations. Liver enzyme profiles may serve as valuable biomarkers for assessing malaria severity and guiding clinical management.