Introduction: This study aimed to investigate sleep architecture in patients with primary snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. Methods: In this study, we analyzed polysomnographic data of 391 clients who referred to Sleep Disorders Research Center (SDRS). These people were classified into three groups based on their Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) and ...

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index in the elderly population. Material and Methods: A methodological study was conducted as a confirmatory factor analysis. Totally, 598 elderly people were selected through cluster sampling. In addition to analyzing the three-factor structure of PSQI, internal consistency reliability, structural validity, and its concurrent validity were examined. The structural credibility of PSQI was examined using other similar tools such as Sleep Health, Epworth Sleepiness, Insomnia Severity, Global Sleep Assessment, and Berlin indices. Finally, the concurrent criterion validity of PSQI was evaluated through multivariable regression analysis and all statistical analyzes were performed using SPSS and AMOS software. Results: The reliability of the test according to Cronbach's alpha was 0.81. Confirmatory factor analysis indicators supported goodness of fit of the structural equation model. The confirmatory factor analysis showed that the ratio of chi(2) / DF was 2.66 for the three-factor structure of PSQI and the goodness of fit indices of model were acceptable for this structural model (RMSEA=0.053, CFI=0.98, TLI=0.96, NFI=0.97, GFI=0.99). In addition, the internal consistency of the PSQI was 0.81 and the scales correlation score ranged from 0.48 to 0.71. Conclusion: The results indicated that Persian version of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index had the required validity and reliability for the elderly population of Iran and it can be used as a useful tool by other studies.

Background: Plagiarism is an ethical and academic issue, which is affected by several factors. Objectives: This study is an attempt to introduce a model for elaborating on the causes of plagiarism in Iran. Research design: The study was carried out as a grounded theory study. Participants and research context: Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 32 university professors and postgraduate students at Iranian universities of medical sciences. The participants were selected through purposeful and theoretical sampling. Data analysis was done following Strauss et al.’s work. To ensure study rigor, Lincoln and Guba’s measures were used. Ethical considerations: All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Results: A conceptual model of the causes of plagiarism was developed based on analyzing and coding the data. The main core of the model was the emergence of plagiarism, and other cores were (1) causal condition: lack of skills, pressure by education system, and lack of awareness; (2) intervening factors: technological advances, legal gaps, and lack of efficient supervision; (3) ground factors: personal traits and attitudes of the academic community; (4) strategy and interventions: role model, supervision, national/international coordination, and higher awareness; (5) outcomes: regeneration of plagiarism and negative attitudes toward Iranian authors in the world academic communities. Conclusion: Several factors affect plagiarism. Among the approaches to attenuate plagiarism in Iranian academic communities are improving self-esteem and self-efficacy in Iranian researchers, emphasizing on quality rather than quantity of published works, discouraging boasting attitudes in the practitioners, denouncing intense competition among researchers, and introducing clear laws and severe punishments for plagiarism.

Background: Organ donation following brain death has become an important way of supplying organs for transplantation in many countries. This practice is less common in Iran for different reasons. Therefore, this study aims to explore the obstacles to organ donation following brain death in Iran. Methods: This qualitative research was conducted following the conventional content analysis method. The study population consisted of individuals with a history of brain death among their blood relatives who refused to donate the organs. Snowball sampling was employed to select the participants. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted for data gathering. Theoretical saturation was achieved through 20 interviews. Data analysis was done following the steps proposed by Graneheim and Lundman. Lincoln and Guba’s criteria were used to ensure data rigor and transferability of the study. Results: Data analyses revealed 185 codes, 23 categories, and seven themes including, poor knowledge about brain death and organ transplantation from a dead body, cultural beliefs, religious beliefs, deficiencies of requesting process, fear and concerns, inability to make a decision, and social learning. Conclusion: There were several factors in families’ reluctance to donate organs of a brain-dead patient. Through improving knowledge and changing cultural beliefs in society, it is possible to take large steps towards promoting organ donation from brain-dead patients.

Background: Drug dependence or substance use disorder not only affects a person’s life but also brings a lot of challenges for families and communities and imposes heavy burdens on them. There are various therapies in the domain of addiction whose main purposes are to reduce or to cut down substance abuse. Objective: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of group spiritual intervention on selfesteem and happiness among male clients undergoing methadone maintenance treatment. Methods: This study was an intervention study in which 60 clients affected with substance abuse and undergoing methadone maintenance treatment were recruited. The study samples were selected through convenience sampling method and then divided randomly into two groups of 30 individuals: intervention and control. The intervention group attended group spiritual interventions for 10 sessions. Self-esteem and happiness among the study participants were also measured through Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire before and after the intervention. Results: The results showed a significant difference between both intervention and control groups in terms of self-esteem and happiness (P < 0.05); so that the participants in the intervention group demonstrated a significant improvement in their self-esteem and happiness. Conclusion: It was concluded that group spiritual intervention as a useful method could be effective in enhancing self-esteem and happiness among addicted individuals undergoing methadone maintenance treatment. The given treatment could be also used as a complementary therapy beside methadone maintenance treatment to reduce the likelihood of people returning to substance abuse.

The clinical readiness of newly graduated nurses is crucial in meeting the growing demand for health services. Consequently, it is essential to develop a scale that accurately evaluates the clinical readiness of these novice nurses. This study aimed to translate and psychometrically evaluate the Persian version of the Nursing Practice Readiness Scale (NPRS) for new graduate nurses. This methodological and cross-sectional study was conducted on new graduate nurses from June to November 2023 in Kermanshah City, Iran. The translation of the scale was performed using the forward–backward translation method. Construct validity was assessed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) with a sample of 180 participants and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) with a sample of 318 participants, both employing the convenience sampling method. The internal consistency of the tool was measured using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Additionally, the tool’s reliability was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The analyses were conducted using SPSS version 27 and LISREL version 8 software. The results of EFA and CFA confirmed the tool’s structure, comprising five factors and 35 items. The CFA results showed a well-fitting model (CFI = 0.96, NNFI = 0.96, GFI = 0.893, RMSEA = 0.062, SRMR = 0.049). Pearson’s correlation coefficient indicated a significant relationship between the items, subscales, and the main scale. Additionally, the Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the tool was 0.932, and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.891(0.724–0.957). The Persian version of the Nursing Practice Readiness Scale (NPRS) is a valid and reliable tool, comprising 35 items and five factors. This scale can be effectively used to evaluate the clinical readiness of newly graduated nurses within the Iranian community.