Exploring COVID-19 anxiety in Iranian adult based on health literacy by moderating demographic variables: A structural equation model

The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic is associated with far-reaching psychological consequences, such as anxiety. The incidence and severity of this anxiety depend on several individual, family and social factors that need to be identified and planned for effective interventions. One of these factors is health literacy (HL). The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between HL and demographic characteristics with COVID-19 anxiety in adults living in Iran at the time of coronavirus outbreak. This is a descriptive and correlational study conducted in Iran in 2021. Convenience and snowball sampling methods were used, and as the result, the number of samples reached to 560. Data were collected online through the demographic questionnaire, COVID-19 anxiety scale (CAS) and health literacy questionnaire for adults (HLQ for adults). Data were analyzed using Amos 26, SPSS 26 software and structural equational modeling (SEM) based on covariance. Significance level in this study was considered 0.05. The results of this study showed that the fit of the modify model is confirmed and HL explains 54 of the changes in anxiety in the model (β = -0.709). The variables of gender, history of chronic disease, positive history of COVID 19 and receiving social support have a moderating role in the relationship between HL and COVID-19 anxiety. Due to the great predicting role of HL in COVID-19 anxiety, it is recommended that programs be developed and implemented during the outbreak of the disease by experts and the public health policy makers to increase HL in physical and mental dimensions. © 202

Iron Phosphate Glass Waste Forms for Vitrifying Hanford AZ102 Low Activity Waste (LAW), Part I: Glass Formation Model

A methodology for determining glass formation in a 5-component iron phosphate base glass system that contained P2O5, Fe2O3, Al2O3, Na2O and SO3 has been developed using a standard 5-component D-Optimal Statistical Mixture Design procedure. This compositional system was selected in order to study the feasibility of vitrifying a high soda (~ 80 wt%), a high sulfate (~ 17 wt%) containing Hanford AZ102 LAW in iron phosphate glasses with waste loadings much higher than the currently reported values. The statistical analysis was designed to develop a series of initial compositions (total 28), nearly half of which formed glass upon melting and cooling. After separating the compositions that formed glass from those that crystallized, three molar ratios, namely, (O/Na), (Na/Al) and (Na/P), were identified as potential parameters for defining glass formation (or crystallization). The (O/Na) molar ratio had the greatest effect. Melts whose (O/Na), (Na/P) or (Na/Al) molar ratios were ≤ 4.35, ≥ 1.13, or ≥ 2.56, respectively, had the highest likelihood to form glass when cooled. The melts crystallized completely when the values of these three molar ratios were, respectively, ≥ 6.02, ≤ 0.77 or ≤ 1.92. For the compositions that formed glass, the waste loadings as defined by the sum of Na2O and SO3, the two major components comprising \u3e90 wt% of the Hanford AZ102 LAW, ranged from 25 to 33 wt%. A glass formation-composition model that formalized the above findings was developed using the Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analyses. The CART model was validated by testing the glass formation characteristics of several additional compositions whose (O/Na) molar ratio was maintained ≤ 4.35, i.e., the compositions were expected to form glass. This model is expected to identify similar molar ratios for predicting glass formation/crystallization of iron phosphate based compositions containing not only other Hanford LAW streams, but high level wastes as well. Using the compositions that formed glass, property-composition statistical models for the waste forms were also developed and will be reported in a second paper

Iron Phosphate Glass Waste Forms for Vitrifying Hanford AZ102 Low Activity Waste (LAW), Part II: Property-Composition Model

Mathematical models for the chemical durability—composition relation for 5-component iron phosphate glasses, containing a nuclear waste similar to that of the high sulfate (~17 wt%), high soda (~80 wt%) Hanford AZ 102 LAW, have been developed using statistical analysis. The dissolution rate (DR) in deionized water at 90 °C was used as a representative property for the chemical durability. These waste forms contained P2O5, Fe2O3, Al2O3, Na2O and SO3. This 5-component system was used previously to develop mathematical models for predicting the dependence of glass formation on composition. The results from this study can potentially be used to develop other properties-compositions models for iron phosphate glasses containing nuclear wastes. Two separate statistical models, based on Backward Elimination and Stepwise procedures, were developed and both models produced similar results. The DR-values calculated from both models were in good agreement with the experimentally measured values. The DR-composition models developed for the present iron phosphate glass waste forms (containing Hanford AZ102 LAW), are shown to be valid for predicting DR-values for similar waste forms containing other types of nuclear wastes as well. The chemical durability for a few selected glasses whose compositions were generated by the models was also measured by the Vapor Hydration Test (VHT). The model predicted DR-values qualitatively confirmed the measured VHT-values, which provides further support for validating the model

Effects of Chemically Doped Bioactive Borate Glass on Neuron Regrowth and Regeneration

Peripheral nerve injuries present challenges to regeneration. Currently, the gold standard for nerve repair is an autograft that results in another region of the body suffering nerve damage. Previously, bioactive borate glass (BBG) has been studied in clinical trials to treat patients with non-healing wounds, and we have reported that BBG is conducive for soft tissue repair. BBG provides structural support, degrades in a non-cytotoxic manner, and can be chemically doped. Here, we tested a wide range of chemical compounds that are reported to have neuroprotective characteristics to promote regeneration of peripheral neurons after traumatic injury. We hypothesized that chemical dopants added in trace amounts to BBG would improve neuronal survival and neurite outgrowth from dorsal root ganglion (DRG) explants. We measured neurite outgrowth from whole DRG explants, and survival rates of dissociated neurons and support cells that comprise the DRG. Results show that chemically doped BBGs have differentially variable effects on neuronal survival and outgrowth, with iron, gallium, and zinc improving outgrowth of neurons, and iodine causing the most detriment to neurons. Because chemically doped BBGs support increased nerve regrowth and survival, they show promise for use in peripheral nerve regeneration