Shahid Beheshti University

Given that play is shaped by cultural contexts, a culturally adapted tool is essential for evaluating playfulness-the essence of play. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Test of Playfulness (ToP).

Participants included 225 children (146 boys, 79 girls; mean age = 57.3 ± 12.76 months) with typical development, autism spectrum disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The full sample was used for factor analysis, internal consistency, item analysis, and concurrent validity. Subsamples were used for rater reliability, discriminant validity, and developmental construct validity.

Exploratory factor analysis identified one factor for the extent and intensity scales, and two for the skillfulness scale. Rater reliability was excellent (ICC = 0.80-0.99). Internal consistency was good to excellent (α = 0.80-0.93). High correlations with the Children's Movement Motivation Questionnaire supported concurrent validity (r = 0.72-0.77). All scales significantly differentiated among groups, confirming discriminant validity. Only the skillfulness scale showed significant differences across age groups, supporting developmental validity.

The Persian ToP demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity, supporting its potential utility in clinical and research contexts. Limitations included virtual data collection challenges, sampling bias from snowball recruitment, and the narrow age range.

Diabetic wound healing remains a significant clinical challenge due to persistent infections, inadequate drug delivery, and complex wound microenvironments. This research presents the development of a magnetically-responsive, pH-sensitive drug delivery platform utilizing chitosan/gelatin hydrogels reinforced with graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) and decorated with Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles for controlled curcumin release targeting infected diabetic wounds. The synthesis employed tripolyphosphate as a biocompatible crosslinker, yielding nanocomposites with enhanced pH-responsive characteristics. Comprehensive characterization confirmed successful synthesis: Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy validated polymer-nanomaterial integration, X-ray diffraction revealed crystallographic magnetite incorporation, and field emission scanning electron microscopy demonstrated microporous architecture with uniformly distributed nanoparticles averaging 246 nm in diameter. The nanocomposite exhibited a positive surface charge of +68 mV promoting colloidal stability, superparamagnetic behavior with saturation magnetization of 4.3 emu/g enabling enabling potential for magnetic manipulation, and specific surface area of 4.9743 m²/g with mesoporous structure facilitating drug loading. Quantitative assessment established entrapment efficiency of 88.75% and loading efficiency of 43% for curcumin. Release kinetics exhibited pronounced pH-dependency, with cumulative release reaching 112% under acidic conditions (pH 5.4) compared to 57% at physiological pH (7.4) over 540 min, following non-Fickian transport mechanisms validated through Korsmeyer-Peppas modeling. The swelling ratio demonstrated enhanced pH-responsive behavior, achieving 112% at pH 5.4 versus 57% at pH 7.4. Antimicrobial evaluation revealed substantial inhibition zones of 16 mm against Escherichia coli and 13 mm against Staphylococcus aureus, with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 50 and 25 μg/mL, respectively. Biocompatibility assessment using 3T3-L1 fibroblasts demonstrated exceptional cell viability exceeding 95%, with curcumin-loaded formulations enhancing cellular proliferation to 103% relative to controls. These quantitative findings collectively establish the multifunctional nanocomposite as a promising candidate for magnetically-guided, pH-responsive antimicrobial drug delivery in chronic diabetic wound management.

The therapeutic properties of curcumin, especially in cancer treatment, are well known, although its rapid metabolic degradation and poor solubility limit its clinical use. This research uses a double emulsion technique to develop a novel Dextran/Zein/ZIF-8@Curcumin nanoemulsion. Chemical and crystalline characterizations were performed with FTIR and XRD, respectively. The loading and entrapment of cargo significantly increased with adding ZIF-8 into the nanocarrier, reaching LE (%) and EE (%) values of 46.25% and 83%, respectively. Morphological studies (FE-SEM and DLS) show an efficient size range, uniform distribution, and dense spherical morphology. The surface charge measurement reveals a high negative value of -39 mV, indicating good colloidal stability. The pH stimulus-responsive release of the loaded CUR from nanoemulsion was observed through different release profiles under acidic (pH 5.4) and neutral (pH 7.4) conditions. A high release rate was identified at the acidic pH, whereas a slower controlled release occurred at the normal pH. Fitting the experimental release data into kinetic models confirmed pH sensitivity, with the Korsmeyer-Peppas model providing the best fit in both environments. These improvements show their effect in the MTT assay, increasing cellular inhibition in Hep-G2 cells and reducing cell viability to nearly 50%. Meanwhile, the controlled low release rate under normal conditions enhances the viability of normal cells and makes the nanocarrier more biocompatible.