Mohammad-Rafi Bazrafshan; Mohammad Reza Foroutani; Ahmadreza Eidi; Hamed Delam
Abstract
Abstract Background: Malaria has been considered by health systems as one of the most dangerous human infectious diseases. In Iran, the disease has caused great economic and social damage to the country. The present study was designed to identify the epidemiological situation of malaria during 2006 to ...
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Abstract Background: Malaria has been considered by health systems as one of the most dangerous human infectious diseases. In Iran, the disease has caused great economic and social damage to the country. The present study was designed to identify the epidemiological situation of malaria during 2006 to 2018 in the southern region of Fars province, southern Iran. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. The study population consisted of all people with malaria whose information was recorded at the Larestan Infectious Diseases Center from 2006 to 2018. To extract the data, a checklist was used that included information such as the total number of smears performed each year, the number of positive smears, age of the individual, sex, type of malaria species, and the month of the disease. Results: Out of a total of 85,201 smear tests performed to identify malaria in the region, 190 had positive smear tests. The majority of the positive cases were Afghan nationalities. Most cases of the disease were seen in 2017, 2008 and 2016, respectively. In all years, men were more likely than women to have malaria, and the highest prevalence was in the age group of 21-30 and 11-20 years, respectively. Conclusion: Despite the relative decrease in malaria cases in recent decades in Larestan city, in recent years, especially from 2014 to 2018, the increasing trend of the disease has been relatively shown again, so making active diagnosis, equipping health systems and doing more blood smears tests are necessary to reduce the prevalence of malaria in this region.
Mohammad Hoseini; Solmaz Aslan Pour; Gholam Hossein Safari
Abstract
Background: Health care waste (HCW) management is highly important and has received special attention from the authorities and people. Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the management of HCW in general and specialized hospitals of Tabriz, Iran. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional ...
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Background: Health care waste (HCW) management is highly important and has received special attention from the authorities and people. Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the management of HCW in general and specialized hospitals of Tabriz, Iran. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, field investigations were conducted on gathering data on HCW management activities using the WHO questionnaire including 100 questions through observation. Results: This study indicated that the total in-use beds in the studied hospitals were 3953 beds. The total amount of generating wastes in the hospitals was 13349.5 kg day-1, of which 10059 kg day-1 (75.4%) was general waste and the remaining 24.6% (3290.5 kg day-1) was categorized as medical waste. The medical waste was categorized further into infectious (3002.50 kg day-1), sharp (171.80 kg day-1), chemical (63.15 kg day-1), and pathological (52.55 kg day-1) wastes. In general and specialized hospitals, 56% and 31% of the waste separation was at a good level, respectively. The results showed that the chemical process (37.5%) was the mostly used method for the treatment of medical waste in the studied hospitals. Conclusions: Generally, the rate of waste generation in general hospitals was more than that in specialized hospitals. Higher waste generation in general hospitals can be due to the fact that in these hospitals the amount and diversity of the health services provided were more than specialized hospitals. Good separation of general wastes from medical ones, proper health waste management, and training of staff for correct segregation of wastes can lead to a reduction of treatment charges.
Golazin Hoseini; Zahra Esmaeilinezhad; Maedeh Gordali; Reza Barati-Boldaji; Zahra Negarandeh; Siavash Babajafari; Seyed Mohammad Mazloomi
Abstract
Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate behavior changes related to food hygiene and safety during Covid-19 outbreak.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a digital questionnaire was used to collect the data. The questionnaire consisted of 36 questions in three sections: demographic ...
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Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate behavior changes related to food hygiene and safety during Covid-19 outbreak.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a digital questionnaire was used to collect the data. The questionnaire consisted of 36 questions in three sections: demographic characteristics, knowledge of food hygiene during the coronavirus epidemic, and food hygiene performance before and after Covid-19 outbreaks.
Results: 675 questionnaires were completed. The ways through which foods are washed and subsequently packed, before and after the Covid-19 outbreak, have changed significantly. It was revealed that the use of dishwashing liquid, sanitizing liquid, vinegar (p<0.001), and alcohol (p=0.03) has drastically increased for washing the fruits; salt and bleach are used for washing the vegetables (p<0.05), and dishwashing liquid, sanitizing liquid and alcohol for washing egg and packaged food (p<0.001) after the outbreak. Covid-19 caused 35.5% of the participants to avoid sweetmeat, 23.7% of them did not use takeaway foods, and 21.4% of them eliminate nuts and seeds from their diet.
Conclusion: According to the results of this study, people's knowledge about coronavirus transmission and food disinfection is insufficient. Given that people's knowledge about the mentioned cases can affect the choice of food groups and the quality of people's diet, introducing valid information sources and providing necessary training to people in the community can lead to the correction of beliefs and behaviors regarding food hygiene during the Corona outbreak.
Maryam Sarani; Gholamali Javdan; Amin Ghanbarnejad; Ebrahim Eftekhar; Reza Safari; Khojasteh Sharifi- Sarasiabi; Shaghayegh Khojasteh; Habibollah Turki
Abstract
Background: Case finding and malaria foci management is significant strategy for the prosperous performance of amalaria elimination program. Therefore, detection, treatment. and follow-up of all cases (symptomatic & Asymptomatic) in malaria elimination program is necessary. This study aimed to find ...
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Background: Case finding and malaria foci management is significant strategy for the prosperous performance of amalaria elimination program. Therefore, detection, treatment. and follow-up of all cases (symptomatic & Asymptomatic) in malaria elimination program is necessary. This study aimed to find an active cases of malaria in Bashagard (With a previous history of local malaria transmission) with emphasis on the use of molecular methods in order to successfully implement the malaria elimination program.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to examine more precise the positive cases reported and to identify possible cases of additional malaria. In the first stage, all eligible residents of the community were sampled. In the next step, the villagers who had moved to work in the neighboring city were identified and sampled. In this study, 230 people participated to be tested for malaria by microscopic, Rapid Diagnostic Tests and Nested- PCR techniques.Results: In the first phase of the study, three positive cases of Plasmodium vivax were reported using microscopic and RDT methods. In the second step of the survey, an asymptomatic malaria reservoir was identified using molecular technique.Conclusion: The results of this study emphasize the important role of active cases finding using molecular techniques along with routine diagnostic methods in malaria control and elimination programs.
Esmaeil Kavi; Mohammad-Rafi Bazrafshan
Abstract
The new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), which belongs to a group of families of viruses, was found in Wuhan, China, on December 29, 2019 and became a highly contagious disease. This unknown disease was introduced with symptoms of fever, cough, myalgia, fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting, hemoptysis, shortness of ...
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The new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), which belongs to a group of families of viruses, was found in Wuhan, China, on December 29, 2019 and became a highly contagious disease. This unknown disease was introduced with symptoms of fever, cough, myalgia, fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting, hemoptysis, shortness of breath, severe bilateral lung infiltrates, arrhythmia, acute heart injury, impaired renal function, liver dysfunction, and some death cases (1). There is no doubt that COVID-19 has been an unprecedented challenge for humanity and since the World Health Organization warned of a crisis(2), people were faced with a huge amount of right and wrong information published in the cyberspace; despite the few symptoms and possibility of low infection, many people searched the cyberspace to get information for self-care(3). Experience with the results of previous studies also shows that despite the benefits of using the Internet and smartphones by users, checking the health of users on the Internet pathologically when a disease spreads (Cyberchondria) can be worrying, and in such situations, individuals may try to attribute an illness to themselves by examining the Internet sites and social networks(4). However, research conducted after the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of "CoV" searches on Google shows that the volume of the searched content on "CoV" about 2019-nCoV is rapidly increasing, and in spite of the fact that much of the information in the social media is invalid, it can raise public concern about the disease. Therefore, searching for information about COVID-19 online and confrontation with such huge information may increase anxiety and distress and cause cyberchondria(5). Therefore, healthcare authorities in different countries, including Iran, must be prepared to face with the health challenges of this emerging disease, address the general anxiety caused by its outbreak, and adopt appropriate programs to manage public opinion during the prevalence of this disease; also, we should expand people's access to the right information to prevent the spread of Cyberchondria, which can be caused by incorrect information received about COVID-19. Finally, it can be said that due to the growing concerns about COVID-19, people may eventually ignore vital information published about this disease by the media because of the fear of knowing.
Vahid Rahmanian; Saied Bokaie; Aliakbar Haghdoost; Mohsen Barouni
Abstract
Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a neglected infection currently occurring in some regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. This study was an attempt to determine the temporal patterns of VL from January 2000 to December 2019 in the Ardabil Province of north-western Iran using the Markov ...
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Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a neglected infection currently occurring in some regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. This study was an attempt to determine the temporal patterns of VL from January 2000 to December 2019 in the Ardabil Province of north-western Iran using the Markov Switching Models (MSM).Methods: This descriptive study used monthly data of 602 VL cases during the study period. The data were provided by the Leishmaniasis National Surveillance System (LNSS), the Iran Meteorological Organization (IMO), and Space Agency (SA), and two states were considered for such modelling. Given the Akaike and Bayesian information criterion, the two-state MSM with a five-month lag is an appropriate model.Results: The MSM showed that the probability of staying in the non-epidemic state is 67%, (P11), while that of staying in an epidemic state is 93% (P22). The mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) was 31.63%, and the portmanteau test (Q=19.03, P=0.66) for the residuals of the selected model revealed that the data were completely modelled. The total VL cases in the next 24 months forecasted 14 cases.Conclusion: The MSM has a relatively acceptable predictive power and is useful in planning future interventions with more information about different stages of the epidemic it provides to policymakers for early warning of epidemics.
Masoumeh Bagheri; Hamzeh Alipour; Ali Keshawarz
Abstract
Background: Scorpion sting is one of the serious and major medical problems in the world. Shiraz is a tourist city and one of the high-risk areas where a number of scorpion sting occurs annually.
Objectives: The present research aimed to conduct an epidemiological study of scorpion sting in Shiraz County.
Methods: ...
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Background: Scorpion sting is one of the serious and major medical problems in the world. Shiraz is a tourist city and one of the high-risk areas where a number of scorpion sting occurs annually.
Objectives: The present research aimed to conduct an epidemiological study of scorpion sting in Shiraz County.
Methods: The is a cross-sectional study performed using a checklists to collect data about scorpionism in Shiraz health center during 2014-2018.
Results: The results of the study showed that the total number of scorpion stings was 844 cases. generally, 336 cases (39.8%) were female and 508 s (59.3%) male. The results from the residential area revealed that 817 cases (96.8%) were urban and 27 (3.1%) were rural. The highest frequency of scorpionism happened in the 25-34 years old group (286,33.8%) and after that 15-24 year old (165,19.4%), 35-44 year old (157, 18.6%), 45-54 year old (108, 12.7%) groups, and the least frequency awas seen in the 0-4 year old group. The time periods between the sting and injection of anti-venom were less than 6 hours for 822, (85.5%) of cases, 6–12 hours for 101, (11.9%) of cases and, more than 12 hours for 21 (2.4%) cases. A total of 844 cases were recovered; 690 (81.7%) of them recovered with anti-venom and 154 (18.2%) injured individuals recovered without any anti-venom, the sting site was 27.6% in the foot, 57% in the hand, and 20% in the head and trunk.
Conclusion: Shiraz is a major tourist city, and most cases of scorpion-sting occur in summer and spring, when the tourist population is high, so health care providers must carry out an integrated program in those months.
Roya Zakizadeh; Masoud Bahreini; Akram Farhadi; Razieh Bagherzadeh
Abstract
Introduction: The rapid growth of the elderly population, challenges and the importance of mental health of the elderly, need to pay attention to mental health and the factors affecting it are inevitable. The aim of this study was to determine the predictors of mental health in the elderly with ...
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Introduction: The rapid growth of the elderly population, challenges and the importance of mental health of the elderly, need to pay attention to mental health and the factors affecting it are inevitable. The aim of this study was to determine the predictors of mental health in the elderly with the role of social support and loneliness.
Methods: In this correlational study, 318 elderly subjects who were registered in comprehensive health centers of Bushehr were selected by simple random sampling. The study data were collected using a Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), the Revised Loneliness (UCLA) and General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ). Data were analyzed through SPSS 19, using the Spearman correlation and linear regression tests.
Results: The Mean±SD of age of older adults was 66.74 ± 5.87 years. Their Mean±SD scores of social support (families and friends) and loneliness were 43.57±7.19 (15.99 ±2.59 and 12.05 ±3.22) and 32.37 ±8.60, respectively. In explaining the variance of the mental health, the share of social support and loneliness was 10.5 and 6.9%. The research results indicated that the friend support and loneliness with β =-0.236 and β = 0.308, respectively, had a statistically significant relationship with mental health (P <0.001).
Conclusion: The research results indicated that the mean score of family support was higher than other types; however, the friend support seemed to play a more effective role in improving mental health. It reminds the policymakers and health care providers, as well as families, of the need to pay attention to the friends' roles in supporting the elderly, thus reducing their loneliness and improving their mental health
Zohreh Faramarzian; Marzieh Kargar; Seyed Mohsen Dehghani; Najaf Zare
Abstract
Back ground: Constipation is a prevalent problem in pediatric patients and one of the ten most common pathological conditions visited by general pediatricians (1). It accounts for up to 25 percent of referrals to a pediatric gastroenterologist. Therefore, this study was done to evaluate the effects of ...
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Back ground: Constipation is a prevalent problem in pediatric patients and one of the ten most common pathological conditions visited by general pediatricians (1). It accounts for up to 25 percent of referrals to a pediatric gastroenterologist. Therefore, this study was done to evaluate the effects of a nurse-based education program on reducing the symptoms of chronic functional constipation in children (2). Methods: This clinical trial study was conducted on 95 children (48 control and 47 intervention group), aged 3 to 14 years old, and selected randomly out of the patients referred to Imam Reza Clinic affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in 2014. The control group only received the usual treatment prescribed by the physician; however, the intervention group received a comprehensive nursing program. Then, having completed Rome III Criteria Form immediately after the intervention for one month, two months, and three months, we collected the required data. The significance level in this study was 0.05. Results: The mean age of the samples was 78.30±32.52 months in the intervention group and 74.60±32.26 months in the control group. Also, the average weight of children in the intervention group was 23302.17±12034.96 grams and in the control group 21376.09±9351.80 grams. 18% of the samples from the intervention group and 22% of the control group were males. With a follow-up of 3 months, the percentage of changes in the intervention group in items 1 (two or fewer defecation in the toilet per week) and 4 (history of painful or hard bowel movement) was 48.9% and 74.5%, respectively, and in the control group 22.9% and 52.1%, respectively. Therefore, positive changes in the intervention group were better than the control group. The difference between these two variables was statistically significant (p-value <0.05). In other dimensions of the Rome III criteria, there was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups (p value> 0.05), despite changes in the percentage of items in different periods of 1, 2, and 3 months. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that nursing education programs have a desirable effect on the reduction of some symptoms of chronic functional constipation based on Rome III criteria in children aged 3-14 years.
Romina Faridizad; Ali Alavi; Parastoo Golshiri; Sayed Mohammad Hasan Alavi Shoushtari; Michelle D Lall; Sina Neshat
Abstract
Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are one the most common infections in the world. Among them, anogenital warts and gonorrhea infections are a significant group of STIs. We conducted this research to evaluate the prevalence of anogenital warts and gonorrhea infection and their related ...
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Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are one the most common infections in the world. Among them, anogenital warts and gonorrhea infections are a significant group of STIs. We conducted this research to evaluate the prevalence of anogenital warts and gonorrhea infection and their related aspects in Iran. Still, it has a lot to know about its prevalence, trends, and risk factors. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1064 patients voluntarily referred from a marriage counseling center to the physicians in our center to evaluate STIs were enrolled in this study. All participants completed a data collection form about their sex, age, lifetime number of sexual partners, high-risk behaviors, and history of prior gonorrhea infection. They were also evaluated for anogenital warts by physical examination. The data were analyzed by SPSS 24 with Chi-square test, independent t-test, and logistic regression analysis. P-value Results: The number of participants with current anogenital warts was 9.2% (11.9% in men and 3.5% in women). 1.1% of the participants had a documented prior gonorrhea infection, and all of these cases were men. After logistic regression analysis, there was a significant relationship between anogenital warts and gonorrhea infection and male gender (P=0.03). Also, there was a meaningful relationship between these diseases and the higher number of lifetime sexual partners (P=0.001). Conclusions: Male sex and having more lifetime sexual partners are the risk factors for getting anogenital warts and gonorrhea infection.
Mohammad Khammarnia; Mostafa Peyvand; Fatemeh Setoodehzadeh
Abstract
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This article has no abstract.
Sima Rafiei; Fatemeh Pashazadeh Kan; Samira Raoofi; Maryam Masoumi; Omid Elahifar; Maryam Doustmehraban; Zahra Hosseinipalangi; Sepideh Rezaei; Mahmoud Nasiri; Ahmad Ghashghaee
Abstract
Background: Depression and anxiety are the psychological problems that have intensified during Covid-19 and have affected the psychological well being of people. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the prevalence of anxiety and depression in Middle East countries.Methods: In this review, ...
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Background: Depression and anxiety are the psychological problems that have intensified during Covid-19 and have affected the psychological well being of people. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the prevalence of anxiety and depression in Middle East countries.Methods: In this review, we searched for studies aiming to estimate the prevalence of depression and anxiety during the Covid-19 pandemic among the general population in databases including Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Google Scholar from January 2020 to February 2021. We used the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis-2 software for data analyses and generated forest plots of the summary pooled prevalence.Results: In this systematic review, 55 articles with a total sample size of 28128 people were included. The pooled analysis of depression and anxiety amid the pandemic was estimated at 41% and 39%, respectively. Based on the study results, Iraq and Egypt had the highest prevalence rates of depression at 88% and 82%, respectively. Regarding anxiety, the highest and lowest prevalence rates were reported for Egypt with 91% and Qatar with 17%.Conclusion: To effectively provide mental health services for people, particularly the ones who are suspected of higher risk of depression and anxiety, it is necessary to identify individuals who are more likely to be suffered from psychological problems.
Roya Peirovi; Sara Javanbakht; Zohre Moeini; Monnavar Afzal Aghaee; Hossein Alidadi
Abstract
Introduction: One of the most important goals of any higher education system is to educate specialized manpower with sufficient skills and knowledge. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the environmental health engineering graduates' attitudes towards compliance of the received training ...
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Introduction: One of the most important goals of any higher education system is to educate specialized manpower with sufficient skills and knowledge. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the environmental health engineering graduates' attitudes towards compliance of the received training during their education with their occupational needs.
Methods: In this descriptive study, the viewpoints of 76 environmental health engineering graduates were investigated over the compliance of the contents of the courses passed with their occupational needs. The participants were employed in various organizational positions in Mashhad city in 2019. Data extracted from the questionnaires were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and independent t-test.
Results: In the case of Water and Wastewater, Municipality, Comprehensive Health Center, Hospital, and Common courses, the lowest compliance rate was related to the environmental health employees working at the comprehensive health centers, hospitals, water and sewerage company, and university, respectively. There was a significant difference between attitudes of males and females towards Water and Wastewater and Comprehensive Health Center courses. Findings based on the graduates' degrees showed that people with bachelor's degrees more disagreed with the set of Water and Wastewater courses than the graduates with Master's and Ph.D. degrees.
Conclusion: Considering that specialized courses had the highest compliance with the individuals' field of work, the authorities are recommended to revise the curriculum of this field of study. Furthermore, it is suggested that specialized trends in the undergraduate course should be provided to improve the impact of education and graduates' satisfaction rate in this field.
Atefe Rezaian; Ali Mashhadi; Elham Rezaian; Ebrahim Nazarifar; Seyed Ali Kimiaee
Abstract
Introduction: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Dattilio cognitive couple therapy on interpersonal cognitive distortions in conflicting couples in Mashhad. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2017 and the participants included all conflicting couples ...
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Introduction: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Dattilio cognitive couple therapy on interpersonal cognitive distortions in conflicting couples in Mashhad. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2017 and the participants included all conflicting couples admitted to Psychology Faculty Clinic of Ferdowsi University; also, among them 28 subjects (14 couples) were randomly selected, using convenient sampling method. They were randomly divided into two groups, including experimental (7 couples) and control groups (7 couples). The couples in the experimental group received Dattilio Cognitive Couple Therapy for 10 sessions, each lasting 90 minutes. The sessions were held individually in the presence of the couples. During this period, the control group did not receive any treatment. The research tools included interpersonal cognitive distortion scale (ICDS) and marital conflict inventory (CCI), implemented in pretest and posttest stages. Data were analyzed using single-variable analysis of covariance and Chi-square; the data were analyzed using SPSS- 22 Results: The research results revealed that interpersonal cognitive distortions as well as marital conflicts decreased significantly in the experimental group compared to those in the control group in the posttest. (P>0.05) Conclusion: Thus, it can be concluded that Dattilio Cognitive Couple Therapy is effective in reducing interpersonal cognitive distortions and marital conflicts of conflicting couples.
Seyed Mohammad Amin Mahdian; Abbasali Raz; Navid Dinparast Djadid; Hamzeh Alipour
Abstract
Background: A given amino acid sequence can be encoded by a huge number of different nucleic acid sequences. These sequences, however, have proved not to be equally useful. The choice of sequence can significantly impact the expression of an encoded protein. Given the importance of protein-coding sequence ...
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Background: A given amino acid sequence can be encoded by a huge number of different nucleic acid sequences. These sequences, however, have proved not to be equally useful. The choice of sequence can significantly impact the expression of an encoded protein. Given the importance of protein-coding sequence and promising industrial and medicinal applications of Clostridium histolyticum collagenase, this study examined the codon optimization of the Col H gene so as to enhance collagenase expression in Escherichia coli (E. coli).
Methods: This is an experimental study in which the CDS of Col H gene was optimized according to the codon usage of E. coli, using Gene Designer software (DNA 2.0).
Results: The results revealed that relative frequency of codon usage in Col H gene was adapted to the most preferred triplets in E. coli in such a way that codon usage bias in E. coli was enhanced after codon optimization. The higher level of collagenase expression was more likely the result of substituting rare codons with optimal codons.
Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that codon optimization provides a theoretical improvement in Col H gene expression in E. coli. Nevertheless, experimental research is needed to confirm the improvement.
Hassan Hashemi; Ehsan Gharehchahi; Mohammad Golaki; Amin Mohammadpour; Zohre Moeini
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral infection caused by SARS-CoV-2, first recognized in China and quickly became a global pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has been found to have positive and negative environmental impacts. Air, wastewater, and solid waste are some examples that show this pandemic’s ...
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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral infection caused by SARS-CoV-2, first recognized in China and quickly became a global pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has been found to have positive and negative environmental impacts. Air, wastewater, and solid waste are some examples that show this pandemic’s consequences. The current review summarizes the interactions between the COVID-19 pandemic with air, water, wastewater, and solid waste. During the COVID-19 outbreak, air pollution, ambient noise, fuel, and energy consumption, have been reduced. On the other hand, air pollution has been shown to increase the risk of COVID-19; thus, there is a positive correlation between air pollution and the number of COVID- 19 cases. Moreover, the researchers have detected the SARSCOV- 2 in feces and wastewater. Therefore, exposure to SARSCoV- 2 is possible by utilizing untreated effluent and wastewater in irrigation or aerosol generation during specific wastewater treatment processes. Furthermore, monitoring SARS-CoV-2 in the wastewater allows us to detect the virus before it spreads in the community take the necessary measures, and implement effective policies. Changes in the composition and quantity of municipal solid waste (MSW) are typical results of the COVID-19 pandemic, as plastic waste generation has increased globally due to the higher use of disposable single-use plastic bags and packaging. Mixing infectious virus-infected waste with domestic waste has led to the terminus of waste recycling in many parts of the world due to its hazardous potential. Developing effective strategies based on the sustainable development approach may reduce the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and similar outbreaks in the future.
Farideh Golbabaei; Hamidreza Heidari; Aliakbar Shamsipour
Abstract
Background: This study aimed to illustrate the applicability of the Humidex index for assessment of outdoor thermal environments in a wide range of weather conditions in different climates in Iran.
Study Design: This is a cross-sectional study.
Methods: Both field measurements (1452 measurements) ...
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Background: This study aimed to illustrate the applicability of the Humidex index for assessment of outdoor thermal environments in a wide range of weather conditions in different climates in Iran.
Study Design: This is a cross-sectional study.
Methods: Both field measurements (1452 measurements) and the long-term meterological data (between 1965 and 2009) were used in this research. After determining the appropriateness of correlation coefficients between these two types of data, only meteorological stations data were used to generalize the results to climatic regions. For this purpose, Arc/GIS 10.2 software was used.
Results: The results showed three levels of comfort including safe, caution and stress regions by graphical maps. The results showed that the center and south of the country, especially at the middle and the end of the shift hours, experienced more thermal stress in summer months (ranging from 39.60±1.07 to 49.29±2.13ºC for central areas and ranging from 47.76±2.59to 57.71±1.65ºC for southern areas. In the northern regions, most of the measurements in different stations and time periods at spring were in caution condition and less than 1% of them experienced stress conditions.
Conclusion:
The dependence of this index on the minimum metrological parameters (temperature and humidity), which are easily measured and reported daily in meteorological stations, and its non-dependence on the globe temperature, which is an unusual parameter in the measured metrological parameters, can be used as advantages of the humidex for assessment of the heat stress conditions in outdoor environments in different climates.
Samad Jalilian; Sima Sabzalipour; Maryam Mohammadi Rouzbahani; Ebrahim Rajabzadeh Ghatrami; Leila Ibrahimy Ghavamabadi
Abstract
Background: Specific improvements in the risk assessment of chemicals have been recently considered by many national and international expert groups. This study aimed to identify the highest occupational exposure levels in Abadan Oil Refining Company, Iran, to benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and ...
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Background: Specific improvements in the risk assessment of chemicals have been recently considered by many national and international expert groups. This study aimed to identify the highest occupational exposure levels in Abadan Oil Refining Company, Iran, to benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) in 2020. Methods: This is a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study carried out in several units (ten units) in Abadan Oil Refining Company. Air sampling and BTEX analysis were conducted according to NIOSH method number 1501. To determine the risk of exposure to BTEX pollutants, we used the method proposed by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health of Malaysia. Then, the hazard rate, exposure rate, and health risk level caused by exposure to chemicals were determined. Spss20 software was used to analyze the data. Results: The results showed the employees studied in this research were exposed to the pollutants of BTEX during their work. Comparing total BTEX concentrations with the recommended standard level showed that BTEX concentrations in Abadan Oil Refining Company Workers’ breathing zone were lower than the TLV-TWA recommended by ACGIH; also, the findings of this risk assessment study showed benzene had the highest risk ranking in seven operating units and a low risk ranking in three other units. Moreover, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene had a very low risk in all operating units. Conclusion: Corrective and preventive measures should be taken to eliminate or minimize the exposure rate due to the significant effects of benzene exposure.
Sina Vakili; Sarvenaz Roshanisefat; Leila Ghahramani; Sheida Jamalnia
Abstract
Background: The latest outbreak of coronavirus (2019-nCoV), emerging in Wuhan, China, has spread exponentially in 2019. Management of gallbladder stones during COVID-19 pandemic may be challenging. We report an Iranian COVID-19 Case in a Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Patient. Case presentation: In the ...
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Background: The latest outbreak of coronavirus (2019-nCoV), emerging in Wuhan, China, has spread exponentially in 2019. Management of gallbladder stones during COVID-19 pandemic may be challenging. We report an Iranian COVID-19 Case in a Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Patient. Case presentation: In the present study, we documented a case of COVID-19 in an Iranian patient for laparoscopic cholecystectomy and established the diagnosis, symptoms, and treatments of the case in order to provide non-emergent surgical procedure triage guidelines. Conclusion: This case highlights the importance of good collaboration between doctors and the authorities of public health in Iran, plus the demand for urgent exchange of clinical experience and knowledge with regard to the treatment of this infectious disease.
Mohebat Vali; Alireza Mirahmadizadeh; Zahra Maleki; Fatemeh Goudarzi; Arefe Abedinzade; Haleh Ghaem
Abstract
Background: The new Corona virus disease (COVID-19) appeared in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Methods, such as quarantine, isolation, and social distancing, if implemented properly, can help prevent the transmission of the disease. This study aimed to examine the effects of quarantine, isolation, and ...
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Background: The new Corona virus disease (COVID-19) appeared in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Methods, such as quarantine, isolation, and social distancing, if implemented properly, can help prevent the transmission of the disease. This study aimed to examine the effects of quarantine, isolation, and social distancing on the prevention of COVID-19.
Methods: In this systematic review, EMBASE (Elsevier, 2018), MEDLINE (National Library of Medicine, 2018), Scopus, ProQuest, Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics, 2018b), and Google Scholar databases were searched for the studies published prior to 10 April 2020. The search and data extraction were conducted by two authors and to check and control the quality of the articles, we used the Newcastle-Ottawa checklist.
Results: Based on the inclusion criteria, 24 out of the 768 primarily screened studies were finally assessed.
Studies showed that the short-term negative psychological effects of quarantine included frustration, boredom, anger, and confusion. Nonetheless, extending the adult quarantine period to 18-21 days could be effective in preventing the spread of the virus and controlling the disease. Moreover, the decision to control the people’s travels through restrictions on freedom of movement must be balanced regarding the estimated epidemiological impact and the expected economic outcome.
Conclusions: Although isolation, quarantine, and social distancing all have challenges, they are very useful methods for controlling the disease, which can be best used by knowing their duration of implementation.
Hamed Delam; Mohammad-Rafi Bazrafshan
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a severe respiratory illness with an unknown cause that was diagnosed in December 2019 in Wuhan, China (1-3). Iran is one of the countries involved with this disease. The global outbreak of the disease raises concerns about increased anxiety due to the risk of contracting ...
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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a severe respiratory illness with an unknown cause that was diagnosed in December 2019 in Wuhan, China (1-3). Iran is one of the countries involved with this disease. The global outbreak of the disease raises concerns about increased anxiety due to the risk of contracting the virus (4). Therefore, in addition to causing physical harm, COVID-19 also has a serious effect on people's mental health. To date, no exact information is available on the mental health problems and psychological effects of COVID-19 on people, nor is it clear how people react when faced with such a crisis; therefore, for health care providers how best to respond to challenges related to COVID-19 is confusing. However, observing the consequences of mental health and the measures taken during the outbreak of SARS in 2003 can help the health care systems to make mental health interventions for people that are involved with COVID-19 (5). However, many people may not be sure that their health care systems are ready to deal with coronavirus, and a lack of trust in the country's health care system is likely to raise concerns about the consequences of the disease. In such circumstances, people use different methods of obtaining information when faced with crisis situations; sometimes these methods are invalid. One of these methods is to obtain information from invalid social media such as Instagram, WhatsApp and so on. Nowadays, with the availability of smartphones, the expansion of activities in virtual networks has become more and more. Therefore, people in anxious situations are looking for information to relieve their anxiety and for this purpose, they search social networks and being exposed to incorrect information in social networks can aggravate their anxiety (6). Therefore, in this situation, several factors may lead to development of Chronophobia. One of these conditions is using unreliable social media. In this regard, a study conducted by the Indian people on awareness, attitude and anxiety about COVID-19 showed that people's anxiety about this disease was at a high level and distress-related social media was seen in 36.4% of the people, and the participants expressed that one of the most important resources of anxiety was the social media (7). At this time, the important question is whether the health care systems in the country are ready to deal with the growing concern of the people in such a situation that is the result of misinterpretation of the symptoms of COVID-19 and in cases where mild respiratory symptoms may develop Chronophobia. Meanwhile, the role of health care provider in reducing people's anxiety and preventing Chronophobia is vital (8, 9). Finally, it can be said that health care systems can prevent Chronophobia by increasing people's knowledge, thus improving their attitudes towards COVID-19.
Maliheh Poorkiani; Nasrin Shokrpour; Zohreh Faramarzian; leila bazrafcan; Zahra Keshtkaran; Leila Bazrafkan
Abstract
Background: Faculty members are the main pillars of universities, and their performance has a vital role in the efficiency of universities. In the current era of the Covid-19 pandemic, students’ traditional evaluation method is not sufficient, and 360-degree evaluation is recommended, or multi-rater ...
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Background: Faculty members are the main pillars of universities, and their performance has a vital role in the efficiency of universities. In the current era of the Covid-19 pandemic, students’ traditional evaluation method is not sufficient, and 360-degree evaluation is recommended, or multi-rater feedback is a means of providing evaluation from various stakeholders. The aim of this study was to compare the evaluation of faculty members’ teaching effectiveness in Larestan Medical School by 360 degrees and the evaluation done by the students in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.Methods: This descriptive-analytic study compared the 360 degree evaluation and the students’ ratings on faculty members’ performance at Larestan University of Medical Sciences during 2020 -2021. The statistical population consisted of all full-time professors (N=28) selected by census method and students (N=280) chosen by random cluster sampling. The materials used were six valid and reliable questionnaires filled out by students, an expert in evaluation, heads of departments, deputies, peers, and self-assessment of faculty members. Data were analyzed through SPSS software (version 23) using the Friedman test (P<0.001).Results: The results showed a significant difference between the 360-degree evaluation and students’ ratings (P=0.05). According to the students’ attitudes, there was a significant difference between the mean scores of the faculty members’ communication skills and instructional skills (P<0.001). In addition, according to the head of departments, peers, an expert in the evaluation and self-assessment of faculty members, there was a positive and significant correlation between these two evaluations. However, there was no correlation between the heads of departments’ views and those of the deputies for education (P<0.001).Conclusion: Given the views of different participants in this study and the dimensions of assessment of faculty members, it seems that 360-degree assessment is more realistic and fair to be done in universities. In general, it is suggested that professors, in order to better understand their strengths and weaknesses, should pay more attention to all stakeholders’ views in 360-degree evaluation to improve the quantity and quality of education.
Ali Mohammad Mokhtari; Rebecca Susan Dewey; Alireza Mirahmadizadeh
Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is a challenging health problem around the world. At time of this study, the pandemic is still underway, so prevention and control are of great importance. This review provides a comprehensive examination and analysis of the literature related to the challenges of controlling ...
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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is a challenging health problem around the world. At time of this study, the pandemic is still underway, so prevention and control are of great importance. This review provides a comprehensive examination and analysis of the literature related to the challenges of controlling COVID-19. Methods: In this narrative review study, the search was performed on international databases including PubMed, Scopus and Embase, using relevant keywords. The resulting articles and texts were reviewed and screened, and then the relevant information was extracted. Results: The number of patients who are thought to have contracted COVID-19 is much higher than that in the SARS and MERS epidemics. Despite a lower mortality rate, COVID-19 has caused more deaths. One of the challenges that have made the control of the disease more difficult include the emergence of multiple viral mutations. In this review, it was found that the best course of action comprises continuous monitoring of disease-related indicators as part of a series of measures taken together to ensure their effectiveness. Conclusion: It is recommended that governments should form international partnerships in their efforts to overcome the pandemic, and that preventive and control measures should be taken simultaneously. Introduction Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) started in December 2019 in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, China, and one of China's main transportation hubs, and spread to other parts of the world (1, 2). One of the main reasons for the spread of the disease was the intense migration of Chinese people during New Year celebrations (1). With the rise of international trade, epidemics of new infectious diseases such as COVID-19 are able to spread more rapidly than ever before (3). On December 31, 2019, China announced the outbreak of the disease, at the time named 2019-nCoV, to the World Health Organization (WHO) (2, 4). On February 11, 2020, the WHO adopted a new name called coronavirus disease (COVID-19). In acknowledgement of the genetic structure of the virus, the International Committee on Virus Classification renamed 2019-nCoV as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (5). On January 30, 2020, the WHO announced that the outbreak was a public health emergency of international concern (5, 6) and in March 2020 classified it as a pandemic (7, 8). COVID-19 has been declared the sixth international public health emergency and, therefore, requires the public, health professionals and governments to work together to prevent its spread worldwide (5). Rapid production and sharing of knowledge at the international level is one of the useful measures for disease control that has been done (9). One of the greatest fallacies of the 21st century is that infectious diseases are disappearing, which is not the case (10). The COVID-19 epidemic has become a challenging health problem for many countries around the world (8), and as of 28 February 2021, it was estimated that there were 113,472,187 cases of the disease, 2,520,653 deaths, and about 91 million cases of recovery reported worldwide (11, 12). Although more than a year has passed since the beginning of this epidemic, the disease has not yet been controlled and no specific treatment has been found for it (13), so measures related to its prevention and control are very important. The aim of this study was to examine and characterize the global challenges of controlling COVID-19, and to provide comprehensive recommendations for action.
Hamed Delam; Fatemeh Zare
Abstract
Coronavirus (COVID-19) was first developed in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and spread rapidly around the world (1, 2). In late January 2020, the disease was recognized as the sixth international public health emergency (3). The infection is transmitted from person to person through respiratory secretions ...
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Coronavirus (COVID-19) was first developed in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and spread rapidly around the world (1, 2). In late January 2020, the disease was recognized as the sixth international public health emergency (3). The infection is transmitted from person to person through respiratory secretions and contact with surfaces or people (4). In general, infectious diseases constantly threaten human health; especially if they are new, because they are always a potential challenge for the healthcare system around the world (5). Health personnel, like other infectious diseases, are at the forefront of the fight against coronavirus. A high percentage of these personnel work night shifts with high workload (6). Work-related stress, lack of sleep, and shift work in health care personnel cause sleep disorders and poor sleep quality (7). Sleep is a specific behavior and each person is aware of its importance and its appropriate duration, and is rotated by waking up. Also, one of the most important parameters in assessing the quality of life and health status of each person is the quality of sleep (8). Sleep is a key factor in a person's physical health and related disorders including poor sleep quality, difficulty sleeping at night, waking up early, circadian rhythm disorders, parasomnia, sleep-related movement disorders, and sleep-related respiratory disorders (9). Sleep disorders are physical and mental conditions that cause adverse effects due to poor sleep quality (10). Sleep disorders have many negative effects on people's lives and lead to physical complications such as increased risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, increased heart rate, heart attack, and stroke (11). Therefore, during the COVID-19 epidemic and with the increase of work pressure in health care workers, there is a possibility of increasing sleep disorders and consequently increasing physical diseases. Healthcare personnel are the most important group in dealing with the COVID-19 epidemic; therefore, increasing the number of medical staff and reducing the number of work shifts can relieve fatigue and maintain energy levels in them and reduce physical complications in them.
Among the treatment methods for insomnia, we can mention medication; however, because sedatives have side effects such as drowsiness and decreased accuracy, they are not recommended for people such as nurses who always need full alertness during their shift; instead, non-pharmacological therapies such as relaxation techniques can be used. Because relaxation is a relative state of relief from the mental and physical effects of stress which can improve the sleep quality by regulating the hypothalamus and reducing sympathetic and parasympathetic functions (12). The progressive muscle relaxation technique introduced and used by Jacobsen is an easy, cost-effective method without the need for special equipment; it is one of the best complementary therapies to reduce the effects of mental illness such as anxiety because people in this method, by contracting and relaxing a specific muscle, cause relaxation in different target muscles and increase concentration and pleasant emotions (13). In order to improve working conditions, it is also suggested that the chronobiological characteristics of individuals should be considered when planning work shifts and classifying individuals accordingly. This type of chronotype classification is a simple method and takes into account issues such as individual circadian differences, sleep habits and performance on a particular day, and ultimately helps to plan work shifts based on these chronobiological characteristics (14). Another suggestion that can be made in this regard is physical activity because physical activity promotes physical and mental health with the biological and biochemical changes that follow. As a result, they improve the quality of sleep. In addition, physical activity, if repeated frequently, reduces the risk of physical illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and hypertension by boosting the immune response in the body (15).
Mahsa Hosseini; Zahra Borzabadi Farahani
Abstract
Introduction: Mandala coloring is a branch of art therapy that significantly impacts maintaining and promoting various dimensions of mental health. However, it has received little attention as a complementary treatment to cure and prevent mental disorders.
This study aims to evaluate, in a systematic ...
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Introduction: Mandala coloring is a branch of art therapy that significantly impacts maintaining and promoting various dimensions of mental health. However, it has received little attention as a complementary treatment to cure and prevent mental disorders.
This study aims to evaluate, in a systematic way, the effectiveness of mandala coloring to promote its use for preventing and treating mental disorders.
Methods: This research is a systematic review study. To retrieve the articles, the authors used keywords “Art therapy”, “mandala coloring”, “ mandala” , “mandala therapy”, and “coloring therapy” both in Persian and English. Available databases were used to collect the articles. Then, based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, only five articles were recognized as eligible and included in the study.
Results: The findings of this study showed that research on mandala coloring as a mental health complementary therapy is minimal in Iran.
Conclusion: Despite the effectiveness of mandala coloring on various dimensions of health and its ease of use and access, this complementary therapy is still unknown and limitedly used in Iran. Accordingly, further research is needed in this field to apply their results in medicine and education
