Hamid Kassiri; Ali Kasiri; Niusha Kasiri; Fahimeh Moeininejad
Volume 3, Issue 2 , April 2015, , Pages 83-87
Abstract
Background: Pediculosis capitis is a continuous common health problem worldwide. Pediculus capitis distributes quickly in overcrowded regions. The goal of the present research was to determine some epidemiological features of head lice infestation in Khorram-shahr County, southwestern Iran. Methods: ...
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Background: Pediculosis capitis is a continuous common health problem worldwide. Pediculus capitis distributes quickly in overcrowded regions. The goal of the present research was to determine some epidemiological features of head lice infestation in Khorram-shahr County, southwestern Iran. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on the patients with head lice infestation who referred to the Khorram-shahr Health Center during 2006 to 2009. The gold standard in the diagnosis of infestation was the detection of living nymphs, adults and/or nits on the scalp and hair. After the visual inspections with using a lens and the aid of an ordinary comb, cases were asked to complete a data gathering form containing some questions about demographic and epidemiologic features. The collected information was evaluated using SPSS software, version 11.5. Results: Totally, 1091 patients were infested with pediculosis capitis. The overall prevalence of head lice infestation during the four- year period was 0.73%. Girls were significantly more infested (87.2%) than boys (12.8%). Pediculosis capitis infestations were highest (46.2%) in subjects aged 6-10 and lowest in those aged less than six (6.4%). The majority of cases lived in the rural areas. The percentage of infestation in rural and urban patients was 59.2% and 40.8%, respectively. Nearly, 11.8% of the patients with head lice had a history of infestation. Most of the cases were found in the Autumn (35.8%). Conclusion: Girls were more frequently infested with Pediculus capitis than boys. It can also be concluded that head lice infestation is not highly prevalent in Khorram-shahr.
Zeinolabedin Mohammadi; Saeed Shahabi; Fatemeh Ghorbani; Asghar Khajeh
Abstract
Background: Morphological and allozyme studies are not remarkably efficient in identification of cryptic and unknown species; therefore, the differences between intra-and interspecific genetic variation (DNA barcoding) have been applied in recent decades. Applying molecular markers has been common for ...
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Background: Morphological and allozyme studies are not remarkably efficient in identification of cryptic and unknown species; therefore, the differences between intra-and interspecific genetic variation (DNA barcoding) have been applied in recent decades. Applying molecular markers has been common for identification of taxa, so that suitable marker choice representing high divergence is a crucial issue to reveal taxonomic status of the taxa in this approach. Methods: In this analytical study, the performance of two mitochondrial markers including cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and cytochrome b (cyt b)was compared with nuclear recombination activating protein I locus(RAGI), and their efficiency in identification of mammal taxa as the host of zoonotic diseases was evaluated. The COI, cyt b, and RAGI sequences were retrieved from GenBank. Intra-and interspecific genetic distances were estimated and compared at the species level. The variances in genetic divergence were also calculated and compared between the markers. Results: Our results showed a wide gap between intra-and interspecific genetic distances for both COI and cyt b markers and less apparent gap for RAGI, indicating that this nuclear marker is less proper for species delimitation in DNA barcoding. Conclusion: We concluded that in the case of multiple sequences available COI, contributes to accurate differentiation at the species level, showing a significant gap between intra-and interspecific genetic distances and may play an important role as DNA barcoding marker.
Toktam Balandeh; Mohsen razeghi; Zahra Zamanian
Volume 4, Issue 2 , April 2016, , Pages 89-94
Abstract
Background: Anthropometry is a branch of Ergonomics that considers the measurement and description of the human body dimensions. Accordingly, equipment, environments, and workstations should be designed using user-centered design processes. Anthropometric dimensions differ considerably across gender, ...
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Background: Anthropometry is a branch of Ergonomics that considers the measurement and description of the human body dimensions. Accordingly, equipment, environments, and workstations should be designed using user-centered design processes. Anthropometric dimensions differ considerably across gender, race, ethnicity and age, taking into account ergonomic and anthropometric principles. The aim of this study was to determine anthropometric characteristics of microscope users and provide a regression model for anthropometric dimensions. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, anthropometric dimensions (18 dimensions) of the microscope users (N=174; 78 males and 96 females) in Shiraz were measured. Instruments included a Studio meter, 2 type calipers, adjustable seats, a 40-cm ruler, a tape measure, and scales. The study data were analyzed using SPSS, version 20. Results: The means of male and female microscope users’ age were 31.64±8.86 and 35±10.9 years, respectively and their height were 161.03±6.87cm and 174.81±5.45cm, respectively. The results showed that sitting and standing eye height and sitting horizontal range of accessibility had a significant correlation with stature. Conclusion: The established anthropometric database can be used as a source for designing workstations for working with microscopes in this group of users. The regression analysis showed that three dimensions, i.e. standing eye height, sitting eye height, and horizontal range of accessibility sitting had a significant correlation with stature. Therefore, given one’s stature, these dimensions can be obtained with less measurement.
Elham Asrari; Esmail Izadi Navan
Abstract
Background: The presence of quantities of dye chemicals in the textile industry effluent is clearly visible and harmful environmental impacts caused by chemical compounds are also as a noticeable challenge. Regarding this issue, control of the pollution has been considered. Methods: In this study, an ...
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Background: The presence of quantities of dye chemicals in the textile industry effluent is clearly visible and harmful environmental impacts caused by chemical compounds are also as a noticeable challenge. Regarding this issue, control of the pollution has been considered. Methods: In this study, an absorbent of Sodium Montmorillonite modified by Methylene Blue dye was used to remove Brilliant Red dye from the textile effluent. All batch experiments were carried out in 250mL of solution of 640 mg/L Methylene Blue with 2g of adsorbent and performed on a shaker with a shaking of 120 rpm; the precipitate was placed in an oven at 60◦C for 24 hours. The effective parameters on the adsorption including: pH, absorbance dose, dye concentration and contact time were optimized by using both one factor at a time technique and Central Composite Design method by designing 30 experiments with four variables (n= 4) and two levels (low (-) and high (+)). Results: The optimal values of the influencing parameters such as pH, absorbance dose, dye concentration and contact time were determined at 6, 0.3 g, 80 mg/L and 60 min with an approximate 92% removal percentage, respectively. The results illustrated that the process was more consistent with Langmuir adsorption isotherm and pseudo-second kinetics equation. Conclusion: The adsorption behaviors of the modified absorbent showed that the adsorption kinetics and isotherms were in good agreement with pseudo-second-order equation and the Langmuir equation, respectively. The potential for regeneration and reuse of the modified absorbent was proved by the desorption studies.
Hamzeh Alipour; Mohammad Reza Abaie; Hossein Ladonni; Ali Akbar Kadivar
Volume 1, Issue 2 , October 2013, , Pages 94-97
Abstract
Background: Malaria is the most important vector-borne disease in many tropical countries all over the world. Because of the widespread use of pyrethroid insecticide treated mosquito nets in the world, the effects of excito-repellency (ER) phenomenon of pyrethroids against main malaria vector, Anopheles ...
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Background: Malaria is the most important vector-borne disease in many tropical countries all over the world. Because of the widespread use of pyrethroid insecticide treated mosquito nets in the world, the effects of excito-repellency (ER) phenomenon of pyrethroids against main malaria vector, Anopheles stephensi were studied.Methods: The ER phenomenon of three concentrations of two synthetic pyrethroids (permethrin and deltamethrin) as well as etofenprox was evaluated against Anopheles stephensi under laboratory conditions. Female 5-7 day unfed mosquitoes were exposed to animal bait in holder and the animal’s back and head were covered with impregnated bed net in -ER test chamber.Results: Deltamethrin was more effective compared to other insecticides in killing the mosquitoes. The mean of entry to exit trap showed significant differences in all concentrations of insecticides (P<0.05).Conclusion: This study showed that ER phenomenon of insecticides should be noticed in vector control programs. The ranked data indicated the relative potency of both pyrethroids and etofenprox. Deltamethrin repels the female mosquitoes more than other insecticides tested.
Masoud Neghab; Parisa Azad; marzieh Honarbakhsh; Fatemeh Zarei; Ebrahim Ghaderi
Volume 3, Issue 3 , July 2015, , Pages 119-124
Abstract
Background: Despite wide application of chromium in electroplating industry, the pulmonary effects of chronic exposure to this chemical have not been extensively studied and are subject of debate and controversy. This study was, therefore, undertaken to further address this issue. Methods: The study ...
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Background: Despite wide application of chromium in electroplating industry, the pulmonary effects of chronic exposure to this chemical have not been extensively studied and are subject of debate and controversy. This study was, therefore, undertaken to further address this issue. Methods: The study population consisted of a group of 15 workers with a history of past and present occupational exposure to chromium mists and 15 unexposed healthy subjects (referent). Subjects were interviewed, respiratory symptom questionnaires were filled out for them, and their parameters of pulmonary function (PFT) were measured during the shift and a few days after exposure ceased. Results: Both groups were similar as to the number of smokers, their length of smoking, and demographic factors such as age, weight and height. Although the unexposed group, on average, were slightly older than their exposed counterparts, statistical analysis of the data revealed that symptoms such as productive cough, phlegm, wheezing and shortness of breath were significantly (P<0.05) more prevalent among the exposed workers. Furthermore, the parameters of pulmonary function (PFT) of the exposed workers, while at work, were significantly lower than those of referent individuals. Interestingly, PFT of the exposed subjects generally showed some improvement a few days after their exposure ceased. However, despite this relative recovery, the differences of PFT values between the exposed and referent groups, from statistical point of view, remained significant. Conclusion: Our data support the proposition that exposure to chromium mists induces abnormal respiratory symptoms as well as both acute, partially reversible and chronic irreversible lung functional impairments.
fatemeh ahmadi nezhad; Parvin Abedi; Shahnaz Najar; Mohammad Hossein Haghighi Zadeh
Volume 2, Issue 3 , July 2014, , Pages 125-133
Abstract
Background: Preconception counseling is preventive medicine in obstetrics. Preconception care creates an opportunity for examining conditions before pregnancy improving pregnancy outcome. This study was conducted with the aim of determining the adaptation rate of preconception care with the national ...
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Background: Preconception counseling is preventive medicine in obstetrics. Preconception care creates an opportunity for examining conditions before pregnancy improving pregnancy outcome. This study was conducted with the aim of determining the adaptation rate of preconception care with the national standards at health care centers, Ahvaz, 2014.Methods: This descriptive study was conducted at health care centers in 2013 selected randomly. The samples of the study included 385 women at their fertility age who came to receive health services. Researcher observed simultaneous care and filled the related forms. The data were analyzed using the descriptive statistic SPSS version 19.Results: Results showed that the presented preconception care as to the case history section was weak for 14.3% of the cases, medium for 42.3% and desirable for the remainders (43.4%). In addition, presented preconception care at test’s section was weak for 38.4% of the cases, medium for 50.1% and desirable for 11.4%. Presented preconception care at exam’s section was weak in 82.3%, medium in 16.9%, and desirable in 0.8%. Presented preconception care at immunization’s section was weak in 42.3% of cases, medium in 43.1%, and desirable in 14.5%. As to resented preconception care at education’s section, it was weak in 81.6% of the cases, medium in 13.8%, and desirable adaptation with the standard guidelines of country in 4.7%. 84.9% of women were completely satisfied with centers, 11.9% relatively satisfied, and just 3.3% were dissatisfied.Conclusion: Presented preconception care at health care centers is not in the same line with the national standard; thus, a more accurate control is needed.
Serajeddin Mahmoudiani
Abstract
Background: Identifying the effect of the social environment in which couples live and the demographic decisions are made, along with individual characteristics, are important in explaining human fertility. In the present study, an attempt was made to explain women’s fertility in the six provinces ...
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Background: Identifying the effect of the social environment in which couples live and the demographic decisions are made, along with individual characteristics, are important in explaining human fertility. In the present study, an attempt was made to explain women’s fertility in the six provinces using the multi-level analysis. Methods: The present study is a quantitative research with emphasis on the secondary analysis of the existing data.The statistical population consists of married women aged 15-49 living in the selected provinces. The sample included 95421 individuals. The selected provinces were Gilan, Mazandaran, Tehran, Sistan & Baluchistan, South Khorasan and Hormozgan. The census micro-data of population and housing in 2016 as well as some socio-economic indexes of selected provinces were analyzed using HLM software. Place of residence, educational level and employment status were individual variables, while income per capita as well as unemployment and literacy rates were the contextual variables. Also, the number of children ever born was considered as the fertility index or dependent variable. Results: The impact of individual variables on women’s fertility is stronger than community effects. There were statistically significant inter-provincial differences in women’s fertility. All the women’s individual characteristics had a statistically significant impact on their fertility. Unemployment and literacy rates, as contextual effects, had a statistically significant impact on inter-provincial fertility. Conclusion: The inter-provincial differences in the fertility originate from their socio-economic circumstances. If the provinces’ socio-economic circumstances become similar, the convergence in fertility behavior across provinces may increase.
Leila Bazrafkan; Sedigheh Ebrahimi
Volume 4, Issue 3 , July 2016, , Pages 137-141
Abstract
Background: Changes in expectations and requirements of the end users of medical education “community members” and evolution in health services necessitate some changes in the medical education curriculum. To achieve this reform in curricula, obtaining insight into the health care needs of community ...
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Background: Changes in expectations and requirements of the end users of medical education “community members” and evolution in health services necessitate some changes in the medical education curriculum. To achieve this reform in curricula, obtaining insight into the health care needs of community members and their comments about their physicians is highly required in community-oriented education. This survey was conducted to determine the attitudes of health care receivers toward the general physicians’ professional behavior in Fars province, Iran. Methods: This is a descriptive study and the subjects were the receivers of health care services. We selected 97 individuals in each city of Fars province using randomized-cluster sampling. The sample size increased to 150 in each city and overall 2500 individuals participated in the study. For data collection, an anonymous questionnaire was developed which was tested for the validity of the contents using the experts’ views and reliability was checked using test-retest. The data were analyzed using SPSS 14 statistical software. Results: The results of this study revealed the participants’ attitudes toward education, treatment and consultative services by physicians in Fars province. Overall, the response rate was about 95%. The patients rated the physicians’ professional behavior, as one of the key determinants of their experiences with healthcare services. Moreover, 73.2% of the participants were fully satisfied with the quality of care they received from their physicians and 24.9% were satisfied to some extent. Conclusion: According to the results of the study, the physician’s educational and consultative roles in medical education curricula must be reviewed and emphasized.
Mehdi Jahangiri; Anahita Fakherpour; Sepideh Monsef; Mohadeseh Nezam
Volume 5, Issue 3 , July 2017, , Pages 138-143
Abstract
Background: Individual factors play an important role in the safety performance of small and medium-sized enterprises that might have physical, mental or psychological nature. Some of these factors are related to the subjects’ personality and unchangeable; however, others are related to motivation ...
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Background: Individual factors play an important role in the safety performance of small and medium-sized enterprises that might have physical, mental or psychological nature. Some of these factors are related to the subjects’ personality and unchangeable; however, others are related to motivation and attitude, which could be improved through training. This study aimed to assess the safety attitude and its effective factors among workers in micro- and small-scale enterprises (MSSEs) in Shiraz in 2015.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 349 workers in MSSEs. Safety Attitude Questionnaire (SAQ) was filled out by self-report method which consisted of questions including general information, cognitive, affective and conative dimensions. Then, SPSS software version 22 was used to assess the significant difference between the variables (p-value <0.05).Results: The mean score of safety attitude was (103.05±8.73 out of 125). The minimum and maximum safety attitude scores were related to affective (16.13±3 out of 20) and cognitive (46.7±4.12 out of 55) dimensions, respectively. Also, there was a significant difference between the educational level and safety attitude. Workers with higher education had higher safety attitude scores.Conclusions: The results showed that most of the workers had safety attitude but they were not desirable in affective and conative domains. Therefore, it is required to enhance the affective domain through training the workers, enhancing their participation, paying attention to their views on occupational safety and health issues and promote the conative one through the supervision of legal authorities
Mohammad Hossein Kaveh; Somayeh Zare; Leila Ghahremani; Mahin Nazari
Abstract
Background: Diabetes control is highly self-care and emotional complications and mental stress play an important role in controlling blood sugar in diabetes, and these factors affect the quality of life of people with diabetes. The aim of this study was to determine the predicting role of personal resources ...
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Background: Diabetes control is highly self-care and emotional complications and mental stress play an important role in controlling blood sugar in diabetes, and these factors affect the quality of life of people with diabetes. The aim of this study was to determine the predicting role of personal resources for quality of life in diabetic patients. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study done in 2017. The population of this study was all diabetic patients referred to Shahid Motahari, Imam Reza (AS) and Nader Kazemi clinics in Shiraz in 1396. A total of 198 patients were selected by simple random sampling method. Quality of life, optimism, self-efficacy of diabetic and resiliency questionnaires were used for data collection. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 19 using Pearson correlation and multivariate regression. Results: Findings showed that resiliency, self-efficacy and optimism had a positive and significant relationship with the quality of life of patients with diabetes. In a prediction model, self-efficacy and resiliency could predict 19% of the quality of life changes in patients with type 2 diabetes (p <0.05). The findings of this study showed that self-efficacy and resilience variables predicted the quality of life of patients, but optimism had no predictive power. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that increased self-efficacy and resiliency lead to increased quality of life in diabetic patients. This may help the patients to cope with problems and excitement and is effective in planning interventions for diabetics.
Zahra Maleki; Mohammad Ghorbani; Haleh Ghaem; Farid Zand
Abstract
Objectives: Many risk factors are associated with death in and discharge from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors associated with death and discharge among ICU patients. Methods: This historical cohort study was conducted on 712 patients admitted to the ICU of ...
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Objectives: Many risk factors are associated with death in and discharge from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors associated with death and discharge among ICU patients. Methods: This historical cohort study was conducted on 712 patients admitted to the ICU of Namazi hospital in Shiraz between 2013 and 2015. The competing risks regression model was suitable for assessing the risk factors associated with death and discharge in ICU. Data analysis was performed using STATA 13.0 and R software. Results: The mean age of the participants was 53.3±20.7 years. Out of 712 patients, 436 (61.2%) were male and 121 (17.8%) died. In the competing risks model, death was considered as the event of interest, and age and total days of Central Venous Catheter (CVC) and mechanical ventilation use increased the risk of death (all Sub-distribution Hazard Ratios (SHRs) > 1). Conclusion: The findings indicated that increase in age, use of CVC and mechanical ventilation, and female sex caused an increase in death in ICU. However, the risk of death decreased or the chance of discharge increased when the patients were admitted due to surgical reasons.
Zahra Soltani; Mohammad Reza Fakoorziba; Mohammad Djafar Moemenbellah-Fard; Mohsen Kalantari; Mohsen Akbarpour; Hossein Faramarzi; Kourosh Azizi
Volume 3, Issue 4 , October 2015, , Pages 160-164
Abstract
Background: Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is endemic in many parts of Iran. This study was conducted to investigate the fauna and some biologic factors of sand flies and detect CL vector(s) in Kharameh district which is one of the most important foci of the disease in Fars province, southern Iran. Methods: ...
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Background: Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is endemic in many parts of Iran. This study was conducted to investigate the fauna and some biologic factors of sand flies and detect CL vector(s) in Kharameh district which is one of the most important foci of the disease in Fars province, southern Iran. Methods: To identify the fauna, a total of 1549 sand flies were collected from April 2014 to March 2015. To determine the monthly activity, sand flies were collected from indoor and outdoor areas of the lowland and the highland regions. Results: Ten species of phlebotomine (four Phlebotomus spp. And six Sergentomyia spp.) were identified and Phlebotomus papatasi was the dominant species (53.45%). To determine the sand flies naturally infected by Leishmania spp., 188 female sand flies (145 P. papatasi, 29 P. sergenti, and 14 P. alexandri) were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Two (13.16%) specimens of P. papatasi were found to be positive for Leishmania major. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first PCR detection of L. major within naturally infected P. Papatasis and fly as the main vector in this region of south Iran.
Behnam Mohammadi- Ghalehbin; Gholam Reza Hatam; Iraj Mohammad-Pour; Nafise Ghobakhloo; Faeze Foroughi- Parvar
Volume 2, Issue 4 , October 2014, , Pages 164-167
Abstract
Background: There are many genera of free-living amoeba in the environment, but members of only four genera (Naegleria, Acanthamoeba, Balamuthia and Sappinia) have an association with human infection. Water, soil and air are main sources of infective types of these pathogenic organisms for human.Methods: ...
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Background: There are many genera of free-living amoeba in the environment, but members of only four genera (Naegleria, Acanthamoeba, Balamuthia and Sappinia) have an association with human infection. Water, soil and air are main sources of infective types of these pathogenic organisms for human.Methods: Totally, 30 samples were collected from the surface water sources of Shiraz city, the capital of Fars province, during July and August 2009. The samples were filtered and their sediments were cultured on non-nutrient agar medium and seeded with non-pathogen Escherichia coli. Then, they were incubated at three different temperatures, 22˚C, 37˚C, and 44˚C. The media were checked with invert microscopy and amoebae were recognized by phase–contrast microscopy and observed by light microscopy after Trichrome staining. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed for molecular detection.Results: Of the 30 samples, 29 were recognized morphologically as Acanthamoeba, the characteristics of 20 of which were confirmed by PCR. The growth rate of amoeba in 22˚C was more than 37˚C. Eight of the samples grew at 44˚C, but flagellate forming test and PCR were negative for Naegleria fowleri. Two of them were identified morphologically as Balamuthia and Sappinia.Conclusion: Since Fars province is located in the subtropical region where there are a lot of parks and green areas with surface water, the potential risk of diseases caused by free-living amoebae should be considered. Further investigations about various aspects of these important opportunistic protozoa are recommended especially for establishment of appropriate prevention tools.
Marzieh Akbarzadeh; Naval Heydari; Malihe Abootalebi; Fatemeh Ghodrati
Volume 5, Issue 4 , October 2017, , Pages 176-179
Abstract
Background: Premenstrual syndrome is considered as one of the most common psychiatric disorders that greatly disrupts women's life.Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between mental health and premenstrual syndrome among female students of Shiraz University of Medical ...
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Background: Premenstrual syndrome is considered as one of the most common psychiatric disorders that greatly disrupts women's life.Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between mental health and premenstrual syndrome among female students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences.Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in 2016 on a total of 168 students residing in dormitories of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences who were selected by block randomization method. Data collection tools included demographic data, PSST & GHQ questionnaire. Data were conducted throughSPSS software, version 22, using descriptive tests and Spearman correlation coefficient.Results: Spearman correlation coefficient showed a significant correlation (p<0.001) between premenstrual syndrome score, mental health and all its dimensions except for social interactions (P = 0.525). Moreover, anxiety and sleep disorders with a frequency of 51.2% were the most common mental disorder among the students.Conclusion: Our study showed that there was a correlation between premenstrual syndrome score and mental health in girls. Therefore, necessary measures should be taken by counseling centers in schools and universities to improve the mental health of people with premenstrual syndrome who have a higher risk of psychological and physical disorders.
Mahtab Hadadi; Yalda Malekzadegan; Hamid Heidari; Hadi Sedigh Ebrahim-Saraie; Mohammad Motamedifar
Volume 4, Issue 4 , October 2016, , Pages 194-198
Abstract
AbstractBackground: Escherichia coli, known as a clinically significantbacteria, can cause a wide range of infections, including urinarytract infections (UTIs), blood stream infections (BSIs), andcan frequently be isolated from various clinical specimens.Evaluation of antimicrobial resistant pattern ...
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AbstractBackground: Escherichia coli, known as a clinically significantbacteria, can cause a wide range of infections, including urinarytract infections (UTIs), blood stream infections (BSIs), andcan frequently be isolated from various clinical specimens.Evaluation of antimicrobial resistant pattern is a necessaryaction, especially about such bacteria which are frequent andlife threatening. The aim of this study was to determine thefrequency and antimicrobial resistance pattern of E. coli isolatesobtained from various clinical specimens.Methods: This retrospective study was performed within a sevenmonth period from January 2015 to August 2015 at a specializedwomen and children hospital in Shiraz, Iran. E. coli isolates wereobtained from various clinical specimens and identified usingstandard microbiological procedure. Antimicrobial susceptibilitypatterns were determined using disk diffusion method inaccordance with CLSI recommendation.Results: Of the total 130 positive cultures, the majority of E.coli isolates were obtained from urine (96=73.8%) and blood(11=8.5%) specimens. Overall, gentamicin (70.8%) was theeffective antibiotic for the tested E. coli isolates. E. coli isolatesobtained from urine specimens showed the highest resistancerates against ampicillin (84.4%) and nalidixic acid (61.5%);while they showed the most sensitivity to gentamicin (79.2%),nitrofurantoin (70.8%) and ciprofloxacin (66.7%). Moreover,the highest antibiotic resistance rates belonged to the isolatesrecovered from endotracheal tube (ETT).Conclusion: The results showed that gentamicin was the mosteffective antibiotic against E. coli infections. However, inaddition to the gentamicin, we can recommend nitrofurantoinand ciprofloxacin as the other effective agents for UTIs.
Mohammad-Rafi Bazrafshan; Hamed Delam
Abstract
Background: Since suicide attempt and its association with mental disorders such as depression in individuals is a major challenge in societies, this study aimed to investigate depression in suicide attempters referring to hospitals affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in 2018.
Methods: ...
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Background: Since suicide attempt and its association with mental disorders such as depression in individuals is a major challenge in societies, this study aimed to investigate depression in suicide attempters referring to hospitals affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in 2018.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study. The study population included all suicide attempters referring to hospitals affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in 2018. Some 74 patients were selected by convenience sampling method. Data were collected through demographic questionnaires and second version of Beck Depression Inventory. Finally, by defining the scores of the questionnaires, statistical analysis was performed and the results obtained from the study. Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis and Spearman correlation tests were used to analyze the relationship between the variables. The significance level was considered 5%.
Results: The mean age of the samples was 49.41±5 5.68 years. 28 (37.8%) of the samples were male, and the rest were female. The mean and standard deviation of depression were 30.38±11.52, which were in the category of severe depression. There was a meaningful relationship between marital status, education level, and depression (P-value <0.05).
Conclusion: Depression is one of the predictive variables of suicide attempts in individuals; therefore therapeutic and supportive interventions in such individuals can prevent a suicide attempt.
Amir Hossein Baghaie; Mohammad Fereydoni
Abstract
Background: This descriptive study was conducted to evaluate the interaction effects of sewage sludge and its biochar on anthracene biological degradation in a Pb polluted soil under sunflower cultivation Methods: Treatments consisted of applying three rates of anthracene (0, 12.5 ...
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Background: This descriptive study was conducted to evaluate the interaction effects of sewage sludge and its biochar on anthracene biological degradation in a Pb polluted soil under sunflower cultivation Methods: Treatments consisted of applying three rates of anthracene (0, 12.5 and 25 mg/kg soil), two levels of sewage sludge and its biochar (0 and 30 t/ha) in the presence of Azetobacter bacteria and Piriformospora indica (P. indica) fungus. After 60 days, plants were harvested and plant Pb concentration was measured using atomic absorption spectroscopy. In addition, the soil petroleum hydrocarbons concentration and soil microbial respiration were measured by the method described by Besalatpour et al. (2011). The catalyze enzyme activity was assayed. Results: Plant inoculation with P.indica and Azotobacter significantly increased the degradation of anthracene in soil by 12.8% in the soil treated with 25 mg anthracene/kg soil. In addition, the soil Pb availability was decreased by 14.6% in the mentioned treatment. Applying 30 t/ha sewage sludge and its biochar significantly increased the plant biomass and anthracene degradation in the soil treated by 12.5 mg anthracene /kg soil by 13.5% and 12.6%, respectively. Conclusion: Soil treated with sewage sludge and its biochar had a positive effect on plant resistance to abiotic stresses and degradation of anthracene in the soil. Among this, plant inoculation with P. indica and Azotobacter had also an additive effect on bio-remediation of anthracene in the soil that is a positive point in environmental studies. However, soil pollution with heavy metals had an adverse effect on it.
Farideh Dastsouz; Majid Kamali; Fatemeh Sadeghi; Sasan Amanat; Masoumeh Akhlaghi
Volume 4, Issue 1 , January 2016, , Pages 40-49
Abstract
AbstractBackground: Dietary pattern is an effective way of studying the effect of diet on diseases. We investigated the association between dietary patterns and blood pressure (BP) in adults aged 20-50 years.Methods: In a cross-sectional design, 418 individuals were selected through stratified multistage ...
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AbstractBackground: Dietary pattern is an effective way of studying the effect of diet on diseases. We investigated the association between dietary patterns and blood pressure (BP) in adults aged 20-50 years.Methods: In a cross-sectional design, 418 individuals were selected through stratified multistage random sampling from households living in different regions of Shiraz. Information on demographic characteristics, anthropometric features, dietary intakes, and systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure was gathered. Dietary patterns were determined using a validated food frequency questionnaire.Results: Three dietary patterns were specified: vegetable (high in vegetables and legumes), Western-like (high in meat, sugarsweetened beverages, salty and sweet snacks, refined grains, high-fat dairy), and Mediterranean-like (rich in low-fat dairy, fruit, vegetables, nuts, olive, fish, and low in hydrogenated fats). After adjustment for confounders, Mediterranean-like dietary pattern had an inverse association with SBP (β=-0.24; 95% CI: -5.25, -1.27) and DBP (β=-0.17; 95% CI: -3.65, -0.20) in males but not females. Vegetable and Western-like dietary patterns were not associated with BP in either sex after adjusting for confounders. Positive relationships were observed between BP and body mass index (r=0.28 and 0.33 for SBP and DBP, P<0.001), waist circumference (r=0.51 and 0.45 for SBP and DBP, P<0.001), and waist-to-hip ratio (r=0.54 and 0.44 for SBP and DBP, P<0.001). Dietary energy and carbohydrates were positively and fats inversely associated with BP. Among micronutrients, vitamin E had a significant inverse association with BP.Conclusion: Mediterranean-like dietary pattern may lower the risk of hypertension in Shiraz males.
Mansour Kashfi; Mostafa Eslahi; Tayebeh Rakhshani; Hasan Hashemi; Pejhman Baqeri; Mehdi Sharafi
Volume 6, Issue 1 , January 2018, , Pages 40-45
Abstract
Introduction: Environmental health is definitely one of the issues and challenges considered by human societies on the eve of the third millennium. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the knowledge, attitude and performance of the people of Fasa on segregation of municipal solid wastes ...
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Introduction: Environmental health is definitely one of the issues and challenges considered by human societies on the eve of the third millennium. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the knowledge, attitude and performance of the people of Fasa on segregation of municipal solid wastes in 2017. Method: This cross – sectional study was conducted on 400 residents of Fasa who were selected through cluster sampling. The tool used in this study was a Lickert-spectrum questionnaire, which was essentially a combination of two standard instruments and the researcher’s field studies. The data were analyzed using the SPSS 22 software as well as descriptive statistics, Man-Whitney test and one – way ANOVA test. Results: The results of this study showed that the mean knowledge, attitude and performance of the people were 23.5±5.3, 13.5±3.0, and 21.5±2.6, respectively. 43.7% of the subjects had weak knowledge (188 people), 28.6% had moderate knowledge (123 people) and 27.7% had good knowledge (119 people). Moreover, 36.6% had weak attitude (156 people), 19.3% had moderate (85 people) and 44% had good attitude (189 people). Finally, the performance of 46% of the participants was weak (198 people), that of 30.5% was moderate (131 people), and 23.5% had good performance (101 people). The mean scores of knowledge, attitude and performance of the male and female subjects were not significantly different.
Kourosh Azizi; Aboozar Soltani; Shokat Ali Amiri; Mohammad Reza Fakoor Ziba; Mohammad Djaefar Moemenbellah-Fard
Abstract
Background: The application of insecticides against vector mosquito larvae is a crucial step to control human malaria. Insecticide resistance is a major impediment to vector control strategies. The main aim of this study was to conduct laboratory and semi-field evaluations on lethal and residual effects ...
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Background: The application of insecticides against vector mosquito larvae is a crucial step to control human malaria. Insecticide resistance is a major impediment to vector control strategies. The main aim of this study was to conduct laboratory and semi-field evaluations on lethal and residual effects of temephos and pyriproxyfen insecticides against malaria mosquito larvae, Anopheles stephensi. Methods: Both susceptibility test and residual bioassay were performed to assess the lethal concentrations of each insecticide on 50% (LC50) of the IV instars larval populations and their activity periods according to standard protocols of WHO. Nine and eleven different concentrations with two sets of control in each case were applied for temephos and pyriproxyfen, respectively. Data were analyzed using probit analysis and SPSS software. Results: The LC50 and LC90 for temephos and pyriproxyfen under laboratory conditions were 0.4 and 0.63, and 1.69 × 10-4 and 4.036 × 10-4 ppm, respectively. Although the field strain of An. stephensi larvae was completely susceptible to pyriproxyfen, there was noticeable resistance (8% mortality at the diagnostic dose) to temephos in Nikshahr County, Southeast Iran. This is the first report of resistance to temephos for this malaria main vector in Iran. Depending on the applied variable doses, the residual effects of temephos and pyriproxyfen under semi-field conditions lasted maximally for 3 and 10 weeks, respectively. Conclusion: The high lethal and residual effects of pyriproxyfen on mosquito larvae confer an unprecedented opportunity in vector control operations leading to elimination of malaria in Iran.
Azizolah Poormahmoodi; zahra sedaghat; Roksana Estakhrian Haghighi; Mohammad Fararouei
Abstract
Background: Young children are in the fundamentally important physical and cognitive growth phases of their life. Undermining the health issues of this critical segment of the population may seriously affect communities’ health and development. Linear growth among children is a fundamental health ...
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Background: Young children are in the fundamentally important physical and cognitive growth phases of their life. Undermining the health issues of this critical segment of the population may seriously affect communities’ health and development. Linear growth among children is a fundamental health index, which is affected by so many different factors. This study was carried out to evaluate the growth status of school-age children to identify some demographic and clinical factors that can predict linear growth among schoolchildren in the fourth largest Iranian city. Methods: The present retrospective cohort study was carried out on a large sample (n=2488)of female and male schoolchildren from the first (7-year-old) to the last year (12-year-old) of primary school in Shiraz, the capital of Fars province. Results: Adjusted for the other study variables, negative and significant associations were found between children’s height Z-score and family size (P<0.001); and the number of decayed teeth (P=0.03). However, a direct and significant association was found between father’s education and children’s height Z-score (P=0.01). Concerning their weight, paternal literacy was inversely associated with the children’s weight Z-score (P=0.002). A positive and significant association was also found between the birth order and children’s weight (P=0.04). Conclusion: Oral health is an important parameter in children’s growth and possibly development. Oral health services should be provided to children before school age.
Mohammad Djaefar Moemenbellah-Fard; Mohammad Reza Fakoorziba; Kourosh Azizi; Mohsen Mohebbi-Nodezh
Volume 1, Issue 1 , July 2013, , Pages 41-47
Abstract
Background: The German cockroach, Blattella germanica L. (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae), has become resistant to many insecticides due to control failures in hospital and student dormitory settings of southern Iran. Objective: This study was thus designed to detect and monitor carbamate resistance in two ...
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Background: The German cockroach, Blattella germanica L. (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae), has become resistant to many insecticides due to control failures in hospital and student dormitory settings of southern Iran. Objective: This study was thus designed to detect and monitor carbamate resistance in two strains of German cockroach using lethal dose bioassay methods. Methods: Wild dormitory (D) and hospital (H) strains were collected. Adult males were subjected to the jar exposure procedure. A range of concentrations based on the world health organization (WHO) standard concentration of carbamate insecticides (carbaryl, bendiocarb, propoxur) were used. For each insecticide, four to seven different concentrations leading to >0% and propoxur > bendiocarb. The ratio of LD50 in H strain to that of D strain for bendiocarb was about twice that of the other two insecticides indicating that German cockroaches were most susceptible to bendiocarb under both environments. Conclusion: It is concluded that excessive reliance on carbaryl in both D and H settings has led to resistance.
Amin Jafari; Alireza Choobineh; Mehdi Jahangiri; Sareh Keshavarzi
Volume 5, Issue 2 , April 2017, , Pages 86-93
Abstract
Background: Most workers are exposed to a variety of hazards in their workplace. Devising a comprehensive checklist and developing an index for Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) assessment could be useful. This study was conducted in a heavy automotive company with the aim of developing and validating ...
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Background: Most workers are exposed to a variety of hazards in their workplace. Devising a comprehensive checklist and developing an index for Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) assessment could be useful. This study was conducted in a heavy automotive company with the aim of developing and validating an OSH assessment index.Methods and Materials: We used the experiences and comments of OSH experts to devise a checklist for OSH assessment. Weighting various harmful factors was done using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique. Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC) was applied to measure the reliability of the checklist (SPSS version 20). In the studied industry, 150 workstations were assessed using the developed comprehensive checklist. In order to validate the total index, we assessed its correlation with 4 groups of occupational statistics (i.e. accident frequency, severity rates, lost working time rate, and occupational disease incidence rate). A p value of < 0.05 was considered significant.Results: Among 7 sub-indices, sub-indexes of occupational health and the workplace order (w=0.21) and housekeeping (w=0.04) had the highest and the lowest AHP weights, respectively. The mean of ICC was found to be 0.978. The total index (OSHITotal) and the Accident Severity Rate (ASR) had a strong inverse significant correlation (r = -0.774, P=0.002).Conclusion: The developed index covered important occupational hazards. The inter-evaluator reliability for this index was high.
Zahra Mousavi-Shirazi-Fard; zohreh mazloom; Mohammad Jalali; Naeimehossadat Asmarian; Mohammad Hossein Dabbaghmanesh; Mahmood Panahiyan
Abstract
Objective: Individualized Medical Nutrition Therapy (IMNT) is recommended as a part of glycemic control in hospitalized diabetic patients. However, it is provided only for a small number of patients. This study aimed to compare the effects of IMNT and Consistent Carbohydrate Meal-Planning (CCMP) on glycemic ...
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Objective: Individualized Medical Nutrition Therapy (IMNT) is recommended as a part of glycemic control in hospitalized diabetic patients. However, it is provided only for a small number of patients. This study aimed to compare the effects of IMNT and Consistent Carbohydrate Meal-Planning (CCMP) on glycemic control, energy, and carbohydrate and protein intake in hospitalized diabetic patients. Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 164 hospitalized diabetic patients. The patients were randomly selected from internal wards of Namazi hospital, Shiraz, Iran from September 2016 to October 2017. They were allocated to IMNT or CCMP groups using simple randomization for four days. Blood glucose was measured before each meal and at bedtime. A 24-h food recall was also completed to measure the energy and carbohydrate and protein intake during the study. The data were analyzed using independent sample t-test and repeated measures ANOVA via the SPSS software, version 19. Results: The results showed a significant decrease in the IMNT group compared to the CCMP group regarding the mean blood glucose level measured prior to breakfast, lunch, dinner, and bedtime during the first, second, third, and fourth days of the study (p=0.025, p=0.030, p=0.002, and p=0.011, respectively). Besides, mean peak and nadir of glucose level (p=0.042 and p=0.036, respectively) and the means of energy, carbohydrate, and protein intake were significantly increased in the IMNT group compared to the CCMP group. Conclusion: IMNT could help to control the blood glucose. In addition, it could improve energy and nutrients intake, which might play a role in patient recovery.
