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Burn—by flame, flush, scald, electrical, and chemical types—accounts for 5%–12% of trauma injuries worldwide. In Iranian studies, females were the main victims of domestic burns with higher mortality and frequencies. This retrospective study evaluates the epidemiology and etiology of burn injuries in females aged 25–64 years between October 2007 and May 2022 in southern Iran. Demographics and burn etiology information were collected by questionnaires at admission. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between variables and burn mortality. Pearson's Chi-Square and One-way ANOVA tests were utilized to compare different burn etiologies. Of 3212 females with burn injuries, 1499 (46.6%) were included with a mean age of 38.5 ± 10.8 years. Flame (59.7%) and flush (28.9%) were significantly the most common injuries mechanism. Burn was most common in rural areas (53.9%) and indoor settings (62.1%) (P -value <.001). 77.9% of the population were under-diploma (P -value <.001), and 3.5% were divorced with higher burn-suicide attempts. The mean Total Body Surface Area (TBSA%) was 41.1 ± 28.3%, and the mean Length of Stay (LOS) was 14.5 ± 13.2 days with a 39.1% mortality rate. With univariate and multivariate analysis, TBSA%, indoor places, flame, flush, and urban living were risk factors for burn mortality. Briefly, flame in indoor settings is the most common type of burn injury affecting adult females with lower educational levels living in rural areas. Such epidemiological studies of burns in adult females may be helpful for health policymakers to develop burn prevention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The composition of food baskets can significantly influence the water consumption rate and society's environmental impact. This study evaluates the sustainability of Iran's food and nutrition security by evaluating five food baskets using water and carbon-footprint indices. These food baskets are the common Iranian food basket (CIFB), the vegetarian food basket (VFB), the Ministry of Health desired food basket (MHDFB), the Swiss Society for Nutrition food basket (SSNFB), and the Mediterranean food basket (MFB). This study also examines the role of Iran's agricultural sector under the Paris Climate Change Agreement (COP21). The TOPSIS multi-criteria decision-making method was used to identify the most desirable food basket. The results of this study show that the VFB could be the most desirable alternative to the CIFB. Replacing the CIFB with the VFB causes a 10% and 21% lower water and carbon footprint, respectively. From a 30-year perspective (around 2050), choosing the VFB would reduce the blue water footprint by 19.7 BCM and the gray water footprint by 3.6 BCM compared to the CIFB. According to the provisions of COP21 regarding Iran's voluntary program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the agricultural sector will be one of the sources of greenhouse gas emissions that will face an upward trend. Hence, to adhere to this voluntary commitment, these emissions should be reduced by changing the CIFB to the VFB or reducing emissions in other sectors, such as industry. Choosing the VFB can reduce 10.7 million tons of CO2 emissions, which can be a significant step for the agricultural sector in Iran in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Overall, considering the characteristics of farm products (water and carbon footprints) in Iran, a country located in a semi-arid climate, the VFB is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discourse markers (DMs) assist and persuade EFL classroom interlocutors to monitor their discourse production and comprehension process. This exploratory research investigated the index of pragmatic use (IPU), rate of use, frequency, and the pragmatic functions of "well" in Iranian university EFL teachers' and learners' classroom interactions. The researchers applied Jucker's (1997) inventory to explore the pragmatic functions of "well." The data was collected from four university EFL classes. The results revealed that the IPU was 72%, rate of use was 9.7%, and frequency of distribution was 0.98%. Compared with the London Lund corpus, the IPU and the rate of use were very low, but the frequency of occurrence was very high. The findings indicate the improper and unnatural pragmatic input offered in this EFL context. Also, the instances of "well" applied by the interactants in the monitoring of discourse comply with Jucker's index of functions in 90% of the cases by the teachers and in 65% by the students. They overused "well" as a face-threat mitigator, underused it as a frame, and the teachers' gender played no significant part. The insufficiency in IPU, rate of use, extra and excessive frequency, and imbalanced approach in pragmatic functions of "well" provide the evidence for reformulation in EFL education. Classroom discourse variables, i.e. teacher training, material production procedures, and classroom strategies and teaching methodology need to be directed in a way to provide chances for the teachers and the students to observe how native speakers apply "well" in authentic situations, underline its instances of use, and discuss its pragmatic functions in texts.

This study aims at evaluating perceived service quality in Zanjan University of Medical Sciences (ZUMS). This study was cross-sectional and authors surveyed educational services at ZUMS. Through stratified random sampling, 384 students were selected and an adapted SERVQUAL instrument was used for data collection. Data analysis was performed by using SPSS 11.5. The results indicated that there were the negative mean score of quality gap in all dimensions of the service quality. Overall services quality mean was (-1.6 ± 0.78). The highest and lowest differences of mean scores between students' expectations and perceptions were in the responsiveness and (-1.83 ± 1.01) and reliability (-1.33 ± 0.79) dimensions respectively. Paired t-test showed the significant statistical differences between students' expectations and perceptions (? < 0.001) in all dimensions of the service quality. Thus, improvement actions are felt in all domains of the educational service quality; Students rated the responsiveness as the most important dimension of service quality in ZUMS.

A 25 m long sediment core from hypersaline Urmia Lake (north‐west Iran) was studied for the Late Quaternary depositional history and palaeoclimate variations using the abundance and compositional characteristics of Artemia faecal pellets. Sediment analysis is supported by scanning electron microscopy – energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, organic and inorganic carbon content measurements, and stable isotopes (δ13C and δ18O) from faecal pellet carbonates. The imprecise chronology of the core back to 50 kyr bp is supported by ten radiocarbon ages from faecal pellets and bulk sediments. The palaeoenvironmental record is subdivided into four periods: (i) During much of Marine Isotope Stage 3, a period of lake level lowering is characterized by a decreasing amount of faecal pellets, and an increasing amount of coated grains, sulphate minerals and reworked shell fragments. (ii) During late Marine Isotope Stage 3 and early Marine Isotope Stage 2 a lake level lowstand and a lake floor exposure is interpreted based on the relatively low abundance of pellets, which are multicoloured and appear together with volcanic lithics and rounded sulphate minerals. (iii) During late Marine Isotope Stage 2 the record is devoid of pellets but dominated by large sulphate crystals suggesting a prolonged low lake level. (iv) During Marine Isotope Stage 1 a relative lake level highstand is rapidly established with sediments that are highly abundant in fresh pellets. The modern lake level lowstand is represented by a salt crust. The δ13C and δ18O records measured from faecal pellet carbonates suggest a link with the precipitation versus evaporation balance in the lake over time. From bottom to top the linear trend towards more negative delta values illustrates the increasing amount of precipitation arriving at the lake from the Late Pleistocene to the Holocene. Two prominent isotope minima during the Late Pleistocene and one prominent minimum in the early Holocene mark relative high lake levels, which can also be linked to Lake Van in Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the Tethyan belt, the NW-Iranian block is bound by two sutures, the Sevan-Akera suture in the north, and the Zagros suture in the south, where the pre-Cambrian geology is poorly constrained. Lower-Middle Cambrian sandstone in NW Iran is represented by quartz and feldspar dominated sub-arkose and sub-litharenite with well-developed cross bedding structures. They are interlayered with shale and limestone and overlain unconformably by Middle Cambrian dolomite. Here we describe and present U–Pb ages of the detrital zircon and rutile together with in-situ ε-Hf data from Lower to Middle Cambrian sandstones. Some zircons are characterized by oscillatory zoning and Th/U ratios of 0.3 to 2.0, pointing to an igneous provenance. Ages of the detrital zircons range from 481 to 2762 Ma, whereby the majority of zircons have ages between 524 and 1000 Ma (Neoproterozoic), and small peaks at 1800–2000 and 2400–2600 Ma. Late Paleoproterozoic to Mesoproterozoic zircons (1100–1750 Ma) are absent in the detrital record which is a distinctive feature of Gondwana-related detrital zircons. Detrital rutile has elevated Cr contents and variable Zr content (88 to 1087 ppm), suggesting derivation mainly from amphibolite-facies meta-basic rocks. U–Pb rutile ages range from 561 to 1253 Ma. Initial ε-Hf values of the Neo-Proterozoic zircons range from -10 to 20, suggesting an association of highly depleted mantle and crustal magmas. Thus, the Lower-Middle Cambrian sandstones in Iranian Azerbaijan were supplied from a Neoproterozoic igneous and metamorphic provenance. Sandstone whole-rock major and trace elements are in accordance with a detrital material provenance from continental granitoids and Precambrian recycled sediments. These results support the hypothesis that Iranian Azerbaijan Cambrian detritus was supplied from repetitive recycling of the crystalline basement and related sedimentary cover of the Saharides and the Arabian-Nubian Shield and deposited in a passive-margin setting in northern Gondwana land. Our results show a close geological tie between Iranian Azerbaijan, Sanandaj-Sirjan, Zagros, Alborz, and other Gondwana-Land-derived units in terms of Early Paleozoic detritus sources. Northwest Iranian Block was probably a passive continental margin in Late Ediacaran-Cambrian after the so-called Cadomian orogeny. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Poisoning among children and adolescents is a public health problem worldwide. To take preventive measures, the pattern of this problem should be determined. This study aimed to describe the demographic characteristics of poisoning in children and to investigate the relationship between the types of poisoning and demographic factors in children in Kermanshah province. Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 250 children and adolescents under 18 years of age who were referred to Mohammad Kermanshahi Pediatric Hospital in Kermanshah province due to poisoning during 2019–2022. The demographic and epidemiological data of patients were extracted from their medical files and analyzed. Results: Out of 250 cases of poisoning, 173 (69.2%) cases were unintentional, 96 (55.5%) of whom were boys. Further, 77 (30.8%) cases of poisoning were intentional, of whom 49 (63.6%) were girls. There was a significant difference between gender and intentional and unintentional poisonings (p-value = 0.005). The median age of unintentional poisoning was 3 (IQR = 2.5) and that of intentional poisoning was 14 (IQR = 2). Most cases of poisoning were in cities, 145 (83.8%) of them were unintentional and 66 (85.7%) were intentional. Most cases of intentional and unintentional poisonings occurred in spring 2017 (35.1%) and autumn 2016 (34.6%), respectively. The most common causes of poisoning were narcotics (n = 36, 34.3%) and drugs (n = 35, 33.3%) in the age group 0–3 years and drugs (n = 46, 66.9) in the age group 11–18 years. Conclusions: The most common causes of poisoning were narcotics and drugs in children and drugs in adolescents. To prevent poisoning in children, parents are required to increase their knowledge of the safe storage of narcotics and drugs, such as not storing methadone in a water bottle. Targeted evaluation and preventive measures are also needed in adolescent poisoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There has been multiple methanol poisoning outbreaks in Iran throughout the years, thus understanding patient's socioeconomic status, the type of alcohol they consumed or the reason behind their alcohol consumption will help us to establish ways to prevent these incidences from happening. The aim of this investigation is to assess the prognosis and complications of methanol intoxication. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on patients in Tabriz Sina Hospital during 5 months. The data of the investigated patients was entered into SPSS26. Chi-Square and Logistic Regression tests were used in this analysis. Results: From the 184 patients, 77.72% (143) recovered completely, 14.67% (27) recovered with permanent complications, and 7.61% (14) died. The most significant predictors of mortality were an increase in levels of Basal excess and creatinine and decrease in respiratory rate, systolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure on admission and occurrence of arrhythmia. Visual symptoms on admission had protective effects against morbidity and mortality. Conclusion: According to this study, poor outcome was associated with respiratory rate, systolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, levels of Basal excess and creatinine, and occurrence of arrhythmia, thus the clinician should evaluate the severity of methanol intoxication based on the history, lab results, vital signs and clinical symptoms in order to minimize morbidity and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The N–S-trending Sistan Suture Zone in East Iran results from the collision of the Lut and Afghan continental blocks. The southern Sistan Basin hosts Eocene terrigenous deep-marine turbiditic sequences with carbonate olistoliths, debris-flow sheets and calcareous turbidites. These carbonates represent one or several early to middle Eocene carbonate platforms fragmented and redeposited in a deep-marine environment. Palaeocurrent measurements on the terrigenous and calcareous turbidites show that the source carbonate platform was located on the Afghan active margin. Volcanic debris in the limestone and surrounding turbidites corroborate an active magmatic margin on the Afghan side. The formation of limestone debris-flow sheets is attributed to increased erosion and retreat of the carbonate platform, potentially triggered by the closure of the Sistan Basin and continental collisions in the late middle Eocene, after subduction of the Sistan Ocean beneath the Afghan Block. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The causative agent of plague, Yersinia pestis, is maintained in nature via a flea-rodent cycle. Western Iran is an old focus for plague, and recent data indicate that rodents and dogs in this region have serological evidence of Y. pestis infection. The purpose of this study was to conduct a large-scale investigation of Y. pestis infection in shepherd dogs, rodents, and their fleas in old foci for plague in Western Iran. Materials and methods: This study was conducted in Hamadan province from 2014 to 2020. Rodents and fleas were collected from various locations throughout this region. Y. pestis was investigated in rodent spleen samples and fleas using culture, serology, and real-time PCR methods. Additionally, sera samples were collected from carnivores and hares in this region, and the IgG antibody against the Y. pestis F1 antigen was assessed using an ELISA. Results: In this study, 927 rodents were captured, with Meriones spp. (91.8%) and Microtus qazvinensis (2.6%) being the most prevalent. A total of 6051 fleas were collected from rodents and carnivores, most of which were isolated from Meriones persicus. None of the rodents or fleas examined tested positive for Y. pestis using real-time PCR and culture methods. Meanwhile, IgG antibodies were detected in 0.32% of rodents. All serologically positive rodents belonged to M. persicus. Furthermore, none of the sera from the 138 carnivores (129 sheepdogs, five Vulpes vulpes, four Canis aureus), and nine hares tested positive in the ELISA test. Conclusion: This primary survey of rodent reservoirs shows serological evidence of Y. pestis infection. Western Iran is an endemic plague focus, and as such, it requires ongoing surveillance. Author summary: This article investigates the ongoing presence of the plague in Iran and stresses the importance of continuous monitoring in the western region, a major area for endemic plague. Rodents are the primary carriers of diseases in their natural habitats and contribute significantly to the ongoing presence of infectious cycles. The study focuses on the presence of Yersinia pestis, the bacteria responsible for the plague, in guard dogs, rodents, and fleas in the historical center of western Iran. The research confirms the presence of Y. pestis infection in rodents, specifically Meriones persicus, in western Iran through serological evidence. Given the new discoveries in Iran and the resurgence of the plague in neighboring countries, ongoing monitoring of plague infections in wildlife across various regions of the country is crucial for public health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Spinal canal stenosis is one of the most common vertebral column diseases, which can lead to disability. Developing a registry system can help in research on the prevention and effective treatment of it. This study designs a minimum data set (MDS) as the first step in creating a registry system for spinal canal stenosis. Method: The present research is of applied‐descriptive type, performed in 2022. First, the applicable data elements about the disease were selected from a vast range of English and Farsi references, including peer reviewed articles, academic books, credible websites, and medical records of hospitalized patients. Through the extracted data, the primary MDS plan was designed as a questionnaire. The validity of the questionnaire was conducted via asking the opinion of experts (neurosurgeons, physiotherapists, epidemiologists, and health information management specialists). Also, its reliability was calculated via Cronbach ⍺ coefficient, which was 86%. Finally, the MDS of the spinal canal stenosis national registry system (for Iran) was confirmed through a two stage Delphi technique. Data analysis was applied through descriptive statistics via SPSS21 software. Results: The proposed MDS is offered in two general sets of data: administrative and clinical. For the administrative data set, 40 data elements had been proposed, as five classes. Twenty‐six of them were confirmed. In the clinical section, 95 data elements had been proposed in 14 classes; 94 of which were finally confirmed. Conclusion: Since there is no spinal canal stenosis MDS available, this study can be a turning point in the standardization of the data on this disease. Moreover, these precise, coherent, and standard data elements can be contributed to improving disease management and enhancing the public healthcare quality. Also, the MDS proposed in this study can help researchers and experts, design a spinal canal stenosis registry system in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hormuz Strait and Makran coastal plains in southeast Iran are significant sources of dust storms in south Asia due to an arid climate with a strong wind regime, low topography, poor vegetation cover, and large watersheds with available loose fine-grained sediments. However, their sedimentology, mineralogy, and geomorphic landforms are poorly studied. Granulometry and mineralogy analyses are performed on 46 samples of the coastal plains to explore the influence of aeolian and fluvial processes on the surface sediment properties of the coastal plains. The geomorphic landforms are mapped based on field observations, geological-geomorphological maps, and satellite images. The results show that the main sources of fine-grained dust are distal alluvial fans and flood plains, supratidal plains, and badlands. Calcite, quartz, and feldspar are major, and dolomite and halite are minor minerals. Calcite displays a positive relationship with grain size and eastward subtractive distribution pattern, while quartz exhibits a negative correlation with grain size and eastward additive distribution pattern. Feldspar shows almost a scatter distribution. The monotonous distribution pattern of chlorite, illite, and kaolinite as the main clay minerals is controlled by fluvial and alluvial processes. Aeolian processes influenced the eastward subtractive distribution of montmorillonite and palygorskite as minor clay minerals. The surface sediment texture and mineralogy of the Hormuz Strait coast are strongly affected by northwesterly wind and dust storms. Aeolian processes are dominated on the western Makran coast with large terrestrial and coastal sand dunes, while fluvial and alluvial processes are dominant on the eastern Makran coast with large distal alluvial fans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantity and quality of surface waters are affected by climate change. Therefore, the study of the impact of climate change on surface water is very important. In the first part of the study, the output of the HadGM2-ES model was used to generate a future climatic pattern under two Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios: RCP2.6 and RCP8.5. The atmospheric circulation data from the model were utilized for this purpose. In the second part of the study, the climate model Long Ashton Research Station Weather Generator (LARS-WG) was employed to downscale climate data, including precipitation flow, temperatures, total solids (TS), and electrical conductivity (EC) parameters of the Ghezel Ozan River until 2050. In the final section, we evaluated the NARX neural network model for simulating the quality and quantity parameters. The results proved that the LARS-WG software has an extraordinary ability to downscale and generate synthetic series of climatic variables. According to the emission scenarios RCP2.6 and RCP8.5, an increasing trend in minimum and maximum temperature was predicted over the future time period. The highest temperature was obtained under the worst situation of RCP8.5. Additionally, the results showed that the highest decrease in precipitation is estimated as 15.38% in mid-winter and 18.68% in early spring during the future period. With the decrease in precipitation, the river flow is projected to decrease by 42.59% in late winter and 76.32% in early spring compared to the observation period. As a result of decreased precipitation and discharge, the EC parameter is expected to increase by 52.06% in late winter and 81.27% in early spring compared to the base period. Overall, our findings indicate that these parameters are strongly influenced by climate change, posing a risk of water shortage and drought to the ecosystem of many aquatic organism's dependent on this river. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tularemia and Q fever are endemic diseases in Iran; however, little information is available on the prevalence of the causative agents, Coxiella burnetii and Francisella tularensis, in Iranian ticks. This study investigated C. burnetii and F. tularensis among hard ticks in this country. We collected ticks from livestock and other mammals in Guilan, Mazandaran, Golestan (northern Iran), Kurdistan (western Iran), and West Azerbaijan (northwestern Iran) provinces. Genomic DNA from collected ticks was extracted and screened for C. burnetii and F. tularensis using Real-time PCR. A total of 4,197 ticks (belonging to 12 different species) were collected, and Ixodes ricinus (46.4%), Rhipicephalus turanicus (25%), and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (19.1%) were the most collected species. Of 708 pooled tick samples, 11.3% and 7.20% were positive for C. burnetii and F. tularensis, respectively. The genus of Rhipicephalus had the highest (18.3%) C. burnetii infection among the collected tick pools (P<0.001). Furthermore, the most positive pools for F. tularensis belonged to Haemaphysalis spp. (44.4%). Kurdistan had the most significant percentage of C. burnetii-infected ticks (92.5%), and there was a meaningful relationship between the provinces and the infection (P< 0.001). The ticks from Golestan exhibited the highest F. tularensis infection rate (10. 9%), and the infection showed no significant relationship with the provinces (P = 0.19). Ticks collected from grasslands had a higher Coxiella burnetii infection rate than those collected from animals (39.4% vs. 7.9%; p<0.01). However, ticks collected from animal surfaces had a slightly higher rate of Francisella tularensis infection than those collected from grasslands (7.6% vs. 3.9%; p = 0.24). Here, we demonstrated the presence of both pathogens in the north (Guilan, Mazandaran, and Golestan provinces), the west (Kurdistan province), and the northwest (West Azerbaijan province) of Iran. The public health system should pay particular attention to tick bites in veterinary medicine and humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-immolation is considered among the most rigorous acts of suicide. Lately, this act has increased in children. We evaluated the frequency of self-immolation among children in the largest burn referral center in southern Iran. This cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2014 to the end of 2018 at a tertiary referral burn and plastic surgery healthcare center in southern Iran. Subjects were pediatric self-immolation burn patients registered as outpatients or inpatients. The patients' parents were contacted regarding any incomplete information. Among 913 children admitted due to burn injuries, 14 (1.55%) were admitted with an impression of suicidal self-immolation. Among self-immolation patients, the ages ranged from 11 to 15 years (mean: 13.64 ± 1.33), and the average burnt percentage of total body surface area was 67.07 ± 31.19%. The male-to-female ratio was 1:1, and the majority were from urban areas (57.1%). The most frequent cause of burn injury was fire (92.9%). There was no history of family mental illness or suicide among the patients, and only one of the patients had an underlying disease of intellectual disability. The mortality percentage was 64.3%. The percentage of childhood suicidal attempts by burn injuries was alarmingly high among children aged from 11 to 15. While contrary to many reports, we reported this phenomenon to be relatively similar between genders, and also between urban and rural patients. Compared with accidental burn injuries, the self-immolation group had significantly higher age and burn percentage, and were more frequently caused by fire, occurred outdoors, and resulted in mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orthohantaviruses are a group of zoonotic pathogens that can cause severe and potentially fatal syndromes in humans. Although orthohantaviruses have been documented in Iran, little is known about their potential reservoirs in the country. The present study constitutes the first attempt to detect orthohantavirus infections in rodents in Iran. Sampling was performed in the East Azerbaijan province, during October 2017 and June 2018. To detect orthohantavirus infection, we performed a Pan-hantavirus nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction targeting the large segment of the viral genome using consensus primers on lung tissue samples. We identified Tula orthohantavirus for the first time in Iran and from Dryomys nitedula sensu lato (s.l.) (Gliridae), a non-muroid host. There are two possible interpretations for this finding: an interspecies spillover or the presence of a broader primary host/reservoir list. However, at present, we do not advocate for either interpretation, but instead, argue for further accumulation of relevant data. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a close relationship between the Tula orthohantavirus identified in this study and those detected in Turkey. Nevertheless, comprehensive field studies, as well as full-length sequence analyses, are required to gain a better understanding of the potential reservoirs, ecology, and epidemiological cycle of the virus in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: According to World Health Organization report, poisoning with phosphides is the most common fatal poisoning in most of the world, especially developing countries. One of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in these patients is cardiovascular complications; therefore, the researchers aimed to study the prevalence and type of electrocardiographic changes, especially life-threatening electrocardiographic changes observed in poisoned patients with aluminum Phosphide. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was carried out on all the individuals poisoned with aluminum phosphide tablet and were admitted to the toxicology center in northwest Iran and met the inclusion criteria and no exclusion criteria. After categorization, the data were entered into SPSS (SPSS Inc, Chicago, USA) software, and appropriate statistical analyses were done. In all the tests, p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Our findings pointed out that the majority of the patients were in the 20-40 age group and male-to-female ratio was 2.00. Electrocardiographic changes were prevalent in 86.1 percent of the patients who consumed aluminum phosphide. The most common change was sinus bradycardia. The mean consumed aluminum phosphide was 1.93±1.88 tablets, and the mean interval from consumption to medical care was 3.67±2.05 hr which did not have significant correlations with electrocardiographic changes. Conclusion: The most common electrocardiographic change is bradycardia, but the most lethal is ventricular tachycardia; therefore, taking repeated electrocardiograms and echocardiography could help the decision making in the process of patient management. Definitive conclusions need further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak on the hospitalization rate, emergency department (ED) visits, and outpatient clinic visits in western Iran. Methods: We collected data on the monthly hospitalization rate, rate of patients referred to the ED, and rate of patients referred to outpatient clinics for a period of 40 months (23 months before and 17 months after the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran) from all 7 public hospitals in the city of Kermanshah. An interrupted time series analysis was conducted to examine the impact of COVID-19 on the outcome variables in this study. Results: A statistically significant decrease of 38.11 hospitalizations per 10,000 population (95% confidence interval [CI], 24.93-51.29) was observed in the first month of the COVID-19 outbreak. The corresponding reductions in ED visits and outpatient visits per 10,000 population were 191.65 (95% CI, 166.63-216.66) and 168.57 (95% CI, 126.41-210.73), respectively. After the initial reduction, significant monthly increases in the hospitalization rate (an increase of 1.81 per 10,000 population), ED visits (an increase of 2.16 per 10,000 population), and outpatient clinic visits (an increase of 5.77 per 10,000 population) were observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: Our study showed that the utilization of outpatient and inpatient services in hospitals and clinics significantly declined after the COVID-19 outbreak, and use of these services did not return to pre-outbreak levels as of June 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over time, river networks achieve a specific pattern as determined by the function of several factors such as climate, tectonic, geological structures, topography, lithology, and base-level fluctuations. The relative importance of mentioned factors on drainage systems was studied to determine the controlling factors of their heterogeneity across the tectono-stratigraphic zones of onshore Iranian Makran. We applied structural, geomorphological, and climate analysis. Results indicate that the dendritic patterns of N-S flowing rivers in the western part of Iranian Makran are mostly controlled by the Minab-Zendan Fault activity and distribution of olistostrome cover, whereas the dominant trellis patterns in the eastern part are controlled by the well-developed thrust fault-related fold systems. The channel steepness pattern demonstrates that the high values are mostly localized in the hanging wall of thrust and normal faults. Accordingly, the topographic profiles of the steep rivers show the old stages of incision in the Inner and Outer Makran. However, some rivers of the Coastal Makran are in the young stage of incision, where the normal faults are located and active. The sediment connectivity index shows that the Inner Makran has a high potential of sediment supplies, while the Outer Makran intra-mountain basins and the Coastal-plain are more prone to sediments accumulation. Our findings reveal that the river patterns and landscape evolution in the Inner and Outer Makran are controlled by thrust faults, olistostrome and related mini-basins, while rivers in the Coastal Makran are governed by activity of Pliocene–Pleistocene normal faults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Water physicochemical parameters gradient is higher in the north than the south lake. • Causeway changed lake current direction from a clockwise to an anti-clockwise. • Causeway is an obstacle complete water balance between northern and southern lakes. The Urmia Lake in NW Iran, the world's second-largest hypersaline lake, has been exposed to rapid water level fall in the last two decades due to water resources mismanagement, building up of dams on inlet rivers, and the causeway construction in the lake. This human intervention has divided the lake into northern and southern parts and caused an extreme disturbance in the hydro-chemical and hydrodynamic systems, namely current direction reversal. To fully understand the current situation, water depth and lake surface and deepwater physico-chemical parameters (i.e. density, temperature, acidity, electrical conductivity, and total dissolved solids) are analysed in the wet and dry seasons of 2019. In the wet season, deepwaters have a higher density than surface waters, and the northern part of the lake contains denser water compared to its southern counterpart. The formation of density gradients creates an anticlockwise direction lake current. Deepwaters show higher electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids than surface waters in the wet season. Unlike the wet season, the lake water becomes more homogenised due to wave action and evaporation in the dry season. Our study clearly demonstrates that the water passageway of the causeway does not allow for a complete yearly balance between water and sediment exchange. Results suggest that the northern and southern parts of the lake have almost independent hydro-chemical and hydrodynamic systems. In the undeniable reality of global warming trends, anthropogenic interventions into sensible ecologic systems need to be better planned if we were to prevent the ecological disasters we now have to face. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Plague may recur after several decades in its endemic regions; therefore, the continuous monitoring of wildlife is essential, even when no human cases are reported in the old foci. The present study was conducted to monitor rodents and their ectoparasites as well as carnivores to learn about the epidemiology of plague infection in an old focus of Iran. Methodology: The present study was conducted from 2019 to 2020 in Takestan county of Qazvin Province in northwestern Iran. Rodents were caught using live traps, and their fleas were separated. Blood and spleen specimens were taken from the captured rodents. Serum samples were also collected from sheepdogs and wild carnivores. The collected samples were tested by culture, serology (ELISA), and molecular methods to detect Yersinia pestis infection. Findings: A total of 399 small mammals were caught, of which 68.6% were Meriones persicus. A total of 2438 fleas were collected from the rodents, 95.3% of which were Xenopsylla buxtoni. Overall, 23 out of 377 tested rodents (5.7%, CI 95%, 3.9–9.0) had IgG antibodies against the F1 antigen of Y. pestis, and all the positive samples belonged to M. persicus. Nine (4.8%) out of 186 collected sera from the sheepdogs' serum and one serum from the Canis aureus had specific IgG antibodies against the F1 antigen of Y. pestis. There were no positive cases of Y. pestis in the rodents and fleas based on the culture and real-time PCR. Conclusion: Serological evidence of Y. pestis circulation was observed in rodents and carnivores (sheepdogs and C. aureus). The presence of potential plague vectors and serological evidence of Y. pestis infection in the surveyed animals could probably raise the risk of infection and clinical cases of plague in the studied region. Training health personnel is therefore essential to encourage their detection of possible human cases of the disease. Author summary: Plague is a zoonotic disease caused by the gram-negative and rod-shaped Yersinia pestis bacterium. This disease has caused severe economic, social, and political crises throughout history. Rodents are known as the main plague reservoirs in nature and play a major role in the continued existence of enzootic cycles in natural foci. Nowadays, plague is a re-emerging disease that continues to be a serious health problem. Iran is regarded as an old endemic country for plague, from which several cases of epidemics have been reported throughout history. Given the recent findings in Iran and the re-emergence of plague in countries closer to Iran, the continuous surveillance of plague infection in wildlife seems necessary in different regions of the country. The present study was conducted to monitor rodents and their ectoparasites as well as carnivores to learn about the epidemiology of plague infection in old foci of Iran. Serological evidence of Y. pestis circulation was observed in rodents and carnivores (sheepdogs and C. aureus). The presence of potential plague vectors and serological evidence of Y. pestis infection in the surveyed animals could probably raise the risk of infection and clinical cases of plague in the studied region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rhabdomyolysis is a clinical syndrome that occurs due to the damage to striated muscles after various conditions, one of the most common of which is drug poisoning. This study examined rhabdomyolysis in all types of poisoned hospitalized patients and its relationship with paraclinical variables, such as Creatine Phosphokinase (CPK) and the patients' level of creatinine, blood urea, and liver enzymes (alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase). Methods: A total of 105 patients suffering from rhabdomyolysis caused by poisoning were enrolled. The necessary information of the patients was extracted from their records, recorded in the research questionnaire, and analyzed using SPSS. Descriptive statistics indicators and Pearson's linear correlation coefficient were used for statistical analysis. Results: The prevalence of rhabdomyolysis was 7.2%. Ninety-seven (92.4%) and 8 (7.6%) poisoned patients suffering from rhabdomyolysis were male and female, respectively. The most prevalent poisoning resulting in rhabdomyolysis was methadone poisoning (31.42%). There was a significantly positive correlation between CPK and urea, Cr, and AST; i.e., by increasing CPK level, urea, Cr, and AST levels also increased, and by decreasing CPK level, urea, Cr, and AST levels also decreased. The incidence of an abnormal aminotransferase in the setting of rhabdomyolysis was high. In addition, the frequency of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) ranged from 10.9 to over 16.9%. Conclusion: Xenobiotics (e.g., opioids, drugs, alcohol, and poisons), xenobiotic-induced coma, and/or xenobiotic-induced seizure are the causes of rhabdomyolysis in the present study. Briefly, the research findings revealed the highest prevalence of rhabdomyolysis in male youth poisoned by narcotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concentrations of arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) and the human health risk of the metals were estimated through drinking water consumption. Totally, 48 samples of groundwater were collected and analyzed during 2019. Health risk indices were estimated using chronic daily intake (CDI), hazard quotient (HQ) and, hazard index (HI), as well as cancer risk (CR). Except for As (66.6% of the areas were above permissible limits), the concentrations of other three heavy metals were within the US EPA and WHO permissible limits. ∑ HI values in 100% and 75% of the areas were above 1 for children and adults, implying non-carcinogenic risk from sum of heavy metals. Children total cancer risk (CRt) in all areas (except one area with acceptable risk) fell within unacceptable risk. Adults CRt in all areas (except one area with unacceptable risk) were in acceptable risk category. As was the highest contributor to non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks both for children and adults. Our results showed that children were more exposed to health risks, due to intake of drinking water containing As, Cr, and Pb in the study areas. The study can provide a basis for local governments to properly manage drinking water quality and provide a reference for water quality management in neighborhood areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alcohol poisoning causes several clinical signs and symptoms. The present study was carry out to examine the epidemiology and characteristics of poisoned patients with alcohol, who were treated at the Sina hospital Tabriz in Iran. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the c linical features and laboratory tests in alcohol poisoning. Methods: In the current expressive cross-sectional report, during 2018-2020 details were obtained over referring to all 91 alcohol poisoned patients' files. The data were obtained based on the time interval between poisoning and time of admission to hospital. The data were then analyzed through SPSS software and descriptive statistics. Results: All over this period, 91 cases of alcohol-poisoned patients were hospitalized, out of which 81 patients (90%) were male and 9 patients (10%) were female. Mostly ethanol was used in poisoning (68.7%) and methanol (28%). 56% of alcohol poisoned patients used alcohol for euphoria, 33.3% used it for suicide, and 10.7% used it recreationally. Most poisoning symptoms occurred between 6 to 12 hours after poisoning. Neurological symptoms occurred among 70 patients (76.9%), 52 cases (57%) had gastrointestinal symptoms, and 19 patients (20.8%) had visual symptoms. Conclusion: Most of poisoned patients were men below the age of 30 years and unemployed. Alcohol consumption for euphoria were more common among people with higher education occasionally for recreation and those with high school education level were for suicide to get rid of problems from living environment. Particular attention of health authorities should be directed towards alcohol drinking prevention measures as well as production and availability of surrogate alcohols in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: One of the main vital needs for self‐care in patients with advanced cancer is information need. Meeting this need has significant positive effects on improving their treatment and care. This study was conducted to identify the unmet information needs of patients with advanced cancer in Iran. Methods: This exploratory study was performed from July to February 2021 in the Kerman University of Medical Sciences cancer treatment centers. Oncologists selected eligible patients by purposeful sampling method. Semistructured and in‐depth interviews were conducted with selected patients to collect data. Interviews continued until data saturation. Each interview was audio‐recorded and transcribed verbatim. Results: In the interviews, 15 patients with advanced cancer ranging in age from 43 to 65 years participated. The most common type of cancer in women was breast (71.4%) and prostate (50%) in men. The two main categories of "types of unmet information needs" and "reasons for not meeting information needs" were extracted from the analysis of patient interviews, with six and four subcategories, respectively. Conclusion: Cancer patients had a large number of unmet information needs. At the time of identifying the unmet information needs of cancer patients, the basic reasons for not meeting these needs should also be considered because cultural differences and social gaps in societies are inevitable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Associations between the COVID-19 pandemic and hospitalizations have not been studied Iran. This study aimed to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital admissions for nine categories of disease in seven public hospitals in Kermsnahah city, the capital of Kermsnahah province, in the west of Iran. Methods: Data on monthly hospitalization rates (number of hospitalizations per 100,000 population) were collected for nine categories of disease for a period of 40 months (23 months before and 17 months after the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran) from the health information systems of all seven public hospitals in Kermanshah city. Categories of disease included those related to pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium period, neoplasms, diseases of the digestive, respiratory, circulatory, genitourinary and nervous systems, mental and behavioural disorders, and infectious and parasitic diseases. Population data were extracted from the Statistics Centre of Iran. An interrupted time series analysis with segmented regression was used to examine the impact of COVID-19 on hospital admissions. Findings: Average monthly hospitalization rates fell for all nine categories of disease included in the study after the onset of the pandemic, with overall rates of 85.5 per 100,000 population in the period before the COVID-19 outbreak and 50.4 per 100,000 population after the outbreak began. The relative reduction in hospitalizations for the nine diseases was 56.4%. Regression analysis of monthly data indicated a sharp decrease in hospitalisations during the first month after the COVID-19 outbreak, which was statistically significant for all diseases (p < 0.001). After the initial reduction following onset of the pandemic, significant increases were observed for some diseases, including neoplasms (increase of 3.17 per 100,000 population; p < 0.001), diseases of the digestive system (increase of 1.17 per 100,000 population; p < 0.001) and diseases related to pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium period (increase of 1.73 per 100,000 population). For other categories of disease, rates significantly declined, including infectious and parasitic diseases (decrease of 2.46 per 100,000 population; p < 0.001). Hospitalization rates did not increase to pre-pandemic levels for any disease, with the exception of those related to pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium period. Conclusions: Our study indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic had a significantly negative effect on hospitalizations in Iran. Although use of hospital care has gradually increased post-outbreak, it has yet to return to normal levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the efficacy of the therapeutic use of play on improving the attention span of children with Mild Intellectual Disability (MID) in elementary school. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test with a control group so that 30 girls with MID were selected from an exceptional school in Tehran City, Iran, via convenience sampling method and assigned to the experimental and control groups. The attention span of all subjects was assessed by the Toulouse-Pieron test and the Cognitive Diagnostic Battery (CDB) before and after the therapeutic sessions. The experimental group participated in 16 therapeutic play sessions (35 minutes for each session) for 8 weeks, but the control group did not. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to analyze the data. Results: The Mean±SD age were 9.80±1.32 and 9.73±1.22 for the experimental and control groups, respectively. In addition, the mean attention span in the experimental group varied from 7.60 to 18.78 after the therapeutic sessions. In addition, after the therapeutic sessions, a significant difference (P<0.001) was observed between the experimental and control groups relating to attention span. According to the Eta quotient, 94% of the variation in the attention span of the experimental group is due to participating in the intervention sessions. Discussion: Therapeutic use of play is an effective method to improve the attention span of children with MID. Therefore, the therapeutic use of play can be applied to improve the academic performance of students with MID and reduce negative outcomes due to inattention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds: This study aims to estimate and compare the parameters of some univariate and bivariate count models to identify the factors affecting the number of mortality and the number of injured in road accidents.Methods: The accident data used in this study are related to Kermanshah province in march2020 to march2021. Accidents areas were divided into 125 areas based on density characteristics. In a one-year period, 3090 accidents happened on the suburban roads of Kermanshah province, which resulted in 398 deaths and 4805 injuries. Accident information, including longitude and latitude of accident location, type of accident (fatal and injury), number of deaths, number of injuries, accident type, the reason of the accident, and the kind of accident were all included as population-level variables in the regression models. We investigated four frequently used bivariate count regression models for accident data in the literature.Results: In bivariate analysis, except for the DNM model, there is a reasonable decrease in the AIC measures of the saturated model compared to the reduced model for the other three models. For the injury models, MSE is lowest, respectively for DIBP (137.87), BNB (289.46), BP (412.36) and DNM (3640.89) models. These results are also established for death models. But, in univariate analysis, only injury models almost present reasonable results.Conclusions: Our findings show that the IDBP model is better suitable for evaluating accident datasets than other models. Motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, left turn deviance, and dangerous speeding were all significant variables in the IDBP death model, and these parameters were linked to accident mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burn injuries are among the most traumatic incidences which could be associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. The incidence of these injuries differs based on population socioeconomic characteristics. In this study, we aim to evaluate the distribution of burn injuries based on socioeconomic and causative factors. Relative features from the targeted population were obtained and evaluated. Data were extracted in August 2019 and statistical analysis of the data was conducted from February 2020 to April 2020. This cross-sectional record-based study was conducted from 2008 to 2016 in a main referral center for burn injuries in the southern Iran. Participants included burn survivors and burn patients who were registered as outpatients or inpatients. A total of 4919 burn cases with a mean age of 31.91 ± 17.33, including 2926 (59.5%) males and 1993 (40.5%) females was reported. The majority of our cases had an educational level of under diploma (40.72%). A significant correlation between age, gender, and percentage of burn with the level of education was recorded (P < .001). The most frequent cause of burn injuries was flame with 2537 (51.9%) cases. The most susceptible population to burn injuries were reported to be poorly educated individuals, which emphasizes the preventive role of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contamination of surface and groundwater resources to heavy metal due to mining activities is a worldwide major issue because of its probable health risks to local residents. In the present research, we measured the concentrations of As, Cd and Cr in 26 water samples collected from 13 rural areas in the vicinity of mines in Sabzevar, Iran, during January 2019 and estimated potential health risks among local residents. Heavy metal concentrations were analysed using an atomic absorption spectrometer and compared with guidelines set by the WHO. The results showed that As and Cr concentration in drinking water of rural areas in the vicinity of mines were estimated to be in the range of 0.0152 to 0.0220 and 0.0194 to 0.1806 mg/L, respectively, which exceeded the drinking water guidelines recommended by WHO. For cadmium, the concentrations ranged from 0.0003 to 0.0018 mg/L. Total HI (hazard index) values were above one in drinking water of all villages and generally, total HI values for children were much higher than those of adults in each studied area. The total cancer risk values of metals (sum of As, Cd and Cr) for children and adults in all the villages were above the USEPA limit. The CR (carcinogenic risk) values for both children and adults through the oral pathway were found in order of As>Cr>Cd. The findings of health risk assessment of groundwater near the mining area could be valuable for proper management of water resources in the rural areas in particular and to the other mining areas in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though increasing food supply in order to meet the rising demand for nutrition is a global social imperative, reducing the dependence on imports of essential food commodities is both an economic and a geo-political imperative for national governments. However, in light of the Sustainable Development Goals, although Zero Hunger (SDG2) and Good Health and Well-Being (SDG3) can be ensured within a country when the inhabitants are well-nourished and staple food items remain affordable to one and all, oftentimes, there are trade-offs in the process, with the environmental dimensions—SDGs 13 (Climate action), 14 (Life below water) and 15 (Life on Land). In this paper, using a combination of Environmental-Life Cycle Assessment (E-LCA) and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), the authors have evaluated the eco-efficiency of 169 wheat cultivation systems in the Golestan province in the north of Iran. Benchmarking performance based on the best-performing wheat farms and optimizing (decreasing essentially) the consumption of resources, will enable an average reduction of between 10% and 16% in global warming, acidification, eutrophication, and non-renewable energy usage of the wheat cultivation systems in the case study region. The authors recommend the use of this combination not only for wheat cultivation in other regions of the world, but also for other agricultural systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eastern flank of the Talesh range of western Alborz, northwestern Iran, exposes volumetrically significant Late Cretaceous volcanic and volcaniclastic associations as well as cross-cutting dykes and minor subvolcanic equivalents. The volcanic units appear as massive to pillowed flows interlayered with volcaniclastic beds and subordinate limestones. We present new field data, zircon U Pb ages, bulk-rock major and trace element geochemistry, and Sr Nd isotopes on the igneous rock suite. Geochemical data show that the lava units and dykes are mainly basaltic in composition with minor basaltic andesites and trachytes. They form two contrasting series of arc-related calc-alkaline (Group 1) and OIB-like (Group 2) rocks. The zircon U Pb age of Group 1 rocks is 95.6 ± 1.8 Ma (2σ), whereas for Group 2 rocks, cross-cutting relationships and stratigraphic constraints indicate a somewhat younger age. Group 1 rocks have 87Sr/86Sr (i) varying from 0.7038 to 0.7070 and ε Nd (t) values ranging from +0.5 to +5.0. Group 2 rocks have 87Sr/86Sr (i) = 0.7040–0.7065 and ε Nd (t) from −3.0 to +3.7. Trace element and isotopic modelling shows that the primitive Group 1 magmas were derived from a metasomatized mantle source enriched by the addition of ∼6–10 % sediment melt component, while Group 2 rocks are consistent with melts of an asthenospheric mantle source enriched by ∼1–5 % EMII component. Trace element modelling indicates that Group 1 rocks formed from ∼6–13 % partial melts of a spinel-garnet lherzolite with garnet:spinel ratios of 45:55 to 10:90, whereas primitive Group 2 melts were generated through ∼1–3 % partial melting of a garnet-spinel-lherzolite with garnet:spinel ratios of 90:10 to 80:20. We propose a geodynamic model in which a north-dipping Neotethyan slab beneath the western Alborz (Talesh area) continental margin produced arc assemblages of Group 1 rocks and subsequent slab rollback led to the upwelling of an asthenospheric mantle to generate OIB-like magmatism of Group 2 rocks in an extensional intra-arc to back-arc setting. [Display omitted] • The Talesh magmatic rocks are dominated by basaltic lavas. • They were emplaced during the Late Cretaceous. • The magmatic rocks include both arc-type calc-alkaline and OIB-like alkaline rocks. • The mantle source of arc-type rocks was enriched by slab-derived sediment melts. • Slab rollback triggered asthenospheric melting and formation of OIB-like magmas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provenance analysis including sandstone modal compositions, heavy mineral assemblages, and LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating with in-situ Hf isotopic compositions of detrital zircons defines two types of Late Cretaceous-Eocene turbiditic sequences separated by the Siah Cheshmeh-Khoy-Misho-Tabriz Fault in the Azerbaijan Province, Northwest Iran: (1) Volcaniclastic turbidites to the southwest and (2) terrigenous turbidites to the northeast. The first appearance of Cr-spinel in Upper Cretaceous sandstones of both sequences indicates the erosion of ophiolites at that time. The southwestern volcaniclastic sandstones contain few Late Triassic and dominantly Late Cretaceous zircon grains whose Hf isotopic compositions suggest a continental magmatic arc provenance. In the northeastern terrigenous sandstones, detrital zircon U-Pb ages cluster in five main age groups from Paleoproterozoic-Neoproterozoic with Hf isotopic compositions typical of continental crust to Late Cretaceous-Palaeocene zircon grains with Hf isotopic compositions similar to those of the southwest turbidites. The provenance characteristics define, along with sedimentary structures, two separate basins, a marginal basin to the northeast, and a deep oceanic basin to the southwest. We conclude that the Siah Cheshmeh-Khoy-Misho-Tabriz Fault overprints a boundary between two lithospheres separated by ophiolite outcrops; therefore, the Siah Cheshmeh-Khoy-Misho-Tabriz Fault is a reworked suture. The Cretaceous arc, witnessed by clastic material, has been largely eroded and/or subducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We aimed to evaluate the rate of infection by endoparasites amongst rodents in the western regions of Iran to enhance the level of knowledge amongst health authorities in this entity. Methods: This study was conducted in the west and southwest of Kurdistan Province, including the cities of Sanandaj, Marivan, and Sarvabad. The field mission of this work was performed in three seasons' spring, summer, and autumn. The rodents were captured alive and their gastrointestinal tracts were evaluated for the worm endoparasites. Results: Herein, 208 rodents from 15 types of seven species, including Apodemus, Meriones, Mus, Sciurus, Cricetulus, Microtus, and Dryomys, were captured. In addition, 67 (32.21%) rodents were infected with endoparasites and 10 types of worms endoparasites, including Syphacia muris, Streptophagus spp., Mastophorus muris, Skrjabinema spp., Trichostrongylus spp., Trichuris muris, Hymenolepis nana, Hymenolepis dimimuta, Heligmosomoide spp., and other oxiuros were isolated from their gastrointestinal tracts. Most of these parasites (60%) were isolated from their small intestine whereas they were least (10%) found in their stomach and cecum. Conclusion: Having compared the results of this study with other studies in different regions of Iran, there is a higher variety of rodents and worm parasites in these regions of Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth trend of publications in the field of nanoparticles biosynthesis by bacteria was analyzed using bibliometric techniques to the identification of the areas with significant development and the orientations that have guided the research on bacteria. This study extracted data from the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus between 2000 and 2020 to compare results. The number of articles published annually, participating countries, resource growth rate, most used keywords and research collaborations were obtained from bibliometric analysis. The results showed that nanoparticle documents in materials science, biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology have improved citation rates as the authors researched in multidisciplinary areas. Although these keywords have the most sites, they are not emerging keywords, and their most common use was in the years 2014–2018. The results showed the upward trend of articles published from 2000 to 2020, most of which were related to the last 10 years. The 5 countries that had the most articles published in this field were China, USA, India, Germany and Iran. The top sources that had the most published documents in this field had a similar scope to our research. The results of each section had a significant relationship with other sections of this study. VOS viewer program was used for quantitative analysis. It seems that bibliometric methods will complement meta-analysis and qualitative structured literature reviews as a method for reviewing and evaluating scientific literature. The advantage of the bibliographic analysis was the awareness of trends in a study area. Documents by subject area of Nanoparticle Biosynthesis by Bacteria that related to material science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lumpy skin disease was first reported in the western provinces of Iran in 2014, and this was followed by several outbreaks throughout the country. In this study, 10 Iranian lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) samples collected during the period of 2014-2018 were characterized by sequence analysis of the GPCR, LSDV142, and IL10LP genes. Sequence comparison of the respective genes revealed a close relationship between Iranian LSDV isolates and viruses from Asia and Europe. Interestingly, some nucleotide sequence diversity was also observed in the IL10LP genes of the Iranian field isolates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Colorectal cancer has increased in Middle Eastern countries and exposure to environmental pollutants such as heavy metals has been implicated. However, data linking them to this disease are generally lacking. This study aimed to explore the spatial pattern of age-standardized incidence rate (ASR) of colon cancer and its potential association with the exposure level of the amount of heavy metals existing in rice produced in north-eastern Iran.Methods: Cancer data were drawn from the Iranian population-based cancer registry of Golestan Province, north-eastern Iran. Samples of 69 rice milling factories were analysed for the concentration levels of cadmium, nickel, cobalt, copper, selenium, lead and zinc. The inverse distance weighting (IDW) algorithm was used to interpolate the concentration of this kind of heavy metals on the surface of the study area. Exploratory regression analysis was conducted to build ordinary least squares (OLS) models including every possible combination of the candidate explanatory variables and chose the most useful ones to show the association between heavy metals and the ASR of colon cancer.Results: The highest concentrations of heavy metals were found in the central part of the province and particularly counties with higher amount of cobalt were shown to be associated with higher ASR of men with colon cancer. In contrast, selenium concentrations were higher in areas with lower ASR of colon cancer in men. A significant regression equation for men with colon cancer was found (F(4,137) = 38.304, P < .000) with an adjusted R2 of 0.77. The predicted ASR of men colon cancer was - 58.36 with the coefficients for cobalt = 120.33; cadmium = 80.60; selenium = - 6.07; nickel = - 3.09; and zinc = - 0.41. The association of copper and lead with colon cancer in men was not significant. We did not find a significant outcome for colon cancer in women.Conclusion: Increased amounts of heavy metals in consumed rice may impact colon cancer incidence, both positively and negatively. While there were indications of an association between high cobalt concentrations and an increased risk for colon cancer, we found that high selenium concentrations might instead decrease the risk. Further investigations are needed to clarify if there are ecological or other reasons for these discrepancies. Regular monitoring of the amount of heavy metals in consumed rice is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Gouda Cheese is regarded as a high quality and one of the most popular cheeses in the world. The defining characteristics of Gouda cheese are its yellow color, great aroma and taste of caramel sweetness. The cheese should be well chilled before waxing, to get better seal. The seal is very important to prevent contamination with molds and putrefactive bacteria. Cheese wax is made from paraffin with additional microcrystalline to make pliable for better seal. The aim of this study was to investigate antibacterial effects of Gouda cheese wax. Methods: Gouda cheese wax samples were collected from four different manufacturers in Iran. The total count of coliforms, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, coagulasepositive Staphylococcus and mold and yeast on the samples was determined. The antimicrobial activities of Gouda cheese wax against E. coli, S. aureus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Aspergillus brazilissis and Salmonella enterica were investigated by determining minimum bactericidal concentration and minimum inhibitory concentration. Results: The results indicated that all Gouda cheese wax samples were prepared in accordance with the national standards. In addition, the examined wax samples had no antimicrobial properties against the tested microorganisms. Conclusions: The wax used in production of Gouda cheese in Iran has no antimicrobial properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Dried Black Curd (DBC), also known as Gharahghorut (Persian), is a dairy product produced from curd of yogurt or doogh. The aim of this study was to evaluate microbial contamination of industrially and traditionally produced DBC in Iran. Methods: Four DBC brands holding certification of the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran (ISIRI), Iran Ministry of Health and Medical Education (IMHME) and ISO were purchased from a market in Tehran, Iran. Microbial monitoring for presence of coliform, Escherichia coli, coagulase-positive Staphylococcus aureus, mold and yeast was performed using different basic, enriched, selective and differential media including peptone water agar, MacCankey agar, blood agar and brain heart infusion agar, etc. according to the ISIRI standards (No.13299). Results: None of the tested samples had microbial contamination. However, in one traditional DBC sample, the population of mold and yeast was higher than the acceptable level defined by the ISIRI standard. Conclusion: We found no contamination with coagulase-positive S. aureus, E. coli and coliforms in four brands of traditionally and industrially produced DBC in Iran. This indicates that the hygienic practices designated by the IMHME are well-implemented in the industrial sector. However, the mold and yeast contamination in traditionally produced DBC should be prevented by applying hygienic practices during the process of manufacturing and distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present zircon U-Pb crystallization ages combined with bulk rock major and trace element geochemistry and Sr-Nd-Pb and zircon in-situ Hf isotopic compositions of the Amand and Moro granitoid intrusions in northwest Iran. The Amand and Moro plutons include granite and syeno-diorite with LA-ICP-MS U-Pb zircon ages of 367 ± 6.8 Ma and 351 ± 1.3 Ma, respectively, representative of Late Devonian-Early Carboniferous magmatic activity in NW Iran. Geochemical characteristics such as typical enrichments in alkalis, Nb, Zr, Ga and Y, depletion in P and Sr and fractionated REE patterns with high Ga/Al ratios and Eu negative anomalies are consistent with A-type magmatic signatures. The granitoids are classified as A2-type and within-plate granitoids. The bulk rock geochemistry (enrichments in Th, Nb and, high Th/Yb, Zr/Y ratios) along with low variation of 143Nd/144Nd(i) and 87Sr/86Sr(i) ratios and positive zircon εHf(t) support the role of a mantle plume component for the evolution of the Amand and Moro A-type granitoids in an extensional tectonic environment. In fitting with wider regional knowledge, this magmatism occurred during Paleo-Tethys opening in northern Gondwana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: The prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) differs between different regions of Iran. This study aimed to investigate changes in prevalence and incidence rates of MS in ten ethnic and cultural zones of Iran set by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education. Materials and Methods: Information on MS incidence and prevalence was obtained from the national registry of MS during the study period 2006–2013. Demographic data were acquired from the Statistical Centre of Iran. Results: A rising trend of MS prevalence was observed in Iran, and overall, the prevalence of MS increased by 3.67% per year. The highest prevalence rates of MS, and the most dramatic increase in MS prevalence, occurred in the central areas of Iran. However, during the 7-year period, the prevalence gradually increased also in southern and western areas. Conclusion: The prevalence and incidence of MS have been rapidly increasing in all regions of Iran, especially from central to western and southern regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The present study aimed to adapt the strategic plans of medical science universities to the components of the third millennium universities. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included all the faculty members of 5 top universities of Tehran Province in Iran. To collect data, a reliable and valid researcher-made questionnaire was developed based on the characteristics of higher education institutions in the third millennium (content validity index >0.79, content validity ratio > 0.62, α = 0.88). Statistical analysis was conducted by SPSS. Results: The highest mean score of the population's attitude was related to the visions of the universities (mean =3.44). Moreover, the highest mean score (the components of university headquarters) of the attitude belonged to environmental indicators (3.53) while the lowest mean score was related to administrative and financial indicators (3.4). Based on the results, there was a significant difference between the attitudes of faculty members (P < 0.01). Conclusions: Concerning the accordance between mission and headquarter activities, medical sciences universities were somewhat far from the third millennium universities and should be accountable for the quality of their actions. Finally, they need to show their merits and should work to promote themselves by acquiring necessary certificates and quality assurance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

So far, there have been no studies on the distribution of viral white spot syndrome in wild Indian white shrimp (Fenneropenaeus indicus) brooders at Iranian capture sites. This study was conducted to investigate the presence of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) in wild Indian white shrimps in Iran, using PCR, histopathologic, and electron microscopic surveys. The samples were collected within two seasons (autumn and spring) and from two provinces (six capture sites), from the major hatcheries providing spawners. Eight hundred thirty-three samples were collected and analyzed first by PCR, after which the positive samples were examined using histological tests, and if inclusion bodies were observed, electron microscopy was also used. White spot syndrome virus was detected only at the capture sites in Sistan and Baluchistan Province, where the mean infection rate was significantly higher in the spring (8.7%) than in the autumn (2.03%). At the Chabahar, Pasabandar, and Govater capture sites, the mean infection rate was significantly higher (4.9%, 2.1%, and 9.2%, respectively), than in Hormozgan Province. The results showed that there was no significant difference in infection rate between the two different sizes and sexes of shrimps (P < 0.05). Phylogeny analysis revealed a close relationship between the viruses from this study and those in other Asian countries, including China, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Taiwan, and South Korea. It is possible that the virus has spread across the Indian Ocean to other countries. Therefore, the spawners in this study, particularly those collected during the spring and those from capture sites in Sistan and Baluchistan Province, were found to be more susceptible to WSSV infection, and the virus might have been transmitted vertically from WSSV-infected brooders to post-larvae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical toxicology is not recognized as a clinical speciality in Iran. After the chemical war gas attack by the Iraqi army against the Iranian troops in the 1980s, health professionals and Iranian authorities noticed the importance of this field in clinical medicine. Collaboration between the clinical toxicologists and toxicologists of pharmacy schools resulted in the establishment of the Iranian Society of Toxicology and Poisonings in 1991 and the National Board of Toxicology in 1993. Clinical toxicology fellowship was also formed as a joint collaboration between the toxicology and internal medicine boards in 2010. Medical doctors who specialized in clinical medicine are eligible to take the entrance examination of the fellowship. In spite of the advancement of clinical toxicology and increased number of acute poisonings and drug abuse, undergraduate teaching in this field is still lacking and being taught as part of the forensic medicine curriculum since 1952. There is a lack of an efficient national poison information and control centre (s) in Iran, and no action plan and practical efforts have been done for poisoning prevention. Therefore, the number of drug abuse and acute poisonings has increased over the past four decades and induced cultural, social and health problems. According to Iranian legal medicine organization reports, poisoning is the second‐most occurring cause of unnatural death. The suicidal attempt is the most common method of acute poisoning in adults. Suicidal attempt including self‐poisoning is not accepted in the Islamic point of view, and thus self‐poisoning is mostly neglected and may not be treated appropriately in time in some regions of Iran. Accidental poisoning in children is also common in Iran and estimated to be between 20 000 and 25 000 cases annually over the recent years. In addition, social, cultural and economic problems have induced more health problems such as drug abuse and addiction even in children. Adulterated opium to lead for economic gaining has produced thousands of cases of lead poisoning over the past few years in nearly all opium addicts, which is still a major health problem in Iran. Ban on alcoholic beverages leads some people to make their own home‐made spirits, which is unfortunately contaminated with methanol. Thousands of cases of methanol poisoning and even some epidemics have occurred over the past four decades in some parts of the country. Lack of availability of essential antidotes such as succimer and fomepizole has been a major problem for the effective treatment of poisoned patients. Despite the well‐known fact that cases of poisoning and drug overdose constitute a significant proportion of hospital admissions in some developing countries, clinical toxicology education and medical care of the poisoned patients are lacking. Therefore, policymakers and health authorities should realize the importance of toxicology in clinical medicine. The Iranian Ministry of Health, medical care and Medical Education should implement clinical toxicology courses for medical students; establish effective national poisons information and control centres and advance clinical toxicology services for appropriate management of poisoned patients to improve public health and the overall health policy goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Entomological surveys of ectoparasites and their hosts are an essential tool for assessing the risks of rodent-borne diseases transmitted to humans by arthropod vectors. Objectives: This study was carried out to update the epidemiological data of plague with respect to species compositions of the rodents and their ectoparasites at enzootic foci located in Kurdistan Province, Iran. Methods: The rodents' habitats were selected based on past records of plague and subclimates in each study district with especial attention to the vegetation type. The trapped rodents were anesthetized using a chloroform chamber, and the animals were then examined for ectoparasites by brushing their hair over a pan containing water. The ectoparasites were collected with a fine brush and preserved in 70% ethanol in screw cap tubes. Results: A total of 208 rodents were trapped from three districts. Taxonomic ranking of the rodents indicated that the specimens belonged to 2 suborders of Myomorpha and Sciuromorpha, 4 families (Muridae, Muscardinidae, Cricetidae, and Sciuridae), 7 genera, including Meriones, Apodemus, Mus, Sciurus, Microtus, and Dryomys, and 15 species. Out of 208 rodents, only 56 (26.9%) were infested with 22 species of ectoparasites. Totally, 312 ectoparasites were isolated from 56 rodents, including 12 flea species (54.5%), 6 mite species (27.3%), 3 tick species (13.6%), and one louse species (4.6%). Five species of fleas were recorded for the first time in Kurdistan Province, including Ctenophthalmus iranus persicus, Paraceras melis melis, Nosopsyllus iranus iranus, Paraceras sp., and Ctenophyllus spp. Conclusion: The finding revealed new records for rodents and ectoparasites in Kurdistan Province, as well as changes in dominant rodent species and their ectoparasites compared to previous studies. This phenomenon can influence the changes in the incidence of plague and its epidemiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater is a precious natural water resource which can be considered as an available and safe source of water for domestic uses. In some cities in northern Iran, groundwater is being polluted due to various human activities. In this regard, the located municipal solid waste landfills close to these areas without the requested controls regarding the landfill leachate and gas emission are among the major sources of environmental pollution, which are deteriorating groundwater quality around landfill sites. In this context, the current study was aimed to assess the quality of collected groundwater samples around a landfill site using the modified Water Quality Index for groundwater resources (WQIG). Also, the water quality map has been prepared by using WQIG in GIS environment. Therefore, thirty-three groundwater samples were collected and analyzed around 11 water wells close to the landfill site. Variety of physicochemical parameters including nitrate (NO3), fecal coliform, sodium absorption ratio (SAR), electrical conductivity, biological oxygen demand (BOD5), phosphate (PO4), total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, pH were assessed in groundwater samples based on recommended standard methods by American Public Health Association (APHA). Geostatistics analysis including Kriging, semi-variogram, and variogram methods also was used to evaluate the spatial variations in the variables and to provide the necessary data for further interpolation. According to the results of WQIG, most of the groundwater wells (98.85%) are polluted due to the existing of the landfill site in the investigated area. Generally speaking, based on the WQIG the water samples were defined as not suitable for drinking applications. Also, the high concentrations of nitrate and hardness in the downstream wells (W1–W11) of the landfill were demonstrated by the results of Kriging assay which can be correlated with the penetration of leachate into these wells. Considering the SAR results, all wells in the studied area are classified as (C3S1) that means the groundwater of this area is suitable for agricultural approaches. Moreover, the reduction in the water quality from the south to the north and northeast was demonstrated by the results of spatial dispersion. Evaluation of the changes in water quality near landfill sites showed that 2149.56 m2 of total area had a relatively poor potential for the region's groundwater recharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to investigate the therapeutic property of hydroalcoholic extract of Fenugreek seeds in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in adult patients. METHODS: This randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel trial was conducted from November 2014 to June 2017. Patients aged between 18 and 70 years old with confirmed NAFLD were recruited from the Motahhari clinic, affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Participants either received 1 g hydroalcoholic extract of Fenugreek seeds or placebo daily for 3 months. The primary outcomes were changes in serum alanine transaminase and FibroScan controlled attenuation parameter score. Secondary outcome measures were changes in other laboratory data, liver stiffness measure, liver steatosis percent, and anthropometric variables. Participants were randomly assigned to the groups using blocked randomization method. Participants, investigators, and statistician were blinded to treatments allocation. RESULTS: After screening eighty patients, thirty patients met the inclusion criteria and were divided into two groups (1:1). After 3 months, two and four patients did not complete the trial in Fenugreek and placebo group, respectively. The changes in the anthropometrics, laboratories and FibroScan measurements were not statistically significant between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The evidence to prove the efficacy of the Fenugreek seeds' hydroalcoholic extract in NAFLD was not strong enough; hence, further experiments are still needed to assess the possible efficacy of Fenugreek on the treatment of NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cosmetics can contain harmful compounds such as heavy metals. Several metals have a cumulative effect on the body, especially fatty tissues, and may have different health effects on the human body over the long term. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to assess the health risks of heavy metals in cosmetics in Iran. Also, in this study, Monte Carlo simulation was used to investigate uncertainties. In this study, heavy metals data of cosmetics were extracted from studies carried out at intervals 2010–2018. International and Iranian databases such as Google Scholar, Web of Science, Springer, Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus, Irandoc, Magiran, Scientific Information Database (SID), and Information Institute for Scientific (ISC) were searched for this purpose. In this study, the index of the Margin of Safety was calculated to determine the risk of human contact with metallic impurities in cosmetic products used by humans. In the selected period, 11 studies were conducted on the measurement of heavy metals in cosmetics in Iran. In these studies, cosmetics such as eye shadow, eye pencil, powder, cream, and lipstick were studied. The Margin of Safety (MoS) values calculated for different metals were higher than the established safe standard by WHO. The highest and lowest amount of systemic exposure dosage in all types of cosmetic investigated (lipstick, cream, eye pencil, face powder, and eye shadow) was related to Fe and Hg. The mean hazardous quotient (HQ) for Cd, Cr, Ni, Cu, Mn, Zn, Pb, and Hg was 1.05E-03, 1.03E-01, 7.95E-03, 2.59E-03, 1.05E-03, 4.98E-03, 7.22E-04, 1.85E-01, and 1.35E-05, respectively. The highest HQ (6.10E-01) was found for Pb, which was observed in the cream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antibiotic residues were investigated in raw and pasteurized milk produced in Neyshabur region, Iran. To this end, 82 milk samples, including raw and pasteurized milk of different brands and local raw milk samples of collection centers, were collected from Neyshabur region in two seasons during 2016. The antibiotic four-plate test (FPT) was performed to examine the presence of tetracycline, flomocaine, sulfonamide, enrofloxacin, aminoglycoside, and macrolide in the samples. The data were analyzed by the chi-squared test and logistic regression analysis to determine significant differences among variables at the significance level of p < .05. The results revealed that, among the 82 milk samples, 16 (47.2%) collected raw milk, 10 (41.6%) raw milk in the factories, and 6 (25%) pasteurized milk samples were positive. The findings showed that the most positive antibiotics belonged to the flomocaine, tetracycline, sulfonamide, and enrofloxacin groups, respectively. However, no aminoglycoside or macrolide was found in the samples. Analysis of milk samples performed in two seasons and the site of the sample collection showed a significant difference in the antibiotic residue content (p < .05). Logistic regression analysis showed that the odds of contamination in winter were 3.73 times that of fall (p = .006). Positive antibiotic residues were present in a large number of milk samples. This study highlights the need for special measures and effective monitoring programs to reduce the hazard of chemical contamination in the Neyshabur region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]