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The pretest-posttest control group design is one of the most widely used quantitative experimental design models for evaluating the efficacy of programs, treatments, and interventions. Despite the prevalence and utility of this research design, best practices for data analytical procedures are not clearly defined. Invalid results decrease the chance of generalization. Given that Iranian Journals are interested in publishing pretestposttest control group design studies, it is important to denote the accuracy of them. The aim of the current study is to explore the correct procedure for using ANCOVA in pretest-posttest control group designs to mitigate the potential limitations of this approach. This study explores the use of ANCOVA in pretest-posttest control group design. It has been done by analyzing data from experimental studies published in five Iranian journals indexed in PubMed or Scopus between 2011 and 2018. The results indicate that among the 280 published experimental studies in these journals, 53 papers (18.9 percent) used ANCOVA as the statistical test in pretest-posttest studies. The power of the test represents the probability of detecting differences between the groups being compared when such differences exist. Our analysis concludes that ANCOVA, which runs a multiple linear regression, is a suitable method for comparing and examining pretest-posttest study designs. Implications of this study have potential utility for researchers employing the use of pretest-posttest control group designs in various fields in and outside of Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anopheles stephensi is a major vector of malaria in some parts of the world. A standard method for determining resistance in adult mosquito populations is the bioassay test recommended by the world health organization (WHO). The papers used in this method have an expiry date. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of outdated susceptibility test papers for use in insecticide resistance monitoring programs. Methods: Beech and Bandar Abbas strains of An. stephensi were reared in the insectary. Permethrin 0.75%, Deltamethrin 0.05%, and Bendiocarb 0.1% impregnated test papers prepared by Universiti Sains Malaysia were used. Probit analysis was used to analyze the results and prepare time-mortality regression lines of LT50 and LT90. Results: There was a difference in the mortality of both tested strains of An. stephensi was exposed to all tested insecticides. Both expired and not expired Permethrin and Deltamethrin papers induced 100% mortality at the diagnostic time (60min), but their insecticidal properties were reduced gradually in serial times. The highest efficacy of test papers was in the first trimester after the expiry date and decreased over time. Conclusion: At the diagnostic time of 60 minutes, the mortality rate of both dated and expired papers was 100% in the pyrethroid insecticides, even three years after expiry dates, if stored in the package provided by the producer, in a refrigerator. This value was reduced to less than 100% in the expired papers of Bendiocarb comparing the dated papers that induced 100% mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: The present study was to evaluate the microbial diversity inhabiting biodeteriorated precious manuscripts of the Holy Quran placed in one of the repositories of the Library of Astan Quds Razavi (AQR), and its relation to the air microbial diversity. Materials and Methods: Three non-invasive sampling methods, culture-based techniques, and molecular identification were used to investigate the microorganisms involved in deterioration. To investigate the air microbial quality and its role in the destruction of the repository objects, air samples were taken from six different points inside the repository. Biomodeling studies were designed to verify the impact of microbial isolates. Results: 14 fungal isolates were obtained from three deteriorated ancient Quran manuscripts. The most frequently isolated fungi from the different substrates were Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp. In the air, the prevalence across fungal genera was rather uniform. 30 species of the identified bacteria were collected from three manuscripts. The results obtained in the present study showed that the bacterial species from different genera belonged to three phyla: Proteobacteria (n = 2), Actinobacteria (n = 4), and Firmicutes (n = 24). The paper strips were artificially colonized by Aspergillus sp., Penicillium chrysogenum, and Talaromyces diversus producing spots which were visible to the naked eye. In the scanning electron microscopy images, the colonization of the selected organism was observed. Conclusion: The characteristics of paper inoculated artificially with these microbial isolates confirmed their deteriorating effects. Based on molecular identification, the similarity of fungal and bacterial species isolated from both substrates and air samples suggest the direct relationship between microorganisms from the air and those isolated from the manuscripts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As English has increasingly become the lingua franca in science and international journals require nativelike academic writing standards from nonnative researchers, there is more pressure on nonnative scholars to write their research articles more accurately and appropriately in English. This study was conducted to determine the most-occurring language-related errors which Iranian medical authors/ researchers commit while trying to have their research published in international English journals. Also, this article seeks to provide useful guidelines to reduce such linguistic mistakes. Methods: The present study investigated the most common language-related errors in Iranian medical specialists' research articles. To this end, the first drafts of 60 published research articles in medical sciences were cross-checked against their peer-reviewed published versions in order to identify the most frequent non-target language forms which received discoursal, lexical, grammatical, and mechanical revisions by peer editors. Results: The findings revealed that the editors had surprisingly dealt with discoursal errors more than any other linguistic aspects of these research articles. This was followed by lexical replacements. In third place were grammatical improvements, where erroneous structures mostly related to tenses, usage of articles and prepositions, and agreement between verbs and nouns were treated. The least common revisions were on the mechanics of academic writing, consisting of hyphenating, spelling, case lettering, spacing, and spacing with commas. Conclusion: Although most of the Iranian medical authors/researchers enjoyed a good level of proficiency in English, their manuscripts required discoursal, lexical, grammatical, and mechanical revisions before publication in credited international journals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent technological developments in medicine, including modern radiology have promoted the impact of scientific researches on social life. The scientific outputs such as article and patents are products that show the scientists' attempt to access these achievements. Objectives: In the current study, we evaluate the current situation of Iranian scientists in the field of radiology and compare it with the selected countries in terms of scientific papers. For this purpose, we used scientometric tools to quantitatively assess the scientific papers in the field of radiology. Materials and Methods: Radiology papers were evaluated in the context of medical field audit using retrospective model. We used the related databases of biomedical sciences for extraction of articles related to radiology. In the next step, the situation of radiology scientific products of the country were determined with respect to the under study regional countries. Results: Results of the current study showed a ratio of 0.19% for Iranian papers in PubMed database published in 2009. In addition, in 2009, Iranian papers constituted 0.29% of the Scopus scientific database. The proportion of Iranian papers in the understudy region was 7.6%. Conclusion: To diminish the gap between Iranian scientific radiology papers and other competitor countries in the region and achievement of document 2 025 goals, multifold effort of the society of radiology is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Iranian scorpion species are classified in Buthidae and Scorpionidae with 16 genera and 25 species. In Iran, similar to other parts of the world, there are a few known species of scorpions responsible for severe envenoming. Mesobuthus eupeus is the most common species in Iran. Its venom contains several toxin fractions which can affect the ion channel. In this study purification, labeling and biological evaluation of Mesobuthus eupeus scorpion venom are described. Methods: To separate different venom fractions, soluble venom was loaded on a chromatography column packed with sephadex G50 gel then the fractions were collected according to UV absorption at 280 nm wavelength. Toxic fraction (F3) was loaded on anionic ion exchanger resin (DEAE) and then on a cationic resins (CM). Finally toxic fraction F319 was labeled with 99mTc and radiochemical analysis was determined by paper chromatography. The biodistribution was studied after injection into normal mice. Results: Toxic fraction of venom was successfully obtained in purified form. Radiolabeling of venom was performed at high specific activity with radiochemical purity more than 95% which was stable for more than 4 h. Biodistribution studies in normal mice showed rapid clearance of compound from blood (2.64% ID at 4 h) and tissues except the kidneys (27% ID at 4 h). Conclusion: As tissue distribution studies are very important for clinical use, results of this study suggest that 99mTc labeling of venom can be a useful tool for in vivo studies and is an excellent approach to follow the process of biodistribution and kinetics of toxins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study was designed to assess and compare the quantity and quality of Iranian and Turkish researchers working in the field of Parasitology from bibliometric point of view. Methods: To assess the contributions and achievements of the Iranian and Turkish parasitologists, bibliometric analysis was carried out based on the citation data retrieved from Web of Science. Results: The absolute productivity of Turkish and Iranian parasitologists' papers has almost tripled for Turkey, from 12 papers in 2002 to 36 papers in 2011, and decuple for Iran, from 10 papers to 123 from 2002 to 2010. The average number of citation per article is about 5.8 and 4 for Turkish and Iranian parasitologists' papers, respectively. The "Veterinary Parasitology" journal was the most cited journal in both countries. The majority (more than 90%) of cited items was foreign journal articles and one half of all references in journals articles dated 11 and 12 years while one half of cited books was dated within 14 to16 years for Turkish and Iranian papers, respectively. Conclusion: Based on observed data and applied model, it is anticipated that the total number of Iranian and Turkish parasitologists' publications in Web of Science will exceed of 2512 and 240 articles per annum for Iranian and Turkish in 2020, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) is widely distributed in Iran and around the world. Also, Khuzestan Province is an endemic focus of ZCL. This study aims to investigate the natural infection of sand flies with the Leishmania parasite in Karun County. Methods: Sand flies were collected from Jangiyeh, Qaleh Chanan, Kut-e-Navaser, and Ghazavieh in the spring and summer in the year of 2019, by installing 60 sticky paper traps each time (30 traps outdoors and 30 traps indoors). Two hundred female sand flies with different abdominal conditions (empty, blood-fed, semi-gravid, and gravid) were examined for infection rate using the Nested-PCR method. Results: In this study, seven species of sand flies including Phlebotomus papatasi, Ph. alexandri, Ph. sergenti, Ph. caucasicus, Sergentomyia tiberiadis, Se. sintoni, and Se. antennata were reported from Karun County, with a frequency of 79.64%, 16.96%, 1.07%, 0.18%, 0.36%, 1.61%, and 0.18%, respectively. Only eleven specimens of Ph. papatasi were found to be positive for Leishmania major, with an overall infection rate of 7.8%. The infection of Ph. papatasi was specifically reported in blood-fed, gravid, and semi-gravid specimens, with infection rates of 17.02%, 4.35%, and 14.29%, respectively. Conclusion: In this study, the infection of L. major from Ph. papatasi was reported. The results can be used in planning the control of ZCL in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The number of scientific papers is a conventional metric to measure a country's research performance in a particular area. The aim of this survey was to demonstrate statistical information about orthodontic research published in international and national journals. Materials and Methods: Pubmed as an international and IranMedex and SID as national databases were searched between1997 and 2012. The keyword searching method was used in English and Persian. Abstracts were reviewed and unrelated articles were omitted. Data were obtained and transferred to Microsoft Excel to survey the scintometric indicators. Results: According to the defined criteria, a total of 733 papers were found showing a considerable increase. Five hundred papers (68.2%) were published in domestic journals, and 233 (31.8%) were published in PubMed indexed journals. Most of the orthodontic articles originated from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (22.9%). The Journal of Dental School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences published most of the national papers (27.8%) and the Australian Orthodontic Journal published the majority of international papers (9.9%) In terms of study design, 52.5% of the articles were observational and 39.4% were interventional. Conclusion: Orthodontic research production in Iran has made significant strides in the recent years and researchers should focus on the quality of the study in this field in order to apply research production in evidence base dentistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Infertility influences various emotional, psychological, social, and relational aspects of women's lives. By employing a systematic review on the papers published in this field, this study aimed to identify the consequences of infertility on psychological and social health of women in Iran. Method: This was a descriptive study, conducted through a systematic review according to the directions denoted by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) in 2018. To investigate the entirety of the published studies on the sociopsychological consequences of women's infertility in Iran, various databases, including Comprehensive Human Science Portal, Scientific Information Databases (SID), Magiran, National Library and Archives of I. R. IRAN, Noormags, MEDLIB, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Medline, and ProQuest, were explored for the studies published between 1991 and 2018. The selected papers were evaluated according to the content analysis method. Results: Out of the 53 papers investigated, 27 were published in domestic journals (51%), while the remaining 26 papers were published in international journals and were in English (49%). The results revealed that sociopsychological consequences of women's infertility are categorized in 6 main categories: (1) quality of life, (2) depression, (3) anxiety, (4) social support, (5) violence, and (6) sexual function. Conclusion: The results of this study can be used to design psychocognitive interventions and assist women in decreasing the emerging psychological pain and pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the review on the paper entitled "The Cost-Utility Analysis of PET-Scan in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma in Iran" by Vahid Alipour and Ahmad Fayaz Bakhsh published in the November 11, 2014 issue of the journal.

Evaluation of the research status of the academic institution provides it with the possibility of accurate research policymaking. Scientometric indicators are important tools for evaluating scientific activities of individuals, groups, and institutions. The current research aims to analysis the research performance of medical universities in Northern Iran based on quantitative and qualitative scientometric indicators. In this cross-sectional descriptive study, the Scopus-indexed scientific documents provided by medical universities in the Northern Iran have been studied in terms of number of publications, number of citations, average number of Citations per Publication (C/P), Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI), scientific collaborations, the number of in top 10% citation percentile, and the number of publications in top 10% journal percentile according to CiteScore, Source Normalized Impact per Paper (SNIP), and SCImagoJournal Rank (SJR) indicators during a five years period. According to the findings, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences has gained the highest position in terms of the number of publications and citations, number of publications with international and national collaborations, and academic-industrial collaborations., while Golestan University of Medical Sciences has gained a higher position in terms of scientific outputs in top 10% citation percentile and journal percentile, CiteScore, SNIP, SJR and C/P. In terms of the FWCI indicator, Golestan University of Medical Sciences has achieved the highest value. Considering academic status and research capabilities of medical universities in the Northern Iran, increasing academic-industrial collaboration, expanding academic collaboration with superior universities and institutions around the world can be effective in increasing the quality of research and upgrading academic ranks of universities at national, regional and international levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anopheles stephensi is the main vector of malaria in Iran. This study aimed to determine the susceptibility of An. stephensi from the south of Iran to bendiocarb and to investigate biochemical and molecular resistance mechanisms in this species. Methods: Wild An. stephensi were collected from Hormozgan Province and reared to the adult stage. The susceptibility test was conducted according to the WHO protocols using bendiocarb impregnated papers supplied by WHO. Also, field An. Stephensi specimens were collected from south of Kerman and Sistan and Baluchistan Provinces. To determine the G119S mutation in the acetylcholinesterase (Ace1) gene, PCR-RFLP using AluI restriction enzyme and PCR direct-sequencing were performed for the three field populations and compared with the available GenBank data. Also, biochemical assays were performed to measure alpha and beta esterases, insensitive acetylcholinesterase, and oxidases in the strains. Results: The bioassay tests showed that the An. stephensi field strain was resistant to bendiocarb (mortality rate 89%). Ace1 gene analysis revealed no G119S in the three field populations. Blast search of sequences revealed 98–99% identity with the Ace1 gene from Pakistan and India respectively. Also, the results of biochemical tests revealed the high activity of non-sensitive acetylcholinesterase, alpha and beta-esterase in the resistant strain compared to the susceptible strain. No G119S was detected in this study additionally the enhanced enzyme activity of esterases and acetylcholinesterase suggesting that resistance was metabolic. Conclusion: The use of alternative malaria control methods and the implementation of resistance management strategies are suggested in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Dental Medicine is the property of Tehran University of Medical Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: In this systematic review, we aimed to evaluate the existing strategies and interventions in domestic violence prevention to assess their effectiveness. Method: To select studies, Pubmed, ISI, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane, Scopus, Embase, Ovid, Science Direct, ProQuest, and Elsevier databases were searched. Two authors reviewed all papers using established inclusion/ exclusion criteria. Finally, 18 articles were selected and met the inclusion criteria for assessment. Following the Cochrane quality assessment tool and AHRQ Standards, the studies were classified for quality rating based on design and performance quality. Two authors separately reviewed the studies and categorized them as good, fair, and poor quality. Results: Most of the selected papers had fair- or poor-quality rating in terms of methodology quality. Different intervention methods had been used in these studies. Four studies focused on empowering women; 3, 4, and 2 studies were internet-based interventions, financial interventions, and relatively social interventions, respectively. Four interventions were also implemented in specific groups. All authors stated that interventions were effective. Conclusion: Intervention methods should be fully in line with the characteristics of the participants. Environmental and cultural conditions and the role of the cause of violence are important elements in choosing the type of intervention. Interventions are not superior to each other because of their different applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Phlebotominae sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) are the vectors of leishmaniasis. There are different methods for sand fly collection with different performance. The purpose of the current study was to compare the effect of different traps for collection of Phlebotominae sand flies in three endemic leishmaniasis foci in North Khorasan Province, northeast of Iran. Methods: Sand flies were collected using seven different traps from three villages, three times each twenty days during peak periods of seasonal activity in 2016. Results: A total of 7253 sand flies were collected. The specimens belonged to19 species. Phlebotomus sergenti was the most predominant species in the study area. Light trap baited with Carbon dioxide (CLT) and sticky paper trap (SPT) caught 22.6% and 22.3% of sand flies respectively. Animal baited trap (ABT) and white Shannon trap (WST) caught significantly fewer sand flies than the other traps. The sex ratio was different by phlebotominae sand fly species and collection methods. The sex ratio was highest in SPT and lowest in black Shannon trap (BST). Species diversity and species richness in SPT were more than other traps. Conclusion: Our findings confirm that CLT and SPT are the most efficient sand fly collection methods. CLT is higher attractive for females and Phlebotomus genus and is an ideal method for monitoring the population of Phlebotomus genus during surveillance. SPT is an inexpensive, convenient and easy to be used to detect the presence of sand flies at low densities and provide a more realistic estimation of sand flies biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The primary aim of this study is to determine infection to Leishmania parasites in the wild population of Phlebotomus caucasicus and Phlebotomus mongolensis using molecular methods in some important zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis foci in Iran. Methods: Sand flies were collected from active colonies of rodent burrows from 16 trapping sites using sticky trap paper. In order to detect and identify of Leishmania parasites in females Ph. caucasicus and Ph. mongolensis, the Nested– PCR amplification of ITS2-rDNA region was performed to generate amplicon with 245bp for Leishmania major, 206bp for L. gerbilli and 141bp for L. turanica. Results: In the current study we found DNA of different gerbil parasites such as L. major and L. turanica, and mixed infection of L. major/L. turanica in Ph. caucasicus and Ph. mongolensis. It should be noted that, in Iran, natural infection with Leishmania parasites is recorded for the first time in this study in Ph. mongolensis. Conclusion: Both species of Ph. caucasicus and Ph. mongolensis not only may participate in the ZCL transmission cycle between reservoir hosts, but also results of this study support the role of these species as secondary vectors in the transmission of leishmaniasis to humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Leishmaniasis is one of the most important vector-borne and neglected tropical diseases in many parts of the world. The main objective of this study was to determine the biodiversity of phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae, Phlebotominae) in Khuzestan and Kermanshah Provinces of Iran. Methods: Sampling was conducted in Khuzestan and Kermanshah Provinces using sticky paper traps and CDC light traps. The samples were then stored in 96% alcohol-containing vials, mounted, and identified. Afterward, the alpha diversity (using Simpson’s, Shannon-Weiner’s diversity, evenness, Maghalef’s, Menhinick’s, Hill N1 and N2 indices) and beta diversity indices (using Sorensen’s and Jaccard’s coefficients) were calculated. Results: A total of 4302 sand flies were caught and identified which comprised mostly of Phlebotomus papatasi, Ph. alexandri and Ph. sergenti. It was found that among the four counties of Ahvaz, Shush, Shushtar and Dezful in Khuzestan Province, Shush had the lowest, and Shushtar, the highest amount of species diversity and evenness. In the four studied counties of Kermanshah Province, species diversity in Kermanshah County had the lowest amount and Sarpol-e-Zahab, the highest. The species richness in Kermanshah County was the lowest, while Qasr-e-Shirin County had the highest amount. Conclusion: An overview of the biodiversity of phlebotomine sand flies in Kermanshah County in Kermanshah Province, and Shush County in Khuzestan Province, showed less stability in community structure of these vectors, which can be counted as an alarm for emerging dominant vectors among the studied counties and have the potential to increase the prevalence of leishmaniasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malaria is the most important transfusion-transmitted infection (TTI) in worldwide after viral hepatitis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The main objective of the present study was to review and evaluate the transmission of malaria via blood transfusion in Iran. Methods: A literature search was done without time limitation in the electronic databases as follows: PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Science Direct, scientific information database (SID), Magiran, IranMedex and Irandoc. The searches were limited to the published papers to English and Persian languages. Results: Six papers were eligible. From 1963 to 1983, 344 cases of Transfusiontransmitted malaria (TTM) had been reported from different provinces of Iran. The most prevalent species of involved Plasmodium in investigated cases of TTM was Plasmodium malariae (79.24%). The screening results of 1,135 blood donors for malaria were negative by microscopic examination of peripheral blood smears and rapid diagnostic test (RDT) methods. Conclusion: Lack of TTM report from Iran in the last three decades indicates that the screening of blood donors through interviewing (donor selection) may be effective in the prevention of the occurrence of transfusion-transmitted malaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aims of this study were to evaluate the efficiency of two capture methods for providing live sandflies used for determining the susceptibility level of Phlebotomus papatasi, the main vector of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in Lorestan Province, west of Iran. Methods: The sand flies were collected from indoor and outdoor by hand-catch and baited traps during the peak of seasonal activity. The susceptibility level of sand flies was assessed using insecticide-impregnated papers against DDT 4%, bendiocarb 0.1%, permethrin 0.75%, deltamethrin 0.05%, and cyfluthrin 0.15%. Results: A total of 2486 live sandflies were caught from both indoor and outdoor places. Totally 849 sand flies were caught from outdoors with a sex ratio(SR) 0.1 versus 1637 sand flies collected from indoor using the hand-catch method with SR= 0.6. The dominant species of sand flies was Ph. papatasi in the study area. Mortality rates of outdoor-collected sand flies were exposed to DDT 4%, deltamethrin 0.05%, permethrin 0.75%, and bendiocarb 0.1%, and mortality rate ranged from 92.0–97.9% and for indoor-collected sand flies were 87.7–96.8%. Both outdoor and indoor collected sand flies were susceptible to cyfluthrin 0.15% that caused 100% mortality. Conclusion: Based on the findings, the most appropriate method for collecting the live female Ph. papatasi is the baited traps due to providing enough females is necessary for conducting the susceptibility tests. The finding indicated that Ph. papatasi was resistant to DDT, under ‟verification required‟ status to deltamethrin, permethrin, bendiocarb, and susceptible to cyfluthrin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of various supports of prodigious figures in the field of immunology and allergy, the subject area has been faced a great leap during the last century. The current state of the discipline owes an abundant appreciation for the scholars motivated in escalating the true nature of the science, who left no stone unturned in improving the general common sense and understanding of the human knowledge in general, and immunology and allergy in particular. Professor Reza Farid Hosseini is among the dignitaries who invested his life and energy on weaving the tapestry of the immunology and allergy. He delivered a great deal of influence on the field by his ethical devotion to science and was a significant contributor in the realms of the human immune system. His presence drastically rehabilitated the place of the Immunology in Iran, and the current paper seeks to review the personal and academic life of Professor Reza Farid Hosseini in honor and appreciation for his in-depth involvement in the field. The paper summarizes Professor Farid's childhood, school, and higher education, compilations, and translation of books, his contribution to the research both inside and outside of Iran, and scientific activities of Dr. Farid Hosseini. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to present a bibliometric and altmetric Analyses of the Iranian Journal of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (IJAAI). The citation performance and altmetric data were extracted from Scopus and Altmetric Explorer, respectively. Analyses were done using SPSS 26, Microsoft Excel, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace. The results of the bibliometric analysis revealed that IJAAI had experienced respectable growth. Among the total citations, 4746 citations belong to the first decade (2005-2014) and 3,035 citations belong to the second (2015-2022). The findings demonstrated the significance of IJAAI among Iranian researchers. Pourpak, Z (66; 6.57%) is the top-producing author in IJAAI. The examination of research institutions reveals that the Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) is ranked first. The most highly cited article in IJAAI over the past 18 years is a review article which has received 138 citations. IJAAI is ranked first at the citing source and journal level, with the most citations (249 citations) to IJAAI. Iran has collaborated with 13 other countries. Overall, the analysis of co-occurred keywords indicates that IJAAI authors have used the following three high-frequency and important keywords: Asthma (162), Inflammation (48), and Multiple sclerosis (40). Co-citation analysis results demonstrated that a total of 6,718 sources were cited in this journal . The results of the altmetric analysis show that IJAAI has a reasonably low presence across various social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, Wikipedia, Mendeley, news and blogs. This study aids researchers in exploring and identifying emerging trends in the fields of allergy, asthma, and immunology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bedbugs are nocturnal ectoparasites that have made a comeback after 20 years and have become one of the main challenges for pest control methods worldwide. Monitoring chemical pesticide resistance is crucial for identifying the best bed bugs management strategies to effectively manage arthropods. This study aims to assess the susceptibility of Cimex hemipterus (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) collected from different parts of Khorasan-Razavi Province, (northeast of Iran) to deltamethrin (pyrethroid), phoxim (organothiophosphate) and propetamphos (phosphoramidate). Methods: This study was conducted from Dec 2020 to May 2021. The efficacy of three insecticides (deltamethrin, phoxim, and propetamphos) on adult C.hemipterus was assessed using a bioassay method recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO),. Concentrations of deltamethrin used were 10, 20, 40, 80, 160, 320, 640, 1280, and 2560 ppm, while concentrations of phoxim and propetamphos were 10, 40, 160, and 320 ppm. The bed bugs were continuously exposed to the insecticide for 24 hours, and mortality was assessed at regular intervals during the observation period. The concentration-response data were subjected to POLO-PC software and data were analyzed by the one-way and two-way ANOVA procedures. Results: The lethal concentration fifty values of deltamethrin, phoxim and propetamphos on the examined bed bugs were 0.551, 0.148 and 0.237 ppm, respectively. Insecticide effects of phoxim were significantly higher (P≤ 0.05) compared to each of either deltamethrin and propetamphos agents. Conclusions: The insecticide effects of phoxim against bed bugs were significantly higher compared to each of either deltamethrin or propetamphosinsecticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In developing countries where conventional trains are still in use, passengers endure lengthy hours on board. These passengers could opt for air travel, which offers a much shorter duration. Therefore, environmental factors significantly contribute to the overall comfort of passengers and the modal share of railways. In this cross-sectional research, a questionnaire has been developed to quantify passenger evaluations of factors such as light, temperature, noise, and vibrations. An 11-hour journey between Tehran, the capital of Iran, and the second major city is selected, along with two trains (five-star and four-star). Passengers responded to paper questionnaires, and 382 fully completed ones were collected and analyzed. Satisfaction from light was highest while thermal comfort was lowest. A statistically significant difference was observed between the comfort levels of passengers on the two trains. The results also indicated that certain personal or health conditions affect passenger feelings. For example, individuals suffering from low blood pressure tend to feel cold, or those who wear reading glasses are not satisfied with the illumination. Furthermore, older individuals are more sensitive to vibrations, but those traveling with their families are less sensitive to it. The findings of this research can assist in better compartment allocation for passengers and enhance overall passenger satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical ethics faces several challenges in different aspects of education, research, and treatment in medicine and healthcare practice. Design and implementation of a national strategic plan can pave the way for the development of a roadmap in various countries to strengthen ethics and address these challenges. To create a comprehensive plan compatible with the Iranian healthcare system, a multidisciplinary team of main stakeholders compiled a national strategic plan of medical ethics following several focus group discussion sessions and two workshops (2014-2017). Ultimately, the plan was confirmed by the Supreme Council for the Medical Ethics of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education. The current paper is a national report of the process and the medical ethics strategic plan in Iran. We have also tracked signs of progress and achievements in the country. In conclusion, this valuable effort has led to significant success in the implementation of medical ethics in clinical medicine, medical research, and education by using all the resources in our country. The participation of all the stakeholders, especially healthcare professionals in this way is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Culex pipiens complex is considered as a vector of some important diseases such as West Nile fever, equine encephalitis, Rift valley fever, St. Louis encephalitis, Elephanthiasis and avian malaria in the world. The main measure for vector control is using insecticides. High use of insecticides caused resistance in the populations. The aim of this study was to review the status of insecticide resistance in the vector. Methods: Insecticide resistance in this species was found by the available papers and map of the data for carbamates, organochlorine, organophosphates, pyrethroids, microbial and insect growth regulator insecticides were done. An intensive search of scientific literature was done in “PubMed”, “Web of Knowledge”, “Scopus”, “Google Scholar”, “SID”, and related resources. Results: Results showed that a wide variety of resistance to different insecticides in the country. Due to importance of this species in transmission of diseases. Discussion: resistance management strategies should be further considered to prevent from in secticide resistance and replacement of novel approach for vector control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Changes in the gendered division of domestic labour are often assumed to influence childbearing intention, but existing evidence is varied and less examined in the Asian context. This paper aims to investigate the association between the gendered division of domestic labour and the intention to have another child. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Tehran on 455 married women aged 18-40 years who were selected through a multi-stage cluster sampling. Results: Domestic labour is still a feminine role and the majority of women are satisfied with the division of domestic labour. Women's satisfaction with the division of domestic labour is a predictor of their tendency to have another child, but the actual division of domestic labour has not a significant effect on women's desire to childbearing, in the multivariate model. Conclusion: Women's desire for having another child is positively impacted by their satisfaction with the gendered division of labour in their household. To achieve more fertility, gender equality in the family and identifying the factors affecting women's satisfaction with the division of domestic labour is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malaria continues to be the main vector-borne disease in Iran. The endemic foci of malaria are in Sistan and Baluchistan Province, the borderline of Iran and Pakistan. By the year 2020 the program of the country is malaria elimination. The main vector control is using insecticide as Indoor Residual Spraying. The aim of the study was to evaluate the susceptibility of main malaria vectors to different insecticides recommended by WHO. Methods: All the insecticides papers supported by WHO and evaluation of insecticide resistance of Anopheles stephensi, Anopheles culicifacies, Anopheles superpictus to different chemical groups of imagicides including DDT 4%, malathion 5%, propoxur 01.%, lambdacyhalothrin 0.05%, deltamethrin 0.025% and permethrin 0.75% were followed by the WHO guideline. Results: Results of the susceptibility test against different insecticides revealed that An. stephensi and An. culicifacies are resistant to DDT and susceptible to other insecticides. An. superpictus is susceptible to all groups of pesticides. Conclusion: Knowledge on insecticide resistance in target species is a basic requirement to guide insecticide use in malaria control programmes in local and global scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an ancient endemic disease in Iran and continues to be a growing health threat to community development and the environment. This paper explains how to use the facilities of health centers for developing a laboratory network on vectors and reservoir hosts of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iran. Methods: A literature search was performed of the relevant multiple databases to include studies on vectors and reservoirs of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iran. A team of experienced experts was performed. After holding several meetings, field visits and organizing workshops, the activities of laboratories were determined at three levels. Results: Entomological studies showed that 5 species of the genus Phlebotomus and 10 species of the genus Sergentomyia are active in the south, 4 species of the genus Phlebotomus and one species of the genus Sergentomyia in the central part and 5 species of the genus Phlebotomus and 2 species of the genus Sergentomyia in the north east. Reservoir hosts were identified in the study areas. The tasks of laboratories were regulated at different levels. Conclusion: The Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education should prioritize the employment of capable persons in the field of Medical Entomology and Vector Control. The survival of this laboratory network depends on hiring and employing interested and persistent people. The universities of Medical Sciences that have the facilities to set up this network will be a very effective partner in the control of the disease in high risk areas. The results can be used in neighboring countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To generate synthesized information on the epidemiology of VZV infection, as well as an estimation of prevalence of age-specific antibody in Iranian less than 40. Material and Methods: After exclusion of irrelevant and overlapping reports, 15 papers were included (from nine major cities). Studies were pooled according to the heterogeneity test results. Random effect model methods were used for metaanalysis where significant heterogeneity was observed (age 1-16years ).For other age groups, fixed model were used. Results: Significant heterogeneity was observed in prevalence rates of all childhood age-groups. The seropositivity prevalence increased steeply from the age of 1-5 to 6-10 [from 21.9% (95% CI; 10.8-33.1) to 42.1 %(95% CI; 33.6-50.6)]. At the age of 11-15, 59.4% (95% CI; 46.1-72.8) of children showed to be infected. The rate of seropositivity was more than 87% in individuals of 40 and older. Conclusion: The varicella seroeprevalence in Iran is in accordance with average tropical and temperate areas. Comparison of conducted studies during 2003 to 2011 didn't show any alteration in VZV seroprovalence in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Dentistry is an important profession ensuring the health of body and soul, and has a special place in the scientific productions of medical disciplines. The purpose of this study was to analyze the co-citation and word co-occurrence of Iranian research papers in the field of dentistry based on indexed documents in Web of Science from 2014 to 2018. Materials and Methods: The present study follows the procedures related to quantitative research with a descriptive approach and a scientometric technique. Co-citation and cooccurrence analysis techniques were used. In this study, 1079 articles were reviewed from the Web of Science. Data analysis was performed Ucinet Software, and VOS viewer. Results: Iran has the highest level of international cooperation with the United States. The highest number of published articles in the Web of Science Database belongs to Vahid Derakhshani based on the highest degree of centrality, the Eigen centrality, and the Betweenness centrality. Naser Amin Abadi ranked first for the Closeness Centrality metric, and Massoud Peirokh with a citation weight of 20 had the highest citation. The field of surgery has received the most attention among dental and endodontics journal had the highest citation in the Iranian Dental Science Citation Network. Conclusion: The trend of publishing scientific articles in Iran in the field of dentistry has been increasing during the selected period. The keywords oral, dental, and pediatric surgery have the most effective and decisive role in the scientific network of dentistry. These keywords provided strong scientific communication amongst the dental scholars in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Having cosmetic breast implants increases a woman's chance of suicide, which is now a global challenge. This systematic review evaluated the possible risk of suicide among women who undergo cosmetic breast implants. Method: This meta-analysis was done based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). In the current systematic review and meta-analysis, we systematically searched for all articles written in both English or Persian that estimated the prevalence of suicidal ideation in women who had cosmetic breast implants. We systematically searched different databases, including MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane, Library ProQuest, Scopus, and Google Scholar, from inception to March 2021. There was also a search for references. Suicidal ideation, a suicide plan, or suicide attempts were the outcomes. In order to determine the total pooled prevalence of suicidal ideation, we utilized a random-effects model. To examine the risks of bias in each study, we applied the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal method. Results: We identified 218 citations in our initial search. After omitting duplicated citations and excluding irrelevant studies according to the title and abstract selection, 42 studies were chosen for the full text analysis. Finally, 11 research, examining a total of 324,332 women were incorporated into the systematic review and critical appraisal assessment. Eight of these studies were found to be eligible for meta-analysis. The frequency of suicide in women with cosmetic breast implant was 0.2% (95% CI: 0.1% to 0.4%; P < 0.001) (Q-value: 168.143, I2:95.83). Most of the included studies had moderate quality. Conclusion: There might be a correlation between cosmetic breast implants and suicide risk, which could be stronger in the presence of a history of mental illnesses. The evidence about the possible effects of breast implants on the risk of suicide is still inconclusive, and there is a need for future well-designed studies on this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the importance of patient's rights in healthcare, special attention has been given to the concept of patient's rights by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education in Iran. Iranian patient's rights charter has been compiled with a novel and comprehensive approach. This charter aims to elucidate rights of recipients of health services as well as observing ethical standards in medicine. This paper presents the Iranian patient's rights charter. Based on a study done from 2007 to 2009, the charter has been finalized through an extensive consultation involving all stakeholders, patients, physicians, nurses, lawyers, patient associations and health policy makers. The developed charter was adopted by the Ministry of Health in December 2009. Iranian patient's rights charter has been formulated in the framework of 5 chapters and 37 articles including vision and an explanatory note. The five chapters concern right to receiving appropriate services, right to access desired and enough information, right to choose and decide freely about receiving healthcare, right to privacy and confidentiality, and finally right to access an efficient system of dealing with complaints which have been explained in 14, 9, 7, 4 and 3 articles, respectively. The paper concludes that, adopting the patient's rights charter is a valuable measure to meet patient's rights; however, a serious challenge is how to implement and acculturate observing patient's rights in practice in our healthcare system in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Dentistry is an important profession ensuring the health of body and soul, and has a special place in the scientific productions of medical disciplines. The purpose of this study was to analyze the co-citation and word co-occurrence of Iranian research papers in the field of dentistry based on indexed documents in Web of Science from 2014 to 2018. Materials and Methods: The present study follows the procedures related to quantitative research with a descriptive approach and a scientometric technique. Co-citation and cooccurrence analysis techniques were used. In this study, 1079 articles were reviewed from the Web of Science. Data analysis was performed Ucinet Software, and VOS viewer. Results: Iran has the highest level of international cooperation with the United States. The highest number of published articles in the Web of Science Database belongs to Vahid Derakhshani based on the highest degree of centrality, the Eigen centrality, and the Betweenness centrality. Naser AminAbadi ranked first for the Closeness Centrality metric, and Massoud Peirokh with a citation weight of 20 had the highest citation. The field of surgery has received the most attention among dental and endodontics journal had the highest citation in the Iranian Dental Science Citation Network. Conclusion: The trend of publishing scientific articles in Iran in the field of dentistry has been increasing during the selected period. The keywords oral, dental, and pediatric surgery have the most effective and decisive role in the scientific network of dentistry. These keywords provided strong scientific communication amongst the dental scholars in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The Iranian Mental Health Survey (IranMHS) in 2011 has demonstrated that almost 1 out of 4 adult individuals suffer from psychiatric disorders; however, more than two-thirds are left unrecognized and untreated and many of the services have poor quality of care. In this paper we present our experience in developing and employing community-based mental health services through community mental health centers (CMHCs), which has been incorporated in Iran's comprehensive mental and social health services (the Seraj program). Method: The service model of the CMHCs was developed though an evidence-based service planning approach and was then incorporated as the specialized outpatient services model into the Seraj program in 2015. Results: The CMHCs in the Seraj program provide mental health care to patients with common mental and severe mental disorders in a defined catchment area. The services include the collaborative care, the aftercare, and day rehabilitation. The collaborative care model works with primary care providers in the health centers to provide detection and treatment of common mental illnesses. In the aftercare, services are offered to patients with severe mental disorders following discharge from the hospital and include telephone follow-ups and home visits. Day rehabilitation is mostly focused on providing psychoeducation and skill trainings. During the first 4 years of implementation in 2 pilot areas, more than 6200 patients (10% having severe mental disorders) received care at CMHCs. Conclusion: The main challenge of the implementation of the CMHC component in the Seraj program is to secure funds and employ skilled personnel. We need to incorporate Seraj in the existing national health system, and if successful, it can fill the treatment gap that has been so huge in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Currently, share of the scientific output, citation per paper, and coauthorship for articles indexed in databases such as ISI Web of Science, are very important criteria for the evaluation and ranking of countries, researchers, institutes, articles, disciplines and journals in the world. Therefore, the main objectives of the study were to determine co-authorship, the average citation per paper and the most prolific Iranian university or institution in the field of immunology. Methods: For performing this scientometric study, we employed survey methods and citation analysis of the indexed papers in the ISI Web of Science from 1974 to 2010. Results: A total of 1775 articles by Iranian authors in the field of immunology had been indexed in the database for the aforesaid period. Most collaborations and co-authorship of Iranian authors was with their counterparts from the USA. The average citation per paper in the field was 6.26 per paper. Tehran University of Medical Sciences had the highest number of articles in the database. Conclusion: According to the results, Iranians collaborated with American peers more than any other nationality and the average citation per paper in the field of immunology is higher than that of other fields in Iran but lower than the global average. Tehran University of Medical Sciences is the most prolific university in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies confirm direct and indirect costs of low back pain in occupational settings. However, there is no systematic study of the risk factors for low back pain in different occupations; while planning and allocating resources requires comprehensive knowledge at the national and regional levels in order to control and manage low back pain. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify risk factors of low back pain in Iranian workers during the years 2000 to 2015. Published journal papers, articles presented at the congresses and student thesis reports were systematically reviewed. Abstracts were extracted using appropriate keywords and authentic English-language (Google Scholar, Scopus, and PubMed) and Farsi (Magiran, SID, IranMedex, and Irandoc) databases. Following quality assessment of the selected publications, the full texts of the related ones were reviewed. In 150 eligible studies, the mean prevalence of low back pain in the last 12 months was 48.77. Nordic questionnaire was the most commonly used technique for assessing back pain, and RULA and REBA were the most commonly used method for determining risk factors. All risk factors were categorized into nine groups: biomechanical, workplace design, tools and equipment, environmental, temporal aspects of job design, job content, organizational aspects, personal characteristics, and training. According to the findings, about half of the workers in Iran experienced low back pain. Considering the widespread risk factors and the high prevalence of low back pain among various occupational groups, it is suggested that appropriate measures be taken based on the findings of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Culiseta longiareolata is an important vector for many human diseases such as brucellosis, avian influenza and West Nile encephalitis. It is likely an intermediate host of avian Plasmodium that can transmit Malta fever. The aim of this study was to determine the susceptibility level of Cs. longiareolata to different classes of imagicides which are recommended by World Health Organization . Methods: Larval stages of the Cs. longiareolata were collected from their natural habitats in Marand County at East Azerbaijan Province, northwestern of Iran in 2017. Adult susceptibility test were carried out with using impregnated papers to insecticides including DDT 4%, Cyfluthrin 0.15%, Deltamethrin 0.05%, Propoxur 0.1% and Fenitrothion 1% by standard test kits. Results: Results showed that Cs. longiareolata adult is more susceptible to pyrethroid and carbamate insecticides. Among tested insecticides, Cyfluthrin was the most toxic against Cs. longiareolata with LT50 value of 11.53 minutes and Fenitrothion had the least toxic effect (LT50: 63.39 min). Conclusions: This study provided a guideline for monitoring and evaluation of insecticide susceptibility tests against Cs. longiareolata mosquitoes for further decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "The First Record of Argulus foliacesus (Crustacea: Branchiura) Infestation on Lionhead goldfish (Carassius auratus) in Iran" by V. Noaman in the 2011 issue.

Background: Thalassemia is an inherited disease with anemia and hemolysis. Blood transfusion is a routine treatment for thalassemia patients; alloimmunization is one of the complications of blood transfusion, which is very serious for these patients, especially girls and young women. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study 446 thalassemia patients were examined. Demographic information of patients was extracted and recorded. The phenotype of ABO, Rh and Kell antigens (tube method) with antisera from IMMUNDIANOSTICA Company (Germany) and frequency of alloantibodies was determined. Results: 55.8% of studied individuals were male and 44.2% were female. Mean age of studied patients was 19.94±10.63. The alloantibodies were detected in 7.5% of pack cell receivers. The most prevalent phenotype of ABO system was O blood group (37.4%), and the most abundant antigen of Rh group was 'e', which was found in 99.8% of studied population. The most frequent detected alloantibody was Anti K (38.2%); concerning kell phenotype, (K_k+) and (K+k+) were found in 99.3% and 0.7% of patients, respectively. The frequency of Anti-D, Anti-C, Anti-c and Anti-E was 23.5%, 14.7%, 2.9% and 14.7%, respectively. Conclusion: According to the results of this paper, finding the compatible pack cells in terms of Kell and Rh systems antigens in addition to ABO blood group is recommended to decrease the rate of alloantibodies in thalassemia patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ticks are important vectors and reservoirs of Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) virus. Human beings may be infected whenever the normal life cycle of the infected ticks on non- human vertebrate hosts is interrupted by the undesirable presence of humans in the cycle. A total of 26 species of Argasid and Ixodid ticks have been recorded in Iran; including nine Hyalomma, two Rhipicephalus, two Dermacentor, five Haemaphysalis, two Boophilus, one Ixodes and two Argas as well as three Ornithodoros species as blood sucking ectoparasites of livestock and poultries. The present paper reviews tick vectors of CCHF virus in Iran, focusing on the role of ticks in different provinces of Iran using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. Methods: During ten years study, 1054 tick specimens; including two species of Argasidae and 17 species of Ixodidae were examined for their infection to CCHF virus genome. The output of all studies as well as related publications were discussed in the current paper. Results: The results show that Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Hyalomma marginatum, H. anatolicum, H. asiaticum and H. dromedarii were known as the most frequent species which were positive for CCHF virus. Conclusion: The status of ticks which were positive for CCHF virus revealed that unlike the most common idea that Hyalomma species are the most important vectors of CCHF virus, other ticks including Rhipicephalus, Haemaphysalis and Dermacentor can be reservoir of this virus; thus, considering geographical distribution, type of host and environmental conditions, different tick control measurements should be carried out in areas with high incidence of CCHF disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Compiling and designing short and practical psychometric tools are among the benefits and strengths of a good standard test. The Delirium-O-Meter questionnaire measures patients' delirium status. Accordingly, the main aim of this research was to check the reliability and validity of the Persian version of this questionnaire. Method: This exploratory psychometric study was conducted from 2021 to 2022 at the therapeutic research training centers of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. The study population included patients diagnosed with delirium. Content and construct validity were assessed using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Exploratory factor analysis was performed using SPSS 18, which helped identify the underlying factor structure, while confirmatory factor analysis in Smart PLS was employed to confirm the structure's fit. Pearson correlation was used to evaluate the consistency between different raters, and Cronbach's alpha was calculated to assess internal consistency. These methods were selected for their robustness in evaluating the instrument's psychometric properties, ensuring the reliability and validity of the Persian version of the Delirium-O-Meter questionnaire. Results: The Persian version of the Delirium-O-Meter questionnaire, consisting of 11 items, demonstrated strong psychometric properties. The average impact factor was 3.24, indicating a high relevance of the items. The content validity ratio was 0.78, and the content validity index was 0.87, both above the acceptable thresholds, confirming the content validity of the questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the entire questionnaire was 0.77, reflecting good internal consistency. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin index was 0.88, and Bartlett's sphericity test was significant (χ² = 278.45, P < 0.001), indicating the appropriateness of the data for factor analysis. Exploratory factor analysis revealed two factors that explained 76.09% of the total variance, supporting the questionnaire's construct validity. Additionally, Pearson's correlation coefficient between the assessments of two nurses was 0.91, signifying inter-rater solid reliability. Conclusion: The Persian version of the Delirium-O-Meter questionnaire demonstrates acceptable reliability and validity, as confirmed by the comprehensive psychometric evaluation conducted in this study. The strong internal consistency, significant content and construct validity, and high inter-rater reliability underscore its effectiveness in assessing delirium in Persian-speaking patients. These findings highlight the questionnaire's suitability for clinical use, providing a reliable and valid instrument for accurately diagnosing and managing delirium in diverse healthcare settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Brain and central nervous system (CNS) cancers make up about 3% of all cancers around the world and are more common among men than women. Present study aimed to evaluate the occurrence trend of brain and CNS cancers in Iran from 1990 to 2017. Methods: This study using global burden of disease (GBD) 1990 to 2017 data demonstrated the trend of incidence and mortality of brain and nervous system cancer in Iran. All-age, sex-based, age-standardized, age-specific (from 1990 to 2017), and age distribution of incidence and mortality rates of brain and nervous system cancer were estimated in Iran during 2017. Results: Both incidence and mortality rates of brain and nervous system cancer increased from 1990 to 2005 in Iran, Eastern Mediterranean Region, and global level. During 1990, incidence and mortality rates of brain and nervous system cancer were higher in women than men, but gradually both rates increased in men and exceeded women in Iran. From 1990 to 2017, the value of age-adjusted rate was higher than all-age rate of brain and nervous system cancer. The most incidence and mortality of brain and nervous system cancer from 1990 to 2017 occurred in age group of > 70 and the least values were seen in 15-49-year-old group in Iran. Conclusion: The brain tumor occurrence and mortality in Iran was higher than other Eastern Mediterranean Region countries. Incidence and mortality of this cancer has an increasing trend in Iran and this trend somewhat was independent from population aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a chronic granulomatous dermatitis (CGD). Approximately, 90% of CL patients are from seven countries including Iran. We explain polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic technique for chronic granulomatosis dermatoses including CL in Mashhad, Iran. Methods: This study enrolled 64 patients within 2009-2013 with chronic granulomatosis dermatitis referred to dermatology and pathology departments of Imam Reza Hospital, affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS), Mashhad, Iran. We gathered demographic data from archived folders. Histological light microscopic evaluation and parasitological tests were done on selected specimens. We used PCR diagnostic test on specimens. Statistical analysis was done by SPSS version 15. Results: Generally, 7 out of 64 specimens had Leishmania DNA and other samples had no Leishmania DNA. The mean age of patients was 46 ± 18.77 years; disease duration was 7 ± 6.73 months ranging from 1-24 months. Most of the lesions were located on face and upper limb. Totally, 5 out of 7 samples were Leishmania major and 2 out of 7 samples were L. tropica. Tuberculoid granuloma was present in L. tropica samples and 3 of L. major samples. Other light microscopic changes were as follow: 42 suppurative granuloma, and epidermal changes including atrophy, pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia, and parakeratosis with dermal changes including, plasma cell, involvement of papillary and reticular dermis, and distribution of granuloma to hypodermis. Conclusion: Our results addressed PCR-based diagnosis of chronic cutaneous leishmaniasis, which is resulted from L. major and L. tropica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Workplace violence is one type of occupational hazards that is increasingly growing worldwide. In the health system, one of the important groups subject to workplace violence is emergency medical services (EMS) personnel, who provide emergency services for patients and casualties as the first responders. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of workplace violence and its different types among Iranian EMS personnel. Method: This study was conducted based on PRISMA guideline for systematic review and meta-analysis. The data were extracted from Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, SID and MagIran databases using Persian and English keywords. The search was conducted up to December 2018 without any limitation in publication year. The qualities of selected papers were assessed by STROBE checklist. I2 index was used to evaluate heterogeneity, and random effects model was used in meta-analysis. Data were analyzed using Stata14. Results: A total of 9 studies entered the meta-analysis. The total sample size was 1257 Iranian EMS personnel, with an average age of 32.21 ± 2.01 years. The prevalence of physical, verbal, and cultural workplace violence among EMS personnel was 36.39% (CI 95%:27.29-45.50, P<0.001, I2 = 90.8%), 73.13% (95% CI=68.64-77.62, P=0.013, I2 = 62.7%), and 16.51% (95% CI =3.49- 29.53, p<0.001. I2 = 94.7%), respectively. Conclusion: Considering the high prevalence of workplace violence among EMS personnel in Iran, more studies should be conducted to determine the underlying causes of EMS staff workplace violence in Iran. Training violence prevention methods as well as assigning national protective rules are highly suggested. Insufficient studies on Workplace violence among EMS personnel in Iran and high heterogeneity were the limitations of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: West Nile virus (WNV) can cause a fatal disease in humans and it is mainly transmitted to people through the bites of infected mosquitoes. Vector control using insecticides is a very important goal. Study of Culex pipiens resistance towards several insecticides in the city of Tehran, Iran was evaluated. Methods: Adult females reared from field-caught larvae from southern part of Tehran and lab strain reared in the insectary of Tehran University of Medical Science were determined for resistant status by exposing to 4% DDT, 0.1% bendiocarb, 0.1% propoxur, 1% fenitrothion, 0.05% deltamethrin, 0.75% permethrin, 0.05% lambda-cyhalothrin, 0.5% etofenprox, 5% malathion and 0.15% cyfluthrin papers using the standard WHO susceptibility tests. Results: Results clearly showed resistance development of Cx. pipiens against tested insecticides. Mortalities of Cx. pipiens were less than 90% with high resistance, low knock down rate and knock down time (50%) observed against insecticides. DDT and Malathion showed the most and least lethal time (LT50) values for the field strain. The results of the knockdown test showed that DDT and deltamethrin had the most and least knockdown times (50%) for the field strain, respectively, while DDT and lambda-cyhalothrin had the most and least knockdown times (50%) for the lab strain, respectively. Conclusion: Resistance to mentioned insecticides in Cx. pipiens is widely distributed in southern part of Tehran. Regular implementation of susceptibility test in Cx. pipiens mosquitoes will help local public health authorities to develop new and better control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) is one of the most severe infectious diseases, causing neurologic sequel, and a case fatality rate of 20-30%. The aim of this paper was to summarize the main causes of ABM in Iran. We searched the data for relevant articles using meningitis, etiology, and Iran as search terms. We found 23 papers for inclusion in the review that focused specifically on the ABM, addressing etiology and acute meningitis. Finally, during the 23 years, a total of 18163 cases were recorded, and 1074 cases of which met the criteria for bacterial meningitis. The most common agent associated with bacterial meningitis was S. pneumoniae, followed by H. influenzae, Enterobacter spp., N. meningitidis, and group B streptococcus. The total incidence of ABM during 1991 to 2002 was higher than during 2003-2013. S. pneumoniae still remains a main cause of bacterial meningitis. For improved outcomes, studies are needed to further clarify the etiology of meningitis in Iran, explore simple, accurate, and practical diagnostic tools as PCR, and investigate the most appropriate specific and supportive interventions to manage and prevent meningitis as vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Considering the importance of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in the evidence-based approach, the objective of this study was critical appraisal of reporting RCTs in Iranian dental journals. Materials and Methods: After adequate searching, 113 RCT articles published during 2003-2010 were reviewed for quality of reporting with the CONSORT scale. The quality of each paper was assessed on 20. Results: Although statistical analysis was described in 93.8%, acceptable methods for randomization and blinding were found in only 8% and 11.5% of the papers, respectively. Reasons for withdrawal were also given in just 20.4% of the articles. Conclusion: This study revealed that the quality of reporting RCTs in Iranian dental journals does not meet the recommended standards generally and needs to be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information on the Iranian congress of radiology 2014 (ICR2014) is presented. Topics discussed at ICR2014 include an overview of the Iranian Society of Radiology, the society's resident research award, the progress of its developments, the recipients of its honorary membership, its gold medalists, scientific program, and the scientific papers presented at the congress.