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Industrialisation and urbanisation in the world and Iran have led to high levels of heavy metal contamination in water resources. The health risk of exposure to heavy metals via drinking water in two western cities of Mazandaran province, Iran was assessed. The concentrations of arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), and lead (Pb) in 60 water samples collected from groundwater resources of the cities of Noshahr and Ramsar were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks assessment for adults, teenagers, and children were estimated in terms of hazard quotient (HQ) and lifetime cancer risk (LTCR), 'respectively'. The average concentrations of As, Cr, and Pb in drinking water were 'respectively' 1.9, 21.6, and 1.8 µg/L in Noshahr and 1.2, 15.6, and 1 µg/L in Ramsar. These results showed that the concentration of metals in the studied areas were within standard ranges. The average HQs caused by exposure to Cr (0.229–0.383), As (0.200–0.333) and Pb (.016–.027) in Noshahr were lower than one. Also, the average HQ calculated due to exposure to Cr (0.151–0.253), As (0.132–0.219), and Pb (0.009–0.015) in Ramsar were within safe range. The non-carcinogenic risk of the heavy metals in Noshahr and Ramsar was in the following order: Cr > As > Pb. Based on the LTCR values, the carcinogenic risk of Cr in drinking water in the cities was higher than that of As. The LTCR values of As and Cr in drinking water for all the age groups in the cities were higher than the acceptable limit (10−5) recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The results can be helpful for health policy makers to prioritise interventions in the environmental health action plan and for people in taking protective measures such as using home water treatment devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines and explains the sociology of urban resilience among the residents of the coastal cities of Mazandaran province. Resilience should be learned by all sections of the society so that they can show high resilience in difficult situations. The research method, survey and statistical population include people aged 15 and older living in the coastal cities of Mazandaran province. The sampling method is a multi-stage cluster. First, a complete framework of the cities of the province was prepared. Then the coastal cities of the province were determined from the east to the far west of the province and in the next step all the coastal cities were numbered and then five coastal cities of Babolsar, Mahmudabad, Noor, Nowshahr and Ramsar were selected. According to Cochran's formula, the sample size is 384 people. The data collection tool is a standard and researcher-made questionnaire. The method of data analysis is Pearson, Spearman correlation coefficient, mean comparison, path analysis and regression analysis. The measurement tool used face validity and has the required reliability because the value of Cronbach's alpha coefficient in all variables was greater than 0.70. The findings showed that among the dimensions of resilience, trust in individual instincts has the highest average of 3.20 and the perception of individual competence has the lowest average of 3.07. The average resilience is average and equal to 3.14. The results of the correlation test showed that there is a significant positive and direct relationship between urban resilience and the amount of health-oriented lifestyle and social support. That is, the more the amount of health-oriented lifestyle and social support among the residents of the coastal cities of Mazandaran increases, the more urban resilience will increase. The value of the multiple correlation coefficients is equal to 0.484, which indicates a low correlation coefficient. The coefficient of determination shows that the set of independent variables explain 23.5% of the changes in the dependent variable of urban resilience. The health-oriented lifestyle variable and its dimensions have a greater effect on urban resilience. In order to increase urban resilience, it is necessary to increase and decrease the amount of health-oriented lifestyle as well as social support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Brucellosis is a common disease between humans and animals that still exists in most parts of Iran. This study investigated the epidemiology of brucellosis in Mazandaran province, Iran, during a nine-year period from the beginning of 2009 until the end of 2017. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted based on the guidelines of Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education on the data of 3732 brucellosis patients. The data were retrieved from the private and public laboratories gathered in a Ministry's database. We used the generalized estimating equation (GEE) for the Poisson regression model (Poisson GEE) to examine the disease incidence based on the studied variables. Results: The age-standardized incidence rate has been 13.2 per 100,000 people (15.6 in men and 21.3 in rural areas). The highest rate (17.2) was in 2012 and the lowest (10.6) was in 2014. The cities of Galugah (35.0) and Qaemshahr and Fereydunkenar (3.0) had the highest and lowest incidence rates. The patients' professions had been 30% housewives, 14.9% ranchers, and 14.4% livestock-related professions. The highest standard incidence was in people older than 55 years old. The results of the Poisson GEE regression model showed that the disease incidence has been higher in men compared to women and in rural compared to urban areas (risk ratio = 1.5, 3.4, P = 0.001). Conclusion: Mazandaran faces the risk of increased brucellosis incidence rate. Taking preventive measures, including educating people, are recommended for the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying air pollution distribution and factors is crucial for control. The research focused on analyzing air pollution distribution and its correlation with climatic variables in Mazandaran Province from 2018 to 2022 using Remote Sensing. Air pollution distribution analyzed with TROPOMI sensor in Google Earth Engine system. Air pollution change point analyzed with Petit's homogeneity test. Additionally, Pearson's correlation test was utilized to assess the correlation among variables. Spatial analysis of air pollution showed that the highest amount of air pollution in the period of 2018-2022 was in the east of Mazandaran and at altitudes of 0-500 m. The test results showed that the concentrations of CO, O3, and SO2 gases had a significant downward trend in some months. However, the average NO2 gas in October 2020 has been significant at the level of 5%. The seasonal air pollution concentration with NO2 gas is higher in winter and autumn. The highest concentration of O3 is in winter and spring. However, the highest concentration of SO2 is related to winter and autumn. The number of sunshine hours with a correlation coefficient between 0.5 and 0.8 has been the most effective climate component on air pollution. Meteorological factors impact temporal-spatial dispersion directly, indirectly.

Background: Brucellosis is a common disease between humans and animals that still exists in most parts of Iran. This study investigated the epidemiology of brucellosis in Mazandaran province, Iran, during a nine-year period from the beginning of 2009 until the end of 2017. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted based on the guidelines of Iran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education on the data of 3732 brucellosis patients. The data were retrieved from the private and public laboratories gathered in a Ministry’s database. We used the generalized estimating equation (GEE) for the Poisson regression model (Poisson GEE) to examine the disease incidence based on the studied variables. Results: The age-standardized incidence rate has been 13.2 per 100,000 people (15.6 in men and 21.3 in rural areas). The highest rate (17.2) was in 2012 and the lowest (10.6) was in 2014. The cities of Galugah (35.0) and Qaemshahr and Fereydunkenar (3.0) had the highest and lowest incidence rates. The patients’ professions had been 30% housewives, 14.9% ranchers, and 14.4% livestock-related professions. The highest standard incidence was in people older than 55 years old. The results of the Poisson GEE regression model showed that the disease incidence has been higher in men compared to women and in rural compared to urban areas (risk ratio = 1.5, 3.4, P = 0.001). Conclusion: Mazandaran faces the risk of increased brucellosis incidence rate. Taking preventive measures, including educating people, are recommended for the near future.

Objective(s): Health tourism is a branch of the tourism industry that is of interest to many countries of the world due to its high demand and good income. Therefore, considering the importance of health tourism and the existing potential in Mazandaran province, this study was conducted with the aim of identifying and analyzing the factors affecting the development of the health tourism industry in Mazandaran province. Methods: The present study was conducted using a qualitative method with a content analysis approach. For this purpose, 17 health tourism industry experts and health tourists were selected using the purposeful sampling method. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. The interviews were conducted until we reached a point of theoretical data saturation. Results: The findings showed that the health tourism industry in Mazandaran province is affected by structural, process and contextual factors. The structural factors included issues related to infrastructures, potentials/attractions, institutional factors, and expert human resources for health tourism destination. The process factor included issues related to drivers of health tourism, provision of health services and destination situational factors. The contextual-field factor included issues related to sociocultural contexts, potentials and attractiveness of tourism, and economic capacity. Conclusion: Despite the importance of services related to health tourism and considering the increasing demand of this industry, travelers who travel to Mazandaran province need a variety of services, and the need to pay attention to quality service development in tourism destinations is evident. Therefore, the provision of other essentials for health tourists such as infrastructure, destination attractions, financial capacities, sociocultural conditions, human resources, situational factors are the requirements for the development of this industry.

Abstract Background Health tourism is an important component that may influence the direction of development in a region. Mazandarn, Iran, is recognized as a highly sustainable market in the region because of its abundant natural resources, temperate temperature, and strategic geographical location. Therefore, considering the importance of health tourism and its existing potential in Mazandaran, Iran, this study was conducted with the aim of exploring a comprehensive perspective on local drivers in community-based health tourism industry development and factors affecting the attraction of health tourism. Methods We conducted this study in Mazandarn, Iran, using a qualitative approach. Participants included a sample of Iranian people, aged 34–54 years, with previous history of health tourism or expert in it. Participants were selected from three different categories of the community: academic professionals in health tourism, managers in health tourism, and health tourists. Data were obtained via semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Inductive qualitative content analysis was used to converge and compare themes through participant data. The interviews kept going until data saturation was achieved. Results Based on our findings, we distilled local drivers in community-based health tourism industry development into five main categories and 30 subcategories: (Sharifabadi AM, Ardakani FA. A model for health tourism development using fuzzy TOPSIS and interpretive structural modeling in Yazd province. J Health Adm (JHA). 2014;17:55.) infrastructure and resources; (Hemmati F, Dabbaghi F, Mahmoudi G. Investigating the impact of Information Technology on the status of Health Tourism in Mashhad, Iran. Revista Publicando. 2018;5(15):54–65.) tourist attractions; (Sarabi Asiabar A, Rezapour A, Raei B, Tahernezhad A, Alipour V, Behzadifar M. Economic, Cultural, and Political Requirements for Medical Tourism Development in Iran: Insights from a Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process Method. Med J Islamic Repub Iran. 2022;35:199.) socio-cultural contexts; (Mosadeghrad AM, Sadeghi M. Medical tourism: Reasons for choosing Iran. Payesh (Health Monitor). 2021;20(2):145–66.) economic-financial factors; and (Manna R, Cavallone M, Ciasullo MV, Palumbo R. Beyond the rhetoric of health tourism: shedding light on the reality of health tourism in Italy. Curr Issues Tourism. 2020;23(14):1805–19.) political-communicative factors. The findings of the study showed that, from the participants’ point of view, although there are several strategies, such as the development of public service and tourism infrastructure, increasing tourist attractions, and formulating appropriate policies and procedures for the development of health tourism, they are also faced with many challenges, especially political, economic, and cultural challenges. Conclusion This study showed that improving infrastructure and resources, promoting tourist attractions, informing socio-cultural contexts, improving economic and financial capacity, and developing political and communicative contexts might increase the attraction of health tourists. The suggested components are not contextually driven, although empirical outcomes may differ based on the level of service offerings in health tourism locations.

Extended Abstract Background: One of the important effects of global warming is the increase in extreme atmospheric phenomena, the most important of which are sudden changes in temperature, excessive heat, abnormal cold, heavy rains and floods, drought, and dust caused by the drying up of wetlands. Changes in climatic components due to climate change have impacted the intensity and frequency of extreme rainfall events and, subsequently affecting society and the natural environment. Therefore, examining the future modifications of different precipitation indices is more necessary to implement management plans, especially for Iran, which needs progress in climate modeling studies aiming at improving knowledge about climate change and its effects on the whole country. In this study, changes in the trend and breaking point of rainfall-based indices were studied using the CMIP6 series model under three optimistic, medium, and pessimistic scenarios in Mazandaran province for two periods: the near future (2021-2060) and the far future (2061-2100). Methods: In this research, the spatiotemporal trend and breaking point of the precipitation in Mazandaran province (15 stations) were investigated in the future period from the precipitation data of SSP scenarios (126, 245, and 585) in the two 2021-2060 and 2061-2100 periods. Using the R-Climdex software in the R software environment, the precipitation limit indices were determined for different scenarios and periods. Then, the trend and breaking point were examined using the Mann-Kendall, Sen, and Pettitt tests. Precipitation indexes were defined by an expert group under the supervision of the World Meteorological Organization as limit indexes and climate change indexes. After receiving the output of models and their micro scaling, data were grouped in the future period based on three scenarios in all studied stations. The daily rainfall indexes were extracted using R programming developed by Zhang and Yang at the Canadian Meteorological Service Climatic Research Branch. Therefore, 11 and 16 indices out of 27 existing indexes were related to precipitation and temperature, respectively. Results: Under the optimistic scenario (SSP126), the indexes of the number of consecutive wet days, days with heavy rain, and very wet days in the eastern half of the province will increase significantly. Based on the pessimistic scenario (SSP585), the profile of wet days and the annual amount of rainfall will decrease in different areas of the province. In terms of the occurrence of the breaking point, the daily intensity of precipitation and wet days will have a breaking point in the order of increasing in the 2060s, rising in 2061, and decreasing in 2051 in the eastern half of the region only in the pessimistic scenario of the profile of consecutive wet days. Under the other scenarios, however, no sudden changes will be observed in the data series. According to the median scenario, there will be no changes in precipitation indexes regionally, and only the daily intensity index of precipitation will increase in a limited number of coastal stations in the near future. Under a pessimistic scenario, however, changes in limit indexes will often be reduced so that the index of the number of wet days (with 1 mm rainfall) will decrease in the near future in most parts of the province with high intensity. The annual amount of rainfall on wet days in coastal and western regions, as well as two indexes of the number of days with heavy and very heavy rain, will decrease in the high stations of the western areas. However, the risk of flooding events may be reduced in the near future, and the probability of widespread droughts increases due to the reduction of wetness profiles in pessimistic conditions. In the distant future, precipitation indexes will not change significantly, and only the number of days with heavy rainfall will decrease in the high areas of the eastern province. In terms of sudden changes, there will be no sudden change or significant breaking points in the data series of all the precipitation indexes until 2100 by moving toward an optimistic and median scenario. Moving toward a pessimistic scenario, there will be an incremental change point for indexing the number of consecutive days at a few provincial stations for the 2070-2060s. The daily intensity of precipitation and the number of wet days (with 1 mm precipitation) will also experience a sudden incremental change in 2061 and a decrease in 2051 in the eastern half of the province, indicating a sudden increase in the intensity of downpours and a reduction of the number of days with low rainfall. Conclusion: According to the results, it can be concluded that the study of the occurrence of severe meteorological events, including rainfall, as one of the main issues in the field of water resources, agriculture, and natural hazards in Mazandaran province, is necessary for long-term planning in various fields. Knowledge of the future perspective of extreme rainfall events can be used in soil, water, and agriculture management planning, especially in the economic development plans of the province.

This research is a part of the studies that have been carried out in line with a research plan in Tajen river since 2020-2021. Sampling was done in 7 study stations, including 1) Sari diversion dam, 2) Mahfroz Mehaleh 3) Panbeh Chole 4) Soteh 5) Farah Abad 6) after dam outlet 7) river estuary. The purpose of this research is to investigate the identification, distribution and diversity of fish species and their abundance in different sampling stations. A total of 2,454 fish were examined, belonging to 15 families, 25 genera and 28 species were identified, which include the families Acipenseridae, Atherinidae, Clupeidae, Cobitida, Cyprinidae, Gastrosteidae, Gobiidae, Leuciscidae, Mugilidae, Poecillidae, Percidae, Petromyzonida, Xenocyprididae, Acheilognathidae and Syngnathidae. The largest diversity of species belongs to the Leuciscidae. In this research, the species diversity increased from the upstream to the downstream of the river. According to the Brillion, s index (BI), the lowest BI was in station 3 with 1.415 and the highest in station 7 with 2.989. There was a significant difference in terms of BI in different stations (P<0.05). The average Brillion and Shannon indices obtained in the upstream of the rubber dam were much lower than the downstream of the rubber dam, which shows the effects of the dams on fish communities. The results of this research showed that the diversion dam and the rubber dam as one of the physical and man-made factors have been able to affect the diversity of fish species upstream and downstream of the river, so river restoration is necessary in order to restore anadromous fish stocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian leukosis virus is a contagious oncogenic virus that can infect various bird species. This virus is economically important in the poultry industry. The aim of this study was to identify molecular strains of leukosis virus circulating in duck farms in Mazandaran province. Freshly dead birds were necropsied and samples of tumor tissues were processed for molecular detection of avian tumorigenic viruses using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). At necropsy, diffuse and sometimes nodular enlargement of the internal organs and subscapular hemorrhage in the liver and spleen was noted. All three studied flocks were positive for infection with serogroup J of leukosis virus, while all samples were negative for involvement with reticuloendotheliosis and Marek’s disease viruses. Since leukosis is a serious threat to the poultry industry and currently does not have a vaccine or medicine, it is recommended to carry out periodic monitoring and analysis for the circulating strains of virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health tourism is an important component that may influence the direction of development in a region. Mazandarn, Iran, is recognized as a highly sustainable market in the region because of its abundant natural resources, temperate temperature, and strategic geographical location. Therefore, considering the importance of health tourism and its existing potential in Mazandaran, Iran, this study was conducted with the aim of exploring a comprehensive perspective on local drivers in community-based health tourism industry development and factors affecting the attraction of health tourism. Methods: We conducted this study in Mazandarn, Iran, using a qualitative approach. Participants included a sample of Iranian people, aged 34–54 years, with previous history of health tourism or expert in it. Participants were selected from three different categories of the community: academic professionals in health tourism, managers in health tourism, and health tourists. Data were obtained via semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Inductive qualitative content analysis was used to converge and compare themes through participant data. The interviews kept going until data saturation was achieved. Results: Based on our findings, we distilled local drivers in community-based health tourism industry development into five main categories and 30 subcategories: (Sharifabadi AM, Ardakani FA. A model for health tourism development using fuzzy TOPSIS and interpretive structural modeling in Yazd province. J Health Adm (JHA). 2014;17:55.) infrastructure and resources; (Hemmati F, Dabbaghi F, Mahmoudi G. Investigating the impact of Information Technology on the status of Health Tourism in Mashhad, Iran. Revista Publicando. 2018;5(15):54–65.) tourist attractions; (Sarabi Asiabar A, Rezapour A, Raei B, Tahernezhad A, Alipour V, Behzadifar M. Economic, Cultural, and Political Requirements for Medical Tourism Development in Iran: Insights from a Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process Method. Med J Islamic Repub Iran. 2022;35:199.) socio-cultural contexts; (Mosadeghrad AM, Sadeghi M. Medical tourism: Reasons for choosing Iran. Payesh (Health Monitor). 2021;20(2):145–66.) economic-financial factors; and (Manna R, Cavallone M, Ciasullo MV, Palumbo R. Beyond the rhetoric of health tourism: shedding light on the reality of health tourism in Italy. Curr Issues Tourism. 2020;23(14):1805–19.) political-communicative factors. The findings of the study showed that, from the participants' point of view, although there are several strategies, such as the development of public service and tourism infrastructure, increasing tourist attractions, and formulating appropriate policies and procedures for the development of health tourism, they are also faced with many challenges, especially political, economic, and cultural challenges. Conclusion: This study showed that improving infrastructure and resources, promoting tourist attractions, informing socio-cultural contexts, improving economic and financial capacity, and developing political and communicative contexts might increase the attraction of health tourists. The suggested components are not contextually driven, although empirical outcomes may differ based on the level of service offerings in health tourism locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of ecolodges in Iran supported by the government tourism policies. This is also as the country is witnessing a growing interest in popularity of ecotourism trips particularly in northern part of the country. However, such development has also created many issues as the rapid expansion of the ecolodges does not necessarily follow the required guidelines. The purpose of this study is to identify the main problems and challenges of ecolodges in three provinces of Gilan, Golestan and Mazandaran in northern Iran. Qualitative data was collected by interviewing the ecolodge owners in the three provinces. The data analysis led to the formation of 3 main themes and 8 sub-themes. The findings revealed that issues such as the lack of support from the government organizations, weakness in tourism laws and policies, problems related to the geography of ecolodges, lack of knowledge, and also problems related to the local community perceptions are among the problems and challenges ecolodges are facing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective(s): Health tourism is a branch of the tourism industry that is of interest to many countries of the world due to its high demand and good income. Therefore, considering the importance of health tourism and the existing potential in Mazandaran province, this study was conducted with the aim of identifying and analyzing the factors affecting the development of the health tourism industry in Mazandaran province. Methods: The present study was conducted using a qualitative method with a content analysis approach. For this purpose, 17 health tourism industry experts and health tourists were selected using the purposeful sampling method. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. The interviews were conducted until we reached a point of theoretical data saturation. Results: The findings showed that the health tourism industry in Mazandaran province is affected by structural, process and contextual factors. The structural factors included issues related to infrastructures, potentials/attractions, institutional factors, and expert human resources for health tourism destination. The process factor included issues related to drivers of health tourism, provision of health services and destination situational factors. The contextual-field factor included issues related to sociocultural contexts, potentials and attractiveness of tourism, and economic capacity. Conclusion: Despite the importance of services related to health tourism and considering the increasing demand of this industry, travelers who travel to Mazandaran province need a variety of services, and the need to pay attention to quality service development in tourism destinations is evident. Therefore, the provision of other essentials for health tourists such as infrastructure, destination attractions, financial capacities, sociocultural conditions, human resources, situational factors are the requirements for the development of this industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate Change has revealed the necessity of attention to the issue of water in different fields such as architecture. Water use management in arid and semi - arid climates of Iran has long been considered by the scientific and executive community of the country, but these considerations are not considered in humid regions, especially the Caspian Sea. This lack of attention to the subject of water in the studies of Rural Architecture in the area of Mazandaran is under conditions that the structures of buildings are shaped by water. The purpose of this paper is to analyze feasibility of developing rainwater harvesting systems in rural housing of Mazandaran province according to the compatibility in three dimensions of social, physical and institutional. This paper is an applied and quantitative research. the data were classified into three groups: physical, social and technical. This paper is an applied and quantitative research. The data were classified into three groups of physical, social and technical. Quantitative data analysis was done by Delphi method and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test by SPSS.24 software. The study area is the villages of Mazandaran province (Parsi, Shaneshar, Diva, Kabarakla, Kotna and Varki villages) which are divided into three groups of "mountainous", "foothill" and "plain". The results show that participation in the development of rainwater harvesting in mountain and foothill regions of the province is close to each other, but in plain villages, social adjustment is lower than average. In the physical dimension, the adaptation of rural architecture is above average and this consistency in all three types of villages is almost close to each other. the results show that participation in the development of rainwater harvesting in mountain and foothill regions of the province is close to each other, but in plain villages, social adjustment is lower than average. In the physical dimension, the adaptation of rural architecture is above average and this consistency in all three types of villages is almost close to each other. Therefore, the physical structure and architecture of rural housing of Mazandaran have the potential to develop rainwater harvesting systems; But in the institutional dimension, Rural Management capacities are more than average and can prevent the development of rainwater harvesting systems in the villages of Mazandaran.

Background and purpose: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic nosocomial pathogen, which is resistant to different groups of antibiotics. Infections caused by this organism due to antibiotic resistance may ultimately cause high mortality. The ability of this microorganism to produce pathogenic factors such as alginate, proteases, pyocyanin, rhamnolipid, phospholipase C, the presence of pili, and the ability to form biofilm and colonization have made this bacterium one of the most important pathogens. Considering that alginate is one of the important pathogenic factors of this microorganism which mainly algA, algC, and algD genes encode enzymes necessary for the leading biosynthesis pathway of alginate-GDP-mannuronic acid. Therefore, in the current study, we investigated the frequency of the algD gene in P. aeruginosa isolated from patients hospitalized in Mazandaran hospitals using specific primers by PCR method. Materials and methods: According to the results of past studies and using the sample size formula to calculate the prevalence and considering the maximum error of 0.05, the confidence level of 0.95, the ratio of 0.97, and the sample size of the unlimited population was estimated to be 100 isolates. Clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa were collected from different laboratories of Mazandaran educational hospitals. After collecting the clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa and definitively identifying the bacteria by performing routine biochemical tests, the antibiotic resistance pattern of the isolates was checked with Agar Diffusion Disk. In the next step, we extracted the DNA of P aeruginosa strains by alkaline lysis method by adding sodium dodecyl sulfate and NaOH. Finally, a PCR test was performed using the specific primer of the algD gene. Then, the PCR product was evaluated using a UV Transilluminator device. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: 100 isolates of P. aeruginosa were isolated from 100 hospitalized patients. These isolates were collected from five medical educational hospitals of Mazandaran province, which were as follows: Imam Khomeini Hospital in Sari (40 isolates), Razi Hospital in Qaemshahr (22 isolates), Bo Ali Sina Hospital in Sari (17 isolates), Zare Psychiatric and Burn hospital in Sari (11 isolates), and Fatemeh Zahra heart hospital in Sari (10 isolates). Most of the clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa in the present study were obtained from sputum samples (37/100) and in second place from urine samples (26/100) of patients. 98 isolates had the algD gene. 26% of isolates were resistant to Piperacillin, 39% of isolates to Aztreonam, 27% of isolates to Ceftazidime, 31% of isolates to Imipenem, 39% to Tobramycin and 41% to Ciprofloxacin. All clinical isolates resistant to studied antibiotics carried the algD gene. Only two isolates of the sensitive strains of this organism in each group of antibiotics lacked the desired gene. Conclusion: The results of the present study show that the algD gene is present in most of the clinical isolates of the P. aeruginosa strain obtained from medical education centers in Mazandaran. On the other hand, the high prevalence of this organism and the high resistance to antibiotics and multiple drugs observed in the current study and previous studies have turned the treatment of infections caused by P. aeruginosa into a serious and complex problem. Finally, considering that the algD gene plays a significant role in the formation of biofilm and antibiotic resistance, the results of the current study also confirm this finding.

Ticks serve as vectors and reservoirs of various Borrelia species, potentially causing diseases in humans and animals. Mazandaran, a fertile green land in northern Iran, provides ample grazing grounds for livestock and harbors at least 26 hard tick species. This study investigated Borrelia infection in hard ticks from forest areas in this region and compared their genetic identity with the species data in the GenBank database. A total of 2,049 ticks were collected manually from mammalian hosts or using dragging and flagging methods. These ticks were then grouped into 190 pools and 41 individuals based on host, species, developmental stage, and gender. A real-time PCR (qPCR) detected Borrelia DNA in 26 pools from female, male, and nymph of Rhipicephalus annulatus (n = 17) and Ixodes ricinus (n = 9) ticks and one individual female Haemaphysalis punctata tick. The generated partial flaB and glpQ sequences from qPCR-positive Rh. annulatus ticks exhibited the highest identities of 98.1-100% and 98.2% with Borrelia theileri and closely related undefined isolates. Additionally, in phylogenetic analysis, these sequences clustered within well-supported clades with B. theileri and the closely related undefined isolates from various geographic regions, confirming the presence of B. theileri in the north of Iran. Divergence in B. theileri flaB and glpQ sequences across various geographical areas suggests potential subspeciation driven by adaptations to different tick species. This divergence in our flaB sequences implies the possible introduction of B. theileri-infected ticks from different geographical origins into Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to develop a crop model for sunflower in Daisy. For this intent, the field experiment data of two full irrigation treatments for 2 years, 2012 and 2013, were used to develop the crop model. The average RMSE of the dry matter (DM), leaf area index (LAI), height of plant (H), and water content parameters in the treatments utilized for calibration was calculated 0.093 Ton/ha, 0.198 cm2/cm2, 2.25 cm, and 1.035%, respectively. The average RMSE of the parameters of DM, LAI, H, and water content in the treatments utilized for validation were estimated 0.207 Ton/ha, 0.272 cm2/cm2, 4.22 cm, and 1.123%, respectively. The results of the validation showed that the developed crop model had good accuracy making it useful for simulation of sunflower agroecology. It is suggested to use the developed crop model in the information library of Daisy and survey and calibrate it for other areas with different climates and sunflower varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Access to primary healthcare services, considering equity and equality in the health system, is a right of the global community. To provide primary health services, the rural family physician program was implemented at the beginning of 2005 to achieve universal health coverage in rural areas and small cities (with a population of less than 20,000). The specific goals of this program included the implementation of the referral system, increasing the responsiveness of the health market, increasing people’s access to health services, reducing unnecessary costs in the health market, and increasing service coverage. After approximately 7 years of implementation of this program, the urban family physician program started in Mazandaran and Fars province as a pilot project. The urban family physician program started in the Mazandaran province in 2012 as the first level of providing health services. In line with the better implementation of this program and considering the wide range of expected programs and activities, it is essential to entrust the appropriate activities with the time of the service providers. This study was conducted to assess the expected duration of activities assigned to the family physician. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 15 urban family physician centers (6 government and 9 private centers) in Golugah, Behshahr, Neka, Ghaemshahr, Noor, and Chalus cities of Mazandaran province. Out of 15 cities with more than 20,000 people participating in this program in Mazandaran province, the six cities mentioned above were randomly selected, and 15 urban family doctors were randomly selected from the existing list. Finally, the target groups were included in the study for convenience sampling. To collect the data, checklists compiled based on care packages corresponding to 8 groups of service recipients (elderly (11 services), middle-aged (7 services), youth (13 services), teenagers (24 services), under 5 years old (6 services), mana (15 services), mothers (3 services), and non-target visit) were used. For each service recipient group, at least three individuals were examined. Central and dispersion indices were used to describe the data. Results: The results of measuring the time of providing service to 297 people (including 90 under 5 years old, 30 people receiving Mana services, 30 people from each of the groups of mothers, teenagers, young people, middle-aged, elderly, and 27 people from non-target visit) showed that the median and mean expected time for providing daily service by an urban family physician to the covered population is 2 h and 52 min and 3 h and 23 min, respectively. The estimated time was different in the groups receiving the service, the highest time of which was related to the visit of the non-target service group with median and mean of 84.17 and 87.20 min, respectively, and the lowest time was related to Mana services with a median and mean of 3.40 and 4.34 min, respectively. Conclusion: Urban family physicians have enough time to provide daily services, and therefore it seems that the health system has not assigned them more than their daily time capacity.

Background: Head louse infestation, pediculosis, is a serious health problem worldwide. Infected children usually suffer from itching, allergies, and secondary infections besides psychological disorders such as depression and lack of selfconfidence leading to school failure. This study aimed to investigate the status of pediculosis and its determinant factors among schoolchildren in Amol City, Northern Iran. Methods: This study included 228 schools frequented by about 20017 students. Pediculosis was determined by careful examination of students’ hair on the scalp, back of the neck, and around the ears. The diagnosis was based on observation of live adults, nymphs, and nits. A questionnaire was used to record the personal and demographic characteristics of participants. Results: This study revealed that the prevalence of pediculosis among schoolchildren during all schooling seasons (autumn, winter, and spring) correlated with sex: the prevalence being higher among girls than boys (p= 0.00). In addition, the highest rates of pediculosis occurred during the autumn season (p= 0.00). The public schools accommodated higher numbers of louse-infected students than the private ones (p= 0.00). While head louse occurred at higher frequencies in long hair over the schooling year, dandruff had anti-louse effects (p= 0.00) during cold seasons, autumn, and winter. Socioeconomic status and educational level of parents played determinant roles in head louse prevalence (p= 0.00). Schoolchildren coming from socioeconomically well-situated families had lower rates of head louse infestation . Conclusion: Our results showed that head pediculosis was a serious health problem among schoolchildren in Amol city and its prevalence and severity tended to be multifactorial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and Purpose: The tourism industry has been affected by various crises over the years. Covid-19 has severely affected tourism in Iran, especially in Mazandaran. Small and medium-sized tourism businesses suffered the most hurt due to their limitations. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the factors affecting small and medium tourism businesses' success in the post-Corona eras. Design/methodology/approach: The method of this research is a descriptive-analytical approach based on survey. The tool used was a questionnaire with closed questions whose indicators have been collected by studying valid foreign sources and approved by professors and tourism experts. The reliability level of the questionnaire was calculated by Cronbach's alpha coefficient and then distributed among 177 tourism activists in Mazandaran province. SPSS and PLS3 software were used to analyze the collected data. Findings: Findings show that there is a significant relationship between personal values and market orientation. There is a significant relationship between personal values and customer orientation. Moreover, there is no significant relationship between market orientation and product performance. There is also no significant relationship between market orientation and intangible assets performance. In addition, there is a significant relationship between customer orientation and product performance. There is also a significant relationship between customer orientation and intangible asset performance. Conclusion: According to the results, suggestions show that it is important to place transparency and sharing of goals. It's also important that government should support employees. The other important factors are integrated planning in the province, compliance with protocols, holding professional tours, etc. Originality/value: For the first time, this research examines the factors affecting the small and medium- sized tourism businesses' success in Mazandaran province during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Access to primary healthcare services, considering equity and equality in the health system, is a right of the global community. To provide primary health services, the rural family physician program was implemented at the beginning of 2005 to achieve universal health coverage in rural areas and small cities (with a population of less than 20,000). The specific goals of this program included the implementation of the referral system, increasing the responsiveness of the health market, increasing people’s access to health services, reducing unnecessary costs in the health market, and increasing service coverage. After approximately 7 years of implementation of this program, the urban family physician program started in Mazandaran and Fars province as a pilot project. The urban family physician program started in the Mazandaran province in 2012 as the first level of providing health services. In line with the better implementation of this program and considering the wide range of expected programs and activities, it is essential to entrust the appropriate activities with the time of the service providers. This study was conducted to assess the expected duration of activities assigned to the family physician. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 15 urban family physician centers (6 government and 9 private centers) in Golugah, Behshahr, Neka, Ghaemshahr, Noor, and Chalus cities of Mazandaran province. Out of 15 cities with more than 20,000 people participating in this program in Mazandaran province, the six cities mentioned above were randomly selected, and 15 urban family doctors were randomly selected from the existing list. Finally, the target groups were included in the study for convenience sampling. To collect the data, checklists compiled based on care packages corresponding to 8 groups of service recipients (elderly (11 services), middle-aged (7 services), youth (13 services), teenagers (24 services), under 5 years old (6 services), mana (15 services), mothers (3 services), and non-target visit) were used. For each service recipient group, at least three individuals were examined. Central and dispersion indices were used to describe the data. Results: The results of measuring the time of providing service to 297 people (including 90 under 5 years old, 30 people receiving Mana services, 30 people from each of the groups of mothers, teenagers, young people, middle-aged, elderly, and 27 people from non-target visit) showed that the median and mean expected time for providing daily service by an urban family physician to the covered population is 2 h and 52 min and 3 h and 23 min, respectively. The estimated time was different in the groups receiving the service, the highest time of which was related to the visit of the non-target service group with median and mean of 84.17 and 87.20 min, respectively, and the lowest time was related to Mana services with a median and mean of 3.40 and 4.34 min, respectively. Conclusion: Urban family physicians have enough time to provide daily services, and therefore it seems that the health system has not assigned them more than their daily time capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prehistoric investigations in the southeastern region of the Caspian Sea commenced more than a century ago, resulting in the identification of several prominent archaeological sites, notably the caves of Kamarband, Hotu, Komishan, and Altappeh. These caves have become well-known for their rich archaeological deposits, spanning from approximately 16,000 years ago in the Mesolithic period to the Historic period. Hotu Cave, situated on a cliff along the northern slope of the Alborz mountain range, gained significant attention following its initial excavation in the 1950s by Carleton S. Coon. Excavations conducted over two field seasons lasting nine weeks each revealed valuable insights into the region's prehistoric occupation. In 2021, a team led by Hasan Fazeli from the University of Tehran undertook the re-excavation of Hotu Cave, unearthing 124 archaeological contexts spanning from the Mesolithic to the Historic period. Among the notable findings were 1,539 chipped stone artifacts, predominantly crafted from locally sourced Behshahr chert. The chipped stone assemblage from Hotu Cave exhibits distinctive characteristics indicative of different periods, including pressure removal technique evident in blade-lets and sickle trapezoids dating back to the Neolithic period, alongside ubiquitous scrapers and notched-denticulated tools found across all layers. Technological shifts within the chipped stone assemblage, observed during the recent excavations, reflect changes in subsistence patterns inferred from archaeozoological research on animal remains. However, the interpretation of these technological and subsistence changes is nuanced, as it remains unclear whether they occurred locally and gradually or resulted from external influences, such as demographic movements or the diffusion of ideas from neighboring regions. The chronological gap between the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods complicates the determination of the precise mechanisms driving these transformations solely based on material evidence from Hotu Cave. Further interdisciplinary research integrating archaeological, chronological, and environmental data is warranted to elucidate the dynamics of cultural change in this region during the transition from the Mesolithic to the Neolithic period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Heavy metals, such as lead harms animals' health. The objective of this study was to evaluate the level of Pb pollution in the cities of Golestan and Mazandaran Provinces by measuring Pb concentrations in the bloods of brown rats, which serve as omnivorous bioindicators living in the same habitat as humans. Methods: Eight highly populated cities were selected, with 10 rats trapped in each city. Blood samples were taken from the rats, and Pb measurements were done by atomic absorption spectrometry. Results: All sampled rats were Pb-contaminated. The mean Pb concentrations in different cities of Golestan Province were statistically similar (p > 0.05). In Mazandaran cities, however, significant differences in mean Pb concentrations were observed. The highest contamination was recorded in Neka (10.28 ± 0.97 µg/dL), while the lowest contamination was observed in Babol (7.3 ± 1.36 µg/dL). The mean Pb concentrations in the studied cities of Golestan (9.43 ± 1.81 µg/dL) and Mazandaran (9.02 ± 1.07 µg/dL) Provinces, as well as in male (10.38 µg/dL) and female (9.25 µg/dL) rats were similar. Conclusion: The Pb contaminations observed in the sampled rats are indicative of Pb contaminations of the sampled cities and the presence of Pb sources in these areas. It seems necessary to take precautionary procedures to prevent the entry of polluted effluents into the sampled cities and the consumption of Pb-contaminated gasoline in these areas, to prevent Pb contamination of human populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One of the important effects of global warming is the increase in extreme atmospheric phenomena, the most important of which are sudden changes in temperature, excessive heat, abnormal cold, heavy rains and floods, drought, and dust caused by the drying up of wetlands. Change s in climatic components due to climate change have impacted the intensity and frequency of extreme rainfall events and, subsequently affecting society and the natural environment. Therefore, examining the future modifications of different precipitation indices is more necessary to implement management plans, especially for Iran, which needs progress in climate modeling studies aiming at improving knowledge about climate change and its effects on the whole country. In this study, changes in the trend and breaking point of rainfall -based indices were studied using the CMIP6 series model under three optimistic, medium, and pessimistic scenarios in Mazandaran province for two periods: the near future (2021-2060) and the far future (2061-2100). Methods: In this research, the spatiotemporal trend and breaking point of the precipitation in Mazandaran province (15 stations) were investigate d in the future period from the precipitation data of SSP scenarios (126, 245, and 585) in the two 2021-2060 and 2061-2100 periods. Using the R-Climdex software in the R software environment, the precipitation limit indices were determined for different scenarios and periods. Then, the trend and breaking point were examined using the Mann -Kendall, Sen, and Pettitt tests. Precipitation indexes were defined by an expert group under the supervision of the World Meteorological Organization as limit indexes and climate change indexes. After receiving the output of models and their micro scaling, data were grouped in the future period based on three scenarios in all studied stations. The daily rainfall indexes were extracted using R programming developed by Zhang and Yang at the Canadian Meteorological Service Climatic Research Branch. Therefore, 11 and 16 indices out of 27 existing indexes were related to precipitation and temperature, respectively. Results: Under the optimistic scenario (SSP126), the indexes of the number of consecutive wet days, days with heavy rain, and very wet days in the eastern half of the province will increase significantly. Based on the pessimistic scenario (SSP585), the profile of wet days and the annual amount of rainfall will decrease in different areas of the province. In terms of the occurrence of the breaking point, the daily intensity of precipitation and wet days will have a breaking point in the order of increasing in the 2060s, rising in 2061, and decreasing in 2051 in the eastern half of the region only in the pessimistic scenario of the profile of consecutive wet days. Under the other scenarios, however, no sudden changes will be observed in the data series. According to the median scenario, there will be no changes in precipitation indexes regionally, and only the daily intensity index of precipitation will increase in a limited number of coastal stations in the near future. Under a pessimistic scenario, however, changes in limit indexes will often be reduced so that the index of the number of wet days (with 1 mm rainfall) will decrease in the near future in most parts of the province with high intensity. The annual amount of rainfall on wet days in coastal and western regions, as well as two indexes of the number of days with heavy and very heavy rain, will decrease in the high stations of the western areas. However, the risk of flooding events may be reduced in the near future, and the probability of widespread droughts increases due to the reduction of wetness profiles in pessimistic condition s. In the distant future, precipitation indexes will not change significantly, and only the number of days with heavy rainfall will decrease in the high areas of the eastern province. In terms of sudden changes, there will be no sudden change or significant breaking point s in the data series of all the precipitation indexes until 2100 by moving toward an optimistic and median scenario. Moving toward a pessimistic scenario, there will be an incremental change point for indexing the number of consecutive days at a few provincial stations for the 2070-2060s. The daily intensity of precipitation and the number of wet days (with 1 mm precipitation) will also experience a sudden incremental change in 2061 and a decrease in 2051 in the eastern half of the province, indicating a sudden increase in the intensity of downpours and a reduction of the number of days with low rainfall. Conclusion: According to the results, it can be concluded that the study of the occurrence of severe meteorological events, including rainfall, as one of the main issues in the field of water resources, agriculture, and natural hazards in Mazandaran province, is necessary for long -term planning in various fields. Knowledge of the future perspective of extreme rainfall events can be used in soil, water, and agriculture management planning, especially in the economic development plans of the province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of rangelands needs some studies about the physical effects and climatic factors on the changes of rangelands during different years. Evaluating changes in crown cover, plant composition, production rate, status, capacity and trend of rangelands during different years is very important. beneficiaries are often faced with unpredictable climate and natural condition changings, which rangelands of this group of experimental farmers is necessary for sustainable management and ecological health. The goals of this research are to investigate the understanding of climate change from the point of view of farmers in Rineh, Polour, Kangarchal and Poshtkoh regions in Mazandaran province. And its effect is on the beneficiary’s efforts and it will provide suggestions to reduce the effect of climate change and increase production of rangelands. In this regard, some questions were formulated and asked to the local users through a questionnaire, and SPSS software was used to determine users' opinions and compare their views in four sites. Also, four index including plants, herbal production, rangeland’s ecosystem (situation, soil and wild life), livestock and grazing systems, herd management and livelihood system were evaluated in four sites. The results of the average comparison showed that a large number of operators, about 41.7% believe that climate change which has occurred in these sites are happened in recent years. Also, the reduction of snowfall, the production of rangelands, the number of livestock shows that 37.7% of the respondents agree with the increases of immigration. For this purpose, in order to reduce the negative effects of climate changes are essential for a comprehensive education, proper planning and providing financial services and implementing plans for the proper use of water resources to deal with climate changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expectation is one of the most important themes of strange songs. These songs include important themes of human life, work and suffering, and at the same time, they have a long-standing connection with love and enamored of love. Popular literature is a science for recognizing people's conventions and beliefs, which includes myth, beliefs, tales, and songs. Folk songs are considered an important part of oral literature due to the protection of the cultural-national identity and the transmission of the feelings and opinions of our ancestors. In Mazandarani's poems, there are themes such as hidden expectation, which is rooted in the culture and daily life of the people of this country, but it has not been addressed so far. This research, with a descriptive-analytical method, aims to investigate the concept of expectation in Mazandaran popular literature couplets. By studying more than 1000 couplets of Mazandarani, 310 couplets, i.e. about 31%, have been seen within the expectation. Based on the library and field research findings, it can be said that songs with the concept of waiting in general, and waiting for the lover to return in particular have the highest frequency. Besides, the lover waits for spring to come and the flowers to bloom in order to see the lover, however, the lover waits for the return of the beloved from military service, while the family members wait for their loved ones to return to the city and the country. Finally, the hardworking farmer waits for the harvest and also the end of grief. In such a context, stories, the suffering of exile and reaching peace and freedom have a special place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Climate Change has revealed the necessity of attention to the issue of water in different fields such as architecture. Water use management in arid and semi-arid climates of Iran has long been considered by the scientific and executive community of the country, but these considerations are not considered in humid regions, especially the Caspian Sea. This lack of attention to the subject of water in the studies of Rural Architecture in the area of Mazandaran is under conditions that the structures of buildings are shaped by water. The purpose of this paper is to analyze feasibility of developing rainwater harvesting systems in rural housing of Mazandaran province according to the compatibility in three dimensions of social, physical and institutional. This paper is an applied and quantitative research. the data were classified into three groups: physical, social and technical. Method: This paper is an applied and quantitative research. The data were classified into three groups of physical, social and technical. Quantitative data analysis was done by Delphi method and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test by SPSS.24 software. The study area is the villages of Mazandaran province (Parsi, Shaneshar, Diva, Kabarakla, Kotna and Varki villages) which are divided into three groups of "mountainous", "foothill" and "plain". Results: The results show that participation in the development of rainwater harvesting in mountain and foothill regions of the province is close to each other, but in plain villages, social adjustment is lower than average. In the physical dimension, the adaptation of rural architecture is above average and this consistency in all three types of villages is almost close to each other. the results show that participation in the development of rainwater harvesting in mountain and foothill regions of the province is close to each other, but in plain villages, social adjustment is lower than average. Conclusions: In the physical dimension, the adaptation of rural architecture is above average and this consistency in all three types of villages is almost close to each other. Therefore, the physical structure and architecture of rural housing of Mazandaran have the potential to develop rainwater harvesting systems; But in the institutional dimension, Rural Management capacities are more than average and can prevent the development of rainwater harvesting systems in the villages of Mazandaran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of climate change and fluctuations in the production of agricultural products can affect food security. Rice, as a critical grain product in the north of Iran and especially in Mazandaran province, is also affected by these factors. This study was done to investigate the impact of climate change on the rice crop calendar. In this study, changes in climate variables were extracted based on CMIP6 models under the SSP scenario from 2021 to 2050 and compared to the base period (1985–2014) in different phonological stages. The results of the evaluation of observational and simulated data by linear scale bias correction (LSBC) show that the model accuracy differs in different stations. So that the highest and lowest accuracy of precipitation is between 4.3 and 12 mm, relative humidity between 1 and 3%, wind speed 0.1–0.2 m/s, maximum temperature between 0.1 and 0.9 °C, average temperature between 0.1 and 0. 7 °C, and the minimum temperature is between 0.1 and 0.5 °C, which indicates the high accuracy of this model. The prediction of climatic variables showed that the maximum, minimum, and average temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity in different stages of rice phenology will have significant changes in the future climate under the SSP scenario. The forecasting results of climatic variables show different behavior in phonological stages, so that, in SSP1-2.6 and SSP3-7.0 scenarios, mainly decreasing changes and SSP5-8.5 scenarios mainly increasing precipitation will occur. Meanwhile, changes in wind speed in all phonological stages and the entire growth period in future scenarios will not have significant changes compared to the base period; however, the significant increase of temperature variables will be evident in all phonological stages and scenarios compared to the base period, especially in the SSP5-8.5 scenario. Also, changing the planting date will change the length of the growth period and the amount of precipitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Head louse infestation, pediculosis, is a serious health problem worldwide. Infected children usually suf­fer from itching, allergies, and secondary infections besides psychological disorders such as depression and lack of self-confidence leading to school failure. This study aimed to investigate the status of pediculosis and its determinant factors among schoolchildren in Amol City, Northern Iran. Methods: This study included 228 schools frequented by about 20017 students. Pediculosis was determined by careful examination of students’ hair on the scalp, back of the neck, and around the ears. The diagnosis was based on observa­tion of live adults, nymphs, and nits. A questionnaire was used to record the personal and demographic characteristics of participants. Results: This study revealed that the prevalence of pediculosis among schoolchildren during all schooling seasons (au­tumn, winter, and spring) correlated with sex: the prevalence being higher among girls than boys (p= 0.00). In addition, the highest rates of pediculosis occurred during the autumn season (p= 0.00). The public schools accommodated higher numbers of louse-infected students than the private ones (p= 0.00). While head louse occurred at higher frequencies in long hair over the schooling year, dandruff had anti-louse effects (p= 0.00) during cold seasons, autumn, and winter. Socioeconomic status and educational level of parents played determinant roles in head louse prevalence (p= 0.00). Schoolchildren coming from socioeconomically well-situated families had lower rates of head louse infestation. Conclusion: Our results showed that head pediculosis was a serious health problem among schoolchildren in Amol city and its prevalence and severity tended to be multifactorial.

The objective of this study was to develop a crop model for sunflower in Daisy. For this intent, the field experiment data of two full irrigation treatments for 2 years, 2012 and 2013, were used to develop the crop model. The average RMSE of the dry matter (DM), leaf area index (LAI), height of plant (H), and water content parameters in the treatments utilized for calibration was calculated 0.093 Ton/ha, 0.198 cm2/cm2, 2.25 cm, and 1.035%, respectively. The average RMSE of the parameters of DM, LAI, H, and water content in the treatments utilized for validation were estimated 0.207 Ton/ha, 0.272 cm2/cm2, 4.22 cm, and 1.123%, respectively. The results of the validation showed that the developed crop model had good accuracy making it useful for simulation of sunflower agroecology. It is suggested to use the developed crop model in the information library of Daisy and survey and calibrate it for other areas with different climates and sunflower varieties.

Background and Purpose: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a highly infectious virus transmitted mainly through sexual intercourse. The HPV vaccine is the most effective way to prevent HPV-related cancers. This study investigates the predictors of intention to receive the HPV vaccine among female students at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study conducted on female students at different faculties of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences (2020-2021). The study participants (n=364) were selected through a quota sampling. The study tools comprised demographic information, a health belief model (HBM), and an intention questionnaire. The obtained data were analyzed using descriptive, multivariate linear regression, and correlation analyses using SPSS software version 20. Results: The Mean±SD age of the students participating in the study was 23.96±5.18 years. Most were single (81%). Among the students, only 3 (0.8%) had received the HPV vaccine. The lowest score was related to perceived benefits 3.68±0.57, and attitude 3.64±0.57 had the highest average score. Based on the results, 33% of the intention to obtain the HPV vaccine was explained by the constructs of HBM. All constructs, except perceived barriers, had a statistically significant relationship with the HPV vaccine intention. Conclusion: The beliefs and attitudes of the female students about HPV infection and vaccination were insufficient. So, there is a need to provide educational intervention by covering HPV issues and their complications in the curriculum of students before their graduation.

Background and purpose: According to the World Bank report, air pollution is the fourth leading risk factor for death in the world, and one in ten deaths is attributed to air pollution. Sand and dust storms tend to occur in arid and semi-arid regions, and this phenomenon affects human health, agricultural land, industry, infrastructure and the transportation sector. In this report, the situation of air pollution caused by dust storms was studied storm in the city of Sari in September 2023 Materials and methods: In a descriptive cross -sectional study, the concentration of airborne particles in the city of Sari was measured at7 different points in the city using the Dust Monitor device. The concentration of total suspended particles (TSP), particulate matter less than 10 micrometers (PM10), particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) and particulate matter less than 1 micrometers (PM1) were measured. Results: The results of this study showed that the highest concentrations of TSP, PM10 and PM2.5 were measured at the Baghban clinic station (Tuba) which was equal to 179, 88 and 55 µg/m3 respectively. Also, the Air Quality Index (AQI) of Sari city was 149 (unhealthy for sensitive groups) on September 11. Conclusion: The phenomenon of sand and dust storms (SDS) rarely occurs in the northern provinces of Iran, based on reports from abroad and caused by the occurrence of this phenomenon in the Qara-Qom desert in Turkmenistan. Therefore, it is of great importance for Mazandaran province, which is one of the most densely populated regions in the country, to continuously monitor the air quality index and install and equip fixed air pollution monitoring stations.

Background and purpose: Time series models based on machine learning, including artificial neural network, perform better than classical methods. This study was performed to compare the use of a multi-layered perceptron neural network with weighted regression in determining the geographical pattern of brucellosis in Mazandaran province, Iran (2009-2018) on 3,732 patients. Materials and methods: The study type is ecological and existing data, which is registered. Multilayer perceptron neural network was used to model and predict disease occurrence, and the results were compared with weighted regression. The root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) were used to compare the models. All analyses were performed using SPSS software (version 26) and Microsoft Excel 2016. Results: The age-standardized rate of disease incidence was 13.2 per 100,000. The highest incidence rate (17.2) was in 2012 and the lowest (10.6) in 2014. Galugah city (35.0) and Qaemshahr and Fereydunkenar cities (3.0) had the highest and lowest incidence rates. The independent variables studied included male gender, rural residence, age over 55 years, contact with dairy products, being a homemaker, rancher and associated with livestock jobs, contact with livestock, and livestock vaccination on the standard incidence of brucellosis in both artificial neural network and weighted regression (other than variable over 55 years) models were effective. Conclusion: The predictive power of the model in the multi-layered perceptron neural network was higher than the weighted regression.

Background and purpose: Young and college students are susceptible to risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome due to living conditions. In micronutrient studies, low levels of magnesium and zinc in women have been shown to be associated with metabolic syndrome. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between the consumption of different food groups and the components of metabolic syndrome, as well as to investigate the relationship between zinc and serum magnesium levels and the average intake of food groups among female students living in the dormitories of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. Materials and methods: In this descriptive study, 80 female students in the age range (18-25 years) participated. Metabolic syndrome indices, including anthropometric indices, lipid profile, fasting blood sugar, zinc, and serum magnesium were examined. Food intake information was obtained through food frequency questionnaire and 24-hour food recall. Results: In this research, magnesium and zinc levels were in the normal range, and no significant relationship was observed between these two elements and metabolic syndrome indices. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome with at least three simultaneous indices was seen in three patients (3.7%). Vitamin D and vitamin E intakes were at the lowest ratio compared to DRI. Only one indicator of metabolic syndrome, HDL cholesterol, in 100% of people was less than 50 mg/dl. Conclusion: Due to the nutritional boundaries that exist in dormitories for college students, appropriate planning is needed to supplement support in this group of society to prevent the long-term consequences of nutrient shortages and its future potential health hazards.

Background and purpose: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is one of the viral hemorrhagic fevers caused by Nairovirus group. Epidemiological investigation and clinical symptoms of the disease in each region can help to identify disease-prone foci and early diagnosis of the disease in epidemic cases. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory symptoms of patients with CCHF in Mazandaran province in 2014-2018. Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional epidemiological survey, 135 patients with proven CCHF in Mazandaran province were enrolled in a census manner. The clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory findings in these patients were determined. Results: In this study, 23% were younger than 30 years of age and 80.7% were men. In hospitalized patients, 33.3% had high risk jobs linked to the disease and 39.3% had livestock exposure. The patients were most affected in spring (45.9%) and summer (42.2%) and less during fall (5.9%), and winter (5.9%). Clinical manifestations, including fever, rash, abdominal pain, bleeding, epistaxis, headache, musculoskeletal pain, cough, and menorrhagia were observed in 88.1%, 11.1%, 23%, 28.9%, 7.4%, 52.6%, 69.7%, 0%, and 0% of the infected subjects, respectively. Thrombocytopenia were seen in 51.9% of the patients and about other laboratory results there were no any specific findings in 29.6%. According to laboratory findings, LFT raise, anemia, leukopenia, leukocytosis, LTF raise plus anemia, and LFT raise plus leukopenia were seen in 13.3%, 5.2%, 27.4%, 9.6%, 3.7%, and 11.1%, respectively. Conclusion: According to the present study, although the clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory findings in CCHF cases in Mazandaran province are similar to other studies worldwide, so, the regular analysis of CCHF patients is highly recommended.

Azolla (Azolla spp.: Salviniaceae) is an aquatic fern that was introduced to the northern region of Iran with the aim of increasing the fertility of paddy fields, but due to suitable climatic conditions and the absence of natural enemies it became a problem in rice production and a destructive factor in aquatic ecosystems. In recent years, the biological control agent of this weed, Azolla weevil Stenopelmus rufinasus Gyllenhal (Curculionidae), was introduced in northern region of Iran. In this study, geographical distribution and seasonal population density of S. rufinasus in northern Iran were investigated through regular monthly sampling. The results showed that the time required to complete one generation in semi-field conditions is about two weeks. Both larvae and adults feed on Azolla. Azolla weevil is well distributed and established in the north regions of Iran and by feeding on Azolla, it has reduced its population in wetlands, permanent ponds and paddy fields. Comparing the population density of the weevil in three regions of Guilan province, indicated that the highest number of total density (667 insect in 1 kg Azolla) and adult (363 adults in 1 kg Azolla) belong to the central region of the province, while the density of larvae (397 larvae in 1 kg Azolla) in the eastern region of the province was higher than other regions. In the survey of the density in different cities, the highest density of total (2690 adults and larvae in 1 kg Azolla) and adult insects (2022 adults in 1 kg Azolla) was observed in Shaft city and the highest density of larvae (1920 larvae in 1 kg Azolla) was observed in the Rudbane of Lahijan. Based on the obtained results, the population density of the weevil is higher in spring and winter, which is not far from the mind considering the climatic conditions of the region and the sensitivity of Azolla to heat and low humidity. Based on the findings of this survey, the weevil has spread and settled well in the northern regions

Heavy metals have contaminated various ecosystems. Omnivorous animals such as rodents with high fertility, abundance and low motility can be good indicators for heavy metal contamination of their habitat. Rural- agricultural areas around seven cities in Golestan and Mazandaran Provinces were selected to trap five brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) from each region. After the preparation of serum samples, Pb concentration was measured by atomic absorption spectrometry. Also, GIS software was used to survey the effect of environmental factors on the Pb distribution pattern. The average Pb concentration was similar in males and females. The average Pb concentrations in rural areas of Golestan and Mazandaran Provinces were 6.7 and 6.3 μg/dL, respectively (p≥ 0.05). The highest average Pb concentration (7.55 μg/dL) belonged to rats sampled in areas around Ghargomishan road (around Neka City), and the lowest average Pb concentration (5.20 μg/dL) belonged to rats sampled from Kaleh agricultural areas (between Bahnamir and Babolsar Cities). Using the sensitivity method of the linear multiple regression model, it was found that the temperature and humidity have the greatest effect and altitude and precipitation have the lowest impacts. The results of this study indicated Pb contamination of rural-agricultural areas of Golestan and Mazandaran Provinces and the transmission risk of this hazardous metal to humans and other animals living in these areas. Therefore, the communication of information to the authorities and the use of adequate measures to prevent Pb entrance to sampled areas seem necessary.

Organic agriculture is a potential approach to achieving a healthy and safe food system to reach sustainable agricultural development. This study's goal was to evaluate the strategic situation of organic farming development in Mazandaran province in the north of Iran. This inquiry is qualitative in terms of paradigm, is applied in terms of the type of research, and is descriptive in terms of research method, which was done using the classic Delphi technique in three stages. Data collection was done using a survey technique. The statistical population including organic agriculture experts were interviewed as a sample using the snowball sampling method until reaching theoretical saturation. Data analysis was done using the SWOT technique and QSPM method. The results of compiling the four strategies of development (SO), diversification (ST), review (WO), and defensive (WT) showed that organic agriculture is within the range of development strategies (SO) which, based on the results of the QSPM matrix, the most attractive SO's strategy was to "adopt suitable incentive policies for producers and exporters of organic products." The results of this research can be used for policymaking and appropriate decision-making in the development of organic agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activity of cooperatives is one of the important activities of the fisheries sector and its knowledge performance and economic funds can be effective in deciding on investment in this sector as well as economic planning. The aim of this study was to determine the role of cooperatives in the optimal economic use of dual-purpose dams in aquaculture in Mazandaran province from 20 selected cooperatives in 2016-2017. To ensure the completeness of the questionnaire, before starting the main stages of the research, five units were randomly referenced and the questionnaire was reviewed and finalized with Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The results showed that the fishing industry of Mazandaran province is one of the productive activities and has an effective role in transforming the methods of exploiting provincial facilities. The comprehensive data analysis method presents the relative efficiency of each production point by calculating the ratio of the total weighted product to the total weighted input. According to the obtained average technical efficiency, it was found that most sealing cooperatives used inputs and facilities as efficiently as possible and according to the calculated average technical efficiency (above 83% on average), if these factors are used better, they can increase the technical efficiency of the units by 20.8%. In this regard, and based on the linear programming method provided for these units, it is possible to plan for the production and target values of each unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During a faunistic survey of the jumping plant-lice in the Mazandaran province of Iran in the summer 2022, Rhinocola aceris (L. 1758) was collected on Acer sp. (Sapindales, Sapindaceae), which is newly recorded from Iran. This is also the first record of the genus Rhinocola Förster for the country.

This article provides an annotated checklist of the Poduromorpha (Collembola) in Iran based on the literature published between 2020 and 2022 and the materials collected in this study. The results of identification of recently collected materials indicated seven species, including Xenylla brevisimilis Stach, 1949, Ceratophysella succinea (Gisin, 1949) (Hypogastruridae), Pseudachorutes caramel, Kaprus', Weiner & Nevo, 2004, P. laricis Arbea & Jordana, 1989, Cryptonura anthrenoidea Ellis, 1976 (Neanuridae), Superodontella montemaceli Arbea & Weiner, 1992, and S. rotunda Kaprus', 2009 (Odontellidae), are new for Iranian Collembola fauna. A total of 138 species and 48 genera belonging to seven families of Poduromorpha order are listed here along with the materials examined and distribution in the world and Iran.

Simultaneous with the entrance of the Box Tree Moth (BTM), Cydalima perspectalis to Iran and its report from northern regions of the country, researchers began to explore the pest with its management approach before a further infestation occurs. Accordingly, the current research was carried out to study the effectiveness of some pesticides, belonging to the biological, IGR, and botanical pesticide groups under laboratory and field conditions. Based on the results, among 12 examined pesticides, the efficacy of 2 Bacillus thuringiensis- based microbial pesticides, those produced by CBC and Problete Co. were confirmed under both experimental conditions. Moreover, Lufenuron (EC 5%) (Match®), which belongs to the IGR group, has also been successful in controlling this pest. Accordingly, using the mentioned insecticides is recommended to control the Box Tree Moth.

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The new eriophyid species, Phyllocoptes khazariensis sp. nov. was found on Cupressus sempervirens L. (Cupressaceae) during a survey on eriophyoid mite fauna of Sari county, Mazandaran province, north of Iran, in summer 2017. This is the first Phyllocoptes species found on plants of the genus Cupressus and herein described and illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ticks are parasitic and bloodthirsty arthropods. Different species of ticks are important carriers of animal and human pathogens. Accurate identification and diagnosis as well as their continuous monitoring can be effective in reducing animal diseases, especially in the transmission of some protozoa. As an efficient tool in morphological studies and accurate identification of ticks electron microscopy is very useful. In the present study, using this tool, accurate identification of ticks collected from Khuzestan and Mazandaran regions in 4 consecutive seasons has been done. From a total of 6954 ticks collected from the body surface of cattle, sheep and goats in the two mentioned provinces, 13 species were detected. They include: Rhipicephalus turanicus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Rhipicephalus (boophilus) annulatus, Rhipicephalus bursa. Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum, Hyalomma asiaticum asiaticum Hyalomma excavatum, Hyalomma marginatum, Dermacentor marginatus, Haemaphysalis parva, Haemaphysalis punctate, Haemaphysalis inermis and ixodes ricinus. Based on the results, Factors such as temperature and sampling season are directly related to the isolated ticks. The results of the present study showed that the frequency ratio of Rhipicephalus ticks in different seasons in Khuzestan and Mazandaran provinces has followed a relatively similar pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floods are among the hazards that affect millions of people around the world every year. The northern region of Iran has also faced numerous floods in recent decades and has caused a lot of damage to urban and rural areas. The northern regions of Iran have also experienced numerous floods in recent decades and have caused extensive damage to urban and rural areas. This study aimed to prepare a map of flood-prone areas by fuzzy method and to validate various maps downstream of the Neka River catchment in eastern Mazandaran. After the flood of 2019, the location of the areas that were affected by the flood was recorded in points. Data were randomly divided into two parts: training and validation 70% and 30%. Based on 70% of the observational data, fuzzy relationships of different information layers were determined, including elevation, slope, distance from the river, precipitation, lithology, and land use. After fuzzification of layers, using 9 different fuzzy operators, the layers overlapped and flood hazard maps were obtained. The validity of the resulting maps was performed using 30% of flooded points and the same number of non-flooded points by ROC method and Cohen's Kappa index. The results showed that operators of fuzzy Gamma 0.9, 0.8, and 0.7, had the highest accuracy of respectively. According to the map of the fuzzy Gamma 0.9, 15.7% of the area is in the very high and high class and 30% of rural and urban areas of the catchment are in these danger zones.

Background and purpose: The knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of healthcare workers are important to reduce the transmission and burden of dengue. There is no standard tool to assess KAP of healthcare workers about dengue in Mazandaran Province, Iran, so this study was conducted to design and assess the validity and reliability of a questionnaire in Persian assessing KAP of healthcare workers about these mosquito-borne viral disease. Materials and methods: In this descriptive analytical study, a preliminary questionnaire containing 81 questions was designed after reviewing articles and interviews with experts. To determine the validity of the scale, quantitative-qualitative face and content validity were measured, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to assess the reliability. Results: In the study of face validity and qualitative content, experts' opinions were applied to the items as minor changes. The Impact Score (IS) of all items were higher than 1.5 (1.5-5) which provided supports for items importance. Content validity, based on the Lawshe table, optimal value of content validity ratio (CVR), and content validity index (CVI) were 0.6 and higher than 0.8, respectively. All items except one that was removed, obtained the desired score and were retained in the scale. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.79 which showed that all items had an acceptable correlation. Conclusion: This study provided a reliable and valid tool in Persian to assess KAP of healthcare workers about dengue in Mazandaran Province, north of Iran and can be used for measuring dengue KAP by Iranian researchers.

Background and purpose: A drug brochure or Patient Package Insert (PPI) is a sheet of paper in drug package that provides necessary information for effective and afe use of drugs. PPIs are among the main sources of drug information for general public, so, they should be clear and comprehensible. The purpose of this study was to assess the attitudes of pharmacists about PPIs in Iranian drug packages. Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, 203 pharmacists working in pharmacies affiliated with Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences were selected via random sampling. The attitudes of pharmacists about drug brochures in Iranian drug packages were assessed using a researcher-made questionnaire. Content validity of the scale was confirmed and its reliability was confirmed by calculating Cronbach's alpha in Excel 2013. Results: In this study, 76.5% of pharmacists believed that physicians rarely ask about the contents of PPIs. Also, only 7% of pharmacists reported mistakes in PPIs to pharmaceutical technicians and experts. Findings showed that 69.8% found that the information in Iranian PPIs do not have a considerable effect on enhancing their knowledge. Conclusion: According to this study, pharmacists believed that the PPIs were not helpful in terms of size and font of contents, enhancing pharmacists’ knowledge and caused more fear about drugs’ side effects. Therefore, appropriate measures should be taken by food and drug administration when preparing PPIs to improve the contents of PPIs.