Central Part Of Iran Research Articles

Analysis and comparison of energy-economic-environmental cycle in two cultivation methods (seeding and transplanting) for onion production (case study: central parts of Iran)

Nowadays, production and consumption of inputs play an important role in agri-food sectors. But applying inappropriate management of input consumption results in negative environmental repercussions and reduced economic profits. So conducting a comprehensive study on the production process of products in terms of energy input flow, economic costs and environmental impacts could play a key role in suitable input management on the whole production cycle. Accordingly, the present study aimed to conduct an energy-economic-environmental on onion production in two cropping systems including seeding and transplanting. Required data were collected from 4 different seeding systems in Isfahan region (55 questionnaires) and 5 different transplanting systems in Semirom-Buin regions (50 questionnaires). Based on the results, for seeding onion system, the total energy input varied between 2973 and 3938 MJ. tonne−1 for system (Ι) and (ΙΙΙ), respectively, while for transplanting system, it varied between 2218 and 2339 MJ. tonne−1 for system (IV) and (Ι), respectively. The average energy input for seeding and transplanting systems was obtained as 3579 and 2322 MJ. tonne−1, respectively. Electricity and diesel fuel were identified as the most consumed inputs in all systems. In terms of production costs, labor had the highest contribution to the total costs in seeding and transplanting systems with the amount of 12.73 (32%) and 25.22 $. tonne−1 (58%), respectively. Based on the results obtained from the analysis of energy and economic indices, the integrated index of Energy Intensiveness was obtained as 90.54 and 53.50 MJ $−1 for seeding and transplanting systems, respectively, which shows the high energy-economic efficiency of transplanting systems compared to the seeding systems. LCA results related to the environmental impacts of onion production showed that in seeding and transplanting systems, Global Warming (GW) and Environmental Final Impact (EFI) were obtained as 24.7 and 4.65 kg CO2.eq. tonne−1 and 15.42 and 4.22 pPt. tonne−1, respectively. Direct emissions caused by input consumption (CO2, NH3 and NO3−), and indirect emissions caused by electricity generation and manure production were identified as the environmental hotspots in onion production. In seeding cropping systems of (Ι) and (ΙΙ) which followed by the post-harvest processes, the total energy input, input costs and EFI index were determined as 3527 MJ, 74.37 $ and 13.18 pPt per one tonne of stored crop in the cold storage and 5458 MJ, 138.74 $ and 32.89 pPt per one tonne of processed onion in processing plant, respectively. Results related to the post-harvest operations highlighted the necessity of investigation of whole cycle of agricultural crops (cradle-to-grave analysis).

Appraising Mahallat Geothermal Region using thermal surveying data accompanied by the geological, geochemical and gravity analyses

Mahallat Geothermal Region, located in the central part of Iran, is known as one of the largest low-temperature geothermal fields. In this study, Mahallat geothermal resource has been evaluated based on integrated geological, geochemical and geophysical analyses. Gravity data revealed three major negative anomaly zones. Based on the geochemical analyses, quartz geothermometers are more reliable than others and confirmed that the reservoir is about 90 °C. Lithological properties of Jurassic layers and high sulphate content observed in geochemical data showed traces of the coal-rich layers on the hot fluids. Measured temperatures in 7 boreholes with the depths ranging from 50 to 100 m, have proposed that expected geothermal gradient will be about 81.5 °C/km. Among all drilled boreholes, the data coming from only one resulted in this almost reliable gradient. Other boreholes are clearly too shallow or affected by upflow or downflow of water along existing faults. Geological, geochemical, gravity and measurements of drilled boreholes suggested the existence of a shallow reservoir with an approximate temperature of 90 °C. Regarding gravity and observed faults, geothermal reservoir is elongated parallel to one of the main faults of the region with NE-SW strike.

Prevalence of Sexual Dysfunction and Related Risk Factors in Men with Multiple Sclerosis in Iran: A Multicenter Study

IntroductionSexual dysfunction (SD) is a common complaint in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of SD and its related risk factors in men with MS in Iran.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, 320 men who had been diagnosed with MS according to the McDonald revised criteria were recruited from January to June 2019, from the north, south, east, west, and central parts of Iran. Patients were assessed using the Male Sexual Health Questionnaire (MSHQ), International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), The Multiple Sclerosis Intimacy and Sexuality Questionnaire-(MSISQ 19), Sexual Quality of Life-Men (SQOL-M), and Standard General Health Questionnaire (GHQ).ResultsSexual dysfunction, defined as total IIEF score ≤ 45 was present in 114 patients (35.6%). The results of univariate logistic regression showed that there were significant direct relations between age (OR 1.050, 95% CI 1.02–1.08), Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.24–1.7), duration of MS (OR 1.005, 95% CI 1.002–1.009), MSISQ-19 (OR 1.103, 95% CI 1.078–1.128), GHQ (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.03–1.06), SQOL-M (OR 0.930, 95% CI 0.914–0.947), smoking (OR 1.941, 95% CI 1.181–3.188), non-MS chronic disease (OR 1.91, 95% CI 1.20–3.04), having a main sexual partner (OR 2.56, 95% CI 1.32–4.94), and significant inverse relations between exercise (OR 0.584, 95% CI 0.364–0.936) and regular sexual activity (OR 0.241, 95% CI 0.15–0.40), with the prevalence of SD. The results of multiple logistic regression indicated that the age, MSISQ-19, and SQOL-M were the only independent predictive factors for SD in these patients.ConclusionThe prevalence of SD in men with MS in Iran is relatively high. These patients should be screened, diagnosed, and treated for SD and influencing factors.

Investigating the Causes of Entrepreneurs Failure to Start-up Greenhouse Business in Isfahan Province, Iran

Despite the impact of entrepreneurships on economic development, it has not received much attention over the last few decades. Most studies in the field of entrepreneurship have been based on the experiences of successful entrepreneurs. Although the success and failure of entrepreneurs are two sides of the same coin, studying the causes of entrepreneurial failure provides us with much more important information for analyzing the entrepreneurial ecosystem in a country. Therefore, by examining the failure of entrepreneurs, the entrepreneurial ecosystem can be changed to improve the conditions for future success of entrepreneurs. The present study examines factors caused to failure start-up greenhouse business by licensed entrepreneurs in province of Isfahan located at central part of Iran. This study considers population who obtained license to start greenhouse business but failed to do so at last. This study applied qualitative research technique and related data were collected through semi-structured telephone interviews with totally 450 interviewee and 264 of them participated in the study. To analysis the collected data, the structural content analysis technique of grounded theory was applied. Due to importance of factors, vocabulary counting technique was applied. As a result, 575 Barriers are expressed by entrepreneurs. At the open coding stage, the extracted phrases are integrated in 19 terms of meaningful expressions by integrating the same items and removing repetitive cases. At the axial coding stage, 19 integrated concepts are obtained. Subsequently, the extracted phrases create six main factors. At the selective coding stage, the entrepreneurs' basic barriers are categorized into three categories: Human Barriers, Economic barriers, Infrastructure facilities and supportive policies. This study well revealed that weak infrastructure facilities, poor supportive system, economy barriers and problems with human resource barriers respectively had powerful deterrent factors which caused license holders to give up starting a greenhouse business.

Detection of areas prone to wind erosion and air pollution using DSI and PDSI indices

Many significant dust storms have occurred in the Central part of Iran since ancient times. Recently, the frequency and intensity of such events have increased remarkably, especially in hyper-arid and arid zones of Yazd province. Under these conditions, it is necessary to address several notable challenges, including methods of detecting the potential sites for wind erosion and dust storms and degree of success in reducing air pollution and dust storms. Thus, this study utilized weather codes of dust to monitor wind erosion and dust storm frequency in Yazd province, Iran. The study also defined a new appropriate index to evaluate air pollution in terms of different dust events. A new dust storm index for air pollution (PDSI) introduces to monitor air pollution. Daily dust storm index (DSI) is another empirical model to study dust storm activities. Weather codes associated with dust events were used at 11 synoptic stations in the Yazd province during 2000–2017. PDSI assessment using meteorological code 06 and hourly scale is used as the main tools for evaluating air pollution. Evaluation of dust weather codes using different weights performed to properly analyze wind erosion and air pollution status at different spatial and temporal scales. Yazd station had the highest amount of air pollution (105.9). Meybod had the highest amount of wind erosion (9.76) with a significant potential to occur dust storm. Assessment of the DSI and PDSI indicates a significant increase (about ten times) in wind erosion and air pollution in recent years. Poor land management and the existence of outdoor dust haze are the main causes of the terrible increase in air pollution during 2008–2017. It is recommended to promote sustainable industrial development and reduce the negative impacts of mining activities in regions with medium to severe air pollution.

Improving spatial estimation of hydrologic attributes via optimized moving search strategies

The anisotropy and directional variation of spatial attributes is one of the most important challenges in spatial estimation of environmental features. This problem received a suitable response in the realm of stochastic modeling using directional variography; however, there is not any specific solution in the field of deterministic methods. In this research, Moving Least Square (MLS) and Moving Inverse Distance Weighting (MIDW) have been used to assess a moving domain as the remedy; although, there has been no research on the spatial estimation with the MLS method. The methods are evaluated in three case studies, (I) using anisotropic piezometric head data from the Wolfcamp aquifer in Texas, (II) long-term annual average precipitation measurements in Namak Lake Watershed (NLW) located in the central part of Iran, and (III) estimation of annual precipitation with remote-sensing products, TRMM, in NLW as well. To achieve the best performance of the methods, parameters have been optimized using the modified version of shuffled complex evolutionary method. Assessment of statistical metrics, Taylor Diagram, and numerical results showed that spatial interpolation using MIDW and MLS revealed better results, with an improvement of 45.3% on average in terms of Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), in comparison with original IDW as the benchmark evaluation approach. This shows the power of moving data partitioning on the performance of deterministic estimators. Additionally, MLS was more effective than MIDW with an average of 0.55, 10.53, and 17.19% reduction in RMSE of case I, II, and III, respectively.

CMIP5 climate projections and RUSLE-based soil erosion assessment in the central part of Iran

Soil erosion (SE) and climate change are closely related to environmental challenges that influence human wellbeing. However, the potential impacts of both processes in semi-arid areas are difficult to be predicted because of atmospheric variations and non-sustainable land use management. Thus, models can be employed to estimate the potential effects of different climatic scenarios on environmental and human interactions. In this research, we present a novel study where changes in soil erosion by water in the central part of Iran under current and future climate scenarios are analyzed using the Climate Model Intercomparison Project-5 (CMIP5) under three Representative Concentration Pathway-RCP 2.6, 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios. Results showed that the estimated annual rate of SE in the study area in 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2019 averaged approximately 12.8 t ha−1 y−1. The rangeland areas registered the highest soil erosion values, especially in RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 for 2070 with overall values of 4.25 t ha−1 y−1 and 4.1 t ha−1 y−1, respectively. They were followed by agriculture fields with 1.31 t ha−1 y−1 and 1.33 t ha−1 y−1. The lowest results were located in the residential areas with 0.61 t ha−1 y−1 and 0.63 t ha−1 y−1 in RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 for 2070, respectively. In contrast, RCP4.5 showed that the total soil erosion could experience a decrease in rangelands by − 0.24 t ha−1 y−1 (2050), and − 0.18 t ha−1 y−1 (2070) or a slight increase in the other land uses. We conclude that this study provides new insights for policymakers and stakeholders to develop appropriate strategies to achieve sustainable land resources planning in semi-arid areas that could be affected by future and unforeseen climate change scenarios.

Modeling of relative humidity trends in Iran

Atmospheric humidity has an important role in the energy balance of the planet Earth, and it is effective in explaining climate change and consequently global warming, which has been a major topic of discussion among scientists in recent decades. Therefore, in this study, the maximum and minimum annual and seasonal trends of the relative humidity of 41 synoptic stations in the country during the statistical period of 1960–2019 were evaluated. Three statistical tests were used to analyze the data trend: the Mann–Kendall statistical test, Sen's slope estimator, and linear regression. In the study area, the maximum and minimum annual humidity trends were positive for 83.26% and negative for 17.73% of the stations, respectively. The highest increase in maximum and minimum humidity values, respectively, includes Chabahar in Southeast and Dezful in Southwest stations with a rate of + 2.55 and + 2.10 °C per decade. At the seasonal scale, the highest decrease in maximum and minimum humidity was identified in the summer at Tabas station in the central part of Iran. The highest number of stations with a decreasing or negative trend in the seasonal time series of maximum and minimum humidity occurred in winter with 37 stations. In contrast, most stations had a significant increasing or positive trend in winter and fall. Overall, the results showed that although the rate of decreasing trend of humidity for the study period was higher than the rate of an increasing trend of humidity, there was a similar decreasing trend in the studied variables.

The Occurrence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia Parasites in Drinking Water Resources of Alborz province , the Central Part of Iran in 2018

Background: Giardia and Cryptosporidium are common parasitic protozoa that cause acute intestinal infections in children. These two parasites are mostly found in aquatic environments, including raw water, wastewater, and even treated water. Objective: The present study aimed to examine parasitic contamination of drinking water resources by cysts and the oocyst of Giardia and Cryptosporidium in Alborz province, Iran. Materials and Methods: Water samples from three rivers and seven randomly-selected wells of Alborz province were examined using Sheather, formol-ether, and immuno-fluorescence assay (IFA) techniques. The prepared slides were examined with optical and fluorescence microscopes. Results: IFA technique revealed that 28% of the wells were contaminated with both parasites. It was also shown that all rivers’ drainage basins were contaminated with Cryptosporidium parasite, while 66% of rivers’ drainage basins were contaminated with Giardia parasite. Conclusion: The results showed that water resources of Alborz province contained Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts, which required health care officials to pay serious attention to treating drinking water.

Contamination of obsterics and gynecology hospital air by bacterial and fungal aerosols associated with nosocomial infections.

Bacterial and fungal bioaerosols are a global concern due to nosocomial infections, especially in developing countries. Our study aimed to detect fungal and bacterial bioaerosols in different wards of an obstetrics and gynecology hospital air samples. 240 bioaerosol samples were collected by performing impaction method from different wards of a hospital in the central part of Iran, during two seasons. Fungi genera and bacteria species are recognized by cultivation. Concentrations of bacteria and fungi were ranged from 44 to 75 CFU/m3 and 8 to 22 CFU/m3, respectively. Labor Delivery and Recovery (LDR) and Emergency room had first and second most contaminated air among all the hospital wards. No significant difference between microbial load of wards which used natural ventilation and heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system was observed. The microbial load was not affected significantly by temperature, working shift, and Inpatient Bed Occupancy Rate (IBOR). Fungal load related significantly with relative humidity. Staphylococcus aureus (detected in 48.3% of samples) and Penicillium (27%) were the most predominant isolated bacteria and fungi, respectively. The results revealed that the level of bacteria and fungi responsible for nosocomial infections in the air of this hospital is very low. Although levels of microbial contamination are relatively low, it is important to investigate the effect of bioaerosols on nosocomial infections, especially in neonates.

Evaluating the Rate of Atmospheric Dust Deposition in Isfahan Province

The present study investigates seasonal and spatial variations in atmospheric dust deposition rate (DDR) and the concentration of dust-borne heavy metals in the eastern part of Isfahan as well as Segzi plain located in the central part of Iran. Dust samples were collected from nine different sites on a monthly basis from December 2016 to September 2017. The total concentrations of Pb and Zn were measured. The lowest value of DDR was observed in the winter due to low amount of precipitation, and the highest value was recorded in the summer. Seasonal distribution of the concentration of dust-borne heavy metals revealed that almost all the metals follow the pattern: fall ˃ spring ˃ summer. Spatial distribution of dust-borne Pb and Zn followed almost the same trend and the highest concentrations were observed in the western parts of the study area. It seems that fossil fuel, vehicle traffic, and industrial activities are the most important anthropogenic factors contributing to dust-borne heavy metals in the study area.

Crude protein fractionation, in situ ruminal degradability and FTIR protein molecular structures of different cultivars within barley, corn and sorghum cereal grains

The objectives of current study was to determine protein characteristics, including crude protein fractionation according to the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS), in situ ruminal crude protein (CP) degradability and Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), among barley, corn, and sorghum cultivars. Cereal grains were collected from the central part of Iran and included 1) moderate, cold, and dry climate barley cultivars, 2) early and late maturity corn cultivars and 3) new and conventional sorghum cultivars. The main differences among cereal types were that corn and sorghum contained more starch and less fibre (NDF) than barley (P < 0.05), while soluble CP fractions (PA and PB1), slowly degradable true protein (PB3) and rate and extent of ruminal CP degradation (in situ) were greater (P < 0.05) for barley than corn and sorghum. The FTIR absorbance intensities for amide I, amide II, the ratio of amide I to amide II, α-helix and β-sheets were greater for barley compared with corn and sorghum grain (P < 0.05). Within barley, the moderate type cultivar contained less soluble CP and NPN and more ADICP than the cold and dry type cultivars (P < 0.05), while in situ CP degradation characteristics were similar among cultivars. Protein molecular structures in different cultivars of barley were similar. In corn grain, the early maturing cultivar contained more ash, EE, soluble CP and PB1 and less PB2, PB3 and NDICP than the late maturing cultivar (P < 0.05). Furthermore, FTIR protein molecular structures amide I and II had different between the two corn cultivars. In sorghum, the new cultivar contained less starch, more CP and PB3, and had slower degradation rate (kd) of CP than the old cultivar (P < 0.05). The FTIR protein molecular structures were similar between the sorghum cultivars according to univariate analysis, but cluster and principal component analysis largely separated the FTIR spectra of the two cultivars in the amide region. In conclusion, differences among three cereal grains and their cultivars were mainly observed for protein sub-fractionation, with minor effects on in situ ruminal protein degradability. Barley had different FTIR protein molecular structure compared with corn and sorghum.

Quality of life and its predictors in Iranian women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Quality of life is an important indicator for quality of care. This study aimed to determine the quality of life (QOL) and its predictors in Iranian women with breast cancer who undergo chemotherapy and radiotherapy to design effective interventions in improving patients' QOL. The cross-sectional study was conducted on 190 women with breast cancer who were referred to oncology centers for chemotherapy and radiotherapy in Arak city, the central part of Iran. The participants were recruited utilizing convenience sampling method in a period from April to July 2018. Data were collected using demographic and disease characteristics questionnaires, QOL-Cancer30, QOL-Breast Cancer 23, Illness Perception Questionnaire, and Supportive Care Needs Survey - Short Form 34. Multivariate linear regression was used to analyze data. The mean (standard deviation) score of cancer QOL was 57.1 (25.8). On the other hand, the mean (standard deviation) scores of the symptom and functional domains of breast cancer QOL were 43.3 (17.9) and 44.3 (21.7), respectively. Predictive variables for cancer QOL were spouse education, insurance coverage, type of surgery, type of treatment, supportive care needs, and illness perception. Predictive variables for the domain of symptoms of breast cancer QOL included spouse education, income, supportive care needs, and illness perception, while for the functional domain of breast cancer QOL, the predictive variables were the type of surgery, spouse age, supportive care needs, and illness perception. Fulfilling supportive care needs, helping to understand the curative nature of cancer, as well as empowering complementary health insurances are among intervenable variables to improve QOL among women with breast cancer.

Comparing groundwater fluoride level with WHO guidelines and classifying at-risk age groups; based on health risk assessment

ABSTRACT The main route of fluoride uptake is drinking water. Fluoride absorption in the acceptable range (0.5–1.5 mg L−1) is suitable for the body, but its too much consumption can have irreversible health effects. To compare fluoride concentration with the WHO guidelines, 112 water samples were taken from groundwater aquifers in 22 villages of Garmsar County, the central part of Iran, during 2018 to 2019. Fluoride concentration was measured by the SPANDS method and its non-carcinogenic impacts were calculated using EDI and HQ. The statistical population was divided into four categories of infant, children, teenagers, and adults. Linear regression and Spearman rank correlation coefficient tests were used to investigate the relationships between the well’s depth and fluoride concentration in the water samples. The annual mean concentrations of fluoride in 2018 and 2019 were 0.75 and 0.64 mg L−1and, the fluoride mean concentration in the samples classifying the cold and hot seasons of the studied years was 0.709 and 0.689 mg L−1, respectively. The amount of fluoride in 27% of the samples in both years was less than the acceptable minimum (0.5 mg L−1). Also, 11% of the samples in 2018 (6 samples) had fluoride levels higher than 1.5 mg L−1. The HQ showed that the children were vulnerable; teenagers and adults were in the next ranks, respectively. Statistical tests showed a reverse and significant correlation (R2 = – 0.02, β < 0.0001) between well depth and fluoride content. The border between the usefulness/harmfulness of fluoride is very narrow and requires extensive studies.

The occurrence of antibiotic resistance, ESBLs, MBL and NDM-1 in Uropathogenic Escherichia coli in Central part of Iran

Broad-spectrum β-lactamase enzymes capable of destroying the antibiotics of β-lactam, cephalosporin, and Metallo-β-lactamase enzymes can also deactivate all β-lactams and carbapenems. This study aimed to determine ESBLs and MBLs enzymes and the frequency of NDM-1 gene­. In this study, 200 Escherichia coli isolates of women with urinary tract infection were collected (100 inpatients and 100 outpatients). Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for ceftazidime and meropenem was determined by E-test. A phenotypic confirmation test was used to detect ESBL enzymes. MBLs production was performed with modified Hodge test (MHT) and EDTA disk synergy (EDS) test. PCR was used for detecting the presence of NDM-1 gene. From 200 isolates, 93 isolates produce ESBL enzymes. Overall, 97 isolates were resistant to ceftazidime, and 38 isolates resistant to meropenem. The results of the MHT and EDS positive tests were 41 and 16 isolates, respectively. NDM-1 was not found in any of the patients. The prevalence of E. coli isolates producing both ESBLs and MBLs enzymes, is a serious threat to clinical infections. Accordingly, for the control and treatment of these strains, rapid and accurate identification can be greatly helpful.

Influence of non-stationarity and auto-correlation of climatic records on spatio-temporal trend and seasonality analysis in a region with prevailing arid and semi-arid climate, Iran

Trend and stationarity analysis of climatic variables are essential for understanding climate variability and provide useful information about the vulnerability and future changes, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. In this study, various climatic zones of Iran were investigated to assess the relationship between the trend and the stationarity of the climatic variables. The Mann-Kendall test was considered to identify the trend, while the trend free pre-whitening approach was applied for eliminating serial correlation from the time-series. Meanwhile, time series stationarity was tested by Dickey-Fuller and Kwiatkowski-Phillips-Schmidt-Shin tests. The results indicated an increasing trend for mean air temperature series at most of the stations over various climatic zones, however, after eliminating the serial correlation factor, this increasing trend changes to an insignificant decreasing trend at a 95% confidence level. The seasonal mean air temperature trend suggested a significant increase in the majority of the stations. The mean air temperature increased more in northwest towards central parts of Iran that mostly located in arid and semiarid climatic zones. Precipitation trend reveals an insignificant downward trend in most of the series over various climatic zones; furthermore, most of the stations follow a decreasing trend for seasonal precipitation. Furthermore, spatial patterns of trend and seasonality of precipitation and mean air temperature showed that the northwest parts of Iran and margin areas of the Caspian Sea are more vulnerable to the changing climate with respect to the precipitation shortfalls and warming. Stationarity analysis indicated that the stationarity of climatic series influences on their trend; so that, the series which have significant trends are not static. The findings of this investigation can help planners and policy-makers in various fields related to climatic issues, implementing better management and planning strategies to adapt to climate change and variability over Iran.

Dietary habits and the 10-year risk of overweight and obesity in urban adult population: A cohort study predicated on Yazd Healthy Heart Project

Background and objectiveOverweight and obesity are thought to be associated with increased risk of chronic disease in the Middle East. The present study aimed to determine the association between dietary habits and the incidence of overweight and obesity in urban adult population in the central part of Iran after a 10-year follow-up. MethodsThis cohort study was initiated with 2000 participation aged 20–74 years from Yazd city in Iran based on Yazd Healthy Heart Project (YHHP). The participants without overweight and obesity at the baseline of the study were followed up to 10 years. Demographic data, anthropometric measurements, behavioral and metabolic risk factors of cardiovascular diseases and dietary habits were assessed at baseline and phase II. ResultsAfter a 10-year follow up, 516 non-overweight and 1068 non-obese participants were included for the final analysis. Once adjustments were made for all potential confounders including age, sex, smoking, economic status, physical activity and education, it was identified that lack of weight control increased the risk of obesity (hazard ratio; 95% CI) in total population (1.9; 1.06, 3.4), as well as the risk of overweight (2.39; 1.07, 5.27) and obesity (2.65; 1.13, 6.25) in men. Moreover, consumption of mayonnaise increased the 10-year risk of overweight in women (6.09; 1.2, 30.99). ConclusionsAs revealed by the present study, unhealthy dietary habits can increase the incidence of overweight and obesity in central part of Iran. Therefore, changing the lifestyle appears to be urgent in reducing the risk of overweight and obesity.

Analysis of Occupational Accidents in the Manufacturing Sector in Semnan Province during 2013-2015

Introduction: Occupational accidents have been regarded as the third cause of mortality around the world. This study examined the rates, types, and causes of occupational accidents in industrial sites. Methods: In a cross-sectional design, 721 accident reports were examined in the manufacturing sites in Semnan which is located in the central part of Iran from 2013 to 2015. This study used the Social Security Organization database on workplace accident investigation reports. Frequency and percentage were used for the prevalence, whereas correlation analyses were used to identify the predictors of occupational accidents. SPSS version 21 was used for data analysis and a p-value less than 0.05 was considered as the significant level. Results: Accident Frequency Rates were 1.46, 1.54, and 1.40 in 2013, 2014, and 2015, respectively. Also, the Safe T-score was calculated between +3 and -3. The majority of accidents occurred in males in the age group 24-45, having the educational level of high school diploma or lower. Furthermore, most accidents occurred during the morning shift. Unsafe actions were determined as the major cause of accidents. The maximum reported statistics related to the type of accidents, injuries, and injured organs of the body were hitting sharp edges or obstacles (25%), bruising (30%), and upper limbs (44%). The results indicated a statistically significant relationship between shift work and occupational accidents (P-value &lt;0.05). Conclusion: This study revealed that workers’ behavior as a main contribution to accidents and injuries in the industry. Health and safety training should be designed according to worker duties.

Molecular and Seroepidemiological Survey of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Owned Dogs (Canis familiaris) in New Foci of Rural Areas of Alborz Province, Central Part of Iran: A Cross-Sectional Study in 2017

Background:Mediterranean form of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is endemic among some provinces of Iran. The present study was designed to determine the prevalence of canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) in the owned dogs of the rural areas of Alborz Province near Tehran as the capital of Iran.Methods:This study conducted on 303 owned dogs that selected using a stratified random sampling method. The direct agglutination test (DAT) was used to determine the frequency of Vl. The spleen biopsy was taken from the serology-positive dogs for the confirmation of CVL in the suspected dogs. Nested PCR and sequencing methods were used to determine the type of Leishmania species in the dogs which were parasitological positive.Results:Overall, the DAT results of 9 dogs (2.97%, CI: 1.57–5.55) showed anti Leishmania antibodies at titers ≥ 1:320 indicating VL infection. One dog (0.33%, CI 95%: 0.06–1.85) showed clinical signs and symptoms of VL. There was a significant correlation between the positive cases of CVL and rural area (p< 0.001). The Leishmania was observed in the impression smears that were prepared from spleen biopsy of five the studied dogs. Leishmania infantum were confirmed in all them using nested–PCR assay. The sequence analysis of all five isolates was 95% similar to L. infantum.Conclusion:This study shows that domestic cycle of L. infantum has been established in rural areas of Alborz province where located near Tehran as capital city of Iran. It is necessary to increase the awareness and monitoring of the disease periodically.

Seroprevalence and risk factors assessment of the three main infectious agents associated with abortion in dairy cattle in Isfahan province, Iran.

This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence and identify the risk factors associated with Neospora caninum, Bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BHV-1), and Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infection on industrial Holstein dairy cattle farms in Isfahan province, Central Iran. Blood samples were taken from 216 apparently healthy cattle from 16 randomly selected Holstein dairy farms in the North, South, East, and West of Isfahan in the summer of 2017. The antibodies to N. caninum, BHV-1, and BVDV were detected using a commercially available ELISA kit. The overall seroprevalence for N. caninum, BHV-1, and BVDV was 19%, 72.2%, and 52.8%, respectively. The significant major risk factors of BHV-1 in cattle were identified as farm direction, age groups, parity, and milk yield by the univariate analysis (p < 0.05). The significant major risk factors of BVDV in cattle were identified as age groups, parity, milk yield, and stage of pregnancy (p < 0.05). The only significant major risk factor of N. caninum was farm direction (p < 0.05). A significant association of concurrent infection with BVDV and BHV-1 has shown in the current study (p < 0.05). This study is the first to report the risk factors for N. caninum, BHV-1, and BVDV infection in the central part of Iran and allows us to conclude that these agents are widely distributed in this region.