Arak City Research Articles

The effect of group discussion on self-care behaviors among hypertensive patients referring to health care centers in Arak City

The effect of group discussion on self-care behaviors among hypertensive patients referring to health care centers in Arak City

The Status of Indicators of Good Urban Governance in Arak City, Iran, in the Viewpoints of Urban Managers and Citizens

The Status of Indicators of Good Urban Governance in Arak City, Iran, in the Viewpoints of Urban Managers and Citizens

Comparing the Effect of SubMucosal Resection With Electrocautery Method for the Treatment of Inferior Turbinate Hypertrophy at Amir Kabir Hospital in Arak City

Comparing the Effect of SubMucosal Resection With Electrocautery Method for the Treatment of Inferior Turbinate Hypertrophy at Amir Kabir Hospital in Arak City

SURVEY OF LIGHT POLLUTION OF ARAK CITY BY USING OF DMSP AND SUONI-NPP SATELLITE IMAGERY

Abstract. Today, the use of remote sensing techniques and satellite images of night lights has immensely assisted in investigating this kind of pollution. The objectives of this research is to survey the light pollution of the city of Arak in Iran for the years 1997 and 2009, by utilizing satellite images of DMSP night lights and for the years 2013 through 2018, by taking advantage of Soumi-NPP satellite images of night lights and exploring its connection to the city’s electricity power consumption for street lighting. The night light images of the DMSP and NPP satellites, depending on the degree of light intensity, were each, in segregation, categorized into five classes of light pollution levels, ranging from very high to very low levels. Next, light pollution maps were extracted from classified images and then the connection of the ‘high and very high’ classes of light pollution with electric power consumption for street or road lighting was surveyed in these years. Results of the study indicates that the amount of light pollution in these years was in relevance with road or street lighting, as in the years when the amount of electricity consumption for road lighting was high and its role in connection with light pollution was also in great percentages; and in years with a decrease in electricity consumption for road lighting, lower percentages were displayed.

Bovine cysticercosis in feedlot cattle in central region of Iran.

The cestode, Taenia saginata is a zoonotic tapeworm that it's larval stage which known as Cysticercus bovis cause cyst formation in cattle's organs such as heart, lung, liver, tongue, esophagus and diaphragm muscle, despite the infected cattle may show no clinical signs. Antemortem diagnosis of bovine cysticercosis can be made by antigen detecting ELISA. In a feedlot near city of Arak, beef cattle had different degrees of lethargy, dullness, unthriftiness and were reluctant to move. In postmortem examination of cattle, samples were collected from heart tissue and stained by H&E method for light microscopic examination. 10ml of blood samples were taken from jugular veins of 90 cattle that were going to be sent to slaughterhouse. Serums obtained from blood samples were investigated for presence of C. bovis antigen by ELISA assay. Soils and dusts from farm yard, pen's floor, feed store and both toilets of workers and employer were sampled and evaluated for presence of parasite eggs by floating method. Cysticercus bovis antigen were identified in serums of 18 cattle; and also, samples from workers toilet was contaminated by eggs of T. saginata. This study showed that serologic methods in conjunction with meat inspection can be used for diagnosis of bovine cysticercosis. The aim of this study is to identify infected cattle with C. bovis by serologic methods before slaughter and determine microscopic characteristics of lesions on postmortem examination in central area of Iran.

The Relationship between Nausea and Vomiting with General and Psychological Health of Pregnant Women Referral to Clinics in Arak City, 2015

Objectives: This study was conducted with the aim of investigating the relationship between pregnancy and nausea and vomiting with the general and mental health of pregnant women Referral to clinics in Arak in 2015. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at one of the prenatal referral centers of the city of Arak in 2015. A questionnaire was completed for measuring the severity of nausea and vomiting for 310 eligible pregnant women eligible to enter the study. 240 out of 310 people had nausea and vomiting in pregnancy and 70 patients had no nausea and vomiting. Iranian version of SF-36 quality of life questionnaire was used to evaluate general and mental health indicators. The analysis was performed using SPSS version 18 software, descriptive statistics, percentage and mean, analytical T-test and analysis of variance. Results: The prevalence of nausea and vomiting was 77.5% among samples. The rate of mild nausea and vomiting index was moderate in 18.8% and it was observed to be severe in 59.2% and 22.1% of cases. All dimensions of the general health of pregnant women were significantly reduced (p <0.05) except for mental health, which was the same in all 2 groups. Conclusion: Considering that in this study, nausea and vomiting affected the general health and physical functioning of pregnant mothers, therefore it is suggested that health care providers have more emphasis on pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical techniques to reduce or improve these symptoms in a pregnant woman.

Energy consumption in greenhouses and selection of an optimized heating system with minimum energy consumption

AbstractIn this paper, heat loss is precisely computed by a proposed code considering different climates. Estimating the costs of different central heating system, unit heaters were selected as the most feasible system. Finally, considering the heating capacity and unit heater's dimensions a computational fluid dynamics model was developed to find the optimized configuration of unit heaters in a typical greenhouse. Using this model, the required thermal load for a greenhouse based on the daily temperature of Arak city in 2017 was computed with a smart control system. It was found that savings in energy consumption were approximately 5447 m3 of natural gas each year.

Prenatal Interventional Program about Mothers' Behavior Related to Exclusive Breast Feeding: Findings of Planned Behavior Theory-Based Research

BackgroundPromotion of exclusive breast feeding is known as a savior strategy, to reduce infantile mortality. The theory of planned behavior is an appropriate theory to explain the effect of psychosocial factors on infant feeding behavior. This study aimed to evaluate impact of planned behavior theory-based education on the behavior of pregnant women related to exclusive breast feeding in Arak city, 2016–17.MethodsThis study is an interventional study that was done on 101 pregnant women with gestational age of 32–28 weeks in health centers of Arak city. All individuals were divided into experimental and control groups randomly. Valid and reliable questionnaires were completed before, on and 3 months after intervention. Experimental group received educational intervention in 3 sessions. Date was analyzed using SPSS 16 software (Chi-square, T, R.M.ANOVA Tests).ResultsThe results showed that, after implementation of the intervention, mean of scores for attitudes, subjective norms, Perceived behavioral control, intention and exclusive breast feeding behavior has increased significantly in the experimental group compared with the control group.ConclusionThe findings of this study, showed the efficiency and effectiveness of educational intervention based on the theory of planned behavior on exclusive breast feeding behavior. Designing and implementing educational programs based on the theory of planned behavior is proposed to encourage women to breast-feed exclusively to encourage women to breast-feed exclusively.

Effectiveness of Educational Program Based on Planned Behavior Theory on Decreasing Intention of Hookah and Tobacco Supply among the Handlers of Public Places and Food Centers in Arak City

Effectiveness of Educational Program Based on Planned Behavior Theory on Decreasing Intention of Hookah and Tobacco Supply among the Handlers of Public Places and Food Centers in Arak City

Experimental study of wastewater artificial recharge and its effect on nitrate concentrations

In this study, the effect of wastewater artificial recharge on the nitrate pollution was experimentally investigated. For this purpose, Gavkhaneh district located in Arak city (Iran) was selected as the case study. In order to simulate the water movement until the groundwater level, the soil layers were simulated in PVC cylindrical columns. To simulate three soil layers with thicknesses of 20 m, 20 m and 10 m, three columns with the heights of 2 m, 2 m, and 1 m were respectively considered. In addition, in order to evaluate the effect of natural zeolite filter, the first soil column, in two types (with and without zeolite) was considered. To simulate the wastewater movement, two management strategies were adopted. One strategy is the permanent submersion in water for twenty days, and the other one is dryness-submersion for forty days (submersion in water for 24 h and in dryness 24 h). The results indicated that the reduction of nitrate content is more efficiently obtained up to 54.5% in the second layer having a heavier soil. Furthermore, the use of zeolite had no effect on the reduction in the nitrate concentration. Finally, the results showed that the dryness-submersion strategy was a more effective method to reduce nitrate content than the permanent submersion in the water. Therefore, the absorption in the permanent submersion increases up to 57%, 84%, and 122%, respectively in the first, second, and third layers as compared with the permanent submersion strategy and in the final absorption stage.

Occupational performance of individuals with Multiple Sclerosis based on disability level in Iran

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a common disease across the world as well as in Iran. Individuals with MS usually experience occupational performance problems that result in limitations in their daily life. This study aimed to determine the occupational performance of individuals with MS based on the disability level in Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 50 individuals with MS (20 to 50 years old) were recruited through a convenience sampling strategy from different clinics in Arak City, Iran, during 2016-2017. The Persian versions of Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) were used to assess the status of occupational performance and level of disability. The data were analyzed using chi-square, Spearman's rank correlation, and Mann-Whitney U tests. Results: The total number of 248 occupations were identified as difficult to perform in the following areas: 125 (50.40%) in self-care, 58 (23.38%) in productivity, and 65 (26.20%) in leisure. In addition, the prioritized occupations (n = 149, median: 3, range: 1-4) had significant difference in the distribution of occupations compared with the non-prioritized occupations (P < 0.0001) and the ratings for performances and satisfactions were generally low. There were significant differences between the occupational performance and level of EDSS. Conclusion: The findings of current study suggest that individuals with MS suffer from widespread problems in the areas of occupational performance, particularly in self-care. The findings emphasize the need for identifying the problems of daily occupations in individuals with MS.

Quality of Life Within Three Months After Stroke: A Study in the City of Arak, Iran

IntroductionThe impact of stroke on quality of life (QoL) may be different in diverse societies because of varying availability and accessibility of health and social care services provided in various settings. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate changes in patients’ QoL within three months after stroke and to address the research question; “What factors influence QoL after stroke in Iranian population?” MethodsA total number of 172 patients admitted to the Stroke Unit of Amiralmomenin Hospital in the city of Arak, Iran, were recruited in this study. The Stroke Impact Scale (SIS-16) was used at three different time-points to evaluate post-stroke QoL. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Bonferroni method and marginal model with generalized estimating equation (GEE) were employed to analyze the data. ResultsThe findings revealed a significant decline in QoL within the first month after stroke compared with post-stroke state. The mean values of patients' QoL also improved within three months after stroke although they did not reach the pre-stroke level. A positive relationship was also observed between age, high National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores, hypertension, right side lesion and previous stroke, as well as patients’ poor QoL. Moreover; gender, level of education, job status, and income had no influence on QoL in stroke survivors. ConclusionIt was concluded that being older, having higher NIHSS score, suffering from hypertension, right side lesion and previous stroke could be significantly correlated with poor patients’ QoL. Therefore, effective interventions focusing on older individuals especially those with more severe impairments were assumed to help in improving post-stroke QoL in patients; regardless of their gender, level of education, and social activities.

Codifying the Strategic program for Valiasr Hospital in Arak using TOPSIS method

Attention to strengths, opportunities and efforts to improve them and assess weaknesses and threats to address them is the point of strategic planning and health policy. The present research has tried to apply strategic thinking and method towards the development of a program and a performance enhancement approach in Valiasr Hospital in Arak. In fact, Arak city as one of the industrial poles of the country and Valiasr Hospital of this city as one of the most important hospitals in Arak city and central province need to use strategic planning and methodology. In this regard, the present research has tried to first recognize the different dimensions of performance and factors affecting this performance. Then, by using the obtained knowledge, by combining SWAT and Tapsis methods to analyze these factors, then they are going to extrapolate different strategies of Valiasr Hospital. Finally, a strategic proposition is presented to improve performance and eliminate deficiencies and threats. Keywords: Strategic, Hospital, Arak, program. DOI : 10.7176/RHSS/9-3-11

Molecular characterization and antifungal susceptibility profile of dermatophytes isolated from scalp dermatophyte carriage in primary school children in Arak city, Center of Iran

ObjectiveAsymptomatic carriage is a condition of positive dermatophyte scalp culture without signs and symptoms of tinea capitis. Carriers are the source of dermatophytes that are able to transfer fungal agents to other people. The aim of this study was evaluating asymptomatic dermatophyte scalp carriage among students of primary schools in Arak city. Materials and methodsSampling by a sterilized hairbrush from scalp was performed among 3174 students. Hairbrush was inoculated onto Mycosel agar plates. Dermatophyte isolates were identified by PCR-RFLP using MvaI enzyme. In vitro antifungal susceptibility test was done according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) M38-A2 protocol. The antifungal drugs used included griseofulvin (GRZ), terbinafine (TER), itraconazole (ITC) and fluconazole (FLU). ResultsA total of 3174 schoolchildren were screened, 15 cases (0.48%) had a positive culture for dermatophytes. Asymptomatic carriers including 11 (73.3%) boys and 4 (26.7%) girls and their age range were between 7–12 years. Trichophyton tonsurans (80%), T. interdigitale (13.3%) and T. rubrum (6.7%) were the most common isolated dermatophyte. Based on the obtained antifungal susceptibility results, terbinafine had the lowest and fluconazole had the highest MIC values for all of the tested dermatophyte isolates. ConclusionIn the study, T. tonsurans was the most common species isolated from asymptomatic carriers and of the four antifungals tested, terbinafine had the most active antifungal in vitro against all isolates. Identifying and treating scalp dermatophyte carriers can prevent the spread of tinea capitis in the community.

Comparing the effectiveness of two interventional methods; lecture-based versus self-learning; on mothers' ability to assess the development of 12-month-old children seeking comprehensive health services centers.

INTRODUCTION:Developmental delay of children is a global health concern. One of the important measures in the care of children and the assessment of children's health is the knowledge and ability of mothers about the condition of their children's development. The purpose of this study was to compare the outcome of lecture-based method versus self-learning package on the ability of mothers to assess the development of their 12-month-old children seeking comprehensive health services centers in Arak city, central province of Iran.MATERIALS AND METHODS:The present study is a semi-experimental study. The sample included 189 mothers of 12-month-old children. The data gathering tools were age and stages questionnaire with confirmed validity and reliability. The participants in the study were divided into three group as follows: lecture, self-learning, and control group which were evaluated by pretest and posttest. Data analysis was performed with SPSS version 21.RESULTS:The results of this study indicate that both of interventional methods; lectures and self-learning; had a statistically significant effect on the ability of mothers to evaluate the development of their children (P = 0.001). In the self-learning group, the score of the participants increased from 53.35 ± 44.269 to 70.15 ± 47.290 and in the lecture group, the score of participants increased from 55.28 ± 41.268 to 16.14 ± 38.292 according to the posttests.CONCLUSION:Due to the importance of self-care and active role in the learning process, we suggest the use of self-learning package in practice.

The Relationship Between Perceived Social Support in Pregnancy and Self-Efficacy for Childbirth Fear - A Cross-Sectional Study in Arak City, 2017

Background: It seems that with perceived social support, self-efficacy for childbirth fear can be strengthened in pregnant women. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between perceived social support in pregnancy and self-efficacy for childbirth fear in Arak. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 180 pregnant women. Sampling was done on convenience and health centers were selected randomly. After receiving written consent, the standard questionnaire of perceived social support and the self-efficacy for childbirth fear was given to pregnant women. The questionnaires were collected immediately after completion. After collecting the data, the information was entered into the spss18 software and the Pearson test was used for data analysis. Results: The mean score of self-efficacy for childbirth fear, and perceived social support were 34.55±8.183, 23.93±11.047 respectively. Also, there was no correlation between self-efficacy for childbirth fear and family, friends, and others perceived social support (p &gt;0.05). Conclusion: From the results it seems that the subjective evaluation of the individual from her supporters during pregnancy is not effective on self-efficacy for childbirth fear which is subjective as well. Therefore, health providers should involve directly the husband and the wife’s family regarding supporting the pregnant woman during prenatal care.

Validation and reliability study of a ventilator usability assessment tool

Background: Usability is an index to assess a product from the viewpoint of users satisfaction, efficiency and productivity improvement. The main attributes of usability that are derived from the human factors are and used in usability design of the interfaces Include: compatibility, consistency, flexibility, minimal action, perceptual limitation, usefulness, learnability, ease of use, minimal memory load, user guidance, satisfaction and errors. The main aim of this study was to assess the usability of interface design tool for a ventilator utilized in the hospitals of Arak city, Iran; and study its validation and reliability. Methods and Materials After constructing the initial questionnaire from the standard sources, specific techniques to determine the validity, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient were used for the validity and reliability study. The study procedure was: determining the scope and dimensions of the questions, drafting questionnaire, assigning members of the expert panel, study, questionnaire data acquisition and analysis methods, determining acceptance criteria of the questions and the content validity and reliability index. Results Final tool was a 42-items questionnaire. The content validity index (CVI) of questionnaire was 0.86. The results showed that the total Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.89 as an acceptable value for the reliability of questionnaire. Conclusion After the final questionnaire design and the appropriate validity and reliability of it, adopting this tool to assess the usability of breathing apparatus (ventilator) is recommended. With usability assessment of such vital instruments, quality improvement, higher efficiency and productivity as well as errors reduction and good design user interface will be achieved. Keywords: usability, ventilator, evaluation questionnaire, content validity, reliability

Sedimentology, mineralogy, and geochemistry of the Late Quaternary Meyghan Playa sediments, NE Arak, Iran: palaeoclimate implications

Playas are shallow ephemeral lakes that form in arid and semi-arid regions. Iran has a large number of playas such as Meyghan Playa, which is located in the northeast of Arak city that borders the central Iran and Sanandaj-Sirjan zones. This study aims to investigate the mineralogical, sedimentological, and geochemical characteristics of the playa sediments. In order to determine the palaeoenvironment, we carried out X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies. Meyghan Playa sediments consist of very fine-grained sediments and contain both evaporite and clastic minerals. The evaporite minerals include calcite, gypsum, halite, glauberite, and thenardite, whereas clastic minerals are quartz and clay. The calcite abundance decreases from the margin to the central portion of the playa but gypsum and halite abundances show an increasing trend from the margin to the center. This observation is consistent with the general zonation of other playas. Variations of calcite and gypsum concentration profiles present increasing and decreasing trends with depth, which could be ascribed to the changes in climatic factors. These factors include brine chemical modifications owing to changes in evaporation and precipitation rates and variations in relative abundance of anions-cations or in the rate of clastic and evaporite minerals due to variations in the freshwater influx (climatic changes) with time. A decrease in calcite and increase in sulfate minerals (especially gypsum) with depth is probably due to the higher water level and rainfall, a more humid climate, and salinity variations.

Radiological Hazard Resulting from Natural Radioactivity of Soil in East of Shazand Power Plant

Introduction: Nuclear radiation is potentially harmful to humans and soil contamination with radionuclides is the main source of human radiation exposure. These radionuclides can., enter to human body through the food chain. In this study, 34 soil samples were collected from between Arak city and Shazand Power Plant over 20 km length and analyzed. Materials and Methods: The specific activities of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K, and 137Cs were measured in soil samples, using gamma-ray spectrometry and a high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector. For all the samples, we calculated radiological hazards such as radium equivalent (Raeq), dose rate in air (D), internal and external hazard indices (Hin, Hex), annual gonadal dose equivalent (AGDE), and excess lifetime cancer risk. Results: The specific activities of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K, and 137Cs in the soil samples varied from 18.92 to 43.11, 25.31 to 54.27, 230.17 to 728.25, and from in and Hex wereless than unity. Excess lifetime cancer risk of the samples ranged from 0.21×10-3 to 0.31×10-3, which are close to the mean world value (0.29×10-3) butlower than the acceptable value (10-3). Conclusion: The radiological parameters estimated from the specific activities of the radionuclides in soil were within the acceptable range, and therefore, radiation exposure poses no significant risks to the resident population in the vicinity of the power plant.

Factors Affecting the Behavior of Pregnant Women toward Avoiding Polluted Air

Introduction: Pregnant women are highly vulnerable to air pollution, which has a significant impact on the health of the pregnant women and their fetus. Objective: The present study aimed at determining the factors affecting the behavior of pregnant women in Arak, Iran toward avoiding exposure to polluted air. Materials and Methods: In this analytic cross-sectional study, 208 pregnant women who were referred to health centers in Arak city were selected using multistage random sampling method. The data was collected by a researcher-made questionnaire, completed after determining its validity and reliability. This questionnaire included demographic characteristics of the mother, knowledge and the behavior of some of the mothers toward avoiding exposure to polluted air, and was scored on 100 points. Data were analyzed using Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and T-test. Results: The mean age of mothers was 26.48 ± 4.77 years, mean gestational age was 14.88 ± 5.9 weeks, and mean knowledge score was 40.56 ± 16.91. There was a positive and significant correlation between knowledge and mother’s age (r = 0.279), husband’s age (r = 0.222), and number of smokers in the family (r = 0.178) and a negative and significant correlation with gestational age (r = -0.168) (p = 0.05). Also, there was a significant association between educational level of mother and husband, husband’s job and income with knowledge and behavior (p = 0.05). Conclusion: According to the results of this study, mothers’ knowledge was less than average. It is thus suggested to develop and implement educational programs for pregnant women advanced in age and during the end of pregnancy to improve their behavior toward avoiding polluted air.