East Azerbaijan Research Articles

Diversity of mitochondrial genes and predominance of Clade B in different head lice populations in the northwest of Iran

BackgroundThe head louse, Pediculus humanus capitis, is the most important ectoparasite causing many health problems. Several linkages are presented for this parasite, each representing a particular geographical distribution, prevalence rate, vector competence, susceptibility to pediculicides, and infestation rate. Determining the genetic nature of these linkages is necessary to identify the population structure and also to develop and monitor control programmes against head lice. This study was designed to analyse cox1 and cytb genes and determine the mitochondrial clades in head lice populations in the northwest of Iran.MethodsAdult head lice were collected from infested females of Ardabil, East and West Azerbaijan, and Zanjan Provinces from 2016 to 2018. Partial fragments of the mitochondrial genes cox1 and cytb were amplified by PCR and some of the amplicons were sequenced. All confirmed sequences were analysed, and the frequency of each mitochondrial clade was determined in the studied areas.ResultsA total of 6410 females were clinically examined, and 897 adult head lice were collected from 562 infested cases. Genomic DNA was extracted from 417 samples, and fragments of cox1 and cytb genes were amplified in 348 individuals. Analysis of the 116 sequences showed the 632-bp and 495-bp fragments for cox1 and cytb genes, respectively. The nucleotide and haplotype diversities of cytb and cox1 genes were 0.02261 and 0.589 and 0.01443 and 0.424, respectively. Sequence analysis indicated 6 haplotypes clustered in two clades, A and B. The relative prevalence of clade B was 73% for cytb and 82% for cox1 gene. Haplotypes of clade B were found in all the studied areas, while those of clade A were observed only in rural and suburban areas.ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first study investigated deeply the field populations of Pediculus and documented two clades in the Middle East. The considerable prevalence of pediculosis in the studied areas requires authorities’ attention to establish effective control and preventive measures. Given the role of cytb in monitoring population groups, application of this marker is suggested for future epigenetic studies to evaluate the factors affecting the abundance of these clades.

Relationship between quality of work life and caring behaviors among emergency nurses

PurposeThis study aimed to determine the relationship between quality of nurse work life (QNWL) and caring behaviors among emergency nurses.Design/methodology/approachIn this cross-sectional study, a total of 168 emergency nurses were selected from eight hospitals in the metropolitan of Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. Data were collected in the first six months of 2018 by Brooks' QNWL questionnaire and Wolf's Caring Behaviors Inventory. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the data.FindingsThe overall QNWL scores were low to moderate. The highest scores were related to the work design and home/ life dimensions. Nurses' care behaviors were focused on the physical aspect of care, so that the highest scores for dimensions of caring behaviors belonged to the professional knowledge and skill followed by the attentiveness to the others' experience and the lowest belonged to the positive connectedness. The results of the multiple linear regression analysis showed that the model with the three variables of work context, male gender, and age group 51–60 years was significant.Research limitations/implicationsThis study used cross-sectional data for analysis, which limits the ability to establish causality. It is therefore suggested that future studies should use longitudinal designs to strengthen the acceptability of causality. Longitudinal designs will also help to assess changes of QNWL within units of observation over time. Moreover, this study was conducted in the educational treatment centers of Tabriz. Therefore, further studies should be carried out on nurses in the ED of East Azerbaijan and the northwestern provinces of Iran to allow generalization of the research results concerning macro-policymaking to improve the QNWL of these nurses and their caring behaviors.Practical implicationsFor providing high quality care to patients, it is necessary to pay more attention to the communication and emotional aspects of patient care. Nurses' QWL, especially in the work context dimension, should be enhanced to improve the caring behaviors of nurses.Social implicationsAlso considering that the work world dimension had the lowest score in QNWL, policymakers' efforts should continue for changing public attitudes toward the nursing profession and balancing the nurses' income based on their performance in the healthcare system to maintain the social prestige of the profession among the community. The media, political and public support can play a pivotal role in improving the image of nursing in society, increasing motivation among Iranian nurses and promoting the QNWL, which will result in higher levels of quality of care as well as greater patient satisfaction.Originality/valueThe results of this study show a positive correlation between the work context and caring behaviors and suggest that the use of strategies for improving the features of work context may be able to improve nurses' caring behaviors. In order to provide holistic care for our patients, we need changes in the conditions and work context of nurses so that nurses can like the physical aspect of care, pay attention to its psychological aspect.

Phenotypic characterization and phylogenetic analysis of Pseudomonas syringae strains associated with canker disease on apricot in Iran within the context of the global genetic diversity of the P. syringae complex

Bacterial canker of stone fruit is a destructive disease of Prunus species. Here we characterized five Pseudomonas syringae (Ps) strains isolated from bacterial cankers of stone fruits in East Azerbaijan province, Iran. Koch’s postulates were performed demonstrating pathogenicity on apricot cuttings. Ice-nucleation activity and syringomycin synthesis were determined phenotypically and confirmed molecularly in all five strains. Strains were variably resistant to copper. The strains were then compared to a sample of 227 strains of the Ps species complex using multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) of the four housekeeping genes gap1, gltA, gyrB, and rpoD. The concatenated sequences of the four genes provided a deeply-resolved phylogeny. Iranian strains all belonged to Ps phylogroup 2 but clustered into three separate sub-groups. They had the greatest similarity to strains isolated from stone fruit trees in the USA, UK, and Lebanon but also to strains isolated from other plant species and the water cycle. We conclude that canker of stone fruit is caused by a diverse group of Ps phylogroup 2 strains with global distribution. Further sampling, host range testing, and genome sequencing will be needed to get further insight into the relative role of the water cycle and other modes of long distance movement in the dissemination of Ps strains that cause bacterial canker of stone fruit.

Evaluation of Capabilities of Health Care Management Bachelor of Science Graduates

Abstract Background and Objectives: Health services management is one of the important fields in health system. Assessing the abilities of graduates in this field will help to identify educational needs. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the competency of bachelor graduateswho have employed in the health system units. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 51 graduates, 41 junior employee and 28 senior employees of health-related organizations in East Azerbaijan Province and from the perspective of all three groups. The 360-degree method was employed using a researcher-made validity and reliability questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and paired t-test. Results: Graduates in the field of ethics from a superior perspective (4.01 ±0.76), Customer orientation from the perspective of graduates (4.13 ± 0.76), Problem solving from the perspective of a colleague (3.94 ± 0.89), Service delivery management (3.93 ± 0.91) and change management from the perspective of a graduate (3.90 ± 0.85) And in the field of financial management (3.32 ± 1.14), human resource management (3.74 ± 0.81) and knowledge management from a superior perspective (3.46 ± 1.01) had less ability. The largest gap was identified in the field of financial management from the perspective of all three groups, but from the perspective of the graduates themselves, there was a greater gap in the field of information and communication management (3.89. 0.84). Conclusion: This study showed that graduates in financial management and information and communication management need to be promoted. Therefore, reviewing the educational curriculum, using new teaching methods and holding supplementary training courses in these fields can help to improve graduates' abilities.

Molecular identification of infectious bronchitis virus isolated from respiratory diseases in some Iranian broiler flocks.

Infectious Bronchitis (IB) is an acute, highly contagious disease associated with respiratory signs in young chickens and reduced egg production and quality in layers. The purpose of this study was to isolate and identify the infectious bronchitis virus in broiler flocks with respiratory diseases in four provinces of Iran. The specimens from forty IB suspected flocks from different regions of Isfahan, East Azerbaijan, Golestan, and Khuzestan provinces were collected, and the trachea, lung, and cecal tonsils were sampled. The samples were inoculated into 9- to 11-day—old embryonated chicken eggs. After collecting the allantoic fluid, RT-PCR was carried out to detect IB viruses. The results showed that IBVs were isolated from 30% of the flocks in these four provinces. The positive samples, according to a partial S1 gene sequence, were more investigated. Comparing nucleotide and amino acid sequences showed that the four isolates had the most similarity to the Pakistani 793/B strain (GI-13 lineage). The three isolates had the most considerable similarity in amino acid and nucleotide sequences to Iraqi and Iranian QX-like viruses (GI-19 lineage). Two isolates had 96 to 98% resemblance to Iranian variant-2 (GI-23 lineage) isolates. One isolate was found to belong to the Massachusetts serotype (GI-1 lineage) having 100% similarity in its amino acid sequence to the Massachusetts serotypes in GenBank. The phylogenetic relationship of the isolates shows complexity and diversity concerning different sequences and geographical regions.

Determinants of Depressive Symptoms Among Rural Health Workers: An Application of Socio-Ecological Framework.

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to assess depressive symptoms among rural health workers (RHWs) through a multi-factorial socio-ecological framework (SEF) encompassing personal, interpersonal, organizational and community components.Patients and MethodsA random sample of 394 RHWs in all rural areas of East Azerbaijan and fulfilling our other inclusion criteria were recruited. The participants underwent the Short-Form Beck’s Depression Inventory and a validated researcher-constructed SEF questionnaire, including subscales on personal, interpersonal, organizational and community factors associated with depressive symptoms. Internal consistency and factor structure parameters of the SEF were also calculated.ResultsA total of 394 RHWs were screened, of whom 170 (43.2%) had mild to major depressive symptoms. Only 6.8% were identified with major depressive symptoms. The SEF-based scale was found to have acceptable content validity (content validity index and ratio were 0.80 and 0.77, respectively) and reliability (Cronbach’s alpha=0.7). In the structural equation modeling, the fit indices showed our model to fit the data well (χ2=14.06, df=14, χ2/df=1.00, CFI=0.967, RMSEA=0.032). The highest direct contribution to depressive symptoms was found from the personal factors component (β=−2.32). Also, “work load and roles interference” (from organizational level, β=−0.76) and “family/colleague support” (from community level, β=−1.28) made significant direct contributions towards depressive symptoms. Besides the SEF components, female gender (β=1.69), family history of mental illness (β=−1.48), having chronic illnesses (β=−1.64) and being religious (β=3.43) were the strongest direct contributors to depressive symptoms.ConclusionDepressive symptoms were common among RHWs, arising from all personal-, interpersonal-, organizational- and community-level factors. Our SEF had adequate internal consistency and factor structure parameters to be applied in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region countries, such as Iran, as a theoretical framework to plan for interventional efforts aiming at preventing depressive symptoms among RHWs. The burden of depressive symptoms should be reduced through multi-factorial interventions and rational perspectives.

Determinants of hookah smoking among men in the coffee houses: an application of socio-ecological approach

BackgroundTobacco smoking is the second leading cause of death and is closely linked to fatal diseases. Hookah Smoking (HS) is a traditional way to smoke tobacco, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean region that is constantly rising around the world. This study aimed to evaluate the different levels of personal, interpersonal and social HS in Iranian urban men and determine the most important predictors of the levels through applying the socio-ecological approach (SEA).MethodsThis study was conducted in the coffee houses of Hashtrud and Qarah Aghaj counties in East Azerbaijan, Iran. Data collection was conducted from the entire coffee house (n = 18) from April to June 2017. Systematic sampling was employed to recruit 266 men in the coffee house. A valid and reliable instrument was used to investigate the frequency of HS and its determinants based on SEA. The SEA consists of three levels: personal (age, education, employment, income, and perceived severity and sensitivity), interpersonal (perceived reward), and social level (social support) intended to assess HS determinants. Hierarchical regression was used to determine the predictive value of SEA levels and frequency of HS.ResultsThe mean age of daily hookah smokers (once per day and more than once per day) were (26.8) significantly lower than those (30.4) smokes weekly (once a week or more than once a week). The hierarchical logistic regression model showed that in the first step individual variables significantly predict 25.1% HS. In the second and third level interpersonal and social levels of SEA explained HS 30.1 and 30.8%, respectively.ConclusionThis study found that age, income, education, and perceived reward were all important factors influencing HS among men youth. Application of SEA to determine the factors associated with HS could contribute in the development of a holistic prevention program.

Association of serum leptin with angiographically proven cardiovascular disease and with components of the metabolic syndrome: a cross-sectional study in East Azerbaijan.

Role of leptin is well documented in cardiometabolic diseases. The objective of this study was to investigate if the serum levels of leptin associates with the serum levels of markers related to cardiac and metabolic disorders in adults. One hundred eighty subjects [120 cardiovascular disease (CVD) and 60 healthy controls] were enrolled in the study, to determine the association of the serum leptin (in quartiles) and cardiometabolic diseases [metabolic syndrome (MetS) and CVD] adjusted for other biological and physical examination. MetS was according to the WHO Clinical Criteria for MetS definition and CVD by angiography outcomes. The serum levels of leptin and OX-LDL were measured by ELISA. Leptin levels were significantly higher in patients with MetS and those with positive angiography compared with controls. After controlling for potential confounders, a significant association of the leptin levels with cardiometabolic diseases was proven, albeit there was a higher rate of significance between CVD and leptin in comparison with MetS. Additionally, receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that the serum levels of leptin were a valuable biomarker of the cardiometabolic diseases. Our findings demonstrate that serum leptin levels are associated with components of the MetS and with CVD. Serum leptin may be a useful biomarker for CVD.

Effective Managerial Factors in Empowerment of Health Networks Managers: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background and Objectives: Empowerment of managers and employees can be considered as one of the most important factors for making employees and organizations more efficient. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of managerial factors and identifying its components and variables in empowering health networks managers. Material and Methods: This applied, exploratory and cross-sectional study conducted among 430 managers of health networks of East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan and Ardabil provinces that were chosen by stratified random sampling method in 2018-2019. Data collected using a researcher-made questionnaire which its validity confirmed by experts and its reliability calculated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.96 Data analyzed by using descriptive statistics and exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Results: Based on the standard coefficients of confirmatory factor analysis, the and with a factor loading of 0.96 and manager’s feeling of belonging to a group with 0.87 factor loading were the two effective management components on empowering health network managers and the indicators of both managerial components were significant at p<0.001 level. The variables of consulting, ability development and participatory with factor loadings of 0.85, 0.76, 0.75 and 0.71, respectively, had the highest importance. Conclusion: The approved model of empowerment managerial factors in this study can be used as a practical guide for health system policy-makers and managers to play an effective role in empowering their managers by improving the managerial factor in health networks and organizations and through the management, information sharing, guidance and support, delegating authority and responsibility.

Physical and biochemical properties of 10 wild almond (Amygdalus scoparia) accessions naturally grown in Iran

The physical and biochemical traits are responsible for the quality of almonds. Therefore, both should be considered in breeding programs aiming to search for almonds of high quality for sustainable production. The aim of this work was to analyze several important physical and biochemical traits in the kernels of 10 native Iranian wild almond accessions grown naturally in different locations in Iran to identify their potential in breeding programs. The studied parameters included nut and kernel dry weights, kernel percentage, shell cracking strength of nuts, contents of microminerals (iron, zinc, manganese and copper) and macrominerals (potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and sodium), and levels of fatty acids (palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic), total phenolics and α-tocopherol in kernels. Principal component and multilinear regression analyses were done to observe the variations of almonds based on physical and biochemical traits. Principal component analysis showed 4 clustering groups of studied almonds based on physical and biochemical traits, explaining 67.2% of the total variance. Results showed differences between the accessions in terms of physical properties of nuts and kernels, as well as in the evaluated biochemical traits. East Azerbaijan and Fars accessions had the highest linoleic, palmitic and stearic acid contents and the lowest oleic acid content, while Qom accession had the highest oleic acid and the lowest palmitic, stearic and linoleic acid contents in kernels among all studied accessions. Results suggested that the naturally diverse accessions and/or environmental effects might be the reason(s) for the observed diversity in physical and biochemical traits.

Estimation of pan evaporation coefficient in cold and dry climate conditions with a decision-tree model

In this study, class A pan coefficient (Kp) values were simulated via the M5 tree model, by using daily meteorological data of four stations in the East Azerbaijan province, which has arid and cold climate in the northwest of Iran. Firstly, the FAO-24 and FAO-56 methods, which are commonly used to calculate Kp values, were taken into consideration in the study. The Kp values calculated in the second stage were assumed to be observed values and were taken as the outputs of the M5 model. Four different training datasets consisting of 66, 70, 75 and 80% of the original data were tested. The best results were obtained when 70% of the data was used for training and 30% for testing. Results indicated that a Kp value was easily simulated with simple linear equations with high accuracy rate (R2 = 0.99) in all the stations. Furthermore, the Kp value was easily simulated using only two meteorological variables (relative humidity and wind speed), without the need for complex tables and equations. The most important finding of this study was the easy estimation of the Kp with a number of linear functions obtained from the M5 model; as a result, the simulated Kp can help us to calculate evapotranspiration accurately for more effective irrigation planning. The proposed method offers advantages as it is simpler and easier than the existing approaches in the literature.

Introducing the Petroglyphs Dava darasi in Horand County, East Azerbaijan

Introducing the Petroglyphs Dava darasi in Horand County, East Azerbaijan

A Patient with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex and Spinal Muscular Atrophy; A Case Report

Background Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC), and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) are two inherited disorders while they are genetically independent. TSC is characterized by the formation of multiple hamartomas in nearly all organs. SMA is a destructive neurological disorder leading to progressive muscular weakness and atrophy. Case Presentation The patient was an Iranian (Urmia, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran) 11-year-old daughter of non-consanguineous parents. She developed seizures as an infantile spasm at three months old. She had a delay in motor development. At 11 years old, the patient had proximal muscle weakness resulting in a characteristic waddling gait and Gowers’ sign, which was suspected of SMA. The SMA was then confirmed using molecular analysis. Clinical examination of the patient revealed angiofibromas, shagreen patch, and hypopigmented spots on the skin; cortical tubers, subependymal nodules, and subependymal giant cell astrocytoma in the brain; angiomyolipomas in the kidneys; and retinal hamartoma, which fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of TSC. Conclusion Although TSC and SMA are genetically independent disorders, they may rarely occur together in an individual, simultaneously. Further studies required to find the patterns of genetic inheritance of these diseases among the reported patient.

Combination of homogeneous liquid–liquid extraction and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction for extraction of some organochlorine pesticides from cocoa

ABSTRACT In present work, a sample pre-treatment method based on a combination of homogenous liquid–liquid extraction and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction has been proposed for the extraction of some organochlorine pesticide residues in cocoa powder before their quantification by gas chromatography–electron capture detection. To extract the analytes, a mixture of acetonitrile and potassium hydroxide solution is added to cocoa powder. In the following, an appropriate amount of sodium chloride as a phase separation agent is added and the mixture is vortexed. After centrifugation, the supernatant phase (acetonitrile containing the extracted analytes) is separated and mixed with chloroform (as an extraction solvent). This mixture is rapidly injected into the deionised water which its pH is 6.4. By this action, a cloudy solution is obtained and after centrifugation, an aliquat of the sedimented phase is removed and injected into the quantification system. Under optimum conditions, limits of detection and quantification of the analytes were found to be in the ranges of 0.024–0.041 and 0.081–0.138 ng g–1, respectively. The obtained extraction recoveries varied between 50 and 89%. Also, intra – (n = 6) and inter–day (n = 4) precisions, experiments as relative standards deviations were less than 8.9% for the studied pesticides at different concentrations (0.2, 1.0, 100 and 250 ng g−1, each analyte). Finally, the suggested method was applied to determine the studied organochlorine pesticide residues in various cocoa powders gathered from groceries in the East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. Abbreviations: DLLME, Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction; ECD, Electron capture detector; ER, Extraction recovery; EF, Enrichment factor; GC, Gas chromatography; HLLE, Homogenous liquid–liquid extraction; LOD, Limit of detection; LOQ, Limit of quantification; LR, Linear range; RSD, Relative standard deviation; OCP, Organochlorine pesticide

Estimating the incidence rate of hepatitis B and C in East Azerbaijan, Islamic Republic of Iran.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has aimed for a 30% reduction in hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) incidence by 2020. To achieve this goal, it is important to have updated information about trends in the hepatitis incidence rate. However, there is a lack of up-to-date data from East Azerbaijan province in the Islamic Republic of Iran. This study aimed to estimate the HBV and HCV incidence rate from 2011 to 2016 in East Azerbaijan, Islamic Republic of Iran. Hepatitis data and population data were obtained respectively from the national notifiable disease surveillance system and the national Iranian census for 2016. For quantifying the rate of changes in incidence rate from baseline, the average annual rate of reduction (AARR) was calculated. For this, the linear regression model was used for estimating the beta coefficient. SPSS V25 was used for statistical analysis. Over the 6-year period, 3119 hepatitis cases in East Azerbaijan province were reported, of which 94.7% were hepatitis B. The majority of the affected individuals were 25-44 years old. HBV incidence was reduced by 12.71% annually between 2011 and 2016. However, the number of HCV patients increased during 2014-2016, and HCV incidence rate increased insignificantly (β = 0.109, P = 0.39). There is a significant downward trend of HBV in East Azerbaijan due to mass vaccination programmes. In the case of HCV, when considering the availability of effective treatment regimens in addition to education and prevention programmes, policy-makers should focus on HCV screening and diagnosis, especially in the 25-44 age group.

Association of nitric oxide synthase 3 gene rs1799983 G/T polymorphism with idiopathic asthenozoospermia in Iranian Azeri males: a case-control study.

Recently, oxidative stress (OS) has been described extensively as an important cause of men infertility. The nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3) gene expression involved in normal spermatogenesis regulation in testis. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on NOS3 gene are reported in association with sperm function and spermatogenesis impairment in infertile men. In present study, we investigated association of NOS3 gene rs1799983 G/T polymorphism in Iranian Azeri male with idiopathic asthenozoospermia (AZS). In this case-control study, we collected 50 males with idiopathic AZS as a case group and 50 age and ethnically matched male as healthy controls from East Azerbaijan area, Iran. The case and control groups genotyping was performed using tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (Tetra-ARMS PCR) method. Genotype frequency in AZS patients was 40% GG, 60% GT, and 0% TT, whereas in healthy controls were 60% GG, 30% GT, and 10% TT. Statistical analysis showed that the GT heterozygous genotype frequency of NOS3 gene rs1799983 G/T polymorphism in AZS patients was significantly more than healthy controls (p>0.05). We demonstrated that NOS3 gene rs1799983 G/T polymorphism was associated with AZS in Iranian Azeri men. However, more studies on different geographic areas, races and ethnicities are required to determine exact role of NOS3 gene rs1799983 G/T polymorphism in idiopathic AZS.

Chemical Constituents of Eremostachys macrophylla Montbr. &amp; Auch. Aerial Parts

Background: Eremostachys macrophylla Montbr. &amp; Auch. is one of the wild growing species of herbs found in East Azerbaijan province of Iran. These species are used in folk medicine for the healing of wound, treatment of snake bites, rheumatism and joint pains. The primary aim of this study was to obtain natural pure compounds and this was done by subjecting the aerial parts of Eremostachys macrophylla Montbr. &amp; Auch. to phytochemical analysis. Methods: The air-dried and crushed aerial parts were respectively extracted with n-hexane, dichloromethane (DCM) and methanol (MeOH) solvents using a soxhlet apparatus. The 10%, 20% and 40% of MeOH in water Sep-Pak fractions of the MeOH extract were subjected to a preparative reversed- phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Also, the isolated pure compounds were identified by one-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (1D-NMR) spectroscopic technique. Results: The results obtained in this study showed the presence of seven pure components; (1) Lamalbide, (2) Sesamoside, (3) Phlomiol, (4) Verbascoside, (5) Luteolin-7-O- glucoside, (6) Apigenin-7-O- rutinoside and (7) Kaempferol-3-O- glucoside with iridoid, phenylethanoid and flavonoid structures. Conclusion: The results from the study demonstrated that the aerial parts of E. macrophylla could be a good source of iridoids, phenylethanoids and flavonoids.

Performance evaluation of remote sensing data with machine learning technique to determine soil color

&lt;p&gt;The aim of the present research is the determination of soil color by spectral bands and indices obtained from MODIS images. For this purpose, soil samples were collected from East Azerbaijan Province (Iran) and their color and texture were investigated through Munsell color system and hydrometer method, respectively. Stepwise regression, principle component analysis and sensitivity function methods were employed to find the dominant indices and bands using artificial neural network (ANN) as one of the machine learning techniques. The improved indices as the model input had better performance, for example, the calculation of correlation coefficient between indices and hue showed 51.48% increase of correlation coefficient with comparison of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to modified soil adjustment vegetation index (MSAVI) and 54.54% correlation enhancement of soil adjustment vegetation index (SAVI) compared to MSAVI. Stepwise regression method along with error criteria decline may enhance the performance of soil color model. In comparison with multivariate regression, ANN model exhibited better performance (with a 12.61% mean absolute error [MAE] decline). Temporal variation of modified perpendicular drought index (MPDI) as well as band 31 could justify the Munsell soil color components variations specifically chroma and hue. MPDI and thermal bands could be employed as a precise indicator in soil color analysis. Thus, remote sensing data combined with machine learning technique can clarify the procedure potential for soil color determination.&lt;/p&gt;

Cost of lung cancer in East Azerbaijan province, in Iran, in 2017

PurposeCosts estimation is essential and important to resource allocation and prioritizing different interventions in the health system. The purpose of this paper is to estimate the costs of lung cancer in Iran, in 2017.Design/methodology/approachThis was a prevalence-based cost of illness study with a bottom-up approach costing conducted from October 2016 to April 2017. The sample included 645 patients who referred to Imam Reza hospital, Tabriz, Iran, in 2017. Follow-up interviews were every two months. Hospitalization costs extracted from the patient’s record and outpatient costs, nondirect medical costs and indirect costs collected using questionnaire. SPSS software version 22 was used for the data analysis.FindingsMean direct medical costs, nondirect medical costs and indirect costs amounted to 36,637.02 ± 23,515.13 PPP (2016) (251,313,217.83 Rials), 2,025.25 ± 3,303.72 PPP (2016) (16,613,202.53 Rials) and 48,348.55 ± 34,371.84 PPP (2016) (396,599,494.56 Rials), respectively. There was a significant and negative correlation between direct medical costs, direct nonmedical costs, indirect costs and age at diagnosis, and there was a significant and positive correlation between the length of hospital stay and direct medical cost.Originality/valueAs the cost of lung cancer is substantial and there have been little studies in this area, the objective of this study is to investigate the cost of lung cancer and present ways to tackle this.

Forty years after Alma-Ata: how people trust primary health care?

BackgroundPrimary Health Care (PHC) was introduced as the first level of health services delivery after Alma-Ata declaration. However, after forty years, it needs to be more trustful to achieve its predefined objectives. Public trust in PHC is one of the neglected issues in the context. The aim of this study is to evaluate public trust in PHC in Iran.MethodsThe present investigation is a household survey conducted in East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. Two-stage cluster sampling method with Probability Proportional to Size (PPS) approach was used. Totally, 1178 households were enrolled in the study. PHC trust questionnaire and Ultra-short version of Socio-Economic Status assessment questionnaire (SES-Iran) was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using STATA software (version 15) through descriptive statistics and linear regression.ResultsThe mean ± SD age of the participants was 41.2 ± 15.1 and most (53.7%) were female. Mean score of PHC trust was 56.9 ± 24.7 (out of 100). It was significantly different between residents of Tabriz (the capital of province) and other cities in the province (p < 0.001). Linear regression showed that younger age, gender, insurance type, being married, and households higher socio-economic status had a significant positive effect on PHC trust level with R2 = 0.14383.ConclusionsPublic trust in PHC system in Iran needs to be improved. Individual variables had a small but key role in trust level. PHC trust cannot be only affected by individual’s variables and experiences but also by health system and health providers’ characteristics and public context in which PHC system exists. PHC trust level could be used as a public indicator in health systems especially in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC) to contribute in system strengthening policies at the national and international levels.