Fars Province Research Articles

Identification and prioritization of plants for conservation and stabilization of marls (Case study: Tanghesorkh Watershed, Fars Province)

مارن‌ها به‌عنوان حساس‌ترین ساختار در برابر فرسایش و هوازدگی نقش عمده‌ای در رسوب‌زایی حوزه‌های آبخیز دارند. یکی از روش‌های مؤثر برای مهار و احیاء این اراضی، استقرار پوشش گیاهی است. با توجه به اهمیت این موضوع، این پژوهش اقدام به شناسایی گیاهان مناسب به‌منظور حفاظت و تثبیت مارن‌ها در حوزۀ آبخیز تنگ‌سرخ استان فارس نموده است. نتایج نشان داد 108 گونه گیاهی متعلق به 29 خانواده و 88 جنس در این حوزۀ آبخیز وجود دارند. شکل زیستی گیاهان به ترتیب شامل تروفیت (12/36 درصد)، همی‌کریپتوفیت (07/24 درصد)، کامفیت (59/17 درصد)، ژئوفیت (11/11 درصد) و فانروفیت (11/11 درصد) بودند. پراکنش جغرافیایی گیاهان نشان داد 55 گونه با کوروتیپ اختصاصی ناحیة رویشی ایران- تورانی، بیش‌ترین فراوانی (93/50 درصد) را به خود اختصاص داده است. با توجه به ویژگی‌های گیاه‌شناسی شامل: تراکم، فراوانی، وضعیت تاج پوشش و ریشه و ریزوم، مقدار لاشبرگ تولیدی، شکل رویشی، شیوۀ تکثیر و طول عمر، 30 گونه (77/27 درصد)، 38 گونه (19/35 درصد) و 40 گونه (04/37 درصد)، به‌ترتیب در رتبه‌های اول تا سوم به‌منظور تثبیت و حفاظت از مارن‌ها در این حوزۀ آبخیز معرفی شدند. با توجه به ویژگی‌های گیاهی و شرایط منطقه، توصیه می‌شود نسبت به استقرار و تکثیر گونه‌هایی مانند: گون شوشی، گون بادکنکی، گون پنبه‌ای، درمنه کوهی، پیچک شاخه‌خاری، پیچک کاسه‌صاف، بادام کوهی، کلاه میرحسن کوه بمو، استپی ریش‌دار و شیرین‌بیان در نواحی تحت پوشش مارن در این حوزه آبخیز اقدام شود. هم‌چنین با توجه به بهره‌برداری‌های بی‌رویه انجام شده در این اراضی، لازم است برنامه‌ریزان و مدیران دستگاه‌های اجرایی، نسبت به حفاظت از این عرصه‌ها با کنترل و مدیریت بیش‌تر چرای دام اقدام نمایند تا فرصت تجدید حیات، زادآوری، و بقای گونه‌های گیاهی ارزشمند در این حوزۀ آبخیز فراهم آید.

Prediction of groundwater nitrate concentration in a semiarid region using hybrid Bayesian artificial intelligence approaches.

Nitrate is a major pollutant in groundwater whose main source is municipal wastewater and agricultural activities. In the present study, Bayesian approaches such as Bayesian generalized linear model (BGLM), Bayesian regularized neural network (BRNN), Bayesian additive regression tree (BART), and Bayesian ridge regression (BRR) were used to model groundwater nitrate contamination in a semiarid region Marvdasht watershed, Fars province, Iran. Eleven groundwater (GW) nitrate conditioning factors have been taken as input parameters for predictive modeling. The results showed that the Bayesian models used in this study were all competent to model groundwater nitrate and the BART model with R2 = 0.83 was more efficient than the other models. The result of variable importance showed that potassium (K) has the highest importance in the models followed by rainfall, altitude, groundwater depth, and distance from the residential area. The results of the study can support the decision-making process to control and reduce the sources of nitrate pollution.

Relationship of Serotonin Transporter Gene Polymorphism With Temperament in Persian Medicine in Fars Province, Iran

Background: Despite its effectiveness, there are still many concerns and questions about the principles and therapeutic methods of Traditional Medicine (TM). In other words, to accept TM as a reliable healthcare system, modern scientific research should approve the principles of this system. Temperament is one of the major determinants of Persian Medicine (PM), which is practically utilized to diagnose and cure diseases. Considering the association of depression with the coldness temperament and the serotonin-Tansporter-Linked Promoter Region (5-HTTLPR) polymorphism, we proposed that the serotonin transporter gene could be one of the candidate genes contributing to the specification of temperament. To test this hypothesis, we examined the association of 5-HTTLPR polymorphism with the hot/cold status of temperament in healthy individuals. Materials and Methods: The study included 351 healthy men (aged 20-40 years) referred to the organization of blood transfusion in Shiraz City, southern Iran. The participants’ temperament (warm, temperate, and cold) was determined using a standard self-reported scale. Then, we performed Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) to determine their 5-HTTLPR polymorphism genotype. Multinomial logistic regression was used to evaluate a 95% CI and odds ratios for the association of temperament with the 5-HTTLPR genotypes. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS at a significance level of less than 0.05. Results: Regarding the warm temperament, no association with the 5-HTTLPR genotypes was observed. However, regarding cold temperament, although our data showed no association with the SS, the LS genotype showed some association. With reference to LL, the LS genotype decreased the possibility of coldness rather than temperateness for the temperament (OR=0.471, P=0.040). Conclusion: Our data revealed the association of temperament with the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism, suggesting that the serotonergic system may influence temperament. Further studies are required to explore the relation of genetic factors with temperament.

Assessment of the Cannabinoid Content from Different Varieties of Cannabis sativa L. during the Growth Stages in Three Regions

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) belongs to the Cannabaceae family. It is very rich in chemical constituents, especially the cannabinoids which has not been reported in any other plant, and has broad pharmacological properties. Hemp as a multi-purpose crop is a good source of fibers, seed, fixed and volatile oil. It is known that the cannabinoid content of hemp is related to genetic factors, as well as plant's growth stages and environmental factors such as latitude, altitude, weather, particularly moisture availability and nutrient supply during the growing season. The present study was designed to produce hemp that contains allowable concentration of THC (<3 %) by comparing different varieties of hemp, different stages of plant growth, and different geographical locations where it was planted. To achieve this, seeds of two native populations from Iran (Fars and Yazd Provinces) and one foreign variety from France (Fedora17, as an industrial hemp cultivar) with its progenies (Fedora17-2) were cultivated in 3 research fields (Gilan, Golestan and Alborz provinces) in Iran. The following plant materials were extracted with methanol/chloroform and analyzed by HPLC: foliage in the vegetative stage, inflorescent in the flowering stage, inflorescent of seeds in the seeding stage and the mature seed. The THC concentration of Fedora17 (Fed17) in all three geographical locations was found to be under 0.03 % or even non-detectable. Same result was also observed in its progenies (Fed17-2), indicating stability of the trait in this cultivar. The THC concentration of the Yazd variety that was planted in Alborz and Gilan regions was less than 0.080 % in all growth stages. The female flowers planted in Golestan, showed a THC concentration of 1.029 % which was more than the allowed THC concentration of <3 %. The THC concentration in all growth stages of all of the different varieties planted varied from 0 to 1.392 %. The above results indicates that the type of cannabinoid produced depends on the difference in genetic prosperities of the different seed types as well as the growth stage in which the plant material was extracted. On the other hand, the climate and the region in which the seeds were planted had little influence on the THC concentration.

The Prevalence of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Pregnant Women Referred to Amir al-Mu'minin Hospital of Gerash City, Fars Province, Iran

Background and Aims: The increasing number of pregnant women being diagnosed as having gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and lead health care providers to develop reliable screening protocols and know the exact worldwide epidemiology of the disease. This study seeks to obtain data that will help to improve the epidemiologic knowledge about this disease. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 953 pregnant women seeking routine prenatal screening tests. Participants participate with using Carpenter-Coustan criteria in the study. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. Results and Conclusions: Among 953 pregnant women , 38 participants (4%) were detected to have GDM . Fifty percent of patients in the study were overweight .The data showed a significant difference in the mean age between the diabetic and non-diabetic groups. The high prevalence of GDM in young Iranian pregnant women may emphasize the need for early diagnosis and treatment to avoid adverse outcomes associated with GDM.

Identification of Main Patterns in The Incidence of Gynecological Cancers Amongst the Provinces in Iran

Introduction: Study of cancer incidence trends can provide better insight for decision-making and considering necessary interventions. The current study was focused on investigating the main patterns in the incidence of gynecological cancers among the provinces of Iran during the last decades. Methods: We carried out an applied longitudinal study through the growth mixture model (GMM), with a concentration on the trajectory of incidence rates. Information about the rate of gynecological cancer incidence (per 100,000) in 31 provinces of Iran during the 1990-2016 period was extracted from the Data Visualization System. Taking into account the p-value of the likelihood ratio test (LRT), the number of main patterns was estimated by Mplus 7.4 software. Results: Tehran province with the incidence of 2.00 per 100,000 was in the first rank in 1990, while in 2016 the highest rate was observed in Yazd province with 9.38 cases. Five main patterns were determined based on LRT. Tehran and Yazd provinces showed the sharpest rise, while Khuzestan, Fars, Esfahan, Semnan, East Azerbaijan, Razavi Khorasan, and Mazandaran provinces belonged to the pattern with a moderate-to-highrising trend. 10 provinces including Kerman, Kurdistan, Gilan, Lorestan, Alborz, Hamedan, Kermanshah, Markazi, Ardabil, and West Azerbaijan were on the other hand categorized in the moderate-rising trend. Sistan and Baluchestan and Hormozgan provinces had a slow-rising pattern, and finally, the remaining 10 provinces had the pattern with a slow-to-moderate upward trajectory. Conclusion: Due to the considerable rising trend in most provinces in Iran, taking urgent and effective preventive actions seems necessary

Genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii isolates from human spontaneous aborted fetuses in Jahrom, southern Iran

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is an intracellular protozoan that infects the fetus through the placenta and leads to severe complications in the fetus. One of the complications of congenital toxoplasmosis is spontaneous abortion. The prevalence of toxoplasmosis infection was investigated among spontaneously aborted fetuses (SAFs), and the genotypes of parasite isolates were determined in the present study. Placentas from 330 samples of SAFs were collected in Jahrom (Fars province) from February to September 2018. DNA was extracted from each placental tissue. The T. gondii infection was detected using nested polymerase chain reaction (Nested-PCR) assay based on a 529 bp repeat element (RE) gene. Afterward, Toxoplasma was genotyped using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) based on the GRA6 gene. The frequency of T. gondii infection was found to be 14.5% (48 out of 330 samples). Genotyping of nine T. gondii isolates revealed that all belonged to genotype II. Statistically, the prevalence of T. gondii infection was significantly correlated with the education levels of the mothers and the age of the fetus (P < 0.05). The lowest prevalence of Toxoplasma infection belonged to mothers with university education and the highest frequency of infection was observed among the fetuses in the age group of 8–9 weeks. The findings of the present study suggest a significant role for toxoplasmosis in SAFs in Jahrom city.

Optimal design of a sustainable natural gas supply chain network under uncertainty

This study proposes a multi-objective mathematical model to design a natural gas supply chain network with a focus on sustainable development goals. Based on the economic objective of the proposed model, an attempt is made to minimize the whole supply chain costs. The environmental objective minimizes the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, electricity consumption, gas consumption, water consumption, and wastewater generation. The social objective also considers balanced employment, balanced economic development, employee welfare, employee safety, customers cost risk, and operational environment risk. Because parameters in the real world are uncertain and can rarely be estimated precisely, the uncertainty of the model parameters is taken into account. A four-stage solution approach is used to solve the proposed model. In the first step, the best-worst method is used to weight the layers in geographic information system (GIS) software. In the second step, the suggested city gate stations are determined in GIS software. In the third step, a robust possibilistic programming method is used to deal with the uncertainty of the parameters. Finally, in the fourth step, the Torabi–Hassini method is used to transform the multi-objective model into a single-objective one. In order to evaluate the efficiency of the proposed model, a real case study is conducted on Fars Province Gas Company. Numerical results confirm the efficiency of the proposed model, revealing that the uncertainty associated with the model parameters cannot be ignored because system costs are significantly affected under uncertainty. Moreover, the capacity parameter of the suggested city gate station could have a significant effect on system costs while the largest share of supply chain costs is related to transmission fixed costs.

Assessing Distribution Range and Structural Habitat Connectivity of Four Species of Bovidae in Fars Province

Assessing Distribution Range and Structural Habitat Connectivity of Four Species of Bovidae in Fars Province

Prostate Cancer Screening Behaviors Based on the Health Belief Model in Men Aged 40-70 Years in Fasa City, Fars Province, Iran, in 2019

Prostate Cancer Screening Behaviors Based on the Health Belief Model in Men Aged 40-70 Years in Fasa City, Fars Province, Iran, in 2019

بررسی فراوانی قصور متخصصان طب اوراژانس ارجاعی به پزشکی قانونی استان فارس از سال 92 تا 98

Introduction: The rise of medical errors has become a public concern among health policymakers. Due to the importance of knowing the causes of medical errors and preventing their continuation, especially in the emergency department, so this study was conducted to investigate the frequency of negligence of emergency medicine specialists referred to forensic medicine in Fars province from 2012 to 2019. Methods: The present study was a descriptive study based secondary data analysis. The study population included all negligence referred to the office of the Medical Commission of the General Directorate of Forensic Medicine of Fars Province with the subject of complaints from emergency medicine specialists during the years 2012 to 2020. The method of data collection is based on a questionnaire and the use of information in the files of the Medical Commission of the General Directorate of Forensic Medicine of Fars Province. Data collection form including patient's age, patient's education, patient's occupation, underlying illness, causes of negligence, type of treatment center, cause and motive of complaint, type of service provided, how to obtain information about negligence, location of injury, type of injury and amount of injury is. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software version 21 and descriptive Statistics. Results: Out of 92 cases, 91 were male physicians (98.9%) and 1 was a female physician (1.1%). The highest frequency of voting was in 1398 with 40 votes (43.5%) and in 1397 with 28 votes (30.4%). 54 (58.7%) of the complainants died and 19 (20.7%) had disabilities. Also, the number of complainants was improving 11 (0.12%) and improved 6 (6.5%). Of the 92 cases reviewed, 77 (83.7%) were finally acquitted and 15 (16.3%) were convicted. The highest frequency of confirmed negligence was negligence negligence 9 (9.8%) and negligence 2 (2.2%). Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that the most common cause of medical malpractice in emergency medicine specialists is negligence. Therefore, it is suggested to reduce this type of negligence by holding training workshops for emergency medicine specialists.

Electromagnetic Mapping of Pasargadae (Fars Province, Iran): Feedback from the 2017–2018 Fieldwork

– Recent geophysical data on the large Achaemenid center of Pasargadae in South Iran. – New data on the layout and geomorphology of the site. – Feedback focusing on the implementation of two GF Instruments CMD electromagnetic devices.

Emergence of Highly Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria Isolated from Patients with Infections Admitted to Public Hospitals in Southwest Iran.

Background The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) microorganisms causing infections is increasing worldwide and becoming more serious in developing countries. Among those, Acinetobacter species are becoming prominent. Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the rate of antimicrobial resistance of the bacteria causing infections, Acinetobacter species in particular, in local public hospitals in Firuzabad, Fars province, Iran. Methods This cross-sectional study was performed on different clinical specimens collected from patients who were suspected of infections hospitalized from March 2016 to March 2019 in local hospitals of Firuzabad, Fars province, Iran. The bacterial isolates were identified following standard microbiological methods. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines were used to identify the antibiotic susceptibility of these isolates. Results Overall, 1778 bacterial etiologies were isolated from 1533 patients diagnosed with infection. Of these, 1401 (78.8%) were Gram-negative and the remaining were Gram-positive bacteria. Escherichia coli (37.1%), Klebsiella spp. (13.9%), and Acinetobacter species (10.4%) were the most common isolated bacteria. Antibiotic sensitivity testing in this study showed a high resistance rate of Acinetobacter species to all antibiotics tested except Colistin. During the study period, the rate of infection with highly multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter species increased from 7.2% to 13.3%. Conclusions This study highlights the emergence of MDR bacterial agents such as Acinetobacter species as a new threat in our region. However, a decrease in the rate of infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa was noticeable.

Multiple sclerosis incidence rate in southern Iran: a Bayesian epidemiological study

BackgroundMultiple Sclerosis (MS) remains to be a public health challenge, due to its unknown biological mechanisms and clinical impacts on young people. The prevalence of this disease in Iran is reported to be 5.30 to 74.28 per 100,000-person. Because of high prevalence of this disease in Fars province, the purpose of this study was to assess the spatial pattern of MS incidence rate by modeling both the associations s of spatial dependence between neighboring regions and risk factors in a Bayesian Poisson model, which can lead to the improvement of health resource allocation decisions.MethodData from 5468 patients diagnosed with MS were collected, according to the McDonald’s criteria. New cases of MS were reported by the MS Society of Fars province from 1991 until 2016. The association between the percentage of people with low vitamin D intake, smoking, abnormal BMI and alcohol consumption in addition to spatial structure in a Bayesian spatio-temporal hierarchical model were used to determine the relative risk and trend of MS incidence rate in 29 counties of Fars province.ResultsCounty-level crude incidence rates ranged from 0.22 to 11.31 cases per 100,000-person population. The highest relative risk was estimated at 1.80 in the county of Shiraz, the capital of Fars province, while the lowest relative risk was estimated at 0.11 in Zarindasht county in southern of Fars. The percentages of vitamin D supplementation intake and smoking were significantly associated with the incidence rate of MS. The results showed that 1% increase in vitamin D supplementation intake is associated with 2% decrease in the risk of MS and 1% increase in smoking is associated with 16% increase in the risk of MS.ConclusionBayesian spatio-temporal analysis of MS incidence rate revealed that the trend in the south and south east of Fars province is less steep than the mean trend of this disease. The lower incidence rate was associated with a higher percentage of vitamin D supplementation intake and a lower percentage of smoking. Previous studies have also shown that smoking and low vitamin D, among all covariates or risk factors, might be associated with high incidence of MS.

A faunal study on medically important mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in Qir and Karzin from Fars province, southern Iran, during 2017-18

Mosquitoes have always played an important role in transmitting a wide range of viral and parasitic diseases to humans and animals. Given that so far there has been no study on the fauna, distribution and characteristics of mosquito habitats in Qir and Karzin County, we decided to investigate these unknown data in this important tropical area in south of Iran for the first time. Adult mosquitoes were collected by hand-catch and total catch methods from indoor and outdoor places in Qir and Karzin Counties from four different geographical regions during the activity seasons of mosquitoes in 2017-18. Also, larvae were collected from aquatic habitats using WHO recommended standard dipper. Collected mosquitoes were identified using valid taxonomic keys. A total of 1884 specimens of Culicidae mosquitoes (1103 adults and 781 larvae) were collected from twenty-one sampling areas during the mosquito activity seasons in Qir and Karzin County. Totally 11 species in 3 genera (7 Culex, 3 Anopheles and 1 Culiseta species) were identified. The dominant larva was Cx. laticinctus with a total number of 227 (29%), and Cx. sinaiticus with 407 specimens (36.9%) which was the most frequent adult mosquito. Most larval habitats in this area were sunny and almost without vegetation breeding sites with temporary, turbid and stagnant water. In this region, compared to the area of the County, there was considerable species diversity for mosquitoes. This phenomenon is very important from an ecological and health point of view. Due to the existence of some important vectors of arthropod-borne diseases in this region, the health system should be alert and continuous and accurate monitoring of these vectors should be included in the routine vector-borne diseases control program.

The effect of educational program based on beliefs, subjective norms and perceived behavior control on doing pap-smear test in sample of Iranian women

ObjectiveCervical cancer is considered treatable as long as it is detected early and managed effectively. Pap smear test is a screening tool that plays an important role in the early detection, prevention and can prevent any early cervical cell changes from becoming cancer. This study aims to survey the effect of educational programs based on beliefs, subjective norms, and perceived behavior control on doing the pap-smear test in a sample of Iranian women.Materials and methodsThis experimental interventional study was performed on 300 women admitted to Fasa City, Fars Province, Iran health centers in 2018–2019. A questionnaire consisting of demographic information, knowledge, Health Belief Model, and Theory of Planned Behavior constructs were used to measure on doing of Pap smear test in women before and after 6 months’ educational intervention.ResultsThe results revealed that 6 months after the intervention, 108 women (72%) in the experimental group and only 9 women (6%) in the control group received the Pap smear test.ConclusionsThe current research results revealed that education based on the combination of the health Belief model and theory of planned behavior might be promoting participation and an increasing rate of receiving Pap smear tests in women.

Comparison of the clinical features and outcome of children with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) secondary to visceral leishmaniasis and primary HLH: a single-center study

BackgroundHemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a syndrome of excessive inflammation. We aimed to describe the clinical and laboratory findings of HLH patients secondary to Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and their treatment outcome during a 4-year follow-up period compared to primary HLH.MethodForty children with primary HLH confirmed by genetic study and 20 children with HLH secondary to VL confirmed by a blood or bone marrow polymerase chain reaction from 2014 to 2018 in Shiraz, Fars province, Southern Iran, were enrolled.ResultsThe median age at diagnosis was 11.5 months (range 1–170), and 56.7% were male. Fever and splenomegaly were the most frequent clinical presentations. 93.3% of the subjects had an HScore > 169, which had a good correlation with HLH-2004 criteria (r = 0.371, P = 0.004). Patients with primary HLH experienced more thrombocytopenia (P = 0.012) and higher alanine transaminase (P = 0.016), while patients with VL-associated HLH had higher ferritin (P = 0.034) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (P = 0.011). Central nervous system (CNS) involvement occurred in 38.3% of patients. The mortality rate was higher in patients with CNS disease (61% vs. 35%, P = 0.051). The 3-yr overall survival rate was 35.9%. (24% in primary HLH and 100% in VL-associated HLH, P < 0.001). In Cox regression analysis, platelet count < 100,000/ μ l (hazard ratio 4.472, 95% confidence interval 1.324–15.107, P = 0.016) correlated with increased mortality in patients with primary HLH.ConclusionVL is a potential source of secondary HLH in regions with high endemicity. Treatment of the underlying disease in VL-associated HLH is sufficient in most cases, with no need to start etoposide-based chemotherapy.

Factors associated with suicidal ideation in drug addicts based on the theory of planned behavior

BackgroundSeveral studies have attempted to understand the link among drug addicts and suicidal ideation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors associated with suicidal ideation in drug addicts based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB).MethodThis cross-sectional study was conducted with 2160 of drug addicts in private and public clinics for quitting addiction through methadone treatment in Shiraz city, Fars province, Iran from October 2018 to June 2019. Data gathering tools were a questionnaire on demographic characteristics, the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation and a questionnaire based on constructs of TPB. Data were analysed by SPSS 22 using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, and frequency) and statistical tests (independent t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient, and linear regression). The significance level was considered 0.05.ResultsThe mean age of the participants was 39.24 ± 11.92; 80.28% of them had a history of quit and 43.19% of them had a history of arrest and imprisonment. According to the results, 19.63% of the participants had suicidal ideation and 10.97% had a history of suicide attempt during their lifetime. The constructs of attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intent predicted suicidal ideation in the subjects. Intent and perceived behavioral control constructs were the strongest predictors of suicidal ideation, respectively. In general, the studied variables predicted 54.8% of suicidal ideation.ConclusionThe structures of attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control and intent predicted suicidal ideation in the drug addicts, so the theory of planned behavior will be a good framework for educational interventions to reduce suicide in them.

Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto G1 is the predominant genotype in human and livestock isolates from Turkey and Iran, based on mitochondrial nad5 gene differentiation

BackgroundDifferent genotypes of Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.) isolated from livestock and humans have been identified based on cox1 and nad1 genomic fragments. The present study was performed to differentiate the G1/G3 genotypes of Echinococcus granulosus (s.s.) isolated from humans and livestock (sheep and cattle) from Azerbaijan in northwestern Iran, Fars Province in southern Iran, and Van province in Eastern Turkey, using the nad5 gene fragment as a suitable marker to distinguish these two genotypes.MethodsA total of 60 pathologically confirmed human hydatid cysts and 90 hydatid cyst samples from livestock were collected from Turkey and Iran. PCR was performed on all of the samples, targeting the nad5 gene. Based on PCR product quality, host type, and the geographical area where the samples were obtained, 36 of the samples were sequenced and were used in the phylogenetic analysis.ResultsOut of 36 evaluated samples, 26 (72.2%) samples belonged to G1, and 10 (27.8%) samples belonged to the G3 genotype. Out of 21 samples from Turkey, 16 (76.2%) were G1 and 5 (23.8%) were G3, while out of 15 samples from Iran, 10 (66.7%) were G1 and 5 (33.3%) were the G3 genotype. None of the samples isolated from humans in Iran or from sheep in Turkey were G3. Overall, between the two countries, 18.18% of E. granulosus isolates in cattle, 41.66% of isolates in sheep, and 23.07% of human samples were identified as G3, and the others as the G1 genotype. The G3 genotype was not detected in human samples from Iran or sheep samples from Turkey.ConclusionThe findings of the study revealed that the G1 genotype of E. granulosus s.s. is the predominant genotype in humans and livestock, both in Turkey and Iran. The ratio of the E. granulosus s.s. G1 to G3 genotype was 3.2 in Turkey and 2 in Iran. The study also further confirmed that the nad5 gene properly differentiated the G1/G3 isolates of E. granulosus from both humans and livestock.Graphical

An Assessment of the Social Health of the Residents of Lamerd, Fars Province in 2019

Introduction: Health is considered of utmost importance and can be assessed from various aspects. The social health assessment can be a good basis for planning to improve the general health of the target community. The present study was conducted to investigate the social health of Lamerd residents, a small town in Fars Province. Methods: The present study is descriptive and uses a researcher-made questionnaire as the instrument. The research population of the study is 60319 Lamerd residents over 20 years old in 2016, and a total of 382 people were selected through a cluster and stratified sampling method. To describe social health, central tendency indices, such as mean and the measure dispersion, standard deviation, were used in SPSS version 24. The significance level was set at 0.05. Results: In this study, 382 people were studied. Out of this number, 89 percent were male, and 66 percent were single. Most of the respondents belonged to the 30-35 age bracket. The findings showed that the mean social health (3.03) was at an average level. Among the evaluated dimensions of social health, the economic dimension was favorable (3.09). The social trust component was assessed on the social capital index, showing that the institutional trust was low (2.14). On the contrary, interpersonal trust was at a high level (3.14). The social harms indicator was at a high level (3.07), yet physical and mental health were rated as average and low, respectively. Considering life expectancy, the sampling assumed that the life span of the residents has shortened, and on education and literacy, their responses proved a moderately high tendency towards academic promotion and towards studying technical majors. The environmental condition indicator was also rated as unfavorable, and noise, air, and marine pollution were high. Conclusion: Considering the importance of social health, investigating its different aspects through panel designs can be an appropriate analytical instrument for sociologists, pathologists, and health planners to move from unfavorable conditions to an optimal state.