Mazandaran Province Of Iran Research Articles

A model-based evaluation of farmers' income variability under climate change (case study: autumn crops in Iran).

The study strives to analyze the potential variations of farmers' income under climate change by using Ricardian approach. The case study was Mazandaran province of Iran and three autumn crops, i.e. wheat, barley and canola were considered as the investigated crops. The Long Ashton Research Station Weather Generator (LARS-WG) model was selected to downscale the climate data. Three climate variables were downscaled for the years 2020-2080 under three climate scenarios: optimistic (RCP2.6), medium (RCP4.5), and pessimistic (RCP8.5). The Ricardian approach was also employed to predict the economics of climate change. Accordingly, the mean monthly temperature of the province is projected to have an upward trend under all climate scenarios, however, the rainfall pattern would be varied. The results of economic impacts of climate change also approved that the net income of investigated crops would be different trends under climate change scenarios. Accordingly, the variations of air temperature and rainfall would lead that the net income increases for wheat and barley, while it decreases for canola.

The impact of urban family physician program on health service access and utilization in Iranian children and adolescents: Results of the national health services utilization survey in 2015

Background. The Urban Family Physician Program (UFPP) has been implemented in Fars and Mazandaran provinces of Iran since 2013 with the aim of improving access and utilization of health services, with a particular focus on children and adolescents. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the program in achieving this goal, this study aimed to compare the access and utilization of health services among children living in areas covered by the UFPP with those living in other regions of Iran. Methods. A secondary analysis was performed using data from the 2015 National Health Utilization Survey. The data of people aged under 18 were extracted and indicators on the use of health services based on three main models of health service provisions were compared: (1) cities in Fars and Mazandaran provinces (UFPP implemented); (2) cities in other Iranian provinces (excluding Fars and Mazandaran); and (3) villages and cities with a population under 20,000. Results. The study included 20,689 children. The outpatient and inpatient visits in children living in Fars and Mazandaran provinces were higher than in children from other provinces and smaller towns (11.89 vs. 7.92 and 7.21 for outpatient and 4.74 vs. 3.51 and 4.27 for inpatient, respectively). Furthermore, UFPP was found to be associated with a higher utilization of health services in children residing in cities (odds ratio=1.50 (1.98-1.15)). Additionally, the cost of outpatient and inpatient health services in areas where the UFPP was implemented was lower compared to other parts of the country. Conclusion. The urban family physician program has been successful in increasing the access to health services and reducing health costs in children. Practical Implications. The findings suggest that the urban family physician program can be an effective strategy for improving healthcare access and reducing costs, especially in areas with high population density. Policymakers and healthcare providers can use the results of this study to inform the development and implementation of similar programs in other countries, with the aim of improving healthcare access and reducing healthcare costs in children and adolescents.

Disentangling the impacts of climate and land cover changes on habitat suitability of common pheasant Phasianus colchicus along elevational gradients in Iran.

Climate and land cover change are critical drivers of avian species range shift. Thus, predicting avian species' response to the land and climate changes and identifying their future suitable habitats can help their conservation planning. The common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) is a species of conservation concern in Iran and is included in the list of Iran's protected avian species. The species faces multiple threats such as habitat destruction, land cover change, and overhunting in the country. In this study, we model the potential impacts of future climate and land coverchange on the habitat suitabilityof common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) along elevational gradients in Mazandaran province in Iran. We used shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP) scenarios and the 2015-2020 trend to generate possible future land cover projections for 2050. As for climate change projections, we used representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios. Next, we applied current and future climate and land cover projections to investigate how habitatsuitabilityofcommon pheasant willchange between 2020 and 2050 using species distribution modeling (SDM). Our results show that the species has 6000 km2 suitable habitat; however, between 900 and 1965 km2 of its habitat may be reduced by 2050. Furthermore, we found that the severity of the effects of climate and land cover change varies at different altitudes. At low altitudes, the impact of changing land structure is superior. Instead, climate change has a critical role in habitat loss at higher altitudes and imposes a limiting role on the potential range shifts. Overall, thisstudy demonstrates the vital role of land cover and climate change in better understanding the potential alterations in avian distribution.

EVALUATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS IN SMART HOMES IMPLEMENTATION (CASE STUDY: CITIES OF MAZANDARAN PROVINCE IN IRAN)

Abstract. The growing trend of IT technologies has continued at a faster pace in recent decades. The efforts of experts in this field have always been reducing the problems and challenges existing in urban communities and improving the quality of citizens' lives. They have concentrated on using the artificial intelligence and Internet of Things in a way which leads to maximize self-actualization of citizens. Among these technologies, IoT has played a significant role. Since it can improve the urban infrastructures, and also can be implemented in the scale of home facilities and equipment, can improve the quality of life in smart homes. However, it seems that the implementation of smart residential buildings in the context of smart cities is not simple as been defined in theory and may be accompanied by challenges. In this paper, an attempt has been made to evaluate the environmental factors affecting this field by SWOT analysis tool in a case study in cities of Mazandaran Province in Iran. As a result, strategy and tactics to emphasize strengths, to make the most of existing opportunities, to eliminate the weaknesses, and to reduce the risk of perceived threats, have been identified and been introduced. Based on the results, OS strategy should be held to obtain the most valuable goals of a smart city; since the points of opportunities and strengths are relatively more than others.

A Convolutional Neural Network Method for Rice Mapping Using Time-Series of Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 Imagery

Rice is one of the most essential and strategic food sources globally. Accordingly, policymakers and planners often consider a special place in the agricultural economy and economic development for this essential commodity. Typically, a sample survey is carried out through field observations and farmers’ consultations to estimate annual rice yield. Studies show that these methods lead to many errors and are time-consuming and costly. Satellite remote sensing imagery is widely used in agriculture to provide timely, high-resolution data and analytical capabilities. Earth observations with high spatial and temporal resolution have provided an excellent opportunity for monitoring and mapping crop fields. This study used the time series of dual-pol synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images of Sentinel-1 and multispectral Sentinel-2 images from Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 ESA’s Copernicus program to extract rice cultivation areas in Mazandaran province in Iran. A novel multi-channel streams deep feature extraction method was proposed to simultaneously take advantage of SAR and optical imagery. The proposed framework extracts deep features from the time series of NDVI and original SAR images by first and second streams. In contrast, the third stream integrates them into multi-levels (shallow to deep high-level features); it extracts deep features from the channel attention module (CAM), and group dilated convolution. The efficiency of the proposed method was assessed on approximately 129,000 in-situ samples and compared to other state-of-the-art methods. The results showed that combining NDVI time series and SAR data can significantly improve rice-type mapping. Moreover, the proposed methods had high efficiency compared with other methods, with more than 97% overall accuracy. The performance of rice-type mapping based on only time-series SAR images was better than only time-series NDVI datasets. Moreover, the classification performance of the proposed framework in mapping the Shirodi rice type was better than that of the Tarom type.

Influence of ground beetles (Carabidae) as biological agent to control of the Mediterranean fruit fly pupae, Ceratitis capitata, in Iranian citrus orchards

• High diversity and density of Carabidae observed with eliminated pesticide spray. • Instead pesticide, mineral oil spray led conserving the carabids species. • Seasonal density fluctuation of Carabidae was observed, increasing in spring. • Highest population of Carabidae with the peak of fruit fly damage in September. • H. rufipes, B. karelinii and Pterostichus macer were the most voracious predators. Damage by Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae) in the northern Iranian citrus orchards has been led to spray by different chemical pesticides. The present study was conducted in the citrus orchard in Mazandaran province of Iran where with the exception of mineral oil treatments for scale insects, had not been sprayed with synthetic insecticides for six years. The purpose of this study was initially to investigate faun and seasonal activity of predaceous ground carabid beetles in the citrus orchards. Additionally, their role as predators of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) pupae was evaluated under laboratory and field conditions. Predation in laboratory was evaluated by no choice feeding experiments while predation under field conditions was evaluated by molecular detection of the pest DNA in the gut contents of field-collected Carabids. A total of 3,437 beetles of ten carabid species were collected from a non-chemical treatment citrus orchard. The results of the seasonal density fluctuation indicated increasing population in spring reaching the highest in September, simultaneously with the peak of fruit fly damage, and thereafter decreasing during winter when the pest was overwintering. However, three species, Harpalus rufipes, Broscus karelinii and Brachinus brevicollis were most abundant in the field collection but the results of no-choice experiments in the laboratory indicated H. rufipes, B. karelinii and Pterostichus macer were the most voracious predators on pupae. Results of gut content analysis of the voracious species indicated the positive testing for pest DNA in 79.16 % of H. rufipes , 76.92% of B. karelinii and 75% of P. macer of analyzed beetles. The results of the study strongly indicated that in citrus orchards where intensive spraying is eliminated, natural enemies such as Carabid beetles could play an important role in reducing pests such as medfly.

Social Learning, Neutralization, and Environmental Crimes: An Empirical Test of Differential Association and Neutralization Theories in Iran

Fereydunkenar county hosts millions of migratory birds in the southern parts of the Caspian Sea in the second half of every year. Despite the global prevalence of environmental crime, there is still a dearth of large-scale, empirical analyses of environmental crime in the Middle East. This study compared two well-established criminological frameworks rooted in social learning (neutralization theory and differential association theory) to compare four environmental crimes in Iran: illegal bird hunting, fishing without a license, water pollution, and soil pollution. We surveyed male villagers (N = 400) in the county of Fereydunkenar, which is located in the Mazandaran Province of Iran and hosts millions of migratory birds every year. Variables from neutralization theory (condemnation of the condemners, denial of victim and injury, and appeal to higher loyalty) and differential association theory (frequency of differential association with family and friends, and intensity of differential association) were measured. Approximately 75% of respondents had engaged in illegal bird hunting and nearly 53% of respondents had engaged in fishing without a license. However, water and soil pollution behaviors among the respondents were at low levels. The independent variables explained ∼53, 20, and 18% of the variance in the variables of water/soil pollution, illegal bird hunting, and illegal fishing, respectively. The frequency of differential association with family and intensity of differential association had the largest influences on illegal bird hunting and illegal fishing. The intensity of differential association, appeal to higher loyalty, and condemnation of the condemners had significant positive effects on water and soil pollution behaviors. Based on our models, we concluded that, compared to neutralization variables, differential association variables had greater effects on numerous environmental crimes in Iran.

Municipal solid waste recycling network with sustainability and supply uncertainty considerations

• A stochastic optimization model is developed by explicitly considering sustainability • The developed two-stage stochastic MILP model optimizes the MSW recycling network • The fuzzy best-worst method is used to extend the social life cycle assessment method • The environmental cost is controlled utilizing a well-known risk measure • MRFs, Incinerator, Composting, and LFGRS are sustainable facilities for Mazandaran The stochastic nature of some parameters in a municipal solid waste (MSW) management system justifies the use of stochastic programming models. In this research, a multi-period two-stage stochastic model is formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming model for optimal and sustainable use of MSW by explicitly considering the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainability. The decision variables are categorized into two groups. The first-stage decision variables determine the location, capacity, and type of waste processing plants and facilities. The second-stage decision variables consider transportation, allocation, and distribution of wastes and products. The objective function of the proposed model minimizes various costs of the system. The environmental cost is controlled utilizing a well-known risk measure and to consider the social impacts, the Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) approach is extended using the fuzzy best-worst method. To handle the uncertainty in the amount of generated waste, a backward scenario reduction method is simulated. Mazandaran province in Iran is selected as a real-life case study to evaluate the performance of the applied method. The assessment of the robustness of the stochastic solution illustrates the significance of using the stochastic model instead of its deterministic one.

Isolation and identification of Rahnella victoriana associated with bacterial canker of Eucalyptus in Iran

AbstractEucalypts are cultivated in many regions of the world because of their amenability to intensive plantation forestry (environmental adaptability and plasticity of clones, fast growth, easiness of rooting and strong re‐sprouting after coppicing), quality of the timber for multiple uses and high economic performance. Symptomatic Eucalyptus camaldulensis trees were sampled at two sites in the Mazandaran province of Iran. Plants showed trunk bark cracking and cankers accompanied by dark‐brown watery exudation from damaged tissues. Isolation, purification along with phenotypic and genotypic characterization of isolates were performed using routine bacteriological methods. Finally, the bacterial isolates obtained from cankers on symptomatic eucalyptus plants were identified as Rahnella victoriana based on results of biochemical tests in combination with analyses of partial sequences of the 16S rRNA, gyrB,rpoB, and atpD gene regions. When representative isolates were inoculated into the stem of 1‐year‐old E. camaldulensis saplings, necrotic lesions were visible in external and internal bark tissues 30 days after inoculation. The bacteria were re‐isolated from lesions up to 2 months post‐inoculation. This is the first report of bacterial canker of Eucalyptus caused by R. victoriana in Iran and in the world.

Rural sports and local games: missing link between sports tourism development and sustainability

ABSTRACT The purpose of the present study was to design a model for the development of sustainable sports tourism based on rural sports and local games (RSLG) in Mazandaran province of Iran. The study was conducted using a mixed-method comprised of qualitative and quantitative phases. The qualitative phase utilized grounded theory and data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The collected data were analyzed in three stages of open, axial and selective coding and a model was developed based on the derived codes. The findings indicated that sustainable sports tourism development based on RSLG is influenced by six different categories: ‘policy-making’, ‘marketing’, ‘finance and support’, ‘religious and social participation’, ‘infrastructure’ and ‘management and planning’. In the quantitative phase, partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to validate the model. The statistical population of this phase included the organizational staff operating in the fields of tourism and sport, organized coaches, referees and athletes of rural sports in Mazandaran. The findings of this phase revealed that the categories of ‘policy-making’ (0.461), ‘marketing’ (0.351), ‘financial and supporting’ (0.303), ‘religious and social participation’ (0.318), ‘infrastructure’ (0.166) and ‘management and planning’ (0.506) affect the independent variable sustainable sports tourism development based on RSLG.

A Cluster-based Stratified Hybrid Decision Support Model under Uncertainty: Sustainable Healthcare Landfill Location Selection.

Nowadays, healthcare waste management has become one of the significant environmental, health, and social problems. Due to population and urbanization growth and an increase in healthcare waste disposals according to the growing number of diseases and pandemics like COVID-19, disposal of healthcare waste has become a critical issue. Authorities in big cities require reliable decision support systems to empower them to make strategic decisions to provide safe disposal methods with a prospective vision. Since inappropriate healthcare waste management systems would definitely bring up dangerous environmental, social, health, and economic issues for every city. Therefore, this paper attempts to address the landfill location selection problem for healthcare waste using a novel decision support system. Novel decision support model integrates K-means algorithms with Stratified Best-Worst Method (SBWM) and a novel hybrid MARCOS-CoCoSo under grey interval numbers. The proposed decision support system considers waste generate rate in medical centers, future unforeseen but potential events, and uncertainty in experts’ opinion to optimally locate required landfills for safe and economical disposal of dangerous healthcare waste. To investigate the feasibility and applicability of the proposed methodology, a real case study is performed for Mazandaran province in Iran. Our proposed methodology could efficiently deal with 79 medical centers within 4 clusters addressing 9 criteria to prioritize candidate locations. Moreover, the sensitivity analysis of weight coefficients is carried out to evaluate the results. Finally, the efficiency of the methodology is compared with several well-known methods and its high efficiency is demonstrated. Results recommend adherence to local rules and regulations, and future expansion potential as the top two criteria with importance values of 0.173 and 0.164, respectively. Later, best location alternatives are determined for each cluster of medical centers.

Changes in morpho-physiological traits of rice cultivars upon different fertilization regimes

Improving crop yield is one of the main challenges in lands with intensive agriculture. In order to study the nutritional treatment effects (macro and micro elements) on agronomic and morpho-physiologic traits on three different rice cultivars, a field experiment was conducted at Mazandaran province of Iran as a factorial arrangement based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. Three different fertilizer treatments including complete (NPK + micro elements), macro (NPK) and micro (N + Mn + Fe + Zn), along with a control (nutrient free) were applied. The results showed that distinctive cultivar’s 1000-grain weight and biomass, unlike other traits, was not significantly affected amongst the treatments. Fertilizer treatments, however, had significant effect on the studied agro-morphological, biochemical and physiological parameters of rice plants, except the number of panicles per plant and biomass. Furthermore, among yield components, interaction effect of cultivar and fertilizer on panicle per plant was significant. Among cultivars investigated, “Fajr” showed the highest panicle length, number of grains per panicle and panicle per plant, leaf area, chlorophyll content, photosynthesis rate, respiration, stomatal conductance, harvest index and grain yield, whereas it had the shortest overall plants height. NPK + micro fertilizer treatment, also, had the most positive effect on production units in rice plant particularly chloroplast function, which eventually resulted in grain yield. Moreover, the combination of micro and macro nutrients facilitated the rate of CO2 and O2 exchange. Therefore, “Fajr” cultivar with more leaf area showed better efficiency in absorption of receipted lights and finally, because of high harvest index, transferred more assimilates into grains.

Multisectoral actions of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mazandaran province of Iran.

AimA widespread outbreak of COVID‐19 is followed by adverse effects on the mental health of the general population. Therefore, this study is an audit to investigate the activities of various organizations during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Mazandaran Province, Iran.MethodsThe aim of the study was to collect the data, the relevant officials in various organizations and units were contacted to collect the statistics of actions taken in psychology and psychiatry wards. Moreover, databases such as Google Scholar and Iranian resources were searched.ResultsAccording to the results, different healthcare systems worked in parallel during the peak of the COVID‐19 pandemic. For example, Mazandaran University of Medical Science [MAZUMS] Health Vice‐Chancellor performed the following activities during this crisis: establishing a virtual crisis management working group, holding a provincial educational committee to train the crisis management teams, organizing virtual psychological intervention teams in the healthcare systems, and so forth. In addition, the mental health activities by Mazandaran Welfare Organization during the COVID‐19 outbreak included providing hostelry free psychological counseling, quarantine boarding and rehabilitation centers, and providing harm prevention protocols of COVID‐19, especially for marginalized regions. In the third level of medical centers, including hospitals, consultation‐liaison psychiatry or psychiatrists and clinical psychologists, therapeutic interventions for comorbid psychiatric disorders with COVID‐19 disease, and online workshops for mental health were conducted to reduce burnout of medical staff and nurses.ConclusionThis study can provide a good guideline for different service providers by using the experiences of other centers to achieve better results.

Validation of the Persian Version of Health Professionals Communication Skills Scale.

Background:The need for assessing health-care workers' communication skills is increasingly emphasized by researchers. Achieving such a goal requires the use of a reliable tool. The purpose of this study was to validate the Persian version of Health Professionals Communication Skills Scale (HP-CSS).Materials and Methods:For the present methodological study carried out from September 2016 to February 2017, 400 health workers were selected by convenience sampling from educational hospitals in Mazandaran province in Iran and they were asked to fill out the 18-item HP-CSS. All steps of the scale validity were performed. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were used. The reliability of the tool was measured by internal consistency.Results:Two factors of care and verbal clarity with patients and respect for patients' rights, extracted by exploratory factor analysis, explained 47.38% of the variance. Content Validity Index (CVI) and Content Validity Ratio (CVR) of all items were higher than 0.79 and 0.49, respectively. Reliability coefficients of factors were found to be more than 0.70. Model's fitness indicators confirmed the construct of HP-CSS. Both factors had a convergent and divergent validity.Conclusions:This study showed that the Persian version of the communication skills scale has a two-dimensional construct and good psychometric properties; also, this scale was found to be useful for the purpose and context in which it will be used, that is, communication skills.

The Attitude of Iranian Critical Care Nurses Toward Euthanasia

Today, one of the major ethical challenges facing the world's health care system, and in particular nurses in the intensive care unit, is euthanasia or death out of pity. The aim of this study was to investigate the attitude of Iranian nurses in the intensive care unit toward euthanasia. This was an analytical cross-sectional study using census sampling. The data collection tool was the Euthanasia Attitude Scale. A total of 206 nurses working in the intensive care unit in 4 hospitals in the Mazandaran province of Iran were included in this study. The mean of total Euthanasia Attitude Scale score in intensive care unit nurses was 2.96. The mean euthanasia dimensions were ethical consideration, practical considerations, treasuring life, and naturalistic beliefs, 3.03, 2.92, 2.98, and 2.99, respectively. There was significant but low negative correlation between age and total Euthanasia Attitude Scale score, ethical considerations, and practical considerations. Male nurses exhibited significantly higher Euthanasia Attitude Scale scores, specifically in regard to ethical and practical considerations compared with female nurses. The most Iranian nurses in the intensive care unit had a negative attitude toward euthanasia for patients in the later stages of the disease. However, this opposition was less than similar studies in Iran in the past.

Taxonomy and phylogenetic appraisal of Hypomyces iranica sp. nov. (Hypocreaceae, Hypocreales)

Hypomyces is an important genus of fungicolous fungi associated with different ascomycetes and basidiomycetes. Numerous researchers have conducted morphological and molecular studies on this genus. In this study, we collected submerged branches of Fagus sp. from Mazandaran Province in Iran, from which a fungal isolate was obtained. Morphology coupled with maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses of the combined ITS, LSU, and rpb2 sequence data showed it is a novel taxon (Hypomyces iranica). The morphology of the newly described species is compared with its sister taxa, and a comprehensive description and micrographs are provided.

Investigating the relationship between quality of life and hope in family caregivers of hemodialysis patients and related factors

BackgroundFamily caregivers of hemodialysis patients are the first and most crucial source of care at home. They experience many problems in the care of hemodialysis patients, which can affect their quality of life and hope, affecting the quality of care provided to patients. This study aimed to determine the relationship between quality of life and hope in family caregivers of hemodialysis patients.MethodsA cross-sectional (descriptive-analytical) study performed on 300 family caregivers in the east of Mazandaran province in Iran. Data were collected using the Family Caregiver Quality of Life (FQOL), SF8 and adult hope scale. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 16, and a P-value of below 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsThe results showed that, there was a direct and significant relationship between hope and quality of life. However, the quality of life was significantly lower in suburban residents, the unemployed, spouses, people with lower education and income levels, caregivers who cannot leave their patients alone, those living with their patients in the same house, and those taking care of male patients, compared to other participants (P < 0.05). Suburban residents, the unemployed, people with an insufficient level of income, and those living with their patients in the same house had significantly lower hope, compared to other subjects.ConclusionSince an increase of hope and quality of life of caregivers can cause improved quality of patient care, it is recommended that hope-based educational programs and interventions be implemented for caregivers.

Real Time Detection of different Variant Strains of Infectious Bronchitis Virus in Trachea, Lung and Kidney of Infected Broiler Chickens

BACKGROUND: Avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) has a great potential for genetic variability which leads to generating new virus strains. The changes in IBV genome often cause alterations in the virulence, tissue tropism and viral replication in the host tissues. OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to identify the virus variant strains in trachea, lung and kidney of infected birds. The possible relationship of IBV variants with the relative quantity of virus in each organ was also investigated.METHODS: IBV variant strains were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct sequencing. Amongst samples collected during one season (spring), from infected commercial broiler flocks located at Golastan and Mazandaran province of Iran, 9 flocks (3 flocks per each variant) were selected based on the identified variants. Trachea, lung and kidney samples of 5 birds per flock were examined for the presence of virus and variants. Virus also quantified in target organs using relative quantitative real time PCR.RESULTS: Based on the PCR and sequencing, three IBV variants were selected (A, B and C). Virus type A and B were detected in all target organs but virus type C detected in trachea and kidney. Virus type C had the highest quantity (17.02 ± 5.22) and virus type A showed the lowest quantity (5.68 ± 2.4) in infected tissues. Relative quantity of virus detected in tissues significantly correlated with IBV variant. CONCLUSIONS: Genetic polymorphism at IBV field strains has revealed significant correlations with viral quantity in lung, trachea and kidney. Our finding is an update of current knowledge on the associations between viral genotype, virulence and pathogenicity.

The impacts of family physician plan and health transformation plan on hospitalization rates in Iran: an interrupted time series

BackgroundLow and middle income countries has recently implemented various reforms toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC). This study aims to assess the impact of Family Physician Plan (FPP) and Health Transformation Plan (HTP) on hospitalization rate in Iran.MethodsWe conducted an Interrupted Time Series (ITS) design. The data was monthly hospitalization of Mazandaran province over a period of 7 years. Segmented regression analysis was applied in R version 3.6.1.ResultsA decreasing trend by − 0.056 for every month was found after implementation of Family Physician Plan, but this was not significant. Significant level change was appeared at the beginning of Health Transformation Plan and average of hospitalization rate increased by 1.04 (P < 0.001). Also hospitalization trend increased significantly nearly 0.09 every month in period after Health Transformation Plan (P < 0.001).ConclusionsFamily physician created a decreasing trend for hospitalization in urban area of Mazandaran province in Iran. HTP with lower user fee in governmental public hospitals and clinics as well as fee-for-service mechanisms, stimulated both level and trend changes in hospital admissions. Some integrated health policy is required to optimize the implementation of diverse simultaneous reforms in low and middle-income countries.

Hydrogeochemical and ecological risk assessments of trace elements in the coastal surface water of the southern Caspian Sea.

This study investigates the occurrence, distribution, and potential ecological risk of trace elements (TEs) along with the hydrogeochemical characteristics of coastal surface water collected from the southern Caspian coasts in the Mazandaran province of Iran. Eighteen coastal water sites were sampled and analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and ion chromatography to determine concentrations of TEs and major ions, respectively. Mean concentrations (µg/l) of TEs in the water followed the order: Al (154.3) > Fe (73.6) > Zn (67.8) > Mn (29.9) > Cu (5.7) > Mo (3.7) > Cd (2.8) > Se (2.3) > V (1.9) > Co = As (1.8) > Sb (1.2) > Pb (0.6). TEs displayed high variations within samples, reflecting many sources that control their concentrations in the coastal water. Most TEs displayed elevated concentrations in the east and west of the study area. The Na-Cl water type in the majority of investigated sites indicates excess alkaline elements and strong acid anions relative to alkaline earth cations and weak acid anions. Considering the saturation states of minerals, carbonate and evaporite minerals are oversaturated and unsaturated in surface water, respectively. Compositional interrelations between aqueous species showed that reverse cation exchange may have occurred. The excess SO42- content, derived from irrigation return flow and domestic greywater, probably plays a crucial role in the mobilization and transport of Zn and Pb by binding to sulfate ligands and forming aqueous complexes. Ecological risk assessment of TEs revealed that water in the majority of sites is safe in terms of As, Se, Pb, and Cd content, and unsuitable with respect to Zn and Cu. Acute and chronic toxicities of Cu and Zn are reported in several sites, thus coastal water cannot be used for fishery and protecting "nature reserve" purposes. However, industrial activity and tourism are safe to be conducted in most coastal water sites.