Central Part Of Iran Research Articles

Survival Analysis of Ovarian Cancer Patients in Yazd City, Central part of Iran, 1999-2018

Background: Ovarian Cancer (OC) as a common gynecologic cancer according to mortality rate has the seventh rank among women in the world. This study aimed to identify risk factors associated with OC survival in Yazd, Iran. Methods: In this observational retrospective cohort study, the medical records of 150 patients who were definitively diagnosed with OC from 1999 to 2018 were investigated. The Kaplan–Meier estimator and the Cox proportional hazard model with hazard ratio and the log-rank test were used for data analysis. All statistical analyses were done in R 4.0.5, package survival. Results: 60.77% (91 people) of patients were under 60 years old. 32.7% (49 people) were in stage III of the disease. 62% (93 people) did not have ascites, 67.3% (101 people) had disease-free survival more than 65 months. 45 (30%) of 150 patients were dead. Median survival time was 96 months (95% CI∶57.20 to 134.79), one, three, five-, and ten-year survival rates were 83,73,55 and 33 months; respectively. Log-rank test results showed there was a significant difference between age, stage, ascites, disease-free survival, and Treatment method, CA125 after and before treatment (p < 0.05). Cox proportional hazard model result showed ascites (HRadj = 3.89, 95% CI: 1.35 to 11.15, P = 0.01) and DFS (HRadj = 23.52, 95 % CI: 4.21to128.33, p = < 0.001) as significant covariates. Conclusion: The results of our study showed that disease-free survival and ascites are the main risk factors for OC and paying attention to them will be effective in increasing patient survival.

Clinico-epidemiological evaluation of pharmaceutical/non-pharmaceutical poisoning in a referral poisoning emergency in the Central part of Iran

The pattern of poisoning varies in different societies. In this study, we investigated the clinical-epidemiological features and outcomes of poisoned patients based on the substances involved, whether pharmaceutical or non- pharmaceutical toxins. This cross-sectional study involved a retrospective chart review of all poisoned patients who presented to the poisoning emergency hospital in the center of Iran between January 2015 and December 2019. We collected data on socio-demographics, the nature of the poisoning, and the outcomes. Backward stepwise binary regression analysis was conducted to predict the mortality. Throughout the study period, 5777 patients with acute poisoning met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 3524 cases (61%) were attributed to pharmaceutical, and 2253 cases (39%) were due to non-pharmaceutical poisoning. The majority of pharmaceutical poisonings (82.9%) were intentional, whereas non-pharmaceutical poisonings accounted for 46.2% of intentional exposures (P < 0.001). Patients with non-pharmaceutical poisoning were predominantly men, older in age, and had a history of addiction compared to those with pharmaceutical poisoning (P < 0.001). In binary logistic regression analysis, patients poisoned by non-pharmaceutical substances had a significantly higher risk of mortality [Odds ratio, 3.14; (95% CI 1.39–7.10); P = 0.006] compared to those poisoned by pharmaceutical substances (P < 0.001). The pattern of poisoning differs in terms of age and gender when comparing pharmaceutical to non-pharmaceutical poisoning. Patients poisoned by non-pharmaceutical may have a worse outcome compared to those poisoned by pharmaceutical substances.

Factors controlling groundwater quality and salinization near the salt playa of Kavir-e Daranjir, central part of Iran

Factors controlling groundwater quality and salinization near the salt playa of Kavir-e Daranjir, central part of Iran

Trend analysis of MODIS NDVI time series and its relationship to temperature and precipitation in Northeastern of Iran.

Vegetation plays a crucial role in providing organic matter and regulating energy exchange on the Earth's surface. This study investigates the changes in vegetation cover, temperature, and precipitation in northeastern Iran during 2001-2020. MODIS-NDVI time series data and climatic data from 11 synoptic stations were utilized. The nonparametric Mann-Kendall method was employed to detect trends in vegetation cover and climatic variables. Additionally, the correlation between climatic parameters and vegetation was examined. Trend analysis revealed significant increases/decreases in vegetation cover in 32%/26% of the region, respectively. The increasing trend in vegetation cover was predominantly observed in highlands, suggesting that a warmer climate has enhanced the living conditions for plants in these regions. The vegetation trend map indicates an expansion of vegetation cover in the northern and central parts of Iran during the past 20years, whereas the southern and eastern portions experienced declines. The relationship between vegetation and elevation revealed that vegetation increased above 1,850m and decreased below 850m. Trend analysis showed no significant trend in precipitation data since the beginning of the twenty-first century, but an increasing trend in temperature was observed in 82% of the region's area, excluding the western strip. Correlation coefficients between temperature, precipitation, and vegetation indicated that declining temperatures are the limiting factors for vegetation in the highlands, while in lowland areas, the decrease in precipitation significantly diminishes vegetation growth.

Cancer patterns in Iran: a gender-specific spatial modelling of cancer incidence during 2014–2017

BackgroundCancer is a significant public health concern and the second leading cause of death. This study aims to visualize spatial patterns of top common cancer types and identify high-risk and low-risk counties for these cancers in Iran from 2014 to 2017.MethodsIn this study, we analyzed 482,229 newly diagnosed cancer cases recorded by the Iranian National Population-Based Cancer Registry from 2014 to 2017. We employed a purely spatial scanning model and local Moran I analysis to explore spatial patterns across Iran.ResultsApproximately 53% of all cases were male. The average age of cancer diagnosis was 62.58 ± 17.42 years for males and 56.11 ± 17.33years for females. Stomach cancer was the most common cancer in men. The northern and northwestern regions of Iran were identified as high-risk areas for stomach cancer in both genders, with a relative risk (RR) ranging from 1.26 to 2.64 in males and 1.19 to 3.32 in females. These areas recognized as high-risk areas for trachea, bronchus, and lung (TBL) cancer specifically in males (RR:1.15–2.02). Central regions of Iran were identified as high-risk areas for non-melanoma skin cancers in both genders, ranking as the second most common cancer (RR:1.18–5.93 in males and 1.24–5.38 in females). Furthermore, bladder cancer in males (RR:1.32–2.77) and thyroid cancer in females (RR:1.88–3.10) showed concentration in the central part of Iran. Breast cancer, being the most common cancer among women (RR:1.23–5.54), exhibited concentration in the northern regions of the country. Also, northern regions of Iran were identified as high-risk clusters for colon cancer (RR:1.31–3.31 in males and 1.33–4.13 in females), and prostate cancer in males (RR:1.22–2.31). Brain, nervous system cancer, ranked sixth among women (RR:1.26–5.25) in central areas.ConclusionsThe study's revelations on the spatial patterns of common cancer incidence in Iran provide crucial insights into the distribution and trends of these diseases. The identification of high-risk areas equips policymakers with valuable information to tailor targeted screening programs, facilitating early diagnosis and effective disease control strategies.

Proteomic Analysis and Immunoprofiling of Persian Horned Viper Venom, Pseudocerastes Persicus, from Central Part of Iran.

Numerous species of venomous snakes of medical importance exist in Iran. Pseudocerastes persicus (P. persicus), one of the medically important snakes, also called the Persian horned viper, has a geographical spread that extends to the east, southwest, and central areas of Iran and is endemic across the wider region. As a result, this species is responsible for many snakebite occurrences. Venom from P. persicus found in the central province of Semnan contains phospholipase A2 and L-amino acid oxidase activities, and high toxic potency. The venom was fractionated by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and analyzed by Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), Western blotting and two-dimensional electrophoresis. Using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), a range of components were identified, consistent with the biochemical and toxicological properties of the venom. Proteins identified from 2D electrophoresis and shotgun methods included metallo- and serine proteases, phospholipases, oxidases, and Kunitz trypsin inhibitors, along with many other components at lower qualitative abundance. This study provides a more detailed understanding of the protein profile of Iranian P. persicus venom, which can be effective in the production of an effective antidote against it. The analysis of the resulting data shows that there is a wide range of proteins in the venom of the Persian horned viper. This information can provide a better understanding of how venom is neutralized by polyclonal antivenom. Considering the wide presence of this snake and its related species in Iran and surrounding countries, knowing the venom protein profile of this family can be of great support to antivenom producers such as Razi Vaccine & Serum Research Institute in the preparation of regional antivenoms.

Exploring the spatial pattern of animal bites in Iran (2021–2022)

ObjectiveKnowledge of the spatial pattern of animal bites can be helpful for targeted resource allocation and to develop and deliver effective intervention programs. The aim of this study was to explore the spatial pattern of the animal bites in Iran during 2021–2022. MethodsAnimal bite cases from all provinces and counties in Iran were obtained from a nationally based registry. Global Moran's I was applied to check spatial autocorrelation. The spatially adjusted standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were estimated using the Besag, York, and Mollie (BYM) model. Spatial clusters were identified by local indicators of spatial association (LISA) and purely spatial scan statistic. ResultsA total of 260,470 animal bites were registered during the study period. There was a positive spatial autocorrelation (global Moran's I=0.27, p-value=0.001). The majority of SIRs greater than 1.00 was found in counties in the northern belt of Iran (e.g., observed greater than expected animal bites). LISA found that approximately 7% of counties in the north and northeast, 18% in the west and south, and 3% in the central part of Iran were significant hot spots, cold spots, and spatial outliers (p-value≤0.05). Spatial scan statistic detected primary hot spot cluster in the counties in the Mazandaran and Alborz provinces (Relative Risk=2.56, p-value<0.001), while primary cold spot cluster involved counties in Kurdistan and Kermanshah province (0.37, <0.001). ConclusionAnimal bites were unevenly distributed in Iran. Further prevention and control programs as well as appropriately resource allocation are needed in order to reduce the observed animal bites spatial disparity.

Identifying the Distribution and Frequency of Dust Storms in Iran Based on Long-Term Observations from over 400 Weather Stations

Middle Eastern countries suffer from dust events due to extended arid areas. Among them, Iran is a country experiencing a high record of dust events each year causing major environmental challenges. Although there are previous studies of the present situations of dust storm occurrences in Iran, most studies have analyzed the meteorological dataset in limited weather stations and areas in Iran. To understand the nationwide trends of the distributions and frequencies of dust storm events, comprehensive statistical evaluations of dust storm events, based on different dust categories, are required. Therefore, this study analyzes 12-year meteorological databases obtained at 427 stations in Iran to clarify the distribution of dust events and occurrence frequencies of the dust in a recent decade by classifying the dust events into suspended dust, rising dust, and dust storm. The highest record of the days belongs to rising dust, which surpassed 150 days per year, followed by suspended dust with over 100 days per year, and, finally, dust storms with a frequency of 30 days per year as annual statistics of dust events. In contrast, there were some stations that recorded minimal occurrences of dust events during the observation periods. To prove the spatial nonuniformity of the dust events, suspended dust events showed a distinct concentration in the western regions of the country, while rising dust tended to occur more frequently in the southern, eastern, and central parts of Iran. Accordingly, seasonal analyses indicate that the highest number of dust events occurred during the spring season, with the number of stations experiencing dust events being greater than during other seasons in all three categories. Nonetheless, annual analyses of dust events do not demonstrate any significant trends, with only 2012 having the highest record of dust events across all three categories. In terms of monthly analyses, dust events tended to increase from late spring to early summer in the suspended dust and rising dust categories. These analyses demonstrate the importance of studying numerous weather station datasets to clarify spatial trends of dust events with long-term variations.

Genomic characterization and phylogenetic evolution of the canine parvoviruses in Iranian dogs, a nationwide study: CPV evolutionary analysis in Iran

Canine Parvo Virus 2 (CPV-2) culminated in lots of fatalities in domestic dogs since its emergence in 1978. Mainly, it is responsible for severe hemorrhagic diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration. CPV-2 has three main variants known as 2a, 2b, and 2c. Due to the necessity of monitoring the evolutionary parameters of the virus, and also the lack of comprehensive study of CPV2 in Iran, this study is done for the first time in this country not only to characterize Iranian CPV genomes but also to study the evolutionary parameters and phylodynamics of CPV. The phylogenetic trees were constructed using the Maximum Likelihood (ML) method. By the use of the Bayesian Monte Carlo Markov Chain (BMCMC) method, evolutionary analysis and phylodynamics of the virus were investigated. Phylogenetic results showed that all Iranian isolates were classified in the CPV-2a variant. The central part of Iran was suggested to be the origin of the virus, especially the Alborz province. Before its prevalence throughout the country, the virus circulated in the central part, in Thran, Karaj, and Qom. Mutational analysis showed a positive selection pressure of CPV-2a. Investigating the evolutionary parameters of the virus proposed 1970 to be the date of birth of the virus, with a 95% credible interval between 1953 and 1987. The effective number of infections increased dramatically from 2012 to 2015, then faced a slightly decreasing trend from 2015 to 2019. A considerable up warding pattern was witnessed from the middle of 2019, which can be taken as a concern about the risk of vaccination failure.

PETROCHEMICAL AND STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PORPHYRY COPPER MINERALIZATION IN THE ASTANEH ORE DEPOSIT, MIDDLE PART OF THE URUMIEH-DOKHTAR MAGMATIC ARC (IRAN)

Within the Urumieh-Dokhtar Magmatic Arc in the central part of Iran, the formation of which is associated with the Neotethys closure, there are many porphyry copper deposits and ore occurrences. One of them is the Astaneh porphyry copper ore deposit, located in the central part of the Saveh-Ardestan ore region southeast of Ardestan city. The purpose of this study is to investigate the petrochemical characteristics of rocks and to determine the relationship between the distribution of porphyry copper mineralization and tectonic position of faults within the study area. To achieve the goal, there were used the structural and geological data obtained in the fieldwork, as well as the results of mineralogical and geochemical analyses. The obtained results show that rocks of different composition of the Astaneh ore deposit (andesite, andesite-basalt, basalt, trachybasalt) were formed in the suprasubduction zone, and probably in the environment prior to the collision of the of continental plates. Paragenetic relationships and mineralogical analysis show that the evolution of mineralization of the Astaneh ore deposit can be divided into three stages: pre-ore, hypogene and supergene mineralization. Geochemical research based on the study of the content of the major chemical elements in the rocks of the region shows that igneous rocks belong to calc-alkaline basalts and geodynamically can be attributed to the products of magmatism of the ensial island arc. The results concluded that the main stages of the formation of a porphyry copper ore deposit in the study area attain maximum spatio-temporal similarity with the tectonomagmatic phases of the development of the Neotethys Ocean. In addition, the Southern Ardestan fault, running through the study area and intersecting the basement structures, forms wide permeable zones favorable for the formation of porphyry copper deposits therein.

Upper Triassic (Norian-Rhaetian) Foraminifera from the Nayband Formation of the Lut Block (Garm Ab section, Northeast Iran)

Studies of Nayband Formation from the Garm Ab section in Lut Block in Central Iran led to the identification of 26 foraminiferal taxa. Nine species are reported from Iran for the first time: Involutina ex gr. liassica (Jones), Involutina sp., Lamelliconus permodiscoides (Oberhauser), Palaeolituonella cf. meridionalis (Luperto), Palaeolituonella cf. angulata Senowbari-Daryan &amp; Cacciatore, Gaudryinella cf. kotlensis Trifonova, Ammobaculites eumorphos Kristan-Tollmann, Frondicularia rhaetica Kristan-Tollmann, Frondicularia cf. xiphoidea Kristan-Tollmann, and Orthotrinacria ? expansa (Zaninetti et al.). The taxa restrict the Upper Triassic interval to probably just the Rhaetian. Based on the foraminifera and their abundance, three different association-types could be distinguished, i.e., the Decapoalina schaeferae-Miliolipora cuvillieri, Trocholina turris-Agathammina iranica and Involutina ex gr. liassica-Trocholina umbo associations. Comparisons of foraminiferal associations in different parts of central Iran, such as 1) Hassan Abad section, SW of Ferdows in Lut Block, 2) the type locality of the Nayband Formation in Tabas Block, NE of Esfahan in the eastern part of Central Domain Block, and 3) the Garm Ab section in Lut Block, indicate that the hyaline foraminifers are most abundant in the Garm Ab. Besides, in the Lut Block, the reef environments in the Garm Ab section are deeper water than those of the Hassan Abad section. The association of Trocholina umbo with Miliolipora cuvillieri is similar to the foraminiferal association from the NE of Esfahan and shows similar conditions in Lut Block and Central Domain Block. The two assemblages of hyaline foraminifers, especially the new report of Involutina and Trocholina, prove to be Rhaetian in age.

Use of remote sensing data to predict soil organic carbon in some agricultural soils of Iran

Quantifying and monitoring of SOC (soil organic carbon) content in an agriculture soil is essential for understanding the ecological environment, influencing the climate change and implementing the best agriculture management. Present study tried to derive some machine learning-based models for predicting SOC content by employing remote sensing data in some agriculture soils enriched by calcareous materials, in central part of Iran. Soil samples were taken from 336 points at arable and permanent agriculture soils. Soil features such as SOC, sand, silt, clay, bulk density and calcium carbonate equivalent contents were measured at each point. After that, machine learning models including artificial neural networks (ANN), support vector regression (SVR) and genetic expression programming (GEP) were employed to estimate SOC content. The input variables were spectral indices extracted from Landsat-8, Sentinel-2, Sentinel-3 and MODIS images (Scenario I), integrating of the spectral indices extracted from Landsat-8—MODIS and Sentinel-2—Sentinel-3 images (Scenario II) and the spectral indices extracted from the fusing Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 images (Scenario IIII). The results of present study showed that the SVR model was the best performance (MAE = 0.0056%, RMSE = 0.620% and R2 = 0.627 at test data sets) for all sampled data by using the extracted remote sensing information at scenario II. Moreover, SVR model yielded the better result in the arable and permanent agriculture soils by using the extracted remote sensing information at scenario II (MAE = 0.0042%, RMSE = 0.672% and R2 = 0.574) and scenario III (MAE = 0.0032%, RMSE = 0.342% and R2 = 0.381), respectively. It was concluded that the combining of remote sensing data extracted from different types of satellites in a various method could improve the accuracy of SOC prediction.

GIS-based slope-adjusted curve number methods for runoff estimation

Accurate estimation of surface runoff and determination of susceptible lands to runoff generation in ungauged watersheds were the problems for hydrologic engineering which could be predicted through a simple model such as Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN). Due to the slope effects on this method, slope adjustment for curve number was developed to improve its precision. So, the main objectives of this study were to apply GIS-based slope SCS-CN approaches for surface runoff estimation and compare the accuracy of three slope-adjusted models including: (a) model with three empirical parameters, (b) model with two parameters slope function, and (c) model with one parameter in the region located in the central part of Iran. For this purpose, soil texture, hydrologic soil group, land use, slope, and daily rainfall volume maps were utilized. In order to provide the curve number map of the study area, land use and hydrologic soil group layers built in Arc-GIS were intersected and the curve number was determined. Then, three slope adjustment equations were used to modify curve numbers of AMC-II by employing slope map. Finally, recorded runoff data of the hydrometric station were applied to assess the performance of the models through four statistical indicators of the root mean square error (RMSE), the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (E), the coefficient of determination [Formula: see text], and percent bias (PB). Land use map analysis showed that rangeland was the dominant land use, whereas the soil texture map specified the greatest and smallest area belonging to loam and sandy loam textures, respectively. Although the runoff results showed the overestimation of large rainfall values and underestimation for rainfall with less than 40mm volume in both models, the values of E (0.78), RMSE (2), PB (16), and [Formula: see text] (0.88) revealed that eq. (a) with three empirical parameters was the most accurate equation. The maximum percent of runoff generated by rainfall for eqs. (a), (b), and (c) were 68.43, 67.28, and 51.57% which showed that bareland located in south part with the slope of more than 5% was susceptible to runoff generation and should be paid attention to watershed management.

Geotechnical Behavior of Surfactant-Contaminated Soils

ABSTRACT Untreated surfactant-rich greywater is uncontrollably discharged into the environment in underdeveloped countries and even in some areas of developing countries, which may change soil characteristics. However, there is hardly any research concerning geotechnical behavior of soils contaminated by surfactant. The present study investigates mechanical properties of two types of surfactant-contaminated sandy soils experimentally. Soil samples were collected from Bam County and Shahriar County located in the central parts of Iran. The clean specimens were contaminated by a series of prepared surfactant-rich aqueous solutions containing different amounts of a widely used detergent. The weight ratio of detergent to water was selected equal to 1/20, 1/15, 1/10, and 1/5. Physical characteristics of the contaminant solutions were examined by performing surface tension and viscosity tests. Additionally, geotechnical behavior of the clean and the contaminated samples was investigated through conducting compaction and direct shear tests. Results indicated that the geotechnical properties of the contaminated soils declined by increasing the surfactant concentration in the contaminant. Compared to clean specimens and at the highest contamination level, the optimum water content of both Bam and Shahriar soils reduced from 7.70% and 11.00% to 4.05% and 6.75% as well as the maximum density decreased from 17.87 kN/m3 and 18.52 kN/m3 to 17.37 kN/m3 and 17.88 kN/m3, respectively. Moreover, Bam and Shahriar soils with a maximum degree of contamination showed a reduction in the friction angle from 23.06° and 20.52° to 10.52° and 12.17° as well as a decrease in the formed apparent cohesion of the unsaturated samples by near 56% and 78%, respectively.

Multi-criteria decision-making for selecting a solar farm location to supply energy to reverse osmosis devices and produce freshwater using GIS in Iran

Iran has 985,798 square kilometers of desert areas, equivalent to 59.8 percent of the country's total area. This factor causes the creation of salt marshes and, accordingly, the salinization of surface and groundwater. For the first time in this paper, an indirect method is presented to identify areas of Brackish water sources with 3000–10000 mg/L TDS in the entire country of Iran and simultaneously identify the area's potential in terms of the solar energy to provide energy for desalination by reverse osmosis devices. Other types of sources of water, such as seawater, which has more salinity than Brackish water (about 35000 mg/liter) are not investigated in this research, because the primary purpose of this article is to use water that exists in the form of ponds, wells, or surface water that water cannot be used for residential or agricultural purposes, at the same time, this water is not seawater. Simultaneously 16 data layers that include economic, environmental, technical, and geological parameters have been considered.The proposed methodology provides a structured decision aid, which can be used in other countries to identify the mentioned areas and produce fresh water using reverse osmosis devices. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used to generate layers of data and to apply the elimination criteria and constraints. Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) is then used to rank and sort the grids via the identified evaluation criteria. This research can also have two other applications. The first is for professionals who want to identify areas with saline water potential, and the second is for organizations that want to launch reverse osmosis desalination plants that work with solar renewable energy. Technically, there are about 160 cities in Iran that have an area of about 144440685120.498077 square meters, have saline water sources, and simultaneously have the potential to use solar energy as one of the renewable energy sources to power reverse osmosis desalination devices. Most of these areas are located in the east of Iran and these areas have high water stress. In this research, the city of Khansar with an area of 95917147.16 square meters, which is located in the province of Isfahan and in the central part of Iran, has surface and underground saline water resources that both technically and operationally, has the highest potential.

High genetic diversity in an endemic and vulnerable species: evidence from Astragalus cyclophyllon (Fabaceae) in Iran

The genus Astragalus L. with about 3000 species is the largest genus of flowering plants. It is also the largest genus in the flora of Iran with more than 850 taxa. Astragalus cyclophyllon Beck is an endemic taxon belonging to Astragalus sect. Incani DC. It occurs scattered in the steppe and semi-steppe areas of the western and central parts of Iran. This species is one of the most important forage taxa of Astragalus. According to IUCN criteria it has been classified as a vulnerable taxon in Iran, as it occurs in habitats intensely used by herders for their livestock. Here we evaluate the genetic diversity of the populations of this species in Iran to see whether genetic diversity is high or if reductions have already happened. For this purpose, sampling was done in all geographical areas with A. cyclophyllon populations in Iran. In total, 80 individuals representing 29 populations were studied using 33 quantitative and qualitative morphological characters and 10 inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) primers. ISSR revealed 240 bands which all were polymorphic. Neighbor-joining cluster analysis divided the individuals in four groups, Principal Coordinate Analysis and Bayesian population assignment analysis in Structure resulted in three genetic units. Morphological variation showed no correlation with the molecular data. The mean of Gst and Nm indices are 0.516 and 0.468, respectively, which indicate a very high genetic differentiation and low gene flow between the studied populations. According to these results, we conclude that genetic diversity is high in this species and that, therefore, the major threat for A. cyclophyllon is currently not related to inbreeding depression in populations, but might be due to livestock grazing that could change the population demographic structure by reducing regular establishment of new offspring.

Acute pesticide poisoning in the central part of Iran: A 4-year cross-sectional study.

Intoxication with pesticides is a well-known public health problem. We aimed to describe the demographic and toxico-clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with pesticide poisoning. This retrospective cross-sectional study was performed in Khorshid Hospital affiliated with Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. All patients with pesticide poisoning (insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides, and acaricides) were evaluated. The patients' demographic, toxicological, clinical, and laboratory findings from March 2016 until March 2021 were collected and analyzed. During the study period, 25,659 patients with acute poisoning were admitted, of which, 1567 (6.1% of the total poisoning) with pesticide poisoning were included. The mean ± SD age of the patients was 31.34 ± 13.7 years and 55.3% were men (male/female ratio = 1.23). In approximately 75% of the patients, poisoning occurred by suicidal attempts, while in 14.3% (n = 224), it was accidental. Insecticides caused about 51.30% of the poisonings. However, rodenticides were most commonly used in completed suicide attempts (79.9%). The frequency of previously attempted suicide, and self-harming was different among the patients with respect to the type of pesticide poisoning (p < 0.05). Previous suicidal attempts (35.3%) and self-harming (17.3%) were reported more in patients poisoned with the combination of pesticides. Half of the patients were employed. Nausea and vomiting (56.7%, n = 889) were the most common clinical manifestations; 8.3% (n = 130) of the patients died, 64 of whom had rodenticide poisoning. The prevalence of pesticide poisoning was relatively low; most were insecticide poisoning. Poisoning occurred most through attempted suicide. Rodenticides and herbicides had higher mortality rates than other pesticides. Patients with previously attempted suicide and self-harming behavior may use a combination of pesticides.

Biodiversity of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae), vectors of important arboviral diseases at different altitudes in the central part of Iran

Biodiversity of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae), vectors of important arboviral diseases at different altitudes in the central part of Iran

Toxicoepidemiology of Phosphide Poisoning in the Central Part of Iran.

Aluminum phosphide (ALP) and zinc phosphide (ZnP) are toxic agrochemical pesticides, which are commonly used as an agent of self-harm in developing countries. Because of high toxicity of phosphides, we evaluated toxico-epidemiology ALP and ZnP poisoning in with respect to outcome. We performed a cross-sectional study with retrospective chart review including the records for patients admitted due to phosphide poisoning (ALP, ZnP) in a poisoning referral center in Khorshid Hospital, affiliated with Isfahan University of Medial Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. Demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, outcome (survived or death), and length of hospital stay for the patients were recorded in a data collecting form. Binary backward stepwise logistic regression was used for outcome prediction. Sixty patients were evaluated in the study. The mean age of patients was 27.61. Thirty-nine patients were men. 96.7% of the patients ingested it intentionally. Most of the patients on admission were conscious (66.7%). Abnormality of EKG was noted in 8.3%. The mortality in ALP and ZnP poisoning was 39.2% and 22.2%, respectively. Serum bicarbonate and base excess in the venous blood gas analysis, systolic blood pressure, and serum sodium level were significantly different between patients with ALP and ZnP poisoning on admission time (P < 0.05). On admission, systolic blood pressure was an important predictive factor for mortality (odds ratio 4.87; 95% confidence interval: 1.5-15.45; P = 0.007). The rate of mortality in phosphide poisoning is high. Knowing predictive factors for mortality help physicians for selecting patients in intensive care unit admission and aggressive treatment.

The Survey of Presenting New Health Services to Middle-aged Population in Health Transformation Plan: a Qualitative Study

Introduction: Providing health services to middle-aged people is of special importance due to the large population, productivity, and the impact of health behaviors of this age group on various aspects of family health. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the provision of middle-aged health services.&#x0D; Methods: This was a qualitative study performed in 2017 in comprehensive health centers of Yazd city. Central part of Iran. Sixty two individuals (specialists, general practitioners and experts) providing health services in comprehensive health centers were selected through targeted sampling . Interviews were done with a semi-structured individualized method. Questions were asked in the following domains: weaknesses and strengths and recommendations about the method of providing services and its content.&#x0D; Results: According to the results, 15 weak points and 5 strong points in the method of providing services, and 8 strong points and 7 weak points about the content of health service packages and 17 recommended mechanisms about the improvement of the providing services and 11 recommended mechanisms about improvement of the content of packages were extracted. The main weak points in providing services were such as not observing referring system, lack of insurance coverage for some services, problems in Integrated Health Record System. The weak points of the packages of health services for middle-aged people were as lack of predicting the service packages for levels 2 and 3, repetition of the questions in evaluation, and low attention to social health and traditional medicine.&#x0D; Conclusion: Concentrating on the improvement of the service providing and the contents of the packages of new health services by utilizing presented recommendations according to professional viewpoints of health service providers helps improve health level in this age group and increase the efficiency in the middle-aged people.