Kermanshah Province Research Articles

Typology of Iranian farmers' vulnerability to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Presently, farmers are faced with a new crisis caused by the outbreak of COVID-19. On the one hand, they are vulnerable to such respiratory diseases due to the nature of their farming activity. On the other hand, they will definitely be influenced by the pandemic in different aspects no matter if they do not contract the infection. So, this research aimed to study the vulnerability of farmers to the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study was conducted using the quantitative approach and a descriptive-survey methodology. The statistical population was composed of farmers in Kermanshah province, Iran (N = 126,900). The sample (n = 382) was taken by the multistage stratified sampling technique with proportional allocation. The research instrument was a self-designed questionnaire whose face and content validity was confirmed by a panel of relevant experts and its reliability was supported in a pilot test. The main damages of the pandemic to the farmers were found to be the increased costs of production, permanent or seasonal unemployment, reduced access to crop sale markets, and reduced control over pests and diseases at farms. The results revealed that the means of environmental, agronomic-vocational, and economic vulnerability were greater than the scale mean. The results also illustrated significant differences in the means of economic, psychological-social, agronomic-vocational, and environmental dimensions of vulnerability. Among these dimensions, the variable of agronomic-vocational vulnerability had the highest mean, and the variable of psychological-social vulnerability had the lowest mean. Farmers have been one of the groups most severely influenced and damaged by the pandemic in various aspects. In this regard, organizations and institutions in charge of different agriculture sections, especially the Office of Agricultural Extension and Education, must develop practical strategies to reduce the effect of the pandemic on the agricultural sector. Identifying the dimensions and parameters of farmers' vulnerability in the face of COVID-19 can provide new and appropriate solutions to relevant planners and policymakers.

Assessing the willingness of agricultural graduates to participate in entrepreneurial business in Kermanshah Province, Iran

Assessing the willingness of agricultural graduates to participate in entrepreneurial business in Kermanshah Province, Iran

Analysis of Barriers and Challenges of Rangeland Management (Case Study: Rangelands of Kermanshah province)

Analysis of Barriers and Challenges of Rangeland Management (Case Study: Rangelands of Kermanshah province)

Designing humanitarian logistics network for managing epidemic outbreaks in disasters using Internet-of-Things. A case study: An earthquake in Salas-e-Babajani city

Along with the destructive effects of catastrophes throughout the world, the COVID-19 outbreak has intensified the severity of disasters. Although the global aid organizations and philanthropists aim to alleviate the adverse impacts, many employed actions are not impactful in dealing with the epidemic outbreak in disasters. However, there is a gap in controlling the epidemic outbreak in the aftermath of disasters. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel humanitarian location-allocation-inventory model by focusing on preventing COVID-19 outbreaks with IoT-based technology in the response phase of disasters. In this study, IoT-based systems enable aid and health-related organizations to monitor people remotely, suspect detection, surveillance, disinfection, and transportation of relief items. The presented model consists of two stages; the first is defining infected cases, transferring patients to temporary hospitals promptly, and accommodating people in evacuation centers. Next, distribution centers are located in the second stage, and relief items are transferred to temporary hospitals and evacuation centers equally regarding shortage minimization. The model is solved by the LP-metric method and applied in a real case study in Salas-e-Babajani city, Kermanshah province. Then, sensitivity analysis on significant model parameters pertaining to the virus, relief items, and capacity has been conducted. Using an IoT-based system in affected areas and evacuation centers reduces the number of infected cases and relief item's shortages. Finally, several managerial insights are obtained from sensitivity analyses provided for healthcare managers.

Hybrid-based approaches for the flood susceptibility prediction of Kermanshah province, Iran

Hybrid-based approaches for the flood susceptibility prediction of Kermanshah province, Iran

The Effect of Cultural, Economic, and Social Capital on the Quality of Life of Retired Teachers in Jawanroud County

Introduction: One of the most significant chalanges during retirement period is the isuue of quality of life. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of cultural, economical, and social capital on the quality of life of the retired teachers in Jawanroud, a county in Kermanshah Province in 2020. Method: The method of this study is descriptive-analytic. 170 teachers were randomly selected as the sample of the study. Questionnaires were utilized to gather the data. The instruments used were a researcher-made questionnaire on cultural, economic, and social capital as well as the standard quality of life questionnaire of the World Health Organization (WHO). Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis’ comparative tests as well as multivariate regression were used to analyze the data. Findings: The results of the study indicated that the mean of social factor and quality of life of the retired teachers in Jawanroud was obove the average (3.43). The mean of social variable of retired children (3.50) was more than economic (2.50) and cultural (1.40) one. Cultural varaiable was more among women than men while social and economic of men were more that that of women. The results also demonstrated that there was a significant correlation between the quality of life and the variables of age and education. Finally, the regression analysis indicated that the cultural, economical, and social capital as well as the quality of life had a significant correlation with each other, and these three variables had 0.56 of prediction for quality of life and its elements. Discussion: Therefore, it can be concluded that cultural, economic and social capital are the most important capital for explaning the quality of life of the retired teachers, which should be taken into account by those in charge in this regard.

Use of GIS to Estimate Recharge and Identification of Potential Groundwater Recharge Zones in the Karstic Aquifers, West of Iran

Estimating and studying groundwater recharge is necessary and important for the management of water resources. The main aim of this work is to estimate the value of the annual recharge in some parts of the Kermanshah and Kurdistan province located in the west of Iran. There are many approaches available for estimation of the recharge, but RS (remote sensing) and GIS (geographic information system) have provided and combined a lot of effective spatial and temporal data of large areas within a short time. For this purpose, nine information layers including the slope, aspect of slope, lithology, lineament density, drainage density, precipitation, vegetation density, soil cover, and karst features were prepared and imported to the ArcMap software. After preparing the information layers, they have to weigh based on their effects on the value of the recharge. In order to be weighted the different parameters, methods of judgment expert, reciprocal influences of parameters, and AHP were used. Using GIS, the results obtained from the final map indicated the average value for the recharge based on the average calculated coefficient of recharge. The annual recharge coefficient in the study area was estimated to be between 30% and 80%.

Association between serum liver enzymes and hypertension using propensity score matching analysis: evidence from a large kurdish prospective cohort study

BackgroundThe association between liver enzymes and hypertension (HTN) has been reported in some studies and the findings are inconsistent. This study was conducted to evaluate the association of liver enzymes with HTN among the Iranian Kurdish population.MethodsThis prospective cohort study was a part of the 5-years (2017–2021) follow-up phase of the Ravansar Non-Communicable Disease (RaNCD) cohort study in Kermanshah province, western Iran.The association between alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glut amyl transferase (GGT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and HTN was investigated by Cox proportional-hazard model (CPHM). We used one-to-one Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis to minimize the effects of confounding factors on the relationship between liver enzymes and HTN .ResultsThe full population included a total of 8267 participants. According to PSM, for liver enzyme GGT a total of 3664 participants were analyzed. The results of multivariate CPHM showed there is a relationship between participants with high level of GGT and had a higher risk of HTN (HR 1.34; 95% CI: 1.11–1.63). After PSM analysis, the effect of GGT on HTN remained positive and significant (HR 1.48; 95% CI: 1.22–1.78). The 5-years incidence rate of HTN in men and women were 1.27 and 0.81 (person-year), respectively.GGT had the greatest accuracy, which demonstrated an AUROC of 0.7837.ConclusionResults of this study showed GGT could be a potential biomarker among liver enzymes for early detection of HTN. Therefore, monitoring GGT levels is helpful in the early detection of HTN.

The Effect of Different Levels of Decline on Leaf and Seed Morphological Characteristics of Quercus brantii Lindl. in the Zagros forests - Kermanshah Province

The Effect of Different Levels of Decline on Leaf and Seed Morphological Characteristics of Quercus brantii Lindl. in the Zagros forests - Kermanshah Province

The Relationship between wildfire areas and physiographic features in the Zagros vegetation area, Kermanshah province

The Relationship between wildfire areas and physiographic features in the Zagros vegetation area, Kermanshah province

Analysis of the relationship between fractals and the dynamics governing watersheds, (case study Dinvar river basin in Kermanshah province, Iran)

Analysis of the relationship between fractals and the dynamics governing watersheds, (case study Dinvar river basin in Kermanshah province, Iran)

Optimal Landfill Site Selection for Solid Waste of Three Municipalities Based on Boolean and Fuzzy Methods: A Case Study in Kermanshah Province, Iran

In recent decades, population increase and urban development have led to catastrophic environmental consequences. One of the principal objectives to achieve “sustainable development” is to find suitable landfills. Due to their physical characteristics, which have led to a lack of landfill sites and closeness to water bodies, agricultural fields, and residential areas, the cities of Javanrood, Paveh, and Ravansar were chosen as the necessary research regions. On the other hand, these landfills are unable to accommodate the growing urban population. Therefore, this study attempts to develop a framework for spotting the most suitable sites for landfill construction with these three cities as case studies. For this, 10 important driving factors (9 factors and 1 constraint) in landfill site selection were generated. Second, for the fuzzy membership function, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method was employed for the standardization of criteria and determining the weight of the driving factors. Then, the Boolean, weighted linear combination (WLC) and ordered weighted average (OWA) methods were utilized to spot optimal sites for landfills. Finally, two suitable sites were found for landfills: site (a) was obtained from the WLC, and site (b) was obtained from OWA-low risk some trade-off (LRST) methods. Our results proved the high efficiency of multi-criteria decision-making methodology for landfill site selection.

Effect of three water-regimes on morpho-physiological, biochemical and yield responses of local and foreign olive cultivars under field conditions

BackgroundDrought stress is among the most serious threats jeopardizing the economic yield of crop plants in Iran. In particular, in response to withholding irrigation, the reduction in performance and quality of a precious plant such as the olive tree is remarkable. Therefore, the selection of cultivars that are resistant or tolerant to drought has been recognized as one of the most effective long-term strategies for sustainably alleviating the adverse effects of this stress. In this view, our study evaluated the response of 8 olive cultivars including 4 elite native cultivars (Zard Aliabad, Roughani, Dezful, and Shengeh) and 4 foreign cultivars (Manzanilla, Sevillana, Konservolia, and Mission) to water shortage in the Dallaho Olive Research station of Sarpole-Zahab in Kermanshah province in 2020. Olive trees underwent 3 levels of irrigation treatment including 100% full irrigation (control), 75%, and 50% deficit irrigation.ResultsBased on the results, 50% deficit irrigation decreased both growth and pomological traits, but determined the highest dry matter percentage. As the severity of drought stress increased, with an accumulation of sodium and malondialdehyde, an incremental increase in osmolytes was observed, as well as an enhancement of the activity of antioxidant enzymes (peroxidase and catalase). In contrast, full irrigation led to an increase in photosynthetic pigments, calcium, and potassium. Dezful and Konservolia cultivars revealed a significantly higher growth rate, correlated in the former to higher levels of chlorophyll, compatible compounds, total phenolic content, relative water content, potassium to sodium ratio, catalase, and peroxidase activities compared with other cultivars. Konservolia showed the best yield parameters under 75% and 100% irrigation regimes, correlated to higher chlorophyll, potassium, and total phenolic content (in particular at 75% ET).ConclusionsGenerally, the selection of more resilient or tolerant cultivars to sustain water scarcity stress is a widely operative solution to extend rainfed orchards in semi-arid environments. Our study showed that Dezful and Konservolia had the best adaptive mechanisms to cope with the detrimental effects of drought stress.

Predicting sleep quality and insomnia severity using the components of the acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) model: A new perspective

BackgroundAcceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) has recently received much attention from therapists working in the field of sleep disorders. However, less attention has been paid to the role of ACT components in sleep problems. To this end, the present study aimed to investigate the role of ACT components in predicting sleep quality and insomnia severity. MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted on the survivors of a major earthquake (7.3 on the Richter scale in 2017) in urban and rural areas of Kermanshah province (western Iran) 4 years after the earthquake. The data were collected using a questionnaire and data analysis was performed for 1094 people. ResultsThe results showed that all six components of ACT are related to sleep quality and insomnia severity. The findings also revealed that ACT processes can account for 19% of sleep quality and 27% of insomnia severity. Moreover, about 35% of the variances in the sleep quality subscales were predicted by the six components of ACT. The results showed the important role of experiential avoidance (i.e., acceptance) in predicting sleep quality and insomnia severity compared to other ACT processes. ConclusionBased on the results of the present study, it can be suggested all six processes of ACT are correlated with and predictive of sleep quality and insomnia severity. Further, sleep disorder therapists should take special account of acceptance when working with sleep problems because of the importance of acceptance in predicting sleep problems in the present study.

Prevalence of Pediculus humanus capitis and associated risk factors among elementary school-aged girls in Paveh, West Iran.

Head lice infestation is considered as a common dermatological health problem worldwide. This study was aimed to determine the pediculosis prevalence and associated risk factors among school-aged girls enrolled in public elementary schools of the city of Pave, Kermanshah province, West Iran. The study findings will provide an evidence base, upon which a multifaceted intervention against pediculosis can be formulated and implemented. In this cross-sectional study, 361 elementary school-aged girls were recruited from October to December 2018 at the beginning of the school year. Diagnosis was made by visual inspection. A structured questionnaire was utilized to collect data about past history of infestation and associated factors. A total of 26/361 (7.2%; 95% CI: 4.50-9.90) suffered from pediculosis. Pediculosis was associated with the history of previous infestation (OR: 6.12; 95% CI: 2.68-13.99; p < 0.001), low frequency of bathing (OR: 7.90; 95% CI: 3.36-18.60; p < 0.001), low frequency of hair combing (OR: 3.64; 95% CI: 1.56-8.50; p = 0.004), screening of the student's hair by parents at home (OR: 0.39; 95% CI: 0.19-0.78; p < 0.001) and with the absence of screening by the school health officer in the schools (OR: 7.16; 95% CI: 2.91-17.61; p < 0.001). Synchronized efforts to enhance public knowledge, periodic examination of school-aged children for pediculosis, and proper treatment of infested patients are needed to control the disease in the Iranian elementary schools. The applied strategies in low and middle income countries is suggested to be focused mainly on low cost family-based and school-based initiatives for maximum effectiveness.

COVID-19 Pandemic and Hospital Efficiency in Iran: Insight from an Interrupted Time Series Analysis and Pabon Lasso Model.

Limited evidence exists on the impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on hospital efficiency worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public hospitals in Iran. In this quasi-experimental study, monthly data on the average length of stay (ALoS), bed occupancy rate (BOR), bed turnover rate (BTR) and bed turnover interval (BTI) were collected for 58 months (36 months before and 22 months after the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran) from the health information systems of all 18 public hospitals affiliated with Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences in Kermanshah province, Iran. We used interrupted time series analysis and the Pabon Lasso model to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital efficiency. The monthly average ALoS, BOR, BTR and BTI before (after) the COVID-19 pandemic was 3.30 (3.48) days, 70.14% (49.37), 6.78 (4.81) patients per bed and 1.15 (2.88) days, respectively. The study indicated that a statistically significant decrease in ALoS of 0.29 and BOR of 25.09 in the first month following the COVID-19 pandemic. Compared with the before pandemic period, we observed a significant increase in the monthly trend of ALoS (coefficient = 0.021; p = 0.015), BOR (coefficient = 1.30; p = 0.002), and BTR (coefficient = 0.08, p = 0.012). We found a significant decrease in the monthly trend in BTI (coefficient = -0.11, p = 0.009) after the COVID-19 pandemic when compared with before the pandemic. Based on the Pabon Lasso model, before (after) the pandemic, 29.4% (29.4%) of the hospitals were located in zone 1 as an inefficient area, and 17.6% (35.3%) of hospitals were located in zone 3 as an efficient area. The study demonstrated that the BOR and BTR decreased substantially after the outbreak of COVID-19. In contrast, the ALoS and BTI have significantly increased following the COVID-19 pandemic. We also found that hospitals' performance in both periods was poor, and only 30% of hospitals were located in the efficient zone (zone three) based on the Pabon Lasso model. Further studies aimed at identifying the main factors affecting lower efficiency among hospitals in Iran are recommended.

Demographic, clinical, and laboratory findings of mushroom-poisoned patients in Kermanshah province, west of Iran.

BackgroundMushroom poisoning can cause gastrointestinal, renal, and hepatic symptoms and even death. This descriptive study examined the demographic, clinical, and laboratory findings of patients with fungal poisoning, a type of fungus causing the poisoning, and the incidence and mortality rates of fungal poisoning in Kermanshah province, western Iran, from 2014 to 2018.MethodsThe medical records of 193 patients with mushroom poisoning from 2014 to 2018 were evaluated. The liver and kidney function tests, electrolytes, abdominal and pelvic ultrasound, chest x-ray, coagulation tests, and coagulation factors (fibrinogen, prothrombin) were assessed. Data were collected from the medical records of patients admitted to the Poisoning Center of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Kermanshah, Iran using a researcher-made checklist. Data were analyzed by SPSS (version 16) using descriptive statistics, including mean, standard deviation, and frequency distribution tables. Trend analysis for proportion was done by chi-square statistics in STATA-14 software (ptrend command).ResultsOf cases, ‌51.3% were male, 92.6% were city dwellers, 38.3% were aged 21–40 years, and 92.5% were poisoned during the spring. The fungus that caused poisoning was Amanita virosa. The gastrointestinal, nervous, and visual systems were the most common systems involved. The most common gastrointestinal symptoms included nausea and vomiting (72.0%) and abdominal pain (71.0%). Vertigo (11.9%) and headache (9.3%) were the most common neurological symptoms. The most common visual manifestation was blurred vision (7.8%). Of cases, 23.7% had metabolic acidosis. The increased alkaline phosphatase level was the most common liver disorder in 98.7% of the cases. Increased blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels were also reported in 21.0% and 17.7% of the cases, respectively. The serum lactic dehydrogenase and creatine phosphokinase levels also increased in 99.3% and 30.2% of the patients, respectively. The mortality rate was 1.6% (n = 3).ConclusionThe fungal poisoning diagnosis should always be considered in young patients referred to the emergency department with gastrointestinal complaints, a history of consuming wild self-picked mushrooms, and high liver and kidney test values. Since most fungal poisonings occur in the spring, it is necessary to inform the community of the dangers of consuming self-picked wild mushrooms, especially in this season.

The relationship between parents' sleep quality and sleep hygiene and preschool children' sleep habits.

ObjectiveThe relationship between parents’ sleep quality and sleep hygiene and preschool children’s sleep habits was examined.Material and MethodsThe study population consisted of the parents of all preschool children at daycare centers located in Kermanshah Province. Through cluster sampling, 153 parents from 26 daycare centers were selected. In order to assess the quality of sleep and sleep health of parents, Pittsburg sleep quality index (PSQI) and sleep hygiene index (SHI) were used. As to the status of childrens sleep habits (CSH), the parents also completed child sleep habit questionnaire (CSHQ). Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 25. The non-parametric tests like U Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis’s test, Spearman’s rho, and regression test were used.ResultsThe mean score of CSHQ from the parents’ viewpoint was 56.34±7.96, which meant a relatively improper sleep habits in the children. The CSH was significantly and directly related to parents’ sleep quality and all of its subscales except two sub-scales (SSQ and HSE). In addition, CSH was directly and significantly related to the parents’ sleep hygiene and its three subscales. The results of multiple linear regression showed that the impact coeffcient of parents’ sleep quality (B=1.02), given the t-value, predicted changes in CSH with 0.99 confidence.ConclusionIn general, the results showed that CSH was in a relatively bad state, while it had a direct relationship with parents’ sleep quality and hygiene. To improve CSH, it is possible to improve parents’ sleep quality through implementing proper programs and motivating parents to observe sleep hygiene.

Corona Disease Anxiety in Teachers: The Role of Existential Thinking and Meaning in Life

Background and Objectives: The unprecedented Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has outstandingly challenged all aspects of individual lives, especially their sources of a meaningful life and spiritual well-being. Hence, we set out to investigate the role of existential thinking and meaning in life in predicting Corona disease anxiety in teachers. Methods: This was a correlational-descriptive study carried out on two hundred sixty-nine volunteers from primary school teachers who were working in 2022 in Kermanshah Province, Iran. Participants were selected by the multi-stage cluster sampling method, and they were measured by questionnaires created in Google Form, including Alipour et al.’s (2020) corona disease anxiety scale, Scherr (2006) existential thinking questionnaire, and Steger et al.’s (2006) meaning in life questionnaire. Finally, the data were analyzed by IBM SPSS software, version 27 using Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression analysis. Results: The results showed that existential thinking (r=-0.640, P&lt;0.01), as well as, meaning in life (r=-0.668, P&lt;0.01) had an inverse and significant correlation with corona disease anxiety. Based on regression analysis, existential thinking (β=-0.152) and, meaning in life (β=-0.329) negatively and significantly predicted corona disease anxiety. Conclusion: Based on the findings, it can be concluded that corona disease anxiety has a significant negative correlation with existential thinking and meaning in life. In addition, the findings of this study support the role of predictor variables in the prediction of teachers’ Corona disease anxiety. Generally, 41% of the total variance of corona disease anxiety is predicted by existential thinking and meaning in life.

Analysis of the role of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial mindset with emphasis on the mediation of entrepreneurial attitude and entrepreneurial self-efficacy (case study: technical and vocational education of Kermanshah province)

Analysis of the role of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial mindset with emphasis on the mediation of entrepreneurial attitude and entrepreneurial self-efficacy (case study: technical and vocational education of Kermanshah province)