Rafsanjan City Research Articles

Investigation of Cadmium Levels in Nass (Naswar) Samples Consumed in the City of Rafsanjan in the Summer 2022: A Descritive Study

Investigation of Cadmium Levels in Nass (Naswar) Samples Consumed in the City of Rafsanjan in the Summer 2022: A Descritive Study

Relationship between parents’ anxiety, stress, depression and their children’s health-related quality of life and psychological well-being during the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran

BackgroundIn late 2019, a new respiratory illness was detected in Wuhan, China and was later designated as COVID-19 by the WHO. Despite international efforts to impose restrictions and quarantine measures,...

The Effects of Environmental Values on Pro-Environmental Behavior and Attitude of Housewives in Rafsanjan, Southeast Area of Iran

Introduction: Indiscriminate consumption of energy, environmental pollution, and destruction of natural resources are among the most important issues related to pro-environmental behavior of people in society, and environmental values play an important role in shaping internal motivations of people about environmental issues. This study was conducted to determine the effects of environmental values on pro-environmental behavior and attitude of housewives in Rafsanjan, southeast area of Iran. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 200 housewives who were selected as random in health-care centers in Rafsanjan city. The data collection was done by a validated questionnaire regarding environmental values, attitude, and behavior. Pearson correlation, independent t-test, and ANOVA statistical tests were used to analyze data in SPSS.V22 software. Results: The mean score of environmental values was 3.37 ± 26.76 (89.2%), which was significant according to the level of education (p = 0.016). The mean score of attitude and environmental values was 6.88 ± 40.65 (81.3%) and 40.22 ± 5.66 (80.44%), respectively. Also, there was a significant relationship between the score of pro-environmental behaviors and the level of education (p = 0.012). Pearson's correlation showed that there was a positive and significant relationship between environmental values and attitudes (r = 0.239, p = 0.01) and pro-environmental behaviors (r = 0.146, p = 0.01). Conclusion: Based on the results, educated housewives believe more value for the environment, and have more appropriate pro-environmental behavior; thus, planning to sensitize society members, especially housewives, regarding the values of environmental protection through religious and cultural-based environmental education programs and increasing the level of education are recommended.

The profile of Oral Health Branch of Rafsanjan Cohort Study (OHBRCS) in Rafsanjan City, southeast of Iran

The profile of Oral Health Branch of Rafsanjan Cohort Study (OHBRCS) in Rafsanjan City, southeast of Iran

Uric acid to HDL ratio: A marker for predicting incidence of metabolic syndrome in patients with type II diabetes

Background and aimMetabolic syndrome (MetS) refers to existence of a set of risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Recently, uric acid to HDL ratio has attracted attention in predicting development of diabetes and incidence of metabolic syndrome in diabetic individuals. This study was performed to investigate UHR in patients with type II diabetes as a predicting factor for metabolic syndrome. Methods and resultsThis descriptive-analytical study examined 300 patients with type II diabetes referring to diabetes clinic of Ali-Ibn Abi-Talib hospital, Rafsanjan city in 2021, selected through convenient sampling. Data were collected by a research-made checklist (including demographic, clinical and laboratory parameters) and analyzed by SPSS 24 and chi-square, Fisher exact test, independent paired t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Mann-Whitney U, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC). The findings revealed that 74.33 % (95 % CI: 69 to 79.18 %) of the patients had metabolic syndrome. Further, patients with metabolic syndrome demonstrated a significantly higher mean UHR ratio and triglyceride levels compared to their counterparts without the syndrome (p = 0.002 and p < 0.001, respectively). The ROC analysis identified a UHR threshold of 8.118 % with a sensitivity of 70.32 % and specificity of 55.08 % for diagnosing metabolic syndrome development in type II diabetes (AUC: 0.621, P = 0.001, 95%CI: 0.549–0.694). ConclusionThe results of the present study revealed that the prevalence of metabolic syndrome was high in diabetic patients. UHR showed good sensitivity in the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome in type II diabetes. Thus, regular monitoring of laboratory tests is recommended in patients with diabetes.

Aspartate Aminotransferase to Platelet Ratio Index Before and After the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C Patients with Sofosbuvir/Daclatasvir

Background: The aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI) is a non-invasive method used to investigate liver fibrosis in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Objectives: This study aimed to determine the APRI before and after the treatment of HCV patients with sofosbuvir/daclatasvir (Sovodak) in the city of Rafsanjan, southeast Iran. Methods: This study was conducted on 45 patients with HCV from March 2021 to March 2022 in Rafsanjan. Demographic information, including age, gender, a history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and intravenous (IV) drug injection, was collected. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed after treatment with Sovodak to calculate sustained virological response (SVR). Also, the APRI was calculated before and after treatment. Results: Among 45 HCV patients (97.8% = male, 2.2% = female, age range = 26 to 59 years), the administration of Sovodak to all patients resulted in an efficacy of 100% in the assessment of SRV in 12 weeks (SVR12). Also, the APRI level decreased significantly after treatment with Sovodak (0.35 vs. 0.68, P-value: 0.000), even in HCV patients with a history of HIV (0.77 vs. 1.47, P-value: 0.028) or HCV patients with a history of injecting drugs in the last 12 months (0.38 vs. 0.66, P-value: 0.000). Conclusions: The present study indicated that the APRI level in HCV patients decreased significantly after treatment with Sovodak, regardless of having a history of HIV infection or a history of drug injection. Therefore, Sovodak in HCV patients can reduce the odds of liver fibrosis and subsequent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by reducing the APRI level.

The profile of Oral Health Branch of Rafsanjan Cohort Study (OHBRCS) in Rafsanjan City, southeast of Iran

Oral health status can be affected by some factors including drug abuse, systemic conditions and environmental pollutants. The present study was designed to investigate the most important and prevalent dental and oral conditions in adult population of Rafsanjan with the age of 35–70 years. Dental and oral health cohort center as part of the Rafsanjan Cohort Study (RCS) included in the prospective epidemiological research studies in IrAN was established in 2015. Of 9991 subjects enrolled in the RCS, 8682 people participated in the Oral Health Branch of Rafsanjan Cohort Study (OHBRCS).The OHBRCS included 4021 men and 4661 women with the mean age of 49.94 ± 9.51. The most prevalent of oral lesion in total population was candidiasis and the least was aphthous lesion. The prevalence of candidiasis, white and red lesions, periodontal pocket, dental calculus, CAL and the mean of DMFT were higher in the male group than that of female group (p < 0.05). Candidiasis, herpes, oral cancer, white and red lesions were more prevalent in the older age groups (p < 0.05). The mean of DMFT index in total population was 21.30 and was higher among opium users, men and older age (p < 0.05). Also, the opium users had a higher rate of CAL, periodontal pocket, red and white lesions, and candidiasis but a lower rate of BOP (p < 0.05). Younger people had more decayed and filling teeth compared to other age groups, whereas older people had more missing teeth and a higher DMFT index (p < 0.001).

A Community-Based Survey Studying Causes of Divorce in Rafsanjan City, Iran (2021)

A Community-Based Survey Studying Causes of Divorce in Rafsanjan City, Iran (2021)

Investigating Cerebrovascular Events in Brain CT Scan of COVID-19 Patients

Background and Aim: The present study was conducted to investigate cerebrovascular accidents in brain computerized tomography (CT) scans of COVID-19 patients during 6 months in Ali Ibn Abi Talib Hospital in Rafsanjan City, Iran. Materials and Methods: The present research was descriptive and correlational. The statistical population of this research included the records of all patients referred to Ali Ibn Abi Taleb Hospital from October 2019 to March 2020, whose corona test results were positive and they underwent brain imaging (computerized tomography [CT] scan). The results were obtained from the patient’s files and the census sampling method. After collecting the data, SPSS software was used to analyze the data. Results: The results showed no relationship between the variables of age, sex, medical and drug history, disease severity, and outcome (death, recovery) with the occurrence of acute cerebral hemorrhage (P&gt;0.05). However, a relationship is observed between the variable of medical and drug history, disease severity, and outcome (death, recovery) with the incidence of ischemia (P&lt;0.05) Conclusion: Considering the relationship between the patient’s medical and drug history, the severity of the patient’s disease, and the outcome (death, improvement) of the disease on the patient with the occurrence of acute ischemia, it is suggested that the results of this research be investigated more precisely.

Multi-objective design of the energy storage-based combined heat and power off-grid system to supply of thermal and electricity consumption energies

Simultaneous consumption of electrical and thermal energy management, together with economic and technical advantages of close-to-consumption feeding of consumers, has demonstrated the importance of multi-carrier energy systems planning in recent years. Therefore, this paper presents the fuzzy decision-based multi-objective planning of an islanded hybrid system (IHS) with renewable energy sources (RESs), combined heat and power system (CHP), boiler, electric and thermal energy storage systems (ESSs) to provide a clean energy for electric and thermal consumers. Scheme is responsible for minimizing total weighted annual operating costs and pollution consumption of system. It is subjected to planning-operation constraints of sources and storages based on the electrical and thermal energy management. To obtain optimal solution with a low standard deviation error, a hybrid algorithm based on ant-lion optimizer and krill herd optimization is developed. Novelties include extraction of IHS with electric and thermal sources and ESSs, provision of clean energy to electrical and thermal consumers, extraction of scheme based on hybrid algorithm. By implementing scheme on data of Rafsanjan city in Iran and investigating numerical results, ability of design to obtain optimal hybrid combination of sources and storages to supply electric and thermal consumers from an economic and environmental point of view is confirmed. So that storage system (especially thermal storage) is able to reduce the planning cost and pollution level about to 1 %–6 % in compared with case including sources to supply thermal and electricity consumption energies. The aforementioned solution algorithm is able to extract the most optimal solution compared to non-combined algorithms and the standard deviation of its response is around 0.96. Fuzzy decision-making has obtained an optimal point for the aforementioned objective functions, which are about 20 % to 23 % away from their minimum value.

Dyslipidemia, diabetes and periodontal disease, a cross-sectional study in Rafsanjan, a region in southeast Iran

The objectivesThe association between dyslipidemia, diabetes and alterations in periodontal health are inconsistent. The aim of this study was to determine the association between dyslipidemia, diabetes and periodontal disease in the Oral Health Branch of Rafsanjan Cohort Study (OHBRCS).MethodsRafsanjan Cohort Study (RCS) was launched in 2015 in Rafsanjan City a region in the southeast of Iran. A total of 8682 participants aged 35–70 years of both gender were recruited into the OHBRCS as a part of RCS. Bleeding on probing (BOP), probing pocket depth (PPD) and Clinical attachment loss (CAL) were used to assess periodontal health status. When CAL progression was ≥ 1 mm and PPD was > 3 mm, it was defined as periodontitis.ResultsThe final sample consisted of 6751 individuals with mean age of 47.67 ± 8.79 years. Among this population, 73.32% (n = 4949), 13.75% (n = 928), 59.67% (n = 4028) and 11.76% (n = 794) had BOP, PPD > 3 mm, CAL ≥ 1 mm and periodontitis respectively. The odds of CAL ≥ 1 mm increased 14% in subjects with high LDL cholesterol (OR: 1.14; 95% CI: 1.01–1.30), 17% in subjects with diabetes (OR: 1.17; 95% CI: 1.01–1.36) and 23% in subjects with both dyslipidemia and diabetes (OR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.05–1.44). Also, the odds of PPD > 3 mm in the group with high total cholesterol (TC) was 16% higher compared to those with normal TC (OR: 1.16; 95% CI: 1.01–1.34).ConclusionsThere was an increased odds in periodontal disease in association with high TC, high LDL cholesterol, diabetes and having both dyslipidemia and diabetes. This suggests that high TC, high LDL cholesterol, diabetes and having both dyslipidemia and diabetes might be potential indicators for the presence of periodontal disease.

Evaluating the Prevalence of Congenital Anomalies in Neonatal Live Births in Rafsanjan

Introduction: Congenital anomalies are one of the important causes of disability and infant mortality. These abnormalities occur during egg fertilization or embryonic development, which can be detected by laboratory methods. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of congenital anomalies in Rafsanjan City.&#x0D; Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 4868 infants born in Rafsanjan city in 2018. Data collection tool was a questionnaire including information about mothers and infants. The questionnaire was completed using health records available in health centers of Rafsanjan city. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20 and independent t-test and Chi-square.&#x0D; Results: The results showed that the overall prevalence of congenital anomalies in Rafsanjan was 5/38 per 1000 live births. Out of 4868 pregnant women, 474 (9/7%), had abortions or stillbirths before the second trimester, and 12 (0/2%) had therapeutic abortions. After analyzing these anomalies, three cases of Down syndrome (trisomy 21), three cases of Edward syndrome (trisomy 18), one case of aneuploidy, and two cases of microcephaly were found, and the rest had one of the structural abnormalities..&#x0D; Conclusion: The results of this study indicated a high rate of congenital anomalies in Rafsanjan. Therefore, further studies are recommended to better understand the causes and prevent these anomalies.

Survey of the Mortality Trend of Children Under 5 Years Old and the Economic and Health Status of Their Families During the Years 2011-2020 in Rafsanjan City: A Descriptive Study

Survey of the Mortality Trend of Children Under 5 Years Old and the Economic and Health Status of Their Families During the Years 2011-2020 in Rafsanjan City: A Descriptive Study

The Effects of Music Intervention on Respiratory Comfort, Anxiety, and Depression During Noninvasive Mechanical Ventilation Among Patients With COVID-19

Background: Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 may experience emotional problems and respiratory discomfort during mechanical ventilation. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of music therapy on respiratory comfort, anxiety, and depression among patients with COVID-19 under noninvasive mechanical ventilation. Methods: It was a randomized clinical trial. The study subjects were 64 patients requiring noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) who were selected from the COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) of Ali ibn Abi Talib Hospital, Rafsanjan City, Iran. They were randomly allocated to the intervention (n=32) and control (n=32) groups. The intervention group received 30 minutes of daily light music by an MP3 player and a JBL headphone for 4 consecutive days, and the control group only used headphones. The data were collected by the hospital anxiety and depression scale and a visual analog scale before and 4 days after the intervention. The SPSS software, version 16 was employed for data analysis through the chi-square, independent sample, and paired-samples t-tests at a significance level P&lt;0.05. Results: The groups did not significantly differ regarding the pre-test mean scores of respiratory comfort, anxiety, and depression before intervention (P&gt;0.05). The mean scores of respiratory comfort, anxiety, and depression significantly changed in the intervention group (P&lt;0.05), but no significant changes were seen in the control group (P&gt;0.05). Between-group differences respecting the post-test mean scores of these variables were also significant (P&lt;0.05). Conclusion: Thirty minutes of daily music therapy for 4 days is effective in reducing anxiety and depression and improving respiratory comfort among patients with COVID-19 under noninvasive mechanical ventilation.

Assessment of Heavy Metal Concentrations in Water Purifier Devices in Rafsanjan City

Introduction: Heavy metals (HMs) are one of the most important and dangerous pollutants in water resources. This study aimed to determine the HMs concentrations in city water purifier devices or stations in Rafsanjan, Iran in 2022.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: This study was conducted descriptively and on a laboratory scale on the input and output of 16 city water purifier devices stations in Rafsanjan in the summer of 2022. Heavy metals and other metals including arsenic (As), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), sodium (Na), and potassium (K) were tested by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrophotometry (ICP-MS). Also, t-test statistical analysis was used by SPSS software.&#x0D; Results: The mean concentrations of HMs in the output of city water purifier devices for As, Pb, Cr, Cu, and Zn were ≤ 1, 2.84 ± 0.71, 8.48 ± 1.51, 2.51 ± 1.55, and 18.58 ± 9.24 µg/L, respectively. The difference between the output of water purifier devices and standard values ​​for As, Cr, and Cu was significant (p ≤ 0.001). Other metals concentrations in the output of water purifier devices for Fe, Mg, Ca, Na, and K were 0.03 ± 0.008, 6.72 ± 0.92, 8.38 ± 1.71, 64.11 ± 2.56, and 2.34 ± 0.08 µg/L, respectively. The HMs removal efficiency of city water purifier devices for As, Cu, and Pb were ≥ 99%, 83.33%, and 56.33%, respectively.&#x0D; Conclusion: The HMs removal efficiency of city water purifier devices stations in Rafsanjan City was appropriate due to the use of filters containing alumina and iron hydroxide media.

Renal function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Rafsanjan city in 2021

Renal involvement is one of the extra-articular manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The current study aims to investigate renal function and its associated factors in RA patients. This cross-sectional study included 443 RA patients who were referred to Rafsanjan's only rheumatology clinic in 2021. Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28) index was used to determine disease activity. Blood levels of creatinine, C-Reactive Protein test (CRP), Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), and urine analysis were also determined. Renal failure was classified based on Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR). SPSS.20 one-way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis test, the Mann-Whitney U test, and Chi-square were used to analyze the data. Patiens' mean age was 53.99 ± 12.34, and 85.8% (380 people) of the participants were female. Ther were 147 (33.2%) patients without renal failure, 260 (58.7%) with mild renal failure, and 36 (8.1%) with moderate/severe failure. Men had a 3.059 higher risk of renal failure than women (P = 0.001). The probability of developing renal failure in patients increased by 1.047 times with each year of age (P &lt; 0.001). As a chronic disease, RA can directly or through the use of disease medications and other risk factors, adversely affect other organs of the body, including the kidney. The current study's findings revealed a high prevalence of mild renal failure in these patients.

Water Shortage Simulation Using a System Dynamics Approach: A Case Study of the Rafsanjan City

Water shortage and its interconnected and integrated management is one of the life crises in recent years. Factors such as population growth, plurality of population needs, traditional farming methods, climate change, and water waste are among the contributing factors to this crisis. The complexity of water sources and consumption systems makes the management and decision-making related to this resource very difficult. This research aims to study the effective factors in the water sources and consumption system of Rafsanjan city and suggests a simulated model of water shortage and its causes. In this research, water shortage crises were simulated using system dynamics. Important variables of the water shortage crisis are identified and optimized using the Design of Experiments (DOE) method. Vensim software was considered to illustrate the simulations of five scenarios aiming at better managing water resources and dealing with the water shortage crisis in this city.

Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among the Ali-Ibn Abi-Talib hospital’s staff in Rafsanjan city in 2019

One of the problems of employees in different occupations, especially employees in multiple wards of the hospital,is work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Evaluating the incidence of work-related musculoskeletal illnesses and associated variables among employees is crucial in light of the significance of this problem and staff health. Therefore, we evaluated the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among Ali-Ibn Abi-Talib Hospital’s staff in Rafsanjan city in 2019. In this study, 220 staff members (143 females and 77 males) entered the study in 2019 with personal consent, and to collect data, the demographic information questionnaire and Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire was used.The mean age of staff was 35.43 ± 8.08 including treatment staff (nurses-physicians) (46.8%,) administrative staff (33.6%), and service staff (drivers-workers) (19.6%). Additionally, 40% of all work-associated musculoskeletal diseases were connected to the neck region, 38% to the knees, 36%to the lower back, and 12% to the elbows, feet, and ankles, 16% to the thighs, and 24.1% to the back. The prevalence of disorders in some areas, such as the neck was high as in some studies. Therefore, it seems that the necessary planning should be done to prevent further occurrence of these disorders among hospital staff, which may lead to inefficiency.

Relationship Between COVID-19 Related Anxiety and Quality of Work Life in Nurses Working in Hospitals Affiliated to Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences

Background &amp; Aims The quality of work life (QWL) is one of the most important components in any organization. Since nurses are one of the most important human resources in hospitals, it is important to pay attention to their QWL. In this regard and due to the emergence of COVID-19 and its associated anxiety affecting the mental health and QWL of people, especially nurses, this study aims to examine the relationship between COVID-19-related anxiety and QWL of nurses in Rafsanjan, Iran. Materials &amp; Methods This is a correlational study with a cross-sectional design. The study population consists of all nurses working in the hospitals affiliated to Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. Using a census method, 300 nurses were selected, of whom 256 met the inclusion criteria. The questionnaires including 18-item Corona disease anxiety scale and Walton’s 24-item QWL scale were completed online. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software, version 18 using t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation test. Results Most of participants were female (71.9%) and married (84.4%). The mean total anxiety score was 23.97±9.84, which was at a moderate level. The mean QWL score was 79.06±12.38, which was higher than the average level. Pearson’s correlation test results the showed a negative and significant relationship between the physical anxiety score and QWL (r=-0.128, P=0.041). Conclusion There is an negative and significant relationship between COVID-19-related anxiety and QWL of nurses in Rafsanjan city. The hospital managers and health policy makers are recommended to pay attention to mental health and QWL of nurses during pandemics and adopt appropriate strategies to improve them.

Numerical analysis of heat flux passing through an anti-theft door armed by phase change materials.

The use of phase change materials (PCMs) in buildings is considered an effective way to reduce building heat flux and cooling input. In this study, a south-facing anti-theft door with PCM layer was simulated in hot summer weather in Rafsanjan city. The main purpose was decreasing the heat flux to buildings due to high temperatures and direct sunlight. Boundary conditions are set for the outside environment using local meteorological data, while indoor temperature is set at a constant degree (25°C). Simulation studies were performed by changing the various materials inside the door and also by changing the type, thickness, and position of PCMs in different parts of the door. It was found that the use of PCMs along with a layer of extruded polystyrene commonly used in anti-theft doors can have up to 50% increased effect in reducing the heat transfer flux over a day compared with the conventional case.