Zanjan Province Research Articles

Distribution of CCR5 Δ32 HIV-1 resistance allele frequency at Zanjan province in Iran

Introduction: The CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) is known as the main co-receptor in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Accumulating evidence verified 32bp deletion in both alleles of CCR5 provides natural resistance to HIV infection. Accordingly, recent therapeutic approaches are based on gene and cell therapies by inducing this resistance. Allogeneic transplantation of stem cells with CCR5Δ32 homozygous to HIV infected people has been considered as an efficient strategy. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine CCR5 Δ32 mutation frequency in healthy and HIV-infected individuals in Zanjan province, in Iran and also detecting appropriate candidate for future therapeutic approaches. Patients and Methods: In this study, blood samples were collected from 102 HIV infected patients and 204 healthy controls in ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA) pre-coated tubes. DNA extraction was performed and analyzed for CCR5Δ32 mutation by GAP-PCR in both groups and followed by 2% gel agarose electrophoresis. The Δ32 genotype frequency was statistically determined. Results: Our finding demonstrated that 3 HIV infected patients displayed CCR5 mutation, while 204 healthy controls showed one CCR5 Δ32/Δ32 homozygote mutation. We observed that Δ32 mutation frequency is 0.82% in Zanjan province (χ2 =47.58, P<0.001). Conclusion: Reduction in CCR5 mutation frequency as well as the other polymorphisms related to HIV resistance, can lead to the development of HIV infection epidemiology. Migration, natural selection and genetic admixture can elucidate various distribution of Δ32 allele frequency in different populations, like as north Europeans that reduce gradually to south. The result of this study can facilitate the presentation of suitable Δ32 donors to HIV infected patients in therapeutic approaches.

Assessing of oil pollution in suburbs of Shahid Tondgoian Oil Storage in Zanjan Province (July 2020)

Assessing of oil pollution in suburbs of Shahid Tondgoian Oil Storage in Zanjan Province (July 2020)

Observance of patients' rights by physicians and nurses from the COVID-19 patients' perspective.

Observance of patients' rights is a significant indicator in evaluating the quality of healthcare services. The COVID-19 pandemic has become a global crisis and affected the interactions between healthcare providers and patients. This study examined the COVID-19 patients’ viewpoint about the observance of their rights by physicians and nurses. This study is a descriptive cross-sectional work of research conducted on the COVID-19 patients in Zanjan Province, Iran, in September 2020. The subjects were selected through convenience sampling, and data was collected using a two-section questionnaire consisting of a demographic characteristics survey and a Likert-type scale for evaluating patients' rights observance. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were found to be acceptable, and the collected data was analyzed in SPSS v.26 using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, and ANOVA test.The mean score of observance of patients' rights was 69.60±7.36, representing a moderate level. The highest and lowest scores for the observance of patients' rights were related to the dimensions of courteous communication and responsibility, respectively. A significant relationship was found between the observance of patients’ rights and their marital status, health insurance, and education level (P<0.05). This study showed that the observance of the COVID-19 patients' rights has not been affected by the social agitation caused by this disease.

Validity and Reliability of American College of Healthcare Executive Competencies Assessment Tool for the Managers of Healthcare Networks in Zanjan Province

Introduction: The importance of using the competent managers in the healthcare system, shows the need to recognize their competencies and having standards to measure competencies. In this regard, the purpose of this article is to determine the validity and reliability of the competency assessment tool of the American College of Health Care Executives for the managers of healthcare networks in Zanjan province. Methods: This study is a descriptive-analytical study in which data collection was performed using the American College of Health Care Executives Competencies Assessment tool. This tool was provided to 30 healthcare management professors and experts, in Zanjan province. To investigate the validity, internal consistency and repeatability Content Validation methods, Cronbach's Alpha coefficient and Retesting were used respectively. Data were analyzed using Excel 2010 and SPSS 18 software. Results: The results showed that 235 out of 302 questions related to the American College of Health Care Executives Competencies Assessment tool had low content validity and should be rejected. The content validity index of the final questionnaire was calculated to be 0.84, which is acceptable. The results also showed that the final questionnaire was reliable with α=0.98 and repeatable. Conclusion: Utilizing a framework to assess the competencies of healthcare network managers can be of benefit in choosing qualified managers. According to the results of this study, the provided tool shows a desirable reliability and a fairly convenient validity to be used in healthcare networks of Zanjan province.

Identification of bovine leukemia virus in raw milk samples in North-West of Iran.

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is one of the most important carcinogenic viruses genetically related to the human T-cell lymphotropic viruses (HTLV-1 and HTLV-2). The virus infects type B lymphocytes and creates lymph glands tumors. Recently, the association between the presence of this virus and breast cancer has been addressed in humans. Here, we studied the prevalence of BLV in the samples of raw milk of native Iranian and Iranian-foreign cows in traditional, semi-industrial and industrial dairy farms in rural and urban areas of Zanjan province. Raw milk samples of cows were collected manually in sterile tubes. The samples were tested by nested-PCR method. Forty samples (9.93%) out of 403 samples showed BLV contamination. In this study, nested-PCR was successfully applied to determine the level of contamination in raw milk samples from cows infected with BLV. Furthermore, a relatively high rate of BLV infection was found in dairy cows in Zanjan province, northwestern of Iran.

Competency Assessment Tool for the Healthcare Networks Managers in Zanjan Province, Iran: Validation, Conceptualization, and Localization

Competency Assessment Tool for the Healthcare Networks Managers in Zanjan Province, Iran: Validation, Conceptualization, and Localization

Evaluation of salinity tolerance of three olive (Olea europaea L.) cultivars

Tarom region of Zanjan province is one of the olive production centers in Iran, which faced a crisis of salinity stress following the salinization of water resources. The selection of salinity tolerant cultivars using pivotal characteristics is one of the interesting challenges. This study was conducted to investigate the behavior of ‘Zard’, ‘Abou-satl’, and ‘Arbequina’ cultivars in the context of using marginal waters. Therefore, one-year-old self-rooted plants of these cultivars were potted and irrigated with 2, 5, 8, and 12 dS/m saline water for three months in the greenhouse, and certain physiological and morphological features were studied. The results show that ‘Zard’ and ‘Abou-Satl’ cultivars tolerated salinity of 8 and 12 dS/m, maintained their photosynthesis in medium salinity (5 dS/m), and grew well in these conditions. In contrast, the ‘Arbequina’ cultivar exhibited extreme susceptibility to salinity. In the high salinities, there was a lower slope in the increase of Na+ concentration in the leaves of the ‘Zard’ cultivar. Also wet and dry biomass in this cultivar decreased much less than the others. A more severe reduction in the transpiration of the ‘Zard’ cultivar indicated better efficiency of water retention mechanisms and high water use efficiency. The photosynthesis rate of ‘Zard’ and ‘Abou-Satl’ cultivars were less affected under salinity stress. They reduced the accumulation of Na+ and increased the K+ concentration in leaves. These two cultivars had suitable responses to salinity and were recommended for planting in regions affected by salinity.

Assessing the Relationship between the Performance of Rural Municipalities and the Realization of Good Rural Governance (Case Study of the Central Part of Zanjan City)

Purpose: Rural Government is considered as a way to extend democracy, empowering villagers to choose their way of life and organize their living space, increase prosperity, make opportunities, and promote teamwork, and it can be concluded that in new rural government theories, rural municipalities are the new paradigm and one of the main pillars of rural management and development. By the end of September 2009, there were 898 villages with more than 20 households and 194 authorized rural municipalities in Zanjan province, Iran and the number of rural municipalities compared to villages with more than twenty households was about %21.6. This study aimes to investigate the rural municipality performance in the rural government of Zanjan province. Methods: Our research method is of documentary-field type and the study population consists of 194 rural municipalities from which 114 rural municipalities were selected as the sample using stratified sampling with proper allocation. SPSS was used to analyze the data. For stepwise regression, the variables entered the equation as factors affecting rural municipality performance in rural government by which 89% of Zanjan rural municipality performance variance was clarified. Results: The results show that the performance of rural municipalities in the selected area can play a critical role in villagers’ participation in rural management and development. Conclusion: Based on the results, the variables with a significant effect on rural government are the cooperation of rural council, villagers’ participation, rural equipment and facilities, and rural municipality consultation with local leaders and council members.

Mineral chemistry and phase relations of Co–Ni arsenides and sulfarsenides from the Baycheh-Bagh deposit, Zanjan province, Iran

The polymetallic hydrothermal veins of Baycheh-Bagh deposit in NW Iran occur in quartz-carbonate veins which are hosted by Oligocene to Miocene volcanic (mainly andesite) and volcaniclastic (agglomerate, tuff) rocks unconformably overlying metamorphic basement rocks. Three transitional paragentic stages of hypogene mineralization have been identified. Stage 1 includes base metal (Cu, Zn, Pb) sulfides and gold and is succeeded by Co-Ni-Fe-As minerals and bismuth (Stage 2) and Cu-Bi sulfides/sulfosalts (Stage 3). Stage 2 Ni-Co-Fe mineralization is complex and is subdivided into three substages starting with sulfarsenides (arsenopyrite, alloclasite I, II), followed by native bismuth, triarsenides (skutterudite I, II, III) and diarsenides (rammelsbergite, safflorite) and terminated by sulfarsenides (gersdorffite-cobaltite solid solution, alloclacite III). Skutterudite and alloclasite are present in several generations and preserve delicate growth zoning reflecting a multi-stage episodic growth. The sulfarsenides and arsenides reveal significant substitution of Ni, Co, Fe as well as As and S reflecting compositional changes of the ore forming fluid (e.g., activities of metals, As/S) as well as changes in pH and oxidation state. The mineral assemblages and comparison with similar As-dominated vein-type Ni-Co mineralization elsewhere, collectively referred to as “five element veins”, suggest that the complex arsenide/sulfarsenide assemblages formed at temperatures below 300 °C. Baycheh-Bagh can be regarded as a member of this heterogeneous group of Bi-Co-Ni-As deposits. A peculiarity of hydrothermal vein-type mineralization at Baycheh-Bagh is that initial epithermal (?) Cu-(Au-Zn-Pb) mineralization evolved into (Bi)–Co-Ni-As mineralization with time.

Increased radon concentration in Katalekhor tourist cave during an earthquake compared with 10 years of follow-up data

On May 27, 2008, a strong earthquake of magnitude 5.3 Richter hit Zanjan province. The radon concentration has been measured and registered at the time of earthquake occurrence at 10:48 local time inside the Katalekhor cave being situated at suburb of Zanjan city. After this event, it was planned to measure and analyze the radon concentration in the same year (2008) and 10 years after the earthquake (2018) by using passive methods and the results have been presented. Real time observations show an increase of five times in radon concentration when earthquake happened comparing to normal condition.

Effect of different treatments on electrokinetic remediation of Zn, Pb and Cd from a contaminated calcareous soil

Electrokinetic remediation is a promising method to decontamination of the heavy metals from soils. In this paper, the remediation of a contaminated calcareous soil with Zn, Cd and Pb sampled from around Zanjan province of Iran, was investigated using electrokinetic method. In this paper, the soil contain a high concentration of Zn (1400 mg·kg−1), Cd (15 mg·kg−1) and Pb (250 mg·kg−1). Electrokinetic decontamination consists of two series of experiments as follows: (1) the effect of five treatments including the use of distilled water, acetic acid and EDTA electrolyte solutions, and approaching anodes systems, and the circulation flow of electrolyte at two different voltage gradient (i.e. 1.33 and 2.66 V·cm−1), and (2) the effect of moisture content (saturated, FC and 0.7FC, FC indicated soil moisture at “Field Capacity”) with a voltage gradient of 1.33 V·cm−1. After applying electric current for 5 days, the results of experiments indicated that the removal efficiency of heavy metals can be increased by raising the voltage gradient. In this matter, the highest remediation can be observed among different treatments in EDTA (Ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid) treatment (40.11%, 43.10% and 24.7% for Zn, Cd and Pb, respectively). Moreover, the heavy metals removal at the saturated moisture was at the highest level so that 32.62% cadmium, 31.33% zinc and 18.82% lead being removed after 120 h of electric current application. By decreasing moisture to 0.7FC, the removal percentage for the three heavy metals obtained 20.97%, 18.44% and 12.25%, respectively. Furthermore, Cd had the highest removal, and Zn and Pb were next among the three heavy metals in question.

Inequality in the Utilization of Rehabilitation Services Among Urban and Rural Households in Iran: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: Demographic and epidemiological changes in the 21st century have created new challenges such as aging and the rising trend of non-communicable diseases. The high prevalence of disability (due to the growing aging population), non-communicable diseases, and accidents have increased the demand for rehabilitation services. However, there are not enough resources to meet all current needs in many parts of the world. The purpose of this study is to investigate the inequality in the utilization of rehabilitation services between Iranian households in urban and rural areas. Materials &amp; Methods: This is a descriptive-analytical study with a cross-sectional design using the household expenditure, income survey data from the Statistics Center of Iran in 2018. The used instrument was a questionnaire surveying the expenditure and income of urban and rural households (social characteristics of household members, place of residence and main living facilities, food/non-food expenses, and household income), which was completed through interviewing the household head or a member over 15 years of age. The study samples were 18610 households in rural areas and 20348 households in urban areas. After extracting and refining the data, 38958 households were included in the study. Factors affecting their utilization of rehabilitation services and the inequality in utilization were analyzed using the Chi-square test and the concentration index (CI), respectively. Data were extracted in MS Access 2013 and MS Excel 2013 applications and were analyzed in STATA V.14.1 software. The geographic distribution of the service utilization was plotted using ArcGIS Map V. 10 software. Results: A total of 258 households (0.77%) used rehabilitation services. Of these, 226 (87%) had a male head, and 32 (13%) had a female head. About 60% had 3-4 members, and 239 (92%) had insurance coverage, and others (8%) had no insurance coverage. Also, 173 (67%) had an employed head. Finally, 55% were living in rural areas, and 45% in urban areas. Uninsured households had less use of rehabilitation services (P&lt;0.05). Also, 1.32% of the fifth income quintile (highest income) used rehabilitation services, while this rate was 0.35% for households in the first quintile (P&lt;0.001). Zanjan, Qazvin, Khuzestan, Isfahan, Lorestan, Bushehr, and Semnan provinces had the lowest service utilization rates in urban/rural areas and the whole country. Qom province had a better status regarding service utilization in urban areas, while East Azerbaijan, Mazandaran, Golestan, Yazd, Fars, and Hormozgan provinces had higher service utilization rates in rural areas. Overall, East Azerbaijan, Mazandaran, and Qom provinces had a higher rate of utilization. The CI value for the whole country was reported at 0.24 (95% CI: 0.17-0.30), indicating a higher inequality in utilization in favor of the rich. The CI values for rural and urban areas were 0.27 and 0.19, respectively (P&lt;0.001). Conclusion: There is inequality in the utilization of rehabilitation services in favor of the rich households in Iran, and low-income households have lower access to these services. The inclusion of rehabilitation services in the primary health insurance package with appropriate pricing and population coverage, and fair distribution of rehabilitation services following the needs of public and private sectors, can increase the access and utilization of rehabilitation services.

Relationship between hope and psychological well-being among male and female students of Farhangian University of Zanjan province

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between hope and psychological well-being among the students of Farhangian University using a descriptive correlational research method. All students of Farhangian University of Zanjan province in the academic year of 2018-19 were considered and 324 of them were selected as the research sample. Hope scale Schneider (1991) and psychological well-being scale of Ryff (1989) were used as research tools. using SPSS 21 software, Pearson correlation coefficient test, stepwise regression, ANOVA and independent t-test were used to analyze the data. The results showed that there was a significant relationship between hope and psychological well-being and this includes their components too (p &lt;0.01). There is no significant difference between hope and psychological well-being among students based on gender (P&gt; 0.05). Also, the results of stepwise regression indicated that hope and motivational hope could predict psychological well-being (p &lt;0.01). Therefore, it can be concluded that in order to improve the psychological well-being of students, their hope should be increased in a way.

Diversity of mitochondrial genes and predominance of Clade B in different head lice populations in the northwest of Iran

BackgroundThe head louse, Pediculus humanus capitis, is the most important ectoparasite causing many health problems. Several linkages are presented for this parasite, each representing a particular geographical distribution, prevalence rate, vector competence, susceptibility to pediculicides, and infestation rate. Determining the genetic nature of these linkages is necessary to identify the population structure and also to develop and monitor control programmes against head lice. This study was designed to analyse cox1 and cytb genes and determine the mitochondrial clades in head lice populations in the northwest of Iran.MethodsAdult head lice were collected from infested females of Ardabil, East and West Azerbaijan, and Zanjan Provinces from 2016 to 2018. Partial fragments of the mitochondrial genes cox1 and cytb were amplified by PCR and some of the amplicons were sequenced. All confirmed sequences were analysed, and the frequency of each mitochondrial clade was determined in the studied areas.ResultsA total of 6410 females were clinically examined, and 897 adult head lice were collected from 562 infested cases. Genomic DNA was extracted from 417 samples, and fragments of cox1 and cytb genes were amplified in 348 individuals. Analysis of the 116 sequences showed the 632-bp and 495-bp fragments for cox1 and cytb genes, respectively. The nucleotide and haplotype diversities of cytb and cox1 genes were 0.02261 and 0.589 and 0.01443 and 0.424, respectively. Sequence analysis indicated 6 haplotypes clustered in two clades, A and B. The relative prevalence of clade B was 73% for cytb and 82% for cox1 gene. Haplotypes of clade B were found in all the studied areas, while those of clade A were observed only in rural and suburban areas.ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first study investigated deeply the field populations of Pediculus and documented two clades in the Middle East. The considerable prevalence of pediculosis in the studied areas requires authorities’ attention to establish effective control and preventive measures. Given the role of cytb in monitoring population groups, application of this marker is suggested for future epigenetic studies to evaluate the factors affecting the abundance of these clades.

Stroke Care Trends During COVID-19 Pandemic in Zanjan Province, Iran. From the CASCADE Initiative: Statistical Analysis Plan and Preliminary Results

BackgroundThe emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted global healthcare systems and this may affect stroke care and outcomes. This study examines the changes in stroke epidemiology and care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Zanjan Province, Iran. MethodsThis study is part of the CASCADE international initiative. From February 18, 2019, to July 18, 2020, we followed ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke hospitalization rates and outcomes in Valiasr Hospital, Zanjan, Iran. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model and an interrupted time series analysis (ITS) to identify changes in stroke hospitalization rate, baseline stroke severity [measured by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS)], disability [measured by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS)], presentation time (last seen normal to hospital presentation), thrombolytic therapy rate, median door-to-needle time, length of hospital stay, and in-hospital mortality. We compared in-hospital mortality between study periods using Cox-regression model. ResultsDuring the study period, 1,026 stroke patients were hospitalized. Stroke hospitalization rates per 100,000 population decreased from 68.09 before the pandemic to 44.50 during the pandemic, with a significant decline in both Bayesian [Beta: -1.034; Standard Error (SE): 0.22, 95% CrI: -1.48, -0.59] and ITS analysis (estimate: -1.03, SE = 0.24, p < 0.0001). Furthermore, we observed lower admission rates for patients with mild (NIHSS < 5) ischemic stroke (p < 0.0001). Although, the presentation time and door-to-needle time did not change during the pandemic, a lower proportion of patients received thrombolysis (-10.1%; p = 0.004). We did not see significant changes in admission rate to the stroke unit and in-hospital mortality rate; however, disability at discharge increased (p < 0.0001). ConclusionIn Zanjan, Iran, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted stroke outcomes and altered the delivery of stroke care. Observed lower admission rates for milder stroke may possibly be due to fear of exposure related to COVID-19. The decrease in patients treated with thrombolysis and the increased disability at discharge may indicate changes in the delivery of stroke care and increased pressure on existing stroke acute and subacute services. The results of this research will contribute to a similar analysis of the larger CASCADE dataset in order to confirm findings at a global scale and improve measures to ensure the best quality of care for stroke patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ethnobotanical study of some medicinal plants of Abhar county, Zanjan province

Ethnobotanical study of some medicinal plants of Abhar county, Zanjan province

Determining the Incidence Rate and Risk Factors of Brucellosis in Zanjan Province (Iran) from 2012 to 2017: A Spatiotemporal Analysis

Determining the Incidence Rate and Risk Factors of Brucellosis in Zanjan Province (Iran) from 2012 to 2017: A Spatiotemporal Analysis

Pattern of Suicide Methods and Postmortem Toxicological Findings in Suicide-Related Deaths: A Retrospective 7-Year Forensic-Based Study in Iran.

Suicide is a public health threat that leads to morbidity and mortality worldwide. In this study, we evaluated postmortem toxicological finding among forensic autopsies on suicidal deaths from 2010 to 2016 at the Legal Medicine Center of Zanjan Province (northwest of Iran). All suicide fatal cases were investigated to define the cause and manner of death. Toxicological analyses were performed using thin-layer chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, headspace gas chromatography, and gas chromatography equipped with nitrogen phosphorus detector. Demographic data (age, sex, educational level, residential location, and marital status), cause of death, and postmortem toxicological findings were extracted from forensic reports and were entered into the designed questioners. During this period, a total of 181 cases of suicide deaths were investigated. Among them, 74% were male. The most often used suicide method was hanging, followed by self-poisoning in young people. Aluminum phosphide was the most frequent poison detected in the fatal suicidal cases (33 cases), followed by opioids. Hanging and self-poisoning were the frequent suicidal method in young male population. It seems that psychological and social supports in young people along with restriction to easy access to drugs and poisons should be considered by policy making and healthcare authorities.

Evaluation of Factors Affecting Job Satisfaction in Emergency Medical Services Staff of Zanjan Province, Iran

Evaluation of Factors Affecting Job Satisfaction in Emergency Medical Services Staff of Zanjan Province, Iran

Designing a Combined Learning Model in Technical and Vocational Education

PurposeThe aim of this study was to design a combination learning model in technical and vocational education.MethodologyThis study was applied in terms of purpose and exploratory (quantitative and qualitative) in terms of implementation method. The research population was in the qualitative part of documents and resources and specialists in the field of combined learning and in the quantitative part were the principals and students of technical and vocational schools in Zanjan province in the academic year 2018-19. The sample of research was in the qualitative part of documents and resources related to combined learning and 17 experts in the field of learning who were selected according to the principle of theoretical saturation by sampling method of network experts and in the quantitative part were 176 administrators and students who according to Krejcie and Morgan table with Cluster sampling method was selected. Data were collected by filing methods, interviews and a researcher-made questionnaire (39 items) whose face and content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed and its reliability was obtained by Cronbachchr('39')s alpha method of 0.81. Qualitative data were analyzed by open and axial coding method based on Klein model and quantitative data were analyzed by Delphi methods to determine the validation of the model and t-test.FindingThe results showed that combined learning in technical and vocational education included 43 basic concepts and 9 structural concepts including learning objectives, learning content, learning activities, learning strategies, grouping, learning materials and resources, learning time, learning location and evaluation. The combined learning model of design and its validity by experts with Delphi method was approved in two stages and the number of basic concepts was reduced from 43 to 39. The results of t-test also showed that technical readiness and readiness of human factors combined learning had an effective role in technical and vocational education.ConclusionAccording to the results, the designed model of combined learning approved by experts can be used in combined learning environments in technical and professional organizations and can be a criterion for future research in this organization.