Epidemiology characteristics and trends of incidence and morphology of stomach cancer in Iran.

PubMed

Almasi, Zeinab; Rafiemanesh, Hosein; Salehiniya, Hamid

2015-01-01

Stomach cancer is the fourth most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer- related death through the world. It is predicted that the number of new cancer cases will be more than 15 million cases by 2020. Regarding the lack of studies on this topic in the country, we have thoroughly examined the patho-epidemiology of stomach cancer in Iran. In this cross- sectional study data were collected retrospectively reviewing all new stomach cancer patients in Cancer Registry Center report of health deputy for Iran during a 6-year period (2003-2008). The study also examined the morphology of common stomach cancers. Trends in incidence and morphology underwent joinpoint regression analysis. During the six-year period, a total of 35,171 cases of stomach cancer were registered. Average age standardized rate for females and males were equal to 7.1 and 15.1 per 100,000 persons, respectively. Most common histological type was adenocarcinoma, NOS with 21,980 cases (62.50%). The annual percentage change (APC) in age-standardized incidence rate (per 100,000) was increase in both females and males at 11.1 (CI: 4.3 to 18.3) and 9.2 (CI: 5.2 to 13.4), respectively. According to our results, the incidence of gastric cancer is increasing in Iran, so further epidemiological studies into the etiology and early detection are essential.

Human embryonic stem cell science and policy: the case of Iran.

PubMed

Saniei, Mansooreh

2013-12-01

The paper is based on a large qualitative study of ethics, policy and regulation of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) science in Iran. This case study in five academic research centres used semi-structured interviews to examine in depth the views of stem cell scientists, embryologists and ethics committee members on hESC research policy in this Shia Muslim country. Although Iran's policy approach has been considered 'intermediate', what is described here seems to be a 'more flexible' policy on hESC science. This article describes three arguments to explain why Iran has shaped such a policy. These are: (1) a flexibility of the Shia tradition has allowed for hESC science; (2) permissive policy related to other fields of biomedicine, such as new assisted reproductive technologies, facilitated approval of hESC research; and (3) a lack of public debate of bioscience in Iran influences how its hESC research policy is perceived. Based on the empirical data, this paper then expands and refines the conceptual bioethical basis for the co-production of science, policy, and society in Iran. The notion of co-production implies that scientists, policy-makers, and sometimes other societal actors cooperate in the exchange, production, and application of knowledge to make science policy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Penile fracture epidemiology, diagnosis and management in Iran: a narrative review

PubMed Central

Mirzazadeh, Majid; Fallahkarkan, Morteza

2017-01-01

Penile fracture (PF) is considered an emergency in urology. In the literature there are some case series reporting considerable incidence of PF in some parts of Iran. There are no accurate data about the incidence of PF all around Iran. Although it may be uncommon in other parts of the country and in the other countries, it can also be underreported. There are some challenges in diagnosis, management, and also reporting of these cases. In this review of Iranian medical literature, we searched for penile fracture and penile injury keywords in Medline, Scopus, SID, Google and Persian medical journals. We reviewed the status of epidemiology, etiology, diagnosis, management and complications of PF in different parts of Iran in the published literature. To collect more accurate data, we also performed a questionnaire-based study with sending questionnaires by emails to 700 urologists throughout the country with 14% response rate. Incidence of PF varies significantly in different parts of Iran. Western province of Kermanshah has a significantly higher rate of PF. Adding data from different regions of Iran, we calculated that incidence of PF in Iran can be estimated between 1.14 to 10.48 per 100,000 of male populations, most probably closer to lower end. Although the incidence of PF varies significantly in different geographical areas, urologists practicing in Iran on average may encounter a PF patient every 3.5 months. To diagnose PF, majority of reviewed studies relied on history and clinical examination and did not recommend imaging except in patients with possible urethral injuries. Immediate surgical intervention can make good functional results with low morbidity and short hospital stay. Delayed surgical intervention and observational management approaches need large population studies with long term follow up. PMID:28540222

Penile fracture epidemiology, diagnosis and management in Iran: a narrative review.

PubMed

Mirzazadeh, Majid; Fallahkarkan, Morteza; Hosseini, Jalil

2017-04-01

Penile fracture (PF) is considered an emergency in urology. In the literature there are some case series reporting considerable incidence of PF in some parts of Iran. There are no accurate data about the incidence of PF all around Iran. Although it may be uncommon in other parts of the country and in the other countries, it can also be underreported. There are some challenges in diagnosis, management, and also reporting of these cases. In this review of Iranian medical literature, we searched for penile fracture and penile injury keywords in Medline, Scopus, SID, Google and Persian medical journals. We reviewed the status of epidemiology, etiology, diagnosis, management and complications of PF in different parts of Iran in the published literature. To collect more accurate data, we also performed a questionnaire-based study with sending questionnaires by emails to 700 urologists throughout the country with 14% response rate. Incidence of PF varies significantly in different parts of Iran. Western province of Kermanshah has a significantly higher rate of PF. Adding data from different regions of Iran, we calculated that incidence of PF in Iran can be estimated between 1.14 to 10.48 per 100,000 of male populations, most probably closer to lower end. Although the incidence of PF varies significantly in different geographical areas, urologists practicing in Iran on average may encounter a PF patient every 3.5 months. To diagnose PF, majority of reviewed studies relied on history and clinical examination and did not recommend imaging except in patients with possible urethral injuries. Immediate surgical intervention can make good functional results with low morbidity and short hospital stay. Delayed surgical intervention and observational management approaches need large population studies with long term follow up.

Documentation of Measles Elimination in Iran: Evidences from 2012 to 2014.

PubMed

Karami, Manoochehr; Zahraei, Seyed Mohsen; Sabouri, Azam; Soltanshahi, Rambod; Biderafsh, Azam; Piri, Naser; Lee, Jong-Koo

2017-08-05

Documentation of achieving the goal of measles elimination to justify to international organizations including the WHO is a priority for public health authorities. This study aimed to address the status of Iran in the achievement of the measles elimination goal from 2012-2014. A descriptive study METHODS: Data on the measles outbreaks were extracted from the national notifiable measles surveillance system in Iran from 2012 to 2014. The required documents regarding the achievement of measles elimination, including Effective Reproduction Number (R) and the distribution of outbreak size, was addressed. The R was calculated using the proportion of imported cases as 1 - P, where P is equal to the proportion of cases that were imported. The distribution of the measles outbreaks size was described using descriptive statistics to show their magnitudes. The proportion of large outbreaks with more than 10 cases was considered as a proxy of the R value. The total number of measles cases was 232 cases (including 186 outbreak related cases) in 2012 and 142 cases in 2014, including108 outbreak related cases. The distribution of the measles outbreak size of occurred outbreaks from that period indicated that there were 37 outbreaks with three or more than three cases. The R value in 2012 was 0.87 and the corresponding value for 2014 was 0.76. According to the magnitude of effective reproduction number and distribution of outbreaks' size, measles has been eliminated in Iran. However, it is necessary to consider the potential endemic activity of measles because of no authorized immigration.

Lecture and Workshop Modes Comparison on Rangeland Developments: The Case of Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shahvali, M.; Poursaeed, A.; Sharifzadeh, M.

2009-01-01

This study investigated the effects of workshop and lecture methods on pastoralists' learning in Ilam Province, west of Iran. A quasi-experimental research method and non-equivalent control group design was used. Sixty pastoralists participated in this study. An open-ended questionnaire was used as the instrument of the study and found to have…

Acute flaccid paralysis surveillance: A 6 years study, Isfahan, Iran

PubMed Central

Naeini, Alireza Emami; Ghazavi, Mohamadreza; Moghim, Sharareh; Sabaghi, Amirhosein; Fadaei, Reza

2015-01-01

Background: Poliomyelitis is still an endemic disease in many areas of the world including Africa and South Asia. Iran is polio free since 2001. However, due to endemicity of polio in neighboring countries of Iran, the risk of polio importation and re-emergence of wild polio virus is high. Case definition through surveillance system is a well-defined method for maintenance of polio eradication in polio free countries. Methods: In a cross-sectional survey from 2007 to 2013, we reviewed all the records of under 15 years old patients reported to Acute Flaccid Paralysis Committee (AFPC) in Isfahan province, Iran. All cases were visited by members of the AFPC. Three stool samples were collected from each reported case within 2 weeks of onset of paralysis and sent to National Polio Laboratory in Tehran, Iran, for poliovirus isolation. Data were analyzed by SSPS software (version 22). Student's t-test and Chi-square was used to compare variables. Statistical significance level was set at P < 0.05. Results: In this 6-year period 85 cases were analyzed, 54 patients were male (63.5%) and 31 were female (36.5%). The mean age of patients was 5.7 ± 3.9 years. The most common cause of paralysis among these patients was Guillian–Barré syndrome (83.5%). We did not found any poliomyelitis caused by wild polio virus. Only one case of vaccine associated poliomyelitis was reported. Conclusion: Since 1992, Iran has a routine and high percent coverage of polio vaccination program for infants (>94%), with six doses of oral polio vaccine (OPV). Accurate surveillance for poliomyelitis is essential for continuing eradication. PMID:26015925

Elimination of urogenital schistosomiasis in Iran: past history and the current situation.

PubMed

Khademvatan, Shahram; Salmanzadeh, Shokrollah; Foroutan-Rad, Masoud; Ghomeshi, Mohammad

2016-09-01

In recent years, through a national programme for schistosomiasis control, this infection has been eliminated from Iran. The aim of this study was to report the process of significant decrease of urogenital schistosomiasis in southwestern Iran. During national programme surveillance for urogenital schistosomiasis control which was implemented by Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of Khuzestan province from 1975 to 2013, more than 1·3 million urine samples were taken from inhabitants of high risk foci. All urine samples were gathered between 10:00 a.m and 02:00 p.m and, after centrifuging, specimens were tested under optical microscope in order to detect Schistosoma haematobium eggs. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 18 software. In this retrospective study significant reduction was seen in number of infections between 1975 and 2013. During the years 1975-1980, 1981-1990 and 1991-2000 there were 1582, 761 and 79 cases of S. haematobium, respectively. In 2001 only one case was reported from Ahvaz and indeed this was the last case of urogenital schistosomiasis in Khuzestan and of course, in Iran. Prevalence from 1·064% between 1975 and 1980 slumped to 0% in 2012-2013. During several projects for surveillance of urogenital schistosomiasis, selective population chemotherapy, snail control, population education, environmental improvement, etc were carried out throughout the surveillance period. According to elimination of S. haematobium in Khuzestan province, the only endemic region of Iran, control of disease, especially the campaign with intermediate host snails should be continued. Iran can be a successful model for countries suffering from this disease.

Two-year hospital records of burns from a referral center in Western Iran: March 2010-March 2012.

PubMed

Ahmadijouybari, Touraj; Najafi, Farid; Moradinazar, Mehdi; Karami-matin, Behzad; Karami-matin, Reza; Ataie, Maria; Hatami, Masoumeh; Purghorbani, Samira; Amee, Vahid

2014-01-01

Burns are among the most common injuries affecting a great number of people worldwide annually. In Iran, especially in its western region and in Kermanshah province, burns have a relatively high incidence. The present study was aimed at investigating epidemiological characteristics in Western Iran. Within a cross-sectional study, the data on all patients attending the Burns Center at Imam Khomeini Hospital (Kermanshah, Iran) during 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 (24 months) were collected. Then, age, gender, cause of burns, total body surface area, and time of the occurrence were extracted from the hospital records. The data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical package (Version 19, for Windows). We used chi-squared test when we compared the categorical responses between two or more groups. For comparing means between two groups we used t-test. In addition, trends were investigated using linear regression. Overall 13,248 people were referred to the Burns Center at Imam Khomeini Hospital (Kermanshah, Iran) during the period of study, including 328 cases of self-immolation. The mean age of the patients was 27±19 years and 29±13 years for unintentional burns and self-immolation respectively. Out of the total number of unintentional cases, 6,519 (50.5%) were men, while the corresponding percentage of men among the self-immolation cases was 16.6% (p less than 0.001). Trends in the number of cases were cyclic, with the highest and lowest number of burns cases being in March and May. Overall, hot liquids and flammable materials were the two most important causes of unintentional burns. However, flammable materials were the main cause of burns among self-immolation cases. During hospital admission, 168 (51%) self-immolation victims and 43 (0.33%) unintentional burn victims died. While major preventive measures are not adequately used in developing countries, burns and their burden can be significantly reduced by increasing public awareness and by applying simple preventive measures. © 2014 KUMS, All rights reserved.

Plague in Iran: its history and current status.

PubMed

Hashemi Shahraki, Abdolrazagh; Carniel, Elizabeth; Mostafavi, Ehsan

2016-01-01

Plague remains a public health concern worldwide, particularly in old foci. Multiple epidemics of this disease have been recorded throughout the history of Iran. Despite the long-standing history of human plague in Iran, it remains difficult to obtain an accurate overview of the history and current status of plague in Iran. In this review, available data and reports on cases and outbreaks of human plague in the past and present in Iran and in neighboring countries were collected, and information was compiled regarding when, where, and how many cases occurred. This paper considers the history of plague in Persia (the predecessor of today's Iran) and has a brief review of plague in countries in the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region, including a range of countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Since Iran has experienced outbreaks of plague for several centuries, neighboring countries have reported the disease in recent years, the disease can be silent for decades, and the circulation of Yersinia pestis has been reported among rodents and dogs in western Iran, more attention should be paid to disease monitoring in areas with previously reported human cases and in high-risk regions with previous epizootic and enzootic activity.

The Current State of Arts Education in Iran: A Case Study in Two Elementary Schools Using Educational Criticism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nouri, Ali; Farsi, Soheila

2018-01-01

The central aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the recently revised elementary curriculum for arts education in Iran. The study employed an educational criticism method and was conducted in two elementary schools. Data were collected by observation, semi-structured interviews and curriculum documents over a four-month period.…

Spatial outline of malaria transmission in Iran.

PubMed

Barati, Mohammad; Keshavarz-valian, Hossein; Habibi-nokhandan, Majid; Raeisi, Ahmad; Faraji, Leyla; Salahi-moghaddam, Abdoreza

2012-10-01

To conduct for modeling spatial distribution of malaria transmission in Iran. Records of all malaria cases from the period 2008-2010 in Iran were retrieved for malaria control department, MOH&ME. Metrological data including annual rainfall, maximum and minimum temperature, relative humidity, altitude, demographic, districts border shapefiles, and NDVI images received from Iranian Climatologic Research Center. Data arranged in ArcGIS. 99.65% of malaria transmission cases were focused in southeast part of Iran. These transmissions had statistically correlation with altitude (650 m), maximum (30 °C), minimum (20 °C) and average temperature (25.3 °C). Statistical correlation and overall relationship between NDVI (118.81), relative humidity (⩾45%) and rainfall in southeast area was defined and explained in this study. According to ecological condition and mentioned cut-off points, predictive map was generated using cokriging method. Copyright © 2012 Hainan Medical College. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ten years of snakebites in Iran.

PubMed

Dehghani, Rouhullah; Fathi, Behrooz; Shahi, Morteza Panjeh; Jazayeri, Mehrdad

2014-11-01

Many species of venomous snakes are found in Iran. The most medically important species which are responsible for the most snakebite incidents in Iran belong to the Viperidae family, including Vipera lebetina, Echis carinatus, Pseudocerastes persicus, Vipera albicornuta and the Elapidae family, especially Naja naja oxiana. At least one kind of venomous snake is found in each of the 31 provinces, and many provinces have more than one venomous species. As a result, snakebite is a considerable health hazard in Iran, especially in the rural area of south and south-west of Iran. A retrospective, descriptive study of snakebite in Iran during 2002-2011 was carried out in order based on data collected from medical records of bite victims admitted to hospitals and health centers. From 2002 to 2011, 53,787 cases of snake bites were reported by medical centers in Iran. The annual incidence of snake bites in 100,000 of population varied from 4.5 to 9.1 during this decade and the number of recorded deaths were about 67 cases. The highest rate of snakebite was found in provinces of south and southwest of Iran. We suggest that people, especially in the rural areas, need to be trained and educated about venomous snakes, their hazards, prevention of bite and the importance of early hospital referral and treatment of victims. Also adequate antivenins as the main life saving medicine should be made available based on the recorded numbers of victims in each area of the country. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Role of Malaria Microscopy Training and Refresher Training Courses in Malaria Control Program in Iran during 2001 - 2011.

PubMed

Nateghpour, M; Edrissian, Ghh; Raeisi, A; Motevalli-Haghi, A; Farivar, L; Mohseni, Gh; Rahimi-Froushani, A

2012-01-01

Malaria is still one of the most important infectious diseases in the world. The disease also is a public health problem in south and southeast of Iran. This study programmed to show the correlation between regular malaria microscopy training and refresher training courses and control of malaria in Iran. Three types of training courses were conducted in this programme including; five - day, ten - day and bimonthly training courses. Each of the training courses contained theoretical and practical sections and training impact was evaluated by practical examination and multiple-choice quizzes through pre and post tests. Distribution pattern of the participants in the training and refresher training courses showed that the most participants were from Sistan & Baluchistan and Hormozgan provinces where malaria is endemic and most cases of the infection come out from these malarious areas. A total of 695 identified individuals were participated in the training courses. A significant conversely correlation was found between conducting malaria microscopy training courses and annual malaria cases in Iran. Conducting a suitable programme for malaria microscopy training and refresher training plays an important role in the control of malaria in endemic areas. Obviously, the decrease of malaria cases in Iran has been achieved due to some activities that malaria diagnosis training was one of them.

Reprint of "Spatial modeling of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Iran from 1983 to 2013".

PubMed

Holakouie-Naieni, Kourosh; Mostafavi, Ehsan; Boloorani, Ali Darvishi; Mohebali, Mehdi; Pakzad, Reza

2017-01-01

Cutaneous Leshmaniasis (CL), a parasitic skin infection caused by Leishmania species, is endemic in some regions of Iran. In this study, the effect of location on the incidence and distribution of CL in Iran was studied. We collected datas including the number of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis cases and populations at-risk of disease in Iran's different provinces reported by the Iranian ministry of health and the National Bureau of Statistics, respectively. Spatial modeling was performed using Arc GIS software. Descriptive maps, hotspot analysis, and high/low clustering analysis were used to demonstrate distribution of the cutaneous leishmaniasis, to determine regions at risk of disease's incidence, and to reach the most appropriate method for clustering of disease. The total number of cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis reported through the study period was 589,913. The annual incidence of CL was estimated to be 30.9 per 100,000 in Iranian population. We also demonstrated that Cutaneous leishmaniasis most prominently occurs in regions with dry and desert climates as well as in central parts of Iran. It affected the southwest of Iran between 1983 and 1997, and subsequently developed towards the center and the eastern between 1998 and 2013. Disease hotspots were focused in the provinces of Yazd, Khozestan and Kohgiloyeh-Boyer-Ahmad (p<0.05). No pattern of spatial clustering was observed. Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a major health problem which could be a serious threat for inhabitants who live in high-risk provinces of Iran; much more resources need to be allocated in these areas, to warrant the prevention as well as effectively management of this disease. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Geographic distribution of the incidence of colorectal cancer in Iran: a population-based study.

PubMed

Khosravi Shadmani, Fatemeh; Ayubi, Erfan; Khazaei, Salman; Sani, Mohadeseh; Mansouri Hanis, Shiva; Khazaei, Somayeh; Soheylizad, Mokhtar; Mansori, Kamyar

2017-01-01

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and the fourth most common cause of cancer death in the world. The aim of this study was to investigate the provincial distribution of the incidence of CRC across Iran. This epidemiologic study used data from the National Cancer Registry of Iran and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran. The average annual age-standardized rate (ASR) for the incidence of CRC was calculated for each province. We found that adenocarcinoma (not otherwise specified) was the most common histological subtype of CRC in males and females, accounting for 81.91 and 81.95% of CRC cases, respectively. Signet ring cell carcinoma was the least prevalent subtype of CRC in males and females and accounted for 1.5 and 0.94% of CRC cases, respectively. In patients aged 45 years or older, there was a steady upward trend in the incidence of CRC, and the highest ASR of CRC incidence among both males and females was in the age group of 80-84 years, with an ASR of 144.69 per 100,000 person-years for males and 119.18 per 100,000 person-years for females. The highest incidence rates of CRC in Iran were found in the central, northern, and western provinces. Provinces in the southeast of Iran had the lowest incidence rates of CRC. Wide geographical variation was found in the incidence of CRC across the 31 provinces of Iran. These variations must be considered for prevention and control programs for CRC, as well as for resource allocation purposes.

Spatial modeling of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iran from 1983 to 2013.

PubMed

Holakouie-Naieni, Kourosh; Mostafavi, Ehsan; Boloorani, Ali Darvishi; Mohebali, Mehdi; Pakzad, Reza

2017-02-01

Cutaneous Leshmaniasis (CL), a parasitic skin infection caused by Leishmania species, is endemic in some regions of Iran. In this study, the effect of location on the incidence and distribution of CL in Iran was studied. We collected datas including the number of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis cases and populations at-risk of disease in Iran's different provinces reported by the Iranian ministry of health and the National Bureau of Statistics, respectively. Spatial modeling was performed using Arc GIS software. Descriptive maps, hotspot analysis, and high/low clustering analysis were used to demonstrate distribution of the cutaneous leishmaniasis, to determine regions at risk of disease's incidence, and to reach the most appropriate method for clustering of disease. The total number of cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis reported through the study period was 589,913. The annual incidence of CL was estimated to be 30.9 per 100,000 in Iranian population. We also demonstrated that Cutaneous leishmaniasis most prominently occurs in regions with dry and desert climates as well as in central parts of Iran. It affected the southwest of Iran between 1983 and 1997, and subsequently developed towards the center and the eastern between 1998 and 2013. Disease hotspots were focused in the provinces of Yazd, Khozestan and Kohgiloyeh-Boyer-Ahmad (p<0.05). No pattern of spatial clustering was observed. Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a major health problem which could be a serious threat for inhabitants who live in high-risk provinces of Iran; much more resources need to be allocated in these areas, to warrant the prevention as well as effectively management of this disease. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Etiology of Acute Bacterial Meningitis in Iran: a Systematic Review.

PubMed

Ghotaslou, Reza; Yeganeh-Sefidan, Fatemeh; Salahi-Eshlaqi, Behnaz; Ebrahimzadeh-Leylabadlo, Hamed

2015-08-01

Acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) is one of the most severe infectious diseases, causing neurologic sequel, and a case fatality rate of 20-30%. The aim of this paper was to summarize the main causes of ABM in Iran. We searched the data for relevant articles using meningitis, etiology, and Iran as search terms. We found 23 papers for inclusion in the review that focused specifically on the ABM, addressing etiology and acute meningitis. Finally, during the 23 years, a total of 18163 cases were recorded, and 1074 cases of which met the criteria for bacterial meningitis. The most common agent associated with bacterial meningitis was S. pneumoniae, followed by H. influenzae, Enterobacter spp., N. meningitidis, and group B streptococcus. The total incidence of ABM during 1991 to 2002 was higher than during 2003-2013. S. pneumoniae still remains a main cause of bacterial meningitis. For improved outcomes, studies are needed to further clarify the etiology of meningitis in Iran, explore simple, accurate, and practical diagnostic tools as PCR, and investigate the most appropriate specific and supportive interventions to manage and prevent meningitis as vaccination.

Plague in Iran: its history and current status

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVES: Plague remains a public health concern worldwide, particularly in old foci. Multiple epidemics of this disease have been recorded throughout the history of Iran. Despite the long-standing history of human plague in Iran, it remains difficult to obtain an accurate overview of the history and current status of plague in Iran. METHODS: In this review, available data and reports on cases and outbreaks of human plague in the past and present in Iran and in neighboring countries were collected, and information was compiled regarding when, where, and how many cases occurred. RESULTS: This paper considers the history of plague in Persia (the predecessor of today’s Iran) and has a brief review of plague in countries in the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region, including a range of countries in the Middle East and North Africa. CONCLUSIONS: Since Iran has experienced outbreaks of plague for several centuries, neighboring countries have reported the disease in recent years, the disease can be silent for decades, and the circulation of Yersinia pestis has been reported among rodents and dogs in western Iran, more attention should be paid to disease monitoring in areas with previously reported human cases and in high-risk regions with previous epizootic and enzootic activity. PMID:27457063

Prevalence of hepatitis d virus infection among hepatitis B virus infected patients in qom province, center of iran.

PubMed

Ghadir, Mohammad-Reza; Belbasi, Mojtaba; Heidari, Akram; Sarkeshikian, Seyed Saeid; Kabiri, Alireza; Ghanooni, Amir Hossein; Iranikhah, Abolfazl; Vaez-Javadi, Maryam; Alavian, Seyed Moayed

2012-03-01

Hepatitis D virus (HDV) is a defective RNA virus that depends on the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) of hepatitis B virus for its replication, developing exclusively in patients with acute or chronic hepatitis B. There are little data regarding the routes of HDV transmission in Iran. The risk factors for HDV infection in Iran are blood transfusion, surgery, family history, Hejamat wet cupping (traditional phlebotomy), tattooing, war injury, dental interventions, and endoscopy. We performed this study to determine the prevalence of hepatitis D in the general population of Qom province and the potential risk factors for acquiring HDV. This cross-sectional study collected 3690 samples from 7 rural clusters and 116 urban clusters. HBs antigen was measured, and if the test was positive, anti-HDV was measured. Ten teams, each consisting of 2 trained members, were assigned to conduct the sampling and administer the questionnaires. The data were analyzed using SPSS. Forty-eight subjects (1.3%) suffered from hepatitis B, and 1 HBsAg-positive case had HDV infection. The prevalence of hepatitis D infection in Qom Province was 0.03%. The prevalence of hepatitis D infection in HBsAg-positive cases was 2%. Our anti-HDV-positive case had a history of tattooing, surgery, and dental surgery. There was no significant relationship between tattooing, surgery history, or dental surgery and hepatitis D infection. The prevalence of hepatitis D in Qom is the the lowest in Iran, similar to a study in Babol (north of Iran).

Echinococcus granulosus genotypes in Iran: a systematic review.

PubMed

Khademvatan, S; Majidiani, H; Foroutan, M; Hazrati Tappeh, K; Aryamand, S; Khalkhali, H R

2018-04-02

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) caused by Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s.l.) is a significant zoonosis, especially in developing countries of the Middle East, with many studies focusing on CE genotypes in Iran. We performed a systematic review to determine the exact status of E. granulosus genotypes in the country. We explored English (Pubmed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science and Science Direct) and Persian (Magiran, Iran Medex and Scientific Information Database) databases along with Google Scholar. Our review included 73 studies published prior to the end of 2015. In total, 2952 animal (intermediate and definitive) hosts were examined, and the prevalent genotypes comprised G1 (92.75%) and G6 (4.53%) in sheep, cattle, camels, goats and buffaloes; G3 (2.43%) in five herbivore hosts and dogs; G7 (0.2%) in sheep and goats; and G2 (0.06%) in dogs. G1 was mostly dominant in West Azerbaijan, whereas G3 and G6 were identified most frequently in the provinces of Isfahan and Fars, respectively. Regarding human CE infection, 340 cases were reported from Iran, with the identified genotypes G1 (n = 320), G6 (n = 13) and G3 (n = 7). Most CE-infected humans originated from Isfahan province (168 cases), whereas the lowest number of infected persons was noted in Kerman province (two cases). The information obtained from this systematic review is central to better understanding the biological and epidemiological characteristics of E. granulosus s.l. genotypes in Iran, leading to more comprehensive control strategies.

Correlates of the Intention to Remain Sexually Inactive among Male Adolescents in an Islamic Country: Case of the Republic of Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohtasham, Ghaffari; Shamsaddin, Niknami; Bazargan, Mohsen; Anosheravan, Kazemnejad; Elaheh, Mirzaee; Fazlolah, Ghofranipour

2009-01-01

Background: There are very few studies that have examined sexual intentions and behaviors of adolescents in Islamic countries. This study employs the Health Belief Model to assess the correlates of the intention to remain sexually inactive among male adolescents in the Republic of Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed with a…

A Comparative Study of Faculty Members' Career Advancement (Promotion) Systems in the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran: "Case Analysis of the University of Tehran and Portland State University"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tanaomi, Mohammad Mehdi; Asaadi, Robert Reza

2017-01-01

This article examines the similarities and differences in the systems for faculty career advancement in higher education institutions in the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran. The analysis focuses on two specific cases: the University of Tehran and Portland State University. Through this paired comparison, we draw out the similarities…

ARE MACRO AND MICRO ENVIRONMENT AFFECTING MANAGEMENT OF FRESH WATER RESOURCES? A CASE FROM IRAN WITH PESTLE ANALYSIS.

PubMed

Atighechian, Golrokh; Maleki, Mohammadreza; Aryankhesal, Aidin; Jahangiri, Katayoun

2016-07-24

Oil spill in fresh water can affect ecological processes and accordingly it can influence human health. Iran, due to having 58.8 % of the world oil reserves, is highly vulnerable to water contamination by oil products. The aim of this study was to determine environmental factors affecting the management of the oil spill into one of the river in Iran using the PESTLE analysis. This was a qualitative case study conducted in 2015 on an oil spill incident in Iran and its roots from a disaster management approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted for data collection. Seventy managers and staffs with those responsible or involved in oil spill incident management were recruited to the study. Qualitative content analysis approach was employed for the data analysis. Document analysis was used to collect additional information. Findings of the present study indicated that different factors affected the management of the event of oil spill onto one of the central river and consequently the management of drink water resources. Using this analysis, managers can plan for such events and develop scenarios for them to have better performance for the future events.

ARE MACRO AND MICRO ENVIRONMENT AFFECTING MANAGEMENT OF FRESH WATER RESOURCES? A CASE FROM IRAN WITH PESTLE ANALYSIS

PubMed Central

Atighechian, Golrokh; Maleki, Mohammadreza; Aryankhesal, Aidin; Jahangiri, Katayoun

2016-01-01

Introduction: Oil spill in fresh water can affect ecological processes and accordingly it can influence human health. Iran, due to having 58.8 % of the world oil reserves, is highly vulnerable to water contamination by oil products. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine environmental factors affecting the management of the oil spill into one of the river in Iran using the PESTLE analysis. Material and methods: This was a qualitative case study conducted in 2015 on an oil spill incident in Iran and its roots from a disaster management approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted for data collection. Seventy managers and staffs with those responsible or involved in oil spill incident management were recruited to the study. Qualitative content analysis approach was employed for the data analysis. Document analysis was used to collect additional information. Results: Findings of the present study indicated that different factors affected the management of the event of oil spill onto one of the central river and consequently the management of drink water resources. Using this analysis, managers can plan for such events and develop scenarios for them to have better performance for the future events. PMID:27698608

A five-year study on the epidemiological approaches to cholera in Iran.

PubMed

Mafi, Moharam; Goya, Mohammad Mahdi; Hajia, Massoud

2016-01-01

Cholera is considered a key indicator of social development but still is reported in various cities of Iran. The present study aimed to analyze the available information regarding cholera outbreaks since 2010 in Iran. All cases reported to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Ministry of Health and Education who had been confirmed as cholera cases by the Health Reference Laboratory, were entered into this study since 2010. A specific spreadsheet was designed to ensure the safe keeping of the patient records. A total of 1522 patients were clinically diagnosed as cholera with laboratory confirmation over the study period. Cholera was detected in 26 Provinces and 115 cities during this period. Mean age of the patients was 35.1±17, both the Inaba and Ogawa strains were isolated. The highest mortality and the morbidity rate was 1.98% in 2013. The most cholera prevalent provinces in order of frequency were Baluchistan, Alborz, Gilan, Golestan and Qom, as well as Tehran. Inaba serotype was the most common cause of mortality and morbidity in 2013. These findings indicate significant outbreaks of cholera in some of the provinces of Iran and warrant appropriate treatment and preventive measures.

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever and its relationship with climate factors in southeast Iran: a 13-year experience.

PubMed

Ansari, Hossein; Shahbaz, Babak; Izadi, Shahrokh; Zeinali, Mohammad; Tabatabaee, Seyyed Mehdi; Mahmoodi, Mahmood; Holakouie Naieni, Kourosh; Mansournia, Mohammad Ali

2014-06-11

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is endemic in southeast Iran. In this study we present the epidemiological features of CCHF and its relationship with climate factors in over a 13-year span. Surveillance system data of CCHF from 2000 to 2012 were obtained from the Province Health Centre of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences in southeast Iran. The climate data were obtained from the climate organization. The seasonal auto-regression integrated moving average (SARIMA) model was used for time series analysis to produce a model as applicable as possible in predicting the variations in the occurrence of the disease. Between 2000 and 2012, 647 confirmed CCHF cases were reported from Sistan-va-Baluchistan province. The total case fatality rate was about 10.0%. Climate variables including mean temperature (°C), accumulated rainfall (mm), and maximum relative humidity (%) were significantly correlated with monthly incidence of CCHF (p <0.05). There was no clear pattern of decline in the reported number of cases within the study's time span. The first spike in the number of CCHF cases in Iran occurred after the first surge of the disease in Pakistan. This study shows the potential of climate indicators as predictive factors in modeling the occurrence of CCHF, even though it has to be appreciated whether there is any need for a practically applicable model. There are also other factors, such as entomological indicators and virological finding that must be considered.

The prevalence of zinc deficiency in patients with thalassemia in South East of iran, sistan and baluchistan province.

PubMed

Mashhadi, Mohammad Ali; Sepehri, Zahra; Heidari, Zahra; Shirzaee, Eghbal; Kiani, Zohre

2014-08-01

There are different and controversial reports about zinc deficiency in patients with major thalassemia. The aim of this study was to evaluate zinc status in patients with major thalassemia in Sistan and Baluchistan province, southeastern Iran. The study was performed in Ali Asghar Hospital, a specialized governmental hospital located in Zahedan, Iran. In this cross-sectional study, 369 patients with a history of major thalassemia for more than 5 years entered the study using convenience sampling method. Thirty-six subjects were excluded from the study based on our exclusion criteria. Zinc level was measured in all patients after 12 hours fasting using atomic absorption spectrometry method in 2012. Of 369 cases, 333 patients were eligible and evaluated. The mean age was 15.63 ± 7.4 years. One hundred ninety two cases were male and others were female (141 cases). About 27% (90) of the cases were 5-10 years-old, 24% (80) were 10-15 years-old and 49% were older than 15 years old. Iron chelator in 65.46% was Desferrioxamine, in 28.2% was Deferasirox and in 19.5% was combination of Desferrioxamine and Deferiprone. All cases had zinc deficiency, and 98.5% had severe zinc deficiency. Others (1.5%) had mild deficiency. Our study on 333 patients with major thalassemia documented severe zinc deficiency in all cases. We had no cases with normal or increased zinc levels. It was different with other reports in the world.

Human embryonic stem cell science and policy: The case of Iran☆

PubMed Central

Saniei, Mansooreh

2013-01-01

The paper is based on a large qualitative study of ethics, policy and regulation of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) science in Iran. This case study in five academic research centres used semi-structured interviews to examine in depth the views of stem cell scientists, embryologists and ethics committee members on hESC research policy in this Shia Muslim country. Although Iran's policy approach has been considered 'intermediate', what is described here seems to be a 'more flexible' policy on hESC science. This article describes three arguments to explain why Iran has shaped such a policy. These are: (1) a flexibility of the Shia tradition has allowed for hESC science; (2) permissive policy related to other fields of biomedicine, such as new assisted reproductive technologies, facilitated approval of hESC research; and (3) a lack of public debate of bioscience in Iran influences how its hESC research policy is perceived. Based on the empirical data, this paper then expands and refines the conceptual bioethical basis for the co-production of science, policy, and society in Iran. The notion of co-production implies that scientists, policy-makers, and sometimes other societal actors cooperate in the exchange, production, and application of knowledge to make science policy. PMID:24230960

Efficiency of Nested-PCR in Detecting Asymptomatic Cases toward Malaria Elimination Program in an Endemic Area of Iran.

PubMed

Turki, Habibollah; Raeisi, Ahmad; Malekzadeh, Kianoosh; Ghanbarnejad, Amin; Zoghi, Samaneh; Yeryan, Masoud; Abedi Nejad, Masoumeh; Mohseni, Fatemeh; Shekari, Mohammad

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to detect low parasite and asymptomatic malaria infections by means of three malaria diagnostic tests, in a low transmission region of Minab district, Hormozgan Province, southern Iran. Blood samples of 200 healthy volunteers from Bagh-e-Malek area were evaluated using microscopic, rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) and nested-PCR to inspect malaria parasite. The results showed no Plasmodium parasite in subjects by means of microscopy and RDT. However, 3 P. vivax positive samples (1.5%) were discovered by Nested-PCR while microscopy and RDT missed the cases. Microscopy as the gold standard method and RDT correctly identified 98.5% of cases, and molecular analysis is sensitive and reliable, especially in the detection of "asymptomatic" infections for active case surveillance. Regarding the existence of asymptomatic malaria in endemic area of Hormozgan, Iran, nested-PCR could be considered as a sensitive tool to interrupt malaria transmission in the country, beside the microscopic and RDT methods.

75 FR 74685 - Initiation of Five-Year (“Sunset”) Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-01

... pistachios from Iran (A-507-502) in December 2010. However, the recently enacted Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 includes a ban on all U.S. imports from Iran, including pistachios... on raw pistachios from Iran until two months after the import ban on pistachios is lifted. DOC case...

A Comprehensive Look into the Instruction of Listening Skill in Academic English Programs: A Case Study of Two State Universities in Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Babaee, Hamidreza

2017-01-01

The study reported here thoroughly investigated the instruction of listening skill in academic English programs. This was researched through a semi-structured interview. In this regard, in order to obtain a picture of listening requirements across the academy, data were collected from two different state universities of Iran. To compile the data,…

Prevalence of cystic echinococcosis in Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Khalkhali, H R; Foroutan, M; Khademvatan, S; Majidiani, H; Aryamand, S; Khezri, P; Aminpour, A

2018-05-01

As a significant zoonosis, cystic echinococcosis (CE) is endemic in some parts of the world, such as the Middle East. There are studies on the prevalence of this infection in animal and human reservoirs in Iran; hence, we conducted this meta-analysis to elucidate the prevalence of CE in Iran. English (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct and Google Scholar) and Persian (Magiran, Iran Medex, Iran Doc and SID) databases were explored. In the case of definitive, animal and human intermediate hosts, 37, 90 and 33 studies, respectively, have been included in the current review from January 1990 to December 2015. According to outcomes of the heterogeneity test, either Der Simonian and Laird's random-effects method or Mantel-Haenszel's fixed-effects method were employed to pool the estimations. The pooled prevalence of Echinococcus granulosus infection in definitive hosts was calculated as 23.6% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 17.6-30.1%). The weighted prevalence of animal and human hydatidosis was calculated as 15.6% (95% CI = 14.2-17.1%) and 4.2% (95% CI = 3.0-5.5%), respectively. Meanwhile, most cases of human hydatidosis were in southern Iran, with a prevalence of 5.8% (3.2-9.2%). In terms of human hydatidosis, more infections were found in rural regions, and mostly in female individuals. Egger's regression test revealed publication bias, with a remarkable impact on total prevalence of the infection in animal intermediate hosts (P < 0.001), while it was not significant in human hosts (P = 0.4) and definitive hosts (P = 0.3). According to the weighted estimated prevalence of cystic echinococcosis and its financial burden, implementing appropriate control programmes should be compulsory to decrease the burden of the disease in Iran.

Socio-Economic and Communication Indicators in Development Planning: A Case Study of Iran. Communication and Society 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tehranian, Majid

Examination of the social development of Iran reveals that quantitative leaps in the growth of traditional communication indicators, such as the mass media, did not necessarily mean growth in the social communication system as a whole. The intrinsic communication needs of modern Iranians for identity, legitimacy, and community have remained…

Recommendations for Promoting E-learning in Higher Education Institutions: A Case Study of Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanafizadeh, Payam; Khodabakhshi, Mohsen; Hanafizadeh, Mohammad Reza

2011-01-01

This paper intends to offer recommendations for promoting e-learning in higher education institutions in developing countries in general, and in Iran in particular. For this, 279 recommendations were extracted through the investigation of 11 countries and 5 regions. Using content analysis, 23 recommendations were selected and then categorized into…

The Prevalence of Zinc Deficiency in Patients With Thalassemia in South East of Iran, Sistan and Baluchistan Province

PubMed Central

Mashhadi, Mohammad Ali; Sepehri, Zahra; Heidari, Zahra; Shirzaee, Eghbal; Kiani, Zohre

2014-01-01

Background: There are different and controversial reports about zinc deficiency in patients with major thalassemia. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate zinc status in patients with major thalassemia in Sistan and Baluchistan province, southeastern Iran. Patients and Methods: The study was performed in Ali Asghar Hospital, a specialized governmental hospital located in Zahedan, Iran. In this cross-sectional study, 369 patients with a history of major thalassemia for more than 5 years entered the study using convenience sampling method. Thirty-six subjects were excluded from the study based on our exclusion criteria. Zinc level was measured in all patients after 12 hours fasting using atomic absorption spectrometry method in 2012. Results: Of 369 cases, 333 patients were eligible and evaluated. The mean age was 15.63 ± 7.4 years. One hundred ninety two cases were male and others were female (141 cases). About 27% (90) of the cases were 5-10 years-old, 24% (80) were 10-15 years-old and 49% were older than 15 years old. Iron chelator in 65.46% was Desferrioxamine, in 28.2% was Deferasirox and in 19.5% was combination of Desferrioxamine and Deferiprone. All cases had zinc deficiency, and 98.5% had severe zinc deficiency. Others (1.5%) had mild deficiency. Conclusions: Our study on 333 patients with major thalassemia documented severe zinc deficiency in all cases. We had no cases with normal or increased zinc levels. It was different with other reports in the world. PMID:25389495

Stressful life events and risk of colorectal cancer: a case-control study of Iran.

PubMed

Azizi, Hosein; Esmaeili, Elham Davtalab

2015-01-01

Very few analytical studies are available on any association between stressful life events (SLE) and colorectal cancer (CRC), at least in Iran. The aim of this case control study was to determine the association between stressful life events (SLE) and colorectal cancer. This study was conducted in four hospital colonoscopy units in Tabriz city of Iran including 414 participants aged 40-75 years: 207 cases with CRC confirmed by pathology and colonoscopy findings and 207 controls free of neoplastic conditions were selected (from the same hospitals at the same period for the cases and after matching for age and sex). Stressful life events were assessed using a 43-item Holmes and Rahe Life Events Questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios for SLE and risk of CRC. The stressful life event mean score in the case group was 141.3, in contrast to 63.8 in the control group (p<0.011). After adjusting for confounders, death of dear ones increased the risk of CRC (OR: 2.49; 95%CI: 1.41-5.13). Other types of stressful life events (family and husband disputes, serious occupational problems, unemployment of >6 months, and Serious financial problems) were also associated with CRC, but without statistical significance. According to our findings, it seems that SLE may increase the risk of CRC.

Localization of determinants of fertility through measurement adaptations in developing-country settings: The case of Iran: Comment on "Analysis of economic determinants of fertility in Iran: a multilevel approach".

PubMed

Erfani, Amir

2014-12-01

Studies investigating fertility decline in developing countries often adopt measures of determinants of fertility behavior developed based on observations from developed countries, without adapting them to the realities of the study setting. As a result, their findings are usually invalid, anomalous or statistically non-significant. This commentary draws on the research article by Moeeni and colleagues, as an exemplary work which has not adapted measures of two key economic determinants of fertility behavior, namely gender inequality and opportunity costs of childbearing, to the realities of Iran's economy. Measurement adaptations that can improve the study are discussed.

A case of Moniliformis moniliformis (Acanthocephala) infection in Iran

PubMed Central

Fata, Abdolmajid; Hosseininejad, Zahra

2007-01-01

Only a few cases of Acanthocephala infections have been reported in humans, and Moniliformis moniliformis is the most common species around the world. We report here a case of infection with M. moniliformis, which passed in the stool of a 2-year-old girl in Iran. The patient had abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and facial edema. According to her mother, the patient had habit of eating dirt and once a cockroach was discovered in her mouth. In stool examination, eggs of M. moniliformis were not found. She was treated with levamisole and the clinical symptoms reduced within 2 weeks. The specimen contained 2 pieces of a female worm with a total length of 148 mm lacking the posterior end. The spiral musculature of the proboscis receptacle and the shape of the trunk allowed its generic determination. Previously 2 cases of M. moniliformis infection were reported in Iran. This is the 3rd case of M. moniliformis infection in Iran. PMID:17570979

A case of Moniliformis moniliformis (Acanthocephala) infection in Iran.

PubMed

Berenji, Fariba; Fata, Abdolmajid; Hosseininejad, Zahra

2007-06-01

Only a few cases of Acanthocephala infections have been reported in humans, and Moniliformis moniliformis is the most common species around the world. We report here a case of infection with M. moniliformis, which passed in the stool of a 2-year-old girl in Iran. The patient had abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and facial edema. According to her mother, the patient had habit of eating dirt and once a cockroach was discovered in her mouth. In stool examination, eggs of M. moniliformis were not found. She was treated with levamisole and the clinical symptoms reduced within 2 weeks. The specimen contained 2 pieces of a female worm with a total length of 148 mm lacking the posterior end. The spiral musculature of the proboscis receptacle and the shape of the trunk allowed its generic determination. Previously 2 cases of M. moniliformis infection were reported in Iran. This is the 3rd case of M. moniliformis infection in Iran.

Emerging Epidemic of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in a Middle Income Country: A Nation-wide Study from Iran.

PubMed

Malekzadeh, Masoud M; Vahedi, Homayoon; Gohari, Kimiya; Mehdipour, Parinaz; Sepanlou, Sadaf G; Ebrahimi Daryani, Nasser; Zali, Mohammad-Reza; Mansour-Ghanaei, Fariborz; Safaripour, Alireza; Aghazadeh, Rahim; Vossoughinia, Hassan; Fakheri, Hafez; Somi, Mohammad H; Maleki, Iradj; Hoseini, Vahid; Ghadir, Mohammad-Reza; Daghaghzadeh, Hamed; Adibi, Payman; Tavakoli, Hamid; Taghavi, Alireza; Zahedi, Mohammad-Javad; Amiriani, Taghi; Tabib, Masoud; Alipour, Zainab; Nobakht, Hossein; Yazdanbod, Abbas; Sadreddini, Masoud; Bakhshipour, Alireza; Khosravi, Ahmad; Khosravi, Pejman; Nasseri-Moghaddam, Siavosh; Merat, Shahin; Sotoudehmanesh, Rasoul; Barazandeh, Farhad; Arab, Peyman; Baniasadi, Nadieh; Pournaghi, Seyyed-Javad; Parsaeian, Mahboubeh; Farzadfar, Farshad; Malekzadeh, Reza

2016-01-01

The burden of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) hasn't been reported in Iran. We aimed to estimate the prevalence and incidence of IBD and its trend in Iran at national and subnational level from 1990 to 2012. We conducted a systematic review of English and Persian databases about the epidemiology of IBD. We also collected outpatient data from 17 provinces of Iran using almost all public and private referral gastroenterology clinics. Prevalence and incidence rate was calculated at national and subnational levels. The Kriging method was used to extrapolate provinces with missing data and GPR model to calculate time trends of rates at subnational level. We found 16 case series, two population-based studies, and two review articles. We collected 11,000 IBD cases from outpatient databases. Among them, 9,269 (84.26%) had ulcerative colitis (UC), 1,646 (14.96%) had Crohn's disease (CD), and 85 had intermediate colitis (IC). A total of 5,452 (49.56%) patients were male. Mean age at diagnosis was 32.80 years (CI: 13 - 61) for UC and 29.98 years (CI: 11 - 58) for CD. Annual incidences of IBD, UC, and CD in 2012 were 3.11, 2.70, and 0.41 per 100,000 subjects respectively. Prevalence of IBD, UC, and CD in 2012 were 40.67, 35.52, and 5.03 per 100,000 subjects respectively. The incidence of UC and CD showed a significant increase during the study period (P for trend < 0.05). The incidence and prevalence of IBD are increasing in Iran. Establishing a national IBD registry seems necessary for comprehensive care of IBD patients in Iran.

Information security risk management for computerized health information systems in hospitals: a case study of Iran

PubMed Central

Zarei, Javad; Sadoughi, Farahnaz

2016-01-01

Background In recent years, hospitals in Iran – similar to those in other countries – have experienced growing use of computerized health information systems (CHISs), which play a significant role in the operations of hospitals. But, the major challenge of CHIS use is information security. This study attempts to evaluate CHIS information security risk management at hospitals of Iran. Materials and methods This applied study is a descriptive and cross-sectional research that has been conducted in 2015. The data were collected from 551 hospitals of Iran. Based on literature review, experts’ opinion, and observations at five hospitals, our intensive questionnaire was designed to assess security risk management for CHISs at the concerned hospitals, which was then sent to all hospitals in Iran by the Ministry of Health. Results Sixty-nine percent of the studied hospitals pursue information security policies and procedures in conformity with Iran Hospitals Accreditation Standards. At some hospitals, risk identification, risk evaluation, and risk estimation, as well as risk treatment, are unstructured without any specified approach or methodology. There is no significant structured approach to risk management at the studied hospitals. Conclusion Information security risk management is not followed by Iran’s hospitals and their information security policies. This problem can cause a large number of challenges for their CHIS security in future. Therefore, Iran’s Ministry of Health should develop practical policies to improve information security risk management in the hospitals of Iran. PMID:27313481

Carbon monoxide poisoning in Iran during 1999-2016: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Hosseininejad, Seyed Mohammad; Aminiahidashti, Hamed; Goli Khatir, Iraj; Ghasempouri, Seyed Khosro; Jabbari, Ali; Khandashpour, Mahmoud

2018-01-01

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a common cause of emergency department (ED) visits worldwide with high levels of morbidity and mortality. No inclusive nationally statistics of CO poisoning in Iran is available. The present review aimed to describe and review the pattern of CO poisoning in Iran. The search of Medline, SCOPUS, Cochrane library, Google Scholar, Magiran, IranDoc and SID (Scientific Information Database) yielded only 10 studies discussing the epidemiology of CO poisoning in Iran. Outcomes of interest were determining the demographic characteristics, prevalence and mortality rates, annual trends, main sources and mechanisms, location of incidents of CO poisoning as well as providing the safety awareness and precautions. Totally, 10 studies including 6372 victims of CO poisoning were reviewed. The estimated incidence rate of CO poisoning was 38.91 per 100,000, the proportionate mortality rate was 11.6 per 1000 death and the pooled case fatality rate of was 9.5% (95% CI 6.3%-14.30%). Of the total 5105 individuals with CO poisoning, 2048 (40.12%) were male and 3057 (59.88%) were female. In addition, of 5105 poisoned, 4620 (90.50%) were alive and 485 (9.50%) were dead. The number of fatal CO poisoning cases among men and women were 259 (5.07%) and 226 (4.43%) victims, respectively; while the number of non-fatal CO poisoning cases among men and women were 1790 (35.06%) and 2830 (55.44%) individuals, respectively. The mean age of victims was about 30 years. Most of the victims (36.37%) had the educational level of secondary school, marital status of single (52.74%), and occupational status of housekeeper (27.48%). The incidence, proportionate mortality and case fatality rates of CO poisoning is high in Iran, particularly in young individuals. It seems that preventive strategies should be taught by health care providers more thoroughly and implemented by policy makers more strictly as a mandatory law. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Conducting Field Research on Gender Relations in a Gender Repressive State: A Case Study of Gender Research in Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rezai-Rashti, Goli M.

2013-01-01

This paper reflects on the experience of conducting fieldwork and the gendering of research within the context of a gender repressive state. The Islamic Republic of Iran has consistently enacted discriminatory policies regarding gender relations since 1979. These regressive measures have made the state apprehensive and sensitive towards any…

Aluminum Phosphide Poisoning-Related Deaths in Tehran, Iran, 2006 to 2013

PubMed Central

Etemadi-Aleagha, Afshar; Akhgari, Maryam; Iravani, Fariba Sardari

2015-01-01

Abstract Metal phosphides such as aluminum phosphide are potent insecticides. This highly toxic substance is used for rice and other grains protection in Iran. Due to its high toxicity potential and easy availability, it is widely used as a suicide poison. This substance has no effective antidote and the incidence of deaths due to its poisoning is increasing day by day in Iran. The present study was conducted to show the increasing incidence of fatal aluminum phosphide poisoning and its toxicological and forensic aspects in an 8-year study, 2006 to 2013. Autopsy sheets were reviewed and cases with the history of aluminum phosphide poisoning were selected. Toxicological analysis results, demographic and necroscopic examination findings were studied. A total of 51.8% of studied cases were female. Most of the cases were between 10 and 40 years old. The manner of death was self-poisoning in 85% of cases. Morphine, ethanol, and amitriptyline were the most common additional drugs detected in toxicological analysis. The incidence of fatal aluminum phosphide poisoning cases referred for phosphine analysis was 5.22 and 37.02 per million of population of Tehran in 2006 and 2013, respectively. The results of this study showed that in spite of ban and restrictions, there was a dramatic increase in the incidence of fatal aluminum phosphide poisoning in Tehran from 2006 to 2013. Safety alert should be highlighted in training program for all population groups about the toxic effects of aluminum phosphide tablets. PMID:26402837

A case-control study of risk factors for multiple sclerosis in Iran.

PubMed

Alonso, Alvaro; Cook, Stuart D; Maghzi, Amir-Hadi; Divani, Afshin A

2011-05-01

Numerous studies have assessed risk factors for multiple sclerosis (MS), although none have been conducted previously in Iran. The objective of this study was to study lifestyle and environmental risk factors of MS in the Iranian population. A case-control study, including 394 MS cases and 394 matched controls, was conducted in MS clinics in different Iranian cities. Information on lifestyles, environmental exposures, and past medical history was obtained from medical charts and phone interviews. In multivariable analysis, sunlight exposure was associated with a lower risk of MS: the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of MS associated with a 1-h increment in daily sunlight was 0.62 (0.53-0.73). Smoking was associated with MS risk in women (OR: 6.48, 95% CI: 1.46-28.78), but not in men (OR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.31-1.68) (p=0.002 for interaction). Finally, past history of common surgical procedures, infectious disorders, or exposure to pets and farm animals was not associated with MS risk. Different modifiable lifestyles, including sunlight exposure and smoking, were associated with lower MS risk in Iran. Interventions aimed at promoting smoking cessation and, more importantly, at increasing exposure to sunlight might contribute to the prevention of MS.

Gender Differential Item Functioning on a National Field-Specific Test: The Case of PhD Entrance Exam of TEFL in Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmadi, Alireza; Bazvand, Ali Darabi

2016-01-01

Differential Item Functioning (DIF) exists when examinees of equal ability from different groups have different probabilities of successful performance in a certain item. This study examined gender differential item functioning across the PhD Entrance Exam of TEFL (PEET) in Iran, using both logistic regression (LR) and one-parameter item response…

Epidemiology of tinea capitis in northeast Iran: a retrospective analysis from 1998 to 2012.

PubMed

Afshar, Parvaneh; Vahedi, Lale; Ghasemi, Maryam; Mardanshahi, Alireza

2016-06-01

Tinea capitis is a common disease of the pediatric population. This disease typically follows one of several clinical patterns, i.e., scaling, hair loss, and/or inflammatory lesions, which are usually caused predominantly by two dermatophytic genera: Microsporum and Trichophyton. The aim of this study was to investigate tinea capitis and its etiological agents in Sari city of Mazandaran province, Iran. We studied the spectrum of tinea capitis by means of a retrospective analysis involving 1745 patients referred to both the Reference Laboratory of Medical Mycology (RLMM) and Bo Ali Sina Hospital at Sari, Iran (1998-2012). Specimens were assessed by standard mycological techniques based on macroscopic and microscopic morphology. Among the patients, 480 (27.5%; 61 males and 39% females) were confirmed through a mycological examination. The peak incidence was in the 5-14 years age group. Endothrix (263 cases; 54.8%) was the most frequent clinical feature by direct exam. The predominant causative agents of tinea capitis were T. tonsurans (186 cases; 38.8%) and T. violaceum (119 cases; 24.8%), followed by T. mentagrophytes (46 cases; 9.6%), T. schoenleinii (28; 5.8%), T. rubrum (20 cases; 4.2%), M. gypseum (15 cases; 3.1%), T. verrucosum (14 cases; 2.9%), and Epidermophyton floccosum (1 cases; 0.2%). The present study showed that tinea capitis is mainly due to the anthropophilic species, and the most common species were T. tonsurans and T. violaceum. Owing to the high frequency of anthropophilic species, future studies may be useful in the development of preventive and educational strategies to reduce healthcare expenditure. © 2015 The International Society of Dermatology.

An Experience in Cultural Heritage Documentation in Iran Using a Low-Cost Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassani, F.; Rafiee, M.

2013-07-01

Today, the need for preservation of cultural heritage as an important, irreplaceable resource for human is well recognized. In this regard, prior to any conservational measure, detailed documentation and recording of these precious resources should be performed; since this way, not only preservation requirements of the object will be identified, but also the existing condition will be recorded for future generations. Accordingly, since Iran is known as an ancient land possesses valuable historic resources, and due the numerousness of Iran's monuments and the high possibility of occurring natural disasters which are counted as significant threats for the monuments, the necessity of fast and appropriate documentation in this country will be clarified. This paper is in fact a part of the project entitled "Study of the application of digital technologies in recording and rehabilitation of historic buildings" in Iran. Here, the surveying process of aforesaid project's case study which is one of the two Kharraqan Tomb Towers placed in Qazvin province of Iran, using close range photogrammetry and low cost equipment will be demonstrated.

Evaluating the use of Social Impact Assessment in the context of agricultural development projects in Iran

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ahmadvand, Mostafa, E-mail: ahmadvand_2000@yahoo.co; Karami, Ezatollah, E-mail: ekarami@shirazu.ac.i; Zamani, Gholam Hossein, E-mail: zamani@shirazu.ac.i

2009-11-15

The utilisation of Social Impact Assessment (SIA) in Iran is analysed in terms of its policy context and its application in practice. Five case studies where SIA was employed in conjunction with Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) for agricultural development projects are evaluated. In addition, the performance of the policy context is assessed. This research revealed that there are legal and institutional constraints to the effective functioning of SIA in Iran, and that there are deficiencies in the operating guidelines. There were serious problems associated with the way SIA was undertaken in all five case studies. Recommendations to improve the policymore » framework for the conduct of SIA are made. The recommendations advocate for a higher profile of SIA within legislation, for social issues to have greater emphasis in official guidelines for the conduct of EIA and SIA, and for a range of measures to increase the professionalism of SIA practice.« less

Prostate Cancer in Iran: Trends in Incidence and Morphological and Epidemiological Characteristics.

PubMed

Pakzad, Reza; Rafiemanesh, Hosein; Ghoncheh, Mahshid; Sarmad, Arezoo; Salehiniya, Hamid; Hosseini, Sayedehafagh; Sepehri, Zahra; Afshari-Moghadam, Amin

2016-01-01

Prostate cancer is second most common cancer in men overall in the world, whereas it is the third most common cancer in men and the sixth most common cancer in Iran. Few studies have been conducted on the epidemiology of prostate cancer in Iran. Since ethnicity of Iranian men is different from Asian people and given the epidemiologic and demographic transition taking place in Iran, this study aimed to investigate trends of incidence and morphology of prostate cancer during 2003 - 2008 in the country. Data were collected retrospectively reviewing all new prostate cancer patients in the Cancer Registry Center of the Health Deputy for Iran during a 6-year period. Also carcinoma, NOS and adenocarcinoma, NOS morphology were surveyed. Trends analysis of incidence and morphology was by joinpoint regression. During the six years a total of 16,071 cases of prostate cancer were recorded in Iran. Most were adenocarcinomas at 95.2 percent. Trend analysis of incidence (ASR) There was a significant increase incidence, with annual percentage change (APC) of 17.3% and for morphology change percentage trends there was a significant decrease in adenocarcinoma with an APC of -1.24%. Prostate cancer is a disease of older men and the incidence is increasing in Iran. The most common morphology is adenocarcinoma this appears to be decreasing over time. Due to the changing lifestyles and the aging of the population, epidemiological studies and planning assessment of the etiology of prostate cancer and its early detection are essential.

Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Isolation from Clinical and Environmental Samples in Iran: Twenty Years of Surveillance.

PubMed

Velayati, Ali Akbar; Farnia, Parissa; Mozafari, Mohadese; Mirsaeidi, Mehdi

2015-01-01

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are opportunistic pathogens that are widely distributed in the environment. There is a lack of data on species distribution of these organisms from Iran. This study consists of a review of NTM articles published in Iran between the years 1992 and 2014. In this review, 20 articles and 14 case reports were identified. Among the 20 articles, 13 (65%) studies focused on NTM isolates from clinical specimens, 6 (30%) studies examined NTM isolates from environmental samples, and one (5%) article included both clinical and environmental isolates. M. fortuitum (229/997; 23%) was recorded as the most prevalent and rapid growing mycobacteria (RGM) species in both clinical (28%) and environmental (19%) isolated samples (P < 0.05). Among slow growing mycobacteria (SGM), M. simiae (103/494; 21%) demonstrated a higher frequency in clinical samples whereas in environmental samples it was M. flavescens (44/503; 9%). These data represent information from 14 provinces out of 31 provinces of Iran. No information is available in current published data on clinical or environmental NTM from the remaining 17 provinces in Iran. These results emphasize the potential importance of NTM as well as the underestimation of NTM frequency in Iran. NTM is an important clinical problem associated with significant morbidity and mortality in Iran. Continued research is needed from both clinical and environmental sources to help clinicians and researchers better understand and address NTM treatment and prevention.

Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Isolation from Clinical and Environmental Samples in Iran: Twenty Years of Surveillance

PubMed Central

Velayati, Ali Akbar; Farnia, Parissa; Mozafari, Mohadese

2015-01-01

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are opportunistic pathogens that are widely distributed in the environment. There is a lack of data on species distribution of these organisms from Iran. This study consists of a review of NTM articles published in Iran between the years 1992 and 2014. In this review, 20 articles and 14 case reports were identified. Among the 20 articles, 13 (65%) studies focused on NTM isolates from clinical specimens, 6 (30%) studies examined NTM isolates from environmental samples, and one (5%) article included both clinical and environmental isolates. M. fortuitum (229/997; 23%) was recorded as the most prevalent and rapid growing mycobacteria (RGM) species in both clinical (28%) and environmental (19%) isolated samples (P < 0.05). Among slow growing mycobacteria (SGM), M. simiae (103/494; 21%) demonstrated a higher frequency in clinical samples whereas in environmental samples it was M. flavescens (44/503; 9%). These data represent information from 14 provinces out of 31 provinces of Iran. No information is available in current published data on clinical or environmental NTM from the remaining 17 provinces in Iran. These results emphasize the potential importance of NTM as well as the underestimation of NTM frequency in Iran. NTM is an important clinical problem associated with significant morbidity and mortality in Iran. Continued research is needed from both clinical and environmental sources to help clinicians and researchers better understand and address NTM treatment and prevention. PMID:26180788

Molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis of human Trichostrongylus species from an endemic area of Iran.

PubMed

Sharifdini, Meysam; Derakhshani, Sedigheh; Alizadeh, Safar Ali; Ghanbarzadeh, Laleh; Mirjalali, Hamed; Mobedi, Iraj; Saraei, Mehrzad

2017-12-01

Human infections with Trichostrongylus species have been reported in most parts of Iran. The aim of this study was the identification, molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of human Trichostrongylus species based on ITS2 region of ribosomal DNA from Guilan Province, northern Iran. Stool samples were collected from rural inhabitants and examined by formalin-ether concentration and agar plate culture techniques. After anthelmintic treatment, male adult worms were collected from five infected cases. Genomic DNA was extracted from one male worm of each species in every treated individual and one filariform larva isolated from each case. PCR amplification of ITS2-rDNA region was performed and the products were sequenced. Among 1508 individuals, 46 (3.05%) were found infected with Trichostrongylus species using parasitological methods. Male worms of T. colubriformis, T. vitrinus and T. longispicularis were expelled from five patients after treatment. Out of 41 filariform larvae, 40 were T. colubriformis, and the other one was T. axei. Phylogenetic analysis showed that each species was placed together with reference sequences submitted to GenBank database. Intra-species similarity for all species obtained in the current study was 100%. T. colubriformis was found to be probably the most common species in this region of Iran. For the first time, the authors of the present study report the occurrence of natural human infection by T. longispicularis in the world. Therefore, the number of Trichostrongylus species infecting human in Iran now increased to ten. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The prevalence of amblyopia in 7-year-old schoolchildren in Iran.

PubMed

Hashemi, Hassan; Yekta, Abbasali; Jafarzadehpur, Ebrahim; Nirouzad, Fereidon; Ostadimoghaddam, Hadi; Eshrati, Babak; Mohazzab-Torabi, Saman; Khabazkhoob, Mehdi

2014-12-01

To determine the prevalence of amblyopia in schoolchildren aged 7 years in Iran, its relation with refractive errors, and its determinants. In this cross-sectional study, cluster sampling was done from elementary school students in 7 cities in Iran. In all schools, an optometrist conducted all tests, including measurement of uncorrected and corrected visual acuity, cycloplegic refraction, and cover test. In this study, amblyopia was defined as best corrected visual acuity 20/30 or less or a 2-line interocular optotype acuity difference with no pathology. Of the 4157 students selected for the study, 3675 participated and final analyses were done with data from 3547 children. The prevalence of amblyopia was 1.88% (95% CI: 1.24-2.52) (n=63). The prevalence was 1.91% (95% CI: 0.85-2.97) in boys and 1.85% (95% CI: 1.12-2.58) in girls (p=0.92). Among these cases, 60.30% (n=38) were unilateral. Also, 61.9% were strabismic, 27.0% were anisometropic, 9.5% were isometropic, and one case (1.6%) was due to congenital cataracts. Amblyopic individuals were more hypermetropic and the mean cylinder error was significantly higher. Necessary attention should be paid to amblyopia, although its prevalence in Iran is mid-range when compared with other countries. Amblyopia is more common in hyperopic and astigmatic individuals and therefore it is important to pay more attention to this refractive error during childhood. Since strabismus is the most common cause of amblyopia in Iran, children need to be checked for strabismus before the age of 5 years.

Relationship between exposure to pesticides and occurrence of acute leukemia in Iran.

PubMed

Maryam, Zakerinia; Sajad, Amirghofran; Maral, Namdari; Zahra, Lesan; Sima, Pooralimohamad; Zeinab, Attabac; Zahra, Mehravar; Fariba, Ebrahimi; Sezaneh, Haghpanah; Davood, Mehrabani

2015-01-01

One of the causes of acute leukemia can be exposure to certain chemicals such as pesticides. This study determined the relationship between exposure to pesticides and the occurrence of acute leukemia in Fars province, south of Iran. Between April 2011 and April 2013 in a case-control study conducted in Nemazee Hospital in Shiraz, Southern Iran; 314 subjects diagnosed with acute leukemia (94 pediatric cases and 220 adults) were enrolled to determine any correlation between exposure to pesticides and the occurrence. Controls (n=314) were matched by sex and age. There was a history of exposure to pesticides among 85% of pediatric cases and 69% of their controls and 83% of adult cases and 75% of their controls while 87.5% of pediatric cases and 90% of adult cases reported exposure to intermediate and high doses of pesticides and among the controls, the exposure to low doses of pesticides was 70.5% and 65%, respectively. Exposure to indoor pesticides was seen among most of cases and controls. Being a farmer was at a significantly more increased risk of developing acute leukemia in comparison to other jobs, especially for their children. Exposure to pesticides was shown to be one of the most important causes of acute leukemia. It seems that there is a need to educate the people on public health importance of exposure to pesticides especially during school time to reduce the risk of malignancies during childhood.

Breast Cancer Status in Iran: Statistical Analysis of 3010 Cases between 1998 and 2014

PubMed Central

Akbari, Mohammad Esmaeil; Sayad, Saed; Khayamzadeh, Maryam; Shojaee, Leila; Shormeji, Zeynab; Amiri, Mojtaba

2017-01-01

Background Breast cancer is the 5th leading cause of cancer death in Iranian women. This study analyzed 3010 women with breast cancer that had been referred to a cancer research center in Tehran between 1998 and 2014. Methods In this retrospective study, we analyzed 3010 breast cancer cases with 32 clinical and paraclinical attributes. We checked the data quality rigorously and removed any invalid values or records. The method was data mining (problem definition, data preparation, data exploration, modeling, evaluation, and deployment). However, only the descriptive analyses' results of the variables are presented in this article. To our knowledge, this is the most comprehensive study on breast cancer status in Iran. Results A typical Iranian breast cancer patient has been a 40–50-year-old married woman with two children, who has a high school diploma and no history of abortion, smoking, or diabetes. Most patients were estrogen and progesterone receptor positive, human epidermal growth factor (HER) negative, and P53 negative. Most cases were detected in stage 2 with intermediate grade. Conclusion This study revealed original findings which can be used in national policymaking to find the best early detection method and improve the care quality and breast cancer prevention in Iran. PMID:29201466

Traumatic myiasis agents in Iran with introducing of new dominant species, Wohlfahrtia magnifica (Diptera: Sarcophagidae).

PubMed

Rafinejad, Javad; Akbarzadeh, Kamran; Rassi, Yavar; Nozari, Jamasp; Sedaghat, Mohammad Mehdi; Hosseini, Mostafa; Alipour, Hamzeh; Ranjbar, Abdolmajid; Zeinali, Danial

2014-06-01

To study agents of animal wound myiasis in various geographical districts of Fars province. This study has been done in Fars province, located in the southern part of Iran. Sums of 10 358 domestic animals have been visited from April 2011 to March 2012. The infected wounds in any parts of animal body were sampled by means of forceps. About 61% of all animal wound myiasis were caused by larvae of Wohlfahrtia magnifica. The most wound myiasis cases due to this species occurred in central part of Fars province. There wasn't any significant difference between sheep and goat in infestation with myiasis (P>0.05). The infestation rate of myiasis in cattle community was 0.86%. The infestation rate of livestock was lower than other works in Iran and some other countries like Saudi Arabia. Chrysomya bezziana has been mentioned as main myiasis agent in Iran. But in this study it cleared that similarly to some European countries, the common animal myiasis agent in Iran is Wohlfahrtia magnifica. Introducing new species as principal agent for myiasis can help public health and animal husbandry policy makers to prepare sufficient and effective control and/or preventive measures for this disease.

Human Hydatidosis/Echinococosis in North Eastern Iran from 2003-2012.

PubMed

Andalib Aliabadi, Zohreh; Berenji, Fariba; Fata, Abdolmajid; Jarahi, Lida

2015-01-01

Human cystic echinococcosis (hydatidosis) continues to be an essential cause of morbidity and mortality in many parts of the world. We studied hydatid cyst pattern in hospitalized adult patients from 2003 to 2012 in Mashhad and Neyshabour, northeast of Iran. Overall, 1342 patients, 711 females (53%) and 631 males (47%) diagnosed as infected with hydatid cyst were evaluated. Their age was between 1 and 91 yr (mean age 37.75). The most affected age group was 20-30 yr old. Totally, 953 cases (71%) were urban and 375 cases (27.8%) were rural residents. The most common localization of cysts was the liver and lung. The housewives were the most frequently infected occupations. The rate of infection with hydatid cyst is high in Mashhad, northeast of Iran, and the incidence of human hydatidosis tends to increase in recent years so control and prevention programs are recommended.

Human Hydatidosis/Echinococosis in North Eastern Iran from 2003–2012

PubMed Central

ANDALIB ALIABADI, Zohreh; BERENJI, Fariba; FATA, Abdolmajid; JARAHI, Lida

2015-01-01

Background: Human cystic echinococcosis (hydatidosis) continues to be an essential cause of morbidity and mortality in many parts of the world. Methods: We studied hydatid cyst pattern in hospitalized adult patients from 2003 to 2012 in Mashhad and Neyshabour, northeast of Iran. Results: Overall, 1342 patients, 711 females (53%) and 631 males (47%) diagnosed as infected with hydatid cyst were evaluated. Their age was between 1 and 91 yr (mean age 37.75). The most affected age group was 20–30 yr old. Totally, 953 cases (71%) were urban and 375 cases (27.8%) were rural residents. The most common localization of cysts was the liver and lung. The housewives were the most frequently infected occupations. Conclusion: The rate of infection with hydatid cyst is high in Mashhad, northeast of Iran, and the incidence of human hydatidosis tends to increase in recent years so control and prevention programs are recommended. PMID:26811735

Malaria situation and anopheline mosquitoes in qom province, central iran.

PubMed

Farzinnia, B; Saghafipour, A; Abai, Mr

2010-01-01

The aims of this study was to analysis the current situation of malaria and to find the distribution of anopheline mosquitoes, as probable vectors of the disease, in Qom Province, central Iran. This study was carried out in two parts. First stage was data collection about malaria cases using recorded documents of patients in the Province health center, during 2001-2008. The second stage was entomological survey conducted by mosquito larval collection method in 4 villages with different geographical positions in 2008. Data were analyzed using Excel software. Of 4456 blood slides, 10.9% out were positive. Most of cases were imported from other countries (90.4%), mainly from Afghanistan (56.5%) and Pakistan (16.3%). Slide positive rate showed a maximum of 16.9% and a minimum of 2.9% in 2008 and 2007, respectively. Plasmodium vivax was causative agent of 93.75% of cases, followed by P. falciparum (6.25%). More than 15 years old age group contained the most malaria reported cases (66.7%). Two Anopheles species, An. superpictus and An. claviger were collected and identified. This is the first report of Anopheles claviger in Qom Province. Malaria is in the control stage in Qom Province. The rate of local transmission is very low (only 1 case), shows Anopheles superpictus, as the main malaria vector of central part of Iran, can play its role in malaria transmission in the area.

Double-stranded RNA viral infection of Trichomonas vaginalis (TVV1) in Iranian isolates.

PubMed

Khanaliha, Khadijeh; Masoumi-Asl, Hossein; Bokharaei-Salim, Farah; Tabatabaei, Azardokht; Naghdalipoor, Mehri

2017-08-01

The Totiviridae family includes a number of viruses that can infect protozoan parasites such as Leishmania and Giardia and fungi like Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Some isolates of Trichomonas vaginalis are also infected with one or more double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) viruses. In this study, the frequency of Trichomonas vaginalis virus (TVV1) was evaluated in Iranian isolates of T. vaginalis in Tehran, Iran. One thousand five hundred vaginal samples were collected from patients attending obstetrics and gynaecology hospitals associated with Iran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran from October 2015 to September 2016. Trichomonas vaginalis isolates were cultured in Diamond's modified medium. Nucleic acids were extracted using a DNA/RNA extraction kit and RT-PCR was performed. Among 1500 collected vaginal samples, 8 (0.53%) cases of T. vaginalis infection were found. Half (4/8) of the T. vaginalis positive cases were infected with TVV1. Phylogenetic mapping indicated that the Iranian isolates were most closely related to TVV1-OC5, TVV1-UR1. Iranian isolates of T. vaginalis were infected with TVV1. The frequency of viral infection (TVV1) in T. vaginalis isolates found in this study is higher than previously reported in Iran. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of a stool antigen detection kit and PCR for diagnosis of Entamoeba histolytica and Entamoeba dispar infections in asymptomatic cyst passers in Iran.

PubMed

Solaymani-Mohammadi, Shahram; Rezaian, Mostafa; Babaei, Zahra; Rajabpour, Azam; Meamar, Ahmad R; Pourbabai, Ahmad A; Petri, William A

2006-06-01

The present study was conducted to compare stool antigen detection with PCR for the diagnosis of Entamoeba sp. infection in asymptomatic cyst passers from Iran. Entamoeba dispar and, in one case, E. moshkovskii were the Entamoeba spp. found in the amebic cyst passers. There was a 100% correlation between the results from the TechLab E. histolytica II stool antigen kit and those from nested PCR. We concluded that E. dispar is much more common in asymptomatic cyst passers in Iran and that antigen detection and PCR are comparable diagnostic modalities.

Silent changes of tuberculosis in Iran (2005-2015): A joinpoint regression analysis.

PubMed

Marvi, Abolfazl; Asadi-Aliabadi, Mehran; Darabi, Mehdi; Rostami-Maskopaee, Fereshteh; Siamian, Hasan; Abedi, Ghasem

2017-01-01

Tuberculosis (TB) poses a severe risk to public health through the world but excessively distresses low-income nations. The aim of this study is to analyze silent changes of TB in Iran (2005-2015): A joinpoint regression analysis. This is a trend study conducted on all patients ( n = 70) that register in control disease center of Joibar (one of coastal cities and tourism destination in Northern Iran which was recognized as an independent town since 1998) during 2005-2015. The characteristics of patients imported to the SPSS 19 and variation in incidence rate of different forms of pulmonary TB (PTB) (PTB+ or PTB-) and extra-PTB (EPTB)/year was analyzed. Variation in incidence rate of TB for male and female groups and different age groups (0-14, 15-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, and above 65 years) was analyzed, variation in trend of this diseases for different groups was compared in intended years, and also, variation in incidence rate of TB was analyzed by Joinpoint Regression Software. The total number of TB was 70 cases during 2005-2015. The mean age of patients was 42.31 ± 21.26 years and median age was 40 years. About 71.4% of patients were PTB (55.7% for with PTB+ and 15.7% with PTB-) and rest of them (28.4%) were EPTB. In regard to classification of cases, 97.1% of them were new cases, 1.45% of them were relapsed cases, and 1.45% of them imported cases. In addition, history of hospitalization due to TB was observed in 44.3%. Despite recent developments of governmental health-care system in Iran and proper access to it and considering this fact that identification of TB cases with passive surveillance is possible. Hence, developing certain programs for sensitization of the covered population is essential.

Distribution and risk factors of hepatitis B virus infection in the general population of Central Iran.

PubMed

Ghadir, Mohammad Reza; Belbasi, Mojtaba; Heidari, Akram; Jandagh, Mahboobeh; Ahmadi, Iman; Habibinejad, Hosseinali; Kabiri, Alireza; Ghanooni, Amir Hossein; Iranikhah, Abolfazl; Alavian, Seyed Moayed

2012-02-01

Hepatitis B is the most common chronic viral infection in humans and the most common cause of death among viral hepatitis. As 70% to 80% of chronic hepatitis cases are caused by HBV in Iran, this virus alone is considered the most important cause of liver diseases and the major cause of mortality arising from viral hepatitis cases in Iran. We planned this study to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B in the general population of Qom, central Iran. The present study is a cross-sectional study. A total of 3690 samples were collected from 7 rural clusters and 116 urban clusters. Ten teams, each consisting of 2 trained members, were assigned to conduct the sampling and fill the questionnaires. The data were analyzed using SPSS. The prevalence rate of hepatitis B infection in Qom Province was 1.3%. The mean age of the patients with hepatitis B was 44.17 years. The prevalence of hepatitis B was 1.6% in men and 1.1% in women. Moreover, the prevalence of hepatitis B correlated positively with age, tattooing, and literacy level. The prevalence rate of hepatitis B in Qom is 1.3%. It is possible to prevent the disease by increasing public awareness. Further investigation on clinical presentations and a determination of the genotype of the virus are suggested.

Cancer epidemiology and trends in Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran.

PubMed

Rafiemanesh, Hosein; Mehtarpoor, Mojtaba; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Salehiniya, Hamid; Enayatrad, Mostafa; Khazaei, Salman

2015-01-01

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in developing countries. In Iran, cancer is the third cause of death. The present study aimed at providing the incidence rates (crude and agestandardized) of different types of cancers in Sistan and Baluchestan province (Southeastern of Iran). Data were collected retrospectively reviewing all new cancer patients registered in Cancer Registry Center of Health Heputy for Sistan and Baluchestan province. Common cancers were defined based on the number of cases and standardized incidence rates. To compute the annual percentage change (APC), joinpoint 4.1.1.1 software was applied. A total of 3535 cases of cancers registered during 2004-2009 were identified. Of these, 46.82% occurred in females and 53.18% in males. The most frequent cancer in women was breast cancer followed by esophagus, skin, colorectal and leukemia. The 5 most frequent cancers in men were stomach, skin, leukemia, esophagus and bladder. Joinpoint analyze showed a significant increasing trend for adjusted standard incidence rate (ASIR) for both sexes (p<0.05). According to The results of the present study and comparison to previous studies for other provinces in Iran, cancer incidence in Sistan and Baluchistan is less common but trends of cancers are increasing in Sistan and Baluchestan Province. It is necessary to have a comprehensive health policy for prevention and control of this problem.

Traumatic rupture of liver hydatid cysts into the peritoneal cavity of an 11-year-old boy: a case report from Iran.

PubMed

Sabzevari, Sadaf; Badirzadeh, Alireza; Shahkaram, Reza; Seyyedin, Mohammad

2017-01-01

This is the first published case report of an 11-year-old patient with a rupture of a liver hydatid cyst (HC) into the peritoneal cavity after an abdominal trauma in Iran. The disease was diagnosed using focused abdominal sonography for trauma. To date, no cases of traumatic ruptures of liver HCs in children have been reported in Iran. In the endemic regions of the world, where patients suffer from a history of trauma and constant abdominal symptoms or anaphylactic shock, early diagnosis of HC is crucial as it may disseminate to other organs. The condition needs conservative surgery and follow-up.

A Qualitative Study of Violence Against Women after the Recent Disasters of Iran.

PubMed

Sohrabizadeh, Sanaz

2016-08-01

Introduction Violence against women (VAW) is one of the most widespread violations of human rights and a major barrier to achieving gender equality. Violence against women is increased in disaster-stricken communities. Violence experiences, cases, and lessons-learned concerning Iran's disasters have not been investigated, documented, or shared so far. To fill this knowledge gap, this qualitative study aimed to explore types of VAW and girls after the recent quakes and floods in Iran. Problem The objective for this study was exploring the manifestations of VAW after the natural disasters in Iran. A qualitative approach was used for this study. Data were collected by in-depth, unstructured interviews and field observations in three affected regions of Iran, including East Azerbaijan, Bushehr, and Mazandaran. A total of 15 participants, eight damaged women as well as seven key informants, were interviewed. A content analysis using Graneheim approach was performed for analyzing transcribed interviews. Two main themes were extracted from data, including domestic violence and violence within community. The first theme included three categories: physical, psychological, and sexual violence. Psychological violence and sexual harassment were two categories of violence within the community concept. Different types of violence emerged from the present research that can be anticipated and integrated into future disaster medicine plans, public health reforms, and national rules of Iran. Improving women's knowledge on their rights to have a life without violence, and participation of both women and men in violence reduction projects, can be considered in all disaster management phases. Sohrabizadeh S . A qualitative study of violence against women after the recent disasters of Iran. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(4):407-412.

Forensic Toxicology Perspectives of Methadone-associated Deaths in Tehran, Iran, a 7-year Overview.

PubMed

Akhgari, Maryam; Amini-Shirazi, Noushin; Iravani, Fariba Sardari

2018-04-01

Methadone has a long history of pain relief and successful substitute for maintenance treatment in heroin and narcotic addiction. The aim of the study was to assess the trends of methadone-associated deaths in Tehran, Iran, in 2009-2015, from a forensic toxicology point of view. All methadone-associated deaths during this 7-year study period were evaluated according to demographic parameters and forensic toxicology analysis results. Results showed that 1274 cases of methadone-associated deaths were investigated during the study period. The incidence rate of methadone-associated deaths had risen 7.7 times in 2015 in comparison with 2009 (p < 0.05). The majority of cases were men (90.35%), aged from 20 to 40 years. About 80% of cases had shown positive results for other drugs and poisons in combination with methadone. Methamphetamine and tramadol were the most drugs detected in post-mortem samples. Death rates among methadone users in Tehran, Iran, increased year by year during 2009-2015. These findings raise the attention to the concomitant use of drugs with the need for changes in regulation and regulatory policy to restrict access and use of controlled drugs. © 2017 Nordic Association for the Publication of BCPT (former Nordic Pharmacological Society).

Prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection among tuberculosis laboratory workers in Iran.

PubMed

Nasehi, Mahshid; Hashemi-Shahraki, Abdolrazagh; Doosti-Irani, Amin; Sharafi, Saeed; Mostafavi, Ehsan

2017-01-01

The risk of transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from patients to health care workers (HCWs) is a neglected problem in many countries, including Iran. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of latent tuberculosis (TB) infection (LTBI) among TB laboratory staff in Iran, and to elucidate the risk factors associated with LTBI. All TB laboratory staff (689 individuals) employed in the TB laboratories of 50 Iranian universities of medical sciences and a random sample consisting of 317 low-risk HCWs were included in this cross-sectional study. Participants with tuberculin skin test indurations of 10 mm or more were considered to have an LTBI. The prevalence of LTBI among TB laboratory staff and low-risk HCWs was 24.83% (95% confidence interval [CI], 21.31 to 27.74%) and 14.82% (95% CI, 11.31 to 19.20%), respectively. No active TB cases were found in either group. After adjusting for potential confounders, TB laboratory staff were more likely to have an LTBI than low-risk HCWs (prevalence odds ratio, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.35 to 3.17). This study showed that LTBI are an occupational health problem among TB laboratory staff in Iran. This study reinforces the need to design and implement simple, effective, and affordable TB infection control programs in TB laboratories in Iran.

Time Trend Analysis of Cancer‏ Incidence in Caspian Sea, 2004 - 2009: A Population-based Cancer Registries Study (northern Iran).

PubMed

Salehiniya, Hamid; Ghobadi Dashdebi, Sakineh; Rafiemanesh, Hosein; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Enayatrad, Mostafa

2016-01-01

Cancer is a major public health problem in the world. In Iran especially after a transition to a dynamic and urban community, the pattern of cancer has changed significantly. An important change occurred regarding the incidence of cancer at the southern shores of the Caspian Sea, including Gilan, Mazandaran and Golestan province. This study was designed it investigate the epidemiology and changes in trend of cancer incidence in the geographic region of the Caspian Sea (North of Iran). Data were collected from Cancer Registry Center report of Iran health deputy. Trends of incidence were analyzed by joinpoint regression analysis. During the study period year (2004-2009), 33,807 cases of cancer had been recorded in three provinces of Gilan, Mazandran and Golstan. Joinpoint analysis indicated a significant increase in age-standardized incidence rates (ASR) with an average annual percentage change (AAPC) 10.3, 8.5 and 5.2 in Gilan, Mazandaran and Golestan, respectively. The most common cancer in these provinces were correspondingly cancer of stomach, breast, skin, colorectal and bladder, respectively. The incidence of cancer tends to be increasing in North of Iran. These findings warrant the epidemiologic studies are helpful in planning preventive programs and recognition of risk factors.

Television and U.S. Foreign Policy: The Case of the Iran Hostage Crisis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larson, James F.

1986-01-01

Reviews three major roles identified for the press in the foreign policy process: observer, participant, and catalyst. Claims that these roles circumscribe the structural relationship of media to foreign policy and provide a framework for some general propositions against which the particulars of the Iran case may be interpreted. (JD)

Pathological study of the prevalence of silicosis among coal miners in Iran: A case history

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zare Naghadehi, Masoud; Sereshki, Farhang; Mohammadi, F.

2014-02-01

One of the most hazardous diseases that is commonly associated with the coal mining industry is Silicosis which caused by dust inhalation. This disease occurs as a result of prolonged breathing of dust containing silica (quartz). The generation of coal mine dust during underground and surface coal mining is the most significant source of coal dust exposure. Silica dust develops scar tissue inside the lungs which reduces the lungs ability to extract oxygen from the air. All miners working in underground and surface coal mines are at risk of being exposed to mine dust containing silica. In this study, cases with pathologic diagnosis of silicosis during seven years period between 2000 and 2007 were retrieved, from the pathologic file of Department of Pathology, Massih Daneshvary Hospital in Iran. Results of this case study showed the great effects of dust exposure and inhalation from the viewpoint of symptoms especially between the miners.

The Effect of Consanguineous Marriage on Mental Health among the Students of the Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences.

PubMed

Hosseinpour, Maryam; Deris, Fatemeh; Solati-Dehkordi, Kamal; Heidari-Soreshjani, Sheida; Karimi, Negar; Teimori, Hossein

2016-11-01

In Iran, after unintentional accidents, mental health problems are the second leading burden of disease. Consanguineous marriage is very common in Iran and the association between parental consanguinity and mental health is an important issue that has not yet been studied sufficiently in Iran. To investigate the effect of consanguinity and the degree of relationship on different levels of mental health. In this cross-sectional study, conducted in the Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, two groups of students were enrolled. The first group consisted of 156 students that had consanguineous parent (case group) and the second group was 156 students whose parents had non-blood relationship (control group). The students were evaluated using General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). Statistical analysis was conducted by Pearson's correlation coefficient, independent t-test and the one-way analysis of variance. Odd ratio was used to estimate the relative risk. Over 30% of the individuals were suffering from mental health problems. The most and least common mental health problems in both groups were social dysfunction (54.5% in the case group and the control group 50%) and depression (15.4% in the case group and 17.3% in the control group), respectively. No statistically significant difference was observed in the frequency of overall mental health and its subscales between student with non-consanguineous parent (control group) and the students that had consanguineous parent (case group) (p>0.05) and the status of mental health was not significantly different among student with different degree of kinship (p>0.05). The study revealed that social dysfunction was very common among the study students and also there were no relationship between parental consanguineous marriage and mental health. Parental consanguinity and genetic factors may not be the major causes of high prevalence of mental health problems in Iran and the effects of the environmental factors on these problems may be greater than those of the inherited ones.

Epidemiological survey on pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus infection in Kurdistan province, Islamic Republic of Iran, 2009.

PubMed

Afrasiabian, S; Mohsenpour, B; Bagheri, K H; Barari, M; Ghaderi, E; Hashemi, R; Garibi, F

2014-04-03

This study evaluated the epidemiology of suspected cases of pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus infection in 2009-2010 in Kurdistan province, a frontier province of the Islamic Republic of Iran. A questionnaire covering demographic characteristics, clinical presentation and outcome, and history of exposure and travel was completed by patients attending health centres and hospitals in the province. Nasal and throat swabs were analysed by RT-PCR. A total of 1059 suspected cases were assessed; H1N1 influenza A was confirmed in 157 (14.8%). The highest proportion of confirmed cases was 30.0%, among children aged < 1 year. In multivariate analysis, previous contact with symptomatic influenza patients (OR = 2.17) and hospitalization (OR = 3.88) were the only significant risk factors for confirmed H1N1 infection. Age, sex, residency, presenting symptoms and history of national or international travel were not significant. Influenza A (H1N1) virus has spread in Islamic Republic of Iran; probably transmitted by travellers to Kurdistan.

31 CFR 560.513 - Importation of Iranian-origin oil.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... connection with the resolution or settlement of cases before the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal in The... the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran of January 19, 1981, or where the proceeds are... extracted, and that the sale or transfer of the oil is by or for the account of the Government of Iran...

31 CFR 560.513 - Importation of Iranian-origin oil.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... connection with the resolution or settlement of cases before the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal in The... the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran of January 19, 1981, or where the proceeds are... extracted, and that the sale or transfer of the oil is by or for the account of the Government of Iran...

31 CFR 560.513 - Importation of Iranian-origin oil.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... connection with the resolution or settlement of cases before the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal in The... the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran of January 19, 1981, or where the proceeds are... extracted, and that the sale or transfer of the oil is by or for the account of the Government of Iran...

Acute bacterial meningitis in Iran: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Houri, Hamidreza; Pormohammad, Ali; Riahi, Seyed Mohammad; Nasiri, Mohammad Javad; Fallah, Fatemeh; Dabiri, Hossein; Pouriran, Ramin

2017-01-01

Bacterial meningitis persists in being a substantial cause of high mortality and severe neurological morbidity, despite the advances in antimicrobial therapy. Accurate data has not been available regarding the epidemiology of bacterial meningitis particularly in developing countries, yet. Indeed, the present systematic review provides a comprehensive data analysis on the prevalence and epidemiology of bacterial meningitis in Iran. We systematically reviewed articles from 1994 to 2015. The reports which contained the prevalence and etiology of acute bacterial meningitis by valid clinical and laboratory diagnosis were comprised in the present study. Our analysis indicated that Streptococcus pneumoniae (30% [I2 = 56% p < 0.01]), Haemophilus influenza type b (15% [I2 = 82.75% p < 0.001]), coagulase negative staphylococci (CoNS) (14% [I2 = 60.5% p < 0.06]), and Neisseria meningitidis (13% [I2 = 74.16% p < 0.001]) were the most common cause of acute bacterial meningitis among meningitis cases in Iran. Notably, high frequency rates of nosocomial meningitis pathogens were detected in the present analysis. It was magnificently attained that the majority of cases for bacterial meningitis in Iran could be avertable by public immunization schemes and by preventive care to inhibit the broadening of hospital acquired pathogens.

Prevalence and risk factors of intestinal protozoan infections: a population-based study in rural areas of Boyer-Ahmad district, Southwestern Iran.

PubMed

Sarkari, Bahador; Hosseini, Ghasem; Motazedian, Mohammad Hossein; Fararouei, Mohammad; Moshfe, Abdolali

2016-11-25

Parasitic infections are still a significant health problem in rural areas in developing countries including Iran. There is no recent population-based data about the prevalence of human intestinal parasites in most rural areas of Iran. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence of intestinal protozoan infection in inhabitants of rural areas of Boyer-Ahmad district, Southwestern Iran. A total of 1025 stool samples were collected from the inhabitant of 50 randomly selected villages in Boyer-Ahmad Township. The stool samples were evaluated by parasitological methods including, direct wet-mounting, formalin ethyl acetate concentration, zinc sulfate floatation, and Trichrome permanent stain for detection of protozoan infections. Diarrheic samples were further evaluated with a modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining method for detection of coccidian parasites. The prevalence of both pathogenic and nonpathogenic intestinal parasites in the population was 37.5% (385 out of 1025 cases), some individual with multiple infections. Giardia lamblia was detected in 179 (17.46%), Blastocystis hominis in 182 (17.76%), Entamoeba histolytica/dispar in 9 (0.87%), Endolimax nana in 216 (21.07%), Entamoeba coli in 151 (14.73%), Ioedamoeba butschlii in 45 (4.39%), Chillomastix mesnili in 22 (2.14%), Trichomonas hominis in 2 (0.19%) and Dientamoeba fragillis in 2 (0.19%) of cases. Multivariate logistic regression revealed significant associations between protozoan infection (pathogenic protozoa) and contact with animals (OR yes/no = 2.22, p < 0.001) and educational status (OR higher/illiterate = 0.40, P = 0.01). Findings of this study demonstrated that protozoan infection rate in rural areas of southwestern Iran is still high and remained as a challenging health problem in these areas.

Dengue Fever as an Emerging Infection in Southeast Iran.

PubMed

Heydari, Mostafa; Metanat, Maliheh; Rouzbeh-Far, Mohammad-Ali; Tabatabaei, Seyed Mehdi; Rakhshani, Mohammad; Sepehri-Rad, Nahid; Keshtkar-Jahromi, Maryam

2018-05-01

Dengue fever (DF) is a mosquito-borne acute viral disease presenting with hemorrhagic manifestations in severe cases. Southeast Iran is in close proximity to Pakistan, an endemic country for DF. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Sistan and Baluchestan province in the southeast of Iran to investigate possibility of DF (immunoglobulin M [IgM], immunoglobulin G [IgG], and nonstructural protein 1 [NS1] antigen tests) in 60 clinically suspected patients (April 2013 to August 2015). NS1 protein was detected in 5% ( N = 3), at least one of the antibodies (IgM and/ or IgG) was detected in 11% ( N = 7) of the samples. Five patients identified as of acutely infected. There was a simultaneous presence of NS1 protein and IgG or IgM antibodies in 4% ( N = 2) of patients. Previous studies show establishment of potential vectors in this area. These evidences support the hypothesis that DF can be a health concern in Southeast Iran with potential future outbreaks.

Climate change impacts in Iran: assessing our current knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahimi, Jaber; Malekian, Arash; Khalili, Ali

2018-02-01

During recent years, various studies have focused on investigating the direct and indirect impacts of climate changes in Iran while the noteworthy fact is the achievement gained by these researches. Furthermore, what should be taken into consideration is whether these studies have been able to provide appropriate opportunities for improving further studies in this particular field or not. To address these questions, this study systematically reviewed and summarized the current available literature (n = 150) regarding the impacts of climate change on temperature and precipitation in Iran to assess our current state of knowledge. The results revealed that while all studies discuss the probable changes in temperature and precipitation over the next decades, serious contradictions could be seen in their results; also, the general pattern of changes was different in most of the cases. This matter may have a significant effect on public beliefs in climate change, which can be a serious warning for the activists in this realm.

A Case Report of Muscle Hydatidosis from Iran

PubMed Central

ANDALIB ALIABADY, Zohreh; BERENJI, Fariba; JAMSHIDI, Mahmoud Reza

2015-01-01

Hydatid cyst is an important endemic zoonosis in Iran. It may be seen in various organs of body. Musculoskeletal system is rarely involved by hydatid cyst, the larval form of Echinococcus granulosus. On clinical basis, it may resemble any soft tissue tumor. A 70-years old housewife living in Ardoghesh, a village in Neyshabur, northeast Iran, was admitted to general surgery clinic because of a painless mass in the back of her left thigh. This case emphasizes that hydatidosis should be included in differential diagnosis of any soft tissue mass especially in regions where hydatidosis is endemic. PMID:25904957

A case report of muscle hydatidosis from iran.

PubMed

Andalib Aliabady, Zohreh; Berenji, Fariba; Jamshidi, Mahmoud Reza

2015-01-01

Hydatid cyst is an important endemic zoonosis in Iran. It may be seen in various organs of body. Musculoskeletal system is rarely involved by hydatid cyst, the larval form of Echinococcus granulosus. On clinical basis, it may resemble any soft tissue tumor. A 70-years old housewife living in Ardoghesh, a village in Neyshabur, northeast Iran, was admitted to general surgery clinic because of a painless mass in the back of her left thigh. This case emphasizes that hydatidosis should be included in differential diagnosis of any soft tissue mass especially in regions where hydatidosis is endemic.

Risk factors for goiter in primary school girls in Qom city of Iran.

PubMed

Mousavi, S M; Tavakoli, N; Mardan, F

2006-03-01

Goiter is endemic in Iran. The iodine deficiency disorders program was begun a few years ago in Iran, and the coverage of iodized salt is sufficient now. But, in a periodic yearly medical examination of primary school girls in Qom, the prevalence of goiter was above 30% in 2002. This survey was designed to study the risk factors of goiter in those students. The study was a randomized (multistage, proportional simple random sampling) case-control study. We selected and performed thyroid examinations in 1050 girl students in primary schools in Qom city of Iran in 2002. We found 284 cases: girls in primary schools had goiter in accordance with the clinical exam of World Health Organization classification. Among students who did not present with goiter in the clinical exam, we randomly selected 288 students as the control group. We used a questionnaire to evaluate them for the risk factors of goiter. The mean+/-s.d. ages of cases and controls were 8.7+/-1.3 and 8.9+/-1.3 years, respectively. There is no significant difference between the two groups regarding history of soya, kale, turnip, fish, daily iodized salt usage, education and job of mothers, monthly family income, nationality, immigration and residential situation. By using multinomial logistic regression, we found that storage of iodized salt in open containers, odds ratio (OR): 2.201 (1.412-3.428); P-value <0.0001, medium socioeconomic situation (SES) of family, OR: 2.099 (1.029-4.282), P-value=0.041, district 2 of Qom city, OR: 2.880 (1.376-6.027), P-value=0.005, and district 3 of Qom city, OR: 2.051(1.032-4.078), P-value=0.041, were the major risk factors for goiter in this population. In this study, the main risk factors for goiter were storage of iodized salt in open containers, medium SES and also living in specific districts of Qom city. As the coverage of iodinized salt is over 95% in Iran, we advise the education of the family about storage of iodized salt in closed containers. We also recommend the study of the other risk factors of goiter in the different geographical areas of Iran, because of differences in the SES and nutritional habits. This study was supported by issuing permission letters for our activities: (not funding support) Qom Health Network and Medical Services, Qom Medical University, Qom Primary School Education Office, Fathemieh Medical University.

Factors Affecting Pre-Service Teachers' Participation in Asynchronous Discussion: The Case of Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ebrahimi, Alice; Faghih, Esmail; Marandi, Seyyedeh Susan

2016-01-01

This study reports on a qualitative small-scale exploratory study which examined the factors influencing 32 Iranian pre-service language teachers' participation in online asynchronous text-based discussion forums. By adopting a multiple case study design and analysing data gathered through semi-structured interviews and participants' online…

Data on fluoride concentration in drinking water resources in Iran: A case study of Fars province; Larestan region.

PubMed

Dehghani, Mohammad Hadi; Haghighat, Gholam Ali; Yousefi, Mahmood

2018-08-01

Fluoride is a natural element among minerals, geochemical sediments and natural water systems which is entered to body chain by drinking water. Groundwater is the main and the best source of drinking water in southern areas of Iran especially in the cities of Lar and Gerash (Fars province). So due to the health significance fluoride including dental and skeletal fluorosis, fertility, abortion and thyroid diseases, etc., measuring has high importance in the water resources of this region of Iran. Fluoride concentration was 0.35-3.46 mg/L and 78.26% drinking water sources contains fluoride concentration above the WHO guideline.

Serological survey of antibodies against BVD virus in camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Iran.

PubMed

Raoofi, Afshin; Hemmatzadeh, Farhid; Ghanaei, Amir Mansoor

2010-03-01

This serological survey was carried out to detect antibodies in dromedary camels against BVD virus in Iran. A total of 137 serum samples, were collected from camels at Khorein abattoir in suburbs of Tehran and examined for BVDV, using the serum neutralization test (SNT). Twenty seven of the 137 camels (19.7%) were positive for BVDV antibodies. It was found that the rate of seropositive camels in Iran is substantially higher compared to figures published in most other countries. This study indicated an increased frequency of infection rate with increasing age of camels. The frequency of positive cases was not significantly different between male and female camels.

Direct and indirect costs of nonfatal road traffic injuries in Iran: A population-based study.

PubMed

Karimi, Hasti; Soleyman-Jahi, Saeed; Hafezi-Nejad, Nima; Rahimi-Movaghar, Afarin; Amin-Esmaeili, Masoumeh; Sharifi, Vandad; Hajebi, Ahmad; Saadat, Soheil; Akbari Sari, Ali; Rahimi-Movaghar, Vafa

2017-05-19

The objective of this study was to assess the incidence rate as well as direct and indirect costs of nonfatal road traffic injuries (RTIs) in Iran in 2011. Data from the 2011 national household survey were used. In this survey, data on demographics, history, and costs of injury were obtained in 2 steps: first, direct face-to-face interview and second, telephone calls. We estimated the incidence rate of nonfatal RTIs in this year. The direct costs included medical care as well as nonmedical costs paid by the patient or insurance services. The indirect costs were estimated by considering the cost of absence from work or education. We also used logistic regression analyses to investigate risk factors of nonfatal RTIs. We found 76 nonfatal RTI cases (0.96%) out of 7,886 whole reference study cases. These 76 injured patients had a history of RTI in the preceding 3 months. The annual incidence of RTIs was estimated at 3.84%. The mean age of RTI cases was 28.5 ± 10.6 and 88.16% of them were male. Male gender was a major risk factor (odds ratio [OR] = 9.64, 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.79-19.41) and marriage was a protective factor (OR = 0.44, 95% CI, 0.28-0.70) for RTI. The medians of direct, indirect, and total costs were US$214, US$163, and US$387, respectively. The total cost of nonfatal RTIs in Iran was estimated at 1.29% of the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2011. In Iran, nonfatal RTIs imposed a total cost of almost US$7 billion to the country for one year. Extension and more serious implementation of preventive measurements seem necessary to decrease this notable burden of RTIs.

Asymptomatic Leishmania Infected Children: A Seroprevalence and Molecular Survey in a Rural Area of Fars Province, Southern Iran.

PubMed

Layegh Gigloo, Akram; Sarkari, Bahador; Rezaei, Zahra; Hatam, Gholam Reza; Davami, Mohammad Hassan

2018-01-01

The current study aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence of visceral leishmaniasis in asymptomatic healthy children in a rural area of Fars province, Southern Iran. Blood samples were taken from 617 asymptomatic healthy children and serum samples along with buffy coat were separated from the blood. The serum samples were assessed for antibodies against Leishmania infantum by an indirect ELISA and the buffy coats were tested for the presence of L. infantum DNA by molecular method. Of the 617 recruited children, 297 (48.1%) were female and 317 (51.4%) were male. Anti- Leishmania antibodies were detected in 17 (2.8%) of the children. From those 17 seropositive cases, 5 (29.4%) were male and 12 (70.6%) cases were female. Children aged 5-8 years had the highest seroprevalence rate; however, no associations were found between seropositivity to Leishmania and gender or age of the children. Moreover, L. infantum DNA was detected in buffy coat of 8 (1.3%) of 617 children. Three of the PCR-positive cases were seropositive whereas 14 of seropositive subjects (82.3%) were PCR-negative. Findings of the current study revealed a considerable subclinical leishmanial infection in children in the studied rural area in the south of Iran. Results of the current study could be used for surveillance, prevention, and control of VL in the area.

Epidemiology and trend of common cancers in Iran (2004-2008).

PubMed

Amori, N; Aghajani, M; Asgarian, F S; Jazayeri, M

2017-09-01

Cancer is one of the most important causes of mortality worldwide. It includes approximately 13% of death cases. This study aimed to investigate the incidence trend of common cancers in Iran during 2004-2008 to improve reporting distribution the disease. This was a retrospective study. The study population was all cases of cancer diagnosed in Iran during 2004-2008. The crude incidence rate of cancers was calculated per 100 000 people by age groups and sex. Age-standardised incidence rates (ASRs) were calculated using direct standardisation and the world standard population. Data were analysed using SPSS (version 17) and Microsoft Office Excel 2007. In this study, a total of 301 055 cases of cancer were diagnosed. ASRs were 60.51 and 84.51 in women and men respectively. Most common cancers in men were skin (ASR = 18.85), stomach (15.02), bladder (ASR = 11.25), prostate (ASR = 8.93) and colorectal (ASR = 8.29). Most common cancers in women were breast (ASR = 18.24), skin (ASR = 12.01), colorectal (ASR = 7.75), stomach (ASR = 7.05) and haematocyte (ASR = 4.01). A significant increase was observed in the incidence of cancers in the country. Therefore, it is necessary to perform screening, early diagnosis and treatment in early stages of cancers. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Assessment of the impact of the malaria elimination programme on the burden of disease morbidity in endemic areas of Iran.

PubMed

Sheikhzadeh, Khodadad; Haghdoost, Ali Akbar; Bahrampour, Abbas; Zolala, Farzaneh; Raeisi, Ahmad

2016-04-14

Controlling and preventive measures considerably reduced malaria incidence in Iran over the past few years, which confined the endemic areas to some regions in the southeastern Iran. The National Malaria Elimination Programme commenced in 2010. With regard to the presumption that the elimination programme interventions have accelerated the declining trend of malaria incidence across the endemic areas of Iran, the present study attempted to assess the effectiveness of the elimination programme by reviewing malaria incidence status, over a 14-year period, and comparing the trend of malaria incidence across malaria-endemic areas between the control and pre-elimination phase, and the elimination phase. A retrospective analysis of malaria surveillance data was conducted in a 14-year period (2001-2014), using multilevel Poisson regression. The epidemiological malaria maps and indicators also were developed and compared between the control and pre-elimination phase, and the elimination phase. The mean of malaria incidence was 2.2 (1.7-2.7) for the entire study period. This rate was 3.4 (2.6-4.1) in the control and pre-elimination phase, and 0.41 (0.25-0.57) for the elimination phase. During the malaria elimination phase, the decline of annual malaria incidence had significantly accelerated and autochthonous cases had the greatest difference in malaria incidence decline (compared to the control and pre-elimination phase), whereas, falciparum cases had the lowest difference in malaria incidence decline, followed by non-Iranian and imported cases. Furthermore, there was a decline in Iranians to non-Iranians ratio and an increase in the ratios of over 15 to under 15, as well as male to female, in the elimination phase in comparison to the control and pre-elimination phase. It seems that the decline of malaria transmission, which has been initiated over the past few years, has accelerated as a result of the elimination programme, and Iran is approaching the goals set regarding the elimination of this disease.

Traumatic myiasis agents in Iran with introducing of new dominant species, Wohlfahrtia magnifica (Diptera: Sarcophagidae)

PubMed Central

Rafinejad, Javad; Akbarzadeh, Kamran; Rassi, Yavar; Nozari, Jamasp; Sedaghat, Mohammad Mehdi; Hosseini, Mostafa; Alipour, Hamzeh; Ranjbar, Abdolmajid; Zeinali, Danial

2014-01-01

Objective To study agents of animal wound myiasis in various geographical districts of Fars province. Methods This study has been done in Fars province, located in the southern part of Iran. Sums of 10 358 domestic animals have been visited from April 2011 to March 2012. The infected wounds in any parts of animal body were sampled by means of forceps. Results About 61% of all animal wound myiasis were caused by larvae of Wohlfahrtia magnifica. The most wound myiasis cases due to this species occurred in central part of Fars province. There wasn't any significant difference between sheep and goat in infestation with myiasis (P>0.05). The infestation rate of myiasis in cattle community was 0.86%. Conclusions The infestation rate of livestock was lower than other works in Iran and some other countries like Saudi Arabia. Chrysomya bezziana has been mentioned as main myiasis agent in Iran. But in this study it cleared that similarly to some European countries, the common animal myiasis agent in Iran is Wohlfahrtia magnifica. Introducing new species as principal agent for myiasis can help public health and animal husbandry policy makers to prepare sufficient and effective control and/or preventive measures for this disease. PMID:25182946

Six fatal cases of classical rabies virus without biting incidents, Iran 1990-2010.

PubMed

Simani, Susan; Fayaz, Ahmad; Rahimi, Pooneh; Eslami, Naser; Howeizi, Nader; Biglari, Peyvand

2012-07-01

Rabies is an endemic fatal zoonotic disease, commonly transmitted to humans through contact (bites and scratches) with infected animals. During the years 1990-2010, six patients with the clinical symptoms of rabies (fever, tinnitus, buzzing, delirium and hydrophobia), with no history of a bite, were diagnosed by physicians in Iran. To obtain laboratory confirmation of rabies infection, different clinical specimens from each patient were sent to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Rabies, Pasteur Institute of Iran. The first case was a 39-year-old male veterinary technician who entered his uncovered scratched hand into the mouth of a rabid bovine and became infected. Two years later, a herd of sheep being tended by a shepherd and his two sons were attacked by a rabid wolf. All three individuals were infected when they applied burnt thorny wool to the sheep's wounds as a bandage. Their hands were scratched and then infected through contact with the remaining saliva of the rabid wolf on the sheep's wounds. In 1994, two other human cases occurred through corneal transplantation from the same donor who had died with the clinical signs of food poisoning (according to his hospital record), which probably was a misdiagnosis of rabies infection. This is a case series study that describes human rabies cases without biting incidents. According to the WHO recommendation, human rabies cases are notifiable, therefore, in Iran, a rabies surveillance system has been established to follow these cases. During the last decade, six patients with no 'history of a bite' were hospitalised with growing symptoms of rabies. The data were collected from each patient by the physicians and transferred to the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran, and to the WHO Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Rabies, Pasteur Institute of Iran as the only testing laboratory. Thus, they came to the attention of the surveillance system. Ante-mortem diagnosis was performed on saliva, cerebrospinal fluid and blood samples that were collected from the first patient by the physicians. Fresh brain specimens from all patients were kept in a mixture of 50% glycerol in phosphate-buffered saline and transported on ice to the WHO Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Rabies. For the first patient, rabies virus was investigated in saliva using the rapid tissue cell inoculation test (RTCIT) and the mouse inoculation test (MIT). Anti-rabies antibodies in this patient's serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were examined using the mouse neutralisation test (MNT). Fresh brain specimens from all patients were examined using the fluorescence antibody test (FAT) as recommended by the WHO laboratory manual in rabies as the post-mortem diagnostic test for rabies. Rabies infection was confirmed in all of the deceased patients. Anti-rabies antibodies were identified only in one patient's serum specimen. Testing also showed that the rabies virus isolated was the classic rabies virus (serotype 1), which is widespread in Iran. Prevention and control of this fatal disease require a sensitive surveillance system to follow 'suspected' animal and human rabies cases thoroughly through the improved reporting system, which contains the history of exposure, clinical examinations, symptoms and laboratory results. This study describes some notable human rabies infections and their transmission modes to prevent occupational accidents. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cost Effectiveness of Malaria Interventions from Preelimination through Elimination: a Study in Iran.

PubMed

Rezaei-Hemami, Mohsen; Akbari-Sari, Ali; Raiesi, Ahmad; Vatandoost, Hassan; Majdzadeh, Reza

2014-01-01

Malaria still is considered as a public health problem in Iran. The aim of the National Malaria Control Department is to reach the elimination by 2024. By decreasing the number of malaria cases in preelimination phase the cost effectiveness of malaria interventions decreases considerably. This study estimated the cost effectiveness of various strategies to combat malaria in preelimination and elimination phases in Iran. running costs of the interventions at each level of intervention was estimated by using evidence and expert opinions. The effect of each intervention was estimated using the documentary evidence available and expert opinions. Using a point estimate and distribution of each variable the sensitivity was evaluated with the Monte Carlo method. The most cost-effective interventions were insecticide treated net (ITN), larviciding, surveillance for diagnosis and treatment of patients less than 24 hours, and indoor residual spraying (IRS) respectively, No related evidence found for the effectiveness of the border facilities. This study showed that interventions in the elimination phase of malaria have low cost effectiveness in Iran like many other countries. However ITN is the most cost effective intervention among the available interventions.

Laser Application in Iran Urology: A Narrative Review

PubMed Central

Razzaghi, Mohammad Reza; Fallah Karkan, Morteza; Ghiasy, Saleh; Javanmard, Babak

2018-01-01

The usage of laser in medicine is not recent, and its history in urology goes back to 40 years ago. For the last 2 decades, common uses of laser have been treatments of subjects with urolithiasis, bladder tumors, benign prostatic enlargement, lesions of the genitalia and urinary tract strictures. To evaluate laser application in urology in Iran, we reviewed all of the Iranian literature on the topic. This study was designed to retrieve all studies on laser application in urology in Iran, regardless of publication status or language, covering years 1990–2017. Twenty-six articles were identified: 12 about urolithiasis, 8 about benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), 2 case reports, 1 paper about prostate cancer, 1 on female urethral stricture, 1 review and 1 basic sciences study. We conclude that the use of this technology has not yet found its position in Iran, especially in the field of urology. The main causes for it are the difficult accessibility and disturb of laser devices and its accessories, as well as the lack of adequate knowledge of the medical community about this modality. PMID:29399302

Human papillomavirus and its clinical relevance in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma in a Kurdish population in the west of Iran.

PubMed

Soheili, Fariborz; Heidary, Nilofar; Rahbar, Mahtab; Nikkho, Bahram; Fotouhi, Omid; Afkhamzadeh, Abdolrahim; Jafari, Hossein; Bagheri, Vahid

2016-04-01

Background The aetiological role of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) was evaluated by assessment of the presence and status of HPV DNA in a Kurdish population in the west of Iran. Methods One hundred and three paraffin-embedded ESCC tissue samples, diagnosed between 2007-2013, were included in the study. DNA was extracted and then HPV presence and genotypes were determined by PCR and INNO-LiPA genotyping, respectively. Results HPV DNA was detected in 11/103 (10.7%) of ESCCs. HPV-18 and HPV-16 genotypes were determined in five and six samples, respectively. Co-infection of HPV-6 was only found with HPV-18 in two cases. There were no statistically significant distinctions between HPV-positive and HPV-negative cases with regard to clinical and pathologic findings. Conclusion The present study indicates that, among a group of Kurdish people in two provinces in the west of Iran, as a low-risk ESCC area, HPV could be one of the risk factors, although in a small proportion of the patients.

Malaria Situation and Anopheline Mosquitoes in Qom Province, Central Iran

PubMed Central

Farzinnia, B; Saghafipour, A; Abai, MR

2010-01-01

Background: The aims of this study was to analysis the current situation of malaria and to find the distribution of anopheline mosquitoes, as probable vectors of the disease, in Qom Province, central Iran. Methods: This study was carried out in two parts. First stage was data collection about malaria cases using recorded documents of patients in the Province health center, during 2001–2008. The second stage was entomological survey conducted by mosquito larval collection method in 4 villages with different geographical positions in 2008. Data were analyzed using Excel software. Results: Of 4456 blood slides, 10.9% out were positive. Most of cases were imported from other countries (90.4%), mainly from Afghanistan (56.5%) and Pakistan (16.3%). Slide positive rate showed a maximum of 16.9% and a minimum of 2.9% in 2008 and 2007, respectively. Plasmodium vivax was causative agent of 93.75% of cases, followed by P. falciparum (6.25%). More than 15 years old age group contained the most malaria reported cases (66.7%). Two Anopheles species, An. superpictus and An. claviger were collected and identified. This is the first report of Anopheles claviger in Qom Province. Conclusion: Malaria is in the control stage in Qom Province. The rate of local transmission is very low (only 1 case), shows Anopheles superpictus, as the main malaria vector of central part of Iran, can play its role in malaria transmission in the area. PMID:22808402

The relationship between function and sexual satisfaction with sexual violence among women in Ahvaz, Iran.

PubMed

Tadayon, Mitra; Hatami-Manesh, Zahra; Sharifi, Nasibeh; Najar, Shahnaz; Saki, Azadeh; Pajohideh, Zahra

2018-04-01

One of the forms of violence that receives less attention due to cultural and social issues is sexual violence against women, which is a hidden and a constant epidemic and impact on their health. This study aimed to determine the relationship between function and sexual satisfaction in women who have experienced sexual violence in Ahvaz-Iran. This study was a case-control study which was conducted on 105 women (cases=35 and control=70) referred to one forensic center and seventeen Shahrivar health centers during 2013-2014 in Ahwaz-Iran. The data collection tools included questionnaires for evaluating demographic characteristics and sexual satisfaction, sexual female function index and sexual violence. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (Chi-square, Fisher's exact, and independent-samples t-test) in SPSS, version 19. P-value < 0.05 was considered significant. Two groups of women were matched according to age and education. Mean ± SD sexual satisfaction was (71.4±15.84) in the case group and (99.44±15.68) in the control group (p<0.001). The mean ± SD of sexual function was (17.1±4.94) in the case group and (26.37±5.27) in the control group. The groups had a statistically significant difference in terms of sexual arousal, sexual orgasm, sexual lubrication, pain and sexual satisfaction (p<0.001). Sexual dysfunction and dissatisfaction have a relation with sexual violence, and a major concern is that the sexual violence in most cases is hidden and can seriously affect the general health condition of women.

Phylogenetic structure of Leishmania tropica in the new endemic focus Birjand in East Iran in comparison to other Iranian endemic regions.

PubMed

Karamian, Mehdi; Kuhls, Katrin; Hemmati, Mina; Ghatee, Mohammad Amin

2016-06-01

Iran has been identified being among the countries with the highest number of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) cases. South Khorasan province in East Iran is an emerging focus of CL. Species identification of sixty clinical samples by ITS1 PCR-RFLP presented evidence for the dominance of Leishmania tropica (90%) in this region. Analysis of the ITS1 sequence of 19 L. tropica isolates revealed seven closely related sequence types. In addition, ITS1 sequences available in GenBank from other Iranian regions were compiled for comparison with the studied isolates. Iranian L. tropica was distributed in two main clusters. All East Iranian sequence types were grouped with strains from foci from Southeast and Central regions in cluster A, showing highly similar sequences. The highest similarity was observed between most L. tropica from East and all isolates from Southeast regions and from Savojbolagh county in Central Iran. Southwest L. tropica was shown to be paraphyletic as the isolates were distributed in both clusters A and B. All Northeastern L. tropica were part of cluster B, however they showed significant heterogeneity and were distributed in different subclusters. Distribution of L. tropica populations was to some extent congruent with genetic lineages of Phlebotomus sergenti in Iran and may be an evidence for parasite-vector co-evolution. Southeast-East L. tropica was also similar to strains from Herat province in Afghanistan at the East border of Iran. This is the first comprehensive study on population structure of L. tropica in Iran that provides a guideline for appropriate sampling for further molecular based epidemiological studies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

31 CFR 560.545 - Democracy and human rights in Iran and academic and cultural exchange programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... States or located in the United States to engage in the following projects or activities in or related to Iran that are designed to directly benefit the Iranian people: (1) Projects, including conferences and... may be issued on a case-by-case basis to authorize U.S. persons to engage in the following projects or...

31 CFR 560.545 - Democracy and human rights in Iran and academic and cultural exchange programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... States or located in the United States to engage in the following projects or activities in or related to Iran that are designed to directly benefit the Iranian people: (1) Projects, including conferences and... may be issued on a case-by-case basis to authorize U.S. persons to engage in the following projects or...

Prevalence and treatment outcome of pulmonary and extrapulmonary pediatric tuberculosis in southwestern Iran.

PubMed

Alavi, Seyed Mohammad; Salmanzadeh, Shokrollah; Bakhtiyariniya, Pejman; Albagi, Ali; Hemmatnia, Fatemeh; Alavi, Leila

2015-01-01

Knowledge about childhood tuberculosis (TB) in Iran is limited. This study aimed to determine the proportion of tuberculosis in children living in Khuzestan in southwest of Iran and its treatment outcomes. In this retrospective study, the child's medical records registered in national TB program (NTP) unit of Khuzestan Health Center (KHC) for TB treatment from 2005 to 2010 were studied. Data including demographic, clinical presentation, laboratory test results, and treatment outcomes were extracted from the files and were analyzed. Of total 4104 new TB cases registered in KHC, 203 (4.9%) were children. The mean age was 10.7±4.3 years, and 75.7% of them were females. More than 84% of TB children cases were 10 years or older, whereas, young children (< 5 years old) accounted for 5.6%. Of the total studied cases, 57.1% were pulmonary TB and 42.9% were extra pulmonary, 91.7% were successfully treated and 8.3% had poor treatment outcome. The main risk factors for poor treatment outcome were: age <5 years (OR: 0.17, 95% CI, 0.04-0.76), low body weight (OR: 0.08, 95% CI, 0.01-0.60), household contact with cases of TB treatment failure (OR: 0.13, 95% CI, 0.03-0.52), and exposure to cigarette smoke odor inside the home (OR: 0.17, 95% CI, 0.05-0.56). The proportion of pediatric TB in the region was lower than expected. The treatment success rate was higher than the rate defined in NTP. Special attention should be given to children aged less than five years, low body weight, contact with TB treatment failure cases, and exposure to cigarette smoke.

Epidemiological Evaluation of Head and Neck Sarcomas in Iran (the Study of 105 Cases Over 13 Years).

PubMed

Alishahi, Batoul; Kargahi, Neda; Homayouni, Solmaz

2015-08-01

Head and neck sarcomas are exceedingly rare and they include 4% - 10% of all sarcomas and less than 1% of all neoplasm of head and neck. The aim of this study is to evaluate the epidemiological characteristics of head and neck sarcomas of patients in Isfahan, Iran. In this retrospective study, from the 16000 patients whose files were evaluated, the total number of 105 head and neck sarcomas were collected. They were evaluated with due attention to age, gender of the patients and the most common location of the lesion. From the total number of 105 (0.6%) patients with sarcomas, 56 were men (53.33%) and 49 women (46.66%). The most common head and neck sarcomas among this population were Osteosarcoma (32 cases, 30.47%), Chondrosarcoma (14 cases, 13.33%), and Ewing sarcoma (11 cases, 10.47%).The most common soft tissue sarcoma was Rabdomiosarcoma. Mandible was the most common location for these lesions. In this study, the hard tissue sarcomas were more prevalent than soft tissue ones. Hence, special attention should be paid to the patients when being diagnosed.

Unmet refractive need and its determinants in Shahroud, Iran.

PubMed

Emamian, Mohammad Hassan; Zeraati, Hojjat; Majdzadeh, Reza; Shariati, Mohammad; Hashemi, Hassan; Fotouhi, Akbar

2012-08-01

Uncorrected refractive error plays a significant role in poor vision and blindness, and its correction is the most cost-effective intervention in eye care. In this study, we report the status of the unmet refractive need and the role of economic inequality in determining the level of this need in Shahroud, Iran. This cross-sectional nested case-control study was performed on 5,190 individuals aged 40-64 years. Cases and controls were individuals with uncorrected visual acuity worse than 0.3 LogMAR in the better eye who showed at least 0.2 LogMAR improvement after correction. Cases were individuals whose presenting vision was worse than 0.3 in the better eye but improved by at least 0.2 LogMAR after correction. Controls were individuals in whom the difference between the presenting and corrected vision was less than 0.2 LogMAR. The prevalence of the unmet need was 5.7 % and it was more prevalent in women (6.5 %) than in men (4.6 %) (p = 0.003). There was a gap of 19.6 % between the two groups of high and low economic status. The Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition method revealed that differences in the education level of the two groups accounted for half of this gap. Spectacle usage is better in Iran than in some other developing countries; however, in this study, about 40 % of those who required spectacles did not have them.

Sporotrichosis in Iran: A mini review of reported cases in patients suspected to cutaneous leishmaniasis

PubMed Central

Mahmoudi, S; Zaini, F

2015-01-01

Sporotrichosis is a chronic subcutaneous fungal infection with global distribution. It is a rare fungal infection with nine reported cases in Iran, including eight humans and one animal, within the past 30 years. Among the human cases, seven were of the fixed cutaneous type of sporotrichosis and one had sporotrichoid lymphocutaneous. The reported patients were within the age range of 23-60 years, and six of them were female. The most frequent sites of infection were forearms and hands, as well as the face and legs. In addition, the majority of the cases had previously been suspected of leishmaniasis and received treatment. Sporotrichosis is not a well-known condition in Iran and is often misdiagnosed and erroneously treated for other cutaneous parasitic or bacterial infections with similar clinical manifestations. Therefore, sporotrichosis should be taken into account in the differential diagnosis of nodular-ulcerative skin lesions. PMID:28680987

Presentation of the Letter of Offer and Acceptance to Iran for the F-16: A Case Study.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-06-01

terms of man- power and/or dollars? a. Man-years $ (Contract). b. Man-years $ (In-house). 4. Often it is not possible to attach equivalent dollar...the program, as well as its recent expasion into some sensitive centers of power - iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt-have brought arms transfers...tasks are to be performed, and how much money is involved, the LOA is a uniquely powerful document. Yet surprisingly, the first-and only--analysis and

Improving the status of Iranian women in physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iraji zad, A.; Roshani, F.; Izadi, D.

2015-12-01

Iranian women have shown improving contribution in the field of physics as students and researchers in recent years. More than 60% of BSc and MSc students, 47% of PhD students, and 18% of faculty members in the physics departments in Iran are female. However, in higher levels of academic fields and management, participation by women is still below the expected values. The Women in Physics branch of the Physics Society of Iran studies the related cases to find suitable strategies to improve the situation.

The Trend in Histological Changes and the Incidence of Esophagus Cancer in Iran (2003-2008).

PubMed

Rafiemanesh, Hosein; Maleki, Farzad; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Salemi, Morteza; Salehiniya, Hamid

2016-01-01

Esophageal cancer is the sixth cause of death in the world, there was a lack of population-based information on the trend and incidence rate of esophagus cancer, so this study aimed to determine the incidence and pathological changes of esophagus cancer in Iran. In this study, data were extracted from annual cancer registry reports of Iranian ministry of health between 2003 and 2008. Standardized incidence rates were calculated using the world standard population, and incidence rate was calculated by age groups, sex, and histological type. Data on epidemiologic trend and histology were analyzed using Joinpoint software package. In this study, there were 18,177 recorded cases of esophagus cancer. Of all cases, 45.72% were females and 54.28% were males. Sex ratio was 1.19. The most common histological types related to squamous cell carcinoma NOS and adenocarcinoma NOS were 64.53% and 10.37%, respectively. The trend of annual changes of incidence rate significantly increased in both sexes. The annual percentage changes, the incidence rate was 7.9 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.3-12.6) for women and 9.6 (95% CI: 6.0-13.2) for men. The histology type of SCC, large cell, nonkeratinizing and SCC, keratinizing and SCC, NOS had a significant decreasing trend in total population (P < 0.05). According to this study, the trend of age-standardized incidence rate of esophagus cancer in Iran is rising. Hence, to prevent and control this cancer, it is necessary to investigate related risk factors and implement prevention programs in Iran.

The Iranian petroleum crisis and United States national security.

PubMed

Stern, Roger

2007-01-02

The U.S. case against Iran is based on Iran's deceptions regarding nuclear weapons development. This case is buttressed by assertions that a state so petroleum-rich cannot need nuclear power to preserve exports, as Iran claims. The U.S. infers, therefore, that Iran's entire nuclear technology program must pertain to weapons development. However, some industry analysts project an Irani oil export decline [e.g., Clark JR (2005) Oil Gas J 103(18):34-39]. If such a decline is occurring, Iran's claim to need nuclear power could be genuine. Because Iran's government relies on monopoly proceeds from oil exports for most revenue, it could become politically vulnerable if exports decline. Here, we survey the political economy of Irani petroleum for evidence of this decline. We define Iran's export decline rate (edr) as its summed rates of depletion and domestic demand growth, which we find equals 10-12%. We estimate marginal cost per barrel for additions to Irani production capacity, from which we derive the "standstill" investment required to offset edr. We then compare the standstill investment to actual investment, which has been inadequate to offset edr. Even if a relatively optimistic schedule of future capacity addition is met, the ratio of 2011 to 2006 exports will be only 0.40-0.52. A more probable scenario is that, absent some change in Irani policy, this ratio will be 0.33-0.46 with exports declining to zero by 2014-2015. Energy subsidies, hostility to foreign investment, and inefficiencies of its state-planned economy underlie Iran's problem, which has no relation to "peak oil."

Acute bacterial meningitis in Iran: Systematic review and meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Riahi, Seyed Mohammad; Nasiri, Mohammad Javad; Fallah, Fatemeh; Dabiri, Hossein; Pouriran, Ramin

2017-01-01

Introduction Bacterial meningitis persists in being a substantial cause of high mortality and severe neurological morbidity, despite the advances in antimicrobial therapy. Accurate data has not been available regarding the epidemiology of bacterial meningitis particularly in developing countries, yet. Indeed, the present systematic review provides a comprehensive data analysis on the prevalence and epidemiology of bacterial meningitis in Iran. Methods We systematically reviewed articles from 1994 to 2015. The reports which contained the prevalence and etiology of acute bacterial meningitis by valid clinical and laboratory diagnosis were comprised in the present study. Results Our analysis indicated that Streptococcus pneumoniae (30% [I2 = 56% p < 0.01]), Haemophilus influenza type b (15% [I2 = 82.75% p < 0.001]), coagulase negative staphylococci (CoNS) (14% [I2 = 60.5% p < 0.06]), and Neisseria meningitidis (13% [I2 = 74.16% p < 0.001]) were the most common cause of acute bacterial meningitis among meningitis cases in Iran. Notably, high frequency rates of nosocomial meningitis pathogens were detected in the present analysis. Conclusions It was magnificently attained that the majority of cases for bacterial meningitis in Iran could be avertable by public immunization schemes and by preventive care to inhibit the broadening of hospital acquired pathogens. PMID:28170400

A case of canine borreliosis in Iran caused by Borrelia persica.

PubMed

Shirani, Darush; Rakhshanpoor, Alaleh; Cutler, Sally Jane; Ghazinezhad, Behnaz; Naddaf, Saied Reza

2016-04-01

Tick-borne relapsing fever is an endemic disease in Iran, with most cases attributed to infection by Borrelia persica, which is transmitted by Ornithodoros tholozani soft ticks. Here, we report spirochetemia in blood of a puppy residing in Tehran, Iran. The causative species was identified by use of highly discriminative IGS sequencing; the 489 bp IGS sequence obtained in our study showed 99% identity (100% coverage) when compared with B. persica sequences derived from clinical cases or from O. tholozani ticks. Our IGS sequence also showed 99% similarity over 414 bp (85% coverage) with a strain from a domestic dog, and 96% over 328 bp (69% coverage) with a strain from a domestic cat. Pet-keeping in cosmopolitan cities like Tehran has become increasingly popular in recent years. Animals are often transported into the city in cages or cardboard boxes that might also harbor minute tick larvae and/or early stages of the nymphs bringing them into the urban environment. This may pose a threat to household members who buy and keep these puppies and as a result may come into close contact with infected ticks. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Implementation of a National Measles Elimination Program in Iran: Phylogenetic Analysis of Measles Virus Strains Isolated during 2010–2012 Outbreaks

PubMed Central

Salimi, Vahid; Abbasi, Simin; Zahraei, Seyed Mohsen; Fatemi-Nasab, Ghazal; Adjaminezhad-Fard, Fatemeh; Shadab, Azadeh; Ghavami, Nastaran; Zareh-Khoshchehre, Raziyeh; Soltanshahi, Rambod; Bont, Louis; Mokhtari-Azad, Talat

2014-01-01

Measles virus (MV) causes small and large outbreaks in Iran. Molecular assays allow identifying and the sources of measles imported from neighboring countries. We carried out a phylogenetic analysis of measles virus circulating in Iran over the period 2010–2012. Specimens from suspected cases of measles were collected from different regions of Iran. Virus isolation was performed on urine and throat swabs. Partial nucleoprotein gene segments of MV were amplified by RT-PCR. PCR products of 173 samples were sequenced and analyzed. The median age of confirmed cases was 2 years. Among all confirmed cases, 32% had unknown vaccination status, 20% had been vaccinated, and 48% had not been vaccinated. Genotypes B3 and D8 (for the first time), H1 and D4 were detected mainly in unvaccinated toddlers and young children. Genotype B3 became predominant in 2012 and was closely related to African strains. H1 strains were also found in small and large outbreaks during 2012 but were not identical to Iranian H1-2009 strains. A majority of the Iranian D4 strains during 2010–2012 outbreaks were linked to the D4 strain identified in the Pakistan in 2007. We identified a single case in 2010 belonging to D8 genotype with 99.7% identity to Indian isolates. Although the vaccination program is currently good enough to prevent nationwide epidemics and successfully decreased measles incidence in Iran, the fraction of protected individuals in the population was not high enough to prevent continuous introduction of cases from abroad. Due to increasing number of susceptible individuals in some areas, sustained transmission of the newly introduced viral genotype remains possible. PMID:24736720

Implementation of a national measles elimination program in Iran: Phylogenetic analysis of measles virus strains isolated during 2010-2012 outbreaks.

PubMed

Salimi, Vahid; Abbasi, Simin; Zahraei, Seyed Mohsen; Fatemi-Nasab, Ghazal; Adjaminezhad-Fard, Fatemeh; Shadab, Azadeh; Ghavami, Nastaran; Zareh-Khoshchehre, Raziyeh; Soltanshahi, Rambod; Bont, Louis; Mokhtari-Azad, Talat

2014-01-01

Measles virus (MV) causes small and large outbreaks in Iran. Molecular assays allow identifying and the sources of measles imported from neighboring countries. We carried out a phylogenetic analysis of measles virus circulating in Iran over the period 2010-2012. Specimens from suspected cases of measles were collected from different regions of Iran. Virus isolation was performed on urine and throat swabs. Partial nucleoprotein gene segments of MV were amplified by RT-PCR. PCR products of 173 samples were sequenced and analyzed. The median age of confirmed cases was 2 years. Among all confirmed cases, 32% had unknown vaccination status, 20% had been vaccinated, and 48% had not been vaccinated. Genotypes B3 and D8 (for the first time), H1 and D4 were detected mainly in unvaccinated toddlers and young children. Genotype B3 became predominant in 2012 and was closely related to African strains. H1 strains were also found in small and large outbreaks during 2012 but were not identical to Iranian H1-2009 strains. A majority of the Iranian D4 strains during 2010-2012 outbreaks were linked to the D4 strain identified in the Pakistan in 2007. We identified a single case in 2010 belonging to D8 genotype with 99.7% identity to Indian isolates. Although the vaccination program is currently good enough to prevent nationwide epidemics and successfully decreased measles incidence in Iran, the fraction of protected individuals in the population was not high enough to prevent continuous introduction of cases from abroad. Due to increasing number of susceptible individuals in some areas, sustained transmission of the newly introduced viral genotype remains possible.

Forensic toxicology analysis of self-poisoning suicidal deaths in Tehran, Iran; trends between 2011-2015.

PubMed

Kordrostami, Roya; Akhgari, Maryam; Ameri, Maryam; Ghadipasha, Masoud; Aghakhani, Kamran

2017-06-13

Suicide ranks among the top ten causes of death in all age groups all over the world. There are many methods for committing suicide including self-poisoning, firearm and hanging. The aim of the present study was to provide an overview of self-poisoning related suicidal deaths with special focus on forensic toxicology analysis results in Tehran, Iran from 2011 to 2015. All suspicious cases with the the history of self-poisoning were investigated to define the cause and manner of death under the supervision of forensic medicine practitioners. Postmortem samples were analysed in forensic toxicology laboratory to confirm the presence of drugs in cadaver of suicidal cases. Drugs and poisons were analysed 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 were collected from autopsy reports of all cases with confirmed self-poisoning suicidal cause of death. Results showed that 674 cases of self-poisoning deaths were investigated during a five-year study period, of which 68.55% were male. The most often used suicide method was self-poisoning in young population. Phosphine gas liberated from aluminum phosphide tablets was the most toxic substance detected in postmortem samples (619 cases) followed by opioids, methamphetamine, organophosphates, cyanide and strychnine. In conclusion self-poisoning suicidal death was predominant in young male population in Tehran, Iran. It seems that free access to suicide means such as drugs and poisons should be restricted by national and health authorities. Not applicable.

Malaria Four-year Epidemiological Trends in Sistan and Baluchistan Province, Iran.

PubMed

Norouzinezhad, Faezeh; Ghaffari, Fatemeh; Raeisi, Ahmad; Norouzinejad, Abbas; Kaveh, Farzad

2017-01-01

Malaria is one of the foremost public health concerns in Iran, where more than 90% of malaria cases are reported in the southern and south-eastern areas of the country. The aim of this study was to assess the epidemiological trends of malaria over a four-year period in in the Sistan and Baluchistan province in south east of Iran. This descriptive epidemiological study examined malaria trends in Sistan and Baluchistan province from 2011 to 2014. The study used data collected in accordance with the Iranian Ministry of Health's malaria control and elimination protocol. This protocol has digitized the data reporting system for malaria, and all information were sent online to the Center of Disease Control in the Ministry of Health. In this manner, information on malaria cases in Sistan and Baluchistan were made available for the researchers to analyze. Descriptive and comparative analyses were conducted using the SPSS version 13. Annual incidence rates reported in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 showed the prevalence of 89.9, 43.9, 38.3 and 36.6 (per 100,000 persons), respectively. Across all 4 years, the highest numbers of cases were found in persons 16-25 years old and among males. Most of the infected individuals were villagers and workers. In total, 64.8% of patients were Iranian and 29.5% were Pakistani. The highest number of cases was diagnosed in the cities of Sarbaz and Chabahar, with 1,742 and 1,707 cases, respectively. The results showed that over the last 4 years, 50.8% of cases have entered into Iran from foreign countries. The majority of cases involved parasites in the trophozoite stage of the life cycle. In terms of surveillance, passive care was reported in the majority of cases, and vivax malaria had the highest prevalence in comparison with other types. The findings are showing that the care, control and treatment system applied to Sistan and Baluchistan province has had a positive effect on decreasing the prevalence rate of Malaria disease. Meanwhile, it is recommended to policy makers to provide more health controls for border entries, stop irregular immigration and apply more precise case searches in order to have a complete and on time treatment in a way that the chain of transmission of the disease would be cut. Health education and knowledge-ability promotion programs are better to be set in order to develop self-protection and environment improvement among people.

Malaria Four-year Epidemiological Trends in Sistan and Baluchistan Province, Iran

PubMed Central

Norouzinezhad, Faezeh; Ghaffari, Fatemeh; Raeisi, Ahmad; Norouzinejad, Abbas; Kaveh, Farzad

2017-01-01

Introduction Malaria is one of the foremost public health concerns in Iran, where more than 90% of malaria cases are reported in the southern and south-eastern areas of the country. The aim of this study was to assess the epidemiological trends of malaria over a four-year period in in the Sistan and Baluchistan province in south east of Iran. Methods This descriptive epidemiological study examined malaria trends in Sistan and Baluchistan province from 2011 to 2014. The study used data collected in accordance with the Iranian Ministry of Health’s malaria control and elimination protocol. This protocol has digitized the data reporting system for malaria, and all information were sent online to the Center of Disease Control in the Ministry of Health. In this manner, information on malaria cases in Sistan and Baluchistan were made available for the researchers to analyze. Descriptive and comparative analyses were conducted using the SPSS version 13. Results Annual incidence rates reported in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 showed the prevalence of 89.9, 43.9, 38.3 and 36.6 (per 100,000 persons), respectively. Across all 4 years, the highest numbers of cases were found in persons 16–25 years old and among males. Most of the infected individuals were villagers and workers. In total, 64.8% of patients were Iranian and 29.5% were Pakistani. The highest number of cases was diagnosed in the cities of Sarbaz and Chabahar, with 1,742 and 1,707 cases, respectively. The results showed that over the last 4 years, 50.8% of cases have entered into Iran from foreign countries. The majority of cases involved parasites in the trophozoite stage of the life cycle. In terms of surveillance, passive care was reported in the majority of cases, and vivax malaria had the highest prevalence in comparison with other types. Conclusion The findings are showing that the care, control and treatment system applied to Sistan and Baluchistan province has had a positive effect on decreasing the prevalence rate of Malaria disease. Meanwhile, it is recommended to policy makers to provide more health controls for border entries, stop irregular immigration and apply more precise case searches in order to have a complete and on time treatment in a way that the chain of transmission of the disease would be cut. Health education and knowledge-ability promotion programs are better to be set in order to develop self-protection and environment improvement among people. PMID:28243421

Epidemiology Characteristics and Trends of Lung Cancer Incidence in Iran.

PubMed

Almasi, Zeinab; Salehiniya, Hamid; Amoori, Neda; Enayatrad, Mostafa

2016-01-01

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and a major cause of death from cancer. One of the important indicators to compare the prevalence and incidence of the disease is a change in the trend. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in the incidence of lung cancer in Iran. This study was conducted based on existing data obtained from a national registry of cancer cases and the Disease Management Center of Ministry of Health in Iran. All cases registered in the country were included during 2003-2008. Incidence rates were reported based on the direct method and standard population of World Health Organization. The study also examined the morphology of common lung cancers. Trends in incidence underwent joinpoint regression analysis. Based on the results of this study, 14,403 cases of lung cancer have been recorded of which 10,582 cases were in men and 3,821 in women. Highest incidence rates were observed in the 80-84 age group. Considerable variation across provinces was evident. In females squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) demonstrated a reduction from 24% to 16% of lesions over the period of study, while adenocarcinoma rose from 21% to 29%. In males a similar reduction in SCC was apparent (42% to 29%, again with increase in AC (13 % to 18%). The results show that the increase in the incidence of lung cancer the trend is that more men than women and in men and may be caused by changes in smoking pattern. The incidence of lung cancer in the North West and West provinces was higher than in other regions.

Acute adult poisoning cases admitted to a university hospital in Tabriz, Iran.

PubMed

Islambulchilar, M; Islambulchilar, Z; Kargar-Maher, M H

2009-04-01

The aim of our study was to investigate the etiological and demographical characteristics of acute adult poisoning cases admitted to a university hospital in Tabriz, Iran. This retrospective study was performed on 1342 poisoning admissions to a university hospital from 2003 to 2005, by data collection from the medical records of patients. Poisonings were 5.40% of the total admissions. There was a predominance of female patients (55.7%) compared to male patients (44.3%) with a female-to-male ratio of 1.2:1. Most poisonings occurred in the age range of 11-20 years (38.9%). Drugs were the most common cause of poisonings (60.8%). Among the drug poisonings, benzodiazepines (40.31%) were the most frequent agents, followed by antidepressants (31.98%). The seasonal distribution in poisoning patients suggested a peak in spring (28%) and summer (27.5%). In 9.8% of cases accidental and in 90.2% intentional poisonings were evident. Most suicide attempts were made by women (58.51%) and unmarried people (51.4%).The mean duration of hospitalization was 3.02 +/- 2.8 days. There were 28 (2.3%) deaths; the majority (13 cases) was due to pesticides. This was a university hospital-based study, so these results may not be representative of the general population. Despite this drawback, these data still provide important information on the characteristics of the poisoning in this part of Iran. To prevent such poisonings, the community education about the danger of central nervous system-acting drugs and reducing the exposure period of people to pesticides are recommended.

The Effect of Consanguineous Marriage on Mental Health among the Students of the Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences

PubMed Central

Hosseinpour, Maryam; Deris, Fatemeh; Solati-Dehkordi, Kamal; Heidari-Soreshjani, Sheida; Karimi, Negar; Teimori, Hossein

2016-01-01

Introduction In Iran, after unintentional accidents, mental health problems are the second leading burden of disease. Consanguineous marriage is very common in Iran and the association between parental consanguinity and mental health is an important issue that has not yet been studied sufficiently in Iran. Aim To investigate the effect of consanguinity and the degree of relationship on different levels of mental health. Materials and Methods In this cross-sectional study, conducted in the Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, two groups of students were enrolled. The first group consisted of 156 students that had consanguineous parent (case group) and the second group was 156 students whose parents had non-blood relationship (control group). The students were evaluated using General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). Statistical analysis was conducted by Pearson’s correlation coefficient, independent t-test and the one-way analysis of variance. Odd ratio was used to estimate the relative risk. Results Over 30% of the individuals were suffering from mental health problems. The most and least common mental health problems in both groups were social dysfunction (54.5% in the case group and the control group 50%) and depression (15.4% in the case group and 17.3% in the control group), respectively. No statistically significant difference was observed in the frequency of overall mental health and its subscales between student with non-consanguineous parent (control group) and the students that had consanguineous parent (case group) (p>0.05) and the status of mental health was not significantly different among student with different degree of kinship (p>0.05). Conclusion The study revealed that social dysfunction was very common among the study students and also there were no relationship between parental consanguineous marriage and mental health. Parental consanguinity and genetic factors may not be the major causes of high prevalence of mental health problems in Iran and the effects of the environmental factors on these problems may be greater than those of the inherited ones. PMID:28050399

Cost Effectiveness of Malaria Interventions from Preelimination through Elimination: a Study in Iran

PubMed Central

Rezaei-Hemami, Mohsen; Akbari-Sari, Ali; Raiesi, Ahmad; Vatandoost, Hassan; Majdzadeh, Reza

2014-01-01

Background Malaria still is considered as a public health problem in Iran. The aim of the National Malaria Control Department is to reach the elimination by 2024. By decreasing the number of malaria cases in preelimination phase the cost effectiveness of malaria interventions decreases considerably. This study estimated the cost effectiveness of various strategies to combat malaria in preelimination and elimination phases in Iran. Methods: running costs of the interventions at each level of intervention was estimated by using evidence and expert opinions. The effect of each intervention was estimated using the documentary evidence available and expert opinions. Using a point estimate and distribution of each variable the sensitivity was evaluated with the Monte Carlo method. Results: The most cost-effective interventions were insecticide treated net (ITN), larviciding, surveillance for diagnosis and treatment of patients less than 24 hours, and indoor residual spraying (IRS) respectively, No related evidence found for the effectiveness of the border facilities. Conclusion: This study showed that interventions in the elimination phase of malaria have low cost effectiveness in Iran like many other countries. However ITN is the most cost effective intervention among the available interventions. PMID:25629064

The cost effectiveness of rotavirus vaccination in Iran.

PubMed

Mousavi Jarrahi, Yasaman; Zahraei, Seyed Mohsen; Sadigh, Nader; Esmaeelpoor Langeroudy, Keyhan; Khodadost, Mahmoud; Ranjbaran, Mehdi; Sanjari Moghaddam, Ali; Besharat, Mehdi; Mosavi Jarrahi, Alireza

2016-03-03

Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe diarrhea leading to hospitalization or disease-specific death among young children. Effective vaccines have recently been approved and successful vaccination program implemented. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost effectiveness of mass rotavirus vaccination program in Iran. We developed a Markov model that reflects key features of rotavirus natural history. Parameters of the model were assessed by field study or developed through literature search and published data. We applied the model to the 2009 Iranian birth cohort and evaluated the cost-effectiveness of including the rotavirus vaccine (Rotarix®) into Iranian expanded immunization program (EPI). With an estimated hospitalization rate of 0.05 and outpatient rate of 0.23 cases per person-year, vaccinating cohort of 1231735 infants in Iran with 2 doses of (Rotarix®), would prevent 32092 hospitalizations, 158750 outpatient visits, and 1591 deaths during 5 y of follow-up. Under base-case assumption of $10 cost per course of vaccine, the vaccination would incur an extra cost of $1,019,192 from health care perspective and would avert 54680 DALYs. From societal perspective, there would be $15,192,568 saving for the society with the same averted DALYs. The incremental cost effectiveness ratio showed a cost of $19 US dollars per averted DALY from health care perspective and a saving of $278 US dollars for each averted DALY from societal perspective. Introducing rotavirus vaccine into EPI program would be highly cost-effective public health intervention in Iran.

Family Therapy in Iran: A Case Study of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khodayarifard, Mohammad; McClenon, James

2011-01-01

Iranian clinical psychologists have devised family therapy methods that use cognitive behavior models that ft with their collectivist Islamic culture. The authors review Islamic-based strategies and describe family therapy with a culturally specific case of childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder. Family therapy, adapted to integrated,…

Sexual functions in pregnancy: different situations in near geography: a case study on Turkey, Iran and Greece.

PubMed

Demireloz, Mahide; Turfan, Esin; Cetİntas Oner, Serap; Sakar, Tuğçe; Mamİk Atay, Dilek

2018-06-11

This descriptive and cross-sectional study aims to determine the sexual function status of primiparous and multiparous pregnant women who admitted to birth clinics in Iran, Turkey and Greece and to investigate the relationship between pregnancy processes and some variables. This descriptive and cross-sectional study population consisted of primipar/multipar pregnant women who met the research inclusion criteria, agreed to participate in the research and admitted to the Tabriz Pars Clinic in Iran, İzmir Aegean Maternity Hospital in Turkey and Thessaloniki University Hospital in Greece. When the sexual problems of women are compared according to their countries, it was determined that 40% of Iranian women "can't easily share their sexuality issues with their spouses", whereas this rate was 8% in Turkey and 6.7% in Greece.Considering the prevalence of orgasmic and arousal disorder in the prepregnancy period, it was reported that this rate was 53% in Iran, 47% in Greece and 5.6% in Turkey.In the study, the mean "Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI)" score of Turkish women was found to be (59.83 ± 21.75), whereas the FSFI score of Iranian women was (62.86 ± 22.71) and mean FSFI score of the Greek women was (54.33 ± 21.15). In the study, it was shown that there is a difference in the sexual problems of the women, depending on the religious and sociocultural structure of the country they live in.For an effective case and training on sexuality, the norms and values of the society have to be understood in order to raise quality of lives and problem-free sexuality of pregnant women.

The etiology of Rubella IgM positivity in patients with rubella-like illness in Iran from 2011 to 2013.

PubMed

Khorrami, Seyed Mahmood Seyed; Mokhtari-Azad, Talat; Yavarian, Jila; Nasab, Gazal Sadat Fatemi; Naseri, Maryam; Jandaghi, Nazanin Zahra Shafiei

2015-11-01

Rubella is a mild self-limiting contagious viral disease caused by the rubella virus (RV). Although symptoms are often mild, the concern is centralized around the possible effect on a fetus growth and development in case of primary infection during early months of pregnancy. Recently acquired rubella is commonly confirmed by RV-specific IgM antibody detection in the serum. However, rubella primary infection is not always the only cause of IgM positivity. Other possible causes of rubella IgM positivity may include IgM persistence following vaccination or naturally acquired infection or even re-infection. Moreover, nonspecific IgM reactivity can cause false-positive results. There are few articles to differentiate the aetiology of rash in rubella-like illnesses. However, limited studies have been conducted on clarifying the source of IgM positivity in these cases. This article reports the study of 10,896 clinical cases demonstrating rubella-like illness between 2011 and 2013 in Iran. The rate of IgM positivity among these cases was 0.52% (57 cases). As predicted based on the high coverage of vaccination in Iran fewer than 16% of cases with ELISA IgM positive result, were due to current rubella primary infections. The greater part of the positive IgM reactions occurred in cross reactivity with other viruses (31.6%) or in prolonged IgM response post vaccination (24.6%). This research confirmed that the positive result of rubella IgM assay in vaccinated individuals is mainly caused by prolonged IgM production, rubella re-infection, and false positivity due to infection with other viruses, rather than the rubella primary infection itself. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Model of cholera dissemination using geographic information systems and fuzzy clustering means: case study, Chabahar, Iran.

PubMed

Pezeshki, Z; Tafazzoli-Shadpour, M; Mansourian, A; Eshrati, B; Omidi, E; Nejadqoli, I

2012-10-01

Cholera is spread by drinking water or eating food that is contaminated by bacteria, and is related to climate changes. Several epidemics have occurred in Iran, the most recent of which was in 2005 with 1133 cases and 12 deaths. This study investigated the incidence of cholera over a 10-year period in Chabahar district, a region with one of the highest incidence rates of cholera in Iran. Descriptive retrospective study on data of patients with Eltor and NAG cholera reported to the Iranian Centre of Disease Control between 1997 and 2006. Data on the prevalence of cholera were gathered through a surveillance system, and a spatial database was developed using geographic information systems (GIS) to describe the relation of spatial and climate variables to cholera incidences. Fuzzy clustering (fuzzy C) method and statistical analysis based on logistic regression were used to develop a model of cholera dissemination. The variables were demographic characteristics, specifications of cholera infection, climate conditions and some geographical parameters. The incidence of cholera was found to be significantly related to higher temperature and humidity, lower precipitation, shorter distance to the eastern border of Iran and local health centres, and longer distance to the district health centre. The fuzzy C means algorithm showed that clusters were geographically distributed in distinct regions. In order to plan, manage and monitor any public health programme, GIS provide ideal platforms for the convergence of disease-specific information, analysis and computation of new data for statistical analysis. Copyright © 2012 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Seroepidemiological survey of tularemia among different groups in western Iran.

PubMed

Esmaeili, Saber; Gooya, Mohammad Mehdi; Shirzadi, Mohammad Reza; Esfandiari, Behzad; Amiri, Fahimeh Bagheri; Behzadi, Manijeh Yousefi; Banafshi, Omid; Mostafavi, Ehsan

2014-01-01

The first human case of tularemia in Iran was reported in 1980 and there have been no subsequent reports of tularemia in the country. The aim of this study was to carry out a survey of tularemia among different groups in the province of Kurdistan in western Iran. The following information was collected by means of an in-house questionnaire: participant demographic characteristics, exposure to risks, and use of appropriate personal protective equipment and disinfectant in their occupation. A blood sample was collected from each participant. Sera were tested using an ELISA kit (Virion\\Serion) to detect specific IgG antibodies against Francisella tularensis. Of a total of 250 serum samples, 14.40% had anti-tularemia IgG antibodies. The highest seroprevalence was found in hunters (18%) and the lowest in health care workers (12%). Age had a significant positive association with tularemia seroprevalence (p<0.001). The seroprevalence of tularemia in people exposed to foxes (hunting or eating the meat) (25%) was significantly higher than in others (8.65%) (p = 0.01). According to the findings of this study, it is highly recommended that physicians and health care workers are informed about bacteria circulating in this area. By sensitizing the health system, it is expected that some cases of the clinical disease will be reported in the near future. Similar studies in other parts of the country and on domestic and wild animals will clarify the epidemiology of tularemia in Iran. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Risk Factors of Congenital Heart Diseases: A Case-Control Study inNorthwest Iran.

PubMed

Naghavi-Behzad, Mohammad; Alizadeh, Mahasti; Azami, Saber; Foroughifar, Shirin; Ghasempour-Dabbaghi, Khazar; Karzad, Nazila; Ahadi, Hamid-Reza; Naghavi-Behzad, Ali

2013-01-01

Congenital heart diseases are of immense importance and also a high prevalence. Contributing factors to developing these defects have not been abundantly studied. Therefore, the current study was conducted aiming at determining the effective factors on Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) in newborn infants of Northwest Iran. A case-control study was carried out in North-West of Iran from 2002 to 2012 and a total of 473 infants entered the study. Required data were obtained through check lists completed by the information of hospital records and interview with mothers of 267 newborn infants with CHD together with medical records of mothers as the case group, and 206 medical records of healthy infants at the same period all together with those of their mothers as the control group. The obtained data were statistically analyzed using descriptive statistical methods, T-test, Spearman's correlation coefficient, and Multi-variable Logistic Regression Model (OR with 95% CI), using SPSS.19. In the present study, P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Based on the results of univariable analyses, the number of previous cesarean sections, past medical history of diseases, gestational age (GA), fetal weight at birth, diastolic blood pressure, fetal heart rate, pulse rate, fetal hemoglobin and hematocrit levels, and fetal head circumference at birth have significant relationship with incidence of congenital abnormalities (P<0.05). Family history, past cesarean sections history, past medical history and GA had significant relationship with CHD incidence. Based on the results of present study, in order to control and reduce the cases of CHD, it is crucial to make proper decisions and implement policies for reducing cesarean cases, lowering consanguineous marriages, providing proper pre-marriage counseling, prompt treatment of mothers' illnesses, improving pregnancy health care and mothers' health status for the purpose of better well-being of newborn infants.

Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-22

Ahmadinejad. In that case he opposed Ahmadinejad’s incorporation of the position of coordinator of the Hajj (major pilgrimage to Mecca) into the Tourism ...in 2005 to Kish Island. Iran was given a U.S. letter on these cases at a March 31, 2009, meeting in the Netherlands on Afghanistan. Three American...assistance to the Arak facility. 22Voting in favor: United States, Australia, Britain, France, Germany, Canada, Argentina, Belgium, Ghana, Ecuador

Dust transport over Iraq and northwest Iran associated with winter Shamal: A case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdi Vishkaee, Farhad; Flamant, Cyrille; Cuesta, Juan; Oolman, Larry; Flamant, Pierre; Khalesifard, Hamid R.

2012-02-01

Dynamical processes leading to dust emission over Syria and Iraq, in response to a strong winter Shamal event as well as the subsequent transport of dust over Iraq and northwest Iran, are analyzed on the basis of a case study (22-23 February 2010) using a suite of ground-based and spaceborne remote sensing platforms together with modeling tools. Surface measurements on 22 February show a sharp reduction in horizontal visibility over Iraq occurring shortly after the passage of a cold front (behind which the northwesterly Shamal winds were blowing) and that visibilities could be as low as 1 km on average for 1-2 days in the wake of the front. The impact of the southwesterly Kaus winds blowing ahead (east) of the Shamal winds on dust emission over Iraq is also highlighted. Unlike what is observed over Iraq, low near-surface horizontal visibilities (<1 km) over northwest Iran are observed well after the passage of the cold front on 23 February, generally in the hours following sunrise. Ground-based lidar measurements acquired in Zanjan show that, in the wake of the front, dust from Syria/Iraq was transported in an elevated 1 to 1.5 km thick plume separated from the surface during the night/morning of 23 February. After sunrise, strong turbulence in the developing convective boundary layer led to mixing of the dust into the boundary layer and in turn to a sharp reduction of the horizontal visibility in Zanjan. The timing of the reduction of surface horizontal visibility in other stations over northwest Iran (Tabriz, Qom, and Tehran) is consistent with the downward mixing of dust in the planetary boundary layer just after sunset, as evidenced in Zanjan. This study sheds new light on the processes responsible for dust emission and transport over Iraq and northwest Iran in connection with winter Shamal events. Enhanced knowledge of these processes is key for improving dust forecasts in this region.

The Iranian petroleum crisis and United States national security

PubMed Central

Stern, Roger

2007-01-01

The U.S. case against Iran is based on Iran's deceptions regarding nuclear weapons development. This case is buttressed by assertions that a state so petroleum-rich cannot need nuclear power to preserve exports, as Iran claims. The U.S. infers, therefore, that Iran's entire nuclear technology program must pertain to weapons development. However, some industry analysts project an Irani oil export decline [e.g., Clark JR (2005) Oil Gas J 103(18):34–39]. If such a decline is occurring, Iran's claim to need nuclear power could be genuine. Because Iran's government relies on monopoly proceeds from oil exports for most revenue, it could become politically vulnerable if exports decline. Here, we survey the political economy of Irani petroleum for evidence of this decline. We define Iran's export decline rate (edr) as its summed rates of depletion and domestic demand growth, which we find equals 10–12%. We estimate marginal cost per barrel for additions to Irani production capacity, from which we derive the “standstill” investment required to offset edr. We then compare the standstill investment to actual investment, which has been inadequate to offset edr. Even if a relatively optimistic schedule of future capacity addition is met, the ratio of 2011 to 2006 exports will be only 0.40–0.52. A more probable scenario is that, absent some change in Irani policy, this ratio will be 0.33–0.46 with exports declining to zero by 2014–2015. Energy subsidies, hostility to foreign investment, and inefficiencies of its state-planned economy underlie Iran's problem, which has no relation to “peak oil.” PMID:17190820

Incidence and cost of non-fatal burns in Iran: a nationwide population-based study.

PubMed

Abouie, Abolfazl; Salamati, Payman; Hafezi-Nejad, Nima; Rahimi-Movaghar, Afarin; Saadat, Soheil; Amin-Esmaeili, Masoumeh; Sharifi, Vandad; Hajebi, Ahmad; Rahimi-Movaghar, Vafa

2018-03-01

To determine the incidence and cost of non-fatal burns in Iran; this cross-sectional household survey of a nationally representative sample of 15-64 years old was conducted. Through face-to-face interviews and telephone calls, the data on the demographics, history and cost of burns were collected. The annual incidence rate of burns was estimated 129.85 per 1000 population. Burns occurred higher in younger age, female gender and urban residency. The most common burn description was as follows: unpaid work (activity during burn), home (place of burn), heat and hot substances (mechanism of burn) and upper limb (site of burn). The average total cost of burn includes victims seeking medical care was US$124 per case. The main findings of this study suggest that burns are a major public health concern in Iran. To stop this important health issue, a national program for burn prevention and education must be developed.

Mucormycosis in Iran: A six-year retrospective experience.

PubMed

Dolatabadi, S; Ahmadi, B; Rezaei-Matehkolaei, A; Zarrinfar, H; Skiada, A; Mirhendi, H; Nashibi, R; Niknejad, F; Nazeri, M; Rafiei, A; Gharaghani, M; Erami, M; Taghipour, S; Piri, F; Makimura, K

2018-06-01

Mucormycosis is a devastating infection caused by Mucoralean fungi (Mucormycotina, Mucorales). Data concerning the global epidemiology of mucormycosis are scarce and little is known about the characteristics of mucormycosis in Iran. In this study, we aimed to understand the distribution of this infection in Iran retrospectively and to ascertain whether the patterns of infection are associated with specific host factors or not. A total of 208 cases were included in this study occurring during 2008-2014 and were validated according to (EORTC/MSG) criteria. A rising trend as significant increase from 9.7% in 2008 to 23.7% in 2014 was observed. The majority of patients were female (51.4%) with median age of 50 and the infections were seen mostly in autumn season (39.4%). Diabetes mellitus (75.4%) was the most common underlying condition and sinus involvement (86%) was the mostly affected site of infection. Amphotericin B (AmB) was the drug of choice for the majority of cases. Sixty four isolates did not show any growth in the lab and only 21 cases were evaluated by ITS sequencing, among them; Rhizopus arrhizus var. arrhizus was the dominant species. Considering the high mortality rate of mucormycosis, early and accurate diagnosis, with the aid of molecular methods may provide accurate treatments and improve the survival rate. Therefore, increased monitoring and awareness of this life-threatening disease is critical. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

First Case Report of Sinusitis with Lophomonas blattarum from Iran

PubMed Central

Berenji, Fariba; Parian, Mahmoud; Fata, Abdolmajid; Bakhshaee, Mahdi; Fattahi, Fereshte

2016-01-01

Introduction. Lophomonas blattarum is a rare cause of bronchopulmonary and sinus infection. This paper presents a rare case of Lophomonas sinusitis. Case Presentation. The patient was a 31-year-old woman who was admitted because of a history of upper respiratory infection and sinusitis. Direct microscopic examination of the sputum and nasal discharge showed large numbers of living Lophomonas blattarum with irregular movement of flagella. The patient was successfully treated by Metronidazole 750 mg t.i.d. for 30 days. Conclusions. This is the first case report of Lophomonas blattarum sinusitis from Iran. PMID:26966601

First Case Report of Sinusitis with Lophomonas blattarum from Iran.

PubMed

Berenji, Fariba; Parian, Mahmoud; Fata, Abdolmajid; Bakhshaee, Mahdi; Fattahi, Fereshte

2016-01-01

Introduction. Lophomonas blattarum is a rare cause of bronchopulmonary and sinus infection. This paper presents a rare case of Lophomonas sinusitis. Case Presentation. The patient was a 31-year-old woman who was admitted because of a history of upper respiratory infection and sinusitis. Direct microscopic examination of the sputum and nasal discharge showed large numbers of living Lophomonas blattarum with irregular movement of flagella. The patient was successfully treated by Metronidazole 750 mg t.i.d. for 30 days. Conclusions. This is the first case report of Lophomonas blattarum sinusitis from Iran.

A new method for extracting near-surface mass-density anomalies from land-based gravity data, based on a special case of Poisson's PDE at the Earth's surface: A case study of salt diapirs in the south of Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

AllahTavakoli, Y.; Safari, A.; Ardalan, A.; Bahroudi, A.

2015-12-01

The current research provides a method for tracking near-surface mass-density anomalies via using only land-based gravity data, which is based on a special version of Poisson's Partial Differential Equation (PDE) of the gravitational field at Earth's surface. The research demonstrates how the Poisson's PDE can provide us with a capability to extract the near-surface mass-density anomalies from land-based gravity data. Herein, this version of the Poisson's PDE is mathematically introduced to the Earth's surface and then it is used to develop the new method for approximating the mass-density via derivatives of the Earth's gravitational field (i.e. via the gradient tensor). Herein, the author believes that the PDE can give us new knowledge about the behavior of the Earth's gravitational field at the Earth's surface which can be so useful for developing new methods of Earth's mass-density determination. In a case study, the proposed method is applied to a set of gravity stations located in the south of Iran. The results were numerically validated via certain knowledge about the geological structures in the area of the case study. Also, the method was compared with two standard methods of mass-density determination. All the numerical experiments show that the proposed approach is well-suited for tracking near-surface mass-density anomalies via using only the gravity data. Finally, the approach is also applied to some petroleum exploration studies of salt diapirs in the south of Iran.

Genetic Characterization of Serotypes A and Asia-1 Foot-and-mouth Disease Viruses in Balochistan, Pakistan, in 2011.

PubMed

Ullah, A; Jamal, S M; Romey, A; Gorna, K; Kakar, M A; Abbas, F; Ahmad, J; Zientara, S; Bakkali Kassimi, L

2017-10-01

This study reports characterization of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) in samples collected from Balochistan, Pakistan. FMDV was detected by pan-FMDV real-time RT-PCR in 31 samples (epithelial and oral swabs) collected in 2011 from clinical suspect cases. Of these, 29 samples were serotyped by serotype-specific real-time RT-PCR assays and were confirmed by sequencing the VP1 coding region. Sixteen samples were found positive for serotype A and eight for serotype Asia-1, whereas five samples were found positive for both serotypes A and Asia-1. Two serotype A positive samples were found positive for two different strains of serotype A FMDV each. Phylogenetic analyses of serotype A FMDVs showed circulation of at least three different sublineages within the A-Iran05 lineage. These included two earlier reported sublineages, A-Iran05 HER -10 and A-Iran05 FAR -11 , and a new sublineage, designated here as A-Iran05 BAL -11 . This shows that viruses belonging to the A-Iran05 lineage are continuously evolving in the region. Viruses belonging to the A-Iran05 FAR -11 sublineage showed close identity with the viruses circulating in 2009 in Pakistan and Afghanistan. However, viruses belonging to the A-Iran05 HER -10 detected in Balochistan, Pakistan, showed close identity with the viruses circulating in Kyrgyzstan, Iran and Kazakhstan in 2011 and 2012, showing that viruses responsible for outbreak in these countries have a common origin. Serotype Asia-1 FMDVs reported in this study all belonged to the earlier reported Group-VII (Sindh-08), which is currently a dominant strain in the West Eurasian region. Detection of two different serotypes of FMDV or/and two different strains of the same serotype in one animal/sample shows complexity in occurrence of FMD in the region. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Process and barriers to organ donation and causes of brain death in northeast of Iran.

PubMed

Bahrami, Abdollah; Khaleghi, Ebrahim; Vakilzadeh, Ali Khorsand; Afzalaghaee, Monavar

2017-02-01

Organ transplantation is the treatment of choice for some diseases. However, the need for cadaveric organ donation has either plateaued or is on a decreasing trend in some countries, especially in developed ones. In this study, we aimed to identify the barriers to organ donation in brain dead patients, who were referred to the organ procurement organizations (OPO) in northeast Iran. In this cross-sectional study during 2006 to 2013, data were collected from medical records of brain dead patients. Demographic information, cause of brain death, the process of obtaining informed consent, and the reasons for declining organ donation were obtained from the OPO records. The data were analyzed using chi-square test by SPSS 13 software. Of 1034 brain dead patients, 751 cases (72.6%) were eligible for organ donation, and, ultimately, 344 cases underwent organ donation. The rate of organ donation increased during the course of the study; medical and legal reasons as well as family refusal to authorize donation were the main barriers to the process. Based on the pattern of mortality, the need for living donors in developing countries, such as Iran and other countries in the Mediterranean region, can be reduced by improving the quality of healthcare, efficient identification of brain death, and obtaining consent with appropriate strategies.

Prevalence of Urinary Tract Infection Among Pregnant Women and its Complications in Their Newborns During the Birth in the Hospitals of Dezful City, Iran, 2012 - 2013.

PubMed

Amiri, Marziyeh; Lavasani, Zohreh; Norouzirad, Reza; Najibpour, Reza; Mohamadpour, Masoomeh; Nikpoor, Amin Reza; Raeisi, Mohammad; Zare Marzouni, Hadi

2015-08-01

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most common disorder caused by bacterial agents in pregnancy, which can lead to important complications in newborn of such mothers in case of inappropriate diagnosis and treatment. The purpose of this study was to study the prevalence of UTI among pregnant women and its complications in their newborns during the birth in the hospitals of Dezful City, Iran, during 2012 - 2013. In this cross-sectional retrospective study, 1132 women admitted to Dr. Ganjavian and Ayatollah Nabavi Hospitals in Dezful City, Iran, during 2012 - 2013 were randomly allocated into the case and control groups and were matched based on their age, numbers of pregnancy, sex and diseases of their children. UTI was the only difference between the two groups. Twenty-two thousand six hundred deliveries occurred within the course of this study. Due to UTI, 5% of deliveries led to hospitalization of mothers (1132 patients).Weight and height of newborn infants of mothers afflicted with UTI (P < 0.001) were significantly lower compared to newborns of healthy women (P < 0.001). There was a significant association between the two groups of pregnant women with UTI in terms of type of delivery (normal and caesarean section) (P < 0.008). The lower incidence of UTI in pregnant women compared to other areas of Iran represents the role of climate and weather in the prevalence of UTI. In addition, the increased number of low-birth-weight infants had a remarkable correlation with UTI, which can influence the health of the next generation.

Prevalence of Urinary Tract Infection Among Pregnant Women and its Complications in Their Newborns During the Birth in the Hospitals of Dezful City, Iran, 2012 - 2013

PubMed Central

Amiri, Marziyeh; Lavasani, Zohreh; Norouzirad, Reza; Najibpour, Reza; Mohamadpour, Masoomeh; Nikpoor, Amin Reza; Raeisi, Mohammad; Zare Marzouni, Hadi

2015-01-01

Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most common disorder caused by bacterial agents in pregnancy, which can lead to important complications in newborn of such mothers in case of inappropriate diagnosis and treatment. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to study the prevalence of UTI among pregnant women and its complications in their newborns during the birth in the hospitals of Dezful City, Iran, during 2012 - 2013. Patients and Methods: In this cross-sectional retrospective study, 1132 women admitted to Dr. Ganjavian and Ayatollah Nabavi Hospitals in Dezful City, Iran, during 2012 - 2013 were randomly allocated into the case and control groups and were matched based on their age, numbers of pregnancy, sex and diseases of their children. UTI was the only difference between the two groups. Results: Twenty-two thousand six hundred deliveries occurred within the course of this study. Due to UTI, 5% of deliveries led to hospitalization of mothers (1132 patients).Weight and height of newborn infants of mothers afflicted with UTI (P < 0.001) were significantly lower compared to newborns of healthy women (P < 0.001). There was a significant association between the two groups of pregnant women with UTI in terms of type of delivery (normal and caesarean section) (P < 0.008). Conclusions: The lower incidence of UTI in pregnant women compared to other areas of Iran represents the role of climate and weather in the prevalence of UTI. In addition, the increased number of low-birth-weight infants had a remarkable correlation with UTI, which can influence the health of the next generation. PMID:26430526

Genetic diversity of Leishmania tropica strains isolated from clinical forms of cutaneous leishmaniasis in rural districts of Herat province, Western Afghanistan, based on ITS1-rDNA.

PubMed

Fakhar, Mahdi; Pazoki Ghohe, Hossein; Rasooli, Sayed Abobakar; Karamian, Mehdi; Mohib, Abdul Satar; Ziaei Hezarjaribi, Hajar; Pagheh, Abdol Sattar; Ghatee, Mohammad Amin

2016-07-01

Despite the high incidence of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Afghanistan, there is a little information concerning epidemiological status of the disease and phylogenetic relationship and population structure of causative agents. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and distribution of CL cases and investigate the Leishmania tropica population structure in rural districts of Heart province in the West of Afghanistan in comparison to neighboring foci. Overall, 4189 clinically suspected CL cases from 177 villages (including 12 districts) in Herat province were enrolled in the referral laboratory of WHO sub-office in Herat city from January 2012 to December 2013. 3861 cases were confirmed as CL by microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained slides. ITS1 PCR-RFLP analysis showed dominance of L. tropica (more than 98%) among 127 randomly chosen samples. Analysis of the ITS1 sequences revealed 4 sequence types among the 21 L. tropica isolates. Comparison of sequence types from Herat rural districts with the representatives of L. tropica from Iran, India, and Herat city showed two main population groups (cluster A and B). All isolates from Herat province, India and Southeast, East, and Central Iran were found exclusively in cluster A. The close proximity of West Afghanistan focus and Birjand county as the capital of Southern Khorasan province in East Iran can explain relatively equal to the genetic composition of L. tropica in these two neighboring regions. In addition, two populations were found among L. tropica isolates from Herat rural districts. Main population showed more similarity to some isolates from Birjand county in East Iran while minor population probably originated from the Southeast and East Iranian L. tropica. Recent study provided valuable information concerning the population structure of L. tropica and epidemiology of ACL in the West of Afghanistan, which could be the basis for molecular epidemiology studies in other regions of Afghanistan. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Oldest Recorded Case of Acromegaly and Gigantism in Iran.

PubMed

Najjari, Mohsen

2015-10-01

Here we commemorate the character and academic authority of Prof. Zabiholah Gorban (1903-2006), the founder of Shiraz medical school. No doubt, in the scope of history of contemporary medicine, he has been efficient and effective. With respect to this fact, his article on a rare case described in Acta anatomica published in Iran in 1966, entitled (Observations on a giant skeleton) is browsed and reviewed. A case named Siah Khan with combined acromegaly and gigantism that appears to have letters to say still after nearly half a century.

Serological Survey and Associated Risk Factors of Visceral Leish-maniasis in Qom Province, Central Iran.

PubMed

Rakhshanpour, Arash; Mohebali, Mehdi; Akhondi, Behnaz; Rahimi, Mohammad Taghi; Rokni, Mohammad Bagher

2014-01-01

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or kala-azar is considered as a parasitic disease caused by the species of Leishmania donovani complex which is intracellular parasites. This systemic disease is endemic in some parts of provinc-es of Iran. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of VL in Qom Province, central Iran using di-rect agglutination test (DAT). Overall, 1564 serum samples (800 males and 764 females) were collected from selected subjects by random-ized cluster sampling in 2011-2012. Sera were tested and analyzed by DAT. Before sampling; a questionnaire was filled out for each case. Data were analyzed using Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression for risk factors analysis. Of 1564 individuals, 53 cases (3.38%) showed Leishmania specific antibodies as follows: with 1:400 titer 16 cases (1.02%), with 1:800 titer 20 cases (1.27%), with 1:1600 titer 16 cases (1.02%) whereas only one subject (0.06%) showed titers of ≥ 1:3200. There was no significant association between VL seropositivity and gender, age group and occupation. Binary logistic regression showed that rural areas was 0.44 times at higher risk of infection than urban areas (OR= 0.44; %95 CI= 0.25- 0.78). Although the seroprevalence of VL is relatively low in Qom Province, yet due to the importance of the disease, the surveillance system should be monitored by health authorities.

Serological Survey and Associated Risk Factors of Visceral Leish-maniasis in Qom Province, Central Iran

PubMed Central

RAKHSHANPOUR, Arash; MOHEBALI, Mehdi; AKHONDI, Behnaz; RAHIMI, Mohammad Taghi; ROKNI, Mohammad Bagher

2014-01-01

Abstract Background Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or kala-azar is considered as a parasitic disease caused by the species of Leishmania donovani complex which is intracellular parasites. This systemic disease is endemic in some parts of provinc-es of Iran. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of VL in Qom Province, central Iran using di-rect agglutination test (DAT). Methods Overall, 1564 serum samples (800 males and 764 females) were collected from selected subjects by random-ized cluster sampling in 2011-2012. Sera were tested and analyzed by DAT. Before sampling; a questionnaire was filled out for each case. Data were analyzed using Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression for risk factors analysis. Results Of 1564 individuals, 53 cases (3.38%) showed Leishmania specific antibodies as follows: with 1:400 titer 16 cases (1.02%), with 1:800 titer 20 cases (1.27%), with 1:1600 titer 16 cases (1.02%) whereas only one subject (0.06%) showed titers of ≥ 1:3200. There was no significant association between VL seropositivity and gender, age group and occupation. Binary logistic regression showed that rural areas was 0.44 times at higher risk of infection than urban areas (OR= 0.44; %95 CI= 0.25- 0.78). Conclusion Although the seroprevalence of VL is relatively low in Qom Province, yet due to the importance of the disease, the surveillance system should be monitored by health authorities. PMID:26060679

Epidemiological Evaluation of Head and Neck Sarcomas in Iran (the Study of 105 Cases Over 13 Years)

PubMed Central

Alishahi, Batoul; Kargahi, Neda; Homayouni, Solmaz

2015-01-01

Background: Head and neck sarcomas are exceedingly rare and they include 4% - 10% of all sarcomas and less than 1% of all neoplasm of head and neck. Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the epidemiological characteristics of head and neck sarcomas of patients in Isfahan, Iran. Patients and Methods: In this retrospective study, from the 16000 patients whose files were evaluated, the total number of 105 head and neck sarcomas were collected. They were evaluated with due attention to age, gender of the patients and the most common location of the lesion. Results: From the total number of 105 (0.6%) patients with sarcomas, 56 were men (53.33%) and 49 women (46.66%). The most common head and neck sarcomas among this population were Osteosarcoma (32 cases, 30.47%), Chondrosarcoma (14 cases, 13.33%), and Ewing sarcoma (11 cases, 10.47%).The most common soft tissue sarcoma was Rabdomiosarcoma. Mandible was the most common location for these lesions. Conclusions: In this study, the hard tissue sarcomas were more prevalent than soft tissue ones. Hence, special attention should be paid to the patients when being diagnosed. PMID:26478791

Relapsing fever causative agent in Southern Iran is a closely related species to East African borreliae.

PubMed

Naddaf, Saied Reza; Ghazinezhad, Behnaz; Kazemirad, Elham; Cutler, Sally Jane

2017-10-01

We obtained two blood samples from relapsing fever patients residing in Jask County, Hormozgan Province, southern Iran in 2013. Sequencing of a partial fragment of glpQ from two samples, and further characterization of one of them by analyzing flaB gene, and 16S-23S spacer (IGS) revealed the greatest sequence identity with East African borreliae, Borrelia recurrentis, and Borrelia duttonii, and Borrelia microti from Iran. Phylogenetic analyses of glpQ, flaB, and concatenated sequences (glpQ, flab, and IGS) clustered these sequences amongst East African Relapsing fever borreliae and B. microti from Iran. However, the more discriminatory IGS disclosed a unique 8-bp signature (CAGCCTAA) separating these from B. microti and indeed other relapsing fever borreliae. In southern Iran, relapsing fever cases are mostly from localities in which O. erraticus ticks, the notorious vector of B. microti, prevail. There are chances that this argasid tick serves as a host and vector of several closely related species or ecotypes including the one we identified in the present study. The distribution of this Borrelia species remains to be elucidated, but it is assumed to be endemic to lowland areas of the Hormozgan Province, as well as Sistan va Baluchistan in the southeast and South Khorasan (in Persian: Khorasan-e Jonobi) in the east of Iran. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Cost-Effectiveness Evaluation of Quadrivalent Human Papilloma Virus Vaccine for HPV-Related Disease in Iran

PubMed Central

Khatibi, Mohsen; Rasekh, Hamid Reza; Shahverdi, Zohreh; jamshidi, Hamid Reza

2014-01-01

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine has been added recently to the Iran Drug List. So, decision makers need information beyond that available from RCTs to recommend funding for this vaccination program to add it to the National Immunization program in Iran. Modeling and economic studies have addressed some of those information needs in foreign countries. In order to determine the long term benefit of this vaccine and impact of vaccine program on the future rate of cervical cancer in Iran, we described a model, based on the available economic and health effects of human papilloma virus (HPV), to estimate the cost-effectiveness of HPV vaccination of 15-year-old girls in Iran. Our objective is to estimate the cost-effectiveness of HPV vaccination in Iran against cervical cancer based on available data; incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) calculations were based on a model comparing a cohort of 15-year-old girls with and without vaccination. We developed a static model based on available data in Iran on the epidemiology of HPV related health outcome. The model compared the cohort of all 15-year old girls alive in the year 2013 with and without vaccination. The cost per QALY, which was found based on our assumption for the vaccination of 15-years old girl to current situation was 439,000,000 Iranian Rial rate (IRR). By considering the key parameters in our sensitivity analysis, value varied from 251,000,000 IRR to 842,000,000 IRR. In conclusion, quadrivalent HPV vaccine (Gardasil) is not cost-effective in Iran based on the base-case parameters value. PMID:24711850

Breast cancer research in Iran: a scientometric analysis of publications output from 1991 to 2015 in Scopus.

PubMed

Zarei, Mozhdeh; Bagheri-Saweh, Mohammad Iraj; Rasolabadi, Masoud; Vakili, Ronak; Seidi, Jamal; Kalhor, Marya Maryam; Etaee, Farshid; Gharib, Alireza

2017-02-01

As a common type of malignancy, breast cancer is one of the major causes of death in women globally. The purpose of the current study was to analyze Iran research performance on Breast Cancer in the context of national and international studies, shown in the publications indexed in Scopus database during 1991-2015. Data were retrieved from the Scopus citation database in this scientometric study. The following string was employed; "breast cancer OR breast malignancy OR breast tumor OR mammary ductal carcinoma" keywords in the main title, abstract and keywords and Iran in the affiliation field were the main related keywords. The terms used were searched in Scopus using the tab specified for searching documents. Time span analyzed was 1991 to 2015 inclusive. Using the analyzing software of Scopus, we analyzed the results. Iran's increasing publication production during 1991-2015 in breast cancer research which indexed in Scopus, consists of 2,399 papers with an average of 95.96 papers per year, and achieved an h-index of 48. Iranian cancer research articles have received 15,574 citations during 1991-2015, and average citations per paper were 6.49. Iran ranked 27th among the top 30 nations with a worldwide stake of 0.67 %, the 20 top publishing journals published 744 (31%) Iranian research articles on breast cancer, among them, there were 15 Iranian journals. The number of Iranian research papers on breast cancer and also the number of citations to them, is increasing. Although the quantity and quality of papers are increasing, regarding the prevalence of breast cancer in Iran and also the ineffectiveness of screening programs in the early detection of the cases, more effort should be made, and Iranian policy makers should consider more investment on breast cancer research.

Introduction to Command, Control and Communications (C3) Through Comparative Case Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-03-01

enhancing the process of learning from experience. Case study allows the student to apply concepts , theories, and techniques to an actual incident within...part of the thesis describes selected principles and concepts of 33 related to cormruication management, interoperability, command structure and...The solutions to the cases require applying the principles and concepts presented in the first rart. The four cases are: (1) the Iran hostage rescue

The monetary burden of cystic echinococcosis in Iran.

PubMed

Fasihi Harandi, Majid; Budke, Christine M; Rostami, Sima

2012-01-01

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a globally distributed parasitic infection of humans and livestock. The disease is of significant medical and economic importance in many developing countries, including Iran. However, the socioeconomic impact of the disease, in most endemic countries, is not fully understood. The purpose of the present study was to determine the monetary burden of CE in Iran. Epidemiological data, including prevalence and incidence of CE in humans and animals, were obtained from regional hospitals, the scientific literature, and official government reports. Economic data relating to human and animal disease, including cost of treatment, productivity losses, and livestock production losses were obtained from official national and international datasets. Monte Carlo simulation methods were used to represent uncertainty in input parameters. Mean number of surgical CE cases per year for 2000-2009 was estimated at 1,295. The number of asymptomatic individuals living in the country was estimated at 635,232 (95% Credible Interval, CI 149,466-1,120,998). The overall annual cost of CE in Iran was estimated at US$232.3 million (95% CI US$103.1-397.8 million), including both direct and indirect costs. The cost associated with human CE was estimated at US$93.39 million (95% CI US$6.1-222.7 million) and the annual cost associated with CE in livestock was estimated at US$132 million (95% CI US$61.8-246.5 million). The cost per surgical human case was estimated at US$1,539. CE has a considerable economic impact on Iran, with the cost of the disease approximated at 0.03% of the country's gross domestic product. Establishment of a CE surveillance system and implementation of a control program are necessary to reduce the economic burden of CE on the country. Cost-benefit analysis of different control programs is recommended, incorporating present knowledge of the economic losses due to CE in Iran.

The Monetary Burden of Cystic Echinococcosis in Iran

PubMed Central

Fasihi Harandi, Majid; Budke, Christine M.; Rostami, Sima

2012-01-01

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a globally distributed parasitic infection of humans and livestock. The disease is of significant medical and economic importance in many developing countries, including Iran. However, the socioeconomic impact of the disease, in most endemic countries, is not fully understood. The purpose of the present study was to determine the monetary burden of CE in Iran. Epidemiological data, including prevalence and incidence of CE in humans and animals, were obtained from regional hospitals, the scientific literature, and official government reports. Economic data relating to human and animal disease, including cost of treatment, productivity losses, and livestock production losses were obtained from official national and international datasets. Monte Carlo simulation methods were used to represent uncertainty in input parameters. Mean number of surgical CE cases per year for 2000–2009 was estimated at 1,295. The number of asymptomatic individuals living in the country was estimated at 635,232 (95% Credible Interval, CI 149,466–1,120,998). The overall annual cost of CE in Iran was estimated at US$232.3 million (95% CI US$103.1–397.8 million), including both direct and indirect costs. The cost associated with human CE was estimated at US$93.39 million (95% CI US$6.1–222.7 million) and the annual cost associated with CE in livestock was estimated at US$132 million (95% CI US$61.8–246.5 million). The cost per surgical human case was estimated at US$1,539. CE has a considerable economic impact on Iran, with the cost of the disease approximated at 0.03% of the country's gross domestic product. Establishment of a CE surveillance system and implementation of a control program are necessary to reduce the economic burden of CE on the country. Cost-benefit analysis of different control programs is recommended, incorporating present knowledge of the economic losses due to CE in Iran. PMID:23209857

Detection of torque teno midi virus/small anellovirus (TTMDV/SAV) in chronic cervicitis and cervical tumors in Isfahan, Iran.

PubMed

Salmanizadeh, Sharareh; Bouzari, Majid; Talebi, Ardeshir

2012-02-01

Torque teno midi virus and small anellovirus (TTMDV/SAV) are members of the genus Gammatorquevirus within the family Anelloviridae. Cervical cancer is the second most prevalent cancer after breast cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of infection by these viruses in cervicitis and cervical tumors of women from Isfahan, Iran. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples from cervical cancers (n = 42) and cervicitis cases (n = 79) were subjected to nested PCR to identify TTMDV/SAV viral sequences. Of the 42 tumor cases, 22, 18 and 2 were diagnosed as adenocarcinoma, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and squamous cell carcinoma, respectively. In total, 23 (55%) of the tumor samples were positive for TTMDV/SAV. Of the 79 cervicitis cases, 38 (48%) were also positive for TTMDV/SAV. This is the first report of TTMDV/SAV in cervicitis and cervical tumors of women.

Monitoring of Plasmodium infection in humans and potential vectors of malaria in a newly emerged focus in southern Iran

PubMed Central

Kalantari, Mohsen; Soltani, Zahra; Ebrahimi, Mostafa; Yousefi, Masoud; Amin, Masoumeh; Shafiei, Ayda; Azizi, Kourosh

2017-01-01

Despite control programs, which aim to eliminate malaria from Iran by 2025, transmission of malaria has not been removed from the country. This study aimed to monitor malaria from asymptomatic parasitaemia and clinical cases from about one year of active case surveillance and potential vectors of malaria in the newly emerged focus of Mamasani and Rostam, southern Iran during 2014–2015. Samples were collected and their DNAs were extracted for Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assay using specific primers for detection of Plasmodium species. The Annual Parasite Incidence rate (API) was three cases per 1,000 population from 2,000 individuals in three villages. Parasites species were detected in 9 out of the 4,000 blood smear samples among which, 6 cases were indigenous and had no history of travels to endemic areas of malaria. Also, the prevalence rate of asymptomatic parasites was about 0.3%. Overall, 1073 Anopheles spp. were caught from 9 villages. Totally, 512 female samples were checked by PCR, which indicated that none of them was infected with Plasmodium. Despite new malaria local transmission in humans in Mamasani and Rostam districts, no infection with Plasmodium was observed in Anopheles species. Because of neighboring of the studied area to the re-emerged focus in Fars province (Kazerun) and important endemic foci of malaria in other southern provinces, such as Hormozgan and Kerman, monitoring of the vectors and reservoir hosts of Plasmodium species would be unavoidable. Application of molecular methods, such as PCR, can simplify access to the highest level of accuracy in malaria researches. PMID:28078947

A US Strategy for Iran (Walker Paper, Number 11)

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-04-01

fpc .state.gov/documents/organization/23591. pdf . Keddie, Nikkie R. Modern Iran. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2006. King , Neil, Jr., and Greg...for Iran. Note . Neil King Jr. and Greg Jaffe, “If Iraq Worsens, Allies See ‘Nightmare’ Case,” Wall Street Journal, 9 January 2007. Chapter 2...Iran’s Perceptions and Patterns—Historic Roots I am Darius the Great King , King of Kings , King of coun- tries containing all kinds of men, King in this

Acute Datura Stramonium poisoning in East of Iran - a case series.

PubMed

Amini, Mahnaz; Khosrojerdi, Hamid; Afshari, Reza

2012-01-01

Datura Stramonium (DS) is a common weed along roadsides, in cornfields and pastures and in waste areas. It belongs to the family Solanaceae and its toxic components are tropane belladonna alkaloids. It has been used voluntarily by teenagers for its hallucinogenic effect. The plant is named in Iran as Tatoore. Symptoms and signs of acute D. Stramonium poisoning usually are similar to anticholinergic syndrome. This study is done in order to clarify the status of this poisoning in our region. This study is a case series on all patients admitted to Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad, Iran, with acute D. Stramonium poisoning between 2008 and 2011. We observed their symptoms, signs, routine laboratory test results and treatment used to control their symptoms. There were 19 patients included in our study. Children were poisoned more commonly than teenagers and poisoning in adults was rare. All of the children ingested the plant accidentally. The most presenting symptom was irritability and the most common sign was sinus tachycardia. There was not any presentation of seizure or coma. Most of the symptoms were controlled by parenteral benzodiazepines and there were no need to use of cholinergic agents such as physostigmine. Our study showed most of D. Stramonium poisoned population in our region are children. We suggest decreasing accessibility to the plant in order to decrease the incidence of its poisoning.

Characteristic features of cutaneous melanoma in a dermatology referral centre in Tehran, Iran.

PubMed

Kamyab, Kambiz; Kazemi, Sheyda; Azimi, Pourya; Azizpour, Arghavan; Ghandi, Narges; Pirooz, Elham; Noormohammadpour, Pedram; Mirshams-Shahshahani, Mostafa; Daneshpazhooh, Maryam

2017-11-01

The characteristics of cutaneous melanoma in the Middle-Eastern countries is poorly described. Therefore we conducted this study to determine the characteristics of melanoma in Iran. A retrospective, cross sectional study of melanoma patients seen at a tertiary referral centre, Iran, from May 2004 to October 2014. Clinical data included age and gender of the patients at the time of diagnosis, tumour location and tumour size. Histological characteristics included Breslow thickness, Clark level and subtype of tumour. A total of 450 cases of melanoma with a male/female ratio of 1.1:1 were reviewed. The mean age of patients was 57.5 years. The most frequent histological subtypes were acral lentiginous melanoma (30%) and lentigo maligna melanoma (29%). In 215 cases (49%) the tumour was located on the extremities. The second most common site was the face. Tumour invasion was mainly at Clark level III and IV. The mean Breslow thickness was 2.8 mm; 143 (38%) melanomas had a Breslow thickness less than 1 mm (T1) and 86 (23%) were more than 4 mm (T4). This study indicates that clinical and histological features of melanoma in Iranians (who are mainly of skin phototypes 3-4) are different from those observed in Western countries. Further cohort studies are required to evaluate the role of ethnic and environmental risk factors for melanoma in different populations. © 2017 The Australasian College of Dermatologists.

Risk Mapping and Situational Analysis of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in an Endemic Area of Central Iran: A GIS-Based Survey.

PubMed

Abedi-Astaneh, Fatemeh; Hajjaran, Homa; Yaghoobi-Ershadi, Mohammad Reza; Hanafi-Bojd, Ahmad Ali; Mohebali, Mehdi; Shirzadi, Mohammad Reza; Rassi, Yavar; Akhavan, Amir Ahmad; Mahmoudi, Bagher

2016-01-01

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is among the top 10 infectious disease priorities in the world, and the leading cause of morbidity in Iran. The present study was conducted to assess the risk of CL, and to determine some epidemiological features of the disease in endemic areas of Qom Province in Central Iran during 2009 to 2013. Data regarding human cases of the disease were obtained from the Qom Province Health Center, prepared and stored in a spatial database created in ArcGIS10.3. A total of 9 out of 212 Leishmania spp. positive slides taken in 2013 from patients residing in Qom city were examined using molecular methods and the species of Leishmania was identified by PCR-RFLP. Those 9 patients had no history of travel outside the city. Spatial analysis and clustering methods were applied to find major hot spots and susceptible areas for the establishment of novel foci of the disease. Transmission patterns were examined for spatial autocorrelation using the Moran's I statistical application, and for the clustering of high or low values using the Getis-Ord Gi* statistics. During the period of study, a total of 1767 CL cases were passively reported in the area, out of which were 65% males and 35% females. The highest and lowest numbers of cases were reported in 2010 and 2013, respectively. Importantly, 979 cases were reported from urban areas, while the remainder came from rural areas. Leishmania major was detected as the causative agent of CL in the city of Qom. Remarkably, most patients recorded in Qom city were associated with a history of travel to the endemic areas of CL within the province, or to other endemic areas of the disease in Iran. Spatial distribution of CL cases revealed northeastern and southwestern quarters of the city were the major hot spots of the disease (P<0.05). Hot spot and CL transmission risk analysis across the province indicated that more than 40 villages were located in high and very high risk areas of CL transmission. Due to the existence of hot spots (P<0.05) of CL in successive years in some quarters of Qom city, along with detection of L. major from the patients without a history of travel, there may be potential of local transmission of the disease within the city. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive study concerning the hot spots of CL in Qom city for curtailing the incidence of the disease in the city. The methodology and the results of this study is essential in serving as a yardstick for subsequent similar studies that will be carried out in other endemic areas of CL in Iran and providing an adequate tool for the establishment of a national database of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Risk Mapping and Situational Analysis of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in an Endemic Area of Central Iran: A GIS-Based Survey

PubMed Central

Abedi-Astaneh, Fatemeh; Hajjaran, Homa; Yaghoobi-Ershadi, Mohammad Reza; Hanafi-Bojd, Ahmad Ali; Mohebali, Mehdi; Shirzadi, Mohammad Reza; Rassi, Yavar; Akhavan, Amir Ahmad; Mahmoudi, Bagher

2016-01-01

Introduction Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is among the top 10 infectious disease priorities in the world, and the leading cause of morbidity in Iran. The present study was conducted to assess the risk of CL, and to determine some epidemiological features of the disease in endemic areas of Qom Province in Central Iran during 2009 to 2013. Methods Data regarding human cases of the disease were obtained from the Qom Province Health Center, prepared and stored in a spatial database created in ArcGIS10.3. A total of 9 out of 212 Leishmania spp. positive slides taken in 2013 from patients residing in Qom city were examined using molecular methods and the species of Leishmania was identified by PCR-RFLP. Those 9 patients had no history of travel outside the city. Spatial analysis and clustering methods were applied to find major hot spots and susceptible areas for the establishment of novel foci of the disease. Transmission patterns were examined for spatial autocorrelation using the Moran's I statistical application, and for the clustering of high or low values using the Getis-Ord Gi* statistics. Results During the period of study, a total of 1767 CL cases were passively reported in the area, out of which were 65% males and 35% females. The highest and lowest numbers of cases were reported in 2010 and 2013, respectively. Importantly, 979 cases were reported from urban areas, while the remainder came from rural areas. Leishmania major was detected as the causative agent of CL in the city of Qom. Remarkably, most patients recorded in Qom city were associated with a history of travel to the endemic areas of CL within the province, or to other endemic areas of the disease in Iran. Spatial distribution of CL cases revealed northeastern and southwestern quarters of the city were the major hot spots of the disease (P<0.05). Hot spot and CL transmission risk analysis across the province indicated that more than 40 villages were located in high and very high risk areas of CL transmission. Conclusions Due to the existence of hot spots (P<0.05) of CL in successive years in some quarters of Qom city, along with detection of L. major from the patients without a history of travel, there may be potential of local transmission of the disease within the city. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive study concerning the hot spots of CL in Qom city for curtailing the incidence of the disease in the city. The methodology and the results of this study is essential in serving as a yardstick for subsequent similar studies that will be carried out in other endemic areas of CL in Iran and providing an adequate tool for the establishment of a national database of cutaneous leishmaniasis. PMID:27574805

Transition to injecting drug use in Iran: a systematic review of qualitative and quantitative evidence

PubMed Central

Rahimi-Movaghar, Afarin; Amin-Esmaeili, Masoumeh; Shadloo, Behrang; Malekinejad, Mohsen

2015-01-01

Background Injection drug use has been increasing over the past decade in Iran. This study aims to review the epidemiological and qualitative evidence on factors that facilitate or protect against transition to injection in Iran. Methods Five international (Medline, Web of Science, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO), one regional (IMEMR) and three Iranian (Iranmedex, Iranpsych, IranDoc) databases were searched and key experts were contacted. Two trained researchers screened documents to identify relevant studies and independently extracted data using a pre-specified protocol. A thematic analysis was applied to the qualitative data and a random effect meta-analysis model was used to determine age of first injection. Results A total of 39 documents from 31 studies met the eligibility criteria; more than 50% were conducted between 2006 and 2008. The weighted mean age of first injection was 25.8 years (95% Confidence Interval: 25.3–26.2). Overall, drug users had used drugs for 6 to 7 years before starting to inject. Heroin was the first drug of injection in the majority of cases. Factors influencing transition to injection included 1) individual (pleasure-seeking behavior and development of drug dependency), 2) social network (role of peer drug users in first injection use), and 3) environmental (the economic efficiency associated with injection and the wide availability of injectable form of drugs in the market). Conclusion Harm reduction policies in Iran have almost exclusively focused on drug injectors. However, given the extent of non-injection drug use, evidence from this study can provide insight on points of interventions for preventing transition to injection use. PMID:26210009

Prevalence of pulmonary edema among the deceased cases with acute Methadone poisoning: A report from Iran.

PubMed

Eizadi-Mood, Nastaran; Naeini, Seyed Amir Hossein Madani; Hedaiaty, Mahrang; Sabzghabaee, Ali Mohammad; Moudi, Maryam

2016-01-01

Methadone poisoning is common in our society, mainly in drug addicts. One of its lethal complications is pulmonary edema. Therefore, we evaluated the prevalence of pulmonary edema in the deceased cases with methadone poisoning and its possible relationship with some medical variables. In this cross-sectional study which was done in 2014, we have investigated the deceased patients with methadone toxicity who underwent autopsy at Isfahan Forensic Medicine Department (Iran). All variables including age, gender, and autopsy findings were recorded and analyzed. Demographic characteristics and medical complications of the patients were compared between the patients with or without pulmonary edema in the autopsy findings. There were 64 cases who died with methadone poisoning during the 1-year study period. The average age of cases (±standard deviation) was 32.1 ± 10.29 years, among which 92.2% were male. Based on the autopsy findings, 64.1% were diagnosed with pulmonary edema. There was no statistically significant relationship between pulmonary edema and age, gender, history of addiction, and hepatic or cardiovascular complications. Pulmonary edema is a common finding in deceased methadone poisoning cases and must be considered and ruled out in patients with acute methadone toxicity.

The Relationship between Food Insecurity and Esophageal and Gastric Cancers: A Case-Control Study.

PubMed

Daneshi-Maskooni, Milad; Badri-Fariman, Mahtab; Habibi, Nahal; Dorosty-Motlagh, Ahmadreza; Yavari, Hashem; Kashani, Arvin; Hosseini, Mostafa

2017-06-14

Food insecurity is defined as the limited or uncertain availability of enough food for permanent active and healthy life. Upper gastrointestinal (GI) cancers (esophagus and stomach) are one of five most common cancers in Iran. This study aimed to determine the association of food insecurity and upper GI cancers in newly diagnosed patients. Case-control study. Overall, 120 patients with upper GI cancers as cases and 120 patients with orthopedic, ear-nose-throat (ENT), and neurologic diseases as controls were recruited from Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran, Iran in 2013. The patients were newly diagnosed using endoscopy or imaging or biopsy methods. They were individually matched for age, sex, and residential area. The general and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) household food security questionnaires were completed. The univariate and multivariate conditional logistic regression tests were applied using the Stata 11SE statistical software. The food insecurity prevalence was 69.2% and 43.3% in cases and controls, respectively. Food insecurity, low economic level and family history of cancer were significantly associated with cancer (P<0.05). Food insecurity was one of the important risk factors for upper GI cancers that health care providers should consider it.

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever among children in Iran.

PubMed

Aslani, Dalileh; Salehi-Vaziri, Mostafa; Baniasadi, Vahid; Jalali, Tahmineh; Azad-Manjiri, Sanam; Mohammadi, Tahereh; Khakifirouz, Sahar; Fazlalipour, Mehdi

2017-03-01

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a viral zoonotic disease which is endemic in Iran. The etiological agent of CCHF is an RNA virus belonging to the genus Nairovirus of the family Bunyaviridae. CCHF virus (CCHFV) can be transmitted to humans through bites from infected ticks and direct contact with infected blood or tissues. Although the disease has been observed in different age groups, the rate of disease is lower in children and elderly. This study was designed to characterize CCHFV-infected children in Iran. Between 2000 and 2016, a total of 908 CCHF suspected cases (in children less than 19 years old) were evaluated for CCHFV infection by CCHF IgM ELISA and RT-PCR. CCHFV infection was observed in 161 (17.73%) of subjects. Most CCHF positive children were male (70.8%) and >15 years of age (65.8%). Contact with livestock was the main risk factor (35.4%). Sistan and Baluchestan provinces had the highest frequency within the infected cohort (68.3%). The overall mortality rate was 11.8%. This study also revealed a significant reduction in CCHF-fatality rates in Iranian children when compared to earlier studies in Iran. Having contact with livestock was the major risk factor and CCHF was more common in male children of an older age.

Irradiate-anneal screening of total dose effects in semiconductor devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stanley, A. G.; Price, W. E.

1976-01-01

Judicious choice of radiation dose and parameter change acceptance criteria, absence of anomalous anneal phenomena, and absence of anomalous reirradiation effects are recognized as essential for a successful irradiation-anneal (IRAN) screening procedure to ensure that no device will fall, upon reirradiation, above parametric limits assigned for the worst case application. Reirradiation and irradiation-anneal behavior of various semiconductor devices are compared and those that do not lend themselves to IRAN screening are singled out. Information needed to judge the suitability of an IRAN type screening program is detailed. Reasons for success of the limited IRAN screening of flight parts for the Mariner Jupiter/Saturn (MJS '77) spacecraft are indicated.

Scholars at Risk: A Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadizadeh, Hadi

2006-04-01

It has been five years since some 60 political activists; many scholars and university professors among them, with alleged links to the so-called ``nationalist-religious'' group and the Freedom Movement of Iran (FMI) were arrested in March and April 2001 on a series of charges including plotting to topple the Islamic establishment in Iran. Almost all of those detained were later released on bail and stood trials before different branches of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, and court of appeals. All sessions and hearings were held behind closed doors! Final verdicts have been gradually delivered, but the judiciary refuses to enforce the sentences, drop the charges, or return the bails. The whole case has been turned into a Sword of Damocles held over the heads of all political activists who happen to be critical of the system.

Neonatal Marfan Syndrome: Report of Two Cases

PubMed Central

Ghandi, Yazdan; S.Zanjani, Keyhan; Mazhari-Mousavi, Seyed-Eshagh; Parvaneh, Nima

2013-01-01

Background Neonatal Marfan syndrome is a rare and severe phenotype of this disease. A poor prognosis is anticipated due to the high probability of congestive heart failure, and mitral and tricuspid regurgitations with suboptimal response to medical therapy and difficulties in surgical management at an early age. Case Presentation We present two consecutive patients with this disease who are the first reported cases from Iran to the best of our knowledge. Unfortunately both of them died shortly after diagnosis. Conclusion Neonatal Marfan syndrome is reported from Iran and has a poor prognosis like the patients reported from elsewhere. PMID:23549323

Demography, Education, and Democracy: global trends and the case of Iran.

PubMed

Lutz, Wolfgang; Cuaresma, Jesús Crespo; Abbasi-Shavazi, Mohammad Jalal

2010-01-01

Reconstructions and projections of populations by age, sex, and educational attainment for 120 countries since 1970 are used to assess the global relationship between improvements in human capital and democracy. Democracy is measured by the Freedom House indicator of political rights. Similar to an earlier study on the effects of improving educational attainment on economic growth, the greater age detail of this new dataset resolves earlier ambiguities about the effect of improving education as assessed using a global set of national time series. The results show consistently strong effects of improving overall levels of educational attainment, of a narrowing gender gap in education, and of fertility declines and the subsequent changes in age structure on improvements in the democracy indicator. This global relationship is then applied to the Islamic Republic of Iran. Over the past two decades Iran has experienced the world's most rapid fertility decline associated with massive increases in female education. The results show that based on the experience of 120 countries since 1970, Iran has a high chance of significant movement toward more democracy over the following two decades.

Epidemiology and Trends in Incidence of Kidney Cancer in Iran.

PubMed

Mirzaei, Maryam; Pournamdar, Zahra; Salehiniya, Hamid

2015-01-01

Kidney cancer has shown an increasing trend in recent decades. This study aimed to determine change in the incidence rate between 2003 and 2009 in Iran. In this study, national cancer registry data were used. Crude incidence rates were calculated per 100,000 and age-standardized incidence rates (ASRs) were computed using the direct standardization method and the world standard population. Significant trend of incidence rates was examined by the Cochran-Armitage test for linear trend. A total of 6,944 cases of kidney cancer were reported. The incidence cases increased from 595 patients in 2003 to 1,387 patients in 2009. Sex ratio (male to female) was 1.67. ASR also increased from 1.18 in 2003 to 2.52 in 2009 per 100,000, but the increasing trend was not significant. A slow increasing trend of incidence rate was observed in the study population. This may be due to an increase of risk factors. It is suggested to perform a study on risk factors for the cancer.

Attaining Stability: A Case for Accepting a Nuclearized Iran

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-02-11

St ra te gy Re se ar ch Pr oj ec t ATTAINING STABILITY: A CASE FOR ACCEPTING A NUCLEARIZED IRAN BY BRIGADIER NAUSHAD KAYANI Pakistan Army...DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A : Approved for Public Release. Distribution is Unlimited. Only a work of the United States Government is not subject to copyright. Based...upon the nature of a particular student-author’s employment, a paper may not be a work of the United States Government and may, in fact, be protected

Multilocus microsatellite typing shows three different genetic clusters of Leishmania major in Iran.

PubMed

Mahnaz, Tashakori; Al-Jawabreh, Amer; Kuhls, Katrin; Schönian, Gabriele

2011-10-01

Ten polymorphic microsatellite markers were used to analyse 25 strains of Leishmania major collected from cutaneous leishmaniasis cases in different endemic areas in Iran. Nine of the markers were polymorphic, revealing 21 different genotypes. The data displayed significant microsatellite polymorphism with rare allelic heterozygosity. Bayesian statistic and distance based analyses identified three genetic clusters among the 25 strains analysed. Cluster I represented mainly strains isolated in the west and south-west of Iran, with the exception of four strains originating from central Iran. Cluster II comprised strains from the central part of Iran, and cluster III included only strains from north Iran. The geographical distribution of L. major in Iran was supported by comparing the microsatellite profiles of the 25 Iranian strains to those of 105 strains collected in 19 Asian and African countries. The Iranian clusters I and II were separated from three previously described populations comprising strains from Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia whereas cluster III grouped together with the Central Asian population. The considerable genetic variability of L. major might be related to the existence of different populations of Phlebotomus papatasi and/or to differences in reservoir host abundance in different parts of Iran. Copyright © 2011 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Epidemiologic Pattern of Fatal Traffic Injuries among Iranian Drivers; 2004–2010

PubMed Central

BAKHTIYARI, Mahmood; MEHMANDAR, Mohammad Reza; RIAHI, Seyed Mohammad; MANSOURNIA, Mohammad Ali; SARTIPI, Majid; BAHADORIMONFARED, Ayad

2016-01-01

Background: Due to their specific nature, such as high incidence, high intensity and direct involvement of all members of society, traffic injuries are of particular importance. Through a mega data, this study investigated the epidemiological aspects and depict current situation of road traffic injuries in Iran. Methods: Using legal medicine and traffic police data, deaths from road traffic injuries in men were predicted through determining the most appropriate model for death using time series statistical models; and then most important human factors associated with it in a period of 6 yr in Iran was analyzed using multi-nominal regression model. Results: The frequency of deaths from traffic injuries in the last seven years was 172,834 cases and the number of deaths at the accident scene was 42798 cases, of which 24.24% (41,971 cases) were recorded by the Traffic Police experts. Death rate from traffic injuries has been declined from 38 cases per 100,000 people in 2004 to 31 cases per 100,000 people between 2009 and 2010. Fatigue and sleepiness (AOR=10.36, 95% CI: 8.41–13.3) was the most significant human risk factors for death outcome in the urban and suburban traffic injuries. According to the predictions, the death rate is about 16488 (CI 95%, 8531–24364) for the year 2012. Conclusion: Despite all measures to prevent such injuries, even fatal injuries have still a high incidence. Intervention in the human risk factors field would be more effective due to their important roles in traffic injuries in Iran. PMID:27252920

Dietary Inflammatory Index and risk of esophageal squamous cell cancer in a case-control study from Iran

PubMed Central

Shivappa, Nitin; Hébert, James R.; Rashidkhani, Bahram

2015-01-01

Background Diet and inflammation have been suggested to be important risk factors for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). In this study, we examined the ability of the dietary inflammatory index (DII) to predict ESCC in a case-control study conducted in Iran. Methods This study included 47 ESCC cases and 96 controls hospitalized for acute non-neoplastic diseases. The DII was computed based on dietary intake assessed by a previously validated food frequency questionnaire. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) adjusted for age, energy, sex, BMI, years of education, physical activity, smoking and gastro-esophageal reflux. Results Subjects with higher DII scores (i.e., with a more pro-inflammatory diet) had a higher risk of ESCC, with the DII being used as both a continuous variable (ORcontinuous 3.58, 95% confidence interval, CI, 1.76–7.26; one unit increase corresponding to ≈16% of its range in the current study) and a categorical variable (ORdii>1.20 vs ≤ 1.208.24, 95%CI 2.03–33.47). Conclusion These results indicate that a pro-inflammatory diet is associated with increased risk of ESCC. PMID:26400625

Incidence of Neonatal Hyperphenylalaninemia Based on High-performance Liquid Chromatography Confirmatory Technique in Mazandaran Province, Northern Iran (2007–2015)

PubMed Central

Abbaskhanian, Ali; Zamanfar, Daniel; Afshar, Parvaneh; Asadpoor, Einollah; Rouhanizadeh, Hamed; Jafarnia, Ali; Shokzadeh, Mohammad

2017-01-01

Background: Classic phenylketonuria (PKU) is a metabolic disorder. The purpose of this study was to assess epidemiological factors of PKU phenotypes in a neonatal screening program for Mazandaran, Iran. Methods: In this descriptive-retrospective study from 2007 to 2015, neonates PKU level was conducted by phenylalanine level based on a biochemical technique by ELISA and then by confirmatory methods high performance liquid chromatography. Results: Of the 407,244 screened newborns (48.7% girls and 51.3% boys), 14 girls and 13 boys were diagnosed definitely from 465 suspicious cases of PKU. The incidence of PKU was 0.66 in 10,000, which was noted in different severity (severe PKU - 1:67,874, mild PKU - 1:45,249, and HPA - 1:33,937). In addition, we did not detect any cases of nonclassic PKU. Conclusions: Although the consanguineous marriage pattern is a major cause of hyperphenylalaninemia (HPA) particularly in Iranian, there was no significant difference between groups in this study. Now, screening should be executed for all of the family that they have the familial history of PKU in Iran. According to varies actual of prevalence and incidence rate of PKU reported a real patient and taking PKU with mild PKU and HPA, it is recommended, the will provide the PKU reports based on the severity of the disease. PMID:29184644

Diabetes Knowledge Translation Status in Developing Countries: A Mixed Method Study Among Diabetes Researchers in Case of Iran.

PubMed

Valinejadi, Ali; Sadoughi, Farahnaz; Salehi, Masoud

2016-01-01

Despite considerable investment in research, the existing research evidence is frequently not implemented and/or leads to useless or detrimental care in healthcare. The knowledge-practice gap proposed as one of the main causes of not achieving the treatment goals in diabetes. Iran also is facing a difference between the production and utilization of the knowledge of diabetes. The aim of this study was to assess the status of diabetes knowledge translation (KT) in Iran. This was a survey that executed in 2015 by concurrent mixed methods approach in a descriptive, cross-sectional method. The research population was 65 diabetes researchers from 14 diabetes research centers throughout Iran. The research was carried out via the self-assessment tool for research institutes (SATORI), a valid and reliable tool. Focus group discussions were used to complete this tool. The data were analyzed using quantitative (descriptive method by Excel software) and qualitative approaches (thematic analysis) based on SATORI-extracted seven themes. The mean of scores "the question of research," "knowledge production," "knowledge transfer," "promoting the use of evidence," and all aspects altogether were 2.48, 2.80, 2.18, 2.06, and 2.39, respectively. The themes "research quality and timeliness" and "promoting and evaluating the use of evidence" received the lowest (1.91) and highest mean scores (2.94), respectively. Except for the theme "interaction with research users" with a relatively mediocre scores (2.63), the other areas had scores below the mean. The overall status of diabetes KT in Iran was lower than the ideal situation. There are many challenges that require great interventions at the organizational or macro level. To reinforce diabetes KT in Iran, it should hold a more leading and centralized function in the strategies of the country's diabetes research system.

A Systematic Review of Iran's Medicinal Plants With Anticancer Effects.

PubMed

Asadi-Samani, Majid; Kooti, Wesam; Aslani, Elahe; Shirzad, Hedayatollah

2016-04-01

Increase in cases of various cancers has encouraged the researchers to discover novel, more effective drugs from plant sources. This study is a review of medicinal plants in Iran with already investigated anticancer effects on various cell lines. Thirty-six medicinal plants alongside their products with anticancer effects as well as the most important plant compounds responsible for the plants' anticancer effect were introduced. Phenolic and alkaloid compounds were demonstrated to have anticancer effects on various cancers in most studies. The plants and their active compounds exerted anticancer effects by removing free radicals and antioxidant effects, cell cycle arrest, induction of apoptosis, and inhibition of angiogenesis. The investigated plants in Iran contain the compounds that are able to contribute effectively to fighting cancer cells. Therefore, the extract and active compounds of the medicinal plants introduced in this review article could open a way to conduct clinical trials on cancer and greatly help researchers and pharmacists develop new anticancer drugs. © The Author(s) 2015.

Workplace bullying in nursing: The case of Azerbaijan province, Iran

PubMed Central

Esfahani, Ali Nasr; Shahbazi, Gholamreza

2014-01-01

Background: Workplace bullying is a significant issue confronting the nursing profession both in Iran and internationally. This study examined workplace bullying among a group of Iranian nurses. Materials and Methods: The prevalence rate of bullying behavior among nurses was determined. Data were collected from 162 nurses who worked in four hospitals located in West Azerbaijan province, Iran. Results: Results showed that only 9% of nurses who participated in this study had frequently been exposed to bullying behavior, 22% had occasionally been bullied, and 69% had never been exposed to these behaviors during the last year. The most common type of workplace bullying experienced by nurses was verbal bullying. Forty percent of the nurses reported exposure to verbal bullying behavior frequently or occasionally. Conclusions: To be able to intervene with bullying behavior in the workplace, there is a need to pay greater attention to the problem by the entire range of managers, lawyers, industrial–organizational psychologists, counselors, social workers, and local authorities. PMID:25183984

Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis in Wild Canines (Fox, Jackal, and Wolf) in Northeastern Iran Using Parasitological, Serological, and Molecular Methods

PubMed Central

Mohebali, Mehdi; Arzamani, Kourosh; Zarei, Zabiholah; Akhoundi, Behnaz; Hajjaran, Homa; Raeghi, Saber; Heidari, Zahra; Motavalli-Haghi, Seyed Mousa; Elikaee, Samira; Mousazadeh-Mojarrad, Ahmad; Kakoei, Zahra

2016-01-01

Background: Although many studies had been conducted on various aspects of canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) in domestic dogs in the endemic areas of Iran, investigations on CVL in wild canines are rare. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2012 to 2013 in northeast of Iran where human VL is endemic. Wild canines were trapped around the areas where human VL cases had been previously identified. Wild canines were collected and examined both clinically and serologically using direct agglutination test (DAT). Microscopically examinations were performed in all the seropositive wild canines for the presence of the amastigote form of Leishmania spp. Some Leishmania sp. which had been isolated from the spleens of wild canines, were examined analyzed by conventional PCR and sequencing techniques using α-tubulin and GAPDH genes. Results: Altogether, 84 wild canines including foxes (Vulpes vulpes, n=21), Jackals (Canis aureus, n=60) and wolves (Canis lupus, n=3) were collected. Four foxes and seven jackals showed anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies with titers of 1:320–1:20480 in DAT. Furthermore, one fox and one jackal were parasitologically (microscopy and culture) positive and L. infantum was confirmed by sequence analysis. Conclusion: The present study showed that sylvatic cycle of L. infantum had been established in the studied endemic areas of VL in northeastern Iran. PMID:28032106

Designing a model for trauma system management using public health approach: the case of Iran.

PubMed

Tarighi, Payam; Tabibi, Seyed Jamaledin; Motevalian, Seyed Abbas; Tofighi, Shahram; Maleki, Mohammad Reza; Delgoshaei, Bahram; Panahi, Farzad; Masoomi, Gholam Reza

2012-01-01

Trauma is a leading cause of death and disability around the world. Injuries are responsible for about six million deaths annually, of which ninety percent occur in developing countries. In Iran, injuries are the most common cause of death among age groups below fifty. Trauma system development is a systematic and comprehensive approach to injury prevention and treatment whose effectiveness has been proved. The present study aims at designing a trauma system management model as the first step toward trauma system establishment in Iran. In this qualitative research, a conceptual framework was developed based on the public health approach and three well-known trauma system models. We used Benchmarks, Indicators and Scoring (BIS) to analyze the current situation of Iran trauma care system. Then the trauma system management was designed using the policy development phase of public health approach The trauma system management model, validated by a panel of experts, describes lead agency, trauma system plan, policy-making councils, and data-based control according to the four main functions of management: leading, planning, organizing and controlling. This model may be implemented in two phases: the exclusive phase, focusing on resource integration and the inclusive phase, which concentrates on system development. The model could facilitate the development of trauma system in Iran through pilot studies as the assurance phase of public health approach. Furthermore, the model can provide a practical framework for trauma system management at the international level.

A study on causes and types of abnormal increase in infants' head circumference in kashan/iran.

PubMed

Talebian, Ahmad; Soltani, Babak; Moravveji, Alireza; Salamati, Ladan; Davami, Majid

2013-01-01

Head circumference is a valuable index of brain growth and its disturbances can indicate different disorders of nervous system. Abnormal increased head circumference (macrocephaly) is common and observed in about 2% of infants. In this study, the causes and clinical types of abnormal increase in infants' head circumference were investigated in Kashan, Iran. This cross-sectional study was performed on 90 infants less than 2 years of age with abnormal increase in head circumference in Kashan, during 2009- 2011. The data were collected by history taking, physical examination, growth chart, and imaging. 65 (72%) cases out of 90 infants were male and 25 ( 28%) cases were female. Fifty-three (58.8%) cases had familial megalencephaly, 30 (33.4%) had hydrocephalus, and other causes were observed in 7 (7.8%) cases. Eighty-three percent of Infants with familial megalencephaly and 50% with hydrocephalus had normal fontanels. In 90.6% of cases with familial megalencephaly, family history for large head was positive. Motor development was normal in 100% of cases with familial megalencephaly and 76.7% of hydrocephalic infants. Familial megalencephaly was the most common cause of macrocephaly in the studied infants, and most of them had normal physical examination and development, so, parental head circumferences should be considered in the interpretation of infant's head circumference and in cases of abnormal physical examination or development, other diagnostic modalities, including brain imaging should be done.

Evaluation of occupational allergic contact dermatitis and its related factors in Iran.

PubMed

Nassiri-Kashani, Mansour; Nassiri-Kashani, Mohammad Hassan; Ghafari, Mostafa

2016-01-01

Background: Occupational contact dermatitis, especially in hand, is one of the most common occupational disorders. The present study aimed at evaluating patients with occupational allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) caused by common allergens based on occupation type and disease history. Methods: This cross-sectional study aimed at evaluating the data of the patients with probable diagnosis of ACD in Center for Research and Training in Skin Diseases and Leprosy (CRTSDL) in Iran. In the present study, 946 patients were assessed from different regions of Iran. One hundred fifty-one cases with positive patch test and relevant exposure were entered into the study; data related to their occupation and disease activity history were evaluated and recorded. Then, factors related to disease activity history were assessed considering the occupational groups and common exposures. Results: Nickel sulphate was the most common allergen in the 151 patients. Disease activity was constant in 29.8% of the patients; it increased in 27.8%, and decreased just before doing the patch test in 42.4%. Of the patients, 52.3% were getting worse during the working days. Occupational groups were significantly different in age and gender. Disease duration was also different in the occupational groups (p=0.001). The least disease duration was observed in healthcare workers, and the most in service workers. Lesions in the foot were related to period of employment. In administrative work group, (teachers, technicians and housewives) disease activity was decreased in the most cases, while it was increased in most patients of service workers (p=0.086). Conclusion: The present study, similar to previous reports, revealed that nickel sulphate is the most common allergen in ACD cases. Moreover, it was found that the symptoms of disease activity remained constant or increased in a significant proportion of the cases during the working days. Therefore, these workers should seriously follow up on this matter and change their occupation, or limit the exposure to allergens.

Uncommon Human Urinary Tract Myiasis Due to Psychoda Sp. Larvae, Kashan, Iran: A Case Report.

PubMed

Rasti, Sima; Dehghani, Rouhullah; Khaledi, Hassan Naeimi; Takhtfiroozeh, Sayed Mahdi; Chimehi, Elahe

2016-01-01

Contamination of human and animal body tissues with flies' larvae and diptera cause myiasis. A 26 yr old female patient refers to Kashan Shahid Beheshti Hospital, central Iran because of urogenital infection, pain in the right part of stomach, smelly and reddish vaginal discharge and frequent urination. In the first checking, urine sample was taken. In the sample, active and alive larvae were seen. The live samples were taken to the Environmental Health Department Lab of Kashan University of Medical Sciences in clean glass jars. In the morphological survey, Psychoda sp larvae were identified. In Iran, this study is the first report of this species of larva that causes urinary myiasis. This fly larva is not carnivore or bloodsucker and feeds on bacterial agents. Observance of personal hygiene especially during defecation and urination is essential to prevent contamination of this type of myiasis.

Post-disaster resettlement, development and change: a case study of the 1990 Manjil earthquake in Iran.

PubMed

Badri, S Ali; Asgary, Ali; Eftekhari, A R; Levy, Jason

2006-12-01

Planned and involuntary resettlement after natural disasters has been a major policy in post-disaster reconstruction in developing countries over the past few decades. Studies show that resettlement can result in significant adverse impacts on the resettled population. Conversely, a well-planned and managed resettlement process can produce positive long-term development outcomes. This article presents the results of a case study undertaken 11 years after the 1990 Manjil earthquake in Iran. During the reconstruction period, a policy of involuntary planned resettlement was pursued extensively. The socioeconomic changes that occurred as a consequence of this policy of involuntary resettlement are analysed. Data were collected via a questionnaire survey that involved a sample of 194 relocated households (grouped into a settlement that later became a town). The paper shows that relocated families face difficult socioeconomic challenges after relocation and regrouping. This is especially true with respect to employment, income, the empowerment of women and lifestyle issues.

The causes for lack of interest to blood donation in eligible individuals, mashhad, northeastern iran.

PubMed

Shakeri, M T; Vafaee, A; Esmaeily, H; Shafiei, N; Bazargani, R; Khayamy, Me

2012-01-01

Donor recruitment and retention are significant problems in blood collection agencies around the world. The Aim of this study was to determine the causes of lack of interest to blood donation in eligible individu-als in Mashhad, Northeast of Iran. This was a descriptive study. Cases were 1130 non-donor individuals. Participants were selected from eligible individuals in different regions of Mashhad. In this study, surveys included information about age groups, gender, residence area, marriage, education; living situation and job as background variables. Less than 30% of the cases had enough knowledge about blood donation. There was a significant rela-tionship between location, age, education, occupation and social status with knowledge of blood donation, but there was not a correlation between gender and marital status. There are some factors which affect the decision for blood donation. There is a need to change the negative attitude by increasing the knowledge considering the individual and the social status.

Electrocution-related mortality: a survey of 295 deaths in Tehran, Iran between 2002 and 2006.

PubMed

Sheikhazadi, Ardeshir; Kiani, Mehrzad; Ghadyani, Mohammad H

2010-03-01

Electrical burns are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, which are usually preventable with simple safety measures. We conducted a retrospective study of non-lightening electrocution deaths in Tehran, Iran, between 2002 and 2006. Of 295 deaths, 285 investigated were accidental. The remnants were suicidal. The age range was 11 months to 75 years with a mean age of 28.99 + or - 12.58 years. Two hundred seventy-nine victims (96.6%) were males. The upper extremity was the most frequently involved contact site in 185 deaths (66.3%). No electrical burn marks were present in 16 (5.4%) cases. Workrelated accidents were responsible for 188 cases deaths (63.9%) and home accident for 85 cases deaths (28.8%). Deaths were caused most frequently by touching an electrical cable (95 cases, 32.2%). There was an increase in electrocution deaths in the summer (119 cases, 40.3%). One hundred seventy-nine cases (60.7%) were dead on the scene of death and 94 cases (31.9%) were dead on arrival at hospital. The unique findings of our study include 10 cases (3.4%) of suicidal electrocution and a high rate of workrelated accidental electrocution among Afghan workers. Death rates from electrocution among all medico-legal deaths were found to be lower in our study than in previous reports, most of them were work-related and preventable. Workers and their employers should be educated to avoid such accidents with safety measures.

Evaluating risk factors for protein-energy malnutrition in children under the age of six years: a case-control study from Iran

PubMed Central

Sharghi, Afshan; Kamran, Aziz; Faridan, Mohammad

2011-01-01

Introduction: Protein-energy malnutrition is one of the most important public health problems in Iran. It not only accounts for more than half of child mortality but can also produce somatic and mental impairment in survivors. The main aim of this study was to identify risk factors for protein-energy malnutrition in children under 6 years of age in Namin city. Methods: This was a population-based, multicenter case-control study. Seventy-six children with malnutrition and 76 children without malnutrition were randomly recruited for case and control groups. The prevalence of risk factors in the two groups was compared. Data were gathered from a health center database and interviews with mothers and health workers. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test and logistic regression were used for data analysis. Results: Female gender, poverty, short maternal height, and use of unhygienic latrines in the home were significantly associated with childhood malnutrition (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study indicate four main factors (poverty, small maternal height, female gender, and absence of hygienic latrines in the home) as underlying factors in malnutrition of children under the age of 6 years. PMID:21887115

Public-Private Policy Change and Its Influence on the Linkage of Agricultural Research, Extension and Farmers in Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karamidehkordi, Esmail

2013-01-01

Purpose: This article aims to show the linkage of Iranian agricultural research centres with extension and farmers, using three case studies in 1999, 2005 and 2010. Design/methodology/approach: The data were collected through document analyses, structured and semi-structured interviews and observations. Findings: The 1999 and 2005 cases were…

Effect of Sexual Education on Sexual Health in Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farnam, Farnaz; Pakgohar, Minoo; Mirmohamadali, Mandana; Mahmoodi, Mahmood

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a special sex education program in sexual health on Iranian newly-wed couples. A sample of 64 couples referred to three health centers of Tehran Medicine University, a few months prior to their marriage, were divided into case and control groups. The case group received three lecture sessions…

Cost-effectiveness of rabies post exposure prophylaxis in Iran.

PubMed

Hatam, Nahid; Esmaelzade, Firooz; Mirahmadizadeh, Alireza; Keshavarz, Khosro; Rajabi, Abdolhalim; Afsar Kazerooni, Parvin; Ataollahi, Marzieh

2014-01-01

The rabies is one of the most important officially-known viral zoonotic diseases for its global distribution, outbreak, high human and veterinary costs, and high death rate and causes high economic costs in different countries of the world every year. The rabies is the deadliest disease and if the symptoms break out in a person, one will certainly die. However, the deaths resulting from rabies can be prevented by post-exposure prophylaxis. To do so, in Iran and most of the countries in the world, all the people who are exposed to animal bite receive Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) treatment. The present survey aimed to investigate the cost-effectiveness of PEP in southern Iran. The present study estimated the PEP costs from the government`s Perspective with step-down method for the people exposed to animal bite, estimated the number of DALYs prevented by PEP in the individuals using decision Tree model, and computed the Incremental cost-effectiveness Ratio. The information collected of all reported animal bite cases (n=7111) in Fars Province, who referred rabies registries in urban and rural health centers to receive active care. Performing the PEP program cost estimated 1,052,756.1 USD for one  year and the estimated cost for the treatment of each animal bite case and each prevented death was 148.04 and 5945.42 USD, respectively. Likewise 4,509.82 DALYs were prevented in southern Iran in 2011 by PEP program. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for each DALY was estimated to be 233.43 USD. In addition to its full effectiveness in prophylaxis from rabies, PEP program saves the financial resources of the society, as well. This study showed performing PEP to be more cost-effective.

A comprehensive approach in high-grade glioma management: position statement from the Neuro-Oncology Scientific Club (NOSC), Shiraz, Iran

PubMed Central

Ansari, Mansour; Mosalaei, Ahmad; Ahmadloo, Niloufar; Rasekhi, Alireza; Geramizadeh, Bita; Razmkon, Ali; Anvari, Kazem; Afarid, Mohammad; Dadras, Ali; Nafarieh, Leila; Mohammadianpanah, Mohammad; Nasrolahi, Hamid; Hamedi, Seyed Hasan; Omidvari, Shapour; Nami, Mohammad

2017-01-01

Establishing a robust teamwork model in the practice of neuro-oncology requires continued interdisciplinary efforts. The Neuro-Oncology Scientific Club (NOSC) initiative is an interdisciplinary clinical forum promoting the comprehensive approach across involved disciplines in the management of central nervous system (CNS) malignancies. With its provincial founding panels and national steering board, NOSC has been operational in Iran since 2011. This initiative has pursued its mission through interval strategic meetings, tumor boards, case discussions as well as publishing neuro-oncology updates, case study periodicals, and newsletters. A provincial meeting of NOSC in Shiraz put together insights from international practice guidelines, emerging evidence, and expert opinions to draw a position statement on high-grade glioma management in adults. The present report summarizes key highlights from the above clinical forum. PMID:28325997

A comprehensive approach in high-grade glioma management: position statement from the Neuro-Oncology Scientific Club (NOSC), Shiraz, Iran.

PubMed

Ansari, Mansour; Mosalaei, Ahmad; Ahmadloo, Niloufar; Rasekhi, Alireza; Geramizadeh, Bita; Razmkon, Ali; Anvari, Kazem; Afarid, Mohammad; Dadras, Ali; Nafarieh, Leila; Mohammadianpanah, Mohammad; Nasrolahi, Hamid; Hamedi, Seyed Hasan; Omidvari, Shapour; Nami, Mohammad

2017-01-01

Establishing a robust teamwork model in the practice of neuro-oncology requires continued interdisciplinary efforts. The Neuro-Oncology Scientific Club (NOSC) initiative is an interdisciplinary clinical forum promoting the comprehensive approach across involved disciplines in the management of central nervous system (CNS) malignancies. With its provincial founding panels and national steering board, NOSC has been operational in Iran since 2011. This initiative has pursued its mission through interval strategic meetings, tumor boards, case discussions as well as publishing neuro-oncology updates, case study periodicals, and newsletters. A provincial meeting of NOSC in Shiraz put together insights from international practice guidelines, emerging evidence, and expert opinions to draw a position statement on high-grade glioma management in adults. The present report summarizes key highlights from the above clinical forum.

Academic Leadership in a Private University: An Iranian Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamidifar, Fatemeh; Ebrahimi, Mansoureh

2016-01-01

This study explores effective academic leadership as well as hindrances within Iran's private higher educational institutions. The author employed a qualitative approach that utilized purposive sampling to collect and analyze data. Findings were categorized into three classes comprising the (i) setting of direction, (ii) organizational and (iii)…

Islam and cannabis: Legalisation and religious debate in Iran.

PubMed

Ghiabi, Maziyar; Maarefvand, Masoomeh; Bahari, Hamed; Alavi, Zohreh

2018-06-01

Iran is currently discussing cannabis and opium regulations, which could bring a legalisation of drug consumption through a state supervised system. The article engages with the question of cannabis by looking at the legal interpretation of religious authorities in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The choice of Iran is justified for several reasons: firstly, Iran has a long history of drug use and cannabis has been part of the country's intoxicant traditions since times immemorial; secondly, the Iranian state is unique in that it combines religious exegesis with political machination through official channels; finally, among all Middle East and Islamic countries, Iran is at the avant-garde in experimenting in the field of drugs policy which makes an excellent case for the study of cannabis regulation. The article is the result of a direct engagement with Iran's leading Shi'a authorities, the maraje'-e taqlid, 'source of emulation'. The authors redacted a list of eight questions (estefta'at) about the status of cannabis in Iranian society. It questioned cannabis' legality in Islam, its potential medical use, the feasibility of domestic production and other relevant aspects of its social-religious life. Based on the responses, the authors analysed the difference in opinions among the religious scholars and speculate on the possibility of policy reform. Given the dearth of scholarly work about illicit drugs in the Islamic world, about which many readers might not be familiar, the article opens with an overview of the place of cannabis in the history of Islamic societies. It discusses terminological ambiguities, references in religious texts and traditions, and the general interpretations within Muslim religious schools of thought. Then, it discusses the status of cannabis in contemporary Iran before tackling the responses provided by the religious scholars. Eventually, the paper puts forward reflections about the potential implications for future policy developments on cannabis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Towards Age-Friendly Hospitals in Developing Countries: A Case Study in Iran

PubMed Central

Ahmadi, Ahmad; Seyedin, Hesam; Fadaye-Vatan, Reza

2015-01-01

Background: Developing countries such as Iran are experiencing a growth in the elderly population. This is a challenge for healthcare providers and their families. This study investigated the extent in which hospitals at Tehran meet the criteria of age-friendly hospitals. Methods: In this descriptive study, using convenience sampling, 26 hospitals were selected in Tehran, the capital city of Iran. The instrument was a checklist included 50 items in the three dimensions of information and training of service providers, management systems in health care centers, physical environment and accessibility of hospitals. Results: Most hospitals were in a good condition regarding physical environment and access to public transportation, but in a poor condition for special healthcare programs for the elderly, teaching principles of geriatrics and gerontology, interaction of medical staff, physicians and nurses with senior patients and systems of priority for them. Conclusion: Due to the growing elderly population, it is necessary for health policymakers, especially in developing countries, to consider seriously the issue of elderly healthcare and their need for special outpatient and inpatient services. PMID:26000245

Trend of toxocariasis in Iran: a review on human and animal dimensions

PubMed Central

Zibaei, M.; Sadjjadi, S. M.

2017-01-01

One of the neglected soil and/or food-borne diseases with international public health importance is toxocariasis. Human cases are being increasingly reported from Asian, African, Oceania, European and the American countries. Hence, human toxocariasis (HT) is now considered as a major zoonosis with global and regional importance. In Iran, human and animal toxocariasis is an endemic disease with clinical and epidemiologic health problem aspects. Doubtless, understanding the epidemiology and the trend of this important parasitic disease and its affecting factors will provide the establishment of effective prevention and control programs. To better understand the trend of toxocariasis researches in Iran, this study was performed to analyze different aspects of this zoonotic disease including history, life cycle, species, human animals and environmental studies, diagnostic aspects and treatments to find out the gaps, including different aspects of clinical sings in human patients, new and specific recombinant antigens based on the native antigens, new diagnostic tools, especially rapid diagnostic tests, paratenic hosts status and new treatment procedures which is necessary to be investigated in the future studies on this important zoonotic disease. PMID:29387094

A retrospective study of cutaneous fungal infections in patients referred to Imam Reza Hospital of Mashhad, Iran during 2000-2011.

PubMed

Berenji, F; Mahdavi Sivaki, M; Sadabadi, F; Andalib Aliabadi, Z; Ganjbakhsh, M; Salehi, M

2016-03-01

Detection of agents responsible for cutaneous mycosis may be effective in the prevention of fungal infections from environmental and animal sources. With this background in mind, in this study, we aimed to identify the distribution of cutaneous mycotic infections in patients referred to Imam Reza Hospital of Mashhad, Iran during 2000- 2011. In total, 8694 patients suspected of superficial and cutaneous mycosis, referred to the Medical Mycology Laboratory of Imam Reza Hospital of Mashhad, Iran, were recruited during March 2000-2011 and were examined in terms of fungal infections. Of 8694 suspected patients, 3804 (43.75%) cases suffered from superficial and cutaneous mycosis. In total, 1936 (50.9%) patients were male, and 1868 (49.1%) were female. Malassezia infections (58.1%), dermatophytosis (33.1%), cutaneous candidiasis (6.8%), aspergillosis (1.6%), and saprophytic cutaneous mycosis (0.4%) were the most common infections. In this study, Malassezia infections were the most common superficial and cutaneous mycoses. Therefore, it seems essential to focus on the prevention of these infections in our society.

Leukemia in Iran: Epidemiology and Morphology Trends.

PubMed

Koohi, Fatemeh; Salehiniya, Hamid; Shamlou, Reza; Eslami, Soheyla; Ghojogh, Ziyaeddin Mahery; Kor, Yones; Rafiemanesh, Hosein

2015-01-01

Leukemia accounts for 8% of total cancer cases and involves all age groups with different prevalence and incidence rates in Iran and the entire world and causes a significant death toll and heavy expenses for diagnosis and treatment processes. This study was done to evaluate epidemiology and morphology of blood cancer during 2003-2008. This cross- sectional study was carried out based on re- analysis of the Cancer Registry Center report of the Health Deputy in Iran during a 6-year period (2003 - 2008). Statistical analysis for incidence time trends and morphology change percentage was performed with joinpoint regression analysis using the software Joinpoint Regression Program. During the studied years a total of 18,353 hematopoietic and reticuloendothelial system cancers were recorded. Chi square test showed significant difference between sex and morphological types of blood cancer (P-value<0.001). Joinpoint analysis showed a significant increasing trend for the adjusted standard incidence rate (ASIR) for both sexes (P-value<0.05). Annual percent changes (APC) for women and men were 18.7 and 19.9, respectively. The most common morphological blood cancers were ALL, ALM, MM and CLL which accounted for 60% of total hematopoietic system cancers. Joinpoint analyze showed a significant decreasing trend for ALM in both sexes (P-value<0.05). Hematopoietic system cancers in Iran demonstrate an increasing trend for incidence rate and decreasing trend for ALL, ALM and CLL morphology.

Identifying challenges for academic leadership in medical universities in Iran.

PubMed

Bikmoradi, Ali; Brommels, Mats; Shoghli, Alireza; Khorasani-Zavareh, Davoud; Masiello, Italo

2010-05-01

CONTEXT The crucial role of academic leadership in the success of higher education institutions is well documented. Medical education in Iran has been integrated into the health care system through a complex organisational change. This has called into question the current academic leadership, making Iranian medical universities and schools a good case for exploring the challenges of academic leadership. OBJECTIVES This study explores the leadership challenges perceived by academic managers in medical schools and universities in Iran. METHODS A qualitative study using 18 face-to-face, in-depth interviews with academic managers in medical universities and at the Ministry of Health and Medical Education in Iran was performed. All interviews were recorded digitally, transcribed verbatim and analysed by qualitative content analysis. RESULTS The main challenges to academic leadership could be categorised under three themes, each of which included three sub-themes: organisational issues (inefficacy of academic governance; an overly extensive set of missions and responsibilities; concerns about the selection of managers); managerial issues (management styles; mismatch between authority and responsibilities; leadership capabilities), and organisational culture (tendency towards governmental management; a boss-centred culture; low motivation). CONCLUSIONS This study emphasises the need for academic leadership development in Iranian medical schools and universities. The ability of Iranian universities to grow and thrive will depend ultimately upon the application of leadership skills. Thus, it is necessary to better designate authorities, roles of academic staff and leaders at governance.

Prevalence, Characteristics, and One-Year Follow-Up of Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection in Isfahan City, Iran.

PubMed

Karimian, Pegah; Yaghini, Omid; Nasr Azadani, Hossein; Mohammadizadeh, Majid; Arabzadeh, Seyed Ali Mohammad; Adibi, Atosa; Rahimi, Hamid

2016-01-01

Introduction. Need of neonatal screening for Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is under debate, in part because of limited data on importance of the disease regarding the prevalence of congenital CMV (cCMV) infection and associated morbidity and mortality. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and prognosis of cCMV infection in Iran, where there is high maternal seroprevalence of CMV. Methodology . This prospective study was conducted in Isfahan city, Iran, from 2014 to 2016. CMV was investigated in urine specimens by using the real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. CMV-infected infants were examined for clinical and laboratory findings attributed to CMV infection and followed up for one year. Results. Among 1617 studied neonates, eight (0.49%) were positive for CMV infection. CMV-infected neonates were more likely to be preterm than noninfected ones (25% versus 4.5%, p = 0.0508), and they had lower birth weight. Three out of the eight CMV-infected neonates had transient symptoms at birth. At follow-up, one case had mild hearing loss. Most patients had impaired growth during the one-year follow-up. Conclusions. The primary object of this study was determination of prevalence of cCMV infection in Iran as a developing country, which was at the lower range compared with other such countries. cCMV infection may result in short-term impairment in growth.

Molecular Epidemiological Survey of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Two Highly Endemic Metropolises of Iran, Application of FTA Cards for DNA Extraction From Giemsa-Stained Slides.

PubMed

Izadi, Shahrokh; Mirhendi, Hossein; Jalalizand, Niloufar; Khodadadi, Hossein; Mohebali, Mehdi; Nekoeian, Shahram; Jamshidi, Ali; Ghatee, Mohammad Amin

2016-02-01

PCR has been used for confirmation of leishmaniasis in epidemiological studies, but complexity of DNA extraction and PCR approach has confined its routine use in developing countries. In this study, recent epidemiological situation of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in two hyper-endemic metropolises of Shiraz and Isfahan in Iran was studied using DNA extraction by commercial FTA cards and kinetoplastid DNA (kDNA)-PCR amplification for detection/identification of Leishmania directly from stained skin scraping imprints. Fifty four and 30 samples were collected from clinically diagnosed CL patients referred to clinical laboratories of leishmaniasis control centers in Isfahan and Shiraz cities, respectively. The samples were examined by direct microscopy and then scrapings of the stained smears were applied to FTA cards and used directly as DNA source in a nested-PCR to amplify kDNA to detect and identify Leishmania species. Fifty four of 84 (64.2%) slides obtained from patients had positive results microscopically, while 79/84 (94%) of slides had positive results by FTA card-nested-PCR. PCR and microscopy showed a sensitivity of 96.4% and 64.2% and specificity of 100% and 100%, respectively. Interestingly, Leishmania major as causative agent of zoonotic CL was identified in 100% and 90.7% of CL cases from Isfahan and Shiraz cities, respectively, but L. tropica was detected from only 9.3% of cases from Shiraz city. All cases from central regions of Shiraz were L. tropica and no CL case was found in Isfahan central areas. Filter paper-based DNA extraction can facilitate routine use of PCR for diagnosis of CL in research and diagnostic laboratories in Iran and countries with similar conditions. Epidemiologic changes including dominancy of L. major in suburbs of Shiraz and Isfahan metropolises where anthroponotic CL caused by L. tropica had been established, showed necessity of precise studies on CL epidemiology in old urban and newly added districts in the suburbs.

MA TESOL Dissertations in a Changing Global Landscape: A Case from Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tavakoli, Parvaneh; Hasrati, Mostafa

2018-01-01

This paper has investigated the way the dissertation writing component of MA TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) programmes in Iran has changed over the past decade in relation to globalization. The data, collected from 40 questionnaires completed by Iranian academic staff teaching these programmes, suggest that while change in…

Vaccine-associated Paralytic Poliomyelitis in Immunodeficient Children, Iran, 1995–2008

PubMed Central

Shahmahmoodi, Shohreh; Mamishi, Setareh; Aghamohammadi, Asghar; Aghazadeh, Nessa; Tabatabaie, Hamideh; Gooya, Mohammad Mehdi; Zahraei, Seyed Mohsen; Mousavi, Taha; Yousefi, Maryam; Farrokhi, Kobra; Mohammadpour, Masoud; Ashrafi, Mahmoud Reza; Nategh, Rakhshandeh

2010-01-01

To determine the prevalence of vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis (VAPP) in immunodeficient infants, we reviewed all documented cases caused by immunodeficiency-associated vaccine-derived polioviruses in Iran from 1995 through 2008. Changing to an inactivated polio vaccine vaccination schedule and introduction of screening of neonates for immunodeficiencies could reduce the risk for VAPP infection. PMID:20587188

Growth pattern in 7-12 years old Arak children (central Iran) in comparison with other ethnic subgroups of Iran.

PubMed

Bayat, Parvin-Dokht; Khazaei, Mozafar; Ghorbani, Rostam; Ayubian, Mahmood; Sohouli, Pardis; Ghanbari, Ali

2012-01-01

growth is a remarkable index of health and can be influenced by genetic and environment conditions. The pattern of growth is unique for every nation and worldwide studies have demonstrated separate national standards. In the case of Iran, there is not enough information in this field. This study was undertaken on 7-12 years old children from Arak. The data for each individual such as age, height, weight and body mass index (BMI) were recorded. Differences in the data between two sexes were tested by means of the paired sample t- test and the mean BMI was compared with sex- and age-specific reference values from the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) 2000 growth chart using independent sample t-tests. Levels of P < 0.05, P < 0.01 and P < 0.001 were recorded as significant. In this study, males were significantly taller and heavier than females at the same age (P < or = 0.01) except for length at age 10 and weight at age 12. The BMI curves were between 50th and 25th percentiles of CDC. The present study shows the effect of socioeconomic background that had been also considered in other studies in Iran. There is a need for ethnic specific growth charts and BMI cut-off points for underweight, overweight and obesity in children of each ethnic subgroup of Iranian population.

Neonatal marfan syndrome: report of two cases.

PubMed

Ghandi, Yazdan; Zanjani, Keyhan S; Mazhari-Mousavi, Seyed-Eshagh; Parvaneh, Nima

2013-02-01

Neonatal Marfan syndrome is a rare and severe phenotype of this disease. A poor prognosis is anticipated due to the high probability of congestive heart failure, and mitral and tricuspid regurgitations with suboptimal response to medical therapy and difficulties in surgical management at an early age. We present two consecutive patients with this disease who are the first reported cases from Iran to the best of our knowledge. Unfortunately both of them died shortly after diagnosis. Neonatal Marfan syndrome is reported from Iran and has a poor prognosis like the patients reported from elsewhere.

Ionospheric scintillation detection based on GPS observations, a case study over Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sobhkhiz Miandehi, Sahar; Alizadeh Elizei, M. Mahdi; Schuh, Harald

2017-04-01

Global Positioning System (GPS) which is used extensively for various purposes such as navigation, surveying, remote sensing and telecommunication, is strongly affected by the earth's upper atmosphere, the ionosphere. Ionosphere is a highly variable region with complex physical characteristics in which the density of free electrons are large enough to have considerable effects on signals' propagation travelling through this dispersive medium. As GPS signals travel through the ionosphere, they may experience rapid amplitude fluctuations or unexpected phase changes. This is referred to as ionospheric scintillation. Ionospheric scintillation which is caused by small scale irregularities in the electron density, is one of the dominant propagation disturbances at radio frequency signals. These irregularities severely affect the accuracy and reliability of GPS measurements. Therefore it is necessary to investigate ionospheric scintillation and its effects on GPS observations. The focus of this paper is to detect ionospheric scintillations over Iran's region, during different periods of solar activity and to investigate these effects on GPS observations in more detail. Furthermore the effects of these irregularities on regional modeling of ionosphere over Iran is also investigated. The results show that effectiveness of this phenomenon depends on geographic location, local time and global geomagnetic storm index (kp index). The required data for this investigation are ground based measurements of permanent GPS stations over Iran, established by the National Cartographic Center of Iran (NCC).

Macronutrients, vitamins and minerals intake and risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a case-control study in Iran

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Although Iran is a high-risk region for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), dietary factors that may contribute to this high incidence have not been thoroughly studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of macronutrients, vitamins and minerals on the risk of ESCC. Methods In this hospital-based case-control study, 47 cases with incident ESCC and 96 controls were interviewed and usual dietary intakes were collected using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Data were modeled through unconditional multiple logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), controlling for age, sex, gastrointestinal reflux, body mass index, smoking history (status, intensity and duration), physical activity, and education. Results ESCC cases consumed significantly more hot foods and beverages and fried and barbecued meals, compared to the controls (p < 0.05). After adjusting for potential confounders, the risk of ESCC increased significantly in the highest tertiles of saturated fat [OR:2.88,95%CI:1.15-3.08], cholesterol [OR:1.53, 95%CI: 1.41-4.13], discretionary calorie [OR:1.51, 95%CI: 1.06-3.84], sodium [OR:1.49,95%CI:1.12-2.89] and total fat intakes [OR:1.48, 95%CI:1.09-3.04]. In contrast, being in the highest tertile of carbohydrate, dietary fiber and (n-3) fatty acid intake reduced the ESCC risk by 78%, 71% and 68%, respectively. The most cancer-protective effect was observed for the combination of high folate and vitamin E intakes (OR: 0.02, 95%CI: 0.00-0.87; p < 0.001). Controls consumed 623.5 times higher selenium, 5.48 times as much β-carotene and 1.98 times as much α-tocopherol as the amount ESCC cases consumed. Conclusion This study suggests that high intake of nutrients primarily found in plant-based foods is associated with a reduced esophageal cancer risk. Some nutrients such as folate, vitamin E and selenium might play major roles in the etiology of ESCC and their status may eventually be used as an epidemiological marker for esophageal cancer in Iran, and perhaps other high-risk regions. PMID:22185224

Molecular Epidemiology of P. vivax in Iran: High Diversity and Complex Sub-Structure Using Neutral Markers, but No Evidence of Y976F Mutation at pvmdr1.

PubMed

Hamedi, Yaghoob; Sharifi-Sarasiabi, Khojasteh; Dehghan, Farzaneh; Safari, Reza; To, Sheren; Handayuni, Irene; Trimarsanto, Hidayat; Price, Ric N; Auburn, Sarah

2016-01-01

Malaria remains endemic at low levels in the south-eastern provinces of Iran bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan, with the majority of cases attributable to P. vivax. The national guidelines recommend chloroquine (CQ) as blood-stage treatment for uncomplicated P. vivax, but the large influx of imported cases enhances the risk of introducing CQ resistance (CQR). The genetic diversity at pvmdr1, a putative modulator of CQR, and across nine putatively neutral short tandem repeat (STR) markers were assessed in P. vivax clinical isolates collected between April 2007 and January 2013 in Hormozgan Province, south-eastern Iran. One hundred blood samples were collected from patients with microscopy-confirmed P. vivax enrolled at one of five district clinics. In total 73 (73%) were autochthonous cases, 23 (23%) imported cases from Afghanistan or Pakistan, and 4 (4%) with unknown origin. 97% (97/100) isolates carried the F1076L mutation, but none carried the Y976F mutation. STR genotyping was successful in 71 (71%) isolates, including 57(57%) autochthonous and 11 (11%) imported cases. Analysis of population structure revealed 2 major sub-populations, K1 and K2, with further sub-structure within K2. The K1 sub-population had markedly lower diversity than K2 (HE = 0.06 vs HE = 0.82) suggesting that the sub-populations were sustained by distinct reservoirs with differing transmission dynamics, possibly reflecting local versus imported/introduced populations. No notable separation was observed between the local and imported cases although the sample size was limited. The contrasting low versus high diversity in the two sub-populations (K1 and K2) infers that a combination of local transmission and cross-border malaria from higher transmission regions shape the genetic make-up of the P. vivax population in south-eastern Iran. There was no molecular evidence of CQR amongst the local or imported cases, but ongoing clinical surveillance is warranted.

Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion: Establishment and Operationalization in Iran.

PubMed

Shafaghi, Shadi; Abbasi Dezfuli, Azizollah; Ansari Aval, Zahra; Sheikhy, Kambiz; Farzanegan, Behrooz; Mortaz, Esmaeil; Emami, Habib; Aigner, Clemens; Hosseini-Baharanchi, Fatemeh Sadat; Najafizadeh, Katayoun

2017-02-01

Although the number of lung transplants is limited because of general shortage of organ donors, ex vivo lung perfusion is a novel method with 2 main benefits, including better evaluation of lung potential and recovery of injured lungs. The main aim of this study was to establish and operationalize ex vivo lung perfusion as the first experience in Iran. This was a prospective operational research study on 5 cases, including 1 pig from Vienna Medical University and 4 patients from Masih Daneshvari Hospital. All organ donations from brain dead donors were evaluated according to lung transplant or ex vivo lung perfusion criteria from May 2013 to July 2015 in Tehran, Iran. If a donor did not have any sign of severe chest trauma or pneumonia but had poor oxygenation due to possible atelectasis or neurogenic pulmonary edema, their lungs were included for ex vivo lung perfusion. A successful trend in the difference between the pulmonary arterial Po2 and the left atrial Po2 was observed, as well as an increasing pattern in other functional parameters, including dynamic lung compliance and a decreasing trend in pulmonary vascular resistance. These initial trials indicate that ex vivo lung perfusion can lead to remarkable progress in lung transplant in Iran. They also provide several important pieces of guidance for successful ex vivo lung perfusion, including the necessity of following standard lung retrieval procedures and monitoring temperature and pressure precisely. The development of novel methods can provide opportunities for further research studies on lungs of deceased donors and lead to undiscovered findings. By keeping this science up to date in Iran and developing such new and creative methods, we can reveal effective strategies to promote the quality of donor lungs to support patients on transplant wait lists.

Hospital waste management status in Iran: a case study in the teaching hospitals of Iran University of Medical Sciences.

PubMed

Farzadkia, Mahdi; Moradi, Arash; Mohammadi, Mojtaba Shah; Jorfi, Sahand

2009-06-01

Hospital waste materials pose a wide variety of health and safety hazards for patients and healthcare workers. Many of hospitals in Iran have neither a satisfactory waste disposal system nor a waste management and disposal policy. The main objective of this research was to investigate the solid waste management in the eight teaching hospitals of Iran University of Medical Sciences. In this cross-sectional study, the main stages of hospital waste management including generation, separation, collection, storage, and disposal of waste materials were assessed in these hospitals, located in Tehran city. The measurement was conducted through a questionnaire and direct observation by researchers. The data obtained was converted to a quantitative measure to evaluate the different management components. The results showed that the waste generation rate was 2.5 to 3.01 kg bed(-1) day(-1), which included 85 to 90% of domestic waste and 10 to 15% of infectious waste. The lack of separation between hazardous and non-hazardous waste, an absence of the necessary rules and regulations applying to the collection of waste from hospital wards and on-site transport to a temporary storage location, a lack of proper waste treatment, and disposal of hospital waste along with municipal garbage, were the main findings. In order to improve the existing conditions, some extensive research to assess the present situation in the hospitals of Iran, the compilation of rules and establishment of standards and effective training for the personnel are actions that are recommended.

Preliminary survey of potato virus Y (PVy) strains in potato samples from Kurdistan (Iran).

PubMed

Bahrami-Kamangar, S; De Jonghe, K; Kamangar, S; Maes, M; Smagghe, G

2010-01-01

Potato virus Y (PVY) is the type species in the potyvirus genus of the family potyviridae. This plant pathogenic virus is transmitted through plant sap inoculation by stem and core grafting and by at least 25 aphid species in a non-persistent manner. According to potato specialists in most parts of the world, PVY is currently considered as the most harmful virus in cultivated potatoes. This is also the case for potato production in Iran. In this project we investigated potato leaves that were collected in the Kurdistan province in Iran for the presence of PVY with use of different biochemical/molecular techniques as ELISA, RT-PCR and qPCR. The different PVY strains, including PVY-O, PVY-N, PVYN-TN, PVY-NWi, were determined by using a triplex RT-PCR. In conclusion, the results demonstrated the presence of PVY-NWi strains in the potato leaf samples from Kurdistan (Iran). The data are discussed in relation to prevalence of PVY strains in Iran.

A newly emerged focus of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in South-western Iran.

PubMed

Askari, A; Sharifi, I; Aflatoonian, M R; Babaei, Z; Ghasemi Nejad Almani, P; Mohammadi, M A; Alizadeh, H; Hemati, S; Bamorovat, M

2018-04-27

Leishmaniasis is rising in many countries, including Iran, due to climate change, refugee crises, urbanization and etc. The aim of this study was to explore the epidemiology, extent and identity of Leishmania species in a newly emerged focus in Abdanan County, Ilam Province, South-western Iran. This study was performed as a descriptive cross-sectional study by a systematic house-to-house approach. The Leishmania species was identified by RFLP-PCR and sequencing. Altogether, 46799 individuals consisting 0f 22907 (48.9) female and 23892 (51.1%) male were interviewed and physically examined for the presence of skin lesions. Overall, the incidence rate was 0.34% (n = 160). All age groups were affected and the incidence rate was the highest in <10 years of age group (0.49%) and the lowest in >50 years old individuals (0.15%), although there was no significant difference regarding the sex and age. The majority of patients had one lesion (47.5%) on hands (56%) and most of the cases occurred in Abdanan city (%54) in summer. Based on the RFLP-PCR analysis, all the Leishmania isolates were L. major of single genotype. A newly emerged focus of zoonotic CL caused by L. major occurred in South-western of Iran. Multiple risk factors created this epidemic area. Further studies on the vector and reservoir are crucial needed to provide evidences to select the prophylactic and therapeutic measures for future control strategies. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Epidemiology of work-related injuries among construction workers of ilam (Western iran) during 2006 - 2009.

PubMed

Moradinazar, Mehdi; Kurd, Nematullah; Farhadi, Rozita; Amee, Vahid; Najafi, Farid

2013-10-01

Work-related injuries are the most important cause of work absence, disability, retirement, mutilation, and even mortality. In Iran a great number of work-related injuries are occurred in construction industry. However, less than 12% of total workers are active in the construction sector. This study aimed to determine the incidence rate of work-related injuries, the type of injuries, and its other determinants among the construction workers of Ilam (Iran). The participants were the workers and staffs working in the construction activities of Ilam in Western Iran. All the recorded injuries and deaths related to the construction workers of Ilam from 2006-2009 were collected from the Bureau of Labor and Social Affairs and then analyzed by the statistical package of SPSS (version 19, for Windows). During 2006 - 2009 in Ilam, 387workers encountered the building accidents. Their mean age was 34.3 years (SD = 12.4). The average annual incidence of work-related injuries among the workers was 8.2 per 1000 workers. Fracture with 275 cases (71%) was the most common outcome of injuries, and slipping and falling with 77 cases (36%) were the most important events and exposures. The most important factor related to injuries was the lack of surveillance by employers which was also related with the severity of accident-induced injuries (P < 0.004). Considering the effectiveness of the relevant preventive measures activities such as training the workers as well as using safety tools and more surveillance by employers can decrease the number of work-related injuries among constructive workers.

Policy Analysis of Road Traffic Injury Prevention in Iran

PubMed Central

Azami-Aghdash, Saber; Gorji, Hassan Abolghasem; Shabaninejad, Hosein; Sadeghi-Bazargani, Homayoun

2017-01-01

Introduction Due to the large number of Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs) in Iran, authorities have implemented a number of policies for the prevention of RTIs. However, a scientific analysis of these policies has thus far been neglected. Therefore, this study was conducted for policy analysis of RTIs prevention in Iran. Methods This qualitative study with a case study approach was conducted in Iran during 2016 in two phases: First, by reviewing literature and documents of the past ten years, policies that have been executed to prevent RTIs in Iran were identified. In the second phase of the study, the identified policies were ranked by prioritization matrices. The two policies with the highest scores were selected. ‘Policy triangle framework’ was used for Policy analyzing. Stakeholders of these policies (42 people) were interviewed. Data were analyzed manually by implementing Content-Analysis methods. Results The policies of “pupil liaisons” and “safety belt” were selected for analysis from thirteen potential identified polices. The results of some studies revealed that safety belts had not been properly used in Iran (less than 80%). There was an eight-year hiatus between the approval of the safety belts policy and implementation of this policy. Eight actors were identified for safety belts policy. Lack of diligence in implementation of the policy, failing to pay adequate attention to education and the culture of driving, and failing to select an organization for the implementation of the policy, were identified as the main weaknesses of this policy. For ‘pupil liaisons’ policy, five actors were identified. Following the implementation of this policy, the number of penalties was reduced (17.9%). Neglecting scientific findings and individual-based nature of the policy were identified as the primary weaknesses of this policy. Conclusions Taking serious measures to properly execute the policy, educating people, selecting an efficient organization that is responsible for the implementation of the policies, and using international experience are the measures that can be taken to reduce the number of RTIs in the country. PMID:28243417

Asymptomatic Malaria and its Challenges in the Malaria Elimination Program in Iran: a Systematic Review.

PubMed

Hassanpour, Gholmreza; Mohebali, Mehdi; Zeraati, Hojjat; Raeisi, Ahmad; Keshavarz, Hossein

2017-06-01

The objective of this study was to find an appropriate approach to asymptomatic malaria in elimination setting through a systematic review. A broad search was conducted to find articles with the words 'malaria' in their titles and 'asymptomatic' or 'submicroscopic' in their texts, irrespective of the type of study conducted. The Cochrane, Medline/Pub Med, and Scopus databases, as well as Google Scholar were systematically searched for English articles and reports and Iran's databases-Iran Medex, SID and Magiran were searched for Persian reports and articles, with no time limitation. The study was qualitatively summarized if it contained precise information on the role of asymptomatic malaria in the elimination phase. Six articles were selected from the initial 2645 articles. The results all re-emphasize the significance of asymptomatic malaria in the elimination phase, and emphasize the significance of diagnostic tests of higher sensitivity to locate these patients and perform interventions to reduce the asymptomatic parasitic reservoirs particularly in regions of low transmission. However, we may infer from the results that the current evidence cannot yet specify an accurate strategy on the role of asymptomatic malaria in the elimination phase. To eliminate malaria, alongside vector control, and treatment of symptomatic and asymptomatic patients, active and inactive methods of case detection need to be employed. The precise monitoring of asymptomatic individuals and submicroscopic cases of malaria through molecular assays and valid serological methods, especially in regions where seasonal and low transmission exists can be very helpful at this phase.

The effect of massage therapy on the quality of sleep in breast cancer patients.

PubMed

Kashani, Fahimeh; Kashani, Parisa

2014-03-01

Annually, about 6000 new cases are diagnosed with breast cancer in Iran. In Iran, more women are affected with breast cancer than a decade earlier in comparison with other countries, and 70% of them are diagnosed at an advanced phase. Insomnia is the most common disorder following breast cancer, and interference in sleep quality and rest causes changes in physiological functions and reduces the body's daily performance. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of massage therapy on the quality of sleep in patients with breast cancer. This clinical trial was conducted for about 1 month in a referral chemotherapy clinic of a teaching hospital in Isfahan, Iran. The participants consisted of 57 women with breast cancer who were selected by simple random sampling. They were randomly assigned to two groups of control and experimental. The control group was treated only by usual medical therapy, whereas the case group was treated by combined medical-massage therapy. Data collection tools were the validated Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and a demographic questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS using descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, paired t-test, and Student's t-test. The results showed significant differences in the mean scores of quality of sleep before and after the intervention in the case group, while no significant differences were observed in the mean scores of quality of sleep before and after the intervention in the control group. In addition, no significant differences were observed in the mean scores of quality of sleep before the intervention between case and control groups. However, significant differences were observed in the mean scores of quality of sleep after the intervention between case and control groups. According to the results of this study, learning and applying massage techniques by medical staff causes health promotion and improves the quality of sleep in cancer patients. Furthermore, massage therapy is suggested as a non-pharmacologic method to improve sleep quality in these patients.

Risk assessment of oil and gas well drilling activities in Iran - a case study: human factors.

PubMed

Amir-Heidari, Payam; Farahani, Hadi; Ebrahemzadih, Mehrzad

2015-01-01

Oil and gas well drilling activities are associated with numerous hazards which have the potential to cause injury or harm for people, property and the environment. These hazards are also a threat for the reputation of drilling companies. To prevent accidents and undesired events in drilling operations it is essential to identify, evaluate, assess and control the attendant risks. In this work, a structured methodology is proposed for risk assessment of drilling activities. A case study is performed to identify, analyze and assess the risks arising from human factors in one of the on shore drilling sites in southern Iran. A total of 17 major hazards were identified and analyzed using the proposed methodology. The results showed that the residual risks of 100% of these hazards were in the acceptable or transitional zone, and their levels were expected to be lowered further by proper controls. This structured methodology may also be used in other drilling sites and companies for assessing the risks.

Work-related injuries with child labor in Iran.

PubMed

Hosseinpour, Mehrdad; Mohammadzadeh, Mahdi; Atoofi, Maryam

2014-02-01

Accurate present-day child labor information is difficult to obtain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of child labor patients according to worker status and identify the proportion of work-related injuries that could be prevented by protection devices. This study was performed in one of the largest pediatric trauma center in the central part of Iran. In a prospective case series study, injured children with age less than 15 years who were consecutively admitted to the trauma center for management of their trauma were evaluated. In each patient data such as age, sex, worker status, anatomic site of injury, and costs were collected. In this study, a total of 127 children were evaluated. Most of the injuries (80.3%) occurred in urban areas. In most of the injured patients, the main reason of working was to help pay own family debts or supplement family income. Industrial workroom was the most common place for injury (58.2%). Falling from height or in horizontal surface was the most common mechanism of injury (44%). None of the patients had preventable device at the time of injury. Cuts (49.6%) were the most commonly reported injuries. The lengths of hospitalization were 1.23 + 0.88 days. There was no death reported in our cases. The mean of cost of hospitalization was US $29.9 ± 20.36. Our study showed that child labor injury in the central part of Iran mainly occurred in nonagricultural sector due to falling. These injuries are nonfatal and might be prevented by protective equipment. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Important Risk Factors of Mortality Among Children Aged 1-59 Months in Rural Areas of Shahroud, Iran: A Community-based Nested Case-Control Study.

PubMed

Chaman, Reza; Alami, Ali; Emamian, Mohammad Hassan; Naieni, Kourosh Holakouie; Mirmohammadkhani, Majid; Ahmadnezhad, Elham; Entezarmahdi, Rasool; Shati, Mohsen; Shariati, Mohammad

2012-12-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate potential risk factors of children mortality between 1-59 months of age. This nested case-control study was conducted among children born from June 1999 to March 2009 in rural areas of Shahroud, located in the central region of Iran using health care visit reports and follow-up data available in household health records. MORTALITY WAS SIGNIFICANTLY ASSOCIATED WITH BREASTFEEDING DURATION (OR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.81-0.93), total health care visits (OR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.83-0.98) and low birth weight (LBW) (OR: 7.38, 95% CI: 1.37-39.67). In our study, a longer breastfeeding period and more frequent health care visits were two important protective factors, while LBW was an important risk factor for 1-59 month child mortality. It seems, that complex and multiple factors may be involved in mortality of under 5-year-old children, so combined efforts would be necessary to improve child health indicators.

Dietary Inflammatory Index and risk of multiple sclerosis in a case-control study from Iran

PubMed Central

Shivappa, Nitin; Hébert, James R.; Behrooz, Maryam; Rashidkhani, Bahram

2016-01-01

Background Diet and inflammation have been suggested to be important risk factors for multiple sclerosis (MS). Objectives In this study, we examined the ability of the dietary inflammatory index (DII) to predict MS in a case-control study conducted in Iran. Methods This study included 68 MS cases and 140 controls hospitalized for acute non-neoplastic diseases. The DII was computed based on dietary intake assessed by a previously validated food frequency questionnaire. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) adjusted for age, energy, sex, BMI, season of birth, rubella history, history of routine exercise before MS, smoking and history of consumption of cow's mile in the first 2 years of life. Results Subjects with higher DII scores (i.e., with a more pro-inflammatory diet) had a higher risk of MS, with the DII being used as both a continuous variable (ORcontinuous 1.66, 95% confidence interval, (CI), 1.19-2.31; one unit increase corresponding to ≈15% of its range in the current study) and a categorical variable (ORdii>1.43 vs ≤ 1.43 2.68, 95%CI 1.15-6.26). Conclusions These results indicate that a pro-inflammatory diet is associated with increased risk of MS. PMID:27362443

Projection of Diabetes Population Size and Associated Economic Burden through 2030 in Iran: Evidence from Micro-Simulation Markov Model and Bayesian Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Javanbakht, Mehdi; Mashayekhi, Atefeh; Baradaran, Hamid R.; Haghdoost, AliAkbar; Afshin, Ashkan

2015-01-01

Background The aim of this study was to estimate the economic burden of diabetes mellitus (DM) in Iran from 2009 to 2030. Methods A Markov micro-simulation (MM) model was developed to predict the DM population size and associated economic burden. Age- and sex-specific prevalence and incidence of diagnosed and undiagnosed DM were derived from national health surveys. A systematic review was performed to identify the cost of diabetes in Iran and the mean annual direct and indirect costs of patients with DM were estimated using a random-effect Bayesian meta-analysis. Face, internal, cross and predictive validity of the MM model were assessed by consulting an expert group, performing sensitivity analysis (SA) and comparing model results with published literature and national survey reports. Sensitivity analysis was also performed to explore the effect of uncertainty in the model. Results We estimated 3.78 million cases of DM (2.74 million diagnosed and 1.04 million undiagnosed) in Iran in 2009. This number is expected to rise to 9.24 million cases (6.73 million diagnosed and 2.50 million undiagnosed) by 2030. The mean annual direct and indirect costs of patients with DM in 2009 were US$ 556 (posterior standard deviation, 221) and US$ 689 (619), respectively. Total estimated annual cost of DM was $3.64 (2009 US$) billion (including US$1.71 billion direct and US$1.93 billion indirect costs) in 2009 and is predicted to increase to $9.0 (in 2009 US$) billion (including US$4.2 billion direct and US$4.8 billion indirect costs) by 2030. Conclusions The economic burden of DM in Iran is predicted to increase markedly in the coming decades. Identification and implementation of effective strategies to prevent and manage DM should be considered as a public health priority. PMID:26200913

Projection of Diabetes Population Size and Associated Economic Burden through 2030 in Iran: Evidence from Micro-Simulation Markov Model and Bayesian Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Javanbakht, Mehdi; Mashayekhi, Atefeh; Baradaran, Hamid R; Haghdoost, AliAkbar; Afshin, Ashkan

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to estimate the economic burden of diabetes mellitus (DM) in Iran from 2009 to 2030. A Markov micro-simulation (MM) model was developed to predict the DM population size and associated economic burden. Age- and sex-specific prevalence and incidence of diagnosed and undiagnosed DM were derived from national health surveys. A systematic review was performed to identify the cost of diabetes in Iran and the mean annual direct and indirect costs of patients with DM were estimated using a random-effect Bayesian meta-analysis. Face, internal, cross and predictive validity of the MM model were assessed by consulting an expert group, performing sensitivity analysis (SA) and comparing model results with published literature and national survey reports. Sensitivity analysis was also performed to explore the effect of uncertainty in the model. We estimated 3.78 million cases of DM (2.74 million diagnosed and 1.04 million undiagnosed) in Iran in 2009. This number is expected to rise to 9.24 million cases (6.73 million diagnosed and 2.50 million undiagnosed) by 2030. The mean annual direct and indirect costs of patients with DM in 2009 were US$ 556 (posterior standard deviation, 221) and US$ 689 (619), respectively. Total estimated annual cost of DM was $3.64 (2009 US$) billion (including US$1.71 billion direct and US$1.93 billion indirect costs) in 2009 and is predicted to increase to $9.0 (in 2009 US$) billion (including US$4.2 billion direct and US$4.8 billion indirect costs) by 2030. The economic burden of DM in Iran is predicted to increase markedly in the coming decades. Identification and implementation of effective strategies to prevent and manage DM should be considered as a public health priority.

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in the Iranian general population: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Daryani, Ahmad; Sarvi, Shahabeddin; Aarabi, Mohsen; Mizani, Azadeh; Ahmadpour, Ehsan; Shokri, Azar; Rahimi, Mohammad-Taghi; Sharif, Mehdi

2014-09-01

Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most common protozoan parasites with widespread distribution globally. It is the causative agent of Toxoplasma infection, which is prevalent in human and other warm-blooded vertebrates. While T. gondii infection in healthy people is usually asymptomatic, it can lead to serious pathological effects in congenital cases and immunodeficient patients. We sought to identify the seroprevalence rate of Toxoplasma infection in the Iranian general population to develop a comprehensive description of the disease condition in Iran for future use. Electronic databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Scopus) and Persian language databases (Magiran, Scientific Information Database [SID], Iran Medex, and Iran Doc) were searched. Furthermore, graduate student dissertations and proceedings of national parasitology congresses were searched manually. Our search resulted in a total of 35 reports published from 1978 to 2012.These include 22 published articles, 1 unpublished study, 8 proceedings from the Iranian conference of parasitology, and 4 graduate student dissertations, resulting in 52,294 individuals and 23,385 IgG seropositive cases. The random errors method was used for this meta-analysis. The result shows that the overall seroprevalence rate of toxoplasmos is among the general population in Iran was 39.3% (95% CI=33.0%-45.7%). There was no significant difference in the seroprevalence rate between male and female patients. A significant linear trend of increasing overall prevalence by age was noted (P<0.0001). In addition, the data indicates that there are high seroprevalence in groups who have direct contact with cats, consume uncooked meat and raw fruits or vegetables, in farmers and Housewife, individuals who have a low level of education, and live in rural areas. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic review of T. gondii infection seroprevalence in Iran, which shows a high prevalence of Toxoplasma infection (more than one third). We highly recommend further study for the purposes of aiding patient management and developing more efficient diagnostic tests and effective prevention approaches. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Is Ethical Sensitivity in Teaching Culturally Bound? Comparing Finnish and Iranian Teachers' Ethical Sensitivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gholami, Khalil; Kuusisto, Elina; Tirri, Kirsi

2015-01-01

In this study, we investigated the culture-invariant and culture-dependent nature of teachers' ethical sensitivity in two countries. Our case study involves teachers from Finland (n = 864) representing Western culture, and from Iran (n = 556) representing Eastern culture. Culturally bound elements of ethical sensitivity were studied with the…

A framework to assess management performance in district health systems: a qualitative and quantitative case study in Iran.

PubMed

Tabrizi, Jafar Sadegh; Gholipour, Kamal; Iezadi, Shabnam; Farahbakhsh, Mostafa; Ghiasi, Akbar

2018-01-01

The aim was to design a district health management performance framework for Iran's healthcare system. The mixed-method study was conducted between September 2015 and May 2016 in Tabriz, Iran. In this study, the indicators of district health management performance were obtained by analyzing the 45 semi-structured surveys of experts in the public health system. Content validity of performance indicators which were generated in qualitative part were reviewed and confirmed based on content validity index (CVI). Also content validity ratio (CVR) was calculated using data acquired from a survey of 21 experts in quantitative part. The result of this study indicated that, initially, 81 indicators were considered in framework of district health management performance and, at the end, 53 indicators were validated and confirmed. These indicators were classified in 11 categories which include: human resources and organizational creativity, management and leadership, rules and ethics, planning and evaluation, district managing, health resources management and economics, community participation, quality improvement, research in health system, health information management, epidemiology and situation analysis. The designed framework model can be used to assess the district health management and facilitates performance improvement at the district level.

A case report of tinea pedis caused by Trichosporon faecale in Iran

PubMed Central

Fallahi, Ali akbar; Moazeni, Maryam; Noorbakhsh, Fatemeh; Kordbacheh, Parivash; Zaini, Farideh; Mirhendi, Hossein; Zeraati, Hojjat; Rezaie, Sassan

2012-01-01

Trichosporon species are known as the causative agents of cutaneous infections and are involved in systemic, localized, as well as disseminated mycoses particularly in immunocompromised patients. Here we report a case of tinea pedis infection caused by Trichosporon faecale in a healthy 29-year-old woman in the north of Iran. Macroscopic and microscopic characteristics using direct examination as well as culture method revealed the causative agent as Trichosporon species. Molecular analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region validated the initial result and indicated that this case of tinea pedis was caused by T. faecale. The patient was recovered after treatment with topical myconazole accompanied with oral fluconazole. PMID:24371737

Factors affecting Iran`s future. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sinai, J.

1993-05-28

This study examines the factors affecting Iran`s future by focusing on the demographic, economic, and military trends in Iran and their impact on the country`s national security objectives in the next decade. The paper also assesses the implications of an economic embargo on Iran and potential Iranian threats to regional and United States national interests.

Spatial analysis of groundwater electrical conductivity using ordinary kriging and artificial intelligence methods (Case study: Maharlu-Bakhtegan and Tashk salt lakes basin, Iran)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghader, Fatemeh; Aljoumani, Basem; Tröger, Uwe

2017-04-01

The main resources of fresh water are the groundwater. In Iran, the quality and quantity of groundwater is affected significantly by rapid population growth and unsustainable water management in the agricultural and industrial sectors. in Maharlu-Bakhtegan and Tashk salt lakes basin, the overexploitation of groundwater for irrigation purpose caused the salt water intrusion from the lakes to the area's aquifers, moreover, the basin is located in south of Iran with semiarid climate, faces a significant decline in rainfall. All these reasons cause the degradation of ground water quality. For this study, geographical coordinates of 406 observation wells will be defined as inputs and groundwater electrical conductivities (EC) will be set as output. Ordinary kriging (OK) and artificial neural networks (ANN) will be investigated for modeling groundwater salinity. Eighty percent of data will be randomly selected to train and develop mentioned models and twenty percent of data will be used for testing and validating. Finally, the outputs of models will be compared with the corresponding measured values in observation wells.

Trend of some Tuberculosis Indices in Iran during 25 yr Period (1990-2014).

PubMed

Khazaei, Salman; Ayubi, Erfan; Mansournia, Mohammad Ali; Rafiemanesh, Hossein

2016-01-01

Investigation of tuberculosis (TB)-specific indices including prevalence of TB, mortality of TB cases excluding HIV, HIV/TB mortality, incidence of TB (all forms), HIV/TB incidence as well as case detection and related trends is a crucial step in evaluation of program performance and strategies success. Besides, estimating the number and time of change points for TB incidence can help to detect effective factors in TB control. Therefore, the current study aimed to determine the trend of aforementioned indices in Iran during a 25 yr period (1990 to 2014). Data on trend of TB in Iran was extracted from WHO regional office reports during 1990-2014. For determining the trend of TB indices, Annual Percent Changes (APC) and Average Annual Percent Changes (AAPC) was estimated using segmented regression model. AAPC (95% CI) for HIV/TB mortality and HIV/TB incidence were 11.5 (9.3, 13.6) and 14.8 (13.6, 16.1), respectively, which are sign of increasing trend during the period (P<0.05). Other indices showed significantly decreasing trend (P<0.05), except for case detection rate (P =0.803). The incidence, prevalence, and death rates of TB had shown a decreasing trend in general population, regarded as a useful indicator of achievements of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and effectiveness of interventional programs. Increasing trend of incidence and mortality of TB in HIV infected patients, needs conducting more intervention strategies in health care programs.

Carbon monoxide poisoning in Northeast of Iran.

PubMed

Khadem-Rezaiyan, M; Afshari, R

2016-07-01

CO poisoning is still a public health concern especially in developing countries. We aimed to focus on CO poisoning secular trends based on registry data for the recent 7 years in Northeast of Iran. Registry database of Imam Reza Hospital in Mashhad, Iran was analyzed. All admitted cases with CO exposure during 2004-2011 were included. Data from two national censuses were used for calculating rates. Data analyses was performed by SPSS 11.5. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. There were 443 CO related admissions (0.9% of all poisonings which equals to a prevalence rate of 1.9 per 100,000) during the 7-year period. Mean age was 32.3 ± 18.2 years and 60% of subjects were male. CO prevalence rate was not changed during this period. Case fatality rate was higher in men (5.4% vs. 4.4%). Self-employment and manual or office workers were at greatest risk. Age specific prevalence and mortality rates were highest in >60 age group. (2.9 and 3.1 per 100,000, respectively). As it seems that current health prevention studies are not effectively working, these secular trends can enlighten health policy makers to implement proper population based interventions like education or regulations for CO detectors. We believe that almost all cases of accidental CO poisoning can be prevented. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Unnatural Deaths Among Children and Adolescents in Isfahan Province, Iran: A Forensic Epidemiology Study of Postmortem Data.

PubMed

Holakouie-Naieni, Kourosh; Koehler, Steven A; Karimi, Roya; Mardani, Fardin; Karimi, Jalal

2016-01-01

The issue of child and adolescent injury and violence is often absent from discussions and is largely invisible in public health policies. The purpose of this study was to describe the frequency and pattern of unnatural deaths during childhood and adolescence in Isfahan province in Iran. This retrospective, descriptive study involved unnatural deaths among individuals under the age of 20 years who died from unnatural causes as determined by a forensic autopsy at the Legal Medicine Center of Isfahan. During the study period, 8,010 unnatural deaths occurred, 1,222 of which were individuals under 20 years old. All 1,222 of these unnatural deaths were identified through autopsy. Among the 1,222 cases, 895 (73.2%) were male, and 327 were female (26.8%). Accidental deaths were found to be the most frequent manner of death comprising 1,029 (83.96%) cases, followed by suicide (120, 9.82%), undetermined cause of death (39, 3.19%), and homicide (9, 2.86%) cases. Road traffic accidents were the number 1 cause of death (597, 49%), followed by burns (122, 10%) and hanging (90, 7.4%). Injuries and violence that occur during childhood and adolescence represent a global public health problem, especially in low- and middle-income regions, and require urgent action.

Hypersensitivity to house dust mite and cockroach is the most common allergy in north of iran.

PubMed

Ghaffari, Javad; Khademloo, Mohammad; Saffar, Mohammad Jafar; Rafiei, Alireza; Masiha, Farzad

2010-12-01

Asthma and allergic rhinitis are among the most common diseases in the world. The aim of this study was to detect, by skin prick test, aeroallergens in allergic patients in Sari, Mazandaran in north of Iran. This is a prospective study of skin prick test of aeroallergens in asthma, allergic rhinitis and their combination with clinical diagnosis. Three hundred and seventy five cases aged between 5 to 50 years, were referred to Tooba and Boo-Ali allergic centers of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences between December 2006 and July 2009. The aeroallergens studied included house dust mites (Dermatophagoides farinae, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus), cockroaches, feather, aspergillus, Alternaria, pigweed, nettle, oak and maple. Of the studied individuals, 175 cases were males (46.7%) and 200 were females (53.3%), of which 156 (n=41.5%) reacted to allergen extracts. In asthma, allergic rhinitis and their combination, the respective positive percentages were 26.6%, 22.9%, and 32.6% for Dermatophagoides farinae; 26.6%, 25.3%, and 23.3% for Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus; 12.7%, 17.4%, and 11.6% for cockroaches and 16.5%, 4.7%, and 7.0% for the feather. Other allergens were positive up to 5 percent. Total IgE levels were elevated in 56.4%, 53% and 60.5% of asthmatic, allergic rhinitis and the combination group, respectively. Eosinophils count was elevated in 40.5%, 33.2% and 37.2% of the same groups, respectively. The hypersensitivity to house dust mites is very common in north of Iran which may be attributed to the warm and humid weather of this area.

Respiratory Complications in Iranian Hospitalized Patients with HIV/AIDS.

PubMed

Alinaghi, Seyed Ahmad Seyed; Vaghari, Bahram; Roham, Maryam; Badie, Banafsheh Moradmand; Jam, Sara; Foroughi, Maryam; Djavid, Gholamreza Esmaeeli; Hajiabdolbaghi, Mahboubeh; Hosseini, Mostafa; Mohraz, Minoo; McFarland, Willi

2011-01-01

The respiratory tract has been the most commonly affected site of illness in HIV-infected patients. The current study was done to identify the frequency of respiratory complications in a consecutive case series of HIV-positive patients in Iran. This study was a retrospective analysis at the national academic reference medical center of Imam-Khomeini Hospital, in Tehran, Iran. The study included 199 new admissions for 177 HIV-infected patients between 2000 and 2005. Demographic characteristics, risk factors for HIV infection, respiratory complications, and CD4+ lymphocyte counts were evaluated in these patients. All patients were males. The mean age was 35 years (age range: 15 to 63 years). Among 34 cases with available CD4+ lymphocyte count results, 70.6% had results <200 cells/mm(3). Nearly half the patients (47.7%) had respiratory symptoms. The most common pulmonary complications were cough (86.3%), sputum (71.6%), dyspnea (54.7%), and hemoptysis (10.5%). The most common diagnosis was pulmonary tuberculosis (27.1%), followed by other bacterial pneumonias (16.6%) and pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (4.5%). Intravenous drug users who had history of incarceration had the highest risk factors for Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (59%), and other bacterial pneumonias (52%). Our study demonstrates that respiratory complications are highly frequent in HIV patients in Iran and that pulmonary tuberculosis is still a common complication in HIV infected patients, despite the availability of effective treatment. Results suggest the need for more effective preventive and prophylactic measures, wider use of antiretroviral treatment and effective chemotherapy for Iranian patients with HIV/AIDS.

Imbalance between Goals and Organizational Structure in Primary Health Care in Iran- a Systematic Review.

PubMed

Zanganeh Baygi, Mehdi; Seyedin, Hesam

2013-07-01

In recent years, the main focus of health sector reforms in Iran is the family physician and referral system plan. Fundamental changes in the goals and strategies, has increased the necessity of the need to reform the organizational structure. This study tries to review and summarize all cases about the organizational structure of Iran and its challenges in primary health care system. This study was a systematic review of published and grey literature. We searched the relevant databases, bibliography of related papers, and laws, using appropriate search strategies and key words. The CASP tool was used by two experts to evaluate the quality of retrieved papers and inconsistencies were resolved by discussion. After removal of duplicate citations, a total of 52 titles were identified through database searching, among which 30 met the inclusion criteria. Considering the research quality criteria, 14 papers were recognized qualified, which were categorized into two groups of: articles and policies. The results showed ineffectiveness of the current organizational structure at different level. The majority of the papers recommend performing reforms in the system because of changes in goals and strategies. Also, some suggest an appropriate information system to be designed in the current structures. Centralization and delegation process are the main discussions for the studies. Because of fundamental changes in goals and strategies, reforms in the organizational structure of primary health system in Iran especially in peripheral levels are highly recommended.

Stress Analysis on the Bone Around Five Different Dental Implants

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-10-25

University of Science and Technology, Tehran, IRAN Abstract- Implantology has a widespread application in dental cases these days. Although the life...System, in Mackinny RV: Endosteal Dental Implant, Mosby Year Book, 1991 [3] Weiss M, Titanium Fiber-Mesh Metal Implant, J. Oral Implantology , 1986...STRESS ANALYSIS ON THE BONE AROUND FIVE DIFFERENT DENTAL IMPLANTS S. M. Rajaai, S. Khorrami-mehr School of mechanical Engineering Iran

Frontier-based techniques in measuring hospital efficiency in Iran: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background In recent years, there has been growing interest in measuring the efficiency of hospitals in Iran and several studies have been conducted on the topic. The main objective of this paper was to review studies in the field of hospital efficiency and examine the estimated technical efficiency (TE) of Iranian hospitals. Methods Persian and English databases were searched for studies related to measuring hospital efficiency in Iran. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models were applied for statistical analysis. The PRISMA guidelines were followed in the search process. Results A total of 43 efficiency scores from 29 studies were retrieved and used to approach the research question. Data envelopment analysis was the principal frontier efficiency method in the estimation of efficiency scores. The pooled estimate of mean TE was 0.846 (±0.134). There was a considerable variation in the efficiency scores between the different studies performed in Iran. There were no differences in efficiency scores between data envelopment analysis (DEA) and stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) techniques. The reviewed studies are generally similar and suffer from similar methodological deficiencies, such as no adjustment for case mix and quality of care differences. The results of OLS regression revealed that studies that included more variables and more heterogeneous hospitals generally reported higher TE. Larger sample size was associated with reporting lower TE. Conclusions The features of frontier-based techniques had a profound impact on the efficiency scores among Iranian hospital studies. These studies suffer from major methodological deficiencies and were of sub-optimal quality, limiting their validity and reliability. It is suggested that improving data collection and processing in Iranian hospital databases may have a substantial impact on promoting the quality of research in this field. PMID:23945011

Prevalence of HCV, HBV, and HIV Seropositivity among Cadavers Referred to Autopsy Hall of Legal Medicine Bureau of Tehran, Iran

PubMed Central

Gharehdaghi, Jaber; Abedi Khorasgani, Mohammad Hassan; Ghadiani, Mohammad Hassan; Solhi, Hassan; Solhi, Sadra

2017-01-01

A large number of dead bodies are referred to forensic autopsy halls for medicolegal examination. They can be a source of transmission of infectious diseases through direct contact or autopsy tools. The main aim of this study was to estimate the virus infection rates in the dead bodies. One thousand consecutive dead bodies that had been referred to autopsy hall of Legal Medicine Bureau of Tehran, Iran, during 2016, were included. The blood samples were analyzed in the laboratory for detection of HBs Ag, HBs Ab, HIV Ab, and HCV Ab, after providing informed consent from legal next of kin of the dead bodies. The general characteristics of the dead bodies were also collected by a checklist. Forty-seven cases of HIV seropositivity, 80 cases of HBs Ag seropositivity, and 97 cases for HCV Ab seropositivity were found. Among them, 27 cases of HIV, 40 cases of anti-HBC positive, and 94 cases of RIBA testing positive for HCV were proved through confirmatory tests. In other words, 2.6% of the dead bodies were infected with HIV, 3.8% with HBV, and 9% with HCV. The total infection rate was 15.5%. This is a worrying risk for pathologist and autopsy technicians. PMID:29318049

Prevalence of HCV, HBV, and HIV Seropositivity among Cadavers Referred to Autopsy Hall of Legal Medicine Bureau of Tehran, Iran.

PubMed

Gharehdaghi, Jaber; Abedi Khorasgani, Mohammad Hassan; Ghadiani, Mohammad Hassan; Kazemifar, Amir Mohammad; Solhi, Hassan; Solhi, Sadra

2017-01-01

A large number of dead bodies are referred to forensic autopsy halls for medicolegal examination. They can be a source of transmission of infectious diseases through direct contact or autopsy tools. The main aim of this study was to estimate the virus infection rates in the dead bodies. One thousand consecutive dead bodies that had been referred to autopsy hall of Legal Medicine Bureau of Tehran, Iran, during 2016, were included. The blood samples were analyzed in the laboratory for detection of HBs Ag, HBs Ab, HIV Ab, and HCV Ab, after providing informed consent from legal next of kin of the dead bodies. The general characteristics of the dead bodies were also collected by a checklist. Forty-seven cases of HIV seropositivity, 80 cases of HBs Ag seropositivity, and 97 cases for HCV Ab seropositivity were found. Among them, 27 cases of HIV, 40 cases of anti-HBC positive, and 94 cases of RIBA testing positive for HCV were proved through confirmatory tests. In other words, 2.6% of the dead bodies were infected with HIV, 3.8% with HBV, and 9% with HCV. The total infection rate was 15.5%. This is a worrying risk for pathologist and autopsy technicians.

National Security And Institutional Pathologies: A Path Dependent Analysis Of U.S. Interventions In Iran, Guatemala, Cuba, And Iraq

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

The period of investigation for the expanded case study centers on the Eisenhower administration, but also addresses factors that occurred immediately...Understanding how institutional path dependent factors converged in each of these cases may shed light on how to prevent such foreign policy missteps in the...converged in each of these cases may shed light on how to prevent such foreign policy missteps in the future. vi THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

Verifying the performance of artificial neural network and multiple linear regression in predicting the mean seasonal municipal solid waste generation rate: A case study of Fars province, Iran.

PubMed

Azadi, Sama; Karimi-Jashni, Ayoub

2016-02-01

Predicting the mass of solid waste generation plays an important role in integrated solid waste management plans. In this study, the performance of two predictive models, Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) was verified to predict mean Seasonal Municipal Solid Waste Generation (SMSWG) rate. The accuracy of the proposed models is illustrated through a case study of 20 cities located in Fars Province, Iran. Four performance measures, MAE, MAPE, RMSE and R were used to evaluate the performance of these models. The MLR, as a conventional model, showed poor prediction performance. On the other hand, the results indicated that the ANN model, as a non-linear model, has a higher predictive accuracy when it comes to prediction of the mean SMSWG rate. As a result, in order to develop a more cost-effective strategy for waste management in the future, the ANN model could be used to predict the mean SMSWG rate. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Water supply management using an extended group fuzzy decision-making method: a case study in north-eastern Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minatour, Yasser; Bonakdari, Hossein; Zarghami, Mahdi; Bakhshi, Maryam Ali

2015-09-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a group fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making method to be applied in rating problems associated with water resources management. Thus, here Chen's group fuzzy TOPSIS method extended by a difference technique to handle uncertainties of applying a group decision making. Then, the extended group fuzzy TOPSIS method combined with a consistency check. In the presented method, initially linguistic judgments are being surveyed via a consistency checking process, and afterward these judgments are being used in the extended Chen's fuzzy TOPSIS method. Here, each expert's opinion is turned to accurate mathematical numbers and, then, to apply uncertainties, the opinions of group are turned to fuzzy numbers using three mathematical operators. The proposed method is applied to select the optimal strategy for the rural water supply of Nohoor village in north-eastern Iran, as a case study and illustrated example. Sensitivity analyses test over results and comparing results with project reality showed that proposed method offered good results for water resources projects.

A cholera outbreak in Alborz Province, Iran: a matched case-control study.

PubMed

Moradi, Ghobad; Rasouli, Mohammad Aziz; Mohammadi, Parvin; Elahi, Elham; Barati, Hojatollah

2016-01-01

A total of 229 confirmed cholera cases were reported in Alborz Province during an outbreak that lasted from June 2011 to August 2011. This study aimed to identify potential sources of transmission in order to determine suitable interventions in similar outbreaks. In other words, the lessons learned from this retrospective study can be utilized to manage future similar outbreaks. An age-matched and sex-matched case-control study was conducted during the outbreak. For each case, two control subjects were selected from the neighborhood. A case of cholera was defined as a bacteriologically confirmed case with signs and symptoms of cholera. This study was conducted from June 14, 2011 through August 23, 2011. The data were analyzed by calculating odds ratios (ORs) using the logistic regression method. In this outbreak, 229 confirmed cholera cases were diagnosed. The following risk factors were found to be associated with cholera: consumption of unrefrigerated leftover food (OR, 3.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.72 to 5.41), consumption of vegetables and fruits in the previous three days (OR, 2.75; 95% CI, 1.95 to 3.89), and a history of traveling in the previous five days (OR, 5.31; 95% CI, 2.21 to 9.72). Consumption of vegetables and fruits has remained an unresolved risk factor in cholera outbreaks in Iran in recent years. In order to reduce the risk of cholera, sanitary standards for fruits and vegetables should be observed at all points from production to consumption, the population should be educated regarding hygienic food storage during outbreaks, and sanitary standards should be maintained when traveling during cholera outbreaks.

How Health in All Policies are developed and implemented in a developing country? A case study of a HiAP initiative in Iran.

PubMed

Khayatzadeh-Mahani, Akram; Sedoghi, Zeynab; Mehrolhassani, Mohammad Hossein; Yazdi-Feyzabadi, Vahid

2016-12-01

Population health is influenced by many factors beyond the control of health system which should be addressed by other sectors through inter-sectoral collaboration (ISC). Countries have adopted diverse initiatives to operationalize ISC for health such as establishment of Councils of Health and Food Security (CHFSs) and development of provincial Health Master Plans (HMPs) in Iran. The literature, however, provides meager information on how these initiatives have been moved into the top policy agenda, how and by whom they have been formulated and what factors enable or inhibit their implementation. In addressing these knowledge gaps, we employed a qualitative case study approach, incorporating mixed methods: in-depth interviews and a textual analysis of policy documents. Iran founded the Supreme Council of Health and Food Security (SCHFS) at national level in 2006 followed by provincial and district CHFSs to ensure political commitment to ISC for health and Health in All Policies (HiAPs). In 2009, the SCHFS mandated all provincial CHFSs across the country to develop provincial HMP to operationalize the HiAP approach and Kerman was among the first provinces which responded to this call. We selected Kerman province HMP as a case study to investigate the research questions raised in this study. The study revealed two types of leverage, which played crucial role in agenda setting, policy formulation and implementation of HMP including politics (political commitment) and policy entrepreneurs. The multiple streams model was found to be informative for thinking about different stages of a policy cycle including agenda setting, policy formulation and policy implementation. It was also found to be a useful framework in analyzing HiAP initiatives as these policies do not smoothly and readily reach the policy agenda. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Years of life lost among Iranian people killed in the Iraq-Iran war: the 25-year perspective.

PubMed

Mousavi, Batool; Moradi-Lakeh, Maziar; Karbakhsh, Mojgan; Soroush, Mohammadreza

2014-01-01

To estimate the years of life lost (YLL), registered deaths due to Iraq-Iran war (1980-2005) were identified considering ICD10 codes of Y36.0 to Y36.9. Estimated YLL was calculated by taking age-weighting options and discount rates. Population life expectancy in each corresponding year was retrieved from the national health database. During 1980-2005, 178,298 Iranian men and 5325 Iranian women died in war. The mean death age was 22.8 ± 9 years, 96.6% occurred during the years of war (September 1980-August 1988). In the years after the war (1988-2005) 6243 (3.4%) of deaths occurred as the result of complication of the war-related injuries or implanted landmines/unexploded ordnances (ICD10 code: Y36.8). YLL in Iraq-Iran war among Iranian victims were calculated as 10,479,405.0 years considering the age weighting and discount rate equal to 0. Age-adjusted YLL were estimated as 10,169,546.2 years in males. Female cases that comprised 2.9% of total victims lost 309,858.8 years. The mean YLL was calculated as 57.1 years for each Iranian victim killed in Iraq-Iran war. The war-related YLL was estimated more than 10 million years that comprised a majority of young men. This study is the first step in estimation of disability adjusted life year (DALY) of Iraq-Iran war on Iranian side.

A retrospective study of cutaneous fungal infections in patients referred to Imam Reza Hospital of Mashhad, Iran during 2000-2011

PubMed Central

Berenji, F; Mahdavi Sivaki, M; Sadabadi, F; Andalib Aliabadi, Z; Ganjbakhsh, M; Salehi, M

2016-01-01

Background and Purpose: Detection of agents responsible for cutaneous mycosis may be effective in the prevention of fungal infections from environmental and animal sources. With this background in mind, in this study, we aimed to identify the distribution of cutaneous mycotic infections in patients referred to Imam Reza Hospital of Mashhad, Iran during 2000- 2011. Materials and Methods: In total, 8694 patients suspected of superficial and cutaneous mycosis, referred to the Medical Mycology Laboratory of Imam Reza Hospital of Mashhad, Iran, were recruited during March 2000-2011 and were examined in terms of fungal infections. Results: Of 8694 suspected patients, 3804 (43.75%) cases suffered from superficial and cutaneous mycosis. In total, 1936 (50.9%) patients were male, and 1868 (49.1%) were female. Malassezia infections (58.1%), dermatophytosis (33.1%), cutaneous candidiasis (6.8%), aspergillosis (1.6%), and saprophytic cutaneous mycosis (0.4%) were the most common infections. Conclusion: In this study, Malassezia infections were the most common superficial and cutaneous mycoses. Therefore, it seems essential to focus on the prevention of these infections in our society. PMID:28681008

Effects of reflection on clinical decision-making of intensive care unit nurses.

PubMed

Razieh, Shahrokhi; Somayeh, Ghafari; Fariba, Haghani

2018-07-01

Nurses are one of the most influential factors in overcoming the main challenges faced by health systems throughout the world. Every health system should, hence, empower nurses in clinical judgment and decision-making skills. This study evaluated the effects of implementing Tanner's reflection method on clinical decision-making of nurses working in an intensive care unit (ICU). This study used an experimental, pretest, posttest design. The setting was the intensive care unit of Amin Hospital Isfahan, Iran. The convenience sample included 60 nurses working in the ICU of Amin Hospital (Isfahan, Iran). This clinical trial was performed on 60 nurses working in the ICU of Amin Hospital (Isfahan, Iran). The nurses were selected by census sampling and randomly allocated to either the case or the control group. Data were collected using a questionnaire containing demographic characteristics and the clinical decision-making scale developed by Laurie and Salantera (NDMI-14). The questionnaire was completed before and one week after the intervention. The data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0. The two groups were not significantly different in terms of the level and mean scores of clinical decision-making before the intervention (P = 0.786). Based on the results of independent t-test, the mean score of clinical decision-making one week after the intervention was significantly higher in the case group than in the control group (P = 0.009; t = -2.69). The results of Mann Whitney test showed that one week after the intervention, the nurses' level of clinical decision-making in the case group rose to the next level (P = 0.001). Reflection could improve the clinical decision-making of ICU nurses. It is, thus, recommended to incorporate this method into the nursing curriculum and care practices. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Education and Emigration: The Case of the Iranian-American Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mossayeb, Sina M.; Shirazi, Roozbeh

2006-01-01

This paper explores the plausibility of a hypothesis that puts forth perceived educational opportunity as a significant pull factor influencing Iranians' decisions to immigrate to the United States. Drawing on various literatures, including research on educational policy in Iran, government policy papers, and figures from recent studies and census…

Contradictions in a Distance Course for a Marginalized Population at a Middle Eastern University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madyarov, Irshat; Taef, Aida

2012-01-01

This study explores six cases of non-native English speaking students engaged in a distance English-medium course on critical thinking at a university in Iran. Framed within activity theory, the study investigated students' course-related activity systems with a particular focus on contradictions that underlie any human activity. The construct of…

Adherence to Mediterranean-style dietary pattern and risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a case-control study in Iran

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The benefit of adherence to a Mediterranean-style dietary pattern in relation to the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has not been investigated among non-Mediterranean high-risk populations. The objective of the present study was to examine the association of compliance with the Med...

Key Stakeholdersí Attitudes towards Teacher Education Programs in TEFL: A Case Study of Farhangian University in Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gholami, Javad; Qurbanzada, Isa

2016-01-01

Recently, teacher training courses have attracted the researchers' special attention, while teacher education programs have not received as much attention. The present study investigated the attitudes key stakeholders in a teacher education program (i.e., student teachers, in-service teachers, and teacher educators) hold toward the appropriateness…

Unpacking In-Service EFL Teachers' Critical Incidents: The Case of Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atai, Mahmood Reza; Nejadghanbar, Hassan

2016-01-01

Despite the importance of reflection on critical incidents (CIs), there are only a few studies in ELT literature addressing English language teachers' CIs (Farrell, 2008). Accordingly, this study was conducted to explore and discuss how six in-service EFL teachers reflected on and reported their CIs. In so doing, the participant teachers reflected…

A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis on Chlamydia trachomatis infections in Iranian women (1986-2015).

PubMed

Roshani, Daem; Ramazanzadeh, Rashid; Farhadifar, Fariba; Ahmadi, Amjad; Derakhshan, Safoura; Rouhi, Samaneh; Zarea, Shamsi; Zandvakili, Farnaz

2018-04-01

Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is the cause of genital tract infections in women. Some evidence has shown the role of this infection with CT in spontaneous abortions. The purpose of this study is to study the frequency of CT infection in Iranian women. This study was performed based on PRISMA guidelines. A total of 75 articles published in Google Scholar, PubMed, ISI Web of Science, Biological abs, Iranmedex, SID, and Scopus databases were found (1986-2015) using the following keywords: CT in women, CT and Iranian women, CT and infection in Iran, CT and pregnancy in Iran, CT and preterm delivery in Iran, CT and preterm labor in Iran, CT and fertility in Iran, CT and infertility in Iran, and CT and abortion in Iran. Finally, 40 studies from different regions of Iran were included. Statistical analyses were performed using R3 and STATA 12. From 1986 to 2015, the lowest rate of prevalence was from 2010 to 2011 (3.9%) and the highest prevalence rate was in 2009 (69.39%) in northern Iran. Fixed effects for different parts of Iran (North, South, East, and West) were Pooled proportion: 0.13 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.12-0.14) and for samples (cervical, vaginal, urine, and blood) the pooled proportion was = 0.14 (95% CI = 0.12-0.14). CT infection in this study was prevalent in urine samples and the rate of CT was observed from culture methods in comparison to other methods. Because women with CT play an important role because of sexual activity for transmission and untreated women are at risk of developing sequels. Also, most studies in Iran use sensitive polymerase chain reaction tests for the detection of genital CT infections.

A special case of the Poisson PDE formulated for Earth's surface and its capability to approximate the terrain mass density employing land-based gravity data, a case study in the south of Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

AllahTavakoli, Yahya; Safari, Abdolreza; Vaníček, Petr

2016-12-01

This paper resurrects a version of Poisson's Partial Differential Equation (PDE) associated with the gravitational field at the Earth's surface and illustrates how the PDE possesses a capability to extract the mass density of Earth's topography from land-based gravity data. Herein, first we propound a theorem which mathematically introduces this version of Poisson's PDE adapted for the Earth's surface and then we use this PDE to develop a method of approximating the terrain mass density. Also, we carry out a real case study showing how the proposed approach is able to be applied to a set of land-based gravity data. In the case study, the method is summarized by an algorithm and applied to a set of gravity stations located along a part of the north coast of the Persian Gulf in the south of Iran. The results were numerically validated via rock-samplings as well as a geological map. Also, the method was compared with two conventional methods of mass density reduction. The numerical experiments indicate that the Poisson PDE at the Earth's surface has the capability to extract the mass density from land-based gravity data and is able to provide an alternative and somewhat more precise method of estimating the terrain mass density.

Successful 4th kidney transplantation: a case report from Iran.

PubMed

Nourbala, Mohammad Hossein; Ghadian, Alireza; Einollahi, Behzad; Azarabadi, Mehdi

2013-05-21

Kidney transplantation is generally considered the best option for most patients with end-stage renal disease requiring renal replacement therapy, even for patients with graft failure. Here, we describe a case of a 49-year-old man who received his 1st kidney transplant the United Kingdom from his brother when he was 18 years old in. Thirty-one year after the first transplant, he underwent successful 4th living-unrelated kidney transplantation with no serious complications at our transplant center. He continued to have excellent allograft function and his latest serum creatinine 33 months after his 4th transplant was 1.2 mg/dL. To our knowledge, this is the first case of 4th kidney transplantation from Iran.

Trend of hepatocellular carcinoma incidence after Bayesian correction for misclassified data in Iranian provinces.

PubMed

Hajizadeh, Nastaran; Baghestani, Ahmad Reza; Pourhoseingholi, Mohamad Amin; Ashtari, Sara; Fazeli, Zeinab; Vahedi, Mohsen; Zali, Mohammad Reza

2017-05-28

To study the trend of hepatocellular carcinoma incidence after correcting the misclassification in registering cancer incidence across Iranian provinces in cancer registry data. Incidence data of hepatocellular carcinoma were extracted from Iranian annual of national cancer registration reports 2004 to 2008. A Bayesian method was implemented to estimate the rate of misclassification in registering cancer incidence in neighboring province. A beta prior is considered for misclassification parameter. Each time two neighboring provinces were selected to be entered in the Bayesian model based on their expected coverage of cancer cases which is reported by medical university of the province. It is assumed that some cancer cases from a province that has an expected coverage of cancer cases lower than 100% are registered in their neighboring facilitate province with more than 100% expected coverage. There is an increase in the rate of hepatocellular carcinoma in Iran. Among total of 30 provinces of Iran, 21 provinces were selected to be entered to the Bayesian model for correcting the existed misclassification. Provinces with more medical facilities of Iran are Tehran (capital of the country), Razavi Khorasan in north-east of Iran, East Azerbaijan in north-west of the country, Isfahan in central part and near to Tehran, Khozestan and Fars in south and Mazandaran in north of the Iran, had an expected coverage more than their expectation. Those provinces had significantly higher rates of hepatocellular carcinoma than their neighboring provinces. In years 2004 to 2008, it was estimated to be on average 34% misclassification between North Khorasan province and Razavi Khorasan, 43% between South Khorasan province and Razavi Khorasan, 47% between Sistan and balochestan province and Razavi Khorasan, 23% between West Azerbaijan province and East Azerbaijan province, 25% between Ardebil province and East Azerbaijan province, 41% between Hormozgan province and Fars province, 22% betweenChaharmahal and bakhtyari province and Isfahan province, 22% between Kogiloye and boyerahmad province and Isfahan, 22% between Golestan province and Mazandaran province, 43% between Bushehr province and Khozestan province, 41% between Ilam province and Khuzestan province, 42% between Qazvin province and Tehran province, 44% between Markazi province and Tehran, and 30% between Qom province and Tehran. Accounting and correcting the regional misclassification is necessary for identifying high risk areas and planning for reducing the cancer incidence.

A Study of Comparative Advantage and Intra-Industry Trade in the Pharmaceutical Industry of Iran.

PubMed

Yusefzadeh, Hassan; Rezapour, Aziz; Lotfi, Farhad; Ebadifard Azar, Farbod; Nabilo, Bahram; Abolghasem Gorji, Hassan; Hadian, Mohammad; Shahidisadeghi, Niusha; Karami, Atiyeh

2015-04-23

Drug costs in Iran accounts for about 30% of the total health care expenditure. Moreover, pharmaceutical business lies among the world's greatest businesses. The aim of this study was to analyze Iran's comparative advantage and intra-industry trade in pharmaceuticals so that suitable policies can be developed and implemented in order to boost Iran's trade in this field. To identify Iran's comparative advantage in pharmaceuticals, trade specialization, export propensity, import penetration and Balassa and Vollrath indexes were calculated and the results were compared with other pharmaceutical exporting countries. The extent and growth of Iran's intra-industry trade in pharmaceuticals were measured and evaluated using the Grubel-Lloyd and Menon-Dixon indexes. The required data was obtained from Iran's Customs Administration, Iran's pharmaceutical Statistics, World Bank and International Trade Center. The results showed that among pharmaceutical exporting countries, Iran has a high level of comparative disadvantage in pharmaceutical products because it holds a small share in world's total pharmaceutical exports. Also, the low extent of bilateral intra-industry trade between Iran and its trading partners in pharmaceuticals shows the trading model of Iran's pharmaceutical industry is mostly inter-industry trade rather than intra-industry trade. In addition, the growth of Iran's intra-industry trade in pharmaceuticals is due to its shares of imports from pharmaceutical exporting countries to Iran and exports from Iran to its neighboring countries. The results of the analysis can play a valuable role in helping pharmaceutical companies and policy makers to boost pharmaceutical trade.

Application of Electrical Resistivity Imaging for Engineering Site Investigation. A Case Study on Prospective Hospital Site, Varamin, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amini, Amin; Ramazi, Hamidreza

2016-12-01

The article addresses the application of electrical resistivity imaging for engineering site investigation in Pishva Hospital, Varamin, Iran. Some aqueduct shafts exist in the study area backfilled by loose materials. The goals of this study are to detect probable aqueduct tunnels and their depth, investigate filling quality in the shafts as well as connection(s) between them. Therefore, three profiles were surveyed by dipoledipole electrode array. Also, to investigate the potentially anomalous areas more accurately, five additional resistivity profiles were measured by a Combined Resistivity Sounding-Profiling array (CRSP). According to the results of 2-D inversion modelling, a main aqueduct tunnel was detected beneath the central part of the site. Finally, the resistivity pattern of the detected aqueduct system passing the investigated area was provided using the obtained results.

Hepatitis A Virus and Hepatitis E Virus Seroprevalence Among Blood Donors in Tehran, Iran.

PubMed

Hesamizadeh, Khashayar; Sharafi, Heidar; Keyvani, Hossein; Alavian, Seyed Moayed; Najafi-Tireh Shabankareh, Azar; Sharifi Olyaie, Roghiyeh; Keshvari, Maryam

2016-01-01

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) and Hepatitis E virus (HEV) are both transmitted by the fecal-oral route and are known as the leading causes of acute viral hepatitis in the world, especially in developing countries. There is a lack of updated data on HAV and HEV seroprevalence in Iran. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of HAV and HEV among a group of blood donors in Tehran, Iran. A cross-sectional study was performed from July 2014 to December 2014, on a total of 559 blood donors referred to the Tehran blood transfusion center. The serum samples were tested for antibodies to HAV and HEV, using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In the present study, 536 (95.9%) cases were male and 23 (4.1%) female with mean age of 38 years. Out of 559 blood donors, 107 (19.1%) were first-time donors, 163 (29.2%) lapsed donors and 289 (51.7%) regular donors. Anti-HAV was found in 395 (70.7%) and anti-HEV in 45 (8.1%) of the blood donors. The HAV and HEV seroprevalence increased by age. There was no significant difference between genders in terms of anti-HAV and anti-HEV status. The HAV and HEV seroprevalence was significantly related to the level of education, where the donors with higher level of education had lower rate of HAV and HEV seroprevalence. The HAV and HEV seroprevalence was significantly higher in regular and lapsed donors than in first-time donors. The present study showed that both HAV and HEV infections are still endemic in Iran.

Plumb as a cause of kidney cancer (case study: Iran from 2008-2010).

PubMed

Mazdak, Hamid; Rashidi, Maasoumeh; Zohary, Moien

2015-10-01

The main threats to human health from heavy metals are associated with exposure to plumb (Pb), cadmium, mercury, and arsenic. Some hazards that threat human health are the results of environmental factors and the relevant pollutions. Some important categories of diseases including (cancers) have considerable differences in various places, as observed in their spatial prevalence and distribution maps. The present study sets out to investigate the correlation between kidney cancer and the concentration of Pb in Iran. In this study, the first challenge was to collect some relevant information. In this connection, the authors managed to gain access to data concerning kidney cancer in Iran. The data were collected by a health centre for the period of 2008-2010. Besides, a map of Pb distribution in soil, drawn by the Mineral Exploration Organization, and Plumb Concentration Information, collected by Agriculture Jihad Organization, were used. Using a geographic information system (GIS) software such as ArcGIS (USA), the researchers drew the map of the spatial distribution of kidney cancer in the Iran country. In the indirect methods, one measures vegetation stress caused by heavy metal soil contamination. In direct methods, target detection algorithms are used to detect a selected material on the basis of its unique spectral signature. In this research, we applied target detection algorithms on moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) images to detect Pb. MODIS is a sensor placed on the Terra satellite that collects data in 35 spectral bands with 250-1,000 m special resolutions. The spatial distribution of kidney cancer in Iran country delineated above revealed a positive correlation between the amount of lead and the high frequency of kidney cancer. Regression analyses also confirmed this relationship (R (2) = 0.77 and R = 0.87). The findings of the current study underscore not only the importance of preventing exposure to Pb but also the importance of controlling Pb-producing industries.

Seroprevalence of human hydatidosis using ELISA method in qom province, central iran.

PubMed

Rakhshanpour, A; Harandi, M Fasihi; Moazezi, Ss; Rahimi, Mt; Mohebali, M; Mowlavi, Ghh; Babaei, Z; Ariaeipour, M; Heidari, Z; Rokni, Mb

2012-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of cystic echinococcosis (CE) in Qom Province, central Iran using ELISA test. Overall, 1564 serum samples (800 males and 764 females) were collected from selected subjects by randomized cluster sampling in 2011-2012. Sera were analyzed by ELISA test using AgB. Before sampling, a questionnaire was filled out for each case. Data were analyzed using Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression for risk factors analysis. Seropositivity was 1.6% (25 cases). Males (2.2%) showed significantly more positivity than females (0.9%) (P= 0.03). There was no significant association between CE seropositivity and age group, occupation, and region. Age group of 30-60 years encompassed the highest rate of positivity. The seropositivity of CE was 2.1% and 1.2% for urban and rural cases respectively. Binary logistic regression showed that males were 2.5 times at higher risk for infection than females. Although seroprevalence of CE is relatively low in Qom Province, yet due to the importance of the disease, all preventive measures should be taken into consideration.

Epidemiology and Clinical Features of Guillain-Barre Syndrome in Isfahan, Iran.

PubMed

Ansari, Behnaz; Basiri, Keivan; Derakhshan, Yeganeh; Kadkhodaei, Farzaneh; Okhovat, Ali Asghar

2018-01-01

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is an immune-mediated peripheral neuropathy. We compared clinical, laboratory characteristics, and disease course of GBS subtypes in a large group of Iranian patients in Isfahan. We collected data from patients who were admitted to Alzahra referral university Hospital, Isfahan, Iran with a diagnosis of GBS. In this population-based cross-sectional research, characteristic of 388 cases with GBS between 2010 and 2015 were studied. The current study recruited 388 patients with GBS including 241 males (62.1%) and 147 females (37.9%) with a mean age of 42.78 ± 21.34. Patients with polyradiculopathy had the highest mean age of 55.12 ± 20.59 years, whereas the least age was seen in acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN) with the mean of 36.30 ± 18.71 years. The frequency of GBS witnessed the highest frequency in spring with 113 cases (29.1%) and winter with 101 cases (26%). Patients' electrodiagnostic findings indicated that the highest frequency pertained to AMSAN with 93 cases (24%), whereas the least frequent diagnosis was acute Polyradiculopathy with 8 cases (2.1%). Most of the patients did not have any infections (53.6%) and among patients with infections, AMSAN had the highest frequency (22.9%) and finally, patients with AMSAN and AMAN had a higher length of stay. The study demonstrated incidence, sex distribution, preceding infection, and surgery similar to previous studies. However, our data differs from a study in Tehran that showed acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy is more prevalent than other types and we found a seasonal preponderance in cold months, particularly in axonal types.

Evaluating Quality of Life in Urban Areas (Case Study: Noorabad City, Iran)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rezvani, Mohammad Reza; Mansourian, Hossain; Sattari, Mohammad Hossain

2013-01-01

Quality of urban life (QOUL) has become an important field within urban studies. The increased level of attention to this topic is due to the increasing importance of QoL studies in monitoring public policies and in the role they can play as effective tools in urban management and planning. The main objective of this study is to measure the QOUL…

Protozoan Parasites of Rodents and Their Zoonotic Significance in Boyer-Ahmad District, Southwestern Iran

PubMed Central

Seifollahi, Zeinab; Motazedian, Mohammad Hossein; Asgari, Qasem; Ranjbar, Mohammad Javad; Abdolahi Khabisi, Samaneh

2016-01-01

Backgrounds. Wild rodents are reservoirs of various zoonotic diseases, such as toxoplasmosis, babesiosis, and leishmaniasis. The current study aimed to assess the protozoan infection of rodents in Boyer-Ahmad district, southwestern Iran. Materials and Methods. A total of 52 rodents were collected from different parts of Boyer-Ahmad district, in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, using Sherman live traps. Each rodent was anesthetized with ether, according to the ethics of working with animals, and was dissected. Samples were taken from various tissues and stool samples were collected from the contents of the colon and small intestines. Moreover, 2 to 5 mL of blood was taken from each of the rodents and the sera were examined for anti-Leishmania antibodies, by ELISA, or anti-T. gondii antibodies, by modified agglutination test (MAT). DNA was extracted from brain tissue samples of each rodent and PCR was used to identify the DNA of T. gondii. Results. Of the 52 stool samples of rodents studied by parasitological methods, intestinal protozoa infection was seen in 28 cases (53.8%). From 52 rodents, 19 (36.5%) were infected with Trichomonas, 10 (19.2%) with Giardia muris, and 11 (21.2%) with Entamoeba spp. Also, 10 cases (19.2%) were infected with Blastocystis, 3 (5.8%) were infected with Chilomastix, 7 (13.5%) were infected with Endolimax, 1 (1.9%) was infected with Retortamonas, 3 (5.77%) were infected with T. gondii, and 6 (11.54%) were infected with Trypanosoma lewisi. Antibodies to T. gondii were detected in the sera of 5 (9.61%) cases. Results of the molecular study showed T. gondii infection in 3 (5.77%) of the rodents. Findings of this study showed that rodents in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, southwestern Iran, are infected with several blood and intestinal parasites; some of them might be potential risks to residents and domestic animals in the region. PMID:26998380

Mortality and injuries among Iranians in Iraq-Iran war: a systematic review.

PubMed

Salamati, Payman; Razavi, Seyed Mansour; Shokraneh, Farhad; Mohazzab Torabi, Saman; Laal, Marjan; Hadjati, Gholamreza; Khaji, Ali; Rahimi Movaghar, Vafa

2013-09-01

The Iraq-Iran war was one of the longest conflicts in the twentieth century. The aim of our research was to review the incidence of mortality and injuries of the war. A search strategy was designed and run in Medline, EMBASE, Scopus, and Iranian databases including Scientific Information Database (SID), IranMedex, and Magiran. Also, searching grey literature, checking references, tracking citations, hand-searching of focused journals, and websites were utilized for retrieval of related studies. All of articles which studied epidemiology of mortality or injuries of the war were included. The excluding criteria were case reports, case series, laboratory researches, and nonoriginal studies. Fourteen articles out of 1751 primary results were selected to be included in the study. During the war (1980 - 1988), 188,015 to 217,489 Iranians were killed (about 70 people per day). The mean age of mortality was 23 years. Six thousand four hundred twenty-seven (2.9%) of those who died during the war were females. One thousand five chemical warfare victims died between 1983 and 1994. From 1985 through 1998, 82 veterans had successful suicides too. At the end of war, we had 398, 587 veterans who needed follow- up. Among them, there were 52,000 chemical warfare victims. Between 1988 and 2003, 1400 people died and 2313 injured due to landmines and unexploded ordnances in five border provinces. The war caused a lot of mortalities and morbidities in our country. Now, 24 years after the war, many physically, mentally, and chemically injured victims have remained. We suggest other studies about indirect impacts of the war on societies, families, friends, and affiliates of the victims.

Iran diabetes research roadmap (IDRR) study: a preliminary study on diabetes research in the world and Iran.

PubMed

Nasli-Esfahani, Ensieh; Farzadfar, Farshad; Kouhnavard, Marjan; Ghodssi-Ghassemabadi, Robabeh; Khajavi, Alireza; Peimani, Maryam; Razmandeh, Rezvan; Vala, Mahboobeh; Shafiee, Gita; Rambod, Camelia; Sanjari, Mahnaz; Aalaa, Maryam; Ghodsi, Maryam; Razi, Farideh; Bandarian, Fatemeh; Larijani, Bagher

2017-01-01

Diabetes is one of the most common metabolic disorders worldwide. This study aim was to provide detail analysis of diabetes research output and its trend in Iran as well as in the world and compare them. Data was retrieved from PubMed database using a suitable search strategy and application of proper operator "AND", "OR" and "NOT". All English documents published from 2008 to 2012 were included. Meeting abstract, letter to the editor, guidelines, consensus and reviews were excluded. Obtained documents for Iran and world were categorized in eleven groups including diabetes management, education, paediatrics, nutrition, epidemiology, diabetes complications, stem cells, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), psychiatrics, genetics and prevention and were compared. Total number of DM publications was 59513 for world and 648 for Iran. Trend of DM publications was increasing during the 5 years with a growth rate of 22.5% for world and 23.4% for Iran. Contribution of Iran in the world diabetes output reached 1.08 in 2012. The most and the least number of DM documents were related to complications and preventions, respectively both in Iran and the world. Three leading countries with highest proportion of RCTs (randomized clinical trial) to their total DM publications were Italy, Germany and Iran. The most number of diabetes research was in the field of diabetes complication, management and genetics in the world as well as in Iran. During the 5-year period, despite of the world sanctions against Iran, diabetes research trend was increasing in Iran relatively parallel to the world research and sanction had no significant effect on Iran.

First successful combined heart and kidney transplant in Iran: a case report.

PubMed

Ahmadi, Zargham-Hossein; Mirhosseini, Seyed Mohsen; Fakhri, Mohammad; Mozaffary, Amirhossein; Lotfaliany, Mojtaba; Nejatollahi, Seyed Mohammad Reza; Marashi, Seyed-Ali; Behzadnia, Neda; Sharif-Kashani, Babak

2013-08-01

Combined heart and kidney transplant has become an accepted therapy for patients with coexisting heart and kidney failure. This method, compared with single-organ transplant, has a better outcome. Here, we report the first successful combined heart and kidney transplant in Iran. The patient was a 36-year-old man with end-stage renal disease owing to IgA nephropathy, admitted to Masih Daneshvari Hospital in Tehran, Iran for progressive dyspnea and chest pain. In-patient evaluations revealed cardiomyopathy leading to end-stage heart failure. Owing to concurrent heart and kidney end-stage diseases, combined cardiorenal transplant was done. Eight months after his transplant, routine follow-ups have not shown any signs of acute rejection. He is now New York Heart Association functional class I. Both cardiac and renal functions are within normal ranges. Good outcome during follow-up for this case justifies simultaneous heart plus kidney transplants as an alternate treatment for patients with advanced disease of both organs.

Protective role of HLA-DRB1*11 against juvenile idiopathic arthritis living in North Eastern Iran.

PubMed

Rezaieyazdi, Zahra; Kochakzadeh, Morteza; Hatef, Mohammad Reza; Esmaily, Habibollah; Malek, Abdolreza; Valizadeh, Narges; Tabaei, Samira; Rafatpanah, Houshang

2018-06-01

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is one of the most common chronic rheumatic diseases in children. The complex nature of this immune-mediated disease owes itself to several predisposing genes and environmental factors affecting its pathogenesis. Conducted in Iran, this study was originally intended to investigate every possible association between HLA DRB1 alleles and a susceptibility to JIA. In this case-control study, 45 patients with a definite diagnosis of JIA based on International League against Rheumatism (ILAR) criteria were compared against 46 healthy controls. DNA samples taken from both groups were analyzed using PCR-sequence specific primers (PCR-SSP) method. Data analysis including parametric and nonparametric test and multivariate analysis was undertaken using the SPSS 11.5 software. A P-value< 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. Mean ages in case group and healthy controls were 14.64±6.21 and 13.73±6.39, respectively with no significant difference between the two groups ( P =0.515). Sex difference between JIA group and healthy controls was also not significant ( P =0.068). The frequency of HLA-DRB1*01 was found the most frequent HLA-RB1 in our patients (33.3%). No significant statistical correlation between various HLA-DRB1 alleles and clinical subtypes of the disease could be established from the data. HLA-DRB1*11 was shown to raise protection to JIA ( P =0.035, OR=2.755, 95% CI=0.963-8.055) in northeastern Iran. In addition, we found that HLA-RB1*09 is nominally associated with an increased risk of JIA ( P =0.56, OR=2, 05, 95% CI=0.18-23.63). HLA-DRB1*11 was shown to raise protection to JIA in northeastern Iran. The disparity of findings in other ethnicities prompts further investigations with larger sample sizes.

Molecular Epidemiology of Human Intestinal Amoebas in Iran

PubMed Central

Hooshyar, H; Rostamkhani, P; Rezaian, M

2012-01-01

Many microscopic-based epidemiological surveys on the prevalence of human intestinal pathogenic and non-pathogenic protozoa including intestinal amoeba performed in Iran show a high prevalence of human intestinal amoeba in different parts of Iran. Such epidemiological studies on amoebiasis are confusing, mainly due to recently appreciated distinction between the Entamoeba histolytica, E. dispar and E. moshkovskii. Differential diagnosis can be done by some methods such as PCR-based methods, monoclonal antibodies and the analysis of isoenzyme typing, however the molecular study of these protozoa in Iran is low. Based on molecular studies, it seems that E. dispar is predominant species especially in the central and northern areas of Iran and amoebiasis due to E. histolytica is a rare infection in the country. It is suggested that infection with E. moshkovskii may be common among Iranians. Considering the importance of molecular epidemiology of amoeba in Iran and also the current data, the present study reviews the data currently available on the molecular distribution of intestinal human amoeba in Iran. PMID:23193500

Serologic evaluation of toxoplasmosis in matrimonial women in Babol, Iran.

PubMed

Youssefi, M R; Sefidgar, A A; Mostafazadeh, A; Omran, S Mahdavi

2007-05-01

To investigate anti-toxoplasmosis in matrimonial women, samples collected from who referred to Babol health center, that is the only pre-marriage laboratory guide center in Babol. This descriptive-cross sectional study has carried out on 241 matrimonial women to consider anti toxoplasmosis antibodies (IgG, IgM) by ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbant Assay). In this study, 241 women between 13 to 40 years old were considered. The average age was 20.98 years. Of these cases, 47.3% were urban and 52.7% were rural. 63.9% had IgG and 12.4% had IgM anti-toxoplasmosis antibody. This study carried out to determine anti toxoplasmosis antibodies in Babol in the first half of 2004. Dispersed studies have been done to determine the prevalence oftoxoplasmosis in Iran and mostly have reported a high and different prevalence oftoxoplasmosis in different parts of country.

Molecular Epidemiological Survey of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Two Highly Endemic Metropolises of Iran, Application of FTA Cards for DNA Extraction From Giemsa-Stained Slides

PubMed Central

Izadi, Shahrokh; Mirhendi, Hossein; Jalalizand, Niloufar; Khodadadi, Hossein; Mohebali, Mehdi; Nekoeian, Shahram; Jamshidi, Ali; Ghatee, Mohammad Amin

2016-01-01

Background: PCR has been used for confirmation of leishmaniasis in epidemiological studies, but complexity of DNA extraction and PCR approach has confined its routine use in developing countries. Objectives: In this study, recent epidemiological situation of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in two hyper-endemic metropolises of Shiraz and Isfahan in Iran was studied using DNA extraction by commercial FTA cards and kinetoplastid DNA (kDNA)-PCR amplification for detection/identification of Leishmania directly from stained skin scraping imprints. Patients and Methods: Fifty four and 30 samples were collected from clinically diagnosed CL patients referred to clinical laboratories of leishmaniasis control centers in Isfahan and Shiraz cities, respectively. The samples were examined by direct microscopy and then scrapings of the stained smears were applied to FTA cards and used directly as DNA source in a nested-PCR to amplify kDNA to detect and identify Leishmania species. Results: Fifty four of 84 (64.2%) slides obtained from patients had positive results microscopically, while 79/84 (94%) of slides had positive results by FTA card-nested-PCR. PCR and microscopy showed a sensitivity of 96.4% and 64.2% and specificity of 100% and 100%, respectively. Interestingly, Leishmania major as causative agent of zoonotic CL was identified in 100% and 90.7% of CL cases from Isfahan and Shiraz cities, respectively, but L. tropica was detected from only 9.3% of cases from Shiraz city. All cases from central regions of Shiraz were L. tropica and no CL case was found in Isfahan central areas. Conclusions: Filter paper-based DNA extraction can facilitate routine use of PCR for diagnosis of CL in research and diagnostic laboratories in Iran and countries with similar conditions. Epidemiologic changes including dominancy of L. major in suburbs of Shiraz and Isfahan metropolises where anthroponotic CL caused by L. tropica had been established, showed necessity of precise studies on CL epidemiology in old urban and newly added districts in the suburbs. PMID:27127596

Second Language Teaching Effectiveness from the Perspective of University Students: A Case Study of Departments of Applied Linguistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mehrparvar, Frough; Karimnia, Amin

2018-01-01

Effective teaching is considered to be one of the factors that can facilitate learner achievement. The present study investigated the indicators that constituted good teaching from the perspective of higher-education students at Applied Linguistics departments, Iran. To do this, following a substantial review of the literature, the five major…

Challenges of Employing E-Learning for Teaching Language: A Case of Teaching English in Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alizadeh, Iman

2012-01-01

The whole thrust of this study was to delve into some of the pedagogical and practical challenges intimately related to employing e-learning for teaching language. To this aim, 30 language learners targeted as the subjects of the study were randomly assigned into experimental and control groups after administering a pretest. One the one hand, the…

The Effects of Bilingualism on Cognitive Development: A Case of Bilingual Children in Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arefi, Marzieh; Alizadeh, Sona

2008-01-01

In Urmia city, many children learn and speak their first language (either Azari or Kurdish) at home and study all of their courses in Farsi throughout their education. This bilingual quality of education needs to be researched to attain high quality educational practices. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of bilingualism on…

Exploring Cultural Content of Three Prominent EFL Textbooks in Iran (A Case Study of American English Files, Top Notch and Four Corners)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dehbozorgi, Mehrnoosh; Amalsaleh, Ehya; Kafipour, Reza

2014-01-01

Cultural content has become an important issue after the advent of intercultural communicative approach (ICC) in language teaching field. The current study analyzed cultural content of three mainstream intermediate level EFL textbooks. This study was carried out using Chen's (2004) and Lee's (2009) suggested themes for detecting big "C"…

Deterring Iran’s Use of Offensive Cyber: A Case Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-01

departments, such as Sharif University of Technology, began to hold hacking competitions to identify potential recruits.26 Dr . Hassan Abbasi, as well-known...that discovered it—to use social networking sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook to target hundreds of U.S. officials and their connections in order

Musculoskeletal disabilities among police force personnel of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

PubMed

Jahani, Mohammad Reza; Motevalian, Seyed Abbas; Asgari, Ali Reza

2002-10-01

Musculoskeletal disorders are among the most common causes of disability in the military population. The objectives of this study were to assess the frequency of musculoskeletal disabilities in police force personnel and to determine the association between disabilities and age, rank, and different job types. The population studied were 2600 Islamic Republic of Iran police force disability cases from March 1997 to March 1998. Ninth revision of International Classification of Diseases was used to indicate diagnoses. The frequency of disabilities related to musculoskeletal disorders was 25.7%. Back disabilities were the most common musculoskeletal problems. Patients with back disabilities were older on average than patients with other musculoskeletal disorders (p < 0.001). Back disabilities were more common in commissioned officers (third lieutenant to colonel) than other police force personnel (p < 0.0001). On the contrary, fractures and dislocations were more common in noncommissioned officers (sergeant to warrant officer) (p < 0.001). There were associations between specific jobs and musculoskeletal disabilities. According to present data, musculoskeletal disorders account for one-quarter of disability cases in police force personnel. Prevention programs, especially in high-risk groups, should be considered.

Clinico-epidemiological and mycological aspects of tinea incognito in Iran: A 16-year study.

PubMed

Ansar, Akram; Farshchian, Mahmoud; Nazeri, Haleh; Ghiasian, Seyed Amir

2011-01-01

Tinea incognito is a dermatophytic infection in which topical or systemic steroids have modified the clinical appearance of the mycosis and mimicking other skin diseases. A large retrospective study was carried out to identify the clinical aspects and type of dermatophytes involved in tinea incognito cases in Iran during 1993-2008. Out of 6325 subjects suspected to have dermatophytoses, 56 patients (29 males, 27 females, mean age 32.6 years) were affected with tinea incognito. The causative agents were identified macroscopically and microscopically after the clinical samples were subjected to potassium hydroxide examination and culture isolation. The most common type of infection was tinea corporis (32.1%), which significantly affected male patients. The prevalence of the other tineas in decreasing order was as follows: tinea faciei (26.8%), tinea cruris (14.3%), tinea manuum (12.5%), tinea pedis (8.9%), and tinea capitis (5.4%). The clinical features were to some extent diverse, ranging from eczema-like, seborrhoeic dermatitis-like, pyoderma-like and folliculitis to alopecia on scalp, trunk and limbs. Trichophyton verrucosum was the most frequently isolated species representing 33.9% of isolates, followed by T.mentagrophytes (28.6%), T. rubrum (12.5%), Epidermophyton floccosum (10.7%), Microsporum canis (8.9%), T. violaceum (3.6%), and T. schoenleinii (1.8%). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first broad investigation dealing with tinea incognito in Iran. The etiological agents of tinea incognito in Iran are consistent with those of the general population.

Incidence of Esophageal Cancer in Iran, a Population-Based Study: 2001-2015.

PubMed

Moradzadeh, Rahmatollah; Golmohammadi, Parvaneh; Ghaitasi, Bahman; Nadrian, Haidar; Najafi, Athareh

2018-05-09

Even though Kurdistan, the western province of Iran, has a cancer surveillance system, a detailed analysis of incidence rate has not been yet performed. We describe Age Standardized Incidence Rates (ASRs) for esophageal cancer (EC) in Kurdistan Province of Iran in 2001-2015. Incidence cases of EC were obtained from a population-based cancer registry. We obtained ASRs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) per 100,000 populations for each calendar year group. Between 2001 and 2015, 1362 incidence cases with EC were reported to the cancer registry. Annual ASRs in 2006-2010 were more than the other years in both men and women, respectively. Most ASRs were reported among women in Divandarreh (18.95, 95% CI 14.76, 23.92), Saqez (12.75, 95% CI 10.73, 15.01), Sanandaj (8.84, 95% CI 7.64, 10.17), and Qorveh (8.19, 95% CI 6.54, 10.12), and among men in Divandarreh (19.38, 95% CI 15.38, 24.06), Saqez (13.64, 95% CI 11.49, 16.05), Sanandaj (8.70, 95% CI 7.56, 9.96), and Marivan (7.93, 95% CI 6.26, 9.88). It was concluded that EC in Divandarreh, Saqez, and Sanandaj has the highest ASRs, and these areas are considered as high-risk areas for this disease in the Iranian province of Kurdistan. Therefore, to understand the reasons of these problems, a considerable work is needed.

Radiology Reporting System Data Exchange With the Electronic Health Record System: A Case Study in Iran.

PubMed

Ahmadi, Maryam; Ghazisaeidi, Marjan; Bashiri, Azadeh

2015-03-18

In order to better designing of electronic health record system in Iran, integration of health information systems based on a common language must be done to interpret and exchange this information with this system is required. This study provides a conceptual model of radiology reporting system using unified modeling language. The proposed model can solve the problem of integration this information system with the electronic health record system. By using this model and design its service based, easily connect to electronic health record in Iran and facilitate transfer radiology report data. This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted in 2013. The study population was 22 experts that working at the Imaging Center in Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran and the sample was accorded with the community. Research tool was a questionnaire that prepared by the researcher to determine the information requirements. Content validity and test-retest method was used to measure validity and reliability of questioner respectively. Data analyzed with average index, using SPSS. Also Visual Paradigm software was used to design a conceptual model. Based on the requirements assessment of experts and related texts, administrative, demographic and clinical data and radiological examination results and if the anesthesia procedure performed, anesthesia data suggested as minimum data set for radiology report and based it class diagram designed. Also by identifying radiology reporting system process, use case was drawn. According to the application of radiology reports in electronic health record system for diagnosing and managing of clinical problem of the patient, with providing the conceptual Model for radiology reporting system; in order to systematically design it, the problem of data sharing between these systems and electronic health records system would eliminate.

THE DEAL WITH IRAN IS THE BEST-CASE SCENARIO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY COULD ACHIEVE IN THE CURRENT GEOPOLITICAL ENVIRONMENT

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-02-16

that significant contributions to the successful negotiations were the geopolitical realities of the effects of escalating economic sanctions in Iran...since 2010. Three years later started a cycle of intense international negotiations . 4 The Nuclear Deal On July 14, 2015, negotiators from...with many international negotiations and agreements, brings with it varying expectations. The complexity of the process before the agreement is

The rate of antibiotic utilization in Iranian under 5-year-old children with acute respiratory tract illness: A nationwide community-based study

PubMed Central

Mostafavi, Nasser; Rashidian, Arash; Karimi-Shahanjarini, Akram; Khosravi, Ardeshir; Kelishadi, Roya

2015-01-01

Background: To investigate the prevalence of antibiotic usage in children aged <5 years with acute respiratory tract illness (ARTI) in Iran. Materials and Methods: Data were collected from a national health survey conducted in 2010 (Iran's Multiple Indicator Demographic and Health Survey). Participants of this cross-sectional study were selected by multistage stratified cluster-random sampling from 31 provinces of Iran. Parents of children with <5 years of age responded to questions about the occurrence of any cough during the previous 2 weeks, referral to private/governmental/other health care systems, and utilization of any oral/injection form of antibiotics. Data were analyzed using SPSS software18. The chi-square test was used to determine antibiotic consumption in various gender and residency groups and also a place of residence with the referral health care system. Results: Of the 9345 children under 5 years who participated in the study, 1506 cases (16.2%) had ARTI during 2 weeks prior to the interview, in whom 1143 (75.9%) were referred to urban or rural health care centers (43.4 vs. 30.4%; P < 0.001). Antibiotics were utilized by 715 (62.6%) of affected children. Injection formulations were used for 150 (13.1%) patients. The frequency of receiving antibiotics was higher in urban than in rural inhabitants (66.0% vs. 57.7% P < 0.05). Conclusion: The prevalence of total and injection antibiotics usage in children <5 years with ARTI is alarmingly high in Iran. Therefore, interventions to reduce antibiotic use are urgently needed. PMID:26487870

Detection of Schmallenberg virus antibody in equine population of Northern and Northeast of Iran.

PubMed

Rasekh, M; Sarani, A; Hashemi, S H

2018-01-01

Schmallenberg virus (SBV) is a newly emerging virus in Simbu group that 1 st time is reported in 2011 in Germany and now spread to Europe. The clinical signs of infection to this virus are fever, loss of appetite, reduced milk yield and in some cases, diarrhea and in pregnant animals congenital malformations in calves, lambs, and kid goats. In this study for a serologic survey of SBV, blood samples from 200 horse in different rural areas of the northern and northeast of Iran with the high equine population collected and were analyzed using an indirect ELISA test. Based on our results 5% (n=10) of total 200 samples were positive for SBV antibody and 2% (n=4) was doubtful and 93% (n=186) was negative. There were no significant differences between age and sex and breed properties (p>0.05). This study demonstrated the presence of antibodies against the SBV on horse populations in Iran. The high population and activity of Culicoides biting midges and their proper living conditions, especially the areas of temperate and humid environmental conditions, are the possible causes of arboviruses related diseases seen in this country.

Low-altitude outbreaks of human fascioliasis related with summer rainfall in Gilan province, Iran.

PubMed

Salahi-Moghaddam, Abdoreza; Habibi-Nokhandam, Majid; Fuentes, Màrius V

2011-11-01

Following human fascioliasis outbreaks in 1988 and 1999 in Gilan province, northern Iran, efforts are now made to shed light on the seasonal pattern of fascioliasis transmission in this endemic area, taking into account snail host populations, climatic conditions and human cases. Populations of the intermediate host snail (Lymnaea spp.) peak in May and November, while there is a fourfold increase in the rate of human fascioliasis in February compared to that of September. Transmission is likely to occur mainly in late autumn and sporadically in late spring. Rainfall, seasonally analysed in periods of 3 years, indicates that accumulated summer rainfall may be related with the 1988 and 1999 human fascioliasis outbreaks. Although a more detailed picture, based on the analysis of further abiotic and biotic factors influencing fascioliasis transmission in this area, is required to substantiate this hypothesis, our results serve as the first step of a geographical information system project concerning the epidemiological study of fascioliasis in Iran. This local-scale study concerning the effects of climate change and natural disasters on the spread of fascioliasis aims to facilitate the understanding of what goes on at the regional scale in this respect.

Orbital Dirofilariasis in Iran: A Case Report

PubMed Central

Mobedi, Iraj

2009-01-01

Dirofilariasis is a common parasitic disease in both domestic and wild animals around the world, with canines as the principal reservoir host and mosquitoes as the vector. Human ophthalmic dirofilariasis is an uncommon condition, but there have been reports from many parts of the world, including Africa, Australia, the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Ophthalmic involvement with Dirofilaria may present itself as periorbital, subconjunctival, orbital, or intraocular infections. In this report, we present a case of orbital dirofilariasis with lateral rectus muscle involvement. To our knowledge, this is the first orbital dirofilariasis case reported in Iran. Although debulking of the tumor usually leads to resolution, our patient showed an episode of recurrence after biopsy. Complete recovery was achieved after a spontaneous discharge, without the need for systemic medication. PMID:19967089

Characterization of a thermal power plant air heater washing waste: a case study from Iran.

PubMed

Saeedi, M; Amini, H R

2007-02-01

In Iran most of the electricity is generated by thermal power plants. As a result of fuel oil burning in winter time, the air heaters of the boilers have to be washed and cleaned frequently. The wastewater originating from air heater washing is then treated in an effluent treatment plant by chemical precipitation followed by dewatering of the sludge produced. The resulting waste is classified as specific industrial waste that should be characterized in detail under the Waste Management Act of Iran. The quantity of this waste produced in the studied power plant is about 20 tonnes year(-1). In the present investigation, the first to be carried out in Iran, seven composite samples of dewatered sludge from air heater washing wastewater treatment were subjected to investigation of the physical properties, chemical composition and leaching properties. The most likely pollutants that were of concern in this study were heavy and other hazardous metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn and V). The results revealed that mean pH, wet and dry density and moisture content of the waste were 6.31, 1532 kg m(-30, 1879 kg m(-3) and 15.35%, respectively. Magnetite, SiO2, P2O5, CaO, Al2O3 and MgO were the main constituents of the waste with a weight percentage order of 68.88, 5.91, 3.39, 2.64, 2.59 and 1.76%, respectively. The toxicity characteristic leaching procedure test results for some heavy and other hazardous metals showed that mean elemental concentrations of Cd, Co, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb, V and Zn in leachate were 0.06, 1.55, 5.49, 36.32, 209.10, 0.58, 314.06 and 24.84 mg L(-1), respectively. According to the Waste Management Act of Iran this waste should be classified as hazardous and should be disposed of in accordance with hazardous waste disposal regulations.

Breast cancer research in Iran: a scientometric analysis of publications output from 1991 to 2015 in Scopus

PubMed Central

Zarei, Mozhdeh; Bagheri-Saweh, Mohammad Iraj; Rasolabadi, Masoud; Vakili, Ronak; Seidi, Jamal; Kalhor, Marya Maryam; Etaee, Farshid; Gharib, Alireza

2017-01-01

Introduction As a common type of malignancy, breast cancer is one of the major causes of death in women globally. The purpose of the current study was to analyze Iran research performance on Breast Cancer in the context of national and international studies, shown in the publications indexed in Scopus database during 1991–2015. Methods Data were retrieved from the Scopus citation database in this scientometric study. The following string was employed; “breast cancer OR breast malignancy OR breast tumor OR mammary ductal carcinoma” keywords in the main title, abstract and keywords and Iran in the affiliation field were the main related keywords. The terms used were searched in Scopus using the tab specified for searching documents. Time span analyzed was 1991 to 2015 inclusive. Using the analyzing software of Scopus, we analyzed the results. Results Iran’s increasing publication production during 1991–2015 in breast cancer research which indexed in Scopus, consists of 2,399 papers with an average of 95.96 papers per year, and achieved an h-index of 48. Iranian cancer research articles have received 15,574 citations during 1991–2015, and average citations per paper were 6.49. Iran ranked 27th among the top 30 nations with a worldwide stake of 0.67 %, the 20 top publishing journals published 744 (31%) Iranian research articles on breast cancer, among them, there were 15 Iranian journals. Conclusion The number of Iranian research papers on breast cancer and also the number of citations to them, is increasing. Although the quantity and quality of papers are increasing, regarding the prevalence of breast cancer in Iran and also the ineffectiveness of screening programs in the early detection of the cases, more effort should be made, and Iranian policy makers should consider more investment on breast cancer research. PMID:28465812

Treating methamphetamine-induced resistant psychosis with clozapine.

PubMed

Seddigh, Ruohollah; Keshavarz-Akhlaghi, Amir-Abbas; Shariati, Behnam

2014-01-01

Background. Methamphetamine-induced psychosis (MIP) in Iran has turned into a serious issue in terms of health and treatment, lacking any obvious treatment methods for its resistant cases. Aims of Case Report. In the present study, a number of two cases of treatment of MIP with clozapine, which were resistant to the treatment with other antipsychotics, have been reported. Both cases completely responded to the treatment in only 2 weeks and no signs of psychosis relapse were seen in an 8-9 follow-up. Conclusion. Because of its particular pharmacologic features, clozapine may be effective in treating MIP.

The Effect of Capital Structure on the Profitability of Pharmaceutical Companies The Case of Iran

PubMed Central

Mohammadzadeh, Mehdi; Rahimi, Farimah; Rahimi, Forough; Aarabi, Seyed Mohammad; Salamzadeh, Jamshid

2013-01-01

Funding combination is the most important issue for the companies while they know the amount of required capital. Companies should be careful regarding the appliance of financial providing methods compatible with the investment strategy of company and profitability. This study seeks to examine the relationship between the capital structure and the profitability of pharmaceutical companies in Iran. For this purpose, top 30 Iranian pharmaceutical companies defined as study samples and their financial data were gathered for the period of 2001-2010. In this study, the net margin profit and debts to asset ratio were used as indicators of profitability and capital structure, respectively and sales growth was used as a control variable. Results showed that there was significant negative relationship between the profitability and the capital structure which means that the pharmaceutical companies have established a Pecking Order Theory and the internal financing has led to more profitability. PMID:24250664

The effect of capital structure on the profitability of pharmaceutical companies the case of iran.

PubMed

Mohammadzadeh, Mehdi; Rahimi, Farimah; Rahimi, Forough; Aarabi, Seyed Mohammad; Salamzadeh, Jamshid

2013-01-01

Funding combination is the most important issue for the companies while they know the amount of required capital. Companies should be careful regarding the appliance of financial providing methods compatible with the investment strategy of company and profitability. This study seeks to examine the relationship between the capital structure and the profitability of pharmaceutical companies in Iran. For this purpose, top 30 Iranian pharmaceutical companies defined as study samples and their financial data were gathered for the period of 2001-2010. In this study, the net margin profit and debts to asset ratio were used as indicators of profitability and capital structure, respectively and sales growth was used as a control variable. Results showed that there was significant negative relationship between the profitability and the capital structure which means that the pharmaceutical companies have established a Pecking Order Theory and the internal financing has led to more profitability.

Techno-economical Analysis of Rooftop Grid-connected PV Dairy Farms; Case Study of Urmia University Dairy Farm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikbakht, A. M.; Aste, N.; Sarnavi, H. J.; Leonforte, F.

2017-08-01

The global trends indicate a growing commitment to renewable energy development because of declining fossil fuels and environmental threats. Moreover, the global demographic growth coupled with rising demands for food has escalated the rate of energy consumption in food section. This study aims to investigate the techno-economic impacts of a grid-connected rooftop PV plan applied for a educational dairy farm in Urmia university, with total estimated annual electrical energy consumption of 18,283 kWh, located at the north west part of Iran. Based on the current feed-in tariff and tremendously low electricity price in agriculture section in Iran, the plants with size ranged from 14.4 to 19.7 kWp (initial investment ranged from 26,000 to 36,000 USD) would be satisfied economically.

Implementing Tuberculosis Close-contact Investigation in a Tertiary Hospital in Iran.

PubMed

Shamaei, Masoud; Esmaeili, Shahrbanoo; Marjani, Majid; Tabarsi, Payam

2018-01-01

Close contact investigation is the essential key in tuberculosis (TB) case finding and an effective strategy for TB control program within any society. In this prospective study, 1186 close family contacts of hospitalized TB patients (index) in a referral TB hospital in Tehran-Iran were passively studied. These people were studied to rollout TB infection and disease. Demographic characteristics, clinical and laboratory data of these individuals were reviewed and summarized for analysis. A total of 886 (74.4%) close-family contacts completed their investigation. The index TB patients of these individuals were sputum smear negative for acid-fast bacilli in 137 cases (11.6%) and the rest were smear positive. A total of 610 (68.8%) close-family contact ruled out for TB infection or disease (Group I). A total of 244 cases (27.5%) had latent TB infection (Group II) and active TB (Group III) was confirmed in 32 cases (3.6%). A significant difference was shown for female gender, signs and symptoms, family size, and positive radiological finding between Group I and Group II. The study of index parameter including positive sputum smear/culture did not reveal any significant difference, but positive cavitary lesion significantly more has seen in active TB group ( P = 0.004). This study emphasizes on sign and symptoms and radiological finding in TB contact investigation, where index parameters including positive smear/culture, does not implicate any priority. Although cavitary lesions in index patient have more accompanied by active TB, close contact study should include all of TB indexes. This investigation should include chest radiography for these individuals.

Pattern of acute food, drug, and chemical poisoning in Sari City, Northern Iran.

PubMed

Ahmadi, Amirhossein; Pakravan, Nasrin; Ghazizadeh, Zeynab

2010-09-01

This descriptive and retrospective study was conducted at the poisoning ward of Imam teaching hospital, Sari, Iran, with the aim of evaluating the pattern of poisoning. Hence, the medical profiles of 2057 patients, who were admitted, were carefully reviewed during the period from April 2006 to March 2008 for 2 years. During this period, 2057 cases, 53.9% female and 46.1% male, were admitted with the indication of acute poisoning. The greatest proportion of poisoning occurred between the ages of 18 and 29 years, with suicidal intentions. Most cases of poisoning were intentional (85%). The most common agents involved in acute poisoning were drugs (77.7%), especially sedatives/hypnotics such as benzodiazepines, followed by opioid analgesics. Organophosphate and carbamate insecticides were the third major agent that induced poisoning. Twenty-seven patients (1.3%) who were mostly females and young adults died. Death mostly occurred due to organophosphate and carbamate insecticides (19 cases) poisoning, followed by sedatives/hypnotics like benzodiazepines (3 cases). High prevalence of intentional overdose and mortality among young adults requires considerable attention and further studies to find out the underlying causes. In addition, strict rules must be followed regarding the sale of central nervous system drugs and pesticides, particularly organophosphate and carbamate insecticides. Establishing poison information centers in different parts of the country, preparing national treatment guidelines, training healthcare providers, and ensuring easy availability of the antidotes are also recommended.

Soil erosion in Iran: Issues and solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamidreza Sadeghi, Seyed; Cerdà, Artemi

2015-04-01

Iran currently faces many soil erosion-related problems (see citations below). These issues are resulted from some inherent characteristic and anthropogenic triggering forces. Nowadays, the latter plays more important rule to accelerate the erosion with further emphasis on soil erosion-prone arid and semi arid regions of the country. This contribution attempts to identify and describe the existing main reasons behind accelerated soil erosion in Iran. Appropriate solutions viz. structural and non-structural approaches will be then advised to combat or minimise the problems. Iran can be used as a pilot research site to understand the soil erosion processes in semiarid, arid and mountainous terrain and our research will review the scientific literature and will give an insight of the soil erosion rates in the main factors of the soil erosion in Iran. Key words: Anthropogenic Erosion, Land Degradation; Sediment Management; Sediment Problems Acknowledgements The research projects GL2008-02879/BTE, LEDDRA 243857 and PREVENTING AND REMEDIATING DEGRADATION OF SOILS IN EUROPE THROUGH LAND CARE (RECARE)FP7-ENV-2013- supported this research. References Aghili Nategh, N., Hemmat, A., & Sadeghi, M. (2014). Assessing confined and semi-confined compression curves of highly calcareous remolded soil amended with farmyard manure. Journal of Terramechanics, 53, 75-82. Arekhi, S., Bolourani, A. D., Shabani, A., Fathizad, H., Ahamdy-Asbchin, S. 2012. Mapping Soil Erosion and Sediment Yield Susceptibility using RUSLE, Remote Sensing and GIS (Case study: Cham Gardalan Watershed, Iran). Advances in Environmental Biology, 6(1), 109-124. Arekhi, S., Shabani, A., Rostamizad, G. 2012. Application of the modified universal soil loss equation (MUSLE) in prediction of sediment yield (Case study: Kengir Watershed, Iran). Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 5(6), 1259-1267.Sadeghi, S. H., Moosavi, V., Karami, A., Behnia, N. 2012. Soil erosion assessment and prioritization of affecting factors at plot scale using the Taguchi method. Journal of Hydrology, 448, 174-180. Asadi, H., Moussavi, A., Ghadiri, H., Rose, C. W. 2011. Flow-driven soil erosion processes and the size selectivity of sediment. Journal of Hydrology, 406(1), 73-81. Asadi, H., Raeisvandi, A., Rabiei, B., Ghadiri, H. 2012. Effect of land use and topography on soil properties and agronomic productivity on calcareous soils of a semiarid region, Iran. Land Degradation & Development, 23(5), 496-504. Ayoubi, S., Ahmadi, M., Abdi, M. R., Abbaszadeh Afshar, F. 2012. Relationships of< sup> 137 Cs inventory with magnetic measures of calcareous soils of hilly region in Iran. Journal of environmental radioactivity, 112, 45-51. Ayoubi, S., Mokhtari Karchegani, P., Mosaddeghi, M. R., Honarjoo, N. 2012. Soil aggregation and organic carbon as affected by topography and land use change in western Iran. Soil and Tillage Research, 121, 18-26. Emadodin, I., Bork, H. R. 2012. Degradation of soils as a result of long-term human-induced transformation of the environment in Iran: an overview. Journal of Land Use Science, 7(2), 203-219. Emadodin, I., Narita, D., Bork, H. R. 2012. Soil degradation and agricultural sustainability: an overview from Iran. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 14(5), 611-625. Haddadchi, A., Nosrati, K., Ahmadi, F. 2014. Differences between the source contribution of bed material and suspended sediments in a mountainous agricultural catchment of western Iran. CATENA, 116, 105-113. Heshmati, M., Arifin, A., Shamshuddin, J., Majid, N. M. 2012. Predicting N, P, K and organic carbon depletion in soils using MPSIAC model at the Merek catchment, Iran. Geoderma, 175, 64-77. Jafari, R., Bakhshandehmehr, L. 2013. Quantitative mapping and assessment of environmentally sensitive areas to desertification in central Iran. Land Degradation & Development.DOI: 10.1002/ldr.2227 Kavian, A., Azmoodeh, A., Solaimani, K. 2014. Deforestation effects on soil properties, runoff and erosion in northern Iran. Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 7(5), 1941-1950. Khaledi Darvishan, A., Sadeghi, S. H., Homaee, M., Arabkhedri, M. 2013. Measuring sheet erosion using synthetic color-contrast aggregates. Hydrological Processes. Mahmoodabadi, M. Cerdà, A. 2013. WEPP calibration for improved predictions on interril erosion in semi-arid to arid enviorments. Geoderma, 204-205,75-83. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2013.04.013, Mehdizade, B., Asadi, H., Shabanpour, M., Ghadiri, H. 2013. Impact of erosion and tillage on the productivity and quality of selected semiarid soils of Iran. International Agrophysics, 27(3), 291-297. Moghadam, B. K., Jabarifar, M., Bagheri, M., Shahbazi, E. 2015. Effects of land use change on soil splash erosion in the semi-arid region of Iran. Geoderma, 241, 210-220. Nosrati, K., Ahmadi, F. 2013. Monitoring of soil organic carbon and nitrogen stocks in different land use under surface water erosion in a semi-arid drainage basin of Iran. Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management, 17(2), 225-230. Nourzadeh, M., Bahrami, H. A., Goossens, D., Fryrear, D. W. 2013. Determining soil erosion and threshold friction velocity at different soil moisture conditions using a portable wind tunnel. Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, 57(1), 97-109. Sadeghi, S. H. R., Seghaleh, M. B., Rangavar, A. S. 2013. Plot sizes dependency of runoff and sediment yield estimates from a small watershed. Catena, 102, 55-61. Sadeghi, S. H. R., Seghaleh, M. B., Rangavar, A. S. 2013. Plot sizes dependency of runoff and sediment yield estimates from a small watershed. Catena, 102, 55-61. Sadeghi, S. H., Najafi, S., Riyahi Bakhtiari, A., Abdi, P. 2014. Ascribing soil erosion types for sediment yield using composite fingerprinting technique. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 59(9), 1753-1762. Taghizadeh-Mehrjardi, R., Minasny, B., Sarmadian, F., Malone, B. P. 2014. Digital mapping of soil salinity in Ardakan region, central Iran. Geoderma, 213, 15-28.

Drought vulnerability assessment: The case of wheat farmers in Western Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zarafshani, Kiumars; Sharafi, Lida; Azadi, Hossein; Hosseininia, Gholamhossein; De Maeyer, Philippe; Witlox, Frank

2012-12-01

Drought, as a natural and slow-onset phenomenon, creates numerous damages to agricultural communities. As a drought prone area in the Middle East, Iran has currently launched a crisis management approach to mitigate the harmful impacts of drought. However, thus far studies indicate that effective drought management strategies should be designed based upon vulnerability management which can increase farmers' ability to challenge the impacts. The purpose of this study was to assess drought vulnerability across three drought intensities (very high, extremely high, and critical) areas in Western Iran. Accordingly, a survey study was applied and 370 wheat farmers who all experienced drought during 2007-2009 were selected through a multi-stage stratified random sampling method. Face to face interviews were used to collect data on vulnerability indices from the farmers. Me-Bar and Valdez's vulnerability formula was applied to assess the vulnerability of wheat farmers during drought. Results revealed that the farmers' vulnerability is influenced mainly by economic, socio-cultural, psychological, technical, and infrastructural factors. The results also indicated that the farmers in Sarpole-Zahab township were most vulnerable compared to those in the Kermanshah township as the least vulnerable. Accordingly, some conclusions and recommendations are drawn for both policy-makers and practitioners who often must prioritize limited resources in the design vulnerability-reducing interventions.

Main Determinants of Supplementary Health Insurance Demand: (Case of Iran).

PubMed

Nouraei Motlagh, Soraya; Abolghasem Gorji, Hassan; Mahdavi, Ghadir; Ghaderi, Hossein

2015-04-23

In the majority of developing countries, the volume of medical insurance services, provided by social insurance organizations is inadequate. Thus, supplementary medical insurance is proposed as a means to address inadequacy of medical insurance. Accordingly, in this article, we attempted to provide the context for expansion of this important branch of insurance through identification of essential factors affecting demand for supplementary medical insurance. In this study, two methods were used to identify essential factors affecting choice of supplementary medical insurance including Classification and Regression Trees (CART) and Bayesian logit. To this end, Excel® software was used to refine data and R® software for estimation. The present study was conducted during 2012, covering all provinces in Iran. Sample size included 18,541 urban households, selected by Statistical Center of Iran using 3-stage cluster sampling approach. In this study, all data required were collected from the Statistical Center of Iran. In 2012, an overall 8.04% of the Iranian population benefited from supplementary medical insurance. Demand for supplementary insurance is a concave function of age of the household head, and peaks in middle-age when savings and income are highest. The present study results showed greater likelihood of demand for supplementary medical insurance in households with better economic status, higher educated heads, female heads, and smaller households with greater expected medical expenses, and household income is the most important factor affecting demand for supplementary medical insurance. Since demand for supplementary medical insurance is hugely influenced by households' economic status, policy-makers in the health sector should devise measures to improve households' economic or financial access to supplementary insurance services, by identifying households in the lower economic deciles, and increasing their financial ability to pay. Moreover, insurance companies should adjust their insurance policy according to clients' needs, household characteristics, and their incomes.

A comparative study of the origin, structure, and indexing language of the Persian and English keywords of articles indexed in the IranMedex database and their compliance with the Persian medical thesaurus and Medical Subject Headings

PubMed Central

Parsaei-Mohammadi, Parastoo; Ghasemi, Ali Hossein; Hassanzadeh-Beheshtabad, Raziyeh

2017-01-01

Introduction: In the present era, thesauri as tools in indexing play an effective role in integrating retrieval preventing fragmentation as well as a multiplicity of terminologies and also in providing information content of documents. Goals: This study aimed to investigate the keywords of articles indexed in IranMedex in terms of origin, structure and indexing situation and their Compliance with the Persian Medical Thesaurus and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). Materials and Methods: This study is an applied research, and a survey has been conducted. Statistical population includes 32,850 Persian articles which are indexed in the IranMedex during the years 1385–1391. 379 cases were selected as sample of the study. Data collection was done using a checklist. In analyzing the findings, the SPSS Software were used. Findings: Although there was no significant difference in terms of indexing origin between the proportion of different types of the Persian and English keywords of articles indexed in the IranMedex, the compliance rates of the Persian and English keywords with the Persian medical thesaurus and MeSH were different in different years. In the meantime, the structure of keywords is leaning more towards phrase structure, and a single word structure and the majority of keywords are selected from the titles and abstracts. Conclusion: The authors’ familiarity with the thesauri and controlled tools causes homogeneity in assigning keywords and also provides more precise, faster, and easier retrieval of the keywords. It's suggested that a mixture of natural and control languages to be used in this database in order to reach more comprehensive results. PMID:28546967

A comparative study of the origin, structure, and indexing language of the Persian and English keywords of articles indexed in the IranMedex database and their compliance with the Persian medical thesaurus and Medical Subject Headings.

PubMed

Parsaei-Mohammadi, Parastoo; Ghasemi, Ali Hossein; Hassanzadeh-Beheshtabad, Raziyeh

2017-01-01

In the present era, thesauri as tools in indexing play an effective role in integrating retrieval preventing fragmentation as well as a multiplicity of terminologies and also in providing information content of documents. This study aimed to investigate the keywords of articles indexed in IranMedex in terms of origin, structure and indexing situation and their Compliance with the Persian Medical Thesaurus and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). This study is an applied research, and a survey has been conducted. Statistical population includes 32,850 Persian articles which are indexed in the IranMedex during the years 1385-1391. 379 cases were selected as sample of the study. Data collection was done using a checklist. In analyzing the findings, the SPSS Software were used. Although there was no significant difference in terms of indexing origin between the proportion of different types of the Persian and English keywords of articles indexed in the IranMedex, the compliance rates of the Persian and English keywords with the Persian medical thesaurus and MeSH were different in different years. In the meantime, the structure of keywords is leaning more towards phrase structure, and a single word structure and the majority of keywords are selected from the titles and abstracts. The authors' familiarity with the thesauri and controlled tools causes homogeneity in assigning keywords and also provides more precise, faster, and easier retrieval of the keywords. It's suggested that a mixture of natural and control languages to be used in this database in order to reach more comprehensive results.

Prevalence of pterygium in Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis study

PubMed Central

Yasemi, Masoud; Bamdad, Shahram; Sarokhani, Diana; Sarokhani, Mandana; Sayemiri, Kourosh

2017-01-01

Background and aim Pterygium is one of the most prevalent pathologies involving the cornea, which can lead to various vision signs and even reduction in eyesight. No accurate estimate has been reported about the prevalence of pterygium in Iran. Hence, this study aimed to determine the pterygium prevalence in Iran by meta-analysis method. Methods Searching for data of the last eleven years (from 2004 to 2015) was conducted using the keywords of pterygium, eye, and Iran in International and domestic indexing services and databases including Iranmedex, Scientific Information Database (SID), Magiran, Irandoc, Medlib, IranPsych, Science Direct, Web of Science (Thomson Reuters), PubMed, and Scopus. The data were analyzed using the meta-analysis method (the random effects model). The disharmony of the studies was investigated using the I2 index. The data were analyzed by STATA Ver.11 software. Results In 5 studies conducted in Iran, with a sample size of 10,838 people between 2004 and 2015, the extent of the prevalence was estimated to be 11% (95% CI: 3 to 18%). Also, the prevalence of pterygium in women and men was 18% and 13%, respectively. Conclusion According to the published reports from Iran and its comparison with other points in the world, the prevalence of pterygium in Iran is high, especially among women. PMID:29560142

Interferon Regulatory Factor 5 Gene Polymorphisms in Iranian Women with Unexplained Recurrent Pregnancy Loss.

PubMed

Amiri Jahromi, Rakhshan; Nasiri, Mahboobeh; Jahromi, Athar Rasekh

2017-01-01

This study aimed to examine the association of three functional IRF5 rs10954213, rs3757385, and rs41298401 polymorphisms with susceptibility to unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) among Iranian women from south of Iran. 176 women with unexplained RPL and 173 healthy postmenopausal controls were enrolled in this case-control study. Genotyping of the polymorphisms rs10954213 and rs3757385 was carried out using touchdown tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (T-ARMS PCR), and polymorphism rs41298401 was typed using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Genotype frequencies were significantly different between RPL cases and controls regarding AG heterozygote genotype of rs10954213, GT genotype of rs3757385, and GG genotype of rs41298401. In addition, allele variants (G for rs10954213, T for rs3757385, and G for rs41298401) showed protective role against RPL, while GG haplotype of two first variants was shown to be a susceptibility factor for the disease. These data provide the first evidence, to our knowledge, of the protective role of the studied IRF5 gene polymorphisms against unexplained RPL among Iranian women from south of Iran.

Epidemiology of childhood Guillan-Barre syndrome in the north west of Iran.

PubMed

Barzegar, Mohammad; Dastgiri, Saeed; Karegarmaher, Mohammad H; Varshochiani, Ali

2007-08-05

This study was carried out to investigate the incidence, annual time trend and some epidemiological and clinical features of Guillain-Barre syndrome in children in the north west of Iran. In this population-based cross sectional research, epidemiological and clinical features of 143 cases with Guillain-Barre syndrome between 2001 and 2006 were studied. The setting of the study was Tabriz Children Medical Centre, the major University-Hospital located in Tabriz city of the East Azarbaijan province covering whole region. Data collected included age, gender, chronological information, preceding events, functional grade of motor deficit. The mean age (standard deviation) of subjects was 5.4 (3.6) years. The male/female ratio was 1.3. The average annual incidence rate was 2.27 per 100 000 population of 15 years children (CI95%: 1.9-2.6). The majority of cases occurred in March, July and November and the highest proportion of the syndrome was observed in winter (29 percent, P > 0.10). The results indicated that an unexpected high incidence of Guillain-Barre syndrome has occurred in 2003 in the region. We concluded that a monitoring and surveillance system for Guillain-Barre syndrome is essential to set up in this region.

Effectiveness of United StatesLed Economic Sanctions as a Counterproliferation Tool Against Irans Nuclear Weapons Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

www.nytimes.com/2015/07/15/world/middleeast/iran-nuclear-deal-is- reached-after-long-negotiations.html. 70 Valerie Lincy and Simon Chin, “How to...procuring steel and other materials used in the manufacturing of missile propellants. Lastly, in the United Kingdom case, the State Department...97 Valerie Lincy and Gary Milhollin, “Iran’s Nuclear Timetable,” Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control, June 17, 2015, http

Ramifications of Illegal U.S. Arms Exports

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-03-01

the military goods may not have known and/or cared where their wares would ultimately be delivered. 5. U.S. v. Ken Park , aka Kwan Park, January 1989 The...revealed that Ken Park , acting as the Export Manager of Universal Technology, was involved in illegal export of aircraft parts to South Korea in August...transshipment to Teheran, Iran. On January 13, 1939, Ken Park admitted illegally exporting aircraft parts purchased from HTL. This case not only shows Iran’s

A Comparative Study of the Effectiveness of Two Strategies of Etymological Elaboration and Pictorial Elucidation on Idiom Learning: A Case of Young EFL Iranian Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haghshenas, Mahsa Sadat Mousavi; Hashemian, Mahmood

2016-01-01

This study examined the effect of etymological elaboration, pictorial elucidation, and integration of these 2 strategies on idiom learning by L2 learners. A total number of 80 homogeneous intermediate learners studying English at 3 language institutes in Isfahan, Iran, were selected. The intermediate participants were selected as the result of…

The Evaluation of the Effectiveness of ESP Courses in Enhancing Technical Translation Proficiency: A Case Study of ESP Course for Mechanical Engineering Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hatam, Amir Hussein; Shafiei, Shilan

2012-01-01

The purpose of the present study was twofold. Firstly, it tried to investigate the relationship between the technical English proficiency of the students of Mechanical Engineering in the universities of Iran and their technical translation proficiency in translating technical texts of Mechanics. Secondly, it attempted to evaluate the effectiveness…

Islamic politics and women's quest for gender equality in Iran.

PubMed

Hoodfar, Homa; Sadr, Shadi

2010-01-01

The unification of a strong and authoritarian state with religious laws and institutions after the 1979 revolution in Iran has resulted in the creation of a dualistic state structure in which non-elected and non-accountable state authorities and institutions-the majority of whom have not accepted either the primacy of democracy nor the premise of equality between men and women (or Muslims and non-Muslims)-are able to oversee the elected authorities and institutions. The central question posed by this paper is whether a religious state would be capable of democratising society and delivering gender equality. By analysing the regime's gender policies and political development, the paper suggests that, at least in the case of Iran and Shi'ism, the larger obstacle to gender (and minorities') equality has more to do with the undemocratic state-society relations that persist in Iran and less to do with the actual or potential compatibility (or lack thereof) of religious traditions or practices with democratic principles.

Frequency of complications of falling from the walnut tree, as an occupational-seasonal injury.

PubMed

Hoseini Azizi, Tooba; Sadat Hejazi, Sima; Kameli, Ahmad

2018-06-24

Falling from a tree is one of the major causes of serious injuries in farmers but it can be prevented. Walnut is one of the most important agricultural products in Iran and falling from walnut trees is common during the season of harvest. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of complications due to falling from walnut tree in patients referred to the emergency department of Imam Ali Hospital in Bojnurd City, Iran. A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted on 127 patients with injuries due to falling from the walnut tree in Bojnurd City, Iran, in the walnut harvest season of August 2013 to November 2014. The tools used for data collection in this study included a demographic information form, checklists of information about the injury and the follow-up checklist of treatment. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics by the SPSS software version 16. From a total of 127 injured patients, 120 cases (94.4%) were males with a mean age of 36.49 ± 15.65 years. Five patients died on the day of admission. Eighty-two patients (64.56%) were admitted in hospital wards. The most common type of injuries were trunk injuries (26.19%), followed by spinal cord injuries (18.1%). Also, 7 patients suffered from complete spinal cord injury. Injuries caused by falling from walnut trees are seasonal and impose large financial burden on our health system. In most cases, young men suffer from varying degrees of disability and experience financial problems. It is very important to train farmers and workers, so as to prevent such injuries.

Management Development of Internal Evaluation in the Islamic Republic of Iran (Case Study)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keshavarz, Mohsen

2011-01-01

During the last two decades, many higher education systems in the world have attempted to evaluate and improve the quality of education, research and services at the university and higher education level. Countries which have been successful in these attempts have initiated continuous evaluation and applied internal evaluation as a basis for…

Case Studies on Technical and Vocational Education in Asia and the Pacific. An Overview.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haas, Adrian

A project considered issues that might contribute toward raising the status of technical and vocational education (TVE) in Asia and the Pacific region. It also provided a review of TVE in Australia, Bangladesh, China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Researchers involved in the…

Factors Affecting University Instructors' Adoption of Web-Based Learning Systems: Case Study of Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Motaghian, Hediyeh; Hassanzadeh, Alireza; Moghadam, Davood Karimzadgan

2013-01-01

In many societies e-learning has become the main mechanism supporting distance education. Although e-learning efforts are considered to be a significant corporate investment, many surveys indicate high drop-out rates or failures. This research uses an integrated model in order to assessing the influence of IS-oriented, psychological and behavioral…

Perceptions of Library Staff Regarding Challenges of Developing Digital Libraries: The Case of an Iranian University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohsenzadeh, Faranak; Isfandyari-Moghaddam, Alireza

2011-01-01

Purpose: The present research aims to identify the difficulties and obstacles for developing digital libraries in the seven regional branches of Islamic Azad University (IAU), Iran, and to study the status of librarians' skills and education programmes at these institutions. Design/methodology/approach: The 40 individuals working in the regional…

Brucellosis as a neglected disease in a neglected population: a seroepidemiological study of migratory nomads in the Fars province of Iran.

PubMed

Honarvar, B; Moghadami, M; Lankarani, K B; Davarpanah, M A; Ataolahi, M; Farbod, A; Eskandari, E; Panahi, M; Ghorbani, A; Zahiri, Z; Tabrizi, R; Pourjafar, M; Heidari, S M M

2017-02-01

This study assessed the seroprevalence of brucellosis and its risk factors in migratory nomads in the Fars province of Iran. Active brucellosis was defined as the combination of clinical symptoms, including fever, chills, night sweats, headache, low back pain, arthralgia, or myalgia, and positive laboratory testing, including either a serum agglutination test (SAT) ⩾1:80 with a 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) test ⩾1:40, or a SAT <1:80 combined with a positive Coombs Wright test (CWT) at a titre of at least threefold higher than SAT titre results. For the 536 participants, the female (316, 59%) to male (220, 41%) ratio was 1·4 and the participants' mean age was 32·4 ± 18·9 (range 1-96) years. Of all participants, 325 (60·6%) showed clinical symptoms; in symptomatic participants, the Rose Bengal plate test was positive in 33 (6·1%) cases, the SAT was positive in 18 (3·3%) cases, and the 2-ME test was positive in 30 (5·5%) cases. Positive SAT and 2-ME results were seen in 18 (3·3%) cases, but a negative SAT and a positive CWT were found in 36 (6·7%) cases. As a result, active brucellosis was detected in 54 cases, indicating a prevalence of 10% (95% confidence interval 8-12). In conclusion, we determined that brucellosis is a prevalent yet neglected disease in this nomadic population. Brucellosis control is not possible as long as these high-risk populations remain neglected.

National and sub-national prevalence, trend, and burden of asthma in Iran from 1990 to 2013; the study protocol.

PubMed

Varmaghani, Mehdi; Rashidian, Arash; Kebriaeezadeh, Abbas; Moradi-Lakeh, Maziar; Moin, Mostafa; Ghasemian, Anoosheh; Rezaei-Darzi, Ehsan; Sepanlou, Sadaf Ghajarieh; Peykari, Niloofar; Rezaei, Nazila; Parsaeian, Mahboubeh; Farzadfar, Farshad

2014-12-01

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease caused or worsened by environmental factors in genetically vulnerable people. The study of national and sub-national burden of asthma aims to provide a quantitative method and valid estimates for the prevalence, incidence, and economic burden of asthma disease in Iran from 1990 to 2013 and this papers explains measures, data sources, methods, and challenges that we will use in the study. In order to conduct this study, we will use all available unpublished data sources, including claim databases and data collected by the food and drug organization (FDO). Moreover, we will devise and run a systematic review of all studies and literature published about asthma epidemiology in Iran, which includes all cross-sectional, cohort and case-control studies with asthma epidemiology focus that are population based. In this study, we will use two statistical models, including spatio-temporal and multilevel autoregressive models to estimate mean and uncertainty intervals for the parameters under study by gender, age, year, and province. All programs will be written in R statistical packages (version 3.0.1). This study helps to obtain information concerning the variation among regions and provinces, and in general among sub-national divisions. Our study can be contribute to better allocation of resources, since it helps policymakers to recognize inequalities between regions and provinces and consequently help them to allocate resources more efficiently.

Civilian traumatic vascular injuries of the upper extremity:report of the Iranian national trauma project.

PubMed

Rasouli, Mohammad R; Moini, Majid; Khaji, Ali

2009-12-01

The determination of the pattern of traumatic vascular injuries of the upper extremity in Iran was the aim of this study. Data of the Iranian national trauma project were used to identify patients with upper extremity vascular injuries. This project was conducted in 8 major cities from 2000-2004. A total of 113 cases with 130 vascular injuries were found, including 2 axillary, 18 brachial, and 69 radial and ulnar arteries. In 91 cases (81%), penetrating trauma was responsible. Associated nerve and/or upper extremity fractures were seen in 20% and 18% of cases, respectively. End-to-end anastomosis, interposition of saphenous graft, and ligation were used for the management of 44%, 28%, and 17%, respectively, of brachial artery injuries. Ulnar and radial artery injuries had been either ligated (n = 36; 52%) or sutured (n = 33; 48%). Median, ulnar, and radial nerve injuries, except for one, had all been sutured primarily. No patients needed fasciotomy. Amputation and mortality resulting from associated injuries occurred in 3 (2.6%) and 5 (4.4%) patients, respectively. This study revealed that stabbings are the most frequent causes of these injuries in Iran, in spite of the management of patients in level 3 trauma centers; the rate of amputation is acceptable. However, this study does not provide limb functions of the patients.

The Burden of HIV in Iran: Insights from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010.

PubMed

Noori, Atefeh; Rahimzadeh, Shadi; Shahbazi, Mohammad; Moradi, Ghobad; Saeedi Moghaddam, Sahar; Naderimagham, Shohreh; Mohaghegh Shalmani, Hamid; Kompani, Farzad; Rezaei, Nazila; Shokoohi, Mostafa

2016-05-01

To evaluate the HIV/AIDS burden in Iran from 1980 to 2010 using the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010 (GBD 2010). The burden of HIV/AIDS in Iran was obtained from a systematic study from 1990 to 2010 by the GBD team. The GBD 2010 disability weights were used to calculate the HIV/AIDS Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY) based on the HIV prevalence reported by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimation. Mortality data were obtained from the vital registration and statistics system of Iran. In the current study, the results are discussed, and the potential solutions are provided for observed deficiencies. HIV/AIDS-related DALYs (3.6 per 100,000 in 1990, and 154 per 100,000 in 2010) and death (0.07 per 100,000 in 1990, and 3 per 100,000 in 2010) had increased in Iran from 1990 to 2010. The majority of individuals who died of HIV were between 15 to 49 years old. The estimated rank of HIV/AIDS burden compared with the burden of other leading disease was 152nd in 1990 and considerably increased to 37th in 2010 in Iran. Since the majority of HIV/AIDS DALYs and deaths occur among young people, the burden of HIV/AIDS still remains high in Iran. Due to the limitations of the GBD study, National and Sub-National Burden of Diseases (NASBOD) study is being conducted in Iran to calculate the burden of diseases, including HIV/AIDS.

Acute flaccid paralysis and its differential diagnosis in in kurdistan province, Western iran; an 11-year surveillance.

PubMed

Soltani, Jafar; Esmailnasab, Nader; Roshani, Daem; Karimi, Mohamad; Amjadi, Mohamad-Jamil

2014-04-01

The surveillance of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) is a key strategy for monitoring the progress of poliomyelitis eradication and is a sensitive measure for detecting potential cases of poliomyelitis and poliovirus infection. This study was conducted to describe the characteristics of patients reported with AFP, and to evaluate the performance of the surveillance system in Kurdistan province, western Iran, using indicators recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). This observational study was conducted from January 2000 to December 2010 at the Kurdistan Center for Disease Control and the Department of Pediatrics. All children who fulfilled the WHO definition for AFP were included in our study. The stool samples of all the children were sent for poliovirus isolation. All the patients were evaluated for 60 days after the onset of symptoms to identify the signs of residual weakness. One-hundred thirty nine children aged <15 years were reported to the Center for Diseases Control with AFP. In 138 (99%) stool samples no poliovirus was isolated. None of the patients was diagnosed as having acute poliomyelitis or polio-compatible paralysis. Guillain-Barré syndrome was the most frequent final diagnosis (79 cases) followed by Transverse Myelitis (7 cases) and Encephalitis (6 cases). By detecting 1.3 to 3.6 (mean 3.2) AFP cases per 100 000 population in Kurdistan during the study period, we achieved the WHO target for AFP surveillance. All performance indicators but one consistently met the WHO requirements and therefore demonstrated the effectiveness of the AFP surveillance program in Kurdistan. The effective surveillance system in Kurdistan and its evaluation may serve as a model for the surveillance of other infectious diseases.

Acute Flaccid Paralysis and Its Differential Diagnosis in in Kurdistan Province, Western Iran; an 11-Year Surveillance

PubMed Central

Soltani, Jafar; Esmailnasab, Nader; Roshani, Daem; Karimi, Mohamad; Amjadi, Mohamad-Jamil

2014-01-01

Abstract Objective The surveillance of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) is a key strategy for monitoring the progress of poliomyelitis eradication and is a sensitive measure for detecting potential cases of poliomyelitis and poliovirus infection. This study was conducted to describe the characteristics of patients reported with AFP, and to evaluate the performance of the surveillance system in Kurdistan province, western Iran, using indicators recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Methods This observational study was conducted from January 2000 to December 2010 at the Kurdistan Center for Disease Control and the Department of Pediatrics. All children who fulfilled the WHO definition for AFP were included in our study. The stool samples of all the children were sent for poliovirus isolation. All the patients were evaluated for 60 days after the onset of symptoms to identify the signs of residual weakness. Findings One-hundred thirty nine children aged <15 years were reported to the Center for Diseases Control with AFP. In 138 (99%) stool samples no poliovirus was isolated. None of the patients was diagnosed as having acute poliomyelitis or polio-compatible paralysis. Guillain-Barré syndrome was the most frequent final diagnosis (79 cases) followed by Transverse Myelitis (7 cases) and Encephalitis (6 cases). By detecting 1.3 to 3.6 (mean 3.2) AFP cases per 100 000 population in Kurdistan during the study period, we achieved the WHO target for AFP surveillance. All performance indicators but one consistently met the WHO requirements and therefore demonstrated the effectiveness of the AFP surveillance program in Kurdistan. Conclusion The effective surveillance system in Kurdistan and its evaluation may serve as a model for the surveillance of other infectious diseases. PMID:25535530

Investigation of the prevalence and causes and of legal abortion of teenage married mothers in Iran.

PubMed

Ghodrati, Fatemeh; Saadatmand, Narges; Gholamzadeh, Saeid; Akbarzadeh, Marzieh

2018-02-05

Background The therapeutic abortion law, in accordance with the fatwa issued by our Muslim jurisprudent approved by the parliament in 2005, has made major developments in dealing with cases of therapeutic abortions. Objective This study aimed at identifying the prevalence and causes of therapeutic abortion requests to the Legal Medicine Organization of Fars province, Shiraz, by pregnant teenager mothers. Methods This study was a retrospective, cross-sectional, descriptive survey. In this study, all documents related to therapeutic abortion requests from the Legal Medicine Organization of Fars province (southern Iran) from 2006 to 2013 were investigated. The total sample size included 1664, out of which 142 were teenagers. Sampling was carried out using Convenience method. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software, version 16, descriptive statistics and χ2. Results In this study, 142 mothers were under 20 years of age (8.5%). The prevalence of fetal abortion license requests was 110 (78.6%) and for maternal causes was 30 (21.4%). There was no significant statistical correlation between fetal causes in different years (p = 0.083). The most common causes of fetal abortion request were for thalassemia treatment in 78 cases (79.9%) followed by fetal malformations (20.9%); also, the most common maternal cause was thalassemia in 14 cases (51.9%) and depression in three cases (1.11%), respectively. Conclusion Our results showed that after approval of therapeutic abortion law, requests for therapeutic abortion due to fetal causes are extensively increasing. There is still a need for coordination of judicial, medical and legal authorities for prompt notification.

Effect of educational intervention on knowledge, perceived benefits, barriers and self-efficacy regarding AIDS preventive behaviors among drug addicts

PubMed Central

Bastami, Fatemeh; Mostafavi, Firoozeh; Hassanzadeh, Akbar

2015-01-01

Background and Objectives: Addicts account for approximately 68.15% of AIDS cases in Iran and injection drug users are considered as a major factor in the spread of AIDS in Iran. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of an educational intervention on the perceived self-efficacy, benefits, and barriers concerning AIDS preventive behaviors among drug addicts in Khorramabad, Iran. Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study carried out in 2013 on 88 addicts kept in rehabilitations center in Khorramabad. The data collection instruments included a questionnaire on self-efficacy, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, knowledge and preventive behaviors regarding HIV. Data were analyzed by paired t-test, independent t-test, Chi-square and analysis of covariance. Results: Paired t-test showed that the mean scores for perceived benefits and barriers, knowledge and preventive behaviors significantly increased in the intervention group after the intervention than before the intervention. But the increase in self-efficacy score was not statistically significant. Conclusions: The results of this study showed that training and education based on the health belief model led to an increase in knowledge, self-efficacy, perceived benefits, performance and reduction in perceived barriers in addicts. It is recommended that future studies should include strategies for enhancing self-efficacy and perceived benefits as well as strategies for reducing barriers to the adoption of preventive behaviors. PMID:27462632

Incidence Trend and Epidemiology of Common Cancers in the Center of Iran.

PubMed

Rafiemanesh, Hosein; Rajaei-Behbahani, Narjes; Khani, Yousef; Hosseini, Sayedehafagh; Pournamdar, Zahra; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Soltani, Shahin; Hosseini, Seyedeh Akram; Khazaei, Salman; Salehiniya, Hamid

2015-07-13

Cancer is a major public health problem in Iran and many other parts of the world. The cancer incidence is different in various countries and in country provinces. Geographical differences in the cancer incidence lead to be important to conduct an epidemiological study of the disease. This study aimed to investigate cancer epidemiology and trend in the province of Qom, located in center of Iran. This is an analytical cross-sectional study carried out based on re-analysis cancer registry report and the disease management center of health ministry from 2004 to 2008 in the province of Qom. To describe incidence time trends, we carried out join point regression analysis using the software Join point Regression Program, Version 4.1.1.1. There were 3,029 registered cases of cancer during 5 years studied. Sex ratio was 1.32 (male to female). Considering the frequency and mean standardized incidence, the most common cancer in women were breast, skin, colorectal, stomach, and esophagus, respectively while in men the most common cancers included skin, stomach, colorectal, bladder, and prostate, respectively. There was an increasing and significant trend, according to the annual percentage change (APC) equal to 8.08% (CI: 5.1-11.1) for all site cancer in women. The incidence trend of all cancers was increasing in this area. Hence, planning for identifying risk factors and performing programs for dealing with the disease are essential.

Profile of People Who Inject Drugs in Tehran, Iran.

PubMed

Amin-Esmaeili, Masoumeh; Rahimi-Movaghar, Afarin; Gholamrezaei, Maryam; Razaghi, Emran Mohammad

2016-12-01

The marked shift in the patterns of drug use in Iran, from opium smoking to injecting drug use, has led to serious health-related outcomes. This study was designed to explore characteristics of people who inject drugs (PWID) in Tehran, Iran. Nine hundred and four PWID were recruited from treatment and harm reduction facilities, as well as drug user hangouts in public areas in Tehran. Participants were interviewed using the Persian version of the World Health Organization Drug Injecting Study Phase II questionnaire. The median age at the time of the first illegal drug use, at the time of the first injection and current age was 20, 24 and 32, respectively. In more than 80% of the cases, the first drug used was opium. The transition from the first drug use to the first drug injection occurred after an average of 6.6 and 2.7 years for those who had started drug use with opium and heroin, respectively. Two-thirds of the participants shared injecting equipment within the last 6 months. Difficulty in obtaining sterile needles and thehigh cost of syringes were reported as the major reasons for needle/syringe sharing. Approximately 80% of community-recruited PWID reported difficulties in using treatment or harm reduction services. Self-detoxification and forced detoxification were the most common types of drug abuse treatment in alifetime. Despite a dramatic shift in drug policy in Iran during the past few years, wider coverage of harm reduction services, improvement of the quality of services, and education about such services are still necessary.

Occurrence of Naegleria species in therapeutic geothermal water sources, Northern Iran.

PubMed

Latifi, Ali Reza; Niyyati, Maryam; Lorenzo-Morales, Jacob; Haghighi, Ali; Tabaei, Seyyed Javad Seyyed; Lasjerdi, Zohreh; Azargashb, Eznolah

2017-03-01

Potentially pathogenic Free-Living Amoebae include members belonging to Naegleria genus. The species N. fowleri is known worldwide as the causative agent of the lethal Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM). Only one clinical case of N. fowleri has been reported in Iran. Several species of Naegleria have been reported to be natural carriers of other potentially pathogenic microbial agents. The thermotolerance properties of this genus facilitates their presence in geothermal water sources including hot springs and spas. In the current study water samples were collected from 22 therapeutic hot springs, Northern Iran and investigated for the presence of Naegleria spp. using morphological keys and PCR/DNA sequencing based methods. Incubation of collected samples were done at both 30°C and 45°C in order to detect Naegleria spp. and N. fowleri, respectively. Thermotolerance assay and flagellation tests were also performed. The obtained results revealed that 54% of the investigated water samples were positive for Naegleria spp. including N. australiensis, N. americana, N. dobsoni, N. pagei, N. polaris and N. fultoni. The pathogenic N. fowleri was not detected. The most detected Naegleria was belonged to N. australiensis. This is the first report on the Naegleria spp. occurrence in hot springs in Northern Iran showing that most of the surveyed hot spring sources were contaminated with non-pathogenic Naegleria spp. However, due to the recent report of PAM in the country, further studies to investigate the presence of pathogenic N. fowleri in the environment and clinical samples is needed in the region and worldwide.

Calculation of Confidence Intervals for the Maximum Magnitude of Earthquakes in Different Seismotectonic Zones of Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salamat, Mona; Zare, Mehdi; Holschneider, Matthias; Zöller, Gert

2017-03-01

The problem of estimating the maximum possible earthquake magnitude m_max has attracted growing attention in recent years. Due to sparse data, the role of uncertainties becomes crucial. In this work, we determine the uncertainties related to the maximum magnitude in terms of confidence intervals. Using an earthquake catalog of Iran, m_max is estimated for different predefined levels of confidence in six seismotectonic zones. Assuming the doubly truncated Gutenberg-Richter distribution as a statistical model for earthquake magnitudes, confidence intervals for the maximum possible magnitude of earthquakes are calculated in each zone. While the lower limit of the confidence interval is the magnitude of the maximum observed event,the upper limit is calculated from the catalog and the statistical model. For this aim, we use the original catalog which no declustering methods applied on as well as a declustered version of the catalog. Based on the study by Holschneider et al. (Bull Seismol Soc Am 101(4):1649-1659, 2011), the confidence interval for m_max is frequently unbounded, especially if high levels of confidence are required. In this case, no information is gained from the data. Therefore, we elaborate for which settings finite confidence levels are obtained. In this work, Iran is divided into six seismotectonic zones, namely Alborz, Azerbaijan, Zagros, Makran, Kopet Dagh, Central Iran. Although calculations of the confidence interval in Central Iran and Zagros seismotectonic zones are relatively acceptable for meaningful levels of confidence, results in Kopet Dagh, Alborz, Azerbaijan and Makran are not that much promising. The results indicate that estimating m_max from an earthquake catalog for reasonable levels of confidence alone is almost impossible.

Emotional Intelligence and the Occurrence of Accidents in Motorcycle Drivers in Kashan, Iran.

PubMed

Asgarian, Fatemeh Sadat; Aghajani, Mohammad; Alavi, Negin Masoudi

There is an inherent risk of death and injury for motorcyclists. Some factors such as personality and psychological characteristics may be contributors of motor vehicle accidents/crashes. This study aimed to determine the relationship between emotional intelligence and its related components and the occurrence of accidents/crashes in motorcycle drivers. In this case-control study, 280 motorcycle drivers with and without a history of motorcycle-related accidents or crashes in Kashan, Iran, were selected for convenience sampling. The tool used was the Bar-On Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire and included 90 items. Logistic regression revealed that components of emotional intelligence identified as happiness, optimism, flexibility, self-actualization, autonomy, and interpersonal relationships were different between motorcycle drivers with and without an accident/crash. Our findings emphasized the important role of developing and enhancing the skills of emotional intelligence as related to the prevention of accidents/crashes.

Observation of dust emission and transport over Iraq and northwest Iran associated with winter Shamal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flamant, C.; Abdi Vishkaee, F.; Cuesta, J.; Khalesifard, H.; Oolman, L.; Flamant, P.

2012-04-01

Dynamical processes leading to dust emission over Syria and Iraq, in response to a strong winter Shamal event as well as the subsequent transport of dust over Iraq and northwest Iran, are analyzed on the basis of a case study (22-23 February 2010) using a suite of ground-based and space-borne remote sensing platforms together with modeling tools. Surface measurements on 22 February show a sharp reduction in horizontal visibility over Iraq occurring shortly after the passage of a cold front (behind which the northwesterly Shamal winds were blowing) and that visibilities could be as low as 1 km on average for one to two days in the wake of the front. The impact of the southwesterly Kaus winds blowing ahead (east) of the Shamal winds on dust emission over Iraq is also highlighted. Unlike what is observed over Iraq, low near-surface horizontal visibilities (less than 1 km) over northwest Iran are observed well after the passage of the cold front on 23 February, generally in the hours following sunrise. Ground-based lidar measurements acquired in Zanjan show that, in the wake of the front, dust from Syria/Iraq was transported in an elevated 1 to 1.5 km thick plume separated from the surface during the night/morning of February. After sunrise, strong turbulence in the developing convective boundary layer led to mixing of the dust into the boundary layer and in turn to a sharp reduction of the horizontal visibility in Zanjan. The timing of the reduction of surface horizontal visibility in other stations over northwest Iran (Tabriz, Qom and Tehran) is consistent with the downward mixing of dust in the PBL just after sunset, as evidenced in Zanjan. This study shades new light on the processes responsible for dust emission and transport over Iraq and northwest Iran in connection with winter Shamal events. Enhanced knowledge of these processes is key for improving dust forecasts in this region.

Prevalence of Preeclampsia and Eclampsia in Iran.

PubMed

Kharaghani, Roghieh; Cheraghi, Zahra; Okhovat Esfahani, Batool; Mohammadian, Zahra; Nooreldinc, Reyhaneh Sadat

2016-01-01

Several studies have been conducted to investigate the prevalence of preeclampsia and eclampsia in Iran. These studies have yielded different results. This meta-analysis was aimed to estimate the prevalence of preeclampsia and eclampsia in Iran. International and national electronic databases were searched up to August 2014 including PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Science Information Database, MagIran, and IranMedex as well as conference databases. All studies, in which the prevalence or cumulative incidence of preeclampsia in Iran was reported, were included in this meta-analysis. Thirty-six separate studies were assessed involving overall 132,737 participants, of which 4360 had preeclampsia and 49 had eclampsia. Overall prevalence of preeclampsia and eclampsia was 0.05 (95% CI: 0.05, 0.06) and 0.23% (95% CI: 0.12%, 0.33%) respectively. The prevalence of preeclampsia, increased from 0.04 (95% CI: 0.03, 0.05) during 1996 to 2005 to 0.07 (95% CI: 0.04, 0.09) during 2010 to 2013, while the prevalence of eclampsia decreased from 0.30% (95% CI: 0.15%, 0.45%) to 0.01% (95% CI: 0.01%, 0.01%), during the same period. The preeclampsia prevalence had an increasing growth and the eclampsia prevalence had declining growth in recent years. In addition, despite many studies aimed the prevalence of preeclampsia and eclampsia in Iran, there is a significant variation between the results. So, it is difficult to give an exact estimation of the preeclampsia and eclampsia prevalence in Iran.

Exploring Measures to Control Road Traffic Injuries in Iran: Key Informants Points of View.

PubMed

Salari, Hedayat; Motevalian, Seyed Abbas; Arab, Mohammad; Esfandiari, Atefeh; Akbari Sari, Ali

2017-05-01

Injuries and fatalities from road traffic Injuries are global public health concerns, and a major problem in the Iran. This study aimed to explore strategies to control road traffic Injuries (RTI) in Iran. We conducted a qualitative study to explore possible ways to reduce the occurrence of road traffic Injuries in Iran in 2016. Interviewees were purposively sampled from various sectors due to multidisciplinary nature of RTIs. Participants were mainly representatives from the police, Ministry of Road, Municipal, emergency services and Ministry of Health. Besides, public health authorities, researchers, and university professors were interviewed. We conducted in-depth interviews using generic guides. Data was analyzed using MAXQDA 10 software. Through content analysis, we interpreted core themes relevant to the accomplishment of our study objectives. Themes that emerged from our study include; road traffic management, governance, education, improving accident database, enforcement, driving license restrictions, and construction of pedestrian overpass. This study revealed key informants' views regarding available and affordable solutions to reduce RTIs in Iran. Many applicable strategies are identified in the control of RTIs in Iran. Although some solutions such as highway construction and/or expanding rail transportation have been suggested as effective measures for reducing accident, but they are costly and may not be fully applied in developing countries like Iran.

Assessing the Factors Associated With Iran's Intra-Industry Trade in Pharmaceuticals.

PubMed

Yusefzadeh, Hassan; Hadian, Mohammad; Abolghasem Gorji, Hassan; Ghaderi, Hossein

2015-03-30

Pharmaceutical industry is a sensitive and profitable industry. If this industry wants to survive, it should be able to compete well in international markets. So, study of Iran's intra-industry trade (IIT) in pharmaceuticals is essential in order to identify competitiveness potential of country and boost export capability in the global arena. This study assessed the factors associated with Iran's intra-industry trade in pharmaceuticals with the rest of the world during the 2001-2012 periods using seasonal time series data at the four-digit SITC level. The data was collected from Iran's pharmaceutical Statistics, World Bank and International Trade Center. Finally, we discussed a number of important policy recommendations to increase Iran's IIT in pharmaceuticals. The findings indicated that economies of scale, market structure and degree of economic development had a significantly positive impact on Iran's intra-industry trade in pharmaceuticals and tariff trade barriers were negatively related to IIT. Product differentiation and technological advancement didn't have the expected signs. In addition, we found that Iran's IIT in pharmaceuticals have shown an increasing trend during the study period. Thus, the composition of Iran trade in pharmaceuticals has changed from inter-industry trade to intra-industry trade. In order to get more prepared for integration into the global economy, the development of Iran's IIT in pharmaceuticals should be given priority. Therefore, paying attention to IIT could have an important role in serving pharmaceutical companies in relation to pharmaceutical trade.

Fuzzy Failure Analysis: A New Approach to Service Quality Analysis in Higher Education Institutions (Case Study: Vali-e-asr University of Rafsanjan-Iran)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takalo, Salim Karimi; Abadi, Ali Reza Naser Sadr; Vesal, Seyed Mahdi; Mirzaei, Amir; Nawaser, Khaled

2013-01-01

In recent years, concurrent with steep increase in the growth of higher education institutions, improving of educational service quality with an emphasis on students' satisfaction has become an important issue. The present study is going to use the Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) in order to evaluate the quality of educational services in…

Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in northeastern Iran: a GIS-based spatio-temporal multi-criteria decision-making approach.

PubMed

Mollalo, A; Khodabandehloo, E

2016-07-01

Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) constitutes a serious public health problem in many parts of the world including Iran. This study was carried out to assess the risk of the disease in an endemic province by developing spatial environmentally based models in yearly intervals. To fill the gap of underestimated true burden of ZCL and short study period, analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy AHP decision-making methods were used to determine the ZCL risk zones in a Geographic Information System platform. Generated risk maps showed that high-risk areas were predominantly located at the northern and northeastern parts in each of the three study years. Comparison of the generated risk maps with geocoded ZCL cases at the village level demonstrated that in both methods more than 90%, 70% and 80% of the cases occurred in high and very high risk areas for the years 2010, 2011, and 2012, respectively. Moreover, comparison of the risk categories with spatially averaged normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) images and a digital elevation model of the study region indicated persistent strong negative relationships between these environmental variables and ZCL risk degrees. These findings identified more susceptible areas of ZCL and will help the monitoring of this zoonosis to be more targeted.

Towards a web-based GIS for teaching geo-informatics at under-graduate level in developing countries: a case study of Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mobasheri, A.; Vahidi, H.; Guan, Q.

2014-04-01

In developing countries, the number of experts and students in geo-informatics domain are very limited compared to experts and students of sciences that could benefit from geo-informatics. In this research, we study the possibility of providing an online education system for teaching geo-informatics at under-graduate level. The hypothesis is that in developing countries, such as Iran, a web-based geo-education system can greatly improve the quantity and quality of knowledge of students in undergraduate level, which is an important step that has to be made in regard of the famous "Geo for all" motto. As a technology for conducting natural and social studies, geo-informatics offers new ways of viewing, representing and analysing information for transformative learning and teaching. Therefore, we design and present a conceptual framework of an education system and elaborate its components as well as the free and open source services and software packages that could be used in this framework for a specific case study: the Web GIS course. The goal of the proposed framework is to develop experimental GI-services in a service-oriented platform for education purposes. Finally, the paper ends with concluding remarks and some tips for future research direction.

The role of hemodialysis machines dedication in reducing Hepatitis C transmission in the dialysis setting in Iran: A multicenter prospective interventional study

PubMed Central

Shamshirsaz, Alireza Abdollah; Kamgar, Mohammad; Bekheirnia, Mir Reza; Ayazi, Farzam; Hashemi, Seyed Reza; Bouzari, Navid; Habibzadeh, Mohammad Reza; Pourzahedgilani, Nima; Broumand, Varshasb; Shamshirsaz, Amirhooshang Abdollah; Moradi, Maziyar; Borghei, Mehrdad; Haghighi, Niloofar Nobakht; Broumand, Behrooz

2004-01-01

Background Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a significant problem among patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (HD). We conducted a prospective multi-center study to evaluate the effect of dialysis machine separation on the spread of HCV infection. Methods Twelve randomly selected dialysis centers in Tehran, Iran were randomly divided into two groups; those using dedicated machines (D) for HCV infected individuals and those using non-dedicated HD machines (ND). 593 HD cases including 51 HCV positive (RT-PCR) cases and 542 HCV negative patients were enrolled in this study. The prevalence of HCV infection in the D group was 10.1% (range: 4.6%– 13.2%) and it was 7.1% (range: 4.2%–16.8%) in the ND group. During the study conduction 5 new HCV positive cases and 169 new HCV negative cases were added. In the D group, PCR positive patients were dialyzed on dedicated machines. In the ND group all patients shared the same machines. Results In the first follow-up period, the incidence of HCV infection was 1.6% and 4.7% in the D and ND group respectively (p = 0.05). In the second follow-up period, the incidence of HCV infection was 1.3% in the D group and 5.7% in the ND group (p < 0.05). Conclusions In this study the incidence of HCV in HD patients decreased by the use of dedicated HD machines for HCV infected patients. Additional studies may help to clarify the role of machine dedication in conjunction with application of universal precautions in reducing HCV transmission. PMID:15469615

Landfill site selection using combination of GIS and fuzzy AHP, a case study: Iranshahr, Iran.

PubMed

Torabi-Kaveh, M; Babazadeh, R; Mohammadi, S D; Zaresefat, M

2016-03-09

One of the most important recent challenges in solid waste management throughout the world is site selection of sanitary landfill. Commonly, because of simultaneous effects of social, environmental, and technical parameters on suitability of a landfill site, landfill site selection is a complex process and depends on several criteria and regulations. This study develops a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) process, which combines geographic information system (GIS) analysis with a fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP), to determine suitable sites for landfill construction in Iranshahr County, Iran. The GIS was used to calculate and classify selected criteria and FAHP was used to assess the criteria weights based on their effectiveness on selection of potential landfill sites. Finally, a suitability map was prepared by overlay analyses and suitable areas were identified. Four suitability classes within the study area were separated, including high, medium, low, and very low suitability areas, which represented 18%, 15%, 55%, and 12% of the study area, respectively. © The Author(s) 2016.

First survey of forensically important insects from human corpses in Shiraz, Iran.

PubMed

Moemenbellah-Fard, Mohammad D; Keshavarzi, Davood; Fereidooni, Mehran; Soltani, Aboozar

2018-02-01

The presence of insects on human cadavers has potential judicial value in medicolegal cases. This research emphasized the important role of insects in postmortem decomposition. It was conducted to investigate the composition and abundance of insects from human corpses during autopsies in legal medicine. It was implemented in the city of Shiraz, south Iran. Insects associated with human corpses were carefully collected and put into labelled vials. They were then identified using valid taxonomic keys. Fifteen outdoor (67%) and indoor discovered cadavers were examined. All but one was covered at the time of discovery. From these several species of entomofauna played important roles in the minimum postmortem interval (minPMI) estimate. Insects included the orders of Diptera and Coleoptera. Overall, 14 different species of arthropods were identified. Within Diptera, 2 families of Sarcophagidae and Calliphoridae were present in 73% of the cases with Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy and Chrysomya albiceps Wiedemann accounting for about half of the cases. The latter family members, Calliphoridae, were more frequently (52%) collected in autumn and winter. Only 4/15 outdoor cadavers had beetles. Four species of Coleopterans; namely Dermestes frischii Kugelann, Nitidula flavomaculata Rossi, Creophilus maxillosus Linnaeus and Saprinus chalcites Illiger; were recorded for the first time from 3 corpses in Iran. The presence and diversity of different insects on human corpses could contribute to the advancement of forensic entomology knowledge and the refined estimates of minPMI in medicolegal cases. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Is E-Learning Necessary for University Students? A Case from Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Omidian, Faranak; Keyvanifard, Fatemeh

2012-01-01

Today many claim that e-learning can result in considerable time and cost-savings, such as traveling, work time and etc. This study was conducted to investigate these questions: should e-learning be used to reduce travel related stress? should e-learning be offered fully online to reach students living in remote areas? should e-learning be adopted…

Technical Cooperation with Iran: A Case Study of Opportunities and Policy Implications for the United States. Report to the Agency for International Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agency for International Development (Dept. of State), Washington, DC.

This report concerns aspects of the United States' changing policies for providing economic and technical assistance to developing nations. Of primary importance in a review of relationships with those rapidly developing nations no longer eligible for concessional assistance from the Agency for International Development (AID) are the possible…

Examining the Gender Identity of Language Teachers Using a Masculinity-Femininity Scale: A Case from Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pishghadam, Reza; Saboori, Fahime; Samavarchi, Laila; Hassanzadeh, Tahereh

2016-01-01

The present study pursued two goals: first, to construct and validate a masculinity/femininity scale (MFS); and second, to reveal and compare the dominant gender identity of English, Arabic, and Persian teachers. Regarding the first goal, a 30- item gender identity scale was designed and, using the data collected from 300 junior high school…

Antibiotic Susceptibility Evaluation of Group A Streptococcus Isolated from Children with Pharyngitis: A Study from Iran.

PubMed

Sayyahfar, Shirin; Fahimzad, Alireza; Naddaf, Amir; Tavassoli, Sara

2015-12-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibiotic susceptibility of Group A streptococcus (GAS) to antibiotics usually used in Iran for treatment of GAS pharyngitis in children. From 2011 to 2013, children 3-15 years of age with acute tonsillopharyngitis who attended Mofid Children's Hospital clinics and emergency ward and did not meet the exclusion criteria were enrolled in a prospective study in a sequential manner. The isolates strains from throat culture were identified as GAS by colony morphology, gram staining, beta hemolysis on blood agar, sensitivity to bacitracin, a positive pyrrolidonyl aminopeptidase (PYR) test result, and the presence of Lancefield A antigen determined by agglutination test. Antimicrobial susceptibility was identified by both disk diffusion and broth dilution methods. From 200 children enrolled in this study, 59 (30%) cases were culture positive for GAS. All isolates were sensitive to penicillin G. The prevalence of erythromycin, azithromycin, and clarithromycin resistance by broth dilution method was 33.9%, 57.6%, and 33.9%, respectively. Surprisingly, 8.4% of GAS strains were resistant to rifampin. In this study, 13.5% and 32.2% of the strains were resistant to clindamycin and ofloxacin, respectively. The high rate of resistance of GAS to some antibiotics in this study should warn physicians, especially in Iran, to use antibiotics restrictedly and logically to prevent the rising of resistance rates in future. It also seems that continuous local surveillance is necessary to achieve the best therapeutic option for GAS treatment.

Human ocular onchocerciasis caused by Onchocerca lupi (Spirurida, Onchocercidae) in Iran.

PubMed

Mowlavi, G; Farzbod, F; Kheirkhah, A; Mobedi, I; Bowman, D D; Naddaf, S R

2014-06-01

Cases of canine onchocerciasis caused by Onchocerca lupi are increasingly reported from Europe and the western United States of America. The zoonotic role of this parasite had already been suspected in Europe as the clinical signs and histopathology seen in two ocular cases from Albania and the Crimean region were very similar to those of canine ocular onchocerciasis. In the most recent reports of human onchocerciasis, O. lupi has been morphologically and molecularly identified as the causative agent of ocular infestation in two patients from Turkey, and one patient from Tunisia. Here, we report an additional case of nodular lesions involving two, and possibly more, immature worms in a patient from Iran. The parasite was found to belong to the genus Onchocerca based on morphological features and the species was confirmed as O. lupi from a partial sequence analysis of 12S ribosomal DNA.

Cancer research priorities and gaps in Iran: the influence of cancer burden on cancer research outputs between 1997 and 2014.

PubMed

Majidi, A; Salimzadeh, H; Beiki, O; Delavari, F; Majidi, S; Delavari, A; Malekzadeh, R

2017-03-01

As a developing country, Iran is experiencing the increasing burden of cancers, which are currently the third leading cause of mortality in Iran. This study aims to demonstrate that cancer research in Iran concentrates on the cancer research priorities based on the global burden of disease (GBD) reports. Descriptive evaluation of all cancers disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) was performed using GBD data. Also a comprehensive search was conducted using cancer-associated keywords to obtain all cancer-related publications from Iran, indexed in Web of Science. Multiple regression analysis and correlation coefficients (R 2 ) were used to evaluate the possible associations between cancer research publications and GBD. During 1996-2014, the majority of cancer-related publications in Iran focused on breast cancer, leukaemia and stomach cancer, respectively. This study found hypothetical correlations between cancer publications in Iran in line with the burden of cancer as reported by GBD. Particularly, correlations between years lived with disability (YLD) and cancer-related publications were more obvious. This study introduces a new outline in setting cancer research priorities in the region. Copyright © 2016 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Brucella endocarditis: a report from Iran.

PubMed

Esmailpour, Negin; Borna, Sima; Nejad, Mehrnaz Rasooli; Badie, Sina Moradmand; Badie, Banafsheh Moradmand; Hadadi, Azar

2010-01-01

Endocarditis is a rare focal complication of brucellosis but the most common cause of mortality. The diagnosis of the complications of endemic diseases is therefore important. We evaluated Brucella endocarditis cases in a teaching hospital in Iran between April 1998 and March 2006. Nine patients with a median age of 38.11 years were recorded, of whom seven (77.7%) were male. Underlying cardiopathy was present in three patients (33.3%). The median duration of the symptoms prior to diagnosis was 5.33 months. Endocarditis involved the aortic valve in six cases (66.6%), the mitral valve in two cases (22.2%) and the aortic valve plus the mitral valve in one case (11.1%). Serologic tests were positive in eight (88.8%) and blood culture was positive in two (22.2%). Aortic valve replacement surgery was undertaken for five patients (55.5%). One patient died due to arrhythmia. A high degree of suspicion is therefore necessary in order to ameliorate the course of Brucella endocarditis.

Petroleum industry in Iran

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Farideh, A.

1981-01-01

This study examines the oil industry in Iran from the early discovery of oil nearly two hundred years ago in Mazandaran (north part) to the development of a giant modern industry in the twentieth century. Chapter I presents a brief historical setting to introduce the reader to the importance of oil in Iran. It focuses on the economic implications of the early oil concessions in the period 1901 to 1951. Chapter II discusses the nationalization of the Iranian oil industry and creation of NIOC in 1951 and the international political and economic implication of these activities. Chapter III explains themore » activities of NIOC in Iran. Exploration and drilling, production, exports, refineries, natural gas, petrochemicals and internal distributions are studied. Chapter IV discusses the role of the development planning of Iran. A brief presentation of the First Development Plan through the Fifth Development Plan is given. Sources and uses of funds by plan organization during these Five Plans is studied. The Iran and Iraq War is also studied briefly, but the uncertainty of its resolution prevents any close analysis of its impact on the Iranian oil industry. One conclusion, however, is certain; oil has been a vital resource in Iran's past and it will remain the lifetime of its economic development in the future.« less

The incidence of prostate cancer in Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Hassanipour, Soheil; Fathalipour, Mohammad; Salehiniya, Hamid

2018-06-01

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among men. There are various estimates of prostate cancer incidence from different geographical areas in Iran. In addition, no systematic reviews are available regarding the incidence rate of prostate cancer in Iran. Therefore, the present systematic review aimed to address this epidemiological gap. This systematic review was performed based on the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses in July 2017. In doing so, the researchers searched Medline/PubMed, Scopus, Embase, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar for international articles and four Iranian databases (Scientific Information Database, MagIran, IranMedex, and IranDoc) for Persian articles. A total of 274 titles were retrieved in the initial search of the databases. Further refinement and screening of the retrieved studies produced a total of 21 studies. Based on the random-effect model, the age-standardized rate of prostate cancer was 9.11 and 95% confidence interval was 8.19-10.04. Besides, the results of Cochran's test indicated the heterogeneity of the studies (Q = 1457.8, df = 46.0, I 2  = 96.8%, P  < 0.001). The incidence of prostate cancer was lower in Iran than in the other parts of the world. Yet, establishing cancer registries covering a broader perspective of the population and conducting further studies are required to map out the exact incidence rate and trend of prostate cancer in Iran.

Exploring Spatial Patterns of Colorectal Cancer in Tehran City, Iran

PubMed

Mansori, Kamyar; Mosavi-Jarrahi, Alireza; Ganbary Motlagh, Ali; Solaymani-Dodaran, Masoud; Salehi, Masoud; Delavari, Alireza; Sanjari Moghaddam, Ali; Asadi-Lari, Mohsen

2018-04-27

Objectives: Colorectal cancer (CRC) may now be the second most common cancer in the world. The aim of this study was to determine whether clusters of high and low risk of CRC might exist at the neighborhood level in Tehran city. Methods: In this study, new cases of CRC provided from Cancer Registry Data of the Management Center of Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran in the period from March 2008 to March 2011 were analyzed. Raw standardized incidence rates (SIRs) were calculated for CRC in each neighborhood, along with ratios of observed to expected cases. The York and Mollie (BYM) spatial model was used for smoothing of the estimated raw SIRs. To discover clusters of high and low CRC incidence a purely spatial scan statistic was applied. Results: A total of 2,815 new cases of CRC were identified and after removal of duplicate cases, 2,491 were geocoded to neighborhoods. The locations with higher than expected incidence of CRC were northern and central districts of Tehran city. An observed to expected ratio of 2.57 (p<0.001) was found for districts of 2, 6 and 11, whereas, the lowest ratio of 0.23 (p<0.001) was apparent for northeast and south areas of the city, including district 4. Conclusions: This study showed that there is a significant spatial variation in patterns of incidence of CRC at the neighborhood level in Tehran city. Identification of such spatial patterns and assessment of underlying risk factors can provide valuable information for policymakers responsible for equitable distribution of healthcare resources. Creative Commons Attribution License

Accreditation status of hospital pharmacies and their challenges of medication management: A case of south Iranian largest university.

PubMed

Barati, Omid; Dorosti, Hesam; Talebzadeh, Alireza; Bastani, Peivand

2016-01-01

Considering the importance of accreditation for hospital pharmacies, this study was to determine the challenges of medication management in hospital pharmacies affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran. The study was a mix-method research conducted in two qualitative and quantitative phases during the years 2014-2015 in Shiraz, Iran. National Accreditation Standard checklist for hospitals was used for data collection in the first phase, and Delphi method was applied in three rounds to achieve the most challenges of medication management and the related solutions. Results indicated a medium status of accreditation for all three dimensions in the above hospital pharmacies (3.53, 42.15 and 7, respectively). Lack of clinical pharmacists, nonparticipation of the pharmacy director in annual budgeting, lack of access to patient information, discontinuity of pharmaceutical care for patients discharged, defects in pharmacy staff training, lack of legislation in support of pharmacists and lack of adequate access to physicians' prescriptions, shortages in reporting medication errors, and lack of evidence related to microbial contamination are the most challenges extracted from the second phase. It seems that the studied hospital pharmacies encounter numerous problems regarding accreditation, pharmaceutical care as well as appropriate medication management and supply chain. Attempts to solve these problems can play an important role in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of pharmacies in Iran.

A Molecular Epidemiological Survey of Clinically Important Dermatophytes in Iran Based on Specific RFLP Profiles of Beta-tubulin Gene

PubMed Central

ABASTABAR, Mahdi; REZAEI-MATEHKOLAEI, Ali; SHIDFAR, Mohammad Reza; KORDBACHEH, Parivash; MOHAMMADI, Rasoul; SHOKOOHI, Tahereh; HEDAYATI, Mohammad Taghi; JALALIZAND, Nilufar; MIRHENDI, Hossein

2013-01-01

Abstract Background Surveillance of dermatophytosis is essential to determine the likely changes in etiological trends and distribution profile of this infection. In this study beta tubulin gene (BT2), was used as the first time in a PCR-RFLP format to clarify the distribution of dermatophytosis agents in some parts of Iran. Methods A total of 603 clinical isolates was obtained from 500 patients in Tehran, Isfahan, Mazandaran and Guilan provinces. The isolates were identified using macro/micro-morphological criteria and electrophoretic patterns of PCR amplicons of BT2after digestion with each of the restriction enzymes FatI, HpyCH4V, MwoI and Alw21I. Results Among the patients, 59.2% were male and 40.8% female. The most prevalent clinical form was tinea pedis (42.4%), followed by tinea cruris (24.2%), tinea unguium (12.3%), tinea corporis (10.8%), tinea faciei (4%), tinea manuum (3.14%), tinea capitis (3%) and tinea barbae (0.16%), respectively. Trichophyton interdigitale ranked the first, followed by T. rubrum, Epidermophyton floccosum, Microsporum canis, T. tonsurans, T. erinacei and T. violaceum (each 0.49%) and the less frequent species were T. schoenleinii, M. gypseum and T.anamorph of Arthroderma benhamiae (each 0.16%). A case of scalp infection by E. floccosum was an exceptional event in the study. No case of T. verrucosum was found. Conclusion Trichophyton species and E. floccosum are yet the predominant agents of infection in Iran, while Microsporum species are decreasing. T. interdigitale and Tinea pedis remain as the most causal agent and clinical form of dermatophytosis, respectively. It seems that BT2 can be a useful genetic marker for epidemiological survey of common pathogenic dermatophytes. PMID:26060667

Status of dental health in chemical warfare victims: the case of Isfahan, Iran.

PubMed

Mottaghi, Ahmad; Hoseinzade, Abolfath; Zamani, Elham; Araghizade, Habib Allah

2012-01-01

Little evidence is available regarding the dental health of victims of chemical warfare in Iran. Therefore, in this study, we examined the decayed, missing, and filled teeth index (DMFT), community periodontal index of treatment needs (CPITN), and saliva secretion rate of chemical warfare victims living in the province of Isfahan in Iran. This case-control study was conducted with 300 chemical warfare victims as the treatment group and 300 age-matched individuals without exposure to chemical warfare as the control group. DMFT and CPITN indices and saliva secretion rate were measured and compared between the two groups. Chemical warfare victims had significantly higher scores than the control group for decayed teeth (4.25 ± 3.88 vs 3.52 ± 2.81; P=0.009), missing teeth (8.79 ± 9.3 vs 6.15 ± 8.43; P<0.001), total DMFT index (17.00 ± 6.72 vs 13.20 ± 6.89; P<0.001), and CPTIN (2.81 ± 0.81 vs 1.71 ± 1.04; P<0.001). However, no significant difference was observed between the two groups in filled teeth (4.00 ± 4.2 vs 3.59 ± 2.48; P=0.148). The level of saliva secretion in warfare victims was significantly lower than that in the control group (1.71 ± 0.05 vs 3.85 ± 1.95 cc/5 min; P<0.001). Chemical warfare victims have relatively poor dental/oral health. Chemical injury might cause a dysfunction in saliva secretion, with decrease in saliva secretion increasing the risk for tooth decay and periodontal disorders. Further research is required to find out the exact underlying mechanisms and the factors associated with poor dental/oral health in chemical warfare victims.

Comparison of the Temperament and Character of Patients Referred to Cosmetic Nasal Surgeon in Shiraz Hospitals, 2015

PubMed Central

Sharif, Farkhondeh; Anooshehpoor, Behnaz; Mani, Arash; Zarshenas, Ladan; Zare, Najaf; Haghighatian, Ali

2016-01-01

Background: Rhinoplasty is the most common cosmetic surgery which has been dramatically increasing in Iran. Currently, Iran is ranked the first in the world in rhinoplasty. In the present study, we aimed to assess the character and temperament traits of the applicants referred to rhinoplasty surgeons in Shiraz, southwest Iran in 2015. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 500 participants among rhinoplasty applicants for case and among students and clerks residing in Shiraz by convenience sampling method in 2015. The two groups were matched regarding the gender, age and educational level. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and temperament and character inventory to assess the four dimensions of temperament (including novelty seeking; harm avoidance; reward dependence; persistence) and the three dimensions of character (including self-directedness; cooperativeness; self-transcendence). Data were analyzed using SPSS software, version 20. Chi- square and t-test were used as appropriated. Results: The mean±SD age of the participants was 27.43±6.6. The results showed a significant difference between the case and control groups with respect to the temperaments of novelty (9.47±2.80), harm avoidance (9.12±3.3), persistence (2.69±1.04), the characters of cooperativeness (15.38±4.02), and self-transcendence (9.48±3.41). Conclusion: Evaluating character and temperament traits in rhinoplasty applicants will be so helpful in identifying and predicting good candidates for such cosmetic surgery. Selecting the ideal patients can not only reduce the costs resulting from rhinoplasty imposed on families and society but also enhance the satisfaction of the patients and the surgeons. PMID:27218111

Growing Incidence of Non-Dermatophyte Onychomycosis in Tehran, Iran

PubMed Central

Motamedi, Marjan; Ghasemi, Zeinab; Shidfar, Mohammad Reza; Hosseinpour, Leila; Khodadadi, Hossein; Zomorodian, Kamiar; Mirhendi, Hossein

2016-01-01

Background Non-dermatophyte onychomycosis (NDO) is caused by a wide range of mold fungi other than dermatophytes, and has been reported at various rates in different countries worldwide. Studies on the incidence of NDO in the community are essential for understanding its epidemiology and control, as well as for the appropriate treatment of these infections. Objectives In this study, the incidence of NDO in Tehran, Iran, was compared to the incidence of onychomycoses due to dermatophytes and yeasts. Methods From 2014 through 2015, samples from a total of 1,069 patients with suspected fungal nail diseases, who were referred to three medical mycology laboratories in Tehran, were collected and subjected to direct examination (all samples) and culture (788 samples). Differentiation of the causative agents of onychomycosis was based on microscopic observation of characteristic fungal elements in the nail samples and growth of a significant number of identical colonies on the culture plate. Results Based on only direct microscopy, onychomycosis was diagnosed in 424 (39.6%) cases, among which 35.8% were caused by dermatophytes, 32.7% by yeasts, and 29.3% by non-dermatophyte molds (NDMs), while 2.2% were mixed infections. Direct exam was significantly more sensitive than culture for the diagnosis. The most commonly isolated NDMs were Aspergillus spp. (69.3%, n = 52), followed by Fusarium spp. (n = 7). The other isolated species were Paecilomyces spp., Scopulariopsis spp., Acremonium spp., Cladosporium spp., and Chrysosporium spp., with only one case of each. Conclusions An increasing frequency of NDO compared to onychomycosis due to other causative agents has been noticeable over the past few years in Iran. This epidemiological data may be useful in the development of preventive and educational strategies. PMID:27800138

Exploring Measures to Control Road Traffic Injuries in Iran: Key Informants Points of View

PubMed Central

SALARI, Hedayat; MOTEVALIAN, Seyed Abbas; ARAB, Mohammad; ESFANDIARI, Atefeh; AKBARI SARI, Ali

2017-01-01

Background: Injuries and fatalities from road traffic Injuries are global public health concerns, and a major problem in the Iran. This study aimed to explore strategies to control road traffic Injuries (RTI) in Iran. Methods: We conducted a qualitative study to explore possible ways to reduce the occurrence of road traffic Injuries in Iran in 2016. Interviewees were purposively sampled from various sectors due to multidisciplinary nature of RTIs. Participants were mainly representatives from the police, Ministry of Road, Municipal, emergency services and Ministry of Health. Besides, public health authorities, researchers, and university professors were interviewed. We conducted in-depth interviews using generic guides. Data was analyzed using MAXQDA 10 software. Through content analysis, we interpreted core themes relevant to the accomplishment of our study objectives. Results: Themes that emerged from our study include; road traffic management, governance, education, improving accident database, enforcement, driving license restrictions, and construction of pedestrian overpass. Conclusion: This study revealed key informants’ views regarding available and affordable solutions to reduce RTIs in Iran. Many applicable strategies are identified in the control of RTIs in Iran. Although some solutions such as highway construction and/or expanding rail transportation have been suggested as effective measures for reducing accident, but they are costly and may not be fully applied in developing countries like Iran. PMID:28560198

Estimating cost of road traffic injuries in Iran using willingness to pay (WTP) method.

PubMed

Ainy, Elaheh; Soori, Hamid; Ganjali, Mojtaba; Le, Henry; Baghfalaki, Taban

2014-01-01

We aimed to use the willingness to pay (WTP) method to calculate the cost of traffic injuries in Iran in 2013. We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study of 846 randomly selected road users. WTP data was collected for four scenarios for vehicle occupants, pedestrians, vehicle drivers, and motorcyclists. Final analysis was carried out using Weibull and maximum likelihood method. Mean WTP was 2,612,050 Iranian rials (IRR). Statistical value of life was estimated according to 20,408 fatalities 402,314,106,073,648 IRR (US$13,410,470,202 based on purchasing power parity at (February 27th, 2014). Injury cost was US$25,637,870,872 (based on 318,802 injured people in 2013, multiple daily traffic volume of 311, and multiple daily payment of 31,030 IRR for 250 working days). The total estimated cost of injury and death cases was 39,048,341,074$. Gross national income of Iran was, US$604,300,000,000 in 2013 and the costs of traffic injuries constituted 6·46% of gross national income. WTP was significantly associated with age, gender, monthly income, daily payment, more payment for time reduction, trip mileage, drivers and occupants from road users. The costs of traffic injuries in Iran in 2013 accounted for 6.64% of gross national income, much higher than the global average. Policymaking and resource allocation to reduce traffic-related death and injury rates have the potential to deliver a huge economic benefit.

Metallography and microstructure interpretation of some archaeological tin bronze vessels from Iran

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oudbashi, Omid, E-mail: o.oudbashi@aui.ac.ir; Davami, Parviz, E-mail: pdavami@razi-foundation.com

2014-11-15

Archaeological excavations in western Iran have recently revealed a significant Luristan Bronzes collection from Sangtarashan archaeological site. The site and its bronze collection are dated to Iron Age II/III of western Iran (10th–7th century BC) according to archaeological research. Alloy composition, microstructure and manufacturing technique of some sheet metal vessels are determined to reveal metallurgical processes in western Iran in the first millennium BC. Experimental analyses were carried out using Scanning Electron Microscopy–Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy and Optical Microscopy/Metallography methods. The results allowed reconstructing the manufacturing process of bronze vessels in Luristan. It proved that the samples have been manufacturedmore » with a binary copper–tin alloy with a variable tin content that may relates to the application of an uncontrolled procedure to make bronze alloy (e.g. co-smelting or cementation). The presence of elongated copper sulphide inclusions showed probable use of copper sulphide ores for metal production and smelting. Based on metallographic studies, a cycle of cold working and annealing was used to shape the bronze vessels. - Highlights: • Sangtarashan vessels are made by variable Cu-Sn alloys with some impurities. • Various compositions occurred due to applying uncontrolled smelting methods. • The microstructure represents thermo-mechanical process to shape bronze vessels. • In one case, the annealing didn’t remove the eutectoid remaining from casting. • The characteristics of the bronzes are similar to other Iron Age Luristan Bronzes.« less

Estimating Cost of Road Traffic Injuries in Iran Using Willingness to Pay (WTP) Method

PubMed Central

Ainy, Elaheh; Soori, Hamid; Ganjali, Mojtaba; Le, Henry; Baghfalaki, Taban

2014-01-01

We aimed to use the willingness to pay (WTP) method to calculate the cost of traffic injuries in Iran in 2013. We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study of 846 randomly selected road users. WTP data was collected for four scenarios for vehicle occupants, pedestrians, vehicle drivers, and motorcyclists. Final analysis was carried out using Weibull and maximum likelihood method. Mean WTP was 2,612,050 Iranian rials (IRR). Statistical value of life was estimated according to 20,408 fatalities 402,314,106,073,648 IRR (US$13,410,470,202 based on purchasing power parity at (February 27th, 2014). Injury cost was US$25,637,870,872 (based on 318,802 injured people in 2013, multiple daily traffic volume of 311, and multiple daily payment of 31,030 IRR for 250 working days). The total estimated cost of injury and death cases was 39,048,341,074$. Gross national income of Iran was, US$604,300,000,000 in 2013 and the costs of traffic injuries constituted 6·46% of gross national income. WTP was significantly associated with age, gender, monthly income, daily payment, more payment for time reduction, trip mileage, drivers and occupants from road users. The costs of traffic injuries in Iran in 2013 accounted for 6.64% of gross national income, much higher than the global average. Policymaking and resource allocation to reduce traffic-related death and injury rates have the potential to deliver a huge economic benefit. PMID:25438150

31 CFR 535.441 - Settlement Agreement regarding small claims.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... of Less Than $250,000, Case No. 86 and Case No. B38, dated May 13, 1990 (the “Settlement Agreement... Stat. 437, applicable to en bloc settlements of claims of U.S. nationals against Iran. (b) Pursuant to... U.S. nationals, which claims are included in Cases Nos. 10001 through 12785, and which are still...

31 CFR 535.441 - Settlement Agreement regarding small claims.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... of Less Than $250,000, Case No. 86 and Case No. B38, dated May 13, 1990 (the “Settlement Agreement... Stat. 437, applicable to en bloc settlements of claims of U.S. nationals against Iran. (b) Pursuant to... U.S. nationals, which claims are included in Cases Nos. 10001 through 12785, and which are still...

31 CFR 535.441 - Settlement Agreement regarding small claims.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... of Less Than $250,000, Case No. 86 and Case No. B38, dated May 13, 1990 (the “Settlement Agreement... Stat. 437, applicable to en bloc settlements of claims of U.S. nationals against Iran. (b) Pursuant to... U.S. nationals, which claims are included in Cases Nos. 10001 through 12785, and which are still...

A decade of road traffic fatalities among the elderly in north-West Iran.

PubMed

Sadeghi-Bazargani, Homayoun; Samadirad, Bahram; Moslemi, Farnaz

2018-01-08

Iran has a uniquely catastrophic status for road traffic injury incidence and fatality. The elderly account for a substantial number of the hospitalizations and fatalities due to traffic injuries. The aim of this study was to investigate the crash mechanisms and medical outcomes of traffic fatalities among the elderly in East Azerbaijan province of Iran during the period 2006-2016. A total of 9435 fatalities registered in East Azerbaijan forensic medicine database, Iran, during 2006-2016, were investigated. Of these, 1357 were elderly persons (age > 65). Both victim- and crash-related variables were compared for the elderly and other age groups. Bivariate and multivariate analysis methods were applied using Stata statistical software package version 13. Of the 9435 fatalities, 1357 victims (14.4%) were elderly persons. The mean age of the elderly traffic fatalities was 75.3(SD = 6.2) years. About 78% of the elderly versus 80% of those in other age groups were males. A decreasing trend of fatal traffic accidents was observed over the study period both for the elderly and other age groups. The elderly were nearly seven times more likely to die as a pedestrian compared to other age groups. By exclusively analyzing pedestrians, it was found that motorcycles were responsible for pedestrian deaths in 9.1% of the fatalities while this figure was 5.5% for pedestrians in other age groups killed in a traffic accident (P < 0.05). About 56% (N = 761) of the elderly died in hospital which was higher than the proportion for other age groups (39%). Ambulance was the main vehicle for transferring the injured victims in four-fifths of the cases both for the elderly and other age groups. Although, in the present study, head injuries were the most common type of injury regardless of the age group, the elderly had a lower percentage of head injuries and a higher percentage of injuries to the torso, pelvis and limbs compared to younger victims. Pedestrian inner-city crashes in East Azerbaijan province of Iran are a major cause of road injury fatalities among the elderly and should be considered as a priority in road safety interventions.

Assessment of the Effectiveness of Protected Areas Management in Iran: Case Study in Khojir National Park

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolahi, Mahdi; Sakai, Tetsuro; Moriya, Kazuyuki; Makhdoum, Majid F.; Koyama, Lina

2013-08-01

The requirement to assess the management effectiveness (ME) in protected areas (PAs) is increasing around the world to help improve management and accountability. An evaluation of ME for Khojir National Park (KNP), one of the Iran's oldest PAs, was conducted using a multi-method approach that consisted of structured interviews, open interviews, and site visits. This was the first ME evaluation in Iran. The structured interview was based on the management effectiveness tracking tool methodology. KNP received an average score of 43 %, which is lower than the global average, illustrating that its general management was in the low-intermediate level. The indices of legal status, resource inventory, planning for land and water use, regulations, and objectives received the highest average scores, whereas education and awareness, community co-management, regular work plan, boundary demarcation, visitor facilities, budget sources, staff training, protection systems, and management plan received the lowest ones. The management system of KNP was generally established, but many problems of the management still need to be resolved. To improve ME, some countermeasures should be taken, such as increasing funding, strengthening capacity building, planning, and adaptive management, and implementing community participation.

Evaluation of the district health management fellowship training programme: a case study in Iran

PubMed Central

Gholipour, Kamal; Tabrizi, Jafar Sadegh; Farahbakhsh, Mostafa; Iezadi, Shabnam; Ghiasi, Akbar; Jahanbin, Hasan

2018-01-01

Objective To evaluate the district health management fellowship training programme in the north-west of Iran. Data sources/study setting The programme was introduced to build the managerial capacity of district health managers in Iran. Eighty-nine heads of units in the province’s health centre, district health managers and the health deputies of the district health centres in the north-west provinces of Iran had registered for the district health management fellowship training programme in Tabriz in 2015–2016. Study design This was an educational evaluation study to evaluate training courses to measure participants' reactions and learning and, to a lesser extent, application of training to their job and the organisational impact. Data collection/extraction methods Valid and reliable questionnaires were used to assess learning techniques and views towards the fellowship, and self-assessment of health managers’ knowledge and skills. Also, pretest and post-test examinations were conducted in each course and a portfolio was provided to the trainees to be completed in their work settings. Principal findings About 63% of the participants were medical doctors and 42.3% of them had over 20 years of experience. Learning by practice (scored 18.37 out of 20) and access to publications (17.27) were the most useful methods of training in health planning and management from the participants’ perspective. Moreover, meeting peers from other districts and the academic credibility of teachers were the most important features of the current programme. Based on the managers’ self-assessment, they were most skilful in quality improvement, managing, planning and evaluation of the district. The results of the post-test analysis on data collected from district health managers showed the highest scores in managing the district (77 out of 100) and planning and evaluation (69) of the courses. Conclusion The results of this study indicated that training courses, methods and improvement in managers' knowledge about the health system and the skills necessary to manage their organisation were acceptable. PMID:29525773

Is a Clean Development Mechanism project economically justified? Case study of an International Carbon Sequestration Project in Iran.

PubMed

Katircioglu, Salih; Dalir, Sara; Olya, Hossein G

2016-01-01

The present study evaluates a carbon sequestration project for the three plant species in arid and semiarid regions of Iran. Results show that Haloxylon performed appropriately in the carbon sequestration process during the 6 years of the International Carbon Sequestration Project (ICSP). In addition to a high degree of carbon dioxide sequestration, Haloxylon shows high compatibility with severe environmental conditions and low maintenance costs. Financial and economic analysis demonstrated that the ICSP was justified from an economic perspective. The financial assessment showed that net present value (NPV) (US$1,098,022.70), internal rate of return (IRR) (21.53%), and payback period (6 years) were in an acceptable range. The results of the economic analysis suggested an NPV of US$4,407,805.15 and an IRR of 50.63%. Therefore, results of this study suggest that there are sufficient incentives for investors to participate in such kind of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects.

Data for distribution of various species of fecal coliforms in urban, rural and private drinking water sources in ten years period - A case study: Kermanshah, Iran.

PubMed

Davoodi, Reza; Pirsaheb, Meghdad; Karimyan, Kamaladdin; Gupta, Vinod Kumar; Takhtshahi, Ali Reza; Sharafi, Hooshmand; Moradi, Masoud

2018-06-01

This study was aimed to investigate the distribution of various species of fecal coliform in urban, rural and private drinking water sources of Kermanshah, in the west of Iran. For this study, data of ten years period (2006-2016) assessments of microbial quality regarding various species of Fecal coliforms was taken from health centers associated with urban, rural and private resources of Kermanshah city. A total number of 8643 samples were taken, 1851 samples from rural, 365 from urban and 4834 from private resources. The results showed that Fecal coliforms , Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) had the widest distribution in all urban, rural and private water resources (22.3%, 45.9% and 34%, respectively). Moreover, E. coli (47.5%) and Klebsiella (0.4%) had, respectively, the highest and lowest distribution in all months considered. Based on the results, E.coli exists mostly in water resources; it is therefore of particular importance in the monitoring of water resources.

Investigating Information-Seeking Behavior of Faculty Members Based on Wilson’s Model: Case Study of PNU University, Mazandaran, Iran

PubMed Central

Azadeh, Fereydoon; Ghasemi, Shahrzad

2016-01-01

The present research aims to study information seeking behavior of faculty Members of Payame Noor University (PNU) in Mazandaran province of Iran by using Wilson’s model of information seeking behavior. This is a survey study. Participants were 97 of PNU faculty Members in Mazandaran province. An information-seeking behavior inventory was employed to gather information and research data, which had 24 items based on 5-point likert scale. Collected data were analyzed in SPSS software. Results showed that the most important goal of faculty members was publishing a scientific paper, and their least important goal was updating technical information. Also we found that they mostly use internet-based resources to meet their information needs. Accordingly, 57.7% of them find information resources via online search engines (e.g. Google, Yahoo). Also we concluded that there was a significant relationship between English language proficiency, academic rank, and work experience of them and their information- seeking behavior. PMID:27157151

Association between the high risk occupations and bladder cancer in Iran: a case-control study.

PubMed

Khoubi, Jamshid; Pourabdian, Siamak; Mohebbi, Iraj; Tajvidi, Mina; Zaroorian, Omid; Giahi, Omid

2013-04-01

The objective of this work was to identify the high-risk occupations in Iran and to re-inspect occupations that were related to bladder cancer. In the study, 300 patients suffering from bladder cancer and 500 control individuals were interviewed. Demographic information, occupational history, and history of exposure to chemical compounds such as aromatic amines for each participant were collected. ORs and 95% CIs were calculated using unconditional logistic regression for each occupation. There was a significantly increased risk of bladder cancer among truck and bus drivers (OR = 11.3), skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers (OR = 6.0), metal industry workers (OR = 6.0), domestic housekeepers (OR = 5.9), and construction workers (OR = 3.8). The study showed a strong correlation between truck and bus drivers, skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers, metal industry workers, domestic housekeepers, as well as construction workers and the increased risk of bladder cancer in these occupations.

Epidemiology of childhood Guillan-Barre syndrome in the north west of Iran

PubMed Central

Barzegar, Mohammad; Dastgiri, Saeed; Karegarmaher, Mohammad H; Varshochiani, Ali

2007-01-01

Background and aims This study was carried out to investigate the incidence, annual time trend and some epidemiological and clinical features of Guillain-Barre syndrome in children in the north west of Iran. Materials and methods In this population-based cross sectional research, epidemiological and clinical features of 143 cases with Guillain-Barre syndrome between 2001 and 2006 were studied. The setting of the study was Tabriz Children Medical Centre, the major University-Hospital located in Tabriz city of the East Azarbaijan province covering whole region. Data collected included age, gender, chronological information, preceding events, functional grade of motor deficit. Results The mean age (standard deviation) of subjects was 5.4 (3.6) years. The male/female ratio was 1.3. The average annual incidence rate was 2.27 per 100 000 population of 15 years children (CI95%: 1.9–2.6). The majority of cases occurred in March, July and November and the highest proportion of the syndrome was observed in winter (29 percent, P > 0.10). Conclusion The results indicated that an unexpected high incidence of Guillain-Barre syndrome has occurred in 2003 in the region. We concluded that a monitoring and surveillance system for Guillain-Barre syndrome is essential to set up in this region. PMID:17683586

Mutation Analysis of KRAS and BRAF Genes in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: a First Large Scale Study from Iran.

PubMed

Koochak, Aghigh; Rakhshani, Nasser; Karbalaie Niya, Mohammad Hadi; Tameshkel, Fahimeh Safarnezhad; Sohrabi, Masoud Reza; Babaee, Mohammad Reza; Rezvani, Hamid; Bahar, Babak; Imanzade, Farid; Zamani, Farhad; Khonsari, Mohammad Reza; Ajdarkosh, Hossein; Hemmasi, Gholamreza

2016-01-01

The investigation of mutation patterns in oncogenes potentially can make available a reliable mechanism for management and treatment decisions for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). This study concerns the rate of KRAS and BRAF genes mutations in Iranian metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients, as well as associations of genotypes with clinicopathological features. A total of 1,000 mCRC specimens collected from 2008 to 2012 that referred to the Mehr Hospital and Partolab center, Tehran, Iran enrolled in this cross sectional study. Using HRM, Dxs Therascreen and Pyrosequencing methods, we analyzed the mutational status of KRAS and BRAF genes in these. KRAS mutations were present in 33.6% cases (n=336). Of KRAS mutation positive cases, 85.1% were in codon 12 and 14.9% were in codon 13. The most frequent mutation at KRAS codon 12 was Gly12Asp; BRAF mutations were not found in any mCRC patients (n=242). In addition, we observed a strong correlation of KRAS mutations with some clinicopathological characteristics. KRAS mutations are frequent in mCRCs while presence of BRAF mutations in these patients is rare. Moreover, associations of KRAS genotypes with non-mucinous adenocarcinoma and depth of invasion (pT3) were remarkable.

Clinical manifestation and prognosis of active ocular toxoplasmosis in Iran.

PubMed

Kianersi, Farzan; Naderi Beni, Afsaneh; Naderi Beni, Zahra

2012-12-01

Toxoplasmosis is the most common cause of posterior uveitis in the world. This study described the clinical characteristics and visual outcome of 193 patients with ocular toxoplasmosis at Feiz Hospital (Isfahan, Iran) during the last six years. The setting and design used was a retrospective non-comparative observational case series. In this study, 193 patients with ocular toxoplasmosis (111 female, 82 male) were enrolled. The distribution of symptoms and fundoscopic findings were studied. The most-reported chief complaint was blurred vision in 96 % (184 patients) and floaters in 13.47 % (25 patients) of cases and most frequent clinical manifestations were chorioretinitis 98.48 % (190 patients), macular scars 50.7 % (98 patients), and atrophic optic papilla two (1.03 %) patients. Primary retinal lesions were observed in 16 (8.2 %) and combination of active lesions and old retinochoroidal scars in 177 (91.7 %) of the patients. Retinal detachment occurred in 11 (5.69 %) patients. Bilateral involvement was found in 27 % of patients. Blindness was 0.05 % after treatment. Recurrence rate was 14.5 %. In conclusion, ocular toxoplasmosis substantially varies among patients with different age, gender, site of lesion and other factors. Suddenly blurred vision, floater, and pain could be caused by Toxoplasma gondii. Flashing, may necessitate a more precise peripheral fundus examination.

A concurrent resolution calling on the President and the allies of the United States to raise in all appropriate bilateral and multilateral fora the case of Robert Levinson at every opportunity, urging Iran to fulfill their promises of assistance to the family of Robert Levinson, and calling on Iran to share the results of its investigation into the disappearance of Robert Levinson with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Rep. Wexler, Robert [D-FL-19

2009-02-03

Senate - 11/18/2009 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 214. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Epidemiological Study of Lumpy Skin Disease Outbreaks in North-western Iran.

PubMed

Sameea Yousefi, P; Mardani, K; Dalir-Naghadeh, B; Jalilzadeh-Amin, G

2017-12-01

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a highly contagious transboundary disease of cattle with major economic losses. This study was undertaken to address the emergence and epidemiological features of LSD in four north-western provinces of Iran. These provinces have extensive borders with others country including Iraq, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia. A population of 683 cattle from 91 farms were examined during LSD outbreak in Iran during 2014-2016. The information of the farms including the population size, gender, age, vaccination status, clinical signs and the number of death because of LSD were recorded in the designed questionnaires. A number of 234 blood samples were collected randomly from animals with and without clinical signs of LSD. DNA was extracted from blood samples, and they were used for amplifying a fragment of 434 bp in size coupled with restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) for molecular detection of lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV). The estimated prevalence, cumulative mortality and case fatality were 17.9%, 3.5% and 19.7%, respectively. There was no significant difference in occurrence of the disease between male and female cattle. LSD occurrence in age groups above 5 years old and below 6 months old showed highest and lowest relative frequencies, respectively. Vaccination was significantly decreased the occurrence of clinical disease. The developed PCR-RFLP technique was able to differentiate between LSDV, sheep pox virus (ShPV) and goat pox virus (GPV). It was concluded that LSD was entered into Iran probably from Iraq via uncontrolled animal movements along common land borders between two countries. Developed PCR-RFLP could be used as a rapid and inexpensive method for differentiating Capripoxviruses (CaPVs). © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Nutritional intake, depressive symptoms and vitamin D status in hypertensive patients in the north of Iran: A case-control study.

PubMed

Salari, A; Mahdavi-Roshan, M; Hasandokht, T; Gholipour, M; Soltanipour, S; Nagshbandi, M; Javadzadeh, A

We investigated vitamin D status, body size, nutritional intake and depression status in hypertensive patients in the north of Iran that have special dietary habit and lifestyle according to their culture and geographical situation. This study was conducted on 127 patients with newly recognized hypertension and the 120 normal participants, in the north of Iran. Anthropometric data was measured and demographic characteristics, dietary intake, depression and medical status were collected by valid questionnaires. Blood samples were measured for 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Hypertensive patients had significantly lower serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D than control group (16±8.7ng/mL vs. 19.8±8.4ng/mL; P=0.04). In adjusted model, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D of less than 30ng/mL was associated with an almost 4-fold odds of hypertension. The odds of hypertension in depressed patients was 1.2 times higher than in those without depression (p=0.002). After adjusted logistic regression analysis for energy intake, significant association was observed between hypertension and some dietary nutrients, including cholesterol, fiber and vitamin D intake. There was no significant association between hypertension and body weight, waist circumference as well as BMI. The vitamin D status was lower in the most individuals and it causes a considerable increase in the risk of hypertension. Undesirable intake of some nutrients and depression also increase the risk of developing hypertension. Health training about suitable dietary habits, easier access to vitamin D supplementation and screening for depression in patients with hypertension are cost-effective tools to improve outcomes in Iran. Copyright © 2016 SEH-LELHA. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Epidemiological study of traumatic spinal cord injuries: experience from a specialized spine center in Iran.

PubMed

Derakhshanrad, N; Yekaninejad, M S; Vosoughi, F; Sadeghi Fazel, F; Saberi, H

2016-10-01

A cross-sectional study. This study was performed for epidemiological assessment of Iranian Traumatic Spinal Cord Injuries (TSCI), referred to a specialized spine center. Patient recruitment and evaluations were conducted at the Brain and Spinal Injury Research Center, Tehran, Iran. This study was performed from September 2011 to March 2015 on 1137 consecutive TSCIs. History, clinicoradiological findings as well as chronic complications and social integration were recorded. The capture-recapture method was used to calculate a rough estimation of TSCI prevalence in Tehran Province. Our report includes 1137 cases with a mean age of 29.1 years (s.d.=11.2 year)-79.2% of them being male (M/F=3.8/1). Rough estimation of TSCI prevalence in Tehran province was 2.36 per 10 000 population. Regarding etiology, 61.8% were due to motor vehicle accident (MVA), followed by falling 24.5%, heavy drop 5.2%, violence 3.8%, sport 2.8% and others causes 1.9%. Regarding injury level, 31.5% were cervical, 57.9% thoracic and 10.6% lumbar. Complete lesions were 53.5% of patients and 46.5% were incomplete. Most common neurological type was T1-S5 (American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale: A, B, C, 61.7%). Most common complications included urinary tract infection followed by pressure sore (grade III and IV, 37.5%), autonomic dysreflexia (37%) and neuropathic pain (31.2%). Substance abuse was observed in 8.8% of cases. Overall, ~25% in our cases were employed after TSCI. Secondary divorce was also much more frequent than normal matched controls. MVA was the most common cause for TSCI. The elderly subjects were less frequent among our patients than more developed countries. The high rate of unemployment and divorce in our cases deserves special consideration.

Analysis of Distance Learning in Smart Schools in Iran: A Case Study of Tehran's Smart Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Motamedi, Vahid; Piri, Roghayeh

2014-01-01

In the paradigm of information society the structure and facts have become flexible and subjective. In the recent social-economic order, IT and communication have taken over the leading role. Distance learning in smart schools is one of the flexible realities in the education field that has crossed the format of the hard and inflexible traditional…

Effectiveness of Skill-Based Substance Abuse Intervention among Male Adolescents in an Islamic Country: Case of the Islamic Republic of Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allahverdipour, Hamid; Bazargan, Mohsen; Farhadinasab, Abdollah; Hidarnia, Alireza; Bashirian, Saeed

2009-01-01

The prevalence of substance abuse among adolescents from low- and middle-income countries is increasing drastically and requires immediate intervention. The objective of this longitudinal quasi-experimental panel study was to design and implement a skill-based intervention to prevent and reduce substance use among urban adolescents who attended 2…

A Sex Education Programme for Mothers in Iran: Does Preschool Children's Sex Education Influence Mothers' Knowledge and Attitudes?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Jeno; Riazi, Hedyeh; Firoozi, Armin; Nasiri, Maliheh

2018-01-01

Mothers have an important role to play in teaching their children about sexual issues and shaping children's sexual knowledge, attitudes and behaviours. In many cases, however, mothers themselves need help and support. This study was conducted to examine the effects of a sex education programme on the knowledge and attitudes of the mothers of…

Factors Affecting ICT Adoption among Distance Education Students Based on the Technology Acceptance Model--A Case Study at a Distance Education University in Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dastjerdi, Negin Barat

2016-01-01

The incorporation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) into education systems is an active program and movement in education that illustrates modern education and enables an all-encompassing presence in the third millennium; however, prior to applying ICT, the factors affecting the adoption and use of these technologies should be…

The incidence of kidney cancer in Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Hassanipour, Soheil; Namvar, Gholamreza; Fathalipour, Mohammad; Salehiniya, Hamid

2018-06-01

The incidence of kidney cancer from different areas of Iran was reported. Nevertheless, there is no available systematic reviews in this regard. Therefore, the present systematic review carried out to estimate the incidence rate of kidney cancer among Iranian people. This systematic review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) in September 2017. A search was concluded using Medline/ PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google scholar for international papers and four national databases (Scientific Information Database, MagIran, IranMedex, and IranDoc) for Persian papers. The incidence rate of kidney cancer was calculated using random effect model. An aggregate of 159 papers were retrieved in the primary search of the databases. Further screening and advanced refinement of the retrieved studies produced 15 studies totally. The age-standardized rate (ASR) of kidney cancer was 1.94, 95% CI (1.62-2.55) and 1.36, 95 % CI (1.09-1.62) in males and females, respectively. In comparison to other parts of the world, the incidence of kidney cancer was lower in Iran. Afterwards, further studies are necessary to outline the exact incidence rate and the trend of kidney cancer in Iran. © Author(s) 2018. This article is published with open access by China Medical University.

Nurses' Contribution to Health Information Technology of Iran's 2025 Health Map: A Review of the Document.

PubMed

Sadoughi, Farahnaz; Azadi, Tania; Azadi, Tannaz

2016-01-01

Implementation of eHealth strategy in Iran has a history less than 17 years. Iran's eHealth strategy is developed in 2011 and is called "Iran' 2025 Health Map: Health Information Technology". Considering the important role of nurses in providing healthcare services as well as in future long term plans such as sustainable development, it is of high value to pay attention to nurses' contribution in developing eHealth strategies. Thus the purpose of this study was to investigate nurses' contribution to health information technology of Iran's 2025 health map. This study was a qualitative study conducted in 2015 through reviewing the "Iran' 2025 Health Map: Health Information Technology" official report. The strategy published in three volumes and in Persian language was downloaded through the official website of the office of Statistics and Information Technology of Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME). Two main themes were identified in the report indicating areas which nurses' roles were clearly stated. The findings revealed that nurses' contribution is not clearly stated in the strategy. However, there are a few areas highlighting nurses' involvement such as "determining beneficiary groups" and "information dissemination". It is suggested that more attention needs to be paid in contribution of nurses in further actions to revise the Iran's eHealth strategy.

Epidemiology of brucellosis in Iran: A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis study.

PubMed

Mirnejad, Reza; Jazi, Faramarz Masjedian; Mostafaei, Shayan; Sedighi, Mansour

2017-08-01

Brucellosis is still one of the most challenging issues for health and the economy in many developing countries such as Iran. Considering the high prevalence of brucellosis, the aim of the current study was to systematically review published data about the annual incidence rate of this infection from different parts of Iran and provide an overall relative frequency (RF) for Iran using meta-analysis. We searched several databases including PubMed, ISI Web of Science, Scopus, google scholar, IranMedex and Iranian Scientific Information Database (SID) by using the following keywords: "Brucella", "Brucellosis", "Malta fever", "Mediterranean fever", "undulant fever", "zoonosis" and "Iran" in Title/Abstract/Keywords fields. Articles/Abstracts, which used clinical specimens and reported the incidence of brucellosis, were included in this review. Quality of studies was assessed by STROB and PRISMA forms. All statistical analyses were performed using STATA 11.0 (STATA Corp, College Station, TX) and P-values under 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Out of the 8326 results, we found 34 articles suitable, according to inclusion and exlusion criteria, for inclusion in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled incidence of brucellosis was estimated 0.001% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.0005-0.0015%) annually. Relative frequency of brucellosis in different studies varied from 7.0/100000 to 276.41/100000 in Qom and Kermanshah provinces, respectively. This systematic-review and meta-analysis study showed that the highest incidences of brucellosis are occurred in west and northwest regions of Iran. Totally, the incidence of the disease in Iran is in the high range. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adaptation and reliability of neighborhood environment walkability scale (NEWS) for Iran: A questionnaire for assessing environmental correlates of physical activity

PubMed Central

Hakimian, Pantea; Lak, Azadeh

2016-01-01

Background: In spite of the increased range of inactivity and obesity among Iranian adults, insufficient research has been done on environmental factors influencing physical activity. As a result adapting a subjective (self-report) measurement tool for assessment of physical environment in Iran is critical. Accordingly, in this study Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS) was adapted for Iran and also its reliability was evaluated. Methods: This study was conducted using a systematic adaptation method consisting of 3 steps: translate-back translation procedures, revision by a multidisciplinary panel of local experts and a cognitive study. Then NEWS-Iran was completed among adults aged 18 to 65 years (N=19) with an interval of 15 days. Intra-Class Coefficient (ICC) was used to evaluate the reliability of the adapted questionnaire. Results: NEWS-Iran is an adapted version of NEWS-A (abbreviated) and in the adaptation process five items were added from other versions of NEWS, two subscales were significantly modified for a shorter and more effective questionnaire, and five new items were added about climate factors and site-specific uses. NEWS-Iran showed almost perfect reliability (ICCs: more than 0.8) for all subscales, with items having moderate to almost perfect reliability scores (ICCs: 0.56-0.96). Conclusion: This study introduced NEWS-Iran, which is a reliable version of NEWS for measuring environmental perceptions related to physical activity behavior adapted for Iran. It is the first adapted version of NEWS which demonstrates a systematic adaptation process used by earlier studies. It can be used for other developing countries with similar environmental, social and cultural context. PMID:28210592

Adaptation and reliability of neighborhood environment walkability scale (NEWS) for Iran: A questionnaire for assessing environmental correlates of physical activity.

PubMed

Hakimian, Pantea; Lak, Azadeh

2016-01-01

Background: In spite of the increased range of inactivity and obesity among Iranian adults, insufficient research has been done on environmental factors influencing physical activity. As a result adapting a subjective (self-report) measurement tool for assessment of physical environment in Iran is critical. Accordingly, in this study Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS) was adapted for Iran and also its reliability was evaluated. Methods: This study was conducted using a systematic adaptation method consisting of 3 steps: translate-back translation procedures, revision by a multidisciplinary panel of local experts and a cognitive study. Then NEWS-Iran was completed among adults aged 18 to 65 years (N=19) with an interval of 15 days. Intra-Class Coefficient (ICC) was used to evaluate the reliability of the adapted questionnaire. Results: NEWS-Iran is an adapted version of NEWS-A (abbreviated) and in the adaptation process five items were added from other versions of NEWS, two subscales were significantly modified for a shorter and more effective questionnaire, and five new items were added about climate factors and site-specific uses. NEWS-Iran showed almost perfect reliability (ICCs: more than 0.8) for all subscales, with items having moderate to almost perfect reliability scores (ICCs: 0.56-0.96). Conclusion: This study introduced NEWS-Iran, which is a reliable version of NEWS for measuring environmental perceptions related to physical activity behavior adapted for Iran. It is the first adapted version of NEWS which demonstrates a systematic adaptation process used by earlier studies. It can be used for other developing countries with similar environmental, social and cultural context.

Factor XIII deficiency in Iran: a comprehensive review of the literature.

PubMed

Dorgalaleh, Akbar; Naderi, Majid; Hosseini, Maryam Sadat; Alizadeh, Shaban; Hosseini, Soudabeh; Tabibian, Shadi; Eshghi, Peyman

2015-04-01

Factor XIII deficiency (FXIIID) is a rare bleeding disorder with an estimated prevalence of 1 in 2-million population worldwide. In Iran, a Middle Eastern country with a high rate of consanguineous marriages, there are approximately 473 patients afflicted with FXIIID. An approximately 12-fold higher prevalence of FXIIID is estimated in Iran in comparison with overall worldwide frequency. In this study, we have undertaken a comprehensive review on different aspects of FXIIID in the Iranian population. The distribution of this disease in different regions of Iran reveals that Sistan and Baluchestan Province has not only the highest number of patients with FXIIID in Iran but the highest global incidence of this condition. Among Iranian patients, umbilical cord bleeding, hematoma, and prolonged wound bleeding are the most frequent clinical manifestations. There are several disease causing mutations in Iranian patients with FXIIID, with Trp187Arg being the most common mutation in FXIIID in Iran. Traditionally, the management of FXIIID in Iran was only based on administration of fresh frozen plasma or cryoprecipitate, until 2009 when FXIII concentrate became available for patient management. Various studies have evaluated the efficacy and safety of prophylactic regimens in different situations with valuable findings. Although the focus of this study is on Iran, it offers considerable insight into FXIIID, which can be applied more extensively to improve the management and quality of life in all affected patients. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Genetic Epidemiology, Hematological and Clinical Features of Hemoglobinopathies in Iran

PubMed Central

Rahimi, Zohreh

2013-01-01

There is large variation in the molecular genetics and clinical features of hemoglobinopathies in Iran. Studying structural variants of hemoglobin demonstrated that the β-chain variants of hemoglobin S and D-Punjab are more prevalent in the Fars (southwestern Iran) and Kermanshah (western Iran) provinces, respectively. Also, α-chain variants of Hb Q-Iran and Hb Setif are prevalent in western Iran. The molecular basis and clinical severity of thalassemias are extremely heterogenous among Iranians due to the presence of multiethnic groups in the country. β-Thalassemia is more prevalent in northern and southern Iran. Among 52 different β-thalassemia mutations that have been identified among Iranian populations, IVSII-1 G:A is the most frequent mutation in most parts of the country. The presence of IVS I-5 G:C mutation with high frequency in southeastern Iran might reflect gene flow from neighboring countries. A wide spectrum of α-thalassemia alleles has been detected among Iranians with −α 3.7 kb as the most prevalent α-thalassemia mutation. The prevention program of thalassemia birth in Iran has reduced the birth rate of homozygous β-thalassemia since the implementation of the program in 1997. In this review genetic epidemiology, clinical and hematological aspects of hemoglobinopathies, and the prevention programs of β-thalassemia in Iran will be discussed. PMID:23853772

Canopy Density Mapping on Ultracam-D Aerial Imagery in Zagros Woodlands, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erfanifard, Y.; Khodaee, Z.

2013-09-01

Canopy density maps express different characteristics of forest stands, especially in woodlands. Obtaining such maps by field measurements is so expensive and time-consuming. It seems necessary to find suitable techniques to produce these maps to be used in sustainable management of woodland ecosystems. In this research, a robust procedure was suggested to obtain these maps by very high spatial resolution aerial imagery. It was aimed to produce canopy density maps by UltraCam-D aerial imagery, newly taken in Zagros woodlands by Iran National Geographic Organization (NGO), in this study. A 30 ha plot of Persian oak (Quercus persica) coppice trees was selected in Zagros woodlands, Iran. The very high spatial resolution aerial imagery of the plot purchased from NGO, was classified by kNN technique and the tree crowns were extracted precisely. The canopy density was determined in each cell of different meshes with different sizes overlaid on the study area map. The accuracy of the final maps was investigated by the ground truth obtained by complete field measurements. The results showed that the proposed method of obtaining canopy density maps was efficient enough in the study area. The final canopy density map obtained by a mesh with 30 Ar (3000 m2) cell size had 80% overall accuracy and 0.61 KHAT coefficient of agreement which shows a great agreement with the observed samples. This method can also be tested in other case studies to reveal its capability in canopy density map production in woodlands.

Isolation of Acanthamoeba Spp. from Drinking Waters in Several Hospitals of Iran

PubMed Central

Bagheri, HR; Shafiei, R; Shafiei, F; Sajjadi, SA

2010-01-01

Background Acanthamoeba is an opportunistic amphizoic protozoan found in different water sources including swimming pool as well as in sewage. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Acanthamoeba in tap-water samples in Iran. Method In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 94 samples of cold and warm tap-water were collected from different wards of hospitals in 13 cities of Iran in 2007–2008. Free residual chlorine, pH, and temperature of samples were measured. After filtration through multipore nylon membrane, samples were cultured on non-nutrient agar. Then we investigated existence of Acanthamoeba by reverse contrast phase microscope. Results Acanthamoeba was found in 45 samples (48%). Thirty-four and 11 positive samples were collected from cold and warm tap water, respectively. The samples belonged to the category of 20–30°C temperature with 0–2 ppm free residual chlorine and pH 6–7.4 showed the most coincidence to the positive cases. The greatest proportion of positive samples was obtained from Mashhad hospitals, while all samples collected from Arak and Semnan hospitals were negative. Conclusion considering the results of this study and the pathogenic role of this protozoan on patients with immunodeficiency, as well as capability of this microorganism in carrying other pathogens such as Legionella, further studies are needed. What is more important, potable water in hospitals should follow the procedure of treatment and sanitation, in order to prevent the relevant nosocomial infections. PMID:22347240

Djinnati syndrome: symptoms and prevalence in rural population of Baluchistan (southeast of Iran).

PubMed

Bakhshani, Nour Mohammad; Hosseinbore, Nasrin; Kianpoor, Mohsen

2013-12-01

The present study describes "Djinnati," a culture-bound syndrome and examines its prevalence and demographic attributes such as age, gender and education level in the rural population of Baluchistan in southeast Iran. In this cross-sectional study, the participants (n=4129) were recruited from people living in rural areas of Baluchistan (southeast Iran) by multistage sampling. The data were collected through interviews with local healers, health care personnel, family health records, interview patients suspected with the disorder and their relatives. We administered the dissociative experiences scale. Prevalence of Djinnati syndrome was about 0.5% in the studied population and 1.03% in women. All patients who experienced episodic symptoms of Djinnati were female. The most common reported symptoms were altered consciousness and memory, muteness, laughing, crying, incomprehensible speech and hallucination that have been attributed to a foreign entity called "Djinn." In addition loss of speech or change in speech rhythm and tone of voice was observed in a subgroup. In one case, speaking in a different language during the attack was reported. There was partial and rarely complete amnesia during the attack. Attacks usually lasted from 30 min to 2h. It is suggested that future studies explore prevalence of Djinnati syndrome in women and explore predisposing, precipitating, and maintaining factors. It is further suggested that a comprehensive pathology model should integrate the data related to socio-cultural context in order to prevent and treat this syndrome. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lead exposure and hair lead level of workers in a lead refinery industry in Iran

PubMed Central

Pirsaraei, Seyed Reza Azimi

2007-01-01

This study was carried out on the workers of a lead refinery industry and two control groups in Zanjan city in Iran. The scalp hair samples were collected from 25 workers who were occupationally exposed to lead contamination as a case group and from 25 subjects among the staff of the same industry and 25 subjects among Zanjan citizens as the first and second control groups respectively. A flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer used to determine lead level in all of the samples. The age of all subjects in the three groups was matched. The mean concentrations of hair lead in the workers (case group), the staff (control groupA) and the citizens (control group B) were 131.7±93.4 µgr/gr, 21.1±13.2 µgr/gr and 27.9±14.1 µgr/gr respectively. The mean concentration of hair lead in the case group was more than hair lead of normal range found in humans (0-30 µgr/gr). The mean of hair lead level in the citizens who had used gas vehicles was statistically higher than who had not used it (36.9±12.2 µgr/gr vs. 16.6±4.9 µgr/gr, P<0.001). PMID:21957365

Acute Q fever in febrile patients in northwestern of Iran.

PubMed

Esmaeili, Saber; Golzar, Farhad; Ayubi, Erfan; Naghili, Behrooz; Mostafavi, Ehsan

2017-04-01

Q fever is an endemic disease in different parts of Iran. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of acute Q fever disease among at-risk individuals in northwestern Iran. An etiological study was carried out in 2013 in Tabriz County. A total of 116 individuals who were in contact with livestock and had a nonspecific febrile illness were enrolled in the study. IgG phase II antibodies against Coxiella burnetii were detected using ELISA. The prevalence of acute Q fever was 13.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.0, 21.0%). Headache (87.5%) and fatigue and weakness (81.3%) were the dominant clinical characteristics among patients whit acute Q fever. Acute lower respiratory tract infection and chills were poorly associated with acute Q fever. Furthermore, 32% (95% CI: 24, 41%) of participants had a history of previous exposure to Q fever agent (past infection). Consumption of unpasteurized dairy products was a weak risk factor for previous exposure to C. burnetii. This study identified patients with acute Q fever in northwestern of Iran. The evidence from this study and previous studies conducted in different regions of Iran support this fact that Q fever is one of the important endemic zoonotic diseases in Iran and needs due attention by clinical physicians and health care system.

Chorionic villus sampling for beta-thalassemia: the first report of experience in Iran.

PubMed

Akhlaghpoor, Shahram

2006-12-01

Beta-thalassemia is one of the most common hereditary disorders in Iran. The prenatal diagnosis of beta-thalassemia is part of a control program in our country and it began 13 years ago. During the past 8 years the number of procedures has increased significantly as also the legal abortions. This is the first report made on the CVS program in Iran. One thousand six hundred and sixty-one cases of transabdominal Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) have been retrospectively evaluated. Among them 1381 cases had inclusion criteria. CVS results, complications and fetal loss rate were evaluated. The distributions of the population at risk were divided between eight regions that have been proposed for beta-thalassemia mapping previously. The mean age of the patients was 26.2 +/- 5.2 years with mean gestational age of 11.4 +/- 1.4 weeks. CVS was successful in all the patients (100%) although 1% required a second procedure. Post CVS fetal loss was 1.45%. Other minor complications were bleeding or spotting (1.81%), amniotic fluid leak (0.5%), small sub-chorionic hematoma (0.58%), severe abdominal pain (0.6%) and severe vasovagal reaction (0.14%). Late complications were seen in 0.21% (oligohydraminos). Approximately 2/3 of the patients were referred from three regions of the country, North (26.8%), South West (22.4%), Central (19.5%) and the remainder (31.3%) were from the other five regions. CVS is a safe and effective method for prenatal diagnosis of beta-thalassemia in countries with a high prevalence as in Iran. The overall complication rate is quite low and acceptable. Fortunately the recent acceptance of legal abortion with respect to Muslim rules has increased the effectiveness of the procedure and made great advances in its application in Iran. Correspondingly, social knowledge has also improved but still there is a gap between the population at risk and the required prenatal diagnosis laboratories and sampling centers. 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

School Physical Education Curriculum of Iran from Experts' Perspective: "What It Is and Should Be"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nazari, Hossein; Jafari, Ebrahim Mirshah; Nasr, Ahmad Reza; Marandi, Seyed Mohammad

2017-01-01

This study aimed to evaluate the current physical education curriculum of elementary schools (first and second grades) in Iran. This is an applied study conducted using grounded theory and the research method is qualitative. The research population consisted of all professors in Iran in the field of physical education, of whom, 15 people were…

Nurse Leaders' Experiences of Implementing Career Advancement Programs for Nurses in Iran.

PubMed

Sheikhi, Mohammad Reza; Fallahi Khoshknab, Masoud; Mohammadi, Farahnaz; Oskouie, Fatemeh

2015-02-24

Career advancement programs are currently implemented in many countries. In Iran, the first career advancement program was Nurses' Career Advancement Pathway. The purpose of this study was to explore nurse leaders' experiences about implementing the Nurses' Career Advancement Pathway program in Iran. This exploratory qualitative study was conducted in 2013. Sixteen nurse managers were recruited from the teaching hospitals affiliated to Shahid Behesthi, Qazvin, and Iran Universities of Medical Sciences in Iran. Participants were recruited using purposive sampling method. Study data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews. The conventional content analysis approach was used for data analysis. participants' experiences about implementing the Nurses' Career Advancement Pathway fell into three main categories including: a) the shortcomings of performance evaluation, b) greater emphasis on point accumulation, c) the advancement-latitude mismatch. The Nurses' Career Advancement pathway has several shortcomings regarding both its content and its implementation. Therefore, it is recommended to revise the program.

Identifying the Challenges of Iran's Health Houses and Presenting a Solution.

PubMed

Saberi, Seyed Hossein; Alimehr, Mostafa; Amiresmaili, Mohammadreza; Seyednezhad, Maryam

2016-10-01

After more than three decades of network system design, epidemiological transition, as well as the change in needs and expectations of rural communities, have brought some challenges for Iran's health houses. So, this study is aimed at identifying these challenges through a qualitative study. This was a qualitative and phenomenological study which was carried out in three phases in Iran in 2015. In the first phase, the required data was collected through semi-structured interviews with selected experts, health workers and referrals to Iran's health houses, so that all were selected purposefully. In the second phase, two expert panels were conducted to provide solutions. In the third phase the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats were evaluated using the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) method. The data of the first two phases were analyzed using the Collaizi method. Fourteen subthemes under five themes of ; quality of provided services, human resources, infrastructure, inter-sectorial and intra-sectorial relations, and contextual factors were identified as the challenges of Iran's health houses, and consist of fourteen sub themes. Continuous education of health workers, equipping and renovating old buildings, improving inter and intra-sectorial relationships and the proportionating workload with a number of workers, were the most important solutions. The study showed that, over time, many of the functions of Iran's health houses have been faced with problems, therefore, training the manpower, equipping Iran's health houses and creating better public spaces and building culture are recommended to enhance the effectiveness and revisions based on the study.

U.S. Strategy for Iran Following its Achievement of Nuclear Weapon Capability

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-04-01

Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida, 2007), 155. 2 Isaiah Wilson III, “Rediscovering Containment: The Sources of American-Iranian...72 Pollack, “The Threat from Iran,” 3. 73 Thomas Donnelly, “Strategy for a Nuclear Iran,” In Getting Ready for a Nuclear-Ready Iran, (Carlisle, PA...Strategic Studies Institute, Oct 2005), 167. 74 Jane’s Sentinel Country Risk Assessments, 111. 75 Stanley, 24. 76 Isaiah Wilson III

Main Determinants of Supplementary Health Insurance Demand: (Case of Iran)

PubMed Central

Motlagh, Soraya Nouraei; Gorji, Hassan Abolghasem; Mahdavi, Ghadir; Ghaderi, Hossein

2015-01-01

Introduction: In the majority of developing countries, the volume of medical insurance services, provided by social insurance organizations is inadequate. Thus, supplementary medical insurance is proposed as a means to address inadequacy of medical insurance. Accordingly, in this article, we attempted to provide the context for expansion of this important branch of insurance through identification of essential factors affecting demand for supplementary medical insurance. Method: In this study, two methods were used to identify essential factors affecting choice of supplementary medical insurance including Classification and Regression Trees (CART) and Bayesian logit. To this end, Excel® software was used to refine data and R® software for estimation. The present study was conducted during 2012, covering all provinces in Iran. Sample size included 18,541 urban households, selected by Statistical Center of Iran using 3-stage cluster sampling approach. In this study, all data required were collected from the Statistical Center of Iran. Results: In 2012, an overall 8.04% of the Iranian population benefited from supplementary medical insurance. Demand for supplementary insurance is a concave function of age of the household head, and peaks in middle-age when savings and income are highest. The present study results showed greater likelihood of demand for supplementary medical insurance in households with better economic status, higher educated heads, female heads, and smaller households with greater expected medical expenses, and household income is the most important factor affecting demand for supplementary medical insurance. Conclusion: Since demand for supplementary medical insurance is hugely influenced by households’ economic status, policy-makers in the health sector should devise measures to improve households’ economic or financial access to supplementary insurance services, by identifying households in the lower economic deciles, and increasing their financial ability to pay. Moreover, insurance companies should adjust their insurance policy according to clients’ needs, household characteristics, and their incomes. PMID:26153181

Suicidal behavior by burns among women in two bordering provinces in Iran

PubMed Central

Alaghehbandan, R.; Dinn, N.A.; Rastegar Lari, E.; Rastegar Lari, A.

2015-01-01

Summary The objective of the study was to describe epidemiologic features of suicidal behavior by burns among women in two bordering provinces in Iran. A prospective hospital-based study of all suicidal behaviors by burns among women was carried out in the Iranian provinces of Khorasan (which borders Afghanistan) and Ilam (which borders Iraq) in 2006. These two provinces suffered from war and economic instability with high rates of poverty and unemployment. Data were obtained from patients, family members, and/or significant others through interviews during the course of hospitalization. Of 181 hospitalized patients, 130 (71.8%) were female, representing a hospital separation rate of 5.4 per 100,000 person-year (P-Y). The rate of suicidal behavior involving burns among the rural population was higher than that in the urban population (6.3 vs. 4.7 per 100,000 P-Y, P = 0.09). The median age of the patients was 23 years old, with a mean (±SD) of 27.9 (±14.3) years old. Approximately 68.5% of women were married. Quarrels with “a family member, spouse, a relative, or a friend” (marital plus other conflicts) was identified as the most common precipitating factor (88.5%) in attempting suicide. More than one third of women were abused (physically and/or verbally) by family members (i.e. spouse, father-in-law). Case fatality rate in this study was 52.3% (68/130). Suicide by burns is still a socio-epidemiological problem in Iran, particularly among young, married women in rural areas. Social and economic conditions, as well as violence against women, play a major role in the high rate of suicide by burns. The findings of this study highlight the need for the implementation of a well-organized approach to reduce the rate of suicide by burns among the most vulnerable populations in Iran. PMID:27252614

The impact of international economic sanctions on Iranian cancer healthcare.

PubMed

Shahabi, Shohreh; Fazlalizadeh, Hooman; Stedman, Jennifer; Chuang, Linus; Shariftabrizi, Ahmad; Ram, Regina

2015-10-01

In 2012, Iranian's economy collapsed under strain from sanctions instituted to stop Iran from violating the International Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Sanctions have indirectly led to serious healthcare concerns, specifically cancer treatment. This is the first report to evaluate Iranian cancer healthcare while under international economic sanctions. Data and information were identified by searches of MEDLINE, PubMed, and references from relevant articles using the search terms: "Iran", "health policy", "sanctions", "ethics", and "cancer". Articles published in the English language between 1966 and present were included, based on relevance to sanctions or the specific case of sanctions in Iran. The Program of Action for Cancer Therapy evaluated Iran's National Cancer Control Program (NCCP), reporting it has substantial deficits, including prevention, diagnosis/treatment, palliative care, monitoring, and technology, with a serious drug shortage for cancer care. Sanctions have exemptions for medicines and food, but lead to disruption of health services through complications in transportation, transferring currencies or lack of money. There is increasing evidence that sanctions harm vulnerable populations, while blocking globalization and not creating political or social change quickly. Improvement of Iran's NCCP is not feasible, and the health of cancer patients will continue to decline while the sanctions are in effect. The solution is complex, but a modern and innovative approach to diplomacy, which includes human rights, is necessary. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Data on the effect of geological and meteorological parameters on indoor radon and thoron level- case study: Kermanshah, Iran.

PubMed

Pirsaheb, Meghdad; Najafi, Farid; Hemati, Lida; Khosravi, Touba; Sharafi, Hooshmand

2018-06-01

The present study was aimed to evaluate the relationship between indoor radon and thoron concentrations, geological and meteorological parameters. The radon and thoron concentrations were determined in three hospitals in Kermanshah, the west part of Iran, using the RTM-1688-2 radon meter. Also, the type and porosity of the underlying soil and the meteorological parameters such as temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, rainfall and wind speed were studied and the obtained results analyzed using STATA-Ver.8. In this study the obtained radon concentration was furthered in buildings which constructed on the soil with clayey gravel and sand feature than the soil with clay characteristic and little pasty with a significant difference ( P < 0.05). While the lower coefficient about 1.3 was obtained in measured the thoron concentration and a significant difference was not observed. So the soil porosity can extremely effect on the indoor radon amount. Among all studied meteorological parameters, temperature has been determined as the most important meteorological parameter, influence the indoor radon and thoron concentrations.

Synthesis of instrumentally and historically recorded earthquakes and studying their spatial statistical relationship (A case study: Dasht-e-Biaz, Eastern Iran)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jalali, Mohammad; Ramazi, Hamidreza

2018-06-01

Earthquake catalogues are the main source of statistical seismology for the long term studies of earthquake occurrence. Therefore, studying the spatiotemporal problems is important to reduce the related uncertainties in statistical seismology studies. A statistical tool, time normalization method, has been determined to revise time-frequency relationship in one of the most active regions of Asia, Eastern Iran and West of Afghanistan, (a and b were calculated around 8.84 and 1.99 in the exponential scale, not logarithmic scale). Geostatistical simulation method has been further utilized to reduce the uncertainties in the spatial domain. A geostatistical simulation produces a representative, synthetic catalogue with 5361 events to reduce spatial uncertainties. The synthetic database is classified using a Geographical Information System, GIS, based on simulated magnitudes to reveal the underlying seismicity patterns. Although some regions with highly seismicity correspond to known faults, significantly, as far as seismic patterns are concerned, the new method highlights possible locations of interest that have not been previously identified. It also reveals some previously unrecognized lineation and clusters in likely future strain release.

Patient rights in Iran: a review article.

PubMed

Joolaee, Soodabeh; Hajibabaee, Fatemeh

2012-01-01

A significant development for conducting research on patient rights has been made in Iran over the past decade. This study is conducted in order to review and analyze the previous studies that have been made, so far, concerning patient rights in Iran. This is a comprehensive review study conducted by searching the Iranian databases, Scientific Information Database, Iranian Research Institute for Information Science and Technology, Iran Medex and Google using the Persian equivalent of keywords for 'awareness', 'attitude', and 'patient rights'. For pertinent Iranian papers published in English, scientific databases PubMed, and Google Scholar were searched using the keyword 'patient rights' and 'Iran'. A total of 41 Persian and five English articles were found for these keywords, only 26 of which fulfilled the objective of our study. The increasing number of papers published indicates that from 1999 onwards, this subject has begun to draw the attention of Iranian researchers in a progressive fashion and Iranian papers in English have also been compiled and published in international sources.

National and sub-national drinking water fluoride concentrations and prevalence of fluorosis and of decayed, missed, and filled teeth in Iran from 1990 to 2015: a systematic review.

PubMed

Taghipour, Nader; Amini, Heresh; Mosaferi, Mohammad; Yunesian, Masud; Pourakbar, Mojtaba; Taghipour, Hassan

2016-03-01

Fluoride intake, fluorosis, and dental caries could affect quality of life and disease burden worldwide. As a part of the National and Sub-national Burden of Disease Study (NASBOD) in Iran, we conducted a systematic review to evaluate province-year-specific mean drinking water fluoride concentrations and prevalence of fluorosis and of decayed, missed, and filled teeth (DMFT) in Iran from 1990 to December 2015. We did electronic searches of all English and Persian publications on PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and Iranian databases. Results revealed that the weighted mean drinking water fluoride concentration in Iran from 1990 to 2015 has been about 0.65 ± 0.38 mg/l. However, based on the WHO guideline value (1.50 mg/l) and the maximum permissible Iranian national fluoride standard (1.40 to 2.40 mg/l depending on the region's climate), there have been some regions in Iran with non-optimum fluoride concentrations in their drinking water (up to 7.0 mg/l). Overall, concentrations have been higher in southern parts of Iran and in some areas of Azerbaijan-e-Gharbi Province in the northwest and lower in the rest of the northwest and central parts of Iran. In addition, some hotspots have been found in Bushehr Province, southwest of Iran. The highest prevalence of dental flourosis has been reported in normal index while the lowest prevalence has been expressed in severe index. The lowest DMFT (about 0.1) was in Arsanjan City in Fars Province, and the highest (about 6.7) was for Najaf Abad City in Isfahan Province. Prevalence of fluorosis has been rather high in studied areas of Iran (e.g. 100 % in Maku City in Azarbaijan-e-Gharbi Province), and there was discrepancy for DMFT, but a lack of studies renders the results inconclusive. Further studies, health education and promotion plans, and evidence-based nutrition programs are recommended.

Sport Injuries of Karate During Training: An Epidemiologic Study in Iran.

PubMed

Ziaee, Vahid; Shobbar, Montazer; Lotfian, Sara; Ahmadinejad, Mahdi

2015-06-01

Karate is a public sport that has athletes in various age ranges and abundant active sport clubs in Iran. The pattern of injury in this sport in Iranian athletes seems different from other countries. This study was performed with the purpose of considering the incidence and type of injury of karate athletes aged below 30 years from Tehran, Iran clubs. In a cross-sectional study, 10 karate clubs were selected in Tehran. Clubs were selected based on a cluster method from 5 different geographical regions of Tehran. All injuries were collected based on athletes' or clubs' weekly report with a designed questionnaire. The injuries were classified according to: low, medium and severe injury. Collected data was analyzed with SPSS software version 17. 620 athletes were studied totally and incidence rate of injury per athletes was 16.1% and 20.2 per 100 athletes. Ninety percent of injuries were during bout practice, 6% during fitness and 4% during kata. The rate of injury was more common in athletes with weight less than 70 kg and lower sport experience (P ≤ 0.05). The commonest locations for injury were head and neck followed by trunk, lower and upper limb, respectively. Just 2 cases needed surgical intervention and no one led to decreased level of consciousness. The most common type of injury was contusion, bruise and superficial scratch (64%). Severe injury was uncommon in this study and similar to other Iranian studies head and neck had the most injuries. Athletes with lower experience and lower weight were associated with higher injuries.

Sport Injuries of Karate During Training: An Epidemiologic Study in Iran

PubMed Central

Ziaee, Vahid; Shobbar, Montazer; Lotfian, Sara; Ahmadinejad, Mahdi

2015-01-01

Background: Karate is a public sport that has athletes in various age ranges and abundant active sport clubs in Iran. The pattern of injury in this sport in Iranian athletes seems different from other countries. Objectives: This study was performed with the purpose of considering the incidence and type of injury of karate athletes aged below 30 years from Tehran, Iran clubs. Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 10 karate clubs were selected in Tehran. Clubs were selected based on a cluster method from 5 different geographical regions of Tehran. All injuries were collected based on athletes’ or clubs’ weekly report with a designed questionnaire. The injuries were classified according to: low, medium and severe injury. Collected data was analyzed with SPSS software version 17. Results: 620 athletes were studied totally and incidence rate of injury per athletes was 16.1% and 20.2 per 100 athletes. Ninety percent of injuries were during bout practice, 6% during fitness and 4% during kata. The rate of injury was more common in athletes with weight less than 70 kg and lower sport experience (P ≤ 0.05). The commonest locations for injury were head and neck followed by trunk, lower and upper limb, respectively. Just 2 cases needed surgical intervention and no one led to decreased level of consciousness. The most common type of injury was contusion, bruise and superficial scratch (64%). Conclusions: Severe injury was uncommon in this study and similar to other Iranian studies head and neck had the most injuries. Athletes with lower experience and lower weight were associated with higher injuries. PMID:26448843

Prevalence of Strongyloides stercoralis and Other Intestinal Parasites among Institutionalized Mentally Disabled Individuals in Rasht, Northern Iran

PubMed Central

SAEIDINIA, Amin; TAVAKOLI, Ilnaz; NAGHIPOUR, Mohammad Reza; RAHMATI, Behnaz; GHAVAMI LAHIJI, Hossein; SALKHORI, Omid; ASHRAFI, Keyhan

2016-01-01

Background: We aimed to determine the status of strongyloidiasis in mentally disabled population in the institutional places in Rasht City, the capital of Guilan Province, northern Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 8 institutions for mentally retarded population in Rasht in 2013. Before collecting the samples, a questionnaire was filled out for each participant by an expert person. A single stool sample was obtained from each of the 173 subjects and examined using direct wet mount, formalin-ether concentration technique and agar plate culture method. Results: A total of 173 mentally disabled individuals aged 2–57 (25.69±11.56) yr old were studied. Stool examination showed that 51 (29.5%) cases were infected with at least one parasite. Of 173 studied cases only 10 (5.8%) individuals were infected with pathogenic parasites, of which 2 (1.2%) cases were infected with Strongyloides stercoralis and 8 (4.6%) with Giardia lamblia. On the other hand, 42 (24.3%) of the studied population were infected with non-pathogenic intestinal protozoa such as Blastocystis hominis (n=29, 16.8%), Entamoeba coli (n=16, 9.2%) and Endolimax nana (n=4, 2.3%). Mixed protozoal infections were observed in 8 (4.6%) individuals. Conclusion: The prevalence rate of S. stercoralis in mentally disabled individuals in Rasht was somewhat higher than those of normal population of the province. The same picture was seen when the prevalence of G. lamblia and non-pathogenic protozoa in normal and mentally disabled populations were compared. PMID:28127364

DNMT3B -579 G>T Promoter Polymorphism and the Risk of Gastric Cancer in the West of Iran.

PubMed

Ahmadi, Kulsom; Soleimani, Azam; Irani, Shiva; Kiani, Aliasghar; Ghanadi, Kourosh; Noormohamadi, Zahra; Sakinejad, Foroozan

2018-06-01

Many studies have suggested that modulation of DNMT3B function caused by single nucleotide polymorphisms of the DNMT3B promoter region may underlie the susceptibility to various cancers such as tumors of the digestive system. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of -579 G>T polymorphism in the promoter of the DNMT3B gene on risk of gastric cancer in a population from West Iran. We conducted a case-control study in 100 gastric cancer patients and 112 cancer-free controls to assess the correlation between DNMT3B -579 G>T (rs1569686) polymorphism and the risk of gastric cancer. Detection of genotypes of DNMT3B G39179T polymorphism was analyzed by PCR-RFLP. There was no significant difference in the distribution of DNMT3B -579 G>T genotypes between the cases and controls. However, in the stratified analysis by clinicopathological characteristic types, we found that statistically, the risk susceptibility to gastric cancer was significantly associated with tumor grade II and GT/TT genotype of patients, compared to patients having GG genotype, (OR = 5.4737, 95% CI = 1.4746. 20.3184, P = 0.01). Our study suggested that the -579 T allele may increase the relative risk for the progression of clinicopathological characteristic of tumor grade of gastric cancer patients.

Paternal age increases the risk for autism in an Iranian population sample.

PubMed

Sasanfar, Roksana; Haddad, Stephen A; Tolouei, Ala; Ghadami, Majid; Yu, Dongmei; Santangelo, Susan L

2010-02-22

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder which is known to have a strong genetic component and is most likely oligogenic. However, the necessary role of environmental factors has been well documented. Prior research suggests that parental characteristics, such as age and level of education, may be associated with a risk of autism. Parental age has been shown to be associated with many disorders, such as schizophrenia, childhood cancer and fetal death. However, results from studies of parental age and autism are inconsistent. In the present study, we investigated the association of autism with parental age in 179 autism cases and 1611 matched cohort children from Iran. Each case was matched with nine cohort controls on parental education, sex, order of birth, consanguineous marriage, urbanism and province of residence. The Cox regression model was used to carry out conditional logistic regression on the matched data. There was a significant association between higher paternal age, but not maternal age, and an increasing risk of autism. An analysis of the combined effect of parental age and education also revealed that parents with higher education had an increased risk of having autistic children, with a dose-response effect of parental age. This study, which is the first epidemiological study of autism in Iran, provides evidence of the association of paternal age and risk of autism.

Paternal age increases the risk for autism in an Iranian population sample

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder which is known to have a strong genetic component and is most likely oligogenic. However, the necessary role of environmental factors has been well documented. Prior research suggests that parental characteristics, such as age and level of education, may be associated with a risk of autism. Parental age has been shown to be associated with many disorders, such as schizophrenia, childhood cancer and fetal death. However, results from studies of parental age and autism are inconsistent. Methods In the present study, we investigated the association of autism with parental age in 179 autism cases and 1611 matched cohort children from Iran. Each case was matched with nine cohort controls on parental education, sex, order of birth, consanguineous marriage, urbanism and province of residence. The Cox regression model was used to carry out conditional logistic regression on the matched data. Results There was a significant association between higher paternal age, but not maternal age, and an increasing risk of autism. An analysis of the combined effect of parental age and education also revealed that parents with higher education had an increased risk of having autistic children, with a dose-response effect of parental age. Conclusions This study, which is the first epidemiological study of autism in Iran, provides evidence of the association of paternal age and risk of autism. PMID:20678245

An investigation on thermal patterns in Iran based on spatial autocorrelation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fallah Ghalhari, Gholamabbas; Dadashi Roudbari, Abbasali

2018-02-01

The present study aimed at investigating temporal-spatial patterns and monthly patterns of temperature in Iran using new spatial statistical methods such as cluster and outlier analysis, and hotspot analysis. To do so, climatic parameters, monthly average temperature of 122 synoptic stations, were assessed. Statistical analysis showed that January with 120.75% had the most fluctuation among the studied months. Global Moran's Index revealed that yearly changes of temperature in Iran followed a strong spatially clustered pattern. Findings showed that the biggest thermal cluster pattern in Iran, 0.975388, occurred in May. Cluster and outlier analyses showed that thermal homogeneity in Iran decreases in cold months, while it increases in warm months. This is due to the radiation angle and synoptic systems which strongly influence thermal order in Iran. The elevations, however, have the most notable part proved by Geographically weighted regression model. Iran's thermal analysis through hotspot showed that hot thermal patterns (very hot, hot, and semi-hot) were dominant in the South, covering an area of 33.5% (about 552,145.3 km2). Regions such as mountain foot and low lands lack any significant spatial autocorrelation, 25.2% covering about 415,345.1 km2. The last is the cold thermal area (very cold, cold, and semi-cold) with about 25.2% covering about 552,145.3 km2 of the whole area of Iran.

Requirements for effective academic leadership in Iran: A Nominal Group Technique exercise

PubMed Central

Bikmoradi, Ali; Brommels, Mats; Shoghli, Alireza; Sohrabi, Zohreh; Masiello, Italo

2008-01-01

Background During the last two decades, medical education in Iran has shifted from elite to mass education, with a considerable increase in number of schools, faculties, and programs. Because of this transformation, it is a good case now to explore academic leadership in a non-western country. The objective of this study was to explore the views on effective academic leadership requirements held by key informants in Iran's medical education system. Methods A nominal group study was conducted by strategic sampling in which participants were requested to discuss and report on requirements for academic leadership, suggestions and barriers. Written notes from the discussions were transcribed and subjected to content analysis. Results Six themes of effective academic leadership emerged: 1)shared vision, goal, and strategy, 2) teaching and research leadership, 3) fair and efficient management, 4) mutual trust and respect, 5) development and recognition, and 6) transformational leadership. Current Iranian academic leadership suffers from lack of meritocracy, conservative leaders, politicization, bureaucracy, and belief in misconceptions. Conclusion The structure of the Iranian medical university system is not supportive of effective academic leadership. However, participants' views on effective academic leadership are in line with what is also found in the western literature, that is, if the managers could create the premises for a supportive and transformational leadership, they could generate mutual trust and respect in academia and increase scientific production. PMID:18430241

Requirements for effective academic leadership in Iran: a nominal group technique exercise.

PubMed

Bikmoradi, Ali; Brommels, Mats; Shoghli, Alireza; Sohrabi, Zohreh; Masiello, Italo

2008-04-22

During the last two decades, medical education in Iran has shifted from elite to mass education, with a considerable increase in number of schools, faculties, and programs. Because of this transformation, it is a good case now to explore academic leadership in a non-western country. The objective of this study was to explore the views on effective academic leadership requirements held by key informants in Iran's medical education system. A nominal group study was conducted by strategic sampling in which participants were requested to discuss and report on requirements for academic leadership, suggestions and barriers. Written notes from the discussions were transcribed and subjected to content analysis. Six themes of effective academic leadership emerged: 1)shared vision, goal, and strategy, 2) teaching and research leadership, 3) fair and efficient management, 4) mutual trust and respect, 5) development and recognition, and 6) transformational leadership. Current Iranian academic leadership suffers from lack of meritocracy, conservative leaders, politicization, bureaucracy, and belief in misconceptions. The structure of the Iranian medical university system is not supportive of effective academic leadership. However, participants' views on effective academic leadership are in line with what is also found in the western literature, that is, if the managers could create the premises for a supportive and transformational leadership, they could generate mutual trust and respect in academia and increase scientific production.

Ethno-Medicinal Plants Used to Cure Jaundice by Traditional Healers of Mashhad, Iran

PubMed Central

Amiri, Mohammad Sadegh; Joharchi, Mohammad Reza; TaghavizadehYazdi, Mohammad Ehsan

2014-01-01

Jaundice is the commonest ailments affecting the citizens of both developed and poor Asians countries including Iran. An ethnobotanical survey of plants used by the traditional healers for the treatment of jaundice was conducted in the Mashhad city, Northeastern Iran. A total of 37 plants belonging to 32 genera and 26 families have been documented for their therapeutic use against jaundice. The plant families which contained the most commonly used species for their effects are: Fabaceae (5 species), Polygonaceae (4 sp.), Asteraceae (3 sp.), Plantaginaceae (2 sp.) and Salicaceae (2 sp.). The plants were arranged with correct nomenclature along with their common name, family, the part used and their medicinal value. The use of decoction is the most preferred method of herbal preparation. In all cases, the treatment involved oral administration of the extracts 2 to 3 times daily from a week to month till the problem disappears. Cichorium intybus, Salix alba, Cotoneaster nummularius, Descurainia sophia, Malva sylvestris, Berberis integrrima, Rumex acetosella, Phyllanthus emblica and Alhagi maurorum were repeatedly mentioned by the traditional healers as the most widely used for the treatment of jaundice in the study area. The study indicates that the local inhabitants rely on medicinal plants for treatment. This paper suggested that further clinical experimentation is needed to scientifically evaluate these widely used herbal remedies for possible bioactive effects. PMID:24734067

Ethno-medicinal plants used to cure jaundice by traditional healers of mashhad, iran.

PubMed

Amiri, Mohammad Sadegh; Joharchi, Mohammad Reza; Taghavizadehyazdi, Mohammad Ehsan

2014-01-01

Jaundice is the commonest ailments affecting the citizens of both developed and poor Asians countries including Iran. An ethnobotanical survey of plants used by the traditional healers for the treatment of jaundice was conducted in the Mashhad city, Northeastern Iran. A total of 37 plants belonging to 32 genera and 26 families have been documented for their therapeutic use against jaundice. The plant families which contained the most commonly used species for their effects are: Fabaceae (5 species), Polygonaceae (4 sp.), Asteraceae (3 sp.), Plantaginaceae (2 sp.) and Salicaceae (2 sp.). The plants were arranged with correct nomenclature along with their common name, family, the part used and their medicinal value. The use of decoction is the most preferred method of herbal preparation. In all cases, the treatment involved oral administration of the extracts 2 to 3 times daily from a week to month till the problem disappears. Cichorium intybus, Salix alba, Cotoneaster nummularius, Descurainia sophia, Malva sylvestris, Berberis integrrima, Rumex acetosella, Phyllanthus emblica and Alhagi maurorum were repeatedly mentioned by the traditional healers as the most widely used for the treatment of jaundice in the study area. The study indicates that the local inhabitants rely on medicinal plants for treatment. This paper suggested that further clinical experimentation is needed to scientifically evaluate these widely used herbal remedies for possible bioactive effects.

Medical Waste Management in Community Health Centers.

PubMed

Tabrizi, Jafar Sadegh; Rezapour, Ramin; Saadati, Mohammad; Seifi, Samira; Amini, Behnam; Varmazyar, Farahnaz

2018-02-01

Non-standard management of medical waste leads to irreparable side effects. This issue is of double importance in health care centers in a city which are the most extensive system for providing Primary Health Care (PHC) across Iran cities. This study investigated the medical waste management standards observation in Tabriz community health care centers, northwestern Iran. In this triangulated cross-sectional study (qualitative-quantitative), data collecting tool was a valid checklist of waste management process developed based on Iranian medical waste management standards. The data were collected in 2015 through process observation and interviews with the health center's staff. The average rate of waste management standards observance in Tabriz community health centers, Tabriz, Iran was 29.8%. This case was 22.8% in dimension of management and training, 27.3% in separating and collecting, 31.2% in transport and temporary storage, and 42.9% in sterilization and disposal. Lack of principal separation of wastes, inappropriate collecting and disposal cycle of waste and disregarding safety tips (fertilizer device performance monitoring, microbial cultures and so on) were among the observed defects in health care centers supported by quantitative data. Medical waste management was not in a desirable situation in Tabriz community health centers. The expansion of community health centers in different regions and non-observance of standards could predispose to incidence the risks resulted from medical wastes. So it is necessary to adopt appropriate policies to promote waste management situation.

Attitudes of Agricultural Experts Toward Genetically Modified Crops: A Case Study in Southwest Iran.

PubMed

Ghanian, Mansour; Ghoochani, Omid M; Kitterlin, Miranda; Jahangiry, Sheida; Zarafshani, Kiumars; Van Passel, Steven; Azadi, Hossein

2016-04-01

The production of genetically modified (GM) crops is growing around the world, and with it possible opportunities to combat food insecurity and hunger, as well as solutions to current problems facing conventional agriculture. In this regard the use of GMOs in food and agricultural applications has increased greatly over the past decade. However, the development of GM crops has been a matter of considerable interest and worldwide public controversy. This, in addition to skepticism, has stifled the use of this practice on a large scale in many areas, including Iran. It stands to reason that a greater understanding of this practice could be formed after a review of the existing expert opinions surrounding GM crops. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze the predictors that influence agricultural experts' attitudes toward the development of and policies related to GM crops. Using a descriptive correlational research method, questionnaire data was collected from 65 experts from the Agricultural Organization in the Gotvand district in Southwest Iran. Results indicated that agricultural experts were aware of the environmental benefits and possible risks associated with GM crops. The majority of participants agreed that GM crops could improve food security and accelerate rural development, and were proponents of labeling practices for GM crops. Finally, there was a positive correlation between the perception of benefits and attitudes towards GM crops.

Knowledge of healthy lifestyle in Iran: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Ghanei, Mostafa; Ahmady, Khodabakhsh; Babaei, Mansour; Tavana, Ali Mehrabi; Bahadori, Mohammadkarim; Ebadi, Abbas; Poursaid, Syed Masood

2016-01-01

Introduction Lifestyle is a set of goals, plans, values, attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs manifested in the personal and family life of the individual and in her or his social interactions. It is an interdisciplinary concept that involves a health-oriented view of the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual domains of life. Despite their great importance, there is not much knowledge in Iran about healthy lifestyles. The present study is an attempt to address the knowledge of healthy lifestyle in Iran through a review of the literature on the subject. Methods The present systematic review searched Elsevier, SID, Pub Med, Magiran, IranMedex, and Google Scholar databases for relevant articles published between 2000 and 2014. We used various keywords for the searches, including knowledge, lifestyle, health, and Iran. As a result, 62 articles were included in the study. Results There has been a dramatic increase in the publication of articles on lifestyle in Iran over the past 10 years. The results obtained showed that 64% of the articles addressed physical health, 14% addressed psychological health, 10% addressed social health, and 12% addressed spiritual health. Most lifestyle studies conducted in Iran have focused on physical health, and a few have examined the psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of lifestyle. None of the studies has examined the knowledge map of healthy lifestyles in Iran. Conclusion Given the changes in the causes of mortality from infectious and chronic diseases that impose greater medication and treatment costs on the society, and since diseases caused by unhealthy lifestyles have become the leading cause of death, it is essential for health researchers to focus on the root cause of these diseases, i.e., lifestyle and human behaviors. PMID:27123231

Validation of γ-radiation and ultraviolet as a new inactivators for foot and mouth disease virus in comparison with the traditional methods

PubMed Central

Mahdy, Safy El din; Hassanin, Amr Ismail; Gamal El-Din, Wael Mossad; Ibrahim, Ehab El-Sayed; Fakhry, Hiam Mohamed

2015-01-01

Aim: The present work deals with different methods for foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) inactivation for serotypes O/pan Asia, A/Iran05, and SAT-2/2012 by heat, gamma radiation, and ultraviolet (UV) in comparison with the traditional methods and their effects on the antigenicity of viruses for production of inactivated vaccines. Materials and Methods: FMDV types O/pan Asia, A/Iran05, and SAT-2/2012 were propagated in baby hamster kidney 21 (BHK21) and titrated then divided into five parts; the first part inactivated with heat, the second part inactivated with gamma radiation, the third part inactivated with UV light, the fourth part inactivated with binary ethylamine, and the last part inactivated with combination of binary ethylamine and formaldehyde (BEI+FA). Evaluate the method of inactivation via inoculation in BHK21, inoculation in suckling baby mice and complement fixation test then formulate vaccine using different methods of inactivation then applying the quality control tests to evaluate each formulated vaccine. Results: The effect of heat, gamma radiation, and UV on the ability of replication of FMDV “O/pan Asia, A/Iran05, and SAT-2/2012” was determined through BHK cell line passage. Each of the 9 virus aliquots titer 108 TCID50 (3 for each strain) were exposed to 37, 57, and 77°C for 15, 30, and 45 min. Similarly, another 15 aliquots (5 for each strain) contain 1 mm depth of the exposed samples in petri-dish was exposed to UV light (252.7 nm wavelength: One foot distance) for 15, 30, 45, 60, and 65 min. Different doses of gamma radiation (10, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, and 60 KGy) were applied in a dose rate 0.551 Gy/s for each strain and repeated 6 times for each dose. FMDV (O/pan Asia, A/Iran05, and SAT-2/2012) were inactivated when exposed to heat ≥57°C for 15 min. The UV inactivation of FMDV (O/pan Asia and SAT-2) was obtained within 60 min and 65 min for type A/Iran05. The ideal dose for inactivation of FMDV (O/pan Asia, A/Iran05, and SAT-2/2012) with gamma radiation were 55-60 and 45 kGy, respectively. Inactivation of FMDV with binary was 20, 24 and 16 hr for O/pan Asia, A/Iran05, and SAT-2/2012, respectively while inactivation by (BEI+FA) was determined after 18, 19 and 11 hr for O/pan-Asia, A/Iran 05, and SAT-2/2012, respectively. The antigenicity of control virus before inactivation was 1/32, it was not changed after inactivation in case of gamma radiation and (BEI+FA) and slightly decrease to 1/16 in case of binary and declined to 1/2, 1/4 in case of heat and UV inactivation, respectively. The immune response induced by inactivated FMD vaccines by gamma radiation and (BEI+FA) lasted to 9 months post-vaccination, while the binary only still up to 8 months post-vaccination but heat and UV-inactivated vaccines were not effective. Conclusion: Gamma radiation could be considered a good new inactivator inducing the same results of inactivated vaccine by binary with formaldehyde (BEI+FA). PMID:27047204

Effect of Group Counseling on Quality of Life among Postmenopausal Women in Hamadan, Iran.

PubMed

Parsa, Parisa; Tabesh, Roya Ahmainia; Soltani, Farzaneh; Karami, Manoochehr

2017-04-01

This study aimed to investigate the effect of counseling on quality of life (QOL) in postmenopausal women conducted in Hamadan, Iran in 2015. In this quasi-experimental study, 80 postmenopausal women were randomly selected and allocated to case and control groups (40 per group). Data collection tool included questionnaires of demographic information and QOL during menopause, which were completed by the samples before the intervention. In the case group, training program was run during four sessions in the form of weekly consulting sessions for 45 to 60 minutes. Training program included familiarity with menopause symptoms, confrontation and self-care during this period. The control group, only received routine cares. Three months after intervention, information were collected in both groups. Data were analyzed using SPSS for Windows. Before the intervention, mean ± standard deviation for QOL in case group was 101.2 ± 31.4 and it was significantly decreased to 96.9 ± 27.0 after intervention ( P < 0.05). While no significant change was observed in the control group (from 98.9 ± 35.5 to 102.3 ± 35.0, P = 0.443). Symptoms of physical ( P = 0.033) and sexual ( P < 0.001) dimensions significantly decreased in the case group. While significant increase was observed in terms of psychosocial ( P = 0.049) and sexual symptoms in control group. Findings suggested impact of consulting on improvement of QOL during menopause. Supportive consulting can be a suitable approach for improving women's health, reducing problems and enhancing QOL in menopause period.

Burden of Sexually Transmitted Infections in Iran from 1990 to 2010: Results from the Global Burden of Disease study 2010.

PubMed

Rahimzadeh, Shadi; Naderimagham, Shohreh; Rohani-Rasaf, Marzieh; Mehdipour, Parinaz; Lotfizadeh, Masoud; Niakan Kalhori, Sharareh R; Davoudi, Fereshteh; Noori, Atefeh; Kamali, Kianoush; Hashemi Nazari, Seyed Saeed

2016-11-01

The present study describes the epidemiological status of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Iran based on the Global Burden of Disease study 2010 (the GBD 2010), and compares this with those of other neighboring countries. The burden of STIs from 1990 to 2010 in Iran was derived from a systematic study, namely the GBD 2010, which was conducted by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). Using a model-based estimation, Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) were calculated on the basis of the prevalence of STIs. The GBD 2010 used disability weights, and a mortality rate that was obtained from the vital registration system of Iran. We review the results of the GBD 2010 estimations for STIs in Iran. The trend of DALYs attributable to STIs (107.3 and 26.47 per 100,000 people in 1990 and 2010, respectively) and deaths (1.13 and 0.12 per 100,000 people in 1990 and 2010, respectively) decreased dramatically in Iran during the last two decades. The majority of individuals affected by STI DALYs were aged 1 - 4 and 20 - 24 years. Since the majority of DALYs attributed to STIs were observed among those aged 1 - 4 years and young people, the economic burden of STIs will remain high in Iran. Therefore, effective evidence-based planning is critical to allocate the essential budget for utilizing treatment and prevention approaches.

in Mapping of Gastric Cancer Incidence in Iran

PubMed

Asmarian, Naeimehossadat; Jafari-Koshki, Tohid; Soleimani, Ali; Taghi Ayatollahi, Seyyed Mohammad

2016-10-01

Background: In many countries gastric cancer has the highest incidence among the gastrointestinal cancers and is the second most common cancer in Iran. The aim of this study was to identify and map high risk gastric cancer regions at the county-level in Iran. Methods: In this study we analyzed gastric cancer data for Iran in the years 2003-2010. Areato- area Poisson kriging and Besag, York and Mollie (BYM) spatial models were applied to smoothing the standardized incidence ratios of gastric cancer for the 373 counties surveyed in this study. The two methods were compared in term of accuracy and precision in identifying high risk regions. Result: The highest smoothed standardized incidence rate (SIR) according to area-to-area Poisson kriging was in Meshkinshahr county in Ardabil province in north-western Iran (2.4,SD=0.05), while the highest smoothed standardized incidence rate (SIR) according to the BYM model was in Ardabil, the capital of that province (2.9,SD=0.09). Conclusion: Both methods of mapping, ATA Poisson kriging and BYM, showed the gastric cancer incidence rate to be highest in north and north-west Iran. However, area-to-area Poisson kriging was more precise than the BYM model and required less smoothing. According to the results obtained, preventive measures and treatment programs should be focused on particular counties of Iran. Creative Commons Attribution License

Nursing students in Iran identify the clinical environment stressors.

PubMed

Najafi Doulatabad, Shahla; Mohamadhosaini, Sima; Ghafarian Shirazi, Hamid Reza; Mohebbi, Zinat

2015-06-01

Stress at clinical environment is one of the cases that could affect the education quality among nursing students. The study aims to investigate Iranian nursing students' perceptions on the stressors in clinical environment in the South Western part of Iran. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in 2010 to include 300 nursing students after their completion of second clinical nursing course in a hospital environment. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire, with focus on the clinical environment stressors from personal, educational and training viewpoints. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA) and descriptive statistics tests. Among the various stressors, the highest scores were given to the faculty (71 ± 19.77), followed by the students' personal characteristics (43.15 ± 21.79). Given that faculty-related factors provoked more stress in nursing students, nursing administration should diligently evaluate and improve communication skills among faculty to reduce student stress and enhance learning. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Enhancing community based health programs in Iran: a multi-objective location-allocation model.

PubMed

Khodaparasti, S; Maleki, H R; Jahedi, S; Bruni, M E; Beraldi, P

2017-12-01

Community Based Organizations (CBOs) are important health system stakeholders with the mission of addressing the social and economic needs of individuals and groups in a defined geographic area, usually no larger than a county. The access and success efforts of CBOs vary, depending on the integration between health care providers and CBOs but also in relation to the community participation level. To achieve widespread results, it is important to carefully design an efficient network which can serve as a bridge between the community and the health care system. This study addresses this challenge through a location-allocation model that deals with the hierarchical nature of the system explicitly. To reflect social welfare concerns of equity, local accessibility, and efficiency, we develop the model in a multi-objective framework, capturing the ambiguity in the decision makers' aspiration levels through a fuzzy goal programming approach. This study reports the findings for the real case of Shiraz city, Fars province, Iran, obtained by a thorough analysis of the results.

A Cross Cultural Analysis of Textual and Interpersonal Metadiscourse Markers: The Case of Economic Articles in English and Persian Newspapers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boshrabadi, Abbas Mehrabi; Biria, Reza; Zavari, Zahra

2014-01-01

This study was an attempt to investigate the functional role of textual and interpersonal metadiscourse markers in English and Persian Economic news reports. To this end, 10 news articles, 5 in each language, were randomly selected from the Economic sections of the leading newspapers published in 2013-2014 in Iran and the United States. Based on…

Work-Based Learning: A Practical Approach for Learning to Work and Working to Learn. A Case Study on Decision-Makers' Professional Development in Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arani, Mohammad Reza Sarkar; Alagamandan, Jafar; Tourani, Heidar

2004-01-01

The work-based learning model of human resource development has captured a great deal of attention and has gained increasing importance in higher education in recent years. Work-based learning is a powerful phenomenon that attempts to help policy-makers, managers and curriculum developers improve the quality of the decision and organizational…

Client-Level Coverage of Needle and Syringe Program and High-Risk Injection Behaviors: A Case Study of People Who Inject Drugs in Kermanshah, Iran.

PubMed

Noroozi, Mehdi; Mirzazadeh, Ali; Noroozi, Alireza; Mehrabi, Yadoallah; Hajebi, Ahmad; Zamani, Saman; Sharifi, Hamid; Higgs, Peter; Soori, Hamid

2015-01-01

Needle-syringe programs (NSP) have been running in Iran since 2002. However, the coverage of such program among the NSP clients at the individual level was not studies yet. This study aimed to determine the client coverage of NSP and its correlation with high injection-related risk behaviors. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Kermanshah province, Iran, in 2014. 230 people who inject drugs (PWID) recruited from two drop-in centers (DICs) from April to September 2014, participated in a face-to-face interview to provide information related individual coverage of NSP, demographic characteristics, and injecting behaviors 30 days prior to the interview. Overall, the average of syringe coverage was 158% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 65.7-205.5], while 56% (95% CI = 40-97) have individual converge less than 100%. Needle/syringe sharing was significantly higher among individual with low NSP coverage [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.3-6.2]. About 85% participants with coverage of less than 100% reported reuse of syringe within the last 30 days (AOR = 3.2, 95% CI = 1.4-7.7). PWID are different regarding their NSP individual-level converges. There are certain clusters of PWID, who do not receive sufficient number of syringes. Given that insufficient individual syringe coverage level is highly associated with injection risk behaviors, reasons for such low converge need to be assessed and addressed carefully.

Client-Level Coverage of Needle and Syringe Program and High-Risk Injection Behaviors: A Case Study of People Who Inject Drugs in Kermanshah, Iran

PubMed Central

Noroozi, Mehdi; Mirzazadeh, Ali; Noroozi, Alireza; Mehrabi, Yadoallah; Hajebi, Ahmad; Zamani, Saman; Sharifi, Hamid; Higgs, Peter; Soori, Hamid

2015-01-01

Background Needle-syringe programs (NSP) have been running in Iran since 2002. However, the coverage of such program among the NSP clients at the individual level was not studies yet. This study aimed to determine the client coverage of NSP and its correlation with high injection-related risk behaviors. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Kermanshah province, Iran, in 2014. 230 people who inject drugs (PWID) recruited from two drop-in centers (DICs) from April to September 2014, participated in a face-to-face interview to provide information related individual coverage of NSP, demographic characteristics, and injecting behaviors 30 days prior to the interview. Findings Overall, the average of syringe coverage was 158% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 65.7-205.5], while 56% (95% CI = 40-97) have individual converge less than 100%. Needle/syringe sharing was significantly higher among individual with low NSP coverage [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.3-6.2]. About 85% participants with coverage of less than 100% reported reuse of syringe within the last 30 days (AOR = 3.2, 95% CI = 1.4-7.7). Conclusion PWID are different regarding their NSP individual-level converges. There are certain clusters of PWID, who do not receive sufficient number of syringes. Given that insufficient individual syringe coverage level is highly associated with injection risk behaviors, reasons for such low converge need to be assessed and addressed carefully. PMID:26885353

Using Conjoint Analysis to Elicit GPs’ Preferences for Family Physician Contracts: A Case Study in Iran

PubMed Central

Ranjbar Ezatabadi, Mohammad; Rashidian, Arash; Shariati, Mohammad; Rahimi Foroushani, Abbas; Akbari Sari, Ali

2016-01-01

Background Family physician plans in Iran face several challenges, one of which is developing attractive and efficient contracts that motivate physicians to participate in the plan. Objectives This study aimed to elicit GPs’ preferences for family physician contracts. Patients and Methods In a cross-sectional study using the conjoint analysis technique, 580 GPs selected from the family physician database in Iran in 2014. Through qualitative and quantitative methods, 18 contract scenarios were developed via orthogonal design i.e., the impact of each attribute is measured independently from changes in other attributes and a questionnaire was developed. Data were collected through this questionnaire and analyzed using the ordered logistic regression (OLR) model. Results The results show that “quotas for admission to specialized courses” is the strongest preference of GPs (β = 1.123). In order of importance, the other preferences are having the right to provide services outside of the specified package (β = 0.962), increased number of covered population (β = 0.814), capitation payment + 15% bonus (β = 0.644), increased catchment area to 5 km (β = 0.349), and increased length of contract to five years (β = 0.345). Conclusions The conjoint analysis results show that GPs concerned about various factors of family physician contracts. These results can be helpful for policy-makers as they complete the process of creating family physician plans, which can help increase the motivation of GPs to participate in the plan. PMID:28191339

Presenting a practical model for governmental political mapping on road traffic injuries in Iran in 2008: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Ainy, E; Soori, Hamid; Mahfozphoor, S; Movahedinejad, Aa

2011-10-01

This study was conducted to assess political mapping in relation to road traffic injuries (RTIs) management and prevention to present a practical model for RTIs. A phenomenological qualitative study was developed to identify stakeholders on RTI in Iran in 2008. The designed questions were discussed by systematic discussion with the relevant specialists. After receiving written consent from the main responsible stakeholders, the questionnaire was filled in by trained experts. Themes were determined and content was analysed in each part. Main responsible stakeholders. By comparing other countries' political mappings which were found in the library and by Internet searching, political mapping of RTI in Iran was suggested. Subjects were 26 experts from governmental and non-governmental organizations. The main proposed leading agencies were traffic police and presidency (13% each). Findings showed that only 31% of our political mapping was formed according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In 94% of cases, the involved organizations had unspecified roles; the reason was poor monitoring for RTI in 39% of organizations. Lack of adequate authority and suitable legislation, appropriate laws and tasks definition were 94% and 18%, respectively. The most essential policy to overcome problems was defined as appropriate legislation (21%), and the most frequent type of support needed was mentioned as adequate budgeting (25%). Traffic police can play the leading agency role by government support, with strong leadership, appropriate legislation, defined tasks and adequate budget.

Relation of air pollution with epidemiology of respiratory diseases in isfahan, Iran from 2005 to 2009.

PubMed

Rashidi, Maasoumeh; Ramesht, Mohammad Hossein; Zohary, Moein; Poursafa, Parinaz; Kelishadi, Roya; Rashidi, Zeinab; Rouzbahani, Reza

2013-12-01

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) scientists shows that long-term exposure to air pollutants increases the risk of respiratory diseases such as allergies, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer. Children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to the health effects of ozone, fine particles, and other airborne toxicants. Air pollution factors are considered as one of the underlying causes of respiratory diseases. This study aimed to determine the association of respiratory diseases documented in medical records and air pollution (Map distribution) of accumulation in Isfahan province, Iran. By plotting the prevalence and spatial distribution maps, important differences from different points can be observed. The geographic information system (GIS), pollutant standards index (PSI) measurements, and remote Sensing (RS) technology were used after entering data in the mapping information table; spatial distribution was mapped and distribution of Geographical Epidemiology of Respiratory Diseases in Isfahan province (Iran) was determined in this case study from 2005 to 2009. Space with tracing the distribution of respiratory diseases was scattered based on the distribution of air pollution in the points is an important part of this type of diseases in Isfahan province where air pollution was more abundant. The findings of this study emphasis on the importance of preventing the exposure to air pollution, and to control air pollution product industries, to improve work environmental health, and to increase the health professionals and public knowledge in this regard.

Relation of air pollution with epidemiology of respiratory diseases in isfahan, Iran from 2005 to 2009

PubMed Central

Rashidi, Maasoumeh; Ramesht, Mohammad Hossein; Zohary, Moein; Poursafa, Parinaz; Kelishadi, Roya; Rashidi, Zeinab; Rouzbahani, Reza

2013-01-01

Background: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) scientists shows that long-term exposure to air pollutants increases the risk of respiratory diseases such as allergies, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer. Children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to the health effects of ozone, fine particles, and other airborne toxicants. Air pollution factors are considered as one of the underlying causes of respiratory diseases. This study aimed to determine the association of respiratory diseases documented in medical records and air pollution (Map distribution) of accumulation in Isfahan province, Iran. By plotting the prevalence and spatial distribution maps, important differences from different points can be observed. Materials and Methods: The geographic information system (GIS), pollutant standards index (PSI) measurements, and remote Sensing (RS) technology were used after entering data in the mapping information table; spatial distribution was mapped and distribution of Geographical Epidemiology of Respiratory Diseases in Isfahan province (Iran) was determined in this case study from 2005 to 2009. Results: Space with tracing the distribution of respiratory diseases was scattered based on the distribution of air pollution in the points is an important part of this type of diseases in Isfahan province where air pollution was more abundant. Conclusion: The findings of this study emphasis on the importance of preventing the exposure to air pollution, and to control air pollution product industries, to improve work environmental health, and to increase the health professionals and public knowledge in this regard. PMID:24523799

Association study of four polymorphisms in the interleukin-7 receptor alpha gene with multiple sclerosis in Eastern Iran.

PubMed

Haj, Mehrdad Sadeghi; Nikravesh, Abbas; Kakhki, Majid Pahlevan; Rakhshi, Nahid

2015-06-01

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) with unknown etiology. Various genetics and environmental factors contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease. The interleukin-7 receptor alpha chain (IL-7Ra) was identified as the first non-major histocompatibility complex (non-MHC) MS susceptibility locus. In this study we are trying to find the association of IL-7Ra gene polymorphisms with MS susceptibility in Eastern Iran. A case-control study was performed in two provinces Sistan & Baluchistan and Khorasan with 219 patients and 258 unrelated matched healthy controls, using PCR-RFLP method for four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs7718919, rs11567685, rs11567686 and rs6897932 of IL-7Ra gene. We found a tendency toward association with genotyping analyses in SNP rs7718919 (P=0.048, OR=4.344, and 95% CI=0.892-21.146); also genotype and allele frequency in gender and MS subtype stratification were shown to have significant association with MS. Analysis of two provinces separately showed a significant difference in results of the allele and genotype frequencies. Moreover, haplotyping analysis showed that (GTGC) has an association only in the male secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) patients in comparison to the healthy controls (P=0.043, OR=0.413, and 95% CI=0.179-0.955). IL7-Ra could be a susceptible gene to MS within the Eastern Iran population especially after MS and gender stratification.

Risk-taking behaviors and subgrouping of suicide in Iran: A latent class analysis of national registries data.

PubMed

Hajebi, Ahmad; Abbasi-Ghahramanloo, Abbas; Hashemian, Seyed Sepehr; Khatibi, Seyed Reza; Ghasemzade, Masomeh; Khodadost, Mahmoud

2017-09-01

Suicide is one the most important public health problem which is rapidly growing concerns. The aim of this study was to subgroup suicide using LCA method. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Iran based on 66990 records registered in Ministry of Health in 2014. A case report questionnaire in the form of software was used for case registries. Latent class analysis was used to achieve the research objectives. Four latent classes were identified; (a) Non-lethal attempters without a history of psychiatric disorders, (b) Non-lethal attempters with a history of psychiatric disorders, (c) Lethal attempters without a history of psychiatric disorders, (d) Lethal attempters with a history of psychiatric disorders. The probability of completed/an achieved suicide is high in lethal attempter classes. Being male increases the risk of inclusion in lethal attempters' classes (OR = 4.93). Also, being single (OR = 1.16), having an age lower than 25 years (OR = 1.14) and being a rural citizen (OR = 2.36) associate with lethal attempters classes. The males tend to use more violent methods and have more completed suicide. Majority of the individuals are non-lethal attempters who need to be addressed by implementing preventive interventions and mental support provision. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Neonatal blood stream infections in tertiary referral hospitals in Kurdistan, Iran.

PubMed

Nikkhoo, Bahram; Lahurpur, Fariba; Delpisheh, Ali; Rasouli, Mohammad Aziz; Afkhamzadeh, Abdorrahim

2015-06-09

Bloodstream infection (BSI) is one of the most common causes of nosocomial infection in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). The aim of the present study was to determine bacterial agents and their susceptibility patterns to antibiotics and to investigate the risk factors associated with BSI. This was a nested case-control study carried out from September 2009 to June 2010 in the NICU wards in Sanandaj hospitals western Iran. Cases were patients with BSI and controls were other patients who had negative blood culture. Bacteriologic diagnosis and antibiotic susceptibility pattern was performed based on the Edward & Ewings and the National Committee of Clinical Laboratory (NCCL) Standards. Of 472 patients who hospitalized in NICU, 6.4% had BSI (n = 30) including 17girls (56.7%) and 13 boys (43.3%). Enterobacter SPP was the predominant isolated bacteria from blood culture (36.7%). The maximum antibiotic resistance and sensitivity were observed by Tetracycline and Ciprofloxacin respectively. Risk factors associated with BSI were age ≤ 7 days (p = 0.001), previous antibiotic consumption (p = 0.013), and low birth weight (LBW), (p = 0.001). Gram negative bacteria and Entrobacter in particular are the most common pathogens. Improving prenatal health care, standards of infection control and choosing accurate antibiotics are recommended to avoid BSI in neonatal intensive care units.

Alcohol Abuse and Suicide Attempt in Iran: A Case-Crossover Study

PubMed Central

Ghanbari, Behrooz; Malakouti, Seyed Kazem; Nojomi, Marzieh; Leo, Diego De; Saeed, Khalid

2016-01-01

Alcohol use and its disorders are associated with increased risk of suicidal behaviors Research has shown that 6-8% of those who use alcohol have a history of suicide attempt. Given the prohibition of alcohol use legally, the increased alcohol consumption, and the lack of strong evidence in favor of its use associated with suicide in Iran, this study was conducted to determine the link between suicide attempt and alcohol abuse. The case-crossover method was used in this research. Out of 305 referrals to the emergency room due to a suicide attempt, 100 reported drinking alcohol up to six hours before their attempt. Paired Matching and Usual Frequency were employed to analyze the data with STATA 12.0. The probability of attempting suicide up to six hours after drinking alcohol appeared increased by 27 times (95% CI: 8.1-60.4). Separate analysis for each of these hours from the first to the sixth hour after alcohol use was also performed. Fifty percent of attempted suicides happened one hour after alcohol use. Relative risk for the first and second hour was 10% and 5% respectively. Alcohol use is a strong proximal risk factor for attempted suicide among Iranian subjects. Prevention of alcohol use should be considered in setting up of the national Suicide attempt prevention program. PMID:26925903

Effectiveness of skill-based substance abuse intervention among male adolescents in an Islamic country: case of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

PubMed

Allahverdipour, Hamid; Bazargan, Mohsen; Farhadinasab, Abdollah; Hidarnia, Alireza; Bashirian, Saeed

2009-01-01

The prevalence of substance abuse among adolescents from low- and middle-income countries is increasing drastically and requires immediate intervention. The objective of this longitudinal quasi-experimental panel study was to design and implement a skill-based intervention to prevent and reduce substance use among urban adolescents who attended 2 randomly selected high-schools in Tehran, Iran. One-year post intervention data show that substance abuse, knowledge, attitudes, peer resistance skills, level of self-control, self-efficacy, and perceived susceptibility among intervention group were significantly improved, whereas level of self control and attitudes against substance abuse among the control group deteriorated. To efficiently prevent substance abuse among youth primary preventive interventions should be implemented before onset of substance abuse to improve resistance skills and provide adolescents with information and skills needed to develop anti-drug norms.

Serological evidence of H9N2 avian influenza virus exposure among poultry workers from Fars province of Iran.

PubMed

Heidari, A; Mancin, M; Nili, H; Pourghanbari, G H; Lankarani, K B; Leardini, S; Cattoli, G; Monne, I; Piccirillo, A

2016-01-27

Since the 1990s, influenza A viruses of the H9N2 subtype have been causing infections in the poultry population around the globe. This influenza subtype is widely circulating in poultry and human cases of AI H9N2 have been sporadically reported in countries where this virus is endemic in domestic birds. The wide circulation of H9N2 viruses throughout Europe and Asia along with their ability to cause direct infection in mammals and humans, raises public health concerns. H9N2 AI was reported for the first time in Iran in 1998 and at present it is endemic in poultry. This study was carried out to evaluate the exposure to H9N2 AI viruses among poultry workers from the Fars province. 100 poultry workers and 100 healthy individuals with no professional exposure to poultry took part in this study. Serum samples were tested for antibodies against two distinct H9N2 avian influenza viruses, which showed different phylogenetic clustering and important molecular differences, such as at the amino acid (aa) position 226 (Q/L) (H3 numbering), using haemagglutination inhibition (HI) and microneutralization (MN) assays. Results showed that 17 % of the poultry workers were positive for the A/chicken/Iran/10VIR/854-5/2008 virus in MN test and 12 % in HI test using the titer ≥40 as positive cut-off value. Only 2 % of the poultry workers were positive for the A/chicken/Iran/12VIR/9630/1998 virus. Seroprevalence of non exposed individuals for both H9N2 strains was below 3 % by both tests. Statistical analyses models showed that exposure to poultry significantly increases the risk of infection with H9N2 virus. The results have demonstrated that exposure to avian H9N2 viruses had occurred among poultry workers in the Fars province of Iran. Continuous surveillance programmes should be implemented to monitor the presence of avian influenza infections in humans and to evaluate their potential threat to poultry workers and public health.

Acute Q fever in febrile patients in northwestern of Iran

PubMed Central

Esmaeili, Saber; Golzar, Farhad; Ayubi, Erfan; Naghili, Behrooz; Mostafavi, Ehsan

2017-01-01

Background Q fever is an endemic disease in different parts of Iran. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of acute Q fever disease among at-risk individuals in northwestern Iran. Methodology An etiological study was carried out in 2013 in Tabriz County. A total of 116 individuals who were in contact with livestock and had a nonspecific febrile illness were enrolled in the study. IgG phase II antibodies against Coxiella burnetii were detected using ELISA. Principal findings The prevalence of acute Q fever was 13.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.0, 21.0%). Headache (87.5%) and fatigue and weakness (81.3%) were the dominant clinical characteristics among patients whit acute Q fever. Acute lower respiratory tract infection and chills were poorly associated with acute Q fever. Furthermore, 32% (95% CI: 24, 41%) of participants had a history of previous exposure to Q fever agent (past infection). Consumption of unpasteurized dairy products was a weak risk factor for previous exposure to C. burnetii. Conclusion This study identified patients with acute Q fever in northwestern of Iran. The evidence from this study and previous studies conducted in different regions of Iran support this fact that Q fever is one of the important endemic zoonotic diseases in Iran and needs due attention by clinical physicians and health care system. PMID:28394892

A faunistic study on the leafhoppers of northwestern Iran (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae)

PubMed Central

Abdollahi, Tandis; Jalalizand, Ali Reza; Mozaffarian, Fariba; Wilson, Michael

2015-01-01

Abstract The leafhopper fauna of northwestern Iran: Azarbaijan-e-Sharghi, Azarbaijan-e-Gharbi and Ardabil provinces is listed from previously published records and from our current work. Sixty-nine species are included with four species (Mogangella straminea Dlabola, 1957, Doratura stylata (Boheman, 1847), Macrosteles sordidipennis (Stål, 1858) and Psammotettix seriphidii Emeljanov, 1962) listed as new for Iran and Balclutha punctata (Fabricius, 1775), as a new record for the region. A distribution map of the species in northwestern Iran is given. PMID:25931954

A Case Report of Human Infection with Dioctophyma Renale from Iran.

PubMed

Norouzi, Roghayeh; Manochehri, Arman; Hanifi, Mustafa

2017-03-16

A 75-year-old man from Kurdistan province, western part of Iran was diagnosed with a mass in the right kidney by ultrasound and computed tomography. In operation, a parasitic helminth, 30 cm long and 1.2 cm in diameter consistent with D. renale was found in the right kidney. Microscopic examination revealed that the male Dioctophyma renale. Following removal of worm, the symptoms completely resolved within a few hours. Generally, parasitism by D. renale in human is a necropsy finding, nevertheless imaging techniques as ultrasound and computed tomography have been proven to be important tool to achieve diagnosis.

Hepatic fascioliasis in Mashhad, Northeast Iran: first report.

PubMed

Badirzadeh, Alireza; Sabzevari, Sadaf

2017-01-01

Fascioliasis is a zoonotic disease caused by a leaf-like worm (fluke) called Fasciola. Herein, we present a case of human hepatic fascioliasis. A 57-year-old man was referred to the hospital for ambiguous gastrointestinal symptoms with suspected hemangioma. Hepatic fascioliasis was diagnosed using abdominal computed tomography and serology. He tested positive for the IgG antibody against Fasciola hepatica. The patient was treated successfully with triclabendazole. This is the first published report on the occurrence of fascioliasis in Northeast Iran, a non-endemic area for fascioliasis. Our results suggest the emergence of a new focus in the region.

The 2003 Bam (Iran) earthquake: Rupture of a blind strike-slip fault

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Talebian, M.; Fielding, E. J.; Funning, G. J.; Ghorashi, M.; Jackson, J.; Nazari, H.; Parsons, B.; Priestley, K.; Rosen, P. A.; Walker, R.;

Palliative Care in Iran: Moving Toward the Development of Palliative Care for Cancer.

PubMed

Rassouli, Maryam; Sajjadi, Moosa

2016-04-01

Cancer is the third leading cause of death in Iran and its incidence has been increasing in recent years. Patients' quality of life is altered rather enormously due to cancer, which doubles the importance of and the need for providing palliative care in Iran. Although many steps have been taken toward the development and providing of palliative care in Iran, there is still a large gap between the status quo and the desirable state. This study presents the current state of palliative care for cancer patients and discusses the barriers, challenges and outlook of palliative care in Iran. If infrastructural projects that have recently been launched prove successful, proper advancement toward the providing of palliative care services in Iran will then not far on the horizon. © The Author(s) 2014.

Spatial Analysis of Skin Cancer Incidence in Iran.

PubMed

Pakzad, Reza; Ghoncheh, Mahshid; Pournamdar, Zahra; Pakzad, Iraj; Momenimovahed, Zohre; Salehiniya, Hamid; Makhsosi, Behnam Reza

2016-01-01

Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide, including in Iran. Variations in its incidence rate among geographical areas are due to various contributing factors. Since there has been a lack of studies on this topic in our country, the present spatial analysis of skin cancer incidence in Iran in 2009 was conducted using data from the cancer registry system for the country. The reported incidences of the disease were standardized on the basis of the World Health Organization population and the direct method. Then the data were inserted into the GIS software, and finally, using the analysis of hot spots (Getis-Ord Gi), high-risk areas were drawn. Provinces that were 1.9 SD higher or lower than the national average were considered hot spots or cold spots, with significance at the level of 0.05. In 2009, a total of 9,964 cases of skin cancer occurred, 3,696 in women and 6,268 in men (standardized incidence rates of 15.8 and 22.6, respectively). The results of the study showed that in men and women, the disease demonstrated high incidence in the central provinces and desert regions. In women, Yazd Province and in men, Qom Province had significant hot spots (p =0.05). While Isfahan, Markazi, Tehran and Kurdistan provinces were expected to be hot spots, the differences from the national average were not significant at the 0.05 level. As well, the provinces of Sistan Va Baluchistan, Kerman, and Hormozgan were identified as cold or low-risk disease regions (p <0.05). The central provinces of the country due to hot weather conditions, more solar radiation, and closer vicinity to the central desert of Iran demonstrated higher incidence rates for skin cancer, so further epidemiological studies into the etiology and early detection are essential in these areas.

Y chromosome microdeletions frequency in idiopathic azoospermia, oligoasthenozoospermia, and oligospermia.

PubMed

Gholami, Delnya; Jafari-Ghahfarokhi, Hamideh; Nemati-Dehkordi, Maryam; Teimori, Hossien

2017-11-01

Genetic factors are candidates for about 30% of male infertility with sperm production-related abnormalities. Y chromosome microdeletions are responsible for around 10% of male infertility. These microdeletions generally occur in azoospermia factor on the Yq. That is often associated with the quantitative reduction of sperm. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the frequency of Yq microdeletions among idiopathic azoospermic, oligoasthenozoospermic, and oligospermic men in Shohada infertility center, Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari province. A total of 81 idiopathic azoospermic, oligoasthenozoospermic, and oligospermic infertile men were selected as cases and 81 fertile men assigned to control group. For molecular investigations, 13 sequence-tagged site markers were chosen from azoospermia factor (AZF) region for detection of Y chromosome microdeletions and amplified by two separate multiplex-polymerase chain reaction. The relationship between the AZF microdeletions and incidence of male infertility in the family, consanguineous parents, smoking, and the levels of reproductive hormones among infertile men were investigated. The total frequency of the microdeletions was 6.17% (2 cases in azoospermic, 3 cases in oligoasthenozoospermic subgroups, and none in the oligospermic participants and the control group). Most deletions (3.7%) were seen in the AZFb followed by the AZFc (2.46%) and none in AZFa. No significant association was seen between the microdeletions and clinical characteristics. Although the frequency of Yq chromosome microdeletions in Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari province is lower than the mean frequency of Iran, the frequency is comparable to those reported by some studies in Iran.

The Resistance to Plague Infection among Meriones persicus from Endemic and Non-endemic Regions in Iran: The Role of Gut Microbiota

PubMed Central

ASSMAR, Mehdi; KEYPOUR, Marjan; ROHANI, Mehdi; MOSTAFAVI, Ehsan; DANESHVAR FARHUD, Dariush

2018-01-01

Background: The present study was conducted approximately 40 years ago, but its results have not been released. At the time of this study, the importance of the gut microbiota was not fully understood. Methods: Meriones persicus rodents, as one of the major reservoirs of Yersinia pestis bacterium in Iran, were compared in a disease endemic area (Akanlu, Hamadan, western Iran) and a non-endemic zone (Telo, Tehran, Iran) from 1977 to 1981. Results: This study was able to transmit the resistance to Y. pestis to other rodents creatively by using and transferring gut microbiota. Conclusion: The study indicated for the first time that the gut microbiota could affect the sensitivity to plague in Meriones in Telo. PMID:29318122

Nurse Leaders’ Experiences of Implementing Career Advancement Programs for Nurses in Iran

PubMed Central

Sheikhi, Mohammad Reza; Khoshknab, Masoud Fallahi; Mohammadi, Farahnaz; Oskouie, Fatemeh

2015-01-01

Background and purpose: Career advancement programs are currently implemented in many countries. In Iran, the first career advancement program was Nurses’ Career Advancement Pathway. The purpose of this study was to explore nurse leaders’ experiences about implementing the Nurses’ Career Advancement Pathway program in Iran. Methods: This exploratory qualitative study was conducted in 2013. Sixteen nurse managers were recruited from the teaching hospitals affiliated to Shahid Behesthi, Qazvin, and Iran Universities of Medical Sciences in Iran. Participants were recruited using purposive sampling method. Study data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews. The conventional content analysis approach was used for data analysis. Results: participants’ experiences about implementing the Nurses’ Career Advancement Pathway fell into three main categories including: a) the shortcomings of performance evaluation, b) greater emphasis on point accumulation, c) the advancement-latitude mismatch. Conclusion: The Nurses’ Career Advancement pathway has several shortcomings regarding both its content and its implementation. Therefore, it is recommended to revise the program. PMID:26156907

Seroepidemiology of HBV infection in South-East of iran; a population based study.

PubMed

Salehi, M; Alavian, S M; Tabatabaei, S V; Izadi, Sh; Sanei Moghaddam, E; Amini Kafi-Abad, S; Gharehbaghian, A; Khosravi, S; Abolghasemi, H

2012-05-01

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major risk factor of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma affecting billions of people globally. Since information on its prevalence in general population is mandatory for formulating effective policies, this population based serological survey was conducted in Sistan and Baluchistan, where no previous epidemiological data were available. Using random cluster sampling 3989 healthy subjects were selected from 9 districts of Sistan and Baluchistan Province in southeastern Iran. The subjects' age ranged from 6 to 65 years old. Serum samples were tested for HBcAb, HBsAg. Screening tests were carried out by the third generation of ELISA. Various risk factors were recorded and multivariate analysis was performed. The prevalence of HBsAg and HBcAb in Sistan and Baluchistan was 3.38% (95% CI 2.85; 3.98) and 23.58% (95% CI 22.29; 24.93) respectively. We found 8 cases of positive anti-HDV antibody. Predictors of HBsAg or HBcAb in multivariate analysis were age, marital status and addiction. The rate of HBV infection in Sistan and Baluchistan was higher than other parts of Iran. Approximately 25% of general population in this province had previous exposure to HBV and 3% were HBsAg carriers. Intrafamilial and addiction were major routes of HBV transmission in this province.

Towards Biological Restoration of Tehran Megalopolis River Valleys- Case Study: Farahzad River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samadi, Nafishe; Oveis Torabi, Seyed; Akhani, Hossein

2017-04-01

Towards biological restoration of Tehran megalopolis river-valleys: case study Farahzad river 1Nafiseh Samadi, 2OveisTorabi, 3Hossein Akhani 1Mahsab Shargh Company, Tehran ,Iran, nafiseh19@gmail.com 2 Mahsab Shargh Company, Tehran ,Iran, weg@tna-co.com 3Department of Plant Sciences, Halophytes and C4 Research Laboratory, School of Biology, College of Sciences, University of Tehran, PO Box 14155-6455, Tehran, Iran, akhani@khayam.ut.ac.ir Tehran is located in northcentral parts of Iran on the alluvium of southern Alborz Mountains. Seven rivers originated from the highlands of N Tehran run inside and around the city. Many of these river valleys have been deformed by a variety of urban utilizations such as garden, building, canal, park, autobahn etc. Tehran with more than eight million populations suffered from adverse environmental conditions such as pollution and scarcity of natural habitats for recreational activities. Ecological restoration of altered river valleys of Tehran is one of the priorities of Tehran municipality started as a pilot project in Farahzad river. Intensive disturbance, conversion into various urban utilization, illegal building construction, waste water release into the river, garbage accumulation, artificial park constructions and domination of invasive species have largely altered the river. Parts of the river located in Pardisan Nature Park was studied before its complete deformation into a modern park. The riparian vegetation consisted of Tamarix ramosissima and Salix acmophylla shrubs with large number of aquatic and palustric plants. The norther parts of the river still contain semi-natural vegetation which change into patchy and intensive degraded habitats towards its southern parts. In northern parts of valley there are old gardens of Morus alba and Juglans regia, and planted trees such as Plataneus oreientalis and Acer negundo. Salix acmophylla, Fraxinus excelsior and Celtis caucasica are native species growing on river margin or surrounding steep slopes. The rare local endemic Convolvulus gracillimus still occurs in surrounding dry slopes. Ailanthus altissima is an invasive introduced tree largely occupied disturbed habitats and slopes of the valley associated with large number of ruderals belonging to genera Amaranthus, Bassia, Chenopodium, Echinochloa, Heliotropium, Tribulus etc. Restoration plan include 1. Study of past biological and geomorphological conditions of the area based on remnants of vegetation and aerial and satellite imaginary data 2. Survey of present environmental conditions of the area including identification native and introduced plants and animals, assessing the degree of originality of existing vegetation and cultural landscapes and abiotic factors. 3. Soil reclamation and topography improvements towards cultivation and/or formation of natural vegetation.

Human Infestation with Dermanyssus gallinae (Acari: Dermanyssidae) in a Family Referred with Pruritus and Skin Lesions.

PubMed

Abdigoudarzi, Mohammad; Mirafzali, Mahmoud S; Belgheiszadeh, Hamid

2014-01-01

The poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae is one of the most economically important ectoparasites in hens and some species of mammals worldwide. Cases of human infestation have been reported worldwide. In this study we report infestation in three members of a family referred with pruritus and allergic dermatitis rash. They have collected very small animals and carried them to the laboratory which later was confirmed as D. gallinae. They claimed that they had been bitten with this ectoparasite. This is the first case report of human infestation owing to D. gallinae from Iran.

Human Infestation with Dermanyssus gallinae (Acari: Dermanyssidae) in a Family Referred with Pruritus and Skin Lesions

PubMed Central

Abdigoudarzi, Mohammad; Mirafzali, Mahmoud S; Belgheiszadeh, Hamid

2014-01-01

The poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae is one of the most economically important ectoparasites in hens and some species of mammals worldwide. Cases of human infestation have been reported worldwide. In this study we report infestation in three members of a family referred with pruritus and allergic dermatitis rash. They have collected very small animals and carried them to the laboratory which later was confirmed as D. gallinae. They claimed that they had been bitten with this ectoparasite. This is the first case report of human infestation owing to D. gallinae from Iran. PMID:25629073

Maggot therapy for wound care in Iran: a case series of the first 28 patients.

PubMed

Mirabzadeh, A; Ladani, M J; Imani, B; Rosen, S A B; Sherman, R A

2017-03-02

The need for improved wound care is receiving considerable attention in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Beginning in 2003, maggot therapy (MT) became part of Iran's effort to advance its wound care technology. The first cohort of patients treated with MT was analysed to evaluate the use of this treatment. Patients treated with MT at three hospitals in Tehran were analysed retrospectively. Primary outcomes were time to wound debridement and time to wound healing. Factors potentially influencing primary outcomes were also recorded, including demographic factors (such as age, race, gender), wound characteristics, underlying medical illnesses, and treatment attitudes. We analysed 28 patients with 29 wounds. Most (55%) of the wounds were ischaemic, neuropathic or mixed-pathology foot ulcers in patients with diabetes. Half were considered unsalvageable. All were completely debrided and subsequently healed with MT, without amputation, grafts, or advanced interventions. Osteomyelitis was present in all cases before MT, but appeared to have been eradicated, without recurrence during at least three years' follow-up. The most common adverse events were malodour, with wound pain reported in two patients. All patients and therapists were pleased with their overall experience. Maggot therapy can provide advanced wound care even in resource-limited areas. Maggot therapy was very acceptable to the patients and their therapists.

Depressive mood and disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease.

PubMed

Besharat, Sima; Amiriani, Taghi; Roshandel, Gholamreza; Besharat, Mahsa; Semnani, Shahryar; Kamkar, Mohammadzaman

2012-09-01

Some mood disorders are more prevalent in chronic medical conditions compared with the general population. The relationship between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and psychiatric disorders has been raised as an area of interest for investigation. In this study, we aimed to assess the probable relationship between depression and disease activity in IBD patients in Golestan province, northeast of Iran. During February 2008 to February 2010, 50 patients recently diagnosed as IBD cases attended the Golestan Research Center of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (GRCGH), northeast of Iran. The Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index (SCCAI) was used to evaluate the disease activity. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to assess the severity of depressive symptoms. Depression was assumed when the BDI score was 13 points or higher. Sixteen cases (32%) had depressive characteristics. SCCAI and the Beck score were not significantly different between the two sexes. There was a non-significant correlation between SCCAI, Beck score, age and body mass index (BMI). We reported a relatively high percent of depression in IBD patients, although no significant relationship was seen. Copyright © 2012 Arab Journal of Gastroenterology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Infective endocarditis; report from a main referral teaching hospital in Iran

PubMed Central

Heydari, Behrooz; Karimzadeh, Iman; Khalili, Hossein; Shojaei, Esfandiar; Ebrahimi, Abdolrasool

2017-01-01

Background/Objective: The aim of the present preliminary study was to assess the demographic, clinical, paraclinical, microbiological, echocardiographic, and therapeutic profile as well as in-hospital outcome of patients with infective endocarditis at a referral center for various infectious diseases in Iran. Methods: Required demographic, clinical, plausible complications and paraclinical data were collected from patients’ medical charts. Echocardiographic findings were obtained by performing transthoracic and/or transesophageal echocardiography as clinically indicated. In addition, details of management modalities and in-hospital outcome of patients were recorded. Results: During a 3-year period, 55 patients with definite or possible diagnosis of Infective endocarditis were admitted to the ward. Twenty one (38.2%) patients were injection drug users. Staphylococcus aureus and S.epidermidis were the most commonly isolated microorganisms. Management modalities of Infective endocarditis included antimicrobial therapy alone (48 cases) and the combination of antimicrobial therapy and surgery (7 cases). Conclusion: The rate of negative blood culture in our cohort is high. S. aureus and S.epidermidis were the most commonly isolated microorganisms from positive blood cultures. Congestive heart failure was the most frequent infective endocarditis complication as well as indication for surgery. In-hospital mortality rate of patients was unexpectedly low. PMID:28496492

EFL Teachers' Perceptions of Continuing Professional Development: A Case of Iranian High School Teachers (La percepción de docentes de inglés como lengua extranjera acerca del desarrollo profesional continuado: el caso de profesores iraníes de bachillerato)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alibakhshi, Goudarz; Dehvari, Najibeh

2015-01-01

English, particularly regarding a foreign language teachers' professional development, has been studied in depth. However, it is not known how Iranian English as a foreign language teachers perceive continuing professional development. This study explored the perceptions of Iranian English as a foreign language teachers of continuing professional…

Effectiveness of Interventions for Prevention of Road Traffic Injuries in Iran and Some Methodological Issues: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Azami-Aghdash, Saber; Sadeghi-Bazarghani, Homayoun; Heydari, Mahdiyeh; Rezapour, Ramin; Derakhshani, Naser

2018-04-01

To review the effectiveness of Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs) interventions implemented for prevention of RTIs in Iran and to introduce some methodological issues. Required data in this systematic review study were collected through searching the following key words: "Road Traffic Injuries", "Road Traffic accidents", "Road Traffic crashes", "prevention", and Iran in PubMed, Cochrane Library electronic databases, Google Scholar, Scopus, MagIran, SID and IranMedex. Some of the relevant journals and web sites searched manually. Reference lists of the selected articles were also checked. Gray literature search and expert contact was also conducted. Out of 569 retrieved articles, finally 8 articles included. Among the included studies the effectiveness of 10 interventions were assessed containing: seat belt, enforcements of laws and legislations, educational program, wearing helmet, Antilock Braking System (ABS), motorcyclists' penalty enforcement, pupil liaisons' education, provisional driver licensing, Road bumps and traffic improvement's plans. In 7 studies (9 interventions) reduction of RTIs rate were reported. Decreased rate of mortality from RTIs were reported in three studies. Only one study had mentioned financial issue (Anti-lock Brake System intervention). Inadequate data sources, inappropriate selection of statistical index and not mention about the control of Confounding Variables (CV), the most common methodological issues were. The results of most interventional studies conducted in Iran supported the effect of the interventions on reduction of RTIs. However due to some methodological or reporting shortcoming the results of these studies should be interpreted cautiously.

Study and comparison of the maximum stress directions and main fault orientations in some active zones in Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forouhid, Khatereh; Faraji, Atefeh; Ghorashi, Manouchehr

2010-05-01

Study and comparison of the maximum stress directions and main fault orientations in some active zones in Iran Khatereh Forouhid, Manouchehr Ghorashi, Atefeh Faraji Institute of Geophysics, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran kforouhid@yahoo.com Farajiatefeh@yahoo.com The Iranian plateau is the widest active zone in Alpine-Himalayan collision system that is located between two stable platforms, the Arabia in southwest and Eurasia in northeast. The convergence of these two platforms towards each other is the main reason for seismicity and different styles of deformation observed in Iran. In this study, the Iranian plateau is divided into 7 regions based on their seismotectonic characteristics. These regions are; Zagros, Makran, East Iran, Alborz, Kopeh Dagh, Central Iran and Azarbayejan (northwest of Iran). In each region, focal mechanism solutions of early and modern instrumental earthquakes (the only source of information suitable to use for stress distribution study in Iran) with magnitudes more than 5.0 and their relations to active faults are considered. By studying each maximum stress direction based on a group of earthquake focal mechanisms and considering main fault orientations, each region is studied individually. According to these data, some of these regions are divided into smaller parts. These sub-divided parts have some characters that make them different from their neighbors in the same region. In this regard, Zagros is studied in detail based on seismotectonic characteristics and divided into three parts, with N-S maximum stress direction (compressional) in one part and two different kind of NE-SW direction in two other. We use this information to investigate the style and distribution of active faulting in the Zagros and the relationships of this activity with shortening of the Arabia-Eurasia collision. It is worth to mention that as the fault slip will almost occur in the direction of maximum resolved shear stress on the fault plane, probably strain is almost estimated according to these stress directions and this issue can be considered in further studies in this region.

Invasive forms of Candida and Aspergillus in sputum samples of pulmonary tuberculosis patients attending the tuberculosis reference laboratory in Ghaemshahr, Northern Iran: An analysis of samples collected during the past 10years.

PubMed

Jabbari Amiri, Mohammad Reza; Aghili, Seyed Reza; Shokohi, Tahereh; Hedayati, Mohammad Taghi; Abastabar, Mahdi; Aliyali, Masoud; Jabbari Amiri, Masoumeh; Hasanpour, Hamid

2016-12-01

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a major public health problem worldwide. This is especially true in Northern Iran, which has high TB prevalence. The chronic nature of this disease is further exacerbated if it is accompanied by fungal infection, which usually remains undiagnosed and thus untreated. Thus, mycotic infections add fatal dimensions to pulmonary TB. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of invasive forms of fungal elements in sputum samples collected from patients with pulmonary TB at a reference laboratory in Ghaemshahr, Northern Iran, during the past 10years. In this retrospective study, sputum samples collected from 430 patients were examined. Pulmonary TB in patients was confirmed in our laboratory, and samples obtained during the period from March 2006 to February 2016 were analyzed. The sputum samples were subjected to biological (bacterial) staining (Ziehl-Neelsen and fluorochrome) and mycological investigation using KOH + Calcofluor White (Sigma-Aldrich, India) by fluorescent microscopy and fungal culture on Sabouraud dextrose agar (Sigma-Aldrich, India) and CHROMagar (Paris, France). Invasive forms of fungal pathogens were observed as co-infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 28/430 cases (6.51%). The frequency of Aspergillus, both branching and dichotomous infection, accounted for 3.72% (16/430): Aspergillus flavus, 1.63%; Aspergillus fumigatus, 1.16%; Aspergillus niger, 0.69%; and Aspergillus oryzae, 0.23%, respectively. Blastoconidia and pseudohyphae forms of yeast were observed as co-infection with M. tuberculosis in 2.79% (12/430) of the cases: Candida albicans, 1.86%; Candida krusei, 0.46%; and other Candida species, 0.46%, respectively. Northern Iran is a critical region in the TB world and multidrug-resistant TB is a serious problem in this region. Although it is believed that there exists a commensal relationship between fungus and TB infections, the invasive forms of fungal pathogens and their co-infection can be caused by increasing disability and failure of treatment. Diagnosis of secondary or co-existing fungal infections in TB is most important for reducing the mortality and morbidity of these patients. Copyright © 2016.

Prevalence of factor V leiden, MTHFR C677T and MTHFR A1298C polymorphisms in patients with deep vein thrombosis in Central Iran.

PubMed

Ehsani, Majid; Imani, Aida; Moravveji, Alireza

2018-05-31

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a common disease, especially among elderly patients, which is associated with high costs of treatment and high rates of recurrence. The risk factors for venous thrombosis are primarily related to hypercoagulability, which can be genetic or acquired, or because of immobilization and venous stasis. Among relevant genetic markers are a number of common polymorphisms and mutations in the genes coding for Factor V leiden and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. Differential associations of these polymorphisms have been reported in different populations with DVT due to ethnic variations. However, no study has been reported with respect to these polymorphisms in DVT in Iran. Thus, the aim of the present study is to determine the prevalence of FVL, MTHFR C677T and MTHFR A1298C gene polymorphisms in patients with DVT in central Iran. In the present cross-sectional study, a total of 100 patients with first and recurrent episodes of DVT and age less than 70 years were recruited during 2016-2017. Blood sample was collected from the recruited patients and FVL mutation was screened using ARMS-PCR method, MTHFR C677T and MTHFR A1298C mutations were screened using PCR-RFLP method. The results revealed that MTHFR A1298C gene polymorphism in both homozygote and heterozygote form was found to be most frequent i.e. 77% among cases, followed by MTHFR C677T (67%) and FVL (17%). The study highlights the importance of screening of these genetic markers among patients with DVT in this region.

Occurrence of small intestinal volvulus in a terrier puppy-a case report

PubMed Central

Golshahi, Hannaneh; Tavasoly, Abbas; Namjoo, Abdolrasol; Bahmani, Mahmoud

2014-01-01

Volvulus is the torsion of an organ around its root. In dogs, volvulus of the stomach is well known, but volvulus of the small intestine is rare. A dead 3-month-old female terrier puppy was presented for postmortem examination. According to owner statements, the puppy was depressed, lethargic and had abdominal pain, abdominal distension, severe diarrhea and vomiting a few hours before death. With gross and histopathologic studies, the death of this puppy was indorsed to small intestinal volvulus, subsequent infarction, peritonitis and likely acute toxaemia and/or septicaemia. The present case is going to be the first recorded case of small intestinal volvulus in dog in Iran.

Determinants of Iran's BilateralIntra-industry Trade in Pharmaceutical Industry.

PubMed

Aghlmand, Siamak; Rahimi, Bahlol; Farrokh-Eslamlou, Hamidreza; Nabilou, Bahram; Yusefzadeh, Hassan

2018-01-01

Among non-oil and in trade arena, drug has always been strategic importance and most government especially industrialized countries pay special attention to its production and trade issues. Thus, having a comprehensive view from economic perspective to this section is essential for suggesting intervention. This was a descriptive-analytical and panel study. In this study, gravity model is used to estimate Iran's bilateral intra-industry trade in pharmaceutical products in the 2001-2012 periods. To illustrate the extent of pharmaceutical's intra-industry trade between Iran and its major trading partners, the explanatory variables of market size, income, factor endowments, distance, cultural contributions, and similarities and also special trade arrangements have been applied. Analysis of factors affecting Iran's bilateral intra-industry trade in pharmaceutical industry showed that the average GDP and cultural similarities had a significant positive impact on Iran's bilateral IIT, while the difference in GDP has a negative and significant effect. Coefficients obtained for the geographical distance and the average ratio of total capital to the labor force is not consistent with theoretical expectations. Special trade arrangements did not have significant impact on the extent of bilateral intra-industry trade between Iran and its trading partners. The knowledge of the intra-industry trade between Iran and its trade partners make integration between the countries. Factors affecting this type of trade pattern underlie its development in trade relationship. Therefore, the findings of this study would be useful in helping to develop and implement policies for the expansion of the pharmaceutical trade.

Iran's growing nuclear weapons program: A catalyst for regional instability in the Middle East. Study project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Deyermond, J.J.

1993-03-10

Following the end of the Cold War, the United States as well as other nations around the world now find themselves in a state of political, economic, and military transition. While the US and other nations such as the Islamic Republic of Iran are undergoing significant increases in military spending. This increase has been primarily in the area of conventional forces, however there is growing evidence that Iran is also attempting to develop a nuclear weapons capability as well. This study examines Iran's nuclear weapons program in detail, and Tehran's increasing ability to emerge as a regional power in themore » Middle East.« less

Application of IRS-1D data in water erosion features detection (case study: Nour roud catchment, Iran).

PubMed

Solaimani, K; Amri, M A Hadian

2008-08-01

The aim of this study was capability of Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) data of 1D to detecting erosion features which were created from run-off. In this study, ability of PAN digital data of IRS-1D satellite was evaluated for extraction of erosion features in Nour-roud catchment located in Mazandaran province, Iran, using GIS techniques. Research method has based on supervised digital classification, using MLC algorithm and also visual interpretation, using PMU analysis and then these were evaluated and compared. Results indicated that opposite of digital classification, with overall accuracy 40.02% and kappa coefficient 31.35%, due to low spectral resolution; visual interpretation and classification, due to high spatial resolution (5.8 m), prepared classifying erosion features from this data, so that these features corresponded with the lithology, slope and hydrograph lines using GIS, so closely that one can consider their boundaries overlapped. Also field control showed that this data is relatively fit for using this method in investigation of erosion features and specially, can be applied to identify large erosion features.

Determining the status quo of infection prevention and control standards in the hospitals of iran: a case study in 23 hospitals.

PubMed

Shojaee, Jalil; Moosazadeh, Mahmood

2014-02-01

Applying Prevention and Control of Infection (PCI) standards in hospitals reduces probable risks to patients, staff and visitors; it also increases efficiency, and ultimately improves productivity of hospitals. The current study aimed to determine the status quo of international standards of PCI in hospitals located in the north of Iran. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 23 hospitals. Data collection tool was a questionnaire with confirmed validity and reliability. . In this regard, 260 managers, section supervisors and infection control nurses participated in the study according to census basis. SPSS software version 16 was employed to analyze the data through descriptive and analytical statistics. Among the studied hospitals, 18 hospitals were public. Hospitals enjoyed 77.2% of leadership and programming, 80.8% of focus of programs, 67.4% of isolating methods, 88.2% of hand health and protection techniques, 78.8% of improving patient's safety and quality, 90.3% of training personnel, and 78.7% of the average status quo of PCI standards. This study revealed that PCI standards were significantly observed in the studied hospitals and that there were necessary conditions for full deployment of nosocomial infection surveillance.

Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Workers--Iran. Project Findings and Recommendations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

International Labour Organisation, Geneva (Switzerland).

Prepared for the government of Iran, the report is the result of a study concerned with the recruitment and employment of foreign workers. Due to the rapid industrialization of Iran, an anticipated shortage of qualified workers led to the government's request for an outside expert to advise on considerations and suggested procedures involved in…

31 CFR 561.329 - Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Iran. 561.329 Section 561.329 Money... Iran. The term Iran means the Government of Iran and the territory of Iran and any other territory or... Iran claims sovereignty, sovereign rights, or jurisdiction, provided that the Government of Iran...

31 CFR 561.329 - Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Iran. 561.329 Section 561.329 Money... Iran. The term Iran means the Government of Iran and the territory of Iran and any other territory or... Iran claims sovereignty, sovereign rights, or jurisdiction, provided that the Government of Iran...

The Iranian Revolution: A Case Study in Coercive Power Consolidation

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-03-01

all potential competition . This was accomplished by waging a multi-pillared policy aimed at ethnic minorities, political opposition groups and...reported back to United States Secretary of Defense Harold Brown that working with the Iranian military was difficult due to the compartmentation of the...military leader such as General Djam to hold the armed forces together, fearing that such a situation would work against him if he returned to Iran.° He

Epidemiological Study of Child Casualties of Landmines and Unexploded Ordnances: A National Study from Iran.

PubMed

Mousavi, Batool; Soroush, Mohammad Reza; Masoumi, Mehdi; Khateri, Shahriar; Modirian, Ehsan; Shokoohi, Hamid; Fatemi, Mohammad Javad; Ali Hematti, Mohammad; Soroush, Mansour; Ghassemi-Broumand, Mohammad; Rassafiani, Mehdi; Allami, Mostafa; Nouri, Farshad; Yavari, Amir; Ganjparvar, Zohreh; Kamyab, Mojtaba; Mirsadeghi, Seyed Abbas

2015-10-01

Despite landmine-risk education programs and extensive demining activities on the Western border of Iran, landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXOs) still cause civilian and child casualties three decades after the Iraq-Iran war (1980-1988). The objective of this study was to understand the epidemiological patterns and risk factors of injury in child casualties of landmines and UXOs in Western and Southwestern Iran. Children who were 18 years old or younger at the time of study and who sustained injuries from landmines and UXOs were identified through a search at the Iranian National Veterans Registry. These children participated in a 5-day gathering. The information on socioeconomic status, health-related issues, quality of life, health care utilization, and clinical profiles concerning the landmine and UXO injuries were collected. The method of data collection consisted of three component surveys: health interview, social survey, and medical examinations. Social surveys and health interviews were conducted in a face-to-face method by utilizing a questionnaire consisting of 39 questions addressing household and individual components, including information on time and type of injuries, physical activity, mental health, and quality of life. A comprehensive team of physicians in different subspecialties evaluated and examined children to assess the current medical and psychiatric conditions and physical activity, and recommended and arranged further medical, rehabilitation, or surgical planning. Seventy-eight child casualties were identified and participated in the study. The mean age of the participants at the time of study was 16.11 years old (SD=2 years). The mean age of victims at the time of injury was 8.2 years (SD=3.12 years; ranged from 2 to 15 years old). Sixty-seven (85.9%) of the children were male. Provinces of Kurdistan and Kermanshah had the highest number of casualties, with a total number of 54 children (68.3%). Eighty percent of the injuries were caused by landmines, and UXO explosions were reported in 20% of the cases. Overall, 24 children (30%) had received some landmine-risk education before or after the events. Sixty percent of the explosions had happened in the morning between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm. Playing and grazing livestock were the most prevalent activities/reasons at the time of injury, which were reported in 77% of the subjects. Sixty-three percent of incidents had multiple casualties and in only 13 explosions were the children the only victims of the explosion. The most prevalent injuries were amputations in 41 subjects (52.56%), followed by hearing loss in 23 subjects (29.5%). Amputations were more common in upper extremities (62%) than in lower extremities (38%). Landmines and UXOs comprise a significant safety hazard to the children living in the Western border of Iran decades after the Iraq-Iran War. The large number of injuries and lack of risk training among victims suggest that landmine cleanings and landmine-risk education should be age-specifically targeted and expanded substantially.

Status of Transfusion Medicine Education in Iran.

PubMed

Javadzadeh Shahshahani, Hayedeh

2016-06-01

Optimal use of blood and blood components requires theoretical and practical knowledge in transfusion medicine. While the importance of education in transfusion medicine has long been recognized, a vacancy is widely felt in this regard in Iran. In this study, the current status of transfusion medicine education in Iran is evaluated using a review of studies conducted in this field. To access articles related to transfusion medicine education in Iran, an electronic search was performed in databases, including Magiran, SID, IranMedex, Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus and the related articles were evaluated. Knowledge of transfusion medicine was not optimal in various medical groups and there was no effective theoretical and practical education and training for transfusion medicine in medical universities. Almost all the studies concluded that transfusion medicine curricula should be implemented for both undergraduate and postgraduate students, because of its great importance in clinical practice. Educational program of transfusion medicine is a basic need of medical education for medical students, interns, residents, nursing, and midwifery students in Iran. Considering our status and capacities and by using educational programs in the world, curricula are suggested for different educational levels. Implementation of these training programs plays a vital role in improving patients' safety and also reduces the high costs of treatment with blood products.

A systematic review of publications studies on medical tourism.

PubMed

Masoud, Ferdosi; Alireza, Jabbari; Mahmoud, Keyvanara; Zahra, Agharahimi

2013-01-01

Medical tourism for any study area is complex. Using full articles from other databases, Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), Science Direct, Emerald, Oxford, Magiran, and Scientific Information Database (SID), to examine systematically published articles about medical tourism in the interval 2000-2011 paid. Articles were obtained using descriptive statistics and content analysis categories were analyzed. Among the 28 articles reviewed, 11 cases were a kind of research articles, three cases were case studies in Mexico, India, Hungary, Germany, and Iran, and 14 were case studies, review documents and data were passed. The main topics of study included the definition of medical tourism, medical tourists' motivation and development of medical tourism, ethical issues in medical tourism, and impact on health and medical tourism marketing. The findings indicate the definition of medical tourism in various articles, and medical tourists are motivated. However, most studies indicate the benefits of medical tourism in developing countries and more developed countries reflect the consequences of medical tourism.

A systematic review of publications studies on medical tourism

PubMed Central

Masoud, Ferdosi; Alireza, Jabbari; Mahmoud, Keyvanara; Zahra, Agharahimi

2013-01-01

Introduction: Medical tourism for any study area is complex. Materials and Methods: Using full articles from other databases, Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), Science Direct, Emerald, Oxford, Magiran, and Scientific Information Database (SID), to examine systematically published articles about medical tourism in the interval 2000-2011 paid. Articles were obtained using descriptive statistics and content analysis categories were analyzed. Results: Among the 28 articles reviewed, 11 cases were a kind of research articles, three cases were case studies in Mexico, India, Hungary, Germany, and Iran, and 14 were case studies, review documents and data were passed. The main topics of study included the definition of medical tourism, medical tourists’ motivation and development of medical tourism, ethical issues in medical tourism, and impact on health and medical tourism marketing. Conclusion: The findings indicate the definition of medical tourism in various articles, and medical tourists are motivated. However, most studies indicate the benefits of medical tourism in developing countries and more developed countries reflect the consequences of medical tourism. PMID:24251287

Prevalence of burnout among nurses in Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Rezaei, S; Karami Matin, B; Hajizadeh, M; Soroush, A; Nouri, B

2018-01-30

This study aimed to summarize the available information in the literature to make an accurate estimate of the prevalence of burnout among Iranian nurses. Burnout is a work-related stress syndrome that has negative impact on healthcare providers, patients and healthcare delivery systems. A comprehensive search of literature using international [PubMed, Scopus and the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI)] and Iranian scientific data bases [Scientific Information Database (SID), IranMedex and Magiran] was conducted to identify English and Persian language studies, published between 2000 and 2016, that examined the prevalence of burnout among nurses in Iran. The I-squared test and Chi-squared-based Q-test suggested heterogeneity of reported prevalence among the qualified studies; thus, a random-effects model was applied to estimate the overall prevalence of burnout among nurses in Iran. Based on 21 selected articles with 4180 participants, the overall prevalence of burnout among Iranian nurses was estimated to be 36% [95% confidence interval (CI), 20-53%] in Iran. Meta-regression indicated that sample size and year of data collection, mean age of samples, female to male ratio and geographic regions were not statistically significantly associated with the prevalence of burnout. Also, based on Egger's test and funnel plot, there is no publication bias among studies included in the analysis. Professional burnout affects more than one-third of nursing staff in Iran; thus, effective interventions and strategies are required to reduce and prevent burnout among nurses. Due to the negative consequences of burnout on patients, nurses and organizations, nursing and healthcare managers should intervene to prevent and reduce burnout among nurses in Iran. Policy attention should focus on developing effective interventions to prevent and minimize the burden of burnout among nurses in Iran. Nurses' involvement in the policy-making process is crucial in the implementation of effective programs and initiatives tailored to address the higher prevalence of burnout among Iranian nurses. © 2018 International Council of Nurses.

Air pollution and cardiovascular and respiratory disease: Rationale and methodology of CAPACITY study.

PubMed

Rabiei, Katayoun; Hosseini, Sayed Mohsen; Sadeghi, Erfan; Jafari-Koshki, Tohid; Rahimi, Mojtaba; Shishehforoush, Mansour; Lahijanzadeh, Ahmadreza; Sadeghian, Babak; Moazam, Elham; Mohebi, Mohammad Bagher; Ezatian, Victoria; Sarrafzadegan, Nizal

2017-11-01

Considering the high level of air pollution and its impact on health, we aimed to study the correlation of air pollution with hospitalization and mortality of cardiovascular (CVD) and respiratory diseases (ResD) (CAPACITY) to determine the effects of air pollutants on CVD and ResD hospitalizations and deaths in Isfahan, Iran. Hourly levels of air pollutants including particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone (O3), information of CVD and ResD admissions and death certificate were obtained respectively from Department of Environment (DOE), Iran, hospitals and cemetery. Time series and case-crossover model were used to find the impact of air pollutants. This paper only summarizes the descriptive findings of the CAPACITY study. The total number of hospitalized patients were 23781 in 2010 and 22485 in 2011. The most frequent cause of hospitalization and death was ischemic heart diseases in both years. While the mean annual levels of O3, CO, and PM10 were lower in 2011 than in 2010, NO2 and SO2 levels higher in 2011. In both years, PM10 was similarly increased during last month of fall, late spring and early summer. In 2011, the PM2.5 and PM10 monthly trend of change were similar. The CAPACITY study is one of the few large-scale studies that evaluated the effects of air pollutants on a variety of CVD and ResD in a large city of Iran. This study can provide many findings that could clarify the effects of these pollutants on the incidence and burden of both disease groups.

Air pollution and cardiovascular and respiratory disease: Rationale and methodology of CAPACITY study

PubMed Central

Rabiei, Katayoun; Hosseini, Sayed Mohsen; Sadeghi, Erfan; Jafari-Koshki, Tohid; Rahimi, Mojtaba; Shishehforoush, Mansour; Lahijanzadeh, Ahmadreza; Sadeghian, Babak; Moazam, Elham; Mohebi, Mohammad Bagher; Ezatian, Victoria; Sarrafzadegan, Nizal

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND Considering the high level of air pollution and its impact on health, we aimed to study the correlation of air pollution with hospitalization and mortality of cardiovascular (CVD) and respiratory diseases (ResD) (CAPACITY) to determine the effects of air pollutants on CVD and ResD hospitalizations and deaths in Isfahan, Iran. METHODS Hourly levels of air pollutants including particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone (O3), information of CVD and ResD admissions and death certificate were obtained respectively from Department of Environment (DOE), Iran, hospitals and cemetery. Time series and case-crossover model were used to find the impact of air pollutants. This paper only summarizes the descriptive findings of the CAPACITY study. RESULTS The total number of hospitalized patients were 23781 in 2010 and 22485 in 2011. The most frequent cause of hospitalization and death was ischemic heart diseases in both years. While the mean annual levels of O3, CO, and PM10 were lower in 2011 than in 2010, NO2 and SO2 levels higher in 2011. In both years, PM10 was similarly increased during last month of fall, late spring and early summer. In 2011, the PM2.5 and PM10 monthly trend of change were similar. CONCLUSION The CAPACITY study is one of the few large-scale studies that evaluated the effects of air pollutants on a variety of CVD and ResD in a large city of Iran. This study can provide many findings that could clarify the effects of these pollutants on the incidence and burden of both disease groups. PMID:29643921

National and sub-national trend and burden of injuries in Iran, 1990 - 2013: a study protocol.

PubMed

Jamshidbeygi, Esmat; Rastad, Hadith; Qorbani, Mostafa; Saadat, Soheil; Sepidarkish, Mehdi; Asayesh, Hamid; Sepanlou, Sadaf Ghajarieh; Shokraneh, Farhad; Najafi, Fereshteh; Khoramdad, Malihe; Maghsodi, Ahmad; Farzadfar, Farahnaz; Jamshidi, Hamid Reza; Moradi-Lakeh, Maziar; Farzadfar, Farshad

2014-03-01

Worldwide, injuries are a major public health concern and make a considerable contribution to the disease burden. The present study is a component of the National and Subnational Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors from 1990 to 2013 (NASBOD) study in Iran, which was designed to investigate the burden of most important injuries (road traffic injuries, falls, burns, poisonings and drownings) at the national and sub-national levels in Iran. In this paper we explain definitions, organization, injuries selection process, data sources, data gathering methods, and data analyses of the national and sub-national burden of injuries study in Iran. The burden of most important injuries in current metric of DALYs at the national and sub-national levels in Iran over 1990-2013 will be estimated through comprehensive reviews of either published or national data sources. Statistical modeling will be used to impute the missing data on the burden of selected important injuries for each district-year. The results of present study can help health policy makers to plan more comprehensive and cost-effective strategies at national and sub-national level for prevention and control of burden caused by injuries.

Exploring the Barriers of Home Care Services in Iran: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Heydari, Heshmatolah; Shahsavari, Hooman; Hazini, Abdolrahim; Nasrabadi, Alireza Nikbakht

2016-01-01

With increasing chronic diseases, the use of home care is rising in the world. Home care in Iran has many challenges and to improve that, we should identify the challenges and barriers of home care. The aim of this study was to identify and explore the barriers of home care in Iran. This is a qualitative study with content analysis approach that was conducted in Iran in 2015. Fourteen key informants comprising health policymakers, faculty members, nurses, and physicians as well as patients and families engaged in home care purposefully participated in this study. Data was obtained using face-to-face semistructured interviews. A focus group discussion was also used to complete the findings. Graneheim and Lundman's approach was used for analysis of data and Lincoln and Guba's criteria were used to confirm the trustworthiness of study's findings. The data were divided into three main categories and eight subcategories. Main categories included treatment-based approach in the healthcare system, cultural dimensions, and the lack of adequate infrastructure. A position for home care in the healthcare system, considering cultural dimensions in Iranian society and providing an appropriate infrastructure, can be beneficial to improve the situation of home care services in Iran. PMID:27127677

The comparison of frequency of the upper limb musculoskeletal disorders among patients with diabetes type II with normal cases.

PubMed

Kermani, Zahra Haeri; Bazzaz, Seyed Mojtaba Mousavi; Farahmand, Seyed Kazem; Raoof, Ali Akbar

2017-11-01

Musculoskeletal disease, that is recognized in diabetes and diabetes mellitus (DM) has shown a higher prevalence of chronic musculoskeletal complications. This study aimed at assessing the frequency of upper limb musculoskeletal disorders among patients with diabetes type II with normal cases in Mashhad, Iran. A cross-section of 100 patients with upper limb musculoskeletal disorders were enrolled in this study. The patients were examined by a unique physician considering carpal tunnel syndrome disorder, trigger finger, adhesive capsulitis, and Dupuytren's contracture at Ghaem hospital, Mashhad, Iran in 2015. All collected data were recorded by using SPSS version 21 and were analyzed through independent-samples t-test for comparing changes, and Chi-square. In this study, the mean age was 51.7±8.7 years old. Gender frequency was 114 (57%) male, and 86 (43%) female. There was no significant difference between groups in cases of gender frequency and mean of age (p>0.05). In evaluation of association between the two groups, there was significant difference for adhesive capsulitis, (p=0.04). Chi-square test showed significant association for age and adhesive capsulitis between the two groups, (p=0.040); but no other diabetes-related disorders, (p<0.05). The results of this study showed that in patients with diabetes mellitus and musculoskeletal complications such as upper limb musculoskeletal abnormalities, it will lead to an increase in skeletal muscle effects in DM patients. It is recommended that musculoskeletal examination is done periodically in DM patients for identification of these disorders and necessary actions are carried out for prevention of the disorders as soon as possible.

Confirmation of Two Sibling Species among Anopheles fluviatilis Mosquitoes in South and Southeastern Iran by Analysis of Cytochrome Oxidase I Gene.

PubMed

Naddaf, Saied Reza; Oshaghi, Mohammad Ali; Vatandoost, Hassan

2012-12-01

Anopheles fluviatilis, one of the major malaria vectors in Iran, is assumed to be a complex of sibling species. The aim of this study was to evaluate Cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene alongside 28S-D3 as a diagnostic tool for identification of An. fluviatilis sibling species in Iran. DNA sample belonging to 24 An. fluviatilis mosquitoes from different geographical areas in south and southeastern Iran were used for amplification of COI gene followed by sequencing. The 474-475 bp COI sequences obtained in this study were aligned with 59 similar sequences of An. fluviatilis and a sequence of Anopheles minimus, as out group, from GenBank database. The distances between group and individual sequences were calculated and phylogenetic tree for obtained sequences was generated by using Kimura two parameter (K2P) model of neighbor-joining method. Phylogenetic analysis using COI gene grouped members of Fars Province (central Iran) in two distinct clades separate from other Iranian members representing Hormozgan, Kerman, and Sistan va Baluchestan Provinces. The mean distance between Iranian and Indian individuals was 1.66%, whereas the value between Fars Province individuals and the group comprising individuals from other areas of Iran was 2.06%. Presence of 2.06% mean distance between individuals from Fars Province and those from other areas of Iran is indicative of at least two sibling species in An. fluviatilis mosquitoes of Iran. This finding confirms earlier results based on RAPD-PCR and 28S-D3 analysis.

West Nile Virus lineage-2 in Culex specimens from Iran.

PubMed

Shahhosseini, Nariman; Chinikar, Sadegh; Moosa-Kazemi, Seyed Hassan; Sedaghat, Mohammad Mehdi; Kayedi, Mohammad Hassan; Lühken, Renke; Schmidt-Chanasit, Jonas

2017-10-01

Screening of mosquitoes for viruses is an important forecasting tool for emerging and re-emerging arboviruses. Iran has been known to harbour medically important arboviruses such as West Nile virus (WNV) and dengue virus (DENV) based on seroepidemiological data. However, there are no data about the potential mosquito vectors for arboviruses in Iran. This study was performed to provide mosquito and arbovirus data from Iran. A total of 32 317 mosquitos were collected at 16 sites in five provinces of Iran in 2015 and 2016. RT-PCR for detection of flaviviruses was performed. The PCR amplicons were sequenced, and 109 WNV sequences, including one obtained in this study, were used for phylogenetic analyses. The 32 317 mosquito specimens belonging to 25 species were morphologically distinguished and distributed into 1222 pools. Culex pipiens s.l. comprised 56.429%. One mosquito pool (0.08%), containing 46 unfed Cx. pipiens pipiens form pipiens (Cpp) captured in August 2015, was positive for flavivirus RNA. Subsequent sequencing and phylogenetic analyses revealed that the detected Iranian WNV strain belongs to lineage 2 and clusters with a strain recently detected in humans. No flaviviruses other than WNV were detected in the mosquito pools. Cpp could be a vector for WNV in Iran. Our findings indicate recent circulation of WNV lineage-2 strain in Iran and provide a solid base for more targeted arbovirus surveillance programs. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Migrants' Health in Iran from the Perspective of Social Justice: a Systematic Literature Review.

PubMed

Shamsi Gooshki, Ehsan; Rezaei, Raheleh; Wild, Verina

2016-10-01

This paper presents a systematic literature review of studies that shed light on the health of migrants in Iran from the perspective of social justice. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed and Iranian databases, including IranMedex, Magiran, and SID, in June 2012. All studies that were published until June 2012 describing the health status of migrants - including refugees - in Iran were included. The search results were categorisoyed according to an adapted version of the six dimensions of well-being in Madison Powers' and Ruth Faden's theory of social justice in health. They consisted of access to health care, health, respect, self-determination and attachment, personal security, and social determinants of health. The majority of papers mentioned issues related to infectious diseases (100 papers, 60.2%). Only a few papers mentioned socioeconomic status and access to health services, education, and work. Infectious diseases and high population growth among migrants and the problematic image of migrants as "threat" to the Iranian population's health appear to be the most prominent results in our search. It is imperative to combat the high numbers of infectious diseases among migrants in Iran while simultaneously making efforts to change the public image of migrants as a health and social service threat to Iran. Data concerning social and ethical issues of migrants' health in Iran is scarce, and thus, future research is necessary using other methods and sources.

Epilepsy Research in Iran: a Scientometric Analysis of Publications Output During 2000-2014.

PubMed

Rasolabadi, Masoud; Rasouli-Ghahfarkhi, Seyedeh Moloud; Ardalan, Marlin; Kalhor, Marya Maryam; Seidi, Jamal; Gharib, Alireza

2015-12-01

The aim of this study is to analyze the epilepsy research output of Iran in national and global contexts, as reflected in its publication output indexed in Scopus citation database during 2000-2014. This study was based on the publications of epilepsy research from Iranian authors retrieved Feb. 2015 from Scopus Citation database [www.scopus.com]. The string used to retrieve the data was developed using "epilepsy OR epilepsies" keywords in title, abstract and keywords and Iran in affiliation field was our main string. Cumulative publication output of Iran in epilepsy research consisted of 702 papers from 2000 to 2014, with an average number of 46.53 papers per year. The total publication output of Iran in epilepsy research increased from 2 papers in 2000 to 88 papers in 2014. Hence, with 702 paper, Iran ranked 25(th) among the top 25 countries with a global share of 0.82 %. Iranian publication average citation per paper increased from 0 in 2000 to 7.88 in 2014. Overall, the received citations were 3184 citations during those years. Iran is collaborating with 36 countries with no more than 244 of its papers (35% of its total papers). It is necessary to prepare conditions for epilepsy researchers to collaborate more with international scientific societies in order to produce more and high quality papers.

Relationship between female sexual difficulties and mental health in patients referred to two public and private settings in Tehran, Iran.

PubMed

Azar, Mahyar; Noohi, Sima; Shafiee Kandjani, Ali Reza

2007-09-01

Sexual difficulty has various effects on patients suffering from this condition that can impact on interpersonal and marital relationships. Sexual function may be adversely affected by stress of any kind and emotional disorders. There have been limited studies focusing on the mental health of those suffering from this problem. To determine the relationship between sexual difficulties and mental health in female patients seeking help in psychiatric clinics. The study was based on the case-control design methodology in which the case group consisted of 165 outpatients of two psychiatric clinics, who were diagnosed with different mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, phobia, aggression, and somatic complaints (33 subjects for each type of disorder). The 33 subjects in the control group were chosen among the patients' relatives and visitors who had no history of either seeking psychiatric help or taking psychiatric drugs. The subjects of both case and control groups were selected based on a convenience sampling method. Moreover, the data were collected based on two techniques of "interview" and "questionnaire;" the latter was of three different subcategories, each dealt with demographic characteristics, sexual difficulties, and a Symptom Check-List-90-Revised. Assessing female sexual difficulties associated with mental health and differences between women with and without psychiatric problems. The obtained results indicated that there was a significant difference between the prevalence of sexual difficulties (e.g., sexual desire and orgasm disorders) in the case group and that of the control group. It was also revealed that there was a significant difference between the depressed, aggressive, as well as those with somatic complaints, and their control group counterparts. In Iran, sexual difficulties seem to be more frequent in those seeking psychiatric help in clinics than in those within the normal population.

Budget impact analysis of vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae type b as a part of a Pentavalent vaccine in the childhood immunization schedule of Iran.

PubMed

Teimouri, Fatemeh; Kebriaeezadeh, Abbas; Zahraei, Seyed Mohsen; Gheiratian, MohammadMahdi; Nikfar, Shekoufeh

2017-01-14

Health decision makers need to know the impact of the development of a new intervention on the public health and health care costs so that they can plan for economic and financial objectives. The aim of this study was to determine the budget impact of adding Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) as a part of a Pentavalent vaccine (Hib-HBV-DTP) to the national childhood immunization schedule of Iran. An excel-based model was developed to determine the costs of including the Pentavalent vaccine in the national immunization program (NIP), comparing the present schedule with the previous one (including separate DTP and hepatitis B vaccines). The total annual costs included the cost of vaccination (the vaccine and syringe) and the cost of Hib treatment. The health outcome was the estimated annual cases of the diseases. The net budget impact was the difference in the total annual cost between the two schedules. Uncertainty about the vaccine effectiveness, vaccination coverage, cost of the vaccine, and cost of the diseases were handled through scenario analysis. The total cost of vaccination during 5 years was $18,060,463 in the previous program and $67,774,786 in the present program. Inclusion of the Pentavalent vaccine would increase the vaccination cost about $49 million, but would save approximately $6 million in the healthcare costs due to reduction of disease cases and treatment costs. The introduction of the Pentavalent vaccine resulted in a net increase in the healthcare budget expenditure across all scenarios from $43.4 million to $50.7 million. The results of this study showed that the inclusion of the Pentavalent vaccine in the NIP of Iran had a significant impact on the health care budget and increased the financial burden on the government. Budget impact of including Pentavalent vaccine in the national immunization schedule of Iranᅟ.

Cancer Incidence in Kerman Province, Southeast of Iran: Report of an ongoing Population-Based Cancer Registry, 2014

PubMed

Shahesmaeili, Armita; Malekpour Afshar, Reza; Sadeghi, Azadeh; Bazrafshan, Azam

2018-06-25

Introduction: The epidemiology of common cancers in Kerman province, southeast of Iran, was assessed based upon results of the Kerman Population-Based Cancer Registry Program (KPBCR). Methods: in this retrospective study, all patients diagnosed with primary cancers and registered with the KPBCR were included. New cancer cases registered from 2014 were identified from pathological labs, medical reports of 48 health facilities providing cancer diagnosis or treatment services and the national death registry program. Data for patients who were referred to neighboring provinces to access health services were also collected from national referral registries. Results from autopsies was additionally extracted from regional forensic and legal medicine centers and added to the registry periodically. Age standardized incidence rates (ASRs) per 100,000 person-years for all cancers were computed, using direct-standardization and CanReg methodology. Mortality to incidence (M:I) ratios and microscopically verified (MV) proportions were calculated as quality measures. Results: A total of 2,838 cases of cancer were registered in Kerman province, 2014. Of these 45. 6% involved women (n=1,293). Individuals aged 60-64 years represented the largest proportion (11.6%) of the total cancer prevalence, followed by those aged 55-59 years (10.86%) and 65-69 years (8.99%). The ASRs for all cancers were 155.1 and 118.90 per 100,000, in men and women, respectively. In women, breast (ASR: 26.4), skin (ASR: 13.0), thyroid (ASR: 9.2), leukemia (ASR: 8.0) and colorectal (ASR: 7.70) were the most common cancers. In men, bladder (ASR: 24.70), skin (ASR: 16.80), lung (ASR: 14.6), leukemia (ASR: 14.50), and stomach (ASR: 10.8) were found to be the most frequent. Conclusion: This study provided latest evidence on epidemiology of cancer in the southeast of Iran that could be used to empower prevention and control interventions in a developing country. Creative Commons Attribution License

Designing Computerized Provider Order Entry Software in Iran: The Nurses' and Physicians' Viewpoints.

PubMed

Khammarnia, Mohammad; Sharifian, Roxana; Zand, Farid; Keshtkaran, Ali; Barati, Omid

2016-09-01

This study aimed to identify the functional requirements of computerized provider order entry software and design this software in Iran. This study was conducted using review documentation, interview, and focus group discussions in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, as the medical pole in Iran, in 2013-2015. The study sample consisted of physicians (n = 12) and nurses (n = 2) in the largest hospital in the southern part of Iran and information technology experts (n = 5) in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Functional requirements of the computerized provider order entry system were examined in three phases. Finally, the functional requirements were distributed in four levels, and accordingly, the computerized provider order entry software was designed. The software had seven main dimensions: (1) data entry, (2) drug interaction management system, (3) warning system, (4) treatment services, (5) ability to write in software, (6) reporting from all sections of the software, and (7) technical capabilities of the software. The nurses and physicians emphasized quick access to the computerized provider order entry software, order prescription section, and applicability of the software. The software had some items that had not been mentioned in other studies. Ultimately, the software was designed by a company specializing in hospital information systems in Iran. This study was the first specific investigation of computerized provider order entry software design in Iran. Based on the results, it is suggested that this software be implemented in hospitals.

Family Planning Practice by Patterns of Marriage in the North of Iran.

PubMed

Taghizadeh, Ziba; Vedadhir, Abouali; Bayani, Fatemeh; Behmanesh, Fereshteh; Ebadi, Abbas; Pourreza, Abolghasem; Abbasi-Shavazi, Mohammad Jalal; Bijani, Ali

2017-01-01

The fertility experience in Iran suggests that the family planning programs had an effective role in the fertility reduction. This study aimed to specify patterns of marriage in Iran and especially in a northern city of Iran and to investigate the association between patterns of marriage and contraceptive use before first pregnancy and current contraceptive use. In this cross-sectional study, following the implementation of an expert panel in order to investigate marriage patterns, 880 women aged 15-49 yr old, were selected by multistage cluster sampling and completed the "reproductive practices" questionnaire in Babol City, northern Iran, in 2013. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS ver.16 and descriptive and analytical parameters. There are three patterns of marriage in the northern part of Iran: Traditional, Mixed and Modern marriage and between different patterns there is no statistically significant difference in the contraceptive use. According to the lack of significant relationship between patterns of marriage and the contraceptives use, which is one of the proximate determinants of fertility, the policy makers should pay attention to other determinants of fertility in order to manage the problems and implications of population decline in the country.

Methamphetamine-associated psychosis: a new health challenge in Iran

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

The rapidly growing popularity of methamphetamine use in Iran has posed a new health challenge to the Iranian health sector. Methamphetamine-associated psychosis (MAP) has been frequently reported in Iran in recent years. Although methamphetamine use and MAP are considerable health problems in Iran but there is still a need to conduct epidemiological studies on the prevalence of MAP and its health-related problems. The present paper emphasizes that health policy makers should consider the immediate needs of drug users, their families and the community to be informed about the detrimental health effects associated with MAP. Although MAP could be managed by prescribing benzodiazepines and psychiatric medications but the most effective regime for stabilizing patients with MAP still needs to be studied in Iran. Constant collaborations among psychiatric services and outpatient psychotherapeutic services should be established to successfully manage MAP in Iran. Iranian clinicians especially emergency medicine specialists should be informed about the differences between the two forms of transient and recurrent MAP in order to implement appropriate pharmacological therapies to manage MAP. It is hoped that special training courses are designed and implemented by health policy makers to inform clinicians, health providers and especially emergency medicine specialists to effectively deal with MAP. PMID:23577655

High resolution image of uppermost mantle beneath NE Iran continental collision zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Motaghi, K.; Tatar, M.; Shomali, Z. H.; Kaviani, A.; Priestley, K.

2012-10-01

We invert 3775 relative P wave arrival times using the ACH damped least square method of Aki et al. (1977) to study upper mantle structure beneath the NE Iran continental collision zone. The data for this study were recorded by 17 three component broad-band stations operated from August 2006 to February 2008 along a profile from the center of Iranian Plateau, near Yazd, to the northeastern part of Iran on the Turan Platform just north of the Kopeh Dagh Mountains. The results confirm the previously known low velocity upper mantle beneath Central Iran. Our tomographic model reveals a deep high velocity anomaly. The surficial expressions of this anomaly are between the Ashkabad and Doruneh Faults, where the resolution and ray coverage are good. A transition zone in uppermost mantle is recognized under the Binalud foreland that we interpreted as suture zone between Iran and Turan platform. Our results indicate that Atrak Valley which is the boundary between the Binalud and Kopeh Dagh Mountains can be considered as the northeastern suture of the Iranian Plateau where Eurasia and Turan Platform under-thrust beneath the Binalud range and Central Iran.