Prevalence and risk factors for HBV and HCV in prisoners in Iran: a national bio-behavioural surveillance survey in 2015

Objectives: To provide more accurate estimates of the prevalence of Hepatitis B (HBV) and Hepatitis C (HCV) and their contributing factors among prisoners in Iran. Methods: Cross-sectional study of 6200 Iranian prisoners in 2015. Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews. HBV infection and HCV exposure status of the participants was determined by HBsAg and HCV antibodies blood tests using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Data were analysed in STATA-12. Result: Prevalence of HCV exposure was 9.48 (95 CI: 8.73�10.27), and prevalence of HBV was 2.48 (95 CI: 2.07�2.89) in the general prison population. In multivariate analysis, the most important risk factor for HBV was a history of drug use in lifetime (adjusted odds ratio, AOR: 1.8, 95 CI: 1.17�3.02). The main risk factors for HCV exposure were a history of drug use in lifetime (AOR: 4.08, CI: 2.56�6.27), age over 30 (AOR: 2.68, CI: 2.01�3.56), and having tattoos (AOR = 1.67, CI: 1.35�2.07). Conclusion: Although vaccination is used to control HBV among prisoners, prevalence of HCV exposure is alarming in the prison population of Iran, especially among people who inject drugs. Eliminating viral hepatitis in Iran by 2030 requires a national commitment and rapid measures for targeting this high-risk group. Given the increased efficiency of HCV treatment in recent years, prisons provide an opportunity to access patients for treatment. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Lt

Prevalence and risk factors for HBV and HCV in prisoners in Iran: a national bio-behavioural surveillance survey in 2015

Objectives: To provide more accurate estimates of the prevalence of Hepatitis B (HBV) and Hepatitis C (HCV) and their contributing factors among prisoners in Iran. Methods: Cross-sectional study of 6200 Iranian prisoners in 2015. Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews. HBV infection and HCV exposure status of the participants was determined by HBsAg and HCV antibodies blood tests using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Data were analysed in STATA-12. Result: Prevalence of HCV exposure was 9.48 (95 CI: 8.73�10.27), and prevalence of HBV was 2.48 (95 CI: 2.07�2.89) in the general prison population. In multivariate analysis, the most important risk factor for HBV was a history of drug use in lifetime (adjusted odds ratio, AOR: 1.8, 95 CI: 1.17�3.02). The main risk factors for HCV exposure were a history of drug use in lifetime (AOR: 4.08, CI: 2.56�6.27), age over 30 (AOR: 2.68, CI: 2.01�3.56), and having tattoos (AOR = 1.67, CI: 1.35�2.07). Conclusion: Although vaccination is used to control HBV among prisoners, prevalence of HCV exposure is alarming in the prison population of Iran, especially among people who inject drugs. Eliminating viral hepatitis in Iran by 2030 requires a national commitment and rapid measures for targeting this high-risk group. Given the increased efficiency of HCV treatment in recent years, prisons provide an opportunity to access patients for treatment. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Lt

Microorganisms: Induction and inhibition of corrosion in metals

Corrosion occurs due to chemical or electrochemical reactions between the environment and metal. It can cause dangerous and expensive damage to a wide range of industries. However, it is difficult to evaluate the economic impact of corrosion, particularly when microorganisms are involved in the corrosion mechanism. Microbes change the electrochemical reaction at the biofilm/metal interface and either inhibit or accelerate the process of metal corrosion. The high cost, toxicity, and sometimes ineffectiveness of present physical and chemical strategies to control corrosion have called for the use of microorganisms in inhibitory mechanisms, and this has generated great interest. Although the microbial inhibitory mechanism is environmentally friendly, the predictability of the results is not yet affirmed, as sometimes the same bacteria with an inhibitory property may also become aggressive. This review discusses different mechanisms by which microbes induce or inhibit corrosion in metals. Further, as the corrosive or inhibiting behaviors of microorganisms vary considerably depending on environmental factors, the roles of these factors are also emphasized

Patterns of Drug Use and Related Factors Among Prisoners in Iran: Results from the National Survey in 2015

Drug use by prisoners is one of the world�s most important problems. We sought to determine the pattern of drug use behavior and related factors among prisoners of Iran in 2015. This cross-sectional study was part of the bio-behavioral surveillance survey conducted among 6200 prisoners in 26 prison sites in Iran who were selected through multi-stage sampling. Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews which inquired about participants� demographics and drug use behaviors. We analyzed study data using descriptive statistics, and crude and adjusted logistic regressions, in STATA-12. Of all prisoners, 74.0 had a history of lifetime drug use, and 16.6 of drug users had a history of lifetime injection drug use (IDU). According to the results of a multivariate logistic regression, male sex, being between the ages of 24 and 45, having a history of imprisonment, and having a history of lifetime high-risk sexual behavior were significant risk factors for lifetime drug use. Also, male sex, single status, and a history of previous imprisonment were significant risk factors for lifetime IDU. The prevalence of drug use in Iran�s prison population is high and alarming. There is a continuing need for harm reduction programs, including the methadone maintenance treatment, among imprisoned drug users and IDUs. © 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

Assessing Individual Material Degradation toward Organic Solar Cells Using Accelerated Nanolayer Lifetime Protocols: Implications for Solar Cell Longevity

Organic solar cells (OSCs) can be highly affected by environmental stresses like heat, moisture, and sunlight during their service life if they are not encapsulated or if the encapsulation leaks. A deep understanding of how each individual organic layer changes/reacts to various environmental factors is a crucial aspect in designing an effective OSC architecture to ensure the longevity and stability of the materials toward the device’s performance. While there are numerous examples of encapsulated OSCs operating outdoors for extended periods of time, there is an insufficiency of information available about the individual stability of the materials involved. The focus of this study is to provide a quantitative assessment of the individual unencapsulated OSC layers when they are exposed to combinations of heat, humidity, and light. Ideally, a similar process can be applied to different organic nanolayers in the future, and the results can be used as a reference. Throughout the accelerated aging process, the most impactful environmental stressor was the presence of strong light. Via UV–vis and fluorescence data acquisition, the chloro-boron subphthalocyanine (Cl-BsubPc) layer was observed to be altered by some combination of hydrolysis and nanostructural change, from the strong incident light, which was not observed if aged in the dark. We also observed significant nanolayer film crystallization for other materials when exposed to humid heat and an increase in film hydrophilicity during the aging process. The nanolayer film crystallization could have also contributed to the loss of π-conjugation/color, which may not have undergone complete photobleaching. Though there were property changes throughout the accelerated aging process, we feel that the relatively long time scale of most changes highlights a characteristic material stability that would translate strongly to standard operating conditions in encapsulated devices. Adopting these methodologies can also be useful to guide further material development broadly in particularly susceptible materials in the future

Evaluation of Effects of Two Spring Applications of Micronutrients on the Population Density of Common Pistachio Psylla (Agonoscena Pistaciae) in Pistachio Orchards

The common pistachio psylla, Agonoscena pistaciae Burckhardt and Lauterer (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae) is one of the most detrimental pests to pistachio trees. This pest is distributed throughout all the pistachio producing regions of Iran. Nowadays various pesticides are used to control the common pistachio psylla, but extensive pesticide spraying against this pest over a period of several years has overpowered its natural enemies. Moreover, the overlapping of generations has resulted in an abundant presence of the pest. Many herbivorous insects can make qualitative distinctions between host plants, they can feed and oviposit preferentially on higher quality plants. Cultural methods such as crop fertilization can affect the susceptibility of plants to insect pests by altering a plant tissue's nutrient level. This study tested nitrogen (N), calcium (Ca) and zinc (Zn) fertilizers on A. pistaciae in pistachio orchards. The experiment was based on complete randomized blocks with three replications and nine treatments including once-applied Zn, Ca, N, NCa, ZnCa, ZnN, ZnCaN, pesticide (amitraz) and a control (distilled water), on common pistachio psylla fed on 20-year-old pistachio trees of Ahmadaghaei rootstock. The results demonstrated that the effect of nutritional solutions on nymph and egg populations showed a significant difference at a 5% level. The highest measure of control on eggs was related to amitraz, ZnCa and Zn while the least was related to NZn. The results also showed that the highest measure of pest control was related to Ca while the least was related to N and Zn. The results indicated that combinations of the elements mentioned had a stronger reducing effect on the concentration of pistachio psylla nymphs than the effect pesticide had