Factors Influencing Rural-Urban Migration from Mountainous Areas in Iran: A Case Study in West Esfahan

Migration of young people from rural areas reduces the rural development goals and increase social and economic problems in cities. This is an analysis of the causes of rural-urban migration from Esfahan Mountainous areas and guidelines for reducing migration from villages. Data were obtained using mixed methods approach comprising questionnaire surveys and key informant interviews. Study population are residents of 28 villages from Fereidan and Fereidunshahr counties. The population are 6300 people, who have migrated from these two counties. 362 persons were selected Using Cochran formula, as the sample size. Then, analysis was performed using SPSS v. 20 software. The study revealed that poverty, lack of jobs, insufficient educational facilities, education in the city, lack of public transportation systems, unsuitable mountain Road, cold weather , shortage of doctors, hospitals and health facilities are main factors of rural-urban migration from iran Mountainous areas. So It is recommended to eliminate the problems mentioned to reduce the rate of rural-urban migration for the rural residents

Analysis and modeling time headway distributions under heavy traffic flow conditions in the urban highways: case of Isfahan

The time headway of vehicles is an important microscopic traffic flow parameter which affects the safety and capacity of highway facilities such as freeways and multi-lane highways. The present paper intends to provide a report on the results of a study aimed at investigating the effect of the lane position on time headway distributions within the high levels of traffic flow. The main issue of this study is to assess the driver's behavior at different highway lanes based on a headway distribution analysis. The study was conducted in the city of Isfahan, Iran. Shahid Kharrazi six-lane highway was selected for collecting the field headway data. The under-study lanes consisted of passing and middle lanes. The appropriate models of headway distributions were selected using a methodology based on Chi-Square test for each lane. Using the selected models, the headway distribution diagrams were predicted for high levels of traffic flow in both the passing and middle lanes and the relationship between statistical criteria of the models and the driver's behaviors were analyzed. The results certify that the appropriate model for the passing lane is different than the one for the middle lane. This is because of a different behavioral operation of drivers which is affected by specific conditions of each lane. Through car-following conditions in the passing lane, a large number of drivers adopt unsafe headways. This shows high risk-ability of driver population which led to considerably differences in capacities and statistical distribution models of two lanes

Therapeutic Effects of Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) in Knee Osteoarthritis, Compared to Therapeutic Ultrasound

INTRODUCTION: Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is thought to have analgesic and biomodulatory effects. Our objective was to assess the pain-relieving effect of LLLT and possible changes in joint stiffness and disability of patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and compare it to the more commonly used modality; therapeutic ultrasound(US).METHODS: 37 patients with mild or moderate KOA were randomized to receive either LLLT, placebo LLLT or US. All patients received a common treatment including acetaminophen (up to 2gr/d) and medical advices for lifestyle modification and exercise. Treatments were delivered 5 times a week over a period of 2 weeks. Active laser group was treated with a diode laser (wavelength 880 nm, continuous wave, power 50 mW) at a dose of 6 J/point (24 J/knee). The placebo control group was treated with an ineffective probe (power 0 mW) of the same appearance. The third group received pulsed ultrasound with an intensity of 1.5-2 w/cm2, and for 5 minutes per knee. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Western Ontario MacMaster (WOMAC) questionnaires were used for data gathering before,1 and 3 months after completing the therapy.RESULTS: Pain reduced in all 3 groups but laser was superior in comparison. Stiffness improved 1 mo after therapy in the laser group but not in the others. Disability decreased in both laser and US groups (more significantly in the laser group) but not in the placebo group.CONCLUSION: Our results show that LLLT reduces pain, joint stiffness and disability in KOA and is superior to placebo and US

PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF IRIS GERMANICA L. IN Β-AMYLOID-INDUCED ANIMAL MODEL OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia that is an irretrievable chronic neurodegenerative disease. In the current study, we have examined the therapeutic effects of Iris germanica extract on Amyloid β (Aβ) induced memory impairment. Materials and Methods: Wistar rats were divided into five groups of 8 per each. Groups were as followed: control group which were normal rats without induction of AD, Aβ group which received Aβ (50 ng/side), iris 100 group which received Aβ + Iris (100 mg/kg), iris 200 group which received Aβ + Iris (200 mg/kg), and iris 400 group which received Aβ + Iris (400 mg/kg). AD was established by intrahippocampal injection of 50 ng/μl/side Aβ1-42. The day after surgery, animals in treatment groups received different doses of the aqueous extract of Iris by gavage for 30 days. Morris water maze test (MWM) was performed to assess the effects of I. germanica on learning and memory of rats with Aβ induced AD. Results: Data from MWM tests, including escape latency and traveled distance, demonstrated that I. germanica extract could markedly improve spatial memory in comparison to control. Moreover, the plant had a significantly better effect on the performance of AD rats in the probe test. Conclusion: I. germanica extract can successfully reverse spatial learning dysfunction in an experimental model of AD. Further neuro psyco-pharmacological studies are mandatory to reveal the mechanism of action of this natural remedy in the management of AD symptoms

Investigation Sleep Quality and Its Effective Factors in Shahroud Firefighters

Background: Physical and mental health are significantly related to adequate sleep and sleep satisfaction. Sleeping disorder is one of the most severe occupational risks for modern firefighting services. Thus, the current study was conducted to evaluate sleep quality and its effective factors in firefighters‏. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was carried out among all firefighters in Shahroud, Iran, in 2017. All data were collected by a two-part questionnaire containing demographic information and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), which was completed while interviewing the participants. Finally, data were analyzed by SPSS software. Results: PSQI was obtained as 7.65±2.98, which classified into "Low Quality." Sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep disturbances and day-time dysfunction had a significant relationship with sleep quality (P<0.05). Moreover, the results demonstrated that PSQL score had a strong relationship with age and BMI (F-model= 21.78 and P<0.001 and r=0.701). Conclusions: Results of this study showed that firefighters have not adequate sleep quality. It is suggested to participate young people in missions since their sleep quality was better. Also, weight loss is suggested for overweight people in order to improve their sleep quality‏

Investigation Sleep Quality and Its Effective Factors in Shahroud Firefighters

Background: Physical and mental health are significantly related to adequate sleep and sleep satisfaction. Sleeping disorder is one of the most severe occupational risks for modern firefighting services. Thus, the current study was conducted to evaluate sleep quality and its effective factors in firefighters‏. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was carried out among all firefighters in Shahroud, Iran, in 2017. All data were collected by a two-part questionnaire containing demographic information and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), which was completed while interviewing the participants. Finally, data were analyzed by SPSS software. Results: PSQI was obtained as 7.65±2.98, which classified into "Low Quality." Sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep disturbances and day-time dysfunction had a significant relationship with sleep quality (P<0.05). Moreover, the results demonstrated that PSQL score had a strong relationship with age and BMI (F-model= 21.78 and P<0.001 and r=0.701). Conclusions: Results of this study showed that firefighters have not adequate sleep quality. It is suggested to participate young people in missions since their sleep quality was better. Also, weight loss is suggested for overweight people in order to improve their sleep quality‏

A Comparative Evaluation of the Clinical Course, Laboratory Data and Chest CT scan Findings in Pediatric Patients with Covid-19 and Their Prognostic Value in Disease Outcome Estimation

Background: Most research on children and adolescents with COVID-19, had limited sample sizes and little clinical, laboratory, and radiological findings. The purpose of this research was to examine the features of children and adolescents with COVID-19 infection.Methods: This analytical retrospective study was conducted on children (1 to 12 years old) and adolescents (13 to 19 years old) with COVID-19 in Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Kashan, Iran. The data were then collected, entered into SPSS and analyzed.Results: In the adolescent group, the frequency of dyspnea (47.1 % vs. 11.9%), cough (67.1 % vs. 39.2%), lethargy (42.9 % vs. 25.9%), headache (35.7 % vs. 10.5%), myalgia (38.6 % vs. 14%), and chest pain (12.9 % vs. 0.7%) were significantly higher than those in children (p<0.05). Furthermore, in terms of laboratory findings, the normal range of neutrophils (13.8% vs. 1.4%), Cr (95% vs. 75.7%), and CRP (77.9% vs. 58%) were higher in children. Moreover, we found that the CT severity score among adolescent patients was significantly higher than that in children (4.84 ± 5.21 vs. 1.76 ± 3.25, p=0.006). Also, the frequency of consolidation (61.3 % vs. 19%), and ground-glass opacity (58.1 % vs. 28.6%) among adolescents were significantly higher compared to child cases (p<0.05) while only the frequency of mosaic pattern of pulmonary parenchymal attenuation was significantly higher among children (p=0.035).Conclusion: This research found milder clinical, biochemical, and radiological symptoms in children with COVID-19 than adolescents. However, radiological examinations showed greater rates of pulmonary parenchymal mosaic attenuation, which might help early diagnosis of COVID-19

Lupus and the Nervous System: A Neuroimmunoloigcal Update on Pathogenesis and Management of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus with Focus on Neuropsychiatric SLE

An autoimmune condition is characterized by a misdirected immunological system that interacts with host antigens. Excess activation of T- and B-lymphocytes, autoantibody generation, immune complex deposition, and multi-organ injury are found in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), an early autoimmune condition with a substantial hereditary element. A number of environmental factors and lifestyle changes also play a role in the development of SLE. The imbalanced immunity could take part in the dysfunction and injury of different biological organs, including the central and peripheral nervous systems. Neuropsychiatric SLE (NPSLE) can present with focal and diffuse involvements. Clinical manifestations of NPSLE vary from mild cognitive deficits to changed mental status, psychosis, and seizure disorders. Headaches, mood, and cognitive problems are the most common neuropsychiatric presentations associated with SLE. NPSLE could be found in 40% of all people who have SLE. The diagnostic inference of NPSLE can be made solely following these secondary causes have been ruled out. The present chapter provides an updated discussion of the clinical presentation, molecular processes, diagnosis, management, and therapy of SLE with emphasizing on NPSLE

Global, regional, and national cancer incidence, mortality, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-Adjusted life-years for 29 cancer groups, 1990 to 2017 : A systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study

Importance: Cancer and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are now widely recognized as a threat to global development. The latest United Nations high-level meeting on NCDs reaffirmed this observation and also highlighted the slow progress in meeting the 2011 Political Declaration on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases and the third Sustainable Development Goal. Lack of situational analyses, priority setting, and budgeting have been identified as major obstacles in achieving these goals. All of these have in common that they require information on the local cancer epidemiology. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study is uniquely poised to provide these crucial data. Objective: To describe cancer burden for 29 cancer groups in 195 countries from 1990 through 2017 to provide data needed for cancer control planning. Evidence Review: We used the GBD study estimation methods to describe cancer incidence, mortality, years lived with disability, years of life lost, and disability-Adjusted life-years (DALYs). Results are presented at the national level as well as by Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator of income, educational attainment, and total fertility rate. We also analyzed the influence of the epidemiological vs the demographic transition on cancer incidence. Findings: In 2017, there were 24.5 million incident cancer cases worldwide (16.8 million without nonmelanoma skin cancer [NMSC]) and 9.6 million cancer deaths. The majority of cancer DALYs came from years of life lost (97%), and only 3% came from years lived with disability. The odds of developing cancer were the lowest in the low SDI quintile (1 in 7) and the highest in the high SDI quintile (1 in 2) for both sexes. In 2017, the most common incident cancers in men were NMSC (4.3 million incident cases); tracheal, bronchus, and lung (TBL) cancer (1.5 million incident cases); and prostate cancer (1.3 million incident cases). The most common causes of cancer deaths and DALYs for men were TBL cancer (1.3 million deaths and 28.4 million DALYs), liver cancer (572000 deaths and 15.2 million DALYs), and stomach cancer (542000 deaths and 12.2 million DALYs). For women in 2017, the most common incident cancers were NMSC (3.3 million incident cases), breast cancer (1.9 million incident cases), and colorectal cancer (819000 incident cases). The leading causes of cancer deaths and DALYs for women were breast cancer (601000 deaths and 17.4 million DALYs), TBL cancer (596000 deaths and 12.6 million DALYs), and colorectal cancer (414000 deaths and 8.3 million DALYs). Conclusions and Relevance: The national epidemiological profiles of cancer burden in the GBD study show large heterogeneities, which are a reflection of different exposures to risk factors, economic settings, lifestyles, and access to care and screening. The GBD study can be used by policy makers and other stakeholders to develop and improve national and local cancer control in order to achieve the global targets and improve equity in cancer care. © 2019 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe