A Pilot Study on the Association of Lead, 8-Hydroxyguanine, and Malondialdehyde Levels in Opium Addicts’ Blood Serum with Illicit Drug Use and Non-Addict Persons

While a large body of literature has shown the health problems of illicit drug use, research is needed on how substance abuse impacts DNA damage and contaminants in blood, especially given Pb-contaminated opium. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the levels of lead (Pb), 8-hydroxy di-guanine (8-oxo-Gua), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the blood serum of opium addicts and non-addict people. The current study is a case–control study with a cross-sectional design. A sample of 50 opium-addicted and non-addict adults were chosen for this study using convenience and random sampling methods. Participants were divided into two groups: addicts and non-addicts. The atomic absorption spectroscopy method was used to measure the quantity of Pb, and the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method was used to measure the amount of 8-oxo-Gua and MDA. The data were analyzed using an independent t-test. The results show that the amount of Pb in the blood serum of addicted women and men was higher than levels in non-addict men and women, for the study participants (p-value = 0.001). Blood levels were not significantly different between addicts and non-addicts for men or women for 8-oxo-Gua (p-value = 0.647 for women and p-value = 0.785 for men) and MDA (p-value = 0.867 for women and p-value = 0.995 for men). In general, addicts’ blood Pb levels were found to be substantially higher than those of normal non-addict persons in this pilot study. As a result, testing for blood Pb levels in addicts may be informative in instances when symptoms are inconclusive.</jats:p

Effects of Yakson Therapeutic Touch on the Behavioral Response of ‎Premature Infants

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Due to incomplete physical development, premature infants are susceptible to various sources of stress. Therapeutic touch is considered as an effective method to reduce stress in neonates. This study aimed to compare the effects of Yakson therapeutic touch and routine nursing care on the behavioral response of premature infants. METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 60 premature infants aged 26-34 weeks, admitted at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Afzalipour Hospital of Kerman, Iran. Subjects were randomly selected by minimization and equally divided into two groups of intervention and control (N=30). Infants in the intervention group received Yakson massage therapy for 5 days, twice daily for 15 minutes, and infants in the control group received routine care. Behavioral responses of infants, including the status of sleep, waking and restlessness, were evaluated using Anderson Behavioral State Scale (ABSS) before and after intervention. FINDINGS: In this study, mean scores of ABSS in preterm infants of the intervention and control groups was 4.83±0.14 and 10.63±0.14, respectively. Moreover, there was a significant difference between the scores of behavioral response after the intervention between the groups (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: According to the results of this study, increased scores of sleep status in the infants of the Yakson therapy group indicated that this method could be effective in the provision of nursing care for premature infants admitted at the NICU

Trace elements human health risk assessment by Monte Carlo probabilistic method in drinking water of Shiraz, Iran

Risk assessment analysis related to groundwater contamination by heavy metals was performed in the Shiraz city (Iran). We compared the traditional deterministic methodologies with a probabilistic approach based on the concentration of different heavy metals determined from many sampling points. The relationships between the variables by the multivariate statistical analysis were assessed, and the target hazard quotient (THQ) was calculated in children, women, and men groups. Results showed that analyzed water samples were suitable for drinking, although alkaline. Concentrations of the heavy metals were: Zn > Ni > Cu > Se > Co > Sb. The THQ values for non-carcinogenic elements showed no significant risk for population of studied age groups, although a higher THQ value was observed for the water from the northwest and some central areas of city. Mean values of cancer risk for Ni were 1.77 × 10–5, 4.36 × 10–5, and 3.32 × 10–5 in children, women, and men, respectively. The multivariate approach indicated that the carcinogenic risk certainty level was 97.6, 91.2, and 94.3% for children, women, and men, respectively, and the model sensitivity analysis showed that the most effective parameter for carcinogenicity was Ni concentration. The probabilistic analysis also showed the relative influence of geogenic and anthropogenic processes on the quality of the water of Shiraz city. We concluded that risk assessment using a probabilistic approach could be better predictive of chronic exposure to hazardous elements in drinking water, which possibility the implementation of better protective measures than the current deterministic approaches

Investigating the Role of Environmental Factors on the Survival, Stability, and Transmission of SARS-CoV-2, and Their Contribution to COVID-19 Outbreak: A Review

Studies conducted in the last four years show conflicting findings on the role of the environment in the survival, stability, and transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Based on the current evidence, the factors that affect the severity of COVID-19 include host interaction, environmental stability, virus volume, stability, transmission, social interactions, and restriction measures. Moreover, the persistence of the virus depends on different environmental conditions, videlicet temperature, humidity, pH, salinity, and solar radiation. The outbreak of respiratory viruses is related mainly to temperature and humidity, and geographical locations (latitude). In SARS-CoV-2, mainly temperature and humidity seem to play a fundamental role. Moreover, studies have indicated that social health factors such as equitable health systems, hygiene, and underlying diseases have played a pivotal role in the incidence and outbreak of COVID-19. Therefore, addressing health issues associated with reducing SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks plays an essential role in global health. In contrast, the environmental stimuli of the COVID-19 outbreak are mainly unknown. Given the ongoing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to understand the stimuli to respond quickly to emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants while implementing long-term and sustainable control strategies. This review discusses the role of environmental factors and health conditions in the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2