Comparison of Outdoor Environmental Heat Index (OEHI) and Other Environmental and Physiological Heat Indices: A Case of Outdoor Workers in Low Thermal Stress Conditions

Background: This study aims to assess the consistency of the newly developed Outdoor Environmental Heat Index (OEHI) with existing environmental and physiological heat indices in low thermal stressconditions. This comparison is necessary due to potential variations in the performance of a heat stress index when applied in conditions different from those for which it was developed.Methods: Two current and valid outdoor heat indices, including Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) and Humidex (HD), were used in a descriptive-analytical study to compare the results obtained by OEHI and other indices in evaluating the same condition. Furthermore, the authors considered tympanic temperature as a physiological response to heat and assessed the work environment of 63 outdoor workers at three-hour intervals during the workday.Results: The highest coefficient of determination was assigned to OEHI and Humidex index (R2>0.99, P<0.0001). Regarding the correlation between the OEHI and the WBGT index, this correlation with and without considering the time of the measurement was higher than 0.98. Comparisons for the correlations of thermal indices with tympanic temperature showed poor and significant relations between thermal indices and tympanic temperature (R2<0.19, P<0.0001).Conclusion: OEHI can evaluate the thermal condition in low heat stress conditions, similar to other current and valid thermal stress indices, including WBGT and Humidex. The OEHI shows a better correlation with the Humidex than the WBGT index. However, due to the poor correlation observed between OEHI and tympanic temperature in low-stress conditions, it is recommended to use this index just as a screening index to estimate thermal environmental conditions

An Epidemiologic Study of Deceased Pedestrians in Road Traffic Accidents in Iran during 2012<b>-</b>2013

Background and Objectives: Due to the high rate of pedestrian deaths in traffic accidents and given that describing demographic profiles of pedestrian deaths and features of accident locations is an important factor in the prevention, management, and analysis of road traffic accidents, this study aimed at describing the demographic and personal patterns as well as environmental factors affecting the occurrence of road traffic accidents among pedestrians in Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on all pedestrian deaths caused by traffic accidents referred to the Forensic Medicine Organization in Iran from March 20, 2012, to March 19, 2013. In this study, demographic information as well as the information related to the accidents and other information including trauma location, the final cause of death, date of accident, date of death, time of death, and time of accident were examined. The information received from the Forensic Medicine Organization was first controlled and then analyzed using the Stata 11 software. Results: From a total of 4371 pedestrians died in 2012 due to traffic accidents, 3201 cases (73.2) were males with a mean age of 48.1 ± 0.46 years, and 1170 cases (23.8) were females with the mean age of 46.1 ± 0.77 years. In terms of age, education, and marital status, the highest frequencies of pedestrian deaths were, respectively, observed in the age group 65 years old and above (33.4), the illiterate group (44.5), and married people (67.9). The highest and the lowest incidence rates of death were seen in Gilan (11 per 1000 people) and South Khorasan Provinces (2.4 per 100,000), respectively. Conclusions: Pedestrians as the most vulnerable people in traffic accidents comprise a large proportion of deaths and disabilities caused by road traffic accidents. It seems necessary to take some measures including paying special attention to physiological characteristics of the age group above 65 years old, doing close monitoring by the traffic police in October and the rush hours, and providing facilities for pedestrians to cross in busy locations of suburban areas

Correlation between Altmetric and Scientometric Indicators

Objective: Despite the increasing attention to altmetric indicators in scientometric research, there is still doubt about the validity of these indicators in evaluating research. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between scientometric and altmetric indices on scientific products. Materials and Methods: In the altmetric indices section, five indicator classes presented in Scopus and 36 sub-indices were examined. The Spearman correlation indicator was used to evaluate the correlation between altmetric and scientometric indices. The SPSS software version 16 was used to analyze data. The significance level was also considered less than 0.05. Results: The correlation between the number of citations to documents and Usage, Citations, and Capture was significant. There was no significant relationship between social media and mention. Also, there is a significant and positive relationship between the citations to documents and sub-indices of Abstract views, Link out, Readers, Export/saves, and Citation indicator. Conclusion: Given the important relationship between citation rates and altmetric indicators, it can be said that web-based platforms like scientific databases or social media that are publicly accessible play a very important role in increasing the visibility and citation rate and thus the effectiveness of research

Association of fear of COVID-19 and preventive behaviors (PB) against COVID-19 in Iran

Introduction: The world is currently experiencing a pandemic of COVID-19. The pandemic may affect physicaland mental health. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the fear of COVID-19 and study the relationshipbetween fear of COVID-19 and preventive behaviors against COVID-19. Material and methods: We conducted a web-based cross-sectional study to evaluate the fear of COVID-19 andpreventive behaviors against COVID-19 among the volunteer population in Golestan Province, Iran in May 2020 andJune 2020. The online questionnaire included the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) and the prevention behaviorsagainst COVID-19, which are used to assess the fear and prevention behaviors of the population, respectively.The data were presented by mean and frequency. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to identifyfactors associated with Fear of COVID-19 at a significant level of 0.05 in Stata 14. Results: A total of 734 of the 900 individuals contacted completed the survey, with a participation rate of 81.5%.The mean age of the participants was 33.97 ± 10.68 years and 375 (51.9%) were females. The mean Fear ofCOVID-19 score in the participants was 19.69 ± 5.96. There was a significant positive correlation between Fearof COVID-19 and preventive behaviors (r = 0.19, p &lt; 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed participantswith a higher perceived threat of COVID-19, women, married participants, health workers and peoplewith underlying diseases had higher levels of fear of COVID-19. Conclusions: The fear of COVID-19 in Iranian society is high, which indicates the need to pay attention tothe mental health in pandemic conditions. Appropriate intervention action can be designed and implementedaccording to the factors that affect fear. In addition, it should be noted that people with less fear are less likelyto observe the COVID-19’s preventative behaviors

Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the COVID-19 epidemic and associated factors for mortality in Iran: a retrospective cohort study

Background: We aimed to further clarify the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 2019-nCoV pneumonia and risk factors associated for mortality. Methods:&nbsp; In this study, we included inpatient with acute respiratory distress syndrome at Golestan Hospitals who had been discharged or had died in 2020. Epidemiological, and clinical data were extracted from electronic medical records and compared between recovered and died cases. We used multiple logistic regression methods to explore the risk factors associated with in-hospital death. Results:&nbsp; In overall 2,835 acute respiratory distress syndrome patients were included in this study, of these patients, 874 (30.83.9%) were positive for 2019­nCoV. Five hundred and sixty-three patients (19.86%) died, 1,687 patients (59.51%) were recovered. Of the total deaths, only 288 (10.15%) were attributed to COVID-19. The most common symptoms at onset of illness were respiratory distress (1,795 [63.32%]), fever (1,601 [56.47%]), dry cough (1,595 [56.26%]), Sore throat (445 [15.70%]), and myalgia (342 [12.06%]). One thousand and twelve (35.7%) had 1 or more coexisting medical conditions. In multiple logistic regression analysis, risk factors associated with the death included older age (OR (Odds Ratio), 1.03; 95% CI; 1.02-1.04), blood oxygen level (SpO2&lt;93%) (OR, 2.44; 95% CI; 1.79-3.31), comorbidities (OR, 2.15; 95% CI; 1.62-2.84), respiratory distress (OR, 1.74; 95% CI; 1.28-2.37), and headache (OR, 0.44 95% CI; 0.21-0.92). Conclusions: The 2019-nCoV infection caused collections of severe respiratory illness and was associated high ratio of hospitalization in ICU and high mortality. Older age and comorbidities were associated with more risk of death among patients with 2019­nCoV. &nbsp

Assessing the Correlation between Cephalometric Measurements In Patients with Class II Malocclusion

Background and purpose: Some measurements such as angles and planes drawn in lateral cephalometry have different relationships and correlation coefficients which help to distinguish different types of malocclusions. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between ANB, Wits, occlusal plane, and Y-axis cephalometric measurements in patients with class II malocclusion. Materials and methods: A descriptive-analytical and retrospective cross-sectional study was performed using the lateral radiographic images (n=156) in the archive of the Dental Clinic affiliated with Golestan University of Medical Sciences obtained from patients aged 14-18 years of age with class II malocclusion in 2018-2019. Results: There were 91 (58.3%) lateral radiographic images of female patients, and 65 (41.7%) of male patients. The highest correlation was found between ANB and Wits measurements (r= 0.61) followed by ANB and Y-axis (r= 0.53), Wits and occlusal plane (r= 0.36), and Y-axis and occlusal plane (r= 0.33) and the lowest correlation was seen between ANB and occlusal plane measurements (r= 0.23). Conclusion: According to current study, it seems that in addition to ANB angle, other cephalometric measurements such as Wits, Y-axis, and occlusal plane can be used to diagnose class II malocclusion (based on their correlation coefficient with ANB)

Glycemic Characteristics and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with COVID-19 Admitted to Referral Shahid Sayad Shirazi Hospital in Gorgan, North of Iran

Background. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most common chronic diseases, the main manifestation of which is hyperglycemia, and is accompanied by many complications. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, several studies have reported the occurrence of various complications associated with different degrees of hyperglycemia in COVID-19 patients. The aim of the present study was to investigate the glycemic characteristics and clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Methods. In this cross-sectional study, 418 patients with COVID-19 were evaluated in terms of hyperglycemia and its related factors, as well as the relationship between hyperglycemia and the outcome of the disease. Data were statistically analyzed using SPSS software. Results. In the present study, 350 (83.7%) out of 418 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 had hyperglycemia and 193 (55.1%) of the patients with hyperglycemia were women. 169 (48.4%) of patients with hyperglycemia during hospitalization were already diabetic. The mean age was higher in COVID-19 patients with hyperglycemia (P < 0.001), and systolic blood pressure and respiratory rate were also higher in them (P = 0.005 and P = 0.013, respectively). In patients with hyperglycemia, oxygen saturation (SpO2) at the time of admission and discharge was lower than other patients (P < 0.001). The frequency of hypertension in the patients with hyperglycemia was significantly higher than in nonhyperglycemic patients (P < 0.001 vs. 0.014). The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of hyperglycemic patients was significantly lower than other patients (P < 0.001). Also, there was a significant inverse relationship between eGFR values and fasting (FBS) and random blood sugar (BS) (r = 0.328 and r = 0.310, P < 0.001). On the other hand, there was a direct relationship between FBS and random BS in patients with hyperglycemia with the dose of corticosteroids (r = 0.146 and r = 0.158, P < 0.01). In total, 8.2% of the patients died, although the FBS and random BS and a history of DM were not risk factors for the death of patients (P < 0.05). Conclusion. The findings of our study showed that hyperglycemia is highly prevalent in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Hyperglycemia in previously nondiabetics appears to be associated with decreased eGFR in COVID-19 patients

Catastrophic health expenditure of chronic diseases: Evidence from Hamadan, Iran

Background: Chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) could increase the risk of catastrophic health expenditure (CHE). The present study aims to analyze CHE among households with and without chronic NCDs in Hamedan. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 780 households' patients, who were being discharged from hospitals in Hamedan, were selected using a proportional stratified random sampling method. Required data were collected through interview and observation using World Health Organization standard questionnaire. A household with chronic NCDs is defined as the one with ≥1 chronic disease patient. Both descriptive and analytical statistics, as well as different approaches and thresholds, were used to study CHE among households. Results: The households with chronic disease had higher incidence and intensity of CHE in all approaches and threshold. This result was shown through distributive-sensitive measures. The Regression analysis revealed that lower economic status, lower household size, and high utilization of health care were associated with the CHE incidence and intensity in the households with chronic NCDs in Hamedan. Conclusions: There is a high degree of CHE were caused by chronic NCDs. By thoughtful reconsideration in health-care financing, along with addressing relevant socioeconomic factors, the health system of Iran could cope with financial adversities caused by chronic NCDs

Population Attributable Risk of Unintentional Poisoning in Iranian Children

Background: It is introduced that unintentional childhood poisoning can be as result of child home environment and characteristics of parents. This study aimed at quantifying the adjusted population attributable risk percentage of risk factor of unintentional childhood poisoning.  Materials and Methods: The hospital based case- control included 140 consecutive poisoned children who admitted to the Loghman Hospital between March 2013 and July 2014 in Tehran- Iran. The cases were matched with 280 control based on age (within a calliper of six month), gender, and date of hospital attendance. A standardized questionnaire including characterises of unintentional poisoning and its risk factors was completed in a structured interview for cases and controls. We estimated the adjusted odds ratios (OR) and population attributable risks (PAR) of unintentional childhood poisoning, PAR is proportion of poisoning that could have been avoided by the intervention on the modifiable risk factors. Results: Narcotic poisoning was most common type of poisoning among cases (58.6%) and among them accidental methanol ingestion was most (74.7%). The adjusted PARs for lack of attention to labels of poisoning products and availability to them were 54% and 41% respectively, also these figures for children with addicted parents and paternal smoking were 57% and 54% for, respectively. Conclusion: Children with addicted parents were more vulnerable for unintentional poisoning. For substantial reduction of unintentional poisoning, the preventive interventions should focus on modification of child's home environment, improvement of safety behaviours and health literacy of parents, especially in addicted parents

Effectiveness of post-exposure rabies prophylaxis

Background: The rabies is a deadly disease and if its symptoms break out in a person, he will certainly die. However, the deaths caused rabies can be prevented by post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Methods: In this study, subjects were recruited through census and with respect to in-formation which gathered from Fars Province health centers, Pasteur institution and previous studies In Iran. The mortalities for age groups and by sex type have been cal-culated. The decision tree model using probabilities, which the effectiveness of PEP treatment after getting bitten by an animal suspected, persons to receive specified. Dis-ability adjusted life year score (DALY) was applied to estimate the DALYs saved from PEP. In this study it was assumed that if a person suffering with rabies, a few days af-ter the onset of symptoms, death is compulsory. Therefore YLD rabies was considered zero. Finally, to increasing the accuracy and because inherent uncertainty of the data, and the increase the power of analysis, one-way sensitivity analysis was used. Results: From March 2011 to March 2012, in Fars Province, total cases of animal bites were reported and received PEP treatment. The cases were 5394 (75.85%) male and 1717 (24.15%) female. PEP generally prevented from 177.076 deaths which 134.096 (75.72%) were men and 42.98 (24.27%) of them were women. The age distribution of suspected animal bites in youth more than adults, and in men higher than women. Also due to prevented mortality caused by PEP, it is prevented from 4455.71 DALYs. Based on the sensitivity analysis DALY prevented, except for dogs and cats, there was no change in the other animals. Conclusion: The implementation of PEP for animal bitten people remarkably reduced the burden of disease in community. Calculations with primitive cost estimations im-plicitly revealed that this intervention is a most cost-effectiveness program