The Causes of Smoking and the Solutions to Control it in Tehran

Background: Smoking is one of the leading causes of disease and death in the world. There is a growing trend of smoking in Iran, especially among youth and women. This study has been conducted to identify the factors related to smoking and solutions that can lead to its control in Tehran. Methods: This study was conducted qualitatively from August 2015 to August 2016 in Tehran. The data collection tool included cognitive interviews and deep, semi-structured interviews. The participants consisted of 7 men and 5 women who smoked cigarettes; they were selected through purposive sampling with maximum diversity and snowball technique which continued until data saturation. The data was analyzed through qualitative conventional content analysis. Results: Two main classes with 15 subclasses were extracted from the participants’ responses. The causes of smoking and the solutions for its control are evaluated along these two classes. The subclasses include factors like being accustomed to smoking, considering smoking as a normal behavior, easy access to cigarettes, recreation and entertainment; lack of recreational facilities, way of relaxing, increasing the price of cigarettes, the importance of making cigarettes scarce, and cultural and individual volition. Conclusion: Being accustomed to smoking and considering it as an entertainment are the most important causes of smoking, and the importance of creating an anti-smoking culture and individual volition have been introduced as the most important solutions for controlling smoking in Tehran. Furthermore, it seems that reducing the public access to cigarette through various ways such as increasing the price, reducing the imports, the decline in production and supply, as well as creating a culture against smoking can reduce the amount of smoking considerably

Qualitative analysis of social harms of teenagers in virtual social networks

Background and Aim: It is clear that virtual social networks, like any other human innovation and achievement, were formed with the motive of providing welfare and achieving the perfection of human societies, but in the course of its implementation, due to some biases and misuses. Incorrect use of this tool has led to physical, psychological and social harm to the human race. Such damages may become widespread to the extent that they question the benefits and benefits of virtual space and virtual social networks. Therefore, it is essential to recognize these social harms and provide solutions for the proper use of these virtual social networks. In this regard, the results can provide a suitable platform for better use of these networks and reduce concerns about To provide young users who are an important and basic stratum in societies. This research was conducted with the aim of investigating the social harms of teenagers in virtual social networks. Method: In the current study, ten media experts were selected and interviewed using theoretical and purposive sampling using the qualitative approach and grounded theory method. The theoretical sampling process continued until data saturation. The collected data were analyzed using open, axial and selective coding, and the findings were presented using a paradigmatic model (a core category). Results: The results of the analysis of the themes of the three main categories of information bombardment, mental confusion and Internet addiction showed that information bombardment has two sub-categories of information volume and quality of information, mental confusion has two sub-categories of mental dependence and mental problems, and internet addiction also has two sub-categories: excessive use of the Internet, and the difficulty of stopping the use of the Internet. Conclusion: The results showed that the damage caused by the virtual space in the psyche of teenagers causes disruption in their performance. It is necessary to adopt strategies and strategies to control and manage the social damage of teenagers in the networks. Virtual social networks reduce and minimize the vulnerability of teenagers

Trace elements concentrations in soil, desert-adapted and non-desert plants in central Iran Spatial patterns and uncertainty analysis

The concentrations of Cd, Cr and Pb in soil samples and As, Cd, Cr and Pb in plant specimens were analyzed in an arid area in central Iran. Plants were categorized into desert-adapted (Haloxylon ammodendron, Atraphaxis spinosa and Artemisia persica) and non-desert species. It was found that the trace element (TE) accumulating potential of the desert species (Haloxylon ammodendron and Artemisia persica) with a mean value of 0.1 mg kg−1 for Cd was significantly higher than that of the majority of the non-desert species with an average of 0.05 mg kg−1. Artemisia also had a high As accumulating capability with a mean level of 0.8 mg kg−1 in comparison with an average of 0.2 mg kg−1 for most of the other plant species. The mean values of Cr and Pb in Haloxylon ammodendron and Artemisia persica were 5 and 3 mg kg−1, respectively. Among the desert-adapted plants, Atraphaxis proved to be a species with high Cr and Pb accumulating potential, as well. The geoaccumulation index and the overall pollution scores indicated that the highest environmental risk was related to Cd. Different statistical analyses were used to study the spatial patterns of soil Cd and their connections with pollution sources. The variogram was estimated using a classical approach (weighted least squares) and was compared with that of the posterior summaries that resulted from the Bayesian technique, which lay within the 95% Bayesian credible quantile intervals (BIC) of posterior parameter distributions. The prediction of cadmium values at un-sampled locations was implemented by multi-Gaussian kriging and sequential Gaussian simulation methods. The prediction maps showed that the region most contaminated by Cd was the north-eastern part of the study area, which was linked to mining activities, while agricultural influence contributed less in this respect