Unpacking HPV Stigma: Assessing Healthcare Workers' Knowledge and Stigma Towards HPV While Exploring the Connection Between the Two.

Objectives: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a leading cause of cervical cancer, yet existing social stigmas and unequal access to healthcare compromise its preventability through screening and vaccination. Understanding healthcare professionals' knowledge and perceptions of HPV is pivotal in enhancing the quality and effectiveness of preventive healthcare strategies. This article aims to explore and understand the relationship between healthcare workers' knowledge and stigma towards HPV. Design and Methods: A questionnaire of 27 stigma and 24 knowledge questions was provided for healthcare personnel. Demographic questions were also included. Stigma levels were determined based on a total median score. Fully adjusted multinomial logistic regression models were used to find the correlation between knowledge regarding HPV and the stigma level. Results: Five hundred fifty-two healthcare workers answered the questionnaire. The findings showed that while most participants had adequate to moderate knowledge about the prevention and complications of HPV, they lacked knowledge about symptoms and treatment. Stigma towards HPV disease was evident in some participants, with attitudes varying depending on demographic factors and knowledge level. The model indicated that age, gender, and specific knowledge questions were significantly associated with stigma levels. Interestingly, the presence of knowledge in some areas increased the stigma level. Conclusions: In conclusion, the study sheds light on the stigmatization and knowledge gaps regarding HPV disease among healthcare personnel and, intriguingly, that increased knowledge does not necessarily correlate with decreased stigma. The findings highlight the need for targeted education and training programs to improve healthcare providers' knowledge in these specific areas.

SARS-COV-2 IgG specific antibodies persistence in recovered COVID-19 individuals and its association with severity and time of illness.

In order to accurately interpret the immune response to COVID-19, it is critical to know how long serum antibodies to COVID-2 persist. This study aimed to describe the serum IgG responses to SARS-CoV-2 in patients with mild, moderate, and severe COVID-19 infection in Birjand, South Khorasan province, Iran. The study was performed on individuals whose COVID-19 disease was confirmed by RT-PCR and recovered from the disease. After completing the questionnaire, blood samples were collected from 4 different groups based on the time of the test at two, four, six, and eight months' post-recovery. Then, SARS-COV-2 virus-specific IgG nucleocapsid antibody level in patients was measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In total, 206 patients (mean age 44.19 ± 14.9, 51% man) were included in the survey. Serum prevalence of specific IgG antibodies in patients with mild, moderate, and severe COVID-19 disease was 51.5%, 64% and 78.9%, respectively. Furthermore, serum prevalence of COVID-19 specific IgG antibody level in two, four, six, and eight months after recovery were 80.8, 69.1, 43.2 and 41.8%, respectively (p < 0.05). The multiple logistic regression model showed that the variables of age and the time elapsed after recovery had a significant relationship with the positive antibody test of recovered COVID-19 patients (P < 0.05). But other variables had no significant relationship with the result of antibody test (P > 0.05). In the present report, we attempted to characterize the antibody response against SARS-CoV-2 in patients with mild, moderate, and severe COVID-19, with the aim of better elucidating the humoral immune response after recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Marine Animal Species, as a Potential Source of Food Contamination: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PURPOSE: Many marine animals are infected and susceptible to toxoplasmosis, which is considered as a potential transmission source of Toxoplasma gondii to other hosts, especially humans. The current systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the prevalence of T. gondii infection among sea animal species worldwide and highlight the existing gaps. METHODS: Data collection was systematically done through searching databases, including PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science from 1997 to July 2020. RESULTS: Our search strategy resulted in the retrieval of 55 eligible studies reporting the prevalence of marine T. gondii infection. The highest prevalence belonged to mustelids (sea otter) with 54.8% (95% CI 34.21-74.57) and cetaceans (whale, dolphin, and porpoise) with 30.92% (95% CI 17.85-45.76). The microscopic agglutination test (MAT) with 41 records and indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) with 30 records were the most applied diagnostic techniques for T. gondii detection in marine species. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated the geographic distribution and spectrum of infected marine species with T. gondii in different parts of the world. The spread of T. gondii among marine animals can affect the health of humans and other animals; in addition, it is possible that marine mammals act as sentinels of environmental contamination, especially the parasites by consuming water or prey species.

Clinical Features, Treatment, Prognosis, and Mortality in Paraquat Poisonings: A Hospital-Based Study in Iran.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the demographics, clinical characteristics, fatal dose, the efficacy of treatments, and prognosis in paraquat (PQ) poisoning in the Kerman Province of Iran. METHODS: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 126 PQ poisoned patients who were referred to Afzalipour Hospital during 2006-2015. Demographic variables such as age and gender, signs and symptoms of poisoning, the estimated ingested dosage of PQ, and clinical outcome were extracted from medical records. Patients were compared and categorized into two groups considering the outcome: survivors and nonsurvivors. Patients with nonoral exposures, combined drug exposures, PQ exposures more than 24 h before the presentation, and critical underlying diseases were not included in the study. FINDINGS: Our results indicated that the mean dose of PQ used by all patients was 2358 mg, which was reported as 1846 and 2812 mg in females and males, respectively. Moreover, the results showed that the highest mortality rate was in patients with respiratory distress, followed by oral ulceration and excess salivation. In all PQ-poisoned patients, the dose of greater than approximately 2250 mg predicted death with 86.2% specificity and 75.7% sensitivity. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of the present study, the mortality rate in PQ-poisoned patients depended on the dose of poison, blood sugar level, and aspartate transaminase levels. Our results suggest that these parameters have excellent prognostic value for the prediction of mortality.

Relationship Between Job Characteristics and Organizational Commitment: A Descriptive Analytical Study.

BACKGROUND: Many factors influence the organizational commitment of employees. One of these factors is job designing since it affects the attitude, beliefs, and feelings of the organization employees. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine the relationship between job characteristics and organizational commitment among the employees of hospitals. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this descriptive and correlational study, 152 Iranian employees of the hospitals (physicians, nurses, and administrative staff) were selected through stratified random sampling. Data gathered using 3-part questionnaire of "demographic information", "job characteristics model," and "organizational commitment," in 2011. Study data were analyzed using SPSS v. 16. RESULTS: There was significant statistical correlation between organizational commitment and variables of educational level (P = 0.001) and job category (P = 0.001). Also, a direct and significant correlation existed between motivating potential score and job feedback on one hand and organizational commitment on the other hand (P = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: According to the results, managers of the hospitals should increase staff's commitment through paying attention to proper job designing.