Extraction and determination of strobilurin fungicides residues in apple samples using ultrasound-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on a novel hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent followed by H.P.L.C-U.V.

In this study, several novel and natural hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (D.E.Ss) were prepared using methyl trioctylammonium chloride (M.T.O.A.C) as H.B.A and different types of straight chain alcohols as H.B.Ds. One of the D.E.Ss composed of M.T.O.A.C and n-butanol was advantageously used to develop an ultrasound-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (U.A-D.L.L.M.E) method combined with high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection (H.P.L.C-U.V) for the determination of some strobilurin fungicides in apple samples. Several important parameters influencing extraction efficiency were investigated and optimised, including the type and volume of extractant in ultrasound stage, sonication time, the type and volume of D.E.S, sample solution pH and effect of salt addition. Under optimal experimental conditions, the method showed good linearity with correlation coefficients (R2) of 0.9985 - 0.9991 in the linear range of 4-1500 µg kg-1, low limits of detection of 1.5-2 µg kg-1 and acceptable extraction recoveries in the range of 76-92%. Enrichment factor was in the range of 95-115. The proposed method was successfully applied for the extraction and preconcentration of trace fungicides in apple samples, and the results demonstrated the potential of the synthesised D.E.S for the extraction and determination of contaminants in aqueous samples.

The validity and reliability of Persian version of smartphone addiction questionnaire in Iran.

BACKGROUND: Smartphone addiction is one of the most important forms of technology addiction that has attracted the attention of all countries around the world. Many studies have been conducted in Iran on cellphone addiction among different groups. There is a necessity to have a native scale for measuring smartphone addiction in particular. Therefore, this study aimed to localize the smartphone addiction questionnaire in Iran (in the Persian language). METHODS: To assess the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the smartphone addiction scale (SAS), the questionnaire was first provided based on the standard back-translation method. Next, content validity ratio (CVR), content validity index (CVI), and face validity was evaluated for translated questionnaire. After making the necessary changes, the questionnaire was given to the community samples and was then reviewed using confirmatory factor analysis of questions grouping. Finally, the reliability of the questionnaire was investigated by the test-retest method. RESULTS: The CVR and CVI values of all questions were within the acceptable range. Only some of the questions in the original SAS version titled Twitter and Facebook were changed to Instagram and telegram according to experts. Internal consistency and concurrent validity of the questionnaire were confirmed by Cronbach's alpha of 0.951. The mean correlation coefficient between the responses of the subjects, who received the questionnaire twice, was 0.946 (0.938-0.954). The grouping of questions in the subscales was changed from the original SAS version because the fitting indexes, obtained from the confirmatory factor analysis test (for example CMIN/DF greater than 5 units and RMSEA of approximately 0.07), were not acceptable. CONCLUSION: The results showed that the Iranian version of the cellphone addiction questionnaire can be used as a valid, with minimal modification, tool for determining the level of smartphone addiction among Persian speakers.

Higher Odds of Type 2 Diabetes for Some Blood Groups.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is one of the most common metabolic diseases in humans that cause disruption in glucose and fat metabolism. The determination of the ABO blood group system is hereditary and both diabetes and blood groups have a genetic basis. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the odds of type 2 diabetes for some blood groups. METHODS: This case-control study was conducted in hospitals of Kermanshah in 2018. The case group consisted of patients with diabetes admitted to hospital and the control group of nondiabetic patients hospitalized in the surgical ward. Information such as age, sex, BMI, family history of diabetes and blood group is collected and analyzed by the univariate and multivariate logistic regression method. RESULTS: A total of 750 patients were enrolled in this study. The number of participants in both groups was 375. The average ages of the participants were 50.51 and 51.62 years, respectively. 67.5% of the patients in the case group were female in comparison with 73.6% of those in the control group. The value of Rh+ in the case and control groups was 94.4 and 93.6%, respectively (p = 0.645). The chance of having diabetes for patients with blood group A was 76% higher than for those with blood group O (p = 0.006). CONCLUSION: According to the results of this study, the odds of type 2 diabetes for people in blood group A was higher than for those in other blood groups. It is recommended that blood group A be considered as a risk factor in the screening of type 2 diabetes.

Mortality from aluminum phosphide poisoning in Kermanshah Province, Iran: characteristics and predictive factors.

OBJECTIVES: Aluminum phosphide (ALP), also known in Iran as rice tablets, is one of the most effective rodenticides used to protect stored grain. However, ALP poisoning regularly causes mortality in humans. The aim of this study was to evaluate the characteristics and predictive factors of mortality from ALP poisoning. METHODS: This study evaluated all patients with ALP poisoning referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital in Kermanshah Province, Iran from 2014 to 2015. For each patient, the following information was recorded: age, sex, the number of tablets consumed, the number of suicide attempts, the time elapsed from consumption to treatment, blood pressure, blood pH, HCO3 levels, and PCO2 . Differences between the survivors and non-survivors of ALP poisoning were analyzed using univariate logistic regression and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: In this study, 48 patients were male and 29 patients were female (total: 77 patients). The average age of the survivors and non-survivors was 28.7 and 31.3 years, respectively. All cases (100%) of ALP poisoning were intentional, with the goal of committing suicide. The main predictive variables of mortality from ALP poisoning were blood pressure, blood pH, and time elapsed from consumption to treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The likelihood of mortality in patients with ALP poisoning can be predicted using blood pressure, blood pH, and time elapsed from consumption to treatment. These findings may help healthcare providers take more effective measures to treat patients with ALP poisoning.

A Systematic Review on the Epidemiology of Pediatric Burn in Iran.

Burn is the most common pediatric injuries all over the world. The aim of this study was to study the epidemiology of burn in under 15-year-old Iranian children by applying a systematic review. The related articles published before 2016 have been gathered from international databases by using the keywords in term of pediatric burns such as ScienceDirect, PubMed, Iranmedex, Google Scholar, Embase, Magiran, and SID. The checklists of STROBE have been applied to evaluate the quality of the reviewed data. A total of 35 relevant studies were extracted and evaluated. In most studies, the incidence of pediatric burns in male patients was more than female patients by 9.5 to 50 cases in 100,000 per children. Mortality rate of pediatric burn was between 1.7 and 18.5%. The most common cause of pediatric burn was hot water or other hot liquids. Pediatric burn in urban areas was higher and the highest number of pediatric burns occurred at home. Burn is considered as one of the major incidents related to children's health that required planning to reduce its incidence, especially in the lower age groups as well as male patients who are more active and susceptible to burn.

The Effect of Educational Intervention based on BASNEF Model on Decreasing the Cesarean Section Rate among Pregnant Women in Khomain Country.

OBJECTIVE: Over the past two decades, the incidence of cesarean section in most countries has increased. Cesarean section increases the risk of death and complications in the mother and fetus. Educational interventions based on behavior change models can play an important role in reduce the rate of cesarean section. The aim of our study is investigation the effect of educational intervention based on BASNEF Model on decreasing of cesarean section rate among pregnant women in Khomain County, from June to November 2013. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this interventional study, 140 nulliparous women who were in their last trimester of pregnancy were randomly allocated to case and control groups. Data gathering instrument was a questionnaire based on BASNEF framework. Data were analyzed by SPSS 14 software. RESULTS: The scores of knowledge, attitudes, subjective norms, and enabling factors in the intervention group than the control group showed a significant difference (p < 0.001). After the study, it was found that 18 women (25.7%) in case group and 42 women (60%) in the control group underwent cesarean section. By Chi-square test showed that the difference in the type of delivery between the two groups was statistically significant (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Design and implement curriculum based on BASNEF can be effective in reducing elective cesarean section.