Occupational needle stick injuries and related factors among healthcare workers in military hospitals in Tehran.

AIM: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are always at risk of experiencing occupational needle stick injuries (NSIs). The primary aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of NSIs among Iranian HCWs in military hospitals in Tehran. DESIGN: This cross-sectional study was conducted in four military hospitals in the summer of 2019 in Tehran. METHOD: By Census, 802 HCWs were included. Data were collected through a questionnaire consisting of vaccination history, safety equipment, use of safety box, history of NSIs and demographic variables. The logistics regression was used to estimate the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). The statistical significance level was set at 5%. The data were analysed using the SPSS software version 23. RESULTS: A total of 203 (25.3%, CI: 22.3-28.4) of the participants reported a history of NSIs at least once during the past year. Single HCWs had a higher risk of NSIs compared to married HCWs (OR: 1.59, 95% CI (1.09, 2.30)). Also, the night shift working (OR: 1.91, 95% CI (1.18, 3.12)), higher educational degree (OR: 2.25, 95% CI (1.21, 4.20)), working overtime (OR: 1.50, 95% CI: (1.07, 2.12)), older age (OR: 1.02, 95% CI (1.01, 1.04)) and needle recapping (OR: 2.90, 95% CI: (1.98, 4.22)) were identified as significant associated factors. The study draws attention to a relatively high prevalence of NSIs as well as high-risk activities among military HCWs. The primary source of NSIs is needle recapping. Measures such as setting up training courses for the military HCWs are needed to be planned.

Forty-seven year trend of measles in Iran: An interrupted time series analysis.

Background and Aim: Measles is an acute viral infectious disease usually characterized by erythematous maculopapular rash and sometimes pneumonia, diarrhea, and Central Nervous System disturbance. The current study aimed to describe the trend of measles in Iran before and after the 1978 revolution and COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: In the current quasi-experimental study, we used annual data on confirmed cases of measles in Iran, from 1974 to 2021. Data were extracted from the World Health Organization website. An interrupted time series model was used to assess the effect of different events on the incidence of measles. Results: The trend of new cases increase every year until 1980 according to the preintervention slope of 2040 (95% confidence interval [CI] = -1965-2045; p < 0.31). After Iran's revolution, the occurrence of new cases significantly decreased (-845 [95% CI = -1262 to -432; p = 0.001]). After the COVID-19 pandemic, the trend of new cases significantly increased (41 [95% CI = 12-70; p = 0.006]). Conclusion: It seems that social or health-related events are among the effective factors on the incidence of measles. But with maintaining vaccination coverage in the community and vaccination of immigrants, this fluctuation in the disease trend can be decreased.

Potential roles of ellagic acid on metabolic variables in diabetes mellitus: A systematic review.

Diabetes mellitus is a widespread endocrine disorder globally. Due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, ellagic acid has the potential to improve the metabolic effects of chronic non-communicable diseases. This systematic review summarizes current evidence about the potential effects of ellagic acid on metabolic variables in diabetes mellitus. A comprehensive systematic literature search was conducted in databases such as PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, ProQuest and Google Scholar from inception until March 2022. All animal studies and clinical trials were eligible for inclusion. Studies using in vitro models or published in a non-English language were excluded. Of 1320 articles, 23 were selected for assessment, including 21 animal studies and two randomized controlled trial studies. Following ellagic acid administration, findings reported improvement in FBS, HbA1c, insulin (20, 8 and 12 studies, respectively), TG, TC, HDL-C (13, 10 and 5 studies, respectively), MDA, GSH, CAT, SOD (11, 6, 3 and 4 studies, respectively), and TNF-α and IL-6 (6 and 3 studies, respectively). In conclusion, ellagic acid may improve glycaemic indicators, dyslipidaemia, oxidative stress and inflammation in diabetes mellitus. However, further clinical trials are needed to explore the mechanisms more precisely and to observe the applied consequences.

Effect of short-term magnesium supplementation on anxiety, depression and sleep quality in patients after open-heart surgery

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of magnesium supplementation on anxiety, depression and sleep quality of patients after openheart surgery. Materials and Methods: Based on a clinical trial, 60 candidates for open-heart surgery were separated into control and intervention groups. In the intervention group, 500 mg of magnesium was administered daily in the form of two 250-mg magnesium oxide tablets for five days, and routine care was performed in the control group. Patients' demographic information and assessment based on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Petersburg Sleep Quality Inventory (PSQI) were documented at the beginning of the study, after surgery and endotracheal intubation, and at the end of the study. Data were statistically analysed using Stata software version 13. Results: After the intervention, the mean level of magnesium in the intervention group was significantly higher (p=0.001). At the end of the study, the mean level of anxiety and depression was significantly lower in the intervention group than the control group (p=0.007), moreover, mean sleep quality improved in the intervention group (8.3 ± 2.1) compared to the control group (10.3 ± 2.0) (p=0.001). Conclusion: Due to the effects of magnesium supplementation in patients after heart surgery, it is recommended that this supplement be included in the treatment plan in order to prevent anxiety and depression in these patients after surgery and improve their quality of sleep.

Global COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aim: Achieving high COVID-19 vaccination coverage rates is essential as soon as a vaccine is available to deal with and end this pandemic. Due to the different amounts of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rates in different regions, the pooled estimation of this rate is essential. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate worldwide COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rates. Subject and methods: International databases (including, Web of sciences, PubMed, and Scopus) were searched to identify related studies. The heterogeneity among studies was assessed using the I2 index, the Cochran Q test, and T2. A random-effects model was used to pool estimate vaccine acceptance rates. Results: The overall pooled estimate of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate was 65.1 (95% CI 60.1-70.1; P < 0.001, I2 = 99.8). The vaccine acceptance rate in the general population was 68.5 (95% CI 62.5-74.5; P < 0.001, I2 = 99.8) and among healthcare workers (HCWs) was 55.9 (95% CI 47.8-64.1; P < 0.001, I2 = 99.6). The lowest COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate was in the Middle East (46.1% (35.1-57.0)), and the highest coverage rate was (85% (71-99.1)) in South America. Conclusion: COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate among HCWs is lower than the general population. More studies are recommended to identify related factors to the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate.

Effects of curcumin and/or coenzyme Q10 supplementation on metabolic control in subjects with metabolic syndrome: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) as a cluster of conditions including hyperlipidemia, hypertension, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and abdominal obesity is linked to cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. Evidence suggested that intake of curcumin and coenzyme Q10 may have therapeutic effects in the management of MetS. AIMS: We investigated the effects of curcumin and/or coenzyme Q10 supplementation on metabolic syndrome components including systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), waist circumference (WC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) as primary outcomes, and total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c) and body mass index (BMI) as secondary outcomes in subjects with MetS. METHODS: In this 2 × 2 factorial, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study, 88 subjects with MetS were randomly assigned into four groups including curcumin plus placebo (CP), or coenzyme Q10 plus placebo (QP), or curcumin plus coenzyme Q10 (CQ), or double placebo (DP) for 12 weeks. RESULTS: The CP group compared with the three other groups showed a significant reduction in HDL-c (P = 0.001), TG (P <  0.001), TC (P <  0.001), and LDL-c (P <  0.001). No significant differences were seen between the four groups in terms of SBP, DBP, FPG, WC, BMI and weight. CONCLUSION: Curcumin improved dyslipidemia, but had no effect on body composition, hypertension and glycemic control. Furthermore, coenzyme Q10 as well as the combination of curcumin and coenzyme Q10 showed no therapeutic effects in subjects with MetS. The trial was registered on 09/21/2018 at the Iranian clinical trials website (IRCT20180201038585N2), URL: https://www.irct.ir/trial/32518 .

Diet Quality Indices in Relation to Cardiovascular Risk Factors in T2DM Patients: A Systematic Review.

Background: Dietary quality indices are practical as an instrument to investigate the extent of adhering to a special diet to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Considering the lack of any systematic review with regards to this issue, our aim was to examine observational studies to test the relationship between dietary quality indices and CVD risk factors in T2DM. Methods: Systematic search was performed in Web of knowledge, PubMed, Cochrane, Science direct, Google Scholar and Scopus databases from January 1990 to July 2020. The studies exploring the relationship between dietary quality indices (diet quality score (DQS), dietary diversity score (DDS), healthy diet indicator (HDI), healthy eating index (HEI), diet quality index (DQI), Mediterranean diet score (MDS)) and lipid profile, anthropometric indices, glucose profile as well as blood pressure were eligible to be included in this review. Overall, mean changes, odd ratio (RR), correlation coefficients, and beta coefficient of outcomes were extracted, with the quality assessment of studies performed applying The Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Results: From among 1627 papers, 10 articles were included: Eight cross-sectional and two prospective (cohort) studies. The association between HEI as well as MDS and CVD risk factors was more evident in the included studies. Fasting blood sugar, hemoglobin A1c, body mass index, and waist circumference revealed the greatest inverse significant relationship with dietary quality indices in adults with T2DM. Conclusion: Overall, the findings of this study suggest that the level of CVD risk factors in T2DM decreases significantly with increase in the score of dietary quality indices. Further studies in future are required to confirm these findings.

Hospital length of stay for COVID-19 patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The length of stay in the hospital for COVID-19 can aid in understanding the disease's prognosis. Thus, the goal of this study was to collectively estimate the hospital length of stay (LoS) in COVID-19 hospitalized individuals. To locate related studies, international databases (including Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed, and Scopus) were searched. The I2 index, the Cochran Q test, and T2 were used to analyze study heterogeneity. The mean LoS in COVID- 19 hospitalized patients was estimated using a random-effects model. COVID-19's total pooled estimated hospital LoS was 15.35, 95%CI:13.47-17.23; p<0.001, I2 = 80.0). South America had the highest pooled estimated hospital LoS of COVID-19 among the continents, at 20.85 (95%CI: 14.80-26.91; p<0.001, I2 = 0.01), whereas Africa had the lowest at 8.56 8 (95%CI: 1.00-22.76). The >60 age group had the highest pooled estimated COVID-19 hospital LoS of 16.60 (95%CI: 12.94-20.25; p<0.001, I2 = 82.6), while the 40 age group had the lowest hospital LoS of 10.15 (95% CI: 4.90-15.39, p<0.001, I2 = 22.1). The metanalysis revealed that COVID-19's hospital LoS was more than 10 days. However, it appears that this duration varies depending on a number of factors, including the patient's age and the availability of resources.

Effect of whey protein supplementation on weight and body composition indicators: A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

BACKGROUND & AIM: Whey protein (WP) is one of the well-known dairy driven products to help people to change their weight and body composition (BC). This study aimed to investigate the effect of WP on weight and BC on every published RCT on all populations. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was undertaken to identify RCTs that examined the effect of WP on weight, body fat, lean body mass, fat-free mass, and waist circumference. To create weighted-group-mean differences for within- and between-group comparisons, random effects models were used. Subgroup analyses were also done to determine the effect of potential sources of heterogeneity. RESULTS: Thirty-five RCTs, with a total of 1902 adult participants were included in pooled analysis. The effect of WP supplementation on BMI (-0.156, 95% CI: -0.31, 0.00, P < 0.05), body fat mass (-0.144, 95% CI: -0.28, 0.00, P < 0.05), and waist circumference (-0.448, 95% CI: -0.86, -0.03, P < 0.05) in within group analysis, and BMI (-0.769, 95% CI: -1.54, 0.00, P < 0.05) and lean body mass (0.741, 95% CI: 0.07, 1.41, P < 0.05) in the between group analysis was indicated. Resistance training, WP dosage, sex, age group, the type of control group (placebo, different proteins, etc.), the control group dosage, and energy intake before and during the trial, as well as between the WP and control groups, were recognized as the main sources of heterogeneity. CONCLUSION: The data from trials currently available supports the use of WP to improve BC indicators. The benefits of WP on BC are expected to be greatest when combined with resistance training and a reduction in overall calorie consumption.

Understanding the Relationship between Microstructure and Physicochemical Properties of Ultrafiltered Feta-Type Cheese Containing Saturea bachtiarica Leaf Extract.

Microwave-assisted extraction was optimized to prepare Satureja bachtiarica leaf (SBL) extract based on antimicrobial (IZD) and antioxidant activities (DPPH) and extraction yield (EY). At optimum condition, i.e., 800 W power and 8 min, the best extraction results with EY = 16%, IZD = 73.56 mm, and DPPH = 24.2% were obtained. To develop a novel Feta-cheese, the influence of SBL extract, rennet, and starter concentrations were evaluated in terms of rheological, textural, and sensorial properties. At the optimized condition, the acceptance, taste, the strength of the network (A), and the distance between sequential cross-linking points (ξ) were 8.13, 8.07, 34,036.12 Pa·s1/z, and 5.41 nm, respectively. At the 60th day of storage time, the lowest z value (the network extensity parameter) of the cheese samples was observed. SEM image texture indices showed a good correlation with the studied instrumental texture parameters during 60 days of storage. The mold and yeast counts and their growth rate in the SBL extract-added cheese were lower than those for control one; whereas, the former cheese showed a greater LAB population between the 80th and 120th days. The antimicrobial and antioxidant qualities of SBL extract showed a significant influence on cheese properties.

Effect of epidemic management and control plan on COVID-19 mortality in Iran: an interrupted time series analysis.

Background: Globally, several measures have been taken to decrease COVID-19 mortality. However, the effectiveness of preventive measures on the mortality related to COVID-19 has not been fully assessed. Thus, the present study aimed the present study aimed to assess the success of COVID-19 epidemic management and control plan on the mortality associated with COVID-19 in Iran from February 19, 2020, to February 5, 2021. Methods: In the current quasi experimental study an interrupted time series analysis of daily collected data on confirmed deaths of COVID-19 occurred in Iran and in the world, were performed using Newey ordinary least squares regression-based methods. Results: In Iran, the trend of new deaths increased significantly every day until 24 November 2020 according to pre-intervention slope of [(OR 1.14, 95% CI 0.96-1.32,); P < 0.001]. The occurrence of new deaths had a decreasing trend after November 24, 2020, with a coefficient of [(OR -5.12, 95% CI -6.04 - -4.20), P < 0.001)]. But in the global level daily new deaths was increasing before [(OR 18.66, 95% CI 14.41-2292; P < 0.001)] and after the 24 November 2020 [(OR 57.14, 95% CI 20.80-93.49); P: 0.002]. Conclusions: Iranian COVID-19 epidemic management and control plan effectively reduced the mortality associated to COVID-19. Therefore, it is essential to continue these measures to prevent the increase in the number of deaths.

Toxicity and Anti-feeding effect of Aesculushippocastanum, Thymus daenensis, Artemisia abrotanum, and Chrozophora tinctoria on Sitophillus oryzae.

Background and aim: The approach of food storage, especially cereals and basic human food sources, has long been considered as a problem to combat storage pests. the use of plant compounds has been suggested by researchers as an alternative to phosphine in the fight against pests.In this study, four plants such as Aesculushippocastanum, Thymus daenensis, Artemisia abrotanum and Chrozophoratinctoria were evaluated based on their deadly and repellent properties of pests and insectsconsidering Iranian medicine sources. Materials and methods: First, plant extracts were prepared by ethanol solvent method and then, their lethal and Anti-feeding experiments were performed on rice insects (Sitophylusoryzae) in standard laboratory conditions. Results: Extracts of Thymus daenensis, Aesculushippocastanum, Artemisia abrotanum and Chrozophoratinctoria were estimated to be 553.2, 753.6, 878.3 and 987.3 mg / ml effective dose, respectively.The results showed that Thymus daenensis extract with 90.33% with lower concentration compared to Aesculushippocastanum, Artemisia abrotanum and Chrozophoratinctoria extracts has the highest lethal effect against S. oryzae. Also in Anti-feedingtest, Thymus daenensis extract showed the highest Anti-feedingeffect in comparison with Aesculushippocastanum, Artemisia abrotanum and Chrozophoratinctoria extracts, respectively. Conclusions: The use of plants in the control against storage pests such as rice weevils will have favorable environmental results, human health and less storage is dangerous.

COVID-19: Clinical features, case fatality, and the effect of symptoms on mortality in hospitalized cases in Iran.

Objective: Identifying the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 could help to control the pandemic. The aim of this study was to characterize the epidemiological features of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Iran. Methods: Data were collected on patients admitted to a military referral hospital in Tehran, Iran, from February 8, 2020 to July 28, 2021. Sex, age, clinical symptoms, outcome, type of comorbidities, level of blood Spo2, time of admission, and time of discharge were investigated. Sex ratio, case fatality rate (CFR), and daily trends of hospital admissions and deaths were also determined. Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression with 95% confidence intervals were used for data analysis. The statistical significance level was set at 0.05. STATA16.0 and Excel 2010 were used for data analysis. Results: The median hospital length of stay (LOS) was 6 days. The following symptoms were most common: cough (63.5%), fever (50%), respiratory distress (46.1%), and muscular pain (40.8%). Hypertension (29.5%), diabetes (24.7%), and cardiovascular diseases (21.8%) were the most prevalent comorbidities. The CFR was calculated at 8.30%. Respiratory symptoms increased the odds of death by 45% (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.03-2.06). Gastrointestinal symptoms were associated with a reduction in the mortality of COVID-19 cases, but this association was not statistically significant (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.73-1.21). Conclusions: The results of this study emphasize higher mortality rates among older age groups, male patients, and patients with underlying diseases.

The Prediction of Chronicity in Patients With Acute and Subacute Nonspecific Low Back Pain and Associated Risk Factors: A Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic low back pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders in different countries. AIMS: This study aimed to predict the chronicity of nonspecific acute and nonspecific low back pain (LBP) and related risk factors among cases referred to physiotherapy clinics. DESIGN: A case-control and cross-sectional study. SETTINGS: Two physiotherapy centers in Tehran, Iran. PARTICIPANTS: This study included 502 patients with acute, subacute and chronic LBP. METHOD: This study included 502 patients with acute, subacute and chronic LBP. Data were obtained using the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire, Patient Health Questionnaire, Pain Catastrophic Scale, Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Walker's Health-Promoting Lifestyle Questionnaire, Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire, and Numerical Pain Rating Scale. Data analysis was performed by applying independent sample t test, χ2, and multiple logistic regression in SPSS software version 25. IBM Amos version 22 was used for path analysis. RESULTS: It was found that some demographic parameters (i.e., weight, BMI, job, type of occupational task performance, history of low back pain, work shift, underlying diseases and income), some cognitive parameters (i.e., fear-avoidance beliefs, kinesiophobia, catastrophic pain, and depression), some lifestyle parameters (i.e., health responsibility, physical activity, and interpersonal relationships), sleep quality and pain related disability were among the most critical risk factors in the chronicity of acute and subacute LBP (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Personal, psychological, and psychosocial parameters can be among the most critical predictors in the chronicity of acute and subacute nonspecific LBP. Hence, paying attention to all the mentioned factors at the beginning of patients' treatment to create a targeted treatment algorithm and prevent the conversion of acute and subacute into chronic LBP has particular importance.

Case fatality rate of COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The ongoing novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality due to its contagious nature and absence of vaccine and treatment. Although numerous primary studies reported extremely variable case fatality rate (CFR) of COVID-19, no review study attempted to estimate the CFR of COVID-19. The current systematic review and meta-analysis were aimed to assess the pooled CFR of COVID-19. METHODS: Electronic databases: PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched to retrieve the eligible primary studies that reported CFR of COVID-19. Keywords: ("COVID-19"OR "COVID-2019" OR "severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2"OR "severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2" OR "2019-nCoV" OR "SARS-CoV-2" OR "2019nCoV" OR (("Wuhan" AND ("coronavirus" OR "coronavirus")) AND (2019/12[PDAT] OR 2020[PDAT]))) AND ("mortality "OR "mortality" OR ("case" AND "fatality" AND "rate") OR "case fatality rate") were used as free text and MeSH term in searching process. A random-effects model was used to estimate the CFR in this study. I2 statistics, Cochran's Q test, and T2 were used to assess the functional heterogeneity between included studies. RESULTS: The overall pooled CFR of COVID 19 was 10.0%(95% CI: 8.0-11.0); P < 0.001; I2 = 99.7). The pooled CFR of COVID-19 in general population was 1.0% (95% CI: 1.0-3.0); P < 0.001; I2 = 94.3), while in hospitalized patients was 13.0% (95% CI: 9.0-17.0); P < 0.001, I2 = 95.6). The pooled CFR in patients admitted in intensive care unit (ICU) was 37.0% (95% CI: 24.0-51.0); P < 0.001, I2 = 97.8) and in patients older than 50 years was 19.0% (95% CI: 13.0-24.0); P < 0.001; I2 = 99.8). CONCLUSION: The present review results highlighted the need for transparency in testing and reporting policies and denominators used in CFR estimation. It is also necessary to report the case's age, sex, and the comorbidity distribution of all patients, which essential in comparing the CFR among different segments of the population.

The global prevalence of depression, suicide ideation, and attempts in the military forces: a systematic review and Meta-analysis of cross sectional studies.

BACKGROUND: Given the wide range of depressive disorders, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in various military studies around the world, determining the exact prevalence of these disorders in line with health planning as well as care and treatment service designing for military forces can be useful. The aim of the present meta-analysis was to determine the pooled prevalence of depressive disorders, suicide thoughts, and attempts in the military. METHODS: The present systematic review and meta-analysis study was performed based on PRISMA criteria in 5 steps of the search strategy, screening and selection of articles, data extraction, evaluation of article quality and meta-analysis. International databases (PubMed (Medline), Scopus, Web of science, Embase (Elsevier), PsycInfo (Ovid), Cochrane CENTRAL (Ovid)) were searched using related keywords extracted from Mesh and Emtree. After screening and final selection of articles, data were extracted and qualitative evaluation was performed using the NOS checklist. RESULTS: The results of meta-analysis showed that the prevalence of depression in active military forces and veterans was 23% (%95 CI: 20-26%) and 20% (%95 CI: 18-22%), respectively. In addition, the prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempts in the military was 11% (%95 CI: 10-13%) and 11% (%95 CI: 9-13%), respectively. The prevalence of suicide ideation and attempts in drug-using military was 18% (%95 CI: 7-33%) and 30% (%95 CI: 23-36%), respectively. The prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempts in military consuming alcohol were 9% (%95 CI: 4-13%) and 8% (%95 CI: 7-10%), respectively. In militaries with AIDS / HIV, the prevalence of suicide attempts was 5% (%95 CI: 4-8%). CONCLUSION: Therefore, it is necessary to develop and design training and intervention programs in order to increase the awareness of the military, especially veterans, to prevent the occurrence of suicide and depression.

Predicting the 10-year risk of cardiovascular diseases and its relation to healthy diet indicator in Iranian military personnel.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies indicate increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among military personnel. Accordingly, identification of at-risk individuals and lifestyle modification such as improving diet quality can potentially inhibits the increasing trend of CVD mortality. The aim of this study was predicting the 10-year risk of CVD and its association with healthy diet indicator (HDI) among military personnel. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 400 male military personnel within the age range of 30-75 years were included. HDI score was calculated based on food frequency questionnaire, and the 10-year risk of CVD was evaluated using Framingham risk score (FRS). The FRS items include age, gender, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), systolic blood pressure, status of diabetes and smoking. Partial correlation test was employed to investigate the relationship between Framingham risk score and HDI score. RESULTS: The mean age and body mass index (BMI) of participants were 38.67 ± 5.3 year and 25.28 ± 3.22 kg/m2, respectively. Prediction of FRS was as follows: 96.5% were low risk, 2% were moderate risk, and 1.5% were high risk. The mean HDI score of participants in this study was 5.98 ± 1.36. While HDI score did not show a significant correlation with FRS (r: - 0.009, p:0.860), increased dietary sodium intake had a significant positive correlation with FRS (r: 0.114, p:0.026). CONCLUSION: The most of participants (96.5%) had in low risk of CVD development in the next 10 years. Meanwhile, the FRS showed no significant relationship with HDI score. Further researches are required to confirm the results of the present study.

Micro-injection of propranolol within basolateral amygdala impaired fear and spatial memory and dysregulated evoked responses of CA1 neurons following foot shock stress in rats.

The basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA) is responsible for memory retrieval after stress. It regulates hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) during stress. Although ß-adrenoceptors of the BLA have a critical role in memory, few studies have addressed this question in the BLA, and the results still have been contradictory. The present study was designed to investigate the involvement of ß-adrenoceptors of the BLA on hippocampus memory, anxiety, and plasticity in intact and stressed rats. Male Wistar rats were submitted to the electrical foot-shock stress for four consecutive days. Over four consecutive days, animals received bilateral micro-injections of either vehicle or propranolol (4 µg in 1 µl/side) into the BLA (5 min before foot-shock stress). Behavioral (memory, as well as anxiety-like behaviors), electrophysiological, and histological (neural arborization in the hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons) studies were performed. Results showed that inhibition of ß-adrenoceptors of BLA by propranolol significantly further impaired fear and spatial memory in stressed rats. Similarly, propranolol effectively impaired both memories in the intact animals. Propranolol significantly amplified the slope and amplitude of fEPSP in the CA1 area of the hippocampus only in stressed rats. Foot-shock stress significantly increased the number of dendritic branches in the hippocampus, and propranolol suppressed this effect of stress. It is suggested that ß-adrenoceptors in the BLA promote memory and reduce anxiety-like behaviors under tonic and stress conditions. Propranolol dysregulated LTP parameters and reduced dendritic branches, resulting in memory impairment. Probably ß-adrenoceptors of BLA regulate evoked responses of CA1 neurons only in stress- and not the tonic condition.

Epidemiology and risk factors of needlestick injuries among healthcare workers in Iran: a systematic reviews and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Occupational contact with blood and body fluids poses a significant risk to healthcare workers. The aim of this systematic review is to investigate the epidemiology and risk factors affecting needlestick injuries (NSI) in healthcare personnel in Iran. METHODS: In March 2020, researchers studied six international databases such as Medline/PubMed, ProQuest, ISI/WOS, Scopus, Embase, and Google Scholar for English papers and two Iranian databases (MagIran and SID) for Persian papers. Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist was used to assess quality of studies. The method of reporting was based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement. RESULTS: A total of 43 articles were included in the analysis. Results showed that females (OR = 1.30, 95 % CI 1.06-1.58, P value = 0.009), younger age (OR = 2.75, 95 % CI 2.27-3.33, P value < 0.001, rotated shift workers (OR = 2.16, 95 % CI 1.47-3.15, P value < 0.001), not attending training courses (OR = 1.30, 95 % CI 1.07-1.56, P value = 0.006), working in the surgery ward (OR = 1.83, 95 % CI 1.33-2.50, P value < 0.001), less work experience (OR = 1.43, 95 % CI 1.04-1.95, P value = 0.025) apposed a greater risk factors for NSI among healthcare workers. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this review, factors such as young age, less work experience, work shift, and female gender are considered as strong risk factors for NSI injury in Iran. Preventive measures including education programs can reduce the burden of NSI among healthcare personnel.