Journal of Health Sciences and Surveillance System
Volume:11 Issue: 4, Oct 2023

Infertility causes social and psychological distress and has negative economic effects on healthcare systems. Infertility is the incapability to conceive after at least 12 months of unprotected regular sexual intercourse. Finding the impacts of herbal antioxidants can result in new visions for enhancing male fertility. Quercetin belongs to the bioflavonoids family, and many nutritionists, scientists, and researchers have investigated its pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties in their studies.

In this review, the authors summarized the protecting role of quercetin against oxidative damage and toxic metals stimulating male infertility by searching in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase via the keywords “male infertility”, “quercetin”, “male fertility”, “oxidative stress”, “toxic metals”, “environmental contaminants”, and “heavy metals” without language or date restrictions.

Due to insufficient antioxidant defenses and inadequate cell repair systems, spermatozoa are predominantly susceptible to oxidative stress and toxic agents, especially heavy metals. Reactive oxygen species mediate several other cellular mechanisms, such as apoptosis. Previous research has highlighted quercetin and polyphenols’ positive and negative impact on male fertility.

Quercetin exerts its beneficial functions through its antioxidant capacity by scavenging ROS and chelating toxic heavy metals and other environmental contaminants; thus, it can prevent male infertility.

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is known as one of the most chronic conditions, having significant effects on physical and mental health status in infected individuals, and thus reducing their quality of life (QoL).

I n t his s ystematic r eview, t he d ata w ere i nitially collected from the databases of Scopus, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar from January 2000 to September 2020 based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study. The data were then analyzed by using the R software.

A total number of 25 research articles addressing the QoL in 5,952 HIV/AIDS patients were evaluated using three valid questionnaires, including the Medical Outcomes Study HIV Health Survey (MOS-HIV), the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life in HIV-Infected Persons (WHOQoL-HIV). Based on the MOS-HIV, the SF-36, and the WHOQoL-HIV questionnaires, the QoL mean scores in HIV/AIDS patients were 51.80 (49.4- 54.57), 54.81 (52.68-56.93), and 13.62 (11.97-15.26), respectively. In addition, the physical items gained a higher mean score than the mental ones in all the questionnaires. The QoL showed higher mean scores in the SF-36 and the WHOQoL-HIV questionnaires in Africa, except for the MOS-HIV questionnaire, which had the highest mean score in North America.

Overall, the QoL in HIV/AIDS patients in this study was acceptable, even though further changes and studies are still required to support the findings.

Improper use of antibiotics and not paying attention to withdrawal time causes antibiotics to enter the milk, which can cause allergies in humans and cause antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria in the long run, so quality and hygienic milk control is essential.

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of antibiotic residues in milk as a systematic review and metaanalysis from 2004 to 2021 for 15 years in Iran. The data were collected from four international search databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Google Scholar, and four Iranian databases, including SID, MagIran, Civilica, and IranDoc.

After reviews of 314 studies, 38 were finally selected, and the information was recorded and analyzed in Stata software. The results of this study show that the residual prevalence of antibiotics in milk using the screening method was 28% (CI: 0.34-0.22). The residual rates of antibiotics using enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods were 43% (CI: 0.26-0.59) and 27% (CI: 0.05-0.49), respectively.

The data obtained from the meta-analysis show that despite various reports of a quantitative amount of antibiotic residue in milk, the average amount in the ELISA method was 16.98 ppm. Although the prevalence of antibiotics in Iran is relatively high, a quantitative amount is optimal. Also, since the use of antibiotics in livestock is almost inevitable, proper withdrawal time of antibiotics can play an important role in preventing the release of antibiotic residues in milk.

The ability to detect and recognize abnormal patterns in diagnostic images requires sufficient knowledge in studying radiographic images. By teaching oral radiology, dentists must know basic skills for interpreting images inside or outside the mouth. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the clinical competence of dental students in recognizing landmarks and radiological lesions of the jaw and face.

In this cross-sectional study conducted during the academic year 2021, the authors included general dentistry students in their 5th and 6th years of study at Yasuj University of Medical Sciences dental school. Initially, an objective structured clinical exam with 18 stations was designed to assess six different radiology students’ competencies with the help of the radiology department’s faculty members. Due to Covid-19 disease, 19 tests were held in absentia through the university’s Faradid system. After this test, the results were analyzed using SPSS software version 26.

The mean skill levels of dental students at Yasouj University of Medical Sciences in the diagnosis of different categories were as follows: Diagnosis of Dental Anomalies: 0.19±0.70, Diagnosis of Bone Anomalies: 0.34±0.44, Diagnosis of Anatomical Landmarks: 0.29±0.75, Diagnosis of Radiographic Techniques: 0.13±0.92, Diagnosis of Radiopaque Lesions: 0.5±0.31, Diagnosis of Radiolucent Lesions: 0.26±0.45.

The lowest level of students’ skills belonged to the diagnosis of bone anomalies and radiolucent diagnosis. It is suggested that radiology professors take some effective measures to improve education regarding bone anomalies and radiolucent diagnosis.

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. 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. 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). 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.

Universal Design (UD) means designing the products and environments everyone can use as far as possible without requiring specialized compatibility or design. The present study aimed to design and develop a comprehensive and valid checklist to evaluate the design of banks based on UD principles and implement it in Iranian banks.

Based on the seven UD principles and using a mixed methods sequential exploratory design, an initial checklist with 61 items was developed. Then, its psychometric properties were evaluated based on face and content validity and inter-rater agreement. The final checklist was prepared based on the results of this stage and used in the next stage to evaluate the design of 17 banks.

The final checklist consisted of 10 areas (as per the seven UD principles). The Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and Content Validity Index (CVI) were calculated as 0.91 and 0.93, respectively. Based on areas of the checklist, all the evaluated banks showed many problems, the most significant of which were related to the areas of equal use by different groups, flexibility in use, and the size and space of access and use.

The present study’s findings led to the design of a comprehensive and standard checklist to evaluate the design of banks in terms of UD principles. The results indicated that the UD principles were not observed in most studied banks, and they need to implement targeted design interventions.

Protein-energy malnutrition is an important problem for hemodialysis patients due to decreased quality of life, increased hospitalization, and mortality. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of nutritional supplement programs on the malnutrition and biochemical indicators of patients undergoing hemodialysis. In this Randomized Controlled Trial study, 66 patients undergoing hemodialysis were allocated to three groups according to the random allocation methods. Groups A and B received nutritional supplements IsoWhey protein powder (one cup or 24 grams’ powder) and BCAA Muscle Guard Tablet (6 tablets per day: 2 tablets every 8 hours), respectively, along with a schedule of nutrition counseling, nephrology visits, and telephone follow-up for two months. The control group (group C) received a routine diet without supplementation. Biochemical indicators (Hemoglobin, BUN before and after dialysis, creatinine, cholesterol, triglyceride, TIBC, total protein, albumin, ferritin) were measured for all three groups before, one and two months after the intervention, and nutritional status based on SGA was assessed before and after the intervention. Before the intervention, three groups were homogeneous in demographic variables, biochemical indicators, and nutritional status (P>0.05). But, after the intervention, there was a statistically significant difference between groups in means of TIBC, total protein, and albumin (P<0.05). Also, nutritional status significantly differed in groups after intervention (P=0.02). The two intervention groups achieved a better nutritional status after two months of taking the dietary supplement (P=0.008). But in the control group, there was no significant difference in nutritional status before and after the study (P<0.05). According to the results of this study, it could be suggested that the use of nutritional supplements under the supervision of a nutritionist, along with patient education and consistent nutritional assessment, is suggested to improve the nutritional status of patients undergoing hemodialysis.

In pursuing improving healthcare quality and enhancing efficiency, public hospitals in Iran have undergone numerous reforms over the past two decades. This study aimed to assess the efficiency of all public hospitals in Iran from 2012 to 2016. This study was conducted as a quantitative and descriptive-analytical research project. The authors employed an innovative approach called Extended Data Envelopment Analysis (Extended-DEA), a modification of conventional DEA, to assess the technical efficiency and productivity of 568 public hospitals. They obtained nationally representative data from official annual health reports. The data were analyzed using GAMS software version 24.3. The study found that the average efficiency score for all hospitals was 0.733. Among all the hospitals, 10.1% were deemed efficient, while 2.68% had low-efficiency scores below 0.2. The Malmquist Productivity Index (MPI) showed improvement in 49.3% of hospitals and remained unchanged at 2.3%. In comparison, 48.2% of hospitals experienced a regression in productivity from 2015 to 2016. On average, the MPI was 1.07 throughout the analysis. The findings of this study suggest that there is a need for increased efforts to improve the efficient utilization of resources in public hospitals. It highlights the importance of developing appropriate policy solutions and tools to address these efficiency challenges. In particular, one proposed strategy is the merger of small-sized district hospitals to establish larger and more efficient hospitals in different geographical regions across the country.

The present study investigated the possibility of implementing quaternary prevention using family physicians in Iran’s health system. The present study was a qualitative study conducted with a grounded theory approach. Thirty-four participants, who were faculty members and experts, were selected by purposive and theoretical sampling using the snowball approach until data saturation. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The interviews took 20 to 60 minutes each, based on the circumstances and the participant’s willingness to continue. Data analysis was performed along with data collection by Strauss and Corbin’s constant comparative analysis. Using Lincoln and Guba criteria, the accuracy and strength of this research were confirmed. The dimensions model of quaternary prevention using family physicians in Iran were specified in six axial categories: causal conditions, contextual conditions, intervening conditions, strategies, and outcomes. The phenomenon was the promotion of quaternary prevention, including defining quaternary prevention, family physicians, the philosophy of quaternary prevention, and the philosophy of family physicians—social, political, economic, cultural, and technological conditions as contextual and intervening conditions. Causal conditions were doctors, patients, and the health system. Two main strategies were intersectoral administration and intra-sectoral governance. Outcomes included efficiency and the provision of security for society. For quaternary prevention promotion and to offer ethically and rationally acceptable scientific services to the people, it is necessary to promote the position of the family physician as the primary implementer of quaternary prevention in healthcare. Getting to the PHC umbrella is achieved through intra-sectoral leadership and inter-sectoral governance, which supports the patient and reduces unnecessary care.

Viral hepatitis is one of the world’s top five infectious diseases that cause premature death. Each year, at least one million people die from these infections worldwide. This study investigated the epidemiological features and trend of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in Abadan City, southern Iran. This cross-sectional study was performed on recorded data of HBV and HCV infections from the notifiable disease surveillance system of Abadan University of Medical Sciences from 2014 to 2020. The incidence per 100,000 population for HBV and HCV infections has been calculated by study years and age groups. The chi-square test was applied to compare various types of infections. The average age of the participants was 40.47±13.20, ranging from 1-88 years. This study estimated the prevalence of HBsAg-positive cases from 2014 to 2020 as 1.53, 6.92, 7.07, 7.07, 8.15, 3.23, and 3.38 per 100,000, respectively. Also, the incidence of HCV-infected cases during these years were 3.23, 6.46, 11.84, 6.46, 8.92, and 2.15 per 100,000 populations, respectively. The average age of patients varied widely based on the type of hepatitis (P=0.001) so that the mean age in HBV-infected patients was 41.06±12.41 years, 41.76±12.99 years in HCV-infected and 22.93±18.02 years in HBV/HCV-infected patients. The findings of this study suggest a lower prevalence of hepatitis B and C compared to other regional studies conducted in Iran. In recent years, the incidence of HBV and HCV has declined, indicating the successful implementation of the vaccination plan and observance of health tips in Abadan.

Depression and cognitive impairment are two psychosocial health problems significantly affecting the quality of life of older adults across the globe. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of psychosocial morbidities among older adults in a rural community of coastal Karnataka, India, and to determine the socio-demographic correlates of these morbidities. This cross-sectional study was conducted in rural and semi-urban Udupi taluka, in southern India. A total of 1,832 men and women aged ≥60 years were surveyed from 2015 to 2017 using a simple random method. Data was collected from the participants through an interviewer-administered pre-designed semi-structured questionnaire, Geriatric depression scale-Short version, and Everyday Abilities Scale India, and data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0. Prevalence of depression and cognitive impairment among the study participants were reported, and significant sociodemographic predictors of these morbidities were determined using multivariate analysis. Prevalence of depression and cognitive impairment were 38.7% and 49.1%, respectively, among older adults. Low literacy, low socioeconomic status, and unemployment were significant predictors of depression, while only low literacy was found to be the predictor of cognitive impairment. Further, being employed in old age showed a protective effect on their cognitive health. Psychosocial problems were highly prevalent among community-dwelling older adults. Improving their general health conditions, getting them involved in social activities tailored to their abilities and preferences, and ensuring economic independence through social security measures would pave the way in enhancing the mental health of older adults in southern India.