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Introduction: Measurement of pancreatic beta cell mass in animal models is a common assay in diabetes researches. Novel whole-organ clearance methods in conjunction with transgenic mouse models hold tremendous promise to improve beta cell mass measurement methods. Here, we proposed a refined method to estimate the beta cell mass using a new transgenic Tg(Pdx1-GFP) mouse model and a recently developed free-of-acrylamide clearing tissue (FACT) protocol. Methods: First, we generated and evaluated a Tg(Pdx1-GFP) transgenic mouse model. Using the FACT protocol in our model, we could quantify the beta cell mass and alloxan-induced beta cell destruction in whole pancreas specimens. Results: Compiled fluorescent images of pancreas resulted in enhanced beta cell mass characterization in FACT-cleared sections (2928869±120215 AU) compared to No-FACT cleared sections (1292372±325632 AU). Additionally, the total number of detected islets with this method was significantly higher than the other clearance methods (155.7 and 109, respectively). Using this method, we showed green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression confined to beta cells in Tg(Pdx1-GFP) transgenic. This enhanced GFP expression enabled us to accurately measure beta cell loss in a beta cell destruction model. The results suggest that our proposed method can be used as a simple, and rapid assay for beta cell mass measurement in islet biology and diabetes studies. Conclusion: The Tg(Pdx1-GFP) transgenic mouse in conjunction with the FACT protocol can enhance large-scale screening studies in the field of diabetes.

BACKGROUND: The nail job is a new occupation in which the number of people who choose this job is rising. Therefore, the harmful hazards affecting the health of the practitioners should be taken into account. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the ergonomics and occupational health hazards among nail technicians in Iranian society. METHODS: The self-administered questionnaire, the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and Novel Ergonomic Postural Assessment (NERPA) method were used to gather data from 80 female nail technicians who participated in this study. RESULTS: More than half of the participants (67.6%) complained of coughing and eye irritation (70%) which was the most frequently reported irritation. The final score of the NERPA was at a high-risk level and the neck pain (63.8%) was the highest in comparison with other parts of the body. There was a significant relationship between activity type with disorder in the neck, elbow, hip, knee, and ankle. Lighting intensity was not significantly associated with musculoskeletal disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Concerning the low work experience, the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and, respiratory complaints is high. Hence, the attention of policy-makers to the safety and hygiene issues of women in this occupation is necessary by setting guidelines and considering inspections of occupational health and safety professionals.

Background Elevated blood pressure is associated with cardiovascular disease, stroke and chronic kidney disease. In this study, we examined the socioeconomic inequality and its related factors in prevalence, Awareness, Treatment and Control (ATC) of hypertension (HTN) in Iran. Method The study used data from the recruitment phase of The Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in IrAN (PERSIAN). A sample of 162,842 adults aged > = 35 years was analyzed. HTN was defined according to the Joint National Committee)JNC-7(. socioeconomic inequality was measured using concentration index (Cn) and curve. Results The mean age of participants was 49.38(SD = ± 9.14) years and 44.74% of the them were men. The prevalence of HTN in the total population was 22.3%(95% CI: 20.6%; 24.1%), and 18.8%(95% CI: 16.8%; 20.9%) and 25.2%(95% CI: 24.2%; 27.7%) in men and women, respectively. The percentage of awareness treatment and control among individuals with HTN were 77.5%(95% CI: 73.3%; 81.8%), 82.2%(95% CI: 70.2%; 81.6%) and 75.9%(95% CI: 70.2%; 81.6%), respectively. The Cn for prevalence of HTN was -0.084. Two factors, age (58.46%) and wealth (32.40%), contributed most to the socioeconomic inequality in the prevalence of HTN. Conclusion The prevalence of HTN was higher among low-SES individuals, who also showed higher levels of awareness. However, treatment and control of HTN were more concentrated among those who had higher levels of SES, indicating that people at a higher risk of adverse event related to HTN (the low SES individuals) are not benefiting from the advantage of treatment and control of HTN. Such a gap between diagnosis (prevalence) and control (treatment and control) of HTN needs to be addressed by public health policymakers.

BACKGROUND: Job burnout syndrome is caused by prolonged exposure to difficult working conditions. Emergency medical services (EMS) staff are exposed to varying levels of mental workload (MWL) depending on the operation, so it is more likely that they experience burnout syndrome. OBJECTIVE: The main aim of the current research was to investigate the effect of MWL, work-related and socio-demographic factors on job burnout among Iranian EMS staff. METHODS: The current cross-sectional and descriptive-analytical research was carried out among 198 EMS. In doing so, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), The NASA task load index (NASA TLX), and an author-developed work-related and socio-demographic factors were distributed among participants to collect data. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (t-test, ANOVA test, multiple linear regression, and Pearson correlation coefficient). RESULTS: The results showed a significant statistical relationship between burnout and MWL. A significant statistical relationship between overall workload and two dimensions of MBI, namely, emotional exhaustion and depersonalization were observed (P

Introduction: Nowadays, using the computer in doing everything is necessary and there are fewer jobs that do not use the computer to perform tasks. Working with a computer for a long time under static conditions and inappropriate postures can lead to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDS). Computer users report a high incidence of WRMSDS, depending on the nature of their work. One of the administrative control strategies to reduce or eliminate the risk factors for WRMSDS in computer users is applying education or training program. Also, providing the devices of office workstations such as chairs and tables adjustable. The results of various studies have been shown that ergonomic training, ergonomic design of workstations and office buildings can be useful in preventing and reducing WRMSDS and its associated symptoms in office settings. Since training is one of the main pillars of health care in our country, it is necessary to pay more attention to designing and planning educational programs based on educational models and theories of behavior and social sciences for various diseases and health issues. In this study, the PRECEDE-PROCEED educational model was used to plan for promoting preventive behaviors of WRMSDS among computer users. This model is introduced as a diagnostic framework for health education planning and health promotion. Model implementation stages include: social diagnosis, epidemiological diagnosis, behavioral and environmental diagnosis, educational diagnosis (identifying predisposing factors, enabling and enhancing health behaviors) and ecological, managerial and policy diagnosis, implementation, process evaluation, evaluation of immediate results and evaluation of long term results. The reason for using this model in this study is that the comprehensive nature of this model makes it applicable to different subjects and populations. This model has an ecological perspective and states that one should not only consider the behavior to change, but also the environment around the individual and the factors that influence behavior change, take into account also. Therefore, in order to obtain useful and effective results, education must be designed based on theories and patterns of behavior change. Therefore, this study was carried out with the aim of applying PRECEDE-PROCEED model in promoting preventive behaviors of WRMSDS among computer users. Materials and Methods: In this randomized controlled trial study, 110 computer users were selected. The risk factors of the workstations have been determined using the Rapid Administrative Stress Assessment (ROSA) method. Computer users who had a high risk of developing WRMSDS and their workstations needed corrective and interventional measures were included in the study. Data were collected using standard Nordic questionnaire, ROSA checklist, and researcher-made questionnaire based on PRECEDE-PROCEED educational model constructs. The validity and reliability of the researcher-made questionnaire were assessed in a pilot study. Individuals were also agreed to enter the study. Data collection tools were completed in three stages. In the first stage, Nordic musculoskeletal standard questionnaire was used to evaluate the prevalence of WRMSDS. To achieve better results, the questionnaire was completed through direct interviews with the participants under study, and the prevalence of WRMSDS was recorded over the past year. In the second stage, the risk factors for WRMSDS and determination of risk levels were determined by ROSA method. This method is proposed to identify the risk factors of computer users and to prioritize the optimal fit between users and workstation devices. In the third stage, the self-made questionnaire consisted of different parts of the PRECEDE-PROCEED model constructs such as individual questions, predisposing factors, enabling factors, and reinforcing factors has been applied. Content validity method was used for scientific validation of self-made questionnaire. The questionnaire was given to 12 professors related to this topic and their corrective comments were applied. Test-retest method was used to calculate the reliability of these questionnaire. The questionnaire was completed by 20 computer users and then completed in two weeks. Cronbach's alpha for questionnaire was estimated 0.75. Finally, based on the results of the initial questionnaires, an appropriate educational intervention including training manuals and instructional videos on stretching and corrective movements, training and correct sitting exercises while working with the computer was designed and implemented in the experimental group. The control group received no training. After the implementation of the training program in the evaluation phase of the PRECEDE-PROCEED model, the process of intervention, design and implementation of the program was evaluated. Immediately after the training sessions and two months after the intervention, the impact of the training program on promoting preventive behaviors of WRMSDs of computer users was measured. Data were analyzed before and after the intervention using SPSS.24 software. Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon tests were used to compare quantitative values ​​between the two groups before and after the intervention and chi-square test was used to compare qualitative values ​​between the two groups. Results: In this study, 86 (78%) of the participants were men and 24 (22%) were women. The results of chi-square test showed that the distribution ratio of people with different gender was similar between the two groups and there was no significant difference between them (p> 0.05). Findings showed that the mean age of users was 39.7 years and there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of age. Chi-square test results showed that there was no significant difference between the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in the two groups (P> 0.05). The results showed that the highest prevalence of disorders in the experimental group was in the low back, neck and shoulder respectively, and in the control group was in the low back, neck and shoulder, respectively. Before intervention, there was no significant difference between the mean of ROSA final scores, variables of PRECEDE-PROCEED model such as predisposing factors, reinforcing factors and enabling factors in the two groups. There was a significant difference between the mean scores of ROSA final score and its components (p = 0.0001) as well as the mean scores of predisposing factors (knowledge and attitude), reinforcing factors, and enabling factors of PRECEDE-PROCEED model (p = 0.0001). Before the intervention, the Mann-Whitney test results showed no significant difference in the mean scores of the predisposing factors (knowledge and attitude) and PRECEDE-PROCEED model reinforcement factors between the two groups (p> 0.05). There was a significant difference in the mean of the enabling factors in the two study groups before the intervention (p

This study aimed to investigate the influence of physical and mental workload on safe behavior of employees in the automobile industry. The 150 workers of the two industries of machining and foundry of an automobile parts manufacturer participated in this correlational study. Safety behavior, NASA-TLX, and Borg scale questionnaires were used to collect data. Independent t-test, analysis of variance and Pearson correlation coefficient applied to the analysis of data. The NASA-TLX showed that the dimensions of physical and mental demand had the highest score and the performance had the lowest score. Excessive physical pressure was also reported among workers. The Score of safety observance, safety participation, and safety behavior were at a moderate level. There was a significant difference in the physical workload of employees who had an accident and did not have an accident (P = 0.001). The results showed that if the same mental workload had been imposed on workers and simultaneously more physical workload had been experienced, the probability of an accident increased. The overall mental workload and physical pressure among workers were reported at a high level. Safe behaviors were moderate among employees. Therefore, the implementation of effective intervention programs to adjust workload, participatory ergonomics, provide workload balance to improve job satisfaction, eliminate inappropriate working conditions and increase the number of operators, management programs such as job rotation between Machining and Foundry and other workshops, increase rest time and creation of a strong teamwork safety climate can reduce physical and mental workload and prevent accident among workers, improve their performance and wellbeing.

IntroductionMeasurement of pancreatic beta cell mass in animal models is a common assay in diabetes researches. Novel whole-organ clearance methods in conjunction with transgenic mouse models hold tremendous promise to improve methods for beta cell mass measurement. Here, we propose a refined method to estimate the beta cell mass using a new transgenic Tg(Pdx1-GFP) mouse model and a recently developed free-of-acrylamide clearing tissue (FACT) protocol. MethodsFirst, we generated and evaluated a Tg(Pdx1-GFP) transgenic mouse model. By using the FACT protocol in this model, we could quantify the beta cell mass and alloxan-induced beta cell destruction in whole pancreas specimens.ResultsTg(Pdx1-GFP) transgenic mice expressed green fluorescent protein (GFP) only in the beta cells of the pancreas and limited to the beta cells. This GFP expression enabled us to accurately measure beta cell loss in a beta cell destruction model. The results suggest that our proposed method can be used as a simple, rapid assay for beta cell mass measurement in studies of islet biology and diabetes.ConclusionThe Tg(Pdx1-GFP) transgenic mouse in conjunction with the FACT protocol can enhance large-scale screening studies in the field of diabetes.

Introduction: Nail extension is a profession which is entered Iran recently and is expanding vastly. Every profession has its own harmful effects therefore working in nail salons regarding to awkward posture while nail services and equipment and tools which use in this profession makes nail technician face to Ergonomic risk factors. This study was conducted to evaluate the ergonomic status of nail workers in Sabzevar Methods: This descriptive-analytic study was done among nail workers in beauty salons. Nordic questionnaire was used to determine incidence of muscoloskeletal disorders and novel Ergonomic Pos-tural Assessment (NERPA) method utilize in order to evaluate body posture. Also local lighting of the work surface was measured to determine its association with muscoloskeletal disorders. Data were analysed using SPSS 17. Results: The prevalence of pain in neck (63.8%), upper back (51.3%), waist (42.5%), shoulder (41.3%) and wrist (6.37%) has the highest value Body posture assessment using NERPA method also showed in all cases (100%), the final score was reached at the highest level (score 7 and the need for immediate change). In addition the intensity of local lighting was lower than the mandatory OEL level of Iran (53.19%) Conclusion: As the finding indicated, nail services as a unknown job and therefore lack of knowledge about this profession and also inadequate monitoring by occupational hygiene inspectors cause high incidence of muscoloskeletal disorders among nail workers, therefore in order to reduce these complications, health care organizations should pay more attention to establish roles and standards.

Background: A Based on the World Health Organization’s reporting, over 1.25 million people die annually in traffic accidents worldwide. Traffic accidents are the ninth main cause of death worldwide, with an average age range of victims of 15 to 29. Broadly speaking, 90% of traffic accidents happen in the low and middle-income countries that comprise 82% of the global population, and these countries account for half of the world’s vehicles. One of the goals of the National Road Traffic Knowledge Development Trustee is to plan and implement training courses (content design, design and implementation and evaluation) for target groups. To achieve this goal and due to the lack of academic programs on traffic safety in Iran, a single-credit course, "Safety and Traffic," was developed to be run as a compulsory academic course in all universities across the country. Methods: This course was administered as a national pilot study in four phases and in 17 medical universities across the country. All experts and national authorities in the Ministry of Science and the Ministry of Health and Medical Education were requested to provide feedback. Afterwards, the results and comments were forwarded to the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution for further investigation.Upon approval of the Council, the course will be implemented in all universities across the country. Results: Results from the pre-test showed that the level of students’ knowledge was low before attending the training courses. Surveys also revealed that the two items of "pedestrian safety" and "first aids in RTCs" were the most useful and applicable subjects. The percentage of wrong answers ranged from 61to 98%. Conclusion: Considering the importance of traffic accidents and people’s role in traffic-related issues, itseems that it is necessary to provide university courses for traffic safety education

Background:A Based on the World Health Organization’s reporting, over 1.25 million people die annually in traffic accidents worldwide. Traffic accidents are the ninth main cause of death worldwide, with an average age range of victims of 15 to 29. Broadly speaking, 90% of traffic accidents happen in the lowand middle-income countries that comprise 82% of the global population, and these countries account for half of the world’s vehicles. One of the goals of the National Road Traffic Knowledge Development Trustee is to plan and implement training courses (content design, design and implementation and evaluation) for target groups. To achieve this goal and due to the lack of academic programs on traffic safety in Iran, a single-credit course, “Safety and Traffic,” was developed to be run as a compulsory academic course in all universities across the country. Methods: This course was administered as a national pilot study in four phases and in 17 medical universities across the country. All experts and national authorities in the Ministry of Science and the Ministry of Health and Medical Education were requested to provide feedback. Afterwards, the results and comments were forwarded to the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution for further investigation. Upon approval of the Council, the course will be implemented in all universities across the country. Results: Results from the pre-test showed that the level of students’ knowledge was low before attending the training courses. Surveys also revealed that the two items of “pedestrian safety” and “first aids in RTCs” were the most useful and applicable subjects. The percentage of wrong answers ranged from 61 to 98%. Conclusion: Considering the importance of traffic accidents and people’s role in traffic-related issues, it seems that it is necessary to provide university courses for traffic safety education.

Introduction It is important to evaluate when and why the mental workload of operators increases during system operation. The city traffic control center (TCC) is a complex work system, and it is important to describe MW as a condition related to this. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the mental workload of operators while monitoring traffic loads in the city TCC. Methods Electroencephalography and electrooculography data were collected from 16 operators while performing their daily work, in four conditions: resting state, low traffic density, high traffic density, and recovery. The Simplified-Subjective Workload Assessment Technique (S-SWAT) was used to evaluate the subjective workload of operators. Results The findings indicate that operators experience a larger mental workload during high traffic density than during low traffic density ( p p Conclusion Although the working situations of TCC operators are repeated daily, their mental fatigue and stress level gradually increase, leading to deterioration in their mental health. It may be necessary periodically to monitor their mental health and to consider their organizational behavior during traffic density monitoring. Relevance to industry complex work systems have increased the requirement for many operators to conduct mental tasks in real work conditions such as city traffic density monitoring. When evaluating such workplaces, it is important to identify situations requiring increased mental workload that might impose additional stress on operators, decreasing their performance. Based on the results, the traffic control center director would be aware of the MW condition of the operators.

Exposure to air pollution has been associated with adverse health effects while exposure to greenspace has been associated with public health benefits. However, the available evidence on the association of exposure to air pollution with ovarian reserve markers is still scarce, with no study on such an association with greenspace exposure. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association of exposure to particulate matter with diameter of less than 1, 2.5 and 10 μm (PM1, PM2.5, PM10), traffic indicators (distance from women's residence to major roads and total street length in different buffers around women's residential address) and greenspace indicators (residential surrounding greenspace and distance to green spaces) with serum levels of anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) as markers of ovarian reserve. This cross-sectional study was based on 67 women residing in Sabzevar, Iran (2018). Basal serum levels of FSH and AMH were measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Land use regression models were used to estimate PMs concentrations at residential addresses and the average of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in different buffers was used to characterize residential surrounding greenspace. Multiple linear regression models were developed to estimate the association of AMH and FSH with exposure to air pollution, traffic, and greenspace (one at a time) controlled for relevant covariates. In fully adjusted models, there was an inverse association between exposure to PM1, PM2.5 as well as total street length in 100 m buffer around women's residence and AMH level (β = −0.89, 95% confidence interval (CI): −1.43, −0.35, P-value ≤ 0.01, β = −1.11, 95% CI: −1.67, −0.55, P-value ≤ 0.01 and β = −0.76, 95% CI: −1.48, −0.50, P-value = 0.03, respectively). Moreover, increase in distance from home to nearest major road as well as residential surrounding greenspace (100 m buffer) and decrease in residential distance to a green space larger than 5000 m2 were associated with increase in serum level of AMH. However, we did not observe any significant association between exposure to air pollution, traffic, and greenspace with FSH level. Overall, our findings supported a beneficial association of exposure to greenspace and detrimental association of exposure to air pollution with ovarian reserve.

This study evaluated operators' mental workload while monitoring traffic density in a city traffic control center. To determine the mental workload, physiological signals (ECG, EMG) were recorded and the NASA-Task Load Index (TLX) was administered for 16 operators. The results showed that the operators experienced a larger mental workload during high traffic density than during low traffic density. The traffic control center stressors caused changes in heart rate variability features and EMG amplitude, although the average workload score was significantly higher in HTD conditions than in LTD conditions. The findings indicated that increasing traffic congestion had a significant effect on HR, RMSSD, SDNN, LF/HF ratio, and EMG amplitude. The results suggested that when operators' workload increases, their mental fatigue and stress level increase and their mental health deteriorate. Therefore, it maybe necessary to implement an ergonomic program to manage mental health. Furthermore, by evaluating mental workload, the traffic control center director can organize the center's traffic congestion operators to sustain the appropriate mental workload and improve traffic control management.

Background: The present study aimed to evaluate the operators’ mental workload (MW) of cement, city traffic control and power plant control centers using subjective and objective measures during system vital parameters monitoring. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2014 to February 2015 at the cement, city traffic control and power plant control centers. Electrocardiography and electroencephalography data were recorded from forty males during performing their daily working in resting, low mental workload (LMW), high mental workload (HMW) and recovery conditions (each block 5 minutes). The NASA-Task Load Index (TLX) was used to evaluate the subjective workload of the operators. Results: The results showed that increasing MW had a significant effect on the operators subjective responses in two conditions ([1,53] = 216.303, P < 0.001, η2 = 0.803). Also,the Task-MW interaction effect on operators subjective responses was significant (F [3, 53] = 12.628,P < 0.001, η2 = 0.417). Analysis of repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that increasing mental demands had a significant effect on heart rate, low frequency/high frequency ratio, theta and alpha band activity. Conclusion: The results suggested that when operators’ mental demands especially in traffic control and power plant tasks increased, their mental fatigue and stress level increased and their mental health deteriorated. Therefore, it may be necessary to implement an ergonomic program or administrative control to manage mental probably health in these control centers. Furthermore, by evaluating MW, the control center director can organize the human resources for each MW condition to sustain the appropriate performance as well as improve system functions.

The present study investigated the effects of mental workload levels on psychophysiological and subjective responses during n-Back task. Heart rate, heart rate variability, shoulder muscle activity, EEG and EOG were measured during performing four mental tasks by 32 males. NASA-TLX completed at the end of each mental task. Using NASA-TLX the subjects stated that the task demands of very high mental task were higher than those of low, medium and high mental tasks. By increasing mental workload LF/HF ratio, shoulder muscle activity, eye activity and alpha activity significantly changed. It suggests that mentioned indices have enough sensitivity to quantify mental workload. Future studies should implement to determine the long-term effects such as cardiovascular and mental disorders in both males and females which experience different levels of mental workload in daily working condition. To get better results suggested those parameters such as: cultural differences, anthropometric data, body mass index, alertness, shift work and menstrual cycle take into account.

OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study were to evaluate manganese (Mn)-containing welding fumes' exposure, assess urinary Mn as a biomarker for Mn exposure and investigate the correlation of Mn in air, total fumes and urinary Mn with pulmonary function indices in 118 welders and 37 unexposed controls from two regions in Iran, Assaluyeh and Borujen. METHODS Air samples were collected on mixed cellulose ester membrane filters in personal air samplers and then analyzed using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) (NIOSH Method 7300). For all participants, urine samples were collected during the entire work shift, and Mn in urine was determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy according to NIOSH Method 8310. Spirometric measurements were also done for participants. RESULTS The maximum exposures to airborne Mn and total fumes were 0.304 ± 0.256 mg/m(3) and 21.52 ± 9.40 mg/m(3), respectively. The urine Mn levels in the various groups ranged between 0.77 to 7.58 μg/l. The correlation between airborne Mn and urinary Mn was significant for total whole participants. Some values of spirometric indices were statistically lower in welders rather than controls. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that many welders have been exposed to higher concentrations of Mn-containing welding fumes. Urinary Mn can be used as a biomarker for Mn exposure. There were weak inverse correlations between Mn-containing welding fumes and pulmonary function indices, and the inverse correlation between urinary Mn with forced vital capacities (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) was significant.