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The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the perception of EFL teachers and learners on the fundamental principles and constructs of critical thinking, the main characteristics of a critical thinker, and strategies for reinforcing critical thinking ability. Semi-structured interviews with eight EFL teachers and ten learners, who were theoretically sampled from three different contexts of public, private, and seminary schools in Sabzevar and Qom, Iran, were conducted using the constructivist grounded theory methodology (Charmaz, 2008). Using the MAXQDA software version 12, the data were analyzed based on the three levels of the open, axial, and selective coding of grounded theory. A model of critical thinking was proposed with ELT teachers' and learners' awareness as the core category and the characteristics of a critical thinker and strategies for reinforcing critical thinking ability as sub-categories. The results of the study revealed several pedagogical implications for EFL teachers to help their learners develop critical thinking skills, for EFL learners to think more deeply, solve problems better, communicate and collaborate more effectively, and for curriculum developers and syllabus designers to put certain critical thinking activities in textbooks and support in-service classes for teachers.

Background: In the current era of monitoring healthcare costs for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), there has been a shift in the pattern of such costs. In this cross-sectional study conducted in three hospitals in Iran from 2015 to 2021, we aimed to assess the in-hospital costs of IBD and identify predictors of higher total hospital costs in hospitalized patients with IBD. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at three hospitals in Iran. For the purpose of this study, we collected demographic and clinical information, as well as cost data for patients with IBD. Two non-parametric statistical procedures, classification and regression trees (CARTs) and quantile regression forests (QRFs), were employed to identify the main factors related to hospital costs of IBD, which served as the dependent variable in our analysis. Results: During 7 years, 930 admissions occurred in these three hospitals. 22.3% of patients (138 of 619) were readmitted, and 306 (49.4%) were male. The mean age of the patients was 33 (SD = 18.9) years. A total of 454 patients (73.3%) had ulcerative colitis (UC), and 165 patients (26.7%) had Crohn's disease (CD). Hotelling and medication costs accounted for the largest share of the total hospital costs, with percentages of 30.61% and 23.40%, respectively. Length of stay (LOS) was found to be the most important variable related to hospital costs of IBD in both QRF and CART models, followed by age and year of hospital admission in QRF. Additionally, in the CART model, hospital type and year of hospital admission were also significant predictors of hospital costs for patients with IBD. Conclusion: The present study showed that LOS, age, year of admission, and the hospital where the patient is admitted are all important factors that determine hospital costs for patients with IBD. Patients admitted for 20.5 days or longer had the highest hospital costs. These findings can be used as thresholds for future DRG policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Chemical accidents have imposed casualties and high economic and social consequences to Iranian industries and society. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effect of risk factors involved in occurrences of the chemical accidents and predicted the time of occurrences in Iranian chemical factories. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was implemented in 574 chemical facilities with more than 25 employees from 2018 to 2020. Collecting data instruments were 2 checklists with 15 and 25 three-point Likert scale questions, respectively. Chi square and Monte Carlo tests assessed the relationships between independent risk factors and dependent hazardous chemical accidents. Cox semi-parametric and log-normal parametric models were used to predict the upcoming time of chemical accidents based on the impacts of risk factors understudy. Data analyses were performed using Stata and R software. RESULTS: The results showed that safety data sheets, labeling, fire extinguishing system, safe chemicals storage, separation, loading, transportation and training were statistically significant with occurrences of the chemical accidents (P-value < 0.05). Loading and transportation were mostly related to chemical incidents and reduced significantly the expected time of chemical events (P-value = 0.028). CONCLUSION: Establishing a comprehensive chemical accidents dataset and strict governmental supervision on chemical safety regulations are suggested to decrease the chemical accidents at regional and local levels in chemical plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 1979 Constitution of the Islamic Republic, which came about after the revolution, abolished many of women's citizenship rights and reduced them to second-class citizens. How did this happen? What is the role of the Iranian Constitution in restricting women's rights? How are women and gender defined and redefined by the Constitution? What is the role of the concept of velayat (guardianship) in reducing women to feeble creatures, who are unable to manage their own affairs? Analysing key articles of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic, this paper explores women's citizenship rights in the shadow of the concept of the velayat. It is an attempt to investigate the legal structure of the Constitution of Iran and its implications for women. The paper argues that velayat, and for that matter the velayat-e faqih, is a gendered concept, in two senses. First, it considers women as feeble creatures who are to be ruled by a male guardian; second, it feminises the nation and degrades its status as an agentless creature that is to be ruled and dominated by a male guardian/ruler (vali-e faqih). Whereas people in general are regarded as feeble in this framework, it degrades women's status even further. This article also demonstrates the limits of constitutionalism and argues that understanding women's constitutional rights and the situation of women in the Islamic Republic is inseparable from the epistemological and political pre-texts, which define and redefine women as intellectually deficient feeble subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This systematic review aims to summarize the mycological and clinical features of COVID-19-associated fungal infections (CAFIs) in Iran. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, SID, Magiran, IranDoc, and Google Scholar were searched for Persian and English articles published from January 1, 2020, to November 5, 2021, using a systematic search strategy. Studies on Iranian patients suffering from CAFIs were included in the review. Results: Twenty-two studies comprising 169 patients were retrieved. Reported CAFIs included candidiasis (85, 50.30%), mucormycosis (35, 20.71%), aspergillosis (29, 17.16%), fusariosis (6, 3.55%), three cases caused by rare pathogens (Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Diaporthe foeniculina, and Sarocladium kiliense) and 11 (6.51%) uncharacterized mold infections. The most common underlying diseases were diabetes (67/168, 39.88%), cardiovascular diseases (55/168, 32.74%), and hypertension (43/168, 25.59%). The use of antibiotics (111/124, 89.52%), corticosteroids (93/132, 70.44%), and mechanical ventilation (66, 51.16%) were the most common predisposing factors. Totally, 72 (50.35%) of 143 patients with CAFIs died (data were not available for 26 patients). Conclusion: Fungal infections are evident to be a complication of COVID-19 in Iran; thus, clinicians should consider them as a differential diagnosis, especially in patients with comorbidities and previous antibiotic or corticosteroid use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the effects of PMS50 supplementation on psychological symptoms in university students in Iran. Methods: This double‐blind clinical trial was conducted at Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, between December 2018 and March 2019. Fifty female students with moderate to severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS) randomly received either 550 mg/day of PMS50 (n = 25) or placebo (n = 25), starting from 1 week before till the end of menstruation for three consecutive menstrual cycles. Anthropometric indices, dietary intake, physical activity level, and severity of PMS were assessed at baseline and post‐intervention. Data were analyzed by SPSS (version 22). Independent t test was used to compare the results between groups. Paired t test was used to compare the results within groups before and after study. Results: There was a significant improvement in psychological symptoms including depression, anger, feeling of hopelessness, desire to be alone, mood swings, irritability, anxiety, and poor concentration observed in the intervention group compared with the control group post‐intervention. Restlessness was significantly reduced in both groups post‐intervention. The mean scores of low self‐esteem, change in appetite, and food cravings were decreased in both groups, but not significant between groups. Conclusion: PMS50 supplementation may be effective in improvement of psychological symptoms in PMS. Clinical Trial Registration No.: IRCT20181218042038 N1. Supplementation of PMS50 for three consecutive menstrual cycles significantly reduced psychological symptoms of PMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In 2017, the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) provided a new guideline for hypertension prevention and management. We aimed to update the prevalence, awareness, control, and determinants of hypertension based on this guideline in Khuzestan province, southwest of Iran, and to estimate the number of people who are eligible for non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic intervention. Methods: This population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Khuzestan, a large province in the southwest of Iran. Comprehensive information about the potential relating factors of hypertension was collected, blood pressure was measured, and anthropometric measurements were obtained. Moreover, the dietary pattern was evaluated in 2830 individuals, using a qualitative food frequency questionnaire. Results: Among 30,506 participants, 30,424 individuals aged 20–65 years were eligible for the study. In comparison with the previous guideline released by the Joint National Committee (JNC8), the prevalence of hypertension in Khuzestan dramatically increased from 15.81 to 42.85% after implementation of the ACC/AHA guideline, which was more dominant in the male population and the 45–54 age group. The sex and age adjustment of the hypertension prevalence was estimated to be 39.40%. The percentage of hypertension awareness, treatment, and control were 45.85%, 35.42%, and 59.63%, which dropped to 22.72%, 26.37%, and 28.94% after implementation of new guideline, respectively. Conclusions: In the ACC/AHA guideline, a higher number of individuals with the pre-hypertension condition were shifted into the hypertension category and the level of awareness, treatment, and control were dramatically decreased, which highlight a great need to expand the public health infrastructure for further managing the substantial increased burden on healthcare system. However, further studies with population over 65 years are required to estimate the eligibility for antihypertensive treatment in this province after implementation of new guideline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Patient registries play an important role in obtaining real-world evidence of the cost-effectiveness of treatments. However, their implementation is costly and sometimes infeasible in many middle-income countries (MICs). We explored the combination of data-mining and a large claims database to estimate the direct healthcare costs of HER2-positive breast cancer (BC) treatment in Iran and the fraction of total costs from trastuzumab use. Method: We performed a retrospective analysis of claims data from the Iran Social Security Organization, a health insurer which covers approximately 50%(~40 million) of the Iranian population, in the period of 21/03/2011-20/03/2014. A data-mining algorithm using R software and validated using patient dossiers in the Cancer Research Center identified 1295 patients and divided them into the three main HER2-positive breast cancer stages (early, loco-regional and advanced). A payer perspective was used to calculate the absolute and relative direct costs of healthcare services associated with the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer in the public and private healthcare systems. Results: The number of women totaled 802 (early), 125 (loco-regional) and 218 (advanced). The mean age[SD] was 45[], 46[] and 48[] years, respectively, while mean follow-up in all stages was approximately one year. Average costs of direct healthcare care in early, loco-regional and advanced stages were €11,796 (95%CI: €9,356-€12,498), €8,253 (95%CI: €6,843-€10,002), and €17,742 (95%CI: €15,720-€19,505), respectively. Trastuzumab accounted for the largest share of total costs in all three stages (range: 53–76%). Conclusion: Wherever comprehensive patient registries are infeasible or costly, real-world costs can be estimated through claims databases and data-mining strategies. Using this method, real-world costs have been estimated in Iran. The stage-specific cost estimates derived from this study can be used to perform real-world cost-effectiveness analyses of therapies for HER2-positive BC and support healthcare financing decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Obesity could be associated with abnormalities in reproductive functioning and fertility in women. This was a retrospective study performed to evaluate the weight loss after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) and its effect on infertility of childbearing women in Shiraz, Iran. Materials and Methods: A study was performed with 221 female patients who underwent LSG from September 2009 until April 2014, in Shiraz. Data were analyzed from patients; mean age was 36.66 ± 0.7; mean education was 13.21 years; and mean body mass index (BMI) was 43.99 ± 0.5 kg/m2. Of these patients, 66.1% were of childbearing age ( n = 146). Participants were chosen as 'infertile patients' based on histories from self-report questionnaires. The effectiveness of sleeve gastrectomy was evaluated for improving fertility, while assessing the influence of comorbidities, weight loss, and BMI before and after surgery. Results: There were 15 infertile women who underwent LSG because of obesity. Weight loss and resolution of infertility were evaluated and showed that, of these 15 women who had tried unsuccessfully to become pregnant before weight loss, 7 became pregnant afterward. The pregnancies proceeded without complications and ended with live births. Conclusions: LSG is a surgical procedure for addressing morbid obesity and produces weight-loss effects and resolution of comorbidities. LSG could be effective in young infertile obese women who wish to become pregnant. Weight loss appears to increase the pregnancy rate and improve irregular menstruation cycles. Time and amount of weight reduction are essential components of infertility management. (J GYNECOL SURG 33:43) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Burden of cancer is increasing in developing countries, where healthcare infrastructures and resources are limited. Evaluating the pattern of care would provide evidence for planning and improvement of the situation. Materials and Methods: We studied the pattern of residential place and clinical information of cancer patients who were admitted to the Cancer Institute of Iran from January 1, to May 31, 2012. Results: We studied 1,705 consecutive cancer patients admitted to the Cancer Institute in the study period. The most common cancers were breast (29.2%), colorectal (9.0%), stomach (8.3%), head & neck (8.0%) and esophageal (3.8%) cancers. Radiotherapy was the main treatment (52.1 %) followed by chemotherapy (43.8%) and surgery (29.1 %). We found that 60% of the patients presented in the loco-regional or advanced stages. About 35% of patients travelled from other provinces mainly from Mazandaran (13.4%), Lorestan (10.6%), Zanjan (7.8%) and Ghazvin (6.6%). On average, the cancer patients travelled about 455 kilometers to receive care in the cancer institute. We found more than 38% patients who were referred from other provinces had an early stage tumor. Conclusion: Establishment of comprehensive cancer centers in different geographical regions and implementation of a proper referral system for advanced cancer patients is needed to improve the patient outcomes and mitigate the burden of travel of patients for cancer care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On Friday, 14 April 2017, a heavy flash flood occurred in North-West of Iran that affected 12 cities; the most severely affected and damaged ones were Ajabshir and Azarshahr in East Azerbaijan Province. These Flash floods claimed the lives of 42 people. Major casualties occurred when the victims were trapped inside their cars. According to preliminary analyses, flood damages in East Azerbaijan Province are estimated to be around three trillion Rials. Following the Flash floods, disaster relief organizations were activated. Iranian President, Minister of Energy, and the provincial authorities rushed to visit flood-stricken areas and oversee the rescue and relief operations [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a set of physical, emotional and behavioral symptoms during the luteal phase that resolve with the onset of menstruation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of PMS50 supplementation on emotional symptoms in students of AJUMS, Iran. Methods: This double-blind clinical trial was conducted on 50 students with PMS residing at dormitories of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, between December 2018 and March 2019. Participants were randomly divided to intervention and control groups (n=25) received either PMS50 supplement or placebo (550 mg/day), from one week before till the end of menstruation for three menstrual cycles. Anthropometric indices, physical activity, dietary intake and severity of PMS were evaluated before and post-intervention. Independent t test was used to compare variables between groups and paired t test was used to compare variables within groups before and post-study (SPSS version 22). P<0.05 was considered significant. Results: After three months, a significant reduction was observed in emotional symptoms specifically mood swings, depression, nervousness, irritability, desire to be alone, anxiety, feeling of hopelessness and poor concentration in the intervention group compared with the control group (P<0.05). Restlessness was significantly improved in both groups (P<0.05). There was no significant difference observed between the two groups regarding the scores of food cravings, change in appetite and self-esteem (P=0.05). Conclusion: PMS50 supplementation may be effective in improvement of emotional symptoms in PMS with no side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of Euroscore (European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation) in predicting perioperative mortality after cardiac surgery in Iranian patient population. METHODS: Data on 1362 patients undergoing coronary bypass graft surgery (CABG) from 2007 to 2009 were collected. Calibration was assessed by Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit. Area under the curve (AUC) was used to assess score validity. Odds ratios were measured to evaluate the predictive value of each risk factor on mortality rate. RESULTS: The overall perioperative in hospital mortality was 3.6% whereas the Euroscore predicted a mortality of 3.96%. Euroscore model fitted well in the validation databases. The mean AUC was 66%. Mean length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay was 2.5 ± 2.5 days. Among risk factors, only left ventricular dysfunction, age and neurologic dysfunction were found to be related to mortality rate. CONCLUSIONS: Euroscore did not have acceptable discriminatory ability in perioperative in hospital mortality in Iranian patients. It seems that development of a local mortality risk scores corresponding to our patients epidemiologic characteristics may improve prediction of outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homa Hoodfar and Fatemeh Sadeghi look at how the women's movement built their base and strength in the 2000s in the face of a highly charged and politicized post-revolutionary Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Impact of 2017 ACC/AHA Guideline on Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment, Control and Determinants of Hypertension: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study in Southwest of Iran" by Fatemeh Sadeghi, Bahman Cheraghian, Zahra Mohammadi et al. which appeared in a 2021 issue is presented.

Introduction: In 2017, the American College of Cardiology/ American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) provided a new guideline for hypertension prevention and management. We aimed to update the prevalence, awareness, control, and determinants of hypertension based on this guideline in Khuzestan province, southwest of Iran, and to estimate the number of people who are eligible for non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic intervention. Methods: This population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Khuzestan, a large province in the southwest of Iran. Comprehensive information about the potential relating factors of hypertension was collected, blood pressure was measured, and anthropometric measurements were obtained. Moreover, the dietary pattern was evaluated in 2830 individuals, using a qualitative food frequency questionnaire. Results: Among 30, 506 participants, 30, 424 individuals aged 20-65 years were eligible for the study. In comparison with the previous guideline released by the Joint National Committee (JNC8), the prevalence of hypertension in Khuzestan dramatically increased from 15.81 to 42.85% after implementation of the ACC/AHA guideline, which was more dominant in the male population and the 45-54 age group. The sex and age adjustment of the hypertension prevalence was estimated to be 39.40%. The percentage of hypertension awareness, treatment, and control were 45.85%, 35.42%, and 59.63%, which dropped to 22.72%, 26.37%, and 28.94% after implementation of new guideline, respectively. Conclusion: In the ACC/AHA guideline, a higher number of individuals with the pre-hypertension condition were shifted into the hypertension category and the level of awareness, treatment, and control were dramatically decreased, which highlight a great need to expand the public health infrastructure for further managing the substantial increased burden on healthcare system. However, further studies with population over 65 years are required to estimate the eligibility for antihypertensive treatment in this province after implementation of new guideline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essay is presented which looks at ways to interpret the changes that have occurred among the younger generation, especially young women, in Iran. It examines the changes that occurred in the political, social, and cultural aspects of life in the society since 1979. It also discusses the social implications of women's participation in government politics and policies.

Background: In recent years, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has become more acceptable for obese patients. Single-port sleeve gastrectomy (SPSG) is more popular since each abdominal incision carries the risk of bleeding, hernia, and internal organ injury as well as exponentially affecting cosmesis. This cross-sectional study aimed at comparing multi-port sleeve gastrectomy (MPSG) and SPSG in terms of their early results and complications. Methods: Out of 129 obese patients candidated for LSG, 102 patients were assigned to 2 groups of SPSG and MPSG. Complications and demographic data such as body mass index (BMI), age, gender, operation time, and hospital stay were measured. All surgeries were carried out between 2013 and 2015 in Shiraz, Iran. Data analysis was performed using SPSS, version 16 for Windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). The continuous and categorical variables were compared using the Student ^-test and the Chi-square test or the Fisher exact test, respectively. Results: The patients' data from both groups were similar in terms of age, intraoperative and postoperative bleeding volume, and length of hospital stay. Mean BMI was 42.8±0.7 in the SPSG group and 45.3±1.2 in the MPSG group. Duration of surgery was significantly lower in the SPSG group (P<0.001). Only 1 patient from the SPSG group and 5 patients from the MPSG group had bleeding as an early complication. Conclusion: The differences in each complication between the groups were not statistically significant. SPSG seems to be safe and is the same as MPSG in terms of major postoperative complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is a cytokine similar to IL-7, which is released by airway epithelial cells in response to injury and inflammation. Current literature is contradictory about the association between different single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the TSLP gene and asthma development in different countries. We aimed to evaluate the association between two common TSLP SNPs (rs2289276 and rs2289278) and the risk of asthma in the Iranian population. Genotyping of the TSLP gene was performed in 126 adult asthmatic patients and 300 controls; using the TaqMan genotyping assay. Moreover, total serum IgE level and eosinophil count were assessed. The results indicated that the TT genotype of rs2289276 was inversely associated with the risk of asthma (p=0.002). A similar inverse association was detected in subgroups of atopic (p=0.001) and non-atopic (p=0.005) asthma. Moreover, the TT genotype of this SNP was more prevalent in severe and late-onset categories of asthma. In subgroup analysis, a significant sex-specific association between rs2290276 and asthma was observed in women (p=0.004). The prevalence of rs2289276 was extremely low, which made it infeasible to perform any further analysis. Overall, our findings indicated that rs2290276 SNP of the TSLP gene has a protective phenotype against asthma development in the Iranian population.

Background: Airway epithelial cells secrete Interleukin-33 in response to the different allergens. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of this cytokine have been reported to be involved in the development of asthma. We conducted this study to evaluate the impact of the two most common SNPs of the IL-33 gene (rs1342326 and rs3939286) and environmental factors on the susceptibility to asthma in the Iranian population., Subjects and Methods: In this study, we enrolled 126 asthmatics patients and 300 age, sex-matched controls. Genotyping was performed by real-time PCR using the TaqMan SNP genotyping assay. Moreover, total serum IgE level, eosinophil count, and skin prick test were accomplished and complete history was taken from all the participants., Results: The frequencies of mutant genotypes in both SNPs were significantly higher in asthmatics than controls. C/C genotype of rs1342326 [OR (95% CI) 2.50 (1.33-4.69)] and A/A genotype of rs3939286 [OR (95% CI) 2.18 (1.05-4.52)] were associated with higher risk of asthma development. While A/C+C/C genotype of rs1342326 was more prevalent in mild asthma [OR (95% CI) 2.36 (1.14-4.89)], G/A+A/A genotype of rs3939286 was associated with increased risk of moderate and severe asthma [OR (95% CI) 2.53 (1.30-4.94)]., Conclusion: This study revealed that both IL-33 SNPs were associated with an increased risk of asthma. The rs1342326 was associated with atopic, mild and adult-onset asthma and a higher level of eosinophils in peripheral blood. However, rs3939286 was more frequent in moderate and severe asthma. Moreover, rs3939286 was associated with non-atopic and childhood-onset asthma.

Endophytic fungi are characterized as microorganisms found within internal tissues of living plants without any immediate, overtly negative effects. The present study was carried out to isolate, taxonomically characterize and determine the spatiotemporal distribution of endophytic fungi associated with leaf, stem, trunk, and root of mandarin (Citrus reticulata cv. Siyahoo). To do so, the sampling program was done seasonally in four geographically isolated mandarin growing areas of Hormozgan province of Iran, including Siyahoo, Ahmadi, Sikhoran, and Roudan. In total, 702 fungal isolates were obtained from leaf, stem, trunk, and root of healthy mandarin trees divided into 26 distinct morphotypes based on morphological characteristics. The morphotypes were taxonomically characterized through phylogenetic analysis of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS4 rDNA region sequences. Accordingly, 10 different fungal orders from 5 fungal classes were identified, i.e., Saccharomycetes (Saccharomycetales), Eurotiomycetes (Eurotiales), Dothideomycetes (Capnodiales, Pleosporales, Dothideales), and Sordariomycetes (Diaporthales, Hypocreales, Microascales, Togniniales), all from Ascomycota, which represented 97.2% and Ustilaginomycetes (Ustilaginales) from Basidiomycota which represented 2.8% of the isolates. The Aureobasidium pullulans, Penicillium citrinum, and Dothideomycetes sp. were the most frequent isolates. The trunk and leaf showed the highest and lowest total colonization frequency and species richness of endophytic fungi, respectively, in all sampling periods. The results showed that the colonization frequency of endophytes in Hormozgan province was higher in autumn than that in spring, winter, and summer. The trunk showed the maximum diversity of endophytes over all seasons. The Shannon-Wiener (H') and Simpson indices had significant correlation with sampling cites and tissue type and the maximum value of Shannon and Simpson indices (H' = 3.05 and 1 - D = 0.94) was found in the specimens collected from Siyahoo. In conclusion, the three factors (season, location, and tissue type) all in together could determine fungal endophyte composition of C. reticulata.

This study constructed an anthropometric data bank for the Iranian working population. In total, thirty-seven body dimensions were measured among 3720 Iranian workers with different ethnicities (3000 male and 720 female; aged 20-60 years). Statistical analysis revealed significant differences for most of body dimensions among the ethnical groups. Moreover, the authors compared Iranian anthropometric characteristics with those of four Asian populations: Taiwanese, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Overall, 16 body dimensions for the five Asian populations were selected and compared. Accordingly, different morphological characteristics of these five populations were observed. The Iranian population showed wide shoulders and hips and long legs; the Chinese population showed narrow hips and shoulders and a short height relative to the other populations. The Korean sample recorded moderate body size comparing the other populations. The Taiwanese had large hands, relatively wide shoulders and short upper limbs. These differences in population dimensions should be taken into consideration for product and process design when expanding regional markets., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.)