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Background and Objective: Diesel storage tanks play a crucial role in hospitals and are constantly at risk of chemical release, explosion, and fire. The present study aimed to assess the consequences of a diesel tank leak in one of Iran’s specialized hospitals. Materials and Methods: This study utilized an applied research approach with scenario modeling using PHAST software (version 8.4). A discharge rate of 1000 L/min was employed for the fixed-duration release scenario. The necessary information for the software, including tank and meteorological data, was collected. The mortality rate and danger radius were calculated and analyzed for two tank volumes of 23600 and 12000 m3 in conditions of Sabzevar region in winter and 1.5 F of the software. Results: According to the tank type and substance released into the environment, the software displayed a pool fire. The most hazardous scenario was determined to be leakage from the 23600 m3 tank in weather conditions of Sabzevar (26°C, wind speed 15 m/s in winter). The maximum and minimum radiation heat from the fire were calculated at 44.7 and 94.2 meters, respectively. The mortality rates for exposure levels of 37.5 kw/m2, 12.5 kw/m2, and 4 kw/m2 were found to be 98.7%, 6.5%, and approximately zero, respectively. Conclusion: Fire safety in hospitals is a critical issue that requires a thorough examination of the factors that can lead to ignition and explosion. To mitigate these risks, it is recommended to strategically place diesel tanks, develop safety models for roadways, construct dams and dikes near tanks, regularly inspect equipment for corrosion and deterioration, and install sensors to detect leaks. These measures are essential for ensuring the safety of patients, staff, and hospital facilities.

Background: Appropriate priority setting in public health and biomedical research is crucial to make decisions for resource allocation and prioritizing the projects. We studied the research gaps and identified priorities for biomedical research in Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences (SabUMS), located in Sabzevar city in the northeastern part of Iran. Materials & Methods: we used both qualitative and quantitative approaches to determine the public health problems and health research priorities.The processes for priority setting included preparation, problem finding, idea generation, data cleaning and statement development, ranking, and dissemination. We used qualitative research and quantitative surveys for problem findings. We organized two workshops with researchers and public health authorities of Sabzevar city for idea generation, defining criteria for priority setting, and ranking of the research ideas. We used national and international recommendations to prepare a list of research priorities in the region for COVID-19. Results: The criteria for priority setting were concerns of the community, magnitude, and urgency of the problem. In addition, feasibility, the possibility of regional and international research collaboration, and the availability of the infrastructure and capacity to conduct research were used for ranking. The final list of priority areas for research in SabUMS included non-communicable diseases, mental health, drug abuse, accidents, and nutrition respectively. COVID-19 was considered a separate area for research. Conclusion: Experience from this study and follow-up reports would provide best practices in research development in low-resource areas and pave the way for evidence-based public health practice.

This article discusses the importance of identifying and preventing human error in industrial environments, specifically in the sugar production process. The article emphasizes the importance of choosing the right technique for risk assessment studies resulting from human errors. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a multi-stage approach – Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA), Human Error Calculator (HEC), and Predictive Human Error Analysis (PHEA) – to identify potential human errors in the sugar production process. The HTA, HEC, and PHEA techniques were employed to evaluate each stage of the process for potential human errors. The results of the HTA technique identified 35 tasks and 83 sub-tasks in 14 units of the sugar production process. According to HEC technique 4 tasks with 80 % probability of human error and 2 tasks with 50 % probability of human error had the highest calculated error probabilities. The factors of individual skill, task repetition and importance were the most important factors of human error in the present study. The analysis of PHEA worksheets showed that the number of human errors identified in the tasks with highest probability were 8 errors, of which 50 % were action errors, 25 % checking errors, 13 % selection errors, and 12 % retrieval errors. To mitigate the consequences of human error, it was recommended training courses, raising operator awareness of error consequences, and installing instructions in the sugar production process. Based on the findings, the article concludes that the HEC and PHEA techniques are applicable and effective in identifying and analyzing human errors in process and food industries.

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.

Abstract 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.

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.

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

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 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.

Abstract Background and aims: Modern technology has imposed more cognitive demands than physical demands to operators in most workplaces. The increase of cognitive demands in real working conditions can have negative effect on the mental health and performance of operators. This study was coducted with the aim of subjective and objective evaluation of operators’ mental workload in a city traffic control room. Methods: In this study 16 opeartors of a traffic control center participated voluntarily. In setteled day at resting condition the physiological indices were measured for 5 minutes before the work started and after it was finished for each operator. Regarding to the city traffic density (low and high mental work conditions) the physiological indices were measured for 5 minuts in each condition. Also at the end of each condition the NASA-TLX questionaire was completed by each operator. The data were analysed using t-test and repaeated measure analysis of variance by SPSS.21 software. Results: The Results of our paired t-test showed a significant differences between the subjective responses of operators in all dimensions of NASA-TLX except for physical demand in low mental workload condition compared to high mental workload.The Findings of the repeated measures of ANOVA showed that there is a significant differences between the mean of heart rate, SDNN, RMSSD and LF/HF ratio features by increasing difficulty of mental work compared to before and after rests among operators. Conclusion: Our finding indicated that with increasing traffic density a lot of mental load imposed to operators maybe causing mental health problem and decreasing performance among operators in future. Therfore, in the traffic control room, organizing and managing human resources based on the workload in different working conditions is recommended. Keywords: Work load, Heart rates, NASA-Task load index, Traffic control center.

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.

Noise-induced hearing loss, which is one of the 10 leading occupational diseases, is a debilitating and irreversible disease. During the recent 15-years period (1997-2012), several studies have investigated the association between noise, hearing damage and other side effects of noise in Iran. The aim of this study was to review systematically the relevant literature related to noise-induced hearing loss, lead to developing noise exposure limits. In this systematic review, two researchers independently extracted the data from 31 past studies that had considered noise-induced hearing loss (including hearing loss, temporary and permanent hearing threshold shift and auditory trauma). The data were then recorded in a modified form and Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS, version 16.0. In analyzed studies the weighted average equivalent sound pressure level [L Aeq ] was 90.29 dB(A) and average hearing loss was 26.44 dB(A). The Highest degree of hearing loss in the right ear was associated at 4000 Hz, and the highest degree of hearing loss in the left ear was associated to 1000 and 4000 Hz. The majority of the reviewed studies have confirmed that exposure to a noise level above 85 dB (A) can lead to an increased chance of hearing loss. Furthermore, the results of the present review indicated that as L Aeq increased up to 85 dB(A), so did the severity of the hearing loss.

Background: Nowadays, management and recycling of industrial by-products are one of the most important issues in developing and developed countries. Beef tallow is one of these residues produced in slaughter houses and primarily is utilized in soap production industry. However, when this industry is overloaded, the extra fats are usually incinerated or disposed in a sanitary landfill. However, beef tallow may be consumed in biodiesel production. Therefore, in this work, the process of biodiesel production in a pilot plant has been studied using beef tallow as raw material with methanol and potassium hydroxide as catalyst. The quality of the produced biodiesel is evaluated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) method. Results: FTIR analysis showed that the final product contains ester compositions which can be used as biodiesel fuel in diesel engines. The viscosity of natural beef tallow was very high, and actually, it was solid; however, after transesterification the viscosity of the final product decreased, and it became liquid. The viscosity of the final product measured at 40°C was 5.3 mm2 s â1 , and the comparison of this biodiesel with the data of ASTMD-445 standard resulted in the similarity of this product with petroleum diesel (3 to 12 mm2 s â1 ). Conclusions: Alkaline transesterification of beef tallow with methanol decreases the viscosity of the final synthesized product and produces a high quality biodiesel for diesel engines. Beef tallow is one of the low cost residual materials available in slaughter houses. Therefore, the slaughter houses can be considered as one of the available sources to produce biodiesel. In this research, the process of biodiesel production from beef tallow was validated, but the economical viability must be improved by recovering methanol and glycerol.