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Abstract Introduction and objective Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs) represent the predominant cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Thus, impactful interventions and trustworthy authorities are imperative to mitigate traffic accidents. The present study seeks to assess public trust in traffic accident diminution policies and measures within the country of Iran. Method This cross-sectional study utilized a questionnaire comprising 31 questions distributed across eight dimensions. The questionnaire’s design was informed by a literature review and semi-structured interviews with experts specializing in traffic accidents. The target population consisted of Tabriz city residents, who were selected via convenience sampling. The collected data were then analyzed using SPSS-16 software, employing the T-test, One-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficient to present the study’s results. structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted using R 4-4-2 programming language. Results A total of 681 participants completed the questionnaire, yielding a commendable response rate of 88.6%. The majority of participants were male (60.8%), and 86.2% identified as drivers, with 61.8% having experienced driving accidents. The overall score for public trust in RTIs policies was calculated to be 46.9%. The individual scores for specific domains of trust in traffic safety were as follows: safer roads (43.1%), safe vehicle (43.3%), safety laws (48.8%), safe user (51.1%), safe technology (51.5%), road safety management (46.8%). All the latent variables except education are significantly effective on public trust. Conclusion The study findings indicate relatively low levels of public trust in RTIs policies among the Iranian population. These results emphasize the need for targeted interventions to enhance public confidence in specific aspects of traffic safety. Policymakers can use these insights to implement effective measures, thus contributing to the RTIs and the promotion of road safety in the country.

Introduction: High concentrations of nitrate, nitrite, and fluoride in drinking water can cause adverse health effects. This study aims to investigate concentration and health risks assessment of nitrate, nitrite, and fluoride ions in water reservoirs of Mehriz city and Bahadoran district. Materials and Methods: Monthly sampling was done from water reservoirs of Mehriz city and Bahadoran district for 6 months. Nitrate, nitrite, and fluoride concentrations were measured in the samples using a spectrophotometer. Then, health risk assessment and sensitivity analysis were performed on the obtained data using Crystal Ball software and Monte Carlo simulation method. Results: Nitrate, nitrite, and fluoride concentrations were lower than the standard limitation in all of the studied areas. Risk assessment findings indicated that hazard quotient (HQ) values of nitrite in Miankoh-Movahedin, Bidok and Bahadoran water reservoirs were less than 1 for all age groups. HQ values of nitrate were also below 1 for all age groups except children. HQ values of fluoride in Bahadoran water reservoir were below 1 for all age groups except children. Conclusion: Health risk of consuming water containing nitrates and fluorides is high for children. Based on sensitivity analysis, the concentration of nitrate and fluoride in drinking water is the key factor in raising health risks. Reducing nitrate and fluoride concentrations in drinking water can reduce health risks in the population.

Background: Brucellosis is a common disease between humans and animals that still exists in most parts of Iran. This study investigated the epidemiology of brucellosis in Mazandaran province, Iran, during a nine-year period from the beginning of 2009 until the end of 2017. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted based on the guidelines of Iran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education on the data of 3732 brucellosis patients. The data were retrieved from the private and public laboratories gathered in a Ministry’s database. We used the generalized estimating equation (GEE) for the Poisson regression model (Poisson GEE) to examine the disease incidence based on the studied variables. Results: The age-standardized incidence rate has been 13.2 per 100,000 people (15.6 in men and 21.3 in rural areas). The highest rate (17.2) was in 2012 and the lowest (10.6) was in 2014. The cities of Galugah (35.0) and Qaemshahr and Fereydunkenar (3.0) had the highest and lowest incidence rates. The patients’ professions had been 30% housewives, 14.9% ranchers, and 14.4% livestock-related professions. The highest standard incidence was in people older than 55 years old. The results of the Poisson GEE regression model showed that the disease incidence has been higher in men compared to women and in rural compared to urban areas (risk ratio = 1.5, 3.4, P = 0.001). Conclusion: Mazandaran faces the risk of increased brucellosis incidence rate. Taking preventive measures, including educating people, are recommended for the near future.

Introduction: This study aimed to determine nitrate levels in water wells supplying drinking water in Taft city, Iran, and assess the associated health risks using the method proposed by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Materials and Methods: In 2021, the average annual nitrate levels were determined in 48 drinking water wells which were located in Zone 39 (Taft city). Health risk assessment and sensitivity analysis were conducted to identify the most influential variables. Results: The mean nitrate content in the water wells under study was 32.88 ± 18 mg/L. Out of the 48 examined water wells, 10 had nitrate levels higher than the standard value (50 mg/L) established by the Iranian Institute of Standardization (Standard No. 1053) and WHO. The calculated Hazard Quotient (HQ) for children and adolescents was greater than 1, while it was less than 1 for adults. Nitrate concentration in drinking water was found to be the most important influencing variable in the calculated HQ for children and adolescents. Conclusion: The results indicated that children and adolescents’ health in the studied area is at risk, and appropriate measures must be implemented to avoid and control the exposure of these vulnerable groups; they can be continuous monitoring of nitrate levels using on-site treatment methods where nitrate concentrations exceed the standard level, and decommissioning wells with high nitrate levels.

Introduction: Phytoremediation is a sustainable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly process that utilizes plants and microorganisms for purification of the polluted land. In this study, the fast-growing species Salix acmophylla from the Salicaceae family was selected for phytoremediation purposes. Materials and Methods: With the aim of exploring the potential of Salix acmophylla in wastewater purification, a research initiative was launched in 2020, Following initial land preparation on a 5-hectare site next to a wastewater treatment plant, 60,000 Salix acmophylla cuttings were planted. By 2022, the trees had matured to a height of 3-4 meters. Wastewater samples were then collected and analyzed for pollutant levels both before entering the planted area and after passing through drainage channels built among the trees. This allowed researchers to calculate the average efficiency of Salix acmophylla in reducing wastewater pollutants. Results: The results regarding the impact of Salix acmophylla trees on the reduction of wastewater Characteristics in the cultivation area were the following: COD, BOD5, TSS, TDS, EC, and turbidity exhibited reductions of 38%, 42%, 17.5%, 79%, 52.2%, and 45.6%, respectively. Additionally, the estimated income from the cultivation of these trees was approximately $49,000. Conclusion: Planting Salix acmophylla trees significantly contributes to the reduction of wastewater pollutant parameters, suggesting the recommendation of this species for similar climates.

Background: Modifying and enhancing treatment methods is essential to meet effluent standards for treating landfill leachate. This study investigated the treatment of municipal solid waste leachate (MSWL) using coagulation, flocculation, advanced oxidation, and extended aeration processes. Methods: The effects of different coagulant doses and pH values on coagulation processes were compared. The treatment procedure was analyzed to determine the impact of varying concentrations of potassium persulfate (K2S2O8) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on the results after coagulation with FeCl3. The extended aeration process’s biological stages were studied using a sludge retention time (SRT) of 23 days and the effects of hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 18 and 36 hours. Results: The experimental results show that in the pH range of 5–8, the lower the pH value, the higher the treatment efficiency. The addition of 0.8 g L1− FeCl3 can achieve a 57% removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD). The addition of 2.5 g L1− K2S2O8 and 1.5 g L1− H2O2 with UV-C (15 W) for 70 minutes at pH 7 can effectively remove 86% of COD. Activated sludge extended aeration can attain an 88% removal of COD under optimal operating conditions (HRT = 36 hours, SRT = 23 days, and aeration = 36 hours). The studied hybrid process with the efficiency of 99%, 98%, 95%, 87%, and 83% removal of COD, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), turbidity, and total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), respectively, is suitable for leachate treatment. Conclusion: This study showed that flocculation-coagulation followed by the advanced oxidation process (AOP) and extended aeration can be an efficient and promising treatment method for MSWL.

Background and purpose: Since 2013, Iran's health system reform has been implemented at the national level with goals such as increasing people's access to health services, reducing direct payments to patients, and improving the quality of services. As this initiative has been associated with significant changes in the financing of hospitals, this study aims to investigate the changes in income and expenses of public hospitals in Mazandaran province, as two important indicators of key hospital financial performance, before and after the implementation of the reform. Materials and methods: This is a retrospective study that was conducted in 2018. Since this study deals with the impact of the intervention carried out by the public sector by comparing the changes before and after the implementation of the intervention, it is therefore considered a type of quasi-experimental study. The statistical population includes all government hospitals in Mazandaran province. The sampling method was census and covered all 24 public hospitals of Mazandaran province. The time frame of the study covers from 2009 to 2016, that is, 4 years before and 4 years after the implementation of the reform. Secondary data that is routinely recorded in the information system of the country's hospital system has been used in this study. To collect the data, a researcher-made checklist was used based on the objectives of the study and the availability of data in the routine information recording system of hospitals, which mainly included the variables of staff cost, non-staff cost, cash income, insurance income, and working year. After collecting the data from the comprehensive and centralized Electronic Information System (HIS), which contains all the financial and functional information of all hospitals in the province, the data were extracted and analyzed using SPSS software and appropriate statistical methods. Results: In general, after the implementation of the reform, the average costs in the studied hospitals increased from 249,613 to 771,552 million Tomans (2.61 times) and the average incomes increased from 152,738 to 534,804 million Tomans (3.50 times). Therefore, both the average cost and the average income in the 4-year periods before and after the implementation of the initiative have generally increased, but the growth rate of costs and incomes in the period before the implementation of the reform was lower than the period after its implementation, although, in the same period, the gap between expenses and incomes has been widening. In the period after the implementation of reform, due to the rapid increase in income at the beginning of the implementation, the gap between cost and income has decreased relatively, but gradually the rate of income growth has decreased compared to the rate of cost growth, and as a result, the gap between the cost and income of the hospitals studied in the end of the study period has experienced an unprecedented gap. It has also been found that during the years of the study, the staff cost has continued to rise with more or less trends, while the non-staff cost has started to decrease sharply and unprecedentedly since 1995. Conclusion: Although the implementation of the reform has increased the financial turnover of government hospitals, due to the increase in the average cost compared to the increase in their average income, the implementation of this plan has increased the financial pressure on the hospitals and widened the income deficit compared to their cost. Therefore, the gap between cost and income and the rising trend of this gap in government hospitals can be a challenge for funding hospitals and guaranteeing the relative access of people to these services now and in the future.

Thought is a fundamental and intrinsic characteristic of humans, setting them apart from other beings. For this reason, one of the influential factors in education is the cultivation and strengthening of the rational faculty. In Islamic philosphy, rational education has also been given serious attention. The main purpose of this research is to explain the methods of rational education in Ibn Sina's philosophical system. To achieve this goal, a descriptive-analytical method has been used. The research population includes the works of Ibn Sina, from which materials related to philosophical and educational foundations and methods of rational education have been purposefully selected. The findings indicate that the methods of rational education should be in line with the goals and principles and in accordance with them, and should guide the learners to choose the correct rational path and enrich the levels of reason until they reach the ultimate goal of rational education -which is divine proximity. These methods include cultivating creativity (creating a creative space), cultivating reason (through play and argumentative dialogue), question-based dialogue, participation, controlling the excesses of the soul, intellectual intuition, and the method of asceticism, which have been identified and explained. The application of the aforementioned methods can be effective in creating a foundation and smoothing the path for rational education in the educational system.

The objective of this study is to investigate the efficacy of cognitive therapy based on mindfulness in relation to the resilience and quality of life of mothers who have children who have learning disabilities. The research employed an applied, semi-experimental design with a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up, as intended. The study's statistical cohort comprised mothers of children diagnosed with learning disabilities residing in Tehran during the initial half of 2020. As the final sample, forty mothers were chosen using the method of purposive sampling and were divided at random into two groups—one experimental and the other—consisting of twenty mothers each. The Connor and Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and the Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale (BCFQLS) were utilized as research instruments. The control group did not receive mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, whereas the experimental group participated in eight sessions of such treatment. After a post-test at the conclusion of the session and two months later, follow-up was conducted. Utilizing SPSS-24 software and the statistical procedure of analysis of covariance, the data were analyzed. The findings from the covariance analysis indicated that the experimental group exhibited a statistically significant increase in both resilience and quality of life. Additionally, the beneficial effects of cognitive treatment based on mindfulness were maintained. Therefore, mothers of children with learning disabilities may benefit from an effective method of enhancing their children's resilience and quality of life through the implementation of mindfulness-based cognitive treatment.

Background: Leachate, containing challenging-to-degrade organic substances and persistent toxins, poses significant environmental concerns. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have emerged as a promising solution for effective leachate treatment. This research provides a comprehensive review of the impact of various AOPs in leachate treatment. Methods: This systematic review was conducted, encompassing commonly used AOPs such as ozone, peroxone, O3/catalyst, Fenton, photo-Fenton, UV/TiO2, photolytic persulfate, O3/UV, and O3/H2O2/ UV. Extensive searches were performed using reputable databases, including EBSCO, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Specific keywords and inclusion/exclusion criteria were applied. Data regarding leachate treatment parameters were meticulously summarized and analyzed using descriptive statistical methods. Results: The efficiency of AOPs in removing leachate organic matter varied, with chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal ranging from 41% to 83% in treatment systems. The order of effectiveness was found to be: O3/UV/H2O2 > photo-Fenton > UV/TiO2 > Fenton > persulfate (PS) > O3/UV > O3/H2O2 > O3/ catalyst > ozonation (O3). The highest COD removal efficiency of 83.75% was achieved using the O3/UV/ H2O2 AOP approach. The removal efficiency of color also varied, ranging from 32% to 100%, depending on the leachate’s characteristics, concentration, and specific treatment process utilized. Conclusion: AOPs, particularly the hybrid approach using O3/UV/H2O2, significantly enhance waste leachate treatment by effectively degrading persistent organic compounds through the generation of hydroxyl radicals. Further research is required to optimize AOPs and improve their efficiency in waste leachate treatment.

Background and purpose: A part of the expenses of every household in all societies of the world is health expenditures, which can sometimes be disastrous for families. This study was conducted to investigate the change in the share of health expenditure from the total Household costs in Mazandaran province and the possible impact of health system reforms on it in Iran during the recent two decades, especially the Health Transformation Plan. Materials and methods: This is a retrospective descriptive-analytical study, based on quantitative and secondary data. The data required for this study was taken from the Statistics Center including household income and expenditure for a period of 18 years from 2001 to 2018. Descriptive statistics indicators and trend charts were used to describe the quantitative data, and to analyze household health expenditures, the t-test was applied in SPSS software. Results: The results of the study showed that on average, the share of health expenditures in the total household expenses was 12.04% for urban households and 11.36% for rural households that is more than the stated and expected limit of 10%. The trend of changes in the percentage of health expenditures from the total household expenses at the time of the research compared to the base year has been variable and in some years it has decreased and in some years it has increased. Conclusion: The health system reforms have not ultimately led to the reduction of household health expenditure to less than the expected level and its increasing trend in Mazandaran province.This means the risk of catastrophc health expenditure among households still exist. Even with the implementation of subsequent plans, the achievement of the previous plan has been neutralized. Considering the importance of financial issues in universal health coverage and also the limited resources of the health sector, more detailed policies and plans should be designed and implemented to target vulnerable groups so that families' financial hardship is prevented as well as the possibility of universal coverage is increased to the maximum.

Background and purpose: Fibromyalgia is a syndrome characterized by chronic musculoskeletal pain, tenderness, and other physical symptoms. We determined the frequency of Fibromyalgia in hypothyroid patients and the relationship between FM symptoms and hypothyroid status. Materials and methods: The current study is a cross-sectional descriptive study investigating the prevalence and demographic characteristics of fibromyalgia in hypothyroid patients referred to University clinic in Sari in 1401-1402. Ninety-one hypothyroid patients were included in the study. The sampling method was convenience sampling. The sociodemographic features and the clinical features of hypothyroid patients were recorded. Thyroid tests included T4, TSH, and Anti Tpo Ab. Patients were examined for Fibromyalgia using American College Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for FM 2010 and 1990. For the patients who were classified as FM, the FIQR questionnaire was completed. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics indicators such as central and dispersion indicators and calculation of ratios were used, and to check the relationship between qualitative variables, chi-square test and quantitative variable comparison in different groups were used by t-tests and ANOVA in SPSS-25 software was used. Results: The mean age and duration of hypothyroidism were 48.35 ± 13.8 and 9.84± 6.6 years respectively. The frequency of fibromyalgia in hypothyroid patients was 7(8%) patients based on ACR 2010 criteria. In patients with hypothyroidism and fibromyalgia, 6 patients (85.7%) were positive for Anti Tpo Ab, while in patients with hypothyroidism without fibromyalgia, 29 patients (34.5%) had this antibody (P=0.007). Conclusion: It seems that Anti Tpo Ab is more important than thyroid dysfunction, and it is suggested to check this antibody in fibromyalgia patients in addition to thyroid function tests.

Background and purpose: Stress hyperglycemia is a neuroendocrine physiological response to medical stress, hyperglycemic stress increases the risk of mortality and morbidity in ill patients. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of hyperglycemic stress and its related factors, as well as the relationship between hyperglycemia and the severity and clinical outcomes of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Imam Khomeini Hospital in Sari in 2019. The patients were diagnosed based on clinical symptoms, CBC, CRP, ESR tests, RT-PCR test, and CT scan of the lungs and were hospitalized in the Covid ward. Data analysis was performed using SPSS Software. Results: 312 COVID-19 patients were investigated, and 22 (7.1%) suffered from hyperglycemic stress. Hyperglycemic stress patients had more mortality, hospitalization in ICU, respiratory ventilation, and length of hospital stay compared to the normoglycemic subjects, but only in terms of mortality, there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P=0.46) Conclusion: Considering the effect of hyperglycemia on the outcome of the disease and the death rate in ill and hospitalized patients compared to patients with normal blood sugar, it shows the importance of timely diagnosis and proper control of blood sugar in these patients.

Background and purpose: Time series models based on machine learning, including artificial neural network, perform better than classical methods. This study was performed to compare the use of a multi-layered perceptron neural network with weighted regression in determining the geographical pattern of brucellosis in Mazandaran province, Iran (2009-2018) on 3,732 patients. Materials and methods: The study type is ecological and existing data, which is registered. Multilayer perceptron neural network was used to model and predict disease occurrence, and the results were compared with weighted regression. The root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) were used to compare the models. All analyses were performed using SPSS software (version 26) and Microsoft Excel 2016. Results: The age-standardized rate of disease incidence was 13.2 per 100,000. The highest incidence rate (17.2) was in 2012 and the lowest (10.6) in 2014. Galugah city (35.0) and Qaemshahr and Fereydunkenar cities (3.0) had the highest and lowest incidence rates. The independent variables studied included male gender, rural residence, age over 55 years, contact with dairy products, being a homemaker, rancher and associated with livestock jobs, contact with livestock, and livestock vaccination on the standard incidence of brucellosis in both artificial neural network and weighted regression (other than variable over 55 years) models were effective. Conclusion: The predictive power of the model in the multi-layered perceptron neural network was higher than the weighted regression.

Background and purpose: The present study investigated the association of Metformin use with disease severity, inflammatory markers, and the outcome of COVID-19 in hospitalized diabetic COVID-19 patients at Imam Khomeini Hospital, Sari, in 2021. Materials and methods: The current descriptive study was performed after obtaining the code of ethics and permission from the hospital director for the medical records evaluation. The relevant data of diabetic COVID-19 patients admitted at Imam Khomeini Medical Education Center were determined and analyzed using SPSS software. Results: In this study, 324 patients were included in the study; So that 168 people (51.85%) were men and 156 people (48.15%) were women. The difference in the number of people with and without metformin use in the need to be admitted to the special care unit was statistically significant (P

Zabihollah Yousefi1, Reza-Ali Mohmadpour 2, Ebrahim Zarei3, Mansour Barafrashtehpour 4 1 PhD, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health and Health Sciences Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran 2 PhD, Professor, Department of Statistics, School of Health, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran 3 Lecturer, Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Mazandaran, Sari, Iran 4 MSc, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Student Research Committee, School of Health, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran In the article published in volume 23, issue Suppl 2, 2014, the first author’s name was incorrect. It should have been Zabihollah Yousefi, which is now corrected.

Zabihollah Yousefi1, Hossein Sahebian2, Abdoliman Amouei3, Reza Ali Mohammadpour4, Ebrahim Zarei5 1 Professor, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran 2 MSc Student in Environmental Health Engineering, Student Research Committee, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran 3 Professor, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran 4 Associate Professor, Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Health, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran 5 Assistant Professor, Department of Basic Sciences, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran In the article published in volume 29, issue 172, 2019, the first author’s name was incorrect. It should have been Zabihollah Yousefi, which is now corrected.

Traffic accidents are one of the most important causes of death and disability in the world, which cause much damage to countries and millions of people every year. Many researchers have focused on the time series caused by different aspects of these accidents. Box-Jenkins is one of the most common and widely used time series forecasting models, which is used under the condition of model stationarity. With the advancement of technology and the development of neural networks in time series, the discussion of comparing the predictive power of these models with traditional time series models has been raised. In this study, we investigated the traffic accidents leading to death or injury in iran during 2011 to 2021. Materials and methods: Statistical analyses related to the SARIMA time series model have been performed by using Minitab and EViews and the LSTM neural network model by Python and Visual Studio Code. Results: During period of the study, The trend of the number of deaths has always been decreasing, but the number of injured has been increasing before the coronavirus epidemic and decreasing after that. The highest number of dead and injured has always been in Shahrivar (August and September) every year and the months with 9 days off had significantly less deaths and more injuries. 21.38% and 27.56% of dead and injured were women. The ages of 20 to 29 had the highest number of deaths and injuries, but children and the elderly were more vulnerable and their share in the deaths was more than the injuries. According to the results, as the weather worsens, the share of accidents leading to death increases. In comparison of SARIMA and LSTM the results indicated that LSTM has been better in estimating data trends. The forecast shows the increasing trend of fatality and injuries in the comind years. Conclusion: Compared to the SARIMA model, the LSTM model showed better performance in predicting trend and time series components.

Intellectual education cultivates the power of reason. Intellect plays a crucial role in reasoning, analysis, and combining information within the education system. Therefore, this article aims to identify and explain the obstacles to rational education from Ibn Sina's perspective, proposing educational solutions to address them within the education system. The research employs a qualitative method with the Claysey model for data analysis. Data collection involved analyzing books, descriptions, and articles on Avicenna's views. Ibn Sina defines intellectual education as cultivating the intellectual power to reach divine proximity. By understanding and overcoming obstacles, this approach strengthens the educated mind. The article identifies these obstacles within three axes: cognitive, attitudinal, and practical. The cognitive axis includes elements like illusion, conflict with truth, sensory disorder, and emotional outbursts. The attitudinal axis encompasses components such as difficulty distinguishing good from bad (virtues and vices), anger, rage, lack of pure intention, and dependence on worldly affairs. Finally, the practical axis includes elements like disobeying God's commandments, satanic temptations, excessive desires (greed), and lust. Following the description of each element, the article proposes new educational solutions to address these obstacles to rational education.

Introduction: The COVID-19 epidemic has polluted millions of people and has caused millions of deaths worldwide. Therefore, this study aims to review the effects of COVID-19 on global air pollution. Materials and Methods: In this narrative review, articles related to the objectives of the study were selected in reliable scientific databases such as Web of Science, Ovid, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus. A total of 294 browsing sources and ultimately 90 sources were selected. Results: In the COVID-19 pandemic, NO2 dropped from 53 to 11% in most countries, and PM2.5 and PM10 from 91 to 6% in some countries. CO dropped from 92 to 5% and SO2 had a decreasing trend from 77 to 7% in most countries, except for the largest cities in Britain, Poland, Taiwan, and Iran. Unlike other pollutants, O3 in most countries increased from 0.3 to 63%, but O3 decreased in some countries. Conclusion: In the lockdown period, the reduction of most air pollutants except O3 was observed in many countries. But after restarting, polluting activities have incresed again. Therefore, the rules implemented during lockdown time can be introduced as an appropriate option in emergencies to reduce air pollution.

Background and purpose: Leukemia is one of the most common and deadly diseases which is an important health problem. The aim of this study was to evaluate the survival of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) using the penalized splines model and comparing that with the Cox proportional hazards model. Materials and methods: This is a longitudinal survival research that used data from patients referred to Tehran Imam Khomeini Hospital between 2011 and 2014 and followed until 2016. Patients' information was collected through census, using a researcher-made checklist based on their files. Furthermore, the patients' latest status was obtained via phone calls. All medical records of the patients referred to Amir Al-Momenin hospital in Maragheh and diagnosed with prostate hyperplasia and underwent prostatectomy between 2014 and 2019 were examined taking a census. Kaplan-Meier nonparametric method was used to assess the 5-year survival rate, and Cox's semiparametric model was used to determine the risk factors in subgroups. Then, the penalized spline regression model was fitted using the R software version 4.2.2. Results: The average age of patients was 36.29±16.01 and 36.7% of the patients were men. Half of the patients died, and 12.7% experienced recurrence. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia affected 34.7% of the patients, whereas acute myeloblastic leukemia affected 63.3%. The 5-year-survival rates for patients with ALL and AML were 18% and 29%, respectively. Age, white blood cell count, platelet count, and hemoglobin levels were found to be significantly associated with patients' survival (P

Objective: To investigate the use of prognostic markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and D-dimer forclinical outcomes in patients with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI).Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with mild head trauma who were admittedto the Emergency Department of Imam Khomeini Hospital (Sari, Iran). Data were collected from 2018 to2019. Age, sex, the time of injury hospitalization, length of hospitalization, length of unconsciousness, bloodpressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and concomitant symptoms were all recorded using a pre-designedchecklist. The patient’s Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), CRP, and D-dimer were also measured. Moreover, allpatients underwent CT scan.Results: This study included 74 patients with TBI. The mean age of the participants was 36.92±3.54. Themean CRP and D-dimer values were 5.69±0.77 and 0.58±0.11 in these patients, respectively. At the cut-offpoint of 11.50 for CRP, the sensitivity and specificity to detect the pathological lesions in CT scan was 75%and 95.50%, respectively (p

This study aimed at analyzing the model of educators’ ethics and conduct in the Qur’an. To do so, those verses of the Qur’an in which there was an educational situation were analyzed; at the same time, to understand the concepts of the Qur’an and their context more correctly, the interpretations of Al-Mīzān and Fī Ḍilāl al-Qur’ān were also referred to. In the present study, through the method of the theme analysis, first, 20 main themes of educators’ ethics and conduct related to the three process-oriented principles of learner's moral development, i.e. ‘cognitive, dispositional, and will and action’ were extracted. In the next step, the main obtained themes were categorized in the form of three organizing themes and one overarching theme; and finally, the network of themes and their pattern were compiled. The findings of the study show that the cognitive inferred themes in the components of ‘clear and unambiguous words for leaner's enlightenment’ and ‘explanation of true ends’, the dispositional inferred themes in the components of ‘explaining educators’ non-worldly goals and aspirations’, ‘identification of the educator with the learner’, and ‘gentle invitation from the educator’, and the inferred themes of will and action in the components of ‘the educator’s initiative in action’ and ‘avoidance of coercion and contentment with reminding’ have the highest frequency; therefore, they are considered the most important components.

Abstract Contamination of farmland soils by trace elements (TEs) has become an international issue concerning food safety and human health risks. In the present research, the concentrations of TEs including cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) in soils of 16 farmlands were determined in Gonabad, Iran. In addition, the human health risks due to exposure to the TEs from the soils were assessed. Moreover, the soil contamination likelihood was evaluated based on various contamination indices including contamination factor $$(\mathrm{CF}$$ ( CF ), enrichment factor (EF), geo-accumulation index (Igeo), and pollution load index (PLI) calculations. The soil mean concentrations for Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn and Fe ranges as 0.102, 6.968, 22.550, 29.263, 475.281, 34.234, 13.617, 54.482 and 19,683.6 mg/kg in farmland soils. The mean concentrations of the TEs decreased in the order of Fe > Mn > Zn > Ni > Cu > Cr > Pb > Co > As > Cd. Levels of all metals in this study were within the FAO/WHO and Iranian soil standards. The HQ values from investigated elements for adults and children in the studied farms were less than the limit of 1, indicating no health risks for the studied subpopulations. The results of the present research indicated no significant carcinogenic health hazards for both adults and children through ingestion, skin contact and inhalation exposure routes. $$\mathrm{CF}$$ CF values of Ni and Zn in 100% and 6.25% of farmlands were above 1, showing moderate contamination conditions. EF values of metals in farmlands were recorded as “no enrichment”, “minimal enrichment” and “moderate enrichment” classes. Furthermore, it can be concluded that the all farms were uncontaminated except Ni (moderately contaminated) based on Igeo. This is an indication that the selected TEs in the agricultural soils have no appreciable threat to human health.

Background and purpose: Mothers are in the first line of adolescent sexual health education. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of sexual health dialogue between mothers and adolescents and related factors in households covered by urban health care centers in Sari, Iran. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 196 mothers of adolescents (15-19 years) using simple random sampling between August 2020 and January 2021. Data were collected using a Medical Socio-Demographic Questionnaire, a researcher-made questionnaire investigating the barriers to sexual health dialogue between parents and adolescents, and the Sexual Health Dialogue. Data analysis was performed applying logistic regression analysis. Results: Almost all mothers (99.5%) had a dialogue about at least one of the topics associated with sexual health with their adolescents. However, good-quality dialogue about sexual health was observed in 49%. Embaressment (54.8% of boys and 38% of girls) and encouraging curiosity about sex (49% of boys and 58.7% of girls) were the most frequent barriers to sexual health dialogue between mothers and adolecents of both genders. Logistic regression analysis showed that the odds of good-quality dialogue about sexual health between mothers and sons were 93% less than that between mothers and daughters. Conclusion: Considering the low frequency of good-quality dialogue about sexual health between mothers and adolescents, attention to the barriers involved in this dialogue and essential appropriate approaches are necessary measures in adolescent health policy.

Introduction: In recent years, we have seen differences between women’s values ​​and their actions. Some women have actions according to their values ​​and others express actions completely different from their values. Women’s values ​​are influenced by various factors that are mentioned in this article, and Robert Merton’s theory of pressure has been used to identify women’s actions and in general, and women’s actions in three districts of Tehran were compared. Method: This research is quantitative, it and has been done with a survey technique and a researcher-made questionnaire. The statistical population includes women living in three areas of Tehran in the north, center and south of the city. The statistical sample includes 390 people out of which 130 people were selected by random sampling. Findings: Factors of fear and anxiety, gender discrimination, social rejection, attachment to the family and the weakness of religious beliefs and the decline of moral values ​​affect the actions of women. Besides, these factors have led to the formation of four types of women’s actions: concordant actions, innovative actions, formative actions, and anomic actions. The results showed that there is a significant relationship between value variables and types of women’s actions. Discussion: The results of the test of research hypotheses show that in some cases there are similarities and differences between the values and actions of women in the three districts of Tehran. In fact, the actions of women under the influence of their values can manifest as one of these four forms. In the affluent region of Tehran, most of the actions were morphological and anomic, while in the central region of Tehran, the actions were innovative and formative in nature, and in the southern region of Tehran, the actions were consonantal and innovative in nature. Some differences were found in the four actions in all areas, and this reflects a change in women’s values.

The main purpose of this study is to analyze the barriers to intellectual education on Hegel's point of view. The present research was qualitative research and the research method used was qualitative content analysis. The results of this study showed that the individual barriers to rational education from Hegel's point of view are: self-centered, fear, abstraction, negative skepticism, austerity and social barriers to rational education are: utilitarianism, collectivism, hypocrisy and fear of judgment. Negative. According to Hegel, obstacles to intellectual education begin when a person, due to lack of personal independence, lack of free will and lack of reciprocal and equal relationship with another, can not act as an independent intellectual being or when actuality It should not act as an independent rational being, but as an object serving the interests and purposes of other people. However, Hegel considers the obstacles of rational training as other stages of raising awareness as a step towards the development and promotion of the individual's personality, because consciousness faces these limitations and the intellectual obstacles and suffering that it suffers in the meantime. Can be aware of his inadequacies, which leads him to put himself in front of himself as an object and by exploring himself, to re-measure his understanding of himself, to know what he is. And it overcomes its one-sidedness.

Background and purpose: Some patients need emergency dental care and people with low economic status are more likely to go to hospital emergency departments. There is lack of enough knowledge about dental emergencies and no accurate data is available on this issue. This study aimed at investigating clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients in dental emergency departments. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed in patients with dental complaints attending emergency departments affiliated with Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, 2017-2018. Data were analyzed in SPSS V 16. Results: A total of 1660 patients (mean age: 36.80±15.50 years) were studied. The most common reasons for attending the emergency department were dental trauma (n=886) and dental infections (n=353). The highest referral times were evenings and nights (n=1130). Compared with women, men were found with more dental trauma and soft tissue injuries (P= 0.0001). Conclusion: Special training programs should be provided to the staff in hospital emergency departments so that they can obtain sufficient information and skills about triage, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of dental emergencies.

Background and purpose: Stress and socio-economic and psychological consequences of COVID-19 pandemic have affected family and marital relationships. The present study investigated the frequency of marital conflicts and related factors in Mazandaran province, north of Iran during this pandemic. Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, 357 married people were selected by convenience sampling via social networks in 2020. Data were electronically collected using demoghraphic and medical checklist and the Marital Conflict Questionnaire- revised form (MCQ-R). Data were analyzed in SPSS V25. Results: The average age of participants was 38.2±9.9 years. The average duration of marriage was 14.9±10.7 years. The total mean score for marital conflicts was 103.8±28.3 indicating a moderate level of conflict. The respondents reported mild (n=188, 57.7), moderate (n=132, 40.5), and severe (n=6, 1.8) levels of marital conflicts. Significant direct relationships were found between marital conflicts and age, gender, educational level, remarriage, nuclear family or extended family, history of marital conflict before the pandemic, individual or family history of COVID-19, and number of children (P

Introduction: SARS CoV-2 pandemic has caused illness and death in millions of people worldwide. Extensive studies are being conducted on the effect of meteorological parameters on the number of patients and clinical symptoms of COVID-19. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in Abarkouh city with a population of 51199 people during 215 days (from April 20, 2020 to November 20, 2020). The present study aimed to investigate the effect of meteorological parameters, such as temperature, humidity, sunshine hours, evaporation, and maximum wind speed on the number of cases with definite diagnosis of COVID-19. Moreover, symptoms in the infected patients were assessed using Pearson correlation coefficient and regression coefficient. Results: During the 215 days of the study, a total of 2526 symptoms were diagnosed in 1298 outpatients. Among which, fever and body aches were the most common symptoms in the subjects. The results of examining the relationship between meteorological parameters and the prevalence of symptoms showed that there was a negative correlation between the minimum and maximum temperature, sunshine hours, evaporation, and wind speed with the number of cases and the prevalence of symptoms. The results of regression coefficient also showed that among the meteorological parameters, the minimum temperature variable had the most negative effect on the prevalence of symptoms as well as the number of cases. Conclusion: The results showed that changing the meteorological parameters in cold weather can increase both the number of patients and clinical symptoms of outpatients with COVID-19.

Introduction Emergency department (ED) care must adapt to meet current and future demands. In Australia, ED quality measures (eg, prolonged length of stay, re-presentations or patient experience) are worse for older adults with multiple comorbidities, people who have a disability, those who present with a mental health condition, Indigenous Australians, and those with a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) background. Strengthened ED performance relies on understanding the social and systemic barriers and preferences for care of these different cohorts, and identifying viable solutions that may result in sustained improvement by service providers. A collaborative 5-year project (MyED) aims to codesign, with ED users and providers, new or adapted models of care that improve ED performance, improve patient outcomes and improve patient experience for these five cohorts.Methods and analysis Experience-based codesign using mixed methods, set in three hospitals in one health district in Australia. This protocol introduces the staged and incremental approach to the whole project, and details the first research elements: ethnographic observations at the ED care interface, interviews with providers and interviews with two patient cohorts—older adults and adults with a CALD background. We aim to sample a diverse range of participants, carefully tailoring recruitment and support.Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval has been obtained from the Western Sydney Local Health District Human Research Ethics Committee (2022/PID02749-2022/ETH02447). Prior informed written consent will be obtained from all research participants. Findings from each stage of the project will be submitted for peer-reviewed publication. Project outputs will be disseminated for implementation more widely across New South Wales, Australia.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of expressed breast milk (EBM) alone or in combination with oral paracetamol for pain reduction during retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening. Methods: A randomized control trial was conducted in two departments of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University. A total of 60 preterm neonates who underwent ROP screening were randomized into three equal groups. Group A got nesting and swaddling as per institutional protocol (control). Group B received 2 ml EBM two minutes prior to the ROP screening and Group C received 15 mg/kg syrup paracetamol 30 minutes prior to the ROP screening and EBM like Group B. Premature infant pain profile (PIPP) scores was used prior, during and 2 minutes after ROP screening procedure. Results: The three groups were similar in terms of baseline characteristics. The mean (standard deviation) PIPP scores during the procedure were 16.4 (1.1), 15.0 (1.8) and 13.4 (1.8) in control, EBM, and EBM with paracetamol groups respectively. The PIPP scores were significantly lower in the EBM and EBM with paracetamol groups during the procedure compared to control group. In the EBM and EBM with paracetamol groups, the mean difference in PIPP scores (between before and during the procedure) was also substantially lower. Conclusion: Breast milk alone or in combination with paracetamol can reduce significant pain during ROP screening than control group. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Journal 2023;16(2): 106-110

Almost all researchers have accepted that meaning is formed in the intersection of the mind of the author, the text, and the mind of the audience. But this proposition is incomplete and unjustifiable if one does not pay attention to the meaning of the discourse. This is because the author's mode of operation, the subject and organization of the text, and the thoughts of the audience are all determined by rules of discourse. This article attempts to provide a conceptual model from the perspective of Michel Foucault's philosophy and considers Bidel Dehlavi as an example. This model describes the relationship between discourse and meaning. Moreover, this model is a comprehensive system for the study of Persian poets. Extended Abstract Almost all researchers have accepted that meaning is formed in the intersection of the mind of the author, the text, and the mind of the audience. But this proposition is incomplete and unjustifiable if one does not pay attention to the meaning of the discourse. This is because the author's mode of operation, the subject and organization of the text, and the thoughts of the audience are all determined by rules of discourse. This article attempts to provide a conceptual model from the perspective of Michel Foucault's philosophy and considers Bidel Dehlavi as an example. This model describes the relationship between discourse and meaning. Moreover, this model is a comprehensive system for the study of Persian poets. The conceptual model includes five principles: 1- All elements of discourse in the ruling power design the system to strengthen knowledge. This system produces the desired knowledge of the ruling class. Meanwhile, the great poets destroy the rules of discourse and produce new knowledge. Any research that intends to interpret the works of creative poets ignores all the achievements of the poet. These studies require the reader to interpret the works of creative poets in terms of old meanings. 2- The subject of the discourse is not the most important part of a discourse. Mystical literature considers mysticism as its subject, not as the main axis that determines its rules. The research that shows that a mystical idea manifests itself in a poem serves this intellectual idea and destroys all literary aspects of the poet's work. Poetry has three different approaches to discourse: expanding the boundaries of discourse; making fun of its rules; resisting its rules. In all these cases, he must have been able to use the symbols of this discourse differently. 3- The subject is not the reason for the unity of propositions. Two sets of propositions with the same subject are not necessarily present in the same discourse. What binds a set of propositions in a discourse is the same discourse formulation. This discourse formulation contains rules that determine the order between propositions, not their content. Therefore, in mystical literature, one should pay attention to the breaks that occurred between different periods of mystical literature. This difference in the discourse formulation of the different periods means different interpretations of the mystical concepts in the different periods. 4- The subjects of each discourse declare the knowledge that is supported by that discourse. It is difficult to gain knowledge in a course that does not do this. In the field of literature and art, creators try to avoid the production of knowledge and focus on enhancing intuitive understanding. For this reason, any study that aims to transform the content of the works of creative poets into the knowledge mentioned above serves the rules of discourse and not the poet. 5- The discourses described in the works of Michel Foucault are scientific. Scientific texts adhere to certain principles in every era. But literature is inherently inconsistent with this adherence. Literature means a stream of successive ruptures. But you can find poets whose similarities are greater than their differences. These poets fall into one style. So in literary studies, the differences between poets of the same style are as important as their similarities. Therefore, you should determine not only the extent to which a poet adheres to the rules of his style, but also the extent to which he deviates from the norm.

Background and purpose: Around the world, about one in six older people has experienced some form of abuse. This study aimed at comparing the rate of abuse and related factors in urban and rural senior people attending health centers in Ghaemshahr, 2020. Materials and methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, 250 older people were selected by systematic random sampling. Data were collected using Domestic Elder Abuse Questionnaire, Abbreviated Mental Test (AMT), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Assessment of Daily Activities of Instrumental Activity of Daily Livening (IADL), and Demographic-Medical Questionnare. Data were analyzed in SPSS V22 applying descriptive statistics tests, independent t-test, and one-way analysis of variance. Results: The mean age of participants was 69.10±8.57 years of whom 58.8% were women. At least one type of abuse was experienced by 60% of elder people in urban areas and 64.8% of the seniors living in rural regions. Psychological abuse was found to be more prevalent in both groups while rejection was the least common form of abuse. Findings revealed significant associations between elder abuse and gender, education, income, disease status, number of drugs used, urinary incontinence, life companions, number of children, and occupation (P

Background and purpose: Hospital Length of Stay (LoS) is a good indicator of the quality of hospital care. The purpose of this study was to identify the best standard models for survival analysis to determine the factors affecting the length of hospital stay in burn patients. Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, the hospital records of 460 burn patients hospitalized in Sari Shahid Zare Hospital, 2013-2019 were reviewed. Best model was introduced using Akaike information criterion (AIC) method. Multivariate survival analysis was done and factors affecting the LoS were determined. Statistical analyses were performed using R ver. 4.1.1 (survival package) and SPSS ver. 24. Results: The Burr parametric model had the lowest AIC value (3284.92) and was therefore selected as the best model. Comorbidities, including diabetes (HR= 1061, 95% CI: 0.28-0.67), location of accident (HR= 1.33, 95% CI: 0.07-0.49), burn percentage (HR=0.73, 95% CI: 0.28-2.35), and time interval between burn incidence and hospitalization (HR=1.69, 95% CI: 0.18-0.88) significantly affected the duration of hospitalization (P

Background and purpose: Treatment of rheumatic diseases depends on proper use of medications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and reasons for discontinuation of drugs in these patients. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases in Sari, Iran 2020-2021 to investigate the frequency and reasons for discontinuation of drugs. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS V20 and descriptive statistical methods were used to determine the frequency of drug discontinuation and its causes. Results: The participants (n=251) included 197 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, 31 with systemic lupus, 16 with ankylosing spondylitis, and 7 patients with psoriatic arthritis. The mean age of patients was 52.36±13.4 and mean duration of illness was 8.35±7.31 years. Drug discontinuation was seen in 73 patients (85 cases). The most common reason for drug discontinuation was drug side effects (55.4%). Drug shortage, transient improvement of symptoms, ineffectiveness of the drug, and fear of developing COVID 19 were some of the reasons for discontinuation of drug. Conclusion: The most common cause of discontinuation of treatment was drug side effects, but in about one third of cases, there are factors that could be corrected to help preventing drug discontinuation and non-adherence to treatment.

Background and purpose: Stigma and burden of care in caregivers of patients with schizophrenia have negative effects on the patient and their families. This research aimed to determine the effect of self-care training based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on perceived stigma and caregiver burden of schizophrenic patients. Materials and methods: This randomized clinical trial included 80 caregivers of schizophrenia patients in Sari Zare Hospital. Participants in intervention group received self-care training based on ACT in 8 sessions twice a week, while the control group received only routine care. The scores for stigma and care burden were measured in both groups before and after the intervention using Shamsaei stigma questionnaire and Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI, 22-item). T-test and paired t-test and descriptive statistical methods were used to analyze the data. Results: The mean changes of the total score for perceived stigma before and after the intervention were found to be significantly different between the intervention group (65.45±6.79) and the control group (80.25±10.34)(P

Background: Brucellosis is a common disease between humans and animals that still exists in most parts of Iran. This study investigated the epidemiology of brucellosis in Mazandaran province, Iran, during a nine-year period from the beginning of 2009 until the end of 2017. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted based on the guidelines of Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education on the data of 3732 brucellosis patients. The data were retrieved from the private and public laboratories gathered in a Ministry's database. We used the generalized estimating equation (GEE) for the Poisson regression model (Poisson GEE) to examine the disease incidence based on the studied variables. Results: The age-standardized incidence rate has been 13.2 per 100,000 people (15.6 in men and 21.3 in rural areas). The highest rate (17.2) was in 2012 and the lowest (10.6) was in 2014. The cities of Galugah (35.0) and Qaemshahr and Fereydunkenar (3.0) had the highest and lowest incidence rates. The patients' professions had been 30% housewives, 14.9% ranchers, and 14.4% livestock-related professions. The highest standard incidence was in people older than 55 years old. The results of the Poisson GEE regression model showed that the disease incidence has been higher in men compared to women and in rural compared to urban areas (risk ratio = 1.5, 3.4, P = 0.001). Conclusion: Mazandaran faces the risk of increased brucellosis incidence rate. Taking preventive measures, including educating people, are recommended for the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, on 18 March 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the immediate closure of schools in England. (The closure was not absolute: schools would remain open for vulnerable children and the children of key workers. In practice, though, very few children have continued to attend.) In what follows, nine English teachers reflect on their experience of teaching under lockdown.

Background: Fuel stations are one of the major sources of air pollution with volatile organic compounds, especially the four main petrol compounds benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX). BTEX in gasoline enters the air of gas stations due to high evaporation of gasoline. Therefore, determining the concentration of these compounds in gas stations in crowded and busy cities is one of the important priorities of environmental health, which is doubly important in terms of its negative effects on health. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, a total of 39 samples were collected from 13 gas stations. Sampling was performed in autumn 2018 in three working shifts (morning, noon, and night). The method NIOSH-1501 (i.e., using charcoal sorbent tubes and SKC pump with a flow rate of 0.2 L/min) was used for sampling the BTEX compounds. The mean difference and correlation of BTEX compounds based on meteorological parameters and the number of nozzles in gas stations were assessed using one-way ANOVA and correlation tests. Results: The mean and standard deviation of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene concentrations in the air of fuel stations were 2.784 ± 1.461, 3.495 ± 1.390, 2.091 ± 0.811, and 1.140 ± 0.419 mg/m3, respectively. The relationship between BTEX compounds and meteorological parameters such as humidity and exposure time is very important. There is a strong correlation between the concentrations of BTEX compounds. The highest correlation was observed between benzene and toluene and the lowest one was observed between benzene and xylene. In this study, no significant relationship was observed between air temperature and concentration of BTEX compounds, but there was a relationship between relative humidity and the concentration of BTEX compounds. Conclusion: The average benzene concentration in the air at the fuel stations was about 5.5 times the standard limit. Authorities should improve fuel quality and reduce its evaporation through engineering measures to overcome the issue.

The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of educating philosophy curriculum in the children on the spiritual development of female students with 12-14 years old in the city of Isfahan. The present study is a semi-experiment research. The research design is pretest-posttest research with experiment and control group. In order to select the sample members, cluster sampling method was used. For this purpose, the curriculum was conducted for 15 sessions in the experiment group. The curriculum was conducted two times in week. The research data were analyzed through multi-variable COVARIANCE Analysis in the SPSS. The findings of this study revealed that implementation of philosophy curriculum education program leads to spiritual development of students in terms of God awareness, grandiosity, and instability (p=0.05). Also our findings indicated that implementation of philosophy curriculum does not affect spiritual development of students in terms of impression management and realistic acceptance (p=0.05). Based on the results of this study, it can be said that implementation of philosophy curriculum leads to the spiritual development of students.

The purpose of this study is to compare the critical thinking skills among the students of accounting and software in the female technical and vocational university in the city of Borojerd. This study is a descriptive-comparative research. The statistical population of this study includes the female students of accounting and software in the technical and vocational university in the city of Borojerd. A sample of 60 students was selected from this population randomly in the 2014. The sample consists of 30 students of accounting and 30 software students. In order to collect the research data, the second form of California Critical Thinking Skills Questionnaire was used. The research data were analyzed in the SPSS16 through analysis of variance (ANOVA). The average and standard deviation of the research data is 9.15 ± 3.09. Although the scores of accounting students were better than the scores of software students, but no significant difference was not observed between them. The difference between the two groups of respondents was significant in terms of inductive reasoning (p = 0.014). Another part of our findings revealed that the scores of critical thinking skills among the accounting and software students are similar to the scores of critical thinking skills of students in other countries. Our findings revealed that the scores of critical thinking skills of accounting and software students are lower than the scores of those in other countries. These findings point to the fact that the educational plans of this university need some reviews and modifications.