JOURNAL OF SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH
Year:2002 | Volume:1 | Issue:2|Papers Count:9

Leishmaniasis affects 1.5-2 million people annually and has been recognized as a major public health problem by the World Organization.In Iran the incidence rate of the disease among school children in Ardestan province was 3.2 per thousand. As no effective vaccine has been found yet, control of the disease depends on effective drug therapy. The pentavalent anitmonials (pentostam and glucantime) are the current drugs of choice,but their use has been associated with side effects and a certain degree of toxicity. Furthermore, resistance towards these medications is not uncommon. For these reasons we studied the effectiveness of Vinca major alkaloids in treating Leishmania major infections both in vitro and invivo. Vinca has been used for centuries as a traditional remedy in the treatment of various diseases.The effectiveness of different concentrations of Vinca on Leishmania major promastigotes was evaluated and the results showed a significant decrease in the number of promastigotes with higher concentrations and increasing exposure times (P<0.005).Results of in vivo trials showed that intralesional injections of purified extracts in chloroffomic phase induced a significant decrease in the mean lesion diameter in Balb/c mice compared to the untreated group.

Visceral leishmaniasis is an infectious-parasitic disease occurring sporadically in various parts of Iran, the disease is endemic in Ardebil,East Azerbaijan,Fars and Bushehr provinces. This study is an epidemiological survey of visceral leishmaniasis in children in Somarin village of Ardebil city.In this survey, blood samples were collected from all children of ≥11 years old. Category plus about 10% of the adult population drawn by systematic sampling. The specimens were subjected to direct agglutination test (DAT). Besides, all the participants underwent skin tests using leishmanin prepared by Pasteur Institute of Iran. An induration more than 5 mm in diameter after 72 hours was considered "positive".Of the 730 blood specimens collected from Somarin, 546 belonged to children ≥11 years old and 184 to adults. Altoghether, 57 (7.8%) of the samples showed specific Leishmania antibodies with titers 1:3200 and above by DAT. Therefore, seroprevalence was 9.7% in children and 3.9% in the community. 79% of DAT Positive specimens came from the 5-10 year age group (P<0.05). Likewise, Leishmanin Skin Test (LST) positivity occured in about 14.2%. The results of this studty show that kala-azar is endemic in Somarin village, Ardebil Province and visceral Leishmania infection is more prevalent in children and also females.

In this descriptive study, we compared the amount of public spending on health research and the process for allocation of research funds between Iran and several developed countries.The study made it clear that the State"s total per capita spending on research and the percentage of the total government budget and the Gross Domestic Product spent on research were considerably lower than in most developed nations. The administrative process for obtaining funds was long and tedious, and private sector spending on health research was negligible (in contrast to Western countries, where the most research is funded by the private sector). The results of this study could have important implications for health care planning and research administration in Iran.

Nitrate compounds as the last part of oxidation of nitrogen compounds, which may cause methaemoglobinaemia in infants.Nitrosamines are derivatives of both nitrites and nitrates and are often used as indicators of water pollution, largely because of concerns about their carcinogenic potential.With regard to the role of industrial waste (containing nitrates and nitrites) in the pollution of ground water, in winter 1998 one hundred sites were selected for sampling and measurements of Nitrite & Nitrate content among 300 large industrial - complexes located in the outskirts of Tehran (Tehran-Karaj Urban Zone). The findings showed that the mean Nitrate concentration in the aquifers studied was 51.96 mg/l, with maximum values of 85.49 mg/I and a minimum of 5.9 mg/I .The mean nitrite level was 16.18 mg/l, ranging from 0.29 mg/l to 314,22 mg/I.According to these findings, both Nitrite &Nitrate levels were above WHO-specified limits and the safety standards established by national guidelines.Statistical analysis showed a negative correlation between Nitrite concentrations and depth of the aquifer (P-value = 0.034, R = 0.44), ie, with increasing depth there were lower nitrate levels.There was no relationship between nitrate concentrations and the distance of water wells from the sites of wastewater discharge.

The educational authorities are concerned with preparation of a suitable snack for the students (6-11 yrs).Considering the potential effects of the snack on cognitive and learning functions, this project was designed for the production and evaluation of a nutritionally suitable cake for students.The cake"s ingredients were egg (87%), skimmed milk powder (26%), sugar (1 12%), oil (26%), baking powder(5.2%),defatted soya (22%) and wheat flour (100%) NaFeEDTA (was added as an iron fortificant). Moisture, ash, protein, Ca and iron contents were determined by AOAC methods.Five panelists were selected and trained as recommended by ISO. They evaluated student cake (x), enriched student cake(Y) and the control (z) for taste,texture (scoring), crumb and crust color (ranking). Eighty-five students evaluated the cakes as target group (hedonic).True protein digestibility (TPD) was determined using three diets (non protein, casein,students" cake) and three groups of 21 days rats. The results were analyzed using the SPSS program.A students cake with 11.6% protein, 8.7% fat, 21% moisture and 2,5% ash had an energy content of 300 Kcal plus 10 gr protein while the control preparation had 5.7gr (6.6%) protein, 15.6% fat, 19.1% moisture and 1.8% ash and an energy content of 33.9 Kcal energy and 5.7 gr per unit weight.The taste and texture of x and y were similar but different from the controls (p<%1).The crumb and crust color of the cakes were the same (p<%5).The students" preference was significantly different between x and y (p<%5).TPD of the cake was 92% and that of the casein was 102%.Like other studies, adding defatted soya increased moisture, softness and density.The x-y difference stated by the students may be due to greater sensitivity of their taste. Although 53% of the protein of the cake was of high quality (animal source); soya compounds and the baking process may account for the decreased TPD. Overall, the "student" cake is nutritionally balanced and can be developed as a suitable snack.

This study has been carried out in two shoe-making factories in Tehran with the aim of evaluating the cobined effects of noise and toluene on the workers" hearing.Sixty four workers were assigned to three groups according to their exposure to noise and toluene. 33 were exposed to noise (group 0),5 to toluene (group 1) and 26 to noise and toluene (group 2).The concentration were measured in the workers" breathing zone as well as A-weighted sound Pressure level, LPA and equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure level over 30 minuets, leq (30") A in head position of workers. Then noise level was calculated and hearing thresholds measured in 500 - 400 Hz frequencey range.The amounts of air and bone hearing los were caluculated. Results indicate that the relationship between hearing loss caused by noise (group 0) and noise and toluene (group 2) was statistically significant, P<0.05. Hearing loss due to toluene in mid frequency was higher than in higher frequencies.

The economic efficiency of any organization is based on the mentality of its directors. Hospitals are important organizations in terms of economic and health activities must inevitably have a proper economic decision making policy. Considering the general inefficiency of Iranian hospitals and their wasteful performance, the present study performed to describe and analyze the economic thinking among our hospitals" managerial boards. Teaching hospitals affiliated toTehran Medical Sciences University were chosen as the setting for this study and a cross-sectional approach used to find reasons for economic inefficiency in these hospitals. The study has focused on the mentality of the hospitals" decision-making bodies regarding various economic concepts, particularly those relevant to health and hospital economics. Hospital directors and managers together with heads of nursing, accounting andmaintenance departments and administration officers were considered as members of decision-making bodies. On the whole 50 persons were interviewed as the study sample. Collected data was processed using the EPl program.Knowledge of the members was measured on a 3-point scale: appropriate (positive) , inappropriate (negative), and intermadiate(midpoint).. Generally, none of the members had an appropriate level of knowledge about hospital economics, in 50% of the interviewees the knowledge was at midpoint level and the remaineder had an inappropriate level of knowledge.. The appropriate levels of knowledge of the economic losses caused by nosocomial infections, insurance issues, cost, budget, cost analysis and payment methods were observed in 24%, 20%, 8% , 8%, 0%, and 6%, respectively.Further analysis demonstrated that there are statistically significant relationships between:. Sex and knowledge of hospital economics and cost concepts,. Age and knowledge of cost analysis methods,. Educational achievement and knowledge of economic costs of hospital-acqired infections,. Length of service (working experience) and knowledge of economic costs of nosocomial infections,. Organizational rank and knowledge of hospital economics, cost, budget, and costs of nosocomial infection. Hospital accreditation scores and knowledge of the costs of nosocomial infections

Organic chlorination by-products of drinking water have been considered public health issue and drinking water treatment problem since the 1974 reporting of the formation of chloroform and three other trihalomethanes (THMs) during chlorination. Much work has been accomphished since then to understand the factors influencingthis formation and the treatment techniques to reduce the formation of chlorination by - products. Humic materials occure in surface waters, these naturally occuring organic compounds can serve as percursors to possible carcinogencs when fresh water supplies are subjected to chlorination for disinfection purposes. Over 780 compounds were formed by the reaction of chlorine with humic acids, which a large percentage are halogenated. The most commonly formed groups of these by - products are thrihalomethanes (4 compounds), Haloacetic Acids (9 compounds) and Haloacetonitrile (4 compounds). Total organic halogen (TOX) is an - easy method to determine the organic Halogen in water. GC and GC/MS methods are used to detrmine the chlorination by – products in water.In this review article the main chlorination by - productsin drinking water,the factors which influences on the formation, the techniques in water treatment plants to reduce the concentration of chlorination by - products and the methods of determinations are discussed.