Aim: Radiation affects all biological processes in the human body. Medemia argun(an Egyptian palm) is a mysterious plant from southern Egypt. In ancient Egypt, MA dried dates have been found in the famed tomb of Tutankhamun. Globally, this is the first study to look at the metabolomics and biological efficiency of Medemia argun(MA) in mitigating the risks of γ-irradiation. Materials and Methods: Rats were subjected to a single dose of γ-irradiation (6 Gy) for the whole body and injected intraperitoneally with or without MA ethanolic seed extract (200 mg/kg b. wt.). We studied the LD₅₀ of MA ethanolic seed extract in vivo using male rats, liver function, antioxidant enzymes, inflammatory biomarkers, malondialdehyde (MDA), and nitric oxide (NO) to assess the biological functions and beneficial effects of the MA seed's ethanolic extract in reducing the γ-irradiation risks in rats. Also, DNA fragmentation was investigated via a Comet assay. Histopathological examinations were also performed. In addition, phytochemical analysis for MA was conducted. Results: The obtained results showed that 200 mg/kg b. wt. of MA ethanolic seed's extract is the recommended dose. γ-radiation increased DNA fragmentation, NO, MDA, inflammatory biomarkers, and liver function. Furthermore, there is a significant decrease in antioxidant enzymes, T. protein, and albumin. Conversely, MA (200 mg/kg b. wt.) treatment for 6 weeks effectively reflects most of the altered measurements induced by γ-radiation. Furthermore, histopathological examinations revealed that γ-radiation causes significant deleterious changes in the structure of liver tissue, whereas MA treatment preserves the cellular structure of the liver without the appearance of any changes. Conclusions: Our results showed that MA can be used as a healthy food during radiotherapy as a natural therapeutic drug due to its valuable nutritional benefits, safe nature, and low cost.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of different levels of lighting on the attention index of males and females under thermal comfort. Materials and Methods: To measure the effect of different lighting levels (200, 500, and 1500 lux) on attention index, Toulouse-Piéron Test was conducted in a chamber under thermal comfort condition (22°C, 45% RH). This study was conducted on 33 healthy students (17 males/16 females) with a mean (±standard deviation) age of 22.1 ± 2.3 years. The exposure time was 1.5 h. Results: The results indicated that the reduction in lighting level (200 lux) significantly decreased the attention index, speed, and accuracy of performance for both groups; however, this descending trend for the male participants was slightly higher than the female ones (P < 0.05). On the other hand, by increasing the lighting level (500 and 1500 lux), the attention index of the individuals was significantly improved under distracting and busy working environment (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The results of the present study demonstrated that the female participants showed better performance and lower mistakes in accuracy-demanded tasks. It was also found that, compared to the female participants, the attention level of the male participants was more easily affected. Furthermore, by increasing the lighting level, the distraction level among the female participants was lower than that of the males, and their ability to do dual tasks was significantly enhanced.

Aim: Undesirable lighting can affect the visual system, as well as mental, neuropsychological, and physiological efficiency of staff. The present study was done to determine the effect of luminosity and nominal correlated color temperature (NCCT) on the extent of mental and visual fatigue under experimental conditions among students at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: This experimental study was done in summer 2022 on 12 students at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. To measure the mental fatigue, flicker fusion method, while for visual fatigue, Rajabi questionnaire was used. In this study, two lamps with NCCT 3000 K and 6000 K were used at three angles 15°, 30°, 45°. Results: The mean age of the subjects was 20.91 years. At both NCCT 6000 K and 3000 K, the maximum and minimum extent of visual fatigue occurred at angles 15° and 45°, while the maximum and minimum mental fatigue score happened at 45° and 15°, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in the mean scores of mental fatigue (P < 0.001) and visual fatigue (P < 0.001) between 6000⁰K and 3000⁰⁰K at 0.01 level. Conclusion: The NCCT and angle of the light source position can contribute to the development of mental and visual fatigue. Once the angle of radiation increased, the extent of mental and visual fatigue diminished. The extent of mental fatigue, as with visual fatigue, was greater at 3000 K compared to 6000 K.

Aim: For more effective therapy and accurate diagnostic instruments and devices, it is crucial to develop novel nanomaterials with excellent biological performance and low toxicity. Due to their outstanding biocompatibility, feasibility, little environmental impact, affordability, and low toxicity, ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as one of the most widely used metal oxide NPs in biological applications. One of the many multifunctional inorganic NPs is ZnO, which has been produced using an easy, environmental-friendly process. ZnO NPs have emerged a promising potential in biomedicine, especially in the fields of anticancer and antibacterial fields, which are involved with their potent ability to trigger excess reactive oxygen species production, release zinc ions, and induce cell apoptosis. Materials and Methods: Several methods were used to explore the physicochemical properties of ZnO NPs. By using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray, X-ray diffraction analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies, and scanning electron microscope (SEM), a sample's chemical and elemental composition, crystalline structure, optical properties, and surface appearance have all been studied. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy is the main technique for characterizing ZnO NPs. Results: A heterogeneous surface form for extremely pure, completely crystalline, and photoactive ZnO NPs was produced. Radiation affects living cells and has an effect on all biological processes in the human body, causing living cells to be damaged. As a result, there is a great deal of interest in developing antioxidant bio-drugs based on Sargassum vulgare and ZnO NPs to protect radiotherapy patients and specialists from the dangers of γ-radiation. A major genus of brown marine algae, S. vulgare, is found along the Mediterranean and red sea coasts and is a member of the Sargassaceae family. S. vulgare methanolic extract (4 g/kg b.wt) and ZnO NPs (10 μM) were given intraperitoneally twice weekly for 6 weeks to rats that had previously received a single dose of γ-radiation (6 Gy) after 1 week of the experiment. There were five groups of rats (15 rats each). Conclusions: This cosmopolitan seaweed is known for valuable nutraceutical benefits but has not yet been researched in this regard. As a result, the current study was designed to assess the feasibility and in vivo potential activity of S. vulgare methanolic extract as a functional food supplement with ZnO NPs in alleviating γ-radiation-associated oxidative damage and toxic symptoms. Based on the findings, S. vulgare with ZnO NPs could be used as a therapeutic medication during radiotherapy to reduce the oxidative stress, toxicity, and damage caused by γ-radiation.

Aim: Urbanization, rapid industrialization, and related anthropogenic activities are the main reasons for air pollutant emissions and poor air quality. Continued deterioration of air quality in urban areas requires effective measures to control air pollution. The purpose of developing a model is for a better understanding the physical, chemical, and dynamic properties of air pollution and meteorology. Materials and Methods: In this work, an analytical approach has been used to analyze the diffusion of air pollutants emitted from point sources is presented. This article reports the method of solving three-dimensional atmospheric diffusion equation using the Fourier transform technique, variable separable method, and series solution to obtain analytical solution. Results: The present work focuses on the effect of dry deposition and wet deposition on the concentration of primary impurities. The concentration of primary impurities decreases when the removal rate of dry and wet deposition increases with respect to height and distance. Conclusion: The focus of this research article is to learn the effects of removal mechanisms such as dry and wet deposition of primary pollutants. It is found that the contaminant concentrations are close to point sources and gradually decrease toward nonsource areas due to diffusion and removal mechanisms in an urban area.

Aim: The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the impact of educational intervention on operating room personnel's knowledge of fire factors and lowering the level of fire risk in some selected hospitals in Isfahan city. Materials and Methods: This interventional study was conducted on 113 operating room personnel of Isfahan hospitals in Iran. A standard questionnaire (with 28 questions) was employed to assess the level of knowledge of the operating room personnel about the sources of combustion and ways to prevent it. The fire risk assessment method for engineering was employed to assess the fire risk of hospitals, and the risk level was calculated for the building and its contents (R), personnel (R1), and activity risk (R2). SPSS version 24 was used to analyze the data. Results: Forty-eight participants (36.1%) were men, and 85 participants (63.9%) were women. The findings demonstrated that the mean (standard deviation) score of personnel's fire safety knowledge was statistically enhanced before and after the educational intervention (10.62 [3.20] and 15.40 [2.66], respectively (P < 00.01). The findings of the fire risk assessment demonstrated that the risk of personnel has the maximum risk score, which is higher than one in all instances. Following personnel risk, the building and its contents risk had the maximum overall risk score. Following the educational intervention, the findings of the fire risk assessment demonstrated that the overall risk of the building and its contents, the overall risk of personnel, and the overall risk of the activity all reduced from 0.588–0.423, 4.174–3.408, to 0.543–0.498, respectively. Conclusion: Proper implementation of educational programs can reduce fire risk while also enhancing personnel knowledge and improving operating room safety. Accordingly, hospitals should incorporate the implementation of educational programs into their routine activities.

Aims: The present study was conducted to assess the gastrointestinal health effects and other health effects due to consumption of drinking water, to analyze the water quality parameters (bacteriological and free residual chlorine), and to find out the methods of purification of water at household level and hand washing technique among people in urban Vadodara. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out at urban Vadodara city. 2609 participants were included in the study from among 720 households. 60 households from each selected water tank area were included. Interviews were conducted to know the health effects of water as well as method of purification, hand-washing technique, and the history of gastrointestinal problems. Thirty-eight water samples were tested hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) strip test and multiple tube method. Results: 4.21% had history of diarrhea in the last 2 weeks. 0.99% had typhoid and 0.65% had history of Jaundice in the past year. H₂S Strip test was Negative and no single coliform was found in all 38 water samples. The free chlorine levels in all the tanks were found to be higher than the normal levels. 43.05% participants were using simple cloth or sieve for purification of water followed by 35.97% participants were using reverse osmosis. 14.25% participants were not washing hands before cooking while 5.13% participants were not washing hands after going toilet. Conclusion: Supplied drinking water was bacteriologically safe. Despite that history of diarrhea, typhoid and jaundice was found in the study area.

Aim: The present study aims to determine the relationship between arsenic (As) concentration in groundwater and mortality rates due to urological and leukemia malignancies in Hamadan, as a hotspot of As concentration. Materials and Methods: The inverse distance weighting method in ArcGIS 10.8 software was used to show spatial patterns of As concentration. A total of 370 samples of tap water from urban and rural areas in all nine countries of the Hamadan province were collected by grab method. Poisson regression analysis was performed for comparing Kabudarahang region (As exposed) with the rest of the countries in Hamadan province during 2016–2020, for leukemia (ICD-10 code C90-95), bladder (ICD-10 code C67-67.9), and kidney (ICD-10, code C64-65) cancers. Results: Regarding leukemia, both Poisson regression and dose-response analysis supported an association between As concentration in drinking water and the risk of death. However, based on Poisson regression, no statistically significant association was observed for As levels and the mortality rates due to bladder and kidney cancers. In the linear regression fitting, for each unit increase of As concentration in groundwater, the mortality rates of leukemia increased by an average of 0.33 (P = 0.03), and according to the Poisson regression, leukemia mortality was elevated for Kabudarahang region comparing with the rest of the Hamadan province (relative risk = 1.91, 95% confidence interval = 1.24–2.92, P = 0.003). Conclusion: Therefore, due to the toxic and carcinogenic properties of As species, to reduce the related health risks, some managing programs, including screening, community education, and intervention, should be developed in the As-contaminated areas.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to model the causes and negligence of occupational accidents assessed by labor inspectors and justice official experts of Isfahan province from the perspective of health, safety, and environment management. Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study that was conducted cross-sectionally to determine the causes of occupational accidents in some industries and workshops in Isfahan province. Data collection was by census, which after reviewing all cases, finally 367 cases completed by inspectors of the labor and justice official experts of Isfahan province have been reviewed. Results: The results showed that regarding the injured person's negligence percent, the least agreement was related to the opinion of the inspector and the opinion of the 7-member panel (intra-class correlation coefficient = 31.5%) and then the lowest agreement was related to the opinion of the inspector with the opinions of 3- and 5-member panels. There is a high level of agreement among all groups to determine the percentage of negligence for the contractor (>60%). There was no statistically significant difference between the 3-member and 5-member staff in any of the potential causes of the accident (P > 0.05). This disagreement is seen in 40% of cases. The results showed that the disagreement between the 3-member and the 5-member panels is 27%. The rate of disagreement between the 5-member and 7-member panels is 10%. Conclusion: Based on the results, people who have more work experience receive less negligence percentage. However, if the injured person has a higher work experience in the current job, the accident occurred with a higher percentage of negligence.

Aim: Among environmental pollutants, there is a great concern about organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) due to their environmental persistence, accumulation in the food chain, detection in breast milk, and their ability to accumulate in adipose tissues. Due to the toxicity of OCPs and its relationship with human health, this study aimed to investigate the effects of dieldrin pesticides on morphological changes in the HeLa cell line. Materials and Methods: Standard concentrations of dieldrin (0.1-20 ppm) were prepared and cells were cultured in 1640 Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) medium containing 10% bovine serum albumin and Pen-Strep antibiotic. Subsequently, the morphological effects of dieldrin on HeLa cells in a cell culture medium were investigated. Results: Morphological and cytopathic changes were not observed in HeLa cells treated with concentrations of 0.1, 0.5, and 1 ppm of dieldrin. However, significant changes including cell rounding and cytopathic effects were observed in the cells treated with 5 ppm of dieldrin. Moreover, at concentrations of 15 and 20 ppm of dieldrin, the cells were completely destroyed and could not be examined. Conclusion: The effects of dieldrin on HeLa cell morphology were observed in the form of cell rounding and cytopathic effects. These morphological changes suggest that dieldrin may induce the process of apoptosis in cells. According to the results, the identification of different factors that aggravate the cytotoxic effects of this pesticide needs further research.

Assam is a state in Northeast India facing floods every year which leads to human misery and devastation of nature. The objective of this review is to explore the natural and anthropogenic factors causing flood in Assam over a period of 11 years. The SCOPUS, Science Direct, and Web of Science databases were searched to identify relevant studies in Assam. The outcome of interest was to identify the natural and anthropogenic factors that contributed to the occurrence of floods in Assam from 2010 to 2020. Data were charted and reported in accordance with the “PRISMA guidelines.” From 1582 screened citations, 54 articles went under full-text screening, among which 35 studies were eligible for this review. Rainfall events, climate change, urbanization, deforestation, improper drainage and embankment construction contributed most. This review concludes that anthropogenic factors outweigh the natural factors for flood occurrence in Assam.