Household financial burden associated with out-of-pocket payments for healthcare in Iran: insights from a cross-sectional survey.

Background: One of the key functions and ultimate goals of health systems is to provide financial protection for individuals when using health services. This study sought to evaluate the level of financial protection and its inequality among individuals covered by the Social Security Organization (SSO) health insurance between September and December 2023 in Iran.

Methods: We collected data on 1691 households in five provinces using multistage sampling to examine the prevalence of catastrophic healthcare expenditure (CHE) at four different thresholds (10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%) of the household's capacity to pay (CTP).

Fertility Rate and Sperm DNA Fragmentation Index following Varicocelectomy in Primary Infertile Men with Clinical Varicocele: A Prospective Longitudinal Study.

Background: Varicocele is one of the most common treatable causes of male infertility, and its treatment may be beneficial for fertility. This study aimed to evaluate fertility rate and DNA fragmentation index (DFI) following varicocelectomy in primary infertile men with clinical varicocele.

Materials And Methods: This prospective longitudinal study was conducted on primary infertility men, in a tertiary center from December 2018 to December 2019 with one-year follow-up.

Spatially explicit modeling of disease surveillance in mixed oak-hardwood forests based on machine-learning algorithms.

Incidences of disease, dieback, decline or mortality, some of which induced or enhanced by climate change, threaten the sustainability of forest stands in many ecosystems. Spatially explicit prediction of disease onset remains challenging, however, due to the involvement of several causative agents. In this paper, we developed a generic framework based on machine-learning algorithms and spatial analyses for landscape-level prediction of oak disease outbreaks caused by the charcoal fungus Biscogniauxia mediterranea in a mixed-oak forest of Mediterranean climate.

The Effect of Cognitive-Behavioral Play Therapy on Improvements in Expressive Linguistic Disorders of Bilingual Children.

The present study attempted to investigate the effect of cognitive-behavioral play therapy (CBPT) on the improvements in the expressive linguistic disorders of bilingual children. The population consists of all bilingual children with expressive linguistic disorders studying in preschools. Considering the study's objectives, a sample of 60 people, in three groups (experimental, control, and pseudo-control), were selected using WISC, TOLD, and clinical interviews.

Topotactic transformation of single crystals: From perovskite to infinite-layer nickelates.

Topotactic transformations between related crystal structures are a powerful emerging route for the synthesis of novel quantum materials. Whereas most such “soft chemistry” experiments have been carried out on polycrystalline powders or thin films, the topotactic modification of single crystals, the gold standard for physical property measurements on quantum materials, has been studied only sparsely. Here, we report the topotactic reduction of LaCaNiO single crystals to LaCaNiO using CaH as the reducing agent.

Comparison of surgical complications following hip hemiarthroplasty between the posterolateral and lateral approaches.

Introduction: Femur neck fractures are common fractures among the elderly. Hemiarthroplasty is a surgical choice for femur neck fractures in patients older than 70 years. This surgery is performed using two main methods: Posterolateral and Direct lateral.

Investigating the effect of health transformation plan on the public hospitals performance indicators; a case study from Iran.

Background: Health systems need constant changes and reforms in their structure to adapt to changing conditions and meet the needs of society. One of the fundamental changes in the health system of Iran is the health transformation plan (HTP), the effects of which must be examined from different aspects. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of HTP on the performance indicators of public hospitals in Yazd city, Iran.

The cost-effectiveness of insulin analogs and regular insulin for diabetes control: a case study in Iran.

Purpose: For years, traditional techniques have been used for diabetes treatment. There are two major types of insulin: insulin analogs and regular insulin. Insulin analogs are similar to regular insulin and lead to changes in pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties.

A systematic review of prevalence of Depression in Iranian patients.

Background: Depression is a common mental health disorder which has become a global public health issue. It constitutes around 35 to 45% of mental health problems in Iran and covers 8% to 20% of population of Iran. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the prevalence of depression among the Iranian patients through systematic review and meta-analysis.

Superconductivity at 4.8 K and Violation of Pauli Limit in LaIRu Comprising Ru Honeycomb Layer.

We discovered superconductivity at 4.8 K in the hexagonal layered compound LaIRu comprising a triangular lattice of the La and a honeycomb lattice of the Ru atoms. First-principles calculations reveal a two-dimensional band structure made up of La 5 and Ru 4 electrons and formal oxidation states +1.

Hospitals' efficiency in Iran: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Given that the need to pay attention to measuring efficiency is considered as one of the main pillars of improving the level of efficiency in hospitals, so this study was carried out aimed to determine the mean technical efficiency (The technical efficiency is bound by zero and one and a score of less than one means that the theatre is inefficient as it could) score in terms of type and activity of the hospital, input-oriented and output-oriented attitude, returns to scale (In economics, returns to scale and economies of scale are related but different concepts that describe what happens as the scale of production increases in the long run, when all input levels including physical capital usage are variable (chosen by the firm). The concept of returns to scale arises in the context of a firm's production function. It explains the behavior of the rate of increase) in hospitals of Iran using data envelopment analysis (DEA) (DEA is a nonparametric method in operations' research and economics for the estimation of production frontiers.

The effect of macroeconomic indicators on health-care expenditure in Iran.

Introduction: A sharp increase in expenditure is one of the challenges of the health system in Iran. Every macroeconomic variable affects health, and if it is disregarded, it will lead to higher macrobudgets. Physical and mental health as well as the use of health services change according to the macroeconomic conditions and business cycles (boom and recession).

Optimization and economic evaluation of modified coagulation-flocculation process for enhanced treatment of ceramic-tile industry wastewater.

Enhanced treatment of ceramic-tile industry wastewater was investigated by modified coagulation-flocculation process using combination of poly-aluminum chloride (PAC) with anionic (A), cationic polymer (C) and nonionic polymers. The effects of pH, PAC coagulant dose alone and with polymers dose in various combinations was studied by jar tests. To compare the removal efficiencies of turbidity, total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and color at different levels, we run multivariate analysis of variance.

Sporadic Hemangioblastoma Arising from the Infundibulum.

Hemangioblastomas are rare vascular tumors most often found in the posterior fossa and cervical spinal cord and commonly associated with von Hippel-Lindau Disease. We report a case of sporadic hemangioblastoma in a patient without von Hippel-Lindau Disease. Imaging characteristics included a solid, suprasellar mass that was homogeneously enhancing.

Efficacy of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in the Treatment: Resistant Patients who Suffer from Severe Obsessive-compulsive Disorder.

Background: During the past years, significant efforts have been made to explain the biological backgrounds of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Cortical-subcortical and neurotransmitter models are used for explaining the symptoms of OCD, so our hypothesis is that brain's transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) can regulate the brain activities of the OCD patients. Thus, based on the mentioned issues, this research seeks to investigate the efficacy of TDCS in treatment-resistant patients who suffer from severe OCD.

Incidental coronary calcifications on routine chest CT: Clinical implications.

Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is a marker of atherosclerosis and an independent risk factor for cardiac-related mortality, with much of the 50% decline in mortality over the past 30 years being attributed to early detection of coronary disease and intervention of modifiable risk factors. With over 10 million computed tomography (CT) examinations of the chest performed in the United States yearly, CAC can be identified in a very large number of patients. In this review, we discuss the clinical evidence underlying the relationship between radiologic identification of CAC, atherosclerosis, and cardiac outcomes and the implications of its assessment on standard chest CT.

Mapping the distribution of nodal metastases in papillary thyroid carcinoma: Where exactly are the nodes?

Objective: To characterize nodal disease of patients presenting with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review.

Methods: PTC patients who underwent thyroidectomy and/or neck dissection (revision/primary) from 2004 to 2009 at a tertiary-care hospital were reviewed. Preoperative computed tomography (CT) scan and ultrasonography were utilized to identify macroscopic, clinically apparent nodal metastasis (cN+).

Blood-Labyrinth Barrier Permeability in Menière Disease and Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Findings on Delayed Postcontrast 3D-FLAIR MRI.

Background And Purpose: Menière disease and idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss can have overlapping clinical presentation and may have similar pathophysiology. Prior studies using postcontrast 3D-FLAIR MR imaging suggest abnormal blood-labyrinth barrier permeability in both conditions, but the 2 diseases have not been directly compared by using the same imaging techniques. We hypothesized that delayed postcontrast 3D-FLAIR MR imaging would show differences in blood-labyrinth barrier permeability between Menière disease and idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

The effects of the DDS-1 strain of lactobacillus on symptomatic relief for lactose intolerance - a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover clinical trial.

Background: Lactose intolerance is a form of lactose maldigestion where individuals experience symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal cramping, flatulence, vomiting and bowel sounds following lactose consumption. Lactobacillus acidophilus is a species of bacteria known for its sugar fermenting properties. Preclinical studies have found that Lactobacillus acidophilus supplementation may assist in breaking down lactose; however, no human clinical trials exist evaluating its efficacy in alleviating symptoms related to lactose intolerance.

Explanation of Interaction between Iranian Physicians and Government in the Field of Tax: A Qualitative Study.

Introduction: One of the main tools for fair redistribution of income in the society is taxes, and, in developing countries, the public sector is financed through taxes. Identifying physicians' income to determine their income tax is associated with many problems. This study was conducted to identify the factors that affect the interaction between Iranian physicians and the government regarding taxes to cover gaps in the tax system and resolve the problems associated with the interactions between physicians and the government relative to taxes.

The Assessment of Inequality in the Geographical Distribution of Burn Beds in Iran.

Introduction: In recent years, the World Health Organization (WHO) has emphasized the importance of determining the equality of the distribution of healthcare resources. Inequalities in the healthcare system are one of the world's most important developmental challenges, and the inefficiencies that exist in healthcare systems are the most important reason for these challenges. Thermal burns are one of the common injuries worldwide, and their effects are a significant reason for the mortality and morbidity rates throughout the world.

Drug Addiction in Patients With Chronic Schizophrenia and Its Relation With Psychopathology and Impulsiveness.

Background: Using drugs is a common affliction in patients with Schizophrenia affecting their increasing death rate. They have to tolerate longer treatment time and staying in hospital and they further show more violence and their living quality decreases. It also seems that this factor is among the influential factors of unsuccessful results in treating these patients.

Lymph node metastasis in thyroid papillary microcarcinoma: a study of 170 patients.

Objective: Papillary microcarcinoma of the thyroid has been described as either a normal variant or a serious malignancy. We describe our experience with papillary microcarcinoma and lymph node metastases.

Method: A total of 685 consecutive total thyroidectomies with central compartment neck dissection were reviewed for papillary microcarcinoma.