Throughout the world, mines are dangerous workplaces with high accident rates. According to the Statistical Center of Iran, the number of occupational accidents in Iranian mines has increased in recent years. This study investigated and analyzed the human and organizational deficiencies that influenced Iranian mining accidents. In this study, the data associated with 305 mining accidents were analyzed using a systems analysis approach to identify critical deficiencies in organizational influences, unsafe supervision, preconditions for unsafe acts, and workers' unsafe acts. Partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was utilized to model the interactions among these deficiencies. Organizational deficiencies had a direct positive effect on workers' violations (path coefficient, 0.16) and workers' errors (path coefficient, 0.23). The effect of unsafe supervision on workers' violations and workers' errors was also significant, with path coefficients of 0.14 and 0.20, respectively. Likewise, preconditions for unsafe acts had a significant effect on both workers' violations (path coefficient, 0.16) and workers' errors (path coefficient, 0.21). Moreover, organizational deficiencies had an indirect positive effect on workers' unsafe acts, mediated by unsafe supervision and preconditions for unsafe acts. Among the variables examined in the current study, organizational influences had the strongest impact on workers' unsafe acts. Organizational deficiencies were found to be the main cause of accidents in the mining sector, as they affected all other aspects of system safety. In order to prevent occupational accidents, organizational deficiencies should be modified first.

Aim: The present study evaluates lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury contamination in lipsticks, mascara, eye shadow, and eyebrow pencils, and compares the amounts of these toxic elements in both legal and contraband products. Background: The presence of heavy metals in cosmetics is of major concern, and requires constant monitoring to ensure the safety of consumers. Cosmetics contaminated with heavy metals can lead them to accumulate in the skin, while the further migration of these toxic elements to blood vessels can cause subsequent difficulties. Material and methods: The graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (GFAAS) and Direct Mercury Analyzer (DMA) techniques were used. Results: The data indicate that the lead content in the products did not exceed the acceptable limit of the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety of Germany (BVL), and that the cadmium values in all products were significantly lower than the limit set by the BVL. The arsenic contents of lipsticks, eye shadows, and eyebrow pencils was significantly higher than the BVL standard, while the mercury content was far below the BVL standards, so there seems to be no concern associated with this toxic element. Legal cosmetics showed better results, except for mascara, which had higher amounts of arsenic than contraband. The higher contents of arsenic in contraband eye shadows and eyebrow pencils is an issue that should be taken into considerations by the relevant authorities. Conclusion: The authors suggest further analysis of the toxic elements in cosmetics and better monitoring of both imported and contraband cosmetics. Moreover, consumers’ knowledge of the potential risks of the frequent application of cosmetic products should be improved.

The antioxidant system can be critical in reducing exacerbated inflammation in COVID-19. This study compared the antioxidant and inflammatory responses between COVID-19 outpatients and seemingly healthy individuals. This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 53 COVID-19 outpatients and 53 healthy individuals as controls. The serum concentrations of amyloid A (SAA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were measured and compared between COVID-19 patients and controls using the independent sample t-test before and after controlling for dietary supplement use. A generalized estimating equation (GEE) regression model, limited to COVID-19 patients, was used to evaluate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) of disease symptoms on days 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 after the disease onset. Serum concentrations of SOD (p ≤ 0.001) and GPx (p = 0.001) were significantly higher in COVID-19 patients than in controls before adjustment for dietary supplement use. GPx remained significantly higher among COVID-19 patients than in controls after adjustment for all dietary supplements (p = 0.005). Moreover, serum concentrations of GPx (p = 0.003), SOD (p = 0.022), and TAC (p = 0.028) remained significantly higher among COVID-19 patients than in controls after adjustment for vitamin D supplementation. This study showed higher GPx in COVID-19 outpatients than in controls after adjustment for dietary supplement use. Moreover, elevated SOD, GPx, and TAC concentrations were shown in COVID-19 outpatients compared to controls after adjusting for vitamin D supplementation. These results may provide a useful therapeutic target for treating oxidative stress in COVID-19 disease, which may help ameliorate the pandemic.

Vitamin D and zinc are important components of nutritional immunity. This study compared the serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and zinc in COVID-19 outpatients with those of potentially non-infected participants. The association of clinical symptoms with vitamin D and zinc status was also examined. A checklist and laboratory examination were applied to collect data in a cross-sectional study conducted on 53 infected outpatients with COVID-19 and 53 potentially non-infected participants. Serum concentration of 25(OH)D were not significantly lower in patients with moderate illness (19 ± 12 ng/mL) than patients with asymptomatic or mild illness (29 ± 18 ng/mL), with a trend noted for a lower serum concentration of 25(OH)D in moderate than asymptomatic or mild illness patients (p = 0.054). Infected patients (101 ± 18 µg/dL) showed a lower serum concentration of zinc than potentially non-infected participants (114 ± 13 µg/dL) (p = 0.01). Patients with normal (odds ratio (OR), 0.19; p ≤ 0.001) and insufficient (OR, 0.3; p = 0.007) vitamin D status at the second to seventh days of disease had decreased OR of general symptoms compared to patients with vitamin D deficiency. This study revealed the importance of 25(OH)D measurement to predict the progression of general and pulmonary symptoms and showed that infected patients had significantly lower zinc concentrations than potentially non-infected participants.

Since the outbreak of COVID‐19 in China, it has rapidly spread across many other countries. We evaluated antioxidant defense systems and inflammatory status related to the SARS‐CoV2 infection in a population from southwestern Iran. Comorbidities and clinical symptoms of 104 subjects (comprising negative and positive‐PCR COVID‐19 outpatients) were assessed. Serum concentrations of glutathione reductase (GR) and interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) were measured using ELISA. In the positive‐PCR group, follow‐ups on clinical symptoms were carried out for 28 days at 7‐day intervals. In the positive‐PCR group, hypertension, diabetes, liver disease, chronic heart disease, and chronic kidney disease were the most common comorbidities. In the general category of symptoms, we found a significant difference between negative and positive‐PCR groups, except regarding runny noses. In the pulmonary category, there was a significant difference between the two groups except in terms of chest pain. We also determined a significant difference in neurologic symptoms, except for ear pain, between negative and positive‐PCR groups. We also found significantly lower levels of GR but higher levels of IL‐10 in the positive‐PCR group ( p = 0.000 for both). In the positive‐PCR group, serum levels of IL‐10 (odds ratio = 0.914, p = 0.012) decreased the chances of neurological symptoms occurring over time. The antioxidant defense systems of positive‐PCR outpatients failed as demonstrated by a reduction in the serum levels of GR. We also indicated a dysregulation in the immune response against COVID‐19, characterized by changes in serum IL‐10 levels.

Background and purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented public health challenges worldwide. Understanding the factors contributing to COVID-19 mortality is critical for effective management and intervention strategies. This study aims to unlock the predictive power of data collected from personal, clinical, preclinical, and laboratory variables through machine learning (ML) analyses. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in 2022 in a large hospital in Abadan, Iran. Data were collected and categorized into demographic, clinical, comorbid, treatment, initial vital signs, symptoms, and laboratory test groups. The collected data were subjected to ML analysis to identify predictive factors associated with COVID-19 mortality. Five algorithms were used to analyze the data set and derive the latent predictive power of the variables by the shapely additive explanation values. Results: Results highlight key factors associated with COVID-19 mortality, including age, comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes), specific treatments (antibiotics, remdesivir, favipiravir, vitamin zinc), and clinical indicators (heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature). Notably, specific symptoms (productive cough, dyspnea, delirium) and laboratory values (D-dimer, ESR) also play a critical role in predicting outcomes. This study highlights the importance of feature selection and the impact of data quantity and quality on model performance. Conclusion: This study highlights the potential of ML analysis to improve the accuracy of COVID-19 mortality prediction and emphasizes the need for a comprehensive approach that considers multiple feature categories. It highlights the critical role of data quality and quantity in improving model performance and contributes to our understanding of the multifaceted factors that influence COVID-19 outcomes.