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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.

OBJECTIVESThroughout 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.METHODSIn 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.RESULTSOrganizational 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.CONCLUSIONSOrganizational 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.

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.

Background: Pruritus is one of the most common and disabling symptoms of liver disease such as Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis and Primary Biliary Cholangitis. Cholestyramine, rifampin, opioid antagonists, antihistaminic agents and SSRIs are used for the management of pruritus. Due to rifampin drug interactions as well as its serious side effects such as hepatotoxicity, clinicians are endeavoruing to find a safer and a more effective substitution. Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of sertraline with rifampin in the management of cholestatic pruritus. Methods: In a single-blinded randomized clinical trial a total of 36 patients of PSC and PBC were divided into two equal groups, one group received 100 mg/day sertraline and the other group received rifampin 300 mg/day for 4 weeks. Visual analog scale was used to record pruritus severity at baseline and 4 weeks after drug intervention, also, ALT, AST, ALP and total bilirubin of all patients were measured at three different time points. Results: Over the follow-up period, pruritus had relieved in both groups, but there was no significant differences between sertraline and rifampin in pruritus management (pvalue=0.740), also there was no significant difference between the two intervention strategies (A versus B) in total bilirubin level (pvalue=0.106). Moreover, the ALT, AST and ALP levels were found to be significantly different between the two groups (Pvalue˂0.01). Conclusion: There is no difference between sertraline and rifampin in pruritus improvement, but sertraline has less adverse effects on hepatobiliary enzyme levels, so it seems to be safer than rifampin.