Background: High levels of heavy metals in food are general concerns including carcinogenic effects. According to studies, the accumulation of heavy metals in crops and consumption of these products in diet, has led to serious health concerns. This study investigated the concentrations of lead and cadmium in popular agricultural products. Methods: In this descriptive study, some fresh agricultural products (leafy vegetables, tubers, cucurbits and seeds) were collected in the winter and summer. The samples were transferred to the laboratory and stored in a cold room. After the preparation of the samples, the lead and cadmium contents were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. The data were analyzed statistically on SPSS v. 26 software. Results: The average concentrations of lead and cadmium in the winter was 37.23±4.7 and 34.77±0.5 while they were 44.12±0.02 and 56.83±0.01 μg/g in the summer. The highest amount of led content was reported in spinach at an average of 71.25 μg/g and the lowest content was found in watermelon at 30.67 μg/g. We observed a significant rise in the concentrations of the pollutants in leafy vegetables during the summer, which was also linked to the farms’ locations (P<0.05). Conclusion: The results showed that the highest amount of lead accumulation was found in leafy vegetables and that of the cadmium was at permissible levels in all produces as recommended by WHO. The risk of non-cancerous diseases was also low. Future studied are warranted to assess the risk of heavy metal toxicity in people, especially in children, the elderly and pregnant women.

Background and Objectives: Depression is one of the fourth most common diseases and will be the second most prevalent disease in the world by 2020 predicted by the World Health Organization. Considering the high frequency of depression among students and role of nutrition in psychological disorders according to the literature, the present study aimed to investigate the relationship between the level of depression in female students residing in the dormitory of Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran, and their intake of different food groups. Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted on 345 students living in the dormitory of Qom University of Medical Sciences randomly selected in 2018. The data were collected using the food frequency questionnaire and Beck Depression Inventory and analyzed by analysis of variance and regression. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:According to the Beck questionnaire, the scores of 9 or less (normal) and 10 or more (levels of depression) were reported for 57.5% and 42.5% of the students, respectively. Although no significant relationship was observed between the scores of the Beck questionnaire with the intake of different food groups and anthropometric indices of the subjects, a positive correlation was observed between the consumption of dairies, oil groups, and sweets with the prevalence of depression. Conclusion:With regard to the observation of some levels of depression among a number of students living in the dormitory and important role of medical and paramedical students in the promotion of health in the communities, it is suggested to consider the elimination of underlying factors of depression as a health priority.

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Introduction: The use of animals in experiments and their role in the development of medical sciences are undeniable. Humane endpoints terminate pain and distress in laboratory animals, which are experimented in painful procedures and an involuntary manner. This study was going to review studies published in this area to assist researchers in developing their approach. Methods: Articles used in this review study were obtained from relevant databases including Pubmed, Scopus, Science Direct, OVID, SID, Magiran and Google scholar. Results: “Humane endpoints” or killing the animal humanely means the point at which an experimental animal’s pain and/or distress is terminated. This pain and distress are not necessarily accompanied by clinical symptoms and it can also be recognized by biochemical, physiological and molecular biomarkers testing. Conclusion: Regarding the extensive use of laboratory animals, the aim is not only to take care of animals but also to develop knowledge and prevent unintentional animal suffering and death. Increasing awareness of ethical issues regarding research animal use needs scientific information and designing experiments, which are terminated immediately after achieving main goals. Otherwise, it threatens the life of animal and leads to the animal suffering.

Background: Nitrate content is one of the most critical factors to determine the quality of vegetables, and its permissible limits in food chain is important to the human health. Due to the harmful effects of nitrate, many studies have been conducted on its accumulation in crops in recent years. This study assessed the nitrate concentrations in some edible vegetables and the associated health risks. Methods: In this descriptive study, raw agricultural produce, such as leafy vegetables, tubers, cucurbits, kitchen produce and edible grains were collected in the winter and summer. The samples were then transferred to a laboratory by maintaining the temperature-controlled supply chain. After preparing the samples, the nitrate content was determined in each, using an Ultraviolet-Visible spectrophotometric (UV/Vis) unit. The data were analyzed statistically on SPSS v. 26. Results: The mean nitrate contents in leafy and kitchen produce, grains, and tuber vegetables were approximately 130, 48, 101, and 61ppm, respectively. The average nitrate content in the winter was around 38ppm and in the summer about 44 ppm. The highest nitrate content was documented in spinach (1100.15 ppm) and the lowest in tomatos (20.97 ppm). Conclusion: The results indicated that the highest nitrate content was found in leafy produce grown in northern Iran. The highest health risk for non-carcinogenic conditions was likely to be linked to the consumption of spinach and other edible vegetables, wheat, rice, and potatoes.