Background: Prostate cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer death among men worldwide. The early detection of prostate cancer with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) increases the disease treatment in the early stages. Moreover, knowledge and screening for PSA for prostate cancer in men decreases the mortality rate. Objectives: The present study aimed to screen prostate cancer behaviors according to the Health Belief Model in Men Aged above 40 in Dezful. Methods: This cross-sectional study encompassed 120 male employees aged above 40 years working at the Dezful University of Medical Sciences in 2018. The participants were selected using a random cluster sampling method. Data collection tools were a researcher-made, three-section questionnaire with questions on demographic characteristics, awareness, Health Belief Model (HBM) constructs, and prostate cancer screening behaviors. Results: The participants’ mean age was 46.22 ± 4.56 years (ranging from 40 to 60 years). Total awareness of prostate cancer and screening behavior among men was acceptable (5.59 ± 4.13). The performance of PSA was 20.8%. There was no significant difference between the mean age and PSA (P = 0.39). In the logistic regression analysis, perceived sensitivity to prostate cancer yielded a psychological predictor of prostate cancer screening behaviors (OR = 0.92, P value = 0.01). Conclusions: The findings showed a relationship between perceived sensitivity and the frequency of PSA. Moreover, the participants’ poor knowledge and performance indicated an urgent need for formal training programs to promote their sensitivity to the significance of prostate cancer screening. Factors affecting prostate cancer screening behaviors should be included in these training programs.

Background: Nurses face challenges when they are in a stressful situation and therefore use strategies to adapt. Objective: Considering the importance of the type of strategy used by nurses to maintain their mental health and considering the differences in the results of studies on the applicability of coping strategies, the present study investigates the emotional reactions and coping strategies of nurses during the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: The present study is a cross-sectional (descriptive-analytical) study involving 208 nurses working in Ganjavian Hospital in Dezful in 2020. The instruments used in the questionnaire are: emotional reactions, demographic and coping style questionnaire preference for modified coping practices. Results: The results showed that the mean age of nurses participating in the study was 31.15±7.25 years. Most emotional reactions were related to nurses' feelings of desire with an average of 3.44 ±1. 23, and the lowest related to disgust with a mean of 2.44 ±1.26. The highest coping actions of nurses were related to nurses' emotional coping strategy with a mean of 26.87 ± 4.5. There was a significant relationship between problem-solving coping strategy with emotional disgust and direct anxiety. Conclusion: Due to the high level of hope and anxiety in nurses and the adoption of coping strategies focused on emotion, hospital managers and mental health managers should focus on providing psychological support to nurses and teaching problem-oriented coping strategies. Support to deal with their high level of hope for the high anxiety caused by Covid disease.

Background: About a year after the start of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the results of the studies conducted to investigate the effectiveness of interferon (INF) compounds in this disease were contradictory. Objectives: This study was carried out to examine the safety and efficacy of a treatment protocol containing INF-β-1b, hydroxychloroquine, and Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir) in patients with severe COVID-19. Methods: In this open-label, randomized controlled trial, severe cases of COVID-19 were included. Patients were eligible if they had epidemiological and radiological evidence compatible with COVID-19 or a positive polymerase chain reaction result and their disease was severe. They were randomly allocated into a control group that received the standard regimen (hydroxychloroquine and Kaletra) and an intervention group that received INF-β-1b treatment and the standard treatment regimen. Then, the two groups were compared in terms of in-hospital mortality, intubation, length of hospital stay, oxygen saturation, and lactate dehydrogenase before and after the intervention. Results: A total of 91 cases of severe COVID-19 were enrolled for analysis [intervention (n = 47) and control (n = 44)]. The length of hospital stay in the intervention group was significantly longer than in the control group (13.21 ± 6.88 vs. 10.52 ± 5.77 days; P = 0.047). The mortality rate did not significantly differ between the intervention and control groups (19.15% and 13.64%, respectively; P = 0.509). The intubation rate did not significantly differ between the intervention and control groups (12.76% and 11.36%, respectively; P = 0.838). Conclusions: The use of INF-β-1b-containing treatment regimens does not reduce mortality and intubation rates among patients with severe COVID-19. Furthermore, it might even increase the severity of the disease and the length of hospital stay for some patients; therefore, it is not recommended to use INF-β-1b in severe cases of COVID-19.

Background: Preeclampsia is one of the complications of pregnancy that endangers the life of the mother and the fetus. This complication accounts for 18% of maternal mortality and is the second leading cause of maternal mortality in Iran. Various studies have shown the important role of platelets in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate platelet parameters in patients with preeclampsia compared to healthy pregnant women who were referred to Ganjavian hospital in Dezful city in 2019. Methods: In this study, which is a retrospective case-control study, the files of women who gave birth in Ganjavian hospital in 2019 were examined. The files of the case group, which included people with preeclampsia, were selected as available samples (104 people), and the control group, which included pregnant women without preeclampsia, were randomly selected using a table of random numbers (104 cases). Criteria for entering the study in the group with preeclampsia included BP ≥ 140/90 mmHg, proteinuria of more than 300 mg in 24-hour urine or 30 mg consistently in random urine samples, and gestational age over 20 weeks. Also, people with any underlying disease, such as diabetes, chronic hypertension, known platelet disorders, multiple birth, and drug use (heparin, aspirin) in the group with preeclampsia were excluded from the study. The data of this study were analyzed using SPSS software version 20, and independent t-test, and Mann-Whitney U test at a significant level lower than 0.05. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in demographic factors between the two case and control groups. There was a statistically significant difference between the mean hemoglobin in healthy women 11.91 ± 1.30 and preeclampsia 10.89 ± 1.09 (P < 0.0001). Also, according to the findings, the individuals of the two groups had a significant difference in terms of mean platelet volume (MPV): healthy women: 10.79 ± 1.24 and preeclampsia women: 12.98 ± 1.16 (P < 0.0001). Also, the results of the Mann-Whitney U test showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the number of platelets in healthy women (284.52 ± 60.58 mm3) and preeclampsia women (149.30 ± 30.38 mm3) (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: Considering the importance of reducing the complications and mortality of pregnant mothers, early detection of changes in platelet factors during pregnancy can be a predictive factor in identifying people at risk for preeclampsia.