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As the development and vaccination of the COVID 19 vaccine is accelerating worldwide, it is important to investigate the ways to improve immunity and immune responses to vaccines. This study aims to investigate the association between history of nutritional supplements intake and body mass index (BMI) in the severity of COVID-19 vaccine side effects after vaccination.

A total of 465 vaccinated participants with the Sinopharm vaccine (females and males in the 18–65 age range) participated in the study. Anthropometric measurements were taken on the first visit. In addition, nutrient supplement history and demographic information were collected. Moreover, the participants’ phone numbers were collected and they were contacted. Participants were asked to report if they experienced systemic (whole-body) and/or local side effects after vaccination, in the following eight days. Then, participants were grouped into four categories: no symptoms (n = 232), mild symptoms (n = 121), moderate symptoms (n = 55) and severe symptoms (n = 57).

There was a significant difference between the consumption of nutritional supplements by different groups of participants in the last six months (considering the severity of the symptoms) (p < 0.001). The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the incidence of side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine increased in the Q3 of BMI (range 22.94–26.34) in Modes 2 and 3: [OR: 1.85, (95% CI: 1.14– 3.00), p-for trend = 0.08] and [OR: 1.89, (95% CI: 1.16– 3.09), p-for trend = 0.09] based on logistic regression models.

In this study, the history of nutrient supplement intake affects the severity of side effects after the vaccination with COVID-19. Furthermore, based on logistic regression models, side effects were more prevalent in the BMI range 22.9–26.3 when compared to BMI < 20.2 so further study is necessary.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease that puts strain on health-care systems. Obesity is considered as a risk factor for the severity of infection. Hypotheses also suggested some nutritional supplements may be useful in COVID-19. This paper aims to assess the role of body mass index (BMI) and nutritional supplements on the severity of COVID-19.

This research was conducted on 603 participants (in five groups including: exposure to virus and healthy, COVID-19 positive patients with severity of mild, moderate, severe and death from COVID-19), in age 18 to 65 years. Demographic data and history of nutritional supplements were asked. Anthropometric measurements were measured in a healthy group and in a patient. They were collected by referring to patients' medical records.

The mean of BMI in groups with severity symptoms of moderate (27.57 kg/m²), severe (29.70 kg/m²) and death persons (28.13 kg/m²), was significantly higher than healthy (26.70 kg/m²) and mild symptoms (26.57 kg/m²) groups (p = 0.001). The logistic regression shown, the fourth quartile of BMI was significantly associated with occurrence of COVID19, odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI): [OR: 1.81, (95% CI: 1.13– 2.89), p-for trend = 0.55]. There was no significant difference in the percentage of vitamin C, D3, Zinc, Iron and multivitamin supplements intake, between groups, in the past six months (p = 0.11).

This study indicated the role of higher BMI in the occurrence and severity of COVID-19. Researches are not enough to recommend consumption of nutritional supplements for the prevention of COVID-19.

Cognitive decline and dementia are major causes of disability. Research has suggested a relationship between dietary intake and memory problems in individuals. This study aims to examine the dietary histories of participants with newly diagnosed memory problems.

A total of 285 subjects (129 cases and 156 controls) were included in this retrospective case−control study. This paper used a food frequency questionnaire to determine the intake of dietary food groups in the previous year and a general questionnaire to assess food habits. The strength of the association between dietary history and memory problems was assessed using logistic regression and Pearson’s tests.

In this study, 73% of participants had a lower middle income and consumed less than the recommended number of meats, fruits and vegetables (1.2, 1.8 and 0.99 units/day, respectively). Participants with memory problems were more likely to take supplements than those without (P = 0.01). There was no significant difference in energy intake between the case and control groups (1634 Kcal vs 1656 Kcal). The results of the logistic regression showed that consuming any of the food groups in the previous nine months was not associated with memory problems. However, the Pearson test showed that an increase in the consumption of high-quality protein and vegetables had a slightly nonsignificant relationship with a decrease in the severity of memory disorder.

It is safe to suggest consuming adequate amounts of high-quality protein and affordable protein from sources such as dairy products, meats and vegetables. Research is insufficient to recommend the use of dietary supplements as a means of preventing memory disorders.

Post-partum depression (PPD) is a mood disorder that affects 20-40 per cent of women in their post-delivery period worldwide. The purpose of this paper is to compare dietary intakes of energy, macronutrients, cholesterol, saturated fatty acids (SFAs), mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), some micronutrients and antioxidants in PPD patients with healthy controls.

This case-control study was conducted on 163 women in postpartum period (81 PPD and 82 non-PPD) using Edinburgh questionnaire for the diagnosis of PPD. Dietary nutrients intake was assessed using 147-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Portion sizes of food items were converted to grams per day. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between tertiles of dietary intakes with the odds ratio (OR) of PPD.

According to the fully adjusted model, highest tertile compared to lowest tertile dietary intake of SFAs [OR = 0.01; 95 per cent confidence interval (CI) = 0.00, 0.01, p = 0.001], MUFAs (OR = 0.01; 95 per cent CI = 0.00, 0.02, p < 0.001), total fats (OR = 0.01; 95 per cent CI =0.00, 0.01, p < 0.001) and cholesterol (OR = 0.06 ; 95 per cent CI = 0.01, 0.08, p < 0.001), thiamine (OR = 0.01; 95 per cent CI = 0.00, 0.01, p < 0.001), riboflavin (OR = 0.10; 95 per cent CI = 0.02, 0.39, p < 0.001), pyridoxine (OR = 0.03; 95 per cent CI =0.01, 0.32, p < 0.001), folate (OR = 0.01; 95 per cent CI = 0.00, 0.01, p < 0.001), cobalamine (OR = 0.01; 95 per cent CI = 0.00, 0.01, p < 0.001) , selenium (OR = 0.79 ; 95 per cent CI =1.36, 3.32, p < 0.001), iron (OR =0.68; 95 per cent CI = 0.24, 0.94, p < 0.001) and iodine (OR = 0.36; 95 per cent CI =1.10, 1.38, p < 0.001) had a protective effect on the incidence of PPD. Furthermore, higher intake of vitamin A and beta-cryptoxanthin can increase the incidence of PPD (OR =114.29; 95 per cent CI =17.85, 118.12, p < 0.001) and (OR = 4.85; 95 per cent CI = 1.49, 15.69, p = 0.015), respectively.

PPD may have destructive effects on the relationship between mother and infant. Results of previous studies demonstrated nutrients are required for the synthesis of neurotransmitters and have biochemical role in the nervous system.

Depression is one of the most overlooked psychiatric disorders among middle-aged and elderly men. Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) stigmas are a favorite and common spice that is used as an antidepressant, an anti-inflammatory and a sexual stimulant. This systematic review aimed to provide a comprehensive survey of the effects of saffron on depression in middle-aged and elderly men.

The authors searched Web of Science, PubMed, ProQuest, Cochrane, Science Direct, Scopus and Google Scholar databases to gather any relevant studies published from 1980 to September 2022. This review included studies that examined the relationship between depression and testosterone concentration (four studies) or saffron’s effects on testosterone and depression (six studies).

Observational research showed an association between testosterone and depression in middle-aged and elderly men. Furthermore, animal studies have found that saffron increased testosterone levels and decreased depression in males. There is evidence that testosterone may contribute to the mood. Besides its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, this study proposed scientific mechanisms that saffron may also play a protective role against depression through its influence on testosterone, in middle-aged and elderly men. The general use of saffron at high doses or for prolonged periods may cause side effects; therefore, it is important to consult a health-care professional before the recommended dosage and duration of saffron supplementation, especially if a person has any underlying health conditions or is taking medications.

This study provides researchers with an additional perspective for conducting clinical trials on the use of saffron to enhance the mood of elderly men with testosterone deficiency.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant mortality and morbidity worldwide. However, the role of dietary patterns as a potential risk factor for COVID-19 has not been well established, especially in studies with large samples. Therefore, this study aims to identify and evaluate the association between major dietary patterns and COVID-19 among adults from Iran.

In this cross-sectional study, the authors included 9,189 participants aged 20–70 who participated in the Yazd Health Study (YaHS) and Taghzieh Mardom-e-Yazd study (TAMIZ). They used factor analysis to extract dietary patterns based on a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Then, they assessed the relationship between these dietary patterns and the odds of COVID-19.

This study identified two major dietary patterns: “high protein and high fiber” and “transitional”. Participants in the highest tertile of the “high protein and high fiber” dietary pattern, which included vegetables, fruits, dairy and various kinds of meats such as red meat, fish and poultry, had a lower odds of COVID-19 compared with those in the lowest tertile. However, the “transitional” dietary pattern did not affect the risk of COVID-19.

In conclusion, a “high protein, high fiber” diet may lower the odds of COVID-19. This study suggests that dietary patterns may influence the severity and spread of future similar pandemics.

This pan-Canadian study examines the information practices of STEM-trained immigrant women to Canada as they navigate workfinding and workplace integration. Our study focuses on a population of highly skilled immigrant women from across Canada and uses an information practice lens to examine their lived experiences of migration and labour market integration. As highly trained STEM professionals in pursuit of employment, our participants have specific needs and challenges, and as we explore these, we consider the intersection of their information practices with government policies, settlement services and the hiring practices of STEM employers.

We conducted a qualitative study using in-depth interviews with 74 immigrant women across 13 Canadian provinces and territories to understand the nature of their engagement with employment-seeking in STEM sectors. This article reports the findings related to the settlement and information experiences of the immigrant women as they navigate new information landscapes.

As immigrants, as women and as STEM professionals, the experiences of the 74 participants reflect both marginality and privilege. The reality of their intersectional identities is that these women may not be well-served by broader settlement resources targeting newcomers, but neither are the specific conventions of networking and job-seeking in the STEM sectors in Canada fully apparent or accessible to them. The findings also point to the broader systemic and contextual factors that participants have to navigate and that shape in a major way their workfinding journeys.

The findings of this pan-Canadian study have theoretical and practical implications for policy and research. Through interviews with these STEM professionals, we highlight the barriers and challenges of an under-studied category of migrants (the highly skilled and “desirable” type of immigrants). We provide a critical discussion of their settlement experiences and expose the idiosyncrasies of a system that claims to value skilled talent while structurally making it very difficult to deliver on its promises to recruit and retain highly qualified personnel. Our findings point to specific aspects of these skilled professionals’ experiences, as well as the broader systemic and contextual factors that shape their workfinding journey.

This study aims to develop the application of the strategic choice approach (SCA) in Karaj City (Iran) as the case study for facilitating the decision-making process concerning uncertainties associated with determining fault trace, fault buffer zone and fault setback, as well as inherent uncertainties related to urban issues – known as wicked problems – which make a clear definition unachievable for them.

The SCA was recycled in this study to manage uncertain situations in planning. It is designed to deal with problems caused by uncertainty, insufficient knowledge and unpredictable policy outcomes. In combination with the risk-based planning approach, the paper proposes a new model to deal with uncertainty and hazard risk at the same time.

The results indicated that such decision-making tools are helpful for urban planners who impose changes in the fault zone to save lives and properties where the process seems problematic and ambiguous. Further analysis from the SCA development not only shows that urban planning restrictions should be applied gradually and in pace with the completion of fault displacement geological data but also reveals that defining the implementation process and institutional structure is as important as the preparation of binding fault zoning documents.

The paper will push forward global research and practice because the results can be generalized for use in other earthquake-prone countries, as the considerations and obstacles have a universal character and more specifically because many earthquake-prone countries have not started to define fault avoidance zone restrictions up to now.