ABSTRACT
Background: COVID-19, the third pandemic of the 21st century, is highly contagious and can cause anxiety due to the development of serious physical problems and the reduction of quality of life. Anxiety is a psychological state experienced by nearly all humans during their lives. However, it is considered a mental disorder if it exceeds its moderate level. Objectives: Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the anxiety level, mental health, and their related factor in the population above 18 years old in Qaemshahr, Iran. Methods: This descriptive, correlational study was conducted on 400 individuals in Qaemshahr County who were selected by convenience sampling in 2021. Given the population of this county, convenience sampling was employed to select 40% of the participants from the rural population and 60% from the urban population. The data were collected using a demographic questionnaire (7 items), the Corona Disease Anxiety Scale, including somatic (physical) anxiety and psychic (mental) anxiety sections, and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistical tests were used for data analysis. Results: The mean score of mental health was 22.93 +or- 8.9, which accounted for 63.69% of the total score of the questionnaire. The total mean score of anxiety was also measured at 9.46 +or- 6.89, which contributed to 31.53% to the total score of the questionnaire. According to the results, physical anxiety per se predicted 31% of the dependent variable (mental health). Conclusion: It can be concluded that critical conditions affect individuals' anxiety and mental health levels. Therefore, it is essential to pay more attention to the people who lack sufficient socioeconomic support systems.
ABSTRACT
Infectious bronchitis (IB) is a notable disease of poultry flocks that results in economic loss. As a consequence of the presence of various IB virus (IBV) serotypes, control strategies, such as vaccination, should be replaced by provide broad protective immunity against the disease to date. Gram-positive enhancer matrix particles, or so-called bacterium like particles (BLPs), obtained from the bacterium Lactococcus lactis (L. lactis), have demonstrated an adjuvancy effect by providing demanding mucosal and humoral immune responses, as well as a protective cellular immunity whenever delivered admixed with a vaccine via intranasal or intraocular administration. In this study, for the first time, attempts were made to investigate the impact of an IBV vaccine supplemented by various doses of BLPs on induced levels of humoral immunity against IB. For this purpose, increasing doses of derived BLPs (0, 0.15, 0.3, and 0.6 mg dry weight per bird) were admixed with IBV live attenuated H120 serotype vaccine, and were delivered via ocular administration to 4 equal groups of 10 specific pathogen-free (SPF) chickens in 4 groups: control, BLP1, BLP2, and BLP3, respectively. In addition, 10 SPF chickens that were not immunized comprised the Unvaccinated group. Blood was collected from 5 members of each group weekly for 35 days. Levels of IgG antibodies in the sera were then assayed using ELISA. Weight gain and the feed conversion ratio of each group were also recorded weekly. Finally, 3 birds from each group were necropsied to evaluate probable lesions. The best results were obtained in the BLP1 group, with IBV vaccination at a low dose of admixed BLPs boosted immediate anti-IBV humoral responses;however, the results were not significantly different from those of the Control group, but were still feasible enough for application in the field. In conclusion, BLPs could be a desirable adjuvant for IBV vaccines to increase immunity in chickens.