Background Skin cancer is among the most common cancer types with an increasing global trend of incidence rate. This study explores the spatial distribution of skin cancer, considering body sites exposed and not exposed to sunshine separately. Methods We used 4302 skin cancer cases recorded by Fars Cancer Registry in south-western Iran for over 6 years (2011–2017). The variables included in the study were patients’ residence address, gender, age, report date, and final topographical code. The patients’ addresses were geocoded to the counties of the study area. Skin cancer sites were categorized based on sun exposure in male and female cases. We used the empirical Bayesian smoothing approach to smooth the skin cancer incidence rate at the county level to remove any potential population size bias. Finally, Anselin’s Local Moran’s Index and Getis Ord G* were used to identify the clustered and high-risk skin cancer geographical areas. Results The incidence rates had an increasing trend from 14.28 per 100,000 people in 2011 to 17.87 per 100,000 people in 2016, however, it was decreased to 13.05 per 100,000 people in 2017. Out of 4302 patients with skin cancer, 2602 cases (60%) were male. The cancer cumulative incidence rate in males and females who were not exposed to sunshine was 7.80 and 14.18 per 100,000, respectively. The rates increased to 86.22 and 48.20 in males and females who were exposed to the sun. There were some high-risk spatial clusters of skin cancer in the study area. Further investigations are required to identify the underlying cause of the formation of these clusters. Conclusions Patients exposed to sunshine, especially among the male group, experienced much higher rates of cancer occurrence as compared to unexposed individuals. With a heterogeneous spatial pattern, hotspots were identified in non-sun-exposed and sun-exposed categories in the study area. Researchers and policymakers can significantly benefit from the spatial analyses of skin cancer incidence. These analyses can provide useful and timely prevention policies as well as tailored monitoring techniques in high-risk regions.

Interacting with computers, or Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) field, has long been considered as technology's practical benefit. Finding state-of-the-art means to help users interact with computers in efficient ways is a goal of scientists in this field. Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a practical way to do so especially in a healthcare domain. Although there can be several tools to extract this type of information from literature, the need for developing a more comprehensive system is sensed.

Several studies have investigated the effect of Urtica dioica (UD) consumption on metabolic profiles in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); however, the findings are inconsistent. This systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials were performed to summarize the evidence of the effects of UD consumption on metabolic profiles in patients with T2DM. Eligible studies were retrieved from searches of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases until December 2019. Cochran (Q) and I-square statistics were used to examine heterogeneity across included clinical trials. Data were pooled using a fixed-effect or random-effects model and expressed as weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI).

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has boosted medical students’ vulnerability to various problems. Given the stressful nature of medical disciplines, considerable attention must be paid to student support systems during pandemics. This study aimed to review the current literature regarding medical student support systems systematically. We performed a systematic review of six databases and grey literature sources in addition to a hand search in the references of the articles on April 5, 2021. We included all studies about support for undergraduate medical students delivered in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In conducting this review, we used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. A total of 3646 articles were retrieved from the databases, and 16 additional papers were extracted from other sources. After removing duplicates, we screened 2434 titles and abstracts according to our criteria. Among them, 32 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. Ultimately, 10 studies were included for review. We identified two major themes: (a) academic support and (b) mental health support. All of the included studies utilized online methods whether for transitioning from previous support systems or developing novel approaches. Students and faculty members seemed to be receptive to these new systems. Despite indicating outstanding program outcomes, most studies merely described the positive effects of the program rather than providing a precise evaluation. There are several methods of supporting medical students who are experiencing unprecedented changes in their educational trajectory. Due to substantial differences in undergraduate medical education in different regions of the world, cultural and contextual-oriented support is indispensable for developing a safe learning environment. Future research should investigate the question of the extent to which online support can supersede in-person strategies.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus and the disease it causes, COVID-19, are among the utmost unpredictable global crises in recent times. Medical students, as future academic leaders, have a critical role in response to emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic. Leadership skills, including team leadership abilities, conflict management, negotiating skills, situational leadership and debating skills, are not systematically taught in medical schools. 1 Teaching these particular skills necessary for medical students is a key method to achieve effective performance in times of crises.

Front‑line clinicians and health‑care workers need to be educated to provide care in critical situations such as large‑scale catastrophes and pandemics. This narrative review is focused on investigating educational strategies in confrontation with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19) pandemic. We conduced a literature search in December 2020 through LitCovid, PubMed, ERIC, and Cochrane Library in order to retrieve relevant studies regarding the role of education in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID‑19. There were 12 reviewed studies related to this specific subject. The articles selected for this study demonstrated that education and training had a positive impact on the knowledge and attitude of the participants and also the educational interventions, whether they were simulation‑based or other formats of training, would be deemed crucial for enhancing participants’ level of perceptions and confidence. Therefore, it is highly recommended that public health policymakers consider this important issue.

Background: The aim of the study is to define the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of bacteria from cases of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Materials and Methods: A retrospectiveanalysis of urinary pathogens and their antimicrobial susceptibility was done on urine cultures at Shiraz University Laboratory from 2015 to 2017. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests have done using the disk‑diffusion technique as per the standard of CSLI. Results: During 2 years of study, 3489 samples were culture positive. Escherichia coli was the dominant isolate (84%), followed by Klebsiella spp. (10.7%) and Enterococci spp. (2,2%). The overall resistance rates to trimethoprim‑sulfamethoxazole, ceftriaxone, and ciprofloxacin were 56.1%, 47.2%, and 37%, respectively. The most frequently isolated bacteria were E. coli, which had resistance rates of 58.6%, 49.1% to TMP‑STX, and cefixime, also sensitivity rates of 95.1% to nitrofurantoin (FM). Conclusions: In the study area, resistance rates to fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins were high. Because most isolates were sensitive to FM and aminoglycoside, they are suggested as appropriate antimicrobials for empirical treatment of UTIs before available urine culture results.

BACKGROUND: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19) has turned attention to the essential competencies needed to confront pandemics for a physician. However, medical students, as future physicians, are not adequately trained for such a situation. This study aimed to determine the essential competencies for a medical student to face the COVID‑19 pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed this mixed‑method needs assessment study at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in May–June 2020 in three steps: the first step was a brainstorming session followed by a nominal group technique with the experts’ participation. The second step was determining the validity of competencies by calculating the content validity ratio. In the third and last step, three rounds of the modified Delphi technique were held with the participation of 22 medical faculty members and 45 undergraduate medical students to reach a consensus about the competencies utilizing quantitative analysis. RESULTS: A total of 30 key competencies essential for a medical student were obtained through the current study. They were categorized into four major themes: (1) developing knowledge and abilities for effective diagnosis and treatment of COVID‑19, (2) demonstrating safety principles correctly, (3) demonstrating effective behavior, and (4) determining the meta‑competencies. CONCLUSIONS: Although medical students will be the frontline physicians in the future pandemics, they are not prepared to display the diversity of requisite skills to practice effectively and safely. This study provides essential competencies for medical students during the COVID‑19 pandemic and underlines the importance of a paradigm shift from traditional time‑based to competency‑based education.

BACKGROUND: Medical images have been widely used for various aims, especially for the educational purposes. Patient confidentiality and consent should be deemed crucial. In this study, we sought to assess patients’ satisfaction with taking medical photos of their skin lesions and giving their physicians consent to use them for educational purposes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This multi‑method study included quantitative and qualitative phases and was performed from April to November 2018 in the Dermatology Department of Shiraz Faghihi Hospital in South Iran. Demographic information was analyzed using the descriptive statistics. To resolve the simultaneous effect of demographic variables on patient satisfaction, we conducted linear regression. All the tests were analyzed at the 0.05 significance level. RESULTS: In this study, all the patients except one (99.5%) preferred that only a physician who had a direct role in their care can access their digital photos. Of 200 patients, 134 patients (62.33%) preferred the utilization of hospital cameras in photographing their skin lesions (P = 0.002). On the other hand, 131 patients (49.81%) did not gave consent about using a personal phone camera for photographing their skin lesions (P = 0.001). In the qualitative phase, two major themes (trusting attending physician and paying attention to patient confidentiality) and five sub‑themes (considering their physicians as professional people who always do the right thing, allowing physicians to use their images for educational purposes, covering patient’s face, using hospital cameras, and obtaining informed consent from patients) were derived from qualitative semi‑structured interviews. CONCLUSION: The results showed that there is a need for developing international and national photography guidelines in the era of technology development.

BACKGROUND: A doctor–patient relationship built on the concept of empathy is so essential to attain the best clinical outcomes in medicine. Since empathy has a positive role in interpersonal relationships and medical outcomes, its assessment is highly crucial. The aim of this study was to assess the empathy in last‑year medical students using the Persian version of the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE) and correlate empathy scores with demographic features. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross‑sectional study, last‑year medical students at Shiraz Medical School, Shiraz, Iran, were recruited for this study. In this research, we used the Persian version of JSPE. The validity and reliability of the Persian version of this tool were confirmed in the previous research. For the analysis of data, we employed descriptive statistics and the independent sample t‑test. RESULTS: One hundred and eighty‑five final‑year medical students were included in this study. The maximum score of the questionnaire was 140, and the total mean score of empathy was 98.15 ± 13.29. The females’ total mean score (102.05 ± 11.89) was higher than the males’ score (93.57 ± 13.46). The difference between the mean score of gender and empathy was significant (P value <.001), but there was no significant difference between empathy and the two other demographic factors (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Although physicians would gain the essential characteristics of empathy during their career, attending professors and other responsible policymakers in medical education should focus more on the factors related to physicians’ empathy to train better and more professional physicians.

Objectives: The leading factors of paediatric, pedestrian road trafc injuries (PPRTIs) are associated with the characteristics of immediate environment. Spatial analysis of data related to PPRTIs could provide useful knowledge for public health specialists to prevent and decrease the number of accidents. Therefore, we aim to release the datasets which have been used to conduct a multiple-scale spatial analysis of PPRTIs in the city of Mashhad, Iran, between 2015-2019. Data description: The data include four datasets. The base PPRTIs dataset includes motor vehicle accidents and their attributes in the city of Mashhad between March 2015 and March 2019. The attribute data includes the month, day of the week, hour of the day, place (longitude and latitude) of each accident, age range of the child and gender. Furthermore, three spatial datasets about the city of Mashhad are introduced; (1) the digital boundaries of Neighbourhood, (2) road network dataset (street lines) and (3) urban suburbs of Mashhad.

At the end of 2019, a new virus named SARS-CoV-2 emerged in China, provoking coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19. Self-isolation and quarantine as key strategies to overcoming the spread of the disease have had major, micro, and macroscopic consequences. This commentary, therefore, seeks to review critical factors impacting the COVID-19 pandemic through the spectrum of levels, categorising effects in the WHO’s ecological framework (individual, relational, community, and societal aspects). We further describe the management of the crisis at each level to help guide health personnel, communities, governments, and international policymakers in understanding how their actions fit into a larger picture as they seek to manage the crisis.

Student support services have become central to the work of health professional education programmes as a strategy for optimising trainees’ emotional well-being, educational progress, personal development and employment prospects. In general, they aim at increasing adaptability and resilience, especially for at-risk students, such as those with learning difficulties or psychological concerns.

In this study, academic databases, including MEDLINE, Scopus, and Embase, were investigated. The keywords applied in the search strategy besides the names of each country were:“Public Health,”“Public Response”,“Health Policy”,“COVID-19”,“Novel Coronavirus,”“2019-nCoV”, and “SARS-CoV-2”. The countries included China, Italy, Iran, Spain, South Korea, Germany, France, United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, and Singapore.

In many contexts, medical students collaborate with health care workers to deliver patient management and care in emergencies like the COVID‐19 pandemic. In others, medical students are experiencing an unintended pause in their education due to global university closure over COVID‐19 concerns. In either situation, students find themselves coping with mental and emotional issues, including stress, anxiety, and fear, that may require significant psychological and physical effort. Therefore, it is important that medical schools not only care about students' mental health but also implement strategies to support their understanding of crisis management, self‐mental care, and other principal measures in order to strengthen their coping skills and mental preparedness.

The competency-based model is being used by medical education bodies all over the world, including the CanMEDS in Canada, the Australian Curriculum Framework for Doctors in Australia, and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Competencies in the USA. Competency is a skill of a physician which improves as a medical student progresses from a novice to a master physician.

In this research, it was aimed to assess learning through games in health-volunteers, because, this population had an excessive desire for such methods; and to the extent of the authors’ knowledge, no study has been carried out in the mentioned population yet.