Antimicrobial susceptibility assessment of Campylobacter on outdoor iberian pig sows

Both Campylobacter and Salmonella are considered the most frequent bacterial causes of human enteritis in industrialized countries. The consumption of raw or undercooked poultry and pork contaminated meat products are the main sources of human infection. The prevalence of Campylobacter and Salmonella was determined in the present work for extensive production Iberian pig sows, Sus mediterraneus. Samples were collected at the maternity area of a creator from, water drinkers, feed and feed containers as well as from sows faecal matter. Of 42 samples, 31 and 23 carried Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. respectively. Only Salmonella spp. was found in all 3 tested water and feed containers. Of the 58 isolated Campylobacter strains only one was identified, by multiplex-PCR, as Campylobacter jejuni, all other were C. coli. Antibiotic susceptibility was performed by disc diffusion method with Nalidixic acid, Ciprofloxacin, Erythromycin, Tetracycline, Chloramphenicol and Ampicilin. While 95% of the tested strains were susceptible to chloramphenicol, 66% and 53% were resistant to the tested fluoroquinolones, Ciprofloxacin and Nalidixic acid respectively. Erythromycin resistance was fairly low in comparison to previous publications with 14% of resistant strains. 38% were resistant to Tetracycline and 57% to Ampicilin. Seven of the 58 Campylobacter strains were entirely susceptible and none were resistant to all the antimicrobials tested. Multiple drug resistance was found in 88% of strains. Cross contamination may occur between sows inside maternity facilities and piglets may become infected in an early age by their mothers. New and better control measures are therefore necessary to minimize transmission between animals reducing the number of contaminated individuals and the potential transmission to human handlers and consumers

Prostate cancer incidence in Golestan province, Iran (2004)

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and therefore represents a major problem in public health.The aim of this study was to find and evaluate province-specific estimate of incidence in males by age groups for prostate cancer in Golestan province, Iran. The data used in this study were collected in a cancer registry program that was conducted by Health Deputy of Golestan province in IRAN for a period of 1 year (2004). Prostate cancer data was identified and collected in the population based cancer registries through the 18 Pathology Laboratories (where male populations referred to these centers) and using a structured questionnaire, trained personnel conducted in-person interviews to collect information on prostate cancer in Golestan province. Prostate cancer incidence among males in Golestan province was 5.17/100000 in gerenal. But the highest rate (ASR: 215.87/100,000) among males were showen to be in age 80-85. The incidence of prostate cancer in age 80-84 has risen sharply and it was the lowest in age 50-54 (ASR: 5.18/100,000). According to this information Golestan province harbor a rather incidence for prostate cancer (in age 80-84), comparable to the lower incidence rate reported in the world. For the present time it can be said that prostate cancer in males appear to be one of the most prevalent and serious type of cancer in Golestan province. © 2008 Science Publications

Incidence of thyroid cancer in Golestan province of Iran: Some initial observations

Objectives: The incidence of thyroid cancer is increasing in several countries. The main aim of this study was to find and describe province-specific estimates of incidence in males and females by age groups for thyroid cancer. Methodology: The data used in this study were collected from a cancer registry that was established by Health Deputy of Golestan province for a period of one year (2004), in different age groups. Thyroid cancer data was identified and collected through the eighteen Pathology Laboratory centers (where males and female populations is referred) in Golestan province. Results: A total of 348 females and 409 males cases with cancer representing all sites were identified during the study period. It included seventeen females and five male thyroid cancer patients. In female's thyroid cancer, there were twelve papillary carcinoma (70.6%), two medullary carcinoma, one carcinoma anaplastic and one carcinoma (5.9%). In male's, there were two papillary carcinoma (40%) and one follicular carcinoma. The incidence of thyroid cancer in 70-79 age groups for females and males was the highest and lowest in age group 10-19 years' in females and 30-39 years in males. Conclusion: The incidence of thyroid cancer is higher in females when compared with males as per this one year study. However since this is just one year data, it needs to be studied further to confirm these findings

Male skin cancer incidence in Golestan province, Iran

Objective: To evaluate province-specific estimates of incidence in males by age groups for skin cancer in the Golestan province, Iran. Methods: Data was collected from a cancer registry that was conducted by Health Deputy of Golestan province for a period of one year (2004). Age-specific rate and age-standardized incidence rate (ASR) were determined. Age-specific rate and age-standardized incidence rate (ASR) of skin cancer was compared with Mazanderan province and Iran. The age distribution was collected according to the following age strata: 0-4, 5-9, 10-14, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80-84 and 85 above. Skin cancer data was identified and collected through 18 Pathology Laboratory centers, where the cases had been referred in the Golestan province. Results: A total of 409 primary cancer cases were captured. From these 64 cases were skin cancer. ASR skin cancer incidence among males in Golestan province was: 13.23/100000. But skin cancer with the highest ASR (ASR: 161.90/100,000) among males were in the age group 80-84 years. The lowest incidence was in age 30-34 years. (ASR: 1.88/100,000). Conclusion: The incidence of skin cancer in Golestan Province is rising especially in the age group 80-84 years. It is the highest incidence reported in the world

Jacob: An Educational Agent in a Virtual Environment

The Jacob Project involves the construction of a virtual environment where an animated human-like agent called Jacob gives instruction to the user. The project focuses on three issues: the software engineering aspects of building a virtual reality system, the integration of natural language interaction and other interaction modalities, and the use of agent technology. Jacob has been given a task model and an instruction model in order to teach a particular task. The results of the project can be generalized so that the agent can be used to instruct other tasks in other virtual environments

A Survey on Usage and Diffusion of Project Risk Management Techniques and Software Tools in the Construction Industry

The area of Project Risk Management (PRM) has been extensively researched, and the utilization of various tools and techniques for managing risk in several industries has been sufficiently reported. Formal and systematic PRM practices have been made available for the construction industry. Based on such body of knowledge, this paper tries to find out the global picture of PRM practices and approaches with the help of a survey to look into the usage of PRM techniques and diffusion of software tools, their level of maturity, and their usefulness in the construction sector. Results show that, despite existing techniques and tools, their usage is limited: software tools are used only by a minority of respondents and their cost is one of the largest hurdles in adoption. Finally, the paper provides some important guidelines for future research regarding quantitative risk analysis techniques and suggestions for PRM software tools development and improvemen

Integral-field studies of the high-redshift Universe

We present results from a new method of exploring the distant Universe. We use 3-D spectroscopy to sample a large cosmological volume at a time when the Universe was less than 3 billion years old to investigate the evolution of star-formation activity. Within this study we also discovered a high redshift type-II quasar which would not have been identified with imaging studies alone. This highlights the crucial role that integral-field spectroscopy may play in surveying the distant Universe in the future.Comment: From proceedings of Euro3D Spectroscopy annual RTN network meeting (ed. J. Walsh). 5 pages, accepted for publication in Astron. Nach

Concept and challenges of delivering preventive and care services in prehospital emergency medical service: A qualitative study

Background and purpose: Prehospital emergency medical service (EMS) is an important part of the health care system. Today, the need for integrated emergency care services and delivering qualified preventive and care services felt more than before in accidents and emergencies. This survey aimed to investigate the views of emergency medical personnel on the concept and nature of preventive and care services and current challenges in delivering these services in prehospital EMS centers in Golestan province, Iran. Materials and methods: A qualitative study was done with 16 emergency medical personnel working in EMS sites in Golestan province using purposeful sampling. Data was collected by semistructured interview guide and framework analysis was implemented to analyze the data. Results: Two general themes were identified including 1) the concept of preventive and care services in the EMS and 2) the challenges in providing qualified services in the EMS sites in Golestan province. Also, five sub-themes and 12 subclasses were determined. Conclusion: To enhance and promote services, the EMS system of Golestan province need reforms in organizational structure, laws and administrative regulations, training programs, the system of monitoring and evaluation of personnel, also provision of equipment and manpower and provision of personnel amenities to improve the staff performance. Furthermore, it is necessary to boost emergency services at the community level through training people and enhancing collaboration and participation with other organizations. © 2015, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Did working families' tax credit work? The final evaluation of the impact of in-work support on parents' labour supply and take-up behaviour in the UK

With micro-data from before and after a major reform in 1999 to the structure and form of in-work transfers in the UK, this paper uses a structural model of labour supply and programme participation to evaluate the labour market impact of Working Families' Tax Credit (WFTC). Estimates suggest that by 2002, WFTC had increased labour supply of lone mothers by around 5.11 percentage points, slightly reduced labour supply of mothers in couples by 0.57 percentage points, and increased the labour supply of fathers in couples by 0.75 percentage points, compared with the benefit that preceded it, called Family Credit. In aggregate, these changes are equivalent to a fall of 99,000 in the number of workless families with children, and a net increase in labour market participation of 81,000 workers. However, contemporaneous tax and benefit reforms acted to reduce the labour supply of parents, and so the overall impact of tax and benefit changes introduced since 1999 is lower than stated above. Participating in Family Credit, the UK's in-work programme before October 1999, conferred a utility loss as well as a utility gain from the extra income, but we find this utility cost of participation to be lower in the final year of WFTC than it was in the last year of Family Credit for lone mothers, and no different for individuals in couples: this in itself induced more lone mothers to work