Short communication: A study of food consumption of the deepwater goby, Ponticola bathybius (Kessler, 1877), during spring migration in the southern Caspian Sea

The gobies exhibit a main role in the general production of the Caspian Sea due to their species diversity and unexploited stocks. So, of the 80 fish species known from Iranian part of the Caspian Sea, 10 of them are gobies. The deepwater goby, Ponticola bathybius (Kessler, 1877), Gobiidae, is a native species in the Caspian Sea which settles on sandy and shelly substrates and, in a few numbers, on firm silt down to 75 meters. The presence of predators such as Acipenseridae and prey items as Clupeonella sp. could be effective in the abundance of gobies. Gobies fishes are known as the great consumers of food resources and the considerable competitors for other species. ... In Iranian coastal waters of the Caspian Sea, there are differences in some important ecological factors including substrate type, slope and light intensity which may affect the prey community. Therefore, this study was carried out to compare dietary composition of P. bathybius at three different localities (Bandar-e-Anzali, Salmanshahr and Miankaleh) along the southern Caspian Sea coastal waters

Image-based versus atlas-based patient-specific S-value assessment for Samarium-153 EDTMP cancer palliative care: A short study

Introduction: Use of SPECT/CT data is the most accurate method for patient-specific internal dosimetry when isotopes emit single gamma rays. The manual or semi-automatic segmentation of organs is a major obstacle that slows down and limits the patient-specific dosimetry. Using digital phantoms that mimic patient�s anatomy can bypass the segmentation step and facilitate the dosimetry process. In this study, the results of a patient-specific dosimetry based on CT data and XCAT phantom, a flexible phantom with predefined organs, are compared. Methods: The dosimetry results (S-value and SAF) were calculated for a patient with breast cancer who received Samarium-153 ethylenediamine-N,N,N�,N�-tetrakis(methylenephosphonic acid (153Sm-EDTMP). Biodistribution of activity was obtained from the SPECT scan. The anatomical data and attenuation map were extracted from CT as well as the XCAT phantom with different BMIs. GATE Monte-Carlo simulator was used to calculate the dose to different organs based on the activity distribution and segmented anatomy. Results: The whole body dosimetry results are the same for both calculations based on the CT and XCAT with different BMIs; however for target organs, the differences between SAFs and S-values are high. In the spine, the clinically important target organ for Samarium therapy, the dosimetry results obtained from phantoms with unmatched BMIs between XCAT phantom and CT are substantially different. Conclusion: We showed that atlas-based dosimetry using XCAT phantom even with matched BMI may lead to considerable errors as compared to calculations based on patient�s own CT. For accurate dosimetry results, calculations should be done using CT data. © 2018 Iranian Journal of Nuclear Medicine. All Rights Reserved

Feasibility study on Intensive polyculture of chainess and Indian carps in I.R.IRAN (Giulan province)

500000 juvenile Indian majour carps (Labeo rohita,Cirhinus merigala, Catla catla) imported (2004) and transferred to the earthen ponds in Shahid Ansari Carp Breeding Center , In order to assess the viability of rearing under the climatic condition of north part of Iran and also achieve some growth parameters from the larval stage to market size.The fry with 300 mg weight, were released in to 8 ponds.specimens were separated to tree experimental categories: 1= (Labeo rohita) , 2= (Cirhinus merigala) , 3= (Catla catla). fishes were fed with artificial food and also with the natural products of the ponds which were enriched with organic fertilizers, after being equally stocked in the ponds .During the experiment, oxygen level ,PH, turbidity, and temperature were measured . Monthly fry samples were taken, for weight and length biometrical analysis and also determination of the weight gain percentage, average daily growth rate, specific growth rate. Results have indicated adaptations and considerable growth in this species, with an increase from the initial weight of 300 mg to an average of 13.5±1.6 mg in 50 days period until the end of November for fingerlings. Also the average weight of growing phase (second year of production) was 647g. For Labeo rohita ,420 g. for Cirhinus merigala and 734g. For Catla catla. The special growth rate(SGR)in Roho was 4.51 %.and 3.9 % for merigal and6.2 % for Catla while for Chinees carps SGR was 4.9, 6.7, 7.6 and 5.8 for silver carp,grass carp, common carp and big head respectively. Results revealed that the Indian majour carps compatibility with the condition in Gilan province was succesfull and the combination of species and optimization of their compatibility were remind for further studies

Evaluation of sesamum gum as an excipient in matrix tablets

In developing countries modern medicines are often beyond the affordability of the majority of the population. This is due to the reliance on expensive imported raw materials despite the abundance of natural resources which could provide an equivalent or even an improved function. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of sesamum gum (SG) extracted from the leaves of Sesamum radiatum (readily cultivated in sub-Saharan Africa) as a matrix former. Directly compressed matrix tablets were prepared from the extract and compared with similar matrices of HPMC (K4M) using theophylline as a model water soluble drug. The compaction, swelling, erosion and drug release from the matrices were studied in deionized water, 0.1 N HCl (pH 1.2) and phosphate buffer (pH 6.8) using USP apparatus II. The data from the swelling, erosion and drug release studies were also fitted into the respective mathematical models. Results showed that the matrices underwent a combination of swelling and erosion, with the swelling action being controlled by the rate of hydration in the medium. SG also controlled the release of theophylline similar to the HPMC and therefore may have use as an alternative excipient in regions where Sesamum radiatum can be easily cultivated

Development of new citizenship HSE model for schools and kindergartens of Tehran Metropolitan City

Today many of wide scope and famous organizations design and develop HSE models to achieve a more suitable HSE management system for their own purposes. To implement such models some requirements should be considered in line with defined goals and missions. The present study was carried out in order to achieve the HSE management system for children and adolescents in education and training centers. This study was conducted in two phases, namely identification and assessment/ documentation. The study was carried out in districts one, four, six, seven and eight of Tehran municipality during eighteen months. The employer was Tehran Shahr-e-salem Company (Healthy City) and the contractor was the faculty of environment, University of Tehran. As the final result of study, based on initial data and by holding brainstorming meetings, the final citizenship HSE model was constructed in five panels: Management responsibility and commitment, Infrastructures and resources management and documentation, Planning, HSE operations management and Monitoring, analysis and improvement. This model was designed by consideration of existing capacities and with the goal of being responsive to all stakeholders (service provider, recipients of services and others)

Effect of sub-lethal doses of nisin on Staphylococcus aureus toxin production and biofilm formation

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the commonest food-borne pathogens that can cause gastroenteritis owing to having several enterotoxins. Also, biofilm formation can complicate infections caused by this microorganism. Nisin is a safe food bio preservative which is usually used as an agent to prevent pathogen growth; however, it is important to identify the exact impact of nisin on the growth of S. aureus and to determine the suitable concentration needed for elimination of this pathogen in food. In this study, after MIC determination of nisin against S. aureus ATCC 29213, this strain was treated with sub-MIC (1/2) of nisin (4 μg/ml) and transcript levels of toxin-encoding (hla, SEA, SEB, and SED) and biofilm-associated (fnb, ebpS, eno, and icaA) genes were determined using Quantitative Real-time PCR at 2, 8, and 24 h post exposure. All toxin genes were down-regulated following exposure to sub-MIC of nisin, whereas biofilm-associated genes were up-regulated. The expression levels of fnb and icaA in S. aureus were highest after 8 h (4.5-fold and 6.8-fold increase, respectively), while the expression levels of eno and ebpS genes were highest after 2 h (3.3 and 4.5-fold increase, respectively). According to these results, although transcriptional levels of toxin genes were reduced, sub-MIC concentrations of nisin could trigger the expression of biofilm-associated genes in S. aureus. This can further lead to bacteriocin tolerance such that even its higher concentrations cannot kill bacterial cells after exposure to sub-lethal doses. Therefore, it is pivotal to add appropriate concentrations of nisin to food products for preservation purposes. © 202

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Food-Borne Disease Outbreaks in Yazd Province of Iran during 2012-2016

Background: Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is one of the most important agents of travelers&rsquo; diarrheal diseases in the developing countries. The main purpose of this study was to determine the association of ETEC outbreaks with climatic and demographic variables in Yazd province of Iran. Methods: This study was done on 729 food-borne disease rectal swab samples, which gathered during 48 ETEC outbreaks in Yazd province from 2012 to 2016. The isolates were identified by biochemical tests, serotyping, and heat labile enterotoxin assays in Vero cell line culture. The climatic data was gathered from Iran&rsquo;s Meteorological Organization and Yazd synoptic stations. Data were analyzed by Stata statistical software. Results: The rates of ETEC outbreaks in Ashkezar, Mehriz, and Taft were significantly (p<0.05) more than the other cities of Yazd province. A positive relationship was found between suspended dust condition and the IR of ETEC outbreaks. The IR of ETEC outbreak in autumn was more than the other seasons. Conclusion: The present work showed the association of ETEC outbreaks with some factors such as demographic features, location status, and climate variations.&nbsp; DOI: 10.29252/jfqhc.5.4.

Association between blood groups and COVID-19 outcome in Iranian patients

Aim: Many factors have been speculated to explain the COVID-19 complex clinical phenotype. Due to the inconsistent data published on blood groups and COVID-19, we conducted a study on Iranian patients to further assess this association. Materials & methods: This retrospective study was conducted on data collected from confirmed COVID-19 hospitalized patients during March and December 2020 in a referral hospital for COVID-19, 5 Azar Hospital, Gorgan, north of Iran. A total of 1554 confirmed COVID-19 cases were enrolled in the study with blood group (ABO and Rh), demographic, and clinical data available. Results: Of 1554 patients, 1267 and 287 cases had recovered and deceased (due to COVID-19) outcomes, respectively. Most of the cases had O+ (29.6), the least number had AB- (0.5), and most of the deceased cases had O+ blood types (31.4). Logistic regression analysis revealed that groups A- and B- had higher and groups B+, AB+, O+ and O- had lower odds of death than the A+ group. Conclusion: This study indicates that blood types may be related to the clinical outcome of COVID-19. Further studies with a large cohort for multiple people are required to validate this association. © 2021 Future Medicine Ltd