Anti-influenza antibody level after vaccination in north of Iran

Objective:Influenza is a highly transmitted disease and about 10% of the world's population is affected by this disease annually. The aim of this research was to study the variation of serum antibody levels among subjects who had already been vaccinated against influenza. Methods And Materials:This descriptive-analytical study was carried out on 196 subjects who had influenza vaccination (influvac 2005/2006) and on 200 subjects who were matched with the vaccinated subjects by their ages in Gorgan which is located in the northeast of Iran. The subject's sera were prepared seven weeks after the influenza vaccination. Their serum antibody levels were determinated by the heamaglutination inhibition test. Results:The antibody titre in 81 subjects of the vaccinated group and in 175 subjects of the control group was less then 1/40. The mean antibody titre of the vaccinated subjects and the control group was 143.4±10.89 and 18.34±3.2, respectively. The difference was statistically significant (P value=0.000). Conclusion:The findings showed that the mean titre of the antibodies in the vaccinated and control groups was statistically different. This means that the influenza vaccine has good efficacy in our population

Performance enhancement of safety message communication via designing dynamic power control mechanisms in vehicular ad hoc networks

In vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs), transmission power is a key factor in several performance measures, such as throughput, delay, and energy efficiency. Vehicle mobility in VANETs creates a highly dynamic topology that leads to a nontrivial task of maintaining connectivity due to rapid topology changes. Therefore, using fixed transmission power adversely affects VANET connectivity and leads to network performance degradation. New cross-layer power control algorithms called (BL-TPC 802.11MAC and DTPC 802.11 MAC) are designed, modeled, and evaluated in this paper. The designed algorithms can be deployed in smart cities, highway, and urban city roads. The designed algorithms improve VANET performance by adapting transmission power dynamically to improve network connectivity. The power adaptation is based on inspecting some network parameters, such as node density, network load, and media access control (MAC) queue state, and then deciding on the required power level. Obtained results indicate that the designed power control algorithm outperforms the traditional 802.11p MAC considering the number of received safety messages, network connectivity, network throughput, and the number of dropped safety messages. Consequently, improving network performance means enhancing the safety of vehicle drivers in smart cities, highway, and urban city. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC

Interleukin-6 and Associated Cytokine Responses to An Acute Bout of High-intensity Interval Exercise: the Effect of Exercise Intensity and Volume

Acute increases in interleukin (IL)-6 following prolonged exercise are associated with the induction of a transient anti-inflammatory state (e.g., increases in IL-10) that is partly responsible for the health benefits of regular exercise. The purposes of this study were to investigate the IL-6–related inflammatory response to high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) and to determine the impact of exercise intensity and volume on this response. Ten participants (5 males and 5 females) completed 3 exercise bouts of contrasting intensity and volume (LOW, MOD, and HIGH). The HIGH protocol was based upon standard HIIE protocols, while the MOD and LOW protocols were designed to enable a comparison of exercise intensity and volume with a fixed duration. Inflammatory cytokine concentrations were measured in plasma (IL-6, IL-10) and also determined the level of gene expression (IL-6, IL-10, and IL-4R) in peripheral blood. The plasma IL-6 response to exercise (reported as fold changes) was significantly greater in HIGH (2.70 ± 1.51) than LOW (1.40 ± 0.32) (P = 0.04) and was also positively correlated to the mean exercise oxygen uptake (r = 0.54, P < 0.01). However, there was no change in anti-inflammatory IL-10 or IL-4R responses in plasma or at the level of gene expression. HIIE caused a significant increase in IL-6 and was greater than that seen in low-intensity exercise of the same duration. The increases in IL-6 were relatively small in magnitude, and appear to have been insufficient to induce the acute systemic anti-inflammatory effects, which are evident following longer duration exercise

An improved method for measuring muon energy using the truncated mean of dE/dx

The measurement of muon energy is critical for many analyses in large Cherenkov detectors, particularly those that involve separating extraterrestrial neutrinos from the atmospheric neutrino background. Muon energy has traditionally been determined by measuring the specific energy loss (dE/dx) along the muon's path and relating the dE/dx to the muon energy. Because high-energy muons (E_mu > 1 TeV) lose energy randomly, the spread in dE/dx values is quite large, leading to a typical energy resolution of 0.29 in log10(E_mu) for a muon observed over a 1 km path length in the IceCube detector. In this paper, we present an improved method that uses a truncated mean and other techniques to determine the muon energy. The muon track is divided into separate segments with individual dE/dx values. The elimination of segments with the highest dE/dx results in an overall dE/dx that is more closely correlated to the muon energy. This method results in an energy resolution of 0.22 in log10(E_mu), which gives a 26% improvement. This technique is applicable to any large water or ice detector and potentially to large scintillator or liquid argon detectors.Comment: 12 pages, 16 figure

Gravity and Electromagnetism with Y(R)F2Y(R)F^2-type Coupling and Magnetic Monopole Solutions

We investigate $Y(R) F^2$-type coupling of electromagnetic fields to gravity. After we derive field equations by a first order variational principle from the Lagrangian formulation of the non-minimally coupled theory, we look for static, spherically symmetric, magnetic monopole solutions. We point out that the solutions can provide possible geometries which may explain the flatness of the observed rotation curves of galaxies.Comment: 10 page

Marine food web dynamics of small-sized pelagic fish in the Caspian Sea (Iranian’s water)

A mass-balance Ecopath model of coastal areas in the Caspian Sea has been constructed for a quantitative description of the trophic structure of the ecosystem. The model is used to estimate the important biological parameters and relationships among the different ecologically important groups. Twenty five species were used in the present analysis. The model is based on the data collected of Kilka fisheries, beach seining (Bony fish fisheries), and set Gillnet (Sturgeon Fisheries) and also dietary information. Total landings along the Iranian portion of southern Caspian coast reached 39647 t, including sturgeon (41 t), kilka (22873 t) and bony fishes (16733 t) in 2014. Two species of kilka (Common kilka and Anchovy) are important commercially in the Caspian Sea, together accounting in the past decade for > 60 % of the total catch, as well as being a crucial part of the food chain. The mean average trophic level was estimated at 3.17 by Ecopath software. In this research, the mean level were studied between eight species varied from 2.56 to 4.04, Sander lucioperca occupy the highest and the as vimba vimba was the lowest level. The ranges of total mortality varied from 0.5 to 2.56 per years. The food consumption rate was estimated about 101.56 per year Mixd trophic level index (MTI) showed small pelagic fishes as prey, have crucial role in feeding of pelagic predators population such as invasion of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi, bream fish and benthic fish such as sturgeon. In general, niche overlap was greater in more species such as Alburnus chalcoides, Rutilus rutilus, Clupeonella cultriventris, Rutilus kutum and M. leidyi who consumed large amounts of plankton. In conclusion small pelagic fish exert a major control on the trophic dynamics of the Caspian Sea ecosystems and constitute midtrophic-level populations

Experiments on polyculture of pike, Esox lucius, with carps

The Goal of project implementation was survey of biological roles of Northern pike, Esox lucius, in decreasing of Coarse fish and other un economics organisms in carps ponds and also increasing of final crops in hectare and determination of Suitable ration of pike in ponds. This project implemented by 5 treatment with 3 replicates for every ones in 2 years. The pike density was 200, 350, 500 and 650 fish individuals per hectare for 1, 2, 3 and 4 treatment, respectively, and fifth treatment was without pike. The treatments of 1 and 3 conducted in first year and other in second year of test period. At first, about 26 brooders Caught from Anzali Lagoon, and reproduced by artificial and semi - natural methods in Sefidroud Fisheries Research Station in 12–14 °c temperature. Produced larvae reared in earthen ponds and fries reached to weight of 10 -12 g after 45 days. Mean weight, length and survival rates of fish was 12.27 and 32.5 g, 11.44 and 15.83 cm, and 40 and 21% after 45 and 60 days, respectively. The carp density in ponds was 3500 fish individuals per hectare and stocking rates were 55 % silver carp, 20 % common carp, 10 % bighead carp and 15 % grass carp. In throughout of the experiment period, physico– chemical factors measured and plankton (phyto and zoo), benthos, un wanted fish and other organisms investigated. The biomass of unwanted fishes reduced to 76/81 and 60/6 % in first and second year of experiments respectively. The results showed that Esox lucius had effect in increasing of objective fish produce about 17.9 % and 3.9 % in first and second period of project implementation respectively. The average of fish produce in pond unit (2400 m^2)was 842 kg (3508 kg/ha ), 825 kg (3439 kg/ha) and 776 kg (3232 kg/ha) in first , second and control treatments first year of test period , and also in second year was 865 kg (3603 kg/ha), 877 kg (3652 kg/ha) and 848 kg (3531 kg/ha) in second , fourth and control treatments , respectively. A significant different found in final weight mean of common carp between treatments and Control ponds (P <0/05), as the weight of common carp in treatments ponds was 220 % in first year and 191 % in second year more than control pond. In end of the trial, the mean weight of Esox lucius was 265 ± 74, 276 ± 104, 159 ± 33 and 265 ± 89 g in 1, 2, 3 and 4 treatment, respectively. Survival rate of Northern pike in 1 to 4 treatment was 43.8, 55.2, 40 and 35.6 %, respectively

Detecting a stochastic gravitational wave background with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna

The random superposition of many weak sources will produce a stochastic background of gravitational waves that may dominate the response of the LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) gravitational wave observatory. Unless something can be done to distinguish between a stochastic background and detector noise, the two will combine to form an effective noise floor for the detector. Two methods have been proposed to solve this problem. The first is to cross-correlate the output of two independent interferometers. The second is an ingenious scheme for monitoring the instrument noise by operating LISA as a Sagnac interferometer. Here we derive the optimal orbital alignment for cross-correlating a pair of LISA detectors, and provide the first analytic derivation of the Sagnac sensitivity curve.Comment: 9 pages, 11 figures. Significant changes to the noise estimate

All-particle cosmic ray energy spectrum measured with 26 IceTop stations

We report on a measurement of the cosmic ray energy spectrum with the IceTop air shower array, the surface component of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole. The data used in this analysis were taken between June and October, 2007, with 26 surface stations operational at that time, corresponding to about one third of the final array. The fiducial area used in this analysis was 0.122 km^2. The analysis investigated the energy spectrum from 1 to 100 PeV measured for three different zenith angle ranges between 0{\deg} and 46{\deg}. Because of the isotropy of cosmic rays in this energy range the spectra from all zenith angle intervals have to agree. The cosmic-ray energy spectrum was determined under different assumptions on the primary mass composition. Good agreement of spectra in the three zenith angle ranges was found for the assumption of pure proton and a simple two-component model. For zenith angles {\theta} < 30{\deg}, where the mass dependence is smallest, the knee in the cosmic ray energy spectrum was observed between 3.5 and 4.32 PeV, depending on composition assumption. Spectral indices above the knee range from -3.08 to -3.11 depending on primary mass composition assumption. Moreover, an indication of a flattening of the spectrum above 22 PeV were observed.Comment: 38 pages, 17 figure

Study of Golabar dam reservoir in Zanjan province (Zanjan Province)

The limnological study of the Golabar dam showed that in the Glabar dam inspite of bing its early establishment due to high nutrient and organic matter is located in eutrophic stage. the pH as well as bicarbonate levels shows that buffering capacity of the lake is high and the value of inorganic and organic matter measured are not considered as limiting factor for warme and cold water aquaculture. In the plankton survey 44 species of phytoplankton and 25 species of zooplankton were identified. Cyclotella , Nitzschia, Synedra and Trachelomona from phytoplankton and Polyarthera , Keratella , Filinia , Pompholyx from zooplankton were the dominant spicies.the Bacillariophyta from phytoplankton with 76.5 percent and Rotatoria zooplankton to with 76.2 percent considered the highest abundant . The average frequency of phytoplankton and zooplankton were 5*106 and 723 individual per litter. The Shironomide and Tobificide were the only two bentic group were identified in reservoir wehre their mean frequced were 293.75 and 224.30 respectively. The average biomass of bentic organism were 1.44±0.97 gr/m2.In the survey 12 species of fishes were identified. The potential natural production have been estimated to be 2.8 to 15.5 kg for bentivorous fish and varied from 53 to 175 kg /hec for plankton consumer fishes .The low temperature in several months as well as ice covered of the lake surface in particular in the months of duty and Bahman are the limiting factor of either warm or cold water fish production