Investigation of Mnemiopsis leidyi feeding from the Caspian Sea zooplanktons

Mnemiopsis leidyi was sampled from December 2003 to March 2005 in 11 stations located along four regions Anzali, Khazarabad, Tourkman and Gorgan Bay using METU net in the Iranian coasts of the Caspian Sea. Study of stomach contents of M. leidyi showed that Acartia sp. belonging to Copepoda and Lamellibranchia sp. had the highest frequency comprising 66% and 13% of food items taken by the organism respectively and the least food items taken were Balanus nauplii, Rotatoria, Tintinnopsis and Podon polyphemoides. The maximum mean abundance of food item was Acartia sp. which was shown to be present in stomach content of M. leidyi caught in different depths, seasons and regions in the Iranian coasts of the Caspian Sea. For the M. leidyi larvae, the highest amount of food item was Acartia sp. and Lamellibranchia sp. with an average of 44% and 32% and the maximum abundance of food item for juvenile and mature M. leidyi was also Acartia sp. with an average of 67.5% and 66%. The results showed that the main food item for M. leidyi is Acartia sp. of the Copepoda. Hence, M. leidyi feeding has an important effect in declining zooplankton populations

Evaluation of the Implementing Different Methods of Measurement and Sustainable Learning Based Measurements

Abstract: The aim of higher education is granted jurisdiction to the students and increase their learning. In the recent years, experts believe that these aims must pay more attention to sustainable learning in the life. Selecting the suitable evaluation methods for the students, which can access different evaluation aims simultaneously, is the biggest challenge for evaluation. This research considers the different common methods of evaluation and achieving the goals of sustainable learning of the students with the help of these methods. The research is an analytical and descriptive- survey. The statistical society of this research is the students of six majors of humanity in Isfahan University. The students were selected randomly. The research tool was researcher made questionnaire which has been prepared by reviewing the special text and experts view points on a Likert scale. Ensuring the reliability and validity of a questionnaire the data were analyzed by the descriptive and inferential statistic. According to the findings the evaluating method which has been used was inapplicable, compressed, limited and they were highly according to the student’s final exams. There is no place for self and peer assessment. Also finding showed that actions related to the evaluation are not programming on the line with the student sustainable learning and they have not suitable accuracy to measure the learning aims. Measurement method selection according to the learning outcome, especially sustainable learning and making student to have an active role in measurement process are among the suggestions

Hospital effect on infections after four major surgeries: Outlier and volume-outcome analysis using all-inclusive state data

Hospital volume is known to have a direct impact on outcomes of major surgeries. However, it is unclear if the evidence applies specifically to surgical site infections. To determine if there are procedure-specific hospital outliers (with higher surgical site infection rates [SSIR]) for four major surgical procedures, and to examine if hospital volume is associated with SSIR in the context of outlier performance in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Adults who underwent one of four surgical procedures (colorectal, joint replacement, spinal and cardiac procedures) at a NSW healthcare facility from 2002 through 2013 were included. The hospital volume for each of the four surgical procedures was categorised into tertiles (low, medium and high). Multivariable logistic regression models were built to estimate the expected SSIR for each procedure. The expected SSIR were used to compute an indirect standardised SSIR which was then plotted in funnel plots to identify hospital outliers. One hospital was identified to be an overall outlier (higher SSIR for 3 out of the 4 procedures performed in its facilities); whereas two hospitals were outliers for one specific procedure throughout the entire study period. Low-volume facilities performed the best for colorectal surgery and worst for joint replacement and cardiac surgery. One high-volume facility was an outlier for spinal surgery. Surgical site infections seem to be mostly a procedure-specific as opposed to a hospital-specific phenomenon in NSW. The association between hospital volume and SSIRs differs for different surgical procedures.ACAC is funded by an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Senior Research Fellowship (#1058878)

The Effect of Chalcone Isomerase Gene Silencing on Pigment Production Pathway in Petunia hybrida with RNAi Technology

Introduction  Flower color is one of the most significant characteristics in ornamental plant breeding. New varieties of various plants in relation to their flower color have been obtained by monitoring the expression levels of genes involved or regulating the flavonoid and anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. Flavonoids possess significant and diverse biological functions. They are the major pigments for flowers, fruits, seeds, and leaves. They are natural products that contain a C6-C3-C6 carbon framework and are synthesized by a branched pathway that yields both colored and colorless compounds. The gene encoding chalcone isomerase (CHI) is among the genes and enzymes identified in the flavonoid pathway. This enzyme catalyzes the isomerization of naringenin chalcone into the corresponding flavanone. CHI enzyme belongs to the family of isomerases, specifically the class of intramolecular lyases. Chalcone isomerase has a core 2-layer alpha/beta structure and has attracted much attention recently due to its role in stress response and pigment production. One of the most effective methods of genetic engineering is the reduction of flower pigments by suppression of required enzymes for their biosynthesis. RNA interference (RNAi) has provided the tool for the investigation of genes involved in the production of flower color. Silencing of any gene in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway can result in reduced or inhibited anthocyanin production. RNAi technology is an effective gene silencing method and a powerful tool for studying gene function and development of new traits by transformation of viral RNA or hairpin RNA (hpRNA) constructs into plants. The processing of dsRNA into 21-23-nt small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), and the mediators of RNAi, triggers cognate mRNA degradation. The hpRNAi methodology simply requires a transgene construct containing an inversely-repeated sequence of the target gene flanked with a promoter and terminator which effectively function in plants.   Material and Methods  In this research, with the design and construction of chiRNAi, the transformation of the RNAi construct was carried out of Petunia plants. Potted plants of P. hybrida were grown under standard greenhouse conditions (16-17°C night temperature and 21-24°C day temperature and photoperiod 16/8 (light/dark)). The RNAi construct including the 530 bp cds of the chalcone isomerase (chi) gene and 741 bp of pdk gene as intron between chi sense and antisense were used for transient RNAi-induced silencing. The pBI121-chi530 plasmids were introduced into A. tumefaciens strain LBA4404 by electroporation method. Colonies of A. tumefaciens carrying the desired plasmid were screened by PCR with specific primers for chi gene. RNAi construct co-cultured with petunia’s leave. Samples was kept in dark condition for 3 days and then transferred to branch induction media. Samples were investigated for phenotypical changes and chi gene expression by qRT-PCR. Results and Discussion  Transgenic lines showed a reduced number of pigments and a faded flower color. So that, in purple petunia, was shown 5 phenotypical groups. These groups was indicated different levels of chi gene silencing. In pink petunia was seen two groups of phenotypical changes. In these plants, chi-RNAi construct was reduced pigment production and so, these plants had faded colors in petals. Also, the chi gene expression was reduced in all transgenic lines. Generally, the results of this research showed that RNAi can be used as an efficient method for gene silencing. The application of gene silencing can indicate the gene’s function in biosynthesis pathways of various components such as anthocyanins. In addition, the chalcone isomerase gene was identified as one of the effective genes in anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway in Petunia plants that could be involved in the production of color in these plants; hence, chi gene silencing resulted in clear phenotypic alterations in this plant.   Conclusion  In general the concentration of the target mRNA in a particular tissue could be a factor that influences silencing efficiency. At very low levels of gene expression, small amounts of the silencing target, mRNA, could be completely degraded by the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), whereas the presence of higher amounts of the target mRNA may result in incomplete silencing, allowing some residual functional mRNA to be translated into the corresponding protein. This research demonstrated the hpRNA construct has been successfully established for floral tissues of P. hybrida. The hpRNA construct was developed for chi-RNAi silencing of one of the key genes in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway in Petunia flowers. The silencing of the chi gene is a prototype for the modification of the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway in Petunia through gene suppression. This strategy could also be useful for rapid functional analysis of other genes involved in flower development

Reproduction of the ctenophore, Beroe ovata, in the Caspian Sea water

The experiments with Beroe ovata showed that this ctenophore can survive and reproduce in the Caspian Sea water, though at far lower rate than in the Black Sea; larval growth in the Caspian Sea water was also slower and mortality higher. Maximum fecundity of 2210 and 240 eggs recorded in laboratories of Turkey and Iran, respectively. About 34 to 100% of eggs in the Caspian Sea water could not develop and hatch. Larvae were at different stages of development, usually with size between 1.2 to 2mm. The highest number of eggs and larvae were obtained in tanks where Beroe individuals were together with Mnemiopsis leidyi. The poor reproduction of B. ovata in the Caspian Sea water could be due to both the acclimation stress to low salinity and possible damage of individuals during the transportation

Geographical outcome disparities in infection occurrence after colorectal surgery: An analysis of 58,096 colorectal surgical procedures

Background Despite improved surgical practices and in-hospital surveillance systems, surgical site infections remain a major public health problem worldwide and often require readmission to hospital. The aim was to apply an advance and innovative spatial analysis approach to identify spatial pattern and clustering (hotspots) of surgical site infection rate (CSIR), and quantifying disparities across communities. Methods We used the Admitted Patient Data Collection for patients aged 18 years and over who underwent colorectal surgery in a public hospital between 2002 and 2013 in the Australian State of New South Wales (NSW). The colorectal surgical infection rate (CSIR) was computed. We assessed geographical variation and clustering in CSIR patterning to demonstrate spatial pattern and clustering across communities in NSW, Australia. Results There were 58,096 colorectal surgical procedures conducted in NSW from 2002 to 2013. The overall occurrence of CSIR was 9.64% (95%CI 9.40-9.88%). We found significant clusters of both high and low CSIR in outer regional and remote areas of NSW. Conclusion Use of advanced spatial analyses allows identification of hotspots/clusters of adverse events that can help policy makers and clinicians better understand national patterns and initiate research to address disparities/geographical variation, and clustering of adverse events after surgery. 1 2017 IJS Publishing Group LtdScopu

Endoscopic mucosal resection: still a reliable therapeutic option for gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors

Background: Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), as a rare and heterogeneous category of solid tumors, feature various morphologies and behaviors. In recent years, the incidence of NETs has continued to increase. Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is one of the therapeutic modalities for the treatment of gastric and rectal NETs. Methods: We evaluated patients with well-differentiated NETs of the stomach, duodenum, or rectum between 2011 and 2018. In this study, all cases with tumors confined to the mucosal or submucosal layers and smaller than 20 mm were resected using the EMR technique. We used EUS, CT scan, or MRI to exclude patients with advanced disease. All patients were actively monitored for recurrence according to the recommended protocols. Results: A total of 36 patients with NETs entered the study; 17 (47.2) were female and the remaining 19 (52.8) were male, with a total age range of 20�74 years (mean: 52.47 ± 13.47 years). Among the tumors, 31 cases (86.1) were G1 and the remaining 5 (13.9) were G2. Based on the pathology reports, 22 tumors (61.1) were smaller than 1 cm, while the remaining 14 (38.9) were between 1�2 cm. Twenty-two patients (61.1) had a margin of specimen involved with the tumor. No recurrence was observed during the mean follow-up time of 63.5 ± 19.8 months (range: 39�103 months). All 36 cases survived during the study period. Conclusion: Conventional EMR procedure provides low chance of R0 (complete resection) achievement in gastrointestinal NETs smaller than 20 mm and limited to the mucosa or sub mucosa. However, it could be an option if patients are closely followed. Postoperative marginal involvement is not a reliable predictor of disease recurrence, which may be explained by the deleterious effect of heat coagulation and cauterization applied during tumor removal. © 2021, The Author(s)

Differentiated thyroid cancer: millions spent with no tangible gain?

The incidence of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) has rapidly increased worldwide over the last decades. It is unknown if the increase in diagnosis has been mirrored by an increase in thyroidectomy rates with the concomitant economic impact that this would have on the healthcare system. DTC and thyroidectomy incidence as well as DTC specific mortality were modelled using Poisson regression in New South Wales (NSW), Australia per year and by sex. The incidence of 2002 was the point from which the increase in rates were assessed cumulatively over the subsequent decade. The economic burden of potentially avoidable thyroidectomies due to the increase in diagnosis was estimated as the product of the additional thyroidectomy procedures during a decade attributable to rates beyond those reported for 2002 and the national average hospital cost of an uncomplicated thyroidectomy in Australia. We found that the incidence of both DTC and thyroidectomy doubled in NSW between 2003 and 2012, while the DTC specific mortality rate remained unchanged over the same period. Based on the 2002 incidence, the projected increase over 10 years (2003-2012) in thyroidectomy procedures was 2,196. This translates to an extra cost burden of over AUD$ 18,600,000 in surgery-related healthcare expenditure over one decade in NSW. Our findings suggest that, if this rise is solely attributable to overdetection, then the rising expenditure serves no additional purpose. Reducing unnecessary detection and a conservative approach to managing DTC are sensible and would lead to millions of dollars in savings and reduced harms to patients

Limnological survey on the most important rivers in the Iranian southern soasts of the Caspian Sea in the Guilan Province with emphasize on the pollutants (Hevigh, Karkanrud and Shafarud rivers)

In order to create a reliable ecological database for Guilans running waters(north Iran near the Caspian sea), at the first step 3 important rivers containing Hevigh, Karkanrud and Shafarud, were selected and limnological survey, during autumn 1380 and summer1381 were seasonally carried out for them. Results showed that the key physico-chemical parameters such as dissolved O2, BOD5, pH, Phosphate, Nitrate, Nitrite, ammonium and in all of the three rivers water were in their normal range suggesting good water quality. Chrysophyta, Chlorophyta, Cyanophyta and Euglenophyta were respectively the most prevalent phytoplankton taxa and Zooplankton fauna of the rivers were fixed and sessile species belong to Protozoa and Rotatoria. 42 benthic macroinvertebrates taxa(Hevigh:36,Karkanrud:22 and Shafarud:30) were identified in these 3 rivers which individuals belong to order Diptera compromise the most divers and frequent one. Regarding macroinvertebrates diversity and indicator groups, it seems that Hevigh river has relatively better water quality than the two other. 23 fish species belong to 9 family,7 order and 2 class , were identified in these rivers during the study period which cyprinid were the most diverse and prevalent of them. Albornoides sp., Capoeta capoeta and Neogobios sp. were the most widespread and frequent species of the identified fishes in all of them. Bacteriological survey including Coliform and E.Colie count showed that the lower parts of the rivers near the estuaries were more infected and the bottom sediments had more bacterial count during the all sampling period. However the total coliform count never exceed of 200 colonies per 100cc , suggesting no risk for direct contact (swimming and washing), according to EPA standards. Chromium, Cadmium and Mercury had very low concentrations in the rivers water but Cupper had relatively high concentration (up to 1.788 mg/l in Hevigh river) amongst the studied heavy metals. The maximum and minimum concentrations of detergent materials or surfactant (LAS) were respectively observed in Shafarud (0.047 mg/l) and Hevigh (0.014 mg/l). According to the results of the study even though all the three rivers water had an overall reasonable quality, but some signs of destructions and degradations such as sedimentation, relatively increase of nutrient, increased concentrations of some pollutants, which all results in the low diversity of macroinvertebrates and prevents migration of anadromous fishes, calls for a continuing monitoring program and precise control for these regions

Designing and establishment of ISO/IEC 17025 in laboratories of national inland water aquaculture center and south Iran aquaculture research center

The project was carried out between June of 2011 and November of 2012,8 laboratories of research center in Anzali (Plankton, Algae, Hydrochemistry, Physiology, Ichthyology, Bentose, Parazitology, Virology) and 7 laboratories of research center in Ahvaz (Clinical pathology, Plankton, Hydrochemistry, Physiology, Ichthyology, Bentose, Parazitology, Virology) were selected for accreditation. The main stages for establishment of the system consisted of: 1-Conducting a gap analysis to compare the present state of the laboratories with ISO/IEC 17025 2-Training General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories Validation of methods Estimation of uncertainty Internal audits 3- Performing of technical and management requirements 4-Submit of quality manual to ASCB center in England in order to accredit In August of 2012 The main results were including: 1-Increase the accuracy of measurement in laboratories 2-Improvement of the Repeatability and Reproducibility of the test methods 3-Traceability and standardization of test methods 4- Calibration of measurement instruments 6- Updating of test methods 7-Standardization of physical condition of the laboratories 8- Getting the certification from ASCB center i