Effect of Slope Position on Soil Properties and Types Along an Elevation Gradient of Arasbaran Forest, Iran

Sustainable development by forest managing need to identify forest ecosystem elements. Forest soil is the most important element of forest ecosystem that has key roles in forest managing. Therefore, studying of soil properties and evolution under different environmental conditions is necessary for sustainable management of forest ecosystems. Spatial variation of soil properties is significantly influenced by some environmental factors that slope position is one of them. The aim of this study was evaluating effects of slope position on forest soil change which was carried out in Arasbaran forest, North-West of Iran. Nine soil profiles were dug, described and sampled in three different parts of an altitudinal transect with same environmental conditions and different slope positions. Then soil samples were analysed physicaly and chemicaly and so classified based on Soil Taxonomy 2014. Also according to obtained results One-way analysis of variance was used to test relations of soil properties and slope positions. This results revealed significant effect of slope positions on thickness of the soil profile and solum, clay, organic carbon and total nitrogen percentages and cation exchange capacity at 5% level of confidence which lead to change of type, depth and sequence of soil horizons along altitudinal transect. Finally, it has found that slope position not only has important role in soil properties changes and soil evolution but also it can't be refused the various role and influence of same forest stand in different slope positions. Therefore various soils such as Inceptisols, Alfisols and Molisols were observed under different slope positions. Then it can be achieved that, because of special forest vegetation, soil evolution along altitudinal transect of forest ecosystems are differing from other ecosystems. Thus, for forest soil management program it is necessary to consider both of topography and vegetation effect over the area, even if one of them is constant

Left atrial volumes and associated stroke subtypes.

Background: Cardio embolism and cerebrovascular atherosclerosis are two major mechanisms of stroke. Studies investigating associations between advanced echocardiographic parameters and stroke mechanisms are limited. Methods: This study is a standardized review of 633 patients admitted to the stroke service of a tertiary care hospital following a standardized stroke investigation and management pathway. Stroke subtypes were characterized using the Causative Classification System, using the hospitals online radiologic archival system with CCS certified stroke investigators. Patients with two mechanisms were excluded. Results: Patients with cardioembolic stroke had a higher proportion of atrial fibrillation (p \u3c 0.001), acute myocardial infarction (p \u3c 0.001) and ischemic heart disease (p \u3c 0.001). On electrocardiogram (ECG) and transthoracic Echo (TTE), patients with cardioembolic stroke had a greater atrial fibrillation (p \u3c .00), left ventricular thrombus (p \u3c .00), left ventricular ejection fraction \u3c30% (p \u3e\u3c .00) and global hypokinesia (p \u3c .00) Patients with cardioembolic stroke had higher mean left atrial volume indices (LAVi) (p \u3c 0.001), mean left ventricular mass indices (LVMi) (p \u3c 0.05) and mean left atrial diameters (LAD) (p \u3c 0.05). At LAVi of 29–33 ml/m2 , the risk of atherothrombotic stroke increased. The risk of cardioembolic stroke increased with LAVi of 34 ml/m2 and above. Conclusion: Left atrial volume indices may be linked to specific stroke phenotype. At mild increases in left atrial dimensions, the risks of atherosclerotic stroke are high, and probably reflect hypertension as the unifying mechanism. Further increases in left atrial dimensions shifts the risk towards cardioembolic stroke

Conduciveness of women social setting in traditional Iranian bazaar from functional dimension

Iranian traditional Bazaars are not just physical settings for everyday commercial activities. They are places of communal life especially for women and provide the main daily sources of their outdoor recreations. The research hypothesize that there is a serious lack of sensitivity to the cultural values, especially for women within modern Iranian market places. In this regard, the aim of this research was in filling this gap and describing the relationship between women communal life and urban public spaces. To reach the aim, this study was conducted among middle-aged Iranian women within the Iranian traditional Bazaar of Isfahan (as the most public urban space in the Iranian cities). To increase the accuracy of findings, the data collection methods through triangulation were unobtrusive behavioral observation of women communal life within two selected settings, semi-structured single face to face women interviews (n=24), semi-structured focus group interviews (n=5), and taking photographs. In order to analyze the collected data, a qualitative content analysis and descriptive analysis were used. The finding of the research showed that the social settings of traditional Isfahan Bazaar are proper for women communal life functionally

Colonization and Biodegradation of Photo-Oxidized Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) by New Strains of 'Aspergillus' sp. and 'Lysinibacillus' sp.

The primary objective of this study was the isolation of low-density polyethylene (LDPE)-degrading microorganisms. Soil samples were obtained from an aged municipal landfill in Tehran, Iran, and enrichment culture procedures were performed using LDPE films and powder. Screening steps were conducted using linear paraffin, liquid ethylene oligomer, and LDPE powder as the sole source of carbon. Two landfill-source isolates, identified as 'Lysinibacillus xylanilyticus' XDB9 (T) strain S7-10F and 'Aspergillus niger' strain F1-16S, were selected as super strains. Photo-oxidation (25 days under ultraviolet [UV] irradiation) was used as a pretreatment of the LDPE samples without pro-oxidant additives. The PE biodegradation process was performed for 56 days in a liquid mineral medium using UV-irradiated pure LDPE films without pro-oxidant additives in the presence of the bacterial isolate, the fungal isolate, and the mixture of the two isolates. The process was monitored by measuring the fungal biomass, the bacterial growth, and the pH of the medium. During the process, the fungal biomass and the bacterial growth increased, and the pH of the medium decreased, which suggests the utilization of the preoxidized PE by the selected isolates as the sole source of carbon. Carbonyl and double bond indices exhibited the highest amount of decrement and increment, respectively, in the presence of the fungal isolate, and the lowest indices were obtained from the treatment of a mixture of both fungal and bacterial isolates. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses showed that the selected isolates modified and colonized preoxidized pure LDPE films without pro-oxidant additives

Biodegradation of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) by mixed culture of Lysinibacillus xylanilyticus and Aspergillus niger in soil.

In this study, two strains of Aspergillus sp. and Lysinibacillus sp. with remarkable abilities to degrade low-density polyethylene (LDPE) were isolated from landfill soils in Tehran using enrichment culture and screening procedures. The biodegradation process was performed for 126 days in soil using UV- and non-UV-irradiated pure LDPE films without pro-oxidant additives in the presence and absence of mixed cultures of selected microorganisms. The process was monitored by measuring the microbial population, the biomass carbon, pH and respiration in the soil, and the mechanical properties of the films. The carbon dioxide measurements in the soil showed that the biodegradation in the un-inoculated treatments were slow and were about 7.6% and 8.6% of the mineralisation measured for the non-UV-irradiated and UV-irradiated LDPE, respectively, after 126 days. In contrast, in the presence of the selected microorganisms, biodegradation was much more efficient and the percentages of biodegradation were 29.5% and 15.8% for the UV-irradiated and non-UV-irradiated films, respectively. The percentage decrease in the carbonyl index was higher for the UV-irradiated LDPE when the biodegradation was performed in soil inoculated with the selected microorganisms. The percentage elongation of the films decreased during the biodegradation process. The Fourier transform infra-red (FT-IR), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to determine structural, morphological and surface changes on polyethylene. These analyses showed that the selected microorganisms could modify and colonise both types of polyethylene. This study also confirmed the ability of these isolates to utilise virgin polyethylene without pro-oxidant additives and oxidation pretreatment, as the carbon source

Comparison of Saffron and Fluvoxamine in the Treatment of Mild to Moderate Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder: A Double Blind, Randomized Clinical Trial

Objective: There are different pathophysiological mechanisms for obsessive- compulsive disorder (OCD) as suggested by the serotonergic, dopaminergic, and glutamatergic hypotheses. The present study aimed at comparing the efficacy and safety of saffron (stigma of Crocus sativus) and fluvoxamine in the treatment of mild to moderate obsessive- compulsive disorder. Method: In this study, 50 males and females, aged 18 to 60 years, with mild to moderate OCD, participated. The patients were randomly assigned to receive either saffron (30 mg/day, 15 mg twice a day) or fluvoxamine (100 mg/day) for 10 weeks. Using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and the Adverse Event Checklist, we assessed the patients at baseline, and at the second, fourth, sixth, eighth, and tenth week. Finally, the data were analyzed using general linear repeated measures. Results: In this study, 46 patients completed the trial. General linear repeated measures demonstrated no significant effect for time-treatment interaction on the Y-BOCS total scores [F (2.42, 106.87) = 0.70, P = 0.52], obsession Y-BOCS subscale scores [F (2.47, 108.87) = 0.77, p = 0.49], and compulsion Y-BOCS subscale scores [F (2.18, 96.06) = 0.25, P = 0.79]. Frequency of adverse events was not significantly different between the 2 groups. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that saffron is as effective as fluvoxamine in the treatment of patients with mild to moderate OCD

pH changes in inoculated, un-inoculated and blank soil samples for UV- and non-UV-irradiated pure LDPE films.

<p>Each data point represents the average of three replicates ± SD. (S: Soil; SM: Soil + Selected Microorganisms; SMP: Soil + Selected Microorganisms + non-UV-irradiated PE; SMUP: Soil+ Selected Microorganisms + UV-irradiated PE; SP: Soil + non-UV-irradiated PE; SUP: Soil + UV-irradiated PE).</p

Carbonyl and double bond indices values determined using FTIR from LDPE films before and after 126 days incubation in soil in various treatments.

<p><i>CI</i> carbonyl index, <i>DBI</i> double bond index, (Δ%) difference between carbonyl and double bond indices of films before and after 126 days of biodegradation (shown as a percentage). (SP: Soil + non-UV-irradiated PE; SUP: Soil + UV-irradiated PE; SMP: Soil + Selected Microorganisms + non-UV-irradiated PE; SMUP: Soil + Selected Microorganisms + UV-irradiated PE).</p