EFFECT OF DIFFERENT LIGHT SPECTRA ON FECUNDITY OF EPHESTIA KUEHNIELLA ZELLER (LEPIDOPTERA: PYRALIDAE)

This paper examines the effects of different light spectra on the number of eggs of Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) as a general host of biological control agents. Six distinct spectra of light, ranging from 395 nm to 625 nm, were examined in laboratory conditions. Green and red spectra with ranges of 520-525 nm and 620-625 nm caused the highest and the lowest numbers of eggs, respectively. Additionally, the effects of time on the mean egg load of E. kuehniella were also found to be significant at five days. The implications of the current results are discussed below and suggest that the application of a green spectrum in insectariums could help in increasing egg production

Early life nutritional quality effects on adult memory retention in a parasitic wasp

Nutritional quality during early life can affect learning ability and memory retention of animals. Here we studied the effect of resource quality gained during larval development on the learning ability and memory retention of 2 sympatric strains of similar genetic background of the parasitoid Trichogramma brassicae: one uninfected and one infected by Wolbachia. Wolbachia is a common arthropod parasite/mutualistic symbiont with a range of known effects on host fitness. Here we studied, for the first time, the interaction between resource quality and Wolbachia infection on memory retention and resource acquisition. Memory retention of uninfected wasps was significantly longer when reared on high quality hosts when compared to low quality hosts. Furthermore, uninfected wasps emerging from high quality hosts showed higher values of protein and triglyceride than those emerging from low quality hosts. In contrast, the memory retention for infected wasps was the same irrespective of host quality, although retention was significantly lower than uninfected wasps. No significant effect of host quality on capital resource amount of infected wasps was observed, and infected wasps displayed a lower amount of protein and triglyceride than uninfected wasps when reared on high quality hosts. This study suggests that the nutritional quality of the embryonic period can affect memory retention of adult wasps not infected by Wolbachia. However, by manipulating the host’s obtained capital resource amount, Wolbachia could enable exploitation of the maximum available resources from a range of hosts to acquire suitable performance in complex environments

Aversive learning in Bombus terrestris Audax (Hymenoptera: Apidae): responses to electric shock in a simulated environment

The study of animal behavior, particularly in insects, is crucial for understanding their biological and evolutionary aspects, with wide-ranging applications in agricultural science, pest management, conservation biology, and neuroscience. Investigating cognitive characteristics, specifically aversive learning, plays a pivotal role in comprehending the success of insects. This adaptive ability enables animals to efficiently cope with the stressful factors in their environment. In this study, we investigated the aversive learning capabilities of Bombus terrestris Audax workers, crucial pollinators across diverse ecosystems. Bees were trained and tested in a flight arena using artificial flowers equipped with electric shocks to simulate conditions wherebees could associate punishment alongside food resources with available cues. The result suggested that bees possess the ability to simultaneously detect potential threats and food resources, indicating a dual aversive-appetitive memory. Furthermore, comparing groups trained with aversive (electric shock) and neutral (distilled water) stimuli showed that danger cues led to faster learning and stronger memory formation. This conditioning setup aimed to simulate real-life foraging situations, exploring bee responses when confronted with potential dangers. These findings provide insights into the survival strategies of insects in challenging environments that negatively impact bee populations

Comparison of Standard and Percutaneous Tracheostomy Complications in Shariati Hospital in Iran

Background: Tracheostomy is a procedure which aims at better managing patients’ airway. It can be done using two methods: standard and percutaneous. The percutaneous method is a favorable choice for critically illpatients because it is a less invasive procedure. This study compares the short-term complications of these two methods (during 7 days after the procedure).Methods: This study was a cross-sectional research performed on 50 ICU patients in need of tracheostomy.The patients were divided into two groups of percutaneous procedure (15 patients) and standard procedure(35 patients). The complications were registered in questionnaires and the data were analyzed using SPSS software (χ² test and t-test).Results: The two groups had no significant difference in age, sex, and vital signs. Average duration of the procedure was 24.4 minutes in the standard procedure (10-45 minutes) and 26.78 minutes (5-70 minutes) in the percutaneous procedure, and there was no significant difference between two groups (P = 0.814). Average bleeding during 7 days after the procedure was 44 cc (10-150 cc) in standard procedure and 24.7 cc (10-50 cc) in the percutaneous procedure, and the difference was significant (P = 0.012). The other variables were not significantly different in two groups.Conclusions: There was no difference in short-term complications between percutaneous and standard tracheostomy method should be selected considering other important factors

Studying and Identifying the Effective Factors on Tax Evasion by Fuzzy DEMATEL-Method

The main goal of this research is to identify the effective factors on tax evasion by fuzzy DEMATEL-method in Iran. At the present time tax evasion is one of the economic problems in developing countries. Our country has had in this problem for several decades. In this paper, we attempted to determine effective factors in tax evasion, and the relational structure of these factors is examined by fuzzy DEMATEL-method, and meanwhile to recognize their interaction, the hierarchy of the influence of these factors should be known, too. research results showed that among the effective factors, lack of law-makers, of dominance interference institutions which are not charge and the vast exemptions have the highest impact on tax evasion

Orius albidipennis (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae): Intraguild predation of and prey preference for Neoseiulus cucumeris (Acari: Phytoseiidae) on different host plants

A widespread interaction in natural enemy populations is intraguild predation (IGP), the intensity and outcome of which may be influenced by several factors. This study examined the influence of host plant characteristics on IGP between Orius albidipennis (Reuter) and Neoseiulus cucumeris (Oudemans) in laboratory experiments. The intraguild predation between the two predators was bi-directional, but predation by N. cucumeris on O. albidipennis is presumably of negligible importance. Orius albidipennis preyed uponmite eggs and adults in the absence of Thrips tabaci (Lindeman) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), but in its presence predation on mite eggs was abandoned and predation on adult mites unchanged (sweet pepper) or reduced (eggplant, cucumber). The IGP-level of O. albidipennis on N. cucumeris was highest on sweet pepper and lowest on cucumber. Inclusion of host plant aspects in evaluations of the IGPpotential between predators intended for simultaneous applications for biocontrol is thus of importance

Pathology of urban management in the ethnic city (Case study: Nourabad city, Lorestan province)

Objective: Promotion of villages to cities at the center of the settlement of nomads and villagers have shaped a particular type of city in contemporary Iran. These cities have become the destination for nomadic and rural migration from the surrounding areas and with features such as rapid population growth, the weakness of political culture and social-spatial segregation, they have been caught up in a cycle of inefficiencies in urban management. Accordingly, the main purpose of the present paper is the pathology of urban management in the ethnic city. Methods: Current paper is analytical–descriptive according to nature. Requirement data and information were gathered by documentary and field methods. The population of the study consisted of citizens of Nourabad city and urban planners and specialists including municipality staffs, mayors and counselors of Nourabad municipality. According to Cochran''''s formula and financial and time constraints of the research, the sample size of the study consisted of 200 citizens and 60 urban management experts in the city of Nourabad. Results: The results of T-test indicate that, in terms of local residents, two factors of ethnicity and religious affiliation are significantly the most important factors affecting the way citizens choose the council members. In addition, according to respondents, lobbying and ethnicity were the most important measures in selecting the mayors. Citizens'''' satisfaction with the performance of Islamic councils in Nourabad city was at a low level and more than 68% of respondents expressed their dissatisfaction with the performance of the councils. The analysis of the opinions of mayors, counselors and employees of the municipality indicates that members of the city council interfere in the municipal administration in various ways, such as installing and disposing of personnel, interfering in the choice of the contractor, directing development projects to particular parts of the city. Conclusion: In a feedback process, the council derived from the socio-spatial structure based on ethnicity has led to the choice of the mayor on the basis of individual and ethnic interests and thereby, through interference with the municipal administration, has provided the ground for the inefficiency of urban management

The effectiveness of short-term dynamic/interpersonal group therapy on perfectionism; assessment of anxiety, depression and interpersonal problems

Introduction: Perfectionism is acknowledged as a core vulnerability and a perpetuating factor in several psychopathologies. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of short-term dynamic/interpersonal group therapy on perfectionism and perfectionism-related distress such as anxiety, depression, and interpersonal problems. Method: This study is a quasi-experimental study applying clinical trial method and contains pre-test, post-test, follow-up periods and control group. The study population included students and the sample consisted of 30 people with extreme perfectionism, who were assigned in two groups of 15 people, experimental and waiting list groups using randomized block design. Research instruments included TMPS, PSPS, PCI, BDI-II, BAI and IIP-32 scales. In order to analyze the collected data, mixed analysis of variance and Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance were used in SPSS software version 22. Findings: The results show that the intervention in the experimental group compared to the waiting list group caused a clinically and statistically significant decrease in the mean scores. This result is observable and evident in all levels of perfectionism and psychological distress (anxiety, depression and interpersonal problems), except for the subscale of non-display of imperfection from the PSPS scale. These results were preserved through the follow-up periods. Discussion: These results show that short-term dynamic/interpersonal group therapy is effective in treating most of the components of perfectionism, and concerning its effectiveness; it reduced psychological distress and showed that the components pertaining to perfectionism are factors of vulnerability in this regard.

Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio in Different Stages of Breast Cancer

Despite many advances in the treatment of breast cancer, it is still the second most common cause of death in women in the United States. It has been shown that inflammation plays a major role in the treatment of these cancers and inflammatory factors enhance tumor growth, invasion, metastasis, and vascularization. In this study, we would like to analyze peripheral blood neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in breast cancer patients and its correlation with disease staging. This cross-sectional analytic study was conducted in Imam Hospital, affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences; a total of 195 female patients with breast cancer met the inclusion criteria. All of the patients had a complete blood count with leukocyte differential performed before chemotherapy. Medical records including pathology reports were also available. Data for all patients were collected prior to any surgical intervention. Exclusion criteria included clinical evidence of active infection, presence of hematological disorders, acute as well as chronic inflammatory or autoimmune diseases, or prior steroid therapy. Higher platelet count was significantly associated with the higher stage. The stage was not associated with the hemoglobin level. There was no association between the tumor size and age of patients with NLR. There was a significant relationship between NLR and IDC. There was a significant relationship between IDC and NLRs of less than 8.1 and greater than 3.3. There was a significant relationship between NLR and vascular invasion. There was no association between NLR and estrogen receptor and HER2. There was no significant relationship between the PLR and the cancer stage. In this study, NLR showed a significant relation with the disease staging. As the NLR increases the stage increases as well. Therefore, this ratio may be helpful in the preoperative evaluation of patients with breast cancer