First record of the seed-eating wasp, Systole eremodauci (Hym.: Eurytomidae) from Iran

The family Eurytomidae includes economically important wasps, which feed on the seeds of various agricultural, horticultural and rangeland plants. This report is part of a survey conducted during 2009-2012 to identify the seed-eating pests of non-legume rangeland plants in the Fars province of Iran. The eurytomid species Systole eremodauci Zerova, 1994 was collected on ammoniacum plant, Dorema ammoniacum (D. Don.), and is first recorded from Iran

Fungal peritonitis in Iranian children on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis: a national experience.

INTRODUCTION. Fungal peritonitis (FP), causing catheter obstruction, dialysis failure, and peritoneal dysfunction, is a rare but serious complication of peritoneal dialysis. In this study, the frequency and risk factors of FP are evaluated in children who underwent peritoneal dialysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A retrospective multicenter study was performed at the 5 pediatric peritoneal dialysis centers in Iran from 1971 to 2006, and FP episodes among 93 children were reviewed. Risk ratios were calculated for the clinical and demographic variables to determine the risk factors of FP. RESULTS. Ninety-three children aged 39 months on average were included in study. Sixteen out of 155 episodes of peritonitis were fungi infections, all by Candida albicans. The risk of FP was higher in those with relapsing bacterial peritonitis (P = .009). Also, all of the patients had received antibiotics within the 1 month prior to the development of FP. Catheters were removed in all patients after 1 to 7 days of developing FP. Six out of 12 patients had catheter obstruction and peritoneal loss after the treatment and 5 died due to infection. CONCLUSIONS. Fungal peritonitis, accompanied by high morbidity and mortality in children should be reduced by prevention of bacterial peritonitis. Early removal of catheter after recognition of FP should be considered

Fungal peritonitis in Iranian children on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis: a national experience.

INTRODUCTION. Fungal peritonitis (FP), causing catheter obstruction, dialysis failure, and peritoneal dysfunction, is a rare but serious complication of peritoneal dialysis. In this study, the frequency and risk factors of FP are evaluated in children who underwent peritoneal dialysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A retrospective multicenter study was performed at the 5 pediatric peritoneal dialysis centers in Iran from 1971 to 2006, and FP episodes among 93 children were reviewed. Risk ratios were calculated for the clinical and demographic variables to determine the risk factors of FP. RESULTS. Ninety-three children aged 39 months on average were included in study. Sixteen out of 155 episodes of peritonitis were fungi infections, all by Candida albicans. The risk of FP was higher in those with relapsing bacterial peritonitis (P = .009). Also, all of the patients had received antibiotics within the 1 month prior to the development of FP. Catheters were removed in all patients after 1 to 7 days of developing FP. Six out of 12 patients had catheter obstruction and peritoneal loss after the treatment and 5 died due to infection. CONCLUSIONS. Fungal peritonitis, accompanied by high morbidity and mortality in children should be reduced by prevention of bacterial peritonitis. Early removal of catheter after recognition of FP should be considered

Related factors to workers' use of hearing protection device in knitting & ppinning factories of Yazd city based on Protection Motivation Theory

Background and aimsNoise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) is an important occupational disorder. High percentage of workers in occupational environments did not use the hearing protection device against harmful noise. This study was carried out to study factors related to workers' use of Hearing protection Device in Knitting & spinning factories of Yazd city based on protection motivation theory.MethodsIn this cross-sectional analytical study 280 workers of the knitting & spinning factories of Yazd City who exposed to harmful noise (over 85dB) selected among the three factories by cluster sampling. The data gathered via exclusive interviews with selected workers  using the questionnaire designed based on protection motivation theory and were analyzedResults42/5 percent of workers permanently used hearing protection devices, and 20/7 percent of workers never use.There was a significant correlation between the age of workers and the mean score components of PMT; perceived severity, perceived vulnerability, perceived response efficacy and protection motivation. There was also a significant correlation between the work experience and the mean score of PMT factors; perceived severity, perceived response efficacy and perceived vulnerability. Also there was a significant correlation between workers' education level and the mean score of perceived response efficacy and there was a significant correlation between protection motivation and the mean score components of PMT; perceived vulnerability, perceived self-efficacy, perceived response efficacy, perceived costs and behaviorConclusionRegarding the significant correlations between the more constructs of PMT and protection motivation of workers for using hearing protective device, designing educational program based on PMT to increase hearing protection devices usage among workers is recommended

Food Security Status of Elders and Its Related Factors in Arak in 2012

Abstract Introduction: Today, increased life expectancy, reduced mortality rates, and improved health conditions caused to an increase in number of elderly people, as one of the vulnerable groups in the society. On the other hand, food security is one of the necessary prerequisites for the health of the elderly people. Therefore, the present study intended to investigate the food security status of the elderly people as well as its related factors. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2012 consisting of 300 elderly people of Arak city. The study data were collected through FaCPS-FSSM food security questionnaire validated for the elderly via conducting interviews. In order to analyze the study data, SPSS software was utilized applying Chi square test, independent t&ndash;test, Pearson's correlation and regression. Results: The results of the present study revealed that 39.3% of the elderly people had a full food security, 29 % reported food insecurity without hunger, 20.7% showed moderate food insecurity and 11% had severe food insecurity. Moreover, a significant relationship was detected between education level, occupation, marital status, body mass index, disease and household dimension with the food security (p <%5). Conclusions: Considering that close to 60.7% of the studied elderly revealed some degree of food insecurity as well as the various factors significantly associated with this problem in the present study, this problem in this level of vulnerable population demonds to be attended more than ever

Analysis of Effective Factors on Retinopathy Recognition in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes by Using Parametric Models and Cox model

Abstract Introduction: One of the most complications of diabetes, diabetic retinopathy which is one of the leading causes of visual loss and causes blindness of more than 10000 people annually. The purpose of this study was to determine the effective factors on Retinopathy recognition in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, 400 patients with type 2 diabetes without retinopathy which had referred to the Ophthalmology Clinic of Yazd Diabetes Research Center, Iran in 2008 were enrolled in the study and they were examined from Retinopathy until Feb 2013. For identification of effective factors on retinopathy recognition we used semi-parametric Cox model and parametric models, exponential, Weibull, Log-normal and Log- logistic. Results: The use of aspirin 0.6 times (in Weibull model, Log-normal) and one times (in Cox model) increases the retinopathy recognition risk. In other words, it decreases the duration of retinopathy recognition in these persons. In this study the risk of recognition of diabetic retinopathy in the patients who had anemia is 1.4 times of patients which didn&rsquo;t have these risk factors. Having anemia causes diabetic retinopathy recognition earlier. In this study it was observed that insulin caused a delay in the diagnosis of retinopathy and reduces the risk of diabetic retinopathy.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Conclusion: Blood sugar control, regular examination of the funds by an ophthalmologist in the early diagnosis of diabetes, control of aspirin use, diagnosis and treatment of anemia in patients with type 2 diabetes are recommended

Outcome of renal transplantation in children: A multi-center national report from Iran

The outcome of pediatric renal transplantation was previously reported by a single-center study at the year 2006. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate and report the characteristics and outcome of renal pediatric renal transplantation in a multi-center nationwide study. In this nationwide report, medical records of 907 children (�18 yr) with renal transplantation in eight major pediatric transplant centers of Iran were recorded. These 907 patients received a total of 922 transplants. All children who failed to follow-up were excluded. Rather than baseline characteristics, graft and patient outcomes were considered for survival analysis. For further analysis, they were divided into two groups: patients who had graft survival time more than 10 yr (n = 91) and the ones with graft survival time of equal or less than 10 yr (n = 831). Of 922 recipients, 515 (55.8) were boys and 407 (44.2) were girls with the mean age of 13.10 (s.d. = 3.54) yr. DGF and AR were occurred in 10 and 39.5 of the transplanted children, respectively. Transplantation year, dialyzing status before transplantation, DGF, and AR were significant enough to predict graft survival in cox regression model (overall model: p < 0.001). Nowadays, there is a successful live donor pediatric renal transplantation in Iran. Graft survival has improved in our recipients and now the graft survival rates are near to international standards. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S

Nuclear actin: ancient clue to evolution in eukaryotes?

Until recently it was widely accepted that the dynamic cytoskeletal matrix is exclusive to the cytoplasm of eukaryotes, evolving before the emergence of the cell nucleus to enable phagocytosis, cell motility and the sophisticated functioning of the endomembrane system within the cytosol. The discovery of the existence of a prokaryotic cytoskeleton has changed this picture significantly. As a result, the idea has taken shape that the appearance of actin occurred in the very first cell; therefore, the emergence of microfilaments precedes that of the eukaryotic cytoskeleton. The discovery of nuclear actin opened new perspective on the field, suggesting that the nuclear activities of actin reflect the functions of primordial actin-like proteins. In this paper, we review the recent literature to explore the evolutionary origin of nuclear actin. We conclude that both ancient and eukaryotic features of the actin world can be detected in the nucleus today, which supports the idea that the cytoskeleton attained significant eukaryotic innovations before the tandem evolution of the cytoskeleton and nucleus occurred