The first study of the phylogenetic relationships of three rare species of Blenniids (Fishes: Blenniidae) from Makoran Coast based on the gene sequencing of Cytochrome Oxidase 1

In order to assess the phylogenetic relationships of three rare species belonging to tribe Parablenniini was carried out, along the Coast of Oman Sea. Based on the type of habitats the specimens of Blenniid were collected from three sampling sites in the intertidal zones by Scoop and hand net in low tide and in sub-tidal zones by scuba diving and hand from 3, 6, 9, and 12m depths in September to March 2013. Totally 30 fish samples collected and deposited to the lab for further investigation. Based on the available identification keys and morphometric characters three species of Parablennius cornutus, Parabelennius pilicorn, Scartella emarginata were identified. DNA was extracted from the basal tissue of the first dorsal fin, subsequently by using a specific fish primer 700 bp of Cytochrome Oxidase C subunit 1 (CO1)was amplified in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequenced. After comparison of Iranian Blenniid species CO1 sequence with sequence of 25 species from GenBank, was concluded that Iranian species are paraphyletically in the clade Parablenniini and sub-clads of Scartella and Parablennius. Since the relationship of Parablennius with other blenniids is the subject of many studies to resolve the conflicts and ambiguities among them we selected these genera to investigate the sister group relationship among them as well as other genera and clads. This is the first time that morphologic and molecular study of the two genera Parablennius and Scartella have been carried out in Iran

Deadline-Budget constrained Scheduling Algorithm for Scientific Workflows in a Cloud Environment

Recently cloud computing has gained popularity among e-Science environments as a high performance computing platform. From the viewpoint of the system, applications can be submitted by users at any moment in time and with distinct QoS requirements. To achieve higher rates of successful applications attending to their QoS demands, an effective resource allocation (scheduling) strategy between workflow\u27s tasks and available resources is required. Several algorithms have been proposed for QoS workflow scheduling, but most of them use search-based strategies that generally have a higher time complexity, making them less useful in realistic scenarios. In this paper, we present a heuristic scheduling algorithm with quadratic time complexity that considers two important constraints for QoS-based workflow scheduling, time and cost, named Deadline-Budget Workflow Scheduling (DBWS) for cloud environments. Performance evaluation of some well-known scientific workflows shows that the DBWS algorithm accomplishes both constraints with higher success rate in comparison to the current state-of-the-art heuristic-based approaches

Comparison of different nitrogen compounds in three different environments of the Gwatar shrimp farms complex in the Gwatar Gulf region (Baluchestan-Iran)

This study aimed to investigate the quality of effluent water of a large shrimp farming complex in Chabahar region in Sistan and Baluchestan province (Iran). Fifteen sampling stations were designated in three distinct areas of these farms; i.e. the water supply canal, the drainage canal and the receiving area of the farm effluents in Gwatar Gulf. Water samples were taken from June to December 2004 for measurement and monitoring of nitrate, nitrite and ammonia compounds. The results revealed that the shrimp farms effluents have a profound effect on the water quality and aquatic environment of the drainage canal and the Gwatar Gulf. The average concentration of nitrate, nitrite and ammonia remained considerably higher in the drainage canal and Gwatar Gulf compared to the supply canal throughout the study. The amount of these compounds increased considerably in the drainage canal during the final stages of culture period and in Gwatar Gulf at post monsoon. The results of one way analysis of variance (at P<0.01 level) showed that all physical and chemical factors except water temperature were significantly different between stations. Considering that more than 25% of the shrimp farms of this complex were active during this study the measured values of nitrate, nitrite and ammonia compounds in the effluents were at the optimum range recommended for the shrimp farms

Knowledge and Attitude of Intensive Care Unit Nurses Towards Delirium Working at Guilan University of Medical Sciences in 2015

Background: Delirium is a common problem in patients hospitalized in Intensive Care Unit. Despite the importance, only less than 13% of cases are diagnosed by physicians and medical personnel. Objectives: The present research aimed to study knowledge and attitude of critical care nurses towards delirium. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Iran. Convenience sampling was used to enroll nurses (186 persons) working in intensive care units of Rasht educational hospitals affiliated to Guilan University of Medical Sciences in 2015. Data collection instruments included a three part questionnaire: demographic data, 15- item questionnaire formerly used by Guthrie and Sendelbach (2009) on nurses’ knowledge about delirium, and 10-item questionnaire adopted from Herrero et al on attitude of the nurses towards delirium. The obtained data were statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficient and t- test in SPSS-20. Results: The majority of nurses (68.3%) have intermediate knowledge about delirium and only 24.6 percent reported good knowledge and 76 percent had positive attitude about delirium. Conclusion: Nursing knowledge and awareness have a significant role in improvement of the quality of healthcare and preventive measures, as well as the attitude of nurses towards dealing with delirium patients. Hence, it is recommended to give greater importance to academic courses and ongoing post-graduation professional development programs in the workplace, as a globally practiced healthcare quality improvement strategy

Mercury bioaccumulation in pike (Esox lucius) from Anzali Lagoon, Iran

This paper presents the levels of total mercury (T-Hg) in dorsal muscle, liver and spleen of pike (Esox lucius) from Anzali Lagoon in Iran. Sampling was carried out from July 2004 to July 2005. In addition 78 samples were collected. T-Hg concentration was calculated in relation to biometric factors. T-Hg was measured by the LECO AMA 254 Advanced Mercury Analyzer (USA) according to ASTM standard NoD-6722. Each sample was analyzed 3 times. Accuracy of T-Hg analysis was checked by running three samples of Standard Reference Materials; SRM 1633b, SRM 2711 and SRM 2709. Detection limit was 0.001mg/kg in dry weight. The minimum and maximum concentration of T-Hg in dorsal muscle was 0.2 ppm in one year and 1.2 ppm in five year class. The mean T-Hg significantly increased wit age increased (Pliver>spleen. T-Hg content in females was higher than males (P<0.05). Acceptable monthly intake without carcinogenic effects due to mercury for women, men, juveniles and children was 270, 320, 125 and 59g per month. Consumption of pike above 35cm. length should be avoided

In vitro antioxidant and anticancer activity of young Zingiber officinale against human breast carcinoma cell lines

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Ginger is one of the most important spice crops and traditionally has been used as medicinal plant in Bangladesh. The present work is aimed to find out antioxidant and anticancer activities of two Bangladeshi ginger varieties (Fulbaria and Syedpuri) at young age grown under ambient (400 μmol/mol) and elevated (800 μmol/mol) CO₂concentrations against two human breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The effects of ginger on MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines were determined using TBA (thiobarbituric acid) and MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide] assays. Reversed-phase HPLC was used to assay flavonoids composition among Fulbaria and Syedpuri ginger varieties grown under increasing CO₂concentration from 400 to 800 μmol/mol.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Antioxidant activities in both varieties found increased significantly (P ≤ 0.05) with increasing CO₂concentration from 400 to 800 μmol/mol. High antioxidant activities were observed in the rhizomes of Syedpuri grown under elevated CO₂concentration. The results showed that enriched ginger extract (rhizomes) exhibited the highest anticancer activity on MCF-7 cancer cells with IC₅₀values of 34.8 and 25.7 μg/ml for Fulbaria and Syedpuri respectively. IC₅₀values for MDA-MB-231 exhibition were 32.53 and 30.20 μg/ml for rhizomes extract of Fulbaria and Syedpuri accordingly.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Fulbaria and Syedpuri possess antioxidant and anticancer properties especially when grown under elevated CO₂concentration. The use of ginger grown under elevated CO₂concentration may have potential in the treatment and prevention of cancer.</p

How does organizational learning contribute to corporate social responsibility and innovation performance? The dynamic capability view

Purpose: Innovative organizations are increasingly facing challenges in a dynamic market to address corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues; however, research on how organizational learning (OL) contributes to organizations’ social responsibility and innovation remains sparse. This study aims to bridge the gap in previous research and examines how OL and dynamic capabilities (DCs) act as drivers of CSR performance (CSRP) and innovation performance. Design/methodology/approach: This study is survey-based and uses time-lagged, multisource data from 151 pharmaceutical industry-related companies in Iran. Structural equation modeling was applied to test the validity of the measurement model and hierarchical regression was used to test the key hypotheses. Findings: DCs mediate the relationship between OL and CSRP. Moreover, CSRP significantly mediates the relationship between OL and innovation. Originality/value: Drawing on the perspective of DCs, this research is among the first to offer new insights in a new context on what antecedent conditions lead to the successful implementation of organizational CSRP and how CSRP would, in turn, lead to subsequent innovation performance improvement

Immunogenicity of prostate cancer is augmented by BET bromodomain inhibition

Abstract Background Prostate cancer responds poorly to current immunotherapies. Epigenetic therapies such as BET Bromodomain inhibition can change the transcriptome of tumor cells, possibly making them more immunogenic and thus susceptible to immune targeting. Methods We characterized the effects of BET bromodomain inhibition using JQ1 on PD-L1 and HLA-ABC expression in two human prostate cell lines, DU145 and PC3. RNA-Seq was performed to assess changes on a genome-wide level. A cytotoxic T cell killing assay was performed in MC38-OVA cells treated with JQ1 to demonstrate increased immunogenicity. In vivo experiments in the Myc-Cap model were conducted to show the effects of JQ1 administration in concert with anti-CTLA-4 checkpoint blockade. Results Here, we show that targeting BET bromodomains using the small molecule inhibitor JQ1 decreased PD-L1 expression and mitigated tumor progression in prostate cancer models. Mechanistically, BET bromodomain inhibition increased MHC I expression and increased the immunogenicity of tumor cells. Transcriptional profiling showed that BET bromodomain inhibition regulates distinct networks of antigen processing and immune checkpoint molecules. In murine models, treatment with JQ1 was additive with anti-CTLA-4 immunotherapy, resulting in an increased CD8/Treg ratio. Conclusions BET Bromodomain inhibition can mediate changes in expression at a genome wide level in prostate cancer cells, resulting in an increased susceptibility to CD8 T cell targeting. These data suggest that combining BET bromodomain inhibition with immune checkpoint blockade may have clinical activity in prostate cancer patients.https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/152251/1/40425_2019_Article_758.pd

Sexually dimorphic impact of preconceptional and gestational exposure to a real-life environmental chemical mixture (biosolids) on offspring growth dynamics and puberty in sheep

Humans are ubiquitously exposed to complex mixtures of environmental chemicals (ECs). This study characterised changes in post-natal and peripubertal growth, and the activation of the reproductive axis, in male and female offspring of sheep exposed to a translationally relevant EC mixture (in biosolids), during pregnancy. Birthweight in both sexes was unaffected by gestational biosolids exposure. In contrast to females (unaffected), bodyweight in biosolids males was significantly lower than controls across the peripubertal period, however, they exhibited catch-up growth eventually surpassing controls. Despite weighing less, testosterone concentrations were elevated earlier, indicative of early puberty in the biosolids males. This contrasted with females in which the mean date of puberty (first progesterone cycle) was delayed. These results demonstrate that developmental EC-mixture exposure has sexually dimorphic effects on growth, puberty and the relationship between body size and puberty. Such programmed metabolic/reproductive effects could have significant impacts on human health and wellbeing