Monitoring of Cochlodinium sp for shrimp farms in Hormozgan Province

The Blooming due to the some species of phytoplanktons especially Dynoflagellates has made some problems for water ecosystems and aquaculture. In this study, the density of phytoplanktons specially Cochlodinium sp. and also environmental factors such as temperature, pH, dissolved Oxygen, and transparency were recorded two weekly in 18 stations of Hormozgan province, Iran in order to monitoring of the possibility of phytoplankton blooming. During six months monitoring, the target phytoplankton, Cochlodinium sp was not observed in shrimp farms. But, other phytoplanktons and zooplanktons were observed as follow: 13 genus of phytoplankton and six genuses of zooplanktons has found in ponds, main water channel and sea. The diatoms with 10 genuses had the highest abundance and Dynoflagellates with 3 genuses had the lowest abundance and blue-green phytoplankton with one genus was in lowest group. Totally, diatoms with 77%, Dynoflagellate with 15% and blue-green alga with 8% abundance were the main populations of planktons in the studied area

Echoenvironmental survey on fisheries site selection in the Guilan, Mazandaran and Golestan province

The lack of sustainable management programs has resulted in the drastic decline of sturgeons stocks in the Caspian Sea in the past two decades. Legal catch quotas for all Caspian littoral states has dropped from 28500 tons in 1985 to 460 tons in 2007 while caviar production in the Caspian Sea during the same period decreased from 3000 tons to 70 tons. Caviar production in the I.R. of Iran dropped from 305 tons in 1985 to about 11 tons in 2007. The "Strategic and applied research planning for sturgeon management and conservation" was developed with the collaboration of academicians from universities, researchers, experts, fishery authorities and representatives of the executive government to maintain sustainable development and rational management of sturgeon stocks in the Caspian Sea. The preparation and development of this planning was carried out through 121 sessions (2100 person hours) A comprehensive report (375 pg) was prepared which was divided into five volumes; Volume I comprises an introduction, objectives, strategies and planning, present status of production and caviar harvest, catch and export quotas, revenue generated and release of sturgeon fingerlings, Volume II comprises analysis of the problem by constructing a problem tree with 8 broad categories to analyze 344 problems and an objective tree which is the hierarchic flowchart of objectives with 9 broad categories with 241 items, Volume III comprises a review and analysis of previous and ongoing research (414 projects) on different aspects of sturgeon during the past 40 years, Volume IV comprises prioritizing research objectives outlined by the objective tree and finally Volume V which prioritizes primary objectives for 14 executive and 10 research programs. On the basis of the evaluation of the present status and for the sustainable development and rational management of sturgeon stocks a strategic and applied research planning program was proposed and developed within the framework of three primary objectives; 1) Management and sustainable use of Caspian Sea resources (5 programs), 2) Rehabilitation and restoration of stocks (5 programs), 3) Development of aquaculture (4 programs). The applied research program for each proposed executive program was outlined in 10 programs, 42 comprehensive plans and 222 projects. The primary objective on management and sustainable use of Caspian Sea resources includes 5 programs, 14 comprehensive plans and 63 projects, while the primary objective on rehabilitation and restoration of stocks includes 4 programs, 16 comprehensive plans and 87 projects. The primary objective to address sturgeon aquaculture includes 1 program, 12 comprehensive plans and 72 projects. The impacts and outcome of each of these programs was determined and presented. It is evident that if the present situation persists, the catch figures for adult sturgeon specimens and caviar production in Iran will reach zero in 2021. But if concerted efforts are taken and the proposed strategic and applied research planning program is executed (commencing from 2009) we can put a halt to these declining trends. By producing sturgeon fingerlings to restore population abundances, by conserving and protecting them in the Caspian Sea and by conducting applied research we can produce 206.4 tons of caviar by the year 2033. Apart from harvesting caviar from the Caspian Sea we can also annually produce 3000 tons sturgeon meat and 60 tons farmed caviar starting from the year 2023. The total budget proposed for implementation of this program for a period of 14 years (2008-2022) is USD 2483 million. If this budget is allocated in time and the proposed strategic program is properly and totally implemented, we can not only save many sturgeon populations from extinction but also ensure job opportunities for 6000 fisherman, provide 1480 new job opportunities and annually produce 266 tons of caviar which will generate USD 4957 million

Health, Health-Related Quality of Life, and Quality of Life: What is the Difference?

The terms health, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and quality of life (QoL) are used interchangeably. Given that these are three key terms in the literature, their appropriate and clear use is important. This paper reviews the history and definitions of the terms and considers how they have been used. It is argued that the definitions of HRQoL in the literature are problematic because some definitions fail to distinguish between HRQoL and health or between HRQoL and QoL. Many so-called HRQoL questionnaires actually measure self-perceived health status and the use of the phrase QoL is unjustified. It is concluded that the concept of HRQoL as used now is confusing. A potential solution is to define HRQoL as the way health is empirically estimated to affect QoL or use the term to only signify the utility associated with a health state

High-throughput mutational analysis of TOR1A in primary dystonia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although the c.904_906delGAG mutation in Exon 5 of <it>TOR1A </it>typically manifests as early-onset generalized dystonia, DYT1 dystonia is genetically and clinically heterogeneous. Recently, another Exon 5 mutation (c.863G>A) has been associated with early-onset generalized dystonia and some ΔGAG mutation carriers present with late-onset focal dystonia. The aim of this study was to identify <it>TOR1A </it>Exon 5 mutations in a large cohort of subjects with mainly non-generalized primary dystonia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>High resolution melting (HRM) was used to examine the entire <it>TOR1A </it>Exon 5 coding sequence in 1014 subjects with primary dystonia (422 spasmodic dysphonia, 285 cervical dystonia, 67 blepharospasm, 41 writer's cramp, 16 oromandibular dystonia, 38 other primary focal dystonia, 112 segmental dystonia, 16 multifocal dystonia, and 17 generalized dystonia) and 250 controls (150 neurologically normal and 100 with other movement disorders). Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were evaluated in an additional 8 subjects with known ΔGAG DYT1 dystonia and 88 subjects with ΔGAG-negative dystonia.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>HRM of <it>TOR1A </it>Exon 5 showed high (100%) diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. HRM was rapid and economical. HRM reliably differentiated the <it>TOR1A </it>ΔGAG and c.863G>A mutations. Melting curves were normal in 250/250 controls and 1012/1014 subjects with primary dystonia. The two subjects with shifted melting curves were found to harbor the classic ΔGAG deletion: 1) a non-Jewish Caucasian female with childhood-onset multifocal dystonia and 2) an Ashkenazi Jewish female with adolescent-onset spasmodic dysphonia.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>First, HRM is an inexpensive, diagnostically sensitive and specific, high-throughput method for mutation discovery. Second, Exon 5 mutations in <it>TOR1A </it>are rarely associated with non-generalized primary dystonia.</p

Potential Use of a Serpin from Arabidopsis for Pest Control

Although genetically modified (GM) plants expressing toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) protect agricultural crops against lepidopteran and coleopteran pests, field-evolved resistance to Bt toxins has been reported for populations of several lepidopteran species. Moreover, some important agricultural pests, like phloem-feeding insects, are not susceptible to Bt crops. Complementary pest control strategies are therefore necessary to assure that the benefits provided by those insect-resistant transgenic plants are not compromised and to target those pests that are not susceptible. Experimental GM plants producing plant protease inhibitors have been shown to confer resistance against a wide range of agricultural pests. In this study we assessed the potential of AtSerpin1, a serpin from Arabidopsis thaliana (L). Heynh., for pest control. In vitro assays were conducted with a wide range of pests that rely mainly on either serine or cysteine proteases for digestion and also with three non-target organisms occurring in agricultural crops. AtSerpin1 inhibited proteases from all pest and non-target species assayed. Subsequently, the cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis Boisduval and the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) were fed on artificial diets containing AtSerpin1, and S. littoralis was also fed on transgenic Arabidopsis plants overproducing AtSerpin1. AtSerpin1 supplied in the artificial diet or by transgenic plants reduced the growth of S. littoralis larvae by 65% and 38%, respectively, relative to controls. Nymphs of A. pisum exposed to diets containing AtSerpin1 suffered high mortality levels (LC50 = 637 µg ml−1). The results indicate that AtSerpin1 is a good candidate for exploitation in pest control

Qualitative analysis of Adenomatous Polyposis Coli promoter: Hypermethylation, engagement and effects on survival of patients with esophageal cancer in a high risk region of the world, a potential molecular marker

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Squamous cell carcinoma of esophagus (SCCE) occurs at a high incidence rate in certain parts of the world. This feature necessitates that different aspects of the disease and in particular genetic characteristics be investigated in such regions. In addition, such investigations might lead to achievement of molecular markers helpful for early detection, successful treatment and follow up of the disease. Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (<it>APC</it>) promoter hypermethylation has been shown to be a suitable marker for both serum and solid tumors of adenocarcinoma of esophagus. We investigated the status of <it>APC </it>promoter hypermethylation in Iranian patients, compared the results with the former studies, and evaluated its applicability as a candidate molecular marker by examining association between survival of SCCE patients and <it>APC </it>promoter methylation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>For evaluating the status of <it>APC </it>promoter hypermethylation and its association with SCCE, a qualitative methylation specific PCR (MSP) was used. DNA was extracted and digested with an appropriate restriction enzyme, treated with sodium bisulfite in agarose beads and amplified in two-step PCR reaction by applying either methylated or unmethylated promoter specific primers. Universally methylated DNA and methylase treated blood DNA of healthy donors were used as positive controls as well. Survival of patients was followed up for two years after treatment and survival rate of patients with methylated <it>APC </it>promoter was compared with that of unmethylated patients.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Assessment of <it>APC </it>promoter methylation revealed that normal tissues were unmethylated, while twenty out of forty five (44.4%) tumor tissues were hypermethylated either in one or both alleles of <it>APC</it>. Among the tissues in which methylation was detected, seven were hypermethylated in both alleles while the other thirteen were hypermethylated in one of the two alleles of <it>APC</it>. Analyzing two-year survival rate of patients with respect to promoter hypermethylation showed a lower rate of survival for patients with methylated <it>APC </it>promoter following their treatment. Further investigation into the association between promoter hypermethylation and tumor differentiation status indicated that patients with well differentiated tumors were more likely to develop promoter hypermethylation.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Observing similar level of <it>APC </it>promoter hypermethylation in patients with SCCE in this high risk region and comparing it with other parts of the world could support the hypothesis that a common molecular mechanism might be involved in tumorigenesis of SCCE. In addition, the higher rate of two-year survival for patients with unmethylated <it>APC </it>promoter as well as its relationship with tumor differentiation would suggest that this tumor suppressor could be an appropriate candidate molecular marker for evaluating tumor malignancy and predicting survival of patients subsequent to treatment.</p

Методология синтеза архитектуры программно-технического комплекса автоматизированной системы мониторинга обстановки

Предложен подход к проектированию архитектуры программно-технического комплекса автоматизированной системы мониторинга обстановки в реальном времени, основанный на классификации решаемых функциональных задач на основе методов кластерного анализа и выбранного множества признаков подобия. Разработанный подход позволяет из множества функций системы выделить подобные (по определенным признакам) и объединить их в архитектурные компоненты (унифицированные функциональные модули).Запропоновано підхід до проектування архітектури центру обробки інформації автоматизованої системи моніторингу середовища в реальному часі, що заснований на класифікації функціональних задач на підставі методів кластерного аналізу і обраної множини ознак схожості. Розроблений підхід дозволяє вибрати із множини функцій системи схожі (за певними ознаками) і поєднати їх в архітектурні компоненти (уніфіковані функціональні модулі).The approach to designing architecture of the information processing complex of the automated real time conditions monitoring system based on classification of functional tasks on the basis of methods of cluster analysis and the chosen set of similarity attributes is offered. The developed approach allows to allocate from a set of functions the systems similar (on certain attributes) and to unite them in architectural components (unified functional modules)