Occurrence and description of Dactylogyrus sphyrna Linstow, 1878 (Monogenea: Dactylogyride) on the gills of an Iranian endemic fish Leucisucs persidis Coad, 1981 as a new host

Leuciscus persidis as Iranian endemic fish in Kaftar lake and its headwaters (Mesopotamian subregion, Kor-Neiriz basin and Shadkam river) has been infected with a species of Dactylogyrus sphyrna. Comparison of collected parasites with Euro-Asian subregion showed that the similarity of them is more than their differences, although a little difference between them was observed. In this paper also introduce of Dactylogyrus sphyrna parasite to the new host is discussed

Myxobolus spp. (Myxosporea: Myxobolidea) from fishes of the Zayandeh-rud River (Esfahan, Iran); new hosts and locality record

In a parasitic survey of the native and introduced fishes in the Zayandeh-rud River, 5 Myxobolus spp. were found in the gills, fins and skin of examined fish specimens. They include M. varicorhini from fin and M. samgoricus from skin of Capoeta damascina, M. musajevi from gills of Capoeta capoeta gracilis, Myxobolus cristatus from Capoeta aculeata, and M. saidovi from Alburnus sp. Data on the location in the hosts comparing with previous records are provided. The epidemiological importance of Myxobolus spp. in Zayandeh-rud River is also presented. In the present paper the occurrence of five Myxobolus spp. all from endemic fishes from Zayandeh-rud River (a new locality) are recorded from two new hosts; Capoeta damascina, Capoeta aculeata. M. varicorhini and M. saidovi are recorded for the first time from Iranian freshwater fishes

An investigation on fish parasites in Hanna Wetland, Semirom, Isfahan Province

As a part of a major ecological study of Hanna Wetland, Semirum Region, Isfahan Province, parasitic infestation of 3 native and one introduced fish species were investigated. A total of 120 fish specimens were collected by both cast net and a series of gillnets between fall and winter 2007, and spring and summer 2008. Some of the observed parasites are reported for the first time as new host records of: Trichodina perforata on gill and skin of Carassius auratus auratus and three species of leeches namely: Glossiphonia heteroclite, Thromyzon tessulatum and Hemiclepsis marginata on the skin and fin bases of Capoeta damascina. Moreover, 14 internal and external parasites including: one protozoan; Ichthyophthirius multifiliis and two myxosporeans; Myxobolus varicorhini, Myxobolus sp., three monogeneans; Dactylogyrus lenkoran, Dactylogyrus intermedius and Gyrodactylus sp., two immature digeneans; Diplostomum spathaceum, Tylodephys sp., two mature digeneans; Allocreadium isoporum and A. layman, one unknown cyst, one Acanthocephalan; Acanthocephalorhynchoides sp., one cestoda; Khawia armeniaca. The highest prevalence of Diplostomum spathaceum (100%) was observed in Aphanius isfahanensis and Alburnus sp. However, the lowest prevalence was related to A. layman in Capoeta damascina in winter (0%), and autumn and spring (11%). Leeches infections were only observed in Capoeta damascina and Alburnus sp. in winter and summer, respectively. The maximum average (±SD) infection intensity belonged to K. armeniaca in intestine of C. damascina in spring (12.50±3.40, range: 8-16). Among the parasites identified in the region, D. spathaceum showed the highest mean (±SD) abundance (41.67±11.79) in C. auratus auratus in spring. In general, a relatively high diversity of fish parasitic fauna exists in this water body which could jeopardize fish populations and the whole ecosystem if the ecological status of the Hanna Wetland is neglected

The dissolution and solid-state behaviours of coground ibuprofen–glucosamine HCl

The cogrinding technique is one of most effective methods for improving the dissolution of poorly water-soluble drugs and it is superior to other approaches from an economical as well as an environmental standpoint, as the technique does not require any toxic organic solvents. Present work explores the role of d-glucosamine HCl (GL) as a potential excipient to improve dissolution of a low melting point drug, ibuprofen (Ibu), using physical mixtures and coground formulations. The dissolution of the poorly soluble drug has been improved by changing the ratio of Ibu:GL and also grinding time. The results also showed that although GL can enhance the solubility of Ibu, it also reduces pH around the Ibu particles which led to poor dissolution performance when the concentration of GL is high. The effect of GL on the solubility of Ibu could be misleading if the pH of the final solution was not measured. Grinding reduced the particle size of GL significantly but in case of Ibu it was less effective. Solid state analysis (XRPD, DSC, and FT-IR) showed that ibuprofen is stable under grinding conditions, but the presence of high concentration of GL in samples subjected to high grinding times caused changes in FT-IR spectrum of Ibu which could be due to intermolecular hydrogen bond or esterification between the carboxylic acid group in the ibuprofen and hydroxyl group in the GL

Economic evaluation of municipal solid waste recycling in Yazd: Cost-benefit analysis

Background and aims: In every urban waste management plan, recycling and reuse is considered as an economic pattern. This study aimed to economic evaluation of municipal solid waste recycling in Yazd by cost-benefit analysis in 2015. Methods: This research is a descriptive–analytic study which in the data about quality and quantity of municipal solid waste in Yazd city were collected through the sampling and physical analysis and the data about total income and costs from the implementation of waste separation and recycling were collected by interview with recovery officials and field observations and were analyzed through the economic analysis of the cost-benefit. Results: The results indicated that the mean of waste produced annually in Yazd city was 109679.51 tons per years. The percentage of municipal waste components was organic matter (67%), plastics (7%), paper and cardboard (5%), metals (2%), wood (2%), glass (2%), leather and rubber (1%), textiles (1%) and PET containers (1%), respectively. Also, Only 2 percent of total daily production of waste were separated and recycled at source. The implementation a cost of waste separation at source on a monthly basis was 768,880,000 Rails and the benefits of it was 904,667,400 Rails and as a result, the amount of net benefit derived from the recycling scheme was 135,787,400 Rails. Conclusion: Considering the economic benefits of waste separation and recycling at source in the city of Yazd, can be in addition to compensate the many of the waste management sector costs and reduced waste disposal and management costs, Preventing environmental degradation and pollution of water, soil and air resources

Childhood Guillain-Barre Syndrome

ObjectiveThe Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is characterized by the acute onset of rapidlyprogressive, symmetric muscle  weakness with absent or decreased deep tendon reflexes. GBS is the most common cause of acute flaccid paralysis in childhood, with an incidence of 0.6-4 per 100 000 population per year. The clinical features are distinct and obtaining patient's history and conducting an examination generally lead to the diagnosis that can be confirmed by supportive laboratory tests and electrodiagnostic studies. The major considerations in differential diagnosis include transverse myelities, toxic neuropathy, tick paralysis, infantile butolism and myasthenia gravis. Although most children with GBS have a relatively benign clinical course, some become quite ill and require intubation with intensive care monitoring .Immunomodulating treatment should be used for any child who loses the ability to walk.

Reading Strategies and Reading Fluency: A Case Study of Reading in First or Second Language

The ability to read in second or foreign language (L2/FL) is a vital skill for academic and autonomous language learning. This study investigates the reading performance of two TEFL students from different language backgrounds on two English texts and their equivalent Persian translations comparing their reading rate and comprehension in L1 and L2. A combination of think-aloud protocol, interview and observation methods was used in order to figure out the reading strategies used by each participant in the process of reading and comprehending each text. First, participants were asked to model the steps of their thinking when reading the same text and to discuss what strategies and process they went through while interacting with the passage. Then, they were asked to respond some questions at the end of each reading passage. Last, an interview about their reading experiences and strategies is conducted. Findings of collected data from multiple sources were examined in the sense that the overall extracted themes were triangulated. The data were analyzed based on the Uso-Juan, Esther and Alicia Martinez-Flor (2006) framework for key reading strategies. The result showed that there is a positive relationship between reading fluency and reading comprehension. The most effective strategies employed by each participant were also reported. Through critically and analytically reflecting on differences between L1 and L2 reading, language learners can learn how to read so as to get the most out of their academic materials

Virtual Net Propagator: A cloud-based computational tool for systemic decision propagation analysis

Today's organizations are witnessing a growing complexity in making interconnected decisions. Where individuals have a wider range of decisions to influence, the consequence of decisions far more propagate across the system, and the business environment continually influences the status of the system. Predicting the cascading effects of decisions in such situations would be very problematic yet can have several implications for managers and executives to think beyond organizational silos and make local decision with a bigger picture of emergent consequences in mind. A prominent challenge within this realm is the ever-increasing complexity of decision propagations, especially when incorporating the role and influence of people involved in decision-making. This paper tackles this challenge from an engineering change perspective, with the focus on computing the compound risk of decisions when their consequences concurrently propagate across the system. We introduce an interactive tool called Virtual Net Propagator, which incorporates organizational dynamics into decision analysis, with the aim to identify change opportunities and effective set of interventions. Illustrated by a field engineering case study, it is demonstrated that the proposed tool can provide detailed knowledge on how decisions are interconnected and how systemic (cascading) effects of a decision propagate through causal pathways, so highlighting key influencers along with role and influence of interfacing (hidden) players

Determining radius of influence of the face in EPB shield tunneling by finite difference method

For the purpose of understanding the three-dimensional behavior of face tunnel, a three-dimensional finite difference simulation model, which includes all relevant shield tunneling components and allows for the modeling of the step-by-step construction process of the tunnel advance. The soil-structure interaction in shield tunneling is investigated by numerical solution. The results of three-dimensional ground displacements and stress pattern around a tunnel face and at the ground surface are examined. Results obtained from these analyses indicate that the general threedimensional stress and displacement patterns around a tunnel heading are very different from that at the plane strain transverse section. The distance required for the ground displacement to reach the plane strain condition will depend on the amount of plasticity developed around the tunnel opening. Consequently, face is the most important zone for the design engineer in EPB tunneling