The effects of exposure to sub-lethal copper and cadmium concentrations on biochemical factors of one year old Persian sturgeon, Acipenser persicus

The aim of this study was to determine the 96h LC50 of copper and cadmium, and also, to evaluate the effects of their sub-lethal dose on stress factors in Persian sturgeon, Acipenser persicus. Obtained results from Probit analysis showed 96h LC50 values of 0.502 and 14.78mg/l for copper and cadmium, respectively. Also, in single sub-lethal exposures, 72 juveniles (130±19g) were exposed to 0.026 and 0.68mg/l of copper and cadmium in semi- static conditions, and some stress-related biochemical factors were assessed in 1, 7 and 14 days. According to the obtained results, plasma glucose and cortisol were increased (P0.05) differences in plasma and liver protein contents between experimental groups and controls with the exception of copper treatment at the first day of sampling when plasma protein contents showed significant increases, but decreased significantly (P<0.05) in the subsequent sampling stages. In addition, with copper treatment, significant decreases were observed in plasma triglyceride concentrations as time passed by compared to day 1 (P<0.05). Results showed that copper is more toxic than cadmium for this species and also, 96h LC50 of copper and cadmium are stressful for Persian sturgeon

Prognostic factors for esophageal squamous cell Carcinoma-A Population-Based study in Golestan province, Iran, a high incidence area

Golestan Province in northern Iran is an area with a high incidence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We aimed to investigate prognostic factors for ESCC and survival of cases in Golestan, on which little data were available. We followed-up 426 ESCC cases participating in a population-based case-control study. Data were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox proportional hazard models. Median survival was 7 months. Age at diagnosis was inversely associated with survival, but the association was disappeared with adjustment for treatment. Residing in urban areas (hazard ratio, HR = 0.70; 95 CI 0.54-0.90) and being of non-Turkmen ethnic groups (HR = 0.76; 95 CI 0.61-0.96) were associated with better prognosis. In contrast to other types of tobacco use, nass (a smokeless tobacco product) chewing was associated with a slightly poorer prognosis even in models adjusted for other factors including stage of disease and treatment (HR = 1.38; 95 CI 0.99-1.92). Opium use was associated with poorer prognosis in crude analyses but not in adjusted models. Almost all of potentially curative treatments were associated with longer survival. Prognosis of ESCC in Golestan is very poor. Easier access to treatment facilities may improve the prognosis of ESCC in Golestan. The observed association between nass chewing and poorer prognosis needs further investigations; this association may suggest a possible role for ingestion of nass constituents in prognosis of ESCC. © 2011 Aghcheli et al

Investigation on the effects of aeration on the survival rate of Acipenser persicus fingerlings on the rearing period on the earthen ponds of Shahid Marjani sturgeon farming complex

In order to investigate of aeration apparatus role on survival rate of Acipenser persicus fingerlings on the rearing period, 6 earthen ponds with 2 hectares surface and 2.5 water depth were selected. This research continued by 2treatments of aerated and unaerated ponds with 3 replicates of density 80000, 120000 &160000 induvial of larvae / hectares. Physicochemical factors such as T, Transparency, D.O, Nitrate, PO4, Alkanity, and pH were recorded weekly. Live food biomass and growth rate of fingerlings were estimated weekly, too. Obtained data were analyzed by t-test and ANOVA and Duncan test (P>0.05). According to results the survival rates of fingerlings in experimental treatments were significantly different. Physicochemical factors of water quality had no differences except the value of DO, during third weeks of rearing period

A clinical trial comparing parenteral oxytetracyline and enrofloxacin on time to recovery in sheep lame with acute or chronic footrot in Kashmir, India

Background No clinical trials have been conducted in India on the efficacy of parenteral antibacterials to treat footrot in sheep. In addition, there are no studies worldwide on the efficacy of parenteral antibacterials to treat chronic footrot. Sixty two sheep with acute footrot and 30 sheep with chronic footrot from 7 villages in Kashmir, India were recruited into two separate trials. Sheep with acute footrot were allocated to one of three treatments using stratified random sampling: long acting parenteral oxytetracycline, long acting parenteral enrofloxacin and topical application of potassium permanganate solution (a traditional treatment used by sheep farmers in India). In a quasi pre-post intervention design, sheep with chronic footrot that had not responded to treatment with potassium permanaganate were randomly allocated to treatment with one of the two parenteral antibacterials mentioned above. Sheep with acute footrot were treated on day 0 and those with chronic footrot on days 0, 3, 6 and 9. Sheep were monitored for up to 28 days after treatment. Time to recovery from lameness and initial healing of lesions was assessed using Kaplan-Meier survival curves, nonparametric log-rank and Wilcoxon sign-rank tests. Results There was significant correlation in recovery from lameness and presence of healing lesions in sheep with acute (r = 0.94) or chronic (r = 0.98) footrot. Sheep with acute footrot which were treated with parenteral antibacterials had a significantly more rapid recovery from lameness and had healing lesions (median = 7 days) compared with those treated with topical potassium permanganate solution (less than 50% recovered in 28 days). The median time to recovery in sheep with chronic footrot treated with either antibacterial was 17 days; this was significantly lower than the median of 75 days lame before treatment with antibacterials. The median time to recovery for both acute and chronic footrot increased as the severity of lesions increased. There was no difference in time to recovery by age, body condition score, duration lame, or presence of pus in the foot within acute and chronically affected sheep. Conclusions We conclude that use of parenteral antibacterials to treat sheep lame with either acute or chronic footrot in India is highly effective. This is likely to improve welfare and give economic benefits to the farmers

Microscopic structure of the intestine of beluga (Huso huso) from hatching until ranching to sea

Microscopic structure of intestine of beluga was studied from hatching until releasing to sea. Larvae were fixed in bouin’s solution, dehydrated and embedded in paraffin wax. Sections of 5-7 μm thick were produced and stained according to standard histological techniques: Hematoxylin-Eosin (HαE) and Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS). One day old larvae possessed a primordial intestine, which is lined by a simple columnar ciliated epithelium. At 3 days after hatching, an oblique furrow of the digestive tube wall started to develop on the dorsal- posterior region of the yolk sac and divided the alimentary canal into two differentiated regions: the future stomach and intermediate intestine. At this time spiral valve started to differentiate. Granules of embryonic pigment accumulated in the spiral valve lumen forming the melanin plug. At 7 days after hatching intermediate gut and spiral gut were lined by a columnar ciliated epithelium. The terminal section of the digestive tract was differentiated into a short rectal duct lined with a cuboidal epithelium. The urinary bladder connected with rectum at this time. At 13 days after hatching the number of vacuoles filled with lipid increase in intermediate gut and spiral gut. Between 17-19 days post hatching beluga larvae have a period of mixed nutrition. At 25 days after hatching cells of intermediate gut showed long microvilli. At 36 days after hatching the number of goblet cells increased in spiral gut. At 43 days after hatching several intestine glands were visible in connective tissue of intermediate gut which was lined by a simple columnar ciliated epithelium. Between 57-75 days after hatching the number and size of mucosal folds increased in intestine. This information may be useful to improve rearing efficiency of beluga and the other sturgeons

Survey on health status in aquaculture sturgeons centers (Mazandaran, Guilan And Golestan Provinces)

Study of survey health management and diseases in hatcheries and fish farms can help us to knowledge and application control methods such as: prevention, treatment and increase high levels of production in hatchery and farms, finally. This survey carried out from 2005 to 2008 for 4 years in sturgeon hatcheries and farms of Golestan province. Sturgeon fishes include Huso Huso, Ship sturgeon, Acipenser persicus collected and for virology, bacteriology, fungius and hematology examined. Also, physicochemical parameters measured and recorded in different stages of culture. Results of this study showed that all of samples in virology was negative and did not observe any doubetful causes. In bacteriology CFU was variation from 3/9 ×105 to 6/9×10. The most parasites that detected in this survey was Cocolanus espherolanus, Sceria binopsulus semiarmatus and Amphilina fuliacea that separates from Acipenser Percicus, especially. The results about hematology parameters some important hematological indices of ship sturgeon include: The total RBC for female and mail specimens measured as 5.3±1.5 ×10^5, 4.8±0.5×10^5 per mm^3 respectively. The amount of haematocrit and hemoglobin for female and mail determined: 34.3±2.8, 35±1.4 percent and 10.3±0.9, 8.9±0.8 gr/dl .The MCV: 216.3± 96.2, 736.5± 102.5, MCH: 720.2±309.5, 186±0.7 and MCHC: 30±0.8, 25.5±3.4 percent respectively.The total WBC were (female, male): 21320±1054, 20580±777 per mm^3 and neutrophil: 16.4±2.5, 17±1.4 percent and lymphocyte: 74.4±2.4, 73.5± 0.7 percent and eosinophil: 6±1.4, 6.4±0.5 percent, monocyte: 2.8±0.8, 3.5±0.7 percent. There was not any significant differences (p>0.05) between mentioned parameters in male and female (students t-test). Also evaluation of hematological parameters in bluga ( Huso huso) include: total RBC were (male , female) 5±0.3 ×105 , 4.9±0.6 ×105 per mm^3 ,respectively and hematocrit: 33.2±6.7 , 35.4±3.4 percent and hemoglobin: 11.2±1.5 , 12.2±1gr/dl and MCV: 669.9±172.2, 723.9±982.4 and MCH: 226.2±42.5, 249.5±35.4 and MCHC: 34.1±2.4, 34.6±3.6 percent respectively. The totals WBC were (male, female): 24800±707.1, 23042±1375.4 per mm^3 and neutrophil: 18.5±0.7, 21.4±1.1 percent and lymphocyte: 73.5±1.4, 68.4±1.1 percent and eosinophil: 5±2.8, 7±1.2 percent and monocyte: 3.5±3.5, 3.2±0.8 percent. According to statistically study the count of lymphocyte had significant difference between male and female fish and this count in male was higher than female. (p≥0.05)

Sand fly synthetic sex-aggregation pheromone co-located with insecticide reduces the incidence of infection in the canine reservoir of visceral leishmaniasis: a stratified cluster randomised trial

The predominant sand fly vector of the intracellular parasite Leishmania infantum, that causes human and canine visceral leishmaniasis in the Americas, is Lutzomyia longipalpis. Dogs are the proven reservoir. Vector control tools to reduce transmission suited to this predominantly exophilic vector are lacking. Insecticide-impregnated dog collars protect dogs against infectious bites from sand fly vectors, and result in reductions of new infections in both dogs and humans. However, collars are costly for endemic communities, and alternative approaches are needed. Recently the bulk synthesised sex-aggregation pheromone of male Lu. longipalpis was shown to attract large numbers of conspecific females to lethal pyrethroid insecticides, indicating the potential for use in a vector control application. This study, conducted in Brazil, evaluated the efficacy of this novel lure-and-kill approach to reduce seroconversion and infection incidence with L. infantum in the canine reservoir, in addition to measuring its impact on household abundance of Lu. longipalpis. Deployed in 14 stratified clusters, the outcomes were compared to those attributed to insecticide impregnated collars fitted to dogs in another 14 clusters; each intervention was compared to 14 clusters that received placebo treatments. The beneficial effects of the lure-and-kill method were most noticeable on confirmed infection incidence and clinical parasite loads, and in reducing sand fly abundance. The overall effect of the two interventions were not statistically dissimilar, though the confidence intervals were broad. We conclude that the novel low-cost lure-and-kill approach should be added to the vector control toolbox against visceral leishmaniasis in the Americas

Role of Diffusion-Weighted and Chemical Shift Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Differentiation of Benign and Malignant Spinal Fractures

Atraumatic spinal compression fractures are common clinical problem. Differentiating benign osteoporotic fractures from pathological fractures due to malignant/metastatic lesions affects the management and prognoses in patients with known extraspinal malignancy. &nbsp;&nbsp; The objective of the research was to assess the role of conventional magnetic resonance imaging sequences with diffusion-weighted imaging and chemical-shift imaging in differentiating benign and malignant acute spinal compression fractures. Materials and Methods. The study included 40 patients with acute spinal compression fractures. Patients were evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging with diffusion-weighted imaging and chemical-shift imaging to differentiate benign etiology from malignant one. The results obtained were compared with histopathological follow-up for 6 months for definite clinical diagnoses. Results. No significant difference was noted in signal characteristics of benign and malignant fractures on T1, T2 and short-tau inversion recovery. However, posterior element involvement, soft tissue component and post-contrast enhancement were seen more frequently in malignant fractures (p&lt;0.05). On diffusion-weighted images, 77.8% of malignant fractures were hyperintense and 59.1% of benign fractures were hypointense (p&lt;0.05). The mean apparent diffusion coefficient value was 0.81 ± 0.19 for malignant and 1.24 ± 0.24 for benign fractures (p&lt;0.5). The mean signal intensity ratio for malignant fractures was 0.91 ± 0.125, whereas the signal intensity ratio for benign fractures was 0.64 ± 0.096 (p&lt;0.001). Conclusions. Signal characteristics on T1, T2 and short-tau inversion recovery sequences do not differentiate benign from malignant fractures; however, posterior element involvement, soft tissue and post contrast enhancement help in differentiating the etiology. Diffusion-weighted imaging and apparent diffusion coefficient values, as well as using chemical shift imaging further improve the diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging

An Update of Couch Effect on the Attenuation of Megavoltage Radiotherapy Beam and the Variation of Absorbed Dose in the Build-up Region

Purpose: Fiber carbon is the most common material used in treating couch as it causes less beam attenuation than other materials. Beam attenuation replaces buildup region, reduces skin-sparing effect and causes target volume under dosage. In this study, we aimed to evaluate beam attenuation and variation of build-up region in 550 TxT radiotherapy couch. Materials and Methods: In this study, we utilized cylindrical PMMA Farmer chamber, DOSE-1 electrometer and set PMMA phantom in isocenter of gantry and the Farmer chamber on the phantom. Afterwards, the gantry rotated 10°, and attenuation was assessed. To measure build-up region, we used Markus chamber, Solid water phantom and DOSE-1 electrometer. Doing so, we set Solid water phantom on isocenter of gantry and placed Markus chamber in it, then we quantified the build-up region at 0° and 180° gantry angels and compared the obtained values. Results: Notable attenuation and build-up region variation were observed in 550 TxT treatment table. The maximum rate of attenuation was 5.95% for 6 MV photon beam, at 5×5 cm2 field size and 130° gantry angle, while the maximum variation was 7 mm for 6 MV photon beam at 10×10 cm2 field size. Conclusion: Fiber carbon caused beam attenuation and variation in the build-up region. Therefore, the application of fiber carbon is recommended for planning radiotherapy to prevent skin side effects and to decrease the risk of cancer recurrence