Reproductive biology of two sympatric species of tooth-carps: Aphanius hormuzensis and Aphanius furcatus, from south of Iran (Teleostei: Aphaniidae)

Some aspects of the reproductive biology of two endemic tooth-carps, Aphanius hormuzensis and A. furcatus, from southern Iran, were studied by regular monthly collections throughout one year. Significant differences were observed between the total number of females and males, females being more abundant. Based on the pattern of reproductive indices including the gonado-somatic index and Dobriyal Index, it was concluded that these fishes spawn in April and May. The estimated absolute fecundity of A. hormuzensis ranged from 78 (TL = 32.2 mm) to 730 (TL = 51.1 mm), with a mean value of 219.78±66.50 oocytes per fish based on 15 females. The relative fecundity ranged from 68.45 to 518.54 oocytes/g body mass (Mean±S.D: 237.67±96.87 oocytes/g). For A. furcatus, the estimated absolute fecundity ranged from 53 (TL = 26.9 mm) to 102 (TL = 32.04 mm), with a mean value of 93.73±45.37 oocytes per fish based on 15 females. The relative fecundity ranged from 22.41 to 123.65 oocytes/g body mass (Mean±S.D: 64.98±23.37 oocytes/g). Due to overlapping of spawning season in these two sympatric species, it seems that other pre- and post-zygotic factors are responsible for absence of natural hybrids in the studies tooth-carps in the Mehran River

The effect of nursing process-based care on patients' anxiety of candidates for women’s elective surgery

Abstract Background & Aim: Although surgery as a means of therapy is used today and saves many patients’ lives but it has also some complications. One of its most important psychological complications is preoperative anxiety. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of nursing process based care on patients' anxiety of candidates for women’s elective surgery. Material & Methods: Using a randomized clinical trial, 60 candidates for women’s elective surgery in kosar hospital of Qazvin city were randomly assigned to either control or experimental groups. The experimental group was assessed based on nursing process after admission. If any nursing diagnoses including anxiety, knowledge deficit, or fear were found, then the required training was provided to the patients. The control group just received routine care. Data was collected using Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS) and a laboratory test for measurement of serum cortisol level. Data analysis was performed by descriptive and inferential statistics (Chi-square test, fisher’s exact test, paired t test, independent t test, Wilcoxon and Pearson correlation) using SPSS-PC (v.17). Results: Paired t test results showed that the mean score for preoperative anxiety in the experimental group (13.6 ± 3.3) compared to the time of admission (23.33 ± 3.6) has been significantly decreased (p= 0.001, t= - 4.7). Whereas the mean score for preoperative anxiety in the control group (23/4 ± 4.28) compared to mean score of anxiety at admission time (17/03 ± 3.96) had been increased (p=0.001, t = -7.39). Results of independent t test showed that the mean preoperative anxiety score in the experimental group was significantly less than control group (p=0.001, t = -10.3). Conclusion: According to the results, nursing care based on nursing process as an effective and non pharmaceutical intervention can be recommended for reducing anxiety and concerns of these patients

BCL-2 Expression is Prognostic for Improved Survival in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

ObjectiveWe used a large patient population to identify immunohistochemical biomarkers to enable improved prognostication in patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC).MethodsA tissue microarray was constructed using duplicate 0.6 mm cores of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks from 609 patients with NSCLC. Immunohistochemical was used to detect 11 biomarkers including epidermal growth factor receptor, Her2, Her3, p53, p63, bcl-1, bcl-2, Thyroid transcription factor, carcinoembryonic antigen, chromogranin, and synaptophysin. A clinical database was generated prospectively at the time of tissue collection. Survival outcomes were obtained from a Provincial Cancer Registry database. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to look for a relationship between biomarker expression, smoking history, and survival.ResultsSurvival data for 535 cases were available. As of June 2005, 429 patients (80%) had died; of these 286 (54%) died of lung cancer, 117 (22%) died of other known causes, and for 26 (5%) the cause of death was not available. Univariate analysis revealed that bcl-2 (p = 0.007) was the only biomarker prognostic for improved overall survival (OS). bcl-2 (p = 0.021) and p63 (p = 0.025) were both found to be prognostic for improved disease-specific survival (DSS). Multivariate analysis (using age and biomarker expression) revealed that bcl-2 expression is prognostic for improved OS (p = 0.005) and DSS (p = 0.021).ConclusionsOur results suggest that bcl-2 expression is prognostic for improved OS and DSS in NSCLC. Testing for bcl-2 expression in a prospective study will help to determine its clinical relevance in prognostication

A survey of life style and its influential Factors Among the University Students in Gorgan

Introduction: Most of the complex health issues results from chronic diseases in which the individual has areole. The role of individual healthy behaviors like Physical activity, nutrition and stress management on reduction of the rate of diseases mortality and morbidity is well known. The aim of this study is to the conditiondetermination of physical activity, nutrition, and stress in Gorgan,s university students. Material & Methods: The Participants of this cross-sectional study were 800 students of Gorgan,s Universities , selected via random sampling method. The data collections was performed using by a questionnaire including demographic and lifestyle questions. Analysis of the data was performed by Chi square test in SPSS software. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered as significant. Results: The mean age of the subjects was 22.43 and , BMI mean was 24.1. 22.1 % of them were married and 53.9% single. 24.1% of the students had a weak life style, 29.6% moderate, 22.9% good, and 23.4 % excellent. Although the relationship between life style and sex, degree of education, income, father's educational level, mother's job, type of university and cigarette smoking was significant (p-value 0.05). Conclusion: The results reveal that the life style of more than half of the student's is weak and moderate. This needs designing some program for improving university student lifestyle

Cord Blood Karyotyping: A Safe and Non-Invasive Method for Postnatal Testing of Assisted Reproductive Technology Children

Abstract Background: To verify the hypothesis that the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities increases in babies conceived by different assisted reproduction procedures. The availability of the umbilical cord blood encouraged us to study this hypothesis via this method

Guidelines for developing optical clocks with 10−1810^{-18} fractional frequency uncertainty

There has been tremendous progress in the performance of optical frequency standards since the first proposals to carry out precision spectroscopy on trapped, single ions in the 1970s. The estimated fractional frequency uncertainty of today's leading optical standards is currently in the $10^{-18}$ range, approximately two orders of magnitude better than that of the best caesium primary frequency standards. This exceptional accuracy and stability is resulting in a growing number of research groups developing optical clocks. While good review papers covering the topic already exist, more practical guidelines are needed as a complement. The purpose of this document is therefore to provide technical guidance for researchers starting in the field of optical clocks. The target audience includes national metrology institutes (NMIs) wanting to set up optical clocks (or subsystems thereof) and PhD students and postdocs entering the field. Another potential audience is academic groups with experience in atomic physics and atom or ion trapping, but with less experience of time and frequency metrology and optical clock requirements. These guidelines have arisen from the scope of the EMPIR project "Optical clocks with $1 imes 10^{-18}$ uncertainty" (OC18). Therefore, the examples are from European laboratories even though similar work is carried out all over the world. The goal of OC18 was to push the development of optical clocks by improving each of the necessary subsystems: ultrastable lasers, neutral-atom and single-ion traps, and interrogation techniques. This document shares the knowledge acquired by the OC18 project consortium and gives practical guidance on each of these aspects