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

Tetravalent half-arc-transitive graphs of order 12p12p

A graph is half-arc-transitive if its automorphism group acts transitively on its vertex set, edge set, but not its arc set. In this paper, we study all tetravalent half-arc-transitive graphs of order $12p$

The removal of tetracycline with biogenic CeO2 nanoparticles in combination with US/PMS process from aqueous solutions: Kinetics and mechanism

Antibiotics have received great attention because of their abuse and potential hazards to the human health and environment. In the current work, peroxymonosulfate (PMS) was added to a cerium oxide (CeO2)/ultrasonic (US) system for tetracycline (TC) degradation. CeO2 nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by a simple and cost-effective method using Stevia rebaudiana leaf extract and cerium nitrate as precursors. The as-synthesized CeO2 NPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis. The effects of catalyst dosage, PMS concentration, US power, initial antibiotic concentration, and pH on TC removal were investigated. The results confirmed the formation of CeO2 NPs with a fluorite structure, spherical shape, and average particle size of 29 nm. The removal efficiency of TC was 92.6 in the optimum oxidation conditions (TC ¼ 15 mg/L, PMS ¼ 50 mM, CeO2 ¼ 0.6 g/L, pH ¼ 6, and US ¼ 70 W) and followed the zero-order kinetics. Experiment scavenger demonstrated both sulfate and hydroxyl radicals (SO4�-�OH) were responsible for degrading antibiotics. Biogenic CeO2 NPs and ultrasound waves-activated PMS is a promising technology for water pollution caused by contaminants such as pharmaceuticals. © 2021 The Authors Water Science & Technology

Mortality rate of infectious disease in relation to holidays: three year study in Imam Khomeini Hospital

Background: Infectious diseases are usually treatable; however, infectious disease is one of the most common causes of mortality in hospitals. Furthermore, an apparent functional stagnation around the weekends in hospitals can increase the mortality rate. The goal of this study is to describe the causes and predisposing factors of mortality and to evaluate the role of holidays on patient mortality in infectious disease wards.Methods: In this retrospective descriptive-analytic study, we examined the files of patients who had expired while hospitalized in the infectious disease ward of Imam Khomeini Hospital from 2002 to 2004. All of the information was gathered from patient files and the mortality committee of Imam Khomeini Hospital. Patient mortality rates were determined for each year. Mortality rates for the various days of the week were estimated and compared for 2004. Results: The total number of patients included in this study was 3979. Of these, 216 cases had expired, 143 of whom were male (66%). The common causes of mortality were sepsis (26%) bacterial pneumonia (22%) and tuberculosis (19%). The mortality rates were 5.08%, 5.31% and 5.84% in 2002, 2003 and 2004, respectively. In 2004, mortality rates were 9.21%, 10.21% and 4.56% for holidays, pre-holidays and other days of week, respectively. A significantly higher rate of mortality was observed for holidays and pre-holidays compared to the other days of week. (P value <0.05).Conclusions: Fortunately, the mortality rate of 5.43% in this infectious disease ward was not high. Since sepsis, bacterial pneumonia and tuberculosis were the most common causes of mortality, extra care of patients with these diseases is necessary. As a result of the findings of this study, we recommend increasing expert hospital staff and improving the quality of diagnostic and treatment services during holidays and pre-holidays.&nbsp