Spatial and temporal patterns of benthic macrofauna in Gorgan Bay, south Caspian Sea, Iran

We quantified the distribution, abundance and assemblage structure of macrofauna at 22 stations in Gorgan Bay, seasonally in 2012-2013. Also, depth, temperature, salinity, DO, TOM and sediment particle size were measured in each station. The highest concentration of TOM was measured near the western littoral zone (10.22) while the mouth part and north-eastern area was characterized by the lowest values (2.65 % and 4.69). A total of 31658 individuals belonging to 12 families and 14 species were identified. Polychaeta with 3 species was the most dominant group in terms of abundance. The four most abundant taxa making up 85% of all specimens were Streblospio gynobranchiata, Tubificidae, Hediste diversicolor and Abra segmentum. The maximum density (7,893 ind/m^2) was obtained at station 1 while the minimum (1,777 ind/m^2) was observed at station 16. The western area was characterized by the highest species diversity (H', 1.94) and the stations 10, 8 and 7 were characterized by the lowest diversity indices (H', 0.72, 0.77 and 0.87, respectively). The PCA showed that water parameters with more temporary variations had a greater significance in explaining the system variability, and a not marked but evident difference between the two parts of Gorgan Bay was observed and supported by nmMDS test. So Gorgan Bay presents transitional macrobenthic assemblages that are spatially distributed along substrate gradients but it seems that the coastal ecosystem of the south Caspian Sea and mouth-eastern part of Gorgan Bay is very dynamic and some species are forming a metapopulation toward western sites

A survey on some biological aspects of spiny lobster Panulirus homarus for optimizing fishing season in Sistan - o – Baluchestan province

Research project was conducted on some biological aspects of lobster in Oman Sea in the years1385-86. During the project some parameters such as length distribution, spawning peak, length (Carapace) at first maturity, the length at which 50% of the lobsters were found to be mature sexually, sex ratio, relative frequency index and population dynamics parameters were examined. Quantitative factors and catch composition of lobster including the amount of catch in terms of weight and number of ovigerous-female, under-sized specimens and so were compared by monthly. According to the results of present study caught specimens were male with carapace length of 22 and 110 mm respectively. The smallest ovigerous female was taken as 46mm CL when length at first maturity was estimated to be 69-70mm. the male: female ratio was 0.7: 1.3 for the whole year. A closed fishing season for the species is proposed during spring and September and October in Oman Sea. A large amount of the catches for the all sampling months came from the under-sized specimens, consist of 50 to 85% of the total catch. Therefore, presence of these small length groups have direct effects on time of closing season. Population dynamics parameters were calculated as follows: K=0.57 year, L∞= 103mm and Ǿ = 8.69. Total mortality (Z), natural mortality (M) and fishing mortality (F) coefficients were calculated as 2.73, 0.87 and 1.86, respectively. Exploitation ratio for the whole population was 0.681, indicating an overexploitation of the species. Based on the available data, the recruitment pattern for lobster was obtained for two season including spring (major) and autumn (minor). Catch per unite effort (CPUE) was calculated as 0.908 kg/Cage/day which was higher in comparison with two other areas including Ramin and Chabahar. Examination of CPUE for a 10-year period showed a decreased trend and the reduction for the year 1386 was about 30% when compared to the data from the year 1375. Moreover, the mean length during 1369-70 to 1385-86 (present study) decreased for the three areas including Pozm, Ramin and Chabahar, so that the carapas length decreased up to 10 mm in length. This sudden decrease in mean length during the 10-year period should be considered as a serious precariousness for sustainable exploitation of lobster in Oman Sea along Sistan and Baluchistan province

Spawning season and maturity stages of Potamon persicum in Jajroud River

Jajroud river with 140km length, inhabits various species of aquatics of which one of the main identified one is freshwater crab belongs to POTAMIDAE family with scientific name of Potamon persicum. In this study, 388 specimens from 5 sampling stations (Latian dam, Taraghion, Khojir, Giahan daroie and Mamloo dam) were collected since November 1998. All samples were transferred to the laboratory for reproduction studies and determination of spawning season, with studying the maturity stages of gonads and external eggs. The results showed that the spawning season of this species occurring in middle of spring, it was also found that P. persicum is a total spawner. The external maturity (of eggs) was classified to 7 stages. On the other hand the maturity stages of gonad was recognized in accordance with the color, size and egg diameter and classified to 5 stages

Distribution pattern of heavy metals in the surficial sediment of Gorgan Bay (South Caspian Sea, Iran)

The Gorgan Bay is an important ecosystem receiving discharge from their tributaries. In this study, concentration of Pb, Zn, Ni, Fe, Al, Cu and As was seasonally determined at 22 sampling points during 2012-2013. Sediment samples were collected using a Van Veen grab. The levels of heavy metals were determined by ICP-AES (Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry) and AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer). The percentages of sand, silt, clay and TOM (Total Organic Matter) in the sediment samples were determined (44.4± 15, 53.4 ± 14, and 2.2± 2.2 and 7.2% ± 1.6, respectively). The results showed that range of Al, As, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn in the sediment samples were 0.4-2%, 2.6-8.6 ppm, 8.1-12.4 ppm, 0.9-1.2%, 11.5-16.8 ppm, 5.9-13.6 ppm and 21.8-28.8 ppm, respectively. In spring, both Al and Ni were higher than the guideline level. In the event that arsenic was exceeds the guidelines in summer. In general, according to the results of EF (Enrichment Factor) and PLI (Pollution Load Index) can be concluded, Gorgan Bay is low risk and not contaminated. According to the results of the nmMDS (non-metric Multidimensional Scaling), PCA (Principal Components Analysis) and the map of distribution of heavy metals, it seems Gorgan Bay are divided into two separate zones (the eastern and the western parts)

The effect of dietary rumen-protected trans-10,cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid or a milk fat-depressing diet on energy metabolism, inflammation, and oxidative stress of dairy cows in early lactation

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of milk fat depression induced by supplementing conjugated linoleic acid (CLA; trans-10,cis-12 and cis-9,trans-11 CLA) or feeding a higher starch and oil-containing diet (HSO) on metabolic changes in dairy cows after calving. The main hypothesis was that the 2 strategies to decrease milk fat yield could have different effects on performance, energy balance (EB), and inflammatory status in early lactation. Thirty-three Nordic Red dairy cows were used in a randomized block design from 1 to 112 d of lactation and fed one of the following treatments: control (CON), CLA-supplemented diet, or HSO diet. Dry matter intake and milk yield were measured daily whereas milk composition was measured weekly throughout the experiment. Nutrient digestibility, EB, and plasma hormones and metabolites were measured at 3, 7, 11, and 15 wk of lactation in respiration chambers. The HSO diet led to lower intakes of dry matter, neutral detergent fiber, and gross energy compared with CON and CLA diets. The CLA diet and especially the HSO diet resulted in lower energy-corrected milk yield during the first 7 wk of lactation than those fed CON. The EB was numerically higher for HSO and CLA diets compared with CON at wk 3 and 7. Plasma glucose concentration was higher by the CLA diet at wk 3 and by the HSO diet from wk 3 to 15 compared with CON. Plasma nonesterified fatty acids were higher at wk 3 in the CON group (indicating more lipid mobilization) but decreased thereafter to similar levels with the other groups. The HSO-fed cows had higher plasma ceruloplasmin, paraoxonase, and total bilirubin concentrations in the entire experiment and showed the highest levels of reactive oxygen metabolites. These results suggest an increased inflammatory and oxidative stress state in the HSO cows and probably different regulation of the innate immune system. This study provides evidence that milk fat depression induced by feeding HSO (as well as CLA) decreased milk fat secretion and improved EB compared with CON in early lactation. The increase in plasma glucose and paraoxonase levels with the HSO diet may imply a better ability of the liver to cope with the metabolic demand after parturition. However, the negative effect of HSO on feed intake, and the indication of increased inflammatory and oxidative stress warrant further studies before the HSO feeding strategy could be supported as an alternative to improve EB in early lactation

Gamma-Ray Bursts: The Underlying Model

A pedagogical derivation is presented of the ``fireball'' model of gamma-ray bursts, according to which the observable effects are due to the dissipation of the kinetic energy of a relativistically expanding wind, a ``fireball.'' The main open questions are emphasized, and key afterglow observations, that provide support for this model, are briefly discussed. The relativistic outflow is, most likely, driven by the accretion of a fraction of a solar mass onto a newly born (few) solar mass black hole. The observed radiation is produced once the plasma has expanded to a scale much larger than that of the underlying ``engine,'' and is therefore largely independent of the details of the progenitor, whose gravitational collapse leads to fireball formation. Several progenitor scenarios, and the prospects for discrimination among them using future observations, are discussed. The production in gamma- ray burst fireballs of high energy protons and neutrinos, and the implications of burst neutrino detection by kilometer-scale telescopes under construction, are briefly discussed.Comment: In "Supernovae and Gamma Ray Bursters", ed. K. W. Weiler, Lecture Notes in Physics, Springer-Verlag (in press); 26 pages, 2 figure

Global, regional, and national age-sex-specific mortality and life expectancy, 1950–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

BACKGROUND: Assessments of age-specific mortality and life expectancy have been done by the UN Population Division, Department of Economics and Social Affairs (UNPOP), the United States Census Bureau, WHO, and as part of previous iterations of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD). Previous iterations of the GBD used population estimates from UNPOP, which were not derived in a way that was internally consistent with the estimates of the numbers of deaths in the GBD. The present iteration of the GBD, GBD 2017, improves on previous assessments and provides timely estimates of the mortality experience of populations globally. METHODS: The GBD uses all available data to produce estimates of mortality rates between 1950 and 2017 for 23 age groups, both sexes, and 918 locations, including 195 countries and territories and subnational locations for 16 countries. Data used include vital registration systems, sample registration systems, household surveys (complete birth histories, summary birth histories, sibling histories), censuses (summary birth histories, household deaths), and Demographic Surveillance Sites. In total, this analysis used 8259 data sources. Estimates of the probability of death between birth and the age of 5 years and between ages 15 and 60 years are generated and then input into a model life table system to produce complete life tables for all locations and years. Fatal discontinuities and mortality due to HIV/AIDS are analysed separately and then incorporated into the estimation. We analyse the relationship between age-specific mortality and development status using the Socio-demographic Index, a composite measure based on fertility under the age of 25 years, education, and income. There are four main methodological improvements in GBD 2017 compared with GBD 2016: 622 additional data sources have been incorporated; new estimates of population, generated by the GBD study, are used; statistical methods used in different components of the analysis have been further standardised and improved; and the analysis has been extended backwards in time by two decades to start in 1950. FINDINGS: Globally, 18·7% (95% uncertainty interval 18·4–19·0) of deaths were registered in 1950 and that proportion has been steadily increasing since, with 58·8% (58·2–59·3) of all deaths being registered in 2015. At the global level, between 1950 and 2017, life expectancy increased from 48·1 years (46·5–49·6) to 70·5 years (70·1–70·8) for men and from 52·9 years (51·7–54·0) to 75·6 years (75·3–75·9) for women. Despite this overall progress, there remains substantial variation in life expectancy at birth in 2017, which ranges from 49·1 years (46·5–51·7) for men in the Central African Republic to 87·6 years (86·9–88·1) among women in Singapore. The greatest progress across age groups was for children younger than 5 years; under-5 mortality dropped from 216·0 deaths (196·3–238·1) per 1000 livebirths in 1950 to 38·9 deaths (35·6–42·83) per 1000 livebirths in 2017, with huge reductions across countries. Nevertheless, there were still 5·4 million (5·2–5·6) deaths among children younger than 5 years in the world in 2017. Progress has been less pronounced and more variable for adults, especially for adult males, who had stagnant or increasing mortality rates in several countries. The gap between male and female life expectancy between 1950 and 2017, while relatively stable at the global level, shows distinctive patterns across super-regions and has consistently been the largest in central Europe, eastern Europe, and central Asia, and smallest in south Asia. Performance was also variable across countries and time in observed mortality rates compared with those expected on the basis of development. INTERPRETATION: This analysis of age-sex-specific mortality shows that there are remarkably complex patterns in population mortality across countries. The findings of this study highlight global successes, such as the large decline in under-5 mortality, which reflects significant local, national, and global commitment and investment over several decades. However, they also bring attention to mortality patterns that are a cause for concern, particularly among adult men and, to a lesser extent, women, whose mortality rates have stagnated in many countries over the time period of this study, and in some cases are increasing

Pengaruh Penerimaan Daerah Terhadap Belanja Langsung Dengan Variabel Pemoderasi Produk Domestik Regional Bruto Provinsi Lampung

Otonomi daerah mendorong tingkat kemandirian keuangan daerah dalam mendanai Belanja Langsung agar tercapainya standar pelayanan publik dan pemerataan pembangunan. Tujuan penelitian ini guna membuktikan pengaruh pemoderasi PAD,DAU,DAK dan PDRB terhadap Belanja Langsung. Metode pengujian penelitian menggunakan teknik analisis regresi moderasi (MRA) melalui uji interaksi dengan sampel penelitian pada Laporan Keuangan Pemerintah Daerah di 15 Kabupaten/Kota periode 2016-2020. Hasil pengujian bahwa PAD, DAK, dan PDRB menunjukkan pengaruh positif dan signifikan secara parsial, sedangkan DAU sebaliknya atas  Belanja Langsung. PAD, DAU, DAK, dan PDRB memiliki pengaruh simultan dengan  signifikansi sebesar 71,1%. Hasil uji moderasi bahwa PDRB secara parsial tidak dapat memoderasi sedangkan secara bersamaan dipengaruhi variabel moderating memiliki pengaruh simultan dengan signifikasi sebesar 72,8%. Kesimpulan dari penelitian ini diperlukannya faktor moderasi untuk meningkatkan Belanja Langsung selain itu pemerintah daerah agar kedepannya melibatkan pihak swasta dalam menggali potensi penerimaan daerah yang lebih optimal

Surveyor management of hospital accreditation program: A thematic analysis conducted in Iran

Background: The surveyors in hospital accreditation program are considered as the core of accreditation programs. So, the reliability and validity of the accreditation program heavily depend on their performance. Objectives: This study aimed to identify the dimensions and factors affecting surveyor management of hospital accreditation programs in Iran. Materials and Methods: This qualitative study used a thematic analysis method, and was performed in Iran in 2014. The study participants included experts in the field of hospital accreditation, and were derived from three groups: 1. Policy-makers, administrators, and surveyors of the accreditation bureau, the ministry of health and medical education, Iranian universities of medical science; 2. Healthcare service providers, and 3. University professors and faculty members. The data were collected using semi-structured in-depth interviews. Following text transcription and control of compliance with the original text, MAXQDA10 software was used to code, classify, and organize the interviews in six stages. Results: The findings from the analysis of 21 interviews were first classified in the form of 1347 semantic units, 11 themes, 17 sub-themes, and 248 codes. These were further discussed by an expert panel, which then resulted in the emergence of seven main themes - selection and recruitment of the surveyor team, organization of the surveyor team, planning to perform surveys, surveyor motivation and retention, surveyor training, surveyor assessment, and recommendations - as well as 27 sub-themes, and 112 codes. Conclusions: The dimensions and variables affecting the surveyors� management were identified and classified on the basis of existing scientific methods in the form of a conceptual framework. Using the results of this study, it would certainly be possible to take a great step toward enhancing the reliability of surveys and the quality and safety of services, while effectively managing accreditation program surveyors. © 2016, Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal