Molecular barcoding of the Aras reservoir alga Microcystis aeruginosa (Kützing) Kützing 1846 by ITS-2 gene

Today, due to population increase and anthropogenic activities together with sewage and agricultural waste water entrance, aquatic ecosystems have been exposed to high pollutions. Phytoplankton is a group of water floating algae that have crucial roles in providing nutrients and oxygen for other organisms, nitrogen and CO_2 fixation. These organisms are considered as primary producers in aquatic ecosystems. They are found in various water habitats all over the world, affected by environmental variables such as pH, light and temperature and used for determination of water pollution degree and quality. Phytoplankton composition and density may be used as a complementary indicator of water trophy state. Phytoplankton communities indicate short and long term variations of aquatic systems. One of the most obvious problems in freshwater ecosystems is algal bloom or over growth of some blue- green algae which can decrease oxygen, and in some cases bring about toxin excretion and fish and human kills. In addition, many of bloom forming cyanobacteria produce secondary metabolites which can create sever poisoning in mammals including human. The genus Microcystis is a key bloom forming cyanobacteria in aquatic ecosystems. Populations of this genus form intense blooms in water bodies that has attracted more attentions in recent years. Various species of this alga have been distributed in stagnant and eutroph freshwater around the world. Microcystis has been defined by genetic criteria such as 16S rRNA molecular sequencing, but its classification in levels lower than genus is unclear and the presence of its classical morphospecies is doubtful. However, this genus creates sever blooms in eutrophic waters all over the world and many species produce toxins. Therefore, identification of its natural diversity in the levels lower than genus has high importance. However, several characteristics of Microcystis morphotypes which are classified a traditional species, actually are present and observed in different regions of the world. At present, they can be considered as morphospecies that belong to one genotype and have similar ecology. These traditional species with definite phenotypic and ecophysiological characteristics cannot be eliminated completely. Their identification is essential for ecological and ecotoxicological studies. Interistic transcribed separator (ITS) gene is a section of genome which is located between 16s rRNA and 23s genes. This gene has more heterogeneity than 16s rRNA; so it is used to identify many genera of cyanobacteria. The Aras reservoir located in the north-west of Iran plays important roles as fisheries, drinking and agricultural water supply and recreational activities in the region. The present thesis was undertaken to: analyze the Microcystis sp. populations by molecular methods such as ITS in Aras Reservoir. Samples for molecular analysis were collected from 10 sampling sites on 18 August 2013. Samples for molecular study of Microcystis were collected from two different depths (surface and 1 m depth) and transferred to laboratory without any treatments. Microscopic images of Microcystis were sent to professor Komárek and was confirmed

The impact of surgical delay on resectability of colorectal cancer: An international prospective cohort study

AIM: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to explore the impact of surgical delays on cancer resectability. This study aimed to compare resectability for colorectal cancer patients undergoing delayed versus non-delayed surgery. METHODS: This was an international prospective cohort study of consecutive colorectal cancer patients with a decision for curative surgery (January-April 2020). Surgical delay was defined as an operation taking place more than 4 weeks after treatment decision, in a patient who did not receive neoadjuvant therapy. A subgroup analysis explored the effects of delay in elective patients only. The impact of longer delays was explored in a sensitivity analysis. The primary outcome was complete resection, defined as curative resection with an R0 margin. RESULTS: Overall, 5453 patients from 304 hospitals in 47 countries were included, of whom 6.6% (358/5453) did not receive their planned operation. Of the 4304 operated patients without neoadjuvant therapy, 40.5% (1744/4304) were delayed beyond 4 weeks. Delayed patients were more likely to be older, men, more comorbid, have higher body mass index and have rectal cancer and early stage disease. Delayed patients had higher unadjusted rates of complete resection (93.7% vs. 91.9%, P = 0.032) and lower rates of emergency surgery (4.5% vs. 22.5%, P < 0.001). After adjustment, delay was not associated with a lower rate of complete resection (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.90-1.55, P = 0.224), which was consistent in elective patients only (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.69-1.27, P = 0.672). Longer delays were not associated with poorer outcomes. CONCLUSION: One in 15 colorectal cancer patients did not receive their planned operation during the first wave of COVID-19. Surgical delay did not appear to compromise resectability, raising the hypothesis that any reduction in long-term survival attributable to delays is likely to be due to micro-metastatic disease