Compliance With Fisheries Regulations in the Persian Gulf, Islamic Republic of Iran

Noncompliance behaviour of Iranian fishers with the fisheries regulations in the Persian Gulf is examined in this study. A formal theoretical model and analytical framework that was useful in the understanding of compliance behaviour of individuals with fisheries regulations are developed. By using a standard questionnaire and a stratified random sampling method, a total of 566 fishermen from three Iranian provinces located on the coast of the Persian Gulf were interviewed. The factors include deterrence, moral, social influences and legitimacy variables that can explain the observed noncompliance with zoning regulation for shrimp fishery were examined. A Probit and Logit econometric techniques were used to estimate the violation decision by Iranian fishermen in the study area while the Tobit model was used to estimate the total number of fishing days in Shrimp Fishing Zone (SFZ). The model was classified into two types: the basic and the extended model. In general, the Probit estimation technique perfonns better than the Tobit technique. The Probit model exogenous probability variables however gives better results than the Probit model using raw probabilities. The results indicated that deterrence, moral, and legitimacy factors determined the violation decision of individual fishers to fish in the prohibited zone. The social influence factor (PERTVIOL) was only significant in the Bushehr province. The results also indicate that the deterrence variables, moral development, and legitimacy factor are more important than the social influence factor in explaining the compliance behaviour in the study area. From the economic perspective, moral development and legitimacy variables can complement the efficiency goal in any enforcement program by reducing the need for large expenditures on enforcement inputs to secure compliance. The results showed that using exogenous variables directly in the extended model to explain the violation decision in the individual provinces provide a good result for provinces of Khuzestan and Busbehr. The number of Fishing days (DAY) appears to play a very important role in explaining the violation decision of fishermen in the Khuzestan and Busbehr provinces. The other important variables are the horsepower of fishermen boats (POWER), the morality variable (MeODE), and number of times that fishermen have seen the enforcement personnel at the sea (FBOATNO). The legitimacy variables also have considerable role in explaining compliance behaviour in the cases of Khuzestan and Busbehr provinces. Although the overall probability of detection and conviction (OVEPROB) variable was significant with an unexpected sign, the exogenous variables of probability of detection and conviction came out significant in most the regressions runs with expected signs. It cannot be denied that it plays a very important role than the other (such as moral obligation and legitimacy) variables in securing compliance. Thus, enforcement resources should be utilized together with positive reinforcement of the normative variables. Nevertheless, enforcement inputs wi)) have a deterrence effect on the violators and other fishermen thus reducing the overall violation rate. The capacity of enforcement resources in the Persian Gulf area is limited. There is need to reestablish the enforcement institutions and resources. The government should therefore pay attention to enhancing enforcement resources in the area of study to deter violators

Studies on s Triazinyl Aryl Alkyl Sulphones Part III

2- alpha-Glutarylamino-4-aryl/alkylamino-s-triazin-6-yl-p-chlorophenyl sulphones have been prepared and tested for antibacterial activity against Salmonella typhi. Phenol co-efficients of sulphones were determined. The haloanilino compounds have been found to possess high phenol co-efficient

Determination of Optimal Cropping Pattern Emphasizing Sustainability of Natural Resources and Environment in Orzoyeh District

Water, soil, Vegetation and other natural resources, will be sustainable and useable permanently when they use scientifically and consciously. If the resources are used irregularly, this action will cause to stop renewing resources and they will be mortal. In current study, we used fuzzy goal programming for determining of optimal cropping pattern which emphasizes sustainability of natural resources and environment. For this purpose, four fuzzy goals include profit maximization; irrigation water minimization, fertilizers minimization and pesticides minimization were considered in four scenarios. Requirement data were collected by questionnaire and from Kerman province Jihad Keshavarzi documents. Four optimal cropping patterns were represented by considering different weights for goals. Results illustrated in those scenarios that natural resource conservation and production sustainability have priority, the activities that need require less water, fertilizers and pesticides are more into the cropping pattern. On the contrary, in that scenario that profit maximization has the most weight, the cropping pattern limited to watermelon and potato activities. Because have the highest profit in hectare, although use the most water. Therefore, considering natural resources and environmental sustainability approaches are effective on optimal cropping pattern determination

The impact of Date Palm Pollen Capsule on Vaginal Iubrication and Dyspareunia In Menopausal Woman

Background & aim: Estrogen and androgen deficiency in menopause leads to poor vulvovaginal blood flow, vaginal dryness, and dyspareunia which can reduce the quality of life among the women. In this regard, this study investigated the impact of date palm pollen capsules on vaginal lubrication and dyspareunia in postmenopausal women. Methods: The present triple-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted on 60 ‌menopausal women aged 40-65 years, who referred to the health centers affiliated to the Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran, in 2015. The subjects were randomly assigned to two groups of intervention and placebo (n=30), receiving date palm pollen and placebo capsules (350 mg, daily), respectively, for 35 days. The data were collected at two stages (at the baseline and after treatment) using the Female Sexual Function Index, a part of which evaluated vaginal lubrication and dyspareunia. Data analysis was performed in SPSS (version 16) using the independent t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and ANCOVA. Results: There was a significant difference between the two groups after the intervention in terms of vaginal lubrication (

Diagnosis of Cervical Cancer and Pre-Cancerous Lesions by Artificial Intelligence: A Systematic Review

The likelihood of timely treatment for cervical cancer increases with timely detection of abnormal cervical cells. Automated methods of detecting abnormal cervical cells were established because manual identification requires skilled pathologists and is time consuming and prone to error. The purpose of this systematic review is to evaluate the diagnostic performance of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies for the prediction, screening, and diagnosis of cervical cancer and pre-cancerous lesions

Changes in the Frontotemporal Cortex and Cognitive Correlates in First-Episode Psychosis

Background: Loss of cortical volume in frontotemporal regions has been reported in patients with schizophrenia and their relatives. Cortical area and thickness are determined by different genetic processes, and measuring these parameters separately may clarify disturbances in corticogenesis relevant to schizophrenia. Our study also explored clinical and cognitive correlates of these parameters.Methods: Thirty-seven patients with first-episode psychosis (34 schizophrenia, 3 schizoaffective disorder) and 38 healthy control subjects matched for age and sex took part in the study. Imaging was performed on an magnetic resonance imaging 1.5-T scanner. Area and thickness of the frontotemporal cortex were measured using a surface-based morphometry method (Freesurfer). All subjects underwent neuropsychologic testing that included measures of premorbid and current IQ, working and verbal memory, and executive function.Results: Reductions in cortical area, more marked in the temporal cortex, were present in patients. Overall frontotemporal cortical thickness did not differ between groups, although regional thinning of the right superior temporal region was observed in patients. There was a significant association of both premorbid IQ and IQ at disease onset with area, but not thickness, of the frontotemporal cortex, and working memory span was associated with area of the frontal cortex. These associations remained significant when only patients with schizophrenia were considered.Conclusions: Our results suggest an early disruption of corticogenesis in schizophrenia, although the effect of subsequent environmental factors cannot be excluded. In addition, cortical abnormalities are subject to regional variations and differ from those present in neurodegenerative diseases

Grey-matter texture abnormalities and reduced hippocampal volume are distinguishing features of schizophrenia

Neurodevelopmental processes are widely believed to underlie schizophrenia. Analysis of brain texture from conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can detect disturbance in brain cytoarchitecture. We tested the hypothesis that patients with schizophrenia manifest quantitative differences in brain texture that, alongside discrete volumetric changes, may serve as an endophenotypic biomarker. Texture analysis (TA) of grey matter distribution and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) of regional brain volumes were applied to MRI scans of 27 patients with schizophrenia and 24 controls. Texture parameters (uniformity and entropy) were also used as covariates in VBM analyses to test for correspondence with regional brain volume. Linear discriminant analysis tested if texture and volumetric data predicted diagnostic group membership (schizophrenia or control). We found that uniformity and entropy of grey matter differed significantly between individuals with schizophrenia and controls at the fine spatial scale (filter width below 2 mm). Within the schizophrenia group, these texture parameters correlated with volumes of the left hippocampus, right amygdala and cerebellum. The best predictor of diagnostic group membership was the combination of fine texture heterogeneity and left hippocampal size. This study highlights the presence of distributed grey-matter abnormalities in schizophrenia, and their relation to focal structural abnormality of the hippocampus. The conjunction of these features has potential as a neuroimaging endophenotype of schizophrenia