Complementary investigation and taxonomic identification of starfishes, (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) from the Northern Persian Gulf, Iran

Sea Stars are one of the most incredible creatures in the coastal and open waters. In this study, 11 species of starfishes have been identified which belonging to six genera and five families in northern islands of Persian Gulf during May 2017 to September 2018. Among the species, Astropecten hemprichi (Müller & Troschel, 1842), Astropecten indicus (Döderlein, 1888), Astropecten polyacanthus polyacanthus (Muller and Troschel, 1842), Astropecten polyacanthus phragmorous (Muller and Troschel, 1842), Luidia hardwicki (Gray, 1840), Aquilonastra iranica (Mortensen, 1940), Linckia multifora (Lamarck, 1816), Culcita novaeguineae (Muller & Troschel, 1842) and Pentaceraster mammillatus (Audouin, 1826) have been reported in the past. The species of Aquilonastra watersi (O'Loughlin and Rowe, 2006) and Linckia laevigata (Linnaeus, 1758) are new recordsin the Persian Gulf

The Need to Update Respiratory Disease Surveillance System and Indigenization of the Pneumonia of Unknown Cause Surveillance System in Iran according to the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Need to Update Respiratory Disease Surveillance System and Indigenization of the Pneumonia of Unknown Cause Surveillance System in Iran according to the COVID-19 Pandemic   Seyed Hasan Adeli1,  Mohammad Aghaali2   1 Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran 2 Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran [email protected] E-mail:  letter to Editor                                                            

Effect of U.S. Monetary policy shock on GDP of oil-exporting countries: A GVAR Approach

Monetary and financial crisis have different effects on different economies of the world, which in addition to economic factors of countries, depends on the type of their interlinkage in a global economy. Regarding to the importance of U.S. monetary policy in international trade, it is necessary to study the effect of monetary policy shocks of this country on gross domestic product of major oil-exporting countries for determining macroeconomic policies and forecasts in a global and dynamic framework. In this paper we examine the impact of U.S. monetary policy on GDP of major oil-exporting countries in the period of 1974-2017 using GVAR approach. The results indicate that the effect of U.S. Monetary shocks on GDP of these countries is different in short-term and long-term

Towards a value chain for mobile value services for charities

This paper presents a case study on the use of mobile digital services through smart phones to enhance known value chains by increasing the lateral margin value of services in the charity industry. Based on empirical data gathered from research, surveys and interviews, detailed recommendations and considerations for the design of mobile digital services are discussed: location services, in particular, are identified as relevant both to increase user-friendly navigation and to offer relevant services or information to users. Moreover, ensuring adequate privacy and security settings is seen as crucial to adding value in established service value chains. Using the findings and the concept of the charity value chain, the paper identifies four main design cues which were considered in the implementation of the Loc Aid application: awareness and information, trust, transparency, and convenience. The paper discusses each in more detail, and provides examples and arguments for considering these when implementing mobile applications

Clinical, virologic and phylogenetic features of hepatitis B infection in Iranian patients

AIM: To characterize the clinical, serologic and virologic features of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in Iranian patients with different stages of liver disease. METHODS: Sixty two patients comprising of 12 inactive carriers, 30 chronic hepatitis patients, 13 patients with liver cirrhosis and 7 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were enrolled in the study. The HBV S, C and basal core promoter (BCP) regions were amplified and sequenced, and the clinical, serologic, phylogenetic and virologic characteristics were investigated. RESULTS: The study group consisted of 16 HBeAg-positive and 46 HBeAg-negative patients. Anti-HBe-positive patients were older and had higher levels of ALT, ASL and bilirubin compared to HBeAg-positive patients. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all patients were infected with genotype D (mostly ayw2). The G1896A precore (PC) mutant was detected in 58.1% patients. HBeAg-negative patients showed a higher rate of PC mutant compared to HBeAg-positive patients (χ(2) = 9.682, P = 0.003). The majority of patients with HCC were HBeAg-negative and were infected with PC mutant variants. There was no significant difference in the occurrence of BCP mutation between the two groups, while the rate of BCP plus PC mutants was higher in HBeAg-negative patients (χ(2) = 4.308, P = 0.04). In the HBV S region, the genetic variability was low, and the marked substitution was P120T/S, with a rate of 9.7% (n = 6). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, HBV/D is the predominant genotype in Iran, and the nucleotide variability in the BCP and PC regions may play a role in HBV disease outcome in HBeAg-negative patients