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Gas chimneys and gas clouds in the subsurface media are known as one of the indications of possible petroleum reservoirs. Investigations of their properties are mostly initiated by seismic attribute interpretation on reflection seismic data. However, due to the complexity of their behavior and their difficult interpretation of seismic attributes, state-of-the-art methods are mostly required to be applied on the seismic data to prevent any misinterpretation. This is mostly done through attribute integration and multi-attribute analysis. This research presents a study on seismic attributes and integration on several 2D seismic reflection lines from the Gorgan Plain. It is located in Northeast Iran, on the western border of the region's well-known Kopeh-Dagh fold and thrust belt, and southeastern border of the South Caspian Basin. Hydrocarbon systems of the Gorgan Plain are poorly known and have not been widely studied, but according to preliminary investigations, this region has the potential for hydrocarbon occurrences. The aim of this study is to investigate presence and then delaminate the affected area of possible gas chimneys that are related to possible hydrocarbon reservoirs. Gas chimneys are assumed to be created due to the routes, mostly made by faults, that provoke light hydrocarbons components to migrate toward the surface. Preliminary interpretations of seismic reflection data in this study revealed that at least two gas chimneys occurred within the Gorgan Plain. As it was mentioned, since they are mostly due to the faulting above the hydrocarbon reservoir, gas chimney and heavy faulting might exhibit the same effects on the seismic data and then on its attributes, which are amplitude reduction and high damping on energies, distortion of the waveshape and seismic velocity reduction. Thus, care should be taken in separation of these two different geologic phenomena on seismic attributes. This also was done in this study through utilized integration of the most relevant seismic attributes such as Instantaneous-phase, Chaos, Variance and Remove-bias attributes. Based on the result of interpretations and according to the evolution of the basin and its structural reconstruction on other studies, gas chimneys of the Gorgan Plain, are in relation to the operation of fault zones in Cenozoic erathem in the region. These fault zones which cut the entire Cenozoic erathem, create the pathway for vertical migration of hydrocarbons through Cheleken formation (reservoir rock) and its overburden sedimentary sequences. In other words, operation of fault zones within Cenozoic sedimentary sequence, is the main reason for gas seepage in the Gorgan Plain, which is also shown in seismic data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) offer affordable mental health services in a less stigmatized environment, in a domiciliary setting. This study aimed to shed light on the epidemiological factors of patients attending CMHCs of Mashhad, their referral status, and treatment. Methods: This study was conducted over the medical records of patients seen by psychiatrists between January 2014 and December 2021 in Mashhad's CMHC, the northeast of Iran. A detailed questionnaire was used to extract data from medical records about the epidemiological characteristics, diagnosed mental illnesses, referral status, and how often they visited the psychiatrist. The association between epidemiological findings and patient referral (referral system or self-referral) as well as the association between epidemiological findings and the number of psychiatric revisits were examined using the Chi-square test. Results: Out of 662 patients, 472 (71%) were female and 190 (29%) were male, with an average age of 29 years. Among the 475 adult patients, 367 (77.3%) were married, with the majority being homemakers (56.4%). Major Depression Disorder (MDD) (32%) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) (18.3%) were the most prevalent mental health conditions among patients. The majority of patients (74.9%) were referred to the CMHC of Mashhad from Primary Healthcare centers (PHCs) and psychiatric hospitals. Furthermore, female gender and patients with lower level of education were associated with more referral through from referral system. Of note, 431 patients (65.1%) did not return for a second visit, the ratio of treatment dropout was higher for patients with lower education levels. Conclusions: Referral system should be more practical in Iran to enhance health services in CMHCs. It is recommended that PHCs undergo certain modifications to enhance the referral process for patients with mental health conditions, focusing on common mental disorders and individuals with low socioeconomic level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Balantidium coli, is a protozoa that can infect humans. Balantidium coli infection is mostly asymptomatic, but can cause of diarrhea, abdominal pain and sometimes perforated colon. There are only few previous reports regarding the infant balantidiasis and there is a little information about its clinical signs and treatment. In Islamic countries pig farming and consumption is prohibited and reservoir host is unknown. Methods: 1.5 years old boy showed sever anorexia and diarrhea. The affected infant was depressed. The evaluation of fecal examination revealed a large number of B. coli trophozoites and cysts leaded us to an uncommon presentation of B. coli in the infant. Results: A few reports of human balantidiasis from Iran seems quite extraordinary. Wild boars have been proposed the responsible for transmission of human infection in Iran. Conclusion: However, this report as the first report of infant balantidiasis in Iran supports the role of other sources and domestic or wild animals as reservoir hosts for B. coli in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, to enhance the searching ability, convergence velocity, computational efficiency, and global performance of the standard Teaching–Learning-Based Optimization (TLBO) algorithm, two modified TLBO algorithms designated as, TLBO-M1 and TLBO-M2, are developed. The standard and the two proposed TLBO algorithms are applied to solve inverse radiative boundary design problems in two-dimensional radiant furnaces with grey absorbing and emitting media. The goal of the inverse design problem is to find the best distribution of heat flux over the heater surface of the radiant enclosure which produces the desired temperature and heat flux distributions over the design surface. Radiation is considered the prevailing mode of heat transfer and thus the media inside the enclosure is at radiative equilibrium. Radiative heat transfer within the enclosure is modelled using the radiative transfer equation and is solved using the discrete ordinates method (DOM). To evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithms, a validation problem and two inverse design problems with regular and irregular enclosures are considered. The results demonstrate that the TLBO-M1 algorithm is more effective and robust compared to the standard TLBO and TLBO-M2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The emergence of sleep disturbances in response to major stressful events has been previously documented. Heart rate variability (HRV) is an objective marker that provides insight into autonomic nervous system dynamics. The aim of the present study was to examine the preliminary effectiveness of a one-shot session of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) for frontline healthcare providers with acute insomnia. Methods: This study was conducted from 2020 to 2021 on healthcare workers with insomnia. The healthcare workers were randomly allocated to receive either one-shot cognitive behavioral therapy or routine care. Insomnia severity index (ISI) and heart rate variability were assessed before and 1 month after the interventions. Results: Among 57 patients (n = 31 in the intervention group and n = 26 in the control group), mean (± SD) age of both groups were 34.6 (± 9.5) and 36.6 (± 6.9), respectively. Most participants in both groups were female (81% and 65% in the intervention and control groups, respectively; p-value = 0.10). Insomnia severity index score decreased in the intervention group from 13.3 to 6.7 (p < 0.001). The change before and after the intervention was significant between the two groups for HF-normalized unit (high-frequency power band [0.15–0.40 Hz] in the normalized unit) and LF/HF (the ratio of low frequency to high frequency). HF-normalized unit increased in the intervention group (35.8 ± 21.5 vs. 45.6 ± 19.8 before and after the intervention, respectively), and decreased in the control group (43.9 ± 16.5 vs. 39.8 ± 18.5, before and after the intervention, respectively). Conclusion: The findings suggest that a single-shot session of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is effective in managing acute insomnia symptoms in healthcare workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is associated with long-term hospitalization and amputation. Antibiotic resistance has made the infection eradication more difficult. Hence, seeking alternative therapies such as phage therapy seems necessary. Bacteriophages are viruses targeting specific bacterial species. Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) is among causative agents of the DFU. In this study, the therapeutic effects of single phage and phage cocktail were investigated against multidrug-resistant (MDR) K. pneumonia isolated from DFU. Bacteriophages were isolated from animal feces and sewage samples, and were enriched and propagated using K. pneumoniae as the host. Thirty K. pneumoniae clinical isolates were collected from hospitalized patients with DFU. The antibiotic susceptibility pattern was determined using agar disk diffusion test. The phages' morphological traits were determined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The killing effect of isolated phages was assessed using plaque assay. Four phage types were isolated and recognized including KP1, KP2, KP3, and KP4. The bacterial rapid regrowth was observed following each single phage-host interaction, but not phage cocktail due to the evolution of mutant strains. Phage cocktail demonstrated significantly higher antibacterial activity than each single phage (p < 0.05) without any bacterial regrowth. The employment of phage cocktail was promising for the eradication of MDR-K. pneumoniae isolates. The development of phage therapy in particular, phage cocktail is promising as an efficient approach to eradicate MDR-K. pneumoniae isolated from DFU. The application of a specific phage cocktail can be investigated to try and achieve the eradication of various infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cephalopina titillator is one of the most important causative agents of nasal myiasis in camels. This study aimed to explore the prevalence, histopathological effects, and molecular identification of C. titillator infestation in camels of Kerman province, South-Eastern Iran, between 2019 and 2021. The larvae were placed in 10% formalin for histopathological evaluation and species identification. Pieces of larval abdominal segments of C. titillator were selected for extraction of DNA. Partial mitochondrial CO1 genes were sequenced for final analysis. Out of the 870 camels examined, 339 (38.9%) were infested with larval stages of C. titillator. There was a significant difference between age and infection rate (P = 0.001), while no association between males and females (P = 0.074) was found. The infection rate was significantly higher in the winter (P < 0.001) than in the other seasons. In this study, different lesions depending on duration, locations, and the depth of larval adhesion notably degeneration changes, necrosis, and ulceration were observed. Also, in chronic cases, granulation tissue reactions were organized. Cephalopina titillator was confirmed by PCR sequencing analysis using mitochondrial CO1 region. A 582 bp nucleotide sequence was deposited in GenBank under the MW136151 accession number. Phylogenetic analysis of CO1 produced a single uniform sister clade to MZ209004 and MW167083 records from China and Iraq, respectively. The high prevalence of C. titillator in camels in this region and other areas of Iran declares that the country is in an endemic status and displays the existence of the potential risk for camels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research indicates that the prevalence of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is high and it reduces patient's Quality of Life (QoL). Nowadays, in addition to reducing the symptoms of MDD, emphasis is on the concept of QoL as the purpose of treating these patients. However, we still do not know what these patient's attitudes and perceptions are about QoL. This study aims to clarify the Iranian patient's attitudes and perceptions of QoL's meaning through a qualitative paradigm. Results: During the data analysis, "Agitation factors", "Destructive effects", and "Gratifications" were developed as three main themes with 13 main categories, 39 sub-categories, and 879 codes. According to the findings the main priority of patients with MDD was Agitation factors, which plays a remarkable role in the concept of QoL. Conclusions: MDD leads to deterioration in the QoL of these individuals in different parts. The novelty of this study leads to the creation of a deep and realistic attitude in national and global nurses towards the QoL of majorly depressed patients in order to remove the aggravating factors of the disorder and create a pleasant life based on the adequate and specialized understanding of the consequences of this disorder according to the preferences of patients and provide a suitable quality of life for these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development and reducing greenhouse gas emissions require optimizing the structure of energy production as the main factor in the emission of pollutants in Iran's electricity industry. Over the past years, environmental scientists have proposed carbon tax (CT) and carbon emission trading (CET) as policy tools to reduce pollutant emissions in developed and developing economies. Due to poor access to environmental data and the lack of effective pollution control laws and policies in Iran, efforts to realize the effectiveness of these policies in Iran have been inadequate. The present paper establishes a system dynamics model with feedback to fill these gaps in analyzing the effects of the CT and CET schemes. The following eight scenarios were considered and examined: a baseline scenario (BAU scenario), an emission tax scenario, an emission trading mechanism scenario, an energy supply scenario (to increase electricity generation), an emission tax scenario with investment in technology research and development (to increase energy efficiency), a tax scenario on emissions along with increasing energy supply, the scenario of emission trading mechanism with investment in technology research and development, and the scenario of emission trading mechanism with increasing energy supply. The results showed that while both CT and CET policy groups can be effective in reducing carbon emissions in thermal power plants, in the long run, using price tools to maintain energy security reduces the efficiency of policies greatly. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of CT policy in reducing emissions is higher. Also, despite the allocation of revenue from the application of scenarios to the development of renewable energy, the development of this sector cannot compensate for the reduction in the supply of thermal power plants following the implementation of these policies. As a result, other supportive policies are necessary for the further and faster development of the renewable sector and optimizing the energy structure with an emission reduction approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intracellular delivery of nanomaterials into the cells of interest has enabled cell manipulation for numerous applications ranging from cell-based therapies to biomedical research. To date, different carriers or membrane poration-based techniques have been developed to load nanomaterials to the cell interior. These biotools have shown promise to surpass the membrane barrier and provide access to the intracellular space followed by passive diffusion of exogenous cargoes. However, most of them suffer from inconsistent delivery, cytotoxicity, and expensive protocols, somewhat limiting their utility in a variety of delivery applications. Here, by leveraging the benefits of microengineered porous membranes with a suitable porosity, we demonstrated an efficient intracellular loading of diverse nanomaterials to different cell types based on inducing mechanical disruption to the cell membrane. In this work, for the first time, we used ultra-thin silicon nitride (SiN) filter membranes with uniform micropores smaller than the cell diameter to load impermeable nanomaterials into adherent and non-adherent cell types. The delivery performance using SiN microsieves has been validated through the loading of functional nanomaterials from a few nanometers to hundreds of nanometers into mammalian cells with minimal undesired impacts. Besides the high delivery efficiency and improved cell viability, this simple and low-cost approach offers less clogging and higher throughput (107 cell min−1). Therefore, it yields to the efficient introduction of exogenous nanomaterials into the large population of cells, illustrating the potential of these microengineered filters to be widely used in the microfiltroporation (MFP) setup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-care and quality of life challenges significantly affect post-stroke life. Stroke patients look for strategies to improve their performance and cope with their new situation. The aim of this study was to explore spirituality in self-care from the perspective of stroke survivors in the northwest of Iran. Purposive sampling is done on 15 participants through Semi-structured interviews of obtained data through conventional content analysis approach. Two categories of "spiritual self-care" as the main theme included "supplication" comprising subcategories of "worship and prayer", "resort" and "trust" and "religious beliefs" with subcategories of "divine providence" and "divine blessing". Based on results of this study, Spirituality increases motivation for self-care and adaptation, reduces stress and helps patiently manage diseases as realities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) has become the gold-standard for treating patients with the larger renal stones and staghorn calculi. This study was designed to evaluate the outcomes of flank versus prone position in patients underwent ultrasonic-guided PCNL for treatment of large kidney stones. Methods: This prospective randomized clinical trial was conducted from September 2017 to September 2019 in the department of Urology, Labbafinejad University hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Two hundred patients with kidney stones larger than 2 cm underwent PCNLs in prone (n = 100) or flank position (n = 100). Success rate, operative time, access time, hemoglobin and creatinine changes, hospital stay, auxiliary procedure and surgical complications were compared between the two groups. Results: The two groups were similar in their baseline characteristics. The success rates in prone (87%) versus flank position (85%) were not significantly different at the first post-operative follow-up (p = 0.91). At the three-month follow-up, the overall stone free rates for the prone position PCNLs and flank position PCNLs were 94/100 (94%) and 90/100 (90%) (p = 0.96). There were no significant difference between the groups in operative time (p = 0.42), access time (p = 0.66), hemoglobin (p = 0.46) and creatinine (p = 0.22) changes, hospital stay (p = 0.05), auxiliary procedures (p = 0.75) and surgical complications. Conclusion: Overall, there is no significant difference between prone and flank positions in success rate and complications. More prospective studies must be carried out to identify patient populations who are most apt to benefit from one position over the other. Trial registration number: IRCT20200902048597N1 Date of registration: 2020-11-21, retrospectively registered [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In-depth study of cellular heterogeneity of rare cells (e.g. circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and circulating foetal cells (CFCs)) is greatly needed in disease management but has never been completely explored due to the current technological limitations. We have developed a retrieval method for single-cell detection using a static droplet array (SDA) device through liquid segmentation with almost no sample loss. We explored the potential of using SDA for low sample input and retrieving the cells of interest using everyday laboratory equipment for downstream molecular analysis. This single-cell isolation and retrieval method is low-cost, rapid and provides a solution to the remaining challenge for single rare cell detection. The entire process takes less than 15 min, is easy to fabricate and allows for on-chip analysis of cells in nanolitre droplets and retrieval of desired droplets. To validate the applicability of our device and method, we mimicked detection of single CTCs by isolating and retrieving single cells and perform real-time PCR on their mRNA contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Major depressive disorder is the most common psychological disorder and affects many people worldwide. Therefore, it is important to identify the factors that cause or facilitate this disorder. Objectives: The aim of this qualitative study was to identify the facilitating factors of depression from the perspective of Iranian patients with major depressive disorder. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted by content analysis method. Data were collected via purposeful sampling (maximum variation sampling) by conducting semi-structured interviews until reaching data saturation. In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 participants, including patients with major depressive disorder and their families in Razi Psychiatric Training and Treatment Center in Urmia (RPsTT) from November 2018 to February 2020. The process of data analysis was based on the Landman and Grenheim method. The accuracy and trustworthiness of the data were obtained through the Lincoln and Guba criteria. Results: The analysis of interviews with the participants indicated four major categories: a. Environmental factors (approved by 8 participants), b. Attitudinal factors (approved by 12 participants), c. Economic factors (approved by 9 participants) and d. Situational factors (approved by 10 participants). Conclusion: In order to prevent major depressive disorder or to reduce the signs of this disorder and improve these patients quality of life, paying attention to the facilitating factors from patient's perspective based on their community culture can be effective. Among facilitating factors, attitudinal factors have the most impact on the incidence and exacerbation of this disorder from the perspective of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Female Sex Workers are among those women who are significantly more vulnerable to violence. Apart from the human rights perspective, assessing the frequency of violence among sex workers is especially important because of its relation to the spread of HIV and other sexually-transmitted infections. This cross-sectional, observational study was conducted among 263 female sex workers in southern parts of Tehran and their suburban regions in 2017 where the population is considered more socially and economically vulnerable. To evaluate univariate analysis between sexual violence and physical violence as dependent variables and the assumed exposures as well as confounders, the models were built distinctly. The models included exposures of the questionnaire as independent variables. The exposure factors with a p value of less than 0.2 were moved into the multiple logistic regression models. The rates of sexual violence and physical violence were reported as 72.2% and 82.3% respectively. According to our results, sexual violence is associated with higher education, working in streets, drug usage, having the experience of forced unprotected sex and feeling of discrimination. Physical violence is associated with low education, drug usage and feeling of discrimination in multiple analyses. Addressing the violence against female sex workers is a complex multifactorial issue in Iran. It requires structural changes in some social, legal, economic and health infrastructure programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The orchestration of collaborative networks plays a fundamental role in shaping and configuring network cooperation and ensuring the success of a network. Despite a notable number of studies conducted, the issue of orchestrating collaborative networks and establishing a relationship among their diverse and dispersed components has not been designed and developed in the form of a coherent model. The purpose of the present study is to cast light on the process of determining the dimensions of formal science and technology collaborative networks in Iran. Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) was utilized due to its high capability to deal with the dynamic complexity of the problem, the various stakeholders and actors involved, and the conflicting interests of these stakeholders. Accordingly, in addition to investigating and interviewing the informants and obtaining a rich picture of the situation, interpretive structural modeling (ISM) was used to design a conceptual model. The results show that in order to improve the problem condition and achieve an effective output of the network, the communication processes of the founding organization, Steering Board, the network leaderboard, and the members should all be subject to proper changes at the right time. Finally, in order to facilitate the analysis of effective variables and the role of the orchestrator in the formal science and technology collaborative networks in Iran by using System Dynamics (SD), a dynamic model was proposed. According to the obtained results, the orchestrator's ability, trust and motivation of network members, the socialization process of members, and network sustainability are among the most important factors in network orchestration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the wide spread locations of wind farms in Iran, it is important to develop a suitable decision support system (DSS) to fulfill proper management of wind farms. Extensive literature survey indicates that there are no integrated forms of DSS to manage a set of wind farms. The existing wind farms are performing independently, and there is no practical method for exchanging the online data. DSS can contribute to optimal operation of wind farms, operation and maintenance scheduling, pricing policy, etc. In this study, a geographic information system and RETSCREEN software were linked to the designed DSS to achieve a more suitable result. Also, a huge number of data are constantly collected and fitted into the DSS to predict future performance of the wind farms, support the decision for pricing policy, and develop next generation of wind farms in the studied area. The developed software, called Monitoring Wind Turbines Performance, was applied to a wind farm located in Ganjeh at the northern part of Iran to ensure the capability of the DSS model. The results show that application of this model can lead to both minimal costs imposed to the wind farm owners and considerable margin of economic gain. Setting up such a network and smart technologies can be considered as a useful tool for energy resiliency management in mega cities at the national level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogel nanocomposite as a novel porous macromolecular provides potential applications in many different fields. In this paper, Co3O4/g-C3N4/multi wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nanocomposites were stabilized in resorcinol formaldehyde hydrogel for a highly efficient removal of Rhodamine B from aqueous solution. Hydrogel, Co3O4 in hydrogel, g-C3N4 in hydrogel, Co3O4/g-C3N4 in hydrogel and Co3O4/g-C3N4/MWCNT in hydrogel were synthesized and characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET, BJH, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive X ray (EDX). BET results showed that the presence of nanomaterials in synthesis steps of hydrogel, increase specific surface area about 22.5-30 times. DRS results confirmed that the stabilization of g-C3N4 and Co3O4 nanoparticles in hydrogel effectively shifted absorption edge to longer wavelength (red shift). The aim of this study is to eliminate Rhodamine B from solution by semiconducting materials which stabilized in hydrogel. Adsorption and synergistic performance of each sample in removal of 3 ppm solution of Rhodamine B were evaluated by UV–Vis spectrophotometry in dark and under visible light irradiation, respectively. The best removal performance (87%) was obtained by Co3O4/g-C3N4/MWCNT nanocomposites stabilized in hydrogel in 120 min under visible light irradiation. All of the samples follow first order kinetic model in removal of Rhodamine B. This study provides new insights into the stabilization of catalysts in hydrogel as a porous material and facilitates their application in the synergistic removal of dye in the field of water treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research presents an integrated study of 2D seismic reflections and calibrated well data to outline the structural development of the Gorgan Plain on the border of the South Caspian hydrocarbon basin, in the Alborz and Kopeh-dagh ranges of northeast Iran. Eight seismic horizons, including two unconformities, have been identified, ranging in age from Early Jurassic to Quaternary. Analysis and interpretation of geophysical data provide an understanding of the structural geology of the Gorgan Plain, crucial for investigation of structural traps. Seismic interpretation indicates structural features such as deep reverse listric faults (inverted normal faults) for older formations; strike-slip and normal faults in younger sequences; dome and basin interference patterns of folding for all the top formations. Well data demonstrate the occurrence of a disconformity at the base of Upper Cretaceous beds and an angular unconformity at the base of Paleogene. Evidence identified in well and seismic-reflection data proves a complex pattern of tectonic phases since the Early Jurassic. It seems reasonable to suppose that these structural patterns are related to a change in direction of tectonic compression, which in turn has produced structural hydrocarbon traps in crests of domes in the Gorgan area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To present the safety and efficacy of fluoroscopy-free ultrasound-guided PCNL for the treatment of renal calculi in pediatric patients of all ages.Methods: 30 children with mean age of 5 years (6 months-12 years) underwent totally ultrasound-guided PCNL from March 2013 to August 2016. The pyelocalyceal system was punctured in prone position using only ultrasonography guidance, and the tract was dilated using a single shot dilation technique. No fluoroscopy was used during any of the stages of renal access. The procedure was performed using adult-sized instruments.Results: The mean stone size was 27.1 ± 8.7 mm. Mean access time was 4.3 ± 2 min. Mean nephroscopic time was 34.6 ± 15.2 min. Mean hospital stay of patients was 3 days (range 2-5). 21 patients were stone-free after the procedure (70% success rate). Only four patients out of 30 experienced postoperative complications.Conclusions: The results of this study showed that fluoroscopic-free ultrasound-guided PCNL in pediatric patients of all ages is safe, highly efficient, and minimizes potential radiation exposure risks associated with the procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Gemcitabine resistance is the main problem in pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients. Hence, we aimed to identify the correlation between expression of RRM1 and CDA as the resistance genes and their predicted targeting miR-608 in the resistant pancreatic cancer cell lines to gemcitabine.Methods: Dual luciferase assay was performed to determine whether both RRM1 and CDA are targeted by miR-608 in 293T and pancreatic cancer cell lines. AsPC-1 and MIA PaCa-2 cell lines became gradually resistant to gemcitabine by exposing to the increasing doses of gemcitabine. After RNA and miRNAs extraction and cDNA conversion, the expressions of RRM1, CDA and miR-608 in all cell lines were studied by quantitative PCR. Pre-miR-608 transfection to the cell lines was done by calcium phosphate method. MTT assay was performed for analyzing the chemo sensitivity of different cell lines to gemcitabine.Results: Luciferase assays showed that miR-608 targeted RRM1 and CDA genes in 293T, AsPC-1 and MIA PaCa-2 cell lines. Compared to parental cell line, resistant MIA PaCa-2 and AsPC-1 cells demonstrated increased expression of RRM1 and CDA. On the other hand the expression of miR-608 in resistant MIA PaCa-2 and AsPC-1 cells was lower than parental cells. Furthermore, transfection of MIA PaCa-2 and AsPC-1 cells by miR-608 lead to decreased expression of RRM1 and CDA and lowered viability of the cells in comparison with scrambled microRNA transfected cells.Conclusion: During resistance induction in pancreatic cancer cells, miR-608 which is targeting RRM1 and CDA is downregulated which leads to upregulation of these genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a comprehensive nonlinear regression analysis has been conducted on widely known dimensionless parameters associated with the overtopping phenomena as one of the highest priority design criteria in seawall design, using CLASH (Crest Level Assessment of coastal Structures by full-scale monitoring, neural network prediction, and Hazard analysis on permissible wave overtopping) database, as the most viable source in this regard. Accordingly, new formulae have been put forward for calculation of mean overtopping discharge at vertical walls on horizontal as well as sloping foreshore. It has statistically shown that presented formulae have a comparatively better correlation with related CLASH data when compared with the existing ones. Therefore, implementing new formulae will hopefully result in a more reliable design of vertical walls with respect to overtopping discharge performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sleep is a naturally reversible process that plays an essential role in human wellbeing. Sleep enables optimal functioning of physical and mental health and contributes to quality of life and safety. There are many individuals among the general public who do not realize they are sleep deficient and are not aware of the effects of sleep deprivation on their health and on the safety of their peers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drowsy drivers cause between 10 and 30% of all traffic accidents. Purpose: Many believe that sleep is a luxury and that by decreasing sleep they can maximize their productivity. In this article, we emphasize that sleep is a necessity and the only way to pay the sleep debt is to sleep. This review article aims to increase awareness of early signs of sleep deficiency, consequences of poor sleep, and proper sleep hygiene for healthcare professionals to influence practice in educating patients about needed changes in sleep behaviors. Conclusions: Sleep deficiency not only has side effects on the personal level, but also can cause harm on a larger scale through chronic disease, motor vehicle accidents, and workplace accidents. A better understanding of sleep and its effects encourages a better quality of life and fewer hazardous behaviors. Clinical implications: Sleep is an active state of recovery during which the optimal function of all body systems is reinstated. Sleep repairs and prevents occurrence of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  Our objective was to evaluate the effect of surgical repair of pelvic organ prolapse on female sexual function. Sixty seven women with pelvic organ prolapse were recruited in the study. Degree of pelvic organ prolapse was assessed using pelvic organ prolapse quantitation (POPQ) staging system. Female sexual function index (FSFI) questionnaire was used to assess sexual function of the cases preoperatively and 12–16 weeks after the operation. Mean age of the cases was 36.03 � 5.38 years. The total mean FSFI score increased from 15.9 � 10.7 to 21.9 � 11.1 (P P  [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a comprehensive numerical simulation of a point wave absorber in deep water. Analyses are performed in both the frequency and time domains. The converter is a two-body floating-point absorber (FPA) with one degree of freedom in the heave direction. Its two parts are connected by a linear mass-spring-damper system. The commercial ANSYS-AQWA software used in this study performs well in considering validations. The velocity potential is obtained by assuming incompressible and irrotational flow. As such, we investigated the effects of wave characteristics on energy conversion and device efficiency, including wave height and wave period, as well as the device diameter, draft, geometry, and damping coefficient. To validate the model, we compared our numerical results with those from similar experiments. Our study results can clearly help to maximize the converter's efficiency when considering specific conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of Fasciola hepatica, the economic losses from liver condemnation and the relationship between burden of F. hepatica in liver and EPG of F. hepatica in Rudsar city (north of Iran). Between May 2011 and May 2012, a total of 680 slaughtered cattle were examined for the presence of F. hepatica in the liver. Data collected were analyzed by the sex, age, season and breed of the animals. In this study 137 cattle (20.14 %) were found to be positive for F. hepatica. The mean fluke burden in the affected livers was 14 ± 2 flukes per liver. There were no seasonal and age-related differences ( P > 0.05) in prevalence of F. hepatica, but there was a statistically significant association ( P < 0.05) between the prevalence with breed and sex and a high prevalence of F. hepatica was observed in indigenous and female cattle. The financial loss due to liver condemnation almost was estimated to be 2,750 USD. To study the relationship between burden of F. hepatica in liver and EPG of F. hepatica, faeces collected from rectum of cattles in slaughterhouse were examined by McMaster egg- counting technique. The abundance (worm burden) of F. hepatica in contaminated liver was classified in three group, group A, <10 worms/liver, in group B, 10-30 worms/liver and in group C, >30 worms/liver. In this groups (A-C) EPG of F. hepatica was 156, 240 and 620 respectively. There was a strong relationship between EPG and burden of worm in the liver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we characterize all $$B$$ -algebras of order less than $$10$$ and Cayley tables of them are represented. We prove that there is not any proper $$B$$ -algebra of odd number with order less than $$10$$ . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade, as semiconductor industry was approaching the end of the exponential Moore's roadmap for device downscaling, the necessity of finding new candidate materials has forced many research groups to explore many different types of non-conventional materials. Among them, graphene, CNTs and organic conductors are the most successful alternatives. Finding a material with metallic properties combined with field effect characteristics on nanoscale level has been always a dream to continue the ever-shrinking road of the nanoelectronics. Due to its fantastic features such as high mobility, optical transparency, room temperature quantum Hall effect, mechanical stiffness, etc. the atomically thin carbon layer, graphene, has attracted the industry's attention not only in the micro-, nano-, and opto-electronics but also in biotechnology. This paper reviews the basics and previous works on graphene technology and its developments. Compatibility of this material with Si processing technology is its crucial characteristic for mass production. This study also reviews the physical and electrical properties of graphene as a building block for other carbon allotropes. Different growth methods and a wide range of graphene's applications will be discussed and compared. A brief comparison on the performance result of different types of devices has also been presented. Until now, the main focus of research has been on the background physics and its application in electronic devices. But, according to the recent works on its applications in photonics and optoelectronics, where it benefits from the combination of its unique optical and electronic properties, even without a bandgap, this material enables ultrawide-band tunability. Here in this article we review different applications and graphene's advantages and drawbacks will be mentioned to conclude at the end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cysticercus tenuicollis, the metacestode stage of Taenia hydatigena are responsible for a high degree of morbidity and mortality in livestocks. This study was performed in order to investigate the variations of blood parameters (hematological and biochemical) and pathological changes in 50 sheep infected with C. tenuicollis in comparison with 50 non-infected control group. The blood samples were taken from the sheep that were slaughtered in the Kerman slaughterhouse. Blood and sera samples were analyzed for hematology and biochemical parameters and infected livers, were transported to the pathology laboratory for further examinations. According to the analyses performed on the animals blood, a significant increase was detected in number of white blood cells, activities of AST, ALT and levels of total bilirubin in animals with cysticercosis ( p < 0.05). Also in infected animals, a significant reduction was observed in number of red blood cells, hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit values ( p < 0.05). In histopathological examination, hepatocellular degeneration and necrosis, fibrosis, mucus gland and biliary hyperplasia, mild lymphocytic hepatitis, granuloma and telangiectasis were observed. It seems that the increased and reduction of significant blood parameters, may be due to liver failure and pathological changes following larval migration and stimulating of immune responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linguatula serrata is a well-known zoonotic parasite belonging to the order of Pentastomida which infects both human and animals. Human can be infected by both the nymph stage, causing a disease condition called nasopharyngeal linguatulosis or halzoun syndrome and the egg, a condition called visceral linguatulosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of nymphal stages of L. serrata in mesenteric and mediastinal lymph nodes of one-humped camels slaughtered in Rafsanjan slaughterhouse, Kerman province, south-eastern Iran. For this purpose, mesenteric and mediastinal lymph nodes of 132 one-humped camels of different sex and age groups in different seasons were examined. Overall, 27 one-humped camels (20.5 %) were infected by L. serrata nymphs. The infection rate increased with age ( P < 0.05). No significant difference by sex groups or seasons was observed ( P > 0.05). The high prevalence of infection in one-humped camels is of major concern to public health, owing to the zoonotic nature of the parasite and the potential risk of infection to humans and other animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the pattern as well as associated factors of moderate and major potential drug-drug interactions (PDDIs) in both the pre- and early post-transplantation stages at a referral hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) center. All adolescents and adults undergone HSCT within a 3-year period were screened retrospectively for potential moderate or severe PDDIs by the Lexi-Interact On-Desktop software. Among 384 patients, a total of 13,600 PDDIs were detected. The median (interquartile range) cumulative PDDIs burden was 41 (28). All (100 %) individuals experienced at least one PDDI. More than four fifths (81.8 %) of detected PDDIs were moderate. The predominant mechanism of PDDIs was pharmacokinetics (54.3 %). Interaction between sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim and fluconazole was the most common PDDIs involving 95.3 % of the study population. More than three fifths (61.5 %) of detected PDDIs were caused by HSCT-related medications. No interaction was identified between two anticancer agents. Interactions of cyclophosphamide with phenytoin, busulfan with metronidazole, dexamethasone, or clarithromycin were the only detected PDDI between anticancer and non-anticancer medications. Type of HSCT and the numbers of administered medications were significantly associated with major PDDIs. The epidemiology, real clinical consequence, and economic burden of DDIs on patients undergone HSCT particularly around the transplantation period should be assessed further by prospective, multicenter studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pro-inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) play an important role in the development of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) complications. We explored the effect of Selenium as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent on pro-inflammatory cytokines levels in HSCT candidates. Findings: Plasma concentrations of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 were measured in 74 patients from a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. In both groups, there were 37 patients with median age of 32 years. Patients received oral Se tablets (200 mcg) or placebo twice daily beginning from the first day of high dose chemotherapy (HDC) through 14 days after HSCT. Cytokine levels were determined before starting HDC (prior to first dose of Se), 7 and 14 days after HSCT. Plasma levels of TNF-α were not significantly different between Se and control group (P = 0.13). IL-1 levels were similar between two groups (P = 0.88). No significant differences were detected in IL-6 levels between Se and control group (P = 0.96). Conclusion: Selenium had no effect on pro-inflammatory cytokines levels in patients undergoing HSCT. It is likely that earlier initiation and/or larger doses of Se are required to affect inflammatory cytokines significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Iran, Cysticercus tenuicollis, the metacestode stage of Taenia hydatigena is endemic. The migration of this parasite causes traumatic hepatitis and death in young animals. The objective of this work was to evaluate hematological, biochemical and pathological findings in 50 goats infected with C. tenuicollis in comparison with 50 non-infected goats, as control group. This study was carried out as case-control. Blood and liver samples were taken from the goats, analyzed for hematology and biochemical parameters and liver samples were prepared for paraffin blocks, sectioning and staining for further microscopic study in pathology laboratory. Significant decrease in red blood cell count, hemoglobin, packed cell volume and total protein ( P < 0.05) and significant increase in white blood cell count, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase were observed in infected goats ( P < 0.05), compared with those in non-infected control group. The microscopic lesion in liver included large concentric foci of hemorrhage in migration stage and decreased number of hepatocytes, dilation of sinusoids, presence of inflammatory cells in portal areas and double layered parasitic cyst formation in chronic stages. In conclusion, various changes in parameters could have deleterious effect on morbidity and mortality of the herd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastrointestinal parasites of domesticated animals, especially in animals with traditional husbandry management cause reduction in production and performance of them. Aim of our study was to determine prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in indigenous camels, with traditional husbandry management that have no direct contact with other livestock. This study was carried out between Kerman and Yazd provinces of Iran, midsummer 2011. Fecal samples of 100 randomly selected camels of all age and sex, collected directly from their rectum. The fecal samples were examined by direct smear, simple flotation technique, centrifugal sedimentation technique, and McMaster egg counting technique and fecal culture to identification and determine the burden of parasites in different age groups. Nematode eggs and Eimeria oocysts were found (64 %) and (24 %) in fecal samples respectively. Parasite eggs that observed in camel feces were belong to Nematodirus spp. (52 %), Trichostrongyle type eggs (49 %), Haemonchus spp. (38 %), Trichuris spp. (14 %) Marshallagia spp. (10 %) and Eimeria cameli (24 %), the age of infected camels with helminthic infections was significantly higher than non-infected camels ( p < 0.05), there was also a significant correlation between age and severity of coccidiosis ( p < 0.05). Camel calves and camels below 5 years old were more infected with the Eimeria sp. than older ones. This study revealed gastrointestinal parasites is a major problem of indigenous camels with traditional husbandry, so parasite control programs must be established for increasing the productivity of this useful animal and industrial system for breeding camels recommended to increase productivity of them, especially where harsh climatic condition affected other livestock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shortage of water resources in arid and semi-arid areas causes water supply to be one of the most important subjects and major concerns within NGO and governments' policies in recent years. The Shahrekord Plain aquifer system is located in a semi-arid area and acts as a key source of water supply. Groundwater management in this area is thus very important. Although change in the climatological factors is not possible, long-term fluctuation studies can help in managing the available water resources to overcome from drought or decrease its negative impact. The hydrodynamic study of the aquifer system coupled with the drought indices in each region can be useful in making decisions related to the hydro-ecosystem management of that region. In this article, hydrodynamics of the aquifer system of the Shahrekord Plain coupled with the ratio of P/PET as a drought index, are assessed on the long term. In Shahrekord Plain aquifer, there is a short-term seasonal fluctuation, which is increased by overexploitation during the dry season, when water is needed for irrigation. The hydrodynamic behavior of the plain aquifer on the long term is changing. This fluctuation at first is a function of time. Secondly, it is spatially dependent. Groundwater behavior is directly sensitive to the variation of drought index, both seasonally and on the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cross-sectional survey was carried out on goats slaughtered at the Kerman abattoir from September 2010 to September 2011 to determine the prevalence of cystic hydatidosis. Postmortem examination, hydatid cyst characterization were conducted. Out of the total of 2,002 animals examined (889 females and 1,113 males), 74 (3.69%) were found harboring one or more hydatid cyst. The result obtained from postmortem examination indicated that a total of 91 visceral organs were found harboring one or more hydatid cysts. The involvement of lung, liver, and muscles was found to be 43.95%, 42.85%, and 13.18% respectively. From the total of 575 cysts counted, 214 (37.21%), 186 (32.34%), 63 (10.95%), and 112 (19.47%) were small, medium, large, and calcified cysts, respectively, and 120 (20.86%) and 343 (59.65%) were fertile and sterile cysts, respectively. Out of the 120 fertile cysts subjected for viability test, 116 (96.66%) were viable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sarcocystosis caused by different Sarcocystis species and is a zoonotic protozoan infection with worldwide distribution in man and many animal species. In the present study, three techniques - direct inspection, impression smears and digestion method - were used for the diagnosis of Sarcocystis infection in 112 slaughtered sheep in a Kerman abattoir from November 2010 to May 2011. A total of 450 slaughtered sheep were selected randomly during three seasons, and their oesophagus and diaphragm were inspected using naked eye examination. In the second stage, 112 carcasses out of the 450 which had no apparent infection were selected randomly and their meat investigated using two techniques: impression smear with staining and pepsin digestion. The percentage of macroscopic cysts found in the oesophagus and diaphragm muscle was 6% and 2.88%, respectively, and microscopically, infection was found in 100% of the organs. There was no significant difference between different ages or between males and females. Although all of the sheep were found to be infected with Sarcocystis, majority of the cysts were demonstrated microscopically. This suggests that meat should be cooked sufficiently, since a macroscopic inspection may not provide true results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was carried out from September 2010 to September 2011 at Kerman Municipal abattoir to assess the status of hydatidosis in cattle. Out of the total 1,000 cattle examined visually and manually (palpation and incision), 86 (8.6%) were found harboring hydatid cysts. A significantly higher infection was detected in older cattle ( P < 0.05) than younger ones. Of the total of 86 infected, 13 (15.11%) had hydatid cysts only in the lung, 33 (38.37%) in the liver, 2 (2.32%) in the muscles, while the rest 38 (44.18%) had multiple organ infections. Of the 125 viscera harboring hydatid cysts, the highest (56.8%) was the liver followed by the lungs (40.8%) and the muscles (2.4%). From the total of 721 hydatid cysts counted, 205 (28.43%), 222 (30.79%), 45 (6.24%), and 249 (34.53%) were found to be small, medium, large, and calcified cysts, respectively. The distribution of characterized cysts in different organs based on their size was found to be statistically significant ( P < 0.05). In addition, out of the total 721 cysts collected, 5.40% were fertile, 60.05% sterile, and 34.53% calcified or purulent cysts. The rate of cyst calcification was higher in the liver than in the lung. There was a significant difference in the fertility of the cyst from different organs ( P < 0.05); fertility rate was higher among the cysts of the liver. Hydatid cyst viability rate of 61.53% was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was carried out on free-range backyard chickens and domestic pigeons ( Columba livia domestica) from December 2010 to November 2011 to determine the prevalence, intensity and species of internal and external parasites in Sistan region, east of Iran. Of the total of 59 (27 males and 32 females) free-range backyard chickens and 46 (26 males and 20 females) domestic pigeons inspected, 55 (93.22 %) and 39 (84.78 %) were infected respectively. Ten species of free-range backyard chickens parasites were collected from alimentary canals, body, head and neck, comprising of 3 species of nematodes, 4 species of cestodes and 3 species of ectoparasites as follows: Ascaridia galli (16.94 %), Heterakis gallinarum (23.72 %), Subulura brumpti (67.79 %), Raillietina tetragona (35.59 %), Raillietina echinobothrida (27.11 %), Raillietina cesticillus (15.25 %), Choanotaenia infundibulum (40.67 %), Argas persicus (16.94 %), Menopen gallinae (55.93 %) and Menacanthus stramineus (33.89 %). The domestic pigeons were infected with seven species of parasites including 2 species of nematodes, 2 species of cestodes and 3 species of ectoparasites as follows: Ascaridia colombae (15.21 %), Hadjelia truncata (17.39 %), Raillietina tetragona (26.08 %), Raillietina echinobothrida (28.26 %), Argas reflexus (13.04 %), Menopen gallinae (32.60 %), Columbicola Columba (41.30 %). This is the first survey to determine the prevalence and intensity of parasites among free-range backyard chicken and domestic pigeon species in Sistan region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cross-sectional study was conducted during four seasons from October 2009 to October 2010 to assess the status of cystic hydatidosis in the slaughtered camels at Kerman abattoir. Hydatid cyst count and characterization were conducted based on routine meat inspection. Out of the total 217 camels examined visually and manually by palpation and incision, 45 (20.73%) were found harboring hydatid cysts. A significantly higher infection was detected in older camels ( P < 0.05) than younger ones. Of the total 45 infected, 21 (46.66%) had hydatid cysts only in the lung, nine (20%) in the liver, while the rest 15 (33.33%) had multiple organ infections. Of the 62 viscera harboring hydatid cysts, the highest (58.06%) was the lungs followed by the liver (38.75%), and the spleen (3.22%). Size assessment made on 361 cysts indicated that 140 (38.78%) were small, 128 (35.45%) medium, 33 (9.14%) large, and 60 (16.62%) were calcified. The distribution of characterized cysts in different organs based on their size was found to be statistically significant ( P < 0.05). In addition, out of the total 361 cysts collected, 58.17% were fertile, 25.20% sterile, and 16.62% calcified or purulent cysts. The rate of cyst calcification was higher in the liver than in the lung .There was a significant difference in fertility of cyst from different organs ( P < 0.05), those of lung origin being highly fertile. Likewise, out of the 210 fertile cysts subjected for viability test, 120 (57.14%) were viable. The results showed that hydatidosis is one of the major parasitic diseases in the study area. In light of the result obtained and the current situation in Kerman Municipal abattoir and its surrounding, warranting serious attention for its prevention and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and the purpose of the study: The febrile reaction is a complex response involving immunologic and other physiologic systems. Antipyretics are commonly used in critically ill patients with fever. We investigated the inflammatory responses following application of antipyretic therapy in febrile critically ill patients with Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS). Patients and methods: In a prospective, randomized controlled study, critically ill patients with fever (T ≥ 38.3°C), SIRS diagnosed within 24 hours of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score ≥10 were randomized into two groups. Upon appearance of fever, one group received intravenous paracetamol 650 mg every 6 hours for 10 days and other group received no treatment unless temperature reached 40°C. Body temperature, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) and Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores, length of ICU stay, ICU mortality and infectious complications were recorded. Levels of Interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1α), IL-6, IL-10, Tumour Necrosis Factor alpha (TNFα) and High-Sensitive C-Reactive Protein (HS-CRP) were assessed at baseline and 2, 6 and 24 hours after intervention. Results and discussion: During a period of 15-month screening, 20 patients met the criteria and randomized to the control or paracetamol group. Body temperature decreased significantly in the paracetamol group (p = 0.004) and control group (p = 0.001) after 24 hours, but there was no significant difference between two groups at this time point (p = 0.649). Levels of IL-6 and IL-10 decreased significantly (p = 0.025 and p = 0.047, respectively) in the paracetamol group at 24 hours but this was not of statistical significance in control group. No patterns over time in each group or differences across two groups were found for HS-CRP, TNFα, and IL-1α (p > 0.05). There were no differences regarding ICU length of stay, mortality and infectious complications between both groups. Conclusion: These results suggest that antipyretic therapy may not be indicated in all ICU patients. Allowing fever to take its natural course does not appear to have detrimental effects on critically ill patients with SIRS and may avoid unnecessary expenses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five species of nematodes and cestodes were collected from alimentary canals of pigeons: the nematodes were two species: Ascaridia colombae (16.66%) and Hadjelia truncata (1.96%), while the cestodes were Cotugnia digonopora (13.79%), Raillietina magninumida (18.62%) and Raillietina achinobothridia (32.35%); fecal examination revealed: Eimeria spp. (40.19%) and Cryptosporidium oocysts (2.94%); and blood smears showed: Haemoproteus cloumbae (47/05%); in mouth, throat and larynx: Trichomonans gallinae (57.84%); four species of ectoparasites were collected from feathers and subcutaneous nodules as follows: feathers: Pseudolynchia canariensis (63.72%), Columbicola columbae (79.41%), Menopen gallinea (44.11%); subcutaneous nodules: Laminosioptes cysticola (1.96%). From the parasitic fauna identified in this study, it is imperative to institute an integrated parasitic control through constant changing of litter, regular use of antihelminthics, anticoccidials and dusting of birds with pesticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canine dirofilariosis is presumed to be enzootic in different parts of Iran but no study has been done regarding the prevalence of canine dirofilariosis in southeastern Iran. In this study, the presence of Dirofilaria immitis circulating antigen was detected using a commercial immunochromatogeraphy kit in the sera of 100 owned dogs, which were referred to Kerman Veterinary Hospital during a 6-month period. Modified knott test and follow-up radiography and electrocardiography were performed to support the heartworm diagnosis in seropositive dogs. At the same period, 98 stray dogs were subjected to post-mortem examination of the heart, pulmonary arteries, thoracic venae cavae, and lungs for detection of adult heartworm infection. The overall seroprevalence of heartworm was estimated at 5% but only two seropositive dogs showed microfilaremia. No stray dog was infected at necropsy and all seropositive dogs were owned. The prevalence of heartworm disease showed an initial increase with age fallowed by a decline in dogs older than 6 years. There were no significant differences among the dogs regarding sex and breed. Seven infected dogs (70%) were symptomatic in physical examination, and a broad spectrum of specific clinical signs of cardiovascular involvement was noticed. Distinctive radiographic signs with varied degrees of severity were seen in 50% of cases. Electrocardiography of seropositive cases revealed specific signs of right-sided cardiomegaly in 30% of cases. In conclusion, Kerman is a low endemic area for canine dirofilariosis but further epidemiological researches are needed to identify the disease distribution and human cases in southeastern Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caspian miniature horses are extremely rare and have barely survived. The large roundworm of horses, Parascaris equorum, is an important cosmopolitan nematode parasite of foals. Two Caspian miniature horses (3 and 5 years old) from one herd with clinical sings of colic were referred to hospital of Veterinary Medicine Faculty of Kerman University, from July 2008 to March 2009. Fecal samples were taken from each horse and examined with the Cornell-McMaster dilution technique. Parascaris eggs were observed, counted, and the eggs per gram feces were calculated. At necropsy, the carcasses were cachexic, and there were massive burden of P. equorum in the small intestine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The use of laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) in patients with tumours >4 cm remains to be further evaluated. We report our experience with LPN in tumours >4 cm compared with tumours ≤4 cm. Materials and methods: This is a retrospective study of data from all LPN patients operated from 2003 to 2008. Inclusion criteria were a single organ confined contrast enhancing mass/Bosniac III-IV cyst. Hospital admission records were used to extract operative and follow-up data. Patients were grouped into group A: ≤4 cm (32 patients, 53% of total), and group B: >4 cm (28 patients, 47% of total). Results: A total of 60 patients (mean ± SD age, 47.4 ± 13.4 years; M/F, 36/24) were included. Mean ± SD tumour size was 31.5 ± 7.3 mm and 51.6 ± 10.9 mm in groups A and B, respectively. ( P < 0.001) Malignant pathology was present in 22 (69%) and 16 patients (57%) in groups A and B, respectively. ( P > 0.05) There was no statistically significant difference in age, gender, pre-operative creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and other investigated pre-operative characteristics between study groups. (all P > 0.05) Nor any difference was observed regarding operative and pathologic (warm ischaemia time, operation duration, transfusion, positive margins, and malignant histology) as well as post-operative variables (re-hospitalization, post-operative complications, hospital stay, or eGFR changes). Conclusion: The results of this study supports the feasibility and comparability of operative and post-operative early complications for LPN when applied to tumours >4 cm in selected patients compared with tumours ≤4 cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rituximab was successively labeled with Lu-lutetium chloride. Lu chloride was obtained by thermal neutron flux (4 × 10 n cm s) of natural LuO sample with a specific activity of 2.6-3 GBq/mg. The macrocyclic bifunctional chelating agent, N-succinimidyl-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA-NHS) was prepared at 25 °C using DOTA, N-hydroxy succinimide (NHS) in CHCl. DOTA-rituximab was obtained by the addition of 1 mL of a rituximab pharmaceutical solution (5 mg/mL, in phosphate buffer, pH 7.8) to a glass tube pre-coated with DOTA-NHS (0.01-0.1 mg) at 25 °C with continuous mild stirring for 15 h. Radiolabeling was performed at 37 °C in 24 h. Radio-thin layer chromatography showed an overall radiochemical purity of >98% at optimized conditions (specific activity = 444 MBq/mg, labeling efficacy; 82%). The final isotonic Lu-DOTA-rituximab complex was checked by gel electrophoresis for structure integrity control. Radio-TLC was performed to ensure that only one species was present after filtration through a 0.22 μm filter. Preliminary biodistribution studies in normal rats were carried out to determine complex distribution of the radioimmunoconjugate up to 168 h. The biodistribution data were in accordance with other antiCD20 radioimmunoconjugates already reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a new model-based monaural speech separation technique for separating two speech signals from a single recording of their mixture. This work is an attempt to solve a fundamental limitation in current model-based monaural speech separation techniques in which it is assumed that the data used in the training and test phases of the separation model have the same energy level. To overcome this limitation, a gain adapted minimum mean square error estimator is derived which estimates sources under different signal-to-signal ratios. Specifically, the speakers’ gains are incorporated as unknown parameters into the separation model and then the estimator is derived in terms of the source distributions and the signal-to-signal ratio. Experimental results show that the proposed system improves the separation performance significantly when compared with a similar model without gain adaptation as well as a maximum likelihood estimator with gain estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a new technique for separating two speech signals from a single recording. The proposed method bridges the gap between underdetermined blind source separation techniques and those techniques that model the human auditory system, that is, computational auditory scene analysis (CASA). For this purpose, we decompose the speech signal into the excitation signal and the vocal-tract-related filter and then estimate the components from the mixed speech using a hybrid model. We first express the probability density function (PDF) of the mixed speech's log spectral vectors in terms of the PDFs of the underlying speech signal's vocal-tract-related filters. Then, the mean vectors of PDFs of the vocal-tract-related filters are obtained using a maximum likelihood estimator given the mixed signal. Finally, the estimated vocal-tract-related filters along with the extracted fundamental frequencies are used to reconstruct estimates of the individual speech signals. The proposed technique effectively adds vocaltract- related filter characteristics as a new cue to CASA models using a new grouping technique based on an underdetermined blind source separation. We compare our model with both an underdetermined blind source separation and a CASA method. The experimental results show that our model outperforms both techniques in terms of SNR improvement and the percentage of crosstalk suppression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new Tc-phosphine-isocyanide complex with the general structure [Tc (DEPE) (CNR)] has been synthesised and tested in animals and one human. In three animal species (rat, rabbit, dog), the complex is an efficient myocardial imaging agent, while in humans it remains in the blood pool. The complex is 100% protein bound in animals and humans, but whereas in humans it is attached to a 51.5 kdalton protein (probably prealbumin), in rabbits it appears to be bound to a larger macromolecule (M.W.> 100 kdalton). The efficiency of the complex for blood pool labelling was tested in a human volunteer and compared with the standard in vivo red cell labelling technique with stannous pyrophosphate. A satisfactory radionuclide angiogram could be performed with less than 370 MBq of the complex. The count rate for the complex (cps/MBq) was 15% higher than that obtained with the labelled red cells and the absence of splenic activity was notable. In humans this complex appears to be an efficient blood pool labelling agent which might be useful for radionuclide ventriculography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]