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Introduction Urban spaces, especially in historic areas, have undergone a transformation as a result of de-semantic processes and new formulations of declined urban areas. The process has led to a decline in the quality and transformation of the inhabitants’ everyday life in these areas. Since cinematic spaces best reflect the nature of everyday urban life, looking at urban spaces through the lens of the movies may be an approach that enables a new way of encounter with space and history. The relationship between cinematic spaces and urban spaces will help to understand the contrast between urban development and the everyday life of the residents of urban areas from a human point of view, an aspect that has often been neglected by other approaches to urban studies. This relationship, which originates from the emergence of the movies at the heart of the modern urban society and continues to this day, was also manifested in Iran from 1930. In fact, the production of the first moving pictures coincided with major urban developments in the historical center of Tehran. On the other hand, many urban spaces in these areas have gradually been emptied of their original functions and meanings over time, and they have assumed a representative, false function instead. The loss of connection and continuity between the historic area and other parts of the city has led to the transformation of urban spaces into something other than the environment containing the flow of everyday urban life. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to identify and classify urban themes and the dominant patterns of everyday urban life in Tehran’s historical center through visual data and narratives in Iranian movies. Theoretical Framework In order to elaborate on the theoretical framework, it is necessary to explain the notions of space, representation, and everyday life, and this will not be possible without referring to Henri Lefebvre. Lefebvre considers space to be threedimensional, related to society, time, and history. In the book Production of Space, he presents three formulations of the concept of space by stating that urban spaces are created through the dialectical interaction of three modes of production. The first mode is the tangible, material dimension of spatial experience (real space), the second is the representation of space (mental space) as a concept that is built by existing discourses and conventional ideologies, and the third rural landscape, and combination of urban and rural boundaries. This causes many more issues in the physical and spatial subsystem of the planning environment and also has negative effects on spatial development processes. Methodology The purpose of this study is to investigate the causes of sprawling by planning subsystems and to analyze the consequences of sprawling and achieve the underlying, causal, and continuity conditions in the city-region under study. This applied descriptive-analytical survey adopts a library-documentary method of data collection. Result and Discussion In the first part, the experts were provided with a questionnaire on the variables affecting sprawling extracted from studies around the world using purposive sampling, and the results were then analyzed using the fuzzy Delphi method. In the second part, structured interviews were made with the experts in the grounded theory system using the MAXQDA software, and they were then reviewed, analyzed, and coded. To investigate the causes of sprawling, 38 variables on 6 factors were provided to 25 experts who were selected based on purposive sampling. We used semi-structured interviews with 34 participants in the study area in order to analyze the consequences of sprawling, studied the spatial consequences of sprawling in the city-region, and specified 249 initial codes and 28 focal codes. Then, we formulated with the technique of continuous comparison the underlying conditions of development and economic structure change, the causal conditions of the inefficiency of the management and supervision system, the conditions to continue the transformation of the local community and destroy the natural structure, the consequences of change in the physical and spatial structure of the extraction area, and the grounded theory of the consequences of sprawling. Conclusion The most common causes of sprawling in the study area include per capita household income, land and housing trade, and land prices. In the analysis of the consequences of sprawling, we explained the background conditions for economic development and restructuring, the causal conditions of the inefficiency of the management and supervision system, the conditions of continuity including the transformation of the indigenous community and the destruction of the natural structure, and the consequences of physical and spatial restructuring of the region. To interrupt the process of formation and reduce the negative effects of sprawling, proposals were made on attempts to regulate and reform the decision making structure, apply economic policies and adjust the market, slow down the accelerated process of destruction of the natural environment, improve the structure of regional planning (draft a codified, updated land use plan, apply detailed policies and ones to avoid promotion of land speculation, avoid provision of construction and building permits for peri-urban lands in the study area, partition natural lands and prioritize future developments in low-value lands, adopt approaches to endogenous development, development in brown lands, and intermediate development, and achieve a sustainable local society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction The central city-region of Mazandaran Province, including the cities of Sari, Qaemshahr, Babol, and Amol, contains more than 53% of the population in only 30% of its area. Based on the set of issues that the spatial patterns of sprawling have brought about in the central city-region of Mazandaran Province, a research gap seems to be there in the presentation of a conceptual model of the relations governing the causes of sprawling and the consequences in this city-region. This research attempts to take an effective step in that regard. Theoretical Framework There are two perspectives on the issue of sprawling: spatial and non-spatial. From the spatial point of view, issues such as land use changes, housing and land demands, transportation and infrastructure development, and inefficient land development have been raised, which directly or indirectly affect the causes and consequences of sprawling. From the non-spatial point of view, on the other hand, socio-demographic, economic, environmental, and management and supervisory system issues are discussed, the impacts of which on the causes and consequences of sprawling cannot be ignored. In line with the diversity in the spatial patterns of this type of growth in the urban and regional space, the causes of occurrence and the consequences arising from the spatial patterns of sprawling are different, an issue that is controversial due to the dynamic nature of the phenomenon. If sprawling is accompanied by poor control and supervision, there will be many negative consequences such as development inefficiency, extensive change in land use, destruction and waste of natural lands, excessive growth, increase in land and housing prices, formation and prosperity of temporary residence and second housing patterns, unplanned formation of residential centers, spatial imbalance, change in peri-urban and rural landscape, and combination of urban and rural boundaries. This causes many more issues in the physical and spatial subsystem of the planning environment and also has negative effects on spatial development processes. Methodology The purpose of this study is to investigate the causes of sprawling by planning subsystems and to analyze the consequences of sprawling and achieve the underlying, causal, and continuity conditions in the city-region under study. This applied descriptive-analytical survey adopts a library-documentary method of data collection. Result and Discussion In the first part, the experts were provided with a questionnaire on the variables affecting sprawling extracted from studies around the world using purposive sampling, and the results were then analyzed using the fuzzy Delphi method. In the second part, structured interviews were made with the experts in the grounded theory system using the MAXQDA software, and they were then reviewed, analyzed, and coded. To investigate the causes of sprawling, 38 variables on 6 factors were provided to 25 experts who were selected based on purposive sampling. We used semi-structured interviews with 34 participants in the study area in order to analyze the consequences of sprawling, studied the spatial consequences of sprawling in the city-region, and specified 249 initial codes and 28 focal codes. Then, we formulated with the technique of continuous comparison the underlying conditions of development and economic structure change, the causal conditions of the inefficiency of the management and supervision system, the conditions to continue the transformation of the local community and destroy the natural structure, the consequences of change in the physical and spatial structure of the extraction area, and the grounded theory of the consequences of sprawling. Conclusion The most common causes of sprawling in the study area include per capita household income, land and housing trade, and land prices. In the analysis of the consequences of sprawling, we explained the background conditions for economic development and restructuring, the causal conditions of the inefficiency of the management and supervision system, the conditions of continuity including the transformation of the indigenous community and the destruction of the natural structure, and the consequences of physical and spatial restructuring of the region. To interrupt the process of formation and reduce the negative effects of sprawling, proposals were made on attempts to regulate and reform the decisionmaking structure, apply economic policies and adjust the market, slow down the accelerated process of destruction of the natural environment, improve the structure of regional planning (draft a codified, updated land use plan, apply detailed policies and ones to avoid promotion of land speculation, avoid provision of construction and building permits for peri-urban lands in the study area, partition natural lands and prioritize future developments in low-value lands, adopt approaches to endogenous development, development in brown lands, and intermediate development, and achieve a sustainable local society [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new Phyllocoptine species (Eriophyidae: Phyllocoptinae) including Shevtchenkella acerutinissp. nov. and Epitrimerus cupresservirenssp. nov. were collected from Acer velutinum Boiss. (Sapindaceae) and Cupressus sempervirens L. (Cupressaceae), respectively in Sari county, Mazandaran province, North of Iran. They are described and illustrated. This is the first report of eriophyoid mite species in association with Acer velutinum and Cupressus sempervirens plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundDengue fever is a rapidly emerging infection worldwide with a high public health burden. Adequate training of healthcare workers is essential to warrant the timely provision of health services to improve the outcome of dengue management.MethodsThis is an analytical cross-sectional study, conducted to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) of healthcare workers regarding dengue from April 2021 to March 2022 in Mazandaran Province, northern Iran. Data was collected using a researcher-made structured questionnaire, prepared as Google Forms, and sent to target groups through social media and email. Data analysis was performed by SPSS 22 software using descriptive and inferential statistics (Chi-square) at a significant level of 5%.ResultsMost of the respondents had heard about dengue (83.8%); media (32.7%) and academic education (25%) were the main sources of information. Respondents had less knowledge associated with dengue symptoms (52%) than prevention and control (69%), transmission (72.2%) and clinical management (81%). Based on the 70% cut-off point, the majority of the participants had a good attitude (81%) and practice (73%). However, only 49.6% of the respondents showed good practice regarding dengue local transmission. A significant difference was observed between participants knowledge on clinical management with occupation; attitude with gender and occupation; and practice with gender (p

Various environmental factors including altitude and soil properties affect the growth and production of plants in natural ecosystems. Sweet violet (Viola odoratata L.) is a gramineous and perennial plant of the Violaceae family and grows as a wildflower in the mountainous areas of northern Iran and some other regions of the country. This study was performed to compare the phytochemical properties and antioxidant activity of Viola odoratata L. shoot and root extracts in nine habitats of Mazandaran province in March 2020. To investigate the analysis, leaf, flower and root organs of the plant in the flowering stage were collected from nine habitats of Mazandaran province along with soil samples of these areas in March 2018. After collecting the root and shoot samples at the florescence stage and preparing methanolic extract through ultrasonic method, the phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride colorimetric methods, respectively, the antioxidant activities were assayed by Diphenyl Picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and the anthocyanin contents of flowers were measured by Wagner method. According to the findings, phenolic contents of the flowers and leaves decreased and increased, respectively with increasing height, and percentage antioxidant activities of the flowers increased while the amount of flavonoids was not affected by the habitat altitude. Analysis of soil properties revealed that the anthocyanin contents of flowers increased under the effect of deficient absorbable phosphorus in habitat 3 (Firoozjah Babol) and habitat 6 (Mohammadabad Behshahr). Also in the study of secondary metabolites, Sweet violets in habitat 7 had 67.95% and 86.18% antioxidant activities in flowers and roots, respectively; leaf and root phenol contents of 142.32 mg/g and 55.21 mg/g, respectively, and 6.52 μmol/g flower anthocyanin, so it can be selected as the superior region, and samples from this region can be used as gene banks in sexual and asexual reproduction.

Introduction There are several carbonate-hosted Pb–Zn (F–Ba) deposits in the central Alborz zone hosted by upper part of Elika Formation. From an economic point of view, the most important deposits discovered to date are Sheshroudbar, Pachi Miana, Kamarposht and Era. It makes the central Alborz zone as one of the most important Pb–Zn (F–Ba) districts in Iran. In this district, Elika Formation is restricted by NE–SW-trending reverse faults, and thrusted over the Shemshak Formation. The main orebodies occurred in open spaces which formed due to angles between normal and reverse faults in the carbonate rocks of Elika Formation (Tabasi, 1997). Some of these deposits have been studied, and various models such as syn-diagenesis to epigenetic are presented for ore genesis (Alirezaei, 1989; Gorjizad, 1996; Rastad and Shariatmadar, 2002; Rajabi et al., 2013; Vahabzadeh et al., 2014; Nabiloo et al., 2018). Sarcheleshk is an abandoned mine of Pb–Zn (F–Ba) mineralization in the central Alborz zone. Except for small-scale geological maps of the area, i.e., 1:100,000 geological map of Pol-e-Sefid (Vahdati Daneshmand and Karimi, 2004) and Semnan (Nabavi, 1988), previous studies of Pb–Zn (F–Ba) mineralization at Sarcheleshk was limited and include Mohammadi Lisehroudi (2019). In this contribution, we provide the first detailed geological, mineralogical and geochemical studies in the Sarcheleshk deposit to reveal more details of the type and genetic model of ore formation. Materials and methods Detailed field work has been carried out at different scales in the Sarcheleshk area. A total of 60 samples were collected from various parts of orebodies, host carbonate and mafic igneous rocks. The samples prepared for thin (n=32) and polished-thin (n=12) sections in the laboratory of University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran. Representative 8 samples from the ore zone, 1 sample from barren dolomitic limestone and 3 samples from mafic igneous rocks, were analyzed for major, trace and rare earth elements using XRF and ICP–MS in the Zarazma Analytical Laboratories, Tehran, Iran. Discussion and conclusion The Sarcheleshk Pb–Zn (F–Ba) deposit is located 20 km southwest of Pol-e-Sefid, Mazandaran province. The most important rock units exposed in this area include early to middle Triassic dolomitic limestone (Elika Fm.), late Triassic gypsum, dolomitic limestone and marl (Paland Fm.), late Triassic mafic igneous rocks, late Triassic to early Jurassic shale, siltstone and sandstone (Shemshak Fm.), middle Jurassic ammonite-bearing marl, calcareous marl and marly limestone (Dalichay Fm.), late Jurassic cherty limestone and dolomitic limestone (Lar Fm.), and early Eocene Alveolina–Nummulitic limestone (Ziarat Fm.). Mineralization at Sarcheleshk occurs as strata-bound orebodies hosted by dolomitic limestone of Elika Formation, and controlled structurally by faults, fractures and dissolution collapse breccias. The ore veins have a varying width from 0.5 to 1.5 m. Detailed field geology and petrographic studies indicate that wall-rock alterations developed at the Sarcheleshk deposit include dolomitization, silicification, and calcitization. The ores at Sarcheleshk are dominated by galena, sphalerite, pyrite, fluorite, and barite, with lesser, chalcopyrite, and tetrahedrite, all of which are hosted by a dolomite, calcite, and quartz gangue assemblage. The ore minerals show vein-veinlets, open space filling, brecciated, rhythmic, disseminated, replacement, and relict textures. The mineralization process at Sarcheleshk can be divided into three stages. Stage 1 is diagenesis stage represented by rhythmic texture of fluorite, galena, sphalerite, and calcite bands. Stage 2 (epigenetic stage), volumetrically most important, is marked by fluorite-sphalerite-galena-pyrite-chalcopyrite, barite-pyrite and barite-calcite, and late stage calcite veins and veinlets. Stage 3 is the supergene mineral assemblages consisting of smithsonite, cerussite, chalcocite, covellite, azurite, and goethite. The ore samples and mafic igneous rocks show different Chondrite-normalized trace and REE patterns, indicating that they are genetically unconnected. It is declined syn-sedimentary and/or hydrothermal igneous origins for the Sarcheleshk deposit, and specify that basinal brines may have played a role in Pb–Zn (F–Ba) mineralization at Sarcheleshk deposit. Our data suggests that Sarcheleshk deposit is a F–Ba-rich MVT deposit and is comparable with other Pb–Zn (F–Ba) deposits of central Alborz zone.

Abstract Background The consumption of uncooked or undercooked food from infected intermediate hosts can result in Toxoplasma gondii infection in humans. However, few studies have investigated the genetic diversity of this protozoan parasite in Iran. The aim of the present study was to genetically characterize isolates of T. gondii from intermediate host animals in Mazandaran Province, Iran. Methods Blood and heart tissue samples were collected from 204 ruminants, and brain tissue was collected from 335 birds. The prevalence of T. gondii infection in these samples was determined serologically using the modified agglutination test and by conventional PCR assays. Those PCR samples positive for T. gondii DNA and 13 DNA samples extracted from aborted fetuses in a previous study were genotyped with 12 genetic markers using the multilocus-nested PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (Mn-PCR–RFLP) technique. Results Antibodies for parasites were found in 35.7% of the ruminant (39.1% of sheep and 26.4% of goats) samples and in 51.3% of the bird (100% of geese, 52.3% of free-range chickens and 46% of ducks) samples. Molecular detection by PCR of the repetitive 529-bp DNA fragment revealed contamination of 13.2% of ruminant (14.6% of sheep and 9.4% of goats) samples and of 9.6% of bird (11.1% of chickens, 5.7% of ducks and 0% of geese samples). The results from 30 DNA samples revealed five ToxoDB (genome database for the genus Toxoplasma) PCR–RFLP genotypes, including #1 (Type II), #2 (Type III), #10 (Type I), #27 and #48, with genotype #1 the most predominant. Conclusions As evidenced by the results of this study, ruminants and birds are infected with T. gondii in the region, suggesting that they are likely to be involved in the transmission of T. gondii to humans through meat consumption. The identification of different genotypes may suggest a higher genetic diversity of this parasite in Mazandaran, reflecting local environmental contamination. These results have important public health implications for the prevention and control strategies of infection. Graphical Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to assess the concentration of Cd, As, Cu, and Zn metals in water and sediments of rivers in the west of Mazandaran province, Iran. The number of water and sediment samples was 36 taken from four stations from April 2019 to March 2020 and analyzed with three replicates. Mean values of total environmental factors at the four stations during winter and summer seasons were as T=11.21-16.46 °C, salinity=3.58-6.47 g/l, pH=5.42-5.92, TDS=3.52-6.25 g/l, electrical conductivity=6.27-11.12 µmho/cm, nitrite=0.01-0.03 mg/l, and nitrate=1.37-3 mg/l respectively. The quality of environmental factors was found within the normal range for water quality in Iran for different types of land use: agricultural, industrial, recreational, and hot-and cold-water fish farming. Mean values of total adsorption of cadmium, arsenic, copper, and zinc were 0.25, 0.77, 11.44, and 11.02 mg/l respectively in water samples, and 0.2, 3.83, 20.91, and 59.27 µg/g in sediment samples. The adsorption of all metals was higher at the beginning of the cultivation season compared with the non-cultivation season both in water and sediment samples. Safarood river was the most polluted of all rivers. The concentration of metals was higher than the permissible limit in water, but lower in sediments (except for copper and arsenic) in all four rivers.

Background and purpose: World condition has changed since the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged and its rapid spread affected people’s social and sports life. In this study, we aimed at investigating the incidence of sports injuries in Mazandaran province, Iran and the effects of COVID- 19 pandemic on frequency of sports injuries. We also studied the relationship between sports injuries and age, gender, sports specialties and severity of injury. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, information of all/injured athletes registered in Mazandaran Sport Medicine Center between 2018 and 2020 were analyzed in SPSS V23. In order to investigate the relationship between injured limb and age, gender, sports specialty, injured side, and surgery, Chi-square test was applied. Results: The numbers of registered athletes were 51.56, 50.59 and 16.45 per 10,000 population in the province and injured athletes included 6.90, 6.62, and 5.73 per 10,000 registered ones in 2018-2020, respectively. The majority of athletes were men. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate of injury was high in soccer (9.09 per 10,000 registered athletes), knee injuries increased to 40.8%, and surgery was performed in 23.3% of all injuries. Significant relationship was found between injured limb and age (P˂0.05) and sport specialty (P˂0.001) during the years studied. Conclusion: Reduction in number of registered athletes and no considerable change in sports injuries indicate a decrease in recreational athletes after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, prohibition of indoor sports activities can be the reason for increase in men injuries, especially football players. Also, professional athletes experienced serious and more knee injuries

Background and purpose: Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are major human ectoparasites. Before planning and implementation of any control measures against bed bugs in prisons, it is essential to determine the infestation rate. Materials and methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed to determine the prevalence of bed bug infestation in prisons in Mazandaran Province, 2015-2017. A standard checklist was prepared based on the health log of the prisons and was used to collect information on prevalence of bed bugs. Data were analyzed using SPSS V20. Results: The highest rate of infestation (68%) was observed in general ward and the lowest was seen in women's ward (1.23%). Highest infestations were reported at nights (88%) and the highest numbers of bed bugs were collected in metal beds (31%). During three years, there were no reports of bed bugs and their bites in prison 6. The average prevalence was constant in prison 1, while it was descending in prisons 2, 3, 5, and 9 and ascending in prisons 4 and 8. Conclusion: High prevalence of bed bugs in most of the prisons in Mazandaran province could probably be due to their entry into the prisons, re-infestation, and also difficulties in their control. Therefore, continuous monitoring of infestation, monitoring and prevention of bed bugs gaining entry into prisons, revising control measures with collaboration between experts from the Ministry of Health and prison health services are essential to plan for successful bed bug control interventions.

Background and purpose: A drug brochure or Patient Package Insert (PPI) is a sheet of paper in drug package that provides necessary information for effective and afe use of drugs. PPIs are among the main sources of drug information for general public, so, they should be clear and comprehensible. The purpose of this study was to assess the attitudes of pharmacists about PPIs in Iranian drug packages. Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, 203 pharmacists working in pharmacies affiliated with Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences were selected via random sampling. The attitudes of pharmacists about drug brochures in Iranian drug packages were assessed using a researchermade questionnaire. Content validity of the scale was confirmed and its reliability was confirmed by calculating Cronbach's alpha in Excel 2013. Results: In this study, 76.5% of pharmacists believed that physicians rarely ask about the contents of PPIs. Also, only 7% of pharmacists reported mistakes in PPIs to pharmaceutical technicians and experts. Findings showed that 69.8% found that the information in Iranian PPIs do not have a considerable effect on enhancing their knowledge. Conclusion: According to this study, pharmacists believed that the PPIs were not helpful in terms of size and font of contents, enhancing pharmacists’ knowledge and caused more fear about drugs’ side effects. Therefore, appropriate measures should be taken by food and drug administration when preparing PPIs to improve the contents of PPIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: The knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of healthcare workers are important to reduce the transmission and burden of dengue. There is no standard tool to assess KAP of healthcare workers about dengue in Mazandaran Province, Iran, so this study was conducted to design and assess the validity and reliability of a questionnaire in Persian assessing KAP of healthcare workers about these mosquito-borne viral disease. Materials and methods: In this descriptive analytical study, a preliminary questionnaire containing 81 questions was designed after reviewing articles and interviews with experts. To determine the validity of the scale, quantitative-qualitative face and content validity were measured, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to assess the reliability. Results: In the study of face validity and qualitative content, experts' opinions were applied to the items as minor changes. The Impact Score (IS) of all items were higher than 1.5 (1.5-5) which provided supports for items importance. Content validity, based on the Lawshe table, optimal value of content validity ratio (CVR), and content validity index (CVI) were 0.6 and higher than 0.8, respectively. All items except one that was removed, obtained the desired score and were retained in the scale. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.79 which showed that all items had an acceptable correlation. Conclusion: This study provided a reliable and valid tool in Persian to assess KAP of healthcare workers about dengue in Mazandaran Province, north of Iran and can be used for measuring dengue KAP by Iranian researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mercury and its compounds do not have beneficial biological roles in living organisms. In contrast, selenium, within permissible limits, is an essential micronutrient and antioxidant. There is an antagonistic relationship between mercury and selenium. Therefore, the molar ratio of selenium to mercury is used as an appropriate index. Measuring the mercury in the environment without considering the protective effects of selenium does not accurately reflect the risks posed by mercury. This study aimed to measure the mercury, selenium, and the molar ratio Se:Hg in the shell and content of the eggs of the Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybridus) in northern Iran. After the onset of egg laying, one egg was collected from each nest (38 eggs in total). The results showed that the concentration of mercury in the eggshell was higher, while the concentration of selenium and the molar ratio Se:Hg were higher in the egg content. A molar ratio Se:Hg in both the eggshell and the egg content indicates a positive effect of selenium in reducing the risks associated with mercury toxicity. The parameters of egg shape index, egg weight, and clutch size did not have a significant effect on the concentrations of mercury, selenium, and the molar ratio Se:Hg in the eggshell and egg content. There was a significant negative correlation between the concentration of mercury in the eggshell and the molar ratio Se:Hg in both the eggshell and egg content. The lack of a positive correlation between the concentrations of mercury or selenium in the eggshell and egg content suggests that the transferability of heavy metals from the egg to the embryo in the egg content cannot be confirmed., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Condition is one of the important factors in the evaluation of rangeland ecosystems, through which appropriate solutions can be provided in the management and operation of rangeland. The purpose of this study was to compare the condition and management of rangeland before and after replacing the soil condition assessment method in the soil factor of the four -factor method in order to determine the most appropriate method of range condition. Range condition assessment was performed for both conditions in Poshtkuh rangelands of Mazandaran, and then the condition and methods of range management and their management and improvement projects were proposed and compared with each other. The results of range condition assessment before replacing the soil condition assessment method in soil factor showed that rangelands had poor and very poor condition with a negative trend and artificial range management method and rehabilitation programs such as pit-seeding and seeding were proposed. The results of range condition assessment after replacing the soil condition assessment method in the soil factor showed that the range condition was in the fair and poor condition class, for which natural and artificial range management methods were proposed, respectively. For natural range management practices, rotational-deferment and rotational-rest grazing systems were suggested based on range condition score, and improvement plans of artificial range management practice have not changed and are the same as the previous method. The results of comparing the statistical analysis by means of comparative test (T-test) showed that the mean scores of soil factor and condition before and after the change were 5.833 and 12.203 for soil and 21.983 and 28.353 for condition, respectively. Therefore, the soil factor and range condition scores after adjustment showed an increase of 6.37 compared to before. Also, the test results showed that there was a significant difference between the mean soil factor score before and after replacement in the 95% confidence interval, but there was no significant difference between the average range condition score, which may be due to the constant score of other four -factor method. According to the obtained results, the changed four-factor method of soil factor compared to the unchanged four-factor method has shown the condition of the rangeland as a higher class. The general conclusion is that the application of the changed fourfactor method of soil factor, due to the number and variety of soil indices, the quantitative aspect of indices and their direct or indirect impact on the characteristics of rangeland ecosystem, can provide a wide range of information about rangeland soil function. Therefore, it can be used as a method based on quantitative-qualitative evaluation to identify the functional and structural characteristics of ecosystems. This method, despite, leads to accurate determination of range condition, range management practices and improvement programs. But, compared to the existing methods, a lot of time and costs is spent and it can be justified considering he importance of achieving proper management of rangeland ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT) is an economically important bacterial pathogen of poultry worldwide. The aim of the present study was conducted to isolation, detection and determination of antibiotic sensitivity of ORT isolates in commercial poultry flocks with respiratory signs in Mazandaran province, northern Iran. Tracheal swab samples were taken from 60 different flocks, after cultivation on a selective medium, suspected colonies were subjected to biochemical and molecular identification of ORT. Then, confirmed isolates were aimed to antibiotic resistance assay. A total of 13 isolates, including seven isolates from broiler flocks (19.44%) and six isolates from broiler breeder flocks (33.33%) were obtained. All ORT isolates that were positive by culture were also detected to be positive by the PCR. The most resistance rates among all ORT isolates were obtained for ampicillin, erythromycin, ceftriaxone, and penicillin (100%). The majority of ORT isolates were susceptible to furazolidone. According to the results, the isolates showed different antibiotic resistance profiles, and most of the strains proved multiresistant. This can indicate the circulation of various multidrug resistant strains among poultry farms in northern Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the factors that influence avian reproductive output is critical for bird conservation as they reveal key considerations that directly impact a species' long term survival and should be integrated into management plans. To better this understanding for the little bittern Ixobrychus minutus, we investigated how their breeding success relates to breeding time, nest size, water depth, and egg size in a man-made wetland (Ab-bandan) during the 2008 breeding season in Mazandaran Province, northern Iran. For each nest, the dates of the first egg laying, the first hatching, and the first fledging were recorded as well as clutch sizes. Nest size parameters (height, depth, and diameter), water depth under the nest, and egg characteristics (shape index and weight) were measured. The first egg was laid on March 21 and the last chick left the nest on June 24. From 140 eggs in 25 nests, 127 eggs hatched (91%) and 121 fledglings left their nests (87%). Generalized linear modeling revealed that nest diameter positively affected breeding success (p = 0.001) meaning larger nests were more likely to produce fledglings. Further studies will be necessary to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The consumption of uncooked or undercooked food from infected intermediate hosts can result in Toxoplasma gondii infection in humans. However, few studies have investigated the genetic diversity of this protozoan parasite in Iran. The aim of the present study was to genetically characterize isolates of T. gondii from intermediate host animals in Mazandaran Province, Iran. Methods: Blood and heart tissue samples were collected from 204 ruminants, and brain tissue was collected from 335 birds. The prevalence of T. gondii infection in these samples was determined serologically using the modified agglutination test and by conventional PCR assays. Those PCR samples positive for T. gondii DNA and 13 DNA samples extracted from aborted fetuses in a previous study were genotyped with 12 genetic markers using the multilocus-nested PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (Mn-PCR–RFLP) technique. Results: Antibodies for parasites were found in 35.7% of the ruminant (39.1% of sheep and 26.4% of goats) samples and in 51.3% of the bird (100% of geese, 52.3% of free-range chickens and 46% of ducks) samples. Molecular detection by PCR of the repetitive 529-bp DNA fragment revealed contamination of 13.2% of ruminant (14.6% of sheep and 9.4% of goats) samples and of 9.6% of bird (11.1% of chickens, 5.7% of ducks and 0% of geese samples). The results from 30 DNA samples revealed five ToxoDB (genome database for the genus Toxoplasma) PCR–RFLP genotypes, including #1 (Type II), #2 (Type III), #10 (Type I), #27 and #48, with genotype #1 the most predominant. Conclusions: As evidenced by the results of this study, ruminants and birds are infected with T. gondii in the region, suggesting that they are likely to be involved in the transmission of T. gondii to humans through meat consumption. The identification of different genotypes may suggest a higher genetic diversity of this parasite in Mazandaran, reflecting local environmental contamination. These results have important public health implications for the prevention and control strategies of infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on identifying zones and karstic phenomena using the RS & GIS method along with Fuzzy logic integration and the Hierarchical Analysis Process (AHP) in part of Neka catchment in Mazandaran province in the north of Iran. In this research, eight lithological factors, density and distance from the fractured lineaments, density and distance from the drainages, topographic slope, precipitation and vegetation status, were extracted from satellite and archival data as well as field data. Then these factors which affect karst formation and development are fuzzy and are weighted by the AHP method and integrated with T-norm, T-conorm (S-norm) and Compromise Operators. The results were processed by using software such as ArcGIS, ENVI, RockWorks, IDRISI, Expert Choice and PCI Geomatica, which were evaluated based on fieldwork. The results of this study show that most karst developments occurred in Lar Formation with the upper Jurassic. According to field visits, the best and most appropriate output for fuzzy layers integration are the use of a compromise operator in the range of 0.9 to 0.95. In spite of the suitable ability of Landsat 8 bands to extract lineaments due to vegetation status and other environmental conditions, the use of DEM was also necessary. This study shows that the use of new remote sensing and GIS technology, combined with Fuzzy logic and AHP, increases accuracy and speed and reduces cost in karst studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human papilloma viruses are a group of the Papillomaviridae family (ds DNA viruses), which infect basal epithelial cells. So far, 228 types of HPV have been identified, in which about 40 types infect the genital mucosa. In Iran, cervical cancer has been reported as the second most common malignancy in women which is approximately 8.8% of all cancers in women. HPV genotypes are classified as high-risk and low-risk according to cervical cancer. According to previous reports, nearly 70% of cervical cancers occur by HPV genotypes 16 and 18, of which genotype 16 is known as the most prevalent type. The main goal of this study was determining the frequency of HPV virus and its genotypes in the female population of Mazandaran. Methods: This study was performed on 91 pathological samples. DNA was extracted from 500 µL of liquid-based cytology samples and PCR was performed for all of the samples. Genotyping step was performed based on strip assay method. Results: HPV 39 (6.55%), 56 (3.27%), 51 (3.27%), and 68 (3.27%) were the most frequent types respectively. Also, HPV 11 (8.19%) and 6 (3.27%) show the most frequency among LR-HPV genotypes. HPV type 6 (16.39%), 56 (14.75%), 11 (14.75%), 16 (13.11%), and 66 (11.47%) were the four most common types seen in mixed infection samples. Conclusions: Differences among the types of HPV can be due to various geographical distributions of HPV. Our results revealed HPV 39 (6.55%) is the most common type among of HR-HPV followed by HPV 56, 51, 68 (3.27%); however, HPV 16 and HPV 18 were seen in just one case. HPV 11 (8.19%) and HPV 6 (3.27%) were the most common type among of LR-HPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teleiopsis diffinis (Haworth) was identified based on a single male specimen collected in Khakak, Mazandaran Province, deposited in the Hayk Mirzayans Insect Museum, Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection. The genus Teleiopsis Sattler and T. diffinis are newly reported for the fauna of Iran. Taxonomic characterization of the species is provided and the examined adult male and its genitalia are illustrated.

Purpose: The present study deals with the maturity model in Mazandaran university libraries at maturity levels. The purpose of this study was to determine the maturity level of university libraries in Mazandaran province in order to enhance the maturity levels and express the status quo and propose a maturity model compatible with the requirements of academic libraries. Method: The present study is of applied type. Using the qualitative approach of digital library texts and maturity model, quantitative analysis was used to determine the maturity level of university libraries in Mazandaran province. The study population consisted of 10 experts and 210 experts and librarians who completed and returned questionnaires by e-mail and in person. The data were analyzed by SPSS software and confirmatory factor analysis. Structural equation modeling was performed using Smart PLS software. Findings: According to the findings and review of codes and ranking of research indicators, the code of hardware and software systems is in the first place, which indicates the importance of hardware and software systems and the necessary conditions in the maturity of academic libraries. Information systems, users and data quality, collection and organization, management, Internet and network, organization and employees are the next most important priorities, respectively. Conclusions: In fact, the maturity level of university libraries in Mazandaran province is at level 2 and they a re relatively far from reaching the ideal level (level 5)

Introduction: Paddy farming has been reported as one of the most important causes of non-fatal injuries and occupational accidents among farmers. The ignorance of the health of farmers can cause harm to farmers and lead to disability. As a result, these health consequences can result in less exploitation and economic growth in households. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the general health status of paddy field workers in Mazandaran province, Iran. Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study evaluated 384 paddy farmers in Mazandaran province, Iran, who were selected using stratified random sampling. The required data were collected using the standard questionnaire of GHQ-28 with four domains of somatic symptoms, anxiety and insomnia, social dysfunction, and symptoms of depression. The obtained data were then analyzed using SPSS software (version 25) through Spearman, Kendall, Mann-Whitney, and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Findings: The highest number of participants in this study was in the age group of 50-59 years with a mean age of 46.9 years. According to the results, the total general health score was obtained at 64.3% for the subjects. Moreover, the scores of four areas of general health were determined at 91.1% (depression symptoms), 73.4% (social dysfunction), 48.7% (anxiety symptoms and insomnia), and 47.1% (somatic symptoms) in descending order. Discussions & Conclusions: The general health of the studied population was not in a good range. In addition, the most observed disorder in the general health of paddy farmers was related to the symptoms of depression, followed by somatic symptoms.

Background and purpose: Control of bedbugs (Cimex lectularius) as important human pests often fails in places where people live in aggregation such as prisons. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of various methods of bedbug control in prisons in Mazandaran province, Iran. Materials and methods: In this descriptive-analytical study performed in 2018, routine control methods of bedbugs including spraying, environmental management, fogging, and flame and combinations of two methods were compared. Data analyses were carried out using two methods. In first method, the number of bites before the control program along with that of four monitoring periods (15 days interval) after the interventions normalized with the population of the prison was analyzed. In second method, we analyzed the data from four monitoring phases after the control operation without considering the population of prisons. Results: Environmental management plus flame were the pair of control intervention with highest impact on bedbug population in prisons. Based on first method of analysis, there was a significant difference in number of individuals bitten between various control methods in all prisons (P0.05). Conclusion: Environmental sanitation of prison wards plus flame was found to have the greatest impact on bedbug population over a period of one month. Where it is not possible to use flame, combined methods, including spraying-environmental sanitation or fogging-environmental sanitation can be used as effective alternatives in reducing bedbug population in prisons.

Rivers in Iran are heavily influenced by human activities, so that they have undergone many changes. In the meantime, gravel mining is one of these activities that has several environmental impacts on the various aspects of river environments. The study area is located in the plain of Mazandaran Province in Iran. The concerned rivers originate from the northern slopes of the Alborz Mount and flow into the Caspian Sea. Most of the mountainous areas are covered with thicket forests, and in the plain section, agricultural lands and human habitats are the dominant land uses in the region. The geomorphic effects of sediment mining from river have been investigated in four aspects including river longitudinal profile and transverse profile, as well as river pattern and changes in sediment size and amount. In Mazandaran Province, there are more than 60 rivers in which there are more than 80 active gravel mines. These mines are run by governmental, cooperative and private sectors. Currently, the dependence of the construction and development activities of the province on these gravel resources has seriously threatened the river bed with excessive exploitation, so that these exploitations would be of the most destructive activities imposed on the aquatic ecosystems. The results also show that the unauthorized sediments removal from the river bed and the construction of engineering structures to control its geomorphic consequences only delay the performance of river processes and, consequently, delay the morphological adjustments.

Two new species of eriophyid mites in the tribe Anthocoptini from northern Iran were described and illustrated in this paper. Aculus carpitulussp. nov. and Heterotergum sariensissp. nov. were collected from Carpinus betulus L. (Betulaceae) and Quercus castaneifolia C. A. Mey., 1831 (Fagaceae), respectively, in Sari County, Mazandaran Province, North of Iran. No symptoms were observed on the infested host plants. Heterotergum sariensissp. nov. is the first Heterotergum species from plants of the family Fagaceae in the world. Keys to worldwide Heterotergum and to Aculus species associated with Betulaceae plants are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed at evaluating the presence of tick-borne apicomplexan parasites including Theileria ovis, Theileria lestoquardi, Theileria annulata, and Theileria orientalis in 92 cattle and 105 sheep from 6 different districts of Guilan and Mazandaran Provinces, in the southern littoral of Caspian Sea. Furthermore, ixodid ticks were collected from the same animals. Stained blood smears were microscopically evaluated for the presence of blood parasites, and a specific PCR was applied for the detection of Theileria species. Besides, ticks were subsequently examined by species-specific PCR. Microscopic examination of blood smears demonstrated no evidence of intraerythrocytic piroplasms. Species-specific diagnostic PCRs demonstrated that 52.17% of sheep blood samples were positive for T. ovis. In addition, 31.03% and 24.13% of cattle blood samples were positive for T. annulata and T. orientalis, respectively. Moreover, 3 species of the ixodid ticks, namely, Rhipicephalus annulatus (58.47%), Ixodes ricinus (29.82%), and Haemaphysalis inermis (11.69%), were identified in Guilan Province, while Hyalomma detritum (73.03%) and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (26.92%) were found in Mazandaran Province. Additionally, by obtaining the data with respect to tick-borne apicomplexan parasites in 122 infected ticks, 35.24%, 22.95%, and 2.45% of tick samples were positive for T. annulata, T. orientalis, and T. ovis, respectively. Species-specific PCR revealed that H. inermis and R. annulatus were positive for T. orientalis. In addition, T. annulata was found in R. annulatus, H. inermis, and H. detritum. Besides, T. ovis was the only species of Theileria found in R. sanguineus. In conclusion, the results revealed that T. annulata infection was prevalent among cattle and ovine theileriosis caused by T. ovis was the only Theileria species found in sheep in the studied areas of the southern littoral of Caspian Sea. R. annulatus, H. inermis, and H. detritum were the main vectors for T. annulata, followed by H. inermis and R. annulatus for T. orientalis, and R. sanguineus for T. ovis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: World condition has changed since the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged and its rapid spread affected people’s social and sports life. In this study, we aimed at investigating the incidence of sports injuries in Mazandaran province, Iran and the effects of COVID- 19 pandemic on frequency of sports injuries. We also studied the relationship between sports injuries and age, gender, sports specialties and severity of injury. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, information of all/injured athletes registered in Mazandaran Sport Medicine Center between 2018 and 2020 were analyzed in SPSS V23. In order to investigate the relationship between injured limb and age, gender, sports specialty, injured side, and surgery, Chi-square test was applied. Results: The numbers of registered athletes were 51.56, 50.59 and 16.45 per 10,000 population in the province and injured athletes included 6.90, 6.62, and 5.73 per 10,000 registered ones in 2018- 2020, respectively. The majority of athletes were men. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate of injury was high in soccer (9.09 per 10,000 registered athletes), knee injuries increased to 40.8%, and surgery was performed in 23.3% of all injuries. Significant relationship was found between injured limb and age (P˂0.05) and sport specialty (P˂0.001) during the years studied. Conclusion: Reduction in number of registered athletes and no considerable change in sports injuries indicate a decrease in recreational athletes after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, prohibition of indoor sports activities can be the reason for increase in men injuries, especially football players. Also, professional athletes experienced serious and more knee injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new Rhyncaphytoptus species (Diptilomiopidae: Rhyncaphytoptinae) including R. fagientalissp. nov. and R. quercivagranssp. nov. were collected from Fagus orientalis Lipsky. (Fagaceae) and Quercus castaneifolia C. A. Mey., 1831 (Fagaceae), respectively in Sari county, Mazandaran province, North of Iran. They are described and illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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To evaluate the effect of biofertilizer and sulfur on yield and morphophysiological traits of three wheat genotypes. A split plot factorial design experiment based on completely randomized block design with four replications was performed at Gharakhail and Baykola research stations of Mazandaran province in 2014-2015. The wheat genotypes were Gonbad, Ehsan and Tirgan; the sulfur treatments consisted of levels of zero, 250 and 500 kg.ha-1 (along with Tiobacillu ssp < /em>) and biofertilizer of zero and two l.ha-1 (via treating seeds). The traits studied were plant height, leaf area index, number of fertile spikes, seed yield, plant fresh and dry weights, and protein percentage of seeds. Results showed that Flawheat biofertilizer had significant effect on leaf area index, plant dry weight, number of fertile spike and seed yied, and application of two liters of biofertilizer improved the traits under study. The highest plant height (117.7 cm) was observed in Tirgan cultivar by using 2 kg.ha-1 of flawheat biofertilizer and 250 kg.ha-1 of sulfur. In all three cultivars of Gonbad, Ehsan and Tirgan, consumption of 2 l.ha-1 of flawheat and 250 kg.ha-1 of sulfur increased wheat dry weight compared to the control. Tirgan cultivar with 5298 kg.ha-1 produced highest seed yield by using two liters of Flawheat and 250 kg of sulfur per hectare. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that Tirgan among the three cultivars studied in the central and eastern regions of Mazandaran province, produced higest seed yield by using of 250 kg.ha-1 of sulfur and the application of two liters per hectare of Flawheat.

Background and objectives: Cryptosporidium spp. is a major cause of gastrointestinal illness in humans. There are no data available on geospatial distribution of Cryptosporidium spp. in the Mazandaran Province, Iran. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the spatial patterns and demographic factors associated with Cryptosporidium spp. infection in the Mazandaran Province, North of Iran. Methods: Fecal specimens were collected from diarrheic individuals (n=215) who were referred to health centers in the Mazandaran Province during 2014-2015. The specimens were examined for presence of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts by Ziehl-Neelsen acid-fast staining. Results: Cities of Sari, Neka, Noshahr and Behshahr were identified as disease hotspots. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection was significantly higher in subjects under 10 years of age as well as those living in low-altitude areas and rural areas without access to standard water sources. Conclusion: Our findings and the GIS-derived data could be used to facilitate cryptosporidiosis surveillance and monitoring of Cryptosporidium spp. distribution in the study area.

Background and purpose: Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are major human ectoparasites. Before planning and implementation of any control measures against bed bugs in prisons, it is essential to determine the infestation rate. Materials and methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed to determine the prevalence of bed bug infestation in prisons in Mazandaran Province, 2015-2017. A standard checklist was prepared based on the health log of the prisons and was used to collect information on prevalence of bed bugs. Data were analyzed using SPSS V20. Results: The highest rate of infestation (68%) was observed in general ward and the lowest was seen in women's ward (1.23%). Highest infestations were reported at nights (88%) and the highest numbers of bed bugs were collected in metal beds (31%). During three years, there were no reports of bed bugs and their bites in prison 6. The average prevalence was constant in prison 1, while it was descending in prisons 2, 3, 5, and 9 and ascending in prisons 4 and 8. Conclusion: High prevalence of bed bugs in most of the prisons in Mazandaran province could probably be due to their entry into the prisons, re-infestation, and also difficulties in their control. Therefore, continuous monitoring of infestation, monitoring and prevention of bed bugs gaining entry into prisons, revising control measures with collaboration between experts from the Ministry of Health and prison health services are essential to plan for successful bed bug control interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Phenylketonuria (PKU) is the most common aminoacidopathy with an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. A global PKU prevalence is estimated about 6.002 in 100,000 newborns. In Iran, the prevalence of PKU is estimated at about 1 in 4,698, and it shows an increasing trend from north (0.0015%) to south (0.02%) of the country. Untreated PKU causes mental retardation, microcephaly, and seizure. PAH gene mutations located at chromosome 12q23 are responsible for the classical type of this disease. The spectrum of PAH mutations is varied in different ethnicities and different parts of the world. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of PAH mutation in the Mazandaran province, which could be useful for genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis. Methods: A total of 66 individuals from 33 families from two provinces (9 families from Golestan and 24 families from Mazandaran) from north of Iran participated in this study. After genomic DNA extraction, PAH gene analysis was carried out using DNA sequencing of both coding and non-coding regions by ABI 3130XL genetic analyzer. Results: Twenty-six different mutations were identified in the PAH gene in this study. Four mutations including IVS10-11 (c.1066-11G>A), c.727C>T (p.Arg243X), c.898G>T (p.Ala300Ser), and c.601C>T (p.His201Tyr) were the most common mutations with 37.48% frequency in Mazandaran province. Most frequent mutations in Golestan province were IVSI0-11 (c.1066-11G>A), c.722delG (p.Arg241fs), c.842C>T (p.Pro281Leu), and IVSII+5 (G>A) with frequency 58.57%. Conclusions: The results from the present study verify heterogeneity of the PAH gene and may help to diagnose tests for carrier detection and prenatal diagnosis of the PKU disease in Iranian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and purpose: Infestation with body lice results in a condition called pediculosis. Lice infestation is one of the most common parasitic infections having a considerable hygienic importance. Epidemiological studies can determine the status of infestation and its relationship with environmental factors. Adequate humidity and high population density have provided a suitable environment for the increase of lice population in Mazandaran Province, Iran. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of pediculosis in Mazandaran Province, Iran, from 2012 to 2020. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study investigated the information regarding the frequency of pediculosis and the population of Mazandaran Province, Iran, collected from the health network of Mazandaran Province, Iran, from 2012 to 2020. Subsequently, the data were analyzed separately considering gender, age, and location using Poisson regression test. Results: According to the results, there were 243,487 cases of pediculosis from 2012 to 2020 in Mazandaran Province, Iran. The highest level of infection was observed in 2015 (1.61%). Moreover, Pediculosis was 5.6 times more common in females than males (P

Abstract The Pieridae family includes the most familiar butterflies also known as Cabbage-White and Grass Yellow. They have a long stable status of the species in this family. A faunistic study on the Pieridae family was carried out in the West of Mazandaran province, Northern Iran. A total of 7 species of the family (5 genera) were collected. These species were: Pieris brassicae (Linnaeus, 1758), Pieris (napi) pseudorapae (Verity, 1908), Pieris rapae (Linnaeus, 1758), Aporia crataegi (Linnaeus, 1758), Pontia (daplidice) edusa (Linnaeus, 1758; Fabricius, 1777), Colias crocea (Fourcroy, 1758), and Gonepteryx rhamni (Linnaeus, 1758). For these species, illustrations of adults’ upper wing and lower wing morphology and their male genitalia are given.

Environmental factors are the most important factors affecting morphological traits and expression of chemical synthesizing genes. Wild primrose has compounds such as calicillin, benzabolol, quinolone, thymol and is traditionally used to treat gastrointestinal and infectious wounds. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of differences in elevation level in Mazandaran province (Azni area with a height of 1035 meters and the Kasoot area with a height of 481 meters) on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of wild primrose. The studied phytochemical traits included total phenol content, total flavonoid, antioxidant capacity of samples using DPPH as well as chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll content. Also, morphological traits including leaf length, leaf width, root length, pedicel length, petiole length, and number of leaf were measured at the site of plant growth. Results showed that with increasing altitude in Azni site, leaf area, leaf width, petiole length, and pedicel length decreased compared to Kasoot region. But the plants in Azni region had longer roots and more leaves. On the other hand, the plants in Azni had higher leaf and flower flavonoid contents and their total phenol contents were more than those in Kasoot area. But considering the antioxidants and photosynthetic pigments, plants in Kasoot had significantly higher contents. In general, morphological traits decreased with increasing altitude while biochemical properties such as phenol and flavonoids increased.

Introduction Trace elements including As, Sb, Bi, Ga, Ge, In, Hg, Cd, Tl, Se and REEs have special applications in various industries due to their physical and chemical properties. Ore deposits of these metals have not occurred in the Earth's crust, and these elements are mainly hosted in sulfide minerals of Cu, Pb and Zn (Hall and Heyl, 1968; Song and Tan, 1996; Ye et al., 2011; George et al., 2015). Elika Formation (middle Triassic) in central Alborz is host of several carbonate rock-hosted fluorite deposits such as Kamarposht, Pachi-Miana, Shashroodbar and Era (Alirezaee, 1989; Rastad and Shariatmadar, 2001; Rajabi et al., 2013; Vahabzadeh et al., 2014; Zabihitabar and Shafiei, 2014; Mehraban et al. 2016; Nabiloo et al. 2017). Despite previous valuable studies in these deposits, the value of the presence of trace elements in the galena of these deposits has not yet been documented. Materials and methods For the current research study, sampling from 3 flourite mines including Kamarposht, Pachi-Miana and Era was carried out to collect 26 pure galena grains separated from various fluorite ore-types. The samples were analyzed for trace elements at the ICP-MS at Act Labs Ltd., Canada. Results The highest concentrations of trace elements in galena samples were obtained for Sb (with mean 692 ppm and maximum concentration of 2531 ppm) and Ag (with a mean of 24.28 ppm and a maximum concentration of 2531 ppm). The lowest values were obtained for Bi (mean 0.04 ppm), Se (average 1.89 ppm) and Ga (mean 0.9 ppm) and Tl (mean 0.3 ppm). Hg (0.06 – 10 ppm), Cd (1.14 – 23 ppm) and As (0.1 – 36 ppm) exhibited a wide range of concentrations. The comparison of the trace elements concentration in the studied galena samples with those of the MVT, SEDEX, Irish-type deposits shows that the concentrations of Sb, Tl, Hg, Se and Cu in the studied galena are close to the values for MVT deposits, whereas the studied galena samples are much poorer in Ag, Bi, Cd and As than those of the MVT deposits. There is meaningful relationship between concentrations of some trace elements such as Tl– Ag (r=0.82), Tl– Cu (r=0.71), Ag–Sb (r=0.66), Cu– Ag, Ag – As, Cu– As, Sb– Cu, Hg – Zn, As – Sb, Hg – Cd, Zn – Cu (0.3 < r < 0.6). Discussion Our data revealed that galena samples are relatively rich in Sb (up to 2581 ppm with an average ~ 620 ppm) and Ag (up to 70 ppm with an average ~ 30 ppm), whereas they are poor in other trace elements. Inter-element relationships in galena show strong correlation between Sb – Ag (r≥0.65) and moderate correlation between Ag – As, Ag –Cu as well as Hg –Zn (0.4

Background: The Deming model is an effective method for comprehensive quality management. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect of inclusive quality management on the educational accreditation results of the educational hospitals in the Mazandaran Province, Iran. Methods: This interventional study was conducted in 5 hospitals. In this study, the Deming cycle validation model was employed. This model, which is based on the checklist for the educational centers of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, has 91 benchmarks for 81 standards. Descriptive statistical methods (Wilcoxon and Friedman nonparametric tests) were used to analyze the data. Results: A significant difference was observed among the accreditation scores of the hospitals before and after the intervention (P

Introduction: Optimizing energy consumption including water consumption has always been emphasized in all Five-Year Development in Iran. According to Managing Director of Mazandaran Regional Water Authority, said: "We see a lot of changes in the annual flow of rivers in the province, with the average long-term runoff in the rivers of the province is 4500 million cubic meters, which is based on the average The 11-year-old has been reduced to 3900 million cubic meters. He evaluated the precipitation situation during the first two months of the year positively and said: "Compared to last year, about 40 mm of rain was observed, but the river discharge decreased by an average of 39% compared to the index period." He added: "So far, 45% of the volume of reservoirs in the dam has been dewatered. Unfortunately, this rate is about 27% in Shahid Rajaee Dam, which we hope will reach 60%. To resolve the water shortage issue and deal rationally with water problem, the government, has already introduce a project name Danab. This project aims at educating school student with water knowledge and prober behavior. This project believes that of all social groups, school students play significant role to optimize water consumption. Education Organization has already started to apply Danab Project to create and increase students’ knowledge toward water. The organization presume that students’ water consumption behavior will be modified by creasing their water knowledge through this educational program. As such, this study aims to assess students’ water knowledge a well as this knowledge effects on water behavior. Material and methods: This project was conducted in Mazandaran province were the public assume there is no waste shortages. This study focused on school students to identify what socio-cultural factors are influencing their water knowledge as well their water consumption behavior. This study benefited survey method. Survey methodology studies the sampling of individual units from a population and associated techniques of survey data collection, such as questionnaire construction and methods for improving the number and accuracy of responses to surveys. Survey methodology includes instruments or procedures that ask one or more questions that may or may not be answered. Having applied survey method, a total of 501 high school students have been selected by using stratified sampling method. The sample were selected across different cities in Mazandaran in 2018. The data was collect via benefiting questionnaire technique and has been processed by using SPSS programme. Results and discussion: The results of the current research revealed that there is significant relation between cultural factors and students’ water consumption behavior. The results also showed that the assumed relationship between social factors and water consumption was confirmed empirically. Based on the results of the study, it can be aid that the relationship between institutional factors and students’ water consumption behavior was confirmed. Finally, the results of the study confirmed there was a relationship between water consumption behavior and social back ground of the surveyed students. Conclusion: The result of the research showed that environmental values, religious belief, formal control and civic participation have played a significant role to guide students water consumption behavior. The result also indicated that environmental values has played most significant role to contribute students’ water knowledge.

Purpose- This study aims to demonstrate the factors affecting the current development pattern of second homes, emphasizing on the role of spatial planning in the forest villages that are considered as the tourism destinations of Mazandaran province. Design/methodology/approach- This is a descriptive-analytical study carried out in nine villages of nine county of Mazandaran as tourism destinations. The statistical population consisted of 18 rural managers and 1980 rural households in the under-study villages. Findings- The ANOVA results showed that the institutional-political factor of social-cultural dimension, with the mean of 3.7133 had the highest effect on the current development pattern of second homes. Research limitations/implications- As the statistical population of the present study consisted of rural managers, it was difficult to have access to the managers since they were involved in agricultural works. Practical implications- Based on the current pattern of second home development, the distribution pattern of the spatial planning of second homes was designed. In order to sustain second home development, the negative points in each step of the input, activity, short-term, and long-term consequences should be reduced or eliminated. Originality/value- Since second home tourism is one of the different types of rural tourism that plays a main role in the development of rural areas, and considering the importance of second home tourism in the development of rural areas and their impact on the villagers' life, it is necessary to clarify the factors affecting second home development. Therefore, this study aims to improve the proper distribution of spatial planning in second homes by providing a spatial planning pattern for second home development.

Abstract Background Information of Previous studies on the prevalence of MS, including our study conducted 12 years ago, used to shape global prevalence map of MS. According to those results, Iran placed in medium-prevalence MS region in the world Atlas of MS 2013.This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of MS in Mazandaran province after 12 years and the need for possible changes in the global map of the prevalence of MS. Methods We included all MS patients living in Mazandaran province in 2018 in this descriptive cross-sectional study. We updated our pre-existing registration questionnaires which included demographic information and medical data of MS patients by interview. We obtained the demographic profile of Mazandaran province from the most recent census in 2016 and the National Civil Registry of the Mazandaran province for calculating prevalence of MS. Results The total number of MS patients in Mazandaran was 2418 (25.8% male and 74.2% female) with a female to male ratio of 2.9. Based on the local population of 3,332,556, (50.4% male and 49.6% female), this study showed a prevalence of 72.5 per 100,000 for MS in this region. The prevalence of this disease by gender was 37.1 per 100,000 for men and 108.5 per 100,000 for women. The mean (SD) age of the patients at the time of the study was 38.5 (10.1) years with a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 75 years. The most common type of MS was Relapsing-Remitting MS with 86%. Conclusions All recent studies showed significant upward trend in the prevalence of MS around the world. Based on the results of our study and many other studies in Iran, the Atlas of MS prevalence map needs to be update. Iran’s status should be changed to the high-prevalence of MS in the new Atlas. Due to the increasing prevalence of MS, we suggest an adjustment in the Global MS Prevalence Scale.

Objective: To define the level of alarm threshold for pertussis aberrations and to detect the aberrations of the reported suspected cases of pertussis from the Mazandaran province in the north of Iran. Methods: The included cases were composed of the suspected pertussis patients who came from Mazandaran province and registered in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention from 20 March 2012 to 20 March 2018. A discrete wavelet transform- based method was used to detect the aberrations. All analyses were performed using MATLAB Software version 2018a and Excel 2010. Results: A total of 1 162 cases were recruited in the study, including 545 (46.90%) males and 617 (53.10%) females, with median age of 1.47 (0.22-9.56) years. The median age of males was 1.18 (0.21-8.24) years, while that of females was 1.82 (0.21-10.75) years. Concerning the level of the alarm threshold, it was 1.28 case/d when k=2, while it was 1.34 case/d when k=3. The total detected aberration days were 123 d and 57 d by considering k=2 and 3, respectively. The most defined alarm threshold was related to spring (>2 cases/d) and summer (>1 case/d), respectively. Conclusions: The sensitivity of the surveillance system is subjected to a different time. Thus, determining the level of alarm threshold periodically using different methods is recommended.

Background: Seasonal activity patterns of mosquitoes are essential as baseline knowledge to understand the transmis­sion dynamics of vector-borne diseases. This study was conducted to evaluate the monthly dynamics of the mosquito populations and their relation to meteorological factors in Mazandaran Province, north of Iran. Methods: Mosquito adults and larvae were collected from 16 counties of Mazandaran Province using different sam­pling techniques, once a month from May to December 2014. “Index of Species Abundance” (ISA) along with “Stand­ardized ISA” (SISA) was used for assessing the most abundant species of mosquitoes based on the explanations of Rob­ert and Hsi. Pearson’s correlation coefficient (R) was used to assess the relationships between the monthly population fluctuations and meteorological variables. Results: Overall, 23750 mosquitoes belonging to four genera and nineteen species were collected and identified. The highest population density of mosquitoes was in July and the lowest in May. The ISA/SISA indices for Culex pipiens were both 1 for larvae and 1.25/0.973 for adults in total catch performed in human dwellings. For Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, the ISA/SISA were 1.68/0.938 in pit shelter method. A significant positive correlation was observed between population fluctuations of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus and mean temperature (R: 0.766, P< 0.027). Conclusions: The results indicated that the mosquitoes are more active in July, and Cx. pipiens and Cx. tritaeniorhyn­chus were the most abundant species. Considering the potential of these species as vectors of numerous pathogens, con­trol programs can be planed based on their monthly activity pattern in the area.

Background: Brucellosis is a common disease between humans and animals that still exists in most parts of Iran. This study investigated the epidemiology of brucellosis in Mazandaran province, Iran, during a nine-year period from the beginning of 2009 until the end of 2017., Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted based on the guidelines of Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education on the data of 3732 brucellosis patients. The data were retrieved from the private and public laboratories gathered in a Ministry's database. We used the generalized estimating equation (GEE) for the Poisson regression model (Poisson GEE) to examine the disease incidence based on the studied variables., Results: The age-standardized incidence rate has been 13.2 per 100,000 people (15.6 in men and 21.3 in rural areas). The highest rate (17.2) was in 2012 and the lowest (10.6) was in 2014. The cities of Galugah (35.0) and Qaemshahr and Fereydunkenar (3.0) had the highest and lowest incidence rates. The patients' professions had been 30% housewives, 14.9% ranchers, and 14.4% livestock-related professions. The highest standard incidence was in people older than 55 years old. The results of the Poisson GEE regression model showed that the disease incidence has been higher in men compared to women and in rural compared to urban areas (risk ratio = 1.5, 3.4, P = 0.001)., Conclusion: Mazandaran faces the risk of increased brucellosis incidence rate. Taking preventive measures, including educating people, are recommended for the near future., Competing Interests: None declared., (© The Author(s).)

In 2008, we investigated the relationships between the hatching success of the Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis with egg laying onset, nest diameter, as a proxy of nest size, and egg weight, as a proxy of egg size, in an artificial wetland in Mazandaran Province, northern Iran. The first egg was laid on April 23 and the last chick hatched on July 27. From 118 eggs on 25 nests, we recorded a total of 72 hatchlings (hatching rate: 61%). A generalized linear model (GLM) revealed that while egg size and nest diameter were not significant factors predicting hatching success, egg laying onset predicted significantly the hatching success as early breeders were likely to produce less hatchlings than late breeders. Further studies will be necessary to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of such results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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