Effects of microplastics in freshwater fishes health and the implications for human health.

The presence of microplastics in aquatic environments has raised concerns about their abundance and potential hazards to aquatic organisms. This review provides insight into the problem that may be of alarm for freshwater fish. Plastic pollution is not confined to marine ecosystems; freshwater also comprises plastic bits, as the most of plastic fragments enter oceans via rivers. Microplastics (MPs) can be consumed by fish and accumulated due to their size and poor biodegradability. Furthermore, it has the potential to enter the food chain and cause health problems. Evidence of MPs s ingestion has been reported in >150 fish species from both freshwater and marine systems. However, microplastic quantification and toxicity in freshwater ecosystems have been underestimated, ignored, and not reported as much as compared to the marine ecosystem. However, their abundance, influence, and toxicity in freshwater biota are not less than in marine ecosystems. The interaction of MPs with freshwater fish, as well as the risk of human consumption, remains a mystery. Nevertheless, our knowledge of the impacts of MPs on freshwater fish is still very limited. This study detailed the status of the toxicity of MPs in freshwater fish. This review will add to our understanding of the ecotoxicology of microplastics on freshwater fish and give subsequent research directions.

Genetic Diversity of Hottentotta sp. Scorpions (Scorpionidae: Buthidae) in Khuzestan, Iran.

The genus of Hottentotta sp. scorpion is one of the few medically important scorpions in Iran. This study assessed the genetic relationship analysis of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COXI) and 12sRNA genes and morphometric parameters among the population of Hottentotta sp in Khuzestan. Morphological analysis using the ANOVA T-test with a significance level of P-value less than 0.05 showed differences between the Hottetotta saulcyi and Hottetotta zagrosensis. However, this method was not able to distinguish between members of the same species. The amplification of gene fragments was done on 12srRNA (374 bp), and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COXI) (624 bp) from Hottentotta sp. collected from Khuzestan by PCR. Based on sequence 12srRNA, all H. saulcyi specimens (HS4, HS6 and HS7) except HS5 were included in cluster B. While two specimens of H. Zagrosensis (HZ6 and HZ1) with 99% bootstrap value were placed in cluster A. By using 12srRNA sequences, the highest genetic distance between the Khuzestan specimens was related to HS5 and HS7, which was calculated to be 16.7%. However, the amount of amino acid difference between HS5 and HS7 using the COXI sequence was 9.2%. The genetic distances of HS7 and HS5 with the only scorpion reference sequence, H. saulcyi, were 11.8% and 9.2%, respectively. Morphological data showed the separation of the two species, consistent with molecular phylogenetic trees. On the other hand, the genetic distance of specimens HS7 and HS5 with other members of the group as well as the scorpion reference sequence using the COXI gene, confirmed the possibility of an intraspecies difference that could not be proved by the morphological data alone.

Simulation study of a simultaneous beta-gamma-ray detection using a 3-layer phoswich detector and Monte Carlo methods.

Combination of two or three dissimilar scintillator materials as a radiation detector has found major role in environmental radiation monitoring. In this paper, a three-layer Phoswich detector including BC-400, YAG, and CsI was designed to efficiently discriminate gamma-ray in the beta events up to 3.2 MeV using a simple rise-time discrimination method. MCNPX Monte Carlo code was used to obtain interaction probability of beta and gamma-rays as well as optimum thicknesses of the layers in the designing process. The optical transport of the system was simulated by GEANT4. In this regard, the pulses from simultaneous beta-gamma emitter sources were detected and discriminated based on pulse's rise-time so that the minimum number of gamma-ray contaminating events was observed in the beta spectrum. The results showed that using the proposed configuration and the method, output pulses with a rise-time shorter than 9 ns have been successfully detected as a beta particle while those with rising time longer than 15 ns have been identified as gamma-ray events. Overall results revealed that using the proposed system, an individual spectrum of beta particles or gamma-rays can be recorded from a simultaneous beta-gamma emitter source that minimizes contribution of the other radiation.

Cadmium (Cd) influences calcium (Ca) levels in the skeleton of a freshwater fish Channa gachua.

Environmental contamination with heavy metals is a threat to the organisms due to their toxicity, persistence and bioaccumulation in food chains. The study was aimed to assess cadmium (Cd) effect on calcium (Ca) level in bones of a freshwater fish Channa gachua. 42 fish individuals were kept into six (6) aquaria; labelled aq.0, 1, 2, 3,4 and 5 in the laboratory for treatment. Aq.0 was control group and aq.1, 2,3,4,5 were experimental with treatment solution of Cd 0, 0.1ppm, 0.5ppm, 1ppm, 2.5ppm and 5ppm respectively for three months. After exposure, bones tissue were examined for Cd accumulation and Ca concentration. Highest accumulation of Cd were recorded in aq.5 mean 46.86 ± 0.46 mgkg-1 .and lowest in the control group with mean 0.61 ± 0.06 mgkg-1. The order of Cd bioaccumulation in bones were aq.5 > aq.4 >aq.3 > aq.2 > aq.1 > aq.0. Highest concentration of Ca were noted in aq.0 (Control group) mean 7888.06 ± 4827.22 mgkg-1 and lowest were 1132.36 ± 203.73 mgkg-1 in aq.5 (at 5.0 ppm). Generally a pattern of decreasing Ca level were observed with each rise of Cd bioaccumulation aq.0 > aq.1 > aq.2 > aq.3 > aq.4 > aq.5. Current study indicated that Cd accumulation have substantial effect on Ca level in bones and hence on skeleton system. Strict rules must be implemented by government to control metals pollution and exploitations of biota.

Assessment of a low-cost commercial CCD for use in X-ray imaging.

Charged coupled device (CCD) is an imaging sensor that can be used as a digital radiation position-sensitive detector in space applications, industrial and medical imaging, etc. Commonly, the CCDs used for X-ray imaging are expensive and needed more complicated control, electronic boards. In this work, a simple and low-cost commercial CCD model (TCD1304AP) has been used to implement X-ray imaging. Moreover, a CsI(Tl) scintillation crystal with different thicknesses of 2 and 5 mm has been utilized as an X-ray to light photon converter. The driving and data acquisition boards have been designed in straightforward implementation, which can be easily performed. Also, the appropriate integration times have been set to 10 ms and 420 ms for use in cases with and without scintillation crystals respectively. The results show that this sensor has an admissible response to X-ray imaging. There is about a below 8.3% relative difference between the actual and attained dimensions from images at the direct method. However, this difference increases up to 17.7% for the indirect method due to the optical propagation in the scintillator. Furthermore, the experiment for the determination of the PSF distribution indicates that the spatial resolution of this X-ray imaging is 2% in the direct method and 3% with a 2 mm CsI(Tl) scintillator.

Phylogenetic Relationships of Scorpion Compsobuthus matthiesseni Based on Sequences of Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 Gene from Khuzestan Province, Iran.

Buthidae family includes scorpions with highly potent venom such as Compsobuthus matthiesseni is important due to the prevalence of scorpion stings in Khuzestan Province, Iran. Morphometric comparison of males and females (n=5 each) showed that the body and carapas of the females were longer and wider (32.57±0.23 mm and 3.75±0.22 mm, respectively) than those of males (28.89±0.25 mm and 3.55±0.12 mm, respectively). From the seven specimens of C. matthiesseni scorpion, 410-bp gene fragments of ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 were amplified by polymerase chain reaction. The specimens of CM1 and CM2 (isolated from Baghmalek, Khuzestan) were in the same group with bootstrap values of 87%. Nevertheless, CM4 and CM3 (isolated from Shushtar and Bidroobe, Khuzestan) with bootstrap values of 73% and 62% were separated from the two specimens of Baghmalek, respectively. The two specimens CF3 and CM5 (isolated from Masjed Soleiman, Khuzestan) with bootstrap values of 88% were placed next to each other in a separate group. CF2 was separated from the rest of the specimens with a bootstrap value of 54%. Out of the seven scorpions that were examined, six specimens (CM1, CM2, CM3, CM4, CM5, and CF3) showed the greatest similarity between 1.1% and 4%. However, the genetic distance between CF2 and the rest of the specimens was at the range of 10.8-14.2%. It can be concluded that all C. matthiesseni scorpions from Khuzestan Province belonged to one species; nonetheless, differences were observed within the species, especially in the case of CF2, which might be intraspecies.

Evaluation of gamma response ability of single-mode and multi-mode optical fibers with different dopants as dosimeter sensors.

Optical fiber is used as a tool for data transmission in radiation environments in many applications such as medical, plasma diagnostics, and space satellites. The optical transmission is affected by ionizing radiation, characterized by radiation-induced attenuation. This feature allows use as a dosimeter sensor. In this work, the gamma radiation responses of three types of single-mode and multi-mode fibers, with different dopants of erbium (Er), germanium (Ge), and phosphorus (P) were evaluated. Radiation-induced attenuation was measured by spectrophotometer in wavelength ranges of 400-700 nm. The Er-doped fiber had higher attenuation of 0.8 dB/m after 560 mGy total dose. There was a reasonable linear relationship between the amount of attenuation and absorbed dose in P-, Ge-, and Er-doped fibers.

Future Study Of Fire Disaster Risk In Iran Using A Scenario Planning Approach.

Fire disasters are one of the most common technological disasters in Iran. These disasters have killed many people and resulted in significant economic loss. The "Plasco" building fire in 2017 is one example of these catastrophic disasters, when most of Iran was affected by its tragic news. Regarding the increasing number of risk factors for fire disasters, we aimed to study future scenarios for such disasters in the country. The present study is a futuristic study with an exploratory approach that uses an intuitive logic scenario development approach. We used document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and the Delphi technique to identify driving forces and develop scenario stories, and finally those scenario stories were validated. In the document analysis phase, 22 documents were identified and analysed. After collecting information related to documents and analysing ten interviews, 41 of the driving forces were identified. By drawing the scenario matrix, four alternative scenarios for the future of fire disasters were developed. Two dimensions for scenario development were the correct application of fire prevention laws and access to driving technologies. Policymakers can concentrate on these key factors for best planning in the mitigation of fire disasters. In addition, studying scenarios can help managers and officials to better develop strategic plans for disaster risk reduction.

Les incendies catastrophiques sont les désastres technologiques les plus fréquents en Iran. Ils y ont tué de nombreuses personnes et entraîné des pertes économiques significatives. L'incendie du Plasco, en 2017, est un exemple de ce type de catastrophe, qui a affecté la plupart des iraniens. Eût égard à l'augmentation des facteurs de risque, nous avons étudié les scenarii possibles de ce type d'accident en Iran. Il s'agit d'une prospective, explorant divers déroulements considérés comme possibles. Nous avons utilisé les données de la littérature, des entretiens semi- structurés et un consensus selon la méthode Delphi pour identifier les circonstances de survenue et écrire des scenarii, ensuite validés. L'analyse bibliographique a concerné 22 documents, 10 entretiens ont été utilisés, pour identifier 41 phénomènes déclenchants et écrire 4 scenarii. L'application des lois de prévention des incendies et la limitation des facteurs favorisants, sur lesquels le législateur devrait se pencher. Ces scenarii peuvent permettre aux responsables, à leurs niveaux, de développer des plans de prévention des catastrophes liées aux incendies.

Operational matrices based on the shifted fifth-kind Chebyshev polynomials for solving nonlinear variable order integro-differential equations.

In this research, we study a general class of variable order integro-differential equations (VO-IDEs). We propose a numerical scheme based on the shifted fifth-kind Chebyshev polynomials (SFKCPs). First, in this scheme, we expand the unknown function and its derivatives in terms of the SFKCPs. To carry out the proposed scheme, we calculate the operational matrices depending on the SFKCPs to find an approximate solution of the original problem. These matrices, together with the collocation points, are used to transform the original problem to form a system of linear or nonlinear algebraic equations. We discuss the convergence of the method and then give an estimation of the error. We end by solving numerical tests, which show the high accuracy of our results.

Mental health of older people with mild and moderate intellectual disability in Australia.

BACKGROUND: The progressive increase in life expectancy of people with intellectual disability (ID) has resulted in enhanced survival into old age and has also seen a growth in research on both lifelong and emerging ageing-related health issues. Health issues amongst provider-supported adults have been previously studied, but these studies have not always included older community-dwelling adults with ID. METHODS: A study examining the extent of mental health of 391 community-dwelling adults with ID age 60 and older in both metropolitan and rural areas of two East Coast Australian states was undertaken using a cross-sectional survey. Examined were a range of demographic (age, sex, living arrangements, employment and socio-economic status) and life (co-morbidities, adverse life events and social support) factors. Data were parsed by two age groupings (60-65: n = 234 and >65: n = 157). RESULTS: Findings revealed that older community-dwelling adults with ID have many of the same mental health disorders as do other ageing people, with the exception of significant psychiatric disorders often associated with older age. Over a third (35%: n = 137) reported some one or more mental health disorders. Age, sex, location (rural or urban), financial hardship, social support or type of living arrangement were not statistically significant as risk factors for poor mental health. However, employment status was a clear predictor. Stepwise regression models showed a strong association between mental ill-health and adverse life events and between mental ill-health and multiple physical co-morbidities. CONCLUSIONS: The cross-sectional nature of the study limits causal inference. The cumulative effect of chronic health conditions and adverse life events cannot be prevented retrospectively. However, greater awareness amongst both health professionals and care staff that older adults with ID have a high likelihood of significant and/or repeated traumas and need better health care to limit physical co-morbidity may assist in providing support that is better tailored to individual needs in older age to reduce the burden of mental ill-health.

Mathematical analysis of a stochastic model for spread of Coronavirus.

This paper is associated to investigate a stochastic SEIAQHR model for transmission of Coronavirus disease 2019 that is a recent great crisis in numerous societies. This stochastic pandemic model is established due to several safety protocols, for instance social-distancing, mask and quarantine. Three white noises are added to three of the main parameters of the system to represent the impact of randomness in the environment on the considered model. Also, the unique solvability of the presented stochastic model is proved. Moreover, a collocation approach based on the Legendre polynomials is presented to obtain the numerical solution of this system. Finally, some simulations are provided to survey the obtained results of this pandemic model and to identify the theoretical findings.

A mathematical model to examine the effect of quarantine on the spread of coronavirus.

In this study, we propose a mathematical model about the spread of novel coronavirus. This model is a system of fractional order differential equations in Caputo's sense. The aim is to explain the virus transmission and to investigate the impact of quarantine on decreasing the prevalence rate of the virus in the environment. The unique solvability of the presented COVID-19 model is proved. Also, the equilibrium points and the reproduction number of the proposed model are discussed in two cases with and without considering the quarantine factor. Using the Adams-Bashforth-Moulton predictor-corrector method, some numerical simulations are implemented to survey the behavior of the considered model.

Phylogenetic and Morphological Analyses of Androctonus crassicuda from Khuzestan Province, Iran (Scorpiones: Buthidae).

The Androctonus crassicuda is the most diverse scorpion species in the family of Buthidae, which is endemic to Khuzestan province, Iran. Investigation of the relationship of species by means of a molecular study of specimens is one of the new approaches due to the limitations of the morphological approaches. In the current study, the analysis was based on 32 morphological characteristics of A. crassicuda native to southwest Iran. Moreover, the DNA sequencing of two mitochondrial markers, namely cytochrome oxidase subunit I and 12sRNA loci was performed, and the phylogenetic tree was constructed using maximum likelihood method with 1000 replications using MEGA software (version 7). Based on the results of the phylogenetic tree, A. crassicuda was classified into a monophyletic group. However, the genetic diversity of this species populations was not significant (0.001). The highest and lowest genetic distance of A. crassicuda was compared with the reports obtained in Urmia and west Azerbaijan, Iran. There was a clear divergence between the A. crassicuda isolated from northern and southern areas of Iran. This study showed the importance of geographical and climate features of the region and genetic distance among the populations. The phylogenetic analysis of Androctonus species from other regions showed the highest and lowest genetic distance with A. gonneti (Morocco) and A. amoreuxi (Portugal), respectively. The comparison of the morphological characteristics and morphometric results revealed that metasoma characteristics are important in the identification of A. crassicuda. The results of the analysis of the morphometric values of A. crassicuda were mainly compatible with the phylogenetic trees and supported the traditional morphological classification, thereby presenting a clearly definition of the genera of Androctonus species.

Numerical evaluation of fractional Tricomi-type model arising from physical problems of gas dynamics.

This paper deals with approximating the time fractional Tricomi-type model in the sense of the Caputo derivative. The model is often adopted for describing the anomalous process of nearly sonic speed gas dynamics. The temporal semi-discretization is computed via a finite difference algorithm, while the spatial discretization is obtained using the local radial basis function in a finite difference mode. The local collocation method approximates the differential operators using a weighted sum of the function values over a local collection of nodes (named stencil) through a radial basis function expansion. This technique considers merely the discretization nodes of each subdomain around the collocation node. This leads to sparse systems and tackles the ill-conditioning produced of global collocation. The theoretical convergence and stability analyses of the proposed time semi-discrete scheme are proved by means of the discrete energy method. Numerical results confirm the accuracy and efficiency of the new approach.

A numerical study of fractional rheological models and fractional Newell-Whitehead-Segel equation with non-local and non-singular kernel.

In the recent years, few type of fractional derivatives which have non-local and non-singular kernel are introduced. In this work, we present fractional rheological models and Newell-Whitehead-Segel equations with non-local and non-singular kernel. For solving these equations, we present a spectral collocation method based on the shifted Legendre polynomials. To do this, we extend the unknown functions and its derivatives using the shifted Legendre basis. These expansions and the properties of the shifted Legendre polynomials along with the spectral collocation method will help us to reduce the main problem to a set of nonlinear algebraic equations. Finally, The accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method are reported by some illustrative examples.

In vitro therapeutic effect of Hemiscorpius lepturus venom on tachyzoites of Toxoplasma gondii.

Pyrimethamine which is a main anti-Toxoplasma gondii drug has a serious side and toxic effects on the host. Accordingly, the development of new treatment options for toxoplasmosis with less toxic effects, low teratogenicity and parasiticidal effect against the various stage of T. gondii are dramatically crucial. Currently, natural molecules from scorpion and snake venoms are widely used as an alternative treatment against human disease, these compounds considered to be safe and to have low toxicity in comparison with synthetic drugs. Therefore, the goal of our study was to investigate the anti-Toxoplasma gondii activities of Hemiscorpius lepturus venom. We measured cytotoxicity of H. lepturus whole venom on Vero cells as well as effectiveness of this compound on viability of T. gondii applying colorimetric assay, according to mitochondrial oxidation of the MTT reagent (Methylthiazol tetrazolium 98%). The results of this study indicated that the H. lepturus whole venom has an anti-Toxoplasma effects with less toxic effect on Vero cells. Also, the T. gondii tachyzoites were treated with H. lepturus venom reached better results in comparison with Pyrimethamine-treated group. This research will serve as a base for future studies on toxoplasmosis and suggest a role for scorpion venom in promoting natural drugs.

Scolicidal activity of Mesobuthus eupeus venom against the protoscolices of Echinococcus granulosus.

Hydatidosis is an important zoonosis caused by a parasitic tapeworm, namely Echinococcus granulosus. This infection is distributed worldwide and affects the health as well as economic loss in both humans and animals. In most cases, the disease needs chemotherapy with or without surgery. Conventional drugs have some major problems, including drug complications, harmful side effects, and also progressive resistance. According to the importance of biological productions as alternative medicine, a large number of studies confirmed that whole venom and many peptide ingredients of the scorpion venom have various different medical benefits, including antimicrobial properties, due to the mechanism of blocking gated ion channel. In this study, the venom peptides of Mesobuthus eupeus scorpionwere purified using gel filtration chromatography and subsequently ion exchange chromatography, followed by the determination of the molecular weights of the proteins by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) procedure. After collecting the hydatid cysts fluids from the liver of infected sheep, protoscolices were derived, washed, and encountered to the whole venom as well as eight different fractions of toxin 30, 60, 120, and 240 min after the exposure. In the next step, the viability of protoscolices was determined by eosin staining. The obtained results revealed that a venom fraction under 10 kDa killed all protoscolices after 30 min. Moreover, it was found that the scolicidal activity of fractions increases according to the time of exposure. As a result, it can be concluded that M. epeus venom peptides under its LD50 (1/2 LD50) can properly and quickly destroy the protoscolices of hydatid cysts at the level of applied concentrations and such components are good alternatives to treat hydatidosis.

Retraction of the original article "Persian version of thirst distress scale (TDS) in patients on hemodialysis: Factor structure and psychometric properties.

Retraction of the original article "Persian version of thirst distress scale (TDS) in patients on hemodialysis: Factor structure and psychometric properties" by Amir Hossein Goudarzian, Azar Jafari, Belgüzar Kara, Mozhgan Taebi, and Hedayat Jafari in Clinical Nephrology,Vol 91 - No. 2/2019, pp 72 - 78. doi: 10.5414/CN109406: Dear Editor in Chief, When our article was published in volume 91, No 2 (February, 2019) of this journal, we found that a statistical mistake had occurred. We found that data that was input in SPSS is from another questionnaire (that was not related to this study). Thus, the results were wrong. The study will have to be run again. We regret this error and decision to retract this article. Sincerely,Hedayat Jafari on behalf of all authors.

Overexploitation hazards and salinization risks in crucial declining aquifers, chemo-isotopic approaches.

Bastam region is overusing its groundwater resources stocks. The groundwater levels, and hydrogeochemical data during a 14-year period (2002-2016) and isotopic composition (2016) of the 22 groundwater samples were investigated to determine the hydrogeological regime of Bastam Plain and identify the geochemical processes that control the groundwater quality. This plain is situated in a semi-arid region of northern Iran, mainly recharging from the carbonate Mountains in the north and southwest. In general, overexploitation of the groundwater due to low precipitation and changing precipitation regime has destructive effects on the hydrogeological setting and flow regime of Bastam crucial aquifer, including the decline of the groundwater level with rate of 0.9 m/year, water storage deficit of 17.32 Mm3/year and consequently, the intrusion of saline water towards the aquifer from the western and eastern salty plains. Based on the EC values, the groundwater samples divided into three groups of fresh waters with EC < 1000 µS/cm and Ca-Mg-HCO3 water type which are located in the recharge zones, semi-saline waters (1000 < EC < 2500 µS/cm) with Na-Mg-Cl-SO4 type at the center and saline waters with EC values more than 2500 µS/cm and Na-Cl type in the eastern and western parts of the plain. A few groundwater samples (group 2) fall on the mixing line between fresh and saline water in Piper diagram during the saline water intrusion, but most of the samples depart from this mixing line, indicating water-rock interactions in this area, resulting in deficit of Na+ and surplus of Ca2+ concentration. The fresh water samples cluster along the local meteoric water line in δ18O and δ2H relationships, suggesting an integrative and rapid recharge with meteoric water. Hydrochemical and isotopic characteristics indicate that invasion of the saline water resulted from halite dissolution with minor evaporation in the surrounding salty playas is the main origin for the increasing salinity in the Bastam aquifer. The salinization risks limit the groundwater withdrawals from Bastam aquifer in some areas, threatening the future sustainable development of the region.

Effect of oak acorn level on colostrum composition and plasma immunoglobulin G of late-pregnant goats and their kids.

Oak acorn contains high levels of tannins which have capacity to form complexes with proteins and consequently reduce their availability and as a result it could reduce colostrum quality and immunoglobulin (Ig) synthesis. Thus, the aim of this experiment was to investigate the effects of dietary oak (Quercus persica) acorn (OA) level during the last 60 days of pregnancy on colostrum composition and plasma metabolites and IgG level of goats and their kids. In all, 24 multiparous pregnant goats (41.7±2.3 kg BW) were assigned into one of the three experimental diets consisted of control diet (without OA) and diets containing 20% (OA20) or 40% (OA40) OA on dry matter basis. Goats fed OA40 had lower BW change compared with other groups (P⩽0.05). Kids birth weight was not affected by experimental diets (P>0.05). Goats fed OA containing diets had lower plasma glucose, triglyceride and Fe concentrations compared with those fed the control diet (P0.05), whereas kids born from goats fed OA containing diets had lower plasma IgG level compared with the control diet (P<0.01). It is concluded that feeding OA during the last 60 days of pregnancy decreased colostrum quality which may have adverse effect on kid's survival.