Occurrence of anti-<Emphasis Type="Italic">Toxoplasma gondii</Emphasis> antibodies in female cattle in south-west of Iran

Toxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii, is a significant disease in livestock and humans. In Iran, studies shows that T. gondii infection in humans is relatively high and prevalence is associated mainly with consumption of undercooked meat or meat products. We have examined 450 serum samples from female cattle distributed over all Ahvaz, the center of Khouzestan province, south-west of Iran. IgG antibodies to T. gondii were assayed by the modified agglutination test using whole tachyzoites of T. gondii, and found in 71 (15.77%) of 450 cattle with titers of 1:25 in 38, 1:50 in 18, 1:100 in 11, 1:200 in three and 1:400 in one. Titers of antibodies were decreased in cattle over 2 years old. These results indicate that T. gondii infection in cattle of Khouzestan is relatively considerable, but not very high and consumption of beef may be a source of infection for humans in south-west of Iran.     

Sequence and phylogenetic analysis of the non-structural 3A and 3B protein-coding regions of foot-and-mouth disease virus subtype A Iran 05

The A Iran 05 foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) subtype was detected in Iran during 2005 and has proven to be highly virulent. This study was undertaken to focus on molecular and phylogenetic analysis of 3A and 3B coding-regions in the A Iran 05 field isolate. To assess the genetic relatedness of A Iran 05 isolate the nucleotide and predicted amino acid sequences of the 3AB region of type A FMDV isolates were compared with twenty previously described type A FMDV isolates. The phylogenetic tree based on the 672 bp 3AB gene sequences of type A FMDV from thirteen different locations clustered them into five distinct lineages. The A Iran 05 isolate clustered in lineage A along with four type A variants and was closely matched with viruses isolated in Turkey and Pakistan during 2005~2006. The number of protein sequence differences exhibited by each of the isolates revealed that A Iran 05 isolate contains three amino acid substitutions at positions 47 and 119 of 3A and 27 of the 3B coding region. The nucleotide identity between A Iran 05 and the other four isolates of lineage A was estimated to be 98%.     

Using Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) to identify the most important DEM attributes for digital soil mapping applications

Topography has an important influence on the distribution of soils and their properties, especially in hilly lands, and related data are easily available, measurable and recognizable from digital elevation models (DEMs). To our knowledge, little attention has previously been paid to the effect of DEM attributes on the distribution of soils, using ordination methods. The objective of this study was to analyze relationships between topographical properties derived from DEM and soil distribution and to discuss their applicability in Digital Soil Mapping (DSM). The study was carried out in the Borujen area of central Zagros, Iran. A total of 13 plots (each one of 6.75 ha) were set up to calculate the percentages of the dominant soil series. Fifteen DEM attributes, including slope, aspect, curvature, maximum and minimum curvature, planform curvature, profile curvature, tangent curvature, wetness index, power index, sediment index, area solar radiation, direct radiation, diffuse radiation and direct duration were also computed. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) was used to summarize the data set and to evaluate the expected relationships. The results obtained show that there was a relatively strong correspondence between soils' series distribution and topographical properties. The DEM attributes that best related to the first axis were maximum curvature, slope and sediment index, all of which significantly positive correlated, and wetness index, direct duration and minimum curvature, all of which were negatively related. The second axis showed a negative trend with wetness index, direct duration and aspect, and a positive trend with sediment index and slope. These gradients were closely related to the first three canonical axes and explained 71.8% of the total variance of the soil series. The residual variance (28.2% of the total variance) was related to other soil forming factors, like parent material and vegetation cover, which were not investigated in this study. Considering that DEMs are still the most important source of environmental information, understanding the role of topographical factors in a region should help us to identify soils and their properties better and enable us to apply these derivates as input data in DSM.     

Quantifying the effect of inbreeding on average daily gain and Kleiber ratio in Mazandaran native chickens

Tropical Animal Health and Production - The aims of this study was to evaluate inbreeding effects for growth rate (average daily gain from hatch to 8&nbsp;weeks of age (ADG1–8), average...     

Soil phosphorous buffer coefficient as influenced by time and rate of P addition

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of time and rate of phosphorus (P) addition on phosphorus availability and phosphorus buffer coefficient in some calcareous soils. Phosphorus was added to the samples at rates of 0, 50, 100, 200, 400, 600 and 800 mg P kg^?1 soil. The samples were incubated for 0.041, 1, 7, 14, 21, 30, 60 and 90 days at constant temperature and moisture. Extractable phosphorus was determined after the incubation. The results showed a sharp decrease in available P within 1 h after P addition. There was a linear relation between added P and extractable P in all soils. The buffer coefficients of soils were estimated by Olsen P for above incubation periods. Generally the buffer coefficient decreased with increasing time of incubation. The results indicated that inputs of between 23 – 59 mg kg^?1 are required to raise Olsen P by 10 mg kg^?1 in these calcareous soils, which assuming 2500 t soil ha^?1, gives a required input of 58 – 148 kg P ha^?1.     

Phosphorus Availability as Influenced by Organic Residues in Five Calcareous Soils

The use of organic residue is appropriate in maintaining long-term phosphorus (P) requirement of crops. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of time and organic residue addition on P availability in some calcareous soils. Five plant residues and two manures in a wide range of C/N ratios were added to the soil samples at rates of 20 g kg^?1 soil. The samples were incubated for 2, 72, 336, 672, 1440, and 2160 hours at constant temperature and moisture. Extractable phosphorus (Olsen-P) was determined after the incubation. There were decreases in the Olsen-P in all five amended soils during 2160 hours of incubation. The power model was found to be suitable to describe P transformation rates from amended soils. The constant b in the power model of P for amended soils was defined as transformation rate were in the order (average of five soils) vegetables waste > sheep manure > potato > poultry manure > sunflower > rape > weeds residues. There were significant correlations between C/P in residues and parameters a and parameter b. There were significant correlations between clay content and calcium carbonate and transformation rate of P in soils. The model parameters of P are suitable to estimate the P-fertilizer effect of organic residues.     

Metformin as an adjunct to insulin for glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes after CABG surgery: a randomized double blind clinical trial

Perioperative hyperglycemia is common in patients with type 2 diabetes undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) surgery and there is a direct relation between postoperative hyperglycemia and mortality rate in these patients. The aim of the present study is to determine the efficacy of metformin on glycemic control in diabetic patients after CABG surgery. In a randomized double blind clinical trial, 100 patients with type 2 diabetes admitted in open heart ICU after CABG surgery in Mazandaran Heart Center were enrolled. They were randomly assigned to two intervention and control groups. Three hours after extubation, therapeutic antiglycemic regimens were applied in these two groups and continued for three days. Intervention group received regular insulin infusion along with two metformin 500 mg tablets per twelve hours while control group received regular insulin infusion with two placebo tablets per twelve hours. Blood glucose level and other parameters were measured and recorded in determined intervals. To analyze the data, independent T-test, paired T-test, Mann-Whitney and repeated measure ANOVA tests were employed. Mean blood glucose level was not significantly different in the two groups at the beginning of the ICU admission; however, mean glucose level in insulin-metformin group, twelve hours after the initiation of the study, was significantly lower than insulin group (p < 0.05). In addition, mean doses of potassium and insulin demand as well as mean number of episodes of hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia and glucose levels out of the accepted range were significantly lower in insulin-metformin group (p < 0.05). Alterations in mean levels of lactate, BE, pH and creatinine were not statistically significant in these two groups. It seems that adding metformin to insulin leads to a better glycemic control in type two diabetic patients undergoing CABG surgery without causing metabolic acidosis. Therefore, it might be a potential option in blood glucose control protocol in this group of patients.     

Comparing analgesic effects of a topical herbal mixed medicine with salicylate in patients with knee osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis is the most common cause of disability among people and it is a common disease of joints that can lead to cartilage damage. In this study the analgesic effects of a herbal ointment containing cinnamon, ginger, mastic (Saghez) and sesame oil is compared with Salicylate ointment in patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis. It was a double-blind randomized controlled trail study. Patients with diagnosed arthritis were involved in the study and they were divided in two groups via block randomization method. For six weeks, twice a day, intervention group applied herbal ointment and control group used Salicylate ointment. The severity of pain, morning stiffness and limited motion were measured using Visual Analog Pain Scale. In order to analyze the trends of these three indexes, repeated measurement test was used. Ninety two participates with the mean age of 52.2 (+/- 12.4) years and with the mean disease period of 30.45 (+/- 30.3) months were involved in the study. There was no significant difference between two groups regarding the distribution of sex, weight, height, BMI and the duration of illness. No statistical difference was observed between two groups regarding pain relief, morning stiffness and limited motion; nevertheless in repeated measurements during second, forth and sixth weeks in both groups the decreasing trend of these three indexes had been statistically significant (p < 0.0001). It seems that using this herbal combination is clinically effective for patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis in order to decrease their pain, morning stiffness and limited motion; its effect is comparable with Salicylate ointment.