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The current study aimed to investigate the antifungal activities of cumin, black cumin, and lavender essential oils and their maltodextrin-based coatings against Fusarium oxysporum, one of the most locally predominant tomato fungal pathogens (Tehran, Iran). Also, investigation of some qualitative characteristics of coated tomato fruits during storage was aimed. The phytochemical constituents of the essential oils were evaluated using GC and GC–MS methods. Also, the inhibitory activities of the oils were examined against spore germination, mycelial growth, and fungal infection development on tomato fruits. According to the results, cuminaldehyde (34.54 %), γ-terpinene (18.30 %), p-cymen-7-ol (13.19 %) and p-cymenene (12.82 %) in cumin, carvone (28.74 %), p-cymen-7-ol (12.02 %), p-cymenene (11.55 %), safrole (8.93 %) and β-pinene (5.88 %) in black cumin, and camphor (19.11 %), eucalyptol (15.90 %), α-pinene (6.69 %), 3-carene (6.50 %) and β-Caryophyllene (5.38 %) in lavender essential oil were determined as main components. In spore germination assay, cumin, black cumin, and lavender essential oils exhibited potent activities with IC50 values of 1.05, 0.64 and 0.89 mg/mL, respectively. While, kresoxim-methyl (a standard antifungal agent) inhibited the fungal strain with IC50 value of 0.11 mg/mL. Furthermore, black cumin oil showed the most activities against mycelial growth of fungus. Furthermore, the coating enriched with black cumin oil showed the most inhibitory activity to reduce fungal growth on inoculated fruits, with a severity reduction of 79.2%. Whereas, cumin and lavender coatings showed significant activities with 71.43 and 38.09% inhibition, respectively. The results indicated that black cumin coating is a potent antifungal coating that of interest for the bioactive packaging of tomato fruits to extend their shelf life.

Traditional water distribution with Mirab is effective to a certain extent in the fair distribution of water, but it has limitations in terms of efficiency and productivity. While in modern networks, it is possible to try to optimize the allocation and distribution of water by using advanced technology and infrastructure. Of course, the implementation of a modern irrigation network, despite the high cost of its implementation, does not necessarily mean that it will be successful in the assigned operation, and its performance should be evaluated and analyzed by experts in this matter. water consumption efficiency in two villages of Shahkooh Sofla with traditional irrigation network and Mohammad Abad with renovated irrigation network and integrated lands has been done. The required data in this section included a questionnaire and field measurements of water flow in the network, and finally with the help of these data, the water productivity in the fields was calculated. performance per water volume unit (CPD), and economic productivity indicators, including gross profit per water volume unit (BPD) and net profit per water volume unit (NBPD) were calculated average CPD index in terms of fresh weight, BPD and NPBD in the Shahkooh, 7.54 (kilogram of wet matter per cubic meter), 12425, 10427 (tomans per cubic meter) and in the Mohammad Abad, respectively 0.41 (kilogram of dry matter per cubic meter), 1510 , 918 (tomans per cubic meter) has been obtained. Therefore, in Shahkooh , despite the traditional network of water distribution management, more economic productivity has been achieved

Ferula latisecta, Dorema kopetdaghense, and Dorema ammoniacum oleo-gum resins are among the most valuable Iranian herbal products and have great potential to be exported abroad. This study aims to phytochemically investigate the antioxidant and antidiabetic effects of the mentioned oleo-gum resins. The hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanolic extracts of gums were prepared through a "sequential extraction" method. The antidiabetic effects of the extracts were evaluated on the basis of α-amylase and α-glycosidase enzyme inhibition methods. In addition, the antioxidant effects of the extracts were analyzed against DPPH free radicals. Besides, the phenolic and flavonoid compounds of the extracts were measured. The results showed that the hexane extract of D. ammoniacum gum had the highest inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase (92.99%). Also, the methanolic extract of this plant showed the highest inhibitory activity against α-amylase (50.84%). The hexane extract of D. ammoniacum gum has high antioxidant properties with an IC50 value of 40.85 μg/mL. Moreover, the hexane extract of D. ammoniacum gum has the highest amount of phenolic compounds with 530.52 mg of gallic acid/g of extract, among the others. According to the results, the gum of D. ammoniacum is rich of phenolic compounds and has high antioxidant and antidiabetic effects in comparison to common standards. So, this herbal product can be worthy of further investigation.

Background and purpose: Myelin degradation is one of the main causes of some neurological diseases. There is growing evidence that plant essential oils may reduce the risk of demyelination. In this experimental study, using a lipidomics approach, we investigated whether administration of Nigella sativa (NS) essential oil could improve changes in the profile of spinal fatty acids in demyelination model induced by intra-spinal administration of ethidium bromide (EB) in mice. Materials and methods: In this experimental study, 30 male rats were studied in five groups (n=6). The groups included control without treatment, solvent, and black seed essential oil (2, 5, and 10 ml/kg, intraperitoneally). The essential oil of NS was prepared and its fatty acid composition was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The animals underwent intra-spinal administration of ET 0.2%. At the end of the experiments, samples were taken from the spinal cord of the rats and the concentration of seven different types of fatty acids in the homogenate of the spinal cord was measured and compared between the groups. Results: Ethidium bromide disturbed the normal concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids, increased arachidonic acid derivatives, and decreased docosahexaenoic acid in rat spinal cord. Treatment with NS essential oil significantly prevented these changes in a dose-dependent manner (P

Background: Leishmaniasis is one of the most important vector-borne and neglected tropical diseases in many parts of the world. The main objective of this study was to determine the biodiversity of phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae, Phlebotominae) in Khuzestan and Kermanshah Provinces of Iran. Methods: Sampling was conducted in Khuzestan and Kermanshah Provinces using sticky paper traps and CDC light traps. The samples were then stored in 96% alcohol-containing vials, mounted, and identified. Afterward, the alpha diversity (using Simpson’s, Shannon-Weiner’s diversity, evenness, Maghalef’s, Menhinick’s, Hill and indices) and beta diversity indices (using Sorensen’s and Jaccard’s coefficients) were calculated. Results: A total of 4302 sand flies were caught and identified which comprised mostly of Phlebotomus papatasi, Ph. alexandri and Ph. sergenti. It was found that among the four counties of Ahvaz, Shush, Shushtar and Dezful in Khuzestan Province, Shush had the lowest, and Shushtar, the highest amount of species diversity and evenness. In the four studied counties of Kermanshah Province, species diversity in Kermanshah County had the lowest amount and Sarpol-e-Zahab, the highest. The species richness in Kermanshah County was the lowest, while Qasr-e-Shirin County had the highest amount. Conclusion: An overview of the biodiversity of phlebotomine sand flies in Kermanshah County in Kermanshah Province, and Shush County in Khuzestan Province, showed less stability in community structure of these vectors, which can be counted as an alarm for emerging dominant vectors among the studied counties and have the potential to increase the prevalence of leishmaniasis.

Background and Objectives: This study aims to investigate the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of residents in south of Kerman province in Iran regarding scorpion sting and the factors affecting its prevalence. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020 on 384 people living in south of Kerman province, Iran. A KAP questionnaire was used which surveyed the necessary information regarding the familiarity of residents with scorpions, the level of exposure to scorpions and effective factors, and knowledge of basic measures against scorpion stings. The questionnaire was completed through an interview. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The results showed the participants’ high knowledge of scorpion shelters (87.9%). Their most common measures in dealing with scorpion stings were hospitalization, use of cold compresses, moving away from the scene, covering the sting area with a cloth, washing the sting site, and applying pressure over the sting site. Most of participants (81.6%) suggested that spraying insecticides and the use of petroleum products were the main methods for getting rid of scorpions. About 31% had belief in traditional medicine. Most of them (73.5%) had found scorpions in their houses and 36.7% reported a history of scorpion sting in the family members. Most of them (64%) had got stung indoors. Moreover, 74.8% of them had houses with no walls or with unfavorable fencing, and for 78.3%, they were not safe in terms of scorpions entering. Conclusion: The measures and training for prevention and control of scorpion stings in south of Kerman province are necessary due to the high exposure of residents to scorpions indoors, the unsafety of their houses, and lack of compliance to preventive measures.

Abstract Background Malaria is one of the most lethal infectious diseases in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Paratransgenesis using symbiotic bacteria offers a sustainable and environmentally friendly strategy to combat this disease. In the study reported here, we evaluated the disruption of malaria transmission in the Anopheles stephensi-Plasmodium berghei assemblage using the wild-type (WT) and three modified strains of the insect gut bacterium, Enterobacter cloacae. Methods The assay was carried out using the E. cloacae dissolvens WT and three engineered strains (expressing green fluorescent protein-defensin (GFP-D), scorpine-HasA (S-HasA) and HasA only, respectively). Cotton wool soaked in a solution of 5% (wt/vol) fructose + red dye (1/50 ml) laced with one of the bacterial strains (1 × 109cells/ml) was placed overnight in cages containing female An. stephensi mosquitoes (age: 3–5 days). Each group of sugar-fed mosquitoes was then starved for 4–6 h, following which time they were allowed to blood-feed on P. berghei–infected mice for 20 min in the dark at 17–20 °C. The blood-fed mosquitoes were kept at 19 ± 1 °C and 80 ± 5% relative humidity, and parasite infection was measured by midgut dissection and oocyst counting 10 days post-infection (dpi). Results Exposure to both WT and genetically modified E. cloacae dissolvens strains significantly (P

Introduction and Objectives: Cockroaches cause food spoilage, mechanical transmission of pathogens, psychological anxiety, and allergic respiratory reactions in humans due to their high adaptation and rapid reproduction. This study aimed to introduce principled and efficient methods for the proper management of cockroach control in human dowelling and present the efficiency of these methods. Materials and Methods: A detailed search was carried out on PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Medline, and Scientific Information Database databases. The search process was performed using the following keywords: "German cockroach management", "Brown-banded cockroach management", "Integrated pest management", "Urban pest control", "Attractive toxic bait", and "Cockroach resistance". Afterward, duplicate and non-efficient articles were removed and, finally, 66 articles published within 1977-2021 were selected to describe the objectives of this study. Results: Based on the results of published articles in recent years, the best approach to cockroach control is the implementation of programs based on an integrated cockroach control strategy. In this strategy, raising the awareness level of personnel and service forces through training aids and holding training courses has a significant impact on the prevention of cockroach infestation. Among the control methods, the use of formulations with the least toxicity has shown significant efficiency in the control of cockroaches. The use of poisonous sorbent bait, especially in the form of gel, could reduce the cockroach population to zero in less than a week. One of the advantages of this formulation is the targeted use of insecticides, reduction of resistance to insecticides, and minimization of environmental pollution and hazards caused by insecticide residues, which has been considered in the integrated control strategy. Conclusions: Integrated cockroach control-based programs in the form of an "integrated management tactics pyramid" can provide the best performance in controlling cockroach infestation in human habitats.

In this paper, we first introduce a monotone mapping and its resolvent in general metric spaces.Then, we give two new iterative methods by combining the resolvent method with Halpern's iterative method and viscosity approximation method for finding a fixed point of monotone mappings and a solution of variational inequalities. We prove convergence theorems of the proposed iterations in CAT(0) metric spaces.

Mn52Al45.7C2.3 flakes with different sizes were prepared with two distinct surfactant-assisted ball-milling methods using cylindrical and barrel containers. Different microstructure and magnetic properties were measured based on the sequence of the container shape and different ball-milling times (2, 5, and 10 h). Morphology investigations showed that for powders milled in a barrel container, the amount of τ-phase was more compared to the samples milled in a cylindrical container. Moreover, in the powders milled with barrel containers, considerably higher magnetic properties were obtained in terms of saturation magnetization (Ms) and remanent magnetization (Mr) compared to those powders milled with cylindrical containers. Magnetic properties were found to be a function of the ball-milling time. High remanent magnetization and saturation magnetization have been found for powders milled in barrel containers, whereas only mediocre remanent magnetization and saturation magnetization have been measured in the case of milling in cylindrical containers. The highest Ms = 52.49 emu g−1 and Mr = 24.10 emu g−1 were obtained for the powders milled in barrel containers for 2 h. The higher magnetic properties taken from the milling in barrel containers is due to the higher shear stress and more uniform strain distribution induced by the barrel configuration, resulting in the stable τ-phase at a reasonably low-strain microstructure.

In the present study, Pimpinella affinis was collected from Dodangeh region in Sari (Mazandaran province in Iran). The ethyl acetate extract of leaves of the plant was fractionated byn column chromatography method. THEN,two phytosterols as β-sitosterol (1) and daucosterol (2) were identified using mass (EI-MS) and NMR (1H- NMR and 13C- NMR) spectrometry techniques. These natural sterols have specific biological properties such as anti-HIV, anti-cancer and anti-cholesterol. This study introduced P. affinis as a good source of useful phytosterols. Native people widely use this plant as a vegetable and so the results of this study can be useful for nutrition scientists.

Background: Several complications may occur in patients after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) leading to decreased self-efficacy. Rehabilitation training is the best method for reducing the complications and increasing self-efficacy. Various educational techniques lead to different rehabilitation results and levels of self-efficacy. Improving these measures requires the selection of the most appropriate educational technique. Aim: This study aimed to compare the effect of two media-based and face-to-face cardiac rehabilitation training methods on self-efficacy in patients undergoing CABG. Method: This clinical trial was conducted among 60 patients, who were randomly assigned into two groups, in Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad, Iran, 2017. Cardiac rehabilitation training program was implemented face-to-face or using a researcher-made multimedia upon admission, discharge, at the start of cardiac rehabilitation, and at the end of the 10th session for half-hour. A researcher-constructed questionnaire on self-efficacy was completed by the participants in the mentioned stages. Data analysis was performed in SPSS software, version 16. Results: The mean ages of the participants in the face-to-face and multimedia groups were 56.0±8.1 and 57.5±7.3 years old, respectively. No significant difference was observed in the self-efficacy scores of the patients upon admission (P=0.36). However, there was a significant difference between the groups at the post-intervention stage (P

Background: Pimpinella affinis (Apiaceae family) is a vegetable in the north of Iran. Objective: This study was conducted to investigate antibacterial activity of Pimpinella affinis (against E. coli and S. aureus) and separate its active fractions. Methods: Antibacterial activities of n-hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of leaves of P. affinis (against E. coli and S. aureus) were measured using broth microdilution method in MIC. Subsequently, the ethyl acetate extract was separated in to 29 fractions using column chromatography and thin layer chromatography (TLC). Also, antibacterial activities of the fractions have been measured. Results: According to the results, among the extracts, ethyl acetate extract showed the best activities against E. coli and S. aureus (MICs=1.0 and 2.0 mg/ml, respectively). Also, among the obtained fractions from ethyl acetate extract, F3-F5, F8 and F9 showed best inhibitory activities (MIC=5.0 μg/ml, P

Background: Visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis are common in some areas of Iran and consider as health problems. Phlebotomus alexandri has been incriminated as a suspected vector for the both form of leishmaniasis. Methods: This study was carried out in 4 western provinces of Iran. Sand flies were collected using sticky traps and light traps from indoor and outdoor resting places. Nested PCR was employed to detect Leishmania parasites among collected sand flies. Results: Seven hundred and twenty two P. alexandri females were collected and pooled in 179 batches. Results of nested PCR showed, out of 9 samples from East Azerbaijan Province, only one sample was infected by Leishmania infantum. Of 34 individual and pooled samples from Kermanshah Province, only one pooled sample was infected with Leishmania major and among 30 individual and pooled samples in Fars Province, five specimens were infected by L. major, L. infantum, Leishmania donovani and Leishmania tropica. Furthermore, out of 108 individual and pooled samples from Khuzestan Province, 10 samples showed infection with L. major and L. infantum. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that P. alexandri is more active in hot zones than in moderate zones and this species may be considered as a permissive species.

Background:Plasmodium berghei is a rodent malaria parasiteand has been very valuable means in the progress of our understanding of the essential molecular and cellular biology of the malaria parasites. Availability of hosts such as mice and vectors such as Anopheles stephensi has made this parasite a suitable system to study the parasite-host and vector-parasite relationships. Numerous studies have described life cycle and parameters influencing maintenance of the parasite within the mice or the mosquito. In this paper we revealed more details and have addressed some parameters and points influence maintenance of various life stages of the parasite (merozoites, macrogametocytes, ookinetes, oocysts and sporozoites) in the laboratory model P.berghei–A.stephensi-BALB/c mouse. This study helps understanding the biology of vertebrate-parasite and mosquito-malaria interactions that may aid in the development of a new generation of drug/vaccine and vector-based measures for malaria control.

Defensive Diplomacy is a part of government policy which plays role as an important tool in achieving the major objectives of the armed forces and its purpose can be considered to develop favorable national and international political conditions for maintaining and expanding national and vital values of the country against actual and potential enemies. One of the characteristics of defensive diplomacy in the current situation is considered as a means of identification and legitimizing the strategic defensive policy. With the advent of foresight science, policy-making researchers have tried to take advantage of the capabilities of this science in the development of strategic planning techniques. Therefore, gradully using them them widely, foresight methods and techniques have been integrtated with them. In any foresight project, identifing main propellants are one of the basic requirements for scenario palanning. Accordingly, the aim of this paper is to identify the key propellants for the Islamic Republic of Iran's defensive diplomacy for 15 years’ horizon, and it has been conducted through combining methods such as future studies, literature review, a panel of experts and cross-matrix analysis using software Mikmak. In order to implement this project, experts’ opinions have been employed on defensive and foreign policy operation, and in the end the key drivers and propellants have been suggested.

Gender classification is one of the most challenging problems in computer vision. Facial gender detection of neonates and children is also known as a highly demanding issue for human observers. This study proposes a novel gender classification method using frontal facial images of people. The proposed approach employs principal component analysis (PCA) and fuzzy clustering technique, respectively, for feature extraction and classification steps. In other words, PCA is applied to extract the most appropriate features from images as well as reducing the dimensionality of data. The extracted features are then used to assign the new images to appropriate classes – male or female – based on fuzzy clustering. The computational time and accuracy of the proposed method are examined together and the prominence of the proposed approach compared to most of the other well‐known competing methods is proved, especially for younger faces. Experimental results indicate the considerable classification accuracies which have been acquired for FG‐Net, Stanford and FERET databases. Meanwhile, since the proposed algorithm is relatively straightforward, its computational time is reasonable and often less than the other state‐of‐the‐art gender classification methods.

Background: Enterobacter cloacae bacterium is a known symbiont of the most Anopheles gut microflora and nominated as a good candidate for paratransgenic control of malaria. However, the population dynamics of this bacterium with­in An. stephensi and its introduction methods to the mosquitoes have not yet been explored. Methods: Enterobacter cloacae subsp. dissolvens expressing green fluorescent protein and defensin (GFP-D) was used to study transstadial transmission and the course of time, larval habitat, sugar, and blood meal on dynamics of the bacterium in the mosquito life stages in the laboratory condition. The bacterial quantities were measured by plating samples and counting GFP expressing colonies on the Tet-BHI agar medium. Results: The E. cloacae population remained stable in sugar bait at least for eleven days whereas it was lowered in the insectary larval habitat where the bacteria inadequately recycled. The bacterium was weakly transmitted transstadi­ally from larval to adult stage. The bacterial populations increased smoothly and then dramatically in the guts of An. stephensi following sugar and blood meal respectively followed by a gradual reduction over the time. Conclusion: Enterobacter cloacae was highly stable in sugar bait and increased tremendously in the gut of female adult An. stephensi within 24h post blood meal. Sugar bait stations can be used for introduction of the transgenic bacteria in a paratransgenic approach. It is recommended to evaluate the attraction of sugar bait in combination with attractive kairomones as well as its stability and survival rate in the semi-field or field conditions.

Background: Aquatic insects are very abundant and divers groups of insects that are associated with an aquatic or semiaquatic environment in one or more of their life stages. These insects have been, in some cases, well studied because they are vectors of several diseases. This is the first comprehensive faunistic study of aquatic insects from Babol County. The results may provide basic data for further taxonomic and ecological studies of aquatic insects as biological control agent or classification of water quality for the country. Methods: The specimens were collected using different methods including: D-frame net collector, standard mos­quito dipper (350ml), Sweep-Netting and plastic pipette. Sampling carried out in different part of breading places in several times. Results: During this study a total of 196 aquatic specimens were collected from different habitats and were mor­phologically identified including 18 families classified in 6 orders: Diptera, Trichoptera, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Hemiptera and Odonata. Babol and Amol district in Mazandaran Province are located in humid climate regions with suitable ecological factors of humidity, moderate temperature and the variety of plant species. There are different species of aquatic insects in different habitats. Conclusion: The results will provide information for biodeveristy, species richness, their role for biological control as well as calcification of rivers based on abundance of aquatic insects. Therefore the understanding of ecological specifications of aquatic insects could provide a clue for further Arthropod-borne disease control. Additionally aquatic insect could be used for classification of water bodies

Background: There are unorganized, published documents about the ecology of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in northeastern part of Iran. The purpose of this study was to determine the distribution and characteristics of larval habitats of Culicidae in Kalaleh County. Methods: Larvae were collected using dipping method and adults by human landing catch technique during April–October, 2012. Larval habitat characteristics were recorded such as vegetation status, and sunlight, water situation. Lacto-phenol and de Faure’s media were used for conserving and mounting samples. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software, version 11.5. Results: Out of the 395 larvae collected, 332 were adult mosquitoes comprising; Culiseta, Culex, Anopheles and Ochlerotatus genera and 14 species including An. superpictus, An. maculipennis s.l., An. hyrcanus, An. psudopictus, An. claviger, Culex pipiens, Cx. theileri, Cx. perexiguus, Culiseta longiareolata, Cs. subochrea, Ochlerotatus cas­pius, Oc. echinus and Oc. geniculatus. Culex pipiens larvae were predominant (27.6%) and Cs. subochrea (1%) was found as the lowest species in terms of number. In the adult form, Cx. pipiens (28.9%) was predominant whereas, Cs. subochrea and Cx. perexiguus were reported to have had the lowest frequency. Conclusion: The larvae of An. superpictus and An. maculipennis species as the main vectors of malaria in north of Iran were reported in permanent habitats with clear water and vegetation, full and partial sunlight situations and muddy as well as sandy substrates that are important in larvicide application programs. Exclusive studies are neces­sary to diagnose An. maculipennis species complex using molecular and morphological analysis in the future.

Background: The aim of this study was to design pictorial key and taxonomic literature of Culex pipiens complex in Iran. Methods: Larvae were collected using standard dipping methods in 13 randomly selected areas of Bushehr, Hame­dan, Kerman, Khorasan-e-Razavi, Khuzistan, Mazandaran, Tehran, Sistan and Baluchistan and Yazd Provinces from April 2009 to October 2010. The data were analyzed using SPSS Ver. 11.5. Results: Culex pipiens larvae were identified based on the Seta 1 of the abdominal segments III–IV in north and central parts of Iran. This diagnostic character had some variation among the Cx. quinquefasciatus collected from south of the country. The identification value of intersection of costa, subcosta and bifurcation of R2+3 of female veins, was calculated as 90–100 % for Cx. pipiens. This diagnostic character was varied among the Cx. quinquefas­ciatus specimens. The male genitalia found as the main characters to distinguish of Cx. quinquefasciatus from Cx. pipiens. Conclusion: It is necessary more studies on the behavior and genetic variations of Cx. pipiens complex in Iran.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by impaired glucose metabolism and can be detected using Positron Emission Tomography (PET) neuroimaging. In this study, an automatic method for diagnosis of AD based on region of interest (ROI) is presented. First, subject’s PET neuroimage is automatically parcellated into 48 predefined ROIs using Harvard-Oxford structural Atlas. The most discriminative regions are discovered using principal component analysis (PCA). Based on features extracted using PCA, support vector machines are adapted to discriminate normal control (NC) from AD. For classification of AD from NC, the proposed method achieves 89.14% of classification accuracy; while the accuracy of Automated Anatomical Labeling (AAL)-based approach is only 80.68%.

Background: The aim was to survey the specific factors, which cause to decrease blood feeding of mosquitoes important to succeed vector control. Methods: Larval collection was carried out from fixed and variable breeding places of Yazd County, central Iran in 2009. Autogeny-Anautogeny, Stenogamy-Eurygamy, and blood preference of Culex pipiens were studied using standard mosquito cages blood meal source for Cx. pipiens females considered as the chickens and human and fed females were kept in insectary condition (16:8 L: D, 27±3 °C and 70±10% RH). The data were analyzed using SPSS Ver. 11.5 soft ware. Results: Totally, 96 females' mosquitoes were tested for Stenogamy versus Eurygamy and 122 for blood preference assay. In the small cages (20× 20× 20cm) and large cage (60× 40× 60cm), the ability of mating and insemination rates were 60.0 and 67.0%, respectively. In spite of Cx. pipiens fed from sucrose 5%, none of them laying eggs in 60× 40× 60 cages during the study. This finding indicated the Anautogeny behavior of this species. This species was found of low tendency to human blood and almost 4 fold fed on chicken. Conclusion: The occurrence of Steno-Eurygamy, Anautogeny, and Ornithophilic behaviors of Cx. Pipiens was noted. More studies need to be carried out about the bionomics of this species to gain more data about the ecophysiological and behavioral characteristics in other parts of Iran.

We first prove the existence of solutions for a generalized mixed equilibrium problem under the new conditions imposed on the given bifunction and introduce the algorithm for solving a common element in the solution set of a generalized mixed equilibrium problem and the common fixed point set of finite family of asymptotically nonexpansive mappings. Next, the strong convergence theorems are obtained, under some appropriate conditions, in uniformly convex and smooth Banach spaces. The main results extend various results existing in the current literature.

Introduction Irrigation decision support systems (IDSS) are among the approaches considered a tool in complex decision-making for water resource managers due to the enormous development of computer systems. Modernizing at different levels of water consumption can significantly increase water productivity indicators. Performing these conditions requires technological changes. The primary pillar of any IDSS system is its ability to adapt to environmental changes. This process allows the prediction model to compare predicted values with actual results and adjust automatically. IDSS systems for designing cropping patterns and optimal irrigation programs have the critical capabilities to control and manage optimal irrigation on large levels and water rights. These systems suggest the optimal cultivation pattern and dynamically provide the water consumption optimization schedule. According to previous studies, the most critical challenge of irrigation management is the limited amount of available water, which leads to the complexity of the optimal use of agricultural water in real conditions. One of the most important strategies to save Lake Urmia is to take necessary measures to reduce water consumption in the agricultural sector. One of the primary solutions to reduce water consumption in the agriculture sector is to decrease the loss of valuable and non-useful uses of agricultural water through the improvement of irrigation management. For this purpose, in the present study, the details of the adaptability of a developed IDSS system to improve irrigation management with the conditions of irrigation and drainage network, water and soil resources, climate, and vegetation in Mahabad Plain have been discussed. Materials and Methods To evaluate the IDSS, the downstream farms of the Mahabad irrigation and drainage network located southeast of Lake Urmia were selected. The Mahabad irrigation and drainage network consists of a diversion dam, two main canals, 11 2nd-grade canals, 69 main drains, and 10 water pumping stations. Four sites from the Mahabad irrigation and drainage network were chosen as selected sites. In each site, 20 farms were considered for monitoring the IDSS. The rest of the farms were under the control of the farmer, and only optimal irrigation programs were provided to the farmer by the IDSS. The general framework of the IDSS has been developed to achieve the goal of optimal management of water consumption in agriculture, taking into account the time and amount of water availability using international methods. The IDSS provides the optimal irrigation schedule for the cropping pattern in the farm by using online information on agricultural meteorology, water access conditions of the farm, soil, and crop characteristics, and the type of irrigation system used in the farm. The IDSS can suggest the optimal cropping pattern for farm conditions. During the crop growth period, the farmer can introduce farm events as feedback to the system. In this situation, IDSS simulates new scenarios according to the existing situation in the farm and represents the new optimal irrigation schedule for the next few days. Results and Discussion To adapt the IDSS for irrigation planning the physicochemical characteristics of soil and water, water right, soil texture, crop characteristics, and etc. were considered. It is possible to update soil and water resource details during the growing season in the system. The information on irrigation systems can be loaded separately in the IDSS. According to the uploaded details, the optimal irrigation schedule was designed. IDSS takes advantage of seven-day agricultural meteorological forecasts, which leads to the maximum use of rainfall in the region and a proper matching between the provided irrigation schedule and the forecast of meteorological information in the coming days. To adapt the IDSS for irrigation planning the physicochemical characteristics of soil and water, water right, soil texture, etc. were considered. The virtual agricultural meteorological station launched by IDSS estimated the minimum temperature, maximum temperature, and sunshine hours with a good degree and relative humidity with a very good degree compared to the regional synoptic station data. Based on statistical indicators, the performance of IDSS for simulating volumetric soil moisture is evaluated as good to very good. Also, IDSS is adapted to the social conditions, the agricultural structure of the study area, and the knowledge level of farmers.Conclusion IDSS has up-to-date simulations and is suitable for providing an optimal irrigation schedule within the study area. Determining the effectiveness of IDSS in water consumption showed that the irrigation schedule provided by IDSS reduced the water consumption in the area. In farms that are under the basin irrigation system, the use of irrigation planning provided by IDSS has resulted in an average increase of 13.5% in water consumption and 8.6% in crop yield. The reason for the increase in water requirements in the basin irrigation systems is the high advance time in the farms under monitoring, and to meet the water requirments at the end of the irrigation farms, IDSS has inevitably increased the water consumption. The use of irrigation planning provided by IDSS has been able to reduce water consumption by 41% and 14% and increase the crop yield by 10.3% and 8.6% respectively in farms under drip and sprinkler irrigation systems. Therefore, the potential application of IDSS as an irrigation consultation and the degree to which this system has improved the irrigation management of agricultural farms can be used in most areas of the Lake Urmia basin. Next, it is suggested that IDSS be evaluated for other areas and crop yields, emphasizing the application of IDSS in humid and semi-humid climates.

Abstract Background Natural and synthetic plant growth regulators are essential for plant health, likewise these regulators also play a role in increasing organic production productivity and improving quality and yield stability. In the present study, we have evaluated the effects of foliar applied plant growth regulators, i.e., moringa leaf extract (MLE) and mepiquat chloride (MC) alone and in combination MC and MLE on the conventional cotton cultivar (CIM 573) and transgenic one (CIM 598). The growth regulators were applied at the start of bloom, 45 and 90 days after blooming. Results The application of MC and MLE at 90 days after blooming significantly improved the relative growth rate, net assimilation rate, the number of bolls per plant, and seed cotton yield. Likewise, the combined application of MLE and MC at 90 days after blooming significantly boosted the nitrogen uptake in locules, as well as the phosphorus and potassium uptake in the leaves of both cotton cultivars. The application of MLE alone has considerably improved the nitrogen uptake in leaves, and phosphorus and potassium contents in locules of Bt and conventional cotton cultivars. Similarly, Bt cotton treated with MLE at 90 days after blooming produced significantly higher ginning out turn and oil contents. Treatment in combination (MLE + MC) at 90 days after blooming produced considerably higher micronaire value, fiber strength, and staple length in conventional cultivar. Conclusion The natural growth enhancer, MLE is a rich source of minerals and zeatin, improving the nutrient absorption and quality of cotton fiber in both conventional and Bt cotton cultivars.

Background: The efficacy of echinacea products to treat upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) has been shown in some studies, however, there are few studies considering the efficacy of echinacea to prevent URTI. Therefore this study aimed to assess the effect of echinacea in the prevention of URTI in these children. Materiala and Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 60 children with ALL in Shahid Sadoughi hospital from September 2020 to September 2021. These Children were divided into two groups (n=30). The case group received immunogen syrup, containing echinacea purpura root extract (200 mg/ml). This syrup was prescribed in the intervention group as 2 ml for children in the age range of 2-8 years and 0.5 ml for children in the age range of 1-2 years old for 3 months. The control group did not receive echinacea syrup. These patients were followed for 3 months regarding URTI. Results: The frequency of URTI in the case and control groups was 40% and 66.7%, respectively, and a significant difference was noted between the two groups in terms of the frequency of URTI (P<0.05). Moreover, 23.3% of patients who received echinacea developed a second URTI, while 53.3% of patients who did not receive echinacea developed a second URTI (P<0.05). The mean time for the second URTI in the case and the control groups was 42.3±13.93, and 48.3±13.96 days, respectively (P=0.086). Regarding reducing the duration of URTS symptoms, there was no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: According to the results, echinacea can be effective in decreasing the occurrence of URTI in these children. Therefore, regarding the efficacy of echinacea in decreasing URTI, it is recommended to use echinacea in the prevention of URTI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]