Search

Background and Objective: Cardiovascular diseases are the most significant factors leading to death. This study was done to determine the effect of eight weeks aerobic training on level serum lipid and lipoprotein in non athletic women. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was carried out on 30 non athletic women. Subjects were devided into control and experimental groups through gained Vo2max. HDL-c, total cholesterol (TC), LDL-c, VLDL-c, RF (TC/HCL) and subdermal fat percent were evaluted perior and after training for eight weeks as follow: three session in each weeks with one hour aerobic training in each session. Data analyzed using SPSS-14 and independent and dependent T student tests. Results: The significant reduction of RF, TC and percent of subdermal fat were observed in experimental group after training in comparison with prieor phase (P

"nBackground and Aim: A single nucleotide polymorphism at codon 72 of the p53 gene alters the p53 protein structure and affects its activity. This polymorphism depends on geographic regions and race. Also its association with some cancers has been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate this polymorphism in well differentiated oral SCC and normal population in the city of Isfahan. "nMaterials and Methods: In this case-control study, 20 paraffin blocks of non metastatic and well differentiated oral SCC were selected from the archive of oral pathology department of dental school between 2001 and 2005. 20 whole blood samples from normal people were considered as control group. After DNA extraction, p53 codon 72 polymorphism was determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique using specific primers of Arg and Pro and agarose gel electrophoresis. Data were analyzed by Fisher's exact test with p

In this research, the effects of friction stir processing (FSP) and nano TiO2 particles on the microstructure, mechanical and tribologic properties of A356 Al alloy were investigated. The starting dendritic structure transformed into the Al matrix with a uniform distribution of Si-rich particles due to FSP. The results showed that FSP improves the nano-hardness and elastic modulus by 11% and 6%, respectively. The combined effects of FSP and nano TiO2 could raise the hardness and elastic modulus of the composite by 87% and 16% with respect to those of the base metal. The law of mixture rule was modified to relate the hardness and elastic modulus of the composite to those of the constituents. The results of wear tests showed that the mechanism of wear changes from adhesive in the base metal to abrasive in the fabricated composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study Al5083-Al2O3-TiO2 hybrid surface nanocomposite was successfully prepared by friction stir processing (FSP). The effects of different combination of rotational and travel speed of tool were investigated. The samples were characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), microhardness and undergone tensile and wear tests. Based on the maximum tensile strength and hardness value, optimum rotational speed of 710 rpm and travel speed of 20 mm/min was achieved. The microhardness and tensile strength of the as-received alloy and specimens having optimum surface nanocomposite were about 80 Hv, 285 MPa, 140 Hv and 375 MPa, respectively. Surface nanocomposites showed significantly lower friction coefficients and wear rates than those obtained for substrate. Based on scanning electron microscopy tests, abrasive wear as dominant wear mechanism was detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The equine South African pointy vector mosquito, Aedes caballus, poses a significant threat to human health due to its capacity for transmitting arboviruses. Despite favorable climate for its existence in southeast Iran, previous records of this species in the area have indicated very low abundance. This comprehensive field and laboratory study aimed to assess its current adult population status in this region, utilizing a combination of ecological, morphological and molecular techniques. Four distinct types of traps were strategically placed in three fixed and two variable mosquito sampling sites in the southern strip of Sistan and Baluchistan Province. Subsequently, DNA was extracted from trapped mosquitoes and subjected to PCR amplification using the molecular markers COI, ITS2, and ANT. In total, 1734 adult Ae. caballus specimens were collected from rural areas, with the majority being captured by CO2-baited bednet traps. A notable increase in the abundance of this species was observed following rainfall in February. The genetic analysis revealed multiple haplotypes based on COI and ITS2 sequences, with COI gene divergence at 0.89%, and ITS2 sequence divergence at 1.6%. This suggests that previous challenges in morphological identification may have led to misidentifications, with many adults previously classified as Ae. vexans potentially being Ae. caballus. The findings of this study hold significant implications for public health authorities, providing valuable insights for integrated and targeted vector control and disease management efforts., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Nejati et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Anopheles stephensi is the main vector of malaria in Iran. This study aimed to determine the susceptibility of An. stephensi from the south of Iran to bendiocarb and to investigate biochemical and molecular resistance mechanisms in this species., Methods: Wild An. stephensi were collected from Hormozgan Province and reared to the adult stage. The susceptibility test was conducted according to the WHO protocols using bendiocarb impregnated papers supplied by WHO. Also, field An. Stephensi specimens were collected from south of Kerman and Sistan and Baluchistan Provinces. To determine the G119S mutation in the acetylcholinesterase (Ace1) gene, PCR-RFLP using AluI restriction enzyme and PCR direct-sequencing were performed for the three field populations and compared with the available GenBank data. Also, biochemical assays were performed to measure alpha and beta esterases, insensitive acetylcholinesterase, and oxidases in the strains., Results: The bioassay tests showed that the An. stephensi field strain was resistant to bendiocarb (mortality rate 89%). Ace1 gene analysis revealed no G119S in the three field populations. Blast search of sequences revealed 98-99% identity with the Ace1 gene from Pakistan and India respectively. Also, the results of biochemical tests revealed the high activity of non-sensitive acetylcholinesterase, alpha and beta-esterase in the resistant strain compared to the susceptible strain. No G119S was detected in this study additionally the enhanced enzyme activity of esterases and acetylcholinesterase suggesting that resistance was metabolic., Conclusion: The use of alternative malaria control methods and the implementation of resistance management strategies are suggested in the study area., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

Background: Drosophila melanogaster flies are smooth, low upkeep and safe model organisms, they can be effortlessly used in different fields of life sciences like genomics, biotechnology, genetics, disease model, and Wolbachia -based approaches to fight vectors and the pathogens they transmit., Methods: Fruit fly specimens were collected in 25 districts (14 provinces) of Iran and their morphological recognition was proven by molecular analysis based on sequence homology of mitochondrial COI barcode region. Essential information and specific requirements w ere provided for laboratory rearing of D. melanogaster ., Results: Drosophila melanogaster colonies were found in 23 out of 25 districts. Also, five related species coincident with D. melanogaster were reported in this study including D. ananassae/D. parapallidosa , D. hydei, D. repleta , Zaprionus indianus (Diptera: Drosophilidae), and Megaselia scalaris (Diptera: Phoridae). The Iranian D. melanogaster molecular signature and their rearing techniques have been described here. The complete life cycle, from (egg to adult), takes approximately 8 days at 25 °C. Some biological points have been presented with highlighting capturing, rearing, culturing, and embryo collection along with primitive recognition and segregation between females and males have been presented. A recipe for culture media and the quantity of various ingredients have been provided., Conclusion: This is the first report on the D. repleta and D. ananassae/D. parapallidosa species for the country. Results of this study provide efficient and effective rearing procedures which are requirement for both small-scale for facilitating entomological research and large-scale use in justifiable vector control management such as disease model or Dengue control., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

Background: Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis is a major public health problem in Iran with the main vector of Phlebotomus papatasi . The use of entomopathogenic fungi for biological control of the vector is a potential substitute for the current methods which are being used. The purpose of the current study was to assess the virulence of two local isolates of Beauveria bassiana (OZ 2 and TV) against Ph. papatasi ., Methods: To perform the bioassay test, fungal suspensions were applied for every stage of the sand fly life cycle. The mortality rate, longevity, and number of eggs laid were determined. Also, the probability of fungal survival on the surface of rodent's body was assessed., Results: The longevity of infected adult sand flies with both isolates of B. bassiana was significantly lower (P< 0.05) in comparison to the negative control. The estimated Lethal concentration 50 (LC 50 ) values for adult female and male sand flies treated with OZ 2 isolate were 1.4×10 6 and 2.2×10 7 conidia/ml, respectively, while they were 6.8×10 6 and 2.3×10 8 conidia/ml for TV isolate, respectively. Both isolates of B. bassiana exhibited nonsignificant mortality rates in sand fly larvae and pupae and fecundity rate (P> 0.05). According to our findings for both isolates, the fungus continued to spread throughout the surface of the rodent's body for 144 hours after spraying., Conclusion: The current study demonstrated that both isolates of B. bassiana have considerable biological control capacity against adult sand flies., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

Identifying the sex of human hosts of insect disease vectors, using PCR amplification of the amelogenin gene (AMEL) from the ingested blood meal is an increasingly useful technique for epidemiological studies of vector-borne diseases, as well as within the criminal justice system. Detection of DNA from ingested blood is influenced by the choice of DNA extraction method, genomic target region, type and length of PCR, and rate of degradation in the DNA samples over time. Here, we have tested two types of PCR (i.e. conventional and nested), producing differently-sized PCR products, in time-course assays targeting the human AMEL gene in Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes that were fed on human male and female blood. The fed female mosquitoes were allowed to digest at 28 °C for times ranging from 0 to 120 h. Three AMEL primer pairs were used to amplify three sequences that were 977, 539, and 106 bp for the X chromosome and 790, 355, and 112 bp for Y. We found that time since feeding had a significant negative effect on the success of PCR amplification. The shortest fragments (106 and 112 bp) were amplified for the longest time after blood feeding (up to 60 h), whereas the medium and longest loci were not amplified by conventional PCR even at 0 h. However, the nested PCR protocol, targeting the medium sequence, could detect small amounts of human DNA up to 36 h (1.5 days) after the blood meal. The shortest PCR assay standardized herein successfully detected small amounts of human DNA in female mosquitoes up to 60 h after the blood meal. This assay represents a promising tool for identifying the sex of the human host from the blood meal in field-collected female mosquitoes., 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 © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Anopheles stephensi is a major vector of malaria in some parts of the world. A standard method for determining resistance in adult mosquito populations is the bioassay test recommended by the world health organization (WHO). The papers used in this method have an expiry date. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of outdated susceptibility test papers for use in insecticide resistance monitoring programs., Methods: Beech and Bandar Abbas strains of An. stephensi were reared in the insectary. Permethrin 0.75%, Deltamethrin 0.05%, and Bendiocarb 0.1% impregnated test papers prepared by Universiti Sains Malaysia were used. Probit analysis was used to analyze the results and prepare time-mortality regression lines of LT 50 and LT 90 ., Results: There was a difference in the mortality of both tested strains of An. stephensi was exposed to all tested insecticides. Both expired and not expired Permethrin and Deltamethrin papers induced 100% mortality at the diagnostic time (60min), but their insecticidal properties were reduced gradually in serial times. The highest efficacy of test papers was in the first trimester after the expiry date and decreased over time., Conclusion: At the diagnostic time of 60 minutes, the mortality rate of both dated and expired papers was 100% in the pyrethroid insecticides, even three years after expiry dates, if stored in the package provided by the producer, in a refrigerator. This value was reduced to less than 100% in the expired papers of Bendiocarb comparing the dated papers that induced 100% mortality., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement The authors declare there is no conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

MoS 2 -based nanocomposites have been widely processed by a variety of conventional and 3D printing techniques. In this study, selective laser melting (SLM) has for the first time successfully been employed to tune the crystallographic structure of bulk MoS 2 to a 2H/1T phase and to distribute Mo 2 S 3 nanoparticles in-situ in MoS 2 /Mo 2 S 3 nanocomposites used in electrochemical energy conversion/storage systems (EECSS). The remarkable results promote further research on and elucidate the applicability of laser-based powder bed processing of 2D nanomaterials for a wide range of functional structures within, e.g., EECSS, aerospace, and possibly high-temperature solid-state EECSS even in space., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

In the present work, we report the successful fabrication of dandelion-like Nickel-Cobalt Sulfide@Polypyrrole microspheres through the hydrothermal method and its possible application as a binder-free electrode in supercapacitors. This electrode exhibited low charge transfer resistance with a remarkable specific capacitance of 2554.9 F g -1 at 2.54 A g -1 , in addition to considerable cycle life stability. Also, an asymmetric device was prepared using NiCo 2 S 4 @PPy/NF as positive and rGO/NF as negative electrodes. This asymmetric supercapacitor exhibited a specific capacitance of 98.9 F g -1 at 1.84 A g -1 and delivered an energy density of 35.17 Wh kg -1 at a power density of 1472 W kg -1 . Such a remarkable performance can be originated from the synergy effect of NiCo 2 S 4 and PPy and the direct deposition of the composite on the current collector. Our findings suggest the dandelion-like NiCo 2 S 4 @PPy as a promising material for making high-performance supercapacitors., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

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 × 10 9 cells/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 < 0.0001) disrupted P. berghei development in the midgut of An. stephensi, in comparison with the control group. The mean parasite inhibition of E. cloacae WT , E. cloacae HasA , E. cloacae S-HasA and E. cloacae GFP-D was measured as 72, 86, 92.5 and 92.8 respectively., Conclusions: The WT and modified strains of E. cloacae have the potential to abolish oocyst development by providing a physical barrier or through the excretion of intrinsic effector molecules. These findings reinforce the case for the use of either WT or genetically modified strains of E. cloacae bacteria as a powerful tool to combat malaria., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Fauna and larval habitat characteristics studies on mosquitoes are important tools to identify the breeding places of the vectors and management of the control strategies. This study was done to provide data on Culicidae fauna, larval habitat characteristics and identifying potential vectors of West Nile virus in Lorestan Province, west of Iran., Methods: Culicidae mosquitoes were collected at three counties and nine site stations from Lorestan Province, west of Iran in 2017. Adult mosquitoes were collected using human and animal bite collection methods, New Jersey and CDC light traps and pit shelters by aspirator. Larva were collected by dipping method. RT-PCR technique was employed for detection of the West Nile virus among mosquito's samples., Results: 4805 mosquitoes were collected from three counties and nine sites in Lorestan Province during June-October 2017, including 4363 adults and 442 larvae. The most abundant species collected from all counties in both adult and larval stages were Culex pipiens (49.10%), Cx. theileri (31.82%), Anopheles maculipennis (11.09%), An. superpictus (2.66%), An. stephensi (2.12%), Cx. perexiguus (1.89%), An. dthali (1.17%) and An. sacharovi (0.15%) respectively. West Nile virus was detected in none of mosquitoes examined., Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that arbovirus vectors such as Cx. pipiens along with Cx. theileri and Cx. perexiguus are well adapted to a broad range of habitats and different climatic conditions in Lorestan Province. That necessitates further routine surveillance of arboviral infections., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

Meteorological parameters, have been identified as an important factor involved in the transmission of vector-borne diseases. Mosquitoes are extremely sensitive to weather conditions. The aim of this study was investigate the correlation between meteorological parameters and the abundance of mosquitoes in Kashan County. Mosquitoes were collected using four different traps, including hand catch, animal baited bed net trap (usually a cow), human baited bed net trap and BG-Sentinel trap with CO 2 from May to December 2019. A total number of mosquitoes collected were 1756 out of which 1621 (92.31%) were Culex , 22 (1.25%) Culiseta and 113 (6.44%) Anopheles in nine species. Most mosquitoes were collected by BG-Sentinel trap with CO 2 (63.78%). Monthly distribution of the mosquitoes indicated different monthly peaks. Their high density were recorded in September and were low in December. The spearman's correlation of the mosquito abundance and the meteorological parameters shows that correlation of the number of total collected mosquitoes with relative humidity and precipitation (Rainfall) was weak negative, and there was week correlation with wind speed, and positive strong correlation with temperature. Data collected with various trap types and mosquito correlation with meteorological parameters in this study can be used for mosquito surveillance and control programs. However, meteorological parameters affect the abundance of mosquitoes, but their impact is complex and most of these variables are species specific., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2021 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Due to the effect of synthetic and commercial insecticides on non-target organisms and the resistance of mosquitoes, non-chemical and environmentally friendly methods have become prevalent in recent years. The present study was to isolate entomopathogenic fungi with toxic effects on mosquitoes in natural larval habitats., Methods: Larvae of mosquitoes were collected from Central, Qamsar, Niasar, and Barzok Districts in Kashan County, Central Iran by standard dipping method, from April to late December 2019. Dead larvae, live larvae showing signs of infection, and larvae and pupae with a white coating of fungal mycelium on the outer surface of their bodies were isolated from the rest of the larvae and sterilized with 10% sodium hypochlorite for 2 min, then washed twice with distilled water and transferred to potato-dextrose-agar (PDA) and water-agar (WA) media and incubated at 25 ± 2 °C for 3-4 days. Larvae and fungi were identified morphologically based on identification keys., Results: A total of 9789 larvae were collected from urban and rural areas in Kashan County. Thirteen species were identified which were recognized to belong to three genera, including Anopheles (7.89%), Culiseta (17.42%) and Culex (74.69%). A total of 105 larvae, including Anopheles superpictus sensu lato (s.l), Anopheles maculipennis s.l., Culex deserticola, Culex perexiguus, and Culiseta longiareolata were found to be infected by Nattrassia mangiferae, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, Trichoderma spp., and Penicillium spp. Of these, Penicillium spp. was the most abundant fungus isolated and identified from the larval habitats, while An. superpictus s.l. was the most infected mosquito species., Conclusions: Based on the observations and results obtained of the study, isolated fungi had the potential efficacy for pathogenicity on mosquito larvae. It is suggested that their effects on mosquito larvae should be investigated in the laboratory. The most important point, however, is the proper way of exploiting these biocontrol agents to maximize their effect on reducing the population of vector mosquito larvae without any negative effect on non-target organisms., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background: Extensive use of chemical larvicides to control larvae, has led to resistance in vectors. More efforts have been conducted the use of natural products such as plant essential oils and their new formulations against disease vectors. Nanoformulation techniques are expected to reduce volatility and increase larvicidal efficacy of essential oils. In this study for the first time, a larvicide nanoemulsion from the essential oil of Acroptilon repens was developed and evaluated against Anopheles stephensi larvae under laboratory conditions., Methods: Fresh samples of A. repens plant were collected from Urmia, West Azarbaijan Province, Iran. A clevenger type apparatus was used for extracting oil. Components of A. repens essential oil (AEO) were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). All larvicidal bioassay tests were performed according to the method recommended by the World Health Organization under laboratory condition. Particle size and the morphologies of all prepared nanoformulations determined by DLS and TEM analysis., Results: A total of 111 compounds were identified in plant. The LC 50 and LC 90 values of AEO calculated as 7 ppm and 35 ppm respectively. AEO was able to kill 100% of the larvae in 4 days., Conclusion: The nanoemulsion of AEO showed a weak effect on the larvar mortality. It may therefore be suggested that this kind of nanoemulsion is not appropriate for the formulation as a larvicide. It is important to screen native plant natural products, search for new materials and prepare new formulations to develop alternative interventions with a long-lasting impact., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest The authors declare that there is no conflict of Interest., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

Background: Malaria continues to be the main vector-borne disease in Iran. The endemic foci of malaria are in Sistan and Baluchistan Province, the borderline of Iran and Pakistan. By the year 2020 the program of the country is malaria elimination. The main vector control is using insecticide as Indoor Residual Spraying. The aim of the study was to evaluate the susceptibility of main malaria vectors to different insecticides recommended by WHO., Methods: All the insecticides papers supported by WHO and evaluation of insecticide resistance of Anopheles stephensi , Anopheles culicifacies , Anopheles superpictus to different chemical groups of imagicides including DDT 4%, malathion 5%, propoxur 01.%, lambdacyhalothrin 0.05%, deltamethrin 0.025% and permethrin 0.75% were followed by the WHO guideline., Results: Results of the susceptibility test against different insecticides revealed that An. stephensi and An. culicifacies are resistant to DDT and susceptible to other insecticides. An. superpictus is susceptible to all groups of pesticides., Conclusion: Knowledge on insecticide resistance in target species is a basic requirement to guide insecticide use in malaria control programmes in local and global scales., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

Purpose: There is a growing need to use green and efficient larvicidal as alternatives for conventional chemicals in vector control programs. Nanotechnology has provided a promising approach for research and development of new larvicides. Larvicidal potential of a nanoemulsion of Cinnamomum zeylanicum essential oil reports against Anopheles stephensi ., Methods: The nanoemulsion of was formulated in various ratios comprising of C. zeylanicum oil, tween 80, span 20 and water by stirrer. It was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). All components of C. zeylanicum essential oil were identified by GC-MS analysis. The larvicidal potential of the oil and its nanoformulation were evaluated against larvae of An. stephensi . The stability and durability of nanoemulsion was observed over a period of time., Results: Sixty one components in the oil were identified, cinnamaldehyde (56.803%) was the main component. The LC 90 and LC 50 values of C. zeylanicum essential oil were calculated as 49 ppm and 37 ppm, respectively. The nanoemulsion droplets were found spherical in shape. It was able to kill 100% of larvae in up to 3 days. It was stable after dilution and increased its larvicidal activity up to 32% compared with the essential oil., Conclusions: A novel larvicide based on nanotechnology introduced. This experiment clearly showed increasing larvicidal activity and residual effect of the nanoformulation in comparison with the bulk essential oil. It could be concluded that this nanoemulsion may be considered as safe larvicide and should be subject of more research in this field., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare no conflict of interest., (© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021.)

Background: Mosquitoes are responsible for spreading devastating parasites and pathogens causing some important infectious diseases. The present study was done to better understand and update the fauna of Culicidae and to find out the distribution and the type of their larval habitats in Kashan County., Methods: This study was done in four districts of Kashan County (Central, Qamasr, Niasar and Barzok). Mosquito larvae were collected from 23 active larval habitats using a standard 350ml capacity mosquito dipper from April to late December 2019. The collected larvae were transferred to containers containing lactophenol, and after two weeks individually mounted in Berlese's fluid on a microscope slide and identified to species by morphological characters and valid keys., Results: In this study, a total of 9789 larvae were collected from urban and rural areas in Kashan County. The identified genera were Anopheles , Culiseta and Culex. In this study larvae of An. turkhudi , Cx. perexiguus , Cx. mimeticus , Cx. deserticola and Cs. subochrea were collected for the first time from Kashan County., Conclusion: The results of this study indicate the presence and activity of different mosquito species in Kashan County that some of them are vectors of arbovirus and other vector-borne diseases., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

In this work, a simple label-free electrochemical immunosensor for the detection of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was developed. At first, the GC electrode was coated with partially reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to form a platform to bind the antibody. After activating the carboxyl groups of rGO through the EDC/NHS linker, the electrode surface was covered with the antibody. Then, the electrochemical behavior of the antibody-modified electrode and the parameters of the interactions of antibody-antigen immune complexes were investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). This immune-complex layer was found to attenuate the electrochemical current which can be used as a good signal to determine the antigen concentration. The proposed immunosensor exhibited a good amperometric response to CEA within a concentration range of 0.1-5 ng mL -1 with a detection limit of 0.05 ng ml -1 . Furthermore, the developed method was evaluated for the detection of CEA in the real sample (human blood serum), and the results were comparable with the reference values obtained by the standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Our findings suggest the present immunosensor as a good candidate for application in clinical screening., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Southeastern Iran has been established as an area with the potential to harbor Asian tiger mosquito populations . In 2013, a few numbers of Aedes albopictus were detected in three sampling sites of this region. This field study was aimed to evaluate the efficacy of various traps on monitoring mosquitoes and status of this dengue vector, in five urban and 15 suburban/rural areas., Methods: For this purpose, four adult mosquito traps (BG-sentinel 2, bednet, Malaise, and resting box trap) were used and their efficacy compared. In addition, large numbers of CDC ovitraps were employed, within 12 months., Results: A total of 4878 adult samples including 22 species covering five genera were collected and identified from traps. It was not revealed any collection of Ae. albopictus . Statistical analysis showed no significant difference in meteorological variables between the two periods, the previous report and the current study. There were significant differences in the total number of mosquitoes collected by various traps in the region across different months., Conclusion: The resulting data collected here on the efficiency of the various trap types can be useful for monitoring the densities of mosquito populations, which is an important component of a vector surveillance system. While the presence of Ae. albopictus was determined in this potential risk area, there is no evidence for its establishment and further monitoring needs to be carried out., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

Background: Malaria has long been regarded as one of the most important public health issues in Iran. Although the country is now in the elimination phase, some endemic foci of malaria are still present in the southeastern areas of the country. In some endemic foci, there are no data on the malaria vectors. To fill this gap, the present study was designed to provide basic entomological data on malaria vectors in the southeastern areas of Iran., Methods: Adult and larval stages of Anopheles mosquitoes were collected by using different catch methods. Resistance of the main malaria vector in the study area to selected insecticides was evaluated using diagnostic doses advised by the World Health Organization in 2013-2014., Results: A total of 3288 larvae and 1055 adult Anopheles mosquitoes were collected, and identified as: Anopheles stephensi (32.1%), Anopheles culicifacies s.l. (23.4%), Anopheles dthali (23.2%), Anopheles superpictus s.l. (12.7%), and Anopheles fluviatilis s.l. (8.6%). Anopheles stephensi was the most predominant mosquito species collected indoors at the study area, with two peaks of activity in May and November. This species was found to be resistant to DDT 4%, tolerant to malathion 5% and susceptible to other tested insecticides., Conclusion: All the five malaria vectors endemic to the south of Iran were collected and identified in the study area. Our findings on the ecology and resting/feeding habitats of these malaria vectors provide information useful for planning vector control program in this malarious area., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)