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Abstract The qualitative and quantitative assessment of groundwater is one of the important aspects for determining the suitability of potable water. Therefore, the present study has been performed to evaluate the groundwater quality for Achhnera block in the city of Taj, Agra, India, where groundwater is an important water resource. The groundwater samples, 50 in number were collected and analyzed for major ions along with some important trace element. This study has further investigated for the applicability of groundwater quality index (GWQI), and the principal component analysis (PCA) to mark out the major geochemical solutes responsible for origin and release of geochemical solutes into the groundwater. The results confirm that, majority of the collected groundwater samples were alkaline in nature. The variation of concentration of anions in collected groundwater samples were varied in the sequence as, HCO3− > Cl− > SO42− > F− while in contrast the sequence of cations in the groundwater as Na > Ca > Mg > K. The Piper diagram demonstrated the major hydro chemical facies which were found in groundwater (sodium bicarbonate or calcium chloride type). The plot of Schoellar diagram reconfirmed that the major cations were Na+ and Ca2+ ions, while in contrast; major anions were bicarbonates and chloride. The results showed water quality index mostly ranged between 105 and 185, hence, the study area fell in the category of unsuitable for drinking purpose category. The PCA showed pH, Na+, Ca2+, HCO3− and fluoride with strong loading, which pointed out geogenic source of fluoride contamination. Therefore, it was inferred that the groundwater of the contaminated areas must be treated and made potable before consumption. The outcomes of the present study will be helpful for the regulatory boards and policymaker for defining the actual impact and remediation goal.

Abstract Recycling is known as a solution for cigarette filter management, but this may cause the release of trapped pollutants in it. Cigarette smoke toxins and chemicals that trapped in the cigarette filter can accumulate in the recycling leachate. In this study, littered cigarette filters and freshly smoked cigarette filters were recycled and the resulting leachate was analyzed. The results showed that the minimum and maximum Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) of the studied leachates were 2100 mg/L and 11,300 mg/L, respectively. The maximum temporal variation in the studied leachate quality was 74.28%, but the maximum spatial variation was 314.2%. COD in the freshly smoked sample was 2600–9200 mg/L more than the littered samples. The average concentration of chromium, lead, nickel, and cadmium in littered samples was 0.023, 0.024, 0.045, and 0.019 mg/L, respectively. Environmental conditions such as humidity, the efficiency of the urban cleaning system in reducing the resistance of littered filters, the difference in the quality of the filter and tobacco, and the difference in smoking behaviors were effective in this variation. Reducing the toxicity of cigarette smoke and improving the efficiency of the urban cleaning system can lead to the same quality, but leachate treatment is necessary to reduce the environmental risk.

Cardiovascular (CVD) + Respiratory diseases are recognized as the main cause of death worldwide. Fluctuations in temperature and air pollution have been reported as one of the most important causes of cardiovascular & respiratory diseases. Therefore, in the current study, we assessed the relationship between ambient air temperature and pollution on the number of total emergency hospital admission due to cardiovascular and respiratory conditions in the City of Bojnord, northeastern Iran. The meteorological data, including daily temperature, relative humidity and concentrations of five air pollutants CO, NO2, NOX SO2, and PM10 were obtained from online electronic sensors at the Bojnurd meteorological station from 21th March 2018 to 20th March 2020. Statistical analysis, penalized distributed lag non-linear method was applied using R Software. Also, sensitivity analysis test was calculated by using appropriate application.The results of the study revealed that the effect of higher and lower temperatures was observed immediately from the first day and the second week, respectively. Also result showed with increase and decrease temperature, significantly increased the risk of hospitalization by 36% (RR, 1.36; 95% CI (1), 0.95 to 1.95) and 17% (RR, 1.17; 95% CI (1), 0.88 to 1.55) until the lag 25th day, respectively. Based on the results, increasing temperature significantly increased the hospitalization rate of cardiopulmonary patients, but the effect of cold was not significant on the population as well as age and gender subgroups. Study have also proved that there is no significance correlation between air pollutant and Cardiovascular & respiratory diseases.

Abstract This study quantifies the groundwater fluoride contamination and assesses associated health risks in fluoride-prone areas of the city of Taj Mahal, Agra, India. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) risk model and Monte Carlo Simulations were employed for the assessment. Result revealed that, among various rural and urban areas Pachgain Kheda exhibited the highest average fluoride concentration (5.20 mg/L), while Bagda showed the lowest (0.33 mg/L). Similarly, K.K. Nagar recorded 4.38 mg/L, and Dayalbagh had 1.35 mg/L. Both urban and rural areas exceeded the WHO-recommended limit of 1.5 mg/L, signifying significant public health implications. Health risk assessment indicated a notably elevated probability of non-carcinogenic risk from oral groundwater fluoride exposure in the rural Baroli Ahir block. Risk simulations highlighted that children faced the highest health risks, followed by teenagers and adults. Further, Monte Carlo simulation addressed uncertainties, emphasizing escalated risks for for children and teenagers. The Hazard Quotient (HQ) values for the 5th and 95th percentile in rural areas ranged from was 0.28–5.58 for children, 0.15–2.58 for teenager, and 0.05–0.58 for adults. In urban areas, from the range was 0.53 to 5.26 for children, 0.27 to 2.41 for teenagers, and 0.1 to 0.53 for adults. Physiological and exposure variations rendered children and teenagers more susceptible. According to the mathematical model, calculations for the non-cancerous risk of drinking water (HQ-ing), the most significant parameters in all the targeted groups of rural areas were concentration (CW) and Ingestion rate (IR). These findings hold relevance for policymakers and regulatory boards in understanding the actual impact and setting pre-remediation goals.

Abstract MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) with a short length of 19–22 nucleotides. miRNAs are posttranscriptional regulators of gene expression involved in various biological processes like cell growth, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. miR-184 is a well-studied miRNA, for which most studies report its downregulation in cancer cells and tissues and experiments support its role as a tumor suppressor inhibiting malignant biological behaviors of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. To exert its functions, miR-184 affects some signaling pathways involved in tumorigenesis like Wnt and β-catenin, and AKT/mTORC1 pathway, oncogenic factors (e.g., c-Myc) or apoptotic proteins, such as Bcl-2. Interestingly, clinical investigations have shown miR-184 with good performance as a prognostic/diagnostic biomarker for various cancers. Additionally, exogenous miR-184 in cell and xenograft animal studies suggest it as a therapeutic anticancer target. In this review, we outline the studies that evaluated the roles of miR-184 in tumorigenesis as well as its clinical significance.

Abstract In this study, the role of sac section area and parent vessel diameter on the hemodynamic feature of the blood flow in selected internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysms is comprehensively investigated. The changes of wall shear stress, pressure, and oscillatory shear index (OSI) of blood stream on the vessel for various aneurysms with coiling treatment. To attain hemodynamic factors, computational technique is used for the modeling of non-Newtonian transient blood flow inside the three different ICA aneurysms. Three different saccular models with various Parent vessel mean Diameter is investigated in this study. The achieved outcomes show that increasing the diameter of the parent vessel directly decreases the OSI value on the sac surface. In addition, the mean wall shear stress decreases with the increase of the parent vessel diameter.

Abstract The importance of the parent vessel geometrical feature on the risk of cerebral aneurysm rupture is unavoidable. This study presents inclusive details on the hemodynamics of Internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysms with different parent vessel mean diameters. Different aspects of blood hemodynamics are compared to find a reasonable connection between parent vessel mean diameter and significant hemodynamic factors of wall shear stress (WSS), oscillatory shear index (OSI), and pressure distribution. To access hemodynamic data, computational fluid dynamics is used to model the blood stream inside the cerebral aneurysms. A hemodynamic comparison of the selected cerebral aneurysm shows that the minimum WSS is reduced by about 71% as the parent vessel’s mean diameter is increased from 3.18 to 4.48 mm.

Abstract In this research, the photocatalytic degradation of CIP from aqueous solutions using CQD decorated on N-Cu co-doped titania (NCuTCQD) was made during two synthesis steps by sol–gel and hydrothermal methods. The fabricated catalysts were analyzed using various techniques, including XRD, FT-IR, BET, FESEM, EDX, and DRS. The results showed that N and Cu atoms were doped on TiO2 and CQD was well deposited on NCuT. The investigation of effective operational parameters demonstrated that the complete removal of ciprofloxacin (CIP: 20 mg/L) could be achieved at pH 7.0, NCuTCQD4wt%: 0.8 g/L, and light intensity: 100 mW/cm2 over 60 min reaction time. The O2 •– and OH˙ radicals were identified as the primary reactive species during the decontamination process. The synthesized photocatalyst could be recycled after six consecutive cycles of CIP decomposition with an insignificant decrease in performance. Pharmaceutical wastewater was treated through the optimum degradation conditions which showed the photocatalytic degradation eliminated 89% of COD and 75% of TOC within 180 min. In the effluent toxicity evaluation, the EC50 values for treated and untreated pharmaceutical wastewater increased from 62.50% to 140%, indicating that the NCuTCQD4wt%/Vis system can effectively reduce the toxic effects of pharmaceutical wastewater on aquatic environments.

Abstract Metronidazole (MNZ) is an extensively used antibiotic against bacterial infections for humans and farm animals. Prevention of antibiotics discharge is essential to prevent adverse environmental and health impacts. A member of metal–organic frameworks, zeolite imidazole framework-67 with cobalt sulfate precursor (ZIF-67-SO4) and exceptional physio-chemical properties was prepared via room temperature precipitation to adsorb MNZ. The study framework was designed by Box–Behnken Design to evaluate the effect of pH, ZIF-67-SO4 dose, and contact time on adsorption efficiency. The polynomial model fitted the adsorption system indicated the optimal condition for 97% MNZ removal occurs at pH = 7, adsorbent dosage = 1 g/L, and mixing time = 60 min. The model also revealed that the removal increased with contact time and decreased at strong pH. Equilibrium and kinetic study also indicated the adsorption of MNZ followed the intra-particle diffusion model and the Langmuir isotherm model with a qmax = 63.03 mg/g. The insignificant loss in removal efficacy in use-reuse adsorption cycles reflected the practical viability of ZIF-67-SO4.

Abstract Photocatalytic degradation under ultra-low powered light is a viable advanced oxidation process technique against extensive emerging contaminants. As a new and remarkable class of nanoporous materials, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), attract interest for the supreme adsorptive and photocatalytic functionalities. An outstanding MOF, MIL-101(Fe) chosen as a photocatalyst template for the synthesis of α-Fe2O3 by a simple thermal modification to improve the structural properties toward methylene blue (MB) eradication. Octahedron-like α-Fe2O3 photocatalyst (Modified MIL-101(Fe), M-MIL-101(Fe)) was superior in dispersion and separation properties in aqueous medium. Moreover, the adsorptive and catalytic performance was increased for modified form by ~ 7.3% and ~ 17.1% compared to pristine MIL-101(Fe), respectively. Synergistic improvement of MB removal achieved by simultaneous adsorption/degradation under 5-W LED irradiation. Parametric study indicated an 18.1% and 44.5% improvement in MB removal was observed by increasing pH from 4 to 10, and M-MIL-101(Fe) dose from 0.2 to 1 g L−1, respectively. MB removal followed the pseudo-second-order kinetics model and the process efficiency dropped by 38% as MB concentration increased from 5 to 20 mg L−1. Radical trapping tests revealed the significant role of $${\mathrm{OH}}^{.}$$ OH . and electron radicals as the major participants in dye degradation. A significant loss in the efficiency of M-MIL-101(Fe) was observed in the reusability tests that is good to study further. In conclusion, a simple thermal post-synthesis modification on MIL-101(Fe) improved its structural, catalytic, and adsorptive properties against MB.

The phonetic forms of morphemes may undergo changes depending on the phonetic context they are situated in. These changes are more prominent in verbal structures. The present article investigates two processes of vowel elision and assimilation in Kalhori Kurdish subjunctive/imperative prefix. To this end, after collecting relevant data through interviewing 10 Kalhori Kurdish speakers living in Eslamabad-e Gharb, the alternating forms of this prefix were extracted, and the underlying form was obtained. The phonological changes were analyzed in Optimality Theory, with the phonological form as the input. The results from the collected data show that of the subjunctive/imperative morpheme /bə-/, three phonetic forms of [bə-], [b-], and [bu-] are obtained, with the last two formed by elision and assimilation processes, respectively; and for them to be formed, markedness constraints have to dominate faithfulness constraints. It was also revealed through the analyses that for explaining assimilation in Optimality Theory, the whole place of articulation must be targeted rather than the individual phonological features.

Chlorination is a versatile technique to combat water-borne pathogens. Over the last years, there has been continued research interest to abate the formation of chlorinated disinfection by-products (DBPs). To prevent hazardous DBPs in drinking water, it is decided to diminish organic precursors, among which humic acids (HA) resulting from the decomposition and transformation of biomass. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) such as zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) have recently received tremendous attention in water purification. Herein, customized ZIF-67 MOFs possessing various physicochemical properties were prepared by changing the cobalt source. The HA removal by ZIF-67-Cl, ZIF-67-OAc, ZIF-67-NO3, and ZIF-67-SO4 were 85.6%, 68.9%, 86.1%, and 87.4%, respectively, evidently affected by the specific surface area. HA uptake by ZIF-67-SO4 indicated a removal efficiency beyond 90% in 4 90% after 60 min mixing the solution with 0.3 g L−1 ZIF-67-SO4. Notably, an acceptable removal performance (∼72.3%) was obtained even at HA concentrations up to 100 mg L−1. The equilibrium data fitted well with the isotherm models in the order of Langmuir> Hill > BET> Khan > Redlich-Peterson> Jovanovic> Freundlich > and Temkin. The maximum adsorption capacity qm for HA uptake by ZIF-67-SO4 was 175.89 mg g−1, well above the majority of adsorbents. The pseudo-first-order model described the rate of HA adsorption by time. In conclusion, ZIF-67-SO4 presented promising adsorptive properties against HA. Further studies would be needed to minimize cobalt leaching from the ZIF-67-SO4 structure and improve its reusability safely, to ensure its effectiveness and the economy of adsorption system.

Today, wound healing is an important clinical problem that is often affected by microbial infection and not paying attention to this problem can cause irreparable damage to people. Biosynthesis of metal nanoparticles (NPs) has created a huge revolution in the field of nanomedicine due to their non-toxic, biocompatible, and stable characteristics. For this purpose, in this study, Petroselinum crispum seed extract (PCS) was applied to preparation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs@PCS). The optimization of the silver nanoparticle synthesis involved adjusting the concentration of the silver salt, as well as the time and temperature parameters. After identifying the fabricated nanoparticles by FESEM, XRD, FT-IR, UV–Vis, TEM and EDS, their biological activity (like antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, anticancer, and wound treatment) was determined. The green synthesis of AgNPs was confirmed by several characteristics, including the surface plasmon response with a peak around 420 nm, the presence of both regular and heterogeneous sizes in the sample, and the observed color change from a clear solution to a brown color. The antimicrobial properties of the biofabricated AgNPs were investigated against fungal and various bacteria. The anticancer property of AgNPs@PCS was demonstrated by an IC50 value of 200 µg/ml after a 24-hour exposure on the MCF-7 cell line. Also, a dose-dependent antioxidant performance of AgNPs was found against the DPPH free radical. Histopathological evaluations of AgNPs@PCS ointment illustrated significant decrease in inflammatory cells. The results showed that vaseline ointment containing AgNPs@PCS prevented inflammation in the wound area and increased the number of fibroblast cells, which led to accelerated wound healing. Furthermore, in-vivo investigation showed the higher percentage of wound closure on days 7 and 14 was than the control group (Vaseline). Interestingly, the wound was completely closed after 21 days. Thus, we concluded that Petroselinum crispum-mediated silver nanoparticles show potential biological activity which can be used as nano-drug in clinical treatment.

When the negative prefix of na- is added to Kalhori Kurdish verbal constructions with initial glides, the vowel of the prefix is left intact in certain contexts, and yet in others, undergoes partial or full assimilation of Place features with its following glide. The present study investigates the status of the vowel of this prefix through a serial approach to Optimality Theory. The data of the article was collected through interviews with Kalhori Kurdish speakers as well as the previous research in Kalhori and Sorani dialects. After collecting data and analysing them through Harmonic Serialism, it was revealed that the vowel is left unchanged in open syllables, but it assimilates with the following glide in the features of place of articulation when the vowel and the glide form a closed syllable. This assimilation, however, is partial and only allowed if the vowel and the following glide are not both high

Abstract Background Oils in traditional medicine are important products and used routinely for therapeutic purposes. Rose oil (Rosa damascene Mill), a product of Persian medicine, is advised for the treatment of Infectious diseases related to the female genitourinary tract. In the present study, R. damascena petal oil, aqueous, and hydroalcoholic extracts were evaluated for their in vitro antibacterial and anti-Trichomonas vaginalis effects. Methods Anti-trichomonas activity evaluation of extracts and oil were assayed by the Homocytometery method. Their antibacterial effects against Escherichia coli, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and clinically isolated Group B Streptococcus were assayed by broth microdilution in 96-well plates. Results The MIC of hydroalcoholic and aqueous extracts ranged from 25-50 and 25-100 mg/ml, respectively. Rose oil at all administered doses failed to show any antibacterial activity. Conclusion All extracts and oil concentrations showed some degree of growth inhibition activity on T. vaginalis; however, hydroalcoholic extract was more efficient.

Persian and Kalhori Kurdish, display some differences in the phonetic forms of names containing glottal consonants. This article attempts to analyze the deletion of glottal consonants of post-vocalic /h/ and /ʔ/. The data was collected through interviews with 10 native speakers of Kalhori Kurdish, and the names with different pronunciations from those of Persian were identified. One of the big differences between Persian and Kurdish in this regard lies in the sequence of a vowel and a glottal consonant. Kalhori Kurdish drops the glottal consonant and modifies vowels in order to save the syllable weight. After the elision of the glottal consonant, the vowel preceding it meets either another vowel or a consonant. This article investigates the cases in which the vowel meets a consonant. When the vowel meets a consonant, three processes of replacement of the short vowel with a long one, lengthening the short vowel, and vowel harmony may occur. This article attempts to explain these changes in Optimality Theory. The analysis of the data shows the dominance of the markedness constraint of *V/GLOT over the faithful constraint IDENT(V). These changes are allowed to take place as long as the vowel system of Kalhori Kurdish permits it.

Languages change is an inevitable phenomenon which may come with phonological implications. In Optimality Theory, first put forth by Prince and Smolensky (1991), language is seen as an inventory of universal violable constraints, the permutation of which might vary from one language to another. The present study aims to put forward a typological comparison among four Iranian languages of Farsi, Sorani Kurdish, Hawrami, and Kalhori Kurdish in terms of the change they have undergone in initial consonant cluster /xw/ at the beginning of certain words, assuming /xw/ as the proto-form and input. The version of Optimality Theory incorporated in this article is that of the Parallel one (McCarthy, 2008) in which the Generator can enforce unlimited number of modifications to the input. The candidates produced by the Generator, then, go through the filter of the Evaluator, consisting of language-specific permutation of markedness and faithfulness constraints. In order to collect the data, the authors have used librarian sources as well as carrying out field study, interviewing 10 native speakers of each of the aforementioned languages. Since the study is not sociolinguistic in nature, there was no restriction on the age of the consultants. The forms elicited from these native speakers were persistent. The collected data were, then, transcribed and relevant information was extracted through a preliminary observation. It was revealed that with regard to syllables beginning with the consonant cluster /xw/, followed by a vowel, only the following combinations are valid in each of the languages. The assumed input for the three given forms below in each row are /xwa/, /xwɑ/, and /xwi/ respectively. Farsi: [xo], [xɑ], [xi] Sorani Kurdish: [xwi], [xwɑ], [xwi] Hawrami: [wa], [wɑ], [wi] Kalhori Kurdish: [xwa], [xwɑ], [xy] The above forms show the reactions each of the four language under study has regarding how much /xw/ plus a following vowel is tolerated, with Farsi and Hawrami showing no tendency to maintain the cluster, in complete contrast to Sorani Kurdish, in which /xw/ is left intact. One can roughly see the same thing in Kalhori Kurdish, with only one difference of /xwi/ changed into [xy]. The non-back high round vowel of [y] clearly has inherited features from both /w/ and /i/. In this study, the analysis of the diachronic change of /xw/ consonant cluster was conducted considering four constraints of *COMPLEX SYLLABLE, a markedness constraint against any syllable bigger than CVC; MAX(initial), which disfavors any candidate with the initial consonant deleted; MAX[round], a faithful constraint demanding that candidates should retain their round feature; and UNIFORMITY, which demands that candidates avoid coalesce. Through the analysis of the collected data from an Optimality-theoretic point of view, the permutation of these constraints was determined in each of the languages under study as follows: Farsi: Maxinitial, *CS >> Maxrnd>> Uniformity Sorani Kurdish: Maxinitial­, Maxrnd, Uniformity>> *CS Hawrami: Maxrnd, *CS, Uniformity>> Maxinitial Kalhori Kurdish: Maxrnd, Maxinitial>> *CS >> Uniformity It can be deduced that except for Sorani Kurdish, these languages opt not to have any complex syllable and use the strategies of coalescence and deletion in order to prevent such syllables from being formed. This is evident in Sorani having all the faithfulness constraints crucially dominating the only markedness constraint of *COMPLEX SYLLABLE, while the same constraint is active and never crucially dominated in the three other languages. Also, Kalhori Kurdish and Farsi are the only languages in which UNIFORMITY is dominated by the other constraints, which results in validating coalescence as a strategy to be adopted so that /xw/ would be avoided. However, regardless of the strategy Farsi, Hawrami, and sometimes Kalhori Kurdish seem to adopt what these languages apparently share is their unwillingness to entirely do away with roundness. Hawrami keeps this feature at the cost of dropping the initial consonant of /x/, as a result of the faithful constraint of MAX(initial) being crucially dominated. Farsi, although merging /w/ and /a/ into [o], retains roundness. Kalhori Kurdish makes use of coalescence, forming the sound [y], which obviously borrows the roundness of the second segment in /xw/. It must be mentioned that in order to come up with a comprehensive analysis, we might need to involve more than these four constraints in some of these languages. However, to simplify the presentation of the analysis, and more importantly, to fixate on the difference these languages have in terms of constraint permutation, this article sticks to these four constraints and shows how the difference in permutation of constraints can lead to phonological systems of languages diverging from one another.

The present study aims at investigating the process of compensatory lengthening in Kermanshahi Persian. According to the moraic theory, if a unit in the base layer or temporal manner has Mora, and that unit is removed in the phonological layer, its mora remains free in the layers of the mora or temporal, and thus compensatory lengthening takes place to maintain syllable or word weight. This paper is devoted to investigating two types of compensatory lengthening: one resulting from the deletion of a moraic consonant and the other being triggered through vowel deletion. The compensatory lengthening caused by the second case leads to gemination. However, the compensatory lengthening does not occur only in the vowel, but by removing the vowel, the adjoining consonant suffers compensatory lengthening.

Background: Nosocomial infections has always been a major problem for health care and lead to increases in morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. The aim of this study was to determine the contamination of personnel and hospital environment and device with nosocomial infections pathogens. Methods: Wet swab was used to sampling from the hospital personnel and equipment in different wards of a hospital in Isfahan, Iran. Culture and isolation of strains were done according to the standard microbial methods. Identification was based on gram staining, microbial and biochemical tests. Results: Overall 236 samples; 123 and 113 samples were collected from 91 hospital personnel and hospital environment and devices respectively. S. aureus was isolated from 14.2%, 15.3% and 5.4% of personnel hands, uniform and throat respectively. The cases of Enterobacteriaceae were isolated from personnel hands, uniform and throat as 13.9%, 4.3% and 3.27% respectively. P. aeruginosa was isolated from personnel hands (4.3%), uniform (6.5%) and throat (6.5%). Conclusion: S. aureus, Enterobacteriaceae and P. aeruginosa were the most prevalence bacteria that isolated from the personnel hands, uniforms, throats and hospital environment and devices. Personnel hands were the most contaminated part considering both the numbers and diversity in isolated organisms. Contamination of the hospital personnel and hospital environment and devices have a main role in dispersion of the nosocomial pathogens in hospital environment. With a good hygienic administration and an excellent healthy management planning in hospitals can be inhibit the dispersion of nosocomial pathogens in hospitals environment. Hospital environment and devices, Hospital personnel, Microbial Pathogens, Nosocomial infections.

This study was conducted to identify the fungi isolated from conjunctival sac of clinically normal Persian Kurd horses of Tabriz, north western Iran and to determine the effect of sex and age variations on the frequency of isolates. Forty horses (17 females and 23 males), aged 2-30 years, without clinical evidence of external ocular inflammation were selected and divided into two age groups (less than 10 years and over 10 years). Samples were taken from both conjunctival sacs of horses and seeded on the sabouraud dextrose agar and malt extract agar. Plates were incubated at 25°C for 7 days. Data were analyzed by Chi-square, Fisher's exact and Kendall Tau tests using SAS 9.1. Filamentous fungi and yeasts comprised 82.35% and 17.65% of total isolates, respectively. The most frequent isolate was Aspergillus species (38.82 %) followed by Penicillium spp (14.12%), Fusarium spp (8.24%), Chladosporium, Mucor and Scopulariopsis spp (5.88%), Pseudallescheria, Rhodotorula and Trichoderma spp (1.18 %). Gender had a significant effect on frequency of fungal isolation (p

In this study, using qualitative method, succession planning success factors are first identified, then this factors are examined as a measurement model. The statistical population included managers and supervisors of Alpha Holding Company and the samples were chosen in random. The tools used for data gathering were literature reviews, questionnaire and interviews. Validity and reliability of qualitative tool were evaluated using triangulation, member checks and paired reviews methods; content validity of the questionnaire was evaluated using expert reviews method. Reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using a pretest of 28 people and it was confirmed. Extracted data among 171 questionnaires was based on examining the quantitative research hypotheses. Based on exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling tests, the results showed that the seven factors including organizational structure, senior management support, systematic approach, policy, organizational culture, desire and motivation of people and trust can be introduced as the succession planning success factors and the success of succession plans could be measured using the above factors.

In this study, alkaline colloidal silica was prepared by titration of an alkaline solution such as sodium silicate with silicic acid in constant range of pH .This constant range of pH was achieved by using concentrated soduim silicate solutions as pH adjusting solutions during titration.The sodium silicate solutions having a variety of concentrations were passed through ion-exchange resin to prepare the silicic acid solutions. Various effective parameters on the method were investigated. In this research, the results show the mean particle size and surface area of prepared colloidal silica are influenced by formation temperature, titration rate, silicic acid and alkaline solutions concentration. Low titration rate of slicic acid, high formation temperature and low concentration of silicic acid and alkaline solution would help the particle growth to form the larger particle size of colloidal silica.