Search

This paper provides information on the geographic distributions of two cyprinid species: Hemiculter leucisculus (Basilewsky, 1855) and Alburnus caeruleus Heckel, 1843, in the world and the entire drainage systems in Iran. The new distribution records were taken from Maroon River (Jarrahi River system) and Chardaval River (Karkheh river system), both in Tigris River basin showing wide and narrow distribution ranges of these two cyprinid fishes, respectively. The main introduction sites and distribution range of H. leucisculus is the southern parts of the Caspian Sea basin in Iran from where it has probably been translocated to other Iranian basins along with exotic Chinese carps. Although A. caeruleus is native to Tigris River basin, it had been already recorded only from Gamasiab and Doab rivers in 2009 in Karkheh River system (Tigris) and thus the present study extends its distribution range. In case of alien species, human-mediated fish introductions may increase faunal similarity among primary drainages due to a strong tendency for taxonomic homogenization caused primarily by the widespread introduction of cyprinid fishes. Fish faunal homogenization might be highest in drainages (e.g. Caspian Sea and Tigris basins) subjected to the greatest degree of disturbance associated with human settlement, infrastructure and change in land use. The provided data might be used in conservation program of freshwater fishes of Iran.

In the present study, the effect of various fermentation media on the production of carotenoid pigment in a radiation-resistant strain of Dietzia maris was reported. The biomass and pigment production of this strain was evaluated using various sources of carbon and nitrogen as well as different concentrations of whey medium. The antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of the extracted pigment were also determined using ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals (DPPH), and MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assays. The antibacterial activity of the carotenoid pigment was also evaluated. All carbon sources increased the pigment production of D. maris in the following order: glucose > raffinose = starch = xylose > sorbitol > sucrose. However, only glucose, xylose, and sorbitol significantly increased the microbial biomass as compared to the control. Moreover, all organic nitrogen sources and ammonium sulfate enhanced the pigment production of the studied strain by approximately 6-9 folds. The free radical scavenging capacity and FRAP of the D. maris carotenoid extract were reported as half-maximal effective concentration or EC 50 = 3.30 mg/ml and EC 50 =28.46 μg/ml, respectively. The maximum amount of biomass and carotenoid pigment produced by D. maris was obtained in the fermentation medium containing 1 g/l glucose and 1 g/l yeast extract (18 mg/l). This strain can be considered as a promising biocatalyst for the commercial production of natural carotenoids due to its antioxidant capacity and noncytotoxic activity., (© 2021 Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences.)

Statement of the Problem: The degree of asymmetry perception of dental and medical practitioners is influenced by several factors. The perceived asymmetry affect the treatment plan design., Purpose: The aim of the present study was to investigate the consistency of facial asymmetry and identify the amounts of transverse asymmetry that can be regarded as normal and might need correction., Materials and Method: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, three-dimensional (3D) images of a man and a women volunteer were obtained. Then transverse changes were applied by ZBrush software so that for each volunteer, seven 3D images of their face with varying degrees of facial transverse asymmetry were created. Then, the images were displayed to four groups of observers including layperson, general dentists, orthodontists, and maxillofacial surgeons. Finally, the consistency of the perception of these four groups of observers with the different degrees of facial asymmetry was compared., Results: Fourteen photographic samples were evaluated and ranked by 80 observers in four groups. The consistency of the perception of the facial transverse asymmetry was equal to 33%, which indicated a lack of consistency., Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, there was no consistency between the groups. The perception of dental professionals and ordinary people regarding the severity of transverse facial asymmetry seems to be inconsistent., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: None declared., (Copyright: © Journal of Dentistry.)