• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.296-306
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• 2017

Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) is one of the most damaging viruses infecting sugarcane, maize and some other graminaceous species around the world. To investigate the genetic diversity of SCMV in Iran, the coat protein (CP) gene sequences of 23 SCMV isolates from different hosts were determined. The nucleotide sequence identity among Iranian isolates was more than 96%. They shared nucleotide identities of 75.5-99.9% with those of other SCMV isolates available in GenBank, the highest with the Egyptian isolate EGY7-1 (97.5-99.9%). The results of phylogenetic analysis suggested five divergent evolutionary lineages that did not completely reflect the geographical origin or host plant of the isolates. Population genetic analysis revealed greater between-group than within-group evolutionary divergence values, further supporting the results of the phylogenetic analysis. Our results indicated that natural selection might have contributed to the evolution of isolates belonging to the five identified SCMV groups, with infrequent genetic exchanges occurring between them. Phylogenetic analyses and the estimation of genetic distance indicated that Iranian isolates have low genetic diversity. No recombination was found in the CP cistron of Iranian isolates and the CP gene was under negative selection. These findings provide a comprehensive analysis of the population structure and driving forces for the evolution of SCMV with implications for global exchange of sugarcane germplasm. Gene flow, selection and somehow homologous recombination were found to be the important evolutionary factors shaping the genetic structure of SCMV populations.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.20
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• pp.8789-8791
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• 2014

Estrogen receptor alpha ($ER{\alpha}$) is one of the major sub-types of estrogen receptors. $ER{\alpha}$ plays an important role in cellular proliferation and differentiation, chiefly in mammary tissues. In the present study we aimed to quantify of $ER{\alpha}$ mRNA and protein expression in breast tissues from the Iranian population using a real-time PCR assay. Twenty nine breast tissues including 19 adenocarcinomas and 10 normal controls were recruited from the Iranian population. mRNA extraction and cDNA synthesis were performed from these tissues using commercial kits. $ER{\alpha}$ mRNA and protein expression was quantified using real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry respectively. The results showed high expression of $ER{\alpha}$ mRNA (68%) and protein (53%) in the majority of breast cancer tissues compared to normal breast tissues (p= 0.035). Also, high $ER{\alpha}$ mRNA was associated with tumour size of breast carcinomas. In this study, we first reported the expression of $ER{\alpha}$ in Iranian patients with breast cancers and demonstrated prevalence of the expression to be similar to breast cancers noted in other populations.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.15
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• pp.6205-6210
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• 2014

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate Iranian cancer patient perceptions of their prognosis, factors that influence perceptions of prognosis and the effect this has on patient level of hope. Materials and Methods: Iranian cancer patients (n=200) completed self-report measures of their perceptions of their prognosis and level of hope, in order to assess the relationship between the two and identify factors predictive of perceptions by multiple linear regression analysis. Results: Cancer patients perceived of their prognosis positively (mean 11.4 out of 15), believed their disease to be curable, and reported high levels of hope (mean 40.4 out of 48.0). Multiple linear regression analyses demonstrated that participants who were younger, perceived they had greater family support, and had higher levels of hope reported more positive perceptions of their cancer prognosis. Conclusions: Positive perceptions of prognosis and its positive correlation with hope in Iranian cancer patients highlights the importance of cultural issues in the disclosure of cancer related information.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.sup3
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• pp.149-153
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• 2016

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Iran. In the recent years an upward trend has been observed in the Iranian population. Early detection by molecular approaches may reduce breast cancer morbidity and mortality. We provided consultation to 3,782 women diagnosed with early onset breast cancer during the past 15 years (1999-2014). To establish a data set for BRCA gene alterations of the Iranian families at risk, two hundred and fifty four women who met our criteria were analyzed. A total number of 46 alterations including 18 variants with unknown clinical significance (39.1%), 18 missense mutations (39.1%), 7 Indels (15.2%) and 3 large rearrangement sequences (6%) were identified. Further scanning of affected families revealed that 49% of healthy relatives harbor identical causative mutations. This is the first report of comprehensive BRCA analysis in Iranian women with early onset breast cancer. Our findings provide valuable molecular data to support physicians as well as patients for the best decision making on disease management.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.sup3
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• pp.269-273
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• 2016

Presently, the world population of the elderly is growing. By improving health hygiene and welfare indicators, mortality and birth rates decrease and life expectancy increases, making the present century the century of elderly. Aging is one of the main risk factors for development of cancer, which itself is the second cause of death in old people. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of cancer in the elderly covered by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) insurance program and to obtain suitable programs for cancer screening and early detection, increase patient survival, improve elderly care and to reclaim the cost of treatment in comparison to the national and international statistics. This is a cross-sectional study conducted on all elderly patients diagnosed with malignancy based on their pathology reports. In this study, of the total 75,500 patients covered by IRIB insurance, 17.2% belonged to the elderly group, males accounting for 53.3%. The most common cancers in old men were prostatic cancer (61.3%), colon cancer (10.3%) cancer of the hematologic system, bladder cancer (9.6%), lung cancer (9.1%), thyroid cancer (3.9%) and brain tumors (1.3%). In the elderly women, the most common cancers were breast cancer (80.1%), colon cancer (5.1%), thyroid cancers (4.4%), bladder and hematologic system malignancies (3.6), lung cancer (2.9%) and brain tumors (0.7%). In addition, the prevalence of cancer was almost the same as national and international statistics. With the exception of non-melanoma skin cancer no difference was shown in prevalence of cancer between IRIB elderly patients and the other groups of cancer patients in Iran.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.2223-2227
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• 2016

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Iranian women. Since development of the disease in Iranian women occurs relatively early, the survival rate matters considerably. In different countries, survival of breast cancer patients varies considerably. Therefore, the one-year, three-year, five-year, and ten-year survival rates for breast cancer in Iran were assessed using a meta-analysis. Materials and Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis was based on valid Iranian sources including SID, MAGIRAN and IRANMEDEX, along with reliable English databases, namely, PUBMED and SCOPUS. In domestic databases, a search was conducted based on key words of breast cancer and survival rate, and in international databases, with "breast cancer" and the equivalent of "neoplasm" of Mesh Word, "survival rate" and "Iran." Then all reviewed papers and theses which met the inclusion criteria were selected for investigation. To conduct the analysis STATA 11.2 software and random-effects models were used. Results: In 24 studies, 22,745 participants were included. The one-year, three-year, five-year and ten-year survival rates were 0.956, 0.808, 0.695 and 0.559, respectively. The minimum and maximum survival rates for 5-years were 0.48 and 0.87. The average age of the onset of the disease was 48.3. Conclusions: As in Iran, since the onset of the disease is at low age, in spite of the relatively high survival rate as compared to other cancers, prevention and screening programs at early age for early stage diagnosis seems necessary.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.260-273
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• 2013

The incidence and distribution of Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and related tobamoviruses was determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay on 1,926 symptomatic horticultural crops and 107 asymptomatic weed samples collected from 78 highly infected fields in the major horticultural crop-producing areas in 17 provinces throughout Iran. The results were confirmed by host range studies and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The overall incidence of infection by these viruses in symptomatic plants was 11.3%. The coat protein (CP) gene sequences of a number of isolates were determined and disclosed to be a high identity (up to 100%) among the Iranian isolates. Phylogenetic analysis of all known TMV CP genes showed three clades on the basis of nucleotide sequences with all Iranian isolates distinctly clustered in clade II. Analysis using the complete CP amino acid sequence showed one clade with two subgroups, IA and IB, with Iranian isolates in both subgroups. The nucleotide diversity within each subgroup was very low, but higher between the two clades. No correlation was found between genetic distance and geographical origin or host species of isolation. Statistical analyses suggested a negative selection and demonstrated the occurrence of gene flow from the isolates in other clades to the Iranian population.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.5.1-5.9
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• 2016

Background: The milk yield can be affected by the frequency of milking per day, in dairy cows. Previous studies have shown that the milk yield is increased by 6.25 % per lactation when the milking frequency is increased from 2 to 3 times per day while the somatic cell count is decreased. To investigate the effect of milking frequency (3X vs. 4X) on milk yield and it's genetic parameters in the first and second lactations of the Iranian Holstein dairy cows, a total of 142,604 test day (TD) records of milk yield were measured on 20,762 cows. Results: Heritability estimates of milk yield were 0.25 and 0.19 for 3X milking frequency and 0.34 and 0.26 for 4X milking frequency throughout the first and second lactations, respectively. Repeatability estimates of milk yield were 0.70 and 0.71 for 3X milking frequency and 0.76 and 0.77 for 4X milking frequency, respectively. In comparison with 3X milking frequency, the milk yield of the first and second lactations was increased by 11.6 and 12.2 %, respectively when 4X was used (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Results of this research demonstrated that increasing milking frequency led to an increase in heritability and repeatability of milk yield. The current investigation provided clear evidences for the benefits of using 4X milking frequency instead of 3X in Iranian Holstein dairy cows.

• Acta Via Serica
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-30
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• 2023

Traditional Kurdish weavings are among the world's most ancient living textile traditions. One of the largest regional ethnic and linguistic groups, Kurds have inhabited a significant part of Western Asia for millennia. Historically, Kurdish territories were crisscrossed by old and important trade routes, including the Silk Roads. This led to the formation of some of the most significant Kurdish artistic and cultural traditions, including textiles, which influenced and were influenced by those of other non-Kurdish ethnic groups from Caucasia to Central Asia and beyond. One example of Kurdish carpet traditions born in the eighteenth century at the cross-sections of Safavid (1501-1736) urban carpets workshops and centuries-old indigenous Kurdish tribal/rural weaves is senneh gelim or sojaee. A finely flatwoven carpet that was exchanged regionally and internationally as a diplomatic gift and a highly prized commodity. Although in decline, senneh gelims continue to be made by Kurdish women weavers in their original birthplace Sanandaj, the provincial capital of Iranian Kurdistan to date. This study adopts an inter-disciplinary approach to present an image of senneh gelim and women gelim weavers, tracing the developmental trajectories of the craft from the eighteenth century to the present time by drawing on extant art-historical and social scientific studies along with primary ethnographic data collected in Iranian Kurdistan (2018-2019). It investigates the craft tradition's historical origin, various aspects such as techniques, materials, aesthetics, functions, and meanings, and how these transformed over time. Additionally, the paper looks at the social contexts of production, focusing on women carpet weavers and how their socioeconomic and cultural situation has formed senneh carpet production in the past and present and the implications for long-term preservation.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.298-303
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• 2024

Objectives: The aim of this study was to estimate drug prescription indicators in outpatient services provided at Iran Social Security Organization (SSO) healthcare facilities. Methods: Data on all prescribed drugs for outpatient visits from 2017 to 2018 were extracted from the SSO database. The data were categorized into 4 main subgroups: patient characteristics, provider characteristics, service characteristics, and type of healthcare facility. Logistic regression models were used to detect risk factors for inappropriate drug prescriptions. SPSS and IBM Modeler software were utilized for data analysis. Results: In 2017, approximately 150 981 752 drug items were issued to outpatients referred to SSO healthcare facilities in Iran. The average number of drug items per outpatient prescription was estimated at 3.33. The proportion of prescriptions that included an injection was 17.5%, and the rate of prescriptions that included an antibiotic was 37.5%. Factors such as patient sex and age, provider specialty, type of facility, and time of outpatient visit were associated with the risk of inappropriate prescriptions. Conclusions: In this study, all drug prescription criteria exceeded the recommended limits set by the World Health Organization. To improve the current prescription patterns throughout the country, it would be beneficial to provide providers with monthly and annual reports and to consider implementing some prescription policies for physicians.