Northern Iranian Research Articles

Associations Between Socio-Environmental Determinants and the Risk of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Guilan, Iran

Background: Certain social determinants may influence host susceptibility to tuberculosis (TB) infections, and increase the risk of developing the disease. Objectives: The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of several host and environmental factors on the risk of TB in northern Iranian households. Patients and Methods: This case-control study was conducted for one year between 2010 and 2011 in the Guilan province in Iran. Eighty-seven confirmed TB positive cases, based on convenience sampling, were included in this study. A patient positive for TB was confirmed by a positive sputum smear, chest X-ray, and clinical manifestations as diagnosed by a physician. The data were collected using observational methods, and were analyzed by SPSS software. Results: The average mean age of the TB cases was 51 ± 22 years old, and 40.2% (35/87) of the TB cases were male and 59.8% (52/87) were female. The majority of TB cases were from rural areas (71.3%, 62/87), while 28.7% (25/87) were from urban areas. Significant differences (P < 0.001) were observed between the geographical conditions and distribution of the disease. The room density of the individuals was significantly different (2.9 ± 1.2 vs. 2.2 ± 1.9, P < 0.002) among the TB cases and control group, respectively. A statistical difference was observed between the groups in terms of the building materials (P < 0.05), while significantly inadequate UV irradiation was seen in the houses of the TB patients, compared to the control group (82.8% vs. 14.9%, P < 0.001). The hygiene of the houses seemed to be a significant risk factor (P < 0.001) for TB infection. Conclusions: The results suggest that in the studied region several host and environmental factors were associated with higher risks of TB infection.

The Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) in Iran: genetic diversity and comparison with other countries

The Mediterranean fruit fly, &lt;em&gt;Ceratitis&lt;/em&gt; &lt;em&gt;capitata&lt;/em&gt; (Wiedemann) is an economically important pest on fruits all over the world. The origin of this fly is thought to be from Africa, but it has recently expanded its distribution in many geographic regions including Iran. Due to the wide spread of this pest in Iran and its serious damage to fruit on trees, including citrus orchards of northern Iran, the present study was conducted firstly to investigate genetic diversity within populations of &lt;em&gt;C. capitata&lt;/em&gt; based on the sequences of three mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genes including cytochrome C oxidase I (&lt;em&gt;COI&lt;/em&gt;), NAHD dehydrogenase subunits 4 and 5 (&lt;em&gt;ND4&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;ND5&lt;/em&gt;) and secondly to compare the Iranian haplotypes with those found in other countries. Results of this study indicated low levels of genetic diversity (four, four and three haplotypes among different populations of this pest, respectively for the &lt;em&gt;COI&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;ND4&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;ND5&lt;/em&gt; genes) in northern Iranian populations. The genetic similarity and very low levels of genetic diversity of northern Iranian populations suggest that the pest colonisation occurred relatively recently. In addition, haplotypes of Mazandaran province are similar to haplotypes of those countries that have recently been infected by this pest.

Mutation and new polymorphisms insight in introns 11 to 14a of CFTR gene of northern Iranian cystic fibrosis patients

BackgroundCystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common autosomal recessive disease in Caucasians, caused by mutation in cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). The type and distribution of mutations vary widely between different countries and ethnic groups. We therefore aimed to perform a comprehensive analysis of the CFTR gene in northern Iranian CF patients. MethodsForty northern Iranian CF patients were analyzed for mutations in introns 11 to 14a of their CFTR genes, using sequencing and reverse dot blot methods. Five normal subjects were also analyzed as normal control. ResultsOne mutation and seven polymorphisms were identified. Of the eighty alleles studied, c.2043delG in exon 13 represented 12.5% of mutant alleles and was associated with two distinct haplotypes. rs1042077T>G, rs4148712delAT, rs4148711T>A and rs3808183 T>C with frequencies varying between 29.2% and 6.9% for the least common allele, as well as three new polymorphisms c.1680-224C>A (11.1%), c.2491-275T>G (14.1%) and c.2491-274C>G (35.9%) were detected. ConclusionThese findings suggest a founder effect for c.2043delG in the Middle East and will assist in genetic counseling, prenatal diagnosis and future screening of CF in Iran.

Taxonomic reevaluation of Eremias strauchi strauchi Kessler, 1878 and Eremias strauchi kopetdaghica Szczerbak, 1972, based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences (Reptilia: Lacertidae)

Strauch's Racerunner, Eremias strauchi, is represented by two subspecies, Eremias strauchi strauchi Kessler, 1878 and Eremias strauchi kopetdaghica Szczerbak, 1972, occurring in opposite margins on the northern Iranian Plateau. We sequenced 3926 base pairs of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA from 16 samples of Eremias strauchi, Eremias lalezharica and Eremias velox collected from northeastern, northwestern and southern Iran. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that Eremias lalezharica is sister to Eremias strauchi kopetdaghica and caused the currently recognised species Eremias strauchi to be paraphyletic. According to the estimated genetic distances in the mitochondrial fragments among the lineages, E. s. strauchi diverged from E. s. kopetdaghica and E. lalezharica with a mean genetic distance of 14.0% and 13.9% respectively. Our data indicate enough molecular divergence between the two currently recognised subspecies of E. strauchi and justify upgrading them to full species level as Eremias strauchi (for the north-western clade) and Eremias kopetdaghica (for the north-eastern clade).

Calibration of FARSITE simulator in northern Iranian forests

Abstract. Wildfire simulators based on empirical or physical models need to be locally calibrated and validated when used under conditions that differ from those where the simulators were originally developed. This study aims to calibrate the FARSITE fire spread model considering a set of recent wildfires that occurred in northern Iranian forests. Site-specific fuel models in the study areas were selected by sampling the main natural vegetation type complexes and assigning standard fuel models. Overall, simulated fires presented reliable outputs that accurately replicated the observed fire perimeters and behavior. Standard fuel models of Scott and Burgan (2005) afforded better accuracy in the simulated fire perimeters than the standard fuel models of Anderson (1982). The best match between observed and modeled burned areas was observed on herbaceous fuel models. Fire modeling showed a high potential for estimating spatial variability in fire spread and behavior in the study areas. This work represents a first step in the application of fire spread modeling in northern Iran for wildfire risk monitoring and management.

Prevalence and distribution of peach yellow leaf roll in north of Iran.

In the growing season of 2012, a phytoplasma-like disease was observed on peach and nectarine plants (Prunus persica) in several locations in the Iranian provinces of Mazandaran and Golestan. Affected trees were stunted, had upward curled and thickened leaves with purple-colored margins of their adaxial surface, and showed also a weak shoot growth. Vegetating shoots were collected from 25 symptomatic and three symptomless trees from whose leaf midribs and petioles DNA was extracted following the procedure of Zhang et al. (1998). Fragments of the rRNA operon were amplified using the phytoplasma primer pair P1/P7 followed by R16F2n/R16R2 for nested PCR (Gundersen and Lee 1996). A 1200 bp product was amplified from all symptomatic samples but not from any of the symptomless trees. PCR products of four isolates were sequenced and deposited in GenBank with accession Nos. KC751538, KF739407, KF739408 and KF923872. Blast comparison of these sequences revealed the highest identity of all four isolates (99%) with those of members of the 16SrXII group 'Candidatus Phytoplasma solani' (Quaglino et al., 2013). This phytoplasma has previously been reported, along with 'Ca. P. aurantifolia' and 'Ca. P. trifolii', as the agent associated with yellow leaf roll-diseased peach in the central provinces of Iran (Zirak et al., 2010). The distribution of 'Ca. P. solani' is now extended to the three major northern Iranian provinces, where it appears to be the prevailing phytoplasma species

Variation in the shape of the wings and taxonomy of Eurasian populations of the Calopteryx splendens complex (Odonata: Calopterygidae)

We used geometric morphometrics to determine variation in the morphology of the forewings of individuals in 20 popula- tions of Calopteryx splendens s.l. in Eurasia and related these to the circum-specific taxonomy of this taxon. We found differences in shape, with the largest and smallest centroid size of the wings in adjacent northern (orientalis) and western (intermedia) populations in Iran, respectively, so isolation and relationship are not necessarily determined by distance, but often associated with the stream basin inhabited. The variation in wing shape, however, was much greater. with Populations at the eastern edge of the range (Tajikistan, Kyr- gyzstan and East Kazakhstan) uniquely different. Oddly, no taxonomic name is associated with them, although they may be among the oldest representatives of the splendens complex. The European and Asian populations are in two separate clades. One of these includes insects with no to a medium-sized wing spot, which does not reach the tip of the wing (waterstoni-group), while the other includes insects with very broad wing spots, or, when short, it extends to the very tip of the wings and most females are androchrome (ancilla or intermedia group). Turkmenistan and northern Iranian population form a separate line inside this clade, which we equate with Calo­ pteryx orientalis. South Albanian and Greek populations are in a separate branch corresponding to ssp. balcanica; two populations from Ireland and Italy form a branch that has no equivalent in traditional taxonomy, while Calopteryx xanthostoma was not identified by its wing shape. Understanding this multitude of phenotypes and the enormous amount of variation within certain populations but not in others becomes easy if one assumes there were two probable late Pleistocene waves of migration, the first of insects lacking spots that migrated east and westwards from the South Black Sea basin, the second, perhaps from the west Caspian, composed of heavily spotted insects with androchromic females. The hybridization between these two waves resulted in the current plethora of colour forms and accounts for why similar phenotypes may turn up independently in widely distant locations.

Five-Year Trend in Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil Consumption among Northern Iranian Families

The main aim of this study was to assess the trends in hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) consumption and some related factors among northern Iranian families from 2006 to 2010. A cross-sectional, population-based study was conducted with 6497 subjects, 15 to 65 years old, who were chosen by multistage cluster random sampling. The subjects were randomly chosen by 325 clusters with an equal size (n = 20 subjects). A multidimensional questionnaire including sociodemographic questions and type of cooking oil used were administered by interviewers. The percentages of the sample reporting HVO consumption across the 5 years are as follows: 2006, 85.2%; 2007, 79.7%; 2008, 75.9%; 2009, 59.3%; and 2010, 55.7%. Consumption decreased 29.5% during the 5 years of study and an average of 5.9% per year (P < .05). The estimated odds ratio of HVO consumption in rural areas verus urban areas was 2.59 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.31-2.90); for poor compared with good economic level the odds ratio was 3.99 (95% CI, 3.13-5.10 for; for the uneducated versus college-educated sample it was 5.75 (95% CI, 4.10-8.17); and the odds ratio was 3.34(95% CI, 2.51-4.45) for Sisstani compared with Fars-native ethnic group. HVO consumption decreased during the 5-year study (2006 to 2010), but HVO is still used extensively in northern Iran. Preventive early intervention strategies are needed to target uneducated and poor families, with an emphasis on the Sisstanish ethnic group, to increase awareness about the negative consequences of HVO consumption.

Helicobacter pyloriInfection andMDM2SNP309 Association with Gastric Cancer Susceptibility

MDM2 is a negative regulator of p53, and has also been implicated in carcinogenesis. The aim of this study was to define the causal association of Helicobacter pylori infection and the MDM2 SNP309 among northern Iranian patients with gastric cancer (GC). Two hundred and eight patients with GC and 200 cancer-free controls were genotyped for MDM2 SNP309 using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. The ureC (glmM) gene was used for detection of H. pylori in this study. The G allele was found more frequently among patients with GC (55%) than among controls (37%). The risk of GC for MDM2 309G/G genotypes was considerably increased when compared with TT genotypes (odds ratio [OR]=15.93, 95% confidence interval [CI]=4.17-60.84). Among H. pylori-infected subjects, a significantly increased risk of GC associated with the GG genotype was quite clear (OR=14.66, 95% CI=3.54-60). The GG genotype was associated with an increased risk of gastric carcinoma. We also found that there is a joint effect of MDM2 SNP309G/G genotype and H. pylori infection for the development of gastric carcinoma. However, the findings need to be verified in large population-based prospective studies for more rigorous analyses of subgroups and gene-environment and gene-gene interactions.

Calibration and Evaluation of CERES Rice Model under Different Nitrogen- and Water-Management Options in Semi-Mediterranean Climate Condition

The objective of this study was the evaluation of the CERES rice model under different nitrogen- and water-management conditions in northern Iran. A 3-year field experiment was conducted at the experimental farm of the Iranian Rice Research Institute in Rasht, Iran, from 2005 to 2007. The experiment was established in a split-plot design with three irrigation regimes (continuous submergence, irrigation at 5-day intervals, and irrigation at 8-day intervals) as the main plot, four nitrogen levels (0, 45, 60, and 75 kg N ha−1) as the subplot, and three replications. Evaluation simulated and measured grain yield, total crop biomass, N content of grain, and crop biomass by adjusted coefficient of correlation and by absolute and normalized root mean square errors (RMSE). Results showed that predicted grain yields agreed well with observed yields (RMSEa = 297 and RMSEn = 8%). Simulated and observed total dry-matter yields were also in reasonable agreement (RMSEn = 862 and RMSEn = 10%). Observed and predicted N uptake by rice showed good agreement. The CERES rice model can be applied to research purposes (irrigation and nitrogen) under northern Iranian conditions.

Plasma total cholesterol level and some related factors in northern Iranian people.

Background:In middle age people, hypercholesterolemia (HC) has been included as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.Objectives:The main objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of HC and some related factors in the north of Iran.Materials and Methods:This was a population-based cross-sectional study that enrolled 1995 subjects (997 males and 998 females) in 25-65 year age using stratified cluster sampling. Interviewers recorded the data using a multidimensional questionnaire including anthropometric indexes. Plasma cholesterol was measured in the morning after a 12-hour fast and determined by an auto-analyzer. HC was defined by a total plasma total cholesterol level over 200 mg/dl. The SPSS.16 software was used to analyze data.Results:The mean age of the participant was 44.2 years and mean ± SD plasma total cholesterol level in men and women was 196.7 ± 39.11 and 209.4 ± 42.9, respectively. Generally, the prevalence of HC was 50.4% with a significant differences between men (44.7%) and women (57%) (P < 0.05). The mean plasma total cholesterol levels were significantly differenced among age groups, location area, BMI, and waist circumferences (P < 0.001). Women gender (OR = 1.64), 55-65 years old (OR = 2.79), BMI ≥40 kg/m2 (OR = 10.0), and abdominal obesity (OR = 2.47) were associated with increased risk of HC (P = 0.001 and 95%CI for all).Conclusion:HC is one of the most health problems in the northern Iran and it is more common in women than in men. General and abdominal obesity are the most common risk factors for HC.

CFTR haplotypes in northern Iranian population

BackgroundCystic fibrosis (CF) is a multiorganic autosomal recessive disorder, caused by mutation in cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). CF is highly heterogeneous in Iranian population and molecular diagnosis based on direct identification of mutations is not completely efficient. The use of polymorphic intragenic markers not only can facilitate phenotype prediction in prenatal diagnosis by gene tracking, but also can lead to the demonstration of possible associations between haplotypes and specific mutations. Methods60 CF patients and 53 fertile normal subjects originating from North of Iran were analyzed for F508del mutation and c.1210-12T(5_9), c.1408A>G and c.744-33GATT(6_8) polymorphisms. Resultsc.1210-12T[7] is the most prevalent allele in normal individuals and CF non-F508del patients with 87.7%and 86.7% frequencies respectively. c.1408A>G survey showed that frequency of allele G and A is nearly equal in both non-F508del CF patients and normal individuals. c.744-33GATT(6_8) study showed that 7 repeat is the most prevalent allele in normal individuals and non-F508del CF patients with 80.2% and 82.1% frequencies respectively. The [c.1408A; c.1210-12T[9]; c.744-33GATT[6]] haplotype was only associated with mutant alleles including F508del. ConclusionsThe allelic distribution and heterozygosity results suggest that c.1408A>G, c.1210-12T(5_9) and c.744-33GATT(6_8) can contribute to carrier detection and prenatal diagnosis of CF in Iranian families with previous history of the disease.

Vertical migration of137Cs in the South Caspian soil

In order to study the vertical migration of anthropogenic 137 Cs, soil inventories of this radionuclide were measured in two regions selected on the basis of a previous comprehensive survey in the northern Iranian province of Guilan located in the South Caspian region. Ten sampl ing stations were randomly chosen in these regions and split-level sampling was carried out to a depth of 30 cm. Sample analysis was performed using a HPGe detector system. In situ gamma measurements in both regions were als o carried out with the aid of a portable germanium spectrometer. The experimental data were then compared with the solution of the convection-dispersion equation (CDE) with the proper initial and boundary conditions to evaluate initial deposition as well as transport parameter values. The solution, including the effects of both considered sources, i.e. global fallout and Chernobyl releases, fits the measured data well. The effective convection velocity and dispersion coefficients of 137 Cs lie in the range of 0-0.25 cm·y-1 and 0.32-0.75 cm2 ·y-1 , respectively, indicating a very slow migrat ion rate in the area. Most of the deposited 137 Cs still remained in the top 10-cm layer. Moreover, the fitted depth profiles were then employed to correct the surface activities of 137 Cs estimated by in situ measurements.

Molecular phylogeny and intraspecific differentiation of the Eremias velox complex of the Iranian Plateau and Central Asia (Sauria, Lacertidae)

The Central Asian racerunner, Eremias velox, is a widely distributed lizard of the Eurasian lacertid genus Eremias. Nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial genes, cyt b and 12S rDNA from 13 geographically distant localities in Iran and Central Asia, were analysed. Phylogenetic analyses of the sequence data unambiguously recovered five major clades within the E. velox complex with a high level of genetic divergence, indicating long periods of isolation. The basal position of the Iranian clades in the phylogenetic trees suggests that the E. velox clade originated on the Iranian plateau in the Middle Miocene. According to our calibrations, the northern Iranian clade diverged first some 10–11 Ma and that the Central Asian lineages split from the northeastern Iranian lineage approximately 6 Ma, most likely as a result of uplifting of the Kopet-Dagh Mountains in the northern margin of the Iranian plateau. Topology of the phylogenetic trees, combined with the degree of the genetic distances among the independent lineages recovered in this study, provide a solid foundation for a fundamental revision of the taxonomic status of the major clades within this species complex.

Poly Thymidine Polymorphism and Cystic Fibrosis in a Non-Caucasian Population

Background:Cystic fibrosis is a monogenic recessive disorder found predominantly in Caucasian population. This disease arises from mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. In this study we consider poly T polymorphism c.1210-12T[5], c.1210-12T[7], c.1210-12T[9] (T5, T7, T9) in the intron 8 of CFTR gene in normal individuals and cystic fibrosis patients in the north of Iran.Material and methods:40 CF patients and 40 normal individuals were screened for poly T polymorphism in intron 8 of CFTR gene using Reverse Dot Blot method which was also used to detect p.Phe508del among CF patients.Results:T7allele is the most prevalent in both normal and CF patients. Its abundance is approximately 75%. T9and T5represent approximately 20% and 5% of alleles respectively. T7/ T7genotype is the most present in both normal and CF patients with 72.5% and 60% prevalence respectively. p.Phe508del was present in 13 CFTR alleles belonging to 7 patients with either homozygote T9/ T9, T7/ T7or compound heterozygote T7/ T9genotypes.Conclusion:Contrary to the Caucasians, T7allele is more frequent in Northern Iranian CF patients. The presence of p.Phe508del and T7allele in the same framework is reported for the first time in this part of the world. Further investigations of other populations will help to understand whether p.Phe508del arose by selection pressure in this part of the world or was imported from European countries. The abundance of T5, T7, T9alleles indicates that this polymorphism can be used as one of the informative markers for detection of normal and mutant alleles in prenatal diagnosis or carrier assessment in families with previous history of the disease in regions with high degree of CFTR mutation heterogeneity.

Poly thymidine polymorphism and cystic fibrosis in a non-Caucasian population.

Background: Cystic fibrosis is a monogenic recessive disorder found predominantly in Caucasian population. This disease arises from mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. In this study we consider poly T polymorphism c.1210-12T[5], c.1210-12T[7], c.1210-12T[9] (T5, T7, T9) in the intron 8 of CFTR gene in normal individuals and cystic fibrosis patients in the north of Iran. Material and methods: 40 CF patients and 40 normal individuals were screened for poly T polymorphism in intron 8 of CFTR gene using Reverse Dot Blot method which was also used to detect p.Phe508del among CF patients. Results: T7 allele is the most prevalent in both normal and CF patients. Its abundance is approximately 75%. T9 and T5 represent approximately 20% and 5% of alleles respectively. T7/ T7 genotype is the most present in both normal and CF patients with 72.5% and 60% prevalence respectively. p.Phe508del was present in 13 CFTR alleles belonging to 7 patients with either homozygote T9/ T9, T7/ T7 or compound heterozygote T7/ T9 genotypes. Conclusion: Contrary to the Caucasians, T7 allele is more frequent in Northern Iranian CF patients. The presence of p.Phe508del and T7 allele in the same framework is reported for the first time in this part of the world. Further investigations of other populations will help to understand whether p.Phe508del arose by selection pressure in this part of the world or was imported from European countries. The abundance of T5, T7, T9 alleles indicates that this polymorphism can be used as one of the informative markers for detection of normal and mutant alleles in prenatal diagnosis or carrier assessment in families with previous history of the disease in regions with high degree of CFTR mutation heterogeneity.

A Study of the Types of Social Trust and the Elements Influencing It: The Case of the Iranian Northern Town of Sari

This article is concerned with the level of social trust, its different types, and the social factors that influence it in the northern Iranian town of Sari, Mazandaran province. For the purpose of our study, this article adopted Giddens' and Toennies's theories as its framework to examine the theoretical issues of social trust. According to Giddens, trust comes in three types: basic, generalized, and abstract. This article, then, investigates the gesellschaft effects of the community and the economical state on the different types of social trust.Our sample contained 320 above 20-years old residents of Sari. When validity and reliability of our questionnaire were tested, we applied survey research to collect data for analysis.The findings indicate that low or high levels of economic state had no effect on the level of social trust in the community under study. The gesellschaft feature of that society was important in the state of social trust, as the more gesellschaft a society is, the lower generalized trust is there. It is while basic and abstract types of trust were rated high in the same society. In contrast to the other two types of trust, however, Scheffe and Duncan Tests revealed that abstract trust was of higher average.

Simulation of strong ground motion in northern Iran using the specific barrier model

SUMMARY In this study, based upon the calibrated specific barrier model (SBM) against the latest available strong motion data, ground motion prediction equations for soil and rock sites in northern Iran are developed. The SBM may provide the most complete, simple and self-consistent description of the faulting process, which is applicable in both ‘near-fault’ and ‘far-field’ regions. Consequently, the SBM may provide consistent ground motion simulations over the entire necessary frequency range and for all distances of engineering interests. To determine source parameters in this study, we used 163 three-component records of 32 earthquakes with magnitude ranging from MW 4.9 to 7.4 in northern Iran. In the database, records with hypocentral distances less than 200 km are chosen and only earthquakes whose moment-magnitude estimates are available have been used. Furthermore, using the best available information, recording sites are classified into two main geologic categories: rock and soil. Because of the lack of site amplification information in the most regions of the world including Iran, we used the H/V ratio method for estimating the site amplification. Moreover, the Kappa factor that shows diminishing the high-frequency amplitude is determined. In this study, two data sets are considered for determining the source parameters (ΔσG and ΔσL) and the H/V ratio and the Kappa factor. Only S-wave part of signals is used in each analysis. Regression analysis is performed using ‘random effects’ method that considers both interseismic (event-to-event) and coseismic (within-event) variabilities to effectively deal with the problem of weighting observations from different earthquakes. The residuals are controlled against available northern Iranian strong ground motion data to verify that the model predictions are unbiased and that there are no significant residual trends with magnitude and distance. At first, it is assumed that no sign of self-similarity breakdown is observed between the source radius and its seismic moment. After controlling the results, the modified SBM should be used as some deviations have been observed. To verify the robustness of the results, the number of observations is changed by removing various randomly selected data sets from the original database, which results in unchanged results of the model. Stochastic simulations are then implemented to predict peak ground motion and response spectra parameters. The stochastic SBM predictions are in relatively good agreement with other available attenuation relationships proposed for Iran, Europe and Middle East. It has been shown that the proposed SBM of this study provides unbiased ground motion estimates over the entire frequency range of most engineering applications. It provides a reliable and physically realistic, yet computationally efficient, way to model strong ground motions.

Inter- and intraspecific variation in the genitalia of the ‘Melitaea phoebe group’ (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae)

The ecology and phylogeny of the Melitaeini butterflies have received considerable attention in the last few years. Several publications have been based on research using molecular methods. Genital morphometry has already been published on two sibling species but without any accompanying taxonomic revision of related species or their intraspecific taxonomy. In this study the morphology of genitalia was analysed by landmark-based geometric morphometrics in males and by traditional morphometrics in females. Based on these morphological characters, the whole M. phoebe group (subg. Cinclidia) was revised. According to our results M. telona Fruhstorfer, 1908 is conspecific with M. ‘phoebe’ ornata Christoph, 1893. Thus, we consider M. telona a junior synonym of M. ornata, and we propose new combinations: M. ornata ornata Christoph, 1893, M. ornata telona Fruhstorfer, 1908, M. ornata amanica Rebel, 1917, M. ornata capreola Varga, 1967, M. ornata emipunica Verity, 1919, M. ornata enoch Higgins, 1941, M. ornata kovacsi Varga, 1967, M. ornata nigrogygia Verity, 1938, M. ornata ogygia Fruhstorfer, 1907 and M. ornata totila Stauder, 1914 based on the rule of priority. The validity of the species status of M. punica and M. scotosia was confirmed, whereas M. sibina and M. pseudosibina could not be separated from M. phoebe using morphometrics. A new species from Iran (Zagros Mts.) was described as M. zagrosi sp. n. In addition, the whole geographical range of M. ornata was reconsidered and some biogeographical connections were discussed. In M. ornata four morphotypes were found based on genitalia: 1. ‘Western type’: including the Italian, Hungarian and SW Ukrainian populations; 2. ‘Eastern type’: with a much extended distribution ranging from the Balkan Peninsula through Asia Minor to Kazakhstan; 3. ‘The Levant type’ (= M. ornata telona comb. nov.); 4. ‘Northern Iranian type’ (Kopeth Dagh and Elburz Mts.). The distribution of these morphotypes can be attributed to historic separation in distinct glacial refugia.

Molecular characterization of Fasciola spp. from the endemic area of northern Iran based on nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences

Fasciolosis caused by Fasciola spp. (Platyhelminthes: Trematoda: Digenea) is considered as the most important helminth infection of ruminants in tropical countries, causing considerable socioeconomic problems. In the endemic regions of the North of Iran, Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica have been previously characterized on the basis of morphometric differences, but the use of molecular markers is necessary to distinguish exactly between species and intermediate forms. Samples from buffaloes and goats from different localities of northern Iran were identified morphologically and then genetically characterized by sequences of the first (ITS-1) and second (ITS-2) Internal Transcribed Spacers (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA). Comparison of the ITS of the northern Iranian samples with sequences of Fasciola spp. from GenBank showed that the examined specimens had sequences identical to those of the most frequent haplotypes of F. hepatica (n=25, 48.1%) and F. gigantica (n=20, 38.45%), which differed from each other in different variable nucleotide positions of ITS region sequences, and their intermediate forms (n=7, 13.45%), which had nucleotides overlapped between the two Fasciola species in all the positions. The ITS sequences from populations of Fasciola isolates in buffaloes and goats had experienced introgression/hybridization as previously reported in isolates from other ruminants and humans. Based on ITS-1 and ITS-2 sequences, flukes are scattered in pure F. hepatica, F. gigantica and intermediate Fasciola clades, revealing that multiple genotypes of Fasciola are able to infect goats and buffaloes in North of Iran. Furthermore, the phylogenetic trees based upon the ITS-1 and ITS-2 sequences showed a close relationship of the Iranian samples with isolates of F. hepatica and F. gigantica from different localities of Africa and Asia. In the present study, the intergenic transcribed spacers ITS-1 and ITS-2 showed to be reliable approaches for the genetic differentiation of Fasciola spp., providing bases for further studies on F. hepatica, F. gigantica and their intermediate forms in the endemic areas in Asia.