ali sardari

Iran has a large area under cultivation, and reliable and timely crop yield forecasts are critical for making timely food supply decisions. As a result, several methods for estimating crop yield based on remote sensing observations have been published in recent years. One of the first and most critical steps in this study is to estimate real evapotranspiration using the SEBAL algorithm and high spatial and temporal resolution Landsat8 satellite images. The evapotranspiration obtained from satellite images was compared to evaporation data from the Zanjan synoptic meteorological station's evaporation pan, with statistical indicators (MAE=0/36, RMSE=0/45, R2 =0/94) indicating satisfactory results. The AquaCrop model and its four execution steps were used to simulate the product yield, and the necessary coefficients and data from the model were applied in satellite imagery calculations for each of these steps. For comparing CC data determined by satellite imagery and AquaCrop model, the RMSE, MAE, and R2 indices were respectively 11/06, 9/2 percent, and 0/94, and 0.633 and 0/359 mm/day and 0/95 for transpiration. The average yield was calculated to be 1/189 ton/ha in field pixels and its comparison with agricultural statistics and field studies (1-1/2 ton/ha) showed acceptable estimates for wheat yield in the area of this study.

Candidiasis is referred to a group of superficial and deep-tissue fungal infections often caused by Candida albicans. The superficial infections affect the oral, oropharynx, esophagus, and vaginal mucosa. The treatment of choice for these infections is the use of azoles, such as fluconazole. However, the increased use of these antifungal agents has led to the emergence of azole-resistant isolates of C. albicans. Different mechanisms have been suggested for the development of drug resistance, such as mutations in the encoding gene ERG11. Mutations in ERG11 result in changes in the ERG11p spatial construction and reduce the affinity between the protein and azole. This study aimed to determine the susceptibility profile of C. albicans clinical isolates to fluconazole using microdilution method. The present research was also targeted toward the detection of mutations that might be related to fluconazole resistance by the amplification and sequencing of ERG11 gene. This study was conducted on a total of 216 clinical isolates obtained from Mashhad, Isfahan, and Tehran cities in Iran, during 2016-2018. The clinical isolates were identified using molecular techniques. Furthermore, minimum inhibitory concentration (MICs) was determined according to the clinical and laboratory standards institute M27-A3 and M27-S4 documents. The concentration range for fluconazole was obtained as 0.063-64 μg/ml. In the resistant strains, ERG11 genes were amplified by specific primers. Subsequently, cycle sequencing reactions were performed on purified polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products in forward and reverse directions. Finally, the results were analyzed by MEGA (version 7) and Gene Runner software (version 6.5.30). Out of 216 strains, 100 (46.3%) species were identified as C. albicans. The MIC values for fluconazole had a range of 0.125-16 μg/ml with the MIC50 and MIC90 values of 0.5 and 1 μg/ml, respectively. Totally, 41 nucleotide changes were detected among 4 resistant isolates. In this regard, 4 out of 41 mutations in codons caused changes in ERG11p; however, these mutations did not lead to fluconazole resistance. Fluconazole resistance among clinical isolates is not merely due to the changes in ERG11p. This resistance may be also related to some other mechanisms, such as the prevention of the intracellular accumulation of the antifungal agent and alteration of the target enzyme to diminish drug binding.