dr. majid alipour

In this research, the Neocomian–Cenomanian Garau Formation, in the surface outcrop of Kabir-Kuh Anticline (Ilam), has been subjected to geochemical evaluation using the Rock-Eval pyrolysis and organic petrographic techniques. For this purpose, 19 surface samples were taken at regular intervals of 30 meters. Results from this study indicated that there is a highly organic-rich zone at the base of the Garau Formation. A relatively organic-rich zone exists in the middle parts of the Garau Formation, which progressively changes into organic-poor succession upward in the studied section. Based on the Rock-Eval pyrolysis results, the studied samples from the Garau Formation have little hydrocarbon generation potential and are highly mature in the studied section. Also, according to organic petrographic observations, the organic-rich succession of the Garau Formation contains abundant solid bitumen with framboidal pyrite. Accordingly, it can be concluded that anoxic conditions existed in the paleo-depositional environment of the Garau Formation. At present-day conditions, the studied formation can be important in terms of unconventional hydrocarbon resources (gaseous hydrocarbons trapped inside organic porosity).

In this study, the organic facies and depositional environments of the Pabdeh Formation are investigated in the Rag-e-Sefid Oilfield located in the southern Dezful Embayment. Little information exists about the organic facies properties of this source rock in the Zagros basin. In the present study, a total of 4 cutting samples were collected from well No. 99 of the Rag-e-Sefid Oilfield. These samples are characterized by a combination of Rock-Eval pyrolysis and organic petrographic techniques. Based on the diagrams of Tmax versus HI, the studied samples contain type II/III kerogen with thermal maturity corresponding to the early stages of the oil generation window. Organic petrographic results are consistent with the presence of a highly organic-rich zone in the middle parts of the Pabdeh Formation, while the upper and lower parts are poor in organic matter. The organic-rich part of the Pabdeh Formation contains abundant amorphous organic matter, bituminite, and framboidal pyrite typical of anoxic depositional environment. The organic-poor sections on the other hand contain negligible organic matter with euhedral secondary pyrite in a light-colored matrix, which suggests oxic depositional condition. These observations suggest that different parts of the Pabdeh Formation were deposited under different environmental conditions. Only the middle part of the Pabdeh Formation has considerable potential for hydrocarbon generation.

In this study the hydrocarbon generation potential and depositional environments of the Pabdeh Formation in the Siah-Makan Oilfield is investigated. For this purpose, a total of 21 cutting samples were collected from well#4 of the studied oil field from the Pabdeh Formation and were analyzed by Rock-Eval 6 pyrolysis method to evaluate the hydrocarbon potential. The HI versus Tmax diagram indicates type II/III kerogen for the studied formation with thermal maturity corresponding to the early stages of the oil generation window. Microscopic observations of selected samples indicates that samples with higher TOC readings contain fossil chambers filled with bituminite. In addition, these samples are characterized by a light-colored carbonate matrix which was deposited under oxic conditions. These observations suggest that the Pabdeh Formation has negligible hydrocarbon potential in the Siah-Makan Oilfield and was deposited under oxic conditions. A Combination of Rock-Eval pyrolysis and organic petrographic methods can be useful for accurate geochemical evaluation of the Pabdeh Formation in future studies.

With the development of information technology, electronic health (e-health) systems are used as a common approach to recording patients' medical data. Given that medical information is an essential asset of individuals and the health system, there are severe concerns about secure sharing and preserving this information's privacy. In this paper, we propose a new identity-based encryption (IBE) method by bilinear pairings to ensure the confidentiality of patients' data and their privacy in cloud health systems; in this way, this plan also provides authentication for users using challenge-response mechanisms. In addition, the proposed scheme, using blockchain techniques, ensures integrity and precise access control for shared data. The correctness of the proposed protocol is verified, and its security is formally proven in the standard model. The implementation of our scheme is performed in Java, and the results show that the proposed scheme reduces the computational overhead compared to previous similar methods.

In this research, the organic matter present in the Pabdeh Formation is investigated using Rock-Eval pyrolysis and organic petrographic techniques. For this purpose, a total of 22 cutting samples were collected at 50-meter intervals from 3 wells in the Kilur-Karim Oilfield. According to hydrogen index (HI) versus maximum temperature (Tmax) diagrams, the Pabdeh Formation in this oilfield contains type II/III kerogen, with thermal maturity corresponding to the early stages of hydrocarbon generation. In general, according to the Rock-Eval pyrolysis data, the middle parts of the Pabdeh Formation show a higher potential for hydrocarbon generation. On the other hand, organic petrography results show that samples from the middle parts of the Pabdeh Formation contain high amounts of amorphous organic matter along with solid bitumen. In addition, the upper and lower parts of this formation contain lower amounts of organic matter and mainly have abundant fossil content. A combination of results from two analytical techniques reveals that the Pabdeh Formation in the Kilur-Karim Oilfield contains a relatively organic-rich zone in the middle, which is surrounded by organic-poor facies above and below. These results can be helpful for a better understanding of the organic facies and palaeodepositional environments of the Pabdeh Formation in the study area.

Megacities recently are experiencing a shortage of green spaces basically due to an increase in both urbanization demand and residential complexes. In order to solve this problem and create sustainable urban development, green roofs have been suggested as one of the useful options. Therefore, it is necessary to pay special attention to its use so that we can witness the creation of urban facilities and welfare along with the preservation of citizens' health. The purpose of this research is to evaluate and prioritize effective criteria in the development of green roof. For doing so, by using library studies and experts' opinions, the criteria were extracted and classified into three environmental, economic and social groups, consisting of thirteen sub-criteria. After checking and confirming validity and reliability and collecting questionnaires distributed among experts, data analysis has been done using the best-worst method. The results shows that economic indicator attract the highest priority among others. Additionally, the most important sub-criteria in environmental, economic, and social groups was air quality, roof longevity, and public health, respectively. Finally, the respective highest and lowest scores were assigned to roof longevity and biodiversity when all criteria were considered. However these results may change in other countries .

Bacterial urinary tract infections are observed in all age groups due to the development of antibiotic-resistant species. This study aimed to investigate resistance genes gyrase subunit A (gyrA), topoisomerase IV (parC) subunit gene, beta lactamase (blaZ), erythromycin ribosome methylase (ermC), ermB, and ermA in Staphylococcus saporophyticus isolated from patients with urinary tract infections (UTIs) in Mazandaran Province, Iran.
Materials &

In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 3280 clinical samples were collected from patients with UTIs in Mazandaran Province from April to December 2022. Isolates were identified by biochemical tests. Microbial sensitivity tests were performed by disk diffusion method according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to check the presence of resistance genes.

Out of a total of 3280 clinical samples collected, 2088 samples were detected by biochemical tests at the genus level. Escherichia coli (55.22%) and staphylococci (21.59%) were the most frequent bacterial isolates. S. saprophyticus was identified in 52 (2.49%) samples. The frequency of gyrA and parC genes in S. saprophyticus isolates was 23 and 1.92%, respectively. The blaZ gene was observed in none of the samples. The prevalence of ermA, ermB, and ermC genes was 21, 1.92, and 26%, respectively.
 The antibiogram test showed that the highest frequency of resistance to erythromycin, azithromycin, and clarithromycin was 70, 36, and 20%, respectively.

According to the present study findings, rapid detection of these strains in hospitals leads to more effective control of the spread of these strains.

In this study, the hydrocarbon potential and depositional environments of the Laffan Formation in the Binak Oilfield is investigated. Rock-Eval pyrolysis results indicate that the Laffan Formation contains a mixed type II/III kerogen. Based on the classification of the source rock in terms of total organic carbon (TOC) content, the Laffan Formation can be classified as a good to very good source rock. According to the plots of S1+S2 versus TOC, the Laffan Formation has weak to excellent hydrocarbon potential in the Binak Oilfield. However, organic petrographic inspections showed that the main components of the organic matter are inertinite, bituminite along subordinate amounts of amorphous organic matter. The predominance of Inertinites together with minor Liptinites confirms the type II and IV kerogen mixture in the studied formation. It is noteworthy that the presence of bituminite has a noticeable impact on the results of Rock-Eval pyrolysis. Therefore, in this study, the organic geochemistry of the Laffan Formation was evaluated using organic petrographic results. Accordingly, it is concluded that the organic matter in the Laffan Formation consists mainly of inertinite and bituminite with minor amounts of Liptinites. Therefore, significant hydrocarbon generation potential cannot be expected from this formation in the Binak Oilfield. Considering the public shape of the chromatograms obtained from PY-GC analysis, which show that the initial depositional environment of the Laffan Formation was predominantly oxic marine. The results of this study can be useful for better understanding the Cretaceous hydrocarbon system in the study area.

 Uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains are the most common cause of urinary tract infections in nosocomial and community-acquired infections. Phenotypic characteristics of Escherichia coli isolates in patients with urinary tract infections vary from region to region. Therefore, studying the phenotypic properties of the bacterium is very important.

 In the current study, 100 strains of Escherichia coli were detected from urine samples of patients with urinary tract infections in Mazandaran province, Babol. This study aimed to investigate the properties of metallic green sheen, beta hemolysis, and Ortho-nitrophenyl-β-D-galactopyranoside (ONPG) test of Escherichia coli.

 The most common bacterium isolated from urinary tract infections was E. coli (68.02%). In the present study, the properties of beta hemolysis, metallic green sheen, and ONPG in uropathogenic E. coli were 1, 80, and 100%, respectively.

 The results of this study showed that 20% of E. coli strains lacked metallic green sheen, which should be identified through the IMViC test and other biochemical tests.

Helicobacter pylori is a gram-negative, microaerophilic, and curved or spiral bacterium that lives in the stomach of 50% of humans. The bacterium causes various diseases, containing gastritis, stomach ulcer, and gastric cancer. Hence, eradicating the bacterium from the stomach is essential. Using several antibiotics to treat and eliminate H. pylori and creating resistant strains cause an imbalance of the normal intestinal flora. Therefore, the use of new therapies, such as the use of probiotics, is of particular importance. Yogurt contains probiotics such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium that balance the gastrointestinal microflora. Fruit and vegetable extracts are suitable carriers for probiotics. In this research, articles published in various sources were studied, including Web of Sciences databases, PubMed, Scopus, Elsevier, Wiley, Springer, and Google Scholar search engines. The search was conducted using the keywords H. pylori, probiotic therapy, gastritis, and stomach cancer. Probiotics produce different types of antibacterial compounds, including lactic acid, short-chain fatty acids, hydrogen peroxide, and bacteriocin. Therefore, they can play an important role in the treatment of H pylori infection. Various studies have shown that Lactobacillus spp., Bifidobacterium spp., Pediococcus strains, and Saccharomyces boulardii have had inhibitory effects on H. pylori in vivo and in vitro. A combination of probiotics and antibiotics is more effective in eradicating and treating infections caused by H. pylori. Probiotics reduce inflammation by binding to epithelial cells and controlling the excretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines. Lactobacillus salivarius inhibits the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-8 stimulated by H. pylori in gastric epithelial cells.

In this study, the hydrocarbon potential and depositional environments of the Coniacian Laffan formation were investigated in the Binak oilfield, SW Iran. With an average thickness of 80 m, the Laffan formation consists mainly of gray shales and thin argillaceous limestones in the study area. In order to investigate the hydrocarbon potential, 22 cutting samples from 5 wells of the Binak oilfield were analyzed by Rock-Eval 6 pyrolysis and organic petrographic techniques. The hydrogen index (HI) versus Tmax diagrams indicated mixed-type II/III kerogen with a maturity corresponding to the early stages of the oil window (Tmax ≈ 435 °C). In addition, plots of S1+ S2 versus TOC were consistent with a weak to excellent hydrocarbon potential for the Laffan formation. On the other hand, organic petrographic techniques indicated that the primary organic constituents of the Laffan formation are inertinite and bituminite with subordinate amounts of amorphous organic matter (AOM). In other words, the contained organic matter was mainly composed of inertinite and lacked significant hydrocarbon potential. An abundance of inertinite and the conspicuous absence of vitrinite macerals in the studied samples suggested that the Laffan formation was deposited under sub-oxic marine conditions. Furthermore, the presence of bituminite in the studied samples greatly influenced the Rock-Eval pyrolysis readings, so geochemical evaluation of the Laffan formation using only Rock-Eval pyrolysis data may lead to erroneous interpretations. Therefore, a combination of Rock-Eval and organic petrographic methods is necessary for reliable geochemical evaluation of the Laffan formation. The results of this study can be useful for a better understanding of the Cretaceous hydrocarbon system in the study area.

In the present study, the thermal performance of the air-side compact heat exchanger of an automotive condenser in the three-dimensional model has been numerically simulated based on the design of experiment (DOE). For this purpose, the effective geometrical parameters such as fin pitch, louvre pitch, louvre angle, fin height and fin width and their effects on condenser thermal performance are studied and investigated. Finally, for parameters effective on the compact heat exchanger operation, such as air-side heat transfer coefficient, static pressure drop and other thermal parameters, relationships are extracted based on the design of experiment which decrease the computational cost with the least error. The results show quantitatively that by increasing the fin length, louver angle, louver pitch and decreasing the fin pitch, the heat transfer rate increases by about 42%. Also, the results show that the heat dissipation, heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop, have improved by 8.1%, 5% and 10.5% respectively compared to recent numerical results. Eventually parametric studies including the effect of ambient temperature, condenser wall temperature and vehicle speed on thermal performance and pressure drop are presented.

 Klebsiella pneumoniae is known as one of the most important factors in the development of opportunistic infections. The main problem in the treatment of infections caused by these organisms is the emergence of strains with multiple resistance, which often leads to prolonged hospital stays, increased mortality and mobility, increased treatment costs compared to antibiotic-sensitive microbes, and ultimately treatment failure. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of CTX-M, OXA  and KPC genes in Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates obtained from patients.

 In this study, 63 isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae were obtained from different clinical specimens. After final diagnosis of the strains using standard biochemical and microbiological methods, cellular DNA was obtained using Cinaclon's DNA extraction kit. Finally, multiplex-PCR test was performed to evaluate the presence of OXA -48, CTX-M and KPC genes in Eppendorf device using a pair of specific primers.

 Out of 63 samples under study, 29 samples (46%) from urine, 15 samples (23.8%) from sputum, 9 samples (41.3%) from fecal samples, 5 samples (7.9%) from wound culture and 4 samples (6.3%) were obtained from intravascular catheter of blood culture and 1 (1.6%) sample was obtained from cerebrospinal fluid. The results of PCR test for the studied genes showed that 49 (77.8%), 49 (77.8%) and 46 (73%) strains carried OXA, KPC and CTX-M genes, respectively.

 The results of this study indicate that the frequency of resistance genes in Klebsiella pneumoniae strain is high and these strains can transfer resistance genes with high potential to other strains. Therefore, detection of Klebsiella pneumoniae strains containing beta-lactamase resistance enzymes is important for better treatment and prevention of the spread of these genes to other bacteria using accurate phenotypic and genotypic methods.

Klebsiella pneumoniae is one of the most important causes of opportunistic infections, including lobar pneumonia, urinary tract infection (UTIs), and wound infection. Treatment of disease caused by this bacterium has also become a challenge, as many strains are resistant to all β-lactam antibiotics. Metallo-β-lactamases hydrolyze most β-lactam antibiotics, especially carbapenems, but cannot inactivate monobactams. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Metallo-β-lactamase genes (blaIMP, blaVIM, and blaNDM) in K. pneumoniae isolated from clinical specimens.

Clinical samples were collected from hospitals of Mazandaran province. Among 500 clinical samples collected, only 40 Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates were detected by culture and biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed on all isolates by the Kirby-Bauer method. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was used for the identification of blaIMP, blaVIM, and blaNDM genes.

Antibiogram by disk diffusion method showed that 21 (52%) and 19 (48%) isolates were classified as imipenem resistant and sensitive, respectively. Of all the samples, 30 (75%), 7 (17.5%), and 36 (90%) contained blaVIM, blaIMP, and blaNDM genes, respectively. The co-existence of the blaVIM and blaNDM genes was observed in 22 (55%) isolates. The presence of both blaIMP and blaNDM genes was confirmed in 2 (5%) of the isolates. Four isolates (10%) had blaNDM, blaIMP, and blaVIM genes simultaneously, but none of these genes were present in one isolate (2.5%).

This study showed that the prevalence of metallo-β-lactamase genes in K. pneumoniae isolated from clinical specimens is very high, so it is recommended that physicians treat patients based on phenotypic and genotypic characteristics.

Songs encompass the main body of knowledge and culture, known as folklore. They are works of unknown producers and singers, passing down from generation to generation by words of mouth. Folk songs, according to most scholars, are the voices of the inferior walks of life who talk to us from the depths of history. The simplicity and sincerity of folklore works, together with other historical documents and references, enable us to reach a much more realistic and sensible view of the social history of communities. This study focuses on the theme and content of the song "Rana" within a descriptive-analytical scheme using library sources and field research to know what capacity the research in the folklore of regions does offer for social history studies. The folklore song "Rana" is a lamentation on the adventurous life of a woman from the foothills of East Gilan and, besides its literary and artistic aspects, refers to the social history of the masses of people and the socio-political structure of this region in the feudalism era, making it relevant in the study of social history.

The Qale-Nar Oilfield is an asymmetric two-humped anticline located in the northernmost part of the Dezful Embayment, in which the fractured Asmari carbonates are the main reservoir rock. In this study, for the first time, the organic geochemistry of oils produced from the Asmari reservoir are used to investigate the reservoir continuity and possible compartmentalization. For this end, geological information from the studied oilfield were combined with bulk geochemistry (e.g., ˚API gravity) and molecular characteristics (e.g., GC and GCMS data) of produced oils. Two oil samples obtained from well # 6 and well # 10 of the studied oil field indicate significant differences in terms of their bulk and molecular geochemical properties. Accordingly, a scenario was presented to better explain the reservoir charging and compartmentalization in the Qale-Nar Oilfield. In this scenario, low-maturity hydrocarbon pulses first charge the eastern culmination of the Qale-Nar Oilfield. The activity of a fault plane located between well # 6 and well # 10 could induce a barrier between the two wells. Consequently, the late hydrocarbon charges with higher maturity could only charge the compartment belonging to well # 6. Therefore, well # 10 could not receive these high-maturity hydrocarbon pulses due to the lack of lateral connectivity. The information obtained from this study can be of great help in future reservoir studies with important implications for field development projects and enhanced-recovery plans.

The occurrence of barren anticlines in the vicinity of major hydrocarbon fields producing from individual ‎reservoirs in the south of the Dezful Embayment unveils the structural complexity of the area and the ‎intricacy of the processes of hydrocarbon generation, migration and entrapment. In this study, we ‎investigate the possible genetic relationships between the Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous reservoirs on one ‎hand, and the Upper Cretaceous-Tertiary reservoirs on the other. A comprehensive geochemical approach ‎is undertaken to identify genetic oil families in the study area and throw some light on the existing ‎petroleum systems. Bulk geochemical properties and molecular fingerprints support the existence of two ‎distinct oil families within the Khami Group (Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous) and the Asmari-Sarvak (Upper ‎Cretaceous-Tertiary) reservoirs. Source and maturity related biomarker parameters well suggest differing ‎source rocks for these oil families. Oils in the Asmari-Sarvak family indicate a uniform thermal maturity ‎equivalent to the middle oil window. These oils have originated from a marly-carbonate source rock with ‎mixed marine-terrigenous organic matter input that was deposited under anoxic to semi-anoxic ‎conditions. The oils in the Khami Group family are derived from an older Early Cretaceous source rock ‎deposited under dysoxic to semi-anoxic conditions that could receive significant inputs of terrigenous ‎organic matter. These oils are most likely generated at the peak of oil generation window from their ‎parent source rock. Data from this study suggest that the immature Pabdeh Formation is a subordinate ‎source rock of the Asmari-Sarvak oil family that could play a minor impregnating role.‎

Seafood is among the very perishable foodstuffs. For this reason, a lot of researches have focused on improving the quality of fish and increasing the shelf-life of fishery products, including the use of edible films, modified atmosphere, freezing and control of temperature. Storage in the refrigerator is one of the methods used in fish supply centers to keep quality and extend the product shelf-life. The storage of fish and seafood in the refrigerator decreases the enzymatic and chemical activity and activity of microorganisms. However, undesirable changes occur during refrigerator storage, which leads to a decrease in quality. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain the product quality by combining protective factors. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the preservation effects of salt/sugar solutions treatment on quality of fish fingers made from silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) fillets during refrigerated storage (4ºC).

The prepared fillets (about 100 g in weight) were soaked in cold 10% salt/sugar solutions for 30 min, allowed to drain for 15 min in refrigerator and after bone separation were minced. Fish fingers were prepared after adding the ingredients and mixing, and then packaged and stored in refrigerator for 15 days. The treatments of study were as: fish fingers without any treatment (control sample), samples made from treated fillet with salt/sugar solution(50 / 50) (T2), samples made from treated fillet with salt/sugar solution (75 / 25) (T3) and fish fingers made from treated fillet with salt solution (100 %) (T4). Physicochemical, microbial (TVC and PTC) and sensory characteristics were measured at days 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15.

PV, TBA and TVB-N values were increased significantly in all treatments (p<0.05). Lowest TVC count was obtained in treatment 2 at day 15 (5.8 log CFU/g). According to the obtained results, treatment 2 was the best treatment in sensory characteristics. Osmotic treatment increased the shelf-life of fillets and their products, due to the effect of preventing these solutions against the growth of spoilage bacteria, which ultimately resulted in the reduction of corrosive products such as TBA and TVB- N. The results of this study showed that osmotic solutions have the potential to replace the thermal and chemical treatments to produce a quality and healthy product with an apparent consumer sentiment.

Chemometric methods can enhance geochemical interpretations, especially when working with large datasets. With this aim, exploratory hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) methods are used herein to study the bulk pyrolysis parameters of 534 samples from the Persian Gulf basin. These methods are powerful techniques for identifying the patterns of variations in multivariate datasets and reducing their dimensionality. By adopting a “divide-and-conquer” approach, the existing dataset could be separated into sample groupings at family and subfamily levels. The geochemical characteristics of each category were defined based on loadings and scores plots. This procedure greatly assisted the identification of key source rock levels in the stratigraphic column of the study area and highlighted the future research needs for source rock analysis in the Persian Gulf basin.

Studies concerning on esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) etiological factors have been done for several decades, however, results reported from various investigations were not consistent. The present investigation aimed to explore the presence of 3 oncogenic viruses, human papilloma virus (HPV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) in the neoplastic and non- neoplastic esophageal lesions collected from Mazandaran, a high risk area of Iran. In total, 168 esophageal specimens (100 with ESCC confirmed diagnosis and 68 without esophageal malignancy) were analyzed for HPV, EBV and MCPyV by Real Time PCR. HPV DNA was detected in 27 out of the 100 neoplastic esophageal lesions (27.0%) and 28 out of the 68 samples from non-neoplastic group (41.2%). EBV DNA was detected in esophageal specimens of 10 out of the 100 neoplastic cases (10%) and 3 out of the 68 samples in non- neoplastic group (4.4%). MCPyV DNA was detected in esophageal specimens of 30 out of the 100 neoplastic cases (30.0%) and 24 out of the 68 samples in non- neoplastic group (35.3%). There was no statistically significant difference in HPV (p=0.066), EBV (p=0.143) and MCPyV (p=0.471) DNA positivity between neoplastic and non-neoplastic groups. This study showed that HPV, EBV and MCPyV can be detected in both neoplastic and non-neoplastic esophageal tissues and weakens the hypothesis of the pathogenic role of these viruses in esophageal malignant transformation.

Vibrio (v.) vulnificus strains are a human pathogenic bacteria that reside innately in coastal seawaters and shellfish. The bacteria can cause severe skin infections and quickly develop a lethal septicemia in immunocompromised individuals, who have eaten raw shellfish. The goal of this investigation was to define the prevalence of V. vulnificus in seawater samples collected from coastal seawaters. Three hundred seawater specimens were prepared during spring and summer. Isolated bacteria were confirmed by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique and by sequencing of PCR products. The PCR technique of 276 presumptive V. vulnificus isolates showed two (0.72%) positive amplifications of the gyrB gene. Vibrio vulnificus was isolated from specimens collected during the summer months. In the present investigation, the presence of V. vulnificus was confirmed in the coastal waters of Babolsar. Owing to the existence of the bacteria in the coastal water of Babolsar, it appears that swimming with an open wound during summer can result in skin infection and sepsis.

Staphylococcus saprophyticus is an important agent of urinary tract infections (UTIs), especially among young women. The aim of this study was to identify S. saprophyticus as a common cause of urinary tract infections and determine their antibiotic susceptibility. In this study, 51235 clinical samples were collected from therapeutic centers of Mazandaran. S. saprophyticus was confirmed by the real- time PCR technique through rrs gene and their antibiotic resistance pattern determined by disc diffusion method. Of the 51235 cultivated samples, only 2101 (4.1%) cases had significant bacteriuria. In this study, the prevalence of S. saprophyticus was 2.47%. Escherichia coli was the most common bacterium isolated from patients with UTIs at the rate of 61.06%. S. saprophyticus showed the highest frequency of antibiotic resistance to erythromycin at the rate of 80% and ampicillin and cefotaxime were ranked with the frequency of 55 and 17.5%, respectively. The present study shows that bacterial resistance is a potential problem in Mazandaran province.

Staphylococcus aureus is colonized in the human nasal cavity and would contaminate hospital and therapeutic environments. This bacterium has a genetic diversity in terms of resistance to antimicrobial agents. Therefore, the purpose of this study was identificatied of Methicillin and Vancomycin resistant genes in Staphylococcus aureus strains which has been isolated from the nasal cavity. 189 patients referred to Amol city health center were sampled. Staphylococcus aureus identification was performed by standard methods. Resistance to antibiotics of Vancomycin, Methicillin, Cefpime, Ceftriaxone, Cefixime, nalidixic acid, Cefazolin, Stiffenoxime, Cefotaxime, Ceftazidime, Imipenem and Ciprofloxacin were identified by disk diffusion method and recommendations of the Laboratory and Clinical Standardization Organization (CLSI). Polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect mecA, vanA and femB genes. 32.2% of the patients were carriers of Staphylococcus aureus in their nose. In this research, 68.85% of the isolates were resistant to Methicillin. 100% resistance to Cefixime and Nalidixic acid antibiotics was observed. Subsequently, the highest amounts of resistance belonged to Cefazolin (96.72%) and Cefepime (86.88%). Resistance to Vancomycin was 70.49%. The lowest amounts of resistance were observed in the two antibiotics Ciprofloxacin and Imipenem, with incidences of 6.55% and 9.83% in isolates, respectively. Genetically, no resistance was observed for Vancomycin and none of the tested isolates were carried vanA gene. Of 61 separated Staphylococcus aureus, 77.04% of them carried mecA gene and 90.16% of them had femB gene. This study showed that the main resistance to Penicillin, Oxacillin and Methicillin in Amol city is due to mecA and femB genes.

Commercial hydrocarbon discoveries in the Cretaceous of the southern Persian Gulf basin provide direct evidence that there is an effective petroleum system associated with the Cretaceous series. The revised models of thermal maturity in this region are needed to investigate lateral and stratigraphic variations of thermal maturity, which have not so far been addressed in detail for this part of the Persian Gulf. Such thermal maturity models are required to delineate the existing play assessment risks and to predict properties in more deeply buried undrilled sections. This study uses two dimensional basin modeling techniques to reconstruct maturity evolution of the Cenomanian Middle Sarvak source rock, presumably the most likely source for these hydrocarbons. The results indicate that an estimated 900 meter difference in the depth of burial between the southeastern high and the adjacent trough tends to be translated into noticeable variations at both temperature (135 °C versus 162 °C) and vitrinite reflectance (0.91% versus 1.35%). Since the organic matter in the mentioned source rock is of reactive type II, these could cause a shift of about 18 million years in the onset of hydrocarbon generation over respective areas.

Labor productivity is one the most important factors in achieving project success at different stages of a project. In this research a new method is presented to model labor productivity for different types of contractors based on system dynamic (SD) simulation. Using cause and effect feedback loops, a qualitative model is constructed. The relationships between different parameters are then determined by expert judgment and real data obtained from several real projects, and the quantitative model is built. The labor productivity is simulated by the proposed SD model considering all affecting factors. For higher accuracy, the model is examined on two types of contractors and two models are constructed. The total productivity of each contractor is obtained and the effect of different parameters on the labor productivity is investigated.