Resumo Fundamento Tem sido demonstrado que um aumento dos níveis séricos de PON1 é protetor contra vários distúrbios. Foi relatado que vários polimorfismos de nucleotídeo único (SNPs, single nucleotide polymorphisms ) do gene PON1 estão associados a níveis e atividade de proteínas enzimáticas séricas. Objetivos Investigar a associação de SNPs do PON1 e atividade da paraoxonase sérica com a doença arterial coronariana (DAC). Métodos Foram estudados 601 pacientes não relacionados submetidos à angiografia coronária, incluindo aqueles com estenose >50% (N=266) e aqueles com estenose <30% (N=335). Os SNPs rs662 e rs840560 do gene da paraoxonase foram determinados utilizando o método ARMS-PCR e o SNP rs705379 foi genotipado utilizando análise de PCR-RFLP. A atividade da paraoxonase sérica foi medida utilizando paraoxon como substrato. O valor de p<0,05 foi considerado significante. Resultados A atividade da paraoxonase sérica não foi significativamente diferente entre os grupos de estudo. Após ajuste para idade, sexo, hipertensão, diabetes mellitus e dislipidemia, o genótipo GG e o modelo codominante de rs662 foram positivamente associados a uma angiografia positiva (respectivamente, OR = 2,424, IC 95% [1,123-5,233], p <0,05, OR = 1,663, IC 95% [1,086-2,547]). A atividade da paraoxonase sérica foi significativamente maior no alelo G e variante GG do polimorfismo rs662, alelo A e variante AA de rs854560 e alelo C e variante CC de rs705379. A análise de haplótipos mostrou que o haplótipo ATC foi significativamente mais prevalente no grupo com angiografia negativa. A análise entre os grupos indicou que o alelo A de rs662 foi significativamente associado à menor atividade da paraoxonase no grupo com angiografia positiva (p=0,019). Conclusões A presença do alelo G do polimorfismo de nucleotídeo único rs662 está independentemente associada ao aumento do risco de DAC.

Abstract Background It has been shown that increased serum PON1 levels are protective against several disorders. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the PON1 gene have been reported to be associated with serum enzyme protein levels and activity. Objective To investigate the association of SNPs of PON1 and serum paraoxonase activity with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods A total of 601 unrelated patients who underwent coronary angiography including those who had >50% stenosis (N=266) and those with <30% stenosis (N=335) were studied. The Paraoxonase gene rs662 and rs840560 SNPs were determined using the ARMS-PCR method and the rs705379 SNP was genotyped using PCR-RFLP analysis. Serum paraoxonase activity was measured using paraoxon as a substrate. A p value of p<0.05 was considered as significant. Results Serum paraoxonase activity was not significantly different between the study groups. After adjustment for age, sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia, the GG genotype and co-dominant model of rs662 was positively associated with a positive angiogram (respectively, OR=2.424, 95%CI [1.123-5.233], p<0.05, OR=1.663, 95%CI [1.086-2.547]). Serum paraoxonase activity was significantly higher in the G allele and GG variant of rs662, A allele and AA variant of rs854560 and C allele and CC variant of rs705379. The haplotype analysis has shown that the ATC haplotype was significantly more prevalent among the angiogram negative group. The analysis between groups indicated that the A allele of rs662 was significantly associated with lower paraoxonase activity in the positive angiogram group (p=0.019). Conclusions The presence of the G allele of the rs662 single nucleotide polymorphism is independently associated to increased risk of CAD.

Abstract Ecological capability evaluation is referred to as evaluation of potential capability of land and determination of its natural land use. In this paper, ecological capability of Lille Basin in Lahijan was evaluated for afforestation and forest expansion using Geographical Information Systems (GIS). For this purpose, information layers (slope, elevation, geographical directions, temperature, rainfall, humidity, soil type, and canopy cover) were prepared by digitizing the data obtained from concerned organizations. First, the layers were prepared based on coordinate systems and pixel value. Then, they were standardized using fuzzy membership functions. The evaluation criteria were prioritized with regard to expert opinion, and by using multi-criteria evaluation method (MCE) and analysis of hierarchic process (AHP), and the final weight of each criterion was determined. The weight for 8 criteria including elevation, soil type, canopy cover (%), directions, slope, temperature, humidity, rainfall were 0.330, 0.210, 0.128, 0.117, 0.076, 0.054, 0.046 and 0.210, respectively. According to these weights, elevation has the highest value and the slope is the lowest. The results suggest that ecological capability exhibits sensitivity to variations of different criteria and its distribution is directly correlated to ecological factors especially climatic and physiographical ones. The incompatibility index (0.09) also indicated that the weights were logical. Then valuation of the maps performed. Finally, based on these values, capabilities of each environmental unit were identified and potentials of the area for afforestation were determined in five capability classes.

ABSTRACT During the recent decades, deciduous forests have been molested by human intervention. Easy access, abundance and diversity of valuable forest products have led to increased population density, creating new residential areas and deforestation activities. Revealing changes is one of the fundamental methods in management and assessment of natural resources. This study is evaluated changes in forests area of 2013 using satellite images. In order to mapping the forest extent condition 2013, images of the mentioned years were digitized and geo-referenced by using the ground control points and the maps of mapping organization. After selecting the best set of band using the Bhattacharya distance index, the image classification was performed by using artificial neural network algorithm. Classification by neural network method 2013 in showed that it has a high overall accuracy equal to 95.96%.

This study aimed to compare the totally tubeless percutaneous nephrolithotomy and standard percutaneous nephrolithotomy techniques regarding their rates of success and complications in patients with kidney stones. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups. Forty-four patients (24 men; mean age: 50.40±2.02 years) received totally tubeless percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL; no nephrostomy catheter or ureteral catheter after PCNL) and 40 patients (18 men; mean age: 49.95±13.38 years) underwent standard PCNL (a nephrostomy catheter and ureteral catheter were used after PCNL). All surgeries were performed by one surgeon. Postoperative changes in hemoglobin, the blood transfusion rate, changes in creatinine levels, operation time, analgesic need, hospitalization time, and complication rate were compared between the groups. No significant differences were observed in age, gender, stone size, and surgery side between the groups (P<0.05). The operation time was significantly lower in the totally tubeless PCNL group than in the standard PCNL group (P=0.005). Pethidine requirements were significantly higher in the standard PCNL group than the totally tubeless PCNL group (P=0.007). Hospitalization time was significantly higher in the standard PCNL group than in the totally tubeless PCNL group (P<0.0001). The complication rate was 15% in the standard PCNL group and 9.1% in the totally tubeless PCNL group (P=0.73). The totally tubeless PCNL technique is safe and effective, even for patients with staghorn stones. This technique is associated with decreased pain, analgesic needs, and operative and hospitalization time. We believe that a normal peristaltic ureter is the best drainage tube.

Abstract Well productivity of gas condensate reservoirs is highly affected by near-wellbore phenomena. Inertial force resulting from convective acceleration of fluid particles in the medium, as well as viscous force, determines the flow of gas through porous media at high velocity. Pressure drop builds up the molar content of water in gas by water vaporization in the near-wellbore region, which means a drop in connate water saturation. Given that the inertial force is a function of the non-Darcy coefficient, β, which itself depends upon connate water saturation, this can ultimately lessen the non-Darcy component of the pressure drop and therefore inertial forces, leading to improvement of well deliverability. Currently, no physically relevant model takes into account the non-Darcian flow coefficient variation due to this phenomenon. This paper utilizes a single-well compositional simulation to exhibit how water vaporization could compensate for the effect of inertia on well productivity of gas condensate reservoirs.

Taxus baccata é uma espécie nativa das florestas do Cáspio e é considerada como a identificação dessas florestas por alguns recursos. O objetivo deste estudo foi compreender as características ecológicas de T. baccata visando encontrar áreas adequadas para seu cultivo no parque Pone Aram da província de Golestan. Para isto, foram utilizados métodos de avaliação de diferentes critérios baseados no processo hierárquico de análise. A princípio, neste processo os índices naturais necessários e eficazes foram usados como 10 parâmetros. Em seguida, o mapa final de áreas adequadas para o plantio de T. baccata foi produzido com base nos modelos de Bolian e MCE. De acordo com os resultados do modelo de Bolian, aproxidamente 6218 ha da área total do local de estudo (30.554ha) foram estimados como adequados e semi adequados e 24.336ha foram estimados como impróprios pelo modelo MCE. Isto mostrou que, de toda a área de estudo, 30.554ha, cerca de 2.482 são adequados para plantação de T. baccata e 6181ha não são adequados para o plantio de T. baccata. Considerando os resultados dos métodos de MCE e Bolian concluiu-se que, para os parâmetros ecológicos dinâmicos em delimitação de áreas adequadas para plantação de T. baccata plantação de MCE é mais apropriado do que de Bolian. Usando os resultados deste estudo, é possível adequar áreas para T. baccata e executar um plano para facilitar o plantio de T. baccata em florestas do norte do Irã (bacias hidrográficas 88).

Taxus baccata is a native species to the Caspian forests and is considered as the identification of these forests by some resources. The aim of this study was to understand the ecological characteristics of T. baccata in order to find suitable areas for its plantation in the Pone Aram preserve of Golestan province. Therefore, Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) methods based on Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) were used. In this process at first the needed and effective natural indexes were used as 10 parameters. Then the final map of suitable areas for T. baccata plantation were produced based on Bolian and MCE models. According to the results, in Bolian method about 6218 ha of the total area of the study site (30554 ha) were estimated as suitable and semi suitable and 24336 ha were estimated as unsuitable for MCE model showed that about 2482 ha of the whole 30554 ha area of the study site is adequate for T. baccata plantation and 6181 ha is not adequate for T. baccata plantation. Regarding the results of the MCE and Bolian methods it has been concluded that for dynamic ecological parameters in delineation of suitable areas for T. baccata plantation the MCE weighting is more appropriate than Bolian. Using the results of this investigation it is possible to adequate areas for the presence of T. baccata and to execute a plan in order to facilitate the plantation of T. baccata in northern forests of Iran (watershed 88).

Due to the lack of information regarding the phenomena of mass, heat, and momentum transfer in coated paper drying, substantial research work still needs to be done. A simulation model for coated paper drying is introduced which integrates heat and mass transfer mechanisms. In the model, the coated paper was assumed to have 3 layers (coated layer, wet and dry layers of the base paper), in which the thickness of each layer is a function of drying time and condition. The thickness of the wet layer of the base paper was considered to be a function of water permeability rate that in turn is a function of the moisture diffusion coefficient, time and drying rate. Movement of vapor resulting from evaporation in the middle layer was assumed to be a combination of laminar bulk flow and molecular diffusion. Radiation absorption was used as a diminishing exponential model, which depends on moisture content. Hot air and super heated vapor were used as drying fluids. Functional variables were temperature, drying fluid velocity and delay time. To verify the simulation results two compositions were applied for the coating suspension. The simulation results matched well with experimental outcomes.