A new species of Paragigagnathus Amitai and Grinberg (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) from Iran

Paragigagnathus sistaniensis Kreiter, Arjmandi-Nezhad and Saboori n. sp. belongs to the tribe Neoseiulini, subfamily Amblyseiinae, is described and illustrated, based on females and males. The new species was collected from foliage of tamarisk trees in Sistan region, Sistan and Baluchestan province, southeastern Iran.

New species of primitive oribatid mite of the family Haplochthoniidae (Acari, Oribatida) from southeastern Iran

Haplochthoniidae is a small family within the superfamily Cosmochthonioidea and consists of only two genera and 17 species. In this paper a new species, Haplochthonius (Haplochthonius) longiapophysus sp. nov., is described and illustrated based on adult specimens sampled from soil in Sistan and Baluchestan province, southeastern Iran. The new species is characterised by very long prominent rostral apophyses; blade-like prodorsal and notogastral setae; genital plates with six and anal and adanal plates each with four pairs of setae, an1, ad1 and ad2 thicker than other ano-adanal setae; epimeral setation 3-2-2-3; solenidion φ of tibiae I very long, solenidion ω of tarsi I longer than famulus, seta d longer than solenidion on tibiae II and III. The new species is morphologically very similar to Haplochthonius (Haplochthonius) sanctaeluciae Bernini, 1973, however, the most significant differences between them is in the morphology of rostral apophyses and number and size of genital setae. The family Haplochthoniidae is recorded for the first time from Sistan and Baluchestan province. An updated diagnostic key to the adults of known species of Haplochthonius (Haplochthonius) is given.

RHD Genotyping of Rh-Negative and Weak D Phenotype among Blood Donors in Southeast Iran

Background: The D antigen is a subset of Rh blood group antigens involved in the hemolytic disease of the newborn [HDFN] and hemolytic transfusion reaction [HTR]. The hybrid Rhesus box that was created after RH gene deletion, was known as a mechanism of the Rh-negative phenotype. Hybrid marker identification is used to confirm the deletion of the RHD gene and to determine zygosity. This study aims to detect this marker in Rh-negative and weak D phenotype blood donors of the southeast of Iran. Materials and Methods: The molecular analysis of the hybrid Rhesus box was performed on the 200 Rh-negative blood donors in Sistan and Baluchestan province, southeast Iran. The presence of alleles responsible for the D variants was assessed by DNA sequencing in 26 weak D phenotype donors. Results: Of the 200 Rh-negative blood samples, 198 samples were homozygous (99%), and two samples were heterozygous (1%). Heterozygous samples had RHD*01N.73 allele and the RHD*01N.18 allele. Of the 26 samples with weak D phenotype, 16 partial DLO (61%), 4 partial DBT1 (15.3%), 2 partial DV type 2 (7.7%), 1 weak D type 1, 1 weak D type 4.2.3, 1weak D type 105 and 1 RHD (S103P) (4%) were determined. Conclusion: Since RHD gene deletion is the main mechanism of the Rh-negativity in Sistan and Baluchestan provinces, a hybrid Rhesus box marker can be used in resolving RhD typing discrepancies by RHD genotyping methods.

Investigating the Feasibility of Implementing a Cloud Seeding Project in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, South East of Iran

The water shortage is a challenge in many countries around the world. Today, the latest scientific and practical technologies are used to solve the problem of water shortage in arid and semi-arid regions. The optimal use of water resources as well as the use of novel methods of water extraction plays a significant role in alleviating the effects of this crisis. One of the methods used for increasing rainfall and water harvesting from the atmosphere is cloud seeding technology. The first step of this technique involves studying the target area and selecting the appropriate time and place for cloud seeding. The purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility of cloud seeding in Sistan and Baluchestan province, south east of Iran, for rainmaking. Therefore, using the parameters of precipitation, minimum temperature, relative humidity and cloudy parameter, the status and feasibility for rainmaking in the province were evaluated and suitable months for cloud seeding were determined. Accordingly, December, January, February and March were found to provide suitable conditions for seeding. In order to select suitable places for cloud seeding, zoning maps of precipitation, temperature and relative humidity in selected months as well as the topographic map of the province were prepared by GIS After fuzzyization and integration of these maps, the zoning map of suitable areas for cloud seeding in Sistan and Baluchestan province was drawn to select the most susceptible areas. The area surrounding Khash synoptic station and the southern areas of the province were found to be suitable for cloud seeding.

Demographic and Socio-Cultural Determinants of Intended and Unintended Pregnancies Among Women Under Cancer Treatment in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran

Background: One of the main concerns during cancer treatment is the occurrence of pregnancy due to its wide range of complications. Objectives: This study aimed to determine some influential factors on pregnancy during cancer treatment among women of reproductive ages that were under cancer treatment. Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated 133 women of reproductive age, who were under cancer treatment, as well as women who had undergone chemotherapy or radiotherapy up to one year ago in Sistan and Baluchestan Province. Data were collected from three medical centers in Zahedan from 2019 to 2020, using a researcher-made questionnaire. Results: Regarding the pregnancy rate, 23.0% of women had pregnancy during cancer treatment, including unintended (52.0%) and intended (48.0%) pregnancies that 55.0% of these pregnancies led to abortion, and 45.0% to livebirths. The results highlighted that during treatment women with and without pregnancy differed significantly in age (P = 0.001), ethnicity (P = 0.024), husband’s education level (P = 0.014), woman’s occupation (P = 0.021), couple’s agreement on number of children (P = 0.024), and physician consultation about contraceptives (P = 0.048). The main predictors of pregnancy were the woman’s age pregnancy (OR = 0.927, P = 0.011), occupation (OR = 0.358, P = 0.046), and ethnicity (OR = 2.49, P = 0.045). Conclusions: Considering the complications of pregnancy during cancer treatment, health planners should pay more attention to family planning for women under treatment, particularly in less developed regions.

Evaluating 10-year Changes in Relative Risk of Smear Positive Tuberculosis in Iran Using Spatial Modelling: 2010-2019

Background and Objectives According to the importance of preventing tuberculosis, it is necessary to identify areas with a high relative risk. Subjects and Methods This is an ecological study. To estimate the relative risk of SPTB (smear-positive tuberculosis), the number of SPTB cases and at-risk population for each province was extracted from the data set of the Tuberculosis and Leprosy Department of the Ministry of Health. Relative risk (RR) estimation was obtained using Log-Normal and BYM models. Deviance information criterion was used to compare the performance of the models. Analyses were done in WinBUGS1.4.3 and ArcGIS10.8 software. Results The highest relative risk was seen in 2010 for Sistan and Baluchestan Province as RR = 4.02 with (95%CI: 3.73-4.32) and the lowest for Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province with RR= 0.22 [95%CI: 0.13-0.35). The highest relative risk in Sistan and Baluchestan Province in 2020 was RR= 3.77 (95%CI: 3.45-4.01), and the lowest relative risk was in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad Province with RR= 0.21 (95% CI: 0.10-0.36). Conclusion The risk of tuberculosis was generally high in provinces bordering countries with high rates of tuberculosis and provinces with humid climates. The movement of populations from high-risk provinces and high-burden countries can be one of the main challenges in controlling tuberculosis. However, the pattern of risk reduction in provinces bordering high-risk countries shows relatively good progress in TB control programs and reminds us of the need for detailed studies on the pattern of increase in other provinces