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The tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick, 1917) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is one of the most important pests causing significant economic losses in plant species belongingthe Solanaceae family. The preferred management method for T. absoluta currently involves insecticide application. However, beside the undesired effects of insecticides, chemical treatments can also negatively impact the efficiency of integrated pest management programs (IPM). Bacillus thuringiensis (Shigetane 1902) (Bacillales: Bacillaceae) (Bt) is a pathogen with formulations used as host-specific bioinsecticides. These formulations decompose quickly in the environment, thereby reducing non-target effects and residue problems compared to chemical pesticides. In this study, the effectiveness of six commercial Bt products, belonging to aizawai and kurstaki strains, against T. absoluta was assessed under laboratory conditions, using manufacturer-recommended doses. The efficacy of the Bt products varied between 70 and 97.5%. The lowest and highest mortalities were recorded in B. thuringiensis var. aizawai and B. thuringiensis var. kurstaki products, respectively. Mortality reached 100% within three days following insecticide treatments, whereas peak mortality in Bt applications was noted after a post-treatment period of fifteen days. These findings highlight the potential of certain Bt products as effective components of IPM programs for T. absoluta, suggesting the need for further field studies to optimize their use in agricultural practices.

 

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The elm leaf beetle Xanthogaleruca luteola Müller (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is a serious pest of elm (Ulmus spp.) throughout Iran. In the present study, Lethal and sublethal effects of neem, Achook^® containing 0.03% azadirachtin, were assessed on mortality, growth, larval weight and feeding deterrence as well as enzymatic and non-enzymatic activities of third instar larvae of the elm leaf beetle. LC₅₀ and LC₃₀ values of the third instar larvae 48 h post treatment were estimated to be 3.3 and 2.25 ppm respectively. Observations showed higher mortality, increase in larval duration, sterilization of adults, reduction in weight and feeding deterrence after LC₃₀ and LC₅₀ treatments. Biochemical analysis showed changes in the amounts of biochemical components in the treated larvae after 48 h. In the treated larvae, activity level of alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase and α-amylase as enzymatic components and urea and cholesterol as non-enzymatic ones changed significantly in LC₅₀ and LC₃₀ treatments. Aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, protein, glycogen, and glucose levels decreased in these treatments. The activity level of detoxifying enzymes such as esterase A, esterase B and glutathione S-transferase were significantly affected. Hence, neem is suggested as a safe product that may have the potential for use as a bioinsecticide in integrated pest management of urbanelms where use of chemical insecticides are discouraged.

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Age structure, growth and mortality index of 661 specimens of spirlin, Alburnoides eichwaldii, from Shirood River in Mazandaran Province were studied during April 2011 to March 2012. The average total length, weight and age of the specimens were 68.33 ± 16.92 mm, 4.9 ± 3.2 g and 1.32 ± 0.86 years, respectively. The fish were in the age range of 0⁺ to 3⁺, of which the 0⁺ year specimens dominanted the age groups in the river. The largest specimen was 111.4 mm in length and a weight of 15.5 g. Comparing total length and weight of fish showed significant differences various ages (P < 0.05). Based on Pauly formula, population growth pattern was negatively allometric (b = 2.94). Based on von Bertalanffy growth equation using the FiSAT program, L_∞, K and t₀ were 12.08, 0.55, and -0.47, respectively. The growth performance index was up to 3.65.  Mortality indices for the fish were calculated as 2.41, 1.19 and 1.22, respectively for the total (Z), natural (M) and fishing (F). Considering the ecological, biological and ornamental value of spirlin as well as its vulnerabilty to serious environmental degradation, such studies may be useful in the protection of the species.

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Culture filtrates (CF) of two species of the nematophagous fungi, Arthrobotrys oligospora and Arthrobotrys conoidesat three concentrations (25%, 50% and 100%) of stock, were tested on the mortality of second stage juveniles (J2) and egg hatching rate of Meloidogyne incognita and Meloidogyne javanica. Results showed that the percent juvenile mortality was directly proportional to concentration of the filtrates. Egg hatching rate of these nematodes was inversely affected by increasing concentrations. Also CFs had various impacts on the mortality of J2 and egg hatching rate. In case of M. incognita maximum J2 mortality (28.98%) occurred after 24 hours of exposure to A. conoides filtrate at concentration of 100%. The minimum toxicity (12.5% J2 mortality) was recorded for A. oligospora at 25% filtrate concentration. At the same time, the highest rate of J2 mortality of M. javanica (19.18%) belonged to the 100% concentration of A. conoides, while minimum toxicity belonged to 25% concentration of A. oligospora causing 9.09% mortality. Maximum egg hatching rate for M. incognita (30.75%) belonged to control and minimum hatching rate (1.25%) belonged to 100% concentration of A. conoides. The highest hatching rate of M. javanica (36.25%)belonged to control and minimum hatching rate (1.25%) occurred at 100% concentration of A. conoides.

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  Abstract: Colorado potato beetle (CPB), Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say),is the most important insect pest of potato in Iran. If local potato varieties vary in susceptibility to the pest, host plant resistance may provide management benefits to potato growers. A life table study was carried out to determine the relative suitability of four common potato varieties (Agria, Marfona, Savalan and Satina) for CPB development and reproduction in northwest Iran under laboratory conditions at 23 ± 3 ºC, 62 ± 10% RH, and natural photoperiod. Developmenttime and hence generation time was longest on Savalan (31.07 ± 0.48 d and 42.72 ± 0.71 d respectively) and shortest on Agria (27.8 ± 0.65 d and 35.99 ± 0.8 d respectively). Juvenile mortality was highest (47.5%) on Satina and lowest (22.5%) on Marfona. Intrinsic rates of increase (r) were 0.129 ± 0.005, 0.127 ± 0.005, 0.129 ± 0.006 and 0.104 ± 0.004, on Agria, Marfona, Satina and Savalan, respectively, that on Savalan being significantly lower than the others.The highest net reproductive rate was 145.26 ± 25.23 on Marfona and the lowest was 81.18 ± 2.71 on Savalan which was not significantly different among the cultivars. It seems that, among the four tested cultivars, the Savalan cultivar is less suitable to CPB, resulting in the poorest overall biological performance of the beetle, but the level of resistance did not appear sufficient to negate the need for other control methods.

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Aims: Influenza A virus subtype H1N1, known as H1N1 influenza virus, could cause moderate to severe swine influenza in humans. H1N1 influenza is associated with high mortality rate. Effective symptom management could significantly reduce the mortality rate. This study aimed to determine the clinical manifestations, outcomes, and predictors of mortality in patients with H1N1 influenza, admitted to hospitals during January to September 2016.
Materials & Methods: This retrospective descriptive-analytical study was conducted during January to September 2016 in eight hospitals located in Razavi Khorasan province, northeastern Iran. The medical records of 65 patients were retrieved, and the necessary data were extracted from the records using a demographic questionnaire and a clinical manifestations checklist. The SPSS software Version 23.0 was used to analyze the data via the measures of descriptive statistics and the logistic regression analysis with odds ratio.
findings: The most common clinical manifestations of H1N1 influenza were headache (70.8%), numbness in the extremities (63.1%), myalgia (60%), cough (58.5%), fever and shivering (53.8%), and nausea (53.8%). In total, 14 (21.53%) patients had died due to H1N1 influenza. The significant predictors of death were dyspnea (OR: 13.91, p: .032), myalgia (OR: 0.04. p: .010), and age (OR: 1.05, p: .024) so that dyspnea and myalgia were associated with 13.9 and 0.04 times higher odds of death, respectively. Moreover, each one year increase in age was associated with 5% increase in the odds of experiencing death.
Conclusions: In the case of H1N1 influenza epidemics, care services need to be allocated more to patients who have higher age and suffer from myalgia and dyspnea.

 

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The bioactivity of leaf extracts of Helianthus annuus L. against Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier) in stored paddy rice varieties was evaluated in the laboratory of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria at ambient temperature of 28 ± 2 °C and 75 ± 5% relative humidity. Standard methods were used to determine toxicity of the plant powders and extracts, to S. cerealella based on weight loss, adult emergence, adult mortality and developmental periods. Paddy rice from previously categorized susceptible and moderately susceptible varieties was used for the research work. The adult mortality was assessed at 24, 48 and 72 hours of application. The solvent extracts of the plant significantly reduced or prevented adult emergence of S. cerealella. Also there was an increase in the developmental period (P > 0.05) and reduction or prevention of seed weight loss. Adult mortality of 100% was observed in S. cerealella in paddy treated with 4% petroleum ether leaf extract in FARO 44 as compared with 100% mortality in FARO 52 paddy treated with 3% petroleum ether leaf extract. Lowest adult moth mortality of 30.33% and 35.20% were observed in 1% ethanolic leaf extract treated in FARO 44 and FARO 52 respectively. Results showed that H. annuus plant parts in combination with the susceptible paddy variety, FARO 52 increased mortality of adult S. cerealella and prolonged developmental periods. Both the powder and the extracts of this plant could be produced on commercial scale and incorporated into pest management programmes.  

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Aims: Infectious diseases are among the most serious diseases that may lead to death in many parts of the world. This study was conducted to investigate the main causes of mortality among patients hospitalized in the infectious ward and respiratory ICU of Sina hospital in Hamadan.
Materials & Methods: The medical records of patients hospitalized from March 2012 to March 2017 in the infectious ward and respiratory ICU were investigated, those not surviving during the hospitalization.
Findings: A total of 593 medical records of patients were reviewed, of which 534 cases were enrolled in this study. Among which, 426 (79.8 %) and 108 (20.2%)cases were related to patients hospitalized in the respiratory ICU and infectious ward, respectively The mortality rate during 2012 to 2016 was calculated as follows: 4.69% in 2012, 6.31% in 2013, 4.68% in 2014, 5.2% in 2015, and 5.8% in 2016. This study results showed that the most common causes of mortality were sepsis (44.4%) in the respiratory ICU and pneumonia (25.3%) in the infectious ward. The highest rates of case fatality were related to sepsis (237cases, 48.2%) and pulmonary embolism (15 cases, 44.1%).
Conclusions: The present study findings showed that sepsis and pneumonia were the most common causes of death among patients hospitalized in the infectious diseases ward and respiratory ICU; also, sepsis and pulmonary embolism accounted for the highest case fatality rates.

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Backgrounds: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is considered as a global health challenge, and Iran is among the top ten countries with the highest mortality rate. This study aimed to analyze epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory features of hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 infected patients and identify the risk factors of mortality among them to facilitate the prioritization of resources and vaccine allocation in the population using data available in a large university hospital in Tehran, Iran.
Materials & Methods: From February 20 to May 14, 2020, a total of 684 COVID-19 confirmed cases were admitted to Imam Hossein University hospital in Tehran and enrolled in this retrospective observational study.
Findings: The mean age of the participants was 59.48±16.65 years, and 55.8% were male. Compared to survivors, non-survivors (n=127, 18.57%) were older (69.09±14.16 vs. 57.29±16.40), had higher average number of comorbidities, and more frequently suffered from dyspnea, convulsion, loss of consciousness (LOC), tachycardia, tachypnea, and hypoxia. They also had higher levels of leukocytes, neutrophil count, C-reactive protein (CRP), creatine phosphokinase (CPK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), international normalized ratio (INR), prothrombin time (PT), partial thromboplastin time (PTT), urea, and serum creatinine (p<.05). Serum potassium (K), lymphocyte count, hemoglobin, HCO3, and serum sodium (Na) were significantly lower in non-survivors. Multivariable logistic regression analysis results revealed that nine variables were positively associated with mortality.
Conclusion: Among COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital, having more than two or three comorbidities, loss of consciousness, SpO2 < 90%, increased CRP, CPK, urea, and serum potassium, were associated with mortality.

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Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) is one of the promising microbial control agents for the management of Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.) Death rate, lethal time and survival expectancy were calculated for an infected population of O. surinamensis at 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 °C. Results showed that the mean death rate under above mentioned temperatures was 0.89, 1.15, 1.40, 1.21, and 1.11 larvae/day, respectively. The values were 0.99, 1.38, 1.47, 1.18 and 1.16 insects/day for adults respectively. LT₅₀s, at the same temperatures, were 7.11, 7.04, 4.82, 6.07 and 6.89 days for larvae and 7.03, 6.31, 4.83, 5.58, and 6.55 for adults, respectively. Survival curves for both larval and adult populations were more similar at 25, 30 and 35 °C compared to 15 and 20 °C. The survival rates in infected populations were low during 3^rd and 4^th days post inoculation and decreased with a sharp slope toward the end of the experiments under different temperatures. In every case, survival curves were of the 2^nd type in which the mortality decreases in a steady linear form.

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In Zoroastrianism, the world that is experiencing a phase of eternal perfection will reach to the ultimate perfection with the help Soshiyanet. And, immortality from the seam of Zoroaster or from the creed of Iranian mythological heroes of the resurrection will help in eternal doom. There are direct link between the return of many of the immortals and their reaching to the stage of immortality in mountains that are the nearest natural places in the Persian mythology to numinous, are directly related. A number of these immortals are manifested in Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh although tampered with in cases of being mythical. Additionally, a number of immortal forts located on high mountains and according to.
Mazdysna, there is no way for death and destruction were put into consideration.
Taking into account these two dictums, the current paper tries to discuss immortality legends and their relations with mountains as well as study changing forms of these legends in Ferdousi’s Shahnameh which is the most invaluable texts after Islam that has reflected a number of pre-Islamic Iranian legends.

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Aims: Considering the importance of mortality management in the control of COVID-19 disease, this study was performed to investigate the risk factors of mortality of adult inpatients with Covid-19 in Tehran, Iran using a retrospective cohort study.
Material & Methods: This retrospective cohort study was performed among a random sample of confirmed COVID-19 hospitalized patients, in a main general military hospital in Tehran city (Iran). Laboratory data, clinical sign and symptom, treatment and demographic data were collected and compared between survivors and non-survivors patients.
Findings: Among 393 patients who contributed in this study, 37 (9.4%) with 95% confidence interval (6.7% to 12.7%) died during hospitalization. The result of this study also showed that comorbidity like hypertension and  CHF, vital sign like dyspnea,  RR>24  and Oxygen saturation also laboratory variable like white blood cell, Lymphocyte, C-reactive protein, CR, ESR, Lactate dehydrogenase, Sodium, troponin, Procalcitonin in addition lesion type shown the significant relationship with patients death. The findings of this study showed that the use of drug including Kaltra, Vancomycin, Ribavirin, Meropenem, Levofloxasin, and Methyiprednisolon increased the risk of death but use of drug like Azithromycin, Hydroxychloroquin and Naproxen decrease risk of death in COVID-19 hospitalized patients. More results also showed that ARDS, acute kidney injury and intubation are the most cause of death among patients.
Conclusion: According to the risk factors identified in this study, patients with a higher chance of death can be identified and the necessary treatment measures can be taken to reduce the risk of COVID-19 hospitalized patients.

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Background: In this study, data were collected from the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and analyzed by Cox regression model. In addition, hazard functions and survival outcomes in COVID-19 patients were also analyzed.
Materials & Methods: One million simulated data on hospitalized patients’ characteristics with positive SARS-CoV-2 infection were collected from the Humanitarian Data Exchange Source in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo from December 2020 to June 2021. Several statistical techniques were developed in this study for data analysis, including Kaplan-Meier curves, log-rank test, Schoenfeld residual diagnostics, and likelihood ratio test.
Findings: This study finding showed that there was a 4.5% increase in the expected hazard per unit year increase in age. In addition, the risk of death was higher in males than in females, and patients with no signs of anorexia, ageusia, or anosmia, no history of diabetes or tuberculosis, normal pulse rates, and no hypoxemia had a greater survival rate than those with such health conditions.
Conclusion: This study finding revealed that covariates such as age, gender, anorexia, ageusia, anosmia, diabetes, and tuberculosis were expressively connected with higher mortality rates. In addition, hypoxemia and high pulse rate were associated with higher death rates; however, anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant agents were shown to reduce mortality rates, and multivitamin or vitamin C had a substantial impact on patient survival.

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Field studies were conducted during the cotton crop seasons in 2003 and 2004 at CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, to identify mortality factors in the egg stage of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in the insecticide-free cotton fields to gain an insight into the role of these factors in causing egg specific mortality. Eggs were collected from cotton fields on different dates during September-November and brought to the laboratory for determining egg viability and level of parasitism. Similarly, plant parts bearing eggs in the field were tagged on different dates and observed daily to assess egg loss. The correlation of egg loss with various abiotic factors was determined. The mean viability of field collected eggs was 75% and 89% during 2003 and 2004, respectively (pooled mean egg viability of 82%). It was 51.34-66.55 (Mean: 59.72) % in the case of eggs deposited in the field by the laboratory-reared females. Eggs were parasitized by Trichogramma chilonis Ishii during September-October and mean parasitization was 25 and only 1-2% during 2003 and 2004, respectively. There was a positive correlation of % egg loss with wind velocity and rainfall as evident for multiple correlation coefficient values, i.e. 0.92 and 0.60 for 2003 and 2004, respectively. A partial ecological life table constructed for egg stage indicated that 23-44% mortality occurs at this stage. Important factors responsible for egg mortality/loss were identified as T. chilonis, inviability, rain, wind and unexplained mortality.

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Aims: Malignant tumors, heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease stand as the primary causes of mortality in Japan. This study was done to elucidate potential correlations between lifestyle-related factors and mortality rates at the prefectural level.
Instrument & Methods: This descriptive study utilized the 2nd National Database Open Data and the 2015 Vital Statistics to explore the correlation between responses to the Specified Health Examination Questionnaire and age-adjusted mortality rates for malignant tumors, heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease among individuals aged 40-74 in each prefecture. Multiple regression analysis, incorporating the stepwise variable increase/decrease method, was employed to pinpoint lifestyle habits influencing mortality rates.
Findings: The multiple regression analysis unveiled distinct connections between lifestyle habits and mortality rates for each disease. Smoking habits, eating speed, and drinking habits were identified as factors linked to mortality from malignant tumors. Regarding heart disease, an increase of more than 10kg from body weight at age 20, drinking habits, eating speed, and meal time emerged as significant lifestyle contributors. Increased mortality from cerebrovascular disease was associated with drinking and smoking habits, lifestyle modification behaviors, breakfast-skipping habits, eating speed, walking speed, and getting enough rest from sleep.
Conclusion: Lifestyle habits within each prefecture are associated with fluctuations in mortality rates for the three primary causes of death.
 

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This paper is a comparative study of a modern Persian poet, Forugh Farrokhzād (1935-1967), and a Russian film-maker, Andrei Tarkovsky (1932- 1989). The works of two artists, from two different cultures, across time and space, have been chosen to demonstrate their morbid fear of death and their search for immortality. Following the postulates of comparative cultural studies, as developed by Steven Totosy de Zepetnek, the objective of this search is to find interrelations between two different production of art, namely poetry and film, as communicative acts. To quote Totosy in "the New Humanities," this study "is performed in a contextual and relational construction and with a plurality of methods and approaches…" (60).
Benefiting from the main tenets of comparative literature, cultural studies and psychoanalysis, this research show how the concept thanatophobia and the quest for immortality are treated in the artistic works of Forugh Farrokhzād and Andrei Tarkovsky. In Forugh's poetry, the focus would be on her last two collections of poems, Tavalodi Digar [Another Birth] and Imanan Biāvarim be Āghāz Fasle Sard [Let Us Believe in the Beginning of the Cold Season], in which she illustrates the temporality of life and the urge to be remembered. In Nostalghia, Tarkovsky creates characters like Andrei Gorchakov, the Russian researcher, and Domenicos, the Italian who wants to save the world by sacrificing. Andrei lives his death and joins eternity. This intercultural and interdisciplinary study shows how one can owercom the fear of death by substituting the moral time for the actual time.

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This study was conducted to compare susceptibility of six different strains of male broilers to ascites syndrome. In this experiment, 612 one-day-old male broiler chicks from five international hybrids (e.g, Arbor Acres, Cobb 500, Hubbard, Lohmann, and Ross 508) and an Iranian hybrid (Arian) were used. Growth performance, ascites mortality ratio, the ratio of right ventricle to total ventricles weight (RV:TV) in dead and healthy broilers, hematocrit values, serum levels of thyroid hormones (T3, T4) and T3: T4 ratio were studied to evaluate the susceptibility of the birds. The results showed that there were significant differences among the hybrids in ascites susceptibility. Arian and Hubbard were more susceptible, while, Lohmann was more resistant to ascites than the other hybrids. The results of this study showed that RV:TV ratio and the hematocrit value can be sensitive indicators for differentiating hybrids susceptible to ascites from the resistant ones.