Estimating total economic value of coral reefs of Kish Island [Persian Gulf]

This paper is concerned with the economic valuation of the coral reef within Kish Island in Persian Gulf of Iran. For calculating this value, all components of use and non-use values are estimated and then according to each of them, suitable method has applied. Many different evaluation tools such as contingent valuation method, zonal travel cost method, replacement cost, avoided cost method, value at risk method are used. The semi non parametric distribution free estimator for calculating the contingent valuation method is applied. The probability of willingness to pay the same as the probability of accepting bids is estimated by using data based on questioners approach using stated preference method. The result indicates that the total economic value of this unique ecosystem in Kish Island is at least 14.6 million dollar per year, showing the importance of conservation value of the ecosystem. Its largest component of total economic value is about 62 percent attributed to the recreational value. This is followed by conservation value which is about 23 percent of the economic value. Since coastal protection and waste assimilation functions of coral reef are 10 percent, it is also suitable factor in illustrating total economic value. The economic value for each hectare of this ecosystem in Kish Island is US$ 237,000 in 2009

[Diagnostic validity of BCL-2 in ganglion cell staining and its application in Hirschprung's disease diagnosis]

Hirschsprung's disease is a congenital disorder, characterized by the absence of ganglion cells in the intramural and submucosal plexus in distal parts of large bowel. Diagnosis is based on the histopathologic examination of hematoxilin and eosin stained sections. Due to diagnosis limitation by Hematoxylin and Eosin staining [H and E], this study was done to identify the ganglion cells by BCL-2 immunoreactivity and compared it with H and E staining. In this laboratory study, paraffin blocks of 36 specimens demonstrating ganglion cells on original H and E stained sections and 35 specimens lacking ganglion cells on H and E staining, were selected. Recuts were stained by H and E and BCL-2 methods. Ganglion cells were observed in 36 cases by H and E staining but in BCL-2 staining ganglion cells were detected in 29 cases. In 35 cases reported negative for ganglion cells on H and E staining, ganglion cells were detected in 5 cases by BCL-2 method. Sensitivity, spesificity, positive and negative predictive values for BCL-2 method for diagnosis of hirshsprung's disease were 81%, 86%, 85% and 86% respectively.discordancy [positive BCL-2, negative H and E] was 14%. Immunohistochemistry method using BCL-2 improve the accuracy of diagnosis in hirschsprung's disease, when accompanied with H and E staining, particulary for negative slides

[ degree of agreement of quantiferon TB gold test and tuberculin skin test in nurses]

Tuberculin skin test [TST] is the standard method for diagnosis of latent tuberculous infection. Positive results of TST [significant induration] may be seen in persons with latent M.tuberculosis infection and negative results of this test may be seen in patients with active tuberculosis. After performing TST false positive reactions may be seen with nontuberculous mycobacterial infections or false negative results may be encountered in anergic patients with tuberculosis disease. Quantiferon TB Gold test [QFT] is a new diagnostic test which assays the amount of released interferon gamma from peripheral blood lymphocytes in response to M.tuberculosis antigens. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree TST and QFT correlation. This descriptive study carried out on 72 nurses of two internal medicine and infectious diseases wards of Imam Reza and Imam Khomeini hospitals in Kermanshah located in West of Iran, during 2009. 58 of nurses were vaccinated with BCG vaccine and none of them had any immune compromising condition. TST was performed by intradermal injection of 0.1 ml of standard tuberculin test [5 TU] and QFT was performed 48 hours then after using peripheral whole blood. The amount of released interferon gamma from lymphocytes in response to antigens were measured by ELISA method. Three of nurses excluded and this study was done on 69 nurses. Overall the degree of agreement of TST and QFT was 63.7% [P=0.69 and Kappa=0.139]. The degree of discordance between these tests in PPD negative but QFT positive persons was 15.94% and in PPD positive but QFT negative persons was 20.3%. The sensitivity and specificity of QFT was 41.67% and 75.56% respectively. The degree of agreement of TST and QFT in vaccinated and unvaccinated nurses was 63.8% [Kappa=0.143] and 66.67% [Kappa=0.54] respectively. There was no significant difference between QFT and TST in diagnosing latent tuberculous infection

[Diagnostic value of immunohistochemical markers in uterine smooth muscle tumors]

Uterine smooth muscle tumors are the most common human neoplasms. They are divided clinically as benign and malignant but there is another group of lesions which is difficult to place in these two categories, so-called [STUMP] and differentiation of these tumors on the basis of H and E staining is impossible. The aim of this study was to find a set of distinguishing objective biomarkers and a survey of immunohistochemical [IHC] markers comparing these three groups of tumors. Twenty one [21] cases in each group of the above mentioned tumors were randomly selected [63 cases in total] from pathobiology laboratories of Kermanshah and Shiraz cities and studied by IHC for expression of ER, PR, C-kit, Bcl-2, P16, and P53. The frequency of IHC markers expression in leiomyosarcoma [LMS] were as follow: ER [5.26%], PR [15.52%], P53 [26.31%], Bcl-2 [15.78%], C-kit [15.52%] and P16 [15.42%]. In the STUMP cases: PR [23.80%], Bcl-2 [4.76%] and P16 [9.52%], ER, C-kit and P53 were not expressed. In Leiomyoma group, only Bcl-2 was expressed [14.28%] and the others had no expression. P53 and P16 expression between the two groups of Leiomyoma and LMS, and also STUMP and LMS were significantly different [P<0.05]. P53 and P16 are reliable markers for differentiation between STUMP and LMS and also Leiomyoma from LMS and have a high diagnostic specificity. STUMP is used to identify cases in which clinicopathologic findings for final diagnosis as benign or malignant is not adequate. In this study a high similarity of STUMP group of immunohistochemical profile with benign cases was seen