Epidemiological patterns of animal bites in Yazd Province (central Iran) between 2013 and 2017

Objective:To investigate the epidemiological pattern of animal bites in Yazd Province,central Iran.Methods:In this cross-sectional study,8 545 individuals with animal bites who were referred to the Yazd Province Rabies Treatment Center were investigated using the census method from April 2013 to March 2017.The variables included:demographic information,household living condition,the type of biting animals,the domesticated and wild animals,the time of biting based on year,the residence location (urban or rural),and the treatment status.Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics using Excel 2013,SPSS version 25 and Arc GIS 14.1 Software.Results:A total of 8 545 cases of animal bites were reported in Yazd province from 2013 to 2017.The most animal bites (with 4 253 case of bites) and the lowest animal bites (with 121 case of bites) occurred in Yazd and Bahabad district,respectively.The incidence of animal bites was 168.4 per 100 000 people during the five-year period.Most of cases (73.9%) occurred in urban areas.Dog and cat bites accounted for 47.6% and 47.4% of all cases,respectively.Most of animal bites were reported in the summer (29.4%).Sixty percent of the cases received incomplete treatments,while 40% of them received complete treatments.During this study,three positive cases of fatal rabies from dog bites were reported.Conclusions:The incidence of animal bites is high in Yazd province,and more patients are bitten by dog and cat.Hence,educational,preventive,and informative programs are required to reduce the incidence of animal bites.

Rate of carcass and offal condemnation in animals slaughtered at Yazd slaughterhouse,central Iran

Objective:To determine the rate of carcass and offal condemnation in the animals slaughtered at Yazd slaughterhouse,Yazd,Iran.Methods:In a nine-month retrospective survey from June 2011 to March 2012,all the carcasses and offal condemnations for large animals(cattle and camels) and small animals(sheep and goats)in Yazd Slaughterhouse were carefully recorded daily.Results:In total,2741 large animals(cattle and camels) and 77515 small animals(sheep and goats) were slaughtered during the period of this survey.Six carcasses(0.21%) of the large animals and 18 carcasses(0.02%) of the small animals were condemned.For large animals,condemnations in summer and autumn were significantly greater than winter(P<0.05).Condemnation rate of liver,lungs and kidneys for the large animals were 5.36%,21.23%and 3.68%respectively and for the small animals were 4.37%,5.46%and 0.51%respectively.The main recorded reasons for carcass condemnations in both large and small animals were icterus and cachexia.The most prevalent lesion resulting in offal condemnation was due to parasitic infection specially metacestods.Conclusions:This study aimed to show the efficiency of documentation records during meal inspection at slaughterhouses to monitor the amount of condemnation and possible approaches to better awareness about the future preventive programs.Considering the percentage of condemnation of carcass and offal in the present study and their price in Iranian markets,the overall economic losses seems to be notable at Yazd slaughterhouse.

Evaluation of cloud seeding project in Yazd Province of Iran using historical regression method(case study:Yazd 1 cloud seeding project,1999)

In this research, the result of the cloud seeding over Yazd province during three months of February, March and April in 1999 has been evaluated using the historical regression method. Hereupon, the rain-gages in Yazd province as the target stations and the rain-gages of the neighboring provinces as the control stations have been selected. The rainfall averages for the three aforementioned months through 25 years (1973-1997) in all control and target stations have been calculated. In the next step, the correlations between the rainfalls of control and target stations have been estimated about 75%, which indicates a good consistency in order to use the historical regression. Then, through the obtained liner correlation equation between the control and target stations the precipitation amount for February, March and April in 1999, over the target region (Yazd province) was estimated about 27.57 mm, whiles the observed amount was 34.23 mm. In fact the precipitation increasing around 19.5% over Yazd province confirmed the success of this cloud seeding project.

Investigation of Affecting Factors on Persistence in the Treatment of Patients under Methadone Maintenance Therapy in Addiction Therapy Centers, Yazd-Iran

Drug addiction is one of the current world’s hygienic, mental and social problems. There are different treatments for this illness. MMT (Methadone Maintenance Therapy) is considered as a standard and acceptable therapy for addiction;and there are many affecting factors regarding gaining success in this type of treatment. In this study, we investigated some of these factors. One of the most important issues in MMT is to keep up patient on his/her treatment till complete abstinence;therefore, it is recommended that the patient does not leave his/her therapy without discretion of the therapist. In this study, 230 patients, who began MMT, and admitted to addiction treatment centers of Yazd province were included. In this study, the survival rate in the first, third, and sixth months were evaluated as 93.9%, 63.48%, and 28.36%, respectively. It was found that following parameters are important in rate of survival during treatment: family support, gender, dose of methadone and concomitant use of morphine during treatment. Moreover, factors like level of education, marital status, age and concomitant use of methamphetamine during treatment can be effective in this regard.

Micromorphological Evidences of Climatic Change in Yazd Region,Iran

The fact of, present is the key of the past, will help us to use paleosols properties as indicators of the ecological characteristics of past time, particularly the paleoclimate. In this respect the micromorphological properties showed to be a very good indicator. Therefore, for investigating of climate change in Ardakan-Yazd plain, Central Iran 9 pedons were digged and described. Yazd has an arid climate with less than 100 mm annual precipitation and more than 22°C mean annual temperature (Aridic-hyper thermic soil moisture and temperature regions, respectively). Based on the morphological and physicochemical analysis Arglic, Calcic and Gypsic diagnostic horizons have been distinguished in these soils. Thin section studied showed that the illuviated form of clay includes, infillings on channel, coating on pendant, on nodules and on grains, at lower depths and also juxtaposed calcite needles on void argillan at upper part of the profiles. Mineralogical result showed fine clay in arglic horizon, too. Considering depth and forms of these pedofeatures, we concluded that, the observed illuviated clays at lower depth must be the result of the more humid climate of the past, where the carbonates have been removed completely as pendant, nodules or coating to considerable depth, following processes, clay has been dispersed and also trans located to these depths. In contrast to these features, the juxtaposed needle calcite at the shallower depth is probably the result of drier climate of today.

Investigation of Pirnia’s orientation theory (Roon) in Yazd Qajar houses

This paper carefully explains Pirnia’s theory regarding the orientation of traditional Iranian cities and buildings(Roon)and investigates the factors involved in this historic architectural phenomenon.For this purpose,40 traditional Yazd Qajar houses were under study.Most of which are in the Rasteh Roon and close to the southwest direction,and only five contradict the direction that Pirnia had pointed.While the primeval data indicated the theory is strengthening,the investigation followed the fundamental factors behind this event.From the perspective of analysis and discussion on involved factors(climate,topography,aqueducts,urban arteries,politics,trade routes,privacy,noise,view,and religion),it turns out that the direction of the wind and sun had negligible impacts on this orientation,and architects of the Qajar era in Yazd old city did not care about these climate factors.It seems religious factors were more influential.Thus,despite being approvingly referenced in many scientific studies,Pirnia’s orientation theory(Roon)dthe efforts of past Iranian architects to orient buildings in a specific direction due to their unique knowledge of region and climate factorsdbecomes not solid.

Local seismic culture in Iranian vernacular architecture: evidence from Yazd earthen architecture

Iran,located in one of the most earthquake-prone regions of the world,has experienced a very large number of destructive earthquakes that brought about considerable loss of human life and economic consequences.The coun‑try possesses a vast number of monumental and vernacular built heritages that are constantly threatened by earth‑quakes.As vernacular techniques for dwellings comply with the needs,comfort,utility,and functionality of people,it is expected that endemic earthquake-resistant techniques make an essential contribution to Iranian vernacular archi‑tecture.The city of Yazd presents a unique and rich vernacular for earthen construction within Iranian architectural heritage,which has resulted in the recognition of the historic fabric of the city as a World Heritage Site since 2017.Considering the importance of exploring diferent local seismic cultures worldwide,this paper introduces an essential part of Iranian local seismic culture by recognising and classifying the vernacular earthquake-resistant techniques used in the earthen architecture of the city of Yazd.The techniques were collected by surveying the historic fabric,using data available in the literature,and interviewing traditional builders and local conservators.Next,the seismic infuence of each technique was evaluated using examples from the performance of adobe constructions during the 2003 Bam earthquake.

The effect of qibla direction on the hierarchy of movement in mosque:A case study of mosques in Yazd,Iran

In the architecture of Iranian-lslamic mosques,besides the geographic directions affecting the climate,the direction of qibla also affects their architecture.In the present study,based on the descriptive-analytical method and using the material flow pattern and the activity relationship chart,the pattern of the path of human movement from the entrance to the altar,as well as the degree of proximity of each space relative to other spaces in this movement path were investigated.After describing and analyzing the qibla axis through the structural study on 12 samples of the traditional mosques of Yazd owing to the attention given by the people of this region to religious discussion and their efforts to focus on the axis qibla direction-the hierarchy of human movement was investigated with reference to the mosque being placed in the axis of the qibla direction considering the geometry,arrangement of forms,and interior functions.Studies in this area indicate that the architects and builders of mosques have considered the preservation of the divine orientation or the qibla,the path of human movement from his early arrival to his placement in the direction of the qibla axis,and the preservation of geometry as the valuable principles.

Stratigraphical Study of the Taft Formation in the Bohruk Area from Yazd Block, Central Iran

The Taft Formation is exposed at the Bohruk area from Yazd Block in central Iran with 136 m thickness comprising three informal members which are named, in ascending stratigraphical order named Lower, Middle and Upper members. The Lower and Upper members consist of bioclastic carbonate rocks, whereas the Middle Member contains two sub-members: carbonate and siliciclastic carbonate rocks. Four patterns of facies are recognized on the basis of field observation and microscopic study. They are grainstone facies, siliciclastic-carbonate facies, intermediate facies(grainstone-wackestone/packstone facies) and foraminiferal-clastic wackestone/packstone facies. Based on the facies associations, three facies belts are presented for the first time. Therefore, this formation was deposited on a shallow carbonate platform from the inner platform to rimmed platform. The main fauna of the Taft Formation include Istriloculina eliptica(Iovcheva), Palorbitolina lenticularis(Blumenbach), Charentia cuvillieri Neumann, Everticyclammina hedbergi(Maync), Pseudocyclammina litus(Yokoyama), Melathrokerion valserinensis Bronnimann & Conrad, Nautiloculina oolithica Mohler, Glomospira urgoniana Arnaud Vanneau, Dicyclina schlumbergeri MunierChalmas, Derventina filipescui Neagu, Praechrysalidina infracretacea Luperto-Sinni, Pseudochoffatella cuvillieri Deloffre, Paracoskinolina sp., Textularia sp., and Lenticulina sp. Based on the foraminiferal distribution throughout the Taft Formation, two biozones like Istriloculina ellipticaPalorbitolina lenticularis zone and Glomospira urgoniana-Dicyclina schlumbergeri zone are recognized they and range from the Late Barremian to Early Albian in age.