The genus Cercospora includes many important plant pathogenic fungi associated with leaf spot diseases on a wide range of hosts. The mainland of Iran covers various climatic regions with a great biodiversity of vascular plants, and a correspondingly high diversity of cercosporoid fungi. However, most of the cercosporoid species found to date have been identified on the basis of morphological ch...

BACKGROUND Neural tube defects (NTDs) including spina bifida and anencephaly are the second most common birth defects with 2.8 per 1000 births in northern Iran. OBJECTIVES This study was conducted to determine the risk factors of neural tube defects in Gorgan, north of Iran. PATIENTS AND METHODS This hospital-based, case-control study was carried out on all NTD-affected pregnancies (n = 59)...

Rodents are mammals that comprise more than 2000 species and approximately 30 families. There are many morphological and ecological differences among them as variations in their shape, size, weight and habitat. In addition to significant economic losses, rodents have a major role in the dissemination of infectious diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites or other micro-organisms. Rodents...

BACKGROUND Suicide is an action deliberately initiated and performed by a person with complete awareness of its fatal outcome, prevalence of which is very rare in developed countries, but it is reported with more frequency in Middle East including Iran. AIM This study was carried out to analyze the characteristics, mortality, and related factors of burned patients who attempted to suicide by ...

Parasitic infection is highly prevalent throughout the developing countries of the world. These infections are the major problem in rehabilitation centers for the mentally retarded. There have been many reports about the prevalence of parasitic infection among different groups of people in Iran; however, the epidemiological data in intellectual disability (ID) individuals are rare and there are...

Toxoplasmosis is the fourth most common cause of hospitalization and the second cause of death due to food-borne infections. We conducted a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence, disease awareness and risk factors associated with toxoplasmosis among rural communities in Northern Iran. Data were obtained from serological testing and from participant's questionnaires and were analyzed...

The Cytochrome P-4501B1 (CYP1B1) Leu432Val polymorphism has been previously shown to be associated with some types of cancer and affects CYP1B1-mediated metabolism of various infertility drugs. To establish the frequency of CYP1B1 Leu432Val polymorphism among women with a history of infertility drug use, we studied the genotypes of 147 patients with breast cancer with a history of infertility a...