Islamic Azad University, Firuzabad Branch

Hard ticks are essential biological vectors of pathogens with impacts on humans and animals. This study tried to identify the dominant species of hard ticks, assess their biodiversity, and compare the infestation rates in mountainous to semi-mountainous regions in Fars province, southwestern Iran, during 2021-2022. In total, 4104 domestic animals, such as sheep, goats, cows, camels, and dogs, were examined; 3169 ticks belonging to three genera, Hyalomma, Rhipicephalus, and Dermacentor, were collected. Hyalomma anatolicum was the most dominant species (34.39%), and Dermacentor marginatus was the least frequently found species. Biodiversity analysis by Simpson, Shannon-Wiener, Evenness, and Margalef indices. Generally, species richness, Evenness, and Shanon - Wiener indices were higher in mountainous than semi mountainous area and also results showed a higher diversity and richness in sheep from mountainous regions, especially in Firouzabad. Dogs and camels in Larestan had the lowest diversity and richness. Also, cattle in Marvdasht presented the highest species uniformity. The results reveal that biodiversity and the infestation rate are higher in sheep, thereby increasing the risk of tick-borne diseases. Thus, closer monitoring of livestock, education of farmers, and effective management of ticks are required to reduce the impact of tick infestations and associated diseases within this region.

Obsessive beliefs are among the most important cognitive components in explaining and maintaining obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) and are influenced by various cognitive, emotional, and environmental factors. The present study aimed to model obsessive beliefs based on parenting styles and inferential confusion with the mediating role of fear of self. This study employed a descriptive–correlational design using structural equation modeling. The statistical population included all patients diagnosed with OCD who referred to psychology and psychiatry clinics in Shiraz, whose diagnosis had been confirmed by psychiatrists and psychologists in 2024. A total of 130 participants were selected through convenience sampling and responded to the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire (OBQ-44), Inferential Confusion Questionnaire–Expanded (ICQ-E), Fear of Self scale, and Parenting Styles questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24 and AMOS version 26. Path analysis indicated that authoritarian and permissive parenting styles as well as inferential confusion directly predicted obsessive beliefs, and fear of self significantly mediated these relationships. These findings highlight that fear of self can either facilitate or intensify the impact of cognitive and environmental factors on the formation of obsessive beliefs. The results may be applied in designing cognitive–emotional interventions and in reconsidering parenting styles for the prevention and treatment of OCD.

During the recent decades, subsidence has increasingly occurred in many countries around the world, with the case being even worse for developing countries like Iran. In Iran, the main factor contributing to the occurrence of land subsidence is excessive groundwater extraction of groundwater for agricultural activities. One of the best techniques for subsidence detection is differential interferometry. In terms of agricultural development, Nourabad is an important plain in Fars province, Iran, where land subsidence due to overconsumption of groundwater has been experienced during the recent past. Cropping pattern plays a significant role in the subsidence and acknowledging the critical state of water resources in Iran alongside the fact that the farming method, in terms of its water demand can greatly contribute to reduced level of local aquifer reserve and hence the occurrence of land subsidence, the present research seeks to investigate the effect of farming method (i.e., dry farming, irrigated farming, and summer crops farming) on the subsidence in Nourabad Watershed. Satellite images acquired by Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-1 were used. Data analysis was performed through radar data interferometry, support vector machine (SVM), and a hybrid of the two via spatial regression. Results of SVM showed that The maximum land subsidence recorded was approximately 10 cm per year was experienced on rice-farmed lands. Fields cultivated with rice exhibited a subsidence rate 50% higher than those with wheat") would emphasize the relationship between agricultural practices and environmental effects. Investigation of cropping pattern was showed The correlation between groundwater extraction and land subsidence was significant at p < 0.05".

Today, the lack of drinking water has caused severe crises in many countries. One of the ways to deal with water shortages is to treat wastewater. Petrochemical industries are among the factories that produce significant wastewater. These industries cause a lot of damage to the ecosystem. The use of nanomaterials can play a significant role in the removal of wastewater pollutants. The use of nano-packing in the filtration structure has not been investigated in previous literature. In this research, a gravity filtration unit was used to treat the outlet wastewater from the Fajr petrochemical desalination unit. This unit is filled with titanium dioxide nano-packings. The results of this research show that the turbidity of the effluent discharged from the gravity filtration bed is reduced by about 39 %. This research shows that nano-packing has a significant effect on reducing total dissolved solids and organic carbon. This study shows that the amount of total dissolved solids and organic carbon in treated wastewater is equal to 1 % and 17.1 %, respectively. This research shows that the use of a gravity filtration unit has a significant role in reducing petrochemical effluent pollutants.

In this research, the exit treated wastewater from the gravity filtration unit, mechanical and chemical treatment unit, biological treatment unit and finally UV disinfection treatment unit enters to a solar desalination unit. Wastewater evaporation process is performed in this unit. In this study, in order to increase the UV waves in solar energy, nano-flooring has been used on the floor of the solar pond. The laboratory results show that the average difference between the experimental data and the theoretical results for simple coating, coating made of zinc oxide nanoparticles and coating made of aluminum oxide nanoparticles is equal to 2%, 2.3% and 1.6%, respectively. Laboratory results show that the average temperature difference between theory and laboratory when simple coating, nano zinc oxide coating and nano aluminum oxide coating are used are 0.5%, 2.89% and 0.67%, respectively. The laboratory results show that the minimum and maximum average temperature of different layers of wastewater are related to the months of January and July, respectively. This research shows that the maximum and minimum temperature difference of the first layer and the last layer of wastewater are in April and March, respectively.