Overall status of carbapenem resistance among clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Resistance to carbapenems, the first-line treatment for infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii, is increasing throughout the world. The aim of the present study was to determine the global status of resistance to carbapenems in clinical isolates of this pathogen, worldwide. METHODS: Electronic databases were searched using the appropriate keywords, including: 'Acinetobacter' 'baumannii', 'Acinetobacter baumannii' and 'A. baumannii', 'resistance', 'antibiotic resistance', 'antibiotic susceptibility', 'antimicrobial resistance', 'antimicrobial susceptibility', 'carbapenem', 'carbapenems', 'imipenem', 'meropenem' and 'doripenem'. Finally, following some exclusions, 177 studies from various countries were included in this study. The data were then subjected to a meta-analysis. RESULTS: The average resistance rate of A. baumannii to imipenem, meropenem and doripenem was 44.7%, 59.4% and 72.7%, respectively. A high level of heterogeneity (I2 > 50%, P value < 0.05) was detected in the studies representing resistance to imipenem, meropenem and doripenem in A. baumannii isolates. Begg's and Egger's tests did not indicate publication bias (P value > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the current study indicate that the overall resistance to carbapenems in clinical isolates of A. baumannii is relatively high and prevalent throughout the world. Moreover, time trend analysis showed that the resistance has increased from the year 2000 to 2023. This emphasizes the importance of conducting routine antimicrobial susceptibility testing before selecting a course of treatment, as well as monitoring and controlling antibiotic resistance patterns in A. baumannii strains, and seeking novel treatment options to lessen the emergence and spread of resistant strains and to reduce the treatment failure.

Impact of a 50bp insertion/deletion polymorphism of the superoxide dismutase-1 on oxidative stress status and risk of keratoconus.

Keratoconus (KC) is characterized by the predominant primary ectatic disease, affecting the cornea, necessitating corneal transplants in some cases. While some loci associated with KC risk have been identified, the understanding of the disease remains limited. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymes play a crucial role in countering the reactive oxygen species and providing protection against oxidative stress (OS). Accordingly, the objective of this study was to investigate a potential association of a 50 nucleotide base pairs (bp) insertion/deletion (I/D) within the SOD1 promoter, and the located 1684 bp upstream of the SOD1 ATG, with KC in the Iranian population. Additionally, an assessment was conducted on SOD activity and the total antioxidant capacity (TAC), as determined by the ferric reducing-antioxidant power assay, along with malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. In this case-control study, genomic DNA was extracted from the blood cells of KC (n = 402) and healthy (n = 331) individuals. The genotype of this gene was determined using the PCR technique. Furthermore, the amount of SOD enzyme activity and the MDA and TAC levels were measured in the serum of the study groups. The (I/I) genotype was present in 84.23%, the (I/D) genotype in 15.06%, and the (D/D) genotype in 0.69% of both groups. A statistically significant relationship was seen between different genotypes and TAC, MDA, and SOD1 activity indices (P < 0.05). Individuals with the D/D genotype exhibited a decrease in total antioxidant capacity, an increase in the amount of MDA, and a decrease in SOD1 enzyme activity (P < 0.05). Moreover, the logistic regression analysis of KC development indicated that elevated levels of MDA increased the risk of KC incidence in the patient group compared to the healthy group, while a higher activity of SOD1 and greater values of TAC decreased the KC risk. The removal of the 50 bp fragment reduced SOD1 activity and elevated OS levels, thereby impacting the oxidant-antioxidant balance. This could potentially play a significant role in individuals afflicted by KC.

Immune response to COVID-19 vaccines among people living with human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 infection: a retrospective cohort study from Iran.

The effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination is still unclear in individuals with underlying diseases such as HTLV-1 infection. This retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the humoral response of COVID-19 vaccines among people living with HTLV-1 (PLHTLV) in northeastern Iran. From December 2021 to October 2022, eighty-six HTLV-1+ subjects (50 males and 36 females; 47.7 ± 11.2 years) and 90 HTLV-1 seronegative individuals (age- and sex-matched convenient samples) were enrolled. The humoral immune response was evaluated by measuring different COVID-19 Abs in serum samples at least 28 days after receiving 2nd or 3rd doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Throughout all three rounds of immunization, Sinopharm was the most commonly used COVID-19 vaccine across all three immunization rounds. Compared to the HTLV-1- group, a significantly lower frequency of all four Abs activity was observed among PLHTLV:anti-nucleocapsid (66.3% vs 86.7%, p = 0·001), anti-spike (91.9% vs 98.9%, p = 0·027), RBD (90.7% vs 97.8%, p = 0·043), and neutralizing Abs (75.6% vs 95.5%, p < 0·001). Also, the frequency of all Abs in 28 patients with HAM/TSP was higher than that of 58 asymptomatic carriers, although this difference was statistically significant only in the case of anti-spike Abs (p = 0.002). Notably, PLHTLV-vaccinated against COVID-19 demonstrated significantly lower antibody activities, indicating a reduced humoral immune response to COVID-19 vaccines.

Determination of optimal operating conditions for AC-powered electrocoagulation process coupling green additive Tartaric Acid to remove Ni2+: Pyomo and RSM approach.

A novel Python-based open-source optimization framework, namely Pyomo (Python optimization modeling objects), alongside a conventional optimization method, RSM (response surface methodology), was utilized to determine the optimal operating conditions of an alternating current-powered electrocoagulation (ACPE) process for nickel removal. In this regard, four mutable operating factors, current density (5-9 mA/cm2), initial nickel concentration (200-400 mg/L), initial pH of the solution (5-9), and electrolysis time (30-60 min), along with a fixed amount of an additional eco-friendly substance, Tartaric Acid (155 mg/L) were considered. Metal removal efficiency (OF1) and operating costs (OF2) were monitored and evaluated as objective functions with the aim of maximization and minimization, respectively. Experiments were conducted according to the central composite design (CCD), and validation outcomes established a reasonable agreement between the predicted models and the experimental data. The multi-objective optimization process yielded two sets of 30-optimal-solution obtained through Pyomo and RSM. Accordingly, the proposed solutions by the Pyomo were found to be more flexible and eclectic, supplying the local decision maker(s) with a diverse spectrum of optimal operating conditions. Adding TA was also effective in reducing electrical energy consumption by up to 46%.

Applications of synthetic yeast consortia for the production of native and non-native chemicals.

The application of microbial consortia is a new approach in synthetic biology. Synthetic yeast consortia, simple or complex synthetic mixed cultures, have been used for the production of various metabolites. Cooperation between the members of a consortium and cross-feeding can be applied to create stable microbial communication. These consortia can: consume a variety of substrates, perform more complex functions, produce metabolites in high titer, rate, and yield (TRY), and show higher stability during industrial fermentations. Due to the new research context of synthetic consortia, few yeasts were used to build these consortia, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pichia pastoris, and Yarrowia lipolytica. Here, application of the yeasts for design of synthetic microbial consortia and their advantages and bottlenecks for effective and robust production of valuable metabolites from bioresource, including: cellulose, xylose, glycerol and so on, have been reviewed. Key trends and challenges are also discussed for the future development of synthetic yeast consortia.

A Comparative Study on Essential Oil Profile and Antioxidant Activity in Different Parts of Three Ferulago Species.

In the present study, the phytochemical features of the essential oils from leaves, flowers, and fruits in three Ferulago species including F. angulata, F. carduchorum, and F. contracta was investigated. The essential oils were extracted using the hydrodistillation method and analyzed by GC-FID and GC/MS. The essential oil content varied between 0.46 to 2.65 % (v/w) among the various parts of the studied species. Monoterpene hydrocarbons (leaves: 34.80-78.76 %, flowers: 88.67-94.26 %, fruits: 89.54-94.21 %) constituted the main fraction of three Ferulago species. The major compounds of the essential oil among the species were α-pinene (15.01-22.16 %), ß-phellandrene (2.48-14.73 %), α-phellandrene (0.52-13.8 %), and germacrene B (0.11-13.28 %) in leaves; (Z)-ß-ocimene (38.46-47.21 %), α-pinene (10.25-18.32 %), and α-phellandrene (5.07-9.44 %) in flowers; (Z)-ß-ocimene (10.21-41.19 %), α-phellandrene (7.51-31.89 %), α-pinene (8.96-17.71 %), ß-phellandrene (7.24-17.44 %), terpinolene (2.90-7.77 %), and δ-3-carene (1.57-7.66 %) in fruits. The classical antioxidant activity of the essential oils was assessed using the DPPH method. The fruit essential oils of the studied species induced a significant level of antioxidant activity compared to ascorbic acid (EC50 =50.24 µg/mL). The highest level of antioxidant activity was found in F. carduchorum (EC50 =68.75 µg/mL) fruits essential oil. Ferulago species, therefore, have the potential to be utilized as natural antioxidants in the pharmaceutical, food or cosmetic industries owing to their high level of antioxidant activity.

Fouling mechanisms in anoxic-aerobic sequencing batch membrane bioreactor based on adapted Hermia models and main foulant characteristics.

Various derivatives of Hermia models (complete pore blocking, intermediate pore blocking, cake layer formation, and standard pore blocking) and different assessments of foulant characteristics have long been used to determine the membrane fouling mechanisms. Accordingly, this study aims to adapt Hermia models and their combination according to the operating conditions of an anoxic-aerobic sequencing batch membrane bioreactor (A/O-SBMBR). In addition, fouling mechanisms of the A/O-SBMBR were assessed using these models along with the main foulant characteristics. Models fitting with the transmembrane pressure (TMP) data indicated that the intermediate-standard model was accounting for the increased fouling during the whole regular operating period, with the residual sum of squares (RSS) of 58.3. A more detailed study on the distinct stages of TMP curve showed that the intermediate-standard model had the best fit in stages of 2 and 3, with the RSS equal to 2.6 and 2.8, respectively. Also, the complete-standard model provided the best description of the fouling mechanism in stage 4, with the RSS of 12.5. Different analyzes revealed how the main foulant characteristics affect the occurrence of intermediate, complete and standard fouling mechanisms in the A/O-SBMBR, which is consistent with the fitting results of the adapted Hermia models. The modeling and experimental methods used in the presented study provided a valuable basis to prevent and control membrane fouling in membrane bioreactors.

Design and development of a simple method for the detection and quantification of residual host cell DNA in recombinant rotavirus vaccine.

Rotavirus recombinant vaccine is usually produced in Vero cells. Residual host DNA may reside in the final product and is considered a source of contamination. WHO protocols indicate that biological products should be free of any type of impurity such as nucleic acids, endotoxins, and host cell intermediate materials. Therefore, all recombinant biological therapeutics should be assessed for residual host DNA. In the present study, a sensitive and specific real-time PCR method was developed to detect residual host cell DNA in the final product. The Beta-actin gene of Vero cells was selected to detect residual host cell DNA. One set of primers and a TaqMan probe were designed for the gene using AlleleID 6 software. Real-time PCR reactions were set up, and efficiency of 84% was obtained. The sensitivity and limit of detection of the assay were determined to be 0.176 Fg/µl and 0.044 Fg/µl, respectively. The intra-assay and inter-assay variations were 4.4% and 1.04%, respectively. Furthermore, the specificity and sensitivity of the assay were high enough, and the detection limit was lower than that of the FDA and WHO standards. This indicates that our assay is highly specific and sensitive to detect residual host DNA of Vero cells in the recombinant rotavirus vaccine.

Dietary antioxidants and fibre intake and depressive symptoms in Iranian adolescent girls.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the cross-sectional association between dietary intakes of antioxidants and fibre and depressive symptoms among Iranian adolescent girls. DESIGN: A cross-sectional population-based study. SETTING: Primary schools in two different cities located in northeastern Iran (Mashhad and Sabzevar). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 988 adolescent girls aged 12-18 years were included in the study. RESULTS: Subjects with no or minimal depression symptoms had significantly higher dietary intakes of α-carotene (P = 0·01), ß-carotene (P = 0·006), lutein (P = 0·03) and vitamin C (P = 0·04) when compared with subjects with mild-to-severe depression symptoms. Soluble dietary fibre and insoluble dietary fibre intakes were also significantly higher in healthy adolescents compared with those with depression symptoms (P < 0·001). In multivariate-adjusted model 2, the OR (95 % CI) of depressive symptoms were 0·61 (95 % CI 0·37, 1·01), 0·42 (95 % CI 0·26, 0·69), 0·50 (95 % CI 0·31, 0·79), 0·71 (95 % CI 0·44, 1·15), 0·51 (95 % CI 0·32, 0·82) and 0·42 (95 % CI 0·25, 0·68) for the highest v. lowest quartile of vitamin C, ß-carotene, α-carotene, lutein, soluble dietary fibre and insoluble dietary fibre cereal intakes, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary intake of some antioxidants and dietary fibre intake was inversely associated with depression symptoms among Iranian adolescent girls.

Association of C677T (rs1081133) and A1298C (rs1801131) Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Variants with Breast Cancer Susceptibility Among Asians: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

This systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to investigate the association between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T and A1298C polymorphisms with breast cancer (BC) in Asians. Systematic searches were conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Scopus by May 2020. Inter-study heterogeneity was also assessed with a Q test, along with I2 statistics. Random-effects models were applied to pooled crude ORs with corresponding 95% CIs for the genetic models. A total of 1097 identified results, along with 36 qualified studies were included: for MTHFR C677T polymorphism, a total of 36 studies was comprised of 11,261 cases and 13,318 controls and for MTHFR A1298C polymorphism, a number of 19 studies contained 7424 cases and 8204 controls. Likewise, for C677T polymorphism, an increased risk of BC was seen for the allelic (OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.09-1.33, P < 0.01, I2 = 78.9%), dominant (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05-1.30, P < 0.01, I2 = 71.8%), recessive (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.23-1.67, P < 0.01, I2 = 55.8%), and homozygous models (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.25-1.75, P < 0.01, I2 59.9%) among BC patients compared to controls. Also, in terms of A1298C polymorphism, an association was found between the allelic (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.04-1.28, P < 0.01, I2 70.4%) and homozygous models (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.15-1.66, P < 0.01, I2 44.2%) with the risk of BC. In conclusion, findings revealed that MTHFR C677T variant might be a factor that predisposes BC in Asians. Furthermore, it was found that A1298C variant acts as a BC risk factor, particularly in a Western Asia population.

Phytochemical Variation within Aerial Parts of Ferula cupularis Populations, an Endangered Medicinal Plant from Iran.

Ferula cupularis (Boiss.) Spalik et S. R. Downie is an endangered endemic Iranian medicinal plant with occurrence restricted to Fars and Kohkilooyeh Boyerahmad provinces, Iran. F. cupularis is cited for strong antibacterial activity, usages in foodstuffs preservation, and has long been used by local peoples for ulcer treatment. In this research, the aerial parts of F. cupularis wild populations were collected from three natural habitats: Eqlid-Kaftar (FC1), Kakan (FC2), and Sepidan-Komohr (FC3), to assess phytochemical diversity and antioxidant activity. The quantity of essential oil (EO) ranged remarkably from 0.42 to 0.72 % v/w among the populations. Results obtained from the EO analysis by GC-FID and GC/MS detected up to 56 compounds. α-Pinene (21.65-31.53 %), sabinene (4.74-11.39 %), phellandrene (1.78-5.1 %), δ-3-carene (1.85-7.18 %), limonene (4.12-7.45 %), (Z)-ß-ocimene (9.08-17.64 %), and elemicin (0.23-5.74 %) were the major compounds of EOs varied significantly among the populations. Moreover, total phenol content (250.54 to 387.45 mg gallic acid/100 g dry weight (DW)) and flavonoids (34.38 to 41.12 mg quercetin/100 g DW) of methanolic extracts varied substantially among the populations. Antioxidant activities of F. cupularis EOs and extracts were assessed by DPPH (2,2,1-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging method. EOs exhibited EC50 values ranging from 8.88 to 9.67 µg mL-1 and the EC50 values for the extract ranged from 941.36 to 1335.96 µg mL-1 within the populations. Results demonstrated significantly different levels of antioxidant capacities among the studied populations. Monitoring the data, the population collected from Eqlid-Kaftar (FC1) was selected as the most potent population concerning the highest EO content and antioxidant activity level. The obtained data provided new insights for an initial source of breeding plans and ultimately massive production for food and pharmaceutical industries.

The IL-18, IL-12, and IFN-γ expression in HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) patients, HTLV-1 carriers, and healthy subjects.

Interleukin (IL)-12, IL-18, and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) can induce Th1-inflammatory responses in favor of HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) manifestation. In this study, the gene expression and plasma levels of these cytokines were evaluated. The peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in 20 HAM/TSP patients, 21 asymptomatic carriers (ACs), and 21 healthy subjects (HSs) were assessed for the expression of IL-18, IL-12, and IFN-γ, using qRT-PCR. The plasma level of IL-18 and IFN-γ were measured by an ELISA method. The mean of HTLV-1 proviral load (PVL) in the HAM/TSPs was 1846.59 ± 273.25 and higher than ACs at 719.58 ± 150.72 (p = 0.001). The IL-12 was considerably expressed only in nine ACs, five HAM/TSPs, and all HSs. Furthermore, the gene expression and plasma levels of IL-18 were lower in the HTLV-1-positive group than the control group (p = 0.001 and 0.012, respectively); however, there was no significant difference between the ACs and HAM/TSPs. The IFN-γ level was higher in the HTLV-1-positive group (p < 0.001) than HSs. Although there were no correlation between plasma levels of IL-18 and IFN-γ with PVL in the ACs, a positive correlation was observed between plasma IL-18 levels and PVL (r = 0.654, p = 0.002). The highest levels of IFN-γ were observed in the HAM/TSPs which has a significant correlation with HTLV-1-HBZ (r = 0.387, p = 0.05) but not with Tax. However, no significant correlation was found between PVL and proinflammatory pattern. Apart from the IFN-γ as a lymphokine, as a host factor, and HTLV-1-HBZ, as a viral agent, the other proinflammatory monokines or HTLV-1 factors are among the less-effective agents in the maintenance of HAM/TSP.

Status of humoral and cellular immune markers in human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) asymptomatic carriers in northeastern Iran, Mashhad.

It is estimated that about 10-20 million peoples are infected with human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) around the world and suffered from HTLV-related diseases. The present study was aimed to evaluate the cellular immunity, T-cell activation, humoral immunity, and inflammatory response hallmarks which affect HTLV-1-associated disease progression. A total of 78 participants were included in the study, comprising 39 HTLV-1 asymptomatic careers (ACs) and 39 healthy controls. The HTLV-proviral load (PVL) was determined via real-time PCR technique, and anti-HTLV antibody, sIL2R, sCD30, Neoptrin, hs-CRP, IgE, anti-VCA, anti-EBNA, and anti-EA were assessed by ELISA method. Mean PVL in ACs was 352.7 ± 418.7 copies/104 PBMCs. A significant higher level of sIL-2R was observed in ACs (P < 0.0001). Anti-VCA antibody titer in ACs and healthy controls was 80.72 ± 105.95 and 156.05 ± 130.71, respectively (P = 0.007). Intriguingly, suppression in ACs immune response was not observed. Resultantly, HTLV-1 infection has no effect on the humoral immune response in ACs but greater T-cell activation and function cellular responses were detected. Finally, more studies on various immune markers in adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) patients are greatly needed to illuminate the association of ACs' immune status with the development of the related diseases.

INNOVATE Research: Impact of a workshop to develop researcher capacity to engage youth in research.

BACKGROUND: Engaging youth in research provides substantial benefits to research about youth-related needs, concerns and interventions. However, researchers require training and capacity development to work in this manner. METHODS: A capacity-building intervention, INNOVATE Research, was co-designed with youth and adult researchers and delivered to researchers in three major academic research institutions across Canada. Fifty-seven attendees participated in this research project evaluating youth engagement practices, attitudes, perceived barriers, and perceived capacity development needs before attending the intervention and six months later. RESULTS: The intervention attracted researchers across various career levels, roles and disciplines. Participants were highly satisfied with the workshop activities. Follow-up assessments revealed significant increases in self-efficacy six months after the workshop (P = .035). Among possible barriers to youth engagement, four barriers significantly declined at follow-up. The barriers that decreased were largely related to practical knowledge about how to engage youth in research. Significantly more participants had integrated youth engagement into their teaching activities six months after the workshop compared to those who were doing so before the workshop (P = .007). A large proportion (71.9%) of participants expressed the need for a strengthened network of youth-engaged researchers; other future capacity-building approaches were also endorsed. CONCLUSIONS: The INNOVATE Research project provided improvements in youth engagement attitudes and practices among researchers, while lifting barriers. Future capacity-building work should continue to enhance the capacity of researchers to engage youth in research. Researchers notably pointed to the need to establish a network of youth-engaged researchers to provide ongoing, sustainable gains in youth engagement.

Enhancing researcher capacity to engage youth in research: Researchers' engagement experiences, barriers and capacity development priorities.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing emphasis on engaging youth in research about youth, their needs, experiences and preferences, notably in health services research. By engaging youth as full partners, research becomes more feasible and relevant, and the validity and richness of findings are enhanced. Consequently, researchers need guidance in engaging youth effectively. This study examines the experiences, needs and knowledge gaps of researchers. METHODS: Eighty-four researchers interested in youth engagement training were recruited via snowball sampling. They completed a survey regarding their youth engagement experiences, attitudes, perceived barriers and capacity development needs. Data were analysed descriptively, and comparisons were made based on current engagement experience. RESULTS: Participants across career stages and disciplines expressed an interest in increased capacity development for youth engagement. They had positive attitudes about the importance and value of youth engagement, but found it to be complex. Participants reported requiring practical guidance to develop their youth engagement practices and interest in a network of youth-engaged researchers and on-going training. Those currently engaging youth were more likely to report the need for greater appreciation of youth engagement by funders and institutions. CONCLUSIONS: Engaging youth in research has substantial benefits. However, skills in collaborating with youth to design, conduct and implement research have to be learned. Researchers need concrete training and networking opportunities to develop and maximize these skills. They also need mechanisms that formally acknowledge the value of engagement. Researchers and those promoting youth engagement in research are encouraged to consider these findings in their promotion and training endeavours.

Developing a highly selective method for preconcentration and determination of cobalt in water and nut samples using 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol and UV-visible spectroscopy.

BACKGROUND: Heavy metal contamination in water and agricultural products is a major concern that causes risks for human health. This article describes a highly selective approach to preconcentrate cobalt(II) (Co(II)) ions based on the standard UV-visible measurement of Co(II)-1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol complex at λ = 628 nm in water and nut samples. In this method, magnetic silica (mSiO2 ) was utilized as a practical sorbent and 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol was employed as a complexing agent in the elution step. The adsorbent was characterized via X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The effects of the main variables (pH, adsorption time, sorbent amount, pH of eluent, ligand volume, and desorption time) were investigated and established. RESULTS: The maximum recovery was achieved at pH 7 ± 0.3, adsorption time of 60 min, sorbent amount of 40 mg, eluent pH 8 ± 0.2, ligand volume of 2 mL (16.95 × 10-4 mol L-1 ) and desorption time of 30 min. The linearity of dynamic range (10-500 µg L-1 ), limit of detection (0.32 µg L-1 ), relative standard deviation (3.04%), and preconcentration factor (25) show the reliability of the method. The sorbent was reusable 12 times. Selectivity and the effect of interference ions were successfully examined. The adsorption process of Co(II) ions on mSiO2 was investigated based on Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The Freundlich model was fitted with the system and the maximum capacity adsorption of mSiO2 for Co(II) adsorption is 2.35 mg g-1 . Then, the kinetics study revealed that the adsorption process of Co(II) ions on the mSiO2 follows the pseudo-first-order model. The thermodynamics parameters ΔG, ΔS, and ΔH were calculated. CONCLUSION: The method was fruitfully applied to preconcentrate Co(II) ions in water and nut samples. This method offers high selectivity and precision for determining Co(II) ions. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Phytotoxicity and antifungal properties of the essential oil from the Juniperus polycarpos var. turcomanica (B. Fedsch.) R.P. Adams leaves.

This study was performed to investigate the constituents, in vitro antifungal activity and phytotoxicity potential of the essential oil from Juniperus polycarpos var. turcomanica leaves. The essential oil was analyzed by GC-FID, and GC/MS, which predominantly contains α-pinene (51.21%), germacrene-B (4.80%), and ∆-cadinene (2.56%). The antifungal activity of the essential oil against some phytopathogenic fungi, including Alternaria alternata, Colletotrichum trichellum, Curvularia fallax, Cytospora sacchari, Fusarium oxysporum, and Macrophomina phaseolina was performed through disk diffusion and agar dilution assays. The essential oil of J. polycarpos var. turcomanica had high antifungal activity against tested phytopathogenic fungi. The most susceptible fungi to the essential oil were C. trichellum in agar dilution and M. phaseolina and C. fallax in disk diffusion methods, whereas, the most resistant fungus to the essential oil was obtained from A. alternata in both assays. Screening methods had an influence on antifungal activity of the essential oil as most of the tested fungi in this study were shown to be more resistant in disc diffusion methods. According to the phytotoxic assay results, the essential oil from J. polycarpos var. turcomanica had high phytotoxicity against three species of weeds, including P. oleracea L., A. retroflexus L., and D. stramonium L. The results of this research suggest that the herbicidal and antifungal activities of the essential oil from J. polycarpos var. turcomanica can be attributed to its major group of constituents, monoterpenes hydrocarbons.

CD36 gene polymorphism rs1761667 (G > A) is associated with hypertension and coronary artery disease in an Iranian population.

BACKGROUND: CD36 is associated with regulation of lipid metabolism, atherosclerosis, and blood pressure. Moreover, its variation may be involved in the development of hypertension and/or coronary artery disease (CAD). The present study was conducted to investigate the possible association of CD36 rs1761667 (G > A) polymorphism with hypertension and/or CAD in the southeastern of Iran. METHODS: The present observational study was composed of 238 subjects who were admitted for coronary angiography, and divided into four groups: 1) hypertensive without CAD (H-Tens, n = 52); 2) hypertensive with CAD (CAD + H-Tens, n = 57); 3) CAD without hypertension (CAD, n = 65); and 4) non-hypertensive without CAD as the control group (Ctrl, n = 64). The CD36 rs1761667 polymorphism was genotyped with PCR-RFLP method. Association between CD36 rs1761667 genotypes and the risk of CAD and hypertension was assessed using multinomial regression by adjusting for age, sex, creatinine, fasting blood sugar (FBS), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). RESULTS: In the present study, minor allele (A) frequency was 0.36. The genotype, but not allele frequency of the CD36 rs1761667 was significantly different between the four study groups (p = 0.003). Furthermore, using a recessive inheritance model CD36 rs1761667 polymorphism was significantly associated with an increased risk of CAD with hypertension (OR = 5.677; 95% CI = 1.053-30.601; p = 0.043). However, using the dominant model of CD36 rs1761667 had a protective effect on H-Tens and CAD patients. CONCLUSION: The present findings revealed an association between CD36 rs1761667 polymorphism and susceptibility to hypertension and/or CAD in a southeastern Iranian population.

Evaluation of service quality from patients' viewpoint.

BACKGROUND: Measuring patients' perception from health service quality as an important element in the assessment of service quality has attracted much attention in recent years. Therefore, this study was conducted to find out how the patients evaluated service quality of clinics at teaching hospitals affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iran. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Tehran in 2017 and 400 patients were randomly selected from four hospitals. Data were collected using a questionnaire, the validity and reliability of which were confirmed in previous study. In order to analyze the data, T-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficient were calculated using SPSS 23. RESULTS: The results indicated that among eight dimensions of health service quality, the patients were more satisfied with physician consultation, services costs and admission process. The highest and lowest mean scores were related to physician consultation (Mean = 4.17), and waiting time (Mean = 2.64), in that order. The total mean score of service quality was 3.73 (± 0.51) out of 5. Outpatient services were assessed as good, moderate and weak by 57.5, 40 and 2.5% of the patients, respectively. There was a significant relationship between the positive perception of service quality and reason for admission, source of recommendation, gender, education level, health status, and waiting time in the clinics (p <  0.05). CONCLUSION: The majority of the patients had a positive experience with visiting clinics and perceived service provision as good. In fact, patients' perceptions of physician consultation, provision of information to patients and the environment of delivering services, are the most important determinants of service quality in clinics.

Surface Plasmon Enhanced Light Scattering Biosensing: Size Dependence on the Gold Nanoparticle Tag.

Surface plasmon enhanced light scattering (SP-LS) is a powerful new sensing SPR modality that yields excellent sensitivity in sandwich immunoassay using spherical gold nanoparticle (AuNP) tags. Towards further improving the performance of SP-LS, we systematically investigated the AuNP size effect. Simulation results indicated an AuNP size-dependent scattered power, and predicted the optimized AuNPs sizes (i.e., 100 and 130 nm) that afford extremely high signal enhancement in SP-LS. The maximum scattered power from a 130 nm AuNP is about 1700-fold higher than that obtained from a 17 nm AuNP. Experimentally, a bio-conjugation protocol was developed by coating the AuNPs with mixture of low and high molecular weight PEG molecules. Optimal IgG antibody bioconjugation conditions were identified using physicochemical characterization and a model dot-blot assay. Aggregation prevented the use of the larger AuNPs in SP-LS experiments. As predicted by simulation, AuNPs with diameters of 50 and 64 nm yielded significantly higher SP-LS signal enhancement in comparison to the smaller particles. Finally, we demonstrated the feasibility of a two-step SP-LS protocol based on a gold enhancement step, aimed at enlarging 36 nm AuNPs tags. This study provides a blue-print for the further development of SP-LS biosensing and its translation in the bioanalytical field.